General Reports

[MichaelSamuel]

This is priceless. US airlines are so bad that even Soviet airlines are better. US airports are mostly awful too. First time I landed at O'Hara after leaving from BKK to HKG I felt like I couldn't touch anything without bathing in hand sanitizer. A GF from China is coming to visit this summer and I can't wait to hear her reactions to US transit systems and the poor girl is flying United.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Crocodilexp]

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp.

No, it is not, the entry stamp they put is a permission to stay. Different thing altogether.

Visas are issued by consulates / embassies abroad, with the exception of visa-on-arrival that a few nationalities (like the Indians or Chinese) can get at the airport and need to pay for. Visas are usually stickers, though sometimes a big stamp (half page) is used.

Visa is basically a document allowing you to attempt to enter a country, while an entry stamp (or an extension issued at immigration) is an is the actual permission to stay for a specified period.

Immigration can refuse you entry even if you have a valid visa (uncommon, but happens), or let you in without a visa (as they do for most Western citizens, for 30 days).

[Banana Boi]

Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. However, Taipei airport is one of the most boring in the world so even a 2 or 3 hour layover can be torturous.

[Pointy Stick]

I flew BA from Sydney to Singapore and it was decent. I usually fly Airasia or Scoot so I have a high tolerance for hardship so things which make ordinary people go into a rage on full service airlines do not even register with me. Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Rob Jones]

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

The correct terminology here in Australia is free Visa exemption, but a lot of people call it VOA, myself included, because you do not have to apply before travel.

[CzarNicholas]

Czar.

Beg to differ British Airlines is a horrible airline. Both their 1st class and business class are crappy products. Frequent breakdowns and staff that absolutely does not give a shit plus there are the fuel surcharges.

Really hate to see someone recommend BA. I have flown 6 Soviet airlines that do a better job.

Fly some of the Asian airlines, UAE or other European airlines and you will never look back at BA.

Best.

Guido88.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Franciscass]

When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

Actually S. You do as do all non Thai's fill out a form which shows your name, passport no. Age nationality where you are staying among other questions I. E. The TM 6. You may want to argue whether the TM 6 is a form or not but what else is it if not a form.

This is checked and used as the basis of your passport stamp allowing you to enter the country.

Also Visa on Arrival is a totally different process from both Embassy provided visa's and entry for citizen's from visa exempt countries. Its a similar process to applying at an embassy but it happens on arrival and is restricted to a limited number of countries.

The distinction of what is a visa is largely a matter of semantics but as I mentioned in another post I refer to the bible I. E. Cambridge Dictionary.

[Franciscass]

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

The term "visa exempt" can be confusing as it suggests the word does not apply to the stamp on your passport when not required to apply for a visa outside a country or upon arriving in the country I. E. The so called visa on arrival. However I bow to the superior authority on all such matters.

Cambridge dictionary: Visa. An official mark usually made in a passport that allows you to enter or leave a particular country.

Ergo Any stamp on your passport allowing you to enter is therefore a visa.

[Smoothy]

I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.

I think British Airways is pretty crappy.

The best flight USA to Moscow used to be Singapore Airlines, and it was dirt cheap. Unfortunately, they stopped having that flight due to it being almost empty every time. I loved it because I could sleep across 4 economy class seats. Singapore Airlines is the best airline on the planet. It's normally expensive, but that one leg was cheap due to lack of Russian interest it seemed. I think it wins best airline in the world almost every year. And deservedly so.

[Mogwai]

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa?.

When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

[Guido88]

I almost always research these things beforehand and I didn't with air Asia.

I just flew dmk to mnl and return.

Seems like a very shabby operation from flying with them.

I like to look for cheaper fares.

But sometimes (espec not always with hookers) you get what you pay for.

I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.

Czar.

Beg to differ British Airlines is a horrible airline. Both their 1st class and business class are crappy products. Frequent breakdowns and staff that absolutely does not give a shit plus there are the fuel surcharges.

Really hate to see someone recommend BA. I have flown 6 Soviet airlines that do a better job.

Fly some of the Asian airlines, UAE or other European airlines and you will never look back at BA.

Best.

Guido88.

[Syzygies]

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa? And how do they know how many days you have been in country? Did I miss something in reading? So many confusing statements made on this issue. Thank you.

RL.

I re read my post. It does not read confusingly to me, although mentioned complex scenarios. However I know what I was trying to say. I define a Visa as when you make an application to stay in Thailand before arrival, and they place the Visa in your passport (a fancy page with numbers and dates and emblems and possibly your image for UK and USA). When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

I am guessing you were not referring to secretly crossing borders undetected, even your questions could have suggested that.

The Thai Consulate in my country is saying that people should expect only two free entries to Thailand per year (Visa exempt), new unwritten rule gradually coming in, and after that apply for Visas before entry (costing money). I am aware that some are getting away with more entries per year for free. It is not guaranteed. I have been questioned by official at BKK airport about 3 years back about my high entries per year, perhaps 7, and suggesting I had better apply for a Visa before entry next time.

I do not apply for the official "Thailand Visa on Arrival". That is for certain nationalities, not mine.

Many of us get a "Visa Exemption" or "Visa Waiver" to stay for 30 days. It is not officially called a Visa as far as I know. The passport merely gets an entry stamp, and they write what date we have to leave.

We can then pay 1900 at Chaeng Wattana or provincial office, to get a 30 day extension of stay. This time it requires forms to be filled in. It still is not really a Visa, but a bigger extension of stay stamp.

If I extend my stay, from 60 days (per entry) to 90 days, on my 6 months multi entry Visa, the extension is not a new VISA.

If you have a real VISA, it is a fancy thing glued to your passport and takes a full page typically. I got one for a very short Laos stay recently. That would be "Visa on Arrival".

Sorry if my English is poor and too complex at times. It happens. If you have a specific question I can try to answer that better, if have the experience. The rules are very complex and not really spelled out anywhere precisely. People always end up with additional questions not covered by the FAQ. e.g. there is a border crossing crack down, but I don't think it really applies to those having already got a proper Visa. Border crossings (on the land) are still being done really regularly by guys here long term. Was hard to find that information anywhere, on a web site. Crack downs apply more to people trying to stay long term in total without Visas, on the cheap.

[Robert Long]

Your link does not work properly. However the point is valid. Suppose you have been in for 60 days already. Next time stay another 30 days and attempt to extend, to 60 days. That might be refused due to the 90 days total rule.

I would be surprised if I never violated the 90 days per 6 months rule in the past, not being aware of it, and coming and going often. However would have to check my travel history.

If have clocked up 80 days so far, and come in again, not sure if will give you 30 days or just 10 days before having to leave.

The moral is simple. If you want to stay in Thailand for serious amounts of time, you best be thinking Visas. 6 months multi-entry Visa is a good option (and actually provides a max of 6 months plus 90 days if last entry is close to end of the 6 month).

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa? And how do they know how many days you have been in country? Did I miss something in reading? So many confusing statements made on this issue. Thank you.

RL.

[Syzygies]

I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea.

Was suggested to me, by someone who works at the airport in a flight safety role, a genius scientist type (I could tell we was in the super smart category), that Air Asia should be your last choice. He pointed out that all the Air Asia flights in the world are not actually one company, rather it is a franchise type arrangement to use the common name. In his view the safety standards off some of the franchise members were below standard. I don't know what he knows, I just know he is brilliant and probably knows what he is talking about. He has an impeccable safety record with "his" flights obviously some other airline. I have not really looked into the Airline's safety record myself, since have only used them about once before to Djakarta.

I suppose this link is relevant:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/t...ly-safety.html

A quote from that page "Indonesia's AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea on December 28, killing all 162 people on board".

This would indicate that maybe only certain Air Asias rate low for safety, not all. So we can't blame the generic name in total.

Malaysian airlines is not on the low safety list, despite losing two planes in recent news.
I once flew KL to BKK on Malaysian. Would not do it again. Leg room was extremely low intended for midgets. I asked for Veg meal, and unfortunately was very dry curried potato (horrible) when I was expecting East Asian type food. That was bad luck. Was a long time ago, but never used them again. Not as bad as Ryan Air though (not relevant in this part of the world). I rate them as my worst experience ever, by a large margin.

I am not that keen to take airlines with lots of add ONS to the initial price, since I have a lot of luggage typically well over the norm, and often unsure if I will away a long time or short time. For this reason, I take an all inclusive type of airline usually. For others with little luggage, it will be different. Plus there is the issue of my frequent flyer points group.

Choice is difficult. Combination of price, convenience, flying frequently enough, right time of day, seats available, and safety, Freq Flyer, etc.

[Robert Long]

I fly Air Asia all the time. Is it because of the cheaper price? It's not always a lot cheaper if you add in your checked baggage. The reason I fly is because over half the time I get 3 seats to myself including recent flights to Japan and Korea. People aren't willing to pay 300 or 400 baht for the Hot Seats so they are left empty. I think that's a fantastic deal to be able to sit in the comfort of 3 seats. Just make sure you keep an eye on how full the flight is. If you see your flight getting full change to another date. On a full flight they start loading up the Hot Seats with people who only pay regular fare.

I only use the Hot seats if I'm going to Bali or a long flight. If just in Tland why pay the extra? It ain't cheap, and extra $45.00 and the food is very bad. I use only carry on for short flights. Watch the Aljazeria documentary and you will be surprised at the information.

RL.