henrik2000

Chris, thanks for interesting out of the way recommendations! Sounds like my kind of destination and i will check them out online first. Still open for more recommendations.

Hello, in December + January i will be touristing the area Ayutthaya – Nakhon Sawan – Phichit – Uttaradit – Kamphaeng Phet – Tak - (maybe) Kanchanaburi for about 60 days with a rental car plus private bicycle carried by car. Once checked into a midrange hotel/bungalow, I hope to not use the car for 4-6 days on end and to only move by bicycle/songthaeaow/Bolt/Grab/foot. I like provincial city walks and even more bicycle day trips based on GPS apps with Open Street Maps (not Google Maps) across rice fields and up hill temples. I am quite focussed on the area mentioned and won't go to Chiang Khong, Sukothai or Pizzanoluck even if you say I must. Been there. Aware of visa requirements. I speak enough basic tourist Thai and use Google Lens/Google Translate for language conundrums incl. translation of signs and menus I did this kind of provincial travelling with car/bicycle already in several areas, including Nan-Phayao-Lampang-Phrae, Sisaket province, Nakhon Si province. I don't need girlie bars, dramatic national parks or WWII monuments, Starbucks or imported steaks/beers. I'm fine with rural idylls, lotus ponds, village rice soup breakfast a decent tom yam khung or fried chicken for dinner old Thai live music (luukthung, morlam, Carabao-style) (can't do "90s music" and Thai TV) rambling provincial city centers temples, also to cool and relax Thai-oriented food markets and country restaurants lower mid-range room/bungalow/apartment w/ private bathroom + private parking below 1600 THB Now my questions: Should I base myself both in Nakhon Sawan and separately in Phichit? Or is one of them enough? Why so? Outside the provincial capitals mentioned, could you recommend a resort on the edge of a village or small town? Especially with helpful, knowledgeable staff? They are difficult to find. Do you know if young rice will be (not) growing in the provinces mentioned in December + January? Any other insider tip? Thanks for your tips!

Thanks, actually I had this decathlon foldable on my mind last time in Thailand, but switched to 29" non-foldable bought locally in the last minute and was very happy with that (about 6000 THB) for extended range and sturdiness (but stressful to heave into economy car (Yaris)). Oh, that's nice to know, thanks. Thanks, good hint, there is no battery whatsoever. And thanks all for your input. And sorry for the weird formatting in the first post. I formatted around like a madman and it came out with a mad format indeed.

Hello, i ponder bringing a small foldable bicycle on THAI Airways from Europe to Thailand. (I rode bicycles in TH many times, so far locally rented wrecks or bought in TH. I transported bicycles on other flights before. THAI has the by far most convenient connection for me and well-priced too. I might consider another airline only if the total price or the handling is much better. My questions: Supposed I managed to stay within 30 kgs, would I be allowed to bring TWO pieces of checked luggage (reg. travel bag + bicycle carton)? Do I register my "Special Unit" (bicycle carton) when booking online? I don't see it on the Thai Airways site. Or will it only be added AFTER completing the normal booking (like special meals + seat reservation are added afterwards)? What are your real-life experiences with transporting a bicycle on THAI? (Handling, brokenness.) Did you note that they closely watch the scale and won't grace you a few kgs of extra weight un-charged? (Of course nothing to rely on.) Would you rather recommend another airline price-wise or handling-wise? In theory, I could fly Turkish, Emirates, many others from Europe to Bkk. But any other airline would be longer, more inconvenient and not much cheaper for the regular flight (but maybe for the bicycle allowance). General luggage allowance on Thai Flexi (only tariff option for me): 30 kg I would have: regular travel bag about 20 kg bicycle in carton about 16-20 kg regular cabin luggage 7 kg So, my checked luggage would be around 36-40 kgs total incl. bicycle. I cannot bring that down to 30 kgs (I know me, it's too hard for me, and I need my books, jeans, thermos and bicycle parts). That means, I would pay regular ticket price plus 150 USD Special Unit Price Flat Rate for bicycles (because I'm over 30 kgs total). For bicycles, THAI say online: total luggage allowance in Flexi tariff for me 30 kg yes, 1 bike per pax included in allowance (obviously within the regular 30 kg, but as a 2nd checked luggage?) if total luggage weight exceeds the allowance apply Special Unit price (Flat Rates) Special Unit price (Flat Rates). Charge : USD 150/Unit (A bicycle may be included as part of your free baggage allowance. For a bicycle above your free baggage allowance: If it exceeds the allowance apply. Special Unit price (Flat Rates). Thanks for your experiences! Small Print: Link to Thai "Special Baggage Rules" (not "Excess Baggage"): https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/travel_information/baggage.page Link to Thai Special Baggage Pricing per Unit: https://www.thaiairways.com/en/travel_information/Excess_Charges_Special_Baggage.page? In THAI parlance, I understand my trip will be between TC2 (Europe, Africa, Middle East) and TC3 (Asia, Australia, New Zealand). There is no Premium Economy Class offered on my flight. I believe I am not a ROP Silver Member. I write here "THAI" in all-caps to distinguish it from Thai people, Thai language etc. For now I would only buy a 1-way-flight into Thailand (prices below). I did that many times. Looking at THAI's website, a flight both ways would be about double priced, so there is no incentive to buy a return ticket right now. I might buy another cheap outbound flight like Bkk-Cambodia on Air Asia only to show to immigration + consular visa officers. If later the price for the return trip rises, I'll survive and stilly enjoy my flexibility to fly out when where from where to I need a foldable MTB with 26", 27.5" or 29" (larger is better). I transport it around in a rental car for 2 months (economy size). I've had non-foldable MTBs that only just fit into the car with the front wheel removed (and only because it was a station wagon (Yaris, see pic), and you don't know which car you'll get from the rental company) and there was always the risk of damaging/dirtying the inside of the car and its driver. As far as I know, there are no foldable MTBs from 26 inches up to 300 USD in TH. (There are decent non-foldable ones below 300 USD, but as I said, they are a bit too big, or I must rent a bigger car, which I don't like at all).

Jack and Caldera, thanks for advice!

London and Red Phoenix, thanks for more input!

Tim and Jack, thanks for clarifying TM30! If you say screenshot - sounds like i could show it to Immigration from my phone? Even photograph it off their screens?

Tim, thanks.

Red Phoenix and Dr Jack, thanks for good details! What's that, a proof i'm registered with a hotel?

Hello, starting around November 2023 I would like to stay in Thailand as a tourist 3 months in a go. I'm EU-citizen, above 50, healthy, health-insured internationally. I don't like visa runs. 1) Plan 1: 2 Months + 1 Month So my Plan 1 is: before traveling, apply online für a TR visa for 2 months (already done 1 time before) in country, get extension for another month from Thai Immigration office upcountry for 1900 THB (already done several times) Is that a good/the best solution? I need it completely stressfree and legal. 2) Plan 2: Get 3 Months in 1 Stretch? Or could i get 3 months in 1 stretch without the necessity to extend in-country? I am confused here. What about Non-Immigrant Visa O-A "for applicants aged 50 and over who wish to stay in Thailand for an extended period without the intention of working". Do I need a health certificate from GP? (I'm healthy, but the GP makes me sick.) Do i need a paper from my health insurance? Source: https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84508-non-immigrant-visas Is a solution for 3 months in 1 stretch more costly than 2 months + 1 month extension? I might choose the 3 months in 1 stretch anyway to spare me the hassle of visiting an immigration office in TH. 3) Working in TH for EU customers: In TH, i'd do a bit of computer work for EU customers (as done before, as digital nomads do). Is that officially ok? I don't work for Thai customers, for Thai money, I don't do any journalism, blogging, vlogging, commercial photography, influencing (Thai-related or not) etc. 4) Departure Ticket: Personally i only need a one-way ticket into Thailand. My real return ticket I would buy 2 days before flying out. But to apply online for a TR visa, i think i need to upload a departure ticket? For that, I would buy a cheap ticket like BKK-Cambodia with Air Asia, just for presentation purposes. Should this flight be timed for 58 days after entering Thailand? (1) I would not fly on this cheap no-show-ticket, because i want to stay longer in Thailand. But then after say 58 days I don't fly out, but I visit Thai Immigration (somewhere upcountry, not Pattaya, Phuket, Bkk, Samui, Chiang Mai; I speak some Thai). I wouldn't have a departure ticket valid say 88 days after entering Thailand. Is that a problem? If I extend the visa for one month for 1900 THB, do I need to show a valid departure ticket? I did this extension for 1900 THB several times before, but don't remember the question for a departure ticket. But one time they asked for my next hotel bookings and admonished me not to work in TH. Your take? Thanks! (1) Sometimes online services for "renting", "sharing" or "generating" onward tickets are suggested. I won't use them.

Thanks, Charlie. Yes actually it would be nice to have the post in the cycling forum, also because in the linked blog post I have some questions to more experienced Thailand bicyclists. So if that is doable, you could delete my second last post, where I give a wrong link by accident but can't delete it, and move my last post to the cycling forum. Or I could post another new short hint there and leave the original post here. I had to do a post in this thread here because I had been asked here for a report, but it has been seen now. Thanks!

Sorry, embarrassingly in my post above it is the wrong link, even if it seems correct initially. It seems I can't change or delete it anymore now. The link that I wanted 2 to give here about my bicycling experience in provincial Northern Thailand is this: https://hansblog.de/bicycle-day-touring-in-provincial-northern-thailand-w-20-pics-report-in-english/

Thanks, interesting.

Ok, thanks, so "eyoung" isn't a regular Thai or Isaan word - except for that bird.

Hi all, thanks for good advise and for good stories! The "whistling bird" is indeed that Asian Koel and not the bird photographed. Interestingly, in the video from South India it seems to talk in another local dialect, while across Thailand it always seemed to have the same vernacular. Ok, "nok" is bird, but could you translate "eyoung"? And would that be Bangkok Thai or Isaan/Lao or both?

Can't you not pro forma book another room maybe even in another hotel for her? Then see on the ground what's possible.

Hello, bigger parts of Thailand have that "whistling bird". The whistle sounds rather man-made, not unpleasant, not singing, but not croaking either. The "whistling bird" sits usually unvisibly high up in the tree and lets off a whistle regularly, maybe over hours. It is a signature sound of upcountry Thailand, but can be heard in urban centers too. At least 2 or 3 luukthung-morlam songs feature that whistling, among them this song (Youtube) at 0:10 and at 0:17 (maybe imitated in studio, but not wholly unrealistic). Who knows that kind of bird? Actually I belive it is the bird from the photo below, but am not sure. That bird from the photo below roams the ground floor with macho swagger in small gangs and doesn't whistle at all. When whistling, it seems to perch solitarily in the canopy, perhaps calling out for a lovely feathered maiden. Who can identify - the "whistling bird" - the pictured bird whether they are one of a kind or not? Thanks!

That sounds nice at first, but I'd also feel shy, getting preferential treatment ahead of all the Thais. What might they think about this foreigner and this policeman?

That would be totally impractical for me. Besides, the money in your pocket could also get caught in the rain, a danger that you see with wallets. But on my next tourist trip, I definitely must learn to pay "by scan", as they do a lot upcountry, if not in Bangkok or Pattaya. I keep my wallet well tucked away and compared to about any other country, I found Thailand exceptionally safe. All the time people bring me cameras and actually wallets that I forgot somewhere, including on Sukhumvit road, Bangkok. I checked there four times in about 4 days. The last time I was in the police box I was totally alone. No policeman, no visitor except myself. The found wallets were sitting in their tiny box just behind the counter's glass. Mine was still not there. I could have taken all of the other, swell wallets away, or maybe not. Are you suggesting a friendly smile and nice words in Thai? Or are you suggesting money, whisky or something? While I did pay policemen in Cambodia and Gambia, with good effect for me, I'd never dare to even hint at payments in Thailand or Vietnam. Don't know about Philippines, police were so polite and accommodating there that I never felt I need to get out of a tricky situation.

No, I wouldn't, even if it was delicious Indian food or any other good smell. I hadn't thought about the smell problem when I asked the question.

Interesting comment.

Great story. But if I saw wallet at that price and that location, I'd never dare to buy, except you are there to confirm the quality. But I never believe a vendor's tales.

Thanks for the info. I wonder what the owners wish.

In ViewTalay 7, anybody can use the lifts without a key card or any other measure. So any beach bum easily reaches the 20th floor and your outer doorstep. Is that the case in other Jomtien buildings as well? I only know one other condo building in Bangkok, which is generally posher, where you need a magnetic card to use a lift.

Hi all, thanks for recommending Jacob. Now I went to Central department store, 3rd floor, and browsed Jacob first and when I wasn't totally happy with the selection, I checked any other brand for wallets and still ended up with a relatively cheap Jacob. It suits my preferences most. Stupidly I forgot to bring Euro bills for a test fitting, as they are especially large, not in denomination, but in millimeters. The regular priced Jacob wallets have a discount of 30% on them, while the one that I bought had a discounted price on it already. Central also has heavily discounted brand wallets online, but the information counter in the mall told me that that was online only. Staff was super friendly and very helpful in finding a wallet exactly to my requirements. They spoke useful English, but seemed to love my Thai exercises. Even though I browsed all the brands, the final selection was between two different Jacob wallets. For once it's a NICE souvenir from Thailand, and not wooden elephant junk or day-glow paintings of nudes on the beach. And when I later see the brand name, I will remember to pronounce it like the sweet shop clerks: "Djaah gkob" (djaah frog?).