lekatai

I used a guy called Bjorn,whose company is called Hosting Group Co Ltd.Their office is in the street at the side of TUKCOM (the street on the left side of TUKCOM as you stand on Pattaya Tai looking at TUKCOM) it's about 150m from Pattaya Tai.Very good service,kept me informed of progress and sorted out any queries quickly

It's called the "In Town Holiday".I used to stay there a few years ago,it's a perfectly good hotel,with quite big rooms,the furniture was a bit past its prime,but it may have been renovated.There is a swimming pool on the roof,I don't know the current prices.but it was good value for the money when I stayed there

Hi!

Certainly good news... Instead of going for a one - month Cambodian visa extention I could just hop over the border to Ha Tien, spend a couple of days there and apply for a new Cambodian VOA upon return!

Has anybody experience how much the Khmer immigration try to charge above the 20 Dollar visa fee??

The Cambodian immigration guys at this border are not nearly as greedy as at some other crossings and have even been known to accept 20USD,although they usually want up to 25USD,I have never heard of anyone being charged more than that.There is the usual 1USD "health certificate".It's usually a very quiet border,but when I came through earlier today,it was quite busy,because of "Tet" The Vietnamese side is also quite efficient,sometimes a little slow,but friendly,and the only charge to come here is the Vietnamese equivalent "health certificate" also 1USD.There are loads of hotels in Ha Tien,from 5USD for a fan room to 12USD for an A/C room,and food/drink prices are cheaper than Cambodia

No,you cannot do that,as I said in the original posting,you must enter and leave Vietnam at the Xa Xia/Prek Chak border crossing,which is the one between Kep and Ha Tien.You are warned at the border that you must not travel further into Vietnam,and whilst it is true that there are no further checks when travelling in Vietnam,you must show your passport when staying in a hotel,and the details(as in Thailand) are passed to the Immigration authorities by the hotel.You would certainly not be permitted to depart from another border crossing or airport.

"The Village" is as said,on 3rd Road on the left hand side going from Pattaya Klang towards Pattaya Tai.It's quite a long way past "Exzyte" disco,past the Buffalo Bar,and just past the fire station.There's a sign on 3rd Road,you turn left into the village,and the Village Chippie and Village Chinky are on the right hand side,about 50m in to the village,just past the bar on the right hand side.I've eaten in both,and the food is really very good.I don't see why anyone should get into trouble by referring to the name,it's what it's called,after all

As PP says,as neither of you are Vietnamese,there is no problem.The law only applies to a non Vietnamese citizen sharing a room overnight with a Vietnamese citizen of the opposite sex.

I originally had a proper Non Immigrant O "A",the so called "retirement visa" which I got from the Thai Embassy in London.It was time consuming and expensive.The only advantages are,1)You don't have to have any money deposited in a Thai Bank,it can be in your home country.2) If you leave Thailand,and return one day before your original O "A" visa expires,you get another 1 year permission to stay stamp,so,in effect,the original visa lasts 2 years.However,you must get a re-entry permit to cover you for the second year(single or multiple,as you require)The first year includes a multiple entry/exit permission.After the first two years,I switched to "extensions based on retirement",as it was so much easier to do.If you wanted to,though,you could return home,and get another O "A",and repeat every two years

Well I will post this and await the corrections/censorship of the mods ."Actiondell4" Absolute bullshit(nonsense)You live in a fantasy world if you think you can dictate to landlords what the rent should be."Big Companies moving in" Where are your facts to back up this ridiculous assertion.The fact is that rents are stupidly high in Pattaya,and the landlords are only existing on people paying sucker prices,because they don't know any better "the realm brightside" gives absolutely sound advice,and listen to "cardholder" as well.

If this is a serious enquiry,then you need to take a step back and think very hard about what you are doing.I had a hotel/bar/restaurant in Pattaya,not far from where you are talking about,for 4 years,which I recently sold for what I paid for it.BUT,before I leapt in,I did a lot of market research,and knew the answers to your questions,all before I paid a single baht.It's not clear what you are talking about regarding the deposit,or where exactly is the guesthouse,what is it called,and have you ever run a similar business before.Without more specific details,it's extremely difficult to answer your questions accurately.If you continue in the way you are going,you will lose all your money in a very short time.Sorry to be blunt,but that's the truth

A short while ago,without any official announcement that I'm aware of,the Vietnamese Government declared that the Ha Tien border area (which for a while now has been called a "Special Economic Zone") could be entered from Cambodia without needing a Vietnamese visa.The visa free entry only applies to the area between the border and Ha Tien town,the town itself,and the Mui Nai beach area.It applies to nationals of any country,and is valid for up to 15 days.You must enter and leave Vietnam at the Prek Chak/Xa Xia border crossing,and are specifically told that you cannot travel further into Vietnam.There is no charge,apart from a 1USD "health certificate" It's especially useful for people who live in Sihanoukville,Kampot, and Kep as there is a huge market in Ha Tien,and prices are much cheaper than Cambodia (everything from beer,fresh fruit/ vegetables and seafood to clothing)When re-entering Cambodia you can get a new Cambodian visa at the Prek Chak Cambodian border post.Also people holidaying on the Cambodian coast can now come here for a holiday.Ha Tien is a quiet provincial town,with quite a few tourist sights,dozens of cheap hotels,and some beautiful scenery.And ,no I don't work for the Ha Tien tourist board (if there even is one) I just live here

Yes you can, a fairly simple form to fill out on arrival,a passport sized photo and 20USD (single entry 30 day tourist visa) or 25USD (single entry 30 day business visa)Usually quick and painless,no asking silly sums of money like at Had Lek/Koh Kong,it's quite an efficient process at PP airport

Even in Ha Tien,in the deep south of Vietnam,I've used my Krung Thai Bank Visa Debit card in ATM's with no problems. It's worthwhile knowing that the normal maximum withdrawal from a Vietnamese ATM is 2,000,000 VND (a few machines allow 4,000,000 VND) this costs 20,000-40,000 VND per transaction.BUT,you can go into the bank,and with your passport, and debit card, withdraw as much as you want(subject to your own banks daily limit)with a lower bank charge.Also,if,as in many cases,the ATM has run out of 500,000VND notes and will only dispense 100,000 or even 50,000 VND notes,you avoid having a huge wad of low denomination notes.In the bank you still have to key in your PIN number into a hand held machine and show or have photocopied your passport,but I've used this method successfully many times.

No you can't get a bus/minibus to Sihanoukville from the border.You have to go to Koh Kong town,(a moto is about 2USD) and take a bus from there.At this time of year,due to low passenger numbers,all the buses leave in the morning at around 8am.When there are more passengers there is a bus at 12.30 pm.Shared taxis/minibuses go when full.The bus costs 6USD (Virak Buntham) others might be different but similar price.Taxi is 45USD ,seats pro rata. As the buses all leave early,you might well have to spend a night in Koh Kong and get the bus in the morning.If you do,go and see Fat Sam at his eponymous bar in the main street,he has got all the up to date info about buses/minibuses etc

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy,or have prescribed by a doctor in Thailand (or Cambodia for that matter) the blood pressure medication "Inderal LA" which is available in the UK under this brand name.It is actually propranolol in the form of a 160mg delayed release capsule.I have been taking this medication for several years,but can not now renew my prescription in the UK.I am aware that you can buy propranolol per se in 40 mg solid tablets,but have so far been unable to source the delayed release capsule in Pattaya.Any information gratefully received.

I would suggest that if you look at the picture of the necklace,it clearly weighs more than 10.5g.It's probably,as was originally stated,a 3 Baht gold chain,which would then weigh about 105g and be worth about 150,000THB.The second article(which as "thomo" correctly stated is not an update,but a different news provider)is probably incorrect.I may of course be wrong,and if so I will expect a stern rebuke from "basjke".If I'm right perhaps he could wind it in a bit and apologise to "PhilHarries"

Well,I'm not quite sure what you think isn't true,but just to clarify what I originally said.I do live in a small town(Ha Tien)in the south of Vietnam.Nothing has happened so far to change my view of the people here,they are very friendly and helpful.I came back here yesterday from a week in Cambodia and Thailand,and I can assure you things are far cheaper here in general,than in either of those two countries.Food here is very cheap,as long as you buy what is local and in season,obviously things such as imported apples or peaches are more expensive than local fruits( but still cheaper than Thailand though)A friend of mine,who runs a bar/restaurant in Koh Kong pays twice,or even 4 times what we do for basic foodstuffs,and that's right on the Thai/Cambodia border.A licence for my wife to run a business cost 25,000VND (about 40THB) Electricity is priced on a sliding scale,the less you use.the cheaper the units,the price starts at less than 1 THB a KwH Our water bill last month for a massive house was 61,500VND (about 100THB).OK I've never lived in Isaan,only Pattaya and Bangkok and it might well be that Isaan is a lot cheaper,but of the three countries I have lived in (Thailand,Cambodia and now Vietnam) it's overall much cheaper here(and the food, infrastructure and services here are far better than Cambodia)

I had to do exactly this last year,My wife and child got single entry 90 day non O visas in Vietnam,the reason for this was explained to the Thai Consulate there,and all they needed to see there was our marriage certificate.Once these were obtained,when we were back in Thailand I went to Immigration in Jomtien and obtained my normal extension of stay,based on retirement.The next day I went in with my wife and child and obtained their piggy-backed extension as my dependents. The only document required here was our marriage certificate,and a certified translation into English.I would think that you will need to obtain a translation of your marriage certificate,either into Thai or English.Each visa cost 1900THB and each multiple entry/exit permit was 3800THB.

No it is not valid in Vietnam,and neither is any other foreign driving licence.If you want to drive a vehicle here you need a Vietnamese licence.I haven't bothered to get one yet,as I don't have a vehicle,but I have made enquiries and been told that as long as you have a visa of 3 months or more,its simply a matter of supplying your foreign licence,a certified translation,and filling out the necessary form.I am sure some foreigners do drive motorbikes without the necessary documents,but if (for example) you are involved in an accident,and it turns out you have no licence,it is treated as quite a serious offence,unlike neighbouring countries There is a detailed explanation of the process involved in the "Vietnam" forum section on Tripadvisor

Well I am afraid that "Colabamumbai" is completely incorrect in more or less everything that he has said.Firstly,it takes a little more than an hour to drive from Trat to the border(which is AT Had Lek)If you use the Thai minibus mafia on that route it does take longer,(but not much),but as you are driving it doesn't apply.There is very little traffic on the road.As I said,the border is AT Had Lek,it's Koh Kong in Cambodia that is 7 km further.The border closes at 8.00pm (20.00) not 5pm,that information is years old.Yes you can go across the border there,get a Cambodian visa,and immediately return to Thailand,but be aware that the Cambodian border officials there have an extremely bad reputation (and deservedly so) for overcharging for visas.They will want at LEAST 1200TB for the visa,will probably rip you off for anything from 20-100THB for a "health check",and if you argue with them you will be there waiting for your visa for a long time.The only way to get one over on them is to either get an e-visa,or one from the Cambodian Embassy prior to travel.If you don't mind the extra charge then as you are in the area it might be worth it.Good luck

Well,it's interesting to read your story,I thought I was the only retiree in Thailand married to a Vietnamese girl.I was in a very similar situation to yourself,except for two points.a)Although I did originally have a Non Imm O "A" when I first came to Thailand,after the first 2 years I changed to a yearly extension for the purposes of retirement. and b)I got married in Vietnam.After the marriage,we went to the Thai Consulate in Saigon,my wife got a 90 day single entry Non Imm O (all the paperwork we needed was the marriage certificate).Then,when I renewed my visa in Pattaya,at the same time she applied for and was given a 12 month extension as my dependant.All I needed was a copy of our marriage certificate,a translation into English(not Thai) certified by the British Embassy(actually the Pattaya Hon Consul)and that was it.No hassle anywhere just a routine application.The other thing you could consider doing,is living in Vietnam,I moved here a few months ago from Thailand.If you are married to a Vietnamese citizen,you get a 5 year visa exemption certificate,which basically means you can live here for 5 years,the only proviso is the every 90 days you either have to leave Vietnam,or get a 90 day extension which costs 10USD.It's much cheaper and easier than living in Thailand.The only thing I don't know is if your marriage outside Vietnam would be recognised by the authorities here

Sometimes i have to drive through that wretched place.It should all be demolished,just full of english filth.

I could be wrong,but as soon as I saw this poster,it reminded me of a certain Canadian who keeps posting nonsense on many Pattaya boards.Is that you,Harris???

I was in Makro last week looking at catering equipment,and they have one there.I am not sure of the price,I believe it was around 2000B

No you cannot get Strongbow any more.Draught Westons and Stowford Press are quite widely available,Draught Magners in some places and Blackthorn,Natch and Olde English in cans.The Queen Vic in Soi 6 has both Westons and Stowford,bottles of Magners and also the new(to here anyway) Pear Cider in the same size bottles as Magners

The short answer is "Yes" It is possible,there's a company that I've used before called "Virak Buntham" I know that they offer this service,and I've seen the bus arrive in Ha Tien from Saigon.I live in Ha Tien,and although I've never used that particular route,I have used the Ha Tien to Sihanoukville bus on several occasions.This bus leaves Ha Tien at 12.00-12.30,and goes to the Xa Xia/Prek Chak border (also known as the Ha Tien) crossing.The actual border crossing takes about an hour,it might be less if there aren't many passengers.The bus then goes to Kep,then Kampot and gets to Sihanoukville at around 17.00.It's the same bus that goes all the way,you don't have to change buses,and you can leave your luggage on the bus while you get your passport stamped.Ha Tien to S/ville costs 20USD,I don't know the times of the Saigon-Ha Tien bus,nor the price,but I will go to the office tomorrow and ask.You can get a Cambodian visa at the border,it should be 20USD,but,as usual they will ask for a bit more,but it's only usually an extra 2USD,not worth arguing about

I suggest that both of you contact the Thai consulate in Hull. Get a retirement visa there. You may need seperate bank accounts for immigration purposes. Ask the consulate for advice.

Jingthing(as usual) is right in what he says.Additionally,Hull don't issue O "A" retirement visas,only the London Embassy does,I got a proper O "A" visa there myself.There's really not much point in doing that,it's expensive and complicated. As JT says,get a single entry O visa from Hull,and extend it for the purposes of retirement in the standard way,once you are here.As far as your wife is concerned,the simplest way for her is to get a the same O visa for her from Hull,and then extend it here,as your dependent,based on your retirement extension.This is valid for the same period as yours.The only paperwork you will need is proof that you are married.I had to do this last year,as my wife is not Thai.Immigration didn't ask to see any proof of funds for my wife(or even if she had a bank account)You could,of course,both get independent extensions based on retirement,but as far as I know,there's no advantage in doing that,and it would mean more paperwork and expense