bkkbarnstormer

Need to treat my Fino to a service.

Looking for quality and reliability rather than cheapest price. Closer to Mabprachan or highway the better.

Any recommendations?

OK just spent 15 minutes with two very professional immigration officers at Swampy. They are emphatic that there is no rule limiting the number of visa exempt entries if arriving by air. I explained my pattern of travel to Thailand and they confirmed that this was quite acceptable under the current rules.

They had no concrete advice on what to do if challenged again at Don Muang but we parted agreeing that I now had more "confidence" as a result of being clear on the rules.

Conversation was mainly English but with critical questions repeated in Thai and receiving the same answer.

I travel in/out of Swampy quite regularly on visa exemptions and have never had any problems. I also checked with Immigration officers there and was told what I was doing was fine. Last month I entered through DM and had a few dicey moments as she leafed through my passport counting entries.

DM seems to be interpreting rules differently perhaps because it is home to the low cost airlines and attracts more regional trips / visa runners?

Need to lay an outdoor patio. Any recommendations for those who can do a good and reliable job in Pattaya area appreciated.

Ate there last night. Friendly staff and Good menu - Italian with a French touch in places. A great dining option for those on the Darkside

I hope this does get picked up be the world media and I also hope that the Thai authorities make an example of these 3 criminals and lock them up for a very long time. Sadly I doubt the latter will happen

What's the water level like in Mabprachan Reservoir after this latest rainfall?

Looks low to me

I have the Dji phantom 2 vision. Never had any problems.

Very easy to fly straight from the box. Never had any problems with the camera. Just make sure you set the GPS homing device properly before takeoff and it will come back if it loses the signal which has happened to me a couple of times when flying upto 150m or around tall trees

I would love to see the lady world championship in beach volleyball in Pattaya, that would clean up the beaches here if they're really serious about this.

Apparently they have the Ladyboy Volleyball competition in November ?

Thanks for the sage advice everyone. I hadn't realised it was necessary to actually provide photographic evidence of a relationship and now I realise I should have printed out the dozens of photographs I have of us together including when I first met her 10 years ago. I over-emphasised my capability to host her as I had thought that the main problem would be reassuring the UK government that she wouldn't ever be a burden on the state.

Before I left Thailand I trawled through these forums regarding a UK visitor visa and I discussed with her what I'd found. That it was important that she demonstrate that she has reasons to return to Thailand. I urged her not to give up her job and in fact took her to the bus station and put her on the bus back to Bangkok with some cash telling her that she must keep her job. The problem was that she wanted to be with me and annual leave seemed to be non-existent for her in her job (she worked in a factory). I don't know what employment is like in Thailand, I'm used to UK where it's normal to have at least 4 weeks paid annual leave.

Anyway as a result of what people have said here the plan of action is as follows:

1. She gets a job (she's effectively been on a long holiday, funded by me since she jacked her job in back in July)

2. I will go out to Thailand again in January for a couple of weeks. Meet the family, lots of photos etc i.e. gather lots more evidence. Plus more time together to see if we really do have something.

3. When I go in January take all the bits and pieces I need to for her UK visitor visa application and we sit down together and fill it out. Guess I probably need to take the laptop with me.

It's going to be expensive (two long longhaul foreign holidays in less than 6 months!) but it seems the best way forward.

Thanks everyone.

Would also recommend contact by email or print out any messages, call logs to show evidence of an enduring relationship.

The most important factor is to ensure she has a strong reason to return to Thailand.

Sunset at Glasshouse on the beach past Jomtien (off Sukhumvit). Need wheels to get there though and phone ahead to ensure a beachfront table

Does anybody have any experience with these in Thailand:

- bred where?

- how did you import?

- how did they cope with tropical climate?

- how old when they came to Thailand?

I have typically found that most refuse Amex and so tend to use MasterCard or visa now as I got fed up with them taking my Amex, staring blankly at it when I asked if I could use it and then returning two mins later to confirm they didn't accept it.

I have been using an IPTV box for about one year. I love it as it gives me a huge range of channels - most importantly for me cricket and rugby - as well as various on demand features such as tv series.

Picture quality is excellent but the viewing experience is of course linked to the speed and stability of your internet connection internationally as the servers are based overseas. Screen freezes do occur although they are less frequent now I have a fibre optic connection and 24mbps internet speed. I have CTH as backup

I had surgery in March 2010 and have been very pleased with the results.

I used Dr Damkerng who is based in Thailand and is one of the world's leading experts. He works out of Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital but I used his own clinic near Ari which is probably 20 percent cheaper. http://www.dhthairclinic.com/home.php.

there is a lot of stuff on the internet. You can see some case studies for him (or other doctors) at the following link

http://www.hairtrans...r2.asp?DrID=502

The cost was typically 85-120THB per graft depending upon number of grafts (including post treatment) and the Dr you use. Number of grafts depends how much you need, how much you have available from the back of your head and how much money you have! Generally they would try and get 20-50 grafts per cm2 compared to a normal full head of hair which is around 100 hairs per cm2. Each graft is usually 1-3 hairs

For myself, I had 3700 grafts (slightly more than 7500 hairs). The experience itself was not too bad and lasted about 8 hours. Dr Damkerng and his team are superb. You are given local anaesethtic and sleeping pills but to be honest I slept for about 2 hours and then chose to be awake and chatted with the staff or listened to my IPOD. Some ppl watch movies too! If you start to feel pain, you tell them and they top-up the anaesethtic. We had a break for food half way through and you can have more breaks if you wish.

Afterwards I took pain killers for the first night and you get a headband to wear for a few days to prevent swelling around the face. You can also wear a hat. After 1 week they remove stiches from the donor area and if you don't live in BKK that is the last time you need to see the Dr. Since I lived in Bangkok I went for a few additional checks

I had some discomfort during the first night from the donor area which the painkillers fixed. If you have your hair >1cm long at the back, it is difficult/impossible to see the donor scar from day 1. Because my hair was thinning at the front, rather than bald, I let them shave the front so that they could increase the density of the graft transplants, which means I had some longer lasting visual effects immediately after surgery (just looked like I had receded slightly more)

I would recommend planning to take it easy for a week after the transplant but after a couple of days I really had no pain from the donor area whatsoever. I would say I could have returned to work after 1-2 weeks with minimum visual impact. I brushed some remaining hair over the shaved area and to be honest, it looked like I receded a little more than before the op, but people I know could not notice any difference. After 2-3 weeks, the transplanted hairs start to fall out.

For the first two months post op I did not experience any pain in the transplanted area although it felt slightly numb (a common side effect they say goes away within around 6 months). Within 2-3 months, the transplanted hair started to grow and within 4-6 months the impact was very significant, slightly earlier than the 8 months that the Dr had advised for full results. I have relatively thick hair.

I thought long and hard about doing this and was very apprehensive on the day. for me I felt there were very limited long term downsides to having this procedure done, especially having selected Dr Damkerng who seems to be recognised around the world for his skills

I may need to go back for a "top up" due to ongoing thinning on my crown as the first procedure focused on the front of the head. However, I was well aware of this before I did the first procedure due to the pattern of my baldness. The staff are also very honest with you about what you would require. They suggested I take hair restoration medication to minimise further hair loss/need for one further transplant but this was not something I wanted to do and I would rather have a second transplant if required but no plans yet. I was 39 when I had the transplant

Played Khuntan twice last New Year and stayed at the oncourse hotel as part of a package deal. It was cold!

Beautiful scenery and a nice course layout. Reasonable condition with some tight drives. It is one of the many resort courses in Thailand where you feel a bit of extra spending on course and hotel maintenance could make it really good.

would I return? Typically I travel to Chiang Mai once per year for 1-2 weeks - CM Highlands and Santiburi remain my top choices and I doubt I would divert to Lampang again. If I spent more time up there then I would certainly revisit.

 

Don't know when you last played Blue Sapphire, but we did 3-4 months ago .  dry, in bad condition ... will never ever go there again. Some 8 years ago now we were members there.
 
Grand Prix ... I agree, a really good course. Have played it a few times now, last time about 4 months ago ... wish I could,afford membership there.
 
Rancho Charnvee ... Another wonderful course, probably two years since last played it ... again ...wish I could,afford membership there.
 
You should add Sri Nakarin Dam ... an EGAT course in Kanchanaburi ... We really like it, and very cheap.

Played Blue Sapphire and Grand Prix in past two days.
Grand Prix remains in good condition and is an excellent course
Blue Sapphire remains the most captivating course in Thailand for me.
- beautiful scenery including lakes and hills. Every hole isolated from the others
- each of the par 3s is an elevatedtee over water to the green
- 4 of the drives need something other than driver. Several over ravines or water.
- many doglegs and undulations. Other than par 3s only 3-4 other holes allow you see the flag from the tee
- Greens were hard and lightly sanded with some good undulations and a little slower than Grand Prix

It is a little rough round the edges but I am a big fan. And at half price of Grand Prix it is outstanding value
 

Wow, how can you even compare the two. Grand Prix is a class course, up with the best.  Blue Sapphire ... well! ... it must have been rock hard there and the greens! We are off to play Nichigo and Sri Nakarin Dam Monday and Tuesday. Hope it will not be too hot or too wet! Forgot the holiday when we planned it ... hope it's not too busy either! 

. No rain for past 4-5 days just grey skies. Played Nichigo once before. Ok but wouldn't go back. Never played Mida also nearby

Think we'll just have to disagree on GP and BS (A/B not C/D). Agree that GP is kept to a 5 star standard and BS is not...but BS is a great layout and the greens are much better than several courses I have played in Thailand provided they haven't been recently sanded. Perhaps a little better now outside the dry season?

Don't overlook Soi Dao Highland.
 
Take a group and spend a couple of days...but take your own snacks, booze and companionship as there is nothing near by.
 
http://www.soidaohighland.com/
 
 

Heard about this one a long time ago and had forgotten it. Back on bucket list now. Thanks!

Don't know when you last played Blue Sapphire, but we did 3-4 months ago .  dry, in bad condition ... will never ever go there again. Some 8 years ago now we were members there.
 
Grand Prix ... I agree, a really good course. Have played it a few times now, last time about 4 months ago ... wish I could,afford membership there.
 
Rancho Charnvee ... Another wonderful course, probably two years since last played it ... again ...wish I could,afford membership there.
 
You should add Sri Nakarin Dam ... an EGAT course in Kanchanaburi ... We really like it, and very cheap.

Played Blue Sapphire and Grand Prix in past two days.
Grand Prix remains in good condition and is an excellent course
Blue Sapphire remains the most captivating course in Thailand for me.
- beautiful scenery including lakes and hills. Every hole isolated from the others
- each of the par 3s is an elevatedtee over water to the green
- 4 of the drives need something other than driver. Several over ravines or water.
- many doglegs and undulations. Other than par 3s only 3-4 other holes allow you see the flag from the tee
- Greens were hard and lightly sanded with some good undulations and a little slower than Grand Prix

It is a little rough round the edges but I am a big fan. And at half price of Grand Prix it is outstanding value

Don't know when you last played Blue Sapphire, but we did 3-4 months ago .  dry, in bad condition ... will never ever go there again. Some 8 years ago now we were members there.
 
Grand Prix ... I agree, a really good course. Have played it a few times now, last time about 4 months ago ... wish I could,afford membership there.
 
Rancho Charnvee ... Another wonderful course, probably two years since last played it ... again ...wish I could,afford membership there.
 
You should add Sri Nakarin Dam ... an EGAT course in Kanchanaburi ... We really like it, and very cheap.

Will try Sri Nakarin next time. Blue Sapphire has never been in as good condition as the others you mention but I love the layout. Not played it in 12 months but have played several rounds there in the past 3-4 years

OP curious you have Siam Plantation down as a 4 star and want to play Waterside but no mention of Siam Old Course?

Played it and was wondering about membership but was disappointed. didn't think it was anything special especially considering price. In fact, enjoyed it more whilst spectating for LPGA rather than playing.

Having just played at my 50th golf course in Thailand and with more than 150 rounds completed, I thought I would share my personal list of favourites and to dos.

I'm sure you won't all agree but hope it might help someone get an enjoyable round in, and appreciate any help in prioritizing my bucket list.

My criteria is simply my own enjoyment - which in no particular order is a combination of layout, condition, scenic beauty, location, difficulty, lack of crowds and value for money.

There is a real mix of the top end expensive courses as well as some of the lesser known hidden gems

Five Stars (limited to ten)
Black Mountain - condition, layout, top international standard
Blue Sapphire (A/B) - my favourite layout/scenery, challenging,value for money. Watch out for Korean packages in Jan-Feb and avoid C/D unless you like water and target golf.
Chiang Mai Highlands - condition, scenery, layout
Dragon Hills - one of the best layouts, value for money, quiet but avoid the Korean packages in Jan-Feb
Grand Prix Club - condition, layout, quiet
Lamlukka (C/D) - most beautiful, condition, scenery. Afternoons can be quiet
Mountain Creek - layout, difficulty, target golf
Royal Ratchaburi - scenery. Quiet on weekdays.
Royal Hills - scenery, layout, value for money, quiet.
One space left for bucket list!

Four stars - honourable mentions
- Banyan, Khao Kheow, Laem Chabang, Rajpreuk, Santiburi Chiang Rai, Siam Plantation


Still plenty to try. My bucket list in no particular order:
- Alpine
- Amata Springs
- Kirimaya
- Krung Kavee
- Mission Hills Khao Yai
- Navatanee
- Panya Indra
- Pinehurst
- Rancho Charnvee
- Royal Gems Dream Arena
- Thai Country Club
- Santiburi Samui
- Siam Waterside.
- Thai Country Club
- Toscana

When I first started playing in Thailand I was also always looking for the Eye Candy.

Eventually, I concluded the best Eye Candy typically can't read the course and are not normally the best fun.hence, if I wanted want eye candy, go to the bars!

Best experiences on the course normally offered by mid range in the looks departments, great attitude, and experienced on the golf course. Yes I am still disappointed when I get the old,overweight one .......but still better than Malaysia where they are all men.....although I have had some very good male caddies in Thailand

Seems to be lots of earthworks around 3240 area on the bank of Mabprachan Lake.

Anybody know what they are doing?

I guess you could always buy it?!

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/real-estate/commercial-properties/golf-course-for-sale-278293.html