tengmoh

Secondly, do the trade winds alter directions throughout the year here in Bangkok or as RKBAUER notes (thanks) is it always from the SOUTHEAST? Thanks guys.

Just noticed a portion that I have not answered.

Cooling breeze basically follows the principle of airflow we learn in high school - air flows in the direction from cold to hot. In the day, sea water is cooler than the heated land mass, and wind blows from the sea to the land. Deep in the night to early morning, the reverse is true.

But during the winter months of December/January, cold air coming down from Siberia may keep the land mass cooler than the sea, and breezes come from north/northwest most of the time.

Thank you, TROGERS, for the added detail. As you mentioned, will test out cross-wind ventilation in the prospective units with windows opened. Although I prefer north and east facing windows myself, I do love a good breeze when we do have them so will be open to all considerations raised. Thank you indeed for adding to my mental checklist!

The coolest direction for Bangkok will be southeast - no afternoon sun shining into the room and catching the south breeze from the sea. If possible, get an end unit that has window/sliding door in 2 directions to enable cross flow of breeze through the unit. Also, casement windows are superior to sliding windows in catching breeze (acting like sails), and they seal better against draught and sound.

Thank you kindly for your practical insights! Will bear them in mind as I seek the ideal pad. BTW I favour high(er) floors for one major aspect: lack of mosquitoes to opened windows.

TROGERS,

I respect your opinion so may I ask what is the most preferred direction the largest wall of glass (living and/or master bedroom) should face for coolest daytime environment? I had believed it to be north as the sun doesn't seem to enter directly as much. In winter the sun does enter but only a few feet. So which is preferable in ranking? North followed by East? Or vice versa.

Secondly, do the trade winds alter directions throughout the year here in Bangkok or as RKBAUER notes (thanks) is it always from the SOUTHEAST? Thanks guys.

Michael,

Terrific post!!! and excellent timing too. I'm in a similar situation evaluating schools for my 2.5 yr old and will surely go investigate BBS as it's close to us. Your introspection into Thais is spot on and hence I have always had a difficult time taking their educational advice.

BTW without your response to the OP on http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Good-Pre-sch...ok-t320084.html I never would have found this excellent post of yours.

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks, all. A worrisome day, especially about traffic and crowds, turned into a surprising good day. I absolutely hated trying to find parking in and around Suanplu. So for all the drivers out there, no need to fret.

A friend also suggested the One Stop Service for 90 day reporting. What is the average time spent doing it there? Or is doing it by post as my friend does all the time just easier (once new address is confirmed)?

AVOIDING OVER 90DAY PENALTY TIP:

An immigration official, who lives in the same building as said friend, stated that if one were to just leave the country (fly/drive) within a week of the 90d reporting mark, nothing would come of it and the penalty fee could be avoided.

Your suggestion to update just before requesting the bank letter is probably the ideal solution, Terry. Would match everything. Still, the officer wasn't so perturbed by the issue, as it was herself that made the transaction suggestion and told me to just come back while she looked through the rest of the application.

BTW my interview questions:

1) How many brothers and sisters are in your family?

2) Before marriage, how long have you two dated?

Same #1 to my wife and 3) Where did you meet?

I expected a grilling but that was it. Mind you I spoke Thai to her at all times and my toddler even spilled jello over her desk and floor; yet all the officers just smiled at him. It was only the cleaner who grimaced and gave attitude.

Tengmoh

It sounds as if you applied for your extension at Suan Plu (just before it closed) and received the extension at CW? Are you sure that soi 7 is several kms past soi 5? I doesn't seem so on a map or Google earth. Google earth measures 1 km after soi 5.

Yes, that's correct. Suanplu submission and potluck on where to go for approval/rejection on 30th.

On google earth, I too thought it would be close by but it is a good distance from soi 5. Somewhere between 1-2 km seems right but it was a mighty crawl in traffic. From the Viphawadee bridge flyover from Ramintra, you can see Soi 5 on the downslope. But then many large entrances pop up, making one believe it's possibly soi 7 (I mistakenly enter the Post Office HQ and asked the guard so as not to overshoot my target). I knew it was just before the Ministry of Consular Affairs (Thai passport issuance) but that would be too late.

Just keep an eye out for the huge CAT main entrance sign, but after that CAT has another smaller entrance. Soi 7 is just barely beyond that and the blue soi 7 sign is clearly visible as long as you're in the left lane, ...along with the temporary painted signs in English ("Immigration Bureau").

I had recently submitted a visa extension based on marriage (non-O) at Suanplu and picked up the visa today at Chaengwattana.

Even though I read the posts re the lists of requirements and others' experience, on the day of the interview I came across several insights that I wished I had read myself:

1) my seasoned funds were in a savings account which had no transactions for several months: officer suggested I go deposit B100 at the SCB branch down the street and update my passbook accordingly, even though I had the bank letter. photocopied it on the way back, while she waited.

2) my 40 page album of multi-year relationship, marriage, around the house and birth of Thai kid was too much. she took a copy of our marriage photo but also suggested I come up with something like the one she had right there on her desk: a single jumbo print of another applicant who put multiple shots collaged into a single 4x6 print. Required shots: everyone in shot including children, in front of house, or in front of condo building entrance, in front of actual door if a condo, and inside the house/condo with family. Wedding ceremony shots preferred over studio shots. So I did my own Photoshopping and gave her a 5x7 next day for the files: she was happy. Many of the digital printers can also do the Photoshopping for you for a tiny fee, fyi.

3) NOT on any list but she asked for the proof of being single by my embassy before marriage. Ridiculous as I already had to do this silly feat when getting my Blue house registration several years back. Lucky for handy copies. Best to bring it if you have one.

One more thing: if you rent where you live, you need to show the rental contract (either English or Thai) and it can be totally irrespective of where your current house registration (if you have one) lists you. In my case, we were staying at a friend's condo temporarily for free so they asked for a letter from the condo's owner stating the free rent along with copies of his id card and house registration. Tiresome.

My first virgin post after years of freeloading. Hope it's helpful to some.

Some observations from today's visit to collect Non-O visa extension (1yr) & to apply for multiple re-entry. Done in under 2 hrs.

8:30am leave home (bottom of Ekkamai-Ramintra Rd)

9:15am arrive & park free in front of building B

9:20am submit passport for visa extension collection

10:20am collected (not during 14:00-15:00 window as advertised at Suanplu!!)

10:25am submit TM.8 visa re-entry

11:00am collected & drive home with wife and baby in tow

TRAFFIC, FINDING PREMISES, PARKING

Shockingly light traffic northbound Ekkamai-Ramintra until Ramintra>roundabout>ChaengWattana Rd.

After Viphavadee crossover, stick to left lane (Soi 5 sign easy to spot). Drive past TOT entrances, Post Office HQ & primary PO branch, CAT entrances, and see new temporary English sign for Immigration Bureau to turn left into Soi 7 (several km's from Soi 5 fyi).

Drive straight 2km following same temporary English signs to unmarked Building B (the huge one at the end on right). Arrived to find ~40 cars/vans parked free in single row configuration, right on the median, and some parallel-parked, all in front of building's main sweeping entrance (east side of building). VERY pleasant surprise to find easy free parking vs Suanplu. According to The Nation's map, there is a huge parking building (in Thai on map) on the western side of Building B but I suspect it's more for staffers. Still I didn't mind the convenience of the uncovered lot directly in front of the entrance for free!

Immigration is on same ground floor upon entering at the far left end of the cavernous, light-filled atrium. Pretty darn gorgeous architectural roof-shades in the huge atrium for a Thai government building. Plenty of food/snack vendors in the main hall and ATMs in the lower basement floor.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Nice and clean. After the small entrance area (several people filling out forms), it opens up into a big area with 3-4 officers waiting to receive, provide queue stubs and direct traffic flow. Maybe it was the politician on the premises doing an inspection, but I was so surprised to find how friendlier the greeting staff were, before I even uttered a word of Thai. Many seemed helpful out front but it was the same surly staffers in the cubicled-zones segregated by color-coded functions in English.

Sadly the digital queue number displays were not in place yet (bar 1 cubicle) so it was hilarious to witness the officials attempting to call out numbers in first Thai followed by varying degrees of success in muted English.

FYI visa extensions collections (YELLOW) were adjacent to the visa re-entry submissions (BLUE) and passport collections for re-entry (RED), so one had to concentrate a bit to listen to the queue number callouts from competing officers (ha), causing some confusion.

CROWDS (9:20am)

I assumed the worst, having arrived later than the usual opening hours crowd, but the whole area was so sparse. 7 people in front of me at visa extension and less than 10 at the re-entry submission/collection area. Perhaps the other farangs were still in traffic or perhaps it was due to the absence of Burmese/Laotian/Khmer crowds who are still being processed by Suanplu? Regardless, it was an easy place to wait out the processing, even with my toddler running around in the bright, well a/c'd expanse.

VISA EXTENSION SUBMISSION/COLLECTION TIMES ELIMINATED!

I had photographed the sign from Suanplu, which declared the following rules effective March 2009:

for passport submissions 08:30-12:00 must collect 14:00-15:00

for passport submission 13:00-15:00 must collect 16:00-17:00

So I braced myself for a wasted day with insufficient time for a post collection multiple re-entry request. But the staffer told me to just wait a bit for the notification of approval. The previous dictated hours were removed as they predicted the bottlenecks would be less (again redirected Suanplu traffic for neighbouring citizens).

IMPROVEMENT! ONLY RE-ENTRY APPLICATION FORM PLUS PHOTO REQUIRED

In another surprising streamlined move, they only require the TM.8 form without the need for all the tedious photocopies of passport pages, as I had asked where I could photocopy my newly stamped visa extension page in the building. But they explained it was no longer a required addendum; only the photograph. I also saw again the poster advertising online application pre-processing for various visas but haven't tried it myself (www.bangkok-immigration.com).

90 DAY REPORTING BY MAIL

Doh! The new mailing address was the only thing I forgot to request in my shocked state of decent efficiency today. Perhaps someone else might post it soon.

PS even as we left, the crowd hadn't really gotten bigger at all. Really strange day.