Quote:
Originally Posted by Dingo's
Exactly what I just stated.... No wp, only 3 months
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Thx.-- You you guys are so right.
I could maybe get a WP but the hassles involved (like medical check-up, provide all old diplomas, a house registration, even a map where you live ect, ect) aren't worth it. I only got the 3 mo O and it cost me about THB 4100, 3.5 lost days at my mansion's poolside in the company of the visiting TG and ferang chicks, and a sore back from sleeping on buses.
FYI: went to Had Yai on the last bus out of Phuket at 21.50 arrived there at about 5 am, shared a cab with 3 other visa runners for 500 THB/ea (double what it was 3 months ago from the same provider!), applied for visa, spent the rest of the day bored silly at the Blue Diamond Hotel & Mexican Pub on Chulia St, slept awfully on the lumpy mattress at 250 MYR, had an overpriced breakfast, took a ride on the free hotel bike all over town (liked what I saw), picked up passport at Consulate at 14.00, cought microbus at 15.00 in front of hotel back to Had Yai, bus from there which got me on the island at 3.30 am.
I avoided the 17.55 Firefly flight becuase one of the visa runners reported they cancelled his flight recently just because there were not enough passengers :-0! The flight would only have increased the cost of the trip by about THB1200 but would have cut about 7-8 hrs.
In any case, after 6 years I'm getting bored and frustrated with the LOS and am seriously considering to move my base to Lankawi or Penang. MY gives everyone a free 90-day entry stamp on arrival (no visa needed) and reportedly 90 day extensions at the local immigration office on demand, with no questions asked. They now seem to be much more welcoming than the Thai administration who are more and more paranoid, greedy and imcompetent. --
Living expenses seem to be about the same, maybe even cheaper (all of Lankawi Isl is a duty-free port), English is more widely spoken, they use the Latin alphabet and a lot of ferang words (f i bas = bus), lots of TG working there, the infrastucture is better developed and maintained than in LOS. Easy in- and egress by air via KL and SIN.
Thai govmt don't seem to know or care that tropical islands with willing ladies are dime a dozen and expats are abandoning Thailand by the tens of thousands, while the hoped for 'quality tourists' pass them by for friendlier, more efficient, cleaner, safer and more welcoming shores.
Best, my GF from BKK promised she'll be just as happy to fly to Penang or Lankawi (THB 1700 on AirAsia) as to HKT on her monthly visits with me, bless her loyal heart. -- So Phuket tourism will probably soon lose two good customers in one single screw-up.