Thai evisa is shhhheeeet!

[northernguy222]

Got lucky last Wednesday November 1.seems someone at the Washington DC office replied and suggested I try my DEBIT card. Tried and got the message Failed. After that the cc button would not work. Checked the receipt icon and was surprised it went through. Kasikorn Bank was the recipient. Now gotta wait 3-10 days for my email visa. Waaaaaaaiiiiitttttiiiinnnnngggg.

Glad you finally got it sorted George. You're braver than me to try to do that on a cell phone. I did my 60 day visa on a big ole clunky desktop.

Just a heads up...you might not get that email. (Twice I've done this in the last year and I never got one and that was with two different email providers). Just keep logging into your thai evisa account and look for "completed applications ". Once it shows up you can download it and print it off from there.

Have a great trip!

[George Pill]

Thanx for the tip.

[George Pill]

Last Monday I sent an email requesting expedited tourist evisa. Surprisingly they sent a quick email directing me to a special website so I could send more than one photo of my round trip plane fare. Site also requested hotel, bank, and other things. Sent them yesterday. Got an email REQUESTED DOCUMENTS RECIEVED. Today Tuesday is finally received the APPROVAL by email. Should be receiving the evisa probably later today. Thanx Los Angeles Embassy folks. Actually my sob letter about needing more than a week's time to change money, reschedule doctor’s appointments, fill pharm drugs, packing luggage, etc may have helped.

I do think this evisa application forms need improvement. Should allow sending more than one photo er requests for airfare. My full name was on the second second total 4 pages. Hotel reservations took 10 pages. Maybe if I have time I may stop by the Chonburi Immigration Office in Jomtien Soi 5. I read the office has relocated upstairs or nearby. Will certainly complain that my 2 credit cards never worked. 50 times from November 1 to 10. If I was younger and didn't own a house, car, or 3 bedrooms full of junk I might have thought it fun to live and work in Immigrations with my excellent English.

Gotta pack. 59 days will require lots of everything. Immagine 59 days of Zolpidem, avorstatin, Afluzosin, vitamins, etc

[George Pill]

Had some confusion. Didn't know that the email letter with the thai eagle on top was actually all i needed to present to immigrations officer at Suvarnabhumi Airport. I thought the LA Embassy was supposed to email me a triangular or square stamp that I would paste onto my US passport. I sent about a dozen emails asking where was my stamp. NOBODY responded. Idiots can't even reply that the first letter actually the legal paper was all i needed. Anyway now I can confirm reservations for airlines, Airport shuttle service, money changers, packs of dollars, doctor’s appointments, etc. Note that the dollar-baht exchange is now B35. Thai business health is shot thanx to Covid19. What's so dumb is they're giving the Chinese and Russians 90 day instant visas on arrival. If you read the latest Stickman Bangkok article it asks what about us Europeans and Americans? Canadians, too. We spend more money per capita and stay for longer vacations. The new Thai PM needs some excellent advisors from outside the country. Hire American workers and reopen the stupid Honolulu Consulate.

[George Pill]

Will write what the new post-Covid atmosphere is like. There's another ladyboy ripoff from inside a tuktuk ride. I think crime is getting more organized now with brutal beatings.

An interesting note about my bank. They no longer sell Travelers checks. They say the new trend is use your debit card. I said I could receive only $900 per ATM entry. The helper said she could increase my takeout by making adjustments online. So now I can visit less frequently. I have some old expired credit cards so will put them in my wallet and just tape my good card to my pal dicky. Gotta stay one step ahead the criminals. Cops are useless and have been arrested often scamming bargirls after work when they're loaded with cash. Today it happened in Pattaya soi 3. Pattayanews.org. pattayamail.com. lots of desperate people who are hungry, angry with lost jobs or poor paying ones, gambling debts, or like making more money in crime. Especially when the cops are lazy and corrupt. At's why third world countries stay 3rd world sick men of Asia.

[Rockheart]

Buy some bahts before you go. Then take out the maximum from the ATM and keep some in your room safe.
$900 per day is quite a lot of money for Thailand.

[George Pill]

Which is better. Changing dollars to Bahts in Honolulu or Thailand? Haven't received my bahts until next week.

[rxpharm]

Which is better. Changing dollars to Bahts in Honolulu or Thailand? Haven't received my bahts until next week.

You will get much better rates changing dollars for Baht in Thailand. You can change a little bit at the airport kiosks - the bank kiosks will be the same as the bank ones in the city. Once you get to your destination you can use the independent booths like Vasu (on Sukhumvit), or SuperRich where the rates are better.

[Rockheart]

You will get much better rates changing dollars for Baht in Thailand. You can change a little bit at the airport kiosks - the bank kiosks will be the same as the bank ones in the city. Once you get to your destination you can use the independent booths like Vasu (on Sukhumvit), or SuperRich where the rates are better.

I stopped taking US money to Thailand. In Thailand they are very very picky and if the bills are dog eared or slightly wrinkled, they won't take them. So I end up stuck with US money I can't exchange. For the tiny bit of exchange you save, you are just wasting valuable time trying to convert it in Thailand. I have found as I get older I want to use my time for vacation, not screwing around exchanging money or other things. Usually I have always just made sure to have several bank cards and credit cards and just take money out of the ATMs. Thailand has more ATMs than any place I've ever seen.

With modern phone plans, I no longer need a Thai phone plan. That will save me another hour at the airport.

I consider my time to be worth $100 per hour. If I am not saving more than $100 per hour, I feel I am wasting my valuable time.

[George Pill]

Wow. Lots if Superrich locations in Bangkok. Find them on Google Map. Where's the best places in Pattaya?

[George Pill]

Which is the best SIM card to purchase? Where? Airport? What plan?

[Rockheart]

Which is the best SIM card to purchase? Where? Airport? What plan?

Esim is the thing now. If you phone can take an esim you just buy it online and put it in your phone before you go.

Most newer iphones and adroid will take esim. This way you can keep your regular number and add a Thai number.
If you don't have an esim compatible phone, it is worth upgrading to. It lets you have a sim card and also and Esim, so 2 numbers.

My Canadian cell plan now has $5 per day roaming. So it is $5 a day any day I use it out of Canada. Much cheaper than old roaming charges.
If you set your phone to this option then you can also use it to make or recieve calls on your regular number without high roaming fees.

Otherwise go to the usual place in the airport. AIS is the largest.

https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/asia/thailand/best-esim-cards-for-thailand

https://esimthailand.com/

https://www.ais.th/esim-traveller/#/mealdetail?areaId=56

[George Pill]

AIS is biggest and located in Terminal 21 store at Asoke Skytrain stop. TDAC is everywhere in Bangkok. See Google Map. True Move few in Bangkok. Better to pass the airport SIM sellers. Got only short plans 15 days or less. Better to look for 30 day plans which locals prefer.

AIS, DTAC, then True Move on popularity. A YouTube video suggested DTAC and just get the cheaper 4G. 5G not noticeably faster so don't waste your money.

[Rockheart]

I only use Esims now.
Can't be bothered with screwing around with sim cards anymore.

[George Pill]

Maybe that's what AIS or TDAC might sell me. A 30 day card without pulling out my own SIM card.