KhunBENQ

Easy as f.ck up here. Three hours from doctors certificate to having finished the tests waiting for the print. And as another poster wrote walkins available in Bangkok too. Follow meaningful advice in the thread (online training, documents). Those 3k to 5k agents just hold your hand, may drive you. Still need to go to the office and take physical tests and picture taken. Illegal stuff should better be avoided.

Wrong. Rules change some three years ago. Always needed. Just did it three weeks ago.

No excursion here. They do "camping" overnight on the school football ground. Place decorated like a camp. Looks absurd to me

Indeed. The "Provincial Land Transport Office" for Samut Prakan is here: https://goo.gl/maps/k2LGt6HNTjFDVzcG9 You can do it on your own. To ease the process, start with the "online tutoring": https://www.dlt-elearning.com/ which will result in some certificate with QR code (print, take screenshoot). Takes away the need to sit in for watching video/tutoring. Takes about an hour. Additionally you need a "health certificate" from any licensed clinic/doctor (a formality for 100 to 200 Baht). Whether or not you can walk in or need an appointment at this office? I don't know. I have just recently done an extension here in upcountry where English is rare

Drove all along there repeatedly and it's a frigging joke to call this steep, death highway etc. Rd 304 through Khao Yai is still much "steeper" and still nothing! Most Thai drivers don't have the slightest idea how to drive on a road that is not flat as a pancake. Well, the office yards with their traffic kindergarten for the driving test are mostly flat except for a molehill for starting uphill (I might be biased, in my younger years did one or two Swiss mountain passes between breakfast and lunch)

Is the school aware that you live in UK? Security: guess it's a private school? They might have a strict regime which persons are allowed to pickup the children. Either mother/father or a nanny or the like? (I remember that from a mate who lived near Bangkok for a while and had his son in a high priced private school).

I remember reading this. Hard to believe but with the recent massive corruption unveiled it might have been an ordre de mufti. Maybe a number of the 80(?) officers under investigation are from Phuket? One of the three suspicious generals was from Khon Kaen

Reminds me of the dark times when I had to deal with granddaughters HP ink-jet printer. What a mess. I am perfectly happy with my black/white laser printer for "office" use. Cheap refill toner. No need for color and to reach some quality you would spend even more on photo paper etc. For what?

About three weeks ago I reinstalled Windows 10 after upgrading PC with an SSD. My Brother DCP-1510 was installed without any manual download or whatever. Would be surprised if MS had not included the mentioned HP model. From years ago (Windows 7) I remember downloading huge bloatware driver/utility/support bla bla packages from HP or Brother. Tons of gadgets and unwanted bling bling.

I don't think they will operate two offices in Udon for that purpose.

That's true. Hotel prices were at new lows. Lived in 4 star place for 800 Baht. Now you would hardly get a room for less than 2000 and often fully booked anyway. Other 3 star places in the 600 Baht range now more like 1000. Domestic flights were a breeze, cheap and in time (record time Khon Kaen to Suvarnabhumi 36 min lift-off to touch down). That's definitely over. Expensive, unreliable. Prices at beer bars, small bottle local at 44 or even less, just above 7/11. Scooter 600 Baht for a week. Many more examples.

Was open and busy on Jan 6th around 4 PM when I passed there. Seems they also serve walk ins: (nice but surprising they have any English language signs)

"Drowning in Pattaya", "Jomtien Beach lifeguards", "Soi 13’s entrance in the Banglamung district" No I am not confused. So let's assume it's opposite Pattaya beach rd corner of Soi 13.

I had a similar problem with my German account. New phone, "all easy" they say. We send an SMS to your registered phone number (my Thai number). Never worked, not received. Basically locked out. Fortunately they sent snail mail with code to a c/o that I have in Germany. So only about one week locked out. Snail mail from Germany to here is unpredictable (currently on strike e.g.).

DL is not part of the joy living in Pattaya ???? My recent 5yr/5yr extension started at 11:30 at the doctor, 12:00 walked in at the office no appointment, 13:00 tests, about 15:00 having new license. (I don't need res.cert., have yellow book/pink card which is accepted here in contrast to Pattaya?)

Of course it's better to have multiple accounts in Thailand (if you manage to get). Cost for savings accounts are bearable (some xxx Baht per year, 200 to 800 or so). I have Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn and SCB. Always better to have a backup. Sometimes I feel unwell when thinking about loosing my mobile. Three Thai accounts, one German account and a WISE account. What a hassle to re register for a new phone and how long will it take (getting new phone and SIM replacement same number). (yes, less complicated for the Thai accounts) Good to know that German creditcard and three ATM cards are in stock.

Good you found it yourself. Did some serious search to no avail

Walking outside of course not. In the neighborhood nothing. When driving on 2 or 4 wheels I have copies and pink card, driving license. Also have a sheet with personal data/address and contacts/phone numbers of wife and daughter. All in Thai. When doing overnight/multi day trips/ hotel stay I have passport with me and lock it away after arrival.

To be correct. Prices with Thaismile in April for KBV to BKK (Suvarnabhumi) are 1600 to 4080 (April 14th / 15th). April 8th is 3430. (final prices incl baggage)

Generally domestic flight prices have risen like in the rest of the world. My next trip to Pattaya will be by car after all the cheap flights during COVID. And as above: Sat 8th April is already part of the Songkran price hike. I checked Thaismile during April and it ranges from about 1500 to 4300! at peak Songkran dates.

From another picture in the Thai article it looks like the pickup driver passed a solid lane to overtake trucks in the second lane.

How did Somchai make it to 71 years? I doubt that Somchai raced like mad on his Honda Wave 110 ccm. Tell me prejudiced but 27yr old driver, pickup with flatbed shiny rims? "claimed that he was driving normally" what he considers normally? The Thai article says the right lane where the pickup drove was for U-turn?

Died 2012? No, it's Chalerm Yoovidhya. And WiKi claims 20 billion USD? All numbers reflect single persons while they usually form big families worth much more. Just distributed among heirs. The "CP family" Chearavanont (7/11, True, Makro, Lotus's, CPF, Chinese car brands etc.etc.) is surely more then 30 billion USD.

My primary SIM is AIS. Second one DTAC for internet on the road. And DTAC almost everywhere has lower signal strength than AIS. Short outages during trips up here to Khon Kaen and Udon with DTAC. I am quite certain that AIS still has better coverage.

Wonderful. How I missed that: early morning, coach stopping on beach rd. Chinese in bath suites/speedos, flip flops and towel crossing the road (full stop, closed group not care for traffic coming), having a dip and then back to bus for next attraction.