JayBird

Who knew my SCUBA equipment could be useful on the way to the boat too!!

On ‎2‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 2:18 PM, RotMahKid said:

I don't know how they come to these figures if the rest around Bangkok has much higher numbers of PM2.5. You can't check it on the website, because Bangkok is greyed out. Censured? no of course not Bangkok Center is always healthy see the numbers the publish!

It's not greyed out. The number was so high that it crashed and have an error.

Hello all,

 

A little note was attached to a Visa that was put into a Thai Passport.  It indicated that there needed to be proof of funds for the duration of the stay.  The listed:

Cash

Traveller's Cheques

Credit Card

 

The Thai person travelling does not use a Credit Card.  So it's a choice of over 3,000 EUR in Cash or Traveller's Cheques (which both seem a lot to travel with).  Does anyone know if they would be okey with:

 

Debit Card

Bank Statement

Something Else?

 

I checked the 'official' web site, and it even lists 'Other' as an option, but nothing explicit.  So any advice here would be appreciated.

 

Thank you.

Sort of trip report. 

 

Okey, I'm not from Europe but I have a house there and my GF (Thai) wanted to visit it with me.  I decided to go through TLS.  French embassy kept pointing me to TLS (despite the law saying they should help me).  Rather than force them to do their job (and increase a chance of denial), I went with TLS.

 

1) Booked a flight with Thai Airways, direct.  Choose the 'cancellable' version (about 5k THB fee).

2) Booked a room with Agoda that is also cancellable.

3) Filled in the form that TLS gave including her passports, and bank information.

4) Wrote a letter indicating I was inviting her and who I am

5) Included a copy of my passport ID page.

 

(Note: Technically you do not heed to book a hotel but as I am in france I would need a letter from my Mayor saying it's cool for her to stay in my house.  Since my Mayor doesn't like me, that was a no-go.... small villages in France... bleh).

 

I told her to get the VIP Lounge upon arrival.  Now, what does this include?

 

Well, it's not really a LOUNGE per se.  It's just that you can sit at the desk with the person who works there.  BUT it does mean:

 

1) The person there double checks your paperwork

2) Makes adjustments to paperwork if there were any issues

3) Helps with any additional photocopies or pictures needed

4) Will service you immediately (rather than at your appointment time)

5) Allow you to leave quickly (in case you arrived earlier than your appointment time you can complete early and leave early).

 

Overall, worth it.

 

Here's the weird bit, two days latter they sent her an SMS/E-mail saying they needed additional information:

 

1) *MY* Bank Statement from Thailand O.o?!

2) *MY* Passport Photocopy showing me entering & leaving Thailand.

 

I can try to guess #1: As I'm hosting, do I have enough money to do it?

As for #2... not sure why they need to see enter/exit stamps for Thailand.  Perhaps an assumption that I'm bad and they want to see if I'm on overstay?  Don't know.

 

Sadly, she had to travel herself all the way back there (they do not accept Fax, E-mail or Mail for this).  She gave the documents.

On the plus side, got an SMS the very next day that the Passport was ready for pick-up.

 

All in all, less than a week from start to finish, no real problems, no attitude issues, and the correct visa on the passport.

 

P.S.: For those curious, the bank account is an active one showing in/out and my passport shows plenty of stamps from various countries around the world.  Hers also shows multiple stamps to Singapore and Malaysia.  So these may all have played a factor.

 

Hopefully this will be of use to anyone else desiring to apply for a visa.

 

Thank you.

If you want to eat healthy or foreign, not enough. Imported beef can cost 2k thb a kilo. Organic food is expensive as well.

 

If you want good health insurance (20m coverage instead of the typical Thai 500k) that will cost you another 40k or more per year.

 

imported clothing (name brand, etc) is not any cheaper here than in the real world.

 

You may want to consider carefully the true cost of living or changing your lifestyle to be truly local.

If the nature of the work has nothing to do with Thailand or being in Thailand, and you do not bring the money in to Thailand in the year it was made, then I believe you are not doing anything wrong.

 

That being said, tell no one, because the government or police may cause problems out of spite or if someone does not like you.

3Bb still tells me they can not deliver fiber to condos. Anyone hear different?

Barbasol shaving cream.

Oscar Meyer sliced turkey

Hunts tomato paste

 

 

Wish I could find corn dogs.

I and my GF plan to stay in my own house in France :).  The downside is the Mairie most likely won't give me this document (or will drag his heels for months).

 

Might be simpler to book a hotel :)

Thank you.  I think I'll try to go through TLS.  Every time I tried to contact the French Embassy they always insisted to go through TLS, or simply refused to answer my e-mails.

 

I notice one of the requirements is an Attestation d'Accueil.  Am I reading it correct that I have to go back to France myself, find my Mayor, and convince him to give me one (99% sure he won't just because he's lazy and doesn't like me... small town...)?

Does a Thai National need Travel insurance if their normal Health Insurance coverage also includes full coverage in EU?

 

My GF & I have health insurance policy with 32M THB coverage that also includes various zones around the world (including EU).  It would seem silly to buy Travel Insurance when we're already covered.  BUT I can understand it being one of those 'checklist' items rather than a logical item.

 

Thank you.

My GF wants to visit France with me (I am not French nor am I resident/citizen of any EU country).  She's going to go through the TLS route.

 

Anyone have any tips/suggestions?  Anyone know how likely it is to get a visa?

 

(It genuinely is just to visit for a month).

 

Thank you.

I suppose its a good reason to not spend a day or two in other cities, too much paperwork. Easier to  visit another country.

I'm not entirely sure you can find a good bmw or mercedes with a proper engine. As in the top HP for that model. I think most on the street are the weakest engine with the least add-one.

 

I suspect people buy for badge, not for power.

 

I could not find, for example, a Z8 or a Z4 with 3.5 hardtop.

 

You might want to consider a non import. I think the Subaru BRZ is here.

 

 

Is there a concept of common law marriage? Not officially married, or any ceremony, but living together for multiple years?

 

If not, it may be a better alternative to getting married,

I find cost of living, excluding housing, to be higher here than Switzerland. I do mainly eat imported produce and organic.

 

However it is warm, convenient, and almost no bother from the government. Plus sufficient English to get by.

22 hours ago, YetAnother said:

what a stupid a hole;

try arriving after sleeping on a 10 hour flight and then wading thru immigration here, that a guy with his attitude will surely mess up and then be confronted with these gouging prices on an empty stomach;

this guy represents the best in leadership that thailand can come up with ?

I pack a couple of protein bars and snickers. Light, small, and keeps you going until you get to your hotel.

 

I could be wrong, but I read somewhere that a foreigner who invested 40million THB can get permission to buy a house (including land) and not as a company.

 

I believe it had to be government savings bonds or similar.

 

I only read this once and it could be wrong or old information. Given the amount needed i suspect not many have tried.

 

Buy logically I would suspect there is some mechanism for HNW individuals to purchase villas that cost over 100m THB

royal garden was open yesterday, and is normally busy. So I think they are just closing down the quiet ones

Leave on 11

Return on 21

 

That should be enough to completely avoid it and traffic.

If you are a City boy it will be the death of you.

UOB with secured cash in fixed savings account. However you can easily increase your limit temporarily.

 

If you open account with 100k limit, but transfer cash from your savings account to the credit card ( as if paying) of 200k, the limit becomes 300k until you use up the funds.

 

Helpful if you need to make large transactions once a year (ie 2 business class tickets back home) but the rest of the year hardly use it.

I was there and lined up for many hours in the hot sun, dressed in all black.

 

The line moved very slowly, about six people every thirty minutes.

 

The interior was filled with chairs, so very little space for visitors.

 

I was informed the space and seating inside was reserved for the VIP guests.

 

In the evening the line moved very quickly. 

 

I do not think the issue was the size of the crowd, but rather the few people allowed in at one time.

 

As a comparison, I was in Chinatown during Chinese new year, at their main temple, which was more crowded but the lines moved very quickly as they did not restrict the number of people allowed in at a time.

 

 

I do not know what the official explanation is as I do not speak Thai. Not do I really care ?

Mail for me ends up at random buildings and offices somewhere within a five minute radius of me.

 

However, never at my actual address.

 

Often the mail man is to lazy to deliver it so leaves it where ever he feels like it. Often near lunch time.