sammym

This is a random but true story. 

I was on holiday with my girlfriend in Koh Samui, staying at Ark Bar. Was a bit jetlagged and couldn't sleep. I had a couple of beers and decided to go for a walk. Ended up going along the beach and then around the lake. 

A lady boy tried offering me services. I told them politely I wasn't interested and was going back to my girlfriend. They got a bit more pushy so I told them firmly I wasn't interested in anyone and certainly not a man in drag. I was a bit rude in fairness. 

About 10 minutes later a bike comes past me and something comes flying past my head. Along with the same ladyboy who shouted something along the lines of 'don't make fun of ladyboy'. It was my wallet minus the cash. I lost about £50 in my money but was happy to have the wallet, credit cards and my army ID/driving licence back. I wouldn't have wanted to have explained I got it robbed by a transexual when I was back at work. 

Since then whenever I'm on holiday I don't carry important stuff in my wallet when I'm out and about. Just one card and some cash. Maybe my driving licence if I think I might need it. 

Just to answer some general comments about snipers etc. 

Firstly if you deploy that tactic you run loads of risks: 

1. Missing and causing him to panic and start killing people. 

2. Hitting and not killing him causing the same as 1.

3. Hitting a hostage not only killing the hostage but also causing 1 again. 

Forget about the movies. Anyone who has ever used a rifle will know that hitting a moving target is far from simple. And no sniper or sharp shooter I've ever met would put his hand up in this situation at this point. 

You'd also never aim for a 'headshot'. It's too small a target. Combine this with him probably having a ballistic helmet makes is beyond absurd. You aim for the chest area as it has the ability to put someone down and is also a larger target. Again he has ballistic body armour I'd guess so the chances of that working are diminished as well. 

The priority will be to get innocent people out safely. And to do that the best option is to wait. If he falls asleep the situation changes but even then you wouldn't have some sharp shooter doing something for a couple of hundred metres away. 

Thanks again. 

I think I have everything that is required. 

I will go with low expectations and if it all goes well be pleasantly surprised. 

40 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

Yes, e-ticket is valid 

 

Nobody requires a boarding pass for applying for a tourist visa

 

How do you come up with this number? You may be asked to show 20K baht cash (or equivalent in foreign currency) when entering Thailand. 

Many thanks. 

I got to that figure my skim reading the website and seeing 20k only. I did seem like a high barrier to entry. 20k Baht is much easier. I have about 8k Baht in cash from my last visit and a couple of hundred US dollars in Cash. I can withdraw some more cash if really required to prove I have enough money. 

I shall use the e-ticket and see what they say. If they want they can always check with the travel agency. And worst case I have to enter on a 30-day exemption. 

Hello - I'd like to ask some advice from you experienced folks. Thanks in advance for any advice or assistance given. 

I'd like to apply for a 60 day tourist visa in Hanoi Vietnam. 

However, I am running into difficulty with 'proving' my return flights. I have a reservation with Emirates to the UK 54 days after I wish to enter Thailand. However my only proof of this is: Invoice showing flights from the travel company, an e ticket showing the flight from the travel agency, and a booking confirmation itinerary from the travel agency. 

I know I could get the 30 day visa free and extend. However, this does not give me the flexibility I want. I may go home sooner if I want, similarly I may change my flight to later if there is no work for me immediately (I am a self-employed contractor).

Crucially I do not have a boarding pass or a ticket from the Airline yet. This is because I cannot get this until 72 hours before my flight. I am therefore unsure how I go about proving my flight. I cannot see the Thai authorities accepting a third party invoice for a flight back home. However I do not know a lot about this. 

Also in terms of showing funds - I understand I need to prove I have £20k. This isn't really a problem - but no single account has more than £8k in it. I spread my money around in investments etc. So would they be happy with my showing them a collection of ISA statments, and a current account? My current account has about £6k in it. But I was planning on using my credit card anyway as I get a far superior exchange rate and no fees. 

Again thanks in advance for any advice given. I have zero intention of working or breaking any rules. But this process is worrying my slightly. If I get it wrong I will simply get the 30 days - but I would be much happier with a 60-day tourist Visa. 

Regards

Sam 

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I did a little test the other day, what was best out of Clarity, Transferwise or £ bank transfer to Kasikorn and Clarity was the winner. You'll need to find a friendly bank and branch. Kasikorns max was 20,000 baht last time i used them

I'll try - worst case scenario they say no. And then I'll just pay some ATM fees. I'm certainly not spending my holiday going around desperately trying to find a bank that will play ball so I can save £4/5. 

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yes Clarity is the best, better than transferring cash. I always withdraw cash inside. Key thing for you is transfer to your Clarity account the same day so you don't pay interest

Absolutely. I have a halifax current account and will pay it off each day I use it. My partner also has this card as a backup in case one goes down. Halifax no longer let you tell them you are going abroad. Previously I've had no problem with preloading the card with 2/3k GBP when I've had trips. But I've heard this is becoming frowned upon so I'll just pay it off as I use it. 

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

I have a UK Halifax Clarity Credit card, withdrawals are at the cards exchange rate im my case Mastercard rate with 0% commission. You can go inside and withdraw, most I've done is 100,000 baht. Machine max is usually 30k

 

 

Exactly the card I want to use. 

I tried last time I was in Thailand for a lower amount (about 20k) and was told to go to the little counter outside. But I've previously had good experiences with higher amounts. 

If there are no fees and I get the Mastercard rate I'll be very happy. 

Cheers

I'm coming on holiday. I used to be able to withdraw 40/50k baht from banks using my credit card. Which saved having to use 2 or more ATM's and there was no fee. I'm flying over next week with my partner and we will need around 200k baht  

Is this still the case? 

Also if the exchange rate set by the bank or the credit card company?

Cheers

Sam 

So - to ask a really simple question. 

To get this residency certificate can I simply rock up with my booking for a hotel and ask for one? 

I don't mind paying a 'fee' but can't be doing with wasting multiple hours of my holiday. 

With regards to medical certificate. I'm assuming any hospital/clinic can offer this? Again I'm willing to pay 'premium' for a quick service whilst knowing I'm in a tourist location. 

1 hour ago, LeoTex said:

Not sure what the requirements are in Vietnam.

 

My understanding is that they care nothing about my UK licence, nor my IDP. However if I have a valid licence from a country in Asean country I'm good to go. 

To be totally honest - the legality of being stopped is not a concern for me. I can afford the relatively small roadside 'fine'. It's more if I fell of a bike and needed my travel insuracne to pay out. 

Cheers - my UK licence has: car, unrestricted motorbike, rigid truck and articulated truck. However I have zero interest in driving a truck in thailand (or the UK for that matter). And only really want the motorbike licence. 

So to confirm: I need to get a booking from my accommodation (or do they issue a letter for this?) and then go to the immigration office to get a certificate. But some immigration offices are not too keen on giving these out. 

I want to get a two year thai motorbike licence. 

I have a UK licence and an IDP. 

I think... I need a medical cert, a residency certificate, a few hours and about 2000 baht. 

However - I don't live in Thailand. I holiday in Thailand 2/3 times a year. And I want a Thai motorbike licence as then I can ride in Vietnam legally with my insurance valid. With my UK licence I can't. 

However how does one get a residency certificate? I'm happy to pay a reasonable fee to get this. But I'll be staying in hotel on holiday. I'll be in Samui if that makes a difference. 

Sorry if this seems a basic question - but google is very confused about if you can ever get one using a tourist visa on entry. But I think you can.