VR333

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club is an elite, private Members’ club. If you don't mind waiting ten years, the joining fee alone is nearly $20k AU, plus an annual sub of about $6K. As an Australian, If I'm from outside Victoria, I would be paying $500 for a guest round. Guest fees are based on residency. As for Thailand, I vote with my feet. I'm not paying x10 to visit some waterfall. Double, no problem but not ten times. Maybe if I were on my first trip overseas, it would be different, but I've traveled a lot, seen plenty of wonderful sights. When I spent a long time in the US, I liked the National Parks pass you could buy that let you into all of their many spectacular parks for one yearly fee.

I also like Anitech. I've been using the one below for a while. I have three used with different computers. You can use as Bluetooth or wireless. They have forward and back buttons, which I find very handy. Battery life is decent. Available widely. Officemate sells them for around 360 baht, but you can find them lower priced in IT malls. https://anitechonline.com/product/w226-bk-เม้าส์ไร้สาย-ชนิดแบบ-2-ฟ/

They may have a point. I get varying speeds when I test, depending on the device being used. I pay for 1000/500 or 1000/1000, can't remember which. On a four year old budget Samsung A12, I get 100/150. On my wife's year-old, higher-spec Oppo phone, it's 300/270. On my year old medium spec laptop, 480/400. The interesting test result was on a seven year old desktop. I swapped in a tp-link Archer TX50E Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 PCIe adapter, and the download test speed went from 400 to 950.

Sadly, Holly Bowles has now passed away https://7news.com.au/news/laos-methanol-poisoning-victim-holly-bowles-dies-in-thailand-hospital-a-day-after-best-friend-bianca-jones-c-16840415

Sadly, Holly Bowles has now passed away https://7news.com.au/news/laos-methanol-poisoning-victim-holly-bowles-dies-in-thailand-hospital-a-day-after-best-friend-bianca-jones-c-16840415

If a man and a woman each consume the same amount, you would expect it to affect a female more, as women generally weigh less than men.

Snarl at you??? Never experienced that, ever. Most of the staff I encounter simply take my passport and point to indicate I need to look at the camera. It is rare for any of them to utter a word, even after I say hello to them. All a bit robotic, but I suppose it's not the most exciting job to have.

Agreed. This sad story is the lead item on every Victorian TV news broadcast tonight. The schools the girls went to are good schools in an affluent Melbourne bayside area, so it's suggesting they were probably responsible girls. The Federal Minister for Social Services commenting on this isn't something you see often. Channel Nine News reported the girls as being in a "grave condition." I hope they're wrong.

I wouldn't expect to get poisoned drinking alcohol from some roadside stall, even in Laos. Watered down drinks, cheap local spirits substituted for brand names etc, sure. It happens in Thailand, probably even in some legit bars. Whenever I've heard of people dying from drinking dodgy alcohol, it's usually been a wedding celebration in some poor village in rural India. Student backpackers aren't going to be aware of this type of danger; I know I wasn't until I read this news.

Does anyone else remember the viral Samsung promotion for their new Galaxy phone years ago? @4' 42" still makes me laugh.

The standard of medical care available in Laos is not as high as in Thailand. If they had travel insurance, Bangkok or Singapore is where they will medivac you to.

Maybe it is different for an Australia issued Non "O" e-visa In the e-visa application I completed this week, I'm pretty sure there was a box where you had to enter your arrival flight, and also upload a copy of your ticket. I had my flight booked, but previously I always mailed my application a few weeks early to guarantee I had my passport returned in time. Work, family etc. meant I would book flights at the last moment. With a physical application, I would attach a note to my documents to explain this, never a problem, but I didn't see anywhere this time to upload additional documents/letters. On the e-visa I was issued, the way I read it is that I can use it to enter Thailand up to ninety days from the date of issue. I received it within twenty-four hours of applying. With the e-visa there could be an issue if you were to leave the section blank i.e. not being able to submit an application unless every required box is completed. Maybe you can simply type, "not booked yet" and instead of uploading a ticket, upload a letter saying why you haven't booked a ticket yet. Perhaps someone here knows if they check the flight you enter is booked in your name. People re-book flights all the time due to changed plans, so would arriving on a different flight be a major issue?

A quick update. I applied for a 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage yesterday. Approved in less than 24 hours, so I can't complain about the service. The only issue I had was setting up an account to apply. Took more than ten attempts. I tried with a Yahoo e-mail, and while I received verification links, every time I clicked on them, the website said the link was invalid. Tried a Windows 10 desktop, a Windows 11 laptop, Chrome, Edge, no luck. In the end, I used a different e-mail with the Opera browser. Then finally I was able to create an account. Thanks once again for all the helpful advice. It allowed me to understand my options better.

Six months in Australia, Less than six months in Thailand once some time spent in KL, Singapore etc. is deducted. Doing back-to-back sixty-day visa exempt entries, interspersed with flying for a few days out of the country was sounding good, but if I'm possibly going to run in to problems with immigration, then I won't risk it. A 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage, followed by a few days overseas e.g. Singapore, then return on a sixty-day visa exempt entry, followed by three months plus in Australia... would I encounter problems that way? Returning from time in Australia I would get another "O" visa.

I hear you, but I view it this way. I still love to travel. Leaving to go outside of Thailand for a week, a month, etc. from time to time, the cost isn't a concern. I personally don't like being in Thailand during April, May when it is way to hot for my liking. Maybe if I wasn't up physically to hop on planes and drag a bag around with me, then I might find staying in Thailand year in, year out more acceptable, but right now I'm still fit enough to enjoy travel. The yearly multi Non "O" suited my situation. I'm fortunate to be in a position that 400k is ok if I had to tie it up in a Thai bank. While I can get a better return in Australia on money invested, if I needed to deposit it in Thailand, then it is what it is. I've spent many years in Thailand using multi-entry Non-O visas. Never set foot in an immigration office, just got stamped in at the airport or in the bad old days, at Poi Pet. I'm still fortunate to have a choice and my preference is to avoid government departments if I can. Exactly 👍