bubba

My Apple Watch battery is down to about 70% and needs replacement. I checked at iCare for the authentic battery replacement exchange but they can only do that for watches purchased in Thailand and mine wasn’t. Anybody know of a shop who can do this in CNX?

Last week crossing the bridge from Chiang Khong bridge to Huay Xai A sign is posted stating you must stay two nights in Huay Xai. There are exceptions requiring a one night stayif you are existing on a certain visas (they weren’t specific on which visas) if that visa was being cancelled on exit with no re-entry permit. No overnight stay required if exiting on a visa with a re-entry visa. No overnight stay if you’re using a visa run service or visa agent. All clear as mud based on impeccable logic, right? Everyone without a visa was asked to show an outward bound ticket but it didn’t have to be a ticket to your country of origin. An e-ticket on your phone will work. I wasn’t checked for 10,000 baht and I didn’t notice anyone in front of me being asked. I was told by an IO in Chiang Saen that credit cards would suffice but who knows. I didn’t see anyone asked for proof of lodging in Thailand. That was a week ago and of course all that could have changed by today.

I was in Chiang Saen week before last and asked an Immigration Officer at the office there about this. She told me the requirement was now a one night stay on the Lao side if returning on a 60 day visa waiver entry. That said, it could be different this week.

But it is if you have Apple Pay linked to a foreign card. You simply use it with your iPhone or your Apple Watch at any contactless card reader. I’ve been using mine that way for years.

I would assume you would file a personal income tax form showing zero assessable income.

If using a virtual payment such as Apple Pay (which does work in Thailand), there is no card information exchanged - only an anonymous, randomized token and a one time security code. That’s the security advantage of using such a system and it prevents anyone in the middle from collecting any personal details from users or tracking them.

Here’s video. Looks like it starts out with the drunk Russian causing an altercation in the lobby and several farang attempt to subdue him. https://youtu.be/wzbDJzfRB9M?feature=shared

Don't worry about a drop in tourism . Those cheaper lao khao prices will more than offset these fees.

Your Fox News article regarding WE161 is dated 8 November 2019

Duplicate

Thai media are now reporting that he was beating his head bloody against the wall in jail so the authorities have moved him to Suan Prung psychiatric hospital. Just a thought…even if he eventually gets released, what airline is going to allow him to board a flight back to Canada unless he’s in a straight jacket?

Regarding the border run to Laos across the Mekong (not a small river) from Sop Ruak (not close by to Mae Sai), I posted this back in February and presumably it is still accurate. Go to the immigration office in Sop Ruak. They will stamp you out and they also ask if you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an outbound air ticket. (On arrival, they did not ask to see that). After getting stamped out walk out the back door which leads to the boat dock. The boat across to Lao costs 70 baht if there are at least three passengers and they run on demand. Once on the other side, you disembark and walk up to Lao immigration. The first window checks passports and hands you an arrival form, which you complete, then hand it to the next window and then pay at another window. The visa cost varies by country - for Americans it was 1,500 baht. There is a small duty free shop inside the Lao arrivals hall just after you enter with decent prices on spirits and wine. If you have USD, use those as they were doing 37 baht/dollar for purchases. You can then go to departures, get stamped out and return to Thailand to get stamped in. The boat back to Thailand costs 150 baht. Once back on the Thai side, you just need to go through Thai arrivals and you're stamped back in. The immigration officer advised and confirmed that they will only allow this twice each year. All together this will cost you 1750 baht which is more than the Mae Sai crossing would cost you, but it’s there if you need it while Mae Sai remains closed.

So will these additional 15 million passengers annually arriving at the 28 new gates be dumped into the same immigration arrival area as the already overflowing one?

I do not know what the cost of a Lao visa on arrival is today, but at the Sop Ruak crossing it was definitely 1500 Thai baht for American nationals in the middle of last month.

Just up the road at Sop Ruak (“Golden Triangle”), crossing the Mekong to Laos is an option and you get 45 days. I posted this in another thread. Here's how it worked: Go to the immigration office in Sop Ruak. They will stamp you out and they also ask if you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an outbound air ticket. (On arrival, they did not ask to see that). After getting stamped out walk out the back door which leads to the boat dock. The boat across to Lao costs 70 baht if there are at least three passengers and they run on demand. Once on the other side, you disembark and walk up to Lao immigration. The first window checks passports and hands you an arrival form, which you complete, then hand it to the next window and then pay at another window. The visa cost varies by country - for Americans it was 1,500 baht. There is a small duty free shop inside the Lao arrivals hall just after you enter with decent prices on spirits and wine. If you have USD, use those as they were doing 37 baht/dollar for purchases. You can then go to departures, get stamped out and return to Thailand to get stamped in. The boat back to Thailand costs 150 baht. Once back on the Thai side, you just need to go through Thai arrivals and you're stamped back in. The immigration officer advised and confirmed that they will only allow this twice each year. All together this will cost you 1750 baht which is more than the Mae Sai crossing would cost you, but it’s there if you need it while Mae Sai remains closed.

An update on that if anyone is interested... Here's how it worked: Go to the immigration office in Sop Ruak. They will stamp you out and they also ask if you have at least 10,000 baht in cash and an outbound air ticket. (On arrival, they did not ask to see that). After getting stamped out walk out the back door which leads to the boat dock. The boat across to Lao costs 70 baht if there are at least three passengers and they run on demand. Once on the other side, you disembark and walk up to Lao immigration. The first window checks passports and hands you an arrival form, which you complete, then hand it to the next window and then pay at another window. The visa cost varies by country - for Americans it was 1,500 baht. You can then go to departures, get stamped out and return to Thailand to get stamped in. The boat back to Thailand costs 150 baht. BTW, there is also a small duty free shop inside the Lao arrivals hall with decent prices on spirits and wine. If you have USD, use those as they were doing 37 baht/dollar for purchases. Once back on the Thai side, you just need to go through Thai arrivals and you're stamped back in. The immigration officer advised and confirmed that they will only allow this twice each year. Seems easy to me if you need to do a border run and maybe faster than going through Chiang Kong and across the bridge there, at least until Tachilek reopens, which of course is faster and cheaper.

You can also do a border run from Sop Ruak ("Golden Triangle") by boat across the river to Laos. Friend of mine confirmed this with Chiang Saen immigration and will be doing that next week. There is immigration there for your exit/entry stamps and you can buy a Lao visit on the other side.

It's not gnarly. Post exposure rabies vaccine protocol specifies one injection in your arm every two weeks for a total of four. You should also receive human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) immediately to provide antibodies that will protect you until you begin to generate your own antibodies from the vaccine. HRIG is injected into and around the bite site and is not particularly painful. I know. I've been there and thankfully lived. One thing my physician told me - an older gentleman who had done his residency in rural Isaan decades ago when there was more rabies: go to a sink, put your watch next to it and commence washing the wound with soap and water for a full 20 minutes. He said 20 minutes will seem like a long time and it is, but that alone can be be >95% efficacious in washing the virus out and preventing infection, unless it is a deep puncture wound. And then go get HRIG and vaccines.