buick

give Fort Bonafacio/Bonafacio Global City (BGC) in Manila a try.  everything there is new, built in the last 15 yrs or less.  very clean.  decent nightlife within BGC.  P Burgos is only about 10 minutes via taxi if you leave after traffic dies down (usually about 8:30pm).  if i had to live somewhere other than BKK, i'd go for BGC.  i like Vietnam, mainly Saigon and Danang, but i couldn't stay long term in either place (a few weeks max).  i spent a month in Saigon when the big flood hit BKK (2011 ?).  i was ready to get back home to BKK !! 

16 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Absolutely not 

New pp will do nothing apart from extend his overstay an possibly move into ban. 

believe what you want.  i am friends with an agent in BKK, we meet a couple times a month for dinner/beer.  his favorite work is clearing overstays.  it pays well. 

On 10/28/2023 at 4:48 PM, gargamon said:

Dunno. There was no lineup in regular immigration so I just went there. 

it appears they've moved the 'fast track' into the normal immigration halls.  for the one nearest the EFG concourse, it is up the ramp to the right side.  i didn't see any reference to 'fast track', i think it is called 'priority' now.  maybe i missed it. 

On 10/30/2023 at 7:19 PM, khunjeff said:

 

That hasn't been true since Big Joke got rid of the coupon system. Under the current system, if you show a business class boarding pass from any airline, you can use fast track.

 

 

The last few times I passed through, hall 2 was being used for all fast track categories except first and business class pax (diplomats, Thai Elite, LTR, etc) - the premium class pax were sent to an area near the queue for Thais. I assume that's a temporary arrangement, but I don't know what the final plan is.

i came through yesterday.  i forgot to check here for any updates.  but you are correct, hall 2 appears to be no good for first and business.  they directed me back to the normal hall (closest to EFG concourse) and the 'fast track' was to the right.  as you say, you go up the ramp in the line that says 'thai passports' and go to the right.  they had 4-6 booths open. 

12 hours ago, gargamon said:

Please advise what airline did that? Do you use them all the time? EVA would never do that, and if they did I would need to find a new one. BTW, my flight consisted of three segments, and even after that my luggage was still front of the queue in BKK. Did your airline advise you of the fast track immigration for business class? 

is the fast track lane that you used  in between the other two immigration halls ?  i believe the fast track is hall 2, while the other two are halls 1 and 3.  when i arrived in early May this year, hall 2 was closed down.  i left (via EVA) in September and return next week.  wondering if fast track is open in it's usual spot (hall 2) or has it moved somewhere else ?  the business class seats on EVA's 787-10 are excellent !!  i do carry on so can't comment on the luggage service.

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Trying to decipher your comment above:

 

Are you asking whether someone who's made a recent arrival into Thailand on a reentry permit and then soon after goes to BKK CW for their annual retirement extension of stay would NOT then be asked to show their most recent TM47 slip under those circumstances?

 

If that's your underlying question, personally, I don't know the answer to that one...

 

 

i was wondering about that comment also.  i did my Non O extension in late Sept and was not asked for the 90 day report/TM47.  i had arrived in Thailand on July 4 - my 90 day was due very soon.  they did not send me to the 90 day desk to do it nor did they ask for the previous one.

i was one of those people that got a re-entry permit on a tourist visa and thought i would still get a total of 60 days of permitted stay even though i left the country for 10 days.  no sir !!!

i got a NON O for retirement in August 2021 at CW (convert from visa exempt) and did the one year extension in October 2021.  i did not file a 90 day report.  no problems.

i know two families with kids.  both families got hit with RSV and dengue over the last month.  they live in buriram.  everyone got RSV and half got dengue.  half the dengue folk had to spend 3 nights in hospital and the other half didn't, their bloodwork was ok.  the dengue ward is packed in buriram !!

i once bought a refundable economy class ticket on emirates, BKK-HKG one way.  bought the ticket a week before i departed and then went online and canceled it a week after arrival.  the charge and the refund hit my credit card in the same billing cycle.   prior to that, i used the throw away ticket method a couple times, just got a cheap one to saigon on air asia. 

add me to the list of SOHO fans.  it is a little bit of a walk from nana, but well worth it.  big slices.  they seem to do good business there. 

i've stayed at the Klim Hotel right across the street from the train station.  they have a nice restaurant in there.  breakfast is good.  you should be able to get a rate of 700thb or so.  that would include breakfast.  there is also a hostel just down the road, i haven't stayed there.  but you should be able to see it on google maps.  that would be a cheaper alternative.

i should add that both hotels i mentioned have pools which are included in the daily rate.  the people i know that have used them spend hours there.

i know people that have paid daily rates to use the Marriott Marquis gym on sukhumit soi 22 and also the Ambassador Hotel on sukhumvit soi 11.  Terminal 21 at Asoke has a fitness first on the upper floor but i don't know if they offer daily or weekly rates.  

have you tried hipflat.co.th ?  as an example, i know an older bldg there (1981) River Court that shows a 48sqm room for 15,000/mo.  i'm pretty sure there is an even older one next door that is not listed on hipflat.  so hipflat doesn't have all of them but some are probably there.  choose to search via the map option and zoom in on a desired location and see what might show up.  i don't think it's possible to search all the areas btwn onnut and chidlom - even using the internet.  so probably have to narrow it down a bit.

thanks for the report.  the appt process sounds like it is working out great.  i will use it for the first time in october.  i forgot to make the appt last year but i got lucky, arrived at 9am and got L26.  done in about 1.5 hrs.  i was shocked.  i usually get somewhere btwn L50 and L100 when i show up at 9am.

OP - it is pretty common to be able to book a hotel which allows free cancellation.  i'd book two, 30 day stays to cover your 60 day period.  many hotels don't require prepayment for these bookings so you don't have to go through a refund process.  you do have to provide credit card info but no charges are made to the card until you arrive at the property.   enjoy the rest of your stay in saigon, i always enjoy my time there.  great place !!

let me add this one on the clean the bedroom situation.  my mother's bedroom has always been neat and tidy.  a few minutes after she wakes up, she makes the bed, including a dozen 'decorative' pillows.  nothing is ever out of place.  even her closet looks perfect with everything just as it should be.

then you look at buick's bedroom, closet, etc... and it is a total disaster.  i make my bed right before i get into at night (not when i wake up).  when it's time to do laundry (i have always done laundry), i pick up the clothes from the floor, chair, desk, wherever they might be.  my closet is just stuff piled up other stuff.  a disaster zone.

i always told my mom that i close my bedroom door for a reason.  don't bother to look in there.  both of us keep other parts of our residences neat and tidy.  but the bedroom 'management' has always been exact opposites.   i remember when people would come to do work at the house, they would tell me 'buick, your mother is a very clean lady'.  she's always had a maid and she literally cleans before the maid comes.  she's worried the maid might think the house is dirty.  when i visited recently she was sweeping up the floor around the dining room table, the maid was due to arrive in about 30 minutes.

thanks for the opportunity to get this rant out. 

i ordered a hawaiian from somewhere in buriram and i got the dreaded 1,000 island stuff.  i actually ate a piece before i realized.  so it wasn't unedible but i didn't eat another piece.  i've had much better luck in BKK, tomato sauce at all times, no problems.

about two years ago i bought a router directly from the AIS shop.  lightweight, has a battery so it can be used for about 4-5 hours w/o being plugged in.  i think it was about 2,000thb.  not the cheapest option. 

that sounds like my average visit, arrive around the time the doors open (8:30 to 9:00), passport taken before lunch but get back after lunch.  i went in oct 2022 w/o an appointment and i was done by 10:30am.  at 9:00am i got a queue number in the 20's.  usually it is 50 or more.  i'll do the appt route this oct.