Filer

Thanks, everyone, for the comments. The bottom line seems to be that, if you ask for a hotel room in Doha and you're in business class on Qatar Airways, as would be my case, you'll be given one if your layover is long enough (say 8+ hours).

Not clear what Qatar Airways econ class passengers with long layovers could expect in Doha.

Interesting to see some mixed comments over Qatar Airways' much hyped dedicated first/business class terminal in Doha (which I haven't experienced yet).

In the end I think that I'm going to stick with tried and tested Gulf Air through Bahrain where I would have a slightly longer (15hrs) overnight layover en route to Athens from Bangkok, but where hotel rooms are always definitely part of the deal in all classes for long layovers.

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On my other original question, which got posted alonside the Doha layover one, I have established that bags can be checked right through to domestic destinations (if they have customs facilities) in Greece via Athens, if your incoming airline has an interline (cooperation) agreement with the Greek domestic carrier your're connecting to.

Another question re my planned trip on Qatar Airways to Athens.

Anyone familiar with Qatar Airways's dedicated Business/First class terminal in Doha? If you have a 13-14 hour nightime layover there, do they give you a room to sleep in?

I'm looking at travelling on Qatar Airways BKK-Athens and then on an Olympic internal flight on to Corfu. I'll be travelling with quite a lot of checked in baggage (2 of us, Business Class). I don't want to have to pick up bags in Athens and re-check them in. Anyone know whether you can check bags right through to a Greek domestic destination like Corfu, if you have a through ticket?

I know that Corfu has full customs and immigration, receiving both domestic and international flights - a little bit like Phuket, where you can check bags right through if you're transferring on to a domestic flight through Bangkok.

Thanks for the help, everyone. It's all quite clear now.

After reading lots of recent posts it seems that a good solution for Phuket is to buy a USB modem for my laptop and connect to CAT's CDMA network. It seems that the best modem to buy for this is the C-Motech CCU-650 CDMA 2000-EV-DO model and that the modem connects through a mobile phone Simm you put in it (which can be a standard AIS or DTAC prepay/top-up). Posters have mentioned a cost of 11,000 for this modem and something like 350 baht for 120 hours line time.

1. Have I got all this right -- or is it more complex than this?

2. Where in Phuket can I buy the modem? At CAT in Phuket Town? At one of the shops in Big C? By mail?

Comments appreciated.

Last week my wife and I searched the forum for recommendations on the same subject and found one or two mentions. We cross-checked these with listings in Phuket Gazette and other Phuket directories and ended up at Better Vision in Montri Road, Phuket town -- just down from the Metropole Hotel going towards Ocean Mall and Robinsons, but on the opposite (right hand) side of the one-way street.

The service is very good and the eye testing seemed to be very professional with the latest equipment (which is what the OP was looking for). My wife was also impressed with the wide range of frames in stock. She only needed standard single lenses, which they had in stock, and we were able to pick up the glasses an hour after completing the tests. The prices were in line with what we have always paid in similar places in Bangkok. The shop seemed to be doing quite a brisk business with Thai and expat customers.

Am planning a holiday to Ubud Bali. Would like a room in a 3 to 5 star facility within WALKING distance to city center so I am not a prisoner of wherever I stay. Evening options for me to go out to bar and/or restaurants, shopping,entertainment rather than having to stay at the hotel,etc.

Have looked on the internet and local maps but its very confusing. There does not really seem to be an Ubud city center but rather spread out.

Only requirment is that the facility have a well equiped excersize room. Don't really care about golf, tennis, but a relaxing pool would be pleasant.

anyone been there? perhaps some recomendations about facilities as described above or, at least location of city center to help narrow down choices.

Have looked at the Four Seasons, but found out it is owned by the Suharto family and alegedly because of their political connections was built illegally, acording to some travel mags.. so would rather not stay there and also is quite far from everything.

Try the Komaneka hotel in Monkey Forest Road (www.komaneka.com). My wife and I are staying here right now on a short trip (our first trip here). We had the same requirements as yourself and researched the possibilities extensively in guide books, on the internet and through checking traveller reports on Trip Advisor. This place came out well ahead of the others and we got the best price by booking directly with the hotel on its Web site. You don't have to pay everything up front as many of the so-called discount agencies want, but just have to guarantee aqrrival with a credit card.

I guess you would call the Komaneka four star. Having walked around and actually seen many of the other hotels which we considered in our search, we are confident that we have the best. It's small, what you would call a boutique hotel, and facilities and service meet all expectations. It has a nice pool (about 20 metres long) in a beautiful setting. However it has no exercise room and I doubt that you would find this in any of the town centre hotels here. The great thing is that it lies off one of the main streets and you can just walk out and be in the middle of all the shopping, restaurants and entertainment. We would certainly come here again. There is a sister hotel called Komaneka Resort a few km outside the town which does have a gym (can't say whether it's well equipped) and anybody staying here at Komaneka in town can take the free hotel shuttle bus and use the gym at the other Komaneka. I think that the Web site covers both of the hotels so you can probably read about the gym.

The centre of gravity of Ubud is the intersection of Jalan Raya Ubud (the main commercial street - banks, market, restaurants etc) and Monkey Forest Road (one of the most important shopping and restaurant/entertainment street). If you choose a place within about 500 metres of this intersection you are well placed to enjoy the town on foot, as we have been doing. Many of the other well-reputed hotels in the Ubud area lie well outside this area, too far to walk easily to the centre, and you have to take some form of transport.

Please PM me if I can be of any more help.

Hello Filer.

As you said about the Post Office, you have to sign in in person but I know that in Kata (Karon Post Office) has 10 free boxes... don't know for how long... many expats in the area.

Best Regards

Mattias

Thanks for this detail, Mattias, that's encouraging.

Just saw it. It appears parts of the eastern part are also updated. Newer than 3 years. More like 2 as the old wooden pier in Chalong is not there (post tsunami).

It definetely after March 2005, since the houses in the small fishermen's settlement are built already. It's at the south end of the beach in Patong, near the bridge to Amari.

http://www.siam.de/news/phuketnews.htm?anr=63&grp=6

http://www.siam.de/news/phuketnews.htm?anr=59

This is much better now, with the west coast at the same high definition as the east side.

The eastern part (Chalong/Rawai) looks to me like very late 2005/early 2006 - based on the state of various construction projects I was looking at then.

All this detail. But the devil is in the detail. I try and anticipate problems and understand the rules on these things, but airlines are notoriously vague in their procedures, (I've just been trying to get something "real" out of BA and BMI in UK). I hate travelling at the best of times, but it appears to be getting worse, and I'm using Business Class too.

My latest gripe is that if you book online with two different airlines, that should "connect", you cannot "through book" luggage unless you have a single booking reference, (impossible if you book online, because there is more than one airline involved). So they suggest you book through a travel agent, (and pay their fee etc). So much for technology. The bottom line would appear to be: if you want through checked luggage, you cannot do it online, because you need one ticket reference, (which only a travel agent can do, if there is more than one airline involved).

Perhaps it's all a subtle plan to get us to reduce our carbon emissions. Stay at home, or travel by ship.

This problem may not be quite as universal as you fear. While a single booking reference is obviously the secure solution, I believe that many airlines will still, even if you have separate ticket references, check your bags straight through to a connecting flight on a different airline - if they have some sort of agreement/arrangement/partnership/deal with that other airline. They may also do it if they want to be helpful. Unless this is all something new to do with anti-terrorism, I do not think that there's anything in the baggage check-in systems which prevents airlines from checking your bags right through. I may be wrong, but I suspect that it's more a case of willingness. If you have a problem with connecting your bags between BA and BMI I would imagine it's because they're cut-throat competitors and don't want to help you interline between them.

After your post I checked with Gulf Air for my own next flight to Bangkok and connection on to Phuket with TG. They told me that there's absolutely no problem to check bags right through with two separate ticket references, as is my case. Many people arriving in Bangkok need to transfer to TG for a domestic leg and Gulf Air has an agreement with TG to check bags through, provided that you're flying on to a destination where you can still clear customs (such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai).

Maybe your problem is more a case of BA just being unhelpful. I wonder if they also do this for flights into BKK - refuse to check your bags through onto a TG domestic connection to Chaing Mai or Phuket.

Many thanks madmitch, seppl04, El Taco Loco, smartecosse, ozymandious

(nice string of names - makes you wonder what stories lie behind them!)

It looks as though there'll be no problem for me to get a box set up and email the address to all my correspondents right after I arrive.

There is some historical background to this issue of high excess baggage charges.

I believe that the rate per kilo was always fixed quite simply at 1% of the official IATA first class 'full' single fare between the points concerned. In the OP's case this would imply a £3,300 first class 'full' fare to London, which I guess would not be surprising if the airlines still worked with 'full' fares. Of course, airlines no longer base their fare structures on a set of cooperative IATA tarifs as they did in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. It's a relatively free market now. But they still like to use excess baggage charges as a revenue raiser.

Why did IATA originally choose 1% of the 1st class fare per excess kilo as the formula? I guess it was simple - and it brought the airlines a nice amount of additional revenue.

Why was the basic free weight allowance historically fixed at 20 kilos (44 pounds) for economy class? I believe that it has nothing at all to do with aircraft load capability but was picked up from a very much earlier European practice from the stagecoach/diligence/postkutsche era which took this as the typical weight of the one bag that a passenger was allowed to take on board in those early horse-transport days -- or something like that. If any other members know about this, maybe they could post details. I remember reading this somewhere, but cannot find a reference to it anwhere on the Web.

I've trawled through lots of old TV posts and searched the Web but can't find any recent info about mailbox rental possibilities specifically in Phuket (southern part of the island).

When I arrived permanently in Phuket later this year I'll need to rent a mailbox right away to receive my incoming mail until I get my long term accommodation sorted out (or until I am able to rent a PO Box at one of the local Post Offices).

In Bangkok, MBE (Mail Boxes Etc - part of UPS group) has offices in lots of retail centres where you can rent a mailbox and address for about 300baht a month. However, their Web site indicates that they have almost nothing in the south, except in Hat Yai - although an old posting on the Phuket Gazette site suggests that they were in Phuket Rd in Phuket Town at least in 2001.

Does anybody in Phuket know whether Mail Boxes Etc or anything equivalent exists today in Phuket? I should have thought that there would be a market for it, at least in Patong.

I did find mailbox rental offered by a large internet cafe in Patong Tower Shop Complex (In Touch Worldwide Co. Ltd). Anybody know them?

Ideally, I'd like to set something up before I arrive, so that I can give out a mail address in advance. I know for sure that this isn't possible with the Post Office, where you have to sign up in person for a box .

The last 30 days of any visa entry. So it could be the first if you want. Remember if you use 800k bank method the money must have been in bank 3 months.

As for travel the re-entry permit will take care of that after you obtain an extension of stay.

Many thanks, Lopburi3, for your clear info, as usual.

This gives me all I need for planning.

May well now put the 800k in bank right now, come in a month with single entry, sit out the additional two months (don't really need to travel out in Nov/Dec - Christmas is much better in Thailand!) and then get the 12m extension right away in Jan.

Could someone knowledgeable possibly answer the following technicality for me:

How early during the life of a 12 mo multiple-entry non-immigrant O visa (for retirement purposes) can you apply for your first 12 mo local extension?

If I come in to start my retirement on a 3 mo single-entry non-imm O visa, I believe I should normally apply for the first 12 mo extension during the last 30 days of the 90 days' allowed stay (having naturally met all the other documentation and requirements, such as money from abroad already in my bank account for three months, etc etc). This seems clear.

If, on the other hand, I come in on a 12 mo multiple-entry non-imm O visa, am I expected also to wait until near the end of that visa's 12 mo validity (or the last of the 90 day periods of stay allowed) before applying for the first 12 mo extension? Or can I apply much earlier during the life of the visa? For example, apply for the extension when I've been in Thailand five months and am in my second 90 day 'window'?

It may seem a silly question - why possibly go for the first 12 mo extension before your initial 12 mo multiple-entry has run out?

The reason is that when I arrive this time I may need some flexibility to come in and go out for some while. So the multi-entry 12 mo visa looks attractive. However, I want to be in possession of the locally-issued 12mo extension (rather than just a 90 day entry stamp) when I ship in my household effects. This may improve my chances of getting my goods through customs with minimal duty etc. ( I know that 12 mo extensions for retirement purposes now no longer officially have duty free privileges, but the actual application of the rule in Customs still seems often to be quite liberal.) I don't want to find myself ready to ship in my goods but find that I have to still wait several months before I can apply for the first 12m retirement extension.

For retirement extensions via the bank count route, will a married (farang+farang) couple now have to have two separate single-name bank accounts, each demonstrating its own 800k?

Or will it be possible to use an existing joint account and simply increase the balance to show 1.6 mn to cover the requirement for two persons' individual extensions - if those two persons are the joint account holders?

Up to now, at least in my area, a joint bank account with 800k has been accepted for a married couple with marriage certificate seeking one retirememt extension + one dependent extension. No problem over the second person being on the account.

I'm about to send in money (seems I have to accept it's now 1.6 mn) to top up our joint account to the necessary level, in advance of our final move-in to TH, and 3 mos ahead of our first applications for 12 m extensions later this year. But I don't want to arrive and find that immigration wants to see separate accounts (and - worst fear - that money transferred out of a joint account will not get credit for the time it's been there already and possibly not recognised as having come cleanly from abroad directly into the new accounts).

Any thoughts or guesses on this, anybody (before we start to see what happens in the imm. offices next week and onwards)?

I find the above deeply disturbing! I wonder what heppens when there is severe headwinds. Is this the end of Qantas's much noted 'Qantas never crashes' policy? How many other airlines on long-haul flights (like budget carrier Jetstar BKK-Melbourne) also have a minimum fuel policy to keep costs down?

I agree with the concern. Some 5-6 years ago Malaysia Airlines ran into some very bad publicity in the UK when ground staff doing turnaround checks on the MH planes exposed the fact that the planes frequently arrived almost completely empty of fuel - just enough to taxi to the gate, but nothing in reserve. This was alleged to be the result of the airline's policy of flying with the very minimum amount of fuel needed, to save weight (and thus fuel) and money.

I believe that a lot of the well-informed comment at that time was that Malaysia Airlines was just unlucky to have been picked out as an offender, and that strict 'minimise-fuel' policies happened across all airlines - and that on long routes to busy airports, with delays in landing, there were frequently some narrow escapes. The last actual disaster of this type was, I think, in 1990, when an Avianca 707 crashed 15 miles short of JFK on a 5 hour flight from Colonbia after running out of fuel. It had been forced into holding patterns for an additional 90 minutes and various reports said that the captain appeared to have been reluctant to declare an emergency

I wonder whether in fact the latest Qantas experience is simply typical of all airlines in the current cost-conscious environment and it is worrying.

Doesn't the captain of the plane have responsibility to ensure that enough fuel is loaded to cover all contingencies, taking into account route, weather conditions etc, and that his decision always overrides the company's target policy?

Maybe there's a forum member with airline flying experience who can give some real insight into this issue.

I remember when Starbucks first came to downtown Chiang Mai some 5-10 years ago. Local expats and regular visitors already had a good few choices for decent coffee. For some while Starbucks picked up most of its business from Japanese and other tourists, who welcomed it as a 'safe' option. I haven't been to CM recently so don't know how that one's doing now.

i don't know what the third one is. can anyone identify it?

It's a "Koel": look here - http://thailandbirding.com/gallery-jorge/common-koel.htm

Thanks for the link. There are some brilliantly clear bird images on this site.

Re: the reported marking of voting papers with a number which can be referenced to the voter's identity - which has come up a number of times in this thread.

You may be surprised to know that this is what routinely occurs in all national and local elections in the UK. So elections there are not totally secret. From time to time there have been complaints about this, but, s far as I know, no-one has made a big issue out of it.

At the voting station an official checks your identity against a master list of voters, then writes your voter reference number from that list onto your voting paper when it is given to you. So, the paper goes into the box with your vote on it and your reference number!

This is all done to control the correct issuing of voting papers. However, it would be open to any unscrupulous government or its agencies to check who had voted for a particular party. Who knows, this may already be happening - for example to find out who is voting for the anti-immigration British National party, which has much potential to cause social disruption.

I agree that in the case of Thailand the potential for harm (if this practice is happening) is much greater.

A good overview of the new constitution

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I've unsuccessfully searched the Thai English language press for some time for a good analysis of the issues involved in the proposed new constitution. The same with the international press. Then today I came across an article in Thursday's London Financial Times which seems to be quite a masterly overview of what is now at stake. It's written by the FT Bangkok bureau chief, a veteran of the Bangkok scene, whose reports on Thailand and SE Asia are just about the only honest ones that appear in the English-language press in Europe.

I found this on the FT Web site through Google. For those who're interested the following link should take you there:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a38f4de8-4b90-11dc...00779fd2ac.html

If any body has problems, PM me and I'll email a downloaded copy.

Time for another one.

Favourite lunch place at Nai Harn Beach, with lanterns in the trees for Chinese New Year, Feb 2007.

I can't speak for housing and utilities, but my experience over the years in Hanoi, HCMC and other cities is that food, meals and general costs of living remain distinctly lower than Thailand.

Hi,

I always lived in downtown Bangkok (first Sukhumvit then Sathorn) and plan to move to a little secured village in Nonthaburi. Here is the village on Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&a...018239&z=16

Has anyone a comment on the difference between living in downtown Bangkok compared to Nonthaburi? What are the pros and cons of living in such a secured village?

Thanks,

Jan

Not sure whether this will help, but will offer it.

2-3 years ago my wife and I (both expat) looked at a somewhat smaller Sansiri development across the river from you called Sanarmbin Nam Estate (apparently there was an old seaplane base somewhere here in the past), just off Thanon Sanarmbin Nam. About 4.75 km NE of you and about 1.5 km in from the river - look for the fishbone pattern of the new roads lay out.

Although we loved the central areas of Bangkok, including the areas you mention, we wanted somwhere quieter and more relaxed for retirement - and more space for our money.

We decided firmly against Nonthaburi in the end. In our particular case

(1) We didn't like the proximity to the Siam Cement and the Union Carbide plants directly between the estate and the river (not sure what there is on your side).

(2) We were turned off by the big difference in ease of getting around. In Nonthaburi you are very dependent on your car, and if you want to do things downtown it's a long way (although Nonthaburi pier on the east side is the terminus of the Chao Phya Express boat service, but you first have to get to the pier); in downtown Bangkok you have multiple transport options and things are better now.

(3) The estate itself was fine, although small, and the security and safety factor is a definite plus, but after seeing it we felt that it was very much an artificial environment and that we really preferred the busy local village atmosphere that you get in the different local communities scattered throughout central Bangkok.The Bangkok scene can be quite captivating, once you've known it for a number of years. We decided that an estate in Nonthaburi was too big a change.

I suspect that if you're used to living downtown and like it, and your job is there, you may find a commute to and from Nonthaburi (by whatever means of transport) a big difference.

I have just raised this point by email with the Thai Consul at Hull in UK, whose detailed Web pages (www.thaiconsul-UK.com) state explicitly that 12m 'retirement visas' qualify for duty free shipments (alongside those other 12m visa and work permits). I'll post the Consul's response here. I note that their Web site pages are dated January 2006, so it may well be that the latest official position in Bangkok as communicated by AGS (retirees do not qualify) is a recent change - meaning that Thailand does not really want retirees.

Did they reply?

Yes, but we don't have their answer yet. I mailed them on 25 Jul, and again on 5 Aug in view of no response. On 6 Aug Guy Taylor (presumably the consul's son or relative) emailed me back to assure me that they had my query and that it had already been pased to Alan Taylor the Consul, but that Alan was away on holiday until 14 Aug, ie yesterday. I'll keep chasing them for a reasoned answer and will keep forum members updated.