Carmine6
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Posts posted by Carmine6
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Is this typical for them to just stop them from being legal tender? Normally governments do that with something like a currency split where they take a couple zeros off. They only stopped printing these 3 years ago.
What they're doing is effectively voiding a lot of currency. It turns into a gift certificate that has value, but only in a certain place.
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Here's a possible explanation for why this just happened.
There was just a tv news story about a guy in California who was arrested for taking tests (entrance exams, English proficiency exams, etc.) for Arab students so they could obtain/retain their student visas.
So very likely they're looking for terrorists and those who are assisting them in staying. But the scrutiny obviously will turn up other education visa fraud.
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Was discussed in prior thread.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Us-State-Dep...Pa-t343271.html
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"Go to the Bank of Bangkok and get a cashiers check"
Thanks for the suggestion -- This is for a Driver License renewal in the States and unfortunately, they'll only accept a Money Order or Certified Check written on a U.S. Bank.
I'm working on trying to have a U.S. Money Order sent here so I can send it back with the required documentation, but so far, no luck.
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Off topic a bit but you can renew a DL in the USA with just sending a check? Most states want you there for a new photo and signatures to the new license.
In California, you can renew by mail/internet as long as you haven't had any tickets or accidents. I think you can do it twice. They just use the old picture.
Isn't there a Western Union office right next to the post office in Pattaya?
Edit: Actually I found a website with a picture and it's a Bank of Ayyudhya next door. However both the bank's sign and the post office sign seem to have a Western Union logo on there, so that's what I had noticed. Not sure what that means.
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On a positive note it did clean up the air from the fire induced pollution for a day or two.
But it looks like you're based in Chiang Mai and these storms are supposed to be in Isaan. I'm in Khon Kaen and there's been no hint of a storm since the 6 February in KK, when it pished it down for about 2 hours and flooded the sois nicely.
Would like to know where exactly in KK this supposed storm was. Hows about folk in Chaiyaphum or Sakon Nakhon - any storms your way these past couple of days?
Someone posted the link to the Thai Meteorological department in another thread. There are only a few spots showing storms in the Northeast map. Little bit of movement from where they were before, but they never covered much area. Weather radar still has some tiny spots on it. 7 day forecast has more possible stuff next week.
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Wonder if they will attempt the cover charge again?
Would be interesting to know what "Free Entry for all" refers to if not the cover charge.
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I can't believe that this article never had anything on the dams being built upstream in China. This is obviously having the greatest impact on the Mekong. Iv'e watched a few programmes on the Mekong and learnt that it has some of the most richest biodiversity in the world. However, this may all change forever with the amount of dams that are now built AND being built on it (another 12 planned for China). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong
That's pretty troubling. If they built one at a time, then there might be a livable amount of water interruption while a dam is filled. But 12 dams being built and filled is probably going to mean a decade period where they're filling 3 or 4 at a time. Would guess 2 or 3 years to fill each one, and I doubt the Chinese are going to worry about the impact downstream.
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/04/trave...ion.act/?hpt=T2
March 4, 2010 1:37 p.m. EST
"(CNN) -- President Obama signed legislation into law Thursday to create the United States' first national travel promotion program."By signing the Travel Promotion Act, President Obama has acted to support the power of travel to serve as an economic stimulant, job generator and diplomatic tool," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.
The act will create a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion that will promote the United States as a travel destination and explain travel and security policies to international visitors.
The bill received final passage in the Senate last week.
A $10 fee charged to visitors from countries included in the Visa Waiver Program will partially fund the public-private organization. These visitors will pay the fee every two years when they register online using the Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorization...."
I agree with this guy:
Some opponents of the legislation said that charging overseas visitors a fee to promote the United States will deter them from visiting."We don't want foreigners to have to jump through so many hoops that they just give up and don't bother coming to the U.S.," Steven Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, told CNN before final passage of the bill. The IATA represents airlines around the world.
Lott said improving entry and exit procedures would help U.S. tourism more than a promotional organization.
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Interesting. I forgot that they were trying to stop the PM from comming back in to Thailand.
Having DM is always a good option, but if they close the airport to cause a disruption, I would think the protestors might try to close both airports if they found out that DM would just take over. However, I don't know if they'd have much succes in trying to close down that military airport, is it (Utapao in Chonburi?), if that were used.
I just wonder how much more damage it would cause if it happened again. I mean, it might have put off many tourists, but I'm sure people will eventually get over it. But if it happens twice, I would think there would be more long lasting damaging effects to the economy. I for one would be very careful about traveling there and like another poster mentioned, wait until the last minute to book tickets.
I think he came back through Chiang Mai. Phuket and Samui are other options. So there's no reason to target the airport again and it didn't even work the first time.
A second airport closure would be really bad. All the other things that are claimed to be the end of tourism (crimes, scams, exchange rate, visa issues, etc.) really affect at the margins. Because those are potential issues all over and they don't severely impact most people. But outright inability to enter or leave a country when desired is pretty catastrophic. When's the last time in the world that has happened that wasn't due to a natural disaster or weather? Pretty rare, so two in short order is a big deal.
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It seems to me that the plane from Taipei to Bangkok is a smaller plane (Airbus A330-332). I only saw two classes of seats, Premium Laurel and Economy. Unlike Boeing 777, there are three classes of seats. Am I wrong here?
RJ
Ugh. Looks to be the case.
http://www.evaair.com/html/b2c/english/eva...ts/A330-200.htm
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Thanks again for the information. In the past, I used to travel with North West and I really hated most of the flights because it was so crowded and at Narita, I did not even have a place to sit while waiting. The coach seat was so small. I am not a tall person, but I cannot imagine how a tall person can sit in a coach seat. In 2008, I flew with Thai Airways with a direct flight from JFK to BKK. That was wonderful because I did not have to change to another plane. It is really too bad that they discontinued that flight. I chose Eva this time because I was looking for an airline with a bigger seat. I think I paid a little less than what I paid for Thai Airways but not by much. I found that to get the best ticket price, you should try to search on their web site directly. I tried to search on different web sites and the prices were a lot more. Then, I saw that the ticket was on sale one day for $150 less, so if someone wants to find a good price, you should be patient and keep looking at their web site for a while. My Thai travel agent quoted me with a price a little bit higher than what I saw on the web site and they told me that I should buy it directly.
Based on what I saw from www.seatguru.com, I think that the plane from the U.S. to Taipei will have evergreen deluxe seats, but the plane from Taipei to Bangkok will have just regular economy seats. Is this correct? I suppose it takes only a few hours from Taipei to Bangkok, so that might not be a big deal. Do I expect more people from the U.S. to Taipei or between Taipei and Bangkok? With North West, it is always packed.
RJ
That seating sounds odd. Are you Deluxe/Elite the whole way? It could be a mixed itinerary with regular economy into BKK.
It's not as short a flight as it seems. Nearly 4 hours.
LAX to Taipei is almost always more crowded than TPE to BKK. But your flight may connect to a different flight than the LAX flights do.
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Low odds. That shut down was a big hit to tourism, as well as affecting businessmen and politicians. I think even many supporters of the cause had a problem with that either during or after.
Note that one of the reasons or maybe the main reason the airport was targeted was to prevent the then Prime Minster from coming back from an overseas trip. It wasn't just a random target.
It caused such a fall off in passengers in the following months that I decided to book a flight for the last part of Songkran on short notice. Got a good price on that and the plane was kinda empty. I don't think anyone wants to see that much disruption again.
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Thank you very much for all the information from everyone. For someone who needs to travel with a laptop and a CPAP machine plus some other personal items, it is such a hassle these days to have to keep going through a security checkpoint each time when you stop at an airport and I can see why you suggested that I should take my carry-ons with me when stopping in Alaska. You never know what will happen to your carry-ons when you are not around. I think someone replied earlier that the security checkpoint at the airport in Taipei is a bit more relaxed than an airport in the U.S. Does this mean that I still need to take a laptop out the bag before putting on the x-ray belt?
RJ
Not likely. I believe they even said no need to pull out laptops. Like I mentioned, you don't even have to put shoes through even though the signage shows shoes.
I carry lots of electronics, but never had a problem putting just the bag on the belt without pulling anything out. Laptop, small bag of toiletries, camera, power adapter, outlet adapter, cords, batteries, cell phones (2), usb drives, etc. all inside.
Several years ago they used to be more strict, even to the point of having another xray screening before boarding US bound flights. But now it's just that one, and I've only seen them pull bags with liquid like a bottle of water. Since people are just getting off a plane and were theoretically already screened, the line tends to move pretty well except when someone has metal on their body.
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At least the Dalai Lama got to see Obama inside the White House.
Except in advance of Obama's trip to China, he specifically refused a visit with the Dalai Lama.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...hina-happy.html
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Can you get a good deal for coach on Eva? I looked at some sample itineraries and it was more expensive than AA...
Which route?
EVA used to be among the lowest priced reliably. Maybe 3 years ago there were coach seats in the $500 - $600 range LAX to BKK for about a year period. And even for 2 week advance purchase. Evergreen Deluxe even for a same week booking would work out lower than other airline's coach seats normal prices. But LAX to TPE is a heavy demand route for them, so that probably helps prices. Most of their promotions are out of West Coast cities.
But when oil spiked they cut the flight offerings and price came up, at the same time other carriers came down or stayed flat. I flew Thai Airways and United Airlines a couple times when even they beat EVA. EVA has trended back to it's lower price position, but is not always the lowest.
Also one thing I've noticed is if booking through Expedia or similar sites, EVA seems to come out higher than booking directly. Plus they tend to throw in a long stopover versus being able to pick a short one by booking directly.
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Something missing from the OP's story.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fed-Los-Want...63#entry2991463
2009-09-05 08:10:50
"After 13 years living in Thailand I made the move back home. It was mainly due to not enough work and money running low but I was also sick of the crime, police, visa changes and just day to day little crazy things. It was time to go ! ..."
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fiancee-Visa...57#entry3306857
2010-01-30 06:29:43
"After 8 months of paper work and waiting I finally got a US fiancee visa for my Thai love.. Well that was back in July of 2008. The very week we received the visa I was offered a position in Dubai that I could not refuse. Well I am about the leave Dubai with a little extra money in the bank for our future and am looking at a short tirp to Thailand and then on to America. I would like to get another fiancee visa and bring my love back with me. Has anyone been through this second process before or know anything about it ? Any info is welcomed. Thanks .... smile.gif wub.gif
And yes, she was heart broken that she was not able to come the first time. I have to make it up to her..."
Nothing missing from my story. I lived in Thailand for 13 years, back to US for a year and then Dubai. Now I am heading back to the US and want to see my fiancee. My fiancee (still together) is in Thailand. Now I am looking at other plans...What's missing other than logic in the Thai visa system. I will now plan
My point is you're not some average Joe American who's trying to get a tourist visa. Which your first post implies with statements like " I have been to Thailand many times but have only spent about two week there in the last three years."
You were a long time resident of Thailand up to less than two years ago. And one of your reasons for leaving Thailand previously was "visa changes"
So could your prior visa history in Thailand be coming into play here?
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Evergreen Deluxe is nice. Depending on the type of plane it actually goes by a different name. I believe Evergreen Deluxe is used for the Boeings and Elite Class is used for Airbus. The Airbus seats and aircraft are newer and nicer. I believe they use Elite Class on the signs at checkin either way.
As far as the stopover in Taipei, you do go through security, but it's not very strict. Although the signs show shoes going through the xray machine, you don't have to do that. You can also leave the bag of toiletries and laptop in your bag. You just put the whole bag on the belt. They care about bottled water though so if you get one on the plane, you can't take it through.
You go from the plane, go to where they flag people down for "transfer" and line up for the machines. It's a double door right next to some kind of ticketing counter. Velvet ropes and an Eva employee make it obvious.
After security you go upstairs into the airport, shop, eat, whatever. Then find your gate and go downstairs to a waiting room for the next flight.
I can't help on that route either, as I fly out of LAX.
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Something missing from the OP's story.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fed-Los-Want...63#entry2991463
2009-09-05 08:10:50
"After 13 years living in Thailand I made the move back home. It was mainly due to not enough work and money running low but I was also sick of the crime, police, visa changes and just day to day little crazy things. It was time to go ! ..."
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fiancee-Visa...57#entry3306857
2010-01-30 06:29:43
"After 8 months of paper work and waiting I finally got a US fiancee visa for my Thai love.. Well that was back in July of 2008. The very week we received the visa I was offered a position in Dubai that I could not refuse. Well I am about the leave Dubai with a little extra money in the bank for our future and am looking at a short tirp to Thailand and then on to America. I would like to get another fiancee visa and bring my love back with me. Has anyone been through this second process before or know anything about it ? Any info is welcomed. Thanks .... smile.gif wub.gif
And yes, she was heart broken that she was not able to come the first time. I have to make it up to her..."
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$100 sounded high, then the article mentions this would be the 3rd increase in 5 years. It had been $60 in 2002. So the charge for additional pages is higher than a passport was 8 years ago.
The real farce is this: The Department of State and Other International Programs spending was $33 billion in 2008. In 2009 it was $49 billion, and the estimate for 2010 is $55 billion. So recouping $18 million for adding passport pages shouldn't be necessary. As you would ask in other situations, what did they do with the other money we gave them?
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Map here:
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/bangkok_ma...ttanakosin.html
One thing you may want to consider is staying along the river or skytrain. The Grand Palace is near the river, and near Khosan and Chinatown. Lots of hotels in those two areas.
There's a cheap commuter boat that runs along the river, hits Chinatown, the riverside hotels, and connects to the Saphan Taksin skytrain station. Then you can take the skytrain anywhere along there. Gives a lot more hotel options that way and I think the boat ride is an experience of its own.
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No noticeable tsunami in Manhattan Beach, California. It was expected to be 0.77 m to 1.2 m in nearby beaches. Some waves broke slightly higher on the beach. Also there were some sets where a few waves went out and smacked into incoming waves, and there was a little bit of muddy water. The water didn't get close to what it reaches in regular storm surges.
The water got more turbulent, but the level didn't really change much. There is a storm passing through so the water was already turbulent. Had it been a calm day and at high tide, perhaps it would have been more apparent.
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I wonder how many copies of documents etc they needed !
and how can Bangkok Bank be happy with GM's Bank Statement ?
With the US government owning the majority of GM and the UAW owning most of the rest, there's a lot of backstop. For the next 3 years at least, I think there's zero chance of GM defaulting on loans from a foreign lender. It would be too huge a headline in Washington DC. There also must be some local political backstop for a large manufacturing facility that will make the numbers work.
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Where will she be going through immigration? My guess is she's going to have to go through immigration at SFO, and will therefore need to pick up her luggage there and then re-check it for the flight to Vegas.
In the US, the first US airport people land in is where they clear immigration and customs. They then proceed to their next flight.
Picking up luggage is always mandatory, however if tagged for the next flight, after customs there is an area where you give it to handlers who put it onto a belt toward the right area of the airport.
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The flip side of "antifreeze" is it actually raises the boiling point as well........... maybe the purchasing peeps at Carrefour aint all that dumb after all.
Then it would obviously have been better to state that on the packaging! Who in their right mind is going to buy Anti Freeze? (and I can read the labels...do you think any Thais are going to buy this?)
Yes indeed, those people at Carreffour are "SMART" in a sort of "subliminal" way!!!
I think this is one of those things that's historical to a given country. I live in sunny Southern California and it's always been labeled anti-freeze even though it's bought as coolant.
And if most Thais can't read it, it's not an issue at all. They just ask for coolant or what this is for, the clerk says coolant, and they buy it.
Disneyland Packages Bkk To Hong Kong?
in Thailand Travel Forum
Posted
Because of the English history you shouldn't really have problems.
Get familiar with the subway map ahead of time and that'll get you to a lot of places. The station names are also helpful in booking hotels. From the airport, there's the Airport Express that will take you all the way to Hong Kong island. Odds are when booking you'll find a hotel there or on the Kowloon side. Likely along the blue or lower part of the red colored lines on the map. So you'd just connect to the line you need to or take a taxi. You could of course taxi all the way from the airport. With 4 people, not sure which is cheaper.
As you can see, Disneyland is in between the airport and Hong Kong island, off a different line that parallels the Airport Express. So you just head out on that line.
You could also stay near Disneyland on Lantau Island. It's probably less hectic than the main city, but then you may miss out on some of the aspects of the city.
http://www.johomaps.com/as/hongkong/hkmetro_ch.html
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/homepage/cust_index.html