GeordieFarang

Every year myself and a friend visit Thailand for 1 month around this time of the year. We always spend two weeks on Samui book ended with one week stays in Pattaya. This year with the continuing economic uncertainty, the baht at 46 to the pound, and with the airfare costing 7600 baht return we've decided to skip Samui.

I've been a regular visitor to Koh Samui for the past 5 years and was last here in March. Later in the year I'm visiting China and decided to stop off again in Samui for 10 days on the way back to the UK. I've already booked the return flights except for the Samui leg, checked with the hotel in Bo Phut that there were vacancies and put down a deposit. Then I turned to the Bangkok Airways site and did a double take at the 7600 baht cost of the flight, which is more than double what I paid in March. Now I can afford the new fare but the fact is that I hate being ripped off and would prefer an alternative method of reaching my destination. The Bangkok - Samui fare is certainly out of kilter with prices charged in Europe by non budget airlines for a similar distance. Maybe Bangkok Airways won't bring down their fares but then I would expect tourists to try other resorts and the point made by a previous poster about reasonably priced flights to Bali, etc. is certainly relevant. Air Asia and other budget airlines manage to make a healthy profit by getting bums on seats at a reasonable price and Bankok Airways will only realise the error of its ways when it has to increase fares even higher to cover its dwindling passenger payload.

I would be grateful for advice on the most cost effective way, not necessarily the cheapest, of travelling from Bangkok to Samui with instructions on each step of the way if possible.

this announcement will put a wind in the sail of the reds for sure

I don't see why it would... one of the main Red Shirt Leaders clearly said their protests did not involve Thaksin in the slightest or have anything whatsoever to do with him.

Bangkok Post / today:

Another UDD leader, Natthawut Saikua, said the UDD protest had nothing to do with Thaksin and those joining it had not been paid as claimed by some opponents.

Natthawut claimed people backed the UDD because they wanted a government that represented the people

or are you saying Nattawut was not exactly being honest?

Whoever heard of a dishonest politician?

The cost of a visit visa is £65, paid in local currency.

I'm afraid that your friend has been conned by the agency. This is not unusual, unfortunately many so-called visa agencies in Thailand overcharge and give poor, unqualified advice, even those that appear respectable and those run by ex-pat Brits.

Many of these agencies give poor advice which, if followed, often results in the application being refused. I hope that this is not the case for your friend.

If they have not yet submitted the application I suggest that she gets her application form and passport back off them and does it herself. The lost 10Kbaht deposit she will have to write off to experiance.

If she has not yet paid any money to the agency, good. Tell her not to and do it herself.

Any help or advice she or you may need can be obtained here; for free!

Many thanks for the prompt reply. While I'm unhappy at her loss of the 10,000 baht I suppose that she should count her blessings that she didn't lose the 20,000! I can't see that there should be any problem in her obtaining a visa for a genuine visit to see this country but I'll certainly come back to this excellent forum should I need further advice.

I've become friendly with a Thai family for the past 3 years and the younger daughter has just graduated from University. My wife and I invited the daughter to visit us in England so that she could brush up on her language skills before taking a Master's degree later this year. Now I thought it would be a fairly simple thing to arrange a tourist visa for a short visit to the UK but it looks as if I am mistaken. I found the visa application form on line and gave her guidance on how to complete this and also sent a letter to her saying that we would act as her sponsor while she was in the UK. I advised her to take this to the British Embassy but, for better or worse, she listened to a friend who told her to apply through an agency - TSL & Associate (Thailand) Co. Ltd - as they had handled her application in the past. I was staggered to find that this agency took a non-refundable deposit of 10,000 baht against a grand total of 20,000 baht to process this application. I was horrified at this and just cannot believe the cost. Can this really be the cost of getting a visa just to take a short holiday in the UK? At current exchange rates this equates to £400 - nearly the price of the air fare. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Hi

If you have a flight booked during the period 01/02 until 28/03 it might pay to check your flight times as the timetable has changed for Fri & Sun flights

WWW.pbair .com or tel 04468 0132-3, 04468-1532

A great little airline but they have a habit of doing this, seems the schedules are modified for their benefit rather than the pax.

Try as I might I am unable to attach pic of timetable, think I have used up my attachment allowance. If someone can refresh my memory as to how to delete existing pics I will endeavor to attach again.

TBWG

I received an E mail from them last week informing me of the change. I had booked for a Sunday flight to Buriram but now the plane departs two hours before I arrive from Penang. I was still able to keep a Friday departure but was informed that if I want a refund for the inward flight I have to present myself at the airport with my passport and fill in a form to be able to get a refund. I don't know why they can't just refund my credit card as they accepted payment this way without question. What a way to treat customers!

I'm now going to fly to Ubon Ratchathani instead and would like to know if anyone has any idea if I could get a taxi from there to Chumphonburi and some idea of the likely cost.

Geordie Farang

I've just received an E mail from PBAir telling me of changes to the schedule to/from Buriram from 01/02/2008 to 29/03/2008. I've written to them seeking confirmation of these changes but haven't had a reply as yet. As I was due to fly with them on a Sunday and my incoming connecting flight now arrives later than the new departure time it looks as if I shall have to fly to Ubon instead. Does anyone know if it is possible to get a taxi from Ubon to Chumphonburi and the likely cost of such a trip?