jbaldwin

My passport is almost full and I will need to apply for a new one shortly. I have downloaded the form and notes from the British Embassy but I am having I little difficulty in understanding them.

It appears that I need to get the form countersigned "professionally qualified" UK citizen and provide my birth certificate. As far as a remember, last time I renewed my passport, neither were required if you were only renew an existing passport, which you could provide with the application. If anyone has recently renewed there passport, I would be interested if these requirements were necessary

Most of the bar girls seem to pay between 2,000 and 3,000 Baht per month for a room shared by between 2 or 5 girls

I will be in Bali from 5 April to 25 April using the Air Asia free flights offered at the end of last year. After three years in Pattaya I cannot face another Songkran

I visited Cambodia last week. There is an ATM machine now at Phnom Penh airport but it is after immigration. I beleive that everyone on our flight paid the visa fee in Dollars and there were no signs or anything to suggest that other currencies were acceptable. However, given the normal behavour of Cambodia officicals I am sure that they would help you out at very unfavourable exchange rates.

Exchange rates at the airport in Bangkok are worse than you will get in Bangkok itself - but not by much

I am a UK citizen some why away from retirement age. At present I pay no tax. My only income is from savings in the UK. I do not pay UK tax as I am not resident in the UK for tax purposes and I do not pay Thai tax because the income is not remitted to Thialand.

When I receive a pension, is this subject to Thai tax if the money is not remitted to Thailand? My understanding is that a UK pension can only be paid without tax deducted if it is paid into a foreign bank account. However, if it is paid into a UK account but you are not a UK resident for tax purposes then you can reclaim the tax whether or not you paid overseas tax. The double tax agreements, I think, only apply to individuals that are classed as resident in more than on country.

You will get a much better rate converting Baht to US Dollars in Thailand and then the US Dollars to Pesos in the Philipines than trying to convert directly in either country

I went in February last year. When I arrived it was fairly difficult to get accomadation - most placed were full. You may have to take what you can find the first day and move the following morning. People tend not to stay very long and most guesthouse have vacancies in the morning.

Adter the first day I stayed at the Pakam Guesthouse Tel: 071 252679. I cannot remember the price but wqas less than $10. In my view this was the best value guesthouse a have stayed in anywhere in South East Asia. It is just off the main road along the river. You will see the sign/advert from that road

I have lived in Pattaya for three years now. It is often difficult to judge how busy it is but to me this year has seemed a little strange. Off season seemed to be busier that the last two years but there seemed to be very little pick up in November and early December. However, I think that between Christmas and New Year was the busist I have ever seen

What is your source for this information. I have not seen it reported in press. It is strange that such a large increase has got such little attention

Air Asia often have very good value flights - there is a free plus taxes offer at present. However, the biggest down side is the departure time, which I think is 7.00am (only one flight per day).

Last time I went I got a flight to Samui, where a stayed for a few days and then got the bus to Hat Yai then Penang.

It lookslike that have added some additional free seets since the promotion started. When I first tried to book it was impossable to yet free tickets for both outward and return leg but was possible when I tried ago.

Anyway I have now booked two trips

KL-Bali-KL-Langkawi and then Penang to Bangkok

and

Bangkok-Kota Kinabalu-Clark-KL

both free on all legs

My rather old protable CD player was finally packed up and I am thinking aboot placig it with an MP3 player. What are the respective advantages of an iPod or Creative Zen.

How easy is it to transfer my CD collection to an MP3 player. I have a laptop with Cd drive, Windows 2000 and AMD Athlon 4 processor

The OP will of course know that:

1  UK passports are cheaper in the UK (no consulate fee)

The standard service, aiming to return your passport in 3 weeks is cheaper the renewing in Thailand.  The guaranteed one week service is about the same price.  The 24 hour service is more expensive.  It depends on how long you will be in the UK as to which will be cheaper

2  Prices go up, quite a lot, is it in Januaray?

Unfortunately the increase took effect on 1 December

3  If you have time left on your old passport it can be transfered to your new passport, up to 9 months, ie your new passport runs for 10 yrs and 9 months.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not sure why you think that there will be any problem using page 4 and 30. I have stamps on both these in my passport. Each visa run will take 1 2/3 pages. You will get a full page Cambodia visa plus four small stamps - in and out for both Thai and Cambo.

You can renew new passport at the British Embassy in Bangkok

My understanding is that Air Asia will not check your bags to their final destination so you will have to wait to collect them and then check in for yuor next flight. Even if there is no delay then you are cutting it pritty fine

I stayed in Kota Kinabalu for 4 days last year. It was a stop-off on an Air Asia flight to Clark (Phillipines). There is a nice beach area at TanjungAru,about 10km from town. Not very much to see or do in the city.

I currently have a Natwest account in the UK and use my Natwest ATM card to draw out money here in Thailand. At the moment I am being hit with a 5% fee everytime i use the service. Is there any way to avoid these fees? or do i just have to transfer a bulk amount to a thai bank account?.

          many thanks,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Open an account with the Nationwide Building Society. They have no charges on ATM withdrawal and no foriegn exchange charges

My understanding is that accounts held by non-residents do not pay interest. This is a government requirement to stop currency speculation. It is important that you put an address in Thailand on the application form and not an overseas address, otherwise you will not recieve interest.

I have been granted the Non-IM "O" on the basis that I was visiting friends in Thailand. The only requirement was that I provided a letter of guarantee from a third party that they would meet the cost of repatriation if necessary. There are lots of previous posts about how easy it is to obtain long term visa at consulates in Europe, the US and Australia.

For the past three years I have obtained one year mutiple entry Non-Im "O" class visas issued in Hull, UK. I do not want to visit the UK to renew until later in the year. My question is will a have any problems getting a double entry tourist visa in Penang. Will it be a problem that I have previous non-im visa.

I am 40 years old not working and not married

You will earn at least 10 times as much working in IT in New York than in Thailand. Would it not be better to work on a western salary for perhaps 3 months a year and use the money earned to live the Thailand the rest of the year. This would give you more money and more free time to enjoy Thailand than working full time over here

Yesterday's Bangkok Post reported that the Government Housing Bank had increased the rate on its special savings account (max two transactions a month and no transaction of less than 1000 baht) from 1.25% to 3%.

Can foriegners open accounts with the GHB?

I am 40 years old from the UK not working and I do not have a Thai-wife.

For the past three years I have been living in Thailand on one year Multiple entry Non Im "O" visa issue by the Hull consular on the basis that I was "visiting friends".

Leaving Thailand every 90 is no problem for me but having to go to the UK every year sometimes is. I have been reading the requirements a one year extention on investment grounds.

It appears that I need to keep 3m baht in a government bank (ie Krung Thai OK but Bangkok Bank not) and that the funds have to come from overseas.

I currently have around 1.7m baht in a Bangkok Bank account - orginally I transferred 2.6m baht for a property purchase and have toped the account up for cash later.

My question is if I open a Krung Thai account transfer 1.3 million from the UK and then move the 1.7 million from the Bangkok Bank will that be OK

I am thinking about coming to Samui for the second weekend. Are tickets available at the venue or is it necessary to book in advance?

Also can anyone recommend a hotel in Chawang arond 1000-1200 baht per night

I went to Ko Si Chang as a day trip from Pattaya. I would strongly recommend visiting for the day, although I am not sure about any longer.