grain

It's more than the entire population of Australia.

Or just format your current laptop and install Linux Mint, which will run much faster than Windows, if you just want to browse websites and send emails that will work out fine. You can download Mint for free, it comes with all the necessary apps preinstalled. Many people have got extra years from older low-spec laptops by switching to a Linux distro.

Are you going to the Big 40th next Monday? If so see you there. On On...BD

Well I hope your GM put his ass in the bucket or on the ice and left him there for a very long time.

Can't you just enter visa free with Aussie PPs and get 30 days, then extend at Hua Hin (Blue Port) for a further 30 days, you could cut you stay back from 70 to 60 days then depart, or if you really want those extra days do a border hop and get another 30 days.

In Australia he'd be shot dead by the cops, it's a disgusting situation there now. As already pointed out here, Thai police have excellent skills at decelerating these situations with distressed members of the public.

Thai Rak Thai

I used an agent (Darren) for about 10-12 years running when I lived in Pattaya, but these past 5-6 years I've been living in Korat and done it myself and it's been surprisingly easy. I have the dosh in the bank and never touch it, it's there year after year purely for immigration. As for dress/smile, I agree entirely, I always dress very smartly and act polite and friendly. I see may guys at Imm in shorts, tank tops, flipflops, they may not realize Thais in gov departments consider this disrespectful to them. I've heard of guys arguing Thai immigration law with IOs, not something I do, if they require a copy of the King James Bible translated into Thai, then I'll get it for them.

It's required at Korat Imm, if you've been out the country and back in again must do a new TM30, but it's easy, no need to supply any docs. I had to do it last July when I renewed my retire ext. a couple months earlier I'd made a 3-night trip to Lao, so I was told to go to the TM30 office and update it, then I could proceed with my annual ext.

Hi, we have dropped the KL stopover idea, I actually wanted to do it but my missis said it'll be a hassle as we'll have a fair bit of luggage (over 50 kilos) so we've now already booked flights right through to Perth, and on return right through to BKK. However, I'm interested in a holiday to Bali for about 7-10 nights, probably the first week in May so as to avoid Easter and the April school holidays. Last time we went, about 5 years ago we had a couple nights at Kuta then 5-6 nights at Ubud, and I enjoyed Kuta sitting on the beach in the evenings drinking beers and ordering up seafood, and in Ubud I was bored stiff after 1 day there, and regretted booking in advance. Of course the main attraction for me at Kuta was the beach with seafood restaurants. So where would you recommend that has a similar scene to Kuta but less full on?

sometimewoodworker, thank you very much indeed for that good info and photos, plus the vid. Very much appreciated.

Just saw a Google Chromecast on Lazada for 1750 Bt. Comes with the remote & connecting cables. Good for Netflix, Disney and a bunch of others.

No I actually bought mine in Australia for my TV there. It cost me $60 aud which is about 1400 Bt. My TV in Thailand is an android and I have pretty well all the same programs installed on my android TV as I have installed on the Google Chromecast. Programs like TUBI & PLEX which you can download free and watch movies, TV shows, news.

I bought a Google Chromecast for one of my dumb TVs, works great, I have a USA VPN on it so I watch USA content, lots of good movies and shows on USA YouTube that you need a VPN to watch in Thailand.

Quite a few tourists have lost their lives at those waterfalls over the years. It's high time they construct some sort of steps with railings and a securely fenced observation/lookout area. After all it is one of Samui's main tourist attractions and is promoted as such, so it should be safe for visitors.

Happens all the time in Australia, they plead for their safety, can't be returned to their countries of origin because they'll be persecuted and killed, then as soon as they get Aussie citizenship and PPs they're flying back home to visit their relis.

In case anyone's interested a 12-month multi-entry visitor visa was granted to her yesterday. From the time we sent off the application, then went to BKK to do the biometrics, and then the visa was issued, all took about 1 week.

The only law of Thailand you need be concerned about is it's always the foreigners fault. If you had of stayed in your own damn country this would never have happened. I'm not pulling your leg here, that is the mindset, Thai cops and authorities have actually stated this often.

Thanks, for the additional info, as we're traveling with luggage I'm thinking now we might drop the KL idea, might be more fun to make a side trip from Perth to Bali.

Cheers, I'll make a note of these suggestions.

I've sometimes had to stop for a quick leak while driving, however, I've always searched out a secluded spot with some trees and bushes, but taking a dump is a totally different matter, you'd think he could have hung on until they reached the next gas station.

There have been many cases in Australia of people who had a night on the booze, went home, got a good night's sleep, and the next day got pulled over by the cops and blew over the legal limit in a breathalyzer test. Also it depends what you were drinking the night before too. Beer's not so bad, it wears off faster, but people who get sloshed on Scotch and heavy alcohol are still drunk the following day. A couple of hours rest to sober up is absurd.

It's law that the foreigner must do a new TM30 when returning from outside the country, even to the same registered address, but a few years ago a group of foreigners held meetings with Thai immigration and got them to relax the TM30 regulations if returning to the same address. The Thais went along with it and relaxed the law but now it's creeping back in. There are reports that many immigration offices around the country insist on the updated TM30. What may well come back is the one where you have 24 hours to update your TM30 even if you go to Bangkok for a night and stay in a hotel, then return home, or go to Koh Samet for a couple of nights. That regulation may well return too.

Maybe a walk along Pattaya Beach Road after dark should also be included in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

I'd agree if it was toned down and held in designated areas for 2-3 days, but the way it is now is just insane, it's closer to drunken hooliganism than anything resembling "Cultural Heritage". There's also the huge death toll and terrible traffic injuries to consider, that's nothing to be delighted about.