tonbridgebrit

11 hours ago, quadperfect said:

I got cought up in this mess a few days ago. After a 14 hour flight from usa my phuket transfer flight was cancelled. I stood 6 hours in a mob like line to be told no flights today and maybe not tomorrow either. No help at all. A flat out failure on cathey pacific. They left me stranded with no hotel or any remorse. I was able to book a air asia flight for 250 usd that departed 15 hours after i landed with cathey. Cathey lost my bags for 3 days and show no remorse. What a pathetic airline.

I usually fly china airlines,or korean or malaysia  but last year tried cathey. They seemed ok but after this i will never fly cathey again. I will never go to hong kong again. Its a pathetic airport with no seating and no nothin.

Thaipe,korea,malaysia all way better airports.

Shame on cathey pacific staff. They were hostile and i nearly was cought in a riot of passengers standing in a line of a thousand people all pushing and shoving.

Cathey you are the worst airline i have ever flown. I hope this government puts you down like a rock. Thanks for nothing cathey.

You got caught up in this mess, and I have sympathy for you. You want to blast Cathay Pacific, but Cathay are responsible for the riots/protests.  So Cathay's handling of the situation, Cathay's treatment towards their passengers was not good. Well, maybe you're right. But I will simply say, any other place, any other other airline, the treatment given by the airline would have probably been the same.

The advice for all tourists and travellers is, avoid Hong Kong. You are not going to enjoy Hong Kong with these riots/protests going on.

Let's hope the kids who are doing these riots, let's hope they see sense, and stop this nonsense soon.

8 hours ago, zydeco said:

It must be horrible when a social protest against a totalitarian Chinese Communist dictatorship with designs on destroying people's freedom and liberty just ruins Bwana's day.

Let's get real here.
So, six or seven million Chinese in Hong Kong might be having some of their freedom restricted. Most people who are not from Hong Kong don't really care. If the media wants to talk about freedom in Hong Kong, what about freedom in mainland China ?

Them people in Vietnam, have they got the same freedom as Hong Kong ? What about Cambodia ? What about Laos ? What about Burma ? Why not talk about them ?

Why is the media making a big deal about protests in Hong Kong, protests about democracy and freedom, when such protests would not even be allowed in most countries in South East Asia ? It's BECAUSE the media in America and Europe is making a big deal about the protests in Hong Kong, giving coverage to the protests, that's whats encouraging the kids in Hong Kong to do these demonstrations.

And yes, these demonstrations are harming Hong Kong's economy. It's not surprising that tourists don't want to visit Hong Kong because of these riots/protests by these kids. Is Beijing going to give "independence" to Hong Kong because of these riots/protests ?  Off-course not.

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can send your passport and supporting documents by post to the embassy after completing the online application.

Info is here: http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84397-How-to-apply-visa-by-post.html

Thanks ubonjoe, makes it much easier if people can do the whole thing by internet and post. No need to physically turn up at the Thai Embassy in London.
Can people imagine how absurd it would be, if people in say, Cornwall, they're being forced to turn up at a consulate or turn up at the Embassy in London ???

3 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

You can upload everything, and you print of the form with the bar code and post it special delivery, with a return self addressed SD envelope and a £10.

(I wait on someone thats done an application, to confirm the flight situation, but the 20k THB equivalent is essential, you will need that much cash in your pocket when arriving)

Hello. I've just watched the video on the website. It looks like it's trying to say that you book an appointment to go to the Embassy in London, I think you've got to actually go there. It says to, not turn up late for your appointment.  It would be great if the whole thing could be done by internet and post. People who live in places like Southampton and Norwich might not find it easy to physically turn up in at the Embassy in London.
Previously, people could do the application by post, no need to physically turn up at the Embassy in London.

5 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

 

https://thaievisa.go.th/Home/TourismLeisure

"REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (Embassy/Consulate reserves the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary) 
- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months
- Photograph of the applicant, taken within the past six months
- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)
- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family)"

Right, so you've got to buy your plane ticket first.  This was not the case previously.
And you've got to show a bank statement with over 20,000 baht when applying for the tourist visa. This was also not the case previously.

Thanks for clearing this up. And one more question. Applying for the evisa, I take it that, it involves at least one trip to the actual embassy in London ? You can't do the whole thing by internet and post. Is this so ?

On 8/6/2019 at 10:02 AM, spidermike007 said:

Absolute nonsense. Sometimes people read charts, without the ability to interpret them. It is true that the Chinese spend more per capita, than any other nation, worldwide. However, Thailand does not attract anything even resembling the rich Chinese that visit most other countries. Same with the Indians. The rich ones have a dozen valid reasons why they do not visit Thailand. Do I need to recite them again? Do you really think a smart, wealthy Chinese couple walk into a store in Siam Paragon, and buy a Prada handbag for $15,000, that they can get in Hong Kong, or Singapore for $5,000? I know a number of wealthy people. None of them are dumb. 

 

So, the charts are meaningless. It is mid range, and low end tourists from China and India that visit Thailand. That is an undisputed fact. The backpackers you mention fall somewhere in line with the average Chinese tourists, who come on a group tour, in terms of spending. They are the low lying fruit. I used to know Westerners who would visit from New York or London, and they spent $1,000 a day, some far more. I had one friend who dropped $75,000 on a ten day trip to Samui, with his wife, and two kids. He did trips like that twice a year. A lawyer from London, who made $12 million a year. He spent $150,000 a year on two vacations. I asked him why he was staying in a place that cost $1,200 a night. He said he only took two trips a year, time was of the essence for him, and he needed each trip to be perfect, with no nonsense or surprises. He said the expense was irrelevant. In his mind he had already spend the $75,000, so when the 23,000 baht check came for dinner, at the five star hotel, it meant nothing to him. He just signed for it. When the wife went to the spa, and spend 22,000 baht, again it meant nothing. The Amex bill came at the end of the month, he wrote a check for $100,000, or whatever his bill was, and that was it. No big deal. 

 

Those kinds of tourists just do not come here anymore. He never returned, and that was 10 years ago. They do not have the time, interest, energy, patience or desire to put up with the nonsense here, the lack of expertise, the mistakes, the fools, the policies, or the mediocrity. 

 

 

You've got to bear in mind, the Chinese tourists are paying for and staying in the new hotels that are being built in all of Thailand's tourist resorts.  You're right when you say that Chinese tourists don't spend money in restaurants outside of the hotels, and correct, they don't actually buy stuff from Thai traders at the tourist resorts. But still, they're paying their hotel bills. And I think, that's what matters for the Thai government's strategy.

And also, for those trying to get a SETV,  do you buy your flight ticket first, and then apply for the SETV ?

Or, do you apply and get the SETV first, and then buy your flight ticket ?

So, for those who are applying for the SETV, do they need to show a bank statement ??

So, China has decided to back and support Pakistan in this conflict. The important issue is this, who is America going to support ??

Is America going to support Pakistan or India ?  And, if America supports Pakistan, then what ?  Surely, India will be defeated ?  How can India win, if both Washington and Beijing support Pakistan ?


How about this ?  Washington and Beijing unite to support Pakistan, and kill India ?  The beginning of a new alliance between America and China. This is good for everybody, right ?

The simple solution is this.

How about both America AND China, carve up South East Asia and share it ?
There's no need to fight wars and have confrontation, in order to take over South East Asia. Let's have peace, and the prize will be shared.

8 hours ago, geisha said:

tonbridgebrit , after applying online to London, you then have  to go  there in person to pick  up’your  Passport !

Is that so ???

Surely, they can mail the passport back to you, if you pay an extra handling charge ?

Previously, you was able to go to the website, download the application form, and fill it with a pen. You then mailed the form, the passport, and fee, to the Thai Embassy in London.  And then, they would mail the passport back to you. This meant that you didn't have to turn up at the Thai Embassy in London to pick up the passport. 

Surely, the Thai Embassy in London. What you do is, is that you apply for your visa on the website. You then mail your passport and relevant documents to the Embassy in London. And then, they send the passport back to you, with the correct visa. And they also send you back your documents. There's no need to actually turn up at the Thai Embassy in London ?

Has anybody who is British, who is in England, with the British passport, gone to the website, and got a visa ? There must be loads of people who have already done it. But I do wonder. I'm getting paranoid.

Hello everybody.

Okay, it was about a month ago when the Thai Embassy in London started a new system, where you had to apply online for any visa, to go to Thailand.

Today is the 14th July. For people who are British, with a British passport, and in England. Is there anybody who has managed to get onto the website, and applied for a visa, any visa, uploaded their passport and other stuff, paid for it, and actually got the visa ?

There's got to be hundreds of people who, by now, have managed to successfully do this. Can you please write here, saying that you've done it. If hardly anybody has managed to get a visa, an evisa, in London, surely, this is disastrous and catastrophic for Thailand ??

Okay, so the new way of doing things has been in place for about two weeks. As in, in Britain, when you apply for a tourist visa to Thailand, or any other visa, it must be done on-line, on the internet.

Has anybody actually got onto the website, applied for whatever visa, paid for it, and actually got it ?  Surely, by now, there's loads of people who have got a Single Entry Tourist Visa, or whatever other visa, through the website, in England ??

50 minutes ago, lkv said:

What are u trying to achieve? A little over 60 days if what you mentioned before still stands? Do you really need to travel to Hong Kong? Do you want to travel to Hong Kong? One night in Hong Kong is not that economical as you say in my opinion, and what about the flights? Flights are about 8k return from Bangkok. Or you have them already? Is it a matter of saving money? Time? SETVs can be extended at Local Immigration for 30 days for 1,900 baht.

 

Etc etc......

 

Many options and scenarios.

Hello. Thanks for your response.

Yes, this man has to go to Hong Kong for a day-trip, during the sixty day holiday in Thailand.

There are budget airlines who sell a plane ticket, Bangkok to Hong Kong, and Hong Kong back to Bangkok, for under 8000 baht, that's under two hundred pounds.

It's purely a case of, can the trip it be done without having to apply for a Single Entry Tourist Visa, in London, at the Thai Embassy. And that's bearing in mind, recent changes mean that, it's not simple and trivial to apply for a SETV when in Britain.

Hello. We have to bear in mind that, getting a Single Entry Tourist Visa is not trivial anymore.

So, just to say again, a man wants to go to Thailand for sixty days, with a day trip to Hong Kong.

How about this. He is British, with his British passport, in England.
Do not bother to apply for the SETV at the Thai Embassy. Just fly into Thailand from Britain, on day one. The flight back to Britain from Bangkok, is on day fifty nine. Now, on day twenty nine, fly from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Stay in Hong Kong for one night, fly from Hong Kong to Bangkok on day thirty. And finally, fly from Bangkok to Britain on day fifty nine.

On the internet, the cheapest room in a down-market Hong Kong guesthouse/hotel is only about fifteen pounds per night.


Doing it this way, no need to apply for a SETV at the Thai Embassy in London. No need to go to the website, no need to fill in the online form, no need to upload any photos, no need to pay the fee. And one night stay in Hong Kong will be cheaper than the fee needed when applying for the SETV at the Thai Embassy in London.

So, will this be a good way of doing things ? What are the chances of NOT being allowed into Thailand, on day thirty, when flying from Hong Kong into Bangkok ?  The last exit stamp out of Thailand, prior to day one, was eight months prior to day one of this future trip. And all flights will be paid for before the trip starts.

9 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons in the hands of religious zealots, and in one of the World's top flashpoints. It would take some effort building the case that this is "arguably better than the current situation".

Iran is not a danger and threat to world peace. I think, that Trump has noticed that the war-mongers in the White House are insane, and that's why Trump has said "We have a lot of time. There's no rush" in response to Iran possibly having a nuke pretty soon.

Trump is in Osaka right now, and Beijing has declared "All parties must remain calm and exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue and consultations, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability." Trump will be talking to Xi Jinping pretty soon in Osaka. And indeed, let Beijing be a peace maker. There is a danger in that Trump is going to be influenced by the war-mongers in Washington, and Trump really will end up declaring war on Iran.

Let's hope Beijing will have more influence over Trump than the war-mongers in the White House.

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

This topic ain't about "the vast majority of people". It deals with Hezbollah views on a possible conflict.

 

Hezbollah reckons that war between America and Iran is unlikely. Do you reckon that American soldiers on Iranian soil is highly unlikely ? I think that American soldiers on Iranian soil will be catastrophic for both America and Iran. Why do I reckon that ? Well, it's because American soldiers on Iraqi soil, during and after the 2003 invasion, was actually disastrous. I'm convinced that American soldiers in Iran today, will be just as bad as Iraq back in 2003.

And because Washington knows (or is totally convinced that this is, the case) that this is so, well, that's why Washington is certain to NOT send American soldiers into Iran. Do you reckon the same thing ??

12 hours ago, Morch said:

I think it's more a case of Hezbollah fervently praying things won't come to an all out war, and that it wouldn't be called upon by Iran do act as diversion.

 

I think the vast majority of people are praying and or desperately hoping that there will not be an all out war, and no military strikes.

What on earth will military strikes using American combat jets and missiles achieve ?
Is Washington going to support and back rebels in Iran, after military strikes ?  We will see a repeat of Syria, in Iran ?  Is Washington going to send American soldiers into Iran ?  Surely not ?  Surely, you yourself, are highly against sending US soldiers into Iran ?

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/iran-says-sanctions-supreme-leader-063236445.html


Okay, from the above article in the Daily Telegraph, Jeremy Hunt has said "The US is our closest ally, we talk to them the whole time, we consider any requests that they say carefully, but I cannot envisage any situation where they request or we agree to any moves to go to war. "

So, Washington, if you fight a war against Iran, Britain will not be part of it. And without Britain alongside you, you cannot fight any war.

Five nations won World War Two. Britain, France, America, Russia and China. These five are the big boys at the United Nations, they control the United Nations. America is just one of the Big Five, America on it's own has no mandate, can do nothing. Preventing a war between America and Iran makes planet earth a far safer place.