trotski

Well this says this guy was refused as more than 3 visa exempt entries in a year and an earlier post noted that someone else was refused entry at a land border for 4 visa exempt entries in a year so it sure looks like something has changed.

Thousands of people cross borders every day on visa exempt. Hundreds are TV members. No problems reported except on a single occasion, but if you want I cant point you to multiple first hand reports of people that has crossed without issues. Where's the truth ?

I guess the truth in this situation is something of a moving target until the new/revised rules for visa exempt entries settle down and are understood by all (including the immigration officers themselves). As I say I am flying to Swampy on Friday with 4 visa exempt entries this year for a family holiday, and I am a genuine tourist so fingers crossed I have no issues. I will be truly cheesed off if my wife and family are allowed in for their holiday but I am refused entry and sent back to London. Fingers crossed I guess.

Trotski

If you are concerned then why don't you get a Tourist visa before coming here just to be safe.

I cant, I dont live in the mainland UK and will only be there for a few hours on my way to Thailand. The London Embassy do not do same day Visas so would need to be in London for 2 days prior to leaving for BKK which is not possible at such short notice.

Trotski

Well this says this guy was refused as more than 3 visa exempt entries in a year and an earlier post noted that someone else was refused entry at a land border for 4 visa exempt entries in a year so it sure looks like something has changed.

Thousands of people cross borders every day on visa exempt. Hundreds are TV members. No problems reported except on a single occasion, but if you want I cant point you to multiple first hand reports of people that has crossed without issues. Where's the truth ?

I guess the truth in this situation is something of a moving target until the new/revised rules for visa exempt entries settle down and are understood by all (including the immigration officers themselves). As I say I am flying to Swampy on Friday with 4 visa exempt entries this year for a family holiday, and I am a genuine tourist so fingers crossed I have no issues. I will be truly cheesed off if my wife and family are allowed in for their holiday but I am refused entry and sent back to London. Fingers crossed I guess.

Trotski

Well this says this guy was refused as more than 3 visa exempt entries in a year and an earlier post noted that someone else was refused entry at a land border for 4 visa exempt entries in a year so it sure looks like something has changed.

I have just seen this on another board dated today - if true this is very worrying as I am flying on Friday with 4 visa exempt entries this year and no opportunity to get to a Thai embassy fr a tourist visa before travelling.

Your friend could do worse than contacting Solar Golf who are based at Tara Court Hotel, their number is 0208 411 8377 they have games arranged at various courses several times a week usually.

I always use them when I am in Pattaya, very friendly, very efficient and usually fun people to play with. They pick you up from your hotel, sort out all bookings, carts caddies etc and return you to the hotel after the game with usually the opportunity for a couple of apres golf beers if you want it as well. Well worth a call.

Trotski

Love the place.

Wont happen - this will be a highly political decision that would be taken at the highest level. No way the current government are going to seriously tick off these countries governments especially as at the moment they are actively courting their support for the 2nd Feb elections.

Just some idiot woke up one morning with a "bright" idea but gave no thought to the current political realities - this will be quietly shelved or more likely sink without trace for the time being. Nothing to say that something similar wont come back in the future though as we know governments of all countries and persuasions cannot resist picking up cash from whoever and wherever they can and I believe that the Visa Waiver terms do say a charge may be levied.

Nothing to panic about.

Trotski

Does Emirates gold card holders get a quick pass or what ever it is called when checking in or on the plane when arriving.

I'm at present platinum with Air France and get it on checking in, silver with Emirates with 2 more sectors to fly for gold

Cheers

Yes, you will get a fast track card on the aircraft when arriving into BKK, if you dont get given one by the time the seatbelt sign comes on for descent ask one of the cabin crew, sometimes they forget to hand them out if they are busy. Also when checking in at BKK you will be given a pass for the priority emmigration and security line.

Trotski

For people with an interest in the benefits provided by the airlines frequent flyer programs take a look at www.flyertalk.com. Go to the forum section and there is a section for Airline programs with sub forums for most of the airlines, there is lots of good information and tips in there from frequent flyers and sometimes the airlines themselves. Give it a look you may find it interesting as it covers most of the major US, European, Middle Eastern and Asian airlines.

Cheers

Trotski

Hi Blether,

Some useful info in this thread. I am Gold on Emirates and have been for a few years, I do 3 or 4 London BKK returns a year usually in Business Class so not too difficult to hit 50,000 tier miles. In my experience provided you have put your Skywards number on your reservation there is no requirement to show your Gold card on checking in. I have been upgraded numerous times at check in and at the gate without showing my card as the load controller can see your status in the system, and your upgrade (or not) has probably been processed long before you get to the check in desk or lounge.

Case in point I was travelling with the family at the end of March, London BKK return in economy (4 people including myself). I never showed my card and the upgrades I got were as follows - LGW to DXB no upgrades but baggage tagged as Business Priority at checkin. DXB to BKK all 4 of us upgraded from economy to business at the gate. On the return BKK to DXB just me upgraded to business. DXB to LGW all 4 of us upgraded to Business at the gate. And more recently I did a side trip from BKK to Hong Kong for a long weekend with a young lady friend, I needed to burn some miles so did BKK HKG return in Business paid for with miles. We were both upgraded to First on the leg to HKG on the A380 (Nice !!) but had to rough it Business as booked on the return, again no Gold card shown and the upgrades to 1st were obviously already in the system before we arrived at the airport.

One warning if you book through an agent such as Opodo or Expedia you may save a few £ but if you need to make changes, upgrades etc there could well be problems as the airline will probably require you to do the changes through the agent rather than directly with the airline. As an example a friend booked through Flightbookers and wanted to upgrade the flight and change the return date - all of which is doable yourself on the phone or through the website, however his reservation would not allow this and he had to go back to Flightbookers to try and make the changes through them which caused major problems as they were not really interested once they had sold the initial ticket that he gave up and stayed with the original booking. This is maybe not a good position to be in if you have an emergency.

Cheers

Trotski

I have found this to be a useful site for information about conditions.

http://www.google.or...flood-2011.html

(What a concept! Sharing useful information during an emergency! It must be nice to have the luxury of being so far removed from the world around you, you can just sit and poke fun it it. And you wonder why the Thais can not wait to be rid of you! )

Care to explain who "you" is?

My pleasure. "You" is foreigners who came here for cheap sex, low cost of labor, a lazy life style and snobbish attitude toward the people of Thailand. "You" are those sitting far from the fray judging everyone and everything around them in a negative light. "You" is anyone who takes pleasure in this suffering, and thinks Thais have the time and energy to be your entertainment when constructive input would have real value. "You" are the hungry crocodiles at the mouth of the river, waiting for poor farm girls to come to your little playground to earn money to send home, hungry for desperate labor willing to make your $200 Nike's for 200 BAHT, hungry for the Baht to become cheap so you can hoard a few hundred thousand and skate for a few more years.

"You" are on your way "Out"

Richard - you are one very sad little man, using the pretext of this disaster to spout your own prejudices, and I think you will find the workers making your $200 Nikes are very happy to have the jobs !!!!

Treat Thai people with the respect any sentient being deserves, and you'll usually be treated likewise. Don't assume that the girls who work in Pattaya have no self-respect. Family is important here, however the reverence for it manifests itself. The old adage about 'walking a mile in another's shoes' is always relevant when we travel to places not of our own culture. Don't judge or show rudeness. Don't assume all that is western is good, and all that is Asian is second best. Ethnocentricity never made friends. Most of the negative comments I hear coming from westerners are made in ignorance. And many who would berate Asian people for keeping separate from locals in their home countries, do the same themselves here. So when I read a question such as the OP posted, I ask myself 'if he doesn't know, or suspects the answer is negative, perhaps making friends with and listening to the views of Thai people would give him better insight into the reality, or at least help to alleviate the fear behind the question'. Ultimately, I hope the question was posed with good intent. If it was ... worry less, mix more

:jap:

DIG

your comments are way off topic

Pattaya dwellers, both Farang and Thai, are generally viewed as scum by Thais.

What a stupid, generalising and ridiculous statement - all sorts living in Pattaya, both Thai and Farang, as there are in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and elsewhere in the kingdom. I think bubba needs to get out in the real world a bit. And no I am not a sexpat as he trolls it - farang wife, kids etc and everything that goes with being a family man in Pattaya or anywhere else for that manner !!!

Stupid people should maybe not be given access to the internet, it would make the world a much nicer place.

Trotski

Well all the usual negative dont buy in Pattaya or you will be doomed forever mob on this thread as usual. However there are always two sides to every coin and I have to say I have bought a very nice condo in Pattaya and I am very happy with my purchase. I use it when I am in Thailand and rent it out through the building management when I am not. The place more than pays for itself and I have a very nice retirement bolt hole to come back to in a few years.

Opinions of Pattaya are many and varied but it has pretty much everything that I require in the way of infrastructure, entertainment options, restaurants, golf courses and some nice islands for a getaway a short distance down the coast. So whilst owning a condo might not be the best option for some it certainly is for others !!

And by the way my place in on Pratumnak Hill and I think it is a pretty perfect location being between Pattaya and Jomptien.

Trotski - a Happy Pattaya property owner

dam_n lucky this did not happen in the UK, if it had the would be rapist would be claiming compensation for his injuries, and the police would be arresting and charging the mother with attempted murder. Over here the criminal is the victim and the homeowner attempting to protect their family is the criminal !!!!

Trotski

I hate to add to the chorus, but I too am very happy with my condo purchase, albeit in Pattaya rather than BKK. I bought a 2 bed 2 bath in a very nice new building between Pattaya and Jomptien last year. I got my cash in at 69 baht to the pound, and after a couple of one month rentals now have a 12 month tennant at 61K a month, which is a very good return when translated to sterling.

I have no hassles with letting etc as this is all taken care of by the building management for 12% of the rental achieved. When I wanted to visit earlier in the year the management let me have an empty unit for my stay just for the cost of housekeeping (this was one of the management company units that they let on their own behalf). So all in all I am a very happy bunny with this purchase, and fingers crossed it will pretty much have paid for itself when I want to use it for my retirement in a few years.

Just to add to the impression that some have about us property buyers, I am also completing on a condo in Spain in 2009, 2 bed 2 bath, front line golf on a Jack Nicklaus course, and whilst everything may be doom and gloom at present I firmly believe this will also be shown to have been a good decision in a few years time, especially as I am buying it out of free cash (as was the Thai condo) and do not need to worry about mortgages or loans. Lets face it in the forthcoming zero interest rate environment what is the point of keeping cash in the bank and seeing inflation eat away at it, much better in my mind to put that cash to work in Physical assets, having said this a medium to long term view must be taken (5 to 10 years at least).

Anyway I am happy to stand by my decisions, and if they do not work out as expected I have n one to blame but myself.

Trotski

Just for info, I flew from London to BKK last month with Thai using an E-Ticket, they were very thorough checking that I had the card that paid for the ticket, I did ask the agent what would have happened if I had lost the card or something. She told me that I would not be travelling that day and would have to go to the Thai office in London to sort things out and make a new reservation. Not sure what the US airlines do but I would be very sure you have got the issue sorted with the airline before attempting to travel.

Trotski

Hi,

I have bought in Tara Court and am very happy indeed with the quality of the finishes and the management there. The whole operation is very professional and efficient, . Not the cheapest (and boy am I thankful I got my funds into Thailand last year and not looking to do so at todays exchange rate) but was the best I saw by a mile when I was looking at property last year. At that time I lalso looked at a duplex penthouse at Royal Hill and whilst the apartment was nice and the finishes seemed ok I was not very impressed with the corridors and common areas quality wise. The killer for me was when I opened the balcony doors and the road noise hit me, lets just say it was loud and I just could not see myself sitting out there watching the sunset with a glass of wine with that level of traffic noise.

I also looked at the Park at Jomptien (one of the TAG developments) and it looks like that will be really nice, but it was just too far out for me and not on a baht bus route so would need your own transport.

Dont know if any of this helps.

Trotski

Well reading this thread makes me smile, I have been visiting Pattaya for over 25 years and also have property there, sure it has changed over the years but it is what it is, although larger now than 25 years ago, it is still basically a poor beach resort with a few make weight tourist attractions, but with the upside of a vibrant nightlife. Take the nightlife away and with it the bars and ladies and what have you got, a very second rate tourist destination with nothing to attract tourists, or certainly nothing to attract tourists who are capable of looking at the internet and seeing what else is available.

Those who have chosen to live there and now want to change everything remind me of the worst sort of whining NIMBIES (not in my back yard) that we see in the UK. Some of these guys should be settled down in a nice retirement home with a cup of warm milk and a nice nursie to ensure that no one disturbs their afternoon naps. Or judging by some of these posts the Nursie is probably far too sexual for them so she would have to go.

Trotski