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I am heading into Bangkok (Ekamai) by bus for the first time since February.

I will be getting the bus at about 6.30 am on Wednesday from North Pattaya bus depot.

Do I need to go to buy a ticket the night before or are seats still easy to get.

I suspect that a row with 2 seats is just used by 1 passenger.

Is that correct?

If there are any problems with this simple exercise I would appreciate you letting me know.

Yes, I know it is a simple process getting a bus to Bangkok, I have done it many many times. However,

nowadays I check many things that I used to take for granted.

Thanks for your help

Sheryl, thanks very much for the reply.

Funnily enough I have my car insurance through AAInsure, so I may as well contact them and see what they have to recommend.

Thanks for reply CGW.

After reading Sheryl's reply as well I think I will go via a broker as you suggest.

Thanks Mahseer, much appreciated.

I will pop across to their webstie rather than take up your time sending me stuff.

Thanks again

Hi There,

I am 66 years old. I am a retired English expat who has been here 17 years.

I have self funded my health care since I have been here.

There is some mention of the Thai government wanting to get expats to take out medical insurance cover.

Yes I know it is not decided yet, but I thought I would have a search around to find out what sort of cover I could get and what it would cost.

My initial search on this subject came back with so many companies and options that I almost gave up - too much information.

I am hoping that someone in a similar age group to me could possibly point me in the direction of an insurance company in Thailand that is fairly reputable and offers a full service of health care for people of my age group.

Thanks for your help.

Petermik, thanks for the reply.

I will take my amp down there on Monday and see what he can do.

Thanks again

NanLaew, thanks for the reply. I did actually look at the schematic for the Frontman 25R online before I posted here. It made as little sense to me as this schematic I am sad to say.

I have a soldering iron that I have used to make up PC cables in the past, but as soon it gets into analogue electronics on radios etc, then I am screwed. If it were more than a dry joint I would be totally screwed and even I could identify a faulty component, I would not know where to buy a new component.

No... I will leave this repair to a professional. I need to find a decent one - any ideas??

7 hours ago, tonray said:

That's your best bet if it's an older amp. All the solid state stuff coming out in the last few years...the only thing that can be fixed are switches or POTS (Volume/Tone/etc)...everything else is sometimes only a single DSP and support chips...not repairable outside of swapping in a new board from the factory.

Tonray, this amp is very old school just transistors, condensers etc.. and a very easy to access circuit board. A good TV repair man does seem the best way to go. I need to find a good one now. Any recommendations ?

Lopburi3, thanks for the reply. I thought that as well.

I was wondering if their knowledge would be good enough for a Fender amp. To be honest, I cannot think of any good reason why the IC board and components on a non-intelligent piece of hardware from a non PC embedded era, would be any different to fixing a TV.

It is just an amplifier after all.

I wonder if you or anyone knows a good TV engineer in Pattaya?

Tonray, thanks for the reply. It is a 16 year old Fender Frontman 25R. It is not worth a lot of money, but I know all its little quirks and I have several 16 year old effects boxes as well that I know how to use with this amp. I only use it for home use.

The problem is that it turns on and appears to work, but there is no 'hum' - so all the lights are on, but no sound at all. I tried cleaning (spraying) the pots and checking for any fuse and speaker connection issues, but nothing simple. I can get most electrical stuff like a/c units and water pumps working by changing out capacitors etc..and PC's working as well.

However, with radio electronics etc... I am screwed.

I need to get my Fender amp repaired. I went into the music shop near Tesco Lotus on the Sukhumvit, but no luck.

It is only 25 watts and nothing special no valves or anything.

Does anyone know where I could take it?

Thanks for your help.

Lopburi3,

Yes thanks for the reply.

I found out that I do have it already when I searched for an app.

On my Samsung A50 it is a part of 'Bixby Vision', so I have updated that and agreed the terms and conditions etc...

Very easy to use.

Of course it needs the internet and I only use the phone to connect to the internet at home. Not when I am out.

So now I suppose I will have to get a mobile phone internet package that I don't need nor want.

I suppose I could use the pen method - that sounds a lot of effort though if I have to do it in every shop I enter in a mall.

Thanks again.

Oh... OK thanks stevenl.

I guess I need QR scanner app.

I will hunt for one now

Thanks again

Could someone please tell me the REAL site to download this app.

It will be to a Samsung device and I will use Chrome to download it as it seems to be recommended here.

Thanks for your help

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They are not guidelines. It is in a ministerial notification.

Thanks UbonJoe,

I know you are right, but after living here 17 years ... I have had too many bad experiences with the IO's to relax with this as much I should do. Thanks again for the reply.

33 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Last week there were 2 separate reports of posters that succeeded in doing their 90-day report on-line on a new passport with which they had not left/re-entered the country yet.

Obviously they used the TM-6 entry/departure card number they received on entering with their old passport.

Previously that was impossible, but it seems that IO just recently did some changes to the on-line 90-day reporting system.

Also the reporting window has been extended and is now from 15 days before till actual due date of your 90-day report.

Thanks Peter for the reply,

I might give that a try then.

Although, I need to go to Makro in South Pattaya anyway, so the extra 5 KM drive to Jomtien IO is a simple process. Like UbonJoe says though, why am I bothering to do something I don't need to do.

I guess I don't trust the IO in August to follow the guidelines as they 'should'.

I have a new passport so sadly cannot do my 90-day report online until I leave and re-enter the country.

I have a 90 day report for 3rd May at Pattaya immigration. Like many people here, I would rather do my 90 day report at the immigration office as Jomtien immigration is not far from my house - about 25 KM.

If I go next week:-

1. Will they do the report or tell me to come back after 31st July?

2. Is Jomtien immigration outside the Pattaya lockdown? If I have to go through the lockdown then I won't bother going as it is too much hassle entering the lockdown zone.

Thanks for your help.

If they hadn't closed all the bars and brought in these other measures, then next week there would  have been crowds of people throwing water at each other in Pattaya for at least 7 days.

The virus would certainly have had a good chance to flourish amongst that environment.

Not just in Pattaya, but in areas all over Thailand.

Thanks very much for the replies.

I am beginning to think it is not worth trying to get the increases over the next 5 years. I don't want to go to the UK at all and it would not be practical for me to spend 6 months in the Philippines.

However, in 5 years time I could easily spend 6 months in the Philippines and get the new rate at that date.

If I went to the Philippines for 6 months and then returned to LOS, would I keep the new rate permanently?

Thanks again for your advice

Hi Liverpudlian,

What a coincidence, I posted a similar question just 15 minutes ago. I will follow your thread as well. ????

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1144891-uk-state-pension-increases-trying-to-understand/

I live in Thailand and am about to get the UK state pension. I understand this rule below about the pension never being increased in certain countries. However, I think it is confusing/ambiguous:

"If a country is not listed, the British government will pay the state pension, but the amount remains at the sum first paid unless the expat returns permanently to the UK. "

I think if I went to live in the Philippines and not the UK, I would get the increase as it is on the list of countries referenced.

Could someone please confirm this, or is it the case that as I first received my pension in Thailand I cannot now receive it outside the UK in the Philippines if I want the annual increase.

So simply I am asking, if I now went to live in the Philippines would I get the annual increases.

Also, how long would I have to live in the UK (or Philippines) for the increase to become permanent.

For example, if I went to live in the UK and my pension was 160 pounds a week and in the UK it was 200 pounds a week, how long would I have to live in the UK before I could return to Thailand and keep the new rate of 200 pounds per week??

If anyone could answer this it would be most appreciated.

Thanks

Neeranam, thanks for the reply. I think I will go back to immigration and ask them. When I travel out of the area I think the traffic cops and/or army could always demand to see my passport. I am supposed to carry it with me at all times in theory, so it could be a problem if I cannot produce it.

It is no major hassle carrying 2 passports, I thought someone would reply explaining why, but it seems it is not as common as I thought it would be.

Anyway, I will go back to immigration and I will post here to let people know why we have to carry 2 pasports at times.

Jip99, thanks for the reply. Not too sure what you are getting at though.

I carry my passport for hotel check-ins within this province. I also carry my passport around quite often as I travel from here to Issan quite often and am often stopped by police/military at their roadblocks. I am not sure if they need to see my passport, but I thrust  that and my driving licenses (car and bike) at them anyway.

On my last trip to Mukdahan I was stopped 3 times - twice going there and once coming back. I cannot think that giving the officers 2 passports is going to make this experience any more pleassant - can you.

I went to Jomtien to move the old passport information to my new UK passport. I also extended my annual retirement visa  and did my 90 day report at the same time. Everything was fine, but I got back the new passport with the old passport attached. Inside the old passport was the TM30. I was told I had to carry both passports around until I left and re-entered the country.

I have no intention of leaving the country in the next 12 months.

It is not a big deal, but does anyone know why the TM30 is in the old passport and I need to carry both passports?

Thanks for your help in advance