General Info

[WestCoast1]

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[WestCoast1]

Thanks Gof, Phil, and LIH. Having never been to PI I didn't even know this was a thing. All I knew was no visa needed and thought that I had no prep work before entering PI.

Anytime entering a new country, consider browsing the country's Immigration website, and its Dept of Tourism website. Also your own country's Dept of State website, which has the most recent safety announcements for each country.

https://immigration.gov.ph/

http://tourism.gov.ph/link.aspx

https://philippines.travel/

https://etravel.gov.ph/

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-advisory.html

[Banana Boi]

In AC, when you make your first drink order, they write it on a chit of paper and put it in a small cup on your table. Each subsequent order (for you, or a LD for a gogo girl or waitress, or the barfine amount) is written on a separate chit and placed in the cup on your table. You should be able to grab all of them and total them anytime you want. This is similar to LA Cafe in Malate.

On Burgos, they just keep track of it at the bar. Its been some time, pre-covid, since I've seen anyone unhappy with the tab that he was presented with at the end of his evening. You can pay for each drink when they bring it, if you like.

For Burgos it's normal to go tab route. If it's a big tab expect them to try and add drinks to pad bill further. They do not leave receipts in cup on Burgos, all signed receipts go to bar.

The thing is that usually when you pay, you leave the tip for the waitress, so if you want to tip her a few times, that's the way to go. Otherwise she will think that you are a cheap charlie because she doesn't know that there is no tip because you're not finished yet.

Thanks all for your replies. One of the few things that really irks me is having my bin padded at the end of my stay. If it costs me a few dollars more at an unknown bar at the end of the night so be it. Better that than having a wonderful night ruined because some waitress took me for a chump and added a few drinks to my tab. Paying a small tip each round would be less than having a couple of phantom drinks added to my bill, no? How much do you guys tip if your bill is say 40 USD?

I'm not known to be a big tipper in Pattaya. There is a reason for this. If I'm a big tipper then multiple fat waitresses will push girls to drink faster. I have a hard rule girls only get 3 drinks per hour and my gogo girls all know this. However, I'm not cheap. I award waitresses (and gogo girls) who know how to do things right and will hand them some cash on the side. For me it works out way cheaper than a girl chugging down LD's left and right.

[Banana Boi]

I do the eTravel thing a day before I arrive just for the sake of it. Though I don't think I've never been asked by airlines or customs if I'd done it. Possibly once checking in just after covid.

Better to be safe than sorry.

I had not visited Philippines for 3+ years. But did so in February. I did not know about eTravel requirement until I was paged at the airport by Starlux airline to get it done or else I could not get on the flight.

Compete the eTravel process at etravel dot gov dot ph BEFORE arrival.

Thanks Gof, Phil, and LIH. Having never been to PI I didn't even know this was a thing. All I knew was no visa needed and thought that I had no prep work before entering PI.

[LoveItHere69]

I do the eTravel thing a day before I arrive just for the sake of it. Though I don't think I've never been asked by airlines or customs if I'd done it. Possibly once checking in just after covid.

Better to be safe than sorry.

I had not visited Philippines for 3+ years. But did so in February. I did not know about eTravel requirement until I was paged at the airport by Starlux airline to get it done or else I could not get on the flight. My fault. I was so used to the instant 30 day visa on arrival. Now a days it seems as if all the countries are constantly changing their requirements. Stressful doing the entry requirements and all the fake immigration sites to find the real ones.

[PhilJoy]

The larger airlines won't let you checkin without seeing QR code is completed. I have travelled in and out of Philippines ten times over last couple of years, showed e-travel zero times.

Hi Muttley and G.

I do the eTravel thing a day before I arrive just for the sake of it. Though I don't think I've never been asked by airlines or customs if I'd done it. Possibly once checking in just after covid.

Better to be safe than sorry.

As for the slack and basically non-existent customs check when arriving in Manila by air, I mentioned it to a Filipina who works for me and she offered a good excuse.

"We have hundreds of islands. If you're going to smuggle stuff into The Philippines, it's going to happen by sea. Why would you risk it at an airport?

_Phil.

[Old And Ugly]

Hi guys, has anyone been able to get a PH phone number with an E-sim? Particularly from Smart. Many other esim only do data. I want one with a number and data, preferably before I arrive in the PH. Has anyone got an esim with number? I want to stay clear of the physical card, bc I want my home number to also work while in the Ph. Has anyone done this way? I wanted to start a Gcash account too so I can use my credit card. Plus all the apps work on PH local number, so number is a must. Has anyone been successful at getting a esim with a local PH number, to make and take calls?

I'm on postpaid plan, and my esim is from globe. So now you know that if you can't get it from smart, globe has it.

[Aml3740]

Hi guys, has anyone been able to get a PH phone number with an E-sim? Particularly from Smart. Many other esim only do data. I want one with a number and data, preferably before I arrive in the PH. Has anyone got an esim with number? I want to stay clear of the physical card, bc I want my home number to also work while in the Ph. Has anyone done this way? I wanted to start a Gcash account too so I can use my credit card. Plus all the apps work on PH local number, so number is a must. Has anyone been successful at getting a esim with a local PH number, to make and take calls?

I would check with someone in the area you're going to stay and see what's the best carrier there, particularly if you're going to the province. For example, in both places I stay, globe is good and smart has one bar or no signal. So getting smart is useless. I would even consider getting a cheap phone there to use as a hotspot for your phone or other devices you may need. I don't have to fill my main phone with a bunch of things I never use while in the US, and I can keep gcash and everything else separate. It's just what I chose to do.

[WestCoast1]

Hi guys, has anyone been able to get a PH phone number with an E-sim? Particularly from Smart. Many other esim only do data. I want one with a number and data, preferably before I arrive in the PH. Has anyone got an esim with number? I want to stay clear of the physical card, bc I want my home number to also work while in the Ph. Has anyone done this way? I wanted to start a Gcash account too so I can use my credit card. Plus all the apps work on PH local number, so number is a must. Has anyone been successful at getting a esim with a local PH number, to make and take calls?

"6 Best eSIM Plans in the Philippines for 2024", from:

https://cybernews.com/best-esim-providers/philippines/

[Mushuu09]

Hi guys, has anyone been able to get a PH phone number with an E-sim? Particularly from Smart. Many other esim only do data. I want one with a number and data, preferably before I arrive in the PH. Has anyone got an esim with number? I want to stay clear of the physical card, bc I want my home number to also work while in the Ph. Has anyone done this way? I wanted to start a Gcash account too so I can use my credit card. Plus all the apps work on PH local number, so number is a must. Has anyone been successful at getting a esim with a local PH number, to make and take calls?

[Muttley81]

Just wanted to know what the norm is for Burgos and AC. Do you guys pay cash for each round of drinks or do you run tabs and pay when you leave?

For Pattaya Walking Street gogo bars I would never be worried about running a large bar tab but for places like Pasteur Street in HMC I am more cautious paying drinks per round or two on the first visit. It's more so they can see I'm paying attention.

For Burgos it's normal to go tab route. If it's a big tab expect them to try and add drinks to pad bill further. They do not leave receipts in cup on Burgos, all signed receipts go to bar. Worth keeping mental count of where you're think you're at if not too drunk to do so.

There is one girl in Maison I refuse to be served by as each time tried to screw far too much out. After they've ripped you off hand comes out for tips.

Not case in all places, some are decent, even in Maison.

[Muttley81]

Compete the eTravel process at etravel dot gov dot ph BEFORE arrival. There are three steps: log in, created account and then click the travel icon and add traveller (s) details. Don't fuck it up as completing at the airport is horrendously slow and everytime the wifi drops out, you need to restart the process.

The larger airlines won't let you checkin without seeing QR code is completed. I have travelled in and out of Philippines ten times over last couple of years, showed e-travel zero times.

[Old And Ugly]

Just wanted to know what the norm is for Burgos and AC. Do you guys pay cash for each round of drinks or do you run tabs and pay when you leave?

For Pattaya Walking Street gogo bars I would never be worried about running a large bar tab but for places like Pasteur Street in HMC I am more cautious paying drinks per round or two on the first visit. It's more so they can see I'm paying attention.

The thing is that usually when you pay, you leave the tip for the waitress, so if you want to tip her a few times, that's the way to go. Otherwise she will think that you are a cheap charlie because she doesn't know that there is no tip because you're not finished yet.

[Goferring]

Thanks man. I did not know about this. It only took a minute make an account though. I also downloaded the app, but it won't let me use that because I have developer options enabled on my phone.

Beyond my pay grade I'm afraid but remember you need to install the app AND click on the travel icon to key in your trip's details. Just adding your name, passport etc to the apps account isn't enough.

Cheers. G.

[Mr Enternational]

I've just arrived Manila and have noticed some changes:

Compete the eTravel process at etravel dot gov dot ph BEFORE arrival. There are three steps: log in, created account and then click the travel icon and add traveller (s) details.

Thanks man. I did not know about this. It only took a minute make an account though. I also downloaded the app, but it won't let me use that because I have developer options enabled on my phone.