Shoeboat

Went to Param 9 - all clear.

They were not very professional, could not decide what to charge me - I felt like the first ever guy to have come for an STD test. The doctor estimated no more than 3,000 baht and referred me to the nurse for an exact figure who referred me back to the doctor. A fat lady who recorded my height held the ruler slider up with her finger and let it slip before writing it down because she was giggling and the doctor kept getting text message chimes on his fone.

On a lighter note, in the bathrooms were detailed instructions with twelve illustrations on how to wash your hands.

It comes and goes, some evenings are worse than others, some days I barely notice it - but my uvula is constantly inflamed and lob sided. I know plenty of other people have been complaining of a sore throat recently so there must be some kind of epidemic. Many of them are non smokers so it ain't the cigs. I eat enough fruit and veggies, drink sufficient water that I forever pee clear and I never waste the lime slice on a chicken and rice so what am I doing wrong?

I don't want to go see a doctor because they will just prescribe me an assortment of 14 different pills of varying size and colour which will cost just under a thousand baht and won't do anything except increase my tolerance to antibiotics. Off on holiday to the USA in three weeks, I want to shake it off by then.

Any advice?

It will be a three flight journey which will take a day and a half. I've been warned that the jet lag may spoil my entire trip which is only for 1 week. However, my sleep is very arratic anyway and I don't ever suffer from jet lag when flying to the UK and back, so I might be okay but I don't want to take any chances.

In the weeks prior to my trip I will get as healthy as I can and try to get some Xanax on prescription when I go for my annual check up next week. I have been recommended this my several businessmen.

Other than sleep as much as I can on the main leg (Tokyo to Seattle) and drink lots of water - are there any other useful tips? Is this a valid concern or is everybody different at the end of the day?

Would be interested to hear some opinions/experiences.

Hi, I just did a total health check including HIV and STDs at Praram 9 ( general Hospital. Cost, just under 2500 baht and they do immediately and u wait 1.5 hours and get report.. includes chest Xray and ECG reports too. Not far from Asoke either, maybe phetchaburi MRT station the closest. Go to 3rd floor, marked checkup. Take passport and a photo if u want a chopped authenticated report.

Cheers, this sounds perfect.

Would help a lot, if you mention where you live.

Major private hospitals (like the RAM chain) offer health checkups in the price range of about 4000 (?) Baht.

You can choose from different varieties depending on your age and precondition.

Very professional, own lab, all results ready within a few hours.

Not necessesary to book in adance, but as usual go early, without having meals or drinks (except water) before.

Sperm count? No idea.

That's great info so far, cheers. I live between Asoke and Nana bts stations.

Hi, I am 42 and it's been a while since I went for a check up.

Where is a reasonably priced place to go and what price am I looking at?

I've had a sore throat for over a month, other than that I'm healthy. Also want to get a sperm count and general overall std test as I recently entered into a serious relationship.

Also, do I need to book in advance or just show up?

Thanks for the links, will look now.

Two full pages should be enough for a 1 week trip to the US and a re-entry permit, but as soon as I'm back i'll apply for a new one.

I don't have time to get a new one, it takes a month and needs to be sent to HK - UK - BKK. My trip is in a month.

Even my girlfriend gets hassle and she's just made a few trips here. Hopefully it'll just be questions and nosing about in my baggage.

I've been living in Bangkok a few years now and am currently on a student visa, studying Thai and waiting for a new job opportunity in Indonesia which will start next year.

My passport has two remaining blank pages and the rest are full of Thai, Laos and a couple of Cambodian visas - I think the only other is a Japan stamp.

I am a British citizen with a British passport.

My girlfriend recently left Bangkok for 10 weeks but last night invited me to the States (her country of nationality) to spend a week with her.

Apparently I get 3 months visa on arrival but my main concern is that my passport full of Thai/Laos stamps will cause me a whole load of hassle from paranoid immigration officials.

Please advise me on how best to avoid this and what I can expect. How much of an issue will it be and could it hinder my trip in any way?

It costs 1,000 baht for a single entry or 3,800 baht for multi entry. But remember it is only valid for current permitted to stay time so multi probably is not what you would want.

I see what you mean now, sorry for misunderstanding.

So the multiple re entry permit would only be valid until my quarterly 90 day check in at immigration, in which case i'd be better off getting two singles prior to each trip. Still a hassle but yes, much cheaper.

It costs 1,000 baht for a single entry or 3,800 baht for multi entry. But remember it is only valid for current permitted to stay time so multi probably is not what you would want.

I just got the Ed visa so current time permitted to stay is 1 year, in which case I'd need the multi. Somebody said I can get one at the airport - can this be confirmed?

I'd rather play it safe and go to Chaeng Wattana prior to my first trip.

Okay, that's a bit of a hassle but a couple of days prior to travel should be okay?

How much is a re-entry permit and how much does it cost?

I decided to enroll in Thai lessons last month as I've been lazy and my Thai is patchy and all learned ad hoc over the years. I went to Laos to get the visa but was surprised I was not able to get a multiple entry visa as I have to go to a wedding in Jakarta next week and then I will be flying home for 2 weeks in december for Christmas.

What are my options? ...Or will I simply have to go to immigration in Chaeng Wattana for a re entry permit a few days prior to both vacations?

This seems excessive, is there an easier alternative?

Well they did need several copies of my passport and other basic info, so I just assumed it was all above board - perhaps it is, they're secretary dealt with it.

I'm probably being paranoid then, thanks for the friendly and informative reply.

It comes under something else, not work but trade or something.

I guess it would fall under the same category.

I wonder what film extras do, surely they aren't all supplied work permits for a days standing around.

Do you have a link or contact number for them?

More importantly, is it advisable to contact them and offer to give the money to charity, or could I be facing jail/deportation if I do?

That's what I thought, but this well established and connected Thai company insists that a work permit can only be provided for consistent work, not a one off, and that in the case of the latter (my situation) where a one off service is required by a non Thai and can not be performed by a Thai, the service can be legally provided at the much higher tax rate of 15% percent.

Please advise as this is worrying me.

The Thai production company assure me that by providing my English accent/voice for a TV Commercial, I am not breaking any laws providing I pay 15% of my 4,000 baht fee to tax, which I have absolutely no problem with. I didn't even know I was going to get paid, I was willing to do it as a favour but they have insisted I take the money and that it is okay as I have paid 15% tax, which would be far less if I was a full time employee with a work permit, but seeing as this job is just a one off - apparently this is how it works.

Can anybody confirm if this is true?

I can meet all the requirements necessary and have two companies, (a Thai and a British company) willing to provide an invitation letter, however - must I go to London to get the visa?

I have heard that I definitely need to leave the country, but that Brisbane and KL are also places I can go to get the visa.

Regards

SB

Thankyou, that makes more sense. It was Jacks Golf tours that gave me this advice when I enquired what to do when my 15 days is up.

I recently finished a 1 year education visa which I did not renew because I stopped going to classes about two thirds of the way into the course due to a lack of interest in reading & writing Thai and the possibility of employment in Myanmar. The visa expired a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't get tickets to Laos due to Songkran, so I got a last minute 15 day same day visa trip to Poipet which will expire very shortly.

I now have my train ticket to Laos and I have allowed for the train to be so late that I can't submit my visa application until the second day.

Obviously I want the maximum possible, as the employment opportunity has yet to be confirmed and could start as late as October. However, I am not expecting to get more than 60 days with the 30 day extension at that hideous building at Chaeng Wattana.

I have been told that I need the following:

COPY OF MY APARTMENT CONTRACT

COPY OF LATEST RENT BILL

LETTER OF GUARANTEE FROM APARTMENT CONFIRMING MY RESIDENCE

COPY OF THAI ID CARD

The last one, I assume that can that be any Thai friend. A close friend has already copied his ID card and emailed it to me so that is covered.

Plenty of passport pics, so anything else and IS 60 days the maximum I can have when I enter back into Thailand?

Do I need (or will I need next time) a letter from my possible future employer? As I said, I am still waiting to hear about this job for which I was approached (I wasn't seeking work) so nothing is confirmed, however - if it is really necessary then I might be able to get some kind of letter typed up requesting that I can stay in the country six months until they can proceed with the recruitment process. I am on friendly terms with one of the senior staff.

Also, is there a site where I can download the relevant form to save time and hassle when in Vientiene?

Many thanks in advance.

SB

She has resort management experience, perhaps that's an option. I suppose for that sort of job one would apply in ones own country and apply to be located in Asia. Neither of us are particularly bothered about staying in Thailand, but somewhere in South East Asia would be perfect.

Pattaya is not in the equation.

That's great but sobering advice Beetlejuice. She does speak Russian by the way, she's in her late twenties and I'm in my late thirties and British. Only known each other three months but we like each other way too much to just ignore it, but sadly I don't really know what we can do other than remain good friends and see each other a couple of times a year and take it from there. Three months is not long enough to justify giving up my life for something completely new. Perhaps I should spend a month with her in Poland and she spend a month here in each others pockets and see how that works out. But then, i'd still be asking the same question. We've both had plenty of travel and adventure in our lives, maybe Cambodia, Burmah or Laos would be a neutral place for us both to make a fresh start.