IsaanAndy

I only ever go to Buriram for a night or 2 out, the other places don't match up in terms of nightlfe and choice of hotels and restaurants in my opinion.

My extn of stay expires on the 28th Dec and I applied for the next extn of stay on the 9th with no problems.

Sounds relaxed and only 3 weeks until pickup?

PC restarted 5 times? Still some fine tuning required

Only goes to Korat for approval.

I know it's my seventh extn.

Arrived at the Amnat office at 0910, it appeared I was the first customer of the day.

Presented all my documents, no drama, no problems, all done in a professional manner as you would wish.

Would have been out in the hour mark, (took hour and a half) save for the passport scanner. After capturing my passport photo page and then taking the desk camera shot of me and the wife, his PC downbooted, 4 times and on the 5th attempt it was successful. Chap had to start from scatch every time but as said, no drama.

Paid me 1900THB and back in 3 weeks to collect another 1 year visa in the the LoS.

I've supplied 6 proof of income letters to get my 1 year extn of stay and have always had the English version accpeted, never been asked for it to be written in Thai.

Get well soon Sam.

As for the knuclehead, throw away the key.

All OK if you keep your UK residential status but for those you've moved here for good and are still paying income tax to support the NHS, it's abit galling to say the least. About time the system was changed from being a resident to being a taxpayer as you can be a resident and not pay a penny in tax and get it all for nowt.

While the ex-pat taxpayer funds it and gets nothing back.

Scandalous really in my opinion.

I've flown back to Thailand on a Non O based on marriage with only a one way ticket to Bangkok, never had a problem.

If you get legally married in Thailand and it all goes **** up, then what do you actually own here? In most cases nothing and 50% of nothing is ...

If your wife to be understands that she can divorce you in the future and go to court in the UK and claim whatever % of your estate is deemed by the court to be the compensation due, then that is another matter ... providing of course she has the funds/knowledge to do it.

Good to know they are keeping up the standard, I had a 2 week turn round back in November last year.

Sorry if I missed it. What is the cost for the bus?

What is the entrance fee for Angkor Wat?

Thanks,

Terry

The cost of the bus from CC to SR is 350THB one way, 700THB return.

No idea on the cost of going to Angkor Wat it all depends if you do it yourself or go on a 1, 2, 3 day tour when you get to SR there are tons of travel agents offering deals.

Look online if you want info up front ot go to the Cambodian Tourist site, tourismcambodia.com

I use AIS 1-2-call 3G aircard, I live south of Phanom Phrai not far from At Samat. The service is consistent and I have no trouble downloading videos. Streaming is another matter.

There is fibre running along most of the main roads around here now, you can tell it by the looped up cable every 200 or 300 mtrs ruuning parallel with the power cables.

To get it into the village they usually want 20 or so to sign up before they run the cable from the main road and install the distribution box. This happened in a village about 4kms from me recently.

Arrived at CC border crossing 0630am, let through checkpoint a few minutes before 0700.

Parked car in Thai Army pound just on the right hand side behind where they search your bags coming from Cambo, fenced area with barbed wire. 100THB a day.

Crossed into Cambo and no one at visa issuing office, guy saw us asking the official at the next window and called someone on his phone, waited 15 minutes and person came to start the process and pay the 1300THB.

The company running the bus service is called Ammco, website; ammco.com

You present your ticket to them at the small desk which is immediately to the left as you walk into the tamac area after leaving the Thai Imm' office.

So leaving the Cambo visa issuing office you walk back towards the Thai Imm' office on the right hand side where you came into Cambo.

Bus pulled up on time, 0800. has about 30 seats but only 8 or 9 of us onboard, seats comfortable with a single row down the right hand side and a double row on the left.

Stopped for a comfort break and coffee, about 15 minutes along the way.

Pulled into SR at 1030am, good road with no potholes, only one we travelled on in Cambo that was without them.

The bus terminates (and picks up from) the City Angkor Hotel, Airport Road, Siem Reap. Ammco have discounted rates at this hotel, we were told.

Return journey was ontime and uneventful, 0600 start from SR and arrived at Osmach 0810, only 3 of us onboard so told the driver not to bother with a stop.

On the road in Thailand by 0830.

We booked our tickets through Saren Travel, Surin but the guy in SR told us they would be introducing online ticketing and payment at some point.

Ahhh, yes the joys of International travel in SE Asia, what's in a time table anyway?

Time is of no essence to me and I am happy to save whatever money I would pay for a taxi to increase my entertainment budget. Each to their own.

More than happy to Guinea Piggy it for the rest of you guys.

Back on the 15th so will post again then.

Toodle pip ...

Just a heads up on my experience yesterday. Next week I am travelling to Cambo for a week.

I saw the 'new' bus service advertised by Saren Travel in Surin from Chong Chom to Siem Reap and that made my plans much easier.

Yesterday I went to Saren Travel to pay for my ticket.

I had oringinally decided to go on the service departing CC at 0930 but was informed by the staff that was the old timetable and that the bus now left at 0800. The timeable was removed from the counter and a different one produced. The next one was at 1400 and would be too late for me to get to Battambang at a reasonable hour.

Now as this "new service' was advertised as only starting on the 27th August, I was some what surprised that the published timetable was 'old'.

Also my return from SR to CC was going to be the 0500 departing service this is now 0600 which I booked on.

I purchased my tickets and returned home.

So it would appear that the 'new service' timetable has been scrapped or the Travel Agency are pushing another bus company service, just be aware that although the new service timetable is still on Saren Travels FB page and on the counter in the office they are not offering tickets for it, at least in my experience.

I shall report on the actual travel experience upon my return from Cambo.

Saren Travel in Surin has started a new bus service from the Chong Chom/O Smach border crossing to SR, running several times a day.

Ticket price is quoted at 350THB per person.

More details on their facebook page, facebook.com/sarentravel

I actually thought that 2 hours sounded like a long time with only one person before him.

i do the same extension at Amnat and it's always taken me around 2 hours to complete, quickest ever was 1 hour 30.

Worth shopping around for tyres, particularly if you want a named quality tyre like Pirelli, Michelin, Bridgestone etc - prices can vary widely and the dealer may have a decent deal, although my sole experience with Toyota was not good.

Buying more than one at a time can stimulate some good deals.

Don't fail to include the Bridgestone place on southbound Chayangkuhl roughly opposite the road going into Big C. One large Bridgestone for my Fortuner would have cost 15,000 baht. A set of four would be 10,000 each (in that particular case the manager at that depot phoned his mate in Bangkok (since I said I was going to be there within a week) and secured me one tyre fitted in Bridgestone Bangkok (near Tescos on Rama 4) at 11,000.

The Toyota dealer in Bang-Na Bangkok where I originally bought the car quoted 17,000 baht for one tyre (rip-off).

I've just paid 5100THB for 1 tyre at the Michelin dealer in Yasothon for my Toyota Vigo prerunner.

I too have never had to provide proof of money in a Thai bank account for my Non-O, marriage extension and the UK embassy letter has always been accepeted without question for 7 years.

My pension is paid into a UK bank account from where I withdraw funds via a Thai ATM on a needs basis, I only keep a small amount (around 100k) of rainy day money in a Thai bank account.

If there was any change to the rules the UK embassy would post on their website that these POI letters would be no longer issued, as of 2 minutes ago they still are.

You can generally get photocopies in many places along Suk'.

As for the cost of translation, I used the services at one of the ground floor offices in the Trendy bldg and although it cost a 1000 THB for 1 A4 sheet it was completed within the hour.

To all the doubting Tom's out there.

I can confirm that "ba ba' did in fact get a 12 month, multi entry based on retirement as I was with him throughout the entire process and have seen the visa in his passport..

Whilst I don't doubt your word, I think the Immigration officer may have made an error.

Perhaps with the extra documents and the presence of his g/f he mistakenly thought they were married.

I live in Roi Et and I know a few who have tried and failed to get a multi entry Non Imm O from Suvannakhet, unless they were married.

I don't think this is a change in policy..............Buddha must have been favourable to ba ba.

A correction to the above. Ba ba's TGF was not with him, he merely had a copy of her house book and ID card and at no time was he asked for any marriage proof.

As you say, perhaps the Lord Buddha was moving favourably with the 'ba ba' and his Karma was high.

To all the doubting Tom's out there.

I can confirm that "ba ba' did in fact get a 12 month, multi entry based on retirement as I was with him throughout the entire process and have seen the visa in his passport..

2) There is a fee of 40 THB a person when being stamped out of Laos, I've never seen this before but myself (American), my British friend and my Thai wife all had to pay the 40 baht fee. Be sure to have a couple twenties in your wallet when crossing.

No there is not.

You say 'Is there a receipt', they say no, you say that you're not paying then. They look down and let you through.

Some people have morals, some people don't.

Up to you.

Actually the fee is now 50THB to exit Laos, that was the sum paid by myself and an Aussie mate last week.

Global house in Roi Et has UPVC windows ready made, I presume their other sites sell the same stuff.

I bought mine 7 years ago and had them fitted by the builder, no problems with them, however the fly screens now need replacing on some windows.

I have used the Thai Post Office EMS service and also Key Visa in Pattaya and found them both to be excellent to get my annual proof of income letter from the UK Embassy.