chang1

5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Didn't realise South Africa was a tourist destination.

Sure is - safari holidays, even North Korea gets tourists, just not very popular. 

7 hours ago, animalmagic said:

Aah, I see what you are referring to now.  Yes, very useful for framing someone.  Apologies for not getting your drift on first read.

No worries. Makes it a bit worrying going out around the island now when they do tricks like that. I doubt they would try to frame a farang though.

16 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

I wonder does Thailand have a large CSI lab to track down the killer or killers? If not it may be better to have than two submarine's.

If I remember correctly,  the top DNA expert got sidelined during the Kho Tao investigation. So there is expertise around but could be used selectively. It seems crime scenes don't get secured so evidence is often compromised.

6 minutes ago, bougnat said:

It can only be a Burmese, a Thai is incapable of such a thing ....

Incapable of being convicted around tourist areas but outside them they are fair game.

14 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

You don't need a sperm sample to carry out a DNA test, a simple mouth swab will give the DNA result.

So where do you think the "sample" would have ended up? Hence why I brought it up. 

9 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

And with the incident happening to a so called Sandbox tourist the whole credibility and confidence of the reopening of Thailand could be at stake. 

A sad event that saves face of those expecting more tourists. 

5 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

Why does that matter? Seems she was killed and raped where the body was found.

May link her to her killer - taxi driver or even a farang. May show her stopping at or passing a restaurant with cctv with video of her being followed. Certainly could give valuable information. 

37 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Interesting link about the worst countries for solo female travelers.. Thailand n 10.

https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/new-womens-danger-index-reveals-most-dangerous-destinations-for-solo-female-travelers

The first column looks pretty good for Thailand. Maybe events here get more publicity than say South Africa. 

2 hours ago, kwaussie said:

I hope hes had his covid shots, he is going to need them where he is going!

Especially if he gets sent home.

2 hours ago, Albaby said:

Doesn't look like a Brit to me.

Neither does my wife but she has a passport to prove it. British is a loose term and there should be a clear distinction between British and naturalised British. Citizenship should be earned and respected but now it is expected and abused. My wife can have her Citizenship removed at anytime if she misbehaves, a power that should be used much more often (not on her though I hope) as a deterrent. This guy could be 2nd or third generation so just as British as me. We are all descended from immigrants, some arrived earlier than others. 

9 hours ago, thairastawoman said:

Why don't they stop before being caught ?

 

Obviously because they never know when they are going to be caught. Monks are not that accurate. 

5 hours ago, ACB21 said:

Ah oke, I misunderstood. I thought you meant by prepaying you lost your right for a refund/cancellation. That last part is a concern for me. If the authorities impose even stricter rules then I want to be able to cancel the trip with full refunds even if prepaying (as per rate conditions).

 

Paying the hotel for transport to make sure the embassy accepts it as suitable proof for the COE makes a lot of sense. Im not sure if independent taxi's are even looped into the COE/SHABA/QR system. Thanks for the tip ????

Another tip for the COE - if you are using the 45 day visa on arrival, you need to upload actual flight tickets to prove your onward travel, during the first stage of the COE, even though they are not asked for. I had the first part rejected several times due to thinking they only needed what you intend to do when actually they need everything already paid for. This makes it feel very risky but if all is OK I doubt anyone will get refused. Then in the second stage you have to upload things again but that is straight forward. Allow a week for all this even though they do respond within 4 hours (UK) to each submission. If all is ready to go it can be done in a day but I had other people to do including someone going to Bangkok. 

Pre flight PCR tests are Another pain. The lass going to Bangkok used a kit from a local chemist which was dropped into a bin near the door for a courier to collect. The day before her flight she went back as she had not got a result. Her swab was still in the bin uncollected. After an hour of being told she would have to miss her flight (she had saved up 2 years to go home) I drove to their lab (had been told I  couldn't do that earlier) over 100 miles away and got it there with 10 mins to spare! I managed to get 3 free tests for us for my troubles. These cost £100 each but probably cheaper than my fuel to them. My wife and son got their results the morning after posting them (royal mail - not in the bin this time) but none for me. Rang them and found my test had to be repeated but it did come through later that day. So use the full 72 hours for the test as they can mess up - ours we're in the priority (don't use normal) post box 71 hours before the flight so had a full day spare. A stressful time as other things were going on at the same time hence flight changes. I needed a holiday after all that. Now we just need to find a way off the island. Our friend has a taxi booked to Udon Thani costing over 20000 baht but has no choice as she is finalising her house build and needs to be there for the handover. I may hire a car if flights are not available. 

1 hour ago, ACB21 said:

I think that really depends on hotel policy and how well informed the staff are, more so then there being a specific 'no refund' rule by the local authorities. Some hotels I've spoken to have confirmed full flexibility and refunds up to 24 hrs before checkin in (depending on your rate) even if prepaying the room as required by the COE. Holiday Inn Phuket and JW Marriott confirmed this specifically in emails. 

 

However an other hotel said no refunds for sandbox guests if the reservations is part of an application for a COE. But then another colleague, from the same hotel, did confirm that flexibility/refunds according to rate conditions still apply even if prepaying. And then there are the hotels that flat out don't offer flexible/refund rates at all right now.

 

I suspect guests and hotel staff are confusing prepay for a COE with the customary discounted prepay rate with no refunds possible.

 

Tests are to be booked on https://www.thailandpsas.com from august 1st I think. Hotels aren't supposed to arrange for testing anymore.

 

As to transport I think the only requirement is that the transport needs to be SHA+ certified, not that it needs to be booked through the hotel. But not sure on that one though. I hope not, some of the Mai Khao hotels are charging THB1500 ( in a Mercedes/BMW, or a Camry for THB 1000) for a 15m ride.

 

 

That is why I asked if a COE had been issued. Our hotel was fully refundable but would not give us the SHABA certificate until everything was paid for. We did get our dates delayed one week but they said they couldn't change them much more than that. We than had to sort out the COE which required it to be "reset" by a helpful man at the London embassy over the phone. So there is some wiggle room but as you say, it depends on your hotel and at what stage you are at with the COE. If the hotel is not involved with testing or transport then changes should be much easier as they are not dealing with other parties. 

Our hotel charged 1200 baht to Karon in a van for the 3 of us or had a car for 1000 baht. I doubt you will get a COE without proof of prebooked transport. Doing it all through the hotel is simple with just the SHABA certificate proving it all in one document. Which, when applying, you will see is a good thing even if it is not the cheapest. 

12 hours ago, the green light said:

if you are visiting your in-law.. that is not going on vacation. it is a family trip.

sure they are few tourists but most are reporter writing for their own paper like Alison Fox from Travel leisure  magazine..

 

So a "family trip" is different to a "vacation"? Do you not take your family on vacation with you? To me a trip is a short break like a day trip, eitherway you are still a tourist. Taking a long haul flight and staying away for 5 weeks is a bit more than just a trip. As I said, you have to define tourist I say I am combining a holiday with visiting family but you call it a family trip. 

We have been here a few days now and it is very enjoyable. Sorry if that spoils the narrative here but a quiet Phuket is lovely even in the rainy season. There are restaurants open and I have only had one refuse me a beer. Everyone is happy to see us, even the policeman at the local road checkpoint sounds happy as he waves us through. To us this is a holiday which, without the sandbox, would have been taken elsewhere. 

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Maybe he was being sincere and they really were helping folks out. Frankly, I think this "war on drugs" is ridiculous. Especially ganga. An absolutely juvenile quest, that does little to nothing to stop the flow. If someone wants drugs, they will find them. And here 99% of the ganga "arrests" result only in the enrichment of the local franchisee cop. 

I agree to a certain extent especially drugs like gang. If someone ruins their life with drugs then it is not a problem. The problem is it is rarely just their own life that is blighted. Partners, children, neighbours, crime victims and tax payers end up with the fallout. Legal drugs and prescribed drugs can do harm as well but most of us can handle them. Once you start things like cocain alarm bells should start ringing as if you need illegal drugs you have a problem. Compared to tobacco and alcohol, the odd joint now and then seems relatively harmless. Personally I am perfectly happy with a few beers and have absolutely no need for anything stronger. 

My secret - for every high there is an equal low. Once I realised that there was no point wanting more than beer. I found space cakes in Amsterdam interesting but not worth breaking a law for. Tried fans when I was young but just coughed. Smokers, to me, appear to be fighting off the depression of the craving far more than actually getting a positive kick so even without the downsides not worth bothering with and I  don't need to be cool, which seemed the reason my mates started to smoke.

Time for my first Leo, with ice and lime, of the day.

6 minutes ago, gim12 said:

holiday inn refunded my reservation in full

Did you have a COE though? Ours wanted full payment for the room, tests and airport transfer before giving us the SHABA certificate.