Micke

Taken from a local English newspaper that I cannot name:

Applicants for driving licences have to sit longer hours for the theory tests starting Wednesday (4th of January) as part of a Land Transport Department plan to improve road safety.
The department started requiring people seeking new licences or renewing those expiring more than one year to take two more tests from Wednesday.
One of the new exams involves first-aid knowledge and skills to deal with emergencies. The other focuses on laws related to driving, including the land transport and highways acts.
Exam-takers are given five hours to do all the tests, up from four hours before the new theory tests were added.

xminator, I don't agree at all with what you are saying. Many Thais on holiday in Pattaya (from Bangkok) are very affluent, and rightfully quite a lot of the foreigners in Pattaya are not that rich. The average Thai, with average income, which you are mentioning, will not visit this place anyway since 400 Baht might be two days of hard labor for them.

And I want to pay the price which is (possibly) correct, namely 400 Baht. Even that seems a little bit too much, but 600 is of course way too much.

Anyway, have a look at this thread

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Louis-Tussau...ks-t316395.html

and I quote raro, one of the moderators:

"fully agree, paying more as a foreigner for a commercial venture is a rip off. Places like that are best avoided."

If that is true what you are saying, it's a shame. But at least I and everyone else have the choice to avoid places charging us more than the locals, because everyone concerned can see for themselves the difference in admission.

What we see here at Ripley's and other places alike, is the deceit the business operators are practicing when using Thai numerals for the price meant for Thais, thus making it impossible for the ordinary tourists to know that they just have been cheated (they can hardly ever read Thai numerals).

See here for more information about this deceit practice:

www.bangkokscams.com

Louis Tussaud article/advertisement in The Nation:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/11/22...el_30117092.php

"Tickets cost Bt300 for children, Bt400 for adults and Bt600 for foreigners."

Just wondering, why does Bill Heinecke have to be like all other greedy Thai business operators, i.e. adopting the Thai practice of ripping off foreigners? It would be illegal in most western countries (he is an American, well, at least he used to be an American; because now he has Thai citizenship).

I wonder if the new Wax works exhibition will be dual price.... what do the rest of you think ?

The answer is yes; Ripley's is already dual priced, see this link for more info:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060916013434/...php?facility=30

Samut Sakhon is not in the north nor the north-east, where Nakorn Chai Air will take you.

Correct answer is, as earlier stated, go to the Southern Bus Terminal by bus from the bus station on North Pattaya Rd.

You will get a stamp in your passport, saying you were on overstay, but you don't have to pay the fine (this only applies at airports).

However, you MUST utilize your visa on or before the stamped date, otherwise the second entry will be void. Correct me if I'm wrong!

I guess those were empty words then.

Tropo, you said we should "stay tuned". That was January 24. Today is February 17. Did you ever check with your friendly dealer?

A bad move, just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the info!

A friend of mine is here on a 1 year extension (non-immigrant O), he is a Swedish citizen but born in Thailand. I had a discussion with him recently re: his 90 days reports. He said that this have to be done personally by him, and it is not possible to use mail.

Going to the immigration office was very convenient before when they were located at the Novotel at the airport. But not so anymore, this is after they moved to another location. It is said that it's difficult to get a taxi after you are done, unless you tell him to wait for you. (People who live near the airport don't want to go to Soi Suan Plu.)

My question: can he do the report by mail instead of going to the immigration office personally, every 90 days?

This is becoming off-topic, but I just wanted to defend myself...

To all besserwissers (German for "people who knows better"):

What I meant is that this word, "gratis", is a word which English people can understand, yes? Well, at least it is in my English dictionary.

Therefore, it's an English word. It is, however, also a Swedish word.

I just wanted to stress this to Fritiof when he said "...got a stamp where the fee is usally written saying in swedish "GRATIS" which means Free."

So, please note: I was NOT talking about the word's origin. The origin is latin, that's correct.

I got one single entry tourist visa from Singapore last week without any problem at all, even with my passport full with cambodiastamps and 3 prior single entry tourist visas...

And the visa was free of charge, does that apply for all or just some nations? i´m swedish, and got a stamp where the fee is usally written saying in swedish "GRATIS" which means Free.

To my fellow countryman:

This is very strange, but yes, you can get free visas at the Singaporean embassy; my friend got a non immigrant, multiple entries, for free. I know that this also applies to Norwegians.

However, when I applied for the same visa at the Thai consulate in Gothenburg the other day, I had to pay 1000 SEK (roughly 5000 Baht).

PS: Gratis is actually an English word, even if we have the same word in Swedish.

Thanks for what? The info re: Saturdays is not valid anymore (this was posted by George two YEARS ago).

Well, then I was there last Saturday, a few days ago, the door was in fact open. I went in, there was a woman there who told me that it is closed. I asked her, in Thai, if this is temporarly or permanent. She said that from now on it is Mon - Fri only.

I suppose they forgot to update their homepage.

It is closed on Saturdays now.

See this link:

Pattaya Immigration opening hours

I was at Pattaya immigration on Saturday, travelling from Bangkok since I'm busy Mon - Fri and cannot go to Suan Plu or immigration at Novotel Suvarnaphum.

I hereby have the sad news that Pattaya immigration is nowadays closed on Saturdays. I went there because I thought they would be open, and instead I ended up wasting time and money.

I suppose you don't have the papers yet?

Regards,

Mike

As I don't have dual nationallity this is not an option for me.

Applying for a second passport would be a much more serious offence than the scheme I am suggesting and I expect I would be much more likely to get caught out. I will not be trying this.

If you read the links which I gave before, carefully, you will realise that some countries will issue a second passports if you state that you need these when travelling between Israel and Arab countries. Some Arab countries will not let you in with an Israeli stamp, therefore the need for a second passport.

Regards,

Mike

You need two passports, and your idea might just work!

See these links:

Passport by mail

Non immigrant O visa

Regards,

Mike

As soon as I have the document in hand (should be next wknd), I'll email or PM those who have requested it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you get it?

Regards,

Mike

I don't think so, read what LivinLos just said:

I have this confirmed by the Brit embassy, and the Thai consulates, and the Thai immigration (verbally) that this is 100% legal and fine if you have 2 passport..

So maybe it's not even morally wrong, it is fine as long as you have two passports and you use your NEW passport when applying for the new visa. The old passport (without a new visa) will be used when you exit Thailand, preferably by air, and the new visa will be utilized when you after that will enter Thailand.

Regards,

Mike

It can be useful to have two passports if I have been to Israel, some Arab countries will not let me in with an Israeli stamp. At least it was like this in former times. And in Sweden, for example, no questions will be asked if you are applying for a second passport.

Regarding sending your second passport to a European country because it is more easy to get a non immigrant multiple over there, read more here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=38086

I have heard that it is not illegal, but maybe morally it is wrong. Anyway, a friend of mine tried it and it worked out just fine.

Regards,

Mike

I did a Jack's Golf run today - had me back at the MRT by 4:30pm. As Drummer suggested, the key change is that we do the queing ourselves but otherwise it was an uneventful day. Even my 2 day overstay got overlooked!

IMHO Jack's Golf are doing the best they can in changing surrounds. I'll use them in 90 days.

Didn't have to pay for your overstay? I find that hard to believe!

And as Roobar is saying, it sounds like you are working for them.