Stocky

I think it's horses for courses and very much depends on circumstances and the immigration office you have to visit. Hat Yai are pretty straight and straighforward, other offices are less so. But yes, if you can meet all the requirements you don't really need an agent.

Amen to that. Thankfully the carpark gets a reasonable breeze, but it isn't comfortable sitting there for an hour and a half.

The problem is inconsistency, the marriage extension checklist says "A photocopy of the passport — Every used page from the first one to the last one is required". First time they took all, last couple of times they've returned the non-relevant page copies. I'm tempted to just give them the relevant pages next time. However, all it takes is a change of command and suddenly it's strictly as per the checklist and it's off to the photocopier. The retirement checklist (attached) just says "A photocopy of the current passport" so it's ambiguous ~ confuamazing Thailand. 2.22 Retirement.pdf

Holy crrapp. .

I used the Krungsri branch near corner of Phetkasem and Sam Sip Met. Empty and very helpful, had letter and statements all done in 30 minutes. Immigration is still out in the carpark under a tent, paperwork in at 1pm, 2pm they came looking for the money and to take a photo of the wife & I. At 2:20 it was sign the documents (done in the car park this year), all finished by 2:30. All smiles, no missing documents, no questions, all very straightforward; thank you Songkhla Immigration. This is the latest checklist which is now available in Thai and English. 2.18 Thai wife.pdf

I still hold the gold I bought in 1980. My point was that gold can go down as well as up.

???? I bought gold at USD600 in 1980, it promptly fell and didn't see 600 again for 27 years.

They're not charging you to get your card back, they're charging you for a new card.

You used to be able to do that, but most ATM machines now automatically guillotine the card if retained. .

Out in Hat Yai this weekend and happily restaurants are serving alcohol again, and the bars are all now signed as "bar & restaurant" or "bar & bistro". Centre of town remains largely quiet, the Post Laser was busy on Sunday night and I noted a couple of beer bars open, as well as the West Side, though it didn't look to be busy.

Rain every day in Hat Yai, apart from a dry January it's been unseasonably wet down here.

We use on average 900kwh per month and inclusive of standing charges that works out at about 4.51Bht per kwh. That's a 4 storey shophouse unit with 5 a/c though they're not all in use.

UK has a shed load of problems, GBPeso will no doubt drop further unless the BoE starts ramping up interest rates significantly.

Malaysian tourists in Hat Yai do comply

I don't know about the rest of the country but in Hat Yai it's 100% compliance, folks might not wear a crash hat on a motorbike but they'll certainly be wearing a mask. I'm not sure if it's actually law, but it's defiantly the current recommendation of the MOPH/CCSA that everyone wear a mask in public. It's not something I have a problem with, and frankly I find the resistance and protests seen in some western countries totally bemusing. .

Which is as it should be. Thailand still has a restriction on the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which can't exceed 0.2% by weight. So you'll need to be eating several boxes, and then the only thing you'll probably feel is sick.

Michael Bilge. Hat Yai just turned Blue and is expecting to welcome Malaysian tourists again this week; Malaysia has a long holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

No, I'm on a marriage extension, so 400k in the bank and 2 months statements, but Krungsri require 2 hours (minimum) to produce the letter and statements. I don't really understand why it should take so long, but it does. If I go to Central Festival branch, which is seldom busy, I can shop and take an early lunch while I wait. To get the everything same day it will need to be the main branch in town and an early start and probably a long wait. My appointment with immigration is 1pm - so fingers-crossed.

You should be good if the files are the same. Krungsri put a little round pink chop (stamp) on them all by the manager's squiggle.

The booking system is actually pretty good. Selecting booking sends you a link to their Outlook Calendar. Pick purpose of visit, then select date and time from the slots available, complete your details and submit. You get a confirmation email which includes links to download the necessary forms and checklist. Fingers crossed everything else is as simple ????

The Songkhla Immigration LINE account now has a menu (whoever selected the font and background needs shooting) with options for forms, check lists, appointments and 90 day reports. Helpfully nearly everything except the menu is Thai only.

I'd not considered doing it in two parts, something to consider. I normally use the Krungsri branch in Central Festival, because it's seldom busy, though it still takes two hours for letter and two months bank statements; longer if the manager isn't around to sign. The problem with the Central Festival branch is it doesn't open until 11am. So looks like I need to go to the main branch in town which is always busy, and the staff are more ovine.

But doesn't it require to carry a stamp from the bank, I didn't think print your own was acceptable?!

Just about to start the application for a my marriage extension, the new check list contains one significant change from before: Section 3.1.1 has changed from: "A confirmation letter from the bank in Thailand (not over more than 7 days), the money must remain in the bank within the previous two months must not be less than 400,000 baht" to "Confirmation letter from the bank in Thailand (*Documents from the bank must be on the same day as the submission date*). The balance in the account over the past 2 months is not less than 400,000 baht." Which just adds an extra rush to proceedings, but I guess it brings us in line with other immigration offices. .

A few updates. The Holy Grail (7.016935, 100.481727) has closed for good, I didn't think it would survive somehow, a pity. We went back to MongMoon (7.007496, 100.482932) a couple of weeks ago, and it wasn't as good second time around, the understudy must have stepped (hopefully just for the night), the sauces in particular were all over reduced. Still haven't returned to The Second (6.999637, 100.470932) wife a kids keep giving the idea a thumbs down. Driving through town I've noticed increased activity with some of the pubs that have been closed, the change to the rules from May 1st has been a wake up call. The Post Laser (7.004264, 100.471746) has been doing lunchtime take away but I noticed it was open the other evening. The Acoustic (7.007282, 100.484838), which was raided by the police early in the lockdown for serving alcohol, has opened again. Eighteen Nineteen (6.998639, 100.484404) on Klong Rien 2 is also open in the evenings, as are a several other restaurant/bars along that strip. The central area of town around Lee Gardens Plaza, the main hub for Malaysian tourists, remains largely dead, though I noted a couple of massage shops have reopened. The evening food stalls have yet to return, no doubt they will when the tourists do.