Idefix

Hi. Just made a 90-Days online report for a friend. No problem :)

Hi. Looking for "Failure of Web Server bridge" on Google, I found a ThaiVisa topic about 90Days Reporting, and it seems the Immigration site is up/down/up... for about 1 month already. Try another day

Hi. Only found it now, but Ramayana has a "Free Friday" promotion this month, so it means you still have next Friday, 30th, to visit this place for free https://www.ramayanawaterpark.com/news/free-fridays/ Also:

I think Heinz may soon get some copyright problems... Video below is about 10 years old https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7xt_n5_Hic

Price of those bought on Internet are not more expensive at Pattaya Some very good ones made in China at good price Also I regularly see telescopes for sale at auctions. Most are rather toys, or with a doubt on their good quality, but I saw some nice ones, even a huge Cassegrain one, from a closed astronomy club, worth +1 million baht ! None for sale right now on http://www.collingbourne-auctioneers.com/General-Auctions?cate=16 but this one sold yesterday for about 1'000 baht:

Warning! This site delivers one of these many "IDL" that are absolutely not official! Sure this IDL may be enough to avoid a fine from a policeman, but in case of serious problem with insurances, it may worth nothing. What is needed is an "IDP" : International Driving *Permit*. It's a grey document, a little bigger than a passport, and nearly the same in every country. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit BTW, there are articles/people saying that an IDP is not necessary if your country Driving License/Permit is in English... I don't know, and looks like nobody knows for certain! A long thread on ThaiVisa got no conclusion, mainly because several official USA & Australian organisations or Consulates recommend to get an IDP to drive in Thailand...?? In doubt, I would get one.

Hi 1- You need an IDP, not one an IDL 2- the problem is not the fine, but the fact that insurances will be very happy to not pay anything in case you make an accident not having all mandatory documents...

IMHO there are some good reasons if this place is considered "a tourist trap", and the main one is that it has often been a tourist trap ! I don't remember when they made their last major renovation... maybe 2-3 years ago. At this occasion all their prices made a big jump upwards . During several months I never saw many people inside, and prices may have been the reason. Then someone may have understand that, and one day surprise: a full new set of prices with a big prices drop. I remember one precise plate going down from 140 to 90 baht! The difference between excessive and acceptable. For the rest, even if I walked past it countless of times, I will not comment on the food as the last time I eat there was more that 10 years ago...

- Resell is extremely difficult - Already saw articles about them and with reference to Ponzi scheme...

Hi MM Thanks for the report. It confirms again what I said and continue to say to every farang: avoid this place! This place was great on its first year (while "in test") and I still have the 139 baht (!) bill I paid when I visited for an eye infection (thanks to Songkran). Ridiculously cheap! :) Since they are "operational", price for farangs (at least those without WP) are ridiculously high!

They started recently to control short term condo renting in Bangkok... Now it's the Provincial Land Office in Phuket who warn owners... and airbnb... Pattaya next ? Phuket condo owners warned 'holiday rentals' less than 30 days risks fines, jail time Today, there is a lot of news about condominium developers/owners renting out rooms or buildings that they have ownership of to foreigners or tourists on a daily basis (daily rental) rate that generate income as if they were a hotel (under the Hotel Act 2004). This type of operation is causes a public nuisance for renters in the same complex and creates unsafe places for tourists, which may lead to loss of life and property. It is inacceptable to operate an illegal hotel. The penalty for this is up to one year in jail or a fine of up to B20,000, or both. http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-condo-owners-warned-holiday-rentals-less-than-30-days-risks-fines-jail-time-58095.php#zRrXQBF9r50AJMg8.97

Hi. I made my "retirement extension" yesterday at Jomtien. I went there at about 3:30pm and it was nearly desert . 2 ladies at the reception chatting together. One took and checked my file in 5 seconds and gave me a number for desk #8. No one waiting at that desk. One assistant asked for my documents, marked all important dates with a yellow marker pen, made me sign 2 documents (*), asked for my passport and 1'900 baht, gave me a ticket and "come back tomorrow after 2pm". Done Nota: I gave the strict minimum of usually asked documents: - the TM.47 document (filled, signed and with 1 photo) - the letter from my Embassy as proof of revenues - passport copies: details page, visa (or transfert) page, last extension Nothing more asked: - I usually give a 3BB bill as proof of address. Not required this time. I had it with me in case of, and also copies of my condo chanote... - no question on bank on passbook to show - I forgot to print/copy my TM.6 card (a mistake!) but no one made a remark on it. (*) the 2 documents I had to signed were: - Acknowledgment of Penalties for a Visa overstay : discussed many times already. - Conditions for Permit of temporary stay : a reminder that if the Reason of your visa change (or is no more), your extension may be reduced or voided. (divorce or death if married, end of job if visa for work permit, ...) I returned today 3pm to collect my passport. Take them just the time to type my name on their computer and to take yet another picture of me. Good for one more year

I don't understand your point?? Of course I consider my FB/Line/email more private than my bank accounts ! A bank account is a number you give to anyone who has to pay you. The only thing people can do with it is... add money on your account :) You want my account # ?

Ukrainian faces 5-year blacklist for 337-day overstay http://www.pattayamail.com/news/ukrainian-faces-5-year-blacklist-for-337-day-overstay-58188

I find very unfair to use generalities to qualify TukCom, seeing that it's just a IT mall center with all sort of IT shops inside. Yes you have many shops selling counterfeit products; most try to say they are Samsung (with sometime just a sticker in the back) but are bad products, with processors than no one use anymore, with bad quality screen and sometime horrible resolution, with small storage, a low capacity battery,... a bad overall quality. You even don't know what you buy as you can't trust the notice, the package and even the information returned by the cheated system... Ok, they are cheap, very cheap, too cheap! Of course many have no warranty, or 1 month at best. I advise against buying such product (except maybe if you just want read your mails in you hotel and intend to throw it away when you return home ) But you will find many good value for money too at prices far lower than Samsung, Apple & Co. They are usually Thai or Chinese real brands. They make their tablets with components 1 or 2 generation old; Still good but far cheaper. Their products are real ones with consistency in how they choose their components. You usually have 6 months warranty. You can find these products on online sites too and so estimate their real price and know what is inside before going to TukCom. And finally you have some official resellers of big brands (Samsung, Apple, ...) who sell the real products at their official price, so not the best deal/place to buy them. PS: What is true for tablets probably is true for smartphones too. I have only one experience for phones there, a faked Samsung S4 (?) who turned to be rather good for a 3'000 baht phone. Just its screen hard to read in sun light, and the camera unusable in low light. But it made me happy more than 1 year. :)

There was an Immigration notice, about 3 years ago, that they would accept "Embassy letters" if they are less than 6 months old. Reports on ThaiVisa show that it seems work this way in big places (Bangkok, Pattaya,...) but not so well in smaller provinces... A 2 or 3 months old letter should work anywhere though :)

Why would you want or need a lawyer for that??? At Jomtien you can convert nearly any visa - or no-visa (exemption) - in a non-O single entry if the aim is to get an extension because being over 50, and if you have all the documentation required for this extension.

Samlar ?? Edit: Ok, found it, but just never heard/read this word before. "In Thailand, any three-wheeler is called samlor (Thai: สามล้อ, which literally means "three wheels"), whether motorized or not, including pedicabs, motorcycles with attached vending carts or sidecars, etc. The driver is also called samlor" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycle_rickshaw#Thailand

Hi. Here is what I posted today on another forum: " I visited Harbor today morning. Many shops not yet ready. Even some of accesses to Harbor are closed! Not finished. The car park on many floors seems to be a nice nightmare to come, and for motorbikes you currently have to park in a field next to the building; better to not go there after raining! There are countless of food places on the 3 or 4 first floors: all kinds of food, Thai; Japanese, Korean, Russian, American... Girls and Thai will like that place The IT part is on 2 uppers stairs and is still very quiet. Barely half of shops are open. The big IT Thai brands that are in Tukcom South Road are there too: IT City (small), JIB, Banana IT,... A few promotions 1 to 4 April in some places for the opening. Many small shops for mobile phones but nothing like Tukcom as I feared. I didn't check the "play area" mainly at top floor. It was very quiet when I walk there. Unsure on what is ready and open? Also the central public area is rather large, but the building is not that large, so most shops are not very deep and I am unsure how some attractions can keep is such narrow places? "

Hasty conclusions again... It's not an official or gouvernemental domain (.go.th or .or.th) like www.immigration.go.th but a domain anyone can buy This site doesn't belong to any organisation (but seems to be "test" access for developers) and someone made action as this domain as been fully disabled (no SOA) Good to see that the Thai Immigration knows make good usage of Google Maps facilities Edit: Pics from http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1459141534

Bangkok just announced they reduce the duration of Songkran 2016. If only Pattaya could do the same... BMA cuts Songkran by 1 day due to water shortage http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en/news/news_detail/WNEVN5903150010008

Yeah I had forgotten that, plus I believe that eliminates the 'seasoning' requirement! According to the strict rules, yes, but many reports on ThaiVisa on seasoning now asked even in this case. Too easy before to declare 10'000 B/month + 700'000 B in bank "1 day only" against 800'000 B during 3 months. Again, a few people abusing the system made it now more difficult for others.

Hi. Just as a reminder... I just did my 90-Days report online, and you have on the site http://www.immigration.go.th/ a strong reminder of the new banning rules for Overstay from March 20th (soon!) and details there: http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

Surely a monthly 30% increase could be a good solution to eliminate rather quickly any smoker from Pattaya agogos...

... but don't worry, only the "not really official" ones There are many "visa agencies" in Pattaya that use to offer a way to get a "Retirement Visa" (in fact a Visa Extension for reason of +50 yo) to those who don't meet all criteria, mainly the criteria about money (800,000 baht/year or 65,000 baht/month) It looks like the price of this "service" went up 5,000 baht recently and is now around 25,000 baht when it was around 20,000 baht yet just before Christmas. The process is easy and unchanged: you give your passport and the payement, and you tale it back 2 days later with "an official stamp obtained at Jomtien Immigration" (or at least it's what they say...) Nota: Such visa/extension is IMHO fully illegal (Don't use them!) but agencies in Pattaya advertise so freely that surely they MUST have some kind of agreement with Pattaya Immigration... The shop below, in a very popular place, advertises it now for 24,500 baht against 19,500 a few month ago.