indieke

Hi,

I am in Thailand right now. I want to stay 10 days more, if I can change my ticket. But then I will have 5 days overstay.

Some say that is no issue. Just pay, 500 bht day, that is it. Others say, it is a dangerous situation, arrested- jail.

I come to Thailand every year, and I do not want having trouble if i ask for a visa next time.

So what would be the best way if I extend 5 days, having no visa?

It is not that this flu is more dangerous, but that it spread easily. In Belgiums there entire schools closed, because so many pupils caught it.

I tried to get vaccination, but it was too early. I am going on holiday to Thailand, in a few days, well the airplane is a risk, as other places. Not afraid to die, but yes to spoil my holiday!

But rumors are that you can get sick from the shot, with even high fever. So if you lucky, not to catcj this flu, you are maybe better off without a shot

so now we all get paranoid about a bit of flu, in Pattaya??

Nothing to do with Paranoia! But not a happy news either! And there is a whole world of difference between 3 cases and 21.

I am only in patts for holiday. but food was my business! I love the Bartimes, on Walking street.

I have often wondered about this place when walking by...the owner seems very nice (tries to pull me in when I walk by but in a friendly way). I may give it a try next time based on your recco. However, I wouldn't have the Thai food as I don't consider it a real "world cuisine," but more of a lunch time fare. I also don't pay more than B 100 a dish for it (usually much less) and I'm sure that like most farang restaurants, it's mainly on the menu to give the one-nite girlfriends something to eat; and as the farang is paying, it's marked-up accordingly.

Then it is not for you. it is an evening restaurant, with the lights of the seaside next to you. Thai food is very refined like everything else. It is an upscale restaurant, but at reasonable prices compared to some other places. I saw a lot of foreigners also eat Thai food and my ex TG eating... Pepper steak!

I am only in patts for holiday. but food was my business!

I love the Bartimes, on Walking street. Yes the income is noisy and that can just put you off! Don't let it! You go to the back and it is surprising, how well this is isolated. The Thai food is a bit more expensive then the plastic chairs restaurants, but ingredients are of the best quality. The woman that makes the Thai food, was a cook of a real Thai gourmet restaurant in Belgium. So a real pro, not an occasional cook.

The French food is very good. The beef is fantastic. For imported beef it is fairly priced. The Belgian restaurant opposites "Mikes"is 30 % more expensive. Nice small wine-list and very friendly service from the owners, that welcome you as a friend.

When I am in Thailand, i do prefer to eat good, very good Thai food. It can be good or bad in small places as expensive one's. I heard guys talking about a very, simple Thai restaurant, with very, very good Thai food. just plastic chairs, but always full! Somebody have an idea, which one it is! Tg's seem to love the place as much as farangs that appreciate real Thai food. other ideas for Thai food are welcome!

Thanks Indieke for sharing that, I too have ventured outside Pattayaand not to far to see a different life..!! If you don't mind me asking how much rent would you be expected to pay for a similar property...??

Similar, I don't know. Saw many different prices. On the other side of Sukumvit , 12.000/bath month for a house with 2 bedrooms, more Thai style. That is more remoted. And only shared pool. In view Taly in jomtien, I saw prices starting around 28.000 bht a week.

I prefer this location. The garden is just the swimming-pool before the house, with a small terrace with deck-chairs. Inside two large bedrooms, with two private bathrooms. The living-room with built in kitchen is rather big. it is modern, it just could need a bit more decoration. Adsl (but lan, not wifi), câble and small lcd are present. There are better equped vill's, even nicer decoration, but they start at 50.000 a month and more expensive /week. It is not far from the Police boot and the viewpoint on buddah-hill. Takes me 5 minutes to drive down the hill, to get to WS. There are in the little village, 5 minutes walk motorbike taxi's and bht buses. On the little beach, there are good local and romantic expensive restaurants.

The owner has been reasonable to me, I rented off-season 300 €/week, in season more, but not exaggerated , I think.

I can inquire if you send me PM, if you give me dates. I am not the owner and have no interest/commission on this! You can of course always buy me a drink!

Well I never thought I would spend some time there! Really. Pattaya, is for me the same as prostitution, ugliness, and far from exotic.

Ok, would still not choose it as a family-destination! But...

As I did not wanted to travel to far, as some good friends were staying in the area, I made it a go. Was sure to regret it!

Of course I rented a private house, I am not stupid. To be in the centre of a big city, is nothing for me! Actually I spend a marvellous time!.Idea

Yes, you cant compare to Phuket, Samui and the exotic islands. It is a different holiday. But the house I rent had a good location. Five minutes with the motorbike from town, the back of the estate giving on a nice quiet beach, with romantic restaurants, beside it, very quiet. On buddah hill, where also the air was much better then in town!

Yes Pattaya, is a special city. A lot of nightlife-hookers and sometimes, I saw thing I preferred not to see. But great shopping -centers, movie theatres, golf courses, good restaurants, if you enquired a bit....

With my bike, I found placer 20 minutes from town, that were fab.

So, although maybe not the best place for a first time in the country, it is an alternative, for people, who want a few days off by the sea in Bkk, as long as you do not stay in town!

Here my pictures!

Just 20 minutes away, vineyards and tranquility!

Private beach, behind the villa's

The house

Inside

Beach not far away! 15 minutes drive to a fisher man's village!

Alley to the sea!

The fisherman-village itself

Fishermen!

Road a little bit out of the main roads!

Center Pattaya market

I do have to warn you about some negative points of Hua hin...

Hua hin is fine for a ...few days! Yes it quiter then Pattaya, yes it is very clean compared to it too. Yes people are more friendly and we did find nice eateries...

But...it is also ...Boring! And I don't need the go-go bars, the noise of Pattaya around me all the time! Want to see a movie? Hope your Thai is good! Every single movie is dubbed in Thai. Pattaya with all his flaws, make me feel alive, Hua Hin, how nice it is, makes me feel dead!

Beaches are not that much better then Pattaya, if you know some spots there. Yellyfish is a problem and the sea is rather wild. It is nice to end the holiday there, in our favourite restaurant, but to live there in winter, no thank you.

I did not understand, how long you would actually live there. If it would be with my wife, I would think about Phuket. There are quiet are's if you want to find them and the beaches are lovely, and there are so many to choose from. It is more exotic, and you can visit many islands more to the south, if you get bored.

Pattaya, is not a great city for a couple. But it has the convenience, that you8 can find everything you need, and visit the places you like for yourself. Around Pattaya, there are places, where everythingis not so much in your face, and it has the advantage to be less then two hours from Bkk.

I never stay all winter, or buy a house there, but I rent a place on Buddah hill, and it is 5 minutes from the center with a bike, but it has a better and quiter athmosphere then Jomtien and pattaya! It is alos much cleaner, as it seems that Pattaya always seems under construction!

Here some pictures, for the guys who would like to rent, I am NOT the owner, does NOT get a commision, but I can inquire for you.

Income

Clubhouse

Main alley

Income of the houses

The house with small pool

Beach at 10 minutes

Beach behind the villas, direct acess

10 minutes from Pattaya

Yes, this is serious!!! I know that samui, and Koh Chang are not the best places to go concerning this disease. Next month, i go to Pattaya, maybe koh Samet. Is it spread in these area's too?

Wow, unbelievable they actually answered...:-)

Well, probably a standard print, with no excuses, no compensation, for the bad service they have been offering their customers! I will take my miles, as the only promotion is that I need 50.000 Miles instead of 70.000, and from Nice take Emirats! Wish I did not have those points, so I could fly emirats directly!

I flew with them end 2007. Last year too, but did not had to change flight

Had to travel on Thai recently BKK to LHR for emergency family reasons and ended up paying full price 51,000 Baht. The usual economy was poor food and virtually no inflight entertainment.

But the flight was full.

I can never understand why Thai, which is overpriced and offers very poor aircraft and services can still fill it's flights.

Between the UK and Thailand, they have the advantage of flying direct with no stop-over. Also the last time I flew with them, there was no charge for changing the return flight date which I made ample use of. This is something other airlines charge you upwards of £50 for.

Lucky you, I was charged 200 €!

On my last flight things were really bad also. no flight entertainement, Pork where there used to be fish before, wine mediocre. But worse the Airco was so strong that me and the people around me were freezing. i asked to put up the heat, they did twice to be back in a freezer, 20 minutes later!

Had severe head-aches from the cold in Thailand that ruined a part of my holiday. I wrote a complaint about the poor service, never got an answer from them!

Their mailbox must be full! I am going to use my miles, pay the difference and after that never fly back with them! From Nice, to Phuket, I payed1180 € my ticket in November!!!

Try ORBITZ.com...it might work for you...

Well these prices are rather good, but I don't know how they going to attract tourists with these faires if the departure must be in BKK! :D

Well I think we can say that this news is not accurate. From Munich the "old price" was around 1000 €, it is surly not at 500 € or close!

I don't understand. How to book this and when? On the Thai-air site, fairs seem to be normal. Could be interesting for me, as I was plan to leave February 27 th....

Well; I live in France and internet is so slow, I can't even read the newspaper. 56 K speed, and I have adsl, 3.9 normally!

Hello,

I am planning to stay 10 days in Pattaya before heading to Phuket. I like to have a house a bit away from the center. Last year we stayed in View Talay villa's in Jomtien. The villa was nice, but I did not like Jomtien that much.

As I always rent a bike, I drove around a bit. I preferred Naklua. Nice beach, more tropical feeling then Jomtien. Only one house I found for rent, but occupied during the period, I am on holiday! But I have to admit, while walking on Naklua beach, I heard only German. I know there are a lot of them in that area. But how bad is it. Don't get me wrong, I mean by bad, that I just don't want to be in a German ghetto, not because I have something against them, but I don't like to be surrounded by one nationality everywhere I move. If someone knows a nice place, not overpriced to rent, comments are welcome.

Then I found another place to rent at Majestic Residence in Jomtien. It seems to have the advantage to be closer to a nice beach. But are the houses all finished?

I am afraid for construction noise. Also I know that in that area other things are build. Is the Ocean 1 tower been build nearby, or anything else? I work hard all year long, and really don't want any construction noise!

So if somebody here can help me out, making my choice, I will be obliged!

Another problem is that all the planes from Europe land around 2.pm. My friend arrive before noon, and had no problem at all!

I had the same problem. Really ennoying, when you have travelled a long way, and are longing for a shower!

The problem is not Patong. Patong has been a city by the sea, and i mean CITY. Can't remember, when it was a beautiful place, really nice to stay, maybe twenty years a go?

Don't get me wrong. If you don't mind crowd, there is a lot of fun to be had. There are bad expensive restaurants as cheap good one's. Your in to gils, all over the place! You like just to drink your evening away, all kind of bars. You like shopping, now you have "Jungceylon"!

But, all the island is getting like this. A few years ago, Kata and Karon, were fairly quiet compared to Patong, but now once you leave the beach, you are also overwhelmed by noise, smell, people who have lost there smiles and so on.

Again, it is a place where you can find everything, never be bored, you have still nice beaches, but beyond that, I miss CHARM, that has been chasen for many Bath instead of kindness. Last holliday that is what bother me most!

Veikloen,

You should maintain your trip to Samui. At 20/25 kmh Durian will have left the Country Friday...

Hope it is not going to start like last year.

Iwas in Phuket 6 weeks and almost rain every day, impossible to go out of the room.

If this is same-same, I am going to cancel my trip....

I was having a meal in an exclusive thai restaurant in St tropez. Royal thai kitchen, very good. The manager, a Belgian (those people got good taste! ), knew everything about Thailand and has been to places we would not know about. He could also speak fluently Thai.

He did not like Phuket so much, and did not like many so called good restaurants there. He talked about a fantastic adress in BKK

Restaurant Lim Nam at Baan Peuang, under the Taksim Bridge.

Should be very special, hudge, but with great food.

Does this ring a bell?

Other question, although he claimed, there was no good Thai restaurant with ROYAL THAI KITCHEN, does anybody knows a place that really has this quality?

Be aware, Royal kitchen is not only good cuisine! It is original, with plates you would not find somewhere else and is very refined. In fact until a certain time, this were only special platters made for the royal family.

Now don't say Baan rim Pa, because that is absolutely bul**shit. That is a luxury place for tourist, with so-so food, presented a snobish way.

No I wonder is such an exquise restaurant excist on Phuket. i found good Thai' restaurants, but nothing that is really that kind of food...

Thanks Dutch, Geoffpukhet and Indieke for your replies. I guess I`ll need to find my on the forum before asking to much questions. The webside Dutch recommanded is quite good, thanks for that.

Does one of you know how old one has to be for a retiremend visa? Is this 50/55 or 60 years?

How much will it cost and how many visa runs a year??

Regards

David.

Only 50 years for a 12 month retirement 'OA' visa. However most people apply for a non imm 'O' and extend it anually in Thailand - you'll need a bank balance showing 800,000 Baht for this. No visa run required.

http://www.thaivisa.com/275.0.html

Geoffphuket

Woaw, three years to go!

Gutters on roofs would be a good start. The amount of rain we get on this Island is more than enough water for all.

Yes, makes me wonder, where did all that water go, we got in the beginning of the dry season, in December!

Hi there,

I`m new on this forum. I would like to know if there are Dutch people living on Phuket. If so, maybe they can reply to me in the dutch languages. Further we would be intersted to know (in general) what would be approx. the costs of living on Phuket or Ko Samui.

So, costs of food, transport (by own car) taxes, school, electricity and so on. Maybe I can find these info on this forum, but I do not know where I have to look??

We have two young children (4 years and 4 month) and they of course need to go to school.

Any help would be great to get some more information.

grettings from a rainy Netherland.

David Richard.

David I am Belgian, not same -same but different. I rented houses of a Dutchman, named Jeff, in Karon, if you PM me, i will give you his E-mail.

Life could be a bit more expensive then you think. As a foreigner you pay much more then a Thai. There is no real social security, so you should need to have a budget for insurrances. I think there is an international school in Phuket, and that is sure not for free.

It will also depend, on what you are going to do for a living! If you have an international job for a company, is different then to rely on a local income!