redwood13

Joiner fee now being charged even with a double room booked. See auto-scroll window on Thai Hotel Discounts Website -redwood

"Southwest Airlines returned to San Francisco International Airport after a six-year absence with 18 daily flights and a celebration that drew Southwest CEO Gary Kelly and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on Monday. Southwest pulled out of San Francisco in March 2001, citing difficulty getting its flights turned around and airborne on schedule and high airport fees. On Monday, airline officials said new technology has helped ease the delay situation, and SFO has slashed the fees it charges airlines by 30 percent. Southwest also announced that it will begin flying between SFO and Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 4, initially offering eight flights a day. Introductory flights between SFO and LAX will begin at $39 one-way before fees and taxes, with a 21-day advance purchase. "Southwest is in the low-fare business - we invented it and we will continue to offer the consistently lowest fare in the air," Kelly said." Daily flights to/from SFO -- Chicago: 3 -- Las Vegas: 7 -- San Diego: 8 -- Los Angeles (as of Nov. 4): 8 Southwest Returns to SFO -redwood

Here's a thread on thaivisa View Talay Certificate -redwood

Yes, he can use the 30 day stamp to begin the process to obtain a one year extension for retirement. In Thailand he doesn’t need a police report, medical clearance or a “residency paper”. He needs to open a bank account with a Thai bank and obtain from them a letter for Immigration. The balance shown in the letter should match the balance shown in his bankbook. He should obtain the statement of verification that he has a monthly income of 65,000 baht from the US Embassy in Bangkok. No documentation of this income is required, but I’d suggest he have it with him just in case Immigration should ask for it. If they don’t ask I certainly wouldn’t offer it to them. He’ll first have to apply for a single entry O visa and once he has that then apply for a one year extension of that visa. He’ll need photos and copies of his paperwork and the applications. The folks in the shop to the left of the entry into Immigration will usually know what’s required. All this will probably take a couple of hours or more and he’ll possibly have to return the following day to pick up his passport. If he wants to leave Thailand he needs a re-entry permit – either a single or multiple - which he can buy once he has his extension of stay. Or this can be purchased later. If he leaves Thailand without a re-entry permit the extension of stay is canceled. If he is in Thailand for more than 90 continuous days he needs to report his address to Immigration. The first instance of this would be 90 days after his first arrival in Thailand assuming he doesn’t leave prior to that time. He might want to consider what time of year he applies for his retirement status as he will have to be here each year on about the same date to apply for an extension. That is, he might not want to be here during Christmas/New Year or during the US summer period for example. -redwood

Denver is no longer issuing O visas for "visiting friends/relatives" or "extensive travel". Try Dallas or maybe Houston and if that fails try some of the smaller honorary consulates (Google for a list). Forget the Embassy, NYC, Chicago, LA etc. -redwood

Yes, I usually eat a Simple Simon's as a part of the trip to Immigration for 90 day reporting. They also have good back bacon and sausages packaged up to take home for a DIY brekkie -redwood

I think that as a non-British passport holder you have to have legal residency in UK to be issued a Thai visa. -redwood

From reading the thread on thaivisa it doesn't appear that Penang is issuing the Multi O visas except to farangs married to Thais. -redwood

A friend of mine says he's collected phone numbers of taxi drivers from the little booths that advertise "Bangkok taxi 800 baht". And over time he's gotten some drivers that are usually available and have provided good service. I mostly walk everywhere or use a baht bus if available. I've only used a moto taxi 4-5 times since I've lived here. (And I know several older guys who will not use them.) I do live within a 7-8 min. walk of Pattaya Klang, but even so, later at night, there are very few baht buses going toward the beach. (And I think this probably applies to Pattaya Nua & Tai So I either wait or walk. Coming back at 1-2 a.m. isn't bad because there are lots of Thais getting off work and going home. So yes, where you live will have a definite impact on your mobility. -redwood

Not Soi 5 but at the Jomtien Complex. Never eaten there but I just recall a hilarious mano a mano between a Yank customer and the owner on a thaivisa.com thread awhile back. Yank loved the chips but was banned for life after getting into an argument with the owner over the use of a coupon for a free beer - seems the coupon had expired, but didn't have an expiry date on it or........... something No Fish For You -redwood

A Google search yields: http://www.storm-pattaya.com/ -redwood

That could only lead to croaking http://www.pattayacityresort.com/html/map.php -redwood

A friend who has owned a condo here for a several years & is looking to upgrade has City Garden and City Resort on his short list. http://www.pattayacityresort.com -redwood

Agreed! Easy access from the Phetchaburi subway station. http://www.rutnin.com/html/c_about.html -redwood

Try Aussie ebay -redwood

Problem is Immigration officers don't always know the rules, don't follow the rules and sometimes will tell you they don't care about the rules And by the time the rules are posted on the internet changes have either been made or are in the works. For example iitem 7.4 re obtaining an investment visa by purchasing a condo valued at 3M baht was revoked many months ago. To me "speculate" simply means to be thinking in terms of a Plan B prior to visiting Immigration, so that when that initial visit goes wrong you've got alternatives in mind. Sometimes this only means going to a different office -redwood

Yes, this is erroneous. In any case it was "Updated on : March 16, 2006" so it's not at all current given the changes since 1 Oct. 2006. Current visa financial requirements for marriage to a Thai is a statement from your Embassy showing an income of at least Baht 40,000 per month - or letter of guarantee from a foreign employer, that you are an employee, salary, position, years worked - or proof of this amount as Thai income by you or your wife [can be a combination of the farang and wife's incomes] with the last three months of Phor Ngor Dor.1 (Personal Income tax form filed on a monthly basis) and Phor Ngor Dor.91 ( Filed on a yearly basis in March) Per Greg at SunBeltAsia: "The key is allowing to make a statement from the embassy that you get a income over 40K per month. Each Embassy has guidelines what is acceptable for proof." And further re the British Embassy: "Bring everything you can involved with your finances to the UK Embassy... checking acct, savings accts, pension, income tax returns, wife's salary, rental contracts from tenants, dividends." -redwood

And mince pies at Xmas time -redwood

Yes, to get a one year extension of stay based on retirement you'd need to be 50 or older. You can also extend on the basis of marriage or business. You don't qualify for retirement and perhaps are not interested in marriage, so business would be the only likely option for you and "barry bonds" has offered a good starting point for you there. I'd also have mentioned the Amity Treaty for US passport holders, but since you're thinking in terms of a couple of years from now this may well no longer be an option at that time. Right now you can likely obtain a multiple entry O visa from the Honorary Consulates in Denver or Dallas as they seem to issue them based on a far more liberal policy than you'll find at the Consulates, but who knows what their policy will be in the future. You'd have to go to the border every 90 days and if you make that last run just before the visa expires you can get close to 15 months out of it. As far as the condo purchase goes, if you buy on resale from a farang owner or you buy in a building, either new or on resale, that has less than 49% of the building farang owned, there'd be no need to purchase using a company. And given what appears to currently be very strict inspection of companies involving farangs I very likely would not buy anything using a company. I'd suggest you spend some time reading the visa and business forums in thaivisa taking special note of the advice and comments by Greg of SunBelt. -redwood

The longer it takes to find just the right item, the more likely it is for that item to be out of stock Be prepared to hear a lot of "mai mee", "mot leeo", "no hab", etc. Items on display are just that. Don't expect to actually be able to buy any of them. -redwood

Thanks Peet. -redwood

Here's a very informative thread from thaivisa USUFRUCT OR SUPERFICIES -redwood

Re Permanent Residency, you need to have 3 years of continuous extensions of stay to be eligible to apply. As there are minimum salary requirements for different nationalities, you need to be employed here and have a record of paying taxes on that amount. I believe I've read of figures in the amount of 80,000 baht per month as being adequate for Westerners and in some cases less than that amount would be acceptable. You don't need to be married. Clean criminal record from your home country including a fingerprint check. Health clearance as per the old retirement visa. A personal "portfolio" showing you to be a desirable candidate. Might include photos of your home, workplace - diplomas, degrees - letters of recco from Thais - financial statements and so on. Applications are accepted only during last two weeks of Dec. of each year. Personal interviews are held in Mar and Apr. along with the Thai language test. Successful candidates are notified about 16 mos. after the initial application. You have to have a re-entry permit with PR status. You have to have a work pemit with PR status, but the good news is Immigration is cut out of the picture, and you deal only with the Ministry of Labor. You cannot own land with PR. Fee on the granting of PR is around 200,000 baht or 100K if applying on the basis of marriage. In 2005 no country came even close to their 100 person quota, for example: European (UK/German etc.) = 68 North Amer (USA/Canada) = 28 Australian = 13 Most of the above taken from thaivisa: Camerata's Guide to Permanent Residency -redwood

http://www.pattaya-property.net/ -redwood

Tops Supermarket (2nd Rd. & Pattaya Klang) probably has the nearest restaurant open at that hour. -redwood