BillR

Actually, I think Kata - Karon is really good. Three of the prettiest beaches on the island next to each other.

Pity about the night-life, but, it was much the same when I lived there from 1987 - 1989 and again from 1992 - 1999.

You are fair with your comments.

also, kata is a s:&tHole lol

Did read a bit of this thread, seemed to get off track, but do like GOM.

Respect that before replying.

Drive throughs do exist in Phuket.

yes, nothing to do for the parent aside from from a fully equipped health club.

I could probably hire Arnold as a PT for less than the joining fee of the health club.

20-30k for the priviledge to pay 2500 per month. Even movie stars don't pay that much.

Please enjoy your new found very special deal.

yes, nothing to do for the parent aside from from a fully equipped health club.

What's the name of your resort, Simon?

yes, with pictures, so we all can be safe, perhaps a photo of you in your Tourist police uniform

more shocked you didn't mention your hotel in the OP

edit whoops you did

I really have no problem with the 100 baht airport surcharge. These meter taxi mostly have to travel empty out to the airport due to local taxi mafia control. I always support/use these meter taxi guys.

I have no problem with a charge either. I was referring to the unsure part of the text snippet. Maybe charge, maybe not.

In any case I don't support either of the two taxi gangs. Both gave me plenty of reasons to hate them in the past. The meters mostly for refusing to use the meter. Might be better now.

BillR: you could also use for example phuketshuttle.com where the fair is a fixed 900THB so you don't even have to negotiate.

Its never been much of a negotiation, I just say 900THB to Rawai, no meter and drive safe and its an above average rate for the driver. I pay to the airport from Rawai 700THB from my regular guy.

What has changed is the system is much more organised. You are not harassed on exit, you receive a ticket as posted above which gives info on the driver and what to do if a problem occurs from a well organised kiosk outside. In my opinion this is a good thing considering scams which have occurred in the past.

Before you would get "taxi taxi taxi sir where you go?" No idea if the driver was licensed, drunk or whatever. The old taxi booth was shady to say the least (its gone now) Now the system is much more clear and i think safer for tourists.

I just wanted to state it was a good thing, however you go about it.

hi, mostly you should find if you buy a drink or lunch or whatever you can use hotel pools. If you want some monthly deal, I would suggest not asking for a rate upfront. If you frequent the place just be polite, have a drink or whatever and they might just let you come there full time without the pre-requisite of buying something all the time.

This is my experience with a major resort in Phuket.

The reason why I negotiate a no meter flat rate is I don't really trust the meters and if things like traffic become a factor then who knows. On my trip last night I negotiated 900 to Rawai, which might be high, but the lady ran the meter and it was 875 THB so if 100 THB surcharge it would be more. Anyways, she drove decently and was professional. Here is the ticket in question, left panel.

On closer inspection, it does say if you hire on the airport grounds, you must pay the 100 THB surcharge, but it doesn't go to the airport per-se.

I guess the point is, things are more accountable now as far at least having some recourse if you get a maniac or meter rigged driver. As a benefit, they seem to drive safer, at least by Phuket standards.

Taxi-Meter drivers are allowed to ask passengers for a surcharge of 100 Baht added to the fare in the meter. In this regard, Phuket Intl. Airport is not involved in accepting the surcharge of 100 Baht on transport fares in any way.

You learn something new everyday:) Thats directly from the ticket.

I flew in on January 2nd, business as usual. Yesterday, I came in and now they give you a ticket with the drivers name, phone #, Driver #, and how to file a complaint.

There's also no more people harassing you for a taxi as soon as you exit.

My apologies if I missed this.

I never had a problem with them, I would usually negotiate a flat rate and you can still do that. Just nice to know you are somewhat protected.

Not a bad idea.... initially.

Problem is: What prevents a person from keying in a false name, address, passport number, etc.? There ARE foreign crooks out there who would just looooove to get their hands on an ID card to hide their true identity. And that would defy the purpose, wouldn't it?

One of the other two options the Deputy Commissioner stated were photocopies of relevant pages of the passport / visa and a Thai DL ... the card I propose would be an adjunct to one of those produced at the same time. Next an officer can say - let's go get the passport with visa... sDo at that time everything had better match up or... of to jail for fraud... criminal fraud. Also - my idea of a Expatriate Alien ID Card is to generate discussion and maybe - just maybe the concept will migrate over to Thai immigration which could if they wished create a real card tied to a database... Which is the real reason I came up with this idea..

And Note: An enterprising crook can come up with a fake passport with visa and stamps...

Your idea is crap. You can show your Thai DL, or a digital or photocopy of your passport/visa/work permit under extreme circumstances. Let's keep in mind you would never have to show any of that at all, unless you were being questioned for a crime. Your passport has a number, your visa has a number and signature, your work permit has a number and signature.

If in the mega unlikely event they wanted further proof, the authorities can take you to your villa or whatever and inspect your original documents.

Or you could just do the practical thing and keep pdf copies of visa/passport/work permit on your phone and in the cloud. That might be too easy

Very good news to over-stayers. No excuse not to go now, Don't wait, sort this out now

Good luck everyboby

The factual excuse will be many "no have" 20,000THB

why not just buy a few drinks and food by the pool and move on with your life ? No hotel will stop you from swimming... Unless you emailed them to see if you have to pay

I'm taking no particular joy from this clampdown, but can it just be said one more time (I'm assuming it has been stated somewhere in this thread already)...

Whether one is under 50 or over 50, rich or poor, law-abiding or corrupt, speak Thai or don't, eat in local establishments or only eat American fastfood: one just can't live wherever they want according to their idea of fairness. Even if it's true that they're just an independently-wealthy, fun-loving tourist.

Period, end of story.

'cept for Thailand, prior to this clampdown, and Thailand in a few months when it blows over.

Yes, you're right on the first point and possibly on the second. I'm talking about in theory, which is why when things revert to the norm and people are caught with their pants down their incredulity is laughable.

And, if you are indeed right on the second point, some people seem to be wasting a lot of energy uneccesarily bashing Thailand in this thread. Although that's fairly normal here, admittedly.

That is because (despite your fantasies otherwise) the incredulity is based on the fact that the people involved were just tourists... they were not thaivisa.com junkies ... they were just being tourists... went for another 30 days and WHAM - door is closed.... Should they have anticipated the denial ? - NO! They were just doing what was allowed ... and convenient and seemingly - normal... But you think that all long stay tourists are slight of hand illegal workers, criminals, etc. who deserve what they get... and yes shallow minded people think like that...

Where you live? Fantasy Land? LOL

So why did I pay 75 quid for a triple entry tourist visa in London?

I can not even use it!

Yes you can, if you are a legitimate tourist.

As usual, BillR speaks with authority...oh wait, he's just trying to make himself feel important any way he can. Never mind

Nope, for those of us who do things right, we relish in your pain

It is time to spend the money in other countries, not in Thailand. TAT will be very happy about this new policy of the Immigration.

Don't let door = ass

That's a cynical reply, granted there won't be an impact on the Thai economy due to the people who are forced out or choose to leave because of the tightening visa laws. But there will be an impact on expat owned businesses. There will be a few less regular customers frequenting expat owned bars and restaurants during low season, and I'm sure an influx of financially stable expats will have a positive effect to the same sort of businesses in neighboring countries.

Unless your business caters to zero baht illegal workers or those who cannot afford without correct visas this will have ZERO impact

@JDGRUEN, if you go back and read the newspaper article from May, the two high-ranking officers from Immigration both readily admit that they allowed back-to-back exemptions and Tourist Visas when they shouldnt have done so - classic TiT - but isnt that why this is termed a 'crackdown' instead of 'new rules and regulations' ? They are simply enforcing their own rules - granted, I dont have a link to those rules but I didnt have a link when they enforced the '90 days in any 6-month period' rules either. I also reject the suggestion that this has been sprung on people without warning, at least for those with even a passing interest in this forum.

I'm not here to 'apologize' for Thai Immigration or anyone else involved in this particular episode but this board should be about finding ways to work with the system as it stands, not the way it was a month ago or the way we'd like it to be. I've had issues with Australian Immigration at Brisbane airport going back to the early noughties but nothing I've ever said to them has made one iota of difference - those guys just have a thing for single men returning from Asia and I have to accept that they catch enough drug mules over time to vindicate their profiling. In this case, we have zero figures to confirm that the first stages of the Thai crackdown are succeeding in the stated aim of ridding the country of illegal workers but for now our focus should be on establishing the best way to deal with reality, not pointing out the many flaws in the system. End of sermon

Rather - they just spent tens of thousands of Baht on Thailand helping the tourism revenues... Now they are spending money in Malaysia to get back here to recover their belongings... and get on the airplane on July 29 (booked in June) and go to Indonesia or the Philippines (can't remember)... Terrible people they are .... / not

Get Real, nobody does visa runs by border bus unless they are poor. The money won't be missed

It is time to spend the money in other countries, not in Thailand. TAT will be very happy about this new policy of the Immigration.

Don't let door = ass

Throughout this entire thread, I keep seeing reference to vast numbers of people, in Thailand, working on tourist visas/visa exempt stamps.

Could someone please provide a link to clarify these figures and what areas of work they are taking place?

I have only been living in Thailand for the last 17 years, legally working for the majority of that time, have met with probably thousands of expats here and have never met one (to my knowledge) that has not had the correct visa and work permit.

The only abuse of visa exemption/tourist visas (defined at today's immigration view on the subject) have been taken by people who are having an extended party, or want to stay here for reasons most definitely other than work.

Maybe I have led a very sheltered life here? But I don't think so..........................

You live in a cave? There are so many people LIVING here on tourists visa's receiving income from Thailand. You never been to a restaurant/bar opened by a farang for his GF or wife? Nothing illegal about that, but they are on TOURIST visa and not really tourists are they? You never met a farang selling or renting property on the side? You never know an English Teacher? You want a link? PLEASE.

how many people do you know that are living in Thailand on back to back tourist visa's that are NOT working illegally? Rhetorical question of course.

I know at least 3, not working, and just holidaying, travelling, relaxing and spending good money (between 10-20k a week)

on back to back border run tourist visa's ?? If they are travelling surely they can leave by air and come back like any other "tourist" ")

Saw your edit, you're friends have no problem then