Thailand Lounge and Chat area

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1889789]If he can get a new condo for 7000 baht per month, it must be small basic or inconveniently located, or have times really changed? I don't go to Patong any more, but always used to be an expensive place.[/QUOTE]I did some research for a friend for an house in Bangkok, and there were great deals, but I would never be interested living there myself. Just 4 yrs ago I rented a brand new (never lived in before) furnished bungalow in Phuket, a very quiet location near to the Zoo. It was really a small single-family home with large bedroom, living room, kitchen, carport, front and back door, garden backyard. Pretty good finishing and friendly, reasonable landlord. After having been decorated a little, it was a lovely and cozy place to live in. THB 10,000 a month. Thailand is cheap if one can look outside the beaten path.

[QUOTE=OldNewGuy;1889804]I did some research for a friend for an house in Bangkok, and there were great deals, but I would never be interested living there myself. Just 4 yrs ago I rented a brand new (never lived in before) furnished bungalow in Phuket, a very quiet location near to the Zoo. It was really a small single-family home with large bedroom, living room, kitchen, carport, front and back door, garden backyard. Pretty good finishing and friendly, reasonable landlord. After having been decorated a little, it was a lovely and cozy place to live in. THB 10,000 a month. Thailand is cheap if one can look outside the beaten path.[/QUOTE]Phuket is a big Island and I am not familiar with the Zoo. Perhaps you mean Phuket Town rather than Phuket Province? What is the attraction of the location?

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1889848]Phuket is a big Island and I am not familiar with the Zoo. Perhaps you mean Phuket Town rather than Phuket Province? What is the attraction of the location?[/QUOTE]Driving south from Town before Chalong. To be honest, for me a great attraction of it was being far from tourists.

[QUOTE=OldNewGuy;1889458]If married, either 400,000 Bt. deposited, or an embassy-certified 40,000 Bt / month income. I called these visa but the correct name (when obtained in Thailand at Immigration) is "extension of stay", which is renewed every year, indefinitely. See attached.[/QUOTE]So around $1500.00 US a month income, as in social security or pension payments wired to a Thai bank on a monthly basis. That makes more sense than having $23,000. In a bank account on a continuous basis. This gets rid of the deadbeat farangs and creates stability.

RL.

[QUOTE=Syzygies;1889789]In the past Patong, Phuket was always a lot more expensive for equivalent standard Hotel accommodation compared to Sukhumvit Bangkok.

If he can get a new condo for 7000 baht per month, it must be small basic or inconveniently located, or have times really changed? I don't go to Patong any more, but always used to be an expensive place.[/QUOTE]Here's the video showing his condo, its basically just a one room setup. For the size of that room I'd assume you could get that much cheaper in Pattaya.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXw3qN_T5nU[/URL]

[QUOTE=RobertLong;1889928]So around $1500.00 US a month income, as in social security or pension payments wired to a Thai bank on a monthly basis. That makes more sense than having $23,000. In a bank account on a continuous basis. This gets rid of the deadbeat farangs and creates stability.
[/QUOTE]Correct, but various countries like the US and Australia require no proof to issue the income affidavit (attached). You can bet that many people exploits this fact. No shortage of deadbed foreigners in Thailand.

[QUOTE=OldNewGuy;1890148]Correct, but various countries like the US and Australia require no proof to issue the income affidavit (attached). You can bet that many people exploits this fact. No shortage of deadbed foreigners in Thailand.[/QUOTE]The form is freely available, but you can't get a counselor signature on it w / o showing the documentation and paying 50 bucks. I've not applied for the visa but I need counselor signatures for various business activities.

The $50 is a real rip-off because a notary signature is free from multiple places (including Walmart.) in the USA. TTG.

[QUOTE=TimTimGuy;1890200]The form is freely available, but you can't get a counselor signature on it w / o showing the documentation and paying 50 bucks. I've not applied for the visa but I need counselor signatures for various business activities.[/QUOTE]There is no documentation to show. They only certify to have received your affirmations. That's why is called an affidavit.

[QUOTE]The $50 is a real rip-off because a notary signature is free from multiple places (including Walmart.) in the USA. TTG.[/QUOTE]A public notary is not a Government authority. Some countries charge even more for similar certifications. It's even fortunate that in this case it's accepted without an official translation or backup documents. (although some immigration offices have started asking for them).

I plan to visit Bangkok in couple months for 2 weeks. This will be my first trip like this. I hoped to find a friend to travel with but the friends that want to go can not afford it and my friends that can afford it have no interest.

With that said, I will most likely travel alone. I have a passport, but my questions are:

1. Can I just get on a plane and arrive on Bangkok and get a room at a hotel? Or do I need something from the US or Thailand to visit.

2. Do I need any shots if I stay in the city?

3. Do I carry Bt or dollars or both?

4. I have felony convictions from my youth (25 years ago) for weed. Does anyone ask about this when you enter the country? How would they check anyways?

5. How much can I expect to spend for 13 days stay at standard hotel (I do not need 5 star, just clean) , I imagine I would like 1 or 2 girls a. Day and maybe overnight, I do not drink, I am fit enough to walk a few blocks (no need to be driven everywhere) maybe train or bus rides sound fun for people watching. ?

6. Language? I speak no Thai. Is this a small or major problem?

Mandos

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]I plan to visit Bangkok in couple months for 2 weeks. This will be my first trip like this. I hoped to find a friend to travel with but the friends that want to go can not afford it and my friends that can afford it have no interest.

With that said, I will most likely travel alone. I have a passport, but my questions are:

1. Can I just get on a plane and arrive on Bangkok and get a room at a hotel? Or do I need something from the US or Thailand to visit.

2. Do I need any shots if I stay in the city?

3. Do I carry Bt or dollars or both?

4. I have felony convictions from my youth (25 years ago) for weed. Does anyone ask about this when you enter the country? How would they check anyways?

5. How much can I expect to spend for 13 days stay at standard hotel (I do not need 5 star, just clean) , I imagine I would like 1 or 2 girls a. Day and maybe overnight, I do not drink, I am fit enough to walk a few blocks (no need to be driven everywhere) maybe train or bus rides sound fun for people watching. ?

6. Language? I speak no Thai. Is this a small or major problem?

Mandos[/QUOTE]No problem with passport for 30 day free visa.

Bring C card that can withdraw money or cash. If cash only, change about 300 or so at airport. Hotel can tell you where to change money.

No Thai, no problem No shots needed.

Advance booking at hotel recommended. Used Booking. Com, Agoda or another web sight. Read the threads. Stay around main road Sukhumvet between soi 2 and soi 26.

As far as having a felony I would contact Thai embassy for the answer. You can google them for phone number. Just don't give them your real name when asking the question.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]4. I have felony convictions from my youth (25 years ago) for weed. Does anyone ask about this when you enter the country? How would they check anyways?
[/QUOTE]That would be a problem if you were applying for a long-stay visa like a retirement visa since you would have to provide proof of a clean criminal record and if your country doesn't give you one (if your crime is not time-barred) that would be a problem.

I remember reading on some German forum that the Thais didn't give shit about whether you did drugs outside Thailand, as long as you don't do any in Thailand. Someone on that forum had enquired about track marks.

You could inquire from the authorities in your country or from a lawyer if you have the money to spend on one whether your country exchanges that kind of criminal record info with Thailand. Many Western countries don't especially given the kind of law enforcement they have in Thailand for that kind of crime (human rights issue).

Read this thread (same situation as yours): https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293920-i5037-k5349135-Travel_from_Aust_with_criminal_record-Phuket.html

[QUOTE=Mackin;1891232]No Thai, no problem ..[/QUOTE]No Thai, no problem?

So is English common in BKK then? Or at least enough yo get around? Good news for me then I don't speak. I do have a translator on my phone in a pinch.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891253]No Thai, no problem?

So is English common in BKK then? Or at least enough yo get around? Good news for me then I don't speak. I do have a translator on my phone in a pinch.[/QUOTE] No, the language is Thai, but many will speak English in the tourist area. Read this forum for further information and get a map to see where things are located. Also use google translate or google maps if those can help.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]I plan to visit Bangkok in couple months for 2 weeks. This will be my first trip like this. I hoped to find a friend to travel with but the friends that want to go can not afford it and my friends that can afford it have no interest.

With that said, I will most likely travel alone. I have a passport, but my questions are:

1. Can I just get on a plane and arrive on Bangkok and get a room at a hotel? Or do I need something from the US or Thailand to visit.[/QUOTE]Of course you can, but it is easier to pre-book your hotel through the usual websites ([URL]booking.com[/URL], [URL]agoda.com[/URL], [URL]tripadvisor.com[/URL], . . .). You don't want to walk from one hotel to another in the tropical heat with all your luggage to find the best deal.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]2. Do I need any shots if I stay in the city?[/QUOTE]No shots are necessary even outside of the big cities, but the usual anti-hepatitis shots and tetanus vaccine shots are always advisable anywhere, even if you are not travelling.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]3. Do I carry Bt or dollars or both?[/QUOTE]Bring dollars and exchange at the SuperRich currency exchange booths. There is one at the lowest level of the airport. Avoid the exchange booths of the banks (either in the airport or in the city): their rates are the worst.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]4. I have felony convictions from my youth (25 years ago) for weed. Does anyone ask about this when you enter the country? How would they check anyways?[/QUOTE]US Citizens are on a visa waiver scheme. You can stay for 30 days simply by presenting your passport at the immigration check. Nobody ever asked me about criminal convictions, nor does the immigration form you have to complete.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]5. How much can I expect to spend for 13 days stay at standard hotel (I do not need 5 star, just clean) , I imagine I would like 1 or 2 girls a. Day and maybe overnight, I do not drink, I am fit enough to walk a few blocks (no need to be driven everywhere) maybe train or bus rides sound fun for people watching. ?[/QUOTE]You will easily find good standard hotels in the center of BKK for USD 50 or less per night. As a first time visitor, estimate USD 30 per day for food. Picking up girls from the girlie bars will set you back about USD 80 per (short time) session, including the barfine and some drinks for you and her. "Long time" (overnight) will be more expensive, say about USD 120, but then you get at least two pops before sleeping and one in the morning. Once you get more experienced you can get better deals (or you discover the more high end places and pay more for those). A total budget of about USD 2500 will see you through 13 days. For transportation, your budget can be small: even the longest rides on the Skytrain or Metro will only set you back a few dollars. Taxis are quite cheap too (ALWAYS use the meter in Bangkok; there are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule!) but avoid using tuk-tuks in Bangkok. If any "friendly" Thai suggest you something that involves a tuk-tuk, 99% chances that it is a scam. Smile and walk away and take a taxi.

[QUOTE=IAmGine;1891035]6. Language? I speak no Thai. Is this a small or major problem?[/QUOTE]No problem, provided you stay in the more touristy areas. Outside of those, a few words of Thai come in handy, but even without you can manage to get serviced for food and drinks.

If I could get the right visa I old be very tempted to move to LOS, but as I am not 50 this is not possible. Stay the in Jomtien last year for 6 months. I have spoken to the embassy in 2 countries. Question is, where can I go live that has weather & cost of living similar to LOS but without the visa hassles. I like Asian women but prefer the South American look, a little junk in the trunk & some kind of a decent chest.

Thanks.