StandardIssue

I might just forget about flying and take the train around etc. I've never been refused accommodation at a hotel using my Thai drivers license.

What's the old school rap phrase? Check yourself before your wreck yourself. "Upgrade" .. wow. Your serious? Not cool.

Thats what I thought. I had done a renewal before at the BKK embassy 10 years ago. It had been so long I had forgotten but yes, they did keep it as I think they need to send it back to the states to get a new passport generated. They have no printing facilities to make passports here from what I know. Renewal is 4-6 weeks so you know I'll be making copies of all the appopriate stams and thankfully I have a Thai drivers license which should be enough in the unlikely event I get asked for my passport. (this has never happened to me in my 12 years of living in Thailand on and off)

I was thinking of going but I have plenty of pages left in my passport and ti's going to expire soon anyways. How long does the visa on arrival take? Did you have to stand in line for an extended amount of time? Evisa might be the way to go just to move things along quicker. But if it doesn't really matter I will just go and then get the big old sticker in my about to expire passport.

Ok, well I was under the impression I'd be without a passport while the US embassy is processing the new one. I will have to check on that.. this changes everything. If I can keep the old one and still use it while the new one is being processed. Seems to me I had to give up the old one while the new one was being processed and made. If done by mail it's required to mail the old passport to the US embassy.

I lost mine on the plane somehow last year. They asked for it and I couldn't find it. I did produce all the other docs. Tourist visa print out etc. They didn't ask me for my return flight although I had one that I cancelled after i arrived. TIT .. maybe more ways to make some tea money off the incoming herds. It was late at night, not busy. No problems but, as is the case with a lot of immigration business here rules are not strictly followed and the difference between policies at immigration entrance let alone immigration offices is quite a bit of a puzzle that keeps expats in constant frustration.

I have to renew my passport soon as it will expire in about 9 months but would like to do some Thailand domestic flight traveling while the embassy is processing it. Can I fly using my Thai drivers license as ID? I know I can use it to stay in hotels .. never had any problems using a Thai DL to stay in hotels but to board a plane I think I heard that they changed the rules?? any help appreciated. THIS QUESTION IS FOR DOMESTIC IN COUNTRY FLIGHTS. If not I guess I'll have to use the trains or bus it around.

Ok, whatever dude. Strange.

Ah, Ok I don't keep track of precious metal prices but that makes sense. 77% ROI is pretty good .. better than inflation so makes sense. I've only been aware of golds' appreciation as it's been in the news a lot. My investments are in a self managed portfolio in my home country.

I speak some Thai and some of my "dates" speak a little English but hardly enough to communicate about topics of racial preference. Are you freakin' joking. Come on man. What conversation we have is more akin to "Have you eaten yet" How's your family. Where are you from etc... You actually think I am compelled to have conversations with my dates about race and prejudice. I myself am not prejudice and as I said have had many good friends and co-workers of all races and creeds that are fine and upstanding people. Maybe there are some guys who go on Thaifriendly or pickup girls in Go Go's with the expressed intention and motivation of having drawn out conversations to instill prejudice towards middle eastern and Indian people in their dates but I"m not one of them.

Did you buy it to keep as investment? Or some other reason? I just can't quite figure out the use of silver bars for keeping value unless at some point there was an expectation that there would be a huge demand for this metal .. for use in industry or something else. I seem to remember it being integral in producing conventional photography film but that boat sailed years ago with the advent of high quality high pixel density cameras.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/police-raid-in-na-jomtien-uncovers-indian-call-scam-operation There are more headlines like these. Took me like 5 seconds of a search to uncover this article above. You've not been out enough my friend. Why would the fact that a few bars don't allow Indians compel them to crowd freelancers on beach road? That reasoning doesn't fly very far at all. It is because they are cheap and enjoy doing these gang bangs and humiliate women. Do some more Google searches about India's violence towards women. Believe me. I don't like beer bars or go go's. I find girl friends and companionship on Thaifriendly and many of the girls have "no india man" in their profiles. There is a reason for that.

If you use Thafriendly and other dating sites enough you'll notice a portion of the freelance girls will specifically say "no india man" in their profiles. (this is there way of saying no indian/Arab/middle eastern clients) Among freelancers, whether female or transgender, there is some animosity toward this race. Perhaps it's hygiene combined with attitude. When shopping in a 7-11 inevitably the odd Indian guy will be in line and smell to high heavens like they haven't had a shower for 3 days or washed their clothes in a week. I'm not prejudiced, I've worked with many talented and well mannered Indians in my profession but the dudes that come to Pattaya are sketchy. Pattaya is famous as a destination for Indian scam call centers. I spent a fair number of years living near Pattaya and walked Pattaya beach during dusk for exercise. Inevitably you'd see a group of 4 or more indian/Middle eastern guys crowding a single lone freelancer on beach rd. .. what's going on there? They are trying to negotiate a gang session probably at a discount. Frequently you'd see the poor girls trying to politely walk away with these guys giving chase .. really bad. Also this recent issue in Pattaya with theses young Kuwaiti hoodlums renting motorbikes and racing around the streets drunk, out of control causing all manner of disturbance. I'm not prejudiced but it is what it is. What is it about these middle eastern and Indian guys? India has repeatedly been in the headlines concerning it's problem of violence toward women. Just awful brutality.

For whatever reason it seems that when the US stock exchange does well the Baht strengthens against the USD. I don't quite know how those correlate but I've noticed it. I have found it beneficial to keep my immigration funds in a FCA and trade into Baht when the exchange rates are favorable. That's worked pretty well for me. I'll be buying some more baht soon.. the Baht will probably get stronger as the US Fed will be lowering interest rates fairly soon.

Yes, yes and of course yes. Clinton's slip up and Trumps serial philandering do not compare in any way shape or form.

NO! don't spoil and good thing. Let him be himself, he'll dig a hole so deep there will be no doubt to anyone with even half a brain that this guy needs to go back down to Florida and live out the rest of his life taking daily treatment from Russian golden shower girls.

Just curious, but what are doing holding onto a bar of silver? for it to be worth anything I would think you'd need like 100 pounds of the stuff. I think a pound is worth around $500 USD right now. None of my business but if I was going to buy precious metal it would be gold and probably buy it as an ETF rather than hold physical metal. To each his own.

Ah, the good ole' days of Pattaya are long gone. On to greener pastures. Text book example of over tourism by some of the worst tourists on the planet. I am amazed that the infrastructure has managed to hold up as the rate at which they are putting up new condos etc has been unbelievable. Pratumnak was once a peaceful lush and green area with a few houses and smaller condos ... no more. Jomtien is now lined with tall condos as far as the eye can see. In 12 years it went to being fairly pleasant to crowded and intolerable. I've read on Thaifriendly some of the girls say "no india man". Yea I can understand why. I try to be fair but when the behavior is quite obviously consistent among a group of people then a spade is a spade. I was quite surprised at how loud Russian and Chinese people are when they started invading Jomtien 10 years ago. My trips to 7-11 were unpleasant as i would see what the poor counter girls would have to put up with from some of the Russian and Chinese tourists. Loud, demanding and down right rude and impolite. Not one thought about trying to adjust and behave with the Thai politeness and humble demeanor I've come to appreciate.

Maybe some silicone too. Good ole' Donnie is as predictable as a nuclear clock. The skill set is secondary. But if she looks great and is a nodding, off her head sycophant then Donnie is all over that s#!t. I wonder if she let's him grab her...

OK, this is very useful. Thank you

Have you done this before. Exited with a brand new passport, no stamps and showed immigration the voided passport with the stamps. Sorry, just want to make sure folks are giving me information out of experience or had read enough posts to be sure this would be OK. I could just wait and get a new passport in the states but I figure why not do it here .. the embassy is not far from where I live etc. This also affords me the flexibility to go to another country if I decide to.. when I leave my old passport will have less than 6 months valid. So the only country I think I'll be eligible to go to on my current passport is my home country USA.

I want to get a new passport in October. Just do the business before I leave Thailand. Why not. It expires middle of next year. I plan to leave Thailand beginning of 2025 a week before my extension of stay expires. I currently have a Non O retirement with 1 year extension but do not intend to extend and will leave the country. Question: Will there be any hassle at the airport if I just show them both my new passport and old one with the entry/exit stamps, re-entry permit and Non-O visa? Or will I have to go through the hassle of a visit to Change Wattana Division one and getting all thoses stamps transfered to my new passport even though i will be leaving the country before my extension expires? Perhaps a unique situation but please only experienced feedback or replies. since I do not intend to renew my extension of stay and will leave the country I can't see why they would need to see the stamps transferred into the new passport to leave the country. I figure they'd want to would just put an exit stamp in my new passport. But who knows.. this is Thailand know. I don't want to get fined at the airport or detained etc.. and pay some exorbitant fees to solve whatever they have a problem with there.

Did you expect that posting here would somehow reduce the fares? It is what it is. This is 2024 not 2012. In the last 10 years or so I have been purposely planning for continued inflation. History and living on the planet earth with ones eyes open shows that prices increase over time. I pity the poor sots who did no retirement planning and made poor financial decisions using their own thinking and then wind up living off pension or social security from the USA. It is a real sad state of affairs.

If you don't do the right thing the local marriage police will surely be making a visit and you will suffer the consequences! Be forewarned!

I'm already scouting out another country to live in. There are many other attractive alternatives. Immigration, new tax law and the ever changing policies for expats. Over tourism in some of my once favorite destinations. Why stay when there are better options. If I do come back I'll be searching for the last few "secret" destinations. Lately the North has become unattractive due to the flooding. This is not a one off event. Climate change will only make this worse. I'm glad I don't live in Chaing Mai or Chang Rai or Nong Kai for that matter which were hit hard by flooding and I once considered as possible living locations. I made a post earlier that Thailand is played out. I stick to my story. Not fun anymore. Too many tourists. Girls in Bangkok are getting snobby now. Everyone one of the gals I tried to date this last year immediately insisted we go to expensive restaurants so they could do selfies and take pictures of the over priced food they had me buy for them. Never again.