paquito

This sh!t is holier than thou!

Will they call in the Spanish Inquisition if the local mumbo-jumbo didn't work and they need foreign advice?

I've been riding form Chiang Mai via Phayao and Phu Chi Fa to Mae Sai and down to Fang in the last 2 weeks. I have seen no fires, none at all. Many burnt hillsides, yes, but burnt more than 2 weeks ago. Yet the dense smog persists. It might indeed be the case that the smog right now comes from burning in Laos, Burma and southern China. On the bright side: as the sun can't pierce the smog, the temperatures stay fairly low in daytime for late March. You just want to give up breathing

You were lucky to even be allowed to depart the country. Many more reports of not being allowed to leave compared to your one report of being allowed to do a crossing.

Sure. I was worried after reading about Mae Sai visa runs on TV. Plan B was to ride down to Chiang Khong and do the $35 run to Laos, plan C would have been to go to immigration and fork out $55 (1900B) for a 30 day extension, and there was even plan D which would have involved a return flight for KL or HK or wherever else AirAsia flies for $150 return from CM. Always have a backup plan, but it's much better if the $10 option works on first try

Not having been much in LOS in the last 2 years I only found out about their tightening the rules 2 weeks ago, otherwise I wouldn't have been caught in this situation anyway. It would have been easy enough to get a tourist visa in PP or Saigon when I was there recently.

Anyway, thanks for keeping this thread up to date Ubonjoe. It really helps!

Mae Sai to Tachileik border run, got a new 30 day visa exempt stamp.

Today, within half an hour, basically no questions asked.

Mae Sai border run works painlessly for genuine tourists.

The scrutiny with which they inspected my passport indicates that back-to-back border runs will be refused.

Details:

EU passport, many stamps and visas from the region, China, USA, India, etc.

I was on a 30 day stamp good till 25 March.

Last 30 day stamp was in November 2015, Dec to Feb I was out of country.

Last 60 day tourist visa was from 2013

This old visa the only thing I got asked when leaving, the immigration officer lost interest when he saw that it was from 3 years ago and gave me the exit stamp.

Got the exit stamp

Walk across the bridge. The Burmese officers seemed happy to see a foreigner, all smiles, I was bumped ahead, paid $10 (with a US$20 bill, got $10 change), got in- and out stamps. Less than 5 minutes and I was back at entry booth to Thailand.

Passport was closely inspected. After a minute or two, I offered a copy of my ticket for a flight to Vietnam, dated 5 April. I wasn't asked for it but it clearly helped the officer to make up his mind.

Got the new 30 day exempt entry stamp, good till 12 April.

Free of charge on the Thai side of course.

I only saw one other farang at the border.

Photo:

Big sign "No more visa runs" on the exit Thailand side.

I was not asked to show money or hotel reservation.

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/frankinasia/media/random%20images/Linked%20images/2016_03_14_10_47_40_Mae_Sai_zps9nbdsryl.jpg.html

Photo 2: Overstay warning

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/frankinasia/media/random%20images/Linked%20images/2016_03_14_10_48_15_Mae_Sai_zpsvfeaojfk.jpg.html

Can I check 2 pieces of luggage (together less than 30 kg) with Thai Economy, intl. flight?

Rarely flown with them, and never with two bags + carry on like next week.

how long has this really been going on?

I heard rumours about formaldehyde in fruit and vegetables not long after I first came to Thailand 17 years ago.

This is the first time I actually read about the authorities doing something about it. Well, they go to the markets of one town and take a few hundred samples....

How about sacrificing a couple of goats? Works like a charm for the Hindudus: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/6979292.stm

No need to be speeding if the bl@@dy things are badly engineered:

http://youtu.be/yQDNoPpDO5Y

That's something the whole country can agree on and do something about. The problem will be addressed by all the leaders of all political parties. The whole nation will stand united and lay the blame squarely at the feet of the foreigners. Problem solved. See how easy it is?

The MoPH has set out to develop a centre of excellence at Ubon Ratchathani's Sappha Sitthi Prasong Hospital, which is public tertiary care hospital with 1,500 beds. There are six cardio-vascular specialists but recently the head of the team , Dr.Chaiyatut Rukrachakarn, has had health problems. As mentioned, Srinakarin is still the leading institution in the NE, but has quite rigorous requirements for inpatient admission. Other hospitals in Isaan with a strong specialism in cardiac services (enough to meet the OP's needs) are Maharach Hospital in Korat , Khon Kaen Hospital in Khon Kaen and Udon Thani Hospital in Udon Thani.

Could you specify or give an example what "quite rigorous requirements for inpatient admission" means?

In the late 90ies I used it often from Hualampong to Banglampoo (Samsen/Khao San Rd). Always a fun ride. Alas, that service was cancelled before the year 2000. No option but taxi now to get to MRT/BTS.

This morning I picked up my passport with a 30 day L visa (tourist) at the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.

Last week Friday, I applied and had a one-way ticket to Chengdu, the first two nights accommodation booked, just the name and contract number of my health insurance, no copy thereof, and a bank statement showing more than sufficient funds. Plus a letter explaining that I try to avoid flying and that I would leave for Vietnam over land, plus the vague itinerary in western China. I also don't work so I checked 'other' under occupation and explaned that I manage my own means.

I was told that I would need to write a letter 'certifying' myself that I live off my own means. It would need to look formal. Right, took 15 minutes tow write up and format on the laptop.

I was also told to bring hotel reservations for the whole trip. So I made some sort of detailed plan (which I won't really be able to follow exactly - I like to be more flexible so I made sure I had bookings that didn't require to give a credit card deposit) complete with hotel bookings all leading to the Vietnamese border. Still, the plan is to leave for Vietnam after 30 days.

By then it was too late on Friday and I had to come back Monday to hand in the application.

The lady first said I would have to talk to her boss and she couldn't be sure if I would get a visa. Then she obviously reconsidered and just gave me the slip with which I picked up the visa today at a cost of 1100 Baht.

I plan to travel by train all the way through China (from Saigon to Ulan Bator) next year, so I wanted to test if it works. Otherwise it would have been easy enough to have the return flight booked, which was the main thing they worried about...

BTW, I'm a German national and have been to China on tourist visas 4 times in the last 15 years, but the last visit was in 2008, so I couldn't produce the previous visa.

Also, here are photos of what's posted at the embassy, nothing that isn't on their website either:

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc254/frankinasia/random%20images/Linked%20images/2013_08_22_09_26_02_Bangkok_zps8b188243.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc254/frankinasia/random%20images/Linked%20images/2013_08_22_09_26_18_Bangkok_zps550838a9.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc254/frankinasia/random%20images/Linked%20images/2013_08_22_09_26_32_Bangkok_zps12b4a518.jpg

I hope that helps

Hey, the next article also has two people pointing!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/659456-cameroonian-arrested-after-alleged-bag-snatch-in-front-of-south-pattaya-temple/

Thanks for the post. The change will come a little too late for me.

I need to get my Chinese tourist visa in BKK sometime mid-August.

I'll first try with only a one-way ticket and no hotel booking.

Plan is to fly to Chongqing, travel overland to Yunnan, then to Hanoi.

I'll let you know how it goes with the visa.

Anyone with recent experience: please let me know how it went for you.

Based on user and ISP speed tests this website has a good indication of the internet speeds around the world.

Speedtest.net - World Results

It could be used to estimate if you will be able to upload/download photos or just access email from your country of choice.

Interesting. South Korea on top was obvious, but who would have thought that Lithuania is in 2nd place and countries like Romania and Moldova make it to the top 10!

Well, and the US or Canada are not among the top 15 while, sadly, Argentina (where I'll be the next 2 months) is only #81 in download speed :-(

I'm under the impression that Argentina is still affordable. I knew about Brazil getting pricey.

I'd crank that statement one notch up: Argentina is pretty pricey, Brazil is rediculously expensive (except food in the hinterland where a good meal is only $10).

Ask me again in a couple of months. I'm heading south to Ushuaia now. Since September I've only been to BsAs and north. Patagonia wasn't cheap 5 years ago when the rest of Argentina was a real bargain.

25 per USD is pretty depressing for a lot of us. Oh well. May be time to learn Spanish.

No need to learn Spanish (btw: I do speak it). Latin America won't be an option either. I spend 8 months backpacking south of the Amazon in 2005 and now I'm on a motorbike tour Patagonia-Alaska. Prices here have doubled (in Euro!) in the last 5 years. Since Sept. 2010 I've been in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Price levels in Brazil are more than twice compared to SE-Asia, even Paraguay is at least 50% higher. Maybe Bolivia is still cheaper. And South American currencies keep appreciating just like Asian ones :-(

(e.g. cheap hotels in Argentinian provincial towns are starting at € 16, in Brazil it's € 20, in Paraguay € 12 - And quality of these hotels is rather lower than in THB 500 to 700 hotels in Thailand)

Thanks, I'll try that one.

Well I would say thats simply rubbish and Singapore along with its Dollar is one of the next bubbles to burst in the next few years to come. Maybe you could list some of SGPs economic strenghts beyond its reputation as a global financial center(which is not a real backup).

Well I would say thats simply rubbish. Maybe you could substantiate your claim that Singapore along with its Dollar is one of the next bubbles to burst in the next few years to come.

There were no significant, if any, bank failures in Singapore since the crisis started 2 1/2 years ago. Quite a difference to the western world, don't you think? So that should actually boost the financial industry in SG. And how about SGs substantial role in world trade, it's competitive electronics industry, the young and educated population, and so on? SG is not just a financial centre, far from it. No-one was saying that everything is perfect in SG. But in a world where everything seems to go wrong in most countries, SG is one of the better places to put your money in. Go down there and have a look for yourself.

In the last 5 years the SG$ gained against the

US$ about 15% http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=U...amp;c=sgd%2Fusd

GBP about 30% http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=G...amp;c=sgd%2Fgbp

EUR about 13% http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=5y&s=E...amp;c=sgd%2Feur

Never mind, my dear PCA. Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Paralympics. Even if you win you're still a [insert word of your choice]. Have a good night.

Simply because the Baht tends to move within a fairly narrow band relative to SGD and this reflects the BOT policy to maintain the strength of the Baht in line with an average of a basket of regional currencies - SGD is a major traded currency, is less USD centric than many of the alternatives, it's a significant regional economy plus I'm holding a whole bunch of them at present.

I second that. One more reason is that the SG government gets a lot of things right economically - unlike most governments around the world. That, plus political stability, should help the SG$ to appreciate over time.

A century ago someone said, 'Politicians see economists like drunks do street lights. They don't look for light, but for something to hold on to.' True to this day.

I have a cyst that needs to be removed. No biggy. I had it done at the Thai Air Force Hospital in Udon Thani 2 years ago, but it has recently come back. I have insurance but with a high deductible, so I prefer a government or military hospital (Navy in Sattahip?) where I can have this done at reasonable cost. I expect that the surgery will take less than 1/2 hour under local anesthetic, and that I'll be an out-patient.

Any recommendation for a government hospital or dermatologist in Pattaya or the Navy Hospital in Sattahip would be appreciated - with location if possible. I speak enough Thai, so language is not an issue for me. Thanks.