Guemlum

We recently spent 10 nights at the Koh Chang Cliff Beach hotel in Kai Bae and paid about 4000 baht per night for a cliff view room. I think their prices range from about 2700 - 6500 baht per night.

Lovely secluded beach which did neighbour a couple of other resorts but we had a very peaceful and relaxing stay. The staff were more than helpfull on many an occasion and its not to far from restaurants and bars if you need a change.

We've stayed at quite a few hotels on Koh Chang over the years and this was up there as one of our nicest stays.

Guemlem

Thanks scouse, I'll forward them the link to this forum so they can read your reply. Thanks again.

Guemlum

Ok, a little bit of a tricky situation here, and I am asking on behalf of a friend of mine.

My friends, who are husband and wife moved from Thailand to the UK almost 2 years ago. He is English and she is Thai. She was granted a settlement visa for 2 years and was in the UK for 8 months before moving to Costa Rica, South America with her husband to start up a business together.

Her settlement visa runs out on the 29th March this year, and they are wondering what their options are regarding her visa status, and what she will need to do prior to and arriving in the UK. They are returning in March.

Hope the scouse is about, as I'm sure he can advise accordingly.

Thanks

Guemlum

Thanks for the info guys.

We've used a translation bureau opposite the embassy before, but unfortunately the wife lost his business card and couldn’t call him to find out a price. I just wanted to pre-warn her of the cost involved.

Unfortunately there are no reliable translation bureaus up in Nongkhai that I am aware of, and since she is going for her TB test on Tuesday and to submit her settlement visa application on Wednesday, it made sense to get the wedding certificate translated at the same time.

Thanks again guys.

Guemlum

Hi Guys, It's probably been asked a thousand times and I've done a search around the forum and cant find what I'm looking for.

Basically need to know how much it costs to have the Thai marriage certificate translated into English?

Are there any other documents required by the translation bureau in order to do the translation?

How long it takes to do the translation?

Any recommendations for a good translation bureau?

Thanks

Guemlum

Some pretty good pics G', the one of the underside of the umbrella had particular artistic taste, I thought and just put my mind at rest, you weren't involved in the Lorry destruction derby were you?

I did like the pics

Moss

Thanks mossy and unfortunately had nothing to do with accident. Was dam_n funny though. The guy pulled of the ferry, drove fifty yards, slid backwards into the ditch. I think he never gave the 3 compulsory toots of the car horn for good luck that your supposed to do when arriving on Koh Chang.

Guemlum

I think I might be due for some comission Changian

Guemlum

Saw a German guy in a ditch only yesterday. He had come off his bike after sliding on loose soil/sand that had fallen off the back of a truck. Stuck him in the back of the pick-up and took him to the local clinic where they patched him up. He wasnt drunk and had ridden bikes before, but the back wheel just went from under him on a corner and there was nothing he could do about it.

Best to drive the largest vehicle you can afford to, and if that's a small scooter then ride as though you expect everyone else on the road to kill you. That way you'll stay alert.

Guemlum & Cuban - thanks for the mention of me & the site.

Hi Changian, probably remember me as Gary...nice to see you on the forum. Have posted a few pictures in this forum from Koh Chang, including one or our boat trip with you.

Look forward to reading any of your future posts.

Guemlum

White Sands is now (IMHO) quite a down market resort, lots of European back-packers with out of date Lonely Planet guides seeking "The Beach" experience etc etc.

Where would you recommend as the best beach these days on Koh Chang, if not White Sands?

Last hotel we stayed at was the Koh Chang Cliff Beach. Had a beautiful private beach... and IMO much better than the beach in Klong Prao, or Whitesands. There are lots of superior beaches to those that have been mentioned, but they obviously belong to hotels. Remember, you can always walk into most of the hotels and use their services, or failing that, just say you want to have a look around as you're thinking of visiting another time. Another option which we have done many times is to rent a private speed boat and visit some of the smaller Islands, such as Koh Maak, Koh Wai etc. Beautiful beaches and depending on the time of day, you get the beach to yourself.

On another note and back to my original post, that picture is one of mine. Lorry rolled backwards after hitting oil...lost road grip and ended up in a ditch. Happened only 50 yards from the ferry point.

You are lucky not to have witnessed any accidents on the island or to be involved in any.... however, I'm very surprised you've not heard about any. They happen on a daily basis. Just look at the number of farrang sporting huge scabs and cuts on their arms and legs. They are not called Koh Chang tattoos for no reason.

I'll quote an article written on www.iamkohchang.com

Motorcyclists. "There are two kinds of riders on K.C. The bad farang riders and the bad Thai riders. Their traits differ however, the Thai rider will more often than not be a danger to other road users because he places all his faith in not having an accident in the small amulet his grandfather gave him rather than following any rules of the road. This amulet gives him superhuman powers and makes him indestructible. Think about it, how fast would you ride if you thought you had eternal life? Farang riders pose an equal threat, not through speed, more through lack of it. Lobster tanned couples wobbling around on a 100cc scooter and eventually stalling and falling underneath the wheels of a pick-up when attempting to climb a hill are an all too common cause of tailbacks".

Roads. "An asphalt road almost circles the island. Around the east coast the road is flat, on the west coast there's a very step climb between Kong Son & White Sand Beach, from there it's flat road until you leave Kai Bae and the road becomes a mini rollercoaster until you reach Bailan. The 11km between Salakphet and Bangbao is a dangerous, narrow gravel topped road for motorbikes and bicycles only . . .or it would be if the central section had actually been completed. As it is, the road just stops in a dead end in the jungle after a couple of kilometres. A lot of complaints are made about the roads on Koh Chang being too narrow but plans have been approved to add footpaths and widen the road in certain places on the west coast. In early 2005,there were a lot of surveyors out on the west coast roads, apparently deciding where to put footpaths . . .I don't need a troglodyte to know that adjacent to the road would be a good place to start. And by mid-2006 the road was widened from White Sand Beach to Kai Bae to include an additional footpath / bicycle lane / parking area / area for setting up market stalls".

"Garbage is piling up on the hillside and along the road. Wastewater is being discharged from hotels and construction sites to the seashore, where tourists sunbathe and swim. The 70km road, the only main road on this resort island, is in terrible condition. Without street lights, the number of road accidents continues to rise".

And another from another well-known Koh Chang website...

"When you arrive at Koh Chang, the first precaution is to drive carefully. Koh Chang is very safe place where the most trouble is self-inflicted with drink driving. Most accidents are fairly common so you should always wear helmet and shoes; most of the roads are concrete now so they are crucial, jeans and jacket are advisable. The sharp curves are mostly around Klong Son, White Sand Beach, Lonely Beach and Kai Bae Beach. Except Klongprao where is almost plain area. Theft is uncommon, but if it does happen, go to police station and get a report for your insurance.

And from another...

Roads - A two-lane tarmac road circumnavigates 90% of the island. Sections of it are very hilly, so it pays to be cautious- especially at night as fatal accidents do occur with increasing frequency.

The list go's on.

Regarding the OP's original message, don’t hesitate in taking a car or renting a motorbike on the island. Just be aware that Koh Chang is no safer than any other island or town/city in Thailand. You may be the best driver in the world, but then there's always the other driver. And more often than not, accidents are a daily occurrence on Koh Chang. Please drive with care if you do visit Koh Chang.

Guemlum

Looks good. I am thinking of driving there next month, for about 3 nights, I think will take about 5 hrs or so [takes me just under 4hrs to drive to the other side of Rayong] ...... is there a car ferry? Price? is it worth taking the car over? which part is best?

someone told me that 'white sands' is in fact NOT a sandy beach at all is this true?

White sands beach is a very nice, and very sandy, beach.

Contrary to another post here, I'd highly recommend taking a car onto the island - the roads on the west coast are all sealed and in reasonable shape. There are a few steep-ish hills, but nothing like the rollercoaster hills you get on Pha Ngan, for example. Quality of roads is generally fine, except on the east coast, but there aren't really many attractions on the east coast to warrant going down there. I've been to Koh Chang a few times and never seen or heard of one accident.

Having a car gives you great freedom to visit the many beaches on the west coast at your leisure and without having to mess about with the taxis (songthaews). Plus you can drive to the interesting village on stilts over the sea at the far south-eastern tip of the island.

You've got to be kidding me!!. We've been visiting Koh Chang twice a year for the past five years. In that time we've had 3 motorbike accidents, and not because we are bad drivers. The amount of building work going on on the island has bought an influx of large construction vehicles which spew oil all over the roads. This has been one of the many reasons for a large spate of accidents on the Island. Not only that, you get the typical drunk Thais and backpackers who seem to think they are indestructable after a few drinks on their way home.

On our recent trip....October, we heard of 1 death and 7 accidents in the space of 3 days. The roads on the western side of the Island are like a rollercoaster but only from Kai Bae as far as Bang Bao, which is roughly half the length of the east side. On the eastern side, the roads ar nice and flat up as far as Salakkok Bay, but once you turn of these roads and head down towards long beach or lonely beach backpackers, you will encounter the worst roads in your life. These roads are a very badly eroded with 12" deep grooves cut in the roads from rain and landslides. In many parts, we both had to get off of the motorbike and walk. Definately a need a 4x4 if you are heading this far. Its worth it as the scenery and views are breathtaking.

Koh Chang has an accident rate on par with other tourist hotspots. In spite of this Koh Chang is a lovely Island, as are many of the surrounding smaller Islands.

I would definately recommend the link that Cuban posted. The guy's name is Ian and he comes from the UK. He is a very helpfull and knowledgeable guy and his bunglaows are the best on the island. And no, I havent stayed in them, just seen them.

PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR THE OIL ON THE ROADS. EVEN THE DRY PATCHES. Would hate to hear of any TV members ending up as just another number.

Guemlum

Well done scotty and to the wife. Get that flight booked!! Your story gives me hope for the forthcoming weeks.

Guemlum

It is also about class as well. If someone can't find the money to marry someone then may be he is trying to marry out of his class and should look else where.

Love should transcend everything.

"You can't marry my daughter if you can't pay what I want" Disgusting!

Agree there...well here's my 2 bahts worth

We recently got married and a sinsod of 99,999 baht was agreed. My wife asked her father about sinsod prior to us getting married to which he replied, he didnt want one. The above figure was chosen because of the number 9 being lucky in Thailand. It was purely for show. He never gave it back to us on the quiet either but announced it during the wedding ceremony.

We gave it back to my parents who initially put up the sinsod, and they then returned it to us to pay for our honeymoon. Her father was happy that we received it either way.

She got a 2 baht necklace which she gave to her father and I paid for the whole wedding, costing roughly about 3k GBP.

Her father and family were simply happy that she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.

Incidently, he passed away 3 weeks later, which can be read about in this thread...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=161125

Guemlum

OK, if we are entering into cost per call one-up-manship, this is one is free:

http://www.voipdiscount.com/en/index.html

OK, any know a service where they pay you?

:-)

Yeah, I tried this one...its Free for a while, then hits you with a "you must buy more credit to make further calls"

Relax Scotty, its just a waiting game now. My wife is going to be putting forward her application for the same visa within the next week or two, so I understand what you're going through mate. Our's is also about 2ft thick. Good luck to both of you and look forward to hearing some good news.

Guemlum

Must agree, was amusing first time I saw it....you must have been hanging around in their departure lounge all this time

Oh god, not again...where you been for the past 2 years yorkie

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79010

If you were to fly with Etihad and encounter a stop in Abu Dhabi of that length of time, they would put you up in a hotel free of charge. Worth a look, as its not very often that you'll be in transit for 9 hours with Etihad....the normal in transit time with Etihad is a couple of hours. They are alot cheaper and IMO far superior to Emirates

Guemlum

There are both Catholic and Christian churches in Nongkhai. I know of one Christian centre that is located in the small soi that runs along the side of the Nongkhai Grand Hotel. I'm sure there are other churches, but I'm not aware of their locations.

And yes, you can get broadband in Nongkhai.

Guemlum

Hi Lickey, glad to hear you enjoyed your steak.

Its a hive of activity around there, what with the market so close. The dogs name is Bianca for future reference, and I heard she enjoyed the leftovers.

Guemlum

Hi Scotty,

obviously dont dress in short skirt, flimsy top and 6" stilletos. Just treat it like you were attending an interview back here in the UK.

When my wife went to the application centre, she dressed smart casual....long trousers, smart shoes and her yellow "we love the king shirt". After her application, she was invited to attend an interview at the Embassy where she wore long trousers and a smart long sleeved shirt. Go easy on the bling as well.

I saw people in there looking like they'd just come back from a nightclub or the beach.

Guemlum

If I was you, I'd write down you are in full time employment at present in Thailand. I'd also attach a note mentioning that you are moving to the UK with your family, but you will be unemployed upon arrival.

The thing is, as you are the main sponsor, you will have to show some means of being able to support your family without the aid of government help (benefits). I also believe that no financial help from parents is allowed but an offer of accomodation is acceptable.

Alternatively, you secure some type of employment before moving back to the UK.

Dont give up yet. You can always wait to see what the SCOUSE has to say on the matter. I'm sure he'll be able to advise you accordingly.

Guemlum

I'm assuming that you are situated half way between Mukdahan and Ubon? I do know of a supplier in Surin where we recently purchased wine and vodka for our wedding in Nongkhai. You can buy a whole range of western spirits from a guy called Nobbi. He was based in Nongkhai but know resides in Surin where he is set up as "Nobbi's Restaurant and Minimarket" Unfortunately, I dont have a website link for you. Alternatively, look at some of the sponsors of this forum. Hope this helps.

Guemlum

I'm pretty sure you will be able to get a tattoo after you've been ordained. Many of the "sak yant" tattoos that you see on monks nowadays are actually performed during monkhood and buy other monks. Check this link out if you need to know more......http://sak-yant.com/

Guemlum