nevcross

12 hours ago, jackdd said:

He will get 80k THB from his own compulsory insurance, the insurance company will try to recoup this from the person who caused the accident.

Thanks for clarifying that. P

I was formerly a longterm resident of Thailand. A good friend(Thai national) of over 20 years standing was knocked off his motorbike in February suffering a fractured skull and broken leg. The leg is proving very difficult to heal, he has just undergone surgery for the 3rd time to fix a plate, previously the plates slipped. The doctors have now advised him that he may require a replacement hip. The driver of the car  that hit him was not insured. My friend has the Government Health scheme-30b but believes this only covers the basic element of his treatment, to continue he believes he will have to pay himself(-this will be confirmed this week), additionally he has obviously had no income for himself and family since the accident. One of his Thai friends is raising funds from his Thai friends, the chap also has many farang friends and acquaintances. I would like to post(on Facebook) and seek donations. What is the best way to do this? to get donations from anywhere in the world to his bank account in Thailand? I , would be very grateful for any advice, Thank you. P

Thanks for that ubonjoe

As ever, up to date info/advice would be appreciated. I entered by air and got 30day stamp. Now I need to extend this-just by a few days. Do I 1. go to bangkok immigration and ask for extension? how much?.......2. go to border-in /out? is that still possible? 3.do I fly to Phnom Penh-have been thinking of doing that as I enjoy visits there, fly back in, would I get a few more days-possibly another 30 days?

Thanks.

P

Does anyone have experience of the joint visa as announced(again) a few months ago-One visa to allow entry to both Thailand and Cambodia? I posted this in another section and didn't get any response so will repost here..................Now a few months down the line from this 'latest' single visa announcement. Has anybody got experience of how it works? if one gets a Thai visa from a Thai embassy eg in Europe, does it state 'including 1 entry for Cambodia' or does one have to expressly ask for it? What are the 'new' fees?Does one get 1 visa which can gain entry at both borders or is anything additional required? I'd rather find out now than find out at PP airport or at Poipet border crossing! I have mooched here and there on the internet and obviously not found the answers to these questions hence posting here, thanks to anyone who can assist.P

Can anyone update time likely to be taken to process a tourist visa at the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh. Thanks. P

Briefly in PP, Can anyone recommend places to buy cycling clothing?, I wonder if real stuff may be made/exported from Cambodia and some get out into local markets? Thanks for any suggestions.....

Thinking of going Bangkok-Aranyaprathet this weekend, ie from Fri 18th , any useful updtaes?...........with thanks.......P

Hi, Pleased to advise that I passed thru Don Muang last week without a problem, no fine/only a jotted note next to 'out' stamp. Both officers present said something like 'only 1 day, no problem....'

Actually quite enjoyed the Don Muang experience, it had been freshened up a bit, sparse crowds meant could do things quickly.

P

Has anyone any recent experience of this situation?....if I arrive 1 day after the expiry of my non immigrant visa(at Suvannapum airport), I believe the authorities allow 1 day over and do not impose the 500b overstay fee, can anyone confirm that this is the case? and perhaps more importantly, if they make any kind of record of the 1 day overstay? I would like to keep my book clean but have an unfortunate clash of dates on my 'last' day. Any thoughts/recent experiences would as ever be appreciated. P

I am a long term resident of soi 22 and user of (the former) Mercure, (I am advised it has recently been sold, indeed the name Mercure has been removed from signs at the hotel), many family and friends have stayed there while visiting me so it is with dismay that I watch events unfurl over the last 24 hours, particularly that the fire has clained life(rip).

I post now to raise the related point of the continued over development of the lower/mid Sukhumvit area. Soi 22 is a narrow through road between Sukhumvit and Rama 4 it thus has a great deal of through traffic, the street is home to several very big hotels-the Imperial, the Regencyand the recently opened Citrus, a huge Holiday Inn is at an advanced stage of construction on the Sukhumvit corner. There are also 2 big schools, the traffic around the start and end of the school day is particularly heavy.......yet developers continue to be given permission to launch massive new condo construction projects-each with the guarantee of parking-ie bringing more cars to the area. Last night Iocal traffic congestion influenced-of course- the arrival of the emergency services. The emergency services ordered the clearing of a coach park next to the Mercure, this took much time, negotiating big busses out of the car park into the narrow soi, time which could have been used to launch an earlier response to the emergency situation. The second, related point is that the new blocks are in most cases being really crammed in together, a new building at the top of soi 20 has literally just feet between it and its neighbours-what if there is a fire there? the brigade just could not get anywhere near.This is being repeated time and time again in this area and I am sure beyond. I have been here a long time so I know how and why it happens but I am sure that it is wrong and fear it will contribute to further loss in the seemingly inevitable emergency situations which arise in Thailand.

Now several months down the line, the last time I was in Walking Street, the organisation's offices looked abandoned....anybody any news? did anyone take them up on their offer, actually fly? or otherwise get involved with them?....amongst other things I imagine they will have had to pay a fair amount for an office on Walking....?

The last buses are 1030 and 1245. I have taken both this year. Go to the bus ticket office on the right about 1 1/2 k on the right. The bus station is a runaround.

Pleased to say it went ok, took gambler bus from Lumpinee at 6-30, thru the visa process, walked along avoided touts, found motoboy, said bus station, go PP he took me to Rith Mony office, poss a mile down from border on lhs, i was just in time for the 10-45 bus, there may be odd ones leaving later, but several bus offices scattered around the town, but with a bit of luck can find.....nb on return I noted that the border closes at 8pm. have good travels.P

The main buses depart Poipet am ,I believe there may be later ones but they are older style ones that arrive PP very late at night.

I do the trip regularly and have found it preferable to grab a taxi near the roundabout , cost is about the same as a nights accom at Poipet or Battambong but it will get you to PP late afternoon allowing you to get to the Embassy AM the next morning (if that is your intent).

Avoid if possible , the mafia touts who will all try to tell you they are the taxi owner or driver and seek out the actual driver,cost should be about 800 baht to have the front pass seat to yourself and 500 to share the back seat with about four others (plus an infant or two and maybe a family pet).

Taxi,s are door to door and you should only pay on arrival, the touts will try to get payment in advance, do not fall for the need cash for petrol trick ,all they are after is their commission .

Thanks, I will try to get to Poipet as early as poss and head to bus station, see what I can get, preferably PP but if not Battambang, will bear in mind your points re share taxi if end up taking that option. Thanks again. P

Hi, I would be grateful if anyone can give views based on recent experience re the following; I intend taking gambler bus to Aran border, then would like to take public bus from Poipet to Phnom Penh. Enquiries suggest buses may only leave Poipet very early in the morning......does anyone know if this is right ie bus times from Poipet to PP.An alternative would be to travel via Battambang, does anyone know of a bus going from Poipet to Batttambang, particularly times departing for Battambang. I imagine staying in Battambang to be preferable to Poipet and it would have the efffect of breaking the journey down. I did the journey in reverse in March and it was do-able. Any insight readers could give on doing it this way would be appreciated.Thanks.P......incidentally I agree with other contributors that flying is preferable but AirAsia tickets need to be bought early , otherwise can be quite expensive.

Anybody any insight on this? I heard from one Cambodian friend that she got some kind of a 1 week pass allowing her to enter Thailand? I'm not sure when this was and if the process is still in place bearing in mind thecurrent state of relations between the 2.Would like to check as may suggest it to another Khmer friend.....thanks. P

'heartless'? we really don't know, more than likely this woman has been deranged by the utter desperation of her circumstances to the point where she has lost control and taken this step:a 'mad' rather than a heartless action, borne of helplessness and confusion. She needed and needs psychiatric help.

Has anybody got any information on, or taken up the offer promoted by this local(?) promotion company. State can offer flights to europe for 320euros, significantly cheaper than any other ie airline,promotion, they say they are able to do this because of links with local hotels and Thai tour industry, I'll reserve my judgement........p

Try the area beyond the National Stadium, Central Bangkok, there are many sports shops and 1 or 2 have rugby shirts, indeed this a.m they were selling them off cheap, try and check it out.p

I am advised that here in Bangkok, alcohol will not be sold from 6pm, Fri 3rd to some unknown point on Sunday due to local elections, 7-11 have withdrawn sales at Fri eve. A Thai friend told me that these local elections were being held in several parts of the country and so it would be a 'dry' weekend in many places, I am advised that Soi Cowboy will not be serving beer, so what about Pattaya? will one be able to legally buy a drink there and not upset the democratic process?

I am trying to find medicine balls of different weights. I would like to buy the ones that are finished in a soft rubber, rather than the hard basketball type balls which I have found in some Bangkok shops. Would be grateful if anyone can advise any suppliers-Bangkok/Pattaya. Thanks.P

It would be nice to think that if there is to be a leicester academy here it will give opportunity for ordinary, poor kids to learn, train and play as per the community approach of English football; the wider the base of the pyramid the better the standard will be.How much football is played by , particularly Bangkok based kids given the dearth of open spaces for them to play in? Too often, too many kids are given the feeling that organised initiatives are 'not for them'. Lets hope Leicester's initiative will address some of these issues and make a much neeeded impact.......we will see....dOO

Should be a law banning foreigners from taking over ENGLISH clubs.

The Thais are all smiles when they go abroad and take over western businesses but become rabid xenophobes when foreigners try to do they same here. Shows how brainwashed many people have become here.

Thats very disrespectful don't you think.

Disrespectful.......but true

Disappointed if not surprised to note that double plus pricing is part of the Pattaya marathon and related shorter distance runs......'nuff said.....!?

About to return to Sisaket after a long time away, would be grateful if anyone could give updated info on hotels in the city and also in Kantaralak. Thanks.P