DFPhuket

I was curious about this since it has not been my experience. I just did a comparison of Agoda, hotels.com and the official hotel websites for an Oct 17-25 stay (7 nights), choosing a king room, with a cancellable rate (varied between 1 and 7 days before arrival) at three major hotels on Patong beach. In each case, the hotel site was cheaper. The cheapest rate was obtained if you signed up for their points program (free). I've attached a summary.

There is no charge for the apps in which I'm referring (e.g, Starbucks Thailand). It's just that I can't download or update a few of them at all if I'm not using the Thai App Store. The credit card comment was about using a credit card instead of debit for any online site. Having someone fraudulently drain funds from your bank account via a debit card is much more problematic than fraudulent charges being posted on a credit card.

I periodically change from the US store to the Thai store and back. There are certain Thai apps that are not available on the US store (e.g., Starbucks Thailand) so to download new version or update I have to set the store to my Thai address. It used to be that i had to add my Thai debit/credit card to make the switch as well, but I seem to recall that wasn't needed last time. I haven't lost the ability to use any apps (e.g., SCB or Bangkok Bank) when making the change. After doing an update, I switch back to the US store since I prefer the App Store to have a credit card rather than a debit card.

You mentioned nightlife and it's pretty much like it was before Covid on Bangla road. But for the rest of Phuket, it is quiet. I'm friends with one of the big international chains on the beach road and occupancy is about 35% now, but looking better (almost good) starting in November. It's the rainy season so rates are always lower, but in pre Covid days that hotel would expect about 75% occupancy this month. I agree with the earlier poster than it's good to look on the hotel sites, but booking directly with the hotel is better. In the unusual case where you find a cheaper rate (after clicking all the way to the final booking page) than on the hotel site, email the hotel and ask if they will meet it. Since they don't have to pay a commission if you book direct, they usually will offer a better rate.

I've pre booked with Vacay Phuket several times and they've been reliable. The cost from the Phuket airport to Patong is around 600 baht.

While I don't know specifically about filler, the dermatologist I used at Bangkok Phuket Hospital for skin cancer checks, Dr. Sittipon, recently opened his own clinic, Katu Dermatology Clinic and I saw fillers listed on his brochure. The clinic is new, immaculate and he speaks perfect English.

Airline tickets can usually be purchased up to 330 days in advance. I already have a Christmas ticket booked, returning to Phuket on January 1 - and of course no 300 baht fee was added. If they are going to have the fee added at the point of sale, it can't be done in the usual Thai way where final rules are promulgated the day before it goes into effect (as they did with the Sandbox program). A more logical solution is announce that the fee will go into effect for tickets purchased after a certain future date. Then again, future planning and logic are not Thai strengths.

I was in your situation last month. My flight on Qatar to BKK was cheaper with better connections than a flight to HKT so I landed there, even though Phuket is home. I booked a Thai Smile flight that was scheduled to depart 3 hours after my Qatar flight landed. By booking early, it only cost about 1,200 baht (including luggage) but of course there was a risk if the Qatar flight was delayed, immigration was backed up, etc., I'd miss it. If departure from Doha was delayed, my backup plan was to use the wifi on the plane to either change to a new flight (with a change penalty) or book a hotel and go into Bangkok. It ended up working fine. I went through immigration, went up to the departure floor and checked in with my luggage.

I use my credit cards extensively (they have no foreign transaction fees and are automatically paid at the end of the month). In my 30+ years working in Asia there have been a few times where a card was hacked/compromised. In each case the charge was reversed before the monthly payment was due, and I was sent a new card. As others have mentioned credit cards come with a lot more protection than debit cards. If a debit card is compromised, the fraudulent transaction will only be discovered after the money has been deducted from your bank account. You won't get the money back into your bank account until the charge is reviewed and reversed.

I keep 800,000+ in an SCB fixed deposit. I go to the bank and tell them I need a bank statement and letter for immigration for my retirement visa extension. It takes about 15 minutes to create the documents and the cost is 400 baht (200 for each document). I also make a copy of my bank book. I have never made a small deposit on that day as others have mentioned. My last extension was in July in Phuket.

I arrived in Bangkok from the US last week via Doha. Traveling was the same as it was before Covid. I was not asked for my vaccination certificate at any point and there was no app or other site in which I needed to register or use. The only difference from pre-Covid travel is that the TM6 white card is no longer used. It was not distributed on the plane nor requested at immigration. Upon deplaning in Bangkok I went to the immigration counter with my passport and boarding pass (they want the boarding pass now perhaps in lieu of the TM6), picked up my bag, and left.

I fly to the US (mostly Chicago) two or three times a year. I travel internationally often and have Emerald (the highest status) with the OneWorld alliance, and Silver with SkyTeam and Star Alliance. Before Covid, I could fly Phuket to Seoul on Korean Air and then on to the US while earning SkyTeam points. Currently I fly from Phuket to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to connect to the longer international flight to the US. You could fly via the Middle East from Phuket on Qatar, Emirates or Etihad, but flying that direction will add several hours to an SFO journey. Last week I flew LAX to Doha, then to Phuket on Qatar. That took 15 hours and then about 7 more to Phuket. If you're hoping to earn points, pick one of the alliances and exclusively fly those carriers, crediting miles to one airline in the alliance. But be warned that it can be difficult to use points for free flights since free seats are capacity controlled. Obviously have miles credited to a frequent flyer program, but I'd suggest the strategy of booking the cheaper option, and incidentally earning points, is a better option than choosing flights based upon the carriers frequent flyer program.

Since he had been in Phuket since October, he certainly picked it up from someone on the island. Who in Phuket gave Monkeypox to him?

I arrived at the HKT domestic terminal on Thursday at noon and used the InDriver app to get a taxi to Patong. If you've not used it, InDriver offers a suggested rate and you enter what you're willing to pay. It suggested 488 baht and so I entered 500 baht. I immediately had several offers, some at 500 and some for more. I accepted a nearby driver's offer for 500 baht. For an hour trip, that was reasonable. After accepting, I received a message from the driver asking if I could walk to the main road since InDriver, Bolt and Grab drivers were banned by AOT from picking up passengers at the terminal. They are subject to a 2,000 baht fine if caught. I told her I wouldn't walk to the road with my luggage. She gave me her number and I called. We agreed to cancel the InDriver booking, she'd pick me up at the terminal, and I'd pay her the 500 we'd agreed to. If asked, we would say she was a friend picking me up. We weren't questioned and the trip was smooth. But why does AOT ban the very convenient and cheaper taxi apps? Of course we know why - taxi mafia and bribes. But if you're looking at a way to use a taxi app at the airport, you might try this technique.

The Qatar Airways website says a PCR test is not required for fully vaccinated people flying from Thailand to Doha (whether they are not transiting or entering the country). If the person's final destination is a different country and that country requires a PCR, The Tourist Clinic in Patong offers a 24 hour PCR result option for 2,490. I used them before and they were efficient.

Even if they come, upon return to China, "All travelers will quarantine at a government-designated location for a minimum of 14 days upon arrival. While in quarantine, health authorities will test travelers as often as daily for COVID-19 and will not permit travelers to leave their rooms. Those who test positive during this quarantine time will be transferred to a government-designated medical or quarantine facility." Those requirements will put a damper on Chinese who are thinking of coming to Thailand.

From least to most expensive, it's usually InDriver, then Bolt, then Grab. I would make sure you download all three apps. In my experience sometimes Bolt is about the same price as InDriver so look at the cost for both. Also, if you're in more remote areas (or it's raining) sometimes there can be more available drivers on one app than another. From Patong to the airport on Thursday evening around 7 PM the apps showed these rates: Grab 692 THB, Bolt 567 THB, InDriver 515 THB negotiable. A car on the street would likely ask for about 800 THB.

I traveled from Phuket to Malaysia two weeks ago. I was vaccinated in the US so I only have a CDC hand written card. I uploaded it and in about 3 days the app listed my vaccination status as approved and provided a digital certificate. I was only asked to show it once, when checking in for my flight.

I renewed my retirement extension in Phuket last week and was given back my the map. I was told that it was only needed if my address had changed from the previous year. The Phuket Immigration volunteers website is good, but it has two errors. It says that extensions can only be done 30 days in advance, but in fact they can be done 45 days in advance (I went in exactly 45 days early). It also says a map is required - but it wasn't.

I'm on a retirement extension and frequently travel internationally. When I'm flying to Thailand I'm inevitably asked at check in about my flight leaving Thailand. I just say, "I have a visa and re-entry permit. Let me show you in my passport," and that is sufficient. Many airlines use an IATA system called Thimatic. Here is a link that allows you can check entry requirements based on your passport, destination and immigration status. It tells you (and an airline check in agent) about Covid and other entry requirements. If you don't have a re-entry permit, it indicates an onward flight out of Thailand is required. If passengers are refused entry to Thailand, the airline is responsible for flying them back. Not checking and following the rules is a costly mistake. I'm certain the agent who completed the check in would have hell to pay should that happen.

In Patong the police are out at the end of Bangla road each day. They pull over foreigners riding motorbikes to check for helmets/licenses but don't even notice (let alone fine) people who don't stop at a zebra crossing a few meters away. Safety will never improve as long as stationary checkpoints remain the only enforcement tool.

Starbucks (Thailand) is another app that can't be updated unless your App Store country setting is Thailand. Once or twice a year I temporarily change between US and Thailand, update any apps, and then later change the App Store country settings back. To do that, go to App Store, click the round photo on the top right, click your name/email at the top of the next screen, then click and change country/region to Thailand. You'll need to enter your Thailand contact details. Once that's done, go back to the App Store and update the apps (sometimes I've had to restart my phone first). You can change the country back to the US afterwards or leave it at Thailand.

I recently renewed my passport. Getting the new passport number and details into my account required 10 printed and signed pages and roughly an hour at SCB. I went to Bangkok Bank to do the same thing. After going to the nearest branch I was told I needed to go to the branch where I opened the account. So I drove across town and spent another hour with 10 more signed documents. Total time required to update my passport number at two banks - 2 1/2 hours.

In the past 6 weeks I've flown internationally from Phuket and back to South Africa (Qatar), Ho Chi Minh City (Singapore Air) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysian). The check in was normal for all outbound flights, and the returns were also the same as pre-Covid - well Johannesburg was slow but it's always been that way. I've also flew Phuket/Bangkok with only carry on luggage and was able to do online check in and go straight through security without stopping at the desk with Thai Smile and Bangkok Airways - so no concerns about carry on bag weights. The only airline that seems to require everyone to stop at the desk for domestic flights (even if you don't have checked bags) is VietJet. I think that's so they can weigh carry ons and charge you if you're over 7 kg. While they are often the cheapest, I'll pay a few hundred baht more to avoid the hassle.

Here are the full CDC rules. You can take a medically supervised rapid test the day of or the day before your travel to the US. In Phuket I went to the local international clinic and had the ATK test and got a report on the clinic's letterhead in about 30 minutes for 500 baht. It was fine for my Qatar flight to the US. You don't need a PCR test.