ThaiEye

Will be up to the officer, but often it is allowed but would need to pay 500 baht overstay.

500 baht is no problems. But that bit on "up to the officer" doesn't sound too good.

He actually postponed his trip till Tuesday, as he first thought Monday would be closed due to a public holiday.

What's this about a civil war in Thailand?

Yes, appears that the UK media is having a field day reporting about Thailand, even though most of their Thailand news reporters' only previous knowledge of Thailand was gained from a three day stop-over 7 years back.

Bangkok's unrest is nothing like as reported abroad. About safety, i would be more afraid of the possible unrest at a local British pub on a Friday night.

A friend asked this yesterday evening. Please advise.

On a two month Tourist visa. Visa expires Monday. Needs to get a 30 day extension but won't be able to make it to immigration until Tuesday.

Is it ok to extend Tourist Visa extra 30 days even though on a one day over-stay?

Thanks in advance.

After such a long time travelling, i too don't see the point in going out the way to take a bus to save no more than 10 US bucks. Plus don't forget you have to wait for a bus outside Suvarnabhumi to take you to the bus depot (another 20 mins) and then wait again for your bus to Morchid.

As for the red protests, the only ones you will see at Morchid, will be like you waiting for a bus! Morchid is not and won't be the site of any protests.

Yes, Khao Sarn Rd is open for business as usual and backpackers are coming back as if nothing ever happened. Getting much busier the past few days.

North Silom/Lumphi Park along with Rajaprasong are still the places to avoid. Same goes Sala Daeng BTS station right next to the multi-coloured.

I just got back again from Chiang Mai Tuesday evening and saw nothing.

No, going to Chiang Mai you have nothing whatseoever to worry about - all is fine.

Ever since the red shirts took over Rajaprasong, MBK and the Pathumwan Princess have been operating with no hic-cups attached.

Pratunam, Platinum Mall, MBK and the hotel are near however to Rajaprasong - best be avoided. Other than that no hassles at reported venues recently.

Rainbow crowds? Gay friendly groups!!!

That'll mark them as targets for the red shirts violence as LCM51 group has and verbal ridicule from Thaksin as he has.

Yeah, the reds, all about freedom and democracy. Tell a big enough lie enough times and you get an angry brainwashed mob ready to overthrow a legal government with raw violence and intimidation. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are PAID to be there.

How many posts have you, JD and Animatic made for the yellows? I have not see any converts to your PAD cause yet!

I just hope that when the remnants of TRT are elected again for the forth straight election victory, that other minorities (espescially elitist minorities) respect the election.

Grandpops = another redhead whose been watching too much Red-shirt TV channel. Just like every other red-shirt - make the slightest negative comment about them and they attack you claiming you are a PAD yellow shirt.

The red-shirt mentality that anyone who is not with them is totally against them reaks of George W Bush's past propaganda.

If the red-shirts want their 'democracy' then they should allow others to be able to voice an opinion without having to be lambasted as a yellow-shirt elitist fascist, blah blah blah....

However, they are not such a small group. They have had bigger crowds than the yellows.

I suppose that's true if you go by UDD leader Veera's various proclamations of having 1,000,000 protesters at rallies on

February 20, March 12, and March 14 followed by claims of 3,000,000 on March 30, and a staggering 20,000,000 protesters for the April 3 rally.

Right, and when nothing goes your way hire a few unemployed sniper ex-military pro-Thaksin guys to pull a few shots at soldiers at Kok Wua junction. And at the same time, sniper a few of your very own red-shirt guys in the back of the head, and hope for the best that the army gets the blame for the cold-blooded murders.

Then, when your soldier/red-shirt killer sniper guys get caught on YouTube videos claim they were edited and posted by the government!

Probably closing again later today and may well be closed tomorrow. Depends on the army.

Absolutely nothing to do with the army! The BTS and MRT have closed independently recently when red-shirts threatened using violence on them.

As of today, they are up and running as normal.

There are no longer any red-shirts in the Khao Sarn vicinity - they all gone to party together at Rajaprasong.

In regards to the last post, no red-shirt bodeis were paraded along Khao Sarn Rd!! 2 were draped and carried on to the stage at Phan Fah, nothing to do with Khao Sarn. Anyway no more red-shirts at Phan Fah...

They aren't celebrating, obviously. They are protesting the idea that a violent criminal mob (a tiny minority of the nation) can force down a legally elected government. Even more galling, this mob refuses to negotiate at all.

Legally elected you must be joking! The 'reds' have been pushed too far, they will not back down, and they are by no means a 'tiny' minority. What planet are you on?, or do you believe every bit of the biased bulls**t that is printed in the Nation?

The present govt came from an election - fair and square. Totally legal.

Unfortunately for the red-shirts, however, due to democracy, their buddies Banharn and Nevin decided to join a make a new coalition govt along with the Democrats.

Obviously Barry has been listening to too much Jatuporn red-shirt B/S rhetoric about "democracy".

Phetchburi Road is very safe and away from the protest site at Rajaprasong. The red shirts have cancelled all activities till after Songkran, so all is quiet now.

Altogether, Bangkok is totally all right for foreign tourists - just avoid any protest; makes simple common sense.

The only place to avoid at the moment is the Rajaprasong intersection where the last of the redshirts are located. Phan Fah/Ratchadamnoern Road/Khao Sarn Rd are is now clear of any protestors.

Another one of those tuk-tuk bashing threads; while we have no idea whether the story was real or just fabricated, exaggerated or simply written in a way to blame the driver.

99% of tourists never have a problem with tuk tuks on Phuket; most that do are travelling at night after a few too many drinks - not a very wise idea if you have a bit of a mouth on you.

Never ever get into an argument with a tuk-tuk driver or anyone of a simialr occupation in Thailand, especially if you have been drinking. Agree the price when you leave and you should have no problems. If you do, tell the driver that you want the police to sort the mess out.

You will be perfectly all right on Koh Kret, no red-shirt protestors there.

Much of Bangkok is closed regardless whether there are protestors or not. Major shops, however, are usually open. The major shopping malls in the Rajaprasong area though are closed because of the protestors.

In terms of traffic, Bangkok is great as there is hardly any vehicles on the streets.

95% of Bangkok is red-shirt free, so there ought to be no problems if you wish to avoid them. At the moment the red-shirts are mainly located at just two places - unfortunately though they are at or very near tourist hot-spots.

Yeah... if you worried about protestors and more possible violence it's probably agreed you are wise to move on to Pattaya to get away from it all. Pattaya is as normal.

The Ramkhamhaeng area is miles and miles away from the boody protests on Ratchadamnoern Avenue last night. Nothing to worry about...

In response to the OP - i doubt a few red-shirts protesting in a soi or in front of a govt building are gonna put off tourists going to Pattaya!

If the red-shirts, however, converged on Walking Street and forced the closure of the bars down there i suspect that would put off some people.

Who cares if there are a few red-shirts on the streets of CM. Nothing to do with foreigners.

The only people wearing red-shirts that disturbed me were about 30 of them Saturday night in my CM local Thai place, they were loud and unhappy that their team lost to Chelsea.

These small explosions could have been caused by anyone - someone with a grievance i suspect. These are nothing major, especially in the middle of the night with not even a stray dog around.

Not even news worthy.

Nope - Rama 1 and Phaya Thai insection.

Thanks, that's definitely the place to go if you want to cause trouble.

You didn't originally know where Rajprasong was but reckoned there was trouble there - sorry being for frank, but this is typical of an armchair travel critic.

I been in the area lots of the past few days and seen no trouble - the protests are very peaceful. Many of the shops now open as before.