General Reports

[QUOTE=Horatio;2055684]I have my ticket leaving us on August 2 and returning end of October. Do I need any kind of visa when I arrive there? I know I will have to get an extension. Can I get a 60 day extension easily? My biggest worry is not being allowed in the country with a return date that far out. Is that something I should be concerned a out?

Thank you for any advice.[/QUOTE]Yes you may need a VISA, and even then staying for 90 days in a row may not be permitted. Normally VISA free entry (with no VISA) is for 30 days and can get a 30 day extension for fee which I believe is 1900 Baht (not 1600) and apply before your 30 days expires and don't forget about any public holidays. Max consecutive time in Thailand is probably 60 days. Then you have to fly to Cambodia and back or Singapore, or Laos, etc. So that is actually without VISA application.

I am assuming you are US citizen.

You can apply to a multi entry tourist VISA with each stay a max of 60 days. There may some type of VISA that allows 90 days. Consult your local Thai embassy or consulate about what type of VISA is possible. Certainly a stay of 90 days is not considered a normal tourist event and may be difficult to do.

So I enjoy one brand of cigarettes that they don't sell in Thailand. Surely, someone else here has been in the same situation. I've searched this forum 10 different ways with no luck so I apologize if it's a repeated question. I do realize 200 is max. Considering the drinking to be had I need closer to 400. From other forums I've gathered it's a big fine, possibly jail and they take them. Do they only take the excess or do they take all of them? Seems like I could just put a few packs in cargo short pockets in checked luggage and a few packs on my carry on. Seems lots of people never get checked. Paying duty isn't a option due to law. Any suggestions?

[QUOTE=Wolvenvacht;2054782]I carry mostly cash in big bills such as EUR 500 as that gives a slighly better exchange rate and is less bulky to carry. Hotels and upscale restaurants get paid with my credit card. I have a debit card for back-up but the ATM costs are crippling and the maximum amount you can withdraw at one time seems to get lower and lower. 10000 baht is as much I can withdraw in one go and that won't last long.[/QUOTE]Thanks for all the responses regarding cash and exchange. I think I have a plan in place now for that. In regards to your passport, do you always carry it with you? My biggest fear is losing this.

Also, I am trying to find a better explanation of ST & LT. When I search the forums, it says "search string too short" I read the abbreviations tab, but it's very vague and I don't think applies to Thailand.

I'm guessing st = short time or basically 1 hour or 1 pop, whichever comes first? LT = long time? Abbrev tab says overnight, so if I barfine a girl for LT at 6 pm, I can bang her all night long? Doesn't make sense to do ST then other than variety. Please help!

Hack.

[QUOTE=ThatGuy68;2057974]So I enjoy one brand of cigarettes that they don't sell in Thailand. Surely, someone else here has been in the same situation. I've searched this forum 10 different ways with no luck so I apologize if it's a repeated question. I do realize 200 is max. Considering the drinking to be had I need closer to 400. From other forums I've gathered it's a big fine, possibly jail and they take them. Do they only take the excess or do they take all of them? Seems like I could just put a few packs in cargo short pockets in checked luggage and a few packs on my carry on. Seems lots of people never get checked. Paying duty isn't a option due to law. Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]Hi,

Maybe another member who is a non smoker take them for you if you are travelling together or possibly befriend some one on the same flight at check in and see if they can help you out. I have carried cigarettes and alcohol before and I have asked others to help me too and it works.

ST stands for short time. Most of the time, it means one pop and about one hour (or till you pop, which ever comes first) unless negotiated in advance.

LT stands for Long time, usually till early morning (again exact time to negotiate in advance), it also means multiple pops but the lady will want to sleep, so do not expect an all night marathon.

GK.

[QUOTE=Hack351;2059235]Thanks for all the responses regarding cash and exchange. I think I have a plan in place now for that. In regards to your passport, do you always carry it with you? My biggest fear is losing this.

Also, I am trying to find a better explanation of ST & LT. When I search the forums, it says "search string too short" I read the abbreviations tab, but it's very vague and I don't think applies to Thailand.

I'm guessing st = short time or basically 1 hour or 1 pop, whichever comes first? LT = long time? Abbrev tab says overnight, so if I barfine a girl for LT at 6 pm, I can bang her all night long? Doesn't make sense to do ST then other than variety. Please help!

Hack.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=ThatGuy68;2057974]So I enjoy one brand of cigarettes that they don't sell in Thailand. Surely, someone else here has been in the same situation. I've searched this forum 10 different ways with no luck so I apologize if it's a repeated question. I do realize 200 is max. Considering the drinking to be had I need closer to 400. From other forums I've gathered it's a big fine, possibly jail and they take them.[/QUOTE]In a few cases I heard of, the fine (or was it bribe) ended up being 50 k-80 k baht. They often let you go through the customs, only to nab you in the parking lot or taxi stand (higher fine, more sever punishment, and more opportunities to settle it).

[QUOTE=ThatGuy68;2057974]Do they only take the excess or do they take all of them?[/QUOTE]They sure won't let you smoke them in jail while you wait for the judge to decide on your bail. If you manage to settle informally (with a bribe), depends on the terms of your settlement, of course.

Is it really worthwhile, are you that much of an addict to a specific brand to take the risk? As a reminder, you can buy cigarettes in Thailand.

[QUOTE=Wolvenvacht;2054782]I carry mostly cash in big bills such as EUR 500 as that gives a slighly better exchange rate and is less bulky to carry. Hotels and upscale restaurants get paid with my credit card. I have a debit card for back-up but the ATM costs are crippling and the maximum amount you can withdraw at one time seems to get lower and lower. 10000 baht is as much I can withdraw in one go and that won't last long.[/QUOTE]I can withdraw 20,000 baht from the ATM's of the Tanachart bank with my debit card. All other banks only 10,000 (as far as I know but I've tried a lot).

There's a Tanachart ATM between Soi 3 and 5 on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, and in Pattaya on Second Road close to Soi Honey Inn. Look for orange ATM's.

Make sure your own bank allows you to withdraw 20,000 baht. If your limit is set to EUR 500 for example then that's not enough.

I don't know if this is bad manners for me writing about this here. Anyways it seems like Thailand has woken up in regards to allowing Farangs with tourist visa to get a driving license. I have seen a large increase in police checks in Phuket where I spend most my time but never been stopped myself. That said it's only a matter of time before I have to pay my first 500 THB and argue why I shouldn't have to give more.

Anyways I went to this driving school in Phuket that is on the left hand side going from Dcondo Mine to the bigger Tesco Lotus / Home pro. I don't know the full cost yet but basically 1500 THB for the school and 500 THB + Copies / Photos for Immigration (Make sure you save 2 photos for the license). So I would estimate it to land somewhere around 2500 THB. I have no clue about the expiration time on the license or if this works for people staying in a hotel but I suspect so.

What you need from immigration is a "Certificate of residence" and to my knowledge this is something new and when I asked them about it they said its been around 1 year or more. I am scheduled for my test on Saturday so if anyone has input on what usually is included I'm all ear. I will report back on my experience after Saturday.

I continued my talk with Immigration about the reporting of your address when staying in Thailand. The answer I got verbally is that if I have reported my condominium as the place I am staying that is fine even if I leave and come back. I extended the question to what if I go around in Thailand and stay in a hotel and got the answer I didn't need to re-report. Can anyone confirm this is the case or is this just how laid back they are here in the south?

How does thai friendly site work? Is there a way to tell who are working girls as opposed to who is wanting a relationship? I am mid 50's, if they answer my message knowing I am that age and they are in 20's, will they know I am wanting sex? Can you negotiate sex and price on thai friendly site?

[QUOTE=Horatio;2060143]How does thai friendly site work? Is there a way to tell who are working girls as opposed to who is wanting a relationship? I am mid 50's, if they answer my message knowing I am that age and they are in 20's, will they know I am wanting sex? Can you negotiate sex and price on thai friendly site?[/QUOTE]Well, no. Its not a sex marketplace though I suspect a small minority of women on there might be working girls. Mostly, it is girls looking to meet farang and their financial incentives are probably more expensive in the long run than picking up a ordinary working girl.

I think girls in their 20's will assume you are looking to bust a nut in them, and those that are interested in P4 P will probably respond appropriately. But, I don't see the point much. I spent $25 a month for membership (free membership is next to useless for a variety of reasons unless you have a lot of time on your hands), and I recall enjoying ST with a lovely, young Lao girl in Pattaya for the same amount. Which begs the question, what real use is it to the monger? For a younger guy it would be a great way to hook up with younger girls to date, and I was still in my 30's, maybe my late 40's I would work the Thai dating sites pretty hard looking for the free stuff.

For more mature guys, like us, it is a great way to meet mature Thai women who are looking for something serious. If you are looking for a real girlfriend closer to your age, you will find them in spades. I am in my 50's as well, and I made plenty of contact with girls in Thailand in their 30's and 40's. If they have kids, they can come off as quite desperate. But, then again what they will want from you will be a serious financial commitment. Unless you are taking up residence in Thailand, I think a girl off the street will the cheapest and least hassle method for pure sexual purposes.

To sum up my experience on TF, it was a waste of time, and the only woman I did actually meet up with really wasted my time. Many others played games with me and a few were a bit nuts. Just like at home, they are single for a reason.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2060143]How does thai friendly site work? Is there a way to tell who are working girls as opposed to who is wanting a relationship? I am mid 50's, if they answer my message knowing I am that age and they are in 20's, will they know I am wanting sex? Can you negotiate sex and price on thai friendly site?[/QUOTE]Just be up front. Tell them what you are looking for and that you are prepared to spend Baht.

Yes negotiating is easy. Just a word on the the profile pics, tread with caution. Also, some profile pics can be deceiving. Just because she looks like a conservative, innocent thing this is not always the case. Happy Hunting.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2060143]How does thai friendly site work? Is there a way to tell who are working girls as opposed to who is wanting a relationship? I am mid 50's, if they answer my message knowing I am that age and they are in 20's, will they know I am wanting sex? Can you negotiate sex and price on thai friendly site?[/QUOTE]There's no obvious way to tell or a search option. I think the site bans openly advertising prostitution, but you can negotiate anything you want in private messages, or better, exchange Line contact info and talk there.

You have to send messages to multiple girls and be upfront about what you're looking for. Most girls on the site are not prostitutes, some are but aren't upfront about it and would only be OK with a money proposal after a few messages. Many girls will refuse you, or even worse, drag it out without wanting to meet. It's a fair bit of work and hassle online, not an ideal mongering platform at all.

[QUOTE=Horatio;2060143]How does thai friendly site work? Is there a way to tell who are working girls as opposed to who is wanting a relationship? I am mid 50's, if they answer my message knowing I am that age and they are in 20's, will they know I am wanting sex? Can you negotiate sex and price on thai friendly site?[/QUOTE]You already have a few responses from veterans who know their business very well. But here are my two cents.

I have had reasonable success with TF. They have a fairly decent app now that is user friendly. Over the past 2 months I have seen increase in quantity and quality of girls on TF, specially for Pattaya. I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I suspect it has something to do with the current embargoes on bar timings in Pattaya.

Most girls have fairly clear messages on their profiles, but no girl is really out of reach for the man with the right game and approach. I am usually honest about what I am looking for. I tell them I am looking for a casual date, nothing serious, no commitments. Some of them come forward and say they want money in exchange and then the chat gets into a negotiation, if needed. Some girls simply refuse flat out, a few have even done it in a nasty way. And an impressive number of women will want to chat more, get to know you better and then probably let you get into their knickers after 2 dates.

[QUOTE=Blanquiceleste;2060321]I have had reasonable success with TF. They have a fairly decent app now that is user friendly. Over the past 2 months I have seen increase in quantity and quality of girls on TF, specially for Pattaya. I don't know the exact reasons for this, but I suspect it has something to do with the current embargoes on bar timings in Pattaya.[/QUOTE]I read this with interest as I too have noticed an increase in the quality of the girls on TF. I was at one stage rather disappointed with the talent but after revisiting recently the scale has gone up a notch or two. Yes, getting hold of the Line ID quickly is also the best tactic to keep the conversation going. Once chatting via Line you can really get down to the finer details, in particular if you are not a fully paid member as you need to wait a long duration to send multiple messages.

[QUOTE=MakeItOrBreak;2059751]I don't know if this is bad manners for me writing about this here. Anyways it seems like Thailand has woken up in regards to allowing Farangs with tourist visa to get a driving license. [/QUOTE]This is quite a change from the norm and perhaps is only available in Phuket. Rules and regs are not adhered too consistently across the country. The part about a certificate of residence from Immigration is the norm for those who live here long term. For a tourist it almost seems laughable because they tend to be on the move so much. You do not need to report your whereabouts on a tourist visa because the presumption is that your hotel will report it. That is partly why they take a copy of your passport.