Pink ID, Yellow Book, Bangkok Air

[GalaxyMan]

There have been any number of interesting threads about each of the topics in the title of this thread, Pink ID, Yellow Book, and Bangkok Air. There's actually an interesting confluence of the three. If you have a Pink ID with a Koh Samui address and a Yellow Tambien Baan with a Koh Samui address in your name, you can join the Bangkok Air Samui Resident's Club, which means round-trip flights to/from Bangkok or Phuket are only 2,000 baht instead of the usual 5,000 baht. You can apply online at www.flyerbonus.com, but you will still need to go to the Bangkok Air office and show them the original Yellow Tambien Baan and your ID and passport. Total cost is 300 baht for 2 years. I did it this morning at the Bangkok Air office next to Bangkok Hospital in Chaweng and was surprised to see other farangs there doing the same thing. They've actually set up a desk to handle the applications.

[Isaan Alan]

About 3 years ago a Koh Samui friend of mine got it using a drivers license showing a Ko Samui address. Does it still work? Or do you need the Pink Card now? What's it like trying to get a Yellow Book and pink card in Samui?

Actually I lived there for nearly 3 years. I was always hunting BA promotions fares. When I couldn't get them I ferried to Surat Thani and flew from there because there as 3 airlines fly from and to Surat or for BKK to Samui, I got the sleeper train a few times. 5K is a bit steep but it's because BA built and own the airport. What I resented was the banning and fining of unofficial taxis taking you to the airport and the ripoff vans that demanded 400 baht to drive me to Plai Laem which is about 4km. I heard the local police were in on that creamy earner hence the fines. By comparison 400 baht will get you from Nathon pier to anywhere on Samui. I am deriving some schadenfreude pleasure with Samui tourist operators getting clobbered at the moment but they will return to their price-gouging ways and learn nothing. 

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, GalaxyMan said:

I did it this morning at the Bangkok Air office next to Bangkok Hospital in Chaweng and was surprised to see other farangs there doing the same thing. They've actually set up a desk to handle the applications.

Resident card has been available for ages, you just need to show you are resident on the island – yellow book, pink ID-card, shareholder/director in a Thai company Limited (I think that's still valid) – or have a work permit. Being retired in a rented place however is not accepted as resident (anymore).

[GalaxyMan]

1 hour ago, Isaan Alan said:

What's it like trying to get a Yellow Book and pink card in Samui?

Wasn't at all hard once I was legally married, registered, etc., just takes a little time dealing with the bureaucracy with the people dealing with the yellow book being particularly useless. The Pink ID was nothing. Got it down at the tax office in Lipa Noi in 30 minutes.

[Neilly]

I have the Bangkok Airways resident card (renewed two weeks ago), I don't have either the Pink ID with a Koh Samui address or a Yellow Tambien Baan with a Koh Samui address, I just used my retirement visa/extension of stay...in fact I didn't even go to the office, my wife did it.

[GalaxyMan]

10 hours ago, Neilly said:

I have the Bangkok Airways resident card (renewed two weeks ago), I don't have either the Pink ID with a Koh Samui address or a Yellow Tambien Baan with a Koh Samui address, I just used my retirement visa/extension of stay...in fact I didn't even go to the office, my wife did it.

That's interesting, as they specifically asked me for my tambien baan.

 

A bit of a side issue, as soon as I had my card, I made a reservation to fly to Phuket for an appointment at the Dutch consulate. As soon as they had my payment, I got an email explaining my reservation. A few minutes later I got an email explaining that they had canceled my flight and they arbitrarily assigned me to the next flight to Phuket, which arrived too late for my appointment, but 25 minutes before my return flight. Talk about stupid. So I went to the Bangkok Air office to ask about it and they told me that they had canceled the flight. Duh. When I asked for a refund, they told me no refunds if I cancel my flight, that there is a 1,000 baht fee to cancel. When I explained that they were the ones who canceled the flight, they told me that I could take another flight, but no refund. I'm still pisssed off. ???? Add to that that there really wasn't any discount in the flight cost and I wonder what's the point of having the Samui Resident card for Bangkok Air.

[islandguy]

One big advantage if still honored is/was being able to hold a reservation without payment until two hours before first flight. Also true for the second flight if you book two one way flights instead of as a round trip.