18 Year Old Moving To Thailand?

[thaimate]

God to be your age again with all your dreams,i left home at 19 in the 60s with 5 pounds in my pocket to live in London ,it was hard for the first year and then great for the next seven.

but that was London 200 miles from my home and i could jump on a train home anytime ,to be honest if you are coming here with not much cash ,you are in for one hel_l of a time ,especially as you sound nieve in the extreem ,i dont even think they will let you land with a one way ticket.

on the other hand you may just be a troll.

[Fookhaht]

If you need a couple ideas for lodging for your first few nights in the Bangkok area, PM (private message) me. I know of a couple places at an average of 300-500 baht ($10-$15 US), and most guests are young travelers where you can share info. (no, not Khao San Road area).

[MiG16]

I know everyone means well, so Im going to ask you all to simply give advice to the OP, and leave sarcasm out of it

practical advice is great

and of course so is warning, things he should pay attention to, watch out for

help point him in the right direction in terms of visa, travellings tips and such

each of us were young and/or naive once. and we have each been helped by those with more experience. so why not do that for our young friend too?

sure, warn him of the dangers and the things that may go wrong. but just leave the sarcasm out please? for someone who knows thailand, it may be easy to pick the real warnings from the sarcasm, but for someone not familiar with the country, the culture, or the culture of this forum, its near impossible!

so on that note any further posts with pointless sarcasm will be deleted for being off-topic

cheers

[MrBrad]

Last April I left the US on a one-way ticket; it is possible...has to be. Suppose--as I told the Thai Embassy in Washington--that I was on an extended tour of Southeast Asia, and I wasn't sure when or to what country I would be traveling next on my "tour." I said I'd be visiting other countries, with Thailand being my first stop. I was granted a double-entry tourist visa with no further questions. As an aside, United Airlines and Korean Air as well as my own travel agent were a bit dubious about all of this, but I felt confident since the Thai Embassy OK'd it.

To the original poster (and anyone else whom this might concern): be aware of the "expiry date" on the visa itself, NOT THE DATE THAT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER STAMPS INTO YOUR PASSPORT WHEN YOU ENTER. I learned the hard way, and missed leaving the country AND RETURNING before the expiry date by one week. As a result, the visa was NOT good for my planned double entry. It was void. I was given 15 days on 2nd entry, which required my going to Vientiane for a new double-entry visa before the 15 days had lapsed.

[Thules]

So OP, if this isn't a troll, what are your thoughts now ?

You've heard from many who advise just 'going for it,' and many who advise 'just be aware of this and do that.'

With just over 3 weeks to your arrival, I think posters who have contributed their best ideas for you will be interested in those ideas you've adopted and those ideas you've not taken on board.... and your reasons for deciding on which ever.

Almost feel like starting up a poll predicting how OP might respond, but I'll make a cup of tea instead ...

[geriatrickid]

I am not attempting sarcasm when I write that the thread should be subtitled "Origins of a Drug Mule". No plan, gambling, no large pool of capital to draw upon, no friends, no support network and encouragement from people that will not have to deal with the ensuing mess. I'm sorry, but the world is a much different place from when some of you guys embarked on your Huck Finn adventure. The world is less compassionate, far more likely to apply harsh treatment and one's government is much less likely to assist then was the case 25 years ago.

The best advice always given is unchanged; visit first for an extended stay of 1-3 months and then decide if Thailand is for you, ALWAYS have an escape route planned and that means having a return ticket and emergency funds in a safe place. Thailand is not the place to be if one is of limited financial means. Think of it this way; on your budget, unless you are prepared to eat roadkill and squat to crap in the stinkiest of holes with no tp with only your hand to wipe, you will freak. You will sleep in place with bugs that crawl over you when you sleep. The rooms will have black mold, you will stay n the areas where the air is bad and the peoplem just as choking. There is no xbox, ps3 or wii. And worst of all you can not drink the tap water. Think about it; 35C + 90% humidity and all you can do is purchase bottled water.

[smokie36]

If you need a couple ideas for lodging for your first few nights in the Bangkok area, PM (private message) me. I know of a couple places at an average of 300-500 baht ($10-$15 US), and most guests are young travelers where you can share info. (no, not Khao San Road area).

Hmmmmm,

Seconded...with the best of intentions....sometime axe murdering member.....or worse!

[smokie36]

I am not attempting sarcasm when I write that the thread should be subtitled "Origins of a Drug Mule". No plan, gambling, no large pool of capital to draw upon, no friends, no support network and encouragement from people that will not have to deal with the ensuing mess. I'm sorry, but the world is a much different place from when some of you guys embarked on your Huck Finn adventure. The world is less compassionate, far more likely to apply harsh treatment and one's government is much less likely to assist then was the case 25 years ago.

The best advice always given is unchanged; visit first for an extended stay of 1-3 months and then decide if Thailand is for you, ALWAYS have an escape route planned and that means having a return ticket and emergency funds in a safe place. Thailand is not the place to be if one is of limited financial means. Think of it this way; on your budget, unless you are prepared to eat roadkill and squat to crap in the stinkiest of holes with no tp with only your hand to wipe, you will freak. You will sleep in place with bugs that crawl over you when you sleep. The rooms will have black mold, you will stay n the areas where the air is bad and the peoplem just as choking. There is no xbox, ps3 or wii. And worst of all you can not drink the tap water. Think about it; 35C + 90% humidity and all you can do is purchase bottled water.

Hmm good point for the OP....the larger the water bottle the cheaper it is. Good advice....

I just don't get the negativity....the OP already stated when he gets down to his last $1k he's on a plane back to Chicago.....so where is the problem? Buy travel insurance avoid drugs and be careful if you're riding a bike.....jeez you would think he is off to the North West Frontier province!!

Edited September 4, 2010 by smokie36

[Thules]

HaHa, GK Really ! Never such a true word so ellequently put

I still want to hear from OP on what advice he's actually taken on board.

At 18, I fear that I would have been stupid enough not to give a *. Fortunately, at that age, I could also barely afford a bus trip accress London.

[Thules]

^ Oh so true, Transam. It's such a different world today, where young internet hotshots can settle where they want across the world as we were just finishing uni or struggling in our first job in our time. So go luck to them if their youth doesn't aslo bode well

[jackr]

You muse on the pack. Unless you're planning on doing multi-day treks in the lofty northern reaches of Burma and the like, no need to think on it too much. Just get a comfy, medium-sized thing that's not brightly coloured. Berghaus and North Face are good. Having a separate section for boots at bottom is a nifty extra though - ie, zip on the outside so you can slip em in 'n out without ripping out everything else.

No bumbags, wallet front pocket, low-level cash in shirt pocket, no bumbag, scan and email travel docks/passport page to your email address, Skype account for calling folks, pick up SIM card and have phone unlocked on arrival... did I mention no bumbag?

[BigPanda]

I'm not sure if you even CAN come to Thailand on a one way ticket. I would take Guesthouse's suggestion and check all other sources. Coming from an ajoining country MIGHT be an option. In any case you will need to get an entry visa stamped after 30 days or you will be in the country illegally. Thailand has clamped down on that in recent years. The best option is to get a triple entry tourist visa and extend it three more times. But, that would require a return ticket. If you can Not afford a return ticket then you really can't afford to come to Thailand.

An other BS post, For my business i always travel on one way tickets as i never know the date i will come back. Never ever ever had any problem, even if my passport has 40 pages filled in the last year.

Best Advice, don't listen forum poster, do what you want. But genuine adviced about real situation (Not BS ones from SP) should be considered

[IanForbes]

I'm not sure if you even CAN come to Thailand on a one way ticket. I would take Guesthouse's suggestion and check all other sources. Coming from an ajoining country MIGHT be an option. In any case you will need to get an entry visa stamped after 30 days or you will be in the country illegally. Thailand has clamped down on that in recent years. The best option is to get a triple entry tourist visa and extend it three more times. But, that would require a return ticket. If you can Not afford a return ticket then you really can't afford to come to Thailand.

An other BS post, For my business i always travel on one way tickets as i never know the date i will come back. Never ever ever had any problem, even if my passport has 40 pages filled in the last year.

Best Advice, don't listen forum poster, do what you want. But genuine adviced about real situation (Not BS ones from SP) should be considered

It's not a BS post, BigPanda. I'm going from information I received from the Thai consulate in Canada. And, unless you can't interpret what I said... re-read it again.

Quote: "I'm not sure if you CAN come to Thailand on a one way ticket" That means I don't know for sure.

But, If you can as you say, travel to Thailand and stay as long as you want, then great. I'll not bother following procedure in the future. From what I've been led to believe, a tourist can only stay in Thailand for one month. After 30 days the tourist MUST leave the country. And, unless you FLY to another country, you are only allowed to stay another two weeks after returning, and before repeating the process. That gets expensive after a while and is very time consuming. I was suggesting the cheapest way to stay for as long as possible without leaving Thailand too often. A one, two or three term tourist visa requires a return flight, and it can only be applied for from outside the country, but it does provide some security for the traveler and Thailand. Thailand doesn't WANT long term visitors taking up residence in Thailand. That is why they changed some of the rules a year ago.

[smokie36]

I'm not sure if you even CAN come to Thailand on a one way ticket. I would take Guesthouse's suggestion and check all other sources. Coming from an ajoining country MIGHT be an option. In any case you will need to get an entry visa stamped after 30 days or you will be in the country illegally. Thailand has clamped down on that in recent years. The best option is to get a triple entry tourist visa and extend it three more times. But, that would require a return ticket. If you can Not afford a return ticket then you really can't afford to come to Thailand.

An other BS post, For my business i always travel on one way tickets as i never know the date i will come back. Never ever ever had any problem, even if my passport has 40 pages filled in the last year.

Best Advice, don't listen forum poster, do what you want. But genuine adviced about real situation (Not BS ones from SP) should be considered

It's not a BS post, BigPanda. I'm going from information I received from the Thai consulate in Canada. And, unless you can't interpret what I said... re-read it again.

Quote: "I'm not sure if you CAN come to Thailand on a one way ticket" That means I don't know for sure.

But, If you can as you say, travel to Thailand and stay as long as you want, then great. I'll not bother following procedure in the future. From what I've been led to believe, a tourist can only stay in Thailand for one month. After 30 days the tourist MUST leave the country. And, unless you FLY to another country, you are only allowed to stay another two weeks after returning, and before repeating the process. That gets expensive after a while and is very time consuming. I was suggesting the cheapest way to stay for as long as possible without leaving Thailand too often. A one, two or three term tourist visa requires a return flight, and it can only be applied for from outside the country, but it does provide some security for the traveler and Thailand. Thailand doesn't WANT long term visitors taking up residence in Thailand. That is why they changed some of the rules a year ago.

Ian before replying to any more of his posts check out his thread in Forum Support.

[David006]

Since you have not been to Asia before maybe you should consider going to Malaysia first as a "toe in the water" experience...lot less hassles and and visa issues ( think it's 90 days visa on arrival for Americans??)and a great place to explore...can come and go to Thailand by land with 15day visas and by air 30 days???.... Just a thought

[jackr]

An other BS post, For my business i always travel on one way tickets as i never know the date i will come back. Never ever ever had any problem, even if my passport has 40 pages filled in the last year.

Second post I've read of yours in as many threads and both very aggressive. Why not tone it down and ensure head is screwed on before posting?

The advice on NOT travelling on a one-way ticket (between continents) is sound. I've personally had hassle from an airline 10 years ago flying out to Thailand. Airlines have to foot the bill if immigration refuses a flyer's entry. This does happen. That it hasn't happened to you is awesome for you, but keep at it and I've no doubt you will find out the hard way.

Next.

[sillyman99]

LOL, see how this thread has turned into yet another cat fight between posters here ?

The OP must be chuckling away, just by claiming to be 18 will be enough to get under the skin of so many posters here,

then again, thats why the Troll started this thread in the first place.

At the age of 18, asking advice from a bunch of old, bitter and twisted men on an anonymous internet forum, yeah right, that's just where I would seek advice on life changing events too.

C'mon guys, wise up.

[Jingthing]

LOL, see how this thread has turned into yet another cat fight between posters here ?

The OP must be chuckling away, just by claiming to be 18 will be enough to get under the skin of so many posters here,

then again, thats why the Troll started this thread in the first place.

At the age of 18, asking advice from a bunch of old, bitter and twisted men on an anonymous internet forum, yeah right, that's just where I would seek advice on life changing events too.

C'mon guys, wise up.

He may or may not be a troll, but asking for travel info about Thailand on this forum isn't very surprising at all, from whatever age group.

[IanForbes]

I am not attempting sarcasm when I write that the thread should be subtitled "Origins of a Drug Mule". No plan, gambling, no large pool of capital to draw upon, no friends, no support network and encouragement from people that will not have to deal with the ensuing mess. I'm sorry, but the world is a much different place from when some of you guys embarked on your Huck Finn adventure. The world is less compassionate, far more likely to apply harsh treatment and one's government is much less likely to assist then was the case 25 years ago.

The best advice always given is unchanged; visit first for an extended stay of 1-3 months and then decide if Thailand is for you, ALWAYS have an escape route planned and that means having a return ticket and emergency funds in a safe place. Thailand is not the place to be if one is of limited financial means. Think of it this way; on your budget, unless you are prepared to eat roadkill and squat to crap in the stinkiest of holes with no tp with only your hand to wipe, you will freak. You will sleep in place with bugs that crawl over you when you sleep. The rooms will have black mold, you will stay n the areas where the air is bad and the peoplem just as choking. There is no xbox, ps3 or wii. And worst of all you can not drink the tap water. Think about it; 35C + 90% humidity and all you can do is purchase bottled water.

Good post, geriatrickid. None of us are saying it can't be done, but we are trying to offer good advice to PREVENT problems from happening BEFORE they occur. There are MANY worst case scenarios that can occur from one simple mistake. Not knowing the language when you get into trouble ascerbates the problem immensely. Finding a reliable internet site where you can use your own laptop outside of main cities can be a problem. Laptops are easily stolen if unattended or kept in back packer hostels. I won't even bring my laptop or expensive cameras to the Philippines. But then I don't stay in 4 star hotels either.

LIght, cheap backpacks, used for day trips, are easily purchased anywhere in Thailand, but finding a good quality pack with a heavy duty harness are difficult to find. I've yet to see one anywhere, and I'm always looking. Same goes for good quality sandals, and especially ones with closed in toes (like Keens).

As another poster mentioned, fanny packs are easily stolen. They are okay for day hikes when walking in the forest, but that's about it.

Good walking boots are more expensive in Thailand than in the USA. Same goes for good quality running shoes.

Forget the expensive sunglasses. They are easily lost or broken on an extensive trip. You can pick up cheap sunglasses anywhere for about 100 baht ($3). You will lose a few and break a few, but it's no great loss.

You will wear shorts more often than anything else, but pick ones with multi pockets for separating the Thai bahts. Keep your wallet with big notes in a secure pocket with a velcro lid. Have at least one pair of fast drying (modern fabric) long pants. They are are usefull to prevent bug bites and scratches. Any cut WILL get infected. Forget the jeans. You will need at least 2 pairs of short sleave shirts and one long sleave shirt. I never bother with underwear, but it is supposed to be the law to wear undies in Thailand. Short socks are also a good idea when your feet get sore. And, they WILL get sore in the heat until they toughen up.

Bring a camera, but not an expensive one if you are traveling with back packer groups and staying in hostels. Cameras are easily stolen.

Stay off motorcycles if at all possible. They are the surest way of having an accident in Asia. With limited resources it's best to lessen the risks. I don't know ANYONE who rides motorcycles who HASN'T had an accident. I ride them all the time and I have had my share of accidents, but fortunately, nothing really serious.

Stay out of all card games, no matter HOW good a poker player you might think you are. Filippino card sharks are very common in Thailand and I can guarantee you won't see them cheating. If something looks too good to be true then it ISN'T true.

A short, initial visit of from 2 to 6 months will give a better idea of how the country operates. Accept the fact that you WILL fall in love. It's hard not to. Just understand that there WILL be complications when you go down that road. The stories abound on thaivisa about that subject and they keep all of us regulars fascinated.

[sillyman99]

im not gonna be one of those scummy tourists, i heard the Thai people are really nice

[neverdie]

so on that note any further posts with pointless sarcasm will be deleted for being off-topic

cheers

No Sarcasm, whats this world coming too?

Well, thats me out then, with exception of one point.

OP, Be very very careful and don't take anything anyone says to you when travelling on face value. Always wear clean underwear (advice from my granny) & look both ways before crossing the road. Back home, you might need to look right, then left then right again. Here in LOS, it pays to look left, right, left, right, above, below, left, right, sideways, infront, behind, left and right & thats what you need to do before stepping from the hotel driveway onto the footpath.....crossing the road is a whole other adventure. GOOD LUCK!

[stiggy]

My brother moved here at 18 first time, 5yrs later he has spent 6 mths in UK 1 year in Oz rest here.

Granted I have helped him, but with a good attitude and staying away from the BarGirl scene he has had no real issues.

He has pulled more women than I care to think off, had and surrvived the bike crash,run out of money and of course had to find work and get visa etc.

My advise to OP go for it ,live life and have fun....biggest point get insurance.

[longstebe]

Kev

One guy mentioned taking care of your visa in Houston, If this is where your from feel free to PM me.

Good luck on your journey.

[kevbomac05]

i guess i will cut down to only 1 laptop but the other is a net book and it is so small

money is not too big of an issue i don't have much right now

but money will be coming in from online poker

im from chicago so with a one way ticket what is the best way to fill out the visa

they ask a lot of questions

i thought this was a Thailand travel forum so i thought there is lots of backpackers posting here

i am just posting to gain as much information as possible before i leave

[longstebe]

i guess i will cut down to only 1 laptop but the other is a net book and it is so small

money is not too big of an issue i don't have much right now

but money will be coming in from online poker

im from chicago so with a one way ticket what is the best way to fill out the visa

they ask a lot of questions

i thought this was a Thailand travel forum so i thought there is lots of backpackers posting here

i am just posting to gain as much information as possible before i leave

Prepare for a ragging mate.

[Jingthing]

This is the best forum for visa info by far but for backpacker specialist type things, you might want to try other forums, for example travelfish.

[Thules]

OK here it comes.

OP, As gambling is illegal here in Thailand, and the discussion of illegal activities is against this forums rules, you may want to solicit others' views, before leaving USA, concerning how you will finance yourself here

[mrdeedee]

i guess i will cut down to only 1 laptop but the other is a net book and it is so small

money is not too big of an issue i don't have much right now

but money will be coming in from online poker

im from chicago so with a one way ticket what is the best way to fill out the visa

they ask a lot of questions

i thought this was a Thailand travel forum so i thought there is lots of backpackers posting here

i am just posting to gain as much information as possible before i leave

backpackers posting here??????????????????????/:lol: :lol:

just men taken advantage by issan winnim w 3rd grade edukations!

[StreetCowboy]

8>< SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

Prepare for a ragging mate.

You leave it till Post 93 to warn him? Some friend you are....

Some of the OPs on this forum should add the following health warning "I am hyper-sensitive, easily offended, and have a limited sense of humour" - fortunately this young man seems quite ... thick-skinned - tolerant - easy going.

Really, I would recommend taking the netbook, not the laptop

SC

I wonder if I should have asked for advice when I went travelling?

I'd not have listened, anyway...

[smokie36]

8>< SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

Prepare for a ragging mate.

You leave it till Post 93 to warn him? Some friend you are....

Some of the OPs on this forum should add the following health warning "I am hyper-sensitive, easily offended, and have a limited sense of humour" - fortunately this young man seems quite ... thick-skinned - tolerant - easy going.

Really, I would recommend taking the netbook, not the laptop

SC

I wonder if I should have asked for advice when I went travelling?

I'd not have listened, anyway...

Yet more good advice. So to recap take as little as possible the netbook not the laptop get insurance and a visa before you travel.

Where do you plan to visit OP?