GuyDow

Just got mine renewed a few weeks ago.

Morchit Land Transport. I take the BTS to MoChit and come down the side away from Jakujak park. Walking away from the terminus point of the BTS, toward Victory Monument, its the third building on your left. After the parking lot is the Civil Aviation building, then some closed building that I think was Land Transport long ago, and then the Land Transport Office. Huge, hard to miss. Maybe a seven minute walk.

Enter the main gate and you will see a building immediately to your left. It aint that one. Keep on walking to end of the entrance drive to where it Ts. The building on your right is the one you want. Second floor there are some desks, just walk up and give them your papers with a goofy grin and you are home free.

I needed my original passport. Took along a residence cert and work permit but they did not ask for those. You will take the weird and wonderful braking reaction test. Have an eye exam. And watch the most boring movie ever made and then you too will be qualified to create mayhem between the curbs just like the natural born citizens.

Excellent. Thanks for that. I'll give it a go next week.

I have a five year Thai drivers licence and I need to go to the Morchit Land Transport Department office to get a international licence.

Can someone tell me exactly where the Morchit office is? I have seen it refered to many times on this forum but I can't find directions or an exact address.

Also, I am not sure if I need to take confirmation of my address. Does anyone know what the requirement is on this?

On proof of address dont think so, because "proof of address" is on your 5 year DL...certainly never asked me for it, I had my WP with me, but they didnt ask for it

Photo's - passport size, think it was two needed

Form to fill in, they can do it for you, dont know if on line on not, of course you require the obilatory photo copies of everything

The whole process takes literally 15 minutes

I had Mrs Soutpeel with me getting her IDP as well...so didnt pay too much attention of what was going on, gave all my stuff to her....picked my nose for 15 minutes and they called my name to get my IDP

Thanks for that.

Final question, where exactly in Morchit is the office?

You need your 5yr Thai DL + passport + photos + THB 505 = IDP valid for 1 year....not sure if you can do it in Samui - only know of Mochit in BKK and believe you can do it in Chang Mai

So if I go to Morchit, I don't need a proof of address? I've read in other posts (possibly out of date) that a proof of address is required.

Are the photos passport size or the little ones that go on driving licences ? How many do I need?

Is there a form to be completed ? If yes, can I download it and complete it in advance?

Grateful for any guidance on this since I don't want to have to make repeated trips to Morchit.

The main Seiko dealer and service centre is in New Petchburi Soi 35 opposite the Bangkok Palace Hotel. You need to get a taxi there, there is no convenient public transport. Just ask him to take you to the hotel and walk across the soi.

It could be worse, you could be in Pattaya where it will be dry for 4 consecutive weekends

25/26 June - out of district voting for national election

2/3 July - national election

9/10 July - Pattaya local elections (maybe these will happen in Bangkok too?)

15/16July - Buddhist holidays

Do you think the Tourist Authority of Thailand will be publicising this to potential tourists?

there used to be places (khao sarn) that would still serve alcohol, but in plastic cups or tea cups instead of proper glasses and bottles

not sure if they still do that.....

but in case u really feel the urge to go out, there may still be options. most places will be quiet though....

Last time I was in this situation, as you say, you can usually find somewhere.

Nevertheless, planning on a more quiet evening than usual.

MiG16, Floridaguy

Thanks for the information. I don't live in Bangkok but I will be there the next couple of weekends. I can now plan my arrangements around the situation you have described.

Brewsterbudgen

Thanks also. I had heard this was a possibility.

The answer is yes. No alcohol sales from 6pm of 25 June to midnight of 26 June. And again from 6pm of 2 July to midnight of 3 July

26 June is advance voting day.

It is even worse than I was told. Two "dry" Saturdays and two "dry" Sundays on the bounce!

I was told last week that there is a local election in Bangkok on Sunday 26th June. Therefore no alcohol is sold from 6pm on Saturday 25th June until 6pm on Sunday 26th June. Accordingly, most of the bars will be closed on Saturday night.

Can anyone confirm or (preferably) refute this?

I know there is an national election on Sunday 3rd July and no alcohol / no bars will apply on Saturday 2nd July. The question is do we have two "dry" Saturdays on the trot?

Like everyone I get appointment reminders from the doctor, garage, whatever that use abbreviations for the days of the week and the months of the year. I've worked out the months of the year but I've drawn a blank on the days of the week.

Can someone please help me out on this?

Your marriage inThailand would be recognised in the UK. However in the event of divorce or death your wife would have to go to the UK to obtain her rights to your assets (house, pensions, etc.).

Apart from that it is an enormously complex area depending on what assets are involved, if you have been resident together in the UK and so on. Also the family courts in the UK have wide powers to overrule pre-nuptial agreements and wills which they deem to be unfair or to have been drawn up between unequal parties.

If you could be more specific about what assets are involved and what your concerns are then maybe you might get some constructive comments.

How do you study a martial art online? Sounds a bit iffy to me.

Even if it is only a 1% chance of being blacklisted from visiting Thailand in the future, it is not worth it.

Couldn't agree more. That's exactly why I stopped helping out with the English classes at the local school.

We've been round that loop already if you read the full thread, Nocturn. To save you the effort Guy Dow said that maybe he hit an off night and he would give it another go after another poster chipped in much as you now have. Cheers

I did and I've changed my mind about it.

Thanks but I don't have a pension so I guess I can't get that letter. But I have a lot of cash in the bank in Canada (more than 800K baht). But can the embassy in BKK give a letter about that?

If you are going the B800K route to get a retirement extension the money has to be in Thailand. Therefore, you need a Thai bank account.

I opened an account with Siam Commercial Bank when I only had a 30 day visa waiver. Same branch as my wife and all I had to show was my passport as proof of id.

Does anybody know that if I want to change my UK passport, whether I have to return to the UK to do it or can I have this renewed in Thailand? I've still got time on my hands as it expires in 3 years time but thought I'd just ask while this subject is being discussed. Thanks in advance.

When my UK passport was due to expire last year I contacted the British Embassy in Bangkok well in advance to ask if the "unused time" on my old passport could be carried forward into the new one. They categorically stated that this was impossible, all new passports were for ten years and ten years only. Since this policy had changed since I last needed a new passport I got them to confirm this by email, which I still have somewhere.

I therefore waited until my old passport only had a month left before I applied for a new one. When I got the new one it was for ten years plus the unexpired month from the old passport.

Possibly they have reverted to the old practice but I think you need to contact the British Embassy directly. They are not bad on replying to emails, I've generally had a reply to my email enquiries after two or three days.

Original poster here,

I am in Thailand and I do everything online. All my UK bank statements are online and I have never seen any point in getting paper ones sent. Will the British Embassy accept printouts of the statements or do I need to spend ages getting originals sent out from UK somehow?

Piers

I am in exactly the same situation and the British Embassy has always (last 4 years) accepted statement printouts. If your bank offers a choice of formats get the most official looking ones.

I also think a better choice, unless you're on a corporate expense account, is the Uzuki restaurant referred to above on Suk Soi 11, just about 300 meters into the soi on the right hand side... Soi 11 is where the Nana BTS station is located...

I've eaten there before, and a lot of Japanese do as well... It's not great IMHO as a real Japanese food lover... but it's certainly better than average, and more of a real Japanese style restaurant with a full range menu, as opposed to a Thai doing Japanese type place.

Interesting, I'll give it another go.

I may have caught them (or me) on an off-night last time.

I too have had regular payments from a family member.

The British Embassy accepted my bank statements over a period of three months showing these payments as sufficient proof to be included in the "income letter". This was in December 2010. I had other supporting documents but these were not asked for.

Not quite sure what is going on here, the payer of the pension wants something certified by the Thai authorities? Sounds a bit odd.

Anyway, I would suggest you proceed as follows.

1) Contact your embassy and ask them for a list of approved translators.

2) Pick someone from the list and phone them. Describe your requirements.

3) Repeat #2 until you find someone you can work with.

4) Post/EMS original documentsto translator. Find out if you need Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification of the translation. If you do, the translator will be able to arrange this.

5) Sort out payment to translator and get them to post/EMS all documents back to you.

You should be able to arrange all of this by telephone and post. Not really necessary to travel to Bangkok just to get documents translated.

If the story is true as stated....

1) How did he keep managing to get passports in Thailand that were totally empty? No entrance/exit stamps of any kind or permission to stay? You would think the people issuing at least 2 new passports would have red-flagged him for at least a chat.

Not their business to do immigration's job for them.

There could be a legitimate explanation. For example, he may have been entering and leaving Thailand on another country's passport. Plenty of people have more than one passport.

Your laziness in not wanting to go to the Emporium is as nothing compared with the laziness of the posters here who can't be bothered to read past the first line of your post .

I think there is one on the Landmark between soi 4 and the BTS - might be expensive though. Have looked for affordable ones ourselves and not found anything between Central World to the West and soi 22 to the East. Usually end up in Fuji in Siam Centre.

There is one in the basement of the Ploenchit Centre called Rengaya Robata. It's OK but nothing special. It's also dead in the evenings.

There is also one about 200 metres into Soi 11 on the right (don't know the name) but I wouldn't recommend this one.

Interested to hear you've had no more luck than I on this one. Looks like I'll be giving Fuji in Siam Paragon a visit.

It seems you have two options.

1) Go to the airport with your old, full passport. Pay the overstay fine, exit stamp goes with entry stamp. Go back to the UK, no entry stamp hence full passport not an issue. Get a new passport in the UK. End of story.

2) Anywhere other than the UK will want to put an entry stamp in your passport. Hence full passport a problem. Get a new passport in Thailand and chose what course of action you prefer from the other posters suggestions. Story continues......

I know what I'd do, but I am very cautious on these matters since I do not want to prejudice in any way my ability to stay in Thailand.

Can anyone out there suggest a Japanese restaurant in the Soi Nana area. Given the number of eateries in the area there probably is one, I just haven't been able to locate it.

I know there are such places up near the Emporium but I can't be bothered trekking out there.

Any suggestions most gratefully received.