MTH

Saw this on the channel 7 news Sunday night. They showed the explicit video of him putting the gun under his jaw and pulling the trigger. A picture of his passport was also displayed, as usual here in Thailand. Additionally they mentioned the reason being, a bargirl had cleaned him out. So I assume he left a note behind. Or maybe they just made that one up, who knows.

Sad way to go, R.I.P.

All the previous border runs I have done I always went across a rickety bridge and spent an hour in a buffet restaurant inside a Casino where no one played any games but Cambodians slept at the tables. Baan Laem ???

Most likely Baan Laem/Pailin, just as you cross over the bridge, there are a few windows on the left where they handle the Cambodian visas. About 50m to the right is the closest tax free shop. When I’ve been there on organized visa trips, we’ve always just hung out around where they do the Cambodian paperwork, maybe walked over to get some booze or smokes in the tax free shop. Wait on the Cambodian side have been around 20-30 minutes, I’ve never been to that casino. So did you wait so long there due to being fed at the casino?

We were taken to a different border crossing from the rickety bridge / Casino one. Once through the Thai side of Customs we walked a few yards there was a small broken down little building used as a shop cafe with a few broken concrete tables where the drivers did there "paperwork". Any one wanting to go "shopping" for Viagra were invited to take Cambodian mini vans to go up a hill to a large new looking building about 400 yards away. If you did not want to go shopping you could sit at the cafe which I chose to do.

This would be Ban Pakard/Prum, just after stamping out of Thailand there is a small shack where you wait for your paperwork to be handled. You can pick up some tax free stuff there too, if you don’t want to take the van up the road, bought some smokes for a friend last time I was there.

but as I said earlier it would be nice to know what it costs not to actually go ? because I really did not go abroad...just had a Pepsi and a snack....and waited for the paperwork to be done.

I guess you didn’t really go abroad in the sense of entering another country, but you did leave Thailand. The shack were you had your Pepsi would be the so called “No man's land”, that exists between many borders. I assume you had to stamp out of Thailand by yourself and also stamp back in again.

^you mean Preecha in Baan Amphoe?

I prefer Rim Hard in Bang Saray

You could be right, for some reason I’ve never paid attention to the name of the restaurant in Ban Amphoe. But I thought Preecha is the one most recommend in Bangsaray?

Preecha definitley in Baan Amphoe but I don't know if they have another place in Bang Saray?

You were right, Preecha it is! Been going there for years, but for some reason never paid attention to the name. Usually just saying, it's time to go to Ban Amphoe for some good seafood.

I have been using Five Star from The Sportsman when I have needed to go to the border maybe 5-6 times now - last time was 2300 baht with the discount for booking early. Can't help but feel the quality has gone down a bit recently - the onboard wifi didn't work and the headphones haven't worked the last couple off times as well for the movies. Having said that, the ride was comfortable and breakfast is reasonable.

Anybody able to make a comparison between 5 star and 1st class???

I used to use Five Star, but a few years ago they were full on the day I wanted to do the run, I continued on to Queen Vic and got a seat on the 1st Class bus. After that I continued using 1st Class, main reason was that their head sets were in better shape, otherwise I’d say the service is the same, comparable breakfast, and a similar snack offered after the border crossing. Both provide you with a bottle of water before the run and one more bottle after the border crossing. After returning to Pattaya, I think Five Star offer a drink in the pub for filling out their survey, 1st Class offers a few free lunch choices, but no drink included. Both are now going to Ban Pakard/Prum which is a smaller and faster border crossing than Ban Laem/Pailin.

^you mean Preecha in Baan Amphoe?

I prefer Rim Hard in Bang Saray

You could be right, for some reason I’ve never paid attention to the name of the restaurant in Ban Amphoe. But I thought Preecha is the one most recommend in Bangsaray?

I send wife's sister (Filipina) every 15 days to Cambodia, cost B750. Not sure of how many in van, she is petite so never hear complaint about how crowded.

Filipinos get visa exempt entry to Cambodia, so that’s a 600+ Baht savings for the visa run company.

Take a trip to Khao Kheow Zoo, good for a half day out. Best is to have your own transport, the zoo is set up to drive around and you park at different places to get out and look at the animals, they also have a few exhibits. There is also Sriracha Tiger Zoo, not as nice but they put on a few shows that the kids would enjoy.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is also a good place to spend half a day, they have a smaller zoo within the premises, elephant rides, and they also have a show package including a Thai Culture Show and an Elephant Show. These places have dual pricing, maybe except for Khao Kheow Zoo (I don’t think they do), so if you have a Thai driver’s license or a work permit, bring that along for at least your own discounts.

Dinner at Cabbage & Condoms on Pratumnak Hill, great setting over the beach, you walk through a nice garden on the way to the restaurant, where the kids can play around. They have some good Thai seafood restaurants on the water in Bangsaray, or a bit closer there is a good one on the water in Ban Amphoe, don’t remember the name, but you will see which one it is, as their parking lot always have quite a few cars, as opposed to the other ones. Good for lunch or dinner.

I dont have to use them now (thank you, retirement extension ) but when I did I found Cambodia Inter in Soi Buakow to be very reliable and the cheapest at about 1700B.

Cant see the point of paying more.

I pay more because I like the comfort of having my own chair, they also show movies in the van, so there is something to do on trip, while you’re just sitting there anyway. I did use one of these cheaper visa run companies once, the van was full, think we were 10 persons in the back, not the most pleasant trip I’ve done.

Each to his own though, as the fourth trip could be considered “free” if you’re going with the cheaper ones. On the other hand, the more expensive ones have loyalty cards, so you do get some discount from them as well. Can’t remember the actual setup for these, as I too am so lucky that I don’t have to use them anymore, but I think the effective price will come out to 2100 per trip if utilized correctly.

1st Class Visa Runs from Queen Vic Soi 6 and Five Star Visa Runs from The Sportsman soi 13 are the most comfortable to go with, they only use 6 chair mini vans, but are also the most expensive 2,500 Baht. You can Google both for more information.

Do not take it in to the Plane,you will lose it.We talking about some 20000,-bath or more.

What ?

Could have something to do with the purchase price of the lighter.

If you want to take the bike into Malaysia, you need to bring an English translation of the green book (registration book of the bike). You will also need to buy temporary insurance for Malaysia, this is done after crossing the border, at the same you will also need to buy a Romanized translation of the number plate to stick on the bike. Most seem to also get a temporary export form, I have never used this and never been asked for one. Granted I’ve only done this in a car not on a bike, but the procedure is the same.

According to recent reports, if you have extended a tourist visa for an extra 30 days, you will most likely be denied a new tourist visa in Penang, so you would have to ride down to Kuala Lumpur to get a new tourist visa, about 600 Km from the border. Not sure about current situation in Kuta Bharu, you would have to look through the ”Latest Reports Of Getting A Visa In The Region”.

And as others have mentioned, the ride to the border will of course, among other things, depend on where you’re staying in Thailand.

You can do it all yourself, but it's just not worth the trouble. Pay a bit and get a real headache relieved.

The dealer should be able to provide you with a red plate to suffice riding around until full rego comes through. Just be aware that there are some restrictions on when and where you can go with the red plate.

OP is on a tourist visa. Doesn't he need a non-imm to get the bike registered in his name?

Well he does need a residence certificate to register the bike in his name, so it depends on the immigration office. Some immigration offices will issue a RC on a tourist visa and some won’t. In Pattaya this is a non-issue, however I’m not sure about the immigration offices in BKK.

I refuse to go to Nong Nooch as it is one of the very few places that will not give Thai price for Expats.

Did you use the strikethrough font, as you realized that’s not correct?

I’ve never had any problems getting the local price there when showing my Thai driving license.

Sorry did not mean to use the strike through ,but i have not tried there for a few years ,do they now allow you to get Thai price with your licence ,they never used to ?

At sri racha tiger zoo they even let my daughter her husband and my grandaughter in for Thai price when we took them .

I’m surprise that you haven’t been able to get the local price at Nong Nooch, I don’t go that often, usually only when I have visitors coming over. But when I do go I’m doing the driving, so when getting to the both where you buy the tickets, I roll down my window show my license and tell them how many Thai tickets and how many “regular” tickets I want, never had any problems or arguments. Not sure if you know this, but you can also buy tickets to only enter the gardens, without having to pay and see the shows.

That was nice of them at Sriracha tiger zoo, been there a few times too with visitors, but never tried to get them in for Thai price, I’d always assumed that even if you can buy the Thai tickets at the counter, you could still have problems with the guard that lets you in to the park.

Mhairi - get a double entry at least. Single entry 60 days (extendable in-country to 90) may sound like a long time but trust me it will fly by - and if you haven't found a job by then you'll have to do far less convenient border runs (by road for 15 day extensions or by air for 30 day extensions) or go to a neighbouring country for a new tourist visa. Much easier to get a double entry now. If you haven't found work in 6 months, give up. But 3 months maybe cutting it fine.

I'm more concerned, however, about your ticket. I think you may have been given a bum steer on the ticket issue. It is the airlines, not immigration as such, who enforce the "ticket out" policy. If someone is found here illegally and they don't have a ticket out, the airline that brought them in gets punished. That's why the airlines insist on a return ticket (or an outward bound from Thailand ticket) to even let you on the plane. If I am not wrong this applies to ALL types of tourist visa. You can only have a one way ticket if you're on a long term non-immigrant visa. I could be wrong but do double check or you might find yourself at check-in being denied a boarding pass.

Good advice about getting at least a double entry tourist visa.

Not sure why you’re saying that she got a bum steer on the ticket issue though. The OP has got it right about the possibility of being denied boarding a flight to Thailand with a one way ticket and no visa. This has nothing to do with someone later being found here on overstay and the airline being punished for bringing them here. The reason for this, is that the airline that brought a person over here, is responsible to fly them back home again if the passenger in question wouldn’t be allowed entry at immigration. That’s why most airlines require you to have an onward ticket out of Thailand, if you’re only in possession of a one way ticket and no visa. You don’t need a nonimmigrant visa to utilize a one way ticket, any type of visa will do and a single tourist would do just fine.

I refuse to go to Nong Nooch as it is one of the very few places that will not give Thai price for Expats.

Did you use the strikethrough font, as you realized that’s not correct?

I’ve never had any problems getting the local price there when showing my Thai driving license.

How about beverage coolers, nice enough to have in living room or outdoor patio. Anyone know where to get in Thailand ?

Beverage Cooler

Went to Makro today and these were the two “smallest” I could see there.

Depending on where you reside, Makro has a bit different selection. I’m currently upcountry so this was at Makro Surin.

I still think I’ve seen a smaller size in Pattaya, close to the one in your picture, but not sure…

Think I’ve seen those drink fridges at Macro, but don’t hold me to it.

Will most likely do a Macro run tomorrow, so I’ll keep an eye out for them.

As for Semper’s comment about grounding it properly, there is a tread in this subforum about a Brit that got killed grabbing a bottle of water out of a fridge.

Just did it last month, got a list of the required docs from Surfrider in this post.

Looks like they have smaller ones at Tesco starting at 8K right now.

I’ve seen those Panasonic fridges with the freezer at the bottom at Tesco, Big C and HomePro, there are 3 or 4 different sizes to choose from and pricing seems to range from about 12K for the smaller ones, up to around 22K for the largest.

They all have their hinges on the right though.

I would not spend any money at all on the by the manufacturer recommended service intervals,at the end what should he know about.

Just buy some of the cheapest oil you can find,think palm oil will be suitable for that,and just top up whenever the red light on the dashboard lights up.

Then,when you have a serious problem like a timebelt that broke or a valve seat that burned or maybe an automatic gearbox that breaks down,just come cry on the forum about how bad cars Isuzu makes.

Sorry, me no understand.

PS. Isuzu, no timing belt.

You’re correct, don’t know where I got that information from about a year ago, when I looked into it.

Quick search and I found this:

Timing Gear & Chain

Unlike ordinary rubber-based timing belts that can snap unexpectedly, the D-Max timing gear and chain is made of durable hardened steel/alloy/metal for extended trouble-free driving. And the best part is its maintenance-free for life too!! Gone away the timing-belt replacement costs.

One thing less to worry about.

she is older then him, and they have been together 6 years.

maybe like mine the sin sod was given back who knows, i came out in front with gold to, well in front.

wifes father gave me some nice gold.

6 years is a while so they are doing ok.

Not sure where you got that she’s older than him from?

According to the article he’s 42 and she’s 36.

Is it still possible to do that?

Yes, but I don't see the point in doing it. I mean, you have travelled all the way to Vientiane (how many hours) you have made your visa to Laos. So what would the problem be to fill out 1 dokument and hand it over to the officials by yourself?

Maybe the OP’s got 3K burning a hole in his pocket.

As mentioned, why not do it yourself? Using an “agent” might show helpful if you already have a few tourist visas in your passport. The agent might then be able to assist in getting something that you yourself could be denied of. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense, especially since you made your way to the consulate already.

Thank you all for your answer.

So it's still possible, it's a good news!

The point is that I spend 2 days in Vientiane, and I prefer visit and enjoy than spend all the morning doing the queue and again the next day afternoon.

But this is up to people right!!

Thank you

Correct, not for us to judge how you spend your time and money.

However there are some that need some nudging to go ahead and do thing themselves, instead of always using intermediaries.

Good luck with the visa!

I have a similar D-Max, but a 2003 AT. Having the same problem as you about a year ago with the squeaky sound, I replaced all 3 belts and that cured the problem. At the same time I did replace the front wheel bearings and two steering joints, had an oil and filter change plus flushed the cooling system. Unfortunately I don’t have the receipt handy, so I can’t tell you the price of the belts or the wheel bearings. However all in all it came close to 7K for that service.

When I started hearing that squeaky sound, it prompted me to look into the recommended mileage to replace the timing belt. From what I could find out, it seems to be at 150K, so right at where you are now. I’d suggest talking to the service rep at ISUZU and get their take on it.

About 2 months ago, at 125K, I replaced ALL the fluids and fitted a new air filter, cost 4700 Baht.

(I do all my service at the ISUZU dealership.)

Is it still possible to do that?

Yes, but I don't see the point in doing it. I mean, you have travelled all the way to Vientiane (how many hours) you have made your visa to Laos. So what would the problem be to fill out 1 dokument and hand it over to the officials by yourself?

Maybe the OP’s got 3K burning a hole in his pocket.

As mentioned, why not do it yourself? Using an “agent” might show helpful if you already have a few tourist visas in your passport. The agent might then be able to assist in getting something that you yourself could be denied of. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense, especially since you made your way to the consulate already.