TheBrit

Hi,

So this is what happened for me.

I flew from Phuket to Penang with Firefly.

I stayed at Hotel Jen for about 1500 a night. The service is excellent, staff really friendly. The problems with hotel are as follows

I was put on the 8th floor and the room had an old CRT TV - not good for me as I wanted to connect some things to the USB so I asked to move and they moved me to floor 14, where I had a 40" flat screen TV. There are about 15 channel and 3 of them are movies, and there is news and sport from CNN and Aljazeera.

The problem with this room was it had an adjoining door, and you could hear the other people get wake up calls or their mobile phone vibrating on the table early morning.

The shower was great, lovely hot water and great pressure.

Breakfast finishes at 10:30 but what a breakfast. You can also take things away in a plastic tub as well. Great selection of food cooked/cold/fruit/meats/cereal/toast etc.

I had a contact with a guy called Mohammed who did VISA services. Now he told me he could get my visa back within 24 hours, which did cost more money. Normally if you do the visa yourself, you pay 550 Ringit. With him doing it, it was 600, but when I asked if I could get it back before midday it went up to 800 Ringit. By getting it back before midday, allowed me to get a Firefly flight at 2pm to Phuket, otherwise you have to go to KL or stay 1 more night in Penang.

The taxi from the airport is a straight fee of about 47 Ringit, and the Taxi back from the hotel is a negotiated 40 Ringit. The ride from Airport to hotel took just over an hour because at 5pm when Firefly lands its just all traffic all the way into town. On the way back when I took a taxi at 11:45 I was at the airport within 20 minutes, the Meter read 30 Ringit, but the negotiated fair was 40 at the hotel.

The hotel is also right in the centre near several shopping centres, the more up-market one being 1st avenue. It's not bad, but had a good cinema at the top (8th floor) which was fine. The other malls near it was IT malls and a general shopping mall which was nice enough. Food in the area was OK and there is a 7/11 across from the Hotel. The 3 malls are all within 2 minutes of walking from the hotel.

I walked through the town one evening and went to see the wall art areas and down to the pier with the chinese houses on. Nothing spectacular but got me out and about.

Anyway, I thought I would share my experience so others can benefit.

Thanks for all previous help.

Since I am going to be doing this trip in the next couple of days, I will write and tell you how it all went.

Thank you very much Digital Chromakey. I would like to leave the Embassy with a taxi to the Airport, just trying to sort out times.

I will see if I can convince a taxi to wait for me.

I was thinking of Bayview Hotel, in George town. Seems reasonably priced at 1700 THB.

I am not a party animal but where abouts is the night life, restaurants etc?

Thank's for the replies.

I have a question.

When I did the run in KL, I handed the passport to them in the morning 10am and got it back next day 2pm.

Is it the same in Penang?

How long does it take to get from the Embassy to the Airport?

Appreciate any help in this matter,

regards

If anyone else can answer this, I would appreciate it as I am going there next week.

Everyone talks about Banana Guest House, which is good that they do what they do to help people with visa hassles and running about.

My question is, are there nicer places that offer the same? I am sure this hotel is pleasant, but I was thinking of something a bit more, with swimming pool etc.

thanks

The Brit

Also one big factor in the problem is that in a "civilised" country, the Police Serve and Protect - to a point, and that's what the word Police means to most westerners. If you need help you call the Police.

Here the word Police should NOT be used for the so called Police. It needs a word that fits them better - Legal Corruption Enforcers - aka Mafia.

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

Sorry,

But I am failing to see how this is news at all?

Maybe it is me. Most people know you shouldn't go topless over here, but in parts of Phuket where tourists are what bring the money in, exceptions should be made.

No one was arrested for being topless, no one was even talked to by the police. The only thing here is someone ran down the MAIN high street naked which is unacceptable in anyone's country.

So can someone tell me the point of this complete pointless article?

Or is it just normal Phuket Gazette Waffle?

I am going on my trip soon to Malaysia Embassy,

I was going to give them 2 photos I have left from my Work permit application.

Would they complain that these are larger that the specified?

Thanks

TB

Those who think education is the answer, look at it this way.

In the UK education is free and people know what is what and where things go and what happens when things go in that place...

So 80,000 abortions seem conservative if you ask me. Since in England and Wales its about 50m people. Thailand over 63million, with not much education.

From the UK Website - http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_099285

In 2008, for women residents in England and Wales:

• the total number of abortions was 195,296, compared with 198,499 in 2007, a fall of 1.6%
• the age-standardised abortion rate was 18.2 per 1,000 resident women aged 15-44, compared with 18.6 in 2007
• the abortion rate was highest at 36 per 1,000, for women age 19, the same as in 2007
• the under-16 abortion rate was 4.2 and the under-18 rate was 18.9 per 1,000 women, both lower than in 2007
• 91% of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, just over half (58%) took place in the independent sector under NHS contract
• 90% of abortions were carried out at under 13 weeks gestation; 73% were at under 10 weeks
• medical abortions accounted for 38% of the total
• 1,988 abortions (1%) were under ground E, risk that the child would be born handicapped

So what about that clinic that is supposedly run beside condoms and cabbages?

That place is always busy.

Sounds like, someone has bought a big share in a Cosmetic Company and is now going to crack down on the illegal sales. Although, why they only crack down on the sellers and not the makers is beyond me...

The losses they post (like everyone else around the world DVD's CD's etc) is always hilarious. People wouldn't buy the original that is why they buy copies.

Good luck Thailand, come over to Phuket if you really want to start cracking down on illegal things

TB

I am going to be flying up to Udon in the next few days and I was told I can get a minibus from the airport to the Laos Border crossing. The questions I have are the following (so I hope someone can answer). I will arrive in Udon about 17:30 and its about 1 hour so I was told to get to the border. I check out, get a bus across the bridge, get a visa form, fill it in with a photo. Wait a while, get called up, receive my passport, go through get stamped, check in then walk back. Bus back to Thai side, check in there... then... If I want to get to Udon, without taking a rip off taxi, is it possible? Are there going to be any buses etc from about 8pm? Or would it be best if I just took a cheap tuktuk to Nong Khai to sleep for the night? I would prefer to stay in Udon for the evening, rather than Nong khai. So if anyone can shed some light on how to get back to Udon from about 8pm or so, could they share their knowledge. This will be my first Laos trip/stamp. Thank you TB

Please excuse my ignorance... but, is this the reason I couldn't open the home page of my forum (birders and photographers) for a couple of days now???

...I'd been driving myself crazy, looking for an answer...

I do not think browser traffic over http is affected.

You can try flushing DNS - http://www.tech-faq....-flush-dns.html

Also, I usually power cycle the router/modem daily. This means turning off power to the device for 10 seconds and then power it back up.

If you can't get to a website then go to this website - http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

checks the website you want is up or down then you know if its your end or not

TB

Checking some of my torrents now, and my private ones are not working.

The only tracker that is working for me - Name Status Update In Seeds Peers Downloaded

udp://tracker.openbittorrent.com:80/announce working 19m 40s 37 14 211

The rest are offline or no connection could be made....

TB

Just logged into UKNOVA to download TMaWL and getting 0/0

TB

Hey Guys, maybe you can help me. I need to do a visa run by the 12th of June. I notice you said that the new office opens 14th.

I am going on a week road trip, renting a car and driving around isaan.

I was looking at the temples near Si Sa Ket and noticed there is a border crossing Chong Sa Nga I think. If I make it to Si Sa Ket, where can I get a stamp-out and then come back in. I don't need a new visa, I have a 1 year. I just need the stamp in and out.

If I can not get a stamp-out of the country there, where do you guys recommend.

Any help would be really appreciated,

Thanks

Hi, I am looking for some bus information from BKK to Kantharalak. Maybe the bus will go to Si Saket first then I would need to change, but I really can't find much information and I would like to know if anyone can help me out.

I would travel through Songkrang so maybe the 12th. Also if anyone knows of a place that is worth staying there or where I could rent a motorbike I would appreciate that as well.

Thank you in advance

TB

yawn!

How can a democracy "reach it's limits"?

Which "limits" are they exactly?

If you think Thailand is Democratic then I guess thats what you said your comment. Other people who know this is not a democracy, understands fully what they guy meant about being immature.

Democratic countries don't have 17 coups in 60 years, thats what dictatorships have.

He had to plead guilty or lose his flight.

That happened to me when I was at the airport from a taxi ripping me off and I refused to pay some extortionate amount. The tourist police said to me - Pay it or you will come to the station. I could not refuse the payment, or I would have had to get a new flight.

Justice in this case... NO, IMO, he had to pay to leave the country or it would have cost him another small fortune to get another flight out.... Sometimes principals are best left at home.

TBS

A snatch and Grab happened to a good friend of mine while she was in Spain.

They cut the strap with a knife which also cut her arm and infected her with MRSA which ate lots of the bicep muscle away and spent many weeks in hospital.

TB

I have an AEG shower unit, but I did not fit it and I am not an electrician. What should I look for? There appears to be some kind of cut off switch, is that enough.

In response to this post, How sad and on Christmas day. The sadness is componded by the fact that nobody will be responsible.

If you can see the wires going into the shower, there should be 3, Live Neutral and Earth.

If you can't see the wires, Turn off the power to the house, Open up the box (screw normally underneath) and just count the wires.

As someone pointed out earlier it probably has an ELCB which needs an Earth.

TB

http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/style_ima...e_types/gif.gif

I brought a dual RCD Distribution 'skeleton' box from the UK, which fits (little bit of adjusting) over the existing Square D distribution board that was installed, also have a 2 meter earth rod in the garden, and all my metal appliances are earthed. Tested with UK test equipment (Meggar MFT 620) trips out in less than 40 milliseconds under fault conditions ( ie impossible to get a shock). If anybody is interested in this type of system, then please pm me.

This is also a lot more aestheticly pleasing than the thai safet cut boxes, which I would not trust anyway.

RIP

It is nice to see quality equipment again.....

No one wants to pay the price for Quality, which then costs lives.

The pain in your wallet is a lot less pain than in your heart.

TB

Also you have to remember about Thailand, it uses the worst electrical system.

It allows US standard electrical style (which is poor) with 220V which means death.

Flat bladed pins, that HANG OUT of the wall, never securely into a socket that wobbles about.... Its just Crazy.

The EU style is slightly better but not without its faults.

The safest by far is the UK System, which is used in other places like Malaysia and Singapore.

When using a 220V system, the EU standards should be used, and the flat pins should be stopped.

You can also easily tell if your appliance is of any standards at all, by looking at the cable. If it resembles speaker cable (just 2 wires) it is sub-par and probably has an American style plug.

If it is a round cable, it means it is double sheathed (same as EU) and probably has round pins. I avoid anything that now contains poor quality wiring. (which includes fans).

TB

I've heard that having more than one ground in a system can cause problems due to different earth potentials.

My electric guy insisted on a dedicated ground rod at the shower unit, which I thought was a good idea.

There is also a dedicated ground at an outbuilding, recently rewired (all 3wire in the house)

Comments? Crossy maybe?

This is why you have Bonding, which earths metal areas all together, but every earth should potentially go to the fuse box first, then the fuse box is what is grounded.

Due to designs in Thailand, most of the time this is not possible, but if you are willing to pay for the expense, then running the Earths from the Fuse Box will eliminate any differences in resistance.

TB