midasthailand

There were a total of 63 respondents. How many actually made it to the venue? Again apologies for not making it, I will do better next time!!

Hi all, well, I'm glad that's over! Arrived back last night after taking the Thai Visa travel, visa run to Penang. It was organised at short notice and was definitely more expensive than the advertised rate. There were serveral reasons that it was more expensive, firstly due to the short notice, there was a paucity of available seats, this meant that I had to arrive in Penang on Wed after the Consulate had closed so I had to wait until Friday afternoon to receive my visa, therefore I had to spend two nights in the Continental hotel. Secondly, also due to the lack of available seating, I had to return to Bangkok via KL. This involved a Malaysian airlines flight to KL, a bus trip to the Low cost carriers terminal (LCCT - only a 15 minute trip and the bus leaves every 20 minutes - cost 1.5 ringit) and an Air Asia flight back to Bangkok. Total cost (not including money spent in Penang) for the flights, hotel and visa services 19,450 Baht! expensive? Yes, but worth it IMHO because when I handed my paperwork to the agent at NJ bookstore (whose main business is money changing) and asked about my chances of success, Mohammed said 100%, no problem.

So I now have what I went for and didn't need to do anything except fill in the application form and provide the documents required. For information the only documents I provided were:

A letter from my employer, in English,

2 Thai documents relating to the company which employs me which were - Company registration document and a document giving details of the company

A stat dec obtained from the Australian Embassy listing all my qualifications and attaching certified true copies. ( Be aware that each certified true copy will cost you 930 Baht, unless you have a friend at the Embassy with the appropriate stamp).

A receipt from the Labour department for form WP3 - essential!

My passport.

As for the hotel, the Continental, The Ritz it's not, but location is excellent for the many attractions around Georgetown, for those of you that cannot live without farang food there is Soho just down the road, Guinness and Kilkenny on tap as well as the usual suspects, pleasant surroundings and reasonable food. The markets are pretty close (walking distance) and the closest mall is also walking distance. The people are friendly and have the advantage of all being able to speak good English, the local food is very good with an infusion of cuisine from all over Asia.

At the end of the day, I was happy with the service provided by Thai Visa travel and would use them again.....hopefully with more notice and subsequent reduction in cost of flights.

Cheers all, next step, change the 3 month single entry to a twelve month multiple!

I apologise for not turning up but after flying from Penang to KL, catching the bus to the LCCT (Low cost Carriers Terminal ((Oh the shame))) and then arriving in Bangkok at 2205, I did not feel up to dropping my bags at the apartment and then taxiing from Bang Na to Soi 5! I really hope those of you that made the effort to go had a good evening and humbly suggest that we start a new poll for the next one! BTW, did GirlX show up? and is she a spunk?

Well I hope you guys are planning to hang around for a while. Thai Visa travel is having a hard time getting me to Penang and back in time for the function. I don't think I will get there until 11 PM! I will stick my head in and see if any of you are stayers or if you are all sprinters. Enjoy the night. Girl X you should really make the effort to go, since it was you who started the ball rolling.

Cheers, Dave

Midasthailand, bai khon diaw. No shorts or thongs, not even balding but over 50! (still 30 in a fifty+ year old body). Look forward to meeting you all but I'll be worn out from a visa trip to Penang, still be there though.

Thanks a lot guys, you have saved me a wasted trip. I will have to light a fire under the staff on Monday to get everything sorted for Tuesday.

Lutes

Can anybody just come???

I don't see why not.

So tonight, I took a trip into the "dark belly" of Soi 4 to indulge in a bit of Olympic basketball on TV and the above pictured California burger at the relatively new/relocated Big Mango Bar there.

And, I must say, I was pretty pleased. For starters, the burger they served arrived at the table pretty much looking exactly as depicted above, which was a good omen. Nicely toasted bun, fresh onion and tomato slices, crisp iceberg lettuce, and a good sized, nicely formed beef patty that well filled out the bun. And, it had quite a good beef/hamburger taste to it... not with the meatloaf or boiled meat flavor you might find elsewhere.

The guacamole was ok, as were the couple of slices of bacon layed on top, though the bacon strips were a bit fatty/chewy, while I'd personally prefer crisp/crunchy.... But that was a small issue for an overall good meal. Added in a side order of tasty french fries... and I think the whole deal came to 250 baht total... I'd certainly go back for another....but meanwhile, the Great Bangkok Burger Hunt goes on!!!!

Still haven't yet tried the well-reviewed, gold-priced burger at the Landmark Hotel, or the Crossbar on Soi 23, or the Hard Rock Cafe's burger. But, from the myriad of others I have tried already, I'd rate the Mango burger as among the best I've had here...on a similar level with Bully's Pub nearby on Suk Road between Sois 2 and 4.

While on the subject, I wanted to add I had a very good and satisfying burger experience a while back at the Bus Stop bar/restaurant, also on the main Soi 4. But rather than opt for their regular hamburger that night, I took a chance and opted for their STEAK burger... and was quite pleased with a very tender, well marbled, good sized real steak (not chopped or cubed or pressed) that arrived on my sandwich, more than filling out the bun... Good flavor... just chewy enough to be satisfying...but not tough or grisly.... A very satisfying burger that was at a reasonable price... and it reminds me I want to go back there soon to see if they can replicate it...or ... maybe I just caught them on a good night.

A good hamburger is always nice...but sometimes... a real man needs to have steak!!!

OK, I've now been back in town for a couple of weeks, during the first week I took a couple of expat mates to the Landmark for the burgers...they are now addicted! I also had the California burger at the Big Mango and must say it wasn't bad, the bar is quite nice too, with free pool tables and Internet terminals upstairs (which are also free). I have also been to the re-named Bradmans sports bistro on Soi 23 (used to be called the Down Under Sports bistro) they have a reasonably good burger there. Had a burger at Livingstones in Soi 33 last night, it was OK.

Whilst the cost is high for the burger at the Landmark, it is far and away the best I have had anywhere!

Digitalchromakey, I read the link you posted at the office yesterday and pointed out to the Thai staff the requirement for the receipt from the Labour office for the WP3. They called the labour office and then told me that it was not required. I must admit to being a little wary about going to Penang without the receipt. Is this a recent requirement? as I understood that one could not apply for a work permit until one had a Non Immigration B visa? It is all very confusing.

By the way, thank you for taking the time to respond.

Cheers, Dave.

Can anyone suggest a reliable agent in Penang to assist me with applying for a Non Immigration-B Please?

I stayed at the Mingood Hotel a couple of times some years back. At the checkin desk they had me fill out the Thai visa forms even before registering for the hotel. Not a fancy hotel by any means but clean enough and within waling distance of some nightlife and suds.

http://www.hotelmingood.com/

Looks like they're still in the busines, this on their www site: "Thai Visa Information"

Mac

Thanks guys, I emailed NJBookshop last week and got no response I guess I'll have to wing it as I got no response from Thai Visa travel either. Thanks George for the email address but they have not bothered to respond. I guess unless a post is controversial or risque it does not attract many responses. Perhaps I should have posted a missive full of spelling and grammatical errors, then I would have had all the English language nazis responding.

Can anyone suggest a reliable agent in Penang to assist me with applying for a Non Immigration-B Please?

I suspect foul play from dot.com and midasthailand. Rumoured they promising free beer for bourbon st votes, Anyway I live half way between the 2 so Im excited!

I would never stoop to such a low act (wish I'd thought of it). Look forward to meeting you all on 29th. I assume you will be the one in the mask Zorro?

Siam Global Maritime Safety (SGMS) will be commencing HUET training in Chonburi in the near future for Information PM me.

Well although I'm an ex-matelot, I'm not about to go down with the ship so I guess I'll turn up at Gullivers on the 29th.

Now all we need to know is what place the 12 people who want to go on Aug 29 voted for? I still plan to go to Bourbon St on 29th at 7 PM for lack of a definitive answer being provided by this poll. Unless Girlx wants to make an executive decision and declare a winning venue and date? At least I know there will be three others from TV at Bourbon St at this stage. Hey 5000 Baht between four of us will get us in the mood.

Apology accepted, the u is a symbol for micro.

Short of actually forking out the required money and taking the test at an IELTS test centre, is there any way to determine a non-native English speaker's IELTS band level? I mean are there any prepared tests or software with answer keys that could allow one to reasonably assess the band level of a particular candidate?

Appreciate your answers.

Thanks for all your ideas guys, I will ditch Bit Comet and use Microtorrent.

Cheers.

Hi,

Thanks for all your help guys, I will check out everything you have mentioned. I also found a site that is very good for condo searching that is in Thai and English its www.homedd.com. They have listings all over central Thailand and you can search with in your price range. very large amount of stock most areas have over 100 condos in the 1M and under category have not checked the other categories but I am sure there would be even more.

Can anyone recommend a good area to look in the 1M and under price range..

Thanks everyone for your help still hunting....

I would say - be on the ground and see for yourself. Thai real estate market does not give you the opportunity to really land into what you want. Not even in developed places like UK , US or Oz. Especially for that (1 mil) price.

A 1 mil condo advertised on the net may have other identical condos in the same bulding - advertised on the polls - for half the price.

It would pay if you spent 1 month in some hotel while having a look, rather than on the net.

Bang Na realtors have tried to profit from the vicinity of the new airport but with little luck. They just jacked up the prices while many more real sellers don't trust that and don't go with the cyber space, they prefer handwritten ply wood boards on the polls.

Another thing is - within that price range hardly many agents would bother to make their staff available for showing the property.

Also, unless you enjoy it or do not mind, there are many mosques in the Bang Na area that broadcast their prays several times a day, very loudly. No web site would say that, unless it is for devoute Muslims.

I currently live In a condo complex in Soi La Salle, off Sri Nakarin in Bang Na, I have yet to see a mosque or hear the call to prayer. There is a brand new condo complex, Parkland Sri Nakarin, nearing completion next door to my condo complex. I am not aware of the price but I have heard 1.2 Mill around the traps. It looks like it will be quite nice when it's finished. Apparently the BTS will be pretty close to here in a few months, just a quick run down Suk soi 107 (Soi Baring). Anyway, good hunting.

Am I missing something? Is there some watchdog in Thailand that blocks the ability to download torrents? Every time I go to download something my computer freezes and my task manager tells me that the program is not responding, very frustrating.

Very funny Naam, I'm from Sydney but live in Bangkok. The requirement is for a bar in Bangkok.

Can anybody recommend a Thai company that would be capable of cleaning a bar that is about to open so that it is sparkling for the opening on Friday?

Presumably you have a fixed line? If so, from which provider?

It is often possible to get DSL service from an ISP which is different from the fixed line provider. So for example, if you have a fixed line from either True or TOT you may be able to get DSL service from CSLoxInfo, provided they have deployed DSL equipment in your serving exchange.

You can check availability here --> http://www.adsl.csloxinfo.com/index_e.html , simply enter your fixed line telephone number.

////EDIT: I deleted the duplicate of this post.

Hi there,

thanks you for posting the link to CSLoxinfo, I punched in my number and unfortunately the answer was that I am not capable of receiving ADSL on that number. I filled in my details and they will check for me again but I don't expect I will be able to get it.

I recommend to call CSLoxinfo and ask the sales staff. From my my own experiencies I can report I've got that service despite "number not capable".

Well, wonder of wonders, I asked a Thai friend to Call True and give my number.....suprise, suprise, the courier turned up at midday today and I am now happily typing away while connected to the True 890 baht/month plan. Happy as a pig in shit!! It seems webfact was right (albeit a different company).

OK, I'm in. Bourbon St. Suk 22, 7PM on Aug 29. See you there!