LTGTR

A recent post stated that the visa-runner only got 15 days at Andaman Club (Myanmar), so the rule does seem to be true.

What on earth is the reason for this new rule? Just to cause more hassle/expense for land-border visa-runners??

Seems pretty crazy to me - very frustrating.

Simon

This Third World country is becoming less visitor and less everything firiendly.Very smart-the economy is in the crapper,next year's tourist totals will be halved and now this.Cambodia is looking better for next year for this ex-pat.

I too am stuck in Phuket, and whilst I agree with a previous post that life is normal in Phuket, and also another saying that stranded and Phuket do not go together... ordinarily this may be the case, but not when you aactually want to leave.

However, I was due to fly out on Sat 29th Nov and arrive home on Sun 30th. Obviously I could not.

- Absolutely no information from Thai Airways who I had booked to go to Bangkok. Recorded information lines and referencing to web page.... not really helpful.

- Oman Air who I had booked for Bangkok to Muscat then to Gatwick also pretty evasive.

- My insurance company.... p155 poor, won't cover the extra nights accomodation as they state "because the airport closure was publicly announced prior to my intended departure date"

- TAT, say that the hotel I am staying in, which is a pretty modest, not too expensive, family run place in Kata, need to apply for the grant direct from TAT to claim the nightly rates for my forced extension.

The post saying that people should be travel wise and look for alternative ways out of Thailand is not really productive.

- At the end of holidays, not too many people have a great deal of cash left, yes, they, like me, may have credit cards, but the crux of the matter is... why are you expected to pay out yet again, another £500-£700 if you're lucky enough to even get a flight within the next week (yes I tried..) , and then not be able to recover this cost due to some bamboozling jargon and 'cop-out' from insurance company.

I agree with the posts regarding the long term impact this will have on Thailand.... this is my 7th or 8th trip in the last three years, normally twice a year... this is definately my last for sure.

Thai Bhat dropping (or rising...) to 50 to the pound... it's as expensive here now as it is in Europe... 150-200 Bhat for a spirit is £3-£4... which is dearer than England !

Bottled beers.. 80-120 Bhat... = £1.50-£2.40 a bottle... same as many pubs on England... I even went to a 'traditional English pub' and was alarmed when I got my 'check bin' to discover that the Magners Cider I was drinking was 275 Bhat a bottle... five pints and a bit of English Pub Food... my bill was 1,600 Bhat... over £30 !!

What outrages me, is the fact that some of the locals (Thai) here in Kata think it is a good thing that people are stuck here.. I quote "yeah a good thing airports closed, have to stay longer, spend more on drink... good for us..."

The penny didn't even drop for them when I explained that (at that time) there were 100,000 stranded, that are at the end of their hols, don't have much money left to spend...and that there are far more people that were on their way here that couldn't arrive... they are the ones with the money at the start of their hols...

Thailand.... for me... no longer land of smiles.... the pople are getting greedier and greedier... it's a shame....... but... for me... I will be travelling elsewhere in future.

I am fortunate enough to be able to have 5 or 6 holidays a year.... 2 of those are normally in Thailand.... not no more.

I apologise for my long winded rant, but I'm really peeved at having to stay longer than the three and half weeks I had planned and booked.

And I missed my anniversary date on the 2nd (special night booked and paid for......) and I'm due to go away again with my partner (she's in the UK) on the 9th December for our Christmas Holiday.. Which, due to the clever wording in the insurance policy, probably won't pay if I cannot get back there in time and she has to cancel....or go alone.... hmmh.. nice.

What a <deleted> up !

Wait until next year when arrivals will drop by half-talk about below low season levels for the next 18 months.

Let's see how greedy they are then,when a million more are out of work.

LOS had indeed lost it's charm for this ex-pat.Thailand=Third World.

It would seem the only answer to this stalemate is to have the army take over again! Not perfect but may save a lot of bloodshed and get the airports open......One thing that does puzzle me is that tourists are comming in still through U-tapai(sorry if spelt wrong).Only in that i had not heard that before..Just read a press release bbc...

Oh when we we get more Baht to the pound?

Who would be dumb enough to arrive now on vacation not knowing when they could return home?

I am surprised as why PAD did not get to the other airports, too much effort?

anyway yesterday evening a lot of planes took off, could hear that, after some noised that sounded like little explosions or gunshots

(kinda live very near suvi)

ahhh, it's kinda quite at night since a week who should I thank for that ? PAD or policy that does not do their job to remove those xyzHOLES

There aren't enough mutts to go around and occupy all of these airports.

Who care what party is dissoved or not. Who cares who is Thaksin or Sondhi.

Can you please open Swampy now. I have a flight to catch TONIGHT.

Minimum 1 week after mutts leave the airport before it reopens.

Why can't the army restore the law without taking over the government? Isn't that what would happen in any other country? I guess a coup was what the PAD has been looking for since the beginning. The next thing to question would be who is behind the PAD and why do they want a military dictatorship? Do they want it to be permanent? Are they staging a military dictatorship as a transition to something else? If so, what transition? Questions, questions and no answers to post on a public forum I suppose. Sad times for Thailand.

Why you ask?Because this place is Third World and ALWAYS will be.Is there a Fourth World we could be downgraded to? LOL

so compensation, and that's it ???

Well, that the harsh punishment ....sure they won't do it again

when the criminals find out that crime pays with minimal repercussions this could be popular like robbing trains was a century ago

"Mini" Somali pirates-no fear of punishment/justice.

He's already running the country through his lapdog brother in law.Thai politics are better than the Sunday funnies.

Being a 35 year veteran of south Florida hurricanes,this "storm" is nothng more than a strong sustained breeze that will blow away the bad air (smog).These "storms" lose their pinch over land as they don't not have the warm water to draw from.Sure,the rain will fall and we'll get a breeze and any loose objects will be blown around,but nothing more.

Just so I'm clear,30 days on arival-no questions asked with US passport?Have been itching to go.And taking the ferry to HK isn't an issue?

TIA

You don't need to do anything for Macau or Hong Kong (can even bring a Thai with you, they don't need a Visa either). Just book your ticket, get off the plane and get 30-days. I'm not certain how long you can stay in Hong Kong but I know you do not need a visa, just take a ferry over there. If you want to enter mainland China is the only time you need a visa.

Thanks-done deal.Air Asia has some great fares,so I'm on the way.

Just so I'm clear,30 days on arival-no questions asked with US passport?Have been itching to go.And taking the ferry to HK isn't an issue?

TIA

"That's interesting. As you know there is no passport control departing the US from an airport, so maybe it was up to the airline clerk to confirm the passport and they didn't notice it. I would have thought this info was maybe online linked to the passport number and could be seen by the airline computers, but I guess not."

This is an excerpt from a closed topic.I want to make clear that airline "clerks" which I'm sure the poster meant to call "customer service agents" DO NOT as a rule or requirement search the entire passport to see if it is indeed valid.Imagine how long check in would take if every page of every passport was checked.We simply enter or scan the info page.Airline computers do not have that info,but do have other info regarding possible terrorists or blacklisted passports.

I hope this clears up any misconceptions regarding fellow "clerks"duties,retired or active.

Air Asia has a 0 (zero) fare through today for BKK-SIN.I booked for just over 3100b w/express boarding both directions.

Lao, Thai troops clash on border: RCAF

An RCAF general said Thursday some 30 Thai soldiers were fired upon by an unknown number of Lao troops in the Golden Triangle region where the three countries' borders converge.

The incident happened after Thai soldiers strayed into Lao territory en route to Cambodia.

"Lao soldiers shot at the Thais [on Wednesday] as they were walking in Lao territory, but we have no information about possible casualties," the general, who asked not to be named, told the Post Thursday.

"I have not received any new reports, but we are investigating the matter carefully," he said.

The general added that since Thai soldiers began crossing the border in July, cooperation between Cambodia and Laos to monitor developments along the border has strengthened.

Soldiers from Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are normally deployed in the Golden Triangle area, but tension has increased as a result of the months-long standoff between Thai and Cambodian forces over disputed border territory.

The general said the recent unexpected arrival of seven Thai soldiers at a Cambodian military guard house in the area had further inflamed matters following last week's gun battle near Preah Vihear.

"They came to stay with our soldiers on our land," the general said. "We will burn this house [rather than cede it to them] because we built it on our own land."

Addressing the reported clash between Lao and Thai soldiers, Neang Phat, secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence, said "it is an issue between Laos and Thailand and did not involve Cambodian territory".

Remark:

It says "Golden Triange" but they mean "Emerald Triangle".

What's the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) doing in Laos,anyway?

That's good news!

I hope they'll be as generous in January.

Did you have to present any details of your bank funds?

Sorry for late reply tropo, i took my bank book as i had read on here about maybe needing it, now i didnt have to show it, but i did use a visa agent outside, which i normally woundnt, but i thought im paying for all this with flights hotels and travel etc might as well bung someone as well can only help with not getting a "not to return stamp" and i did want a x2!

if i had gone in maybe they could have asked for a bank book and refussed as staff do from time to time just to get up our nose's!

no problems for jan i think you be fine, the people who are getting the "not to return to penang" stamp will not need another for about 5 months say, so it will then get very busy in laos about maybe march, thats when change might occour i would have thought!

good luck tropo

chris

When I applied for and received my inital dual entry tourist visa,I was advised that I needed to show a bank balance with a minimum of $500-as if that would prove I wouldn't be a burden to the country.It was at the Honorary Thai Consulate in Coral Gables,Florida.(Miami) and it took 5 days-amazing considering they probably get 3-4 requests a week.