lifemagic

I was coming back to Cambodia, therefore they didn't know my actual intention when giving me the waiver. 

If you meant 'came back' after being denied, he told me to. He said they close at 10, do it before then.

Good to know, thanks. Visits on previous passports yes, but not many and no overstays.

Just want to clarify. My UK passport was issued in Phnom Pehn. I've been here since December. I have no visits or visas for Thailand and I went to Poipet to enter Cambodia on a new tourist visa (as I know most people are doing things the other way around and trying to stay in Thailand).

I just want to share my experience in Poipet last week. I have a UK passport, no Thai entries at all. It was issued in phnom pehn last  December where I'm volunteering. I have tourist visas with extensions and I renewed by day trips to Bavet (Vietnam).

Well, I checked in a hotel Poipet side  and went to the border about 7pm. The guy looked through it and asked if I was coming back (to Cambodia) the same day and I said yes. He said they don't allow this. I'd have to be screened. They sent me off to another desk where a guy was playing music on his phone. He asked what I was doing and I told him the truth. He said they don't allow one day entries like this. I said OK, then I'll stay in Aran and come back tomorrow but he said no. I have three one day visits to Vietnam in my passport and on this basis he can't allow me to enter. Please go back, have my exit cancelled any fly in, and then it will be no problem.

I stayed calm and friendly (golden rule number one) and discussed it for about half  an hour. He spoke English OK but kept saying he doesn't understand a word  and is looking it up (clearly chatting to someone, headphones never  came off). I asked to see the person in charge but he said they're on holiday. Quite arrogant really. Anyway, after about half an hour he said go and book a hotel,  and show the booking on the screen of  my tablet.  Then he changed  his mind, told me to go to the casino and ask for a printer.

So I went in the casinos. No one helped. I went to True coffee outside  the casino, as soon as I  walked in holding my passport and looking worried, he said 'prints are two dollars a page, for air ticket, yes?'. Well no, a hotel, thank god he didn't ask for an air ticket.

I booked a seven dollar bed on agoda and paid it, printed it, tried to go through again without saying anything but was referred to the screener. Short argument about whether it was a paid booking (it was). So he took  the sheets and my passport to the three people on duty and showed them while they stood and laughed at me, talking in Thai with the word 'booking' hahaha repeated frequently. I just kept nodding and smiling. He went into a booth, stapled the papers together and stamped me in for a month.

I went to the next  building and came back to Cambodia.

So looking back, bit of a close call. A cancelled stamp in my passport wouldn't look good. The problem was  the day trips, plus I admitted it. It's ironic, all the trouble they go to to make sure people don't stay too long without a visa... and my trouble was they were worried I wouldn't stay long enough. Anyway, the moral is, don't ever admit you're on a day trip.

Yeah, cpk, kidney etc. The initial neurologist who ordered some plus the electrical test ended up saying it's caused by excessive dieting (I'd lost 15kg with a diet over two years), to eat protien.

I went back to work, three months later I thought it's a bit worse so I went to an orhtapedic surgeon. He had a good look as said the same, it's going to take time to build up. Eat protien and go swimming.

Then I went to the UK. My GP initially said it's normal as I'm tall and thin and the muscles are symettrical, but then admitted there's some loss on my thigh. So he ordered full tests, came back and he said nothing is hugely abnormal. No conditions. Go travel, eat protien and work.

So I got back and had a good look at the tests, cpk etc ok, but inflammatory marker up, potassium up and Vit d. down, so was just thinking of supplementing.

Since I got back, I've been using a resistance band for working out, sit ups, press ups, grip strength etc. I strained my legs a couple of times doing squats, but stopped. Everything else is a little stronger, can do a few more sit ups and press ups now and my bicep is noticibly wider, though my leg looks about the same. It's very varicoused (I'm only 44 though) so I don't know if that's something to do with it.

I have a three month semester starting June 15 so I'm going to join a gym and just stop obsessing (or at least try to).

OK, so not poss. I'm asking because I had a blood test for muscle wasting and it all came back normal except vit D. so they blamed vegetarianism and dieting and told me to go swimming. But I guess I can try and get it from diet? I did see some vitamin D (not K2) at boots but it was a dummy pack and you have to ask the pharmasist for it, the only vitamin you have to do that for (not sure why).

Is it possible to buy vitamin K2 as a supplement, in Bangkok. I know I can get it from Natto and sourkroaut etc. but there are supplements called MK4 or MK7 or something. I asked the pharmacy and they didn't know what I was talking about.

Hi,

I've been traveling since 2013 and going to UK (uk passport) on 31. I bought 30 valium in Phnom Pehn (no prescription) and want to take them back. Is it easy to get a bit of paper, preferably around the Banglampoo area, that would satisfy customs going in?

Thanks again for the support. The test came back normal, i.e. my muscles are atrophied but electrical stimulation is normal, so nervous system OK, but actually, that makes diagnosis more complex.

I had blood drawn too, not sure for what overall, I think white cells, thyroid and something else. I'm going back tomorrow.

I asked this guys times. Actually, it's the guy who did the scan who is rarely in, the specialist is in all days except saturday (though took the kings birthday off). I'll go and see him tomorrow, and see what the next steps might be. As far as I can work out from my policy document, I'm insured.

Sounds alright for you I think. Definitely no emergency if they're leaving you alone for a fortnight.

My tests didn't show anything, i.e. my nervous system tests as normal, though that actually rules out a simple (and cheap) diagnosis. Now, it could be anything.

Thank you. That is really, really helpful. Yes, I'll go back and get this first thing done, and see what this guys hours are. The thing is, I didn't know if I'd been 'claimed'. Probably irrational, but it's a stressful time; I'm not thinking straight.

Thanks again.

Thanks. Hopefully sounds quite good for you if they didn't see anything.

I'll be hopeful for the both of us.

I just volunteered for a three month semester in a phnom pehn ngo (loved it) and volunteered the next one starting December 15. Came here (Bangkok) for a break and my shin was a bit swollen when I got here so I went to St. Louis yesterday.

First guy said it's normal because it's a bit varcoise, but there's a gap between my legs, the muscle is shrunk. Sent me to Orthopedics. He said there's atrophe, sent me to neurology. He said the same, but not sure why. Could be a lot of things. First, go back Thursday for some kind of electrical test (5000b), and hormone blood test (1500) to find out what kind of wasting it is. He told me it's going to be complex as I don't have any other symptoms, it will take a long time, am I insured (yes) and next we will start looking for a malignancy.

Mind went blank/numb at that point. I've been in a bit of a daze since actually. Before this, I asked if I would be back at school for the 15th and he said it would be ongoing, best case scenario would be continuing the diagnosis there, though he seems to want me here.

The question I'm asking here is... I've been warned it's complex and will take a long time to diagnose. So the procedure seems to be, they look at you, decide the test (I had to wait three days), then you will have to wait again until that particular doctor is back in the hospital to see them again, rather than just seeing anyone who is there straight away. Is that right?

Like the first ortho guy, made another appointment for me in a weeks time, in case I get sent back from neurology, if I don't get sent back, then cancel it. Now I'll have this next test and perhaps have to wait until this same guy is back. That's another reason it's going to drag on.

Is it different at a bigger hospital, i.e. everything done one thing after another, or you just have to flow with it. This waitings doing me in.

I'm in a similar position. Going back for more tests Thursday. Scared, very scared (lonely).

Hugs to you.

I've never used the Clarity in an ATM successfully, and have only tried to do so in Cambodia. I've successfully used it for an over the counter withdrawel in Thailand. I've also used it in Cambodian supermarkets requiring the PIN.

In the atm the Clarity didn't work in (Canadia in Cambodia) I then successfully used both a Caxton FX and a Metrobank debit (mastercard).

Maybe, but all my other cards are working OK. It's just this one.

Hi,

I posted ages ago to say I was waiting to receive my UK credit card (clarity) which will have practically no fees for me. Just to report my findings...

Over the counter advances (from bank of ayutthya) were free both ends. I paid off straight away and paid about six english pennies in interest.

BUT then I moved to Cambodia and it's useless. It doesn't work at all in the free Canadia atms and no one will do a cash advance. Apart from weekly shopping it's useless. I phoned them and they said the atms here use 'chip and signature' but the card is chip and pin (ridiculous). Anyway, I googled it and there are no end of complaints about it, i.e. the card is hit or miss atm-wise.

It's about forty quid for the extension, but should be routine.

It's slightly nuts though isn't it. They let you fly with an onward ticket to a neighbouring country. Then, say you are refused entry, they have to fly you out the country, but the ticket you have isn't leaving for a month yet, and is for a country for which you don't have either a visa or onward ticket for and so they couldn't actually make you use it. They'd have to fly you home.

Weird.

OK, that's as I thought; complain to the store. As if the store will care. Yesterday, I asked to speak to the owner and they said they can't give out his details because it's their job to protect him, wouldn't even tell me his name. There is no way to complain, iow.

I returned to BK a couple of days ago and thought I'd pay the bill on a card as they charge 2% and so it means I can avoid atms. I'm a regular, stay three or four times a year. While she was processing the payment, I remembered to say 'Thai Baht', and she said 'actually, we do both currencies'. Of course, the receipt showed my UK card had been billed in Dollars to baht (two converstions) plus their two percent, plus the card's 3%=13%. I complained and she said it's the default (I noticed there were two machines, a standard black/grey Bangkok bank, and an orange 'no name' one she'd used for me). She refunded me and said, 'pay cash then, easier for me', but insisted I sign the receipts to process the refunds, one of them said 'no refunds' and the other was a refund, and both confirmed I'd been offered a choice.

Yes, heard it all before. Luckily, thanks to this forum, I knew what to do and watch for. The thing is, these 'very strict rules' from Visa, they're not enforced at all, right? I can't just send an email to someone who would give a poo? I just suck it up.

It's the personal apsect though also. It's the place I go to all the time, she knows me, always gives me room I like when I go etc. It all means nothing when there's the chance to rip me off.

The visa Thailand website doesn't even have proper contact details.

Last year I stayed out of Malaysia for about a minute, then came straight back. I'd done it about ten years previously and didn't know things had changed. I was taken to a back office and explained I'd been sick with kidney infection and just needed another couple of days to rest (which was actually true, I'd only just recovered). Anyway, she made a call to the supervisor and ended up stamping in for another 90 day stamp and I left a week later. I asked how long I'm supposed to stay out the country between 90 day periods and she considered it and said 'two weeks', though that seems just some arbitory thing she said. Yes, the general consensus (I now know with the benefit of hindsight) is that three nights outside Malaysia seems to suffice.

This trip, another reason I didn't want to do this is that I've a Thai visa I don't want to trigger with an entry. Also, at just fifty ringget, if people are near to Malaysia, this would be cheaper than purposefully leaving if that wasn't part of the plan.

Just back from Immigration today, to extend my Malaysian visa, easy and cheap but no info 'out there', so I'm adding this.

Situation. British passport. Entered and got ninety days in Padang Besar 'social visit pass'. Last year I extended by a visa run after 90 days but was hassled coming back, so this year went for an extension rather than leaving Malaysia and coming straight back.

First, you will need your passport. The visa needs to be in it's last week of validity or they can't do it. A ticket out the country, I have a KTM train ticket to Hat Yai which I got at the station but they also said an online ticket would have been OK. Xerox the onward ticket, your photo page of passport, entry visa to malaysia and onward visa to Thailand if you already have it (I think OK if not), the passport itself and the fee, which is fifty ringet for 30 days.

Go to Malacca bus station. Bay 15 bus number 19. The area is called Ayer Keroh and this is written on a board just before where the bus pulls in. Fare 2.50. It stops directly outside immigration. It travels for about twenty minutes (Look for 'Ayer Keroh' signs), on the left passes a Petronas filling station, Mydin superstore, turns right at a junction, and then passes immigration on the right side of the bus. It's sign-posted 'home affairs' and is a modern attractive building. Ask the driver and sit at the front and they'll tell you when you arrive. You'll have to cross the highway to get to it. It's a modern attractive building with vending machines, massage machines (really) clean toilets etc. The immigration room is, I think, down one floor. It's the only room that's quite busy with more than fifty people in, though it's air con with cushioned seats. There's a little booth to the right of the entrance where someone will give you a queue ticket, then go to the main room and wait for your number to come up.

Fill in the form at one window. Pay at the next. Visa given out back at first window. All in took about twenty minutes. The extension itself is a full page sticker and runs thirty days from expiry of the previous entry (so 120 day stay in total), which is actually a week longer than I asked for. The people dealing with me spoke perfect English and were polite. The atomsphere around me was calm and the office attractive.

To get back to Malacca, I exited the main entrance, turned left and left again at the entrance (opposite the mydin store). There's a covered bus stop with a pictoral sign showing it's a bus stop. Same bus, number 19, fare just two ringett coming back.

Easy, cheap, much better than three days in Singapore. I might post this info in a couple of forums around as I basically discovered this with the help of a Malaysia friend, otherwise the info just isn't written about anywhere.

I'm quite good at paying my bills on time, and my understanding is the card is 'almost' free to use. Will be interesting. The only thing is receiving is as I've probably got to use post restant at the gpo.

Made my last Metrobank withdrawel Saturday, applied for the Halifax clarity card online same day. I use my nieces UK address, I ?think? I'm on the electoral register but live here on a lump sum. No Halifax current account, though I have a Halifax share account (about ten K). On the online form I put down 'self employed' and earnings as 26k (I wish!). Approval took about twenty seconds and an email came to say it was in the post (to my niece's address). Hopefully she'll forward it at some point and I can report on the cost of using it.