RandG

Vivo/Oppo both have dual SIM phones, which are more than adequate. Both my wife and I use dual SIM phones (UK and Thai) and find it very convenient.

2 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Me and my missus always use canvas bags when we go to the supermarket. Not long ago they asked to take a picture of us after we had paid for all our stuff at Tops. Reason? Apparently we were the only customers to bring our own bags. 

On one recent visit to Tops, we were stopped by a security guard as were walking away from the check out area with no plastic bags, who demanded to see a receipt; apparently based on the logic that no plastic bags means we could not have paid. 

Having said that, most Westerners we see in Tops, 7 Eleven etc. are coming away with a handful of plastic bags, so there is not much room for the holier than thou attitude that exists in these forums.

Might be worth checking if the Thais have an embassy in Dublin. Could be easier to get to than London.

Only to be approached by men wearing white coats and carrying a straight jacket.

No experience of 3 languages, but we were told that if we brought our daughter up bi-lingual (German from Mum, English from Dad, both their mother language) then she would be a late starter with speaking. This proved to be totally untrue and she was no slower, and if any earlier than other children of friends, children at the nursery she went to etc. We started from the day she was born. When she was a little older, if she had friends round, my wife would still speak to our daughter in German, but then just repeat it in English for the visitor. She has just completed a law degree at Oxford, so it certainly did no harm.

With regards to Thai, how much time will the children be spending with grandparents? We found time spent with Grandma helped a lot, even though it was only a couple of times a year for a week or two. Is it likely that the children will have a nanny at all. German friends of ours in Thailand had a nanny when the children were younger and that helped their childrens' Thai no end.

We have various friends where the children are tri-lingual and it has done them no harm and of course helps them in their adult life.

Good luck. It is worth the effort.

We use Netflix on 3BB in Phuket:  not through VPN. Works extremely well. No issues.

Would love to know where you would get 840 Baht for a (valid) 10 pound note. THB 420 would be more likely.

We have VoIP numbers in our home town in the UK and wife's home town in Germany. We can just call/be called as though we are in the UK or Germany. Costs pennies per call. Friends /relatives /bank etc. just call us without knowing whether we are home in the UK or Thailand. Have been using it for about 5 years and very pleased with it.

Just throw the key away!

Not sure it is much different from other countries, other than the newspaper photographs of the "baddy" surrounded by a dozen police officers. In the UK, it would be East Europeans, southern Europe North Africans, US Mexicans etc., etc.

Might just be down to luck, but we have never had a bad experience with Bangkok taxi drivers, but we tend not to go looking for negative experiences.

As you are out of the country at the moment, send the paperwork DHL or similar to the embassy (2-3 days). From arrival it will take a week or so max, so as long as you back in Thailand by the 8th to do it, you are fine.

It is unlikely that the Swedes would have allowed his extradition to the US and it it is also unlikely that Obama would have requested it. Now the Swedes are out of the loop, and Trump is in power, there is a much higher chance of the US requesting it, and the UK accepting it, so he might be in his little spare room for a while yet. Should have faced up to the charges in Sweden if he was innocent as he says.

If you were evicted (very, very unlikely), you would get yr money back from Airbnb. They cannot afford the hit on their reputation for customers of Airbnb to be losing money.

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Your visa remains valid in your cancelled passport.

You will use both passports on entry to the country to use the visa in the old passport and immigration will stamp you in for 90 days in the new one.

My wife (German passport) was in exactly this position a few weeks ago. Her existing passport was only 3 years old, but more or less full. She obtained a new German passport outside of Thailand (London) and we entered Thailand at Phuket Airport. Sods law, there was a trainee immigration officer on the desk went to, but the more experienced guy looking over his shoulder took my wife to another counter, spent a bit of time clicking around in the computer, and after a few minutes gave both her passports back, with the entry stamp in the new passport, with a handwritten comment next to it referring to the visa in the old passport.  During this time, I went downstairs and collected our luggage from the belts and we were out of the airport in 20 minutes.

Until such time as traffic laws are fairly and consistently enforced, with realistic sanctions for transgressors, then nothing will improve. Just look at the fiasco with helmets. 4 million motorcyclists in Ho Chi Minh City and in a week, we saw 2 without helmets. In Phuket, despite so many campaigns, probably 70% without.

1 hour ago, the guest said:

Most likely they will open in EU, and thereafter close their branches in the UK 

What a ridiculous comment! A huge UK retail bank with branches all over the UK will close their UK business??? They are taking an existing office in Berlin of 300 staff, and adding a few people so they can register a subsidiary in Germany to carry on their EU business.

Make an appointment in the Liverpool Passport Office for first thing (08:00) and pat for the extra service, and you can be out by noon. Also order a 48 page passport.

18 hours ago, clockman said:

Send it viral around the world. Only money matters to these people..

Do you "send it viral around the world" when it is found in buildings in New York, Frankfurt or London? Probably not.

My wife and I have used them for a return trip between Phuket and Chiang Rai. On time to the minute; staff fine. Very similar to Air Asia. Would not hesitate to fly again.

Merkel and Hollande say "jump!", and the other 25 countries shout "how high".

Voted for Remain but seeing how the EU "leaders" (and I use the term loosely) seem to be determined to screw the UK, even at the expense of the economies of other EU Member States, it seems we are right in getting out, despite any short term pain. Clearly trying to create an organisation where countries are terrified to leave, rather than one a country wants be a part of. Desperate to keep the Brussels gravy train going at any cost.

Interesting that in TV forums, it is always the fault of the Thais, lack of enforcement, van drivers etc. A great deal of this is very true, but see plenty of "westerners" riding on the wrong side of the road, drunk, no helmets, no lights, riding around with whole family on bike, despite never having been on a bike in their life, no insurance, etc., etc. What's their excuse? In their own countries would in general not do it, so cannot blame lack of awareness. Only other "excuse" is lack of enforcement, which is zero excuse.

Our daughter has has the right to German nationality (through her mum) since birth (now 22), but since the referendum, we have done the paperwork and got her German passport. No major problem; just a visit to our nearest consulate in UK with relevant documents, and 4 weeks later had her passport. Also went along to Canadian High Commission and sorted out her Canadian citizenship (through my birth). 2 stage process; 5 weeks to get certificate of citizenship and one week for passport. Gives her plenty of flexibility in her future life.

32 minutes ago, wvavin said:

A country that could not even covered fully with 4G and needs a high speed train. LOL..........

How many "western countries" have 100% 4G? None I have ever visited.

51 minutes ago, 4evermaat said:

Where does one obtain an international drivers license?

From yr home country. In the UK, either from a main Post Office, or by post from the AA. Do not know about other countries.