shotover

Thanks for the prompt replies. Planning an outing there this weekend.

Is food and beer garden area of Suan Lum Night Bazaar still open?

They've been threatening to close this for a couple of yers.

To update this topic, I went to Suan Phlu Immigration last week, and was told by the Immigration Officer that I must apply for the reentry permit prior to the Retirement Visa expiring on 08 April 2008. I applied for the Visa, putting my latest arrival date (22 February 2008) as the 'Date I arrived in Thailand' per Lopburi's suggestion, paid the 3800 baht, and received a new multiple reentry permit valid until 20 February 2009, thus giving me over 22 months of entry permits for the 1 year Non-Imm O visa.

The Immigration Officer then told me I should apply for a new retirement visa a few weeks prior to the reentry permit expiring 20 February 2009.

Thanks for the information.

That information was wrong (unless you said you planned travel) as you never need a re-entry permit except if you plan to travel and you can obtain the day of exit if you want. There was no reason that you needed to obtain a multi re-entry permit and no reason to obtain before your 8 April 2008 expiration date (unless you planned travel now and would not be returning until that date or later.)

Thai Immigration can provide a variety of conflicting instructions and opinions, depending on the Immigration Officer you speak with. In my case, I will be leaving Thailand 5 April 2008, and not returning until 14 April 2008, which is after the expiration date of my retirement visa. I also have several more trips out of the country scheduled later this year, so that's why I purchased the multiple reentry permit prior to the 5 April overseas trip.

My understanding is, even though my latest arrival stamp was stamped 'Admitted until 21 February 2009', I needed to purchase another reentry permit prior to my retirement visa expiring on 8 April 2008, at which time I would be overseas. Does this sound right to you?

To update this topic, I went to Suan Phlu Immigration last week, and was told by the Immigration Officer that I must apply for the reentry permit prior to the Retirement Visa expiring on 08 April 2008. I applied for the Visa, putting my latest arrival date (22 February 2008) as the 'Date I arrived in Thailand' per Lopburi's suggestion, paid the 3800 baht, and received a new multiple reentry permit valid until 20 February 2009, thus giving me over 22 months of entry permits for the 1 year Non-Imm O visa.

The Immigration Officer then told me I should apply for a new retirement visa a few weeks prior to the reentry permit expiring 20 February 2009.

Thanks for the information.

2 questions pertaining to reentry permits issued to a person with a Retirement Visa (non-imm O-A):

1. The "Application for Reentry Permit Into the Kingdom" (TM8) requests the applicant fill in the date they arrived in Thailand ("I arrived in Thailand ____ Day ___ Month ____ Year"). My Non-Imm O-A visa was issued on 9 April 2007, and expires on 8 April 2008. I initially arrived in Thailand after the visa was issued on 3 May 2007. Since then, I have left and reentered Thailand several times, the last entry being 22 February 2008.

Should I put the as the date 'I arrived in Thailand' my initial entry date (03 May 2007) or my latest arrival date (22 February 2008)?

Previously, I put down a date (I cannot remember which one) that caused the Immigration Officer's supervisor grave headaches, and it took a couple of hours to sort out.

2. Do I understand this procedure correctly?

Received Retirement visa from Houston Consulate dated 09 April 2007, expires 08 April 2008, with a multiple reentry permit.

Last date of reentry into was 22 February 2008, with date stamped in visa permitted to stay until 21 February 2009.

If I purchase another multiple reentry permit prior to my current visa expiring (on 08 April 2008), then I will be permitted to leave and reenter

Thailand an unlimited number of times for 1 year after the new reentry permit date.

I can then apply for a new retirement visa at Thai Immigration just prior to my new reentry permit expiring (say March 2009).

Hope this question is not too convoluted.

Saw one news article that said Hoke was arrested in a Bangkok tourist area known popular with backpackers.

Khao San Road?

MS - Thanks much for the informative reply. If not already, your post should be pinned in this forum.

Crossy - I would mention that I was asking at the request of a friend, but that would only result in knowing nods and winks.

Gnode - I've been told post-ops are not allowed to change their original sex designation on their ID cards. Someone with first-hand knowledge may confirm or dispute this.

Searched for this information in this forum, but could not locate anything.

Can someone post the Thai script on ID cards designating males, single females, and married females?

Thanks

Here is a little differant twist that readers may have not thought of. One day while thinking about how Thais always gang up on Farangs in a fight it occured to me what thier point of view might be.......... these huge 100K guys from Germany, Sweden, etc. get heavy handed with the little Thai guys so the little Thais think " screw that, we're not letting these big foreigners come here to our country and push us around" so they gang up on us and teach us not to mess with the Thais. I suspect that's the way they look at it.

The fallacy of this logic is that Thais gang up when fighting each other and there is no size advantage. I have personally seen this on the street, and in newspaper and TV reports. They also don't stop when the opponent is down and no longer fighting back. They keep going out of rage. Sometimes bystanders may step in to stop it, often they stand there watching it as though it's a spectator sport.

The victims may not have been wise to return to the scene to confront those who earlier assaulted them, but it in no way warrants murder.

I've seen the slimy Thai males aggressively leading and coercing naive tourists into their bars. They get quite upset if a fish on the hook tries to wiggle off, and leave without entering their designated bar. I won't go into a bar who employees these Thai maengdas who add no value to my entertainment.

I wish enough customers would also boycott these bars employeeing these slugs, and send a message to the owners that the only Thai males needed to work at the bar for security purposes should remain unseen and unheard until needed.

I have a non-immigrant O visa.

Arrived Bkk airport 20 October and again on 05 November. Was not asked (and have never been) for an onward ticket.

Dtac Simple it will be!

Opal, Gary, and Teach; thanks a lot.

I currently have a prepaid AIS sim I use in my mobile phone, and am currently wanting to buy another sim for a 2nd phone. AIS provides me with 30 days for each 300 baht card used, and I have no problem using at least this amount each month.

However, I will be using the 2nd sim sparingly, and would rather avoid the requirement of purchasing 300 baht each month. Does anyone know of other sim cards which require less than 300 baht usage per month to remain active?

Thanks

Hi Twin, I hope all is well with you and your project.

You might remember my post a couple of years ago, relating my experience when I returned to Bkk on the same day as my retirement visa expired.

Because the plane landed late in the evening, I was not able to go to Suan Phlu until the next day. I very contritely explained my situation, hoping they would let me renew as the visa had only expired the day before. As expected, they gave me a 30 day entry stamp, and I ended up having to get a new retirement visa on my subsequent trip back to the USA.

The good news, however, is that it is probably easier getting a multi entry retirement visa (O-A) from a consulate in the USA than renewing one at Suan Phlu. If the Chicago consulate will not do it quickly, contact the Thai Houston consulate (phone: 713-229-0636, ext. 1101; email: [email protected]). I sent my application by overnite mail on a Tuesday, and they returned my passport with the approved visa to me 3 days later.

a new letter from the US embassy ($30) to verify income (need new letter every year)

Thanks for relating your experience.

In addition to the Embassy letter, did Immigration also require that you show funds transferred from overseas to your Thai bank. I generally just withdraw funds from my foreign bank account through Thai ATMs, then deposit those funds into my Thai bank account.

Thanks MS and Bobcat. Just the info I needed and consistent with what I recall seeing previously.

As an afterthought to a prior post, does anyone know the abbreviations designating gender (males and females) on Thai ID cards?

I seem to recall a friend telling me that there are separate abbreviations for males, single females, and married females, but not sure.

Spot on Bambi. Thank you so much.

Your post should be pinned, if not already.

I did a search in this forum for Thai abbreviations for each month, such as January ม.ค, but could not locate a complete listing.

Can anyone else direct me to a source for Thai month abbreviations?

Thanks

Seems you just need to refuse if they try to write a baht amount on your ticket. Then once you get in the taxi, insist a meter is used.

Exactly what I did in May when the public taxi stand on level 1 quoted 400 baht (including

tollway and 50 baht fee) fixed fee to go to Sukhumvit Soi 4. I didn't feel like dragging my bags to one of the other taxi stands, so I just got in the taxi and told the driver I would only pay the meter plus 50 baht and toll fee. The driver immediately turned on the meter and apologized, telling me taxi stand staff extort 20 baht from the drivers who participate in this scam. As it was 2 am, no need to take tollway, and meter fare was 205 baht plus the 50 baht fee.

Even thought the amount saved was minimal (I paid 300), I don't want to let the drivers and crooked taxi stand staff think they can get away with this all the time.

Ratchadapisek Soi 16.

I physically went to the old Thonglo site two Saturdays ago, not knowing it had moved; the building was 90% razed. The security guard at the parking lot entrance told us Ratchada Soi 16, near Rama IX, but he didn't know exactly where on Soi 16 or Soi 16's proximity to the Rama IX MRT station. He also didn't know if the new location was open yet. I'll report back with an update whenever I learn something new. Appreciate the same if someone else learns something. Cheers.

Ratchada Soi 16 is situated between the Huai Khwang and Sutthisan MRT stations, and is several kilometers north of the Rama IX junction. Maybe one would consider Ratchada Soi 16 near Rama IX if you looked at an overview map of Bangkok.

If the guard meant Rama IX Soi 16, then that is not too far from the RCA Entertainment area.

It doesn't hurt to file a police report; if you get one of the few dedicated policemen on the force, they may check local pawn shops.

And check out local pawn shops in the local area on your own, if you feel recovering the GPS device is worth the time.

Actually, the Majestic Grande Suite Hotel is on Sukhumvit Soi 2, which runs parallel just west to Soi 4. Soi 1 is on the other side of Sukhumvit, running from Sukhumvit to just behind the Bumrungrad Hospital.

The road running parallel just west to Soi 2, and parallel to the expressway, has steps that go up to the elevated walkway that connects Sukhumvit Soi 10 to Lumpini Park. The best way to get to this entrance from the Majestic Grande Suite is to go through the Raja Car Park to Soi 4, turn right and go to the of Soi 4. At the end of Soi 4, enter the Thailand Tobacco Factory, and bear to the right at the junction. When you get to the road running parallel to the expressway, youll see the elevated walkway, along with steps to access it.

Wireless FM transmittors for MP3 players are available in the USA for anywhere between $25 and $100 USD.

What prices did you see in Bangkok?