London Lowf

On Tuesday I went into the "Kodak" shop a few yards down from Big C on the main drag in Kamala (A in the map above) for my immigration ID photos - took twenty years off me!

He has plenty of IT equipment in there - which is why it is completely shuttered up and looks mothballed when it's not open. I would imagine he would be your best bet.

Earlier, I'd been to the shop at the Bangla end of Soi Sansabai in Patong (C in the map above) but the guy had left to go and see his doctor - might be worth a look-in if it's closer for you.

Clearly a deceptive photo taken with a long telephoto lens (look at the depth-of-field) but jeez, that's a lot of fat people!

Someone had a cunning plan......

Let's give the impression that Patong is thriving by having a street food market actually on Beach Road near the end of Bangla. It's already a bottleneck but we can make it even more congested by having folk walking all over the busiest street in Patong oggling the gastronomic offerings.

Plenty of room (and tents/tables already installed) on the beach taking up valuable bike parking spaces, but where's the fun in that - we'll just leave them unused.

All good practice for NYE - only 10% of the usual tourists, but I'm sure it will be mayhem.

You have to laugh......

.... and tonight it's back to 11pm. The bars actually have no idea but keep an eye on the beach end of Bangla and when they see the flashing lights then it's panic stations.

I should have stayed in Kamala - my "local" now has an "arrangement with the police" and can stay open as long as he has paying customers and doesn't make any noise!

Update - this morning I got my extension. In addition to the TM7 and Covid Affidavit IO#1 gave me one additional form to complete which I've never seen mentioned - very simple and similar to the affidavit, but without any tick boxes. He also gave me a queue ticket and there was only one guy in front of me but he was having problems and was sent away to get something from his embassy.

After my paperwork was double-checked by IO#2 she told me to come back tomorrow, but then immediately changed her mind and told me to wait - maybe she took pity on me as I do have a slight disability?

Ten minutes later IO#3 called me over and handed me my passport and receipt for the B1,900 - on the way out I checked it and although I had the 60-day extension, above it was the "under consideration" stamp, which was confusing. I went back to IO#3 and she said I could ignore it and I was good to go.

The extension starts at the expiry of my 30-day, and so I'm now legal up to 1st March.

From the time I parked to the time I left it was a total of 40 minutes - including finding the correct office (it's the upstairs one in Phuket Town), filling in the extra form and a little queuing and hanging around.

2 hours ago, hugolars said:

At this point with land borders closed and amnesty what benefit do you see with METV? One can only stay 60 (+30) days in the country.

The clue is "Multiple" - I originally planned to do an Oct-Dec trip, go home for a few weeks over Xmas, and then return for another three months without the hassle of applying for another visa. A lot has changed since I laid that plan and so I am now just doing (hopefully) one much longer trip.

12 hours ago, briofoz said:

Contact Miss Cat at Cheap as Chips Bike Rental. Whatsapp +66871889047

 

https://www.facebook.com/PhuketMotorbikeRent/

I've never used them but they have a strong presence on the web and good feedback and so it would be the kind of company I would use, as per my previous advice.

18 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Who rides like an old codger. Guess it is why I ride an Xmax....lol, or drive the family sedan...

I've never once seen an Xmax rider who even knows how to sit on a bike - usually they have feet as far forward as possible and arms locked out, invariably with no crash helmet and a backwards baseball cap.

Is that you Ryan? Ever heard of a book called "A Twist of The Wrist"? It will even help you ride a Wave faster (and safer) than any poser on an Xmax!! 

I wish I could have got a METV - London embassy took the £150 fee off my credit card but then said that they could only give me a 60-day SETV. No refund of the difference of course, a bit like dealing with Thai Airways!

Bangla is now midnight closing - I haven't seen that vital news announced anywhere else so is it up to me?

I'd had my quota by the previous 11pm cut-off and noticed on the way home that the extended hours have not spread to Kamala - it was dead at 11:30.

Thailand is as crazy as Formula 1, and I love them both!

There are places to rent scooters on every main street (like Pattaya, I guess) but I would tend to either get a recommendation from my hotel/landlord or find a place with a website - might be more expensive but I would hope more reputable?

If you're coming soon I would recommend Patong as there is some life around the Beach Road/Bangla areas, although other parts are still reeling from the Covid impact. Kamala (my base) isn't bad, and some will say Rawai is quite lively.

(Better advice on here than the nannies on that other site - which I no longer contribute to)

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

TM7 is for extensions. Be that 30 day or covid or annual extensions etc. Cost 1900baht standard fee.

You hotel/condo, landlord etc should have done a TM30.

Ask them for screen grab of filing it. 

The affidavit is just a tick box form and sign.

Here is affidavit.

 

https://aseannow.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=727659 229.8 kB · 829 downloads

 

So, to be clear, your post was in addition to my list, not instead of?

7 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Yes, Kamala was the hot-spot for dog poisoning for a number of years due to Muslim's belief that dogs are a "dirty" animal. Haven't heard of any poisonings for a few years now. Maybe their attitude has changed?

I stand corrected!

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

TM7. 

Copy of most recent extension (if you have one) 

You may be asked for a TM30.

No need sign back of photo.

I thought TM7 was for the standard 30-day extension and that you need the affidavit for the Covid extension?

Doesn't my landlord file the TM30?

The waters are muddying again!

3 hours ago, Greenwich Boy said:

One option is to go to immigration now and get your 60 days. As the covid extensions are currently available till 25th Jan go back a couple of days before this and get another 60 days. A bit of a pain and extra trips but it is only another 1,900B and it removes some of the stress element.

Yes, this is my current plan.

Just to check - I need:-

     - Completed Covid Affidavit

     - Passport

     - 1 passport photo signed on back

     - 1 copy of ID page from passport

     - 1 copy of visa page from passport plus TM6 departure card

     - B1,900 cash

Thanks guys - I think I'll go to immigration next week and, if they won't post-date it to start on 1st January, then I'll hope that I can get another extension in mid-February.

Joe - I get stressed easily, and with all of those public holidays just as my present extension expires, I would worry that there would be long queues meandering outside in the full sun on the 4th.

I'll try to remember to let you know how I get on.

As if applying for  the Sandbox wasn't enough of a headache..........

I'm currently on a 30-day extension to my 60-day TR visa and this expires on 31st December.

I would like to get the 60-day extension next week so that I can the book and pay for a house up to the end of February.

However, I have read in a weekly emailed newsletter from one of the site sponsors on here that the Covid extension is for 60 days from the date of issue and is not tacked on to the existing visa like the standard 30-day extension.

Is this correct? In which case will I need to go to immigration on 30th December (closed on 31st) and hope that I will get the extension - otherwise I am on overstay the next day!

Hopefully this is a simple question -  if there is such a thing when it comes to immigration matters!

(I'm on Phuket if that makes any difference - maybe they take a kinder view of tourists?)

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Most online is a scam (bait and switch; bogus photos).

The Romanian hookers have come to Thailand?

Never had a bait and switch or fake photos in Thailand, and pretty much learnt to spot them back in the UK.

PS: Most of the Thai "escorts" in London are very heavily photoshopped, but I've never encountered that problem here.

As others have indicated, it's not so much the town as the property you find within it. My current squeeze has a tiny end of terrace "Thai house" at the very end of a little soi in Kathu surrounded by open land - perfect for the dog to go for a quick wander when the need arises.

8 hours ago, eezergood said:

would avoid Kamala/Surin due to the religious beliefs, Ive had 3 mates with dogs that have been poisoned in these areas  

You think the dogs were poisoned "due to religious beliefs"?

My Kamala next door neighbour, an expat retiree, has a toy breed that is surviving perfectly well.

As is the larger dog belonging to the Thai family opposite - although I do have to shoo it away when it tries to defecate on my front drive.

On 12/5/2021 at 4:37 PM, 1FinickyOne said:

and poop wherever he wants

There's a local guy who walks a pack of five dogs of wildly varied breeds and sizes in the Layan National Park. They are all on leads, which takes a bit of management, but I note that he always picks up after them and has quite a full bag by the time I see him. Good on him for that!

The winds of change.........

I've been on Phuket for just over two months and the weather has been predominantly rubbish and I have been caught out four times on Bangla and been forced into "distress purchases" of the nasty (but extremely effective) rain coats to make it home reasonably dry.

However, at the end of last week the predominant wind seemed to shift from westerly to easterly and the last few days have been pretty good with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. The downside is that the sewers are starting to stagnate and, for the first time this visit, last night I got that nostalgic aroma on a couple of occasions as I was walking along Bangla!

When I look around at the major road improvements made over the last 18 months (Beach Road, Rat-U-Tit, Third Road (in progress) and the Patong-Kamala road, how can the main night-time tourist hub on the entire island be left in this state?

I'm currently on a standard 30-day extension (to my 60-day TR visa) issued at Patong. The officer told me that if I wish to follow that up with a 60-day "Covid extension"  then I will have to go to the main office in Phuket Town as they are unable to issue them in Patong.

Yes, it's a PITA!