QED

Haha - I am visiting the UK at the moment, and the game was on ITV. They decided to take an ad break 3 minutes before the end of extra time so everyone in the UK missed the goal anyway. Muppets

I just realized my Thai driver license expired 3 months ago.

1. Will there be any hassle to renew it since it is expired? No - I am pretty sure you have 12 months to renew it

2. Will I get another five years renewal (like my last license)? Yes

3. I have moved to a new address since my last license. Am I required to get another certified Address notarization from the US Embassy to get the new Drivers license? Yes, but you would have needed that anyway. Your local immigration should be able to provide this, no need for the Embassy

Thanks in advance.

Good luck

Sois from north to south

Pattaya Soi 13

Pattaya Soi 13/1 is locally known as Soi Yamato

Pattaya Soi 13/2 is locally known as Soi Post Office

Pattaya Soi 13/3 is locally known as Soi Pattayaland 1

Pattaya Soi 13/4 is locally known as Soi Pattayaland 2

Soi Pattayaland 3 (not sure if this is officially designated as Soi 13/5)

That's kinda what I thought, but never seen it in black and white like that, thanks.

Just found I have to make an unscheduled trip back to blighty tomorrow, so will be having the real thing soon enough

without a dought the best in pattaya 2009 for price and value is the special in the shammrock bar soi pattaya land 2 and real chips , and fish and chips 100 baht recommended by a fisherman.

I am always confused about these pattayaland sois, is pattayaland 2 the same as soi 13/2, if so that is also soi post office?? Please help as I would like to check the place out.

Pattayaland 2 is... Pattayaland 2. Heading towards WS FROM Soi Postoffice and passing the very new 'Pattaya Walk' that leads through to 2nd Road, Pattayaland 1 is first cross street, then Pattayaland 2 is the next; these are old sois from waaaaaay back. The giveaway are the street name signs prominent on the corners of each. Dohhh!

If you find yourself in Pattayaland 3, fish and chips is not what you will get.

Well the street name signs actually say 13/3 and 13/4 hence the confusion, but thanks anyway.

Go to the very bottom level near the big self service restaurant. Head outside and look for Bell Travel. Just dug out a slip of paper they gave me last time, every 2 hours from the airport, with the last departure at 6pm.

Just looking again, not sure if the timetable is correct, as they have the first and last trips from Pattaya, give them a call on 038 370055

I refuse to buy anything from that border due to an unsmokable pack of cigs I bought there first time (g/f's papa seemed to enjoy them though )

Last time I had some friends ask me to pick up various bottles, so just asked one of the guys on my bus to carry a couple of bottles for me - no problem.

I've an Irish passport. We're usually treated the same as the UK but I'll give them a call to be sure. Thanks for all your advice (including the airport tip...good to know). One more annoying question...how long does it take to get the visa?

Drop it in in the morning (before 12-30pm) and collect the next afternoon. Best to get there early the day you apply.

Google Thai embassy in KL, they have a good website where you can download forms, get tel no's etc

Where are you from? When I got a single entry there I asked before I went if they needed proof of onward travel, to which they replied where are you from? When I said UK they said I didn't need it - maybe give them a call before you go.

No bank statements required, just the application, a couple of pics, passport copy and 1,000 baht.

One thing to be aware of if you fly Air Asia they fly into the low cost carrier hub (KLCC?) which is different from KL International, and about 90kms outside of the city. I asked a taxi and he said 100 ringgits (about 1,000 baht), but eventually found a direct bus (there are loads of them I found out) which was 8 ringgits and took about an hour to KL Sentral (the main bus terminal in the city)

If you only want a single I would recommend KL. Vientiane has become a bit chaotic in recent months as the only local consulate issuing double entries.

Over the last 5 years I have arrived probably 30 times on a mixture of non imm o visa, tourist visa, and visa exempt, and have never been asked 1 question by Thai immigration.

If the guy wants to go to the police with a made up story then I don't think it would make much difference whether he had a copy of your passport or not.

My main concern would be identity theft, but he would need alot more info than he could get from you passport to, say, open a bank account in your name.

I wouldn't worry about it personally.

Your 60 days will start from the day you arrive, and can still be extended for a further 30 even if you arrive the day before the 'enter before' date.

Your stepson and daughter in law will receive a 30 day visa exemption stamp at the airport - no need to apply for a visa if they are only staying 3 weeks.

One way flight is no problem if you have a valid visa (although I travelled from Singapore with no visa recently and it still wasn't a problem).

Good luck with it all, sounds like you have your hands full.

without a dought the best in pattaya 2009 for price and value is the special in the shammrock bar soi pattaya land 2 and real chips , and fish and chips 100 baht recommended by a fisherman.

I am always confused about these pattayaland sois, is pattayaland 2 the same as soi 13/2, if so that is also soi post office?? Please help as I would like to check the place out.

Hi there,

Could someone please tell me exactly how much the basic north sea(OPITO & OLF) course costs in Johor and/or Singapore?

I believe someone on this forum has already completed it?

Thanks a lot,

Daniel

Hi, I did mine at MSTS in Johor Bahru in November and believe I paid about 3,400 Ringgits although 300 was for the medical so I think the basic price will be 3,100, about 31,000 baht. You can fly direct to Johor from Swampy now, but there's only 1 flight a day (Air Asia).

Don't know about Singapore, probably roughly the same although your accommodation and expenses will be a bit more, but it's only a few nights.

msts-my.org is their website although you will have to contact them for availability and exact prices.

I live in Pattaya, and there seems to be more than ever in my area than usual.

Same here. We have all the doors and windows open all day, then when we close up the house at dusk I do a sweep with twin tennis bat zappers. Normally I might get 3 or 4, the last week or so it's been more like 15-20, yesterday was the record at 26.

Maybe they are all on holiday in Pattaya as the weather is a bit warmer?

Be careful at Plutaluang as well.

Played there recently and my friend put his wallet into a zipped pocket in his bag as we were starting the round (he'd already removed all the cash to pay for drinks/ snacks/ tip etc).

When we were loading the car afterwards he went to get his wallet, which was not there (the caddies had already left by then). We went and complained at the admin office, who called down to the caddies, and lo and behold they 'found it' inside the cart! I watched him zip it in his bag (so did the caddies) and he had no reason to remove it during the round.

My theory is that they were hoping he would have got home before he realised, then would have forgotten which caddy it was. Nothing was missing but a blatant attempt at theft IMO.

As for your bad experience I think you were unlucky, or on the bad company. I made such a trip to Laos from Pattaya 3 months ago and the service was great. Big new mini-bus VIP style. Comfortable large seat.

It was a fast, easy, no hassle solution for a 6 months prolongation of my stay.

I recommend this solution if you never went to Laos/Vientiane before.

Just ask around you which minibus company has good reputation

Pattaya46

You make this sound almost attractive - which company did you use?

I did it myself last month, flew to Udon and never waited for long anywhere (and this was the day after a public holiday). Cost a bit more than I had planned for but was no ordeal (spent about 12k in total I reckon).

I am off to the UK later this month and will pick up a non-o whilst I am there, so won't need to do this for a while, but still interested in the company you used. How long was the journey from Pattaya? Did they have movies to keep you entertained? How much was it?

Thanks

Can somebody tell me what I am doing wrong.

I have tried all the websites mentioned here to get a flight back to the UK mid Jan as I need to see my ailing father before he passes away.

The cheapest I have found is $1,000 or 31,000 baht (both around the £600 mark). People keep talking about tickets for £400 or less, but I can't find 'em. Any ideas?

Walking St was busier than I have seen in recent years, took me nearly 30 mins to walk from Pattaya Beer Garden to Simon's Beer Bar complex (opposite Tony's Disco) at about 12-30, after the fireworks to meet a friend who had left by the time we got there. But after a couple of beers by 1-30 the street was back to normal.

Same again last night, I think by declaring today a holiday they encouraged alot more people to come and spend a long weekend here. I was out last night with 6 Thai/ American guys who came from BKK for the extended hols, and I reckon that most of the crowds were either expats living elsewhere in LOS or Thais on hols.

Good couple of days, and I expect the same over the next few. What's all this talk about a tourism downturn? My mates from BKK had to drive around about 20 hotels before they could find rooms.

This is the rule for 12 month extension based on having a Thai Child. You can be any age. 2.18(5)

Aahhh ok - no kids either, I guess I will have to stick with my 15 monthly trip to the UK for a non-o and endure the 90 day border runs. I will get married eventually but refuse to do it for convenience.

Following recent changes you can get a one year extension when you are under 50 (or over, before was only over 50) on the basis of Bt400,000 in an account for 3 months prior to application. You do not have to be married to get this.

You could also apply on the basis of a verifiable income of the equivalent of Bt40,000 a month. I understand that this income does not have to come to Thailand or be taxed in Thailand, only that you must be able to prove to the authorities, usually by means of a letter from your embassy, that you have this income. This is for married people only.

Are you sure you can do this if not married? If so I will get down to immigration on Monday (I am 36).

My understanding is under 50 and married then do as above, over 50 have 800k/ 65k per month. Under 50 and not married then no extension - can anyone else verify please.

Where's all the photos?

link SERIOUS FIRE AT PATTAYA'S CENTRAL FESTIVAL SHOPPING CENTER

"Fortunately, there were no injuries, apart from two people who became unconscious."

Gotta love Pattaya daily news

I do not want to get into a flame war so i won't comment on your IQ. Thaksin is an individual and PPP was a political party. Not the same or did i miss the newsflash that let us know that every member of the former PPP changed their last name to Thaksin?

OK, no flame war, but would you like to comment on how the reds were 'responsible for all the violence that occurred'?

Thailand Posts Current-Account Deficit; Exports Fall (Update2)

By Anuchit Nguyen and Rattaphol Onsanit; Last Updated: December 30, 2008 04:13 EST

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand posted a current-account deficit in November for the fifth straight month as the global economic slowdown cooled exports and a blockade of the country's main airports hurt tourism, the central bank said.

The shortfall was $935 million last month compared with $1.13 billion in October, Amara Sriphayak, a Bank of Thailand official, said today in Bangkok. The median estimate of 11 economists in a Bloomberg survey was for a $1.4 billion deficit.

The trade deficit in November was $896 million, compared with a $964 million shortfall in October, the central bank said.

Reliable article then

I am not for the reds or the yellow. I think they are both way out of line with the violent protests. I do not like thaksin or the PPP but i do not agree with taking over gov buildings or the airport to force the gov to resign. If the yellows would have stuck with the watchdog approach i would have been in favor of them. The reds have a right to protest against the yellows but are responsible for the violence that occurred when the groups clashed since they should never have protested in the same vicinity as the yellows.

Personally i think the people should elect the prime minister instead of electing a party. Then the prime minister can select cabinet members that are qualified instead of the individual parties putting nurses or massage parlor queens as finance minister or some equally insane selection.

Ummm......they are the same

I am surprised you were clever enough to work out how to register on this forum, or did your wife do it for you whilst teaching you about Thai politics. Maybe they should introduce an IQ test before you are allowed to post.....mods??