KhunBENQ

Just got this question. Someone applied for a 60 day tourist visa. Application is much delayed and so already entered on visa exempt. Then getting visa approved. Is it mandatory to do a border run to activate the visa or can an immigration office handle this?

The decay of Buddhism seems to go hand in hand with the decay of the other pillar. We have a temple nearby and the family does not visit/donate. (have misc vehicles of which one SUV is cleaned to perfection daily by some "volunteer", air-conditioned library(?), misc satellite dishes, the third temple building with a lot of gold) Instead family sticks to another one which is far out in the forest and seems to be a bit more "traditional".

Another proof that water runs downstream even if it's a "little hill"

No. Otherwise you would not have to care about the expiry of the passport. And what sense would it make for 16 days. Sometime before Dec 8m 2023 she goes with old and new passport and applies for the next extension. Transferring stamps to new passport does not cost. Bring old and new passport.

Another uninformed generalized statement. Wrong regarding the thread title.

No I just meant to inspect the (useless) duty free, take some pictures for the family and have a Laos beer (unusal for me). If it wouldn't have been so hot and wanting to get back before dark I would have gone to Vientiane. In 2011 I was there and found it a nice change with some remains of French colonial time (architecture and cuisine).

Yes. But no one takes that serious. Originally the pink card was meant for migrant laborers from Myanmar or the like for which they really intented to lock them in a narrow area (district?). Then they decided to give ID cards to other foreigners. But instead of something proper (like South Korea) they just reused this pink card which does not even show your name spelled in Latin script like in the passport. Quite inconvenient.

Repeating your out of context nonsense without knowing what the thread is about does not make it any better. I don't suffer from perceptual disorder. Don't tell me what I have seen. One more for the list.

Indeed. It's not that man in the trenchcoat at the corner with best rates but professional financial businesses. As all three booths have same or very near rates one could split to ease counting ????

As described not true at that location. Been there last Monday .

Yes (two hours or so) and yes. And that was a regular practice over the years. Some tried the trick to return without passing Laos immigration. Just bus back over the bridge. Technically possible but being refused reentry to Thailand. As far as I know visa exempt entry at land borders is limited to three per year. If you don't have a long history of visa exempt entries there is nothing to fear of.

Generally yes but not true for the above described. The rail link area is legally out of the airport under control of SRT (state railway) and not AOT (airport organization).

They are still in the rail link area but moved further back on the very right side (it's a while that I was there). I saw three booths with very little to no differences in exchange rates. In the 0.05 Baht range Superrich, Happy Rich ???? and Kasikorn Bank. Yes even Kasikorn at >THAT< location had good rates. Check their signs before queing. The Kasikorn booth at the corner entrance to the area has the usual bad rates. Crazy.

?? Didn't you just start a similar thread in the Pattaya subforum? Phuket is a different story. Please clarify so that the other thread can be closed.

Quite likely there will be Songkran close to normal in 2023. If COVID still on the agenda we are doomed anyway???? April 15 being a Saturday. Expect partying from Sat 9 to Sun 16 followed by special in Pattaya until 19 or so. You know what to expect in Pattaya? There is a small fraction of lovers and a majority of haters. Some fleeing the place. Absolute turmoil nothing to do with tradition or culture.

I bet you were 60 years or older when you got the card in 2020. That's a general rule for ID cards (Thai and "pink"). I was 59 when I got it ???? Will expire in four years and then get lifelong.

Not me and also can't remember reading here. I was wandering around the Laos checkpoint area for less than two hours.

Plenty of reports here. I did mine in July at Nong Khai to Vientiane checkpoint (a 3 hour drive for me). From Bangkok you could fly to Udon Thani. At that time no Covid related documents needed. Seems that has changed. Laos requiring proof of vaccination or documented ATK test (?). Can't help with visa on arrival procedure (VoA) for Laos as I am visa exempt. All painless at Thai and Laos checkpoints. Somewhat crowded in the afternoon with Thais returning.

No rain since October. Rice harvest goes undisturbed. Rice drying in the sun. Long range forecast shows rain for next week

Mine too. But none of the last three flights was in time. One rescheduled three hours before planned departure. Heaven thanks I didn't need a connection. Last flight back home was "only" 35 min late. Hope they get in trail again

As written there are no other flights currently. And Phuket with AirAsia is a nonstop. Not daily probably.

A shoe factory in Bangna area (Samut Prakan) has burnt down. Fire started about 5 PM. Nothing found in English yet. Source: PPTV HD 36 facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PPTVHD36/) As I understand the elevated road is the Bangna Trad tollway. https://www.pptvhd36.com/news/อาชญากรรม/184713

Be there 3 hours before scheduled departure and experience a nice flight delay Don't rely on any connection. Stay home!

Look at domestic flight prices

Often stayed at the Old Inn, 5th or 6th floor suite with balcony to the road. Nice big room (32 sqm) with a good view. Does not cost a fortune. Other rooms can be quite small and dark. Noise from the bars? Never felt as a problem. Can sleep with open balcony door. So far from the excessive noise in Pattaya.