theoldgit

I will be in Pattaya from 17-20, Holiday Inn on Beach Road, I need to go back to Bangkok on Monday for a meeting at 10.00 which I cannot change, if I leave at about 06.00 should I be ok?

Might it be worth catching a bus and leaving the car at the hotel?

I can answer my own question, it's near The Victory Monument.

Happy to donate blood but with the restricted BTS service I cannot get there, I'm certainly not driving.

Does anybody know where this hospital is?

^^^^

The majority of people who work there are Thai, and the Embassy was open on Easter Monday. They are open on Monday and Friday this week.

I am pretty sure that is no such thing as a temporary passport, though I would be happy to be proved wrong. I think what you can get is an Emergency Travel Document, though I am pretty sure that this is only valid for a single use when returning to your home country on a direct flight. To save a wasted journey, why don't you try and call them, 02 305 8252?

In answer to your other question http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us...working-for-us/

I just dropped my girlfriend off at Thonglor BTS, and she said the system isn't working.

I don't know if it's just this station closed, though I doubt it, or in fact the whole system is down.

Edit - Apparently the travel info is saying that the BTS is running, but Thonglor is certainly shut.

The soldiers who were used on this terrible day in Thailand's history are no more than poor kids who have probably been forced into the army having lost during the ballot process, most of the red shirted protesters are poor people who have been whipped into a frenzy by the so called red shirt leaders, who retire to their luxury hotels every night.

There are no winners after these tragic events, lets just hope and pray that everyone takes a step back and reflects on their actions, and works tirelessly together to find a solution that avoids any further unnecessary bloodshed, but I assume that the perceived loss of face actually means more than the lives of their fellow countrymen.

AmEx Member since 1984 BWTFDIK -- the TescoLotus manager today told me that they do not accept AmEx... YMMV.

I didn't realise that the length of time you have been a member had any relevence to where your card is accepted. All I know is mine has been accepted in Bangkok and up country as it seems is the card of "stjohnm".

It appears that TescoLotus may maintain a different policy re: American Express Up-Country vs. Bangkok.

Don't know, but I have used mine in Tesco Lotus in Udon Thani, which is fairly well up country

How an earth do you prove that she wants to return????

I'll explain the situation and I am hoping that someone can advise on how to prove this.

Basically my sister in law has just graduated from uni and is due to go to the Graduation ceremony in December. During this time she would like to visit her sister in the uk for a while. She is not looking for a job in the meantime beacause if she gets the visa then she will have to leave shortly after. But how do you prove that she will return in December and the start job seeking. Seems like an awkard one

You can never prove that you will return, but when applying for a visa she must convince the ECO that on the balance of probabilities she is likely to return. She needs to be truthful and outline her plans for the future, but as I say it's the ECO who needs to be convinced, not anyone on this forum. The norm would be a job, property or other compelling ties, but each case will be judged on it's merit. Of course it's quite normal for westerners to have a gap year but I am not sure that most Thais do this.

The card in question was not part of the Visa or Master Card network but is accepted at TescoLotus (AmEx is not accepted at TescoL) TescoLotus own branded credit cards are Visa network -- so what card is he talking about?

Actually Tesco Lotus do accept Amex.

This is the site she needs to start from, there is actually a link from the UK Embassy site http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/ and specifically this form should be used, she can do it on line http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/resources/en/docs/1903073/VAF1B

Have a read and then come back if either of you have any specific questions. Basically she has to prove that the visit is genuine and affordable and that she will return home at the end of the trip and is not just wanting to join her sister in the west.

If you are sending your passport in the post use the likes of FedEx/UPS The British Foreign office asks expat citizens applying for a new passport out of the regional issuing centre in Hong Kong to use DHL Not sure what the US Policy is about its citizens shipping their passports.

For the sake of clarification, whilst UK passports are now renewed in Hong Kong, you only need to send a photocopy of the passport to be renewed, the original stays with you in Thailand.

This is a question that is being asked all the time and I really don't know the answer.

If you could fly to London, Qatar are doing flights for a tad under 30,000B within that time frame but are nudging 50K if you need to go straight to Manchester.

The OP is actually talking about renewing a visa not a passport, but doesn't say which country the visa is for.

Not sure about being illegal to post your passport out of the country you are currently in but it's certainly unwise, and you could get problems if it were lost.

In theory you are supposed to carry your passport with you at all times, and whilst I suspect very few do, you could be detained if you were stopped by the police and it wasn't readily available. The requirement to carry your passport was recently stated by one of the new immigration chiefs, think it was Pattaya, and UK citizens are reminded of the requirement on the UK Embassy website.

Think this might be what you are looking for, good luck.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a87458-...ivorce.pdf.html

Sorry cannot, I was given a map and list of bus numbers at my embassy to got my income letter.

It actually says Number 10 Mo Chit 2 - Pakkred, I can only assume that means it's parked by the BTS exit 2, but I cannot be sure.

Think it's Van number 10.

Congratulations on the visa, hope the trip goes well.

Think you might struggle with cheap flights, especially out of Thailand, Qatar are doing flights for 20,000B but that jumps up to 30,000B with all the add ons, you might save a few satangs by looking at the adverts in the Bangkok press, especially if you can be flexible.

I think at the end of the day - just cheaper to travel from diff places mainly because brings affordability more in line for the local population. Thai(s) earn less therefore flights are less.

Sorry, but shouldn't that mean that it should cost somebody less to fly from Thailand to the UK, not nearly double, this is what I really cannot get my head round.

I rechecked the Kingfisher flights, just as an example, LHR-BKK £390 (18,720B) or BKK-LHR 36800B (£766).

This is a question I have asked many times and never had a satisfactory answer, people talk about load factors, competition, taxes and the like, but surly if their are 20 flights a day from London to Bangkok and 20 flights back the costs and competition should be the same. I really don't understand it.

Just for fun, I checked the dates you were looking at and found Etihad were offering flights to the UK for £780 whilst on the same dates in the other direction Kingfisher came in at £390 with even Thai at £527.

I went to the Embassy this week to request my letter and supplied the proof from my pension provider which has the gross pension and the taxes deducted in the last year. I didn't ask which figure they would use but the young lady marked the gross figure with a highlighter, and this was the figure that was typed on my letter.

A gentle reminder that the fees for this and all services increased on 6th April, the standard letter has gone up from 1872B to 2408B, now I'm not very good at sums but I make that about 28.6%.

Don't think you can opt for the courier service retrospectively, but you might want to do as 7by7 suggests and call them, but she can get somebody else to pick up the pack on her behalf be it a friend or courier, however the person collecting will need the original receipt and a letter of authorisation from the applicant.

What I do disagree with is the lack of integrity/honesty aspect of your post. Oh, you're right. But among the posters on TV, I don't find the group to overall to be the paragon of honesty and integrity. And, to some extent, I include myself in that, and I'm probably one of the goody-two-shoes. But have I greased the wheels since I moved here almost a year ago? Yes. Only once, so far, but 1,000 baht under the table saved me 5 hours of my time one day...and I did it without even thinking about it...it was practical and put me at the front of the line...ahead of those who hadn't. Evil incarnate? No. A lack of integrity? Yes.

phetaroi, I don't think you get the point I am trying, maybe clumsily, to make, popping a few Baht under the table to grease the wheels or to push you to the front of the queue is wrong, be it to the police, Land Registry Office or any other Government Official, though I agree with you that it is not evil, and I might in similar circumstances be tempted to do it myself. However, I was recently involved in a court case to recover assets that I had been swindled out of by my former Thai wife, and there had been criminal activity in the process, I was advised by my lawyer that I would have to pay the police a bribe so that they would investigate the alleged crime and and make sure it didn't go on the back burner, I wouldn't do that as I believed that by doing so I would be no better that my former wife who had committed a crime. I spoke to a friend of mine, who happens to be a police sergeant in a police station in the mid Sukhumvit area well known for their dubious activities, and she told me that I could get the case actioned but needed to be polity firm in my dealings with the police adding that I should never go to the police station without my lawyer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I stuck to my guns, refused to pay the bribe and it went to court, were I made my case and reached a satisfactory conclusion which meant I would get my money back.

I think the point I am trying to make is that there is a subtle difference between paying a few Baht under the table to cut out the line, and the rampant corruption and extortion that riddles the police force.

What I cannot agree with is the point made by "trickcyclist"

If you want rampant murder/thievery etc in this country, get rid of the present system, because if you do there will no incentive to have road blocks and consequently, no police presence, ANYWHERE. Then, the highway and bi way thugs, scumbags, muggers, hijackers and thieves will take over.

The roadblocks that are purely designed to extort money from hapless motorists, be they Thai or Expat, do nothing to suppress crime, though they may move it away from that area on temporary basis.

Make no mistake a large amount of crime in this wonderful country is actually organised by the police, how many times have you read in the media about drug rings run by police, car rackets and other financial scams run by the police. How many times have you read about low paid police officers who live in large mansions and have been killed whilst driving luxury cars and adorned with large amounts of gold and wearing Rolex watches. How can a police force that demands bribes to ensure promotion or a choice posting be respected, look at that poor guy in the south recently. How many police officers have been murdered for speaking out about corruption in their ranks? Corruption is a cancer within the police force eating away at it from top to bottom, and slowly destroying this country.

Well I have had my say now, I will continue to air my views about the police corruption and no doubt I will continue to pay a few Baht to get on my way when I am stopped at a road block even though it flies in the face of everything I believe in, however as the OP suggested what this country needs a properly trained and paid police force, though I suspect I will never live long enough to see it.

If all else fails and you only want to wear it a few times (i.e. don't expect years of wear), then go to MBK.

Yep, even got some half decent ski wear there last year.