laceyjane

I saw this thread a few days ago and have put off buying some plane tickets from AirAsia because of it.

Just moments ago I got a text message saying that our August 4th flight from BKK to Penang (Malaysia) has been canceled and moved to the afternoon. It was originally scheduled for 7:20am. On their website you can view how many seats are available and I saw as recently as yesterday that there were only about seven people on the flight, two of which were my girlfriend and I.

It's disappointing that this kind of thing happens, but pretty understandable given the situation. At least now I know for sure that they will cancel underbooked flights and that if I have to be somewhere in the morning, then I'd better arrive there the night before.

On the plus side, it's nice to get a notification of cancelation a few days in advance. I commend them for that.

So thanks to everyone in this thread. You made me be cautious with my ticket purchases and thus saved my from missing the first day of a 5 day dive package at Sipadan. I still plan to fly AirAsia, but I am going to arrive there the night before instead of relying on an early morning flight.

Thanks again!

Send it with DHL/UPS/FEDEX or similar, not by normal post (no brainer) - and have it insured, it will be fine.

As for customs - so long as its not new and its personal property - no duties, but make sure you haven't got porn on it - or any sensitive personal/business info on it as customs normally have the right to go through everything, and without a warrant of any sorts - well, thats the case with UK and USA customs.

Thanks for the reassurance on sending it and the info about duties.

To your last point: Holy sh**! They can pull out my computer and turn it on if they want? What do they do when they hit the BIOS password? Will they go so far as to hack into my stuff?! Crazy!

Thanks 473geo and robertsonmartin for your help as well.

I have a portable backup drive that I will carry with us while we travel so i'm not worried about losing information. Though I really don't like the idea of being snooped on. Separating the power adapters is a good idea. I don't have the original invoices because both machines are a few years old (bought in america).

Do you think I should pay to have the laptops arrive in the states as quickly as possible? I would imagine that the longer they spend in the system, the more likely they are to get banged around or am I being too worried at this point?

Hey all.

We're moving back to America soon but want to do some traveling first. Thus, I want to ship most of our stuff home (which isn't much...a small amount of clothes, books, and computers) so we can travel lightly. I'm concerned, however, about our two laptops. I've read many similar threads but none addressing my specific concerns.

First of all: Do you think they'll be safe if shipped UPS? If yes, any recommendations? I presume I should let UPS pack them themselves and take out the insurance. Is there a better company than UPS to use?

Next: Are we going to be subjected to any kind of export tax? If so, is there a way to get around it while still shipping them out of the country? I've heard terrible things about electronics be dismantled by customs when coming into Thailand...anything like that happen for stuff going out?

Finally: If you were in my position, how would you handle it?

It is possible for us to carry them around with us while we travel (we did that last time) but it will be a big hassle and a constant worry that they will be stolen.

Thanks a million in advance for any helpful information!

great! thanks a lot. i'll definitely check it out.

Hi all,

I'm doing an electronics project with some students and need parts. Anyone know of anywhere in Bangkok that I can get things like microcontrollers, op-amps, and breadboards? I'd specifically like to be able to find Arduino boards, but I know that may be a stretch.

I tried looking around Fortune and didn't see any components...just already-made electronics. I'm thinking Panthip Plaza but the idea of walking around that place looking for something specific makes my head hurt!

Anyone know of anywhere that's likely to have this stuff?

Thanks!

Lacey

Thanks for the reply.

I am teaching, but not at a big school and not at a language school. Privately owned by a non-thai. My boss has told me that the company meets the 2mil baht/person requirement (that's it, right? or is it something else?) for the foreign workers. Also, we have 4 thai employees for every foreigner, though I don't know whether that's for work permits or extensions of stay or...

Probably, any minimum salary is met. I'm from America.

My boss also has a lawyer that could help me, but I'd have to trouble them about it. I hope that is enough information for a more precise answer. Thanks!

Hello!

I have a multi-entry nonB visa and a work permit. My visa is good until June, but my current permission to stay expires March 6 (With multi-entry visas, you get 90 days each entry). I haven't made any trips to immigration since acquiring my current work permit in early January. To extend/renew (not sure what the right word is) my permission to stay, should I just do a border run or would it be easier to go to immigration and get an extension of stay (or whatever it's called? not a visa extension.).

My Thai is terrible, I've heard Bangkok immigration is a huge hassle, and I'm tempted by the idea of just hopping on a bus and visiting the border again, but then again I only get one day off per week. What's the best way to proceed?

Thanks!

Lacey

I teach at an afterschool college prep school where the students are all Koreans attending international schools. When I asked my students about differences between S. Korea and Thailand, one of the responses I got was actually that kids of mixed race are treated much better here. She (a high-schooler who has lived more of her life in Korea than Thailand) said that "mixed" kids are treated very badly in Korea, and looked down upon, but that here none of the students seemed to care at all. She said it was "better" here

...

There is so much stigma about Islam, especially women in Islam, that perhaps we in the west are "brainwashed from birth".

I don't know what it is like in the Middle East, I have never been there. But with my experience in Thailand and my home country - women run the show. There is no oppression in my house, or my in-laws (except maybe the father-in-law getting told what to do by mom and the sisters!)

I like the scarf. I like not doing my hair in the morning, I like not getting stared at when I go to the market, I like matching my scarf to my shoes and sarong. Really, I like the scarf for all the same reasons I like wearing a shirt when i go out in public!

Again, well said! I think it's silly to call culture brainwashing. Every society has certain things that people, sometimes just men and sometimes just women, "just do". In most cases it's the cultural norm, not a terrible mark of oppression.

As for some earlier post about how wearing a headscarf/veil (or even just dressing conservatively!) makes it easier to talk to men, I think this makes sense. It's not because men are pigs and only care about women's looks, though this is true in some cases, or because there is a cultural assumption that women who dress provocatively are sluts, but because attractive and somewhat revealed females are distracting! It's hard not to pay attention to something so appealing staring you in the face. I say this from a woman's point of view and don't think it says anything negative about either sex

Why because someone covers their hair does it make them unnattractive? I often change flights in the middle east and see these beaaaaauuuutiful women wearing hijab with more make up on than I have ever worn in my life- how are they then less attractive to men than I am with my make up less face and my dirty hair?

My boyfriend and I used to live in the South of Thailand, in quite a Muslim area, and we both agreed that many of the women wearing headscarves were REALLY attractive when dressed that way. I think that headscarves don't diminish the beauty of already attractive women, and that they even add an element of mystery which can be very attractive in itself.

count me in +1

thanks!

So I know the short answer that many people will give: you should get a work permit. Ok, check. But I've come across varying information on what exactly happens to you, usually, if you're caught working without a work permit, and also on how often this actually happens.

What's the deal? And how is the government's current need for money and most recent backwards thinking likely to affect this?

I have a non-B MULTIPLE entry visa and am in the process of getting a work permit. Once it is done, how should I handle further permission to stay when my current 90 days (that's the permission to stay, not the visa. the visa doesn't expire until june 2009) is up?

I have been doing border runs every 90 days. Should I continue this with the work permit?

Or, is there the option to go to immigration and apply for an extension of stay, or is that only for when your visa runs out (and you have a work permit)? IF I can do this, an important question (to me): If I give my work permit back before June 2009, will my visa then be canceled? Or will I have 7 days to leave the country and then re-enter, still on my old visa? Or something else?

Many thanks! This stuff can get confusing...

Hello!

My boyfriend and I are looking for a cheapish place in Bangkok, preferably close to skytrain/subway. Under 10,000 baht/month would be ideal. One bedroom or studio, doesn't need to be nice. It'd need to have internet connection available, though, and a (even tiny) gym would be great.

Know of anywhere? Thanks!

So, the point was the bit about being issued in Thailand, yes? And thus not applicable to me?

Also another question. You said your visa was valid until December 2009. Typo? If not, how is that possible?

This was in my case.

The multy entry B visa was issued in Thailand and then when your WP get cancelled you have 7 days to leave the country.

The Multy entry visa is tied to the WP in that case, so will be void.

The HR department here in Thailand was very confused and told me I could stay in Thailand for as long as the visa was valid (Dec 2009)

as long as I did not leave the country.

Checked the immigration site and found out.

Let me see if I've got this right: your WP was tied to your multiple-entry visa because it was issued in Thailand? Does that mean that, since mine was issued to me while I was still in America, mine is not tied to my WP (like everyone else seems to be saying)?

If anyone could point me to some kind of documentation on this, I'd be very grateful. I have now heard the same answer from a couple people here but am still encountering conflicting information elsewhere...

Thank you all!

If I understand you correctly you have a mulktiple entry non-immigrant. Your visa and permision to stay are still valid. Only if you are on an extension of stay, for which you apply at an immigration office, does your permission to stay expire when you lose your job.

Till when is your multiple entry visa valid?

I do indeed have a multiple entry non-imm visa, and it was originally valid until June 2009. My understanding, though, was that once I signed for my work permit, the visa became attached to the work permit, and that when I gave back the work permit Thai immigration would cancel my visa.

I have not found too much consistent and clear information on this. Thanks for replying so quickly!

Hi!

I originally came to Thailand with a Non-Immigrant B Multiple Entry Visa. I eventually got a work permit and have worked here for awhile. Before the work permit, I did one visa run to the malaysian border to get a new stamp (it had been almost 90 days since I arrived).

I'm now leaving the job that I had, and thus returning my work permit. I know that I'm required to leave the country or file for a new work permit in 7 days. I don't have a new job with work permit lined up, so I'll be doing the former. However, I'd like to stay in Thailand.

Where is the best place to go to get a tourist visa, leaving from Bangkok? What is the best way to get there, keeping in mind that I don't want to spend a ton but also would prefer not to spend 3+ days on a bus?

What are my other options (like visa exemption stamp) without a return ticket out of Thailand?

I'm an American citizen, not near retirement age.

I'd really appreciate even just a city name and airline/bus co.! Thanks!