steffi

Not very well especially at night. My wife is Thai but we don't know this route at all as it's our first time going to the new airport.

So my wife and I will be arriving at the new airport and we'll have a lot of luggage with us.

Rather than travel by taxi during the nighttime and risk harm I'd like to know what the options are upon arrival at the new airport?

Eventually I need to get to Don Muang but I think I'd rather do that during the day when I can see where I'm going.

How well do you know BKK and environs, specifically new airport to DM route ?

So my wife and I will be arriving at the new airport and we'll have a lot of luggage with us.

Rather than travel by taxi during the nighttime and risk harm I'd like to know what the options are upon arrival at the new airport?

Eventually I need to get to Don Muang but I think I'd rather do that during the day when I can see where I'm going.

Well i'd like to but right now they have my passport and my visa and I'd rather wait.

Unfortunately they are a law unto themselves .. I'd love to know how I can file a formal complaint against them but honestly I do not how it would be followed up.

I mean what can you do when the Washington DC embassy says that they have no juristiction over what these people do?

Why not name and shame ?

They are spreadin lies about extending visas once in LOS. That has to be stamped out. In Asia, some nearby countries are using laws outdated in 2003 as a reason to refuse visas. It is plain wrong.

Obviously I do not wish to name the consulate in question whilst it's currently processing ;-)

Steffi

It seems you have time to argue your case before you travel so just send it to Housten or Denver or DC, if they do it you have it, if they dont they will only send it all back to you, takes less than a week. They will be cautious when speaking on the phone as they have no idea who you are.

..please help others by naming the consulate you are currently dealing with

..and report back here on the result

Good luck

So is there anybody here who's used an ipod battery extender to ease the boredom of those long haul flights to Thailand?

what they have told me is that you can apply 3000 thb and get a mulitple on top of the single entry in Thailand. I suspect this is a blatant lie but he tells it well. Today I think 3-4 people were consulated re: whether they could give mulitple and in the end it was decided but not explained that they couldn't issue multiple. I rang the LA consulate today and asked what their policy was re: mulitple despite the fact they show it as an option on their website and they told me that it's on a case by case basis but that was only after telling him how difficult a time I was having at this particular consulate here.

They did insist that I can apply for mulitple in Thailand and that I wouldn't have to show any money being brought into Thailand each month but I'll believe that when I see it.

You cannot apply for a visa in Thailand. Call another consulate in the USA.

It would be interesting to know which Thai consulate has been giving you this hard time.

--

Maestro

Well they didn't want to give me multiple. After about an hour of back and forth b/w staff and the consulate they just kept on saying that they don't give mulitple for type O based on marriage. They said they only keep that for education etc etc. Personally DC told me specifically that I would/should qualify for mulitple without any concern but I'm pretty sure this consulate simply wants to make it seem they are doing somebody important a favour when they do actually hand out multiple and they only do so to people with influence etc.

They did insist that I can apply for mulitple in Thailand and that I wouldn't have to show any money being brought into Thailand each month but I'll believe that when I see it.

I've been married to a Thai for five years. I'm always polite when I'm dealing with the Thai consulate here. I've received single entry type o and tourist visa (prior to marriage) from them in the past without any difficulty. I just object to them not allowing me to purchase the multi entry type O visa at the moment. I know that if I ask them the reason they won't be able to give me one. They will just be able to say we don't do that. But I don't consider that a reason.

I'm so sick of this consulate.

Which consulate is this?

So by now we know that

1. you are male (you mention your wife)

2. you are married to a Thai

3. you are a UK citizen (you talk about your wife going to a UK embassy for a visa valid for two years)

4. you live in the USA (you asked for the visa price in USD and mention your calling DC)

Yes, with these credentials it seems unusual that your Thai consulate refused you a multiple-entry non-O visa. It appears that Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued some new guidelines to consulates not too long ago and some consulates may have difficulty in interpreting them. Or if in your conversation with the consulate you used some of the same language as in your original post in this topic, words that this forum’s software automatically converts to ######, it is possible that the consulate may have taken a dislike towards you.

You say the Thai embassy in Washington DC told you that you must apply for your visa at your local consulate. Based on information posted by other members I believe you should be able to apply by mail at any honorary consulate in USA. Houston and Denver have been mentioned favourably, I recall. You may want to talk to them and find out.

--

Maestro

I've been married to a Thai for five years. I'm always polite when I'm dealing with the Thai consulate here. I've received single entry type o and tourist visa (prior to marriage) from them in the past without any difficulty. I just object to them not allowing me to purchase the multi entry type O visa at the moment. I know that if I ask them the reason they won't be able to give me one. They will just be able to say we don't do that. But I don't consider that a reason.

I'm so sick of this consulate.

Which consulate is this?

So by now we know that

1. you are male (you mention your wife)

2. you are married to a Thai

3. you are a UK citizen (you talk about your wife going to a UK embassy for a visa valid for two years)

4. you live in the USA (you asked for the visa price in USD and mention your calling DC)

Yes, with these credentials it seems unusual that your Thai consulate refused you a multiple-entry non-O visa. It appears that Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued some new guidelines to consulates not too long ago and some consulates may have difficulty in interpreting them. Or if in your conversation with the consulate you used some of the same language as in your original post in this topic, words that this forum’s software automatically converts to ######, it is possible that the consulate may have taken a dislike towards you.

You say the Thai embassy in Washington DC told you that you must apply for your visa at your local consulate. Based on information posted by other members I believe you should be able to apply by mail at any honorary consulate in USA. Houston and Denver have been mentioned favourably, I recall. You may want to talk to them and find out.

--

Maestro

So here's a follow up...

I rang my local consulate and they told me blank that they couldn't issue me with a mulitple entry type O non immigration visa. Their policy (despite having the cost of the multi entry on their website) is to only issue single entry and then for you to extend that once you are in Thailand. I wonder if that will be more expensive re: fees?

Anyway, then I rang DC and they told me that in DC they would have no problem issuing me a multiple entry type O non immigration visa because I met all the criteria and told me they didn't understand why my local consulate had this policy.

They also said that they cannot overrule the local consulate and that I had to apply at the local consulate.

So my wife can walk into the UK embassy and instantly get a multi entry visa valid for 2 years and even when I'm the spouse of a Thai national here the Thai consulate still wants to know what I'm going to be doing in Thailand.

I'm so sick of this consulate.

The guys an idiot ... please post a follow up when he ends up in the IDC.

Last time I applied for one of these the guy at the consulate here tried to tell me that it was $50 per entry if you wanted mulitple entry and you had to know how many entries you wanted. To me if I pay for a multiple entry visa it means I can enter any number of times I ###### well please and I don't like someone trying to tell me I must know all the number of entries first. I'm sure he was trying to take me for a fool.

So what is the price USD for a multiple type O non immigration visa these days?

So today my wife goes to the British consulate to get a vistors visa for the UK and they screwed up and did one in her maiden name and then she showed them that it was wrong and so they put a big red cross thru it and wrote above it in pen. "Cancelled without prejudice"

Now, the problem I have with this is one. They burned a page in her passport due to their own incompetence. ie. the name on the visa didn't match the application. They simply took her name in her passport and didn't see the name change page.

Secondly, a red cross on any page in the passport is not a good thing and secondly there's nothing official about the Cancelled without prejudice. Anybody could have done this themselves and I'm afraid an immigration officer is going to act indifferent because of this or this would affect any future visas she goes for.

Are my concerns warranted or am I over-reacting?

FYI. I saw the Kensington locks at my local Comp USA the other day. The combination has 3 digits where as the Targus defcon one has 4 digits and look better built. Targus accessories can be found in Bangkok. I'm sure IT City or whatever the place on the top floor of Panthip is called would sell a cable lock. There's also some thinkpad dealers around Silom complex and I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a name branded cable lock at Fortune town.

Anyway over here it looks like the going price is about $25.00

Anybody have any comment re: Targus vs Kensington?

Q. How do you secure the cable lock? Since a lot of things that are available will be just as flimsy as the counterfeit lock itself.

Copperwired at Discovery, Siam Paragon, and Thonglor J avenue are probably the best bets for Mac stuff in Bangkok.

I'd stay clear of Panthip. The store by the escalator on the 3rd/4th floor is very short with customers. There's the Tiger Computer on the same floor but the other corner that's reliable but nothing special to look at in terms of their shop display. Again, if the price is higher then Copperwired is the place. There's also at least three Mac shops at Fortune Town but I know at least one of them is related to the stores in Panthip. If you want ipod accessories specifically the best place would the Phom Prong BTS station store and yes I know they are related to the store I'm refering to at Panthip but for ipod accessories I don't much care.

Ucon will get you what you want but I don't like their attitude particular on the 3rd floor. One particular guy is a real nasty piece of work up there.

If I cannot browse a store without being hassled and looked at in an irrating manner I really don't have a good feeling about doing business with that store.

I wanted to add 1 GB of RAM to my MacBook. I went to Maccenter at Siam, and the Apple Store at Pantip, both quoted B8000+ (can't remember exact amount). I called the Apple hotline and they gave me a list of Apple Authorized shops. If you need a Macintosh shop at Pantip try UC CON 02-256-0807 Ground fl. & 3rd fl. The same 1GB of RAM installed is B5500.

-O

Have they filled in the wide open spaces at Laksi yet then? There's loads of generic electronics shops at Laksi... but it's a low pressure place.

jump on the subway and go to Fortune and you can find just about anything there.

For that sort of thing just go to the very top floor and buy from there. Although the sales people are quite pushy you can probably find something there. Otherwise there are a lot of other shops in Panthip but generally speaking I never have high expectations whenever I've already handed over my money when shopping in Thailand. Possibly those electronics shops that stock all those hubs etc from china etc may have it also. The ones on the 3rd level.

I bought a Kensington combination lock for my laptop for Baht 300 from this retailer on the ground floor of Pantip plaza in the right rear aisle. Whilst attempting to change the combination from 0000 to my desired code, the whole mechanism seized up. The salesman could not even free it but refused to replace the device or refund me a single Baht. He even tried to sell me a key-locking version to avert similar problems.

Admittedly the cost of this cheap Chinese knockoff was a mere quarter of European prices, but I was here in Bangkok and needed the security.

Well, I can suffer the loss of B300 but what I found most distressing was the attitude of the salesman who was a southern Chinese not born in Thailand and speaking Thai with a foreign accent. Like some of his counterparts in Hong Kong this arrogant individual seemed to delight in belittling me and was not going to budge an inch. On seeing me look up at his shop sign he challenged me to take a photo, so I did! He’s the one in the white shirt. I feel sure that this post, with a significant Pantip-user readership, is worth more than B300-worth of lost business to him. But ‘face’ seems to be a far more valuable commodity.

Reminds me of my first trip to Honkers in 1980 when I attempted to compare prices on a camera at different shops. Returning to the shop which had offered me the best price, the salesman flat refused to sell it to me because, “You lost your chance.” Weird … really weird. I thought this was standard procedure in the Orient.

I was so glad to leave that Pantip accessory shop and get back into the real world of friendly Thai people. True, similar things can happen but at least they would turn you down with a reasonable attitude, or offer some concession.

It would have been difficult to “Check the goods” before purchase as the lock was encased in a thick, clear-plastic enclosure. He would not have broken it without money-in-hand, and could then have refused to refund an opened package. Best advice : look at the attitude and friendliness of the staff, and avoid those who are not Thai-born natives who may have their own set of rules and behaviour.

Is Meliane lower dose than the one you see for sale in the pink box in Thailand Diane or something like that? Generally Meliane is low dose right?

Also, what is considered long term when it comes to birth control?

An equivalent drug, under different brand name, will be available in most countries. However in some countries it will require a doctor's prescreption.

All your wife needs to do is show the egneric name to the pharmacist or doctor:

ethinylestradiol 20 mcg

gestodene 75 mcg

Any drug which consists of this, even if under a different name and packaging, will be identical to meliane.

So is it illegal for me to buy a pack of 100 Amoxy 500mg capsules and take them with me when I leave Thailand?

hmm i think easier access to drugs is a good thing, not everyone can afford doctors, let alone drugs. if it is sold over the counter in thailand, why couldn't it be like that everywhere?

My wife chooses to take Meliane and I don't know if it's available outside of Thailand. But I'd rather she continue to take the same kind of medicine she's already been taking. Usually she buys six months supply whenever she's in Thailand but she's run out.

Isn't the key the ip address and dhcp that's used? usually you buy a prepaid block of time and you get an ip address or a presence on the network until your time is up and then your ip no longer works on the network and you're booted off.

Check out: http://www.2hotspot.com/

and: http://www.publicip.net/

Both are freeware solutions for running semi commercial or commercial hotspots.

The first is windows based, the second is Linux based. Both need a pc (can be an old slow one) sitting between the actual internet access and the rest of your public network.

2hotspot I have no experience with, zonecd I have used and works pretty well, and is around for a very long time already so the is a very big support base and forum to help you out. Don't get scared by the linux part, since all works pretty much automatically and all setting are done on a webpage...

If I've been married to a Thai national for 5 years. Our age difference is 5 years. How difficult is it for me to work and remain legally in Thailand? Is it still restrictive even for those married to Thais or is that only for those who aren't?

The Nation,

Is this their way of say it's probably a Thai national without actually saying it?

Security cameras captured a "tall man of indistinct nationality" parking a motorcycle at a beachside footpath, running up to the women and shooting them before fleeing.

I read eariler that the women were shot by a man of Thai appearance on a motor bike.

The man shot them and rode off.

This has the semblance (appearance) of a contract killing.

Could be mafia or drug related. Many East european prostitutes working in Thailand and all over the world.

One can only speculate at this point.

They are misreading the typical european and british traveller since a lot of those holiday makers are heavy users of low cost airlines. The connections they are going to have to make are going to be a nightmare but Thai are quite happy because if you want to fly somewhere where a low cost airline flys you're going to weigh up the cost of the Thai equivalent flight vs the inconvienience of making it to the lower cost alternative.

I fail to understand their reasoning sometimes. The idea of foreign engineers being a disgrace to the nation?!!! I think the airport itself has been a disgrace to the nation. Outside engineers could only bring credibility to any repairs. I don't think the work needs to be done by foreigners, but some oversight, some supervision some expertise would probably make a lot of people feel more comfortable.

You're pretty naive if you think that money is going anywhere other than the pockets of the staff at customs. It's not going to benefit the construction of the new airport. If any of the major news networks start reporting this the T.A.T is going to get a little bit worried. I invite anybody who's been mistreated to tell their local media.

My guess is, this just a temporary flare up. Maybe they are a bit short on money for the new airport, and have been instructed to supplement things a bit. Also, maybe some of them are newbs to the whole system, and a bit zealous still. Give them time, they (along with customs officials in most other countries) are too lazy to keep a crackdown on for an extended period of time.

Can't for the life of me see why Thai Airways wants to keep the Khon Kaen flight at the new airport. It would be a big bonus for that flight to come back to Don Muang.