orchidfan

As previously noted, I fly Emirates often BKK~HKG (only 2 hrs roughly) and their price (incl 35kgs baggage ) is cheaper than AirAsia ! Yes the meal served is "no choice " but it's ok. Wine and beer aplenty. (I even knocked over 1 full glass of red wine Into the aisle and cabin staff raced up to give me a new full glass...in Economy ! I apologised for the accident, and he said "no problem Sir" with a smile) I doubt is I'd get another drop on TH. They are nearly always exactly on time....TG usually an hour or so late...and this is not a busy route!

As previously noted, I fly Emirates often BKK~HKG (only 2 hrs roughly) and their price (incl 35kgs baggage ) is cheaper than AirAsia ! Yes the meal served is "no choice " but it's ok. Wine and beer aplenty. (I even knocked over 1 full glass of red wine Into the aisle and cabin staff raced up to give me a new full glass...in Economy ! I apologised for the accident, and he said "no problem Sir" with a smile) I doubt is I'd get another drop on TH. They are nearly always exactly on time....TG usually an hour or so late...and this is not a busy route!

Me too. Often fly BKK ~ HKG return. Used to try Thai pre Covid on occasions as Thai wife liked.their food/language etc. But tried them once earlier this year. Prices similar to Emirates but EK outshine them (on the A380) in comfort, food, wine, big touchscreen entertainment and friendly service. Thai were an hour late on each leg, many days apart. Emirates pushback and departure /arrivals are spot on schedule. Flex ticket and 35kgs baggage (TG 30kgs) EK usually have staff speaking up to 14 languages on the A380. Thai ????? Think I'm sticking with EK. THAI have "dropped the ball "

I just snuck back in with a mo.th or so to go before the deadline. Didn't have to go there (luckily) before they dropped the quarantine Nonsense . Also got the new smart card ID, which was easy enough Was given priority for being. an old bugger. Fill in a paper, new photo, then come back a week later to collect new card. I did read that missing the 36 month period still allows you right of entry, not sure a out right of abode. I think if you go and plead your case to Imm, they may be lenient....bu it's all tied into the Basic Law. Good luck !

For those interested in travel in/out of Thailand, I recently did one of my numerous trips to Hong Kong. Firstly, Permanent Resident status and ID card is relatively easy there if you have lived and worked there for 7 years. Unlike here. No money in the bank or Immigration visits required - just have to do a "touch and go" there every 3 years to maintain to full benefits ( medical, Govt incentive handouts etc). Can work - no work permit required . My Thai wife also has Permanent Resident status - piggy backed on my PR acceptance. BUT you have to be really legally married with notarized copies of Marriage Cert. etc. Village weddings not accepted. TRAVEL - Being retired on a pension, I check carefully all the airline fares....regularly. Every time Emirates win out by a long way....THB7 - 8000 return, 30 kgs baggage, flexible ticket etc etc (No, I do not work for Emirates) Re-entry Permit easy and quick to do at the airport - but better to have the form filled in and passport style photo attached already) ------one thing is that you have to go through security screening First, then back downstairs to the Departure Immigration and re-entry desk level. at security screening I dropped my wallet in my haste to empty pockets. I didn't notice, but a nice staff lady came running after me to return my wallet -very impressed. Entry in HK just so easy.....put your ID card on machine, step in, then thumb on reader and you're in. Piece of cake. No talking to IO. Return to BKK uneventful , but a long walk# to Hall 2 ( hall 1 was full so everyone ushered to Hall 2). # I guess it's because of the A380 parking bay. At Hall 2 was immediately directed to the "elderly/special needs" lane which was straight in to the IO. Well, almost, the 1 farang ahead of me didn't present his boarding pass ( now apparently used in lieu of TM6 card) and a dozen other questions from IO. I walked up prepared and it took about 3 minutes for her to stamp me in. Boarding pass slotted next to the re-entry permit in the passport! My bag was already on the round-about so grabbed it, walked out, bought a beer and into an honest, pleasant taxi and driver. He knew where I wanted to go ( 35 mins away) and straight there .... on the meter. Gave him a Bt100 tip which he was delighted with. Am back to HK again in Oct - basically my Medical insurance at over 70 yrs old. Hopefully will be a repeat of this last and previous travels there.

I used to like THAI on my frequent fights to Hong Kong, but this year (after many restrictions were lifted) I tried them again BUT both flights in each direction were delayed an hour or more . Mediocre food and service. So it's back to Emirates A380........cheaper and far superior food/service and inflight entertainment. On time departures and arrivals. Last EK flight that I was on a week ago, HKG to BKK, was full. Obviously others have noticed too!

I'm a Permanent resident of Hong Kong...... over 20yrs living and. working there. His yelling did not sound like Cantonese.....which, as you would know, is mainly confined to Southern China, HK, Macao, Zhuhai etc. This guy flew back to Xian the next day! Hardly in the neighborhood ????

Think it must be a Queensland term. Never heard it used anywhere else in Oz. By definition "a complete moron" Sums up this fella pretty well ????

I have done many, many extensions based on marriage and EVERY year Pathum Thani IOs do a (date pre agreed) home visit. Coffee and cake, copy 2 neighbors ID cards, photo outside and off they go. 30 minutes tops. Other provinces differ. I thino they enjoy taking the BMWr a spin.

Thanks. Yes I know that. I send and receive letters and packages by EMS a few times a year. This one to the Oz bank I wasn't overly concerned about and it was a while ago. At 73 I don't recall the exact day/date it arrived there, but recall that it was "about a week or so". Bottom line is that they got it in good time and f I n a l l y released my account for full use. PS. I've had this account for over 40 years and suddenly they want me to confirm who I am!! EMS service to /from Thailand I've found to be excellent. Thai EMS Post guy# even calls me to say he's on his way to my house! Of course, nothing to do with the B100 tip I give him???? #I think a different guy than normal daily postie.

I also has to do the " verification of ID" for my Oz bank (which they more or less froze until my ID was confirmed)...BUT it required a notorised copy of my passport done by the Oz Consulate in Bkk. Only option was to send it and their form back by EMS. I think they got it in a week or so. Don't know how you did this "online"??

People here (I'm in HK at the moment ) might have recognized him 17yrs ago, but not so sure now. And most folks here not really interested in Thai politics. But I think that I could hunker down in the Peninsula hotel for a few days!!.

All quite true. My little (now full size) siamese cat was the offspring of a soi cat and I took her home (having bred seal point, chocolate point and blue (or lilac?) Point siamese cats (purebreds with papers....for sale back in my home country ). I recall Winston Churchill saying that dogs looked up to you, cats looked down on you and pigs looked you straight in the eye ! PS. suppose that she stays with us for the bug hiuse , garden and food every day .

9 years on still waiting for the good luck and fortune !!!!!

Many mentions of Magnesium (which I've been taking for many years ) but note that otc Mg "supplements " come in the form of various Mg compounds/forms..eg. chelate, citrate, glycenate etc. I understand that they all have different effects and benefits, so it's worth specifying which helps sleep or cramp or constipation etc I think Mg glycenate (?) Is the best to assist sleeping Any other members comments welcome.

I don't thi.k that they check his bed or quilt to make a ruling. Perhaps his perceived guilt??

# #living in

With the greatest respect. Were you li Inc in Hong Kong during this period? It was not a "sellout"....their lease had run out, and I don't really think that they had much say in the matter! Although they tried to bargain for 50 year "good deal" for the local Hongkongers...it was probably never going to happen.. But Hong Kong and Macau (Macao) were always Chinese territories, but not so Taiwan.

I think you need to study the history of Hong Kong and especially the lease which was granted to Britain which expired in 1997. HK was handed back ,by Agreement, peacefully and graciously in 1997. As was Macau... Totally different scenarios to Taiwan. I lived and worked in HK for 20 years and still retain permanent Residence status here (I'm currently in HK as I write).

slightly off topic but where did you get the spinal stenosis surgery done and what was the cost and long.k term outcome.? Where I get medical Treatment in Hong Kong (although LIVING in TH 20+ years......married ) they refuse to do this kind of spinal surgery (too dangerous ) and so only take Pregabalin At 73, expat health insurance is far too expensive. .

As I've previously posted, I did the "transfer of stamps" FREE and quickly at Pathum Thani IO. Just handeR in completed "request" form and both passports to "triage " station. Sit outside to wait, then both PPs returned.

If you read it all.....his name is Arabic/Muslim. Very common in Singapore Not Indian.

It's always been a bit of a mystery to as why every app (including BBL) works every time I go to Hong Kong, where, on arrival I whip out the Thai AIS sim, insert a HK CSL sim and Bingo, I'm up and running. Can use the CSL data if out on the street....or ANY WIFI which pops up. Do transfers and pay bills etc via BBL app ~ no different to my being in Thailand . Only thing that's the same is the actual phone !!!! Some younger whizz kid out there can enlighten me !

This appears to be 100% correct...in my case. The "original" tiny branch in this mall,where my account was opened many years ago, I'm sure will not be around in another 10 years(I may not also !!!) ....with a large, well staffed, newish branch just a few hundred metres away. I can only assume that when that happens, they will transfer all the records to the "new " branch. But anyway, I've been able to do everything I need, like new passbook, letter for Immigration and bank statements without any problems. Only this new.passport and photo ID thing required me to go to the original branch !!

Just a quick addendum.... Back at original branch, they submitted the new PP details and was told 5 working days before transfers over 50K. I told the "lady" that this was no good because I HAD to make 3 transfers, each over 100K to landlords by that Friday....or our 15 year lease could /would be terminated ! She then smiled and told me to come back on the Friday and it'll be all fixed. Which I did and they took the required photos for the face recognition..."you can do the transfers this afternoon" She also thought to ask me what my daily transfer limit was! My real beef about this is, that the BBL app facial recognition is (for me) difficult to use getting the right picture including smiling showing teeth. So just a stupid grin (no teeth visible) worked. But all this took over an hour compared to 10 minutes previously.