QED

On the non o it says 'employment prohibited' so I assumed I would need a non b.

What paperwork will they require for the non b?

Hi,

I have been in Thailand for the last 3 years on multi entry non immigrant O visas, as I have not been working, am not married, and under 50. I now have a job offer in Thailand working for an offshore inspection company but based in Thailand.

I am currently in the UK, planning to travel back next week. So what should I do? Apply for a non immigrant B visa before I travel, or travel on my non O (valid until March 2010) and somehow get it converted in Thailand?

Not having been through the non B process before, what information do I need to support my application? Can I just say I will be looking for work when I get there, or do I need something from my employer? Also do you need the non B before you apply for the work permit or vice versa?

Sorry for what are probably very simple questions, but it's a sea change to what I am used to, non O's are very simple to get in the UK.

Thanks for any input.

I suspect you have a visa exempt entry not a VOA.

A VOA is only for those from certain countries and is only good for 15 days.

If it is a visa exempt entry you have a choice between a 7 day extension from immigration that requires you to show a ticket out of the country within those 7 days and costs 1900 baht or doing a border run and getting a 15 day entry.

Yikes. These options aren't very appealing. If I do a visa run to Vianchang can I get a one month visa or even a couple months??? Thanks again.

Do you mean Vientiane (Laos)? If so you could obtain a double entry tourist visa good for up to 6 months, but you will need to be there for a couple of days. I believe tourists visas are still free until 4th June.

If just one way, the best out there is Jet Airways with the cheapest fares about 12k all in. 1 hour layover in Bombay. Piss poor airport and the plane from BKK-BOM is <deleted> (4 1/2 hours) but the 777 from BOM-LHR is fine and not heavily loaded. Great food, wine and more than decent entertainment.

BA have some deals at 23k plus taxes. Etihad are sub 20k plus taxes. Both return.

Excellent Torrenova, just what I was looking for - thanks for that! I'm after a one way in mid-May, just checked their website and it comes in at 13,300 all in, which is what I was looking at with Air Asia from KL, with flights to KL, luggage, food, travel from Stanstead etc to add on top. Plus I just checked their T&C's and you get a 28kg luggage allowance as standard, dread to think what that would have cost on Air Asia.

What was wrong with the plane from BKK-BOM?

Edited for clarity

I'm still waiting for my wife and stepdaughter' visas so I checked one way prices for June and they've increased to23k baht (increase from 1st June), so the cheap prices must be a special promotion for May. So here's hoping we get the visas within the next week or two so we can travel in May.

Bangladesh airlines have a oneway price for £281 but I'e not heard anything good about themso apart from them the best oneway price I've found so far for June is £335 per person with Egyptair (includes a reduction for traveling as a family). Does any body know what the flight is like? Their website says they use 777's.

Just checked again and the prices are all 23k for May now. I've been out of town for a few days with no internet access, really wish I had booked it when I saw it

Thanks Aussiechick, it's a bit surreal but I was just about to start a new topic asking if anyone knew when the 10's where on this year!!

I will be there and would recommend it to anyone even if you're not a rugby fan, bring the family for a day or just an hour or 2, quite unique for Thailand and we are lucky to have it on our doorstep.

No entrance fee, plenty of refreshments and fun and games for all. It's also a lovely setting if you just want to have a nose around the grounds and equestrian centre.

The days you arrive and leave count, so in your example you would have to leave on or before the 31st July

Nice looking site, and good luck with the venture.

I would be careful with your price guarantee however, several societies in Pattaya have negotiated lower rates than you at local courses. One that I checked I could pay their green fee plus annual membership for less than your quoted green fee.

Ms. bino's lifetime licence looks like swiss cheese!

Please enlighten us where you can get a lifetime license in Thailand.I always thought that 5 years was the maximum validity.At least for foreigner not sure about Thai citizens but think the same as I always see Thais renewing there license.

I would guess Ms Bino is Thai (wife, g/f etc)

Thanks for that, I think I will give them a try.

>>Watch the prices on their website though. When you see the week's daily prices on the flexible option, note that some are not via Bombay but Delhi and one requires a 14 hour stay in Bombay (no way !). For cheapness, quality and ease, it knocks spots off that Air Asia X rubbish. <<

I wondered why they had 2 flights leaving BKK at exactly the same time and one arriving LHR 13 hours later

I looked at their 1 year tickets but 2 singles is significantly cheaper, and not sure of my return date just yet. I assume you get a good Ruby Murray on the plane as we are going via India?

Edit// Just checked Etihad as I have used them before also, same day etc is just under 23,000. For 10k on a one way flight I think I can slum it. Checked Eva, Thai and the usual suspects previously and nothing comes close.

If just one way, the best out there is Jet Airways with the cheapest fares about 12k all in. 1 hour layover in Bombay. Piss poor airport and the plane from BKK-BOM is &lt;deleted&gt; (4 1/2 hours) but the 777 from BOM-LHR is fine and not heavily loaded. Great food, wine and more than decent entertainment.

BA have some deals at 23k plus taxes. Etihad are sub 20k plus taxes. Both return.

Excellent Torrenova, just what I was looking for - thanks for that! I'm after a one way in mid-May, just checked their website and it comes in at 13,300 all in, which is what I was looking at with Air Asia from KL, with flights to KL, luggage, food, travel from Stanstead etc to add on top. Plus I just checked their T&C's and you get a 28kg luggage allowance as standard, dread to think what that would have cost on Air Asia.

What was wrong with the plane from BKK-BOM?

Edited for clarity

The fact that he paid over 5x the price he could have bought them for here, and then got fined makes it even funnier - it's just a tax on the stupid. Why would anyone smuggle cigs/ booze INTO Thailand, surely it's supposed to be the other way around??

I didn't know you could be extradited without at least being charged with something

Strange, very strange seem like to nice clean cut young men, why on earth would they lie about a stolen Lap top and sunglasses, got to be much much more to this story, would be nice to hear their side of the story once they are safe and sound back down under.

Very very common occurrance amongst that agegroup. My brother once told me that he did the same when he was at law school, basically paid for his holiday, but that was some years ago when there weren't such checks in place. Looks pretty cut and dried to me.

It will go to the door as it needs to be signed for. If there is nobody there they will leave a card and take it to the local post office for collection. There is only one EMS as far as I am aware. Where are you sending to?

>'With the open ended risk that can come from driving un-insured it's not worth the uncertainty that winging it without a Thai driving licence considering how easy it is to get one. '

Agreed - as I said this was the main motivation for me doing it, I wouldn't recommend anyone wait as long as I did, I delayed it as I thought it would be too much hassle which it really wasn't.

To the OP - there are several added benefits of having a Thai driver's license, such as you can use it to get Thai prices at alot of tourist attractions/ parks etc, and also use it as ID when checking into hotels and for internal flights. Also Thai law states that you should have at least a copy of your passport on you at all times (although I don't know anyone that does), but the license has your passport details on it so nullifies this requirement.

Cuban is technically correct, but the reality is somewhat different.

I drove here for a year on just a UK license. Got stopped 3 times for various 'offences' for which I would have had to pay the mandatory tea money anyway. No mention was ever made of my UK license, nor was the tea money increased because of it (200 baht each time).

My biggest concern was what would happen if I had an accident insurance wise, so I eventually got around to getting a license - which Cuban said is easy enough, just allow the best part of a day to do.

As for them 'marking your card', I don't believe they are sophisticated enough for this, they are merely opportunists. If you met the same copper at the same place he might remember you, but unlikely IMO.

We went there when they first opened to go to the movies and look around. I said lets get there a couple of hours before the film and have a bite to eat/ look around. We ate in the downstairs foodcourt which was awful and double the price of any other food court.

Looked in the supermarket for about 2 mins, laughed at some of the prices and left. Went upstairs and walked the length of one floor and was totally overwhelmed by the size of the place and number of shops. I am a man and cannot spend hours wandering around a mall trying to find something - I go to a shop that I know has it and buy it in a few minutes.

After all that we were still about 1 1/2 hours early for the movie so went and had a few drinks in one of the nearby bars. Won't be going back.

Wow Syd you must have some time on your hands to trawl the forum and rejuvinate a 4 1/2 year old thread

There is already one of these running which is a little more up to date

Well, Songkran is over for another year now, and as much as I hate the thought of it, in the run up to it the weeks before, i must say that is was quite enjoyable, i did get drenched and there were plenty of 'loonies' spraying water, all in good fun.

I did not see any problems or fights. looks like ' a good time was had by all '

Seconded, thirded and fourthded (??)

I only went out Sat and Sun and it was great - maybe due to the lack of tourists?

Whilst my Thai is nowhere near the above, a few years experience has taught me to say nothing - you will get the Thai dish in 99% of places. My previous g/f always used to say 'farang, mai pet kaa' which always ended up sweet and tasteless, after a year or so I cottoned on to this and told her not to speak about it - just order.

I have never in 5 Songkrans thrown or squirted water at a motorcyclist, but I see it all the time and think why? Why do these people insist on riding their bikes? The water chuckers will not change - so you have to.

P1ssed now so feel free to flame away

You certainly are p1ssed to come out with a stupid statement like that,

do you really expect everyone to stop using their bikes during the week long water throwing that occurs in Pattaya?

If you don't own a car, what other choice do you have, being a sitting duck in the back of a songtaow?

QED, you need to sober up quick!

It was meant lightheartedly, maybe I should have added a few smilies?

This stemmed from a discussion I had with a mate earlier - he has been here for a few years as well and knows not to take his bike out during the silly week.

We walked miles today and whilst cringing at the full face buckets, we still asked each other why do they still do it?

I will sober up quick, sorry about that ociffer

Who said I didn't have fun on my motorbike today? I rode everywhere with my GF on the back for about 2 hours and enjoyed it. I know exactly what to expect. I wear a visor, glasses and cotton wool in my ears.

I only made the point that there were disrespectful Thais out there trying to spoil the fun and that this has nothing to do with the attitude of the victims. Most were extremely drunk.

Apologies, I thought you were whining. Glad you had a good time my friend, you know there will always be a few winkers about this time of year - farang and Thai.

If you like alot of pain then crack on. I am sure the locals will love you

Everywhere. 2nd road, 3rd road, Beah Road, Sukhumvit road, Thepprasit road, Jomtien road, Soi Buakhao, Pattaya Klang, Pattaya Tai.....

The point is that you were lucky, and then claim that everyone is respectful...and then mock people who experience otherwise.

I wasn't lucky mate, I made a choice. Car........motorbike...........walk.

Car was an easy choice but I don't like gridlock too much. Motorbike was a dumb choice, so I walked - and bloody good fun it was.

maybe your attitude has something to do with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must have a really bad attitude then. I got pumped with high pressure guns often and hit hard with buckets of water when I rode around on my motorcycle.

Where??

Soi 7/8 - som nam naa

2nd road - see above.

Like moths to the flame, as per my new thread why?? Why do you have to go out in the riot zone and then tell us how bad it is.