Thailand Visa Extension

Posted on July 11, 2013 by koomatzu

If you have a Non-Immigrant Visa in Thailand, you will most likely need to apply for a Visa extension every 90 days while living in Thailand. It’s actually quite a complex process and nothing is really officially set in stone as to what immigration forms you need to fill out and what you need to bring. So here’s a breakdown of the Thailand Visa Extension process…

Where to find Bangkok Immigration for your Visa Extension

If applying for a Visa Extension in Bangkok, the local Bangkok Immigration is Chaeng Wattana located slightly outside of the main city centre. To get to Chaeng Wattana you can just take the BTS to Mo Chit station and ask a taxi driver to take you to ‘Chaeng Wattana Immigration’. Most taxi drivers will know exactly where to take you straight away and it will usually cost around 100 baht each way.

Once you arrive at the main entrance, the Bangkok immigration department will be through the doors just on the right hand side. N.B You might want to dress a bit warmer than usual as the complex gets really damn cold.

Chaeng Wattana opening times

Chaeng Wattana is open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am. Bangkok immigration will temporarily close at noon until 1pm while the officers take their lunch break. It’s best to get to Chaeng Wattana Immigration as early as possible so you can be finished before the lunch break but, don’t worry, it’s not so bad if you can’t. The Chaeng Wattana government complex has a few shops, restaurants and cafes to keep you entertained during the break, it’s more like a cross between a shopping mall and an airport than a government building. They even have cars on display for sale.

What to bring to Immigration

Your passport
1 copy of all pages of your passport*
1 passport photo*
All the necessary documents provided by your school/ work.
1900 baht fee

*N.B: Conveniently, there are a couple of passport photo and photocopy services on the basement floor where all the cafes and food courts are.

First time applying for a Visa Extension in Thailand

Collect a Thailand Visa Extension TM7 form from the reception area and fill it out.
Collect a ticket for the queue and wait
Once called, the officer will take your passport and documents and tell you to sit back down
Make sure to keep hold of your queue ticket. The officer will call you back to collect your passport
You should have a new stamp in your passport with a new leaving date. Also, you should have received a small, white slip of paper to confirm report of your address (as below).

Thailand 90 Day Report Address

When living in Thailand for more than 90 days, you are supposed to report you address within every 90 days. When you first extend your Visa at immigration in Thailand, the officer will automatically report your address and attach this small white ticket inside your passport. Every time you apply for a Visa Extension in the future after this, you need to fill out yet another separate form, 90 Day Report, afterwards and queue all over again in a separate section. You need to make sure to do this or you could be fined up to 5000 baht. All the queuing at Bangkok immigration takes quite a few hours so be prepared.

Second time applying for a Visa Extension in Thailand

Collect a TM7 Visa Extension form from the reception area and fill it out
Collect a TM47 90 Day Report form and fill it out also
You will need to collect a queue number for the Visa section to apply for your Visa extension, same as before
Once finished you will need to collect another queue number ticket for the 90 Day Report section to report your address.
You should receive a reciept to show that you have reported your address

Thailand Immigration leeway

N.B. I have seen it written on some forms that you must report your address and extend your Visa at least 7 days before the date stamp in your passport. True, it is probably safer to do this if there is a risk of paying a fine. However do not stress too much about this as, on the contrary, I believe they actually allow leeway for an extra 7 days after the date stamp in your passport. In the past, I have accidentally passed the date on my 90 day Report Address by a couple of days and it wasn’t a problem with Bangkok Immigration at Chaeng Wattana.

St Louis Hospital Bangkok

Posted on July 10, 2013 by koomatzu

Some people find the thought of having to visit any of the Bangkok hospitals daunting, maybe it’s the prospect of a confusing language barrier or the association with the vermin filled streets outside! Well, on the contrary, Bangkok hospitals have a pretty squeaky clean reputation and even attract people from across Europe and America, making Thailand one of the leading countries for medical tourism.

Hospitals in Thailand are mostly private and offer a selection of differently priced hospitals to choose from… but this leaves people confused as to which Thai hospital to choose. In rare cases, some of even the most expensive hospitals in Bangkok have been known to delay proper treatment in order to keep patients longer and make more money for them.

Well, I’d say I’ve become quite an expert on Bangkok hospitals during my 7 months living in Thailand and numerous unfortunate mishaps. I’ve suffered torn ligaments, broken toes, infected bug bites, dog bites and much more! Woe is me! However I have loyally used the same hospital in Bangkok, St Louis Hospital, and I’m guessing it’s also one of the cheapest hospitals in Bangkok.

Bangkok Hospital Review

St Louis Hospital Bangkok is a non-profit, Catholic hospital located right next to BTS Surasak in Sathorn. During lunchtimes, you can find a busy little market in the courtyard at the front of St Louis Hospital selling clothes, treats and cooked lunches. When you enter the main doors you’ll find an impressive, huge, shiny lobby with a welcome desk. The staff are helpful and speak reasonably good English to register you and point you in the right direction. You don’t need to make appointments and despite turning up without a reservation, you can usually be seen within 20 minutes of arriving. Amazeballs!

Did I mention how big and shiny St Louis Hospital is? I’ve visited St Louis Bangkok about 3 or 4 times altogether now – Orthopaedics, dermatology and A&E – and every single time, the doctors and nurses have shown compassion, concern and confidence in their own abilities. They are enthusiastic to help, patient with your questions and knowledgeable about the course of action. St Louis hospital is way cheaper than most of the other Bangkok hospitals and I think I trust the staff there more because of the fact that it’s not for profit.

Each time I have visited St Louis Hospital Bangkok, my hospital bill has averaged around 1000 baht (that’s a little over £20 or $30). I have had cheaper hospital experiences in Thailand up north but this is the capital city and St Louis Hospital is quite shiny. My first visit, the doctor gave me a splint for my torn ligament which was 800 baht plus the doctor’s and staff fees at around 300 baht. When I went to A&E I was prescribed antibiotics for a couple of hundred baht plus maybe 250 baht for the doctor’s time. Another time I had to pay 1500 baht for some fancy medicine.

Read about my other hospital experiences outside of Bangkok – Bitten by a dog in Pai and Maharaj Hospital in Chiang Mai.

My review of St Louis Hospital Bangkok: 10/10

Best Place To Buy Clothes In Bangkok

Posted on July 10, 2013 by koomatzu

Are you struggling to find cool clothes shops in Bangkok? Scratch that, are you looking for a shop in Bangkok that sells cool clothes, at a cheap price and in all sizes including plus size? I’m personally not keen on the quality and styles of the clothes on the streets and in the markets of Bangkok, but then on the other hand, I can’t afford to buy the overpriced fashionable clothes in the big Bangkok malls either…

Best place to buy clothes in Bangkok

My favourite shop for buying clothes in Bangkok is called Warehouse Export (N.B. not the famous European brand Warehouse). It sells a range of clothing sizes all the way up to XXL plus sizes for both men and women. This chain of shops specialise in importing clothing, particularly from Korean brands and other popular fashion brands such as H&M. The thing is though, they don’t tend to advertise this and so are a somewhat underrated, unappreciated clothing shop in Bangkok.

I have been to H&M in the Bangkok malls before during their big sales of up to 70% off and it get’s crazy! Everybody in Thailand seems to love H&M particularly the richer people, despite it’s reputation in the West as a budget brand! However I’ve seen clothing in Warehouse Export for a quarter of the price of what I’ve seen the exact same item selling for in H&M. Not quite sure how they manage that one, but basically, always make sure you check out Warehouse in Bangkok before shopping for clothes in H&M or you might end up kicking yourself!

Warehouse Export mainly price their clothing at two standard prices, the most common clothes prices being 220 baht and 280 baht for dresses, and 350 baht for denim jackets. Other than the good quality, another bonus of shopping in Warehouse in Bangkok is that they have changing rooms! Great, now you don’t have to waste your money buying clothes that don’t fit properly or just look plain unflattering.

Warehouse sells some really cool clothes and has a really wide range from cardigans, denim jeans and jackets, scarves, vests, casual dresses, maxi dresses, t-shirts, hoodies… everything! The Bangkok Warehouse shops tend to be pretty tiny and tightly packed, it’s a bit of a squeeze but still nicely laid out to not be messy like a jumble sale.

Where to buy clothes in Bangkok

For cool styles, bargain prices and plus size clothing in Bangkok, Warehouse Export have branches all over the city, in fact all over Thailand I believe. In Silom, head to Silom Central and check out the third floor opposite Asia Books. In Asoke, you can find Warehouse on the London floor of Terminal 21 (exact floor to be confirmed!) just at the top of the escalator.

There are two Warehouse Export outlets in the MBK – pick up a map at the entrance to find them (the MBK branches are very small though – they may not have changing rooms if I remember rightly). Or, if you live across the river in Thonburi, The Mall Thapra near BTS Talat Phlu also has a branch.

Anyway, in my opinion, this is where to buy clothes in Bangkok. 80% of my wardrobe in Bangkok came from Warehouse! Cheap clothes, pretty dresses, cool clothing and plus size in Bangkok.

See my other guides to Bangkok shopping malls, clothes shopping in Bangkok, shoe shopping in Bangkok and bargain markets in Bangkok here.

Bangkok to Koh Samet

Posted on July 9, 2013 by koomatzu

Best beach near Bangkok

In my opinion, Koh Samet is a somewhat underrated island in Thailand. Not only is it only a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive from Bangkok to Koh Samet, but I think the beaches are just as beautiful as the further away islands of Thailand such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangnan. For the best beach near Bangkok, if you’re looking for expat day trip ideas or beach breaks for tourists in Thailand, Koh Samet is a great option.

Many of the more famous islands of Thailand can sometimes be a little too touristy, taking away from the Thai culture and way of life. However Koh Samet is a very popular island in Thailand with local Thais who visit on the weekends to escape city life in Bangkok and just chill out on the beaches. This gives it a really different, special vibe to the other Thai islands and makes Koh Samet much more laid back and real.

Where to stay in Koh Samet

Koh Samet is not an island for sightseeing and temples; it is a notorious island for simply relaxing on the beach, eating and drinking. There are still many water sports to try along the shores though. When looking for hotels to stay in Koh Samet, bare in mind that accommodation on all of the Thai islands is quite a lot more expensive than northern mainland Thailand and Bangkok.

Sai Kaew Beach

Sai Kaew Beach (pronounced Sai Gaew) is the most popular area of Koh Samet in the main town to the North Eastern end of the island. The sea is clear with soft white sand beaches and a huge choice of restaurants and bars along the sea front. Sai Kaew beach is great for groups of friends and couples with plenty of nightlife including open-air clubs and beach bars with bean bags lining the beach. Sai Kaew is where many young Thais from Bangkok spend their weekend to let their hair down and it has a fun and carefree atmosphere. Nice, clean, reasonable priced hotels at Sai Kaew are Chilli Hotel from only 800 baht per room and the Lima Bella Resort from 1600 baht per room

Wong Deuan beach

Wong Deuan is another popular main beach of Koh Samet only it has a slightly more sophisticated reputation with less vodka buckets than Sai Kaew. The beach at Wong Deuan is arguably not as nice and less clean than others on the island though. Vongdeuan Resort provides the best value accommodation in Wong Deuan and offers reputable and charming mid-range cottages to stay from only 1400 baht.

Ao Prao and Ao Kiu Na Nok beaches

Ao Prao and Ao Kiu Na Nok are contrastingly more secluded and peaceful than the other beaches of Koh Samet, arguably offering the best beach near Bangkok. Ao Prao is along the West of Koh Samet and Ao Kiu Na Nok is to the southern end. Accommodation is more expensive in these areas and the atmosphere is much more quiet for an exclusive, romantic getaway. Ao Prao Resort is a beautiful hotel to stay in at Ao Prao or the luxurious Paradee Resort is ideal for honeymooners or special occasions.

Bangkok to Koh Samet

Firstly, you will need to head from Bangkok to Rayong. You can get from Bangkok to Rayong by bus for only 170 baht from Ekkamai bus station. Ekkamai bus station is located right at the bottom of Ekkamai BTS station. Buses leave hourly from 8am and the journey takes about 4 hours.

However a slightly quicker alternative to this is taking the minibus from Bangkok to Rayong from Victory Monument for around 200 baht. This takes around 3 hours instead. To take the minibus from Victory Monument to Rayong, take the BTS to Phayathai and take exit 4. At the bottom of the stairs turn back on yourself until you find a row of buses.

All buses and minibuses from Bangkok to Rayong stop directly opposite Ban Phe pier. You can catch either a ferry (45 minute ride for 100 baht) or a speed boat (20 minute ride for 250 baht) at the pier every hour from 8am until 6pm. The main ferry to Samet takes you to Nadan Pier near Sai Kaew. The speed boat ferry to Koh Samet also stops at Nadan pier but can also drop you directly at the shore of your preferred resort.

Thailand Tourist Visa

Posted on July 2, 2013 by koomatzu

What Visa should I get to go to Thailand?

If you are planning on visiting Thailand for a simple short-term holiday, a Tourist Visa will normally provide a long enough length of stay (up to six months) for most people. Also, it depends on what country your passport was issued in (scroll below for a full list), but most Passport holders can stay in Thailand for up to 90 days without even having to apply for a Thai Visa all thanks to the Visa Exemption Rule in Thailand.

Want to skip the boring details? Take a gander below at Entering Thailand Without A Visa.

How do I apply for a Thailand Visa?

If you are from one of the below listed countries, you do not need to apply for a Tourist Visa before departing for your holiday to Thailand under the Visa Exemption Rule. You do absolutely nothing, immigration will simply issue you with an arrival card and stamp on arrival at the airport in Thailand. The only catch is that you cannot stay in Thailand for longer than 30 days at a time. This means you need to cross the border, get your passport stamped and re-enter every 30 days, but this isn’t usually a problem for travellers planning on exploring the neighbouring countries such as Laos, Malaysia and Cambodia anyway.

Providing you leave Thailand every 30 days, you can stay for a maximum total of 90 days within a 6 month period without a Thai Visa. It may be worth noting though, that if you first enter Thailand at a border crossing rather than an International Airport, your Visa will only allow you a stay of 15 days, rather than 30 days.

What about a Thailand Tourist Visa?

The only time you will need to apply for a Tourist Visa in advance, is if you are only booking one-way flights and don’t have any other proof of onward travel out of Thailand. Some airlines may have a problem with this and refuse to allow you to fly. Another advantage of applying for a Tourist Visa in advance, is that you will be permitted to stay in Thailand for the first 60 days instead of 30 without leaving.

This means that if you apply for a triple entry Thailand Tourist Visa in advance for around £75, you can stay for a total of 6 months instead of 90 days – as long as you exit and re-enter Thailand every 60 days. Either way, in this case, you need to make sure to apply for your Thai Tourist Visa at your local Thai consulate at least a week or two in advance – Most Thai consulates generally take no more than a few days to process Thailand Visa applications. You can also apply in person if running low on time, this typically only takes up to an hour.

Entering Thailand without a Thai Visa

Obtain an entry stamp and arrival card after landing at the airport in Thailand
Leave the country or cross the border within 30 days of arrival in Thailand
You can exit and re-enter Thailand up to 3 times for a maximum stay of 90 days
Must provide proof of adequate finances, for example cash of at least 10,000 baht per person
Must have at least 6 months passport validity
Must have proof of onward travel within 30 days of arrival in Thailand. For example a return flight ticket or train ticket out of Thailand
Passport must be issued by one the listed countries below

Countries under the Visa Exemption Rule in Thailand

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Korea
Kuwait
Laos
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Monaco
Mongolia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Peru
Philippines
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Vietnam

Alternatively, anybody planning on acquiring a Non-tourist Visa in Thailand must apply in advance. You can read more about staying in Thailand long-term and other Thailand Visas here.

Banrie Coffee & Beer Garden Bangkok

Posted on June 30, 2013 by koomatzu

Banrie Coffee makes for both a quaint, pretty daytime cafe and a laid back, cozy night time beer garden in Bangkok. The look of Banrie Coffee is almost ruin-like, reminiscent of the remnants of a historical Thai landmark. The gardens are enclosed by an old, ancient wall with battered holes serving as windows looking out onto the Bangkok city streets. Inside the gardens, many huge trees scatter the grounds linked by colourful flags hanging cheerfully between them during the day. Banrie is open in Bangkok 24 hours a day every day with fairy lights illuminating the gardens at night.

Banrie Coffee serves a selection of Thai food, coffee, cake, milkshakes, cocktails, wine and beers complete with live, mellow Thai music during the evenings. Bottles of wine don’t come too cheap and vary between 1000 and 2000 baht. You can buy cocktail jugs for 300 baht and beer towers for 500 baht for 2.7 liters. The chilled out atmosphere with mild, live Thai bands and the pleasant, warmly lit natural surroundings of Banrie Coffee Bangkok make it a must visit local Thai hangout.

How to get to Banrie Coffee Bangkok

Simply take the Sukhumvit line BTS to Ekkamai. Banrie Coffee is right next to the BTS station, at night time you can just follow the sound of music. Banrie Coffee is difficult to miss.

SD Bar BQ Buffet Bangkok

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Happy

For an authentic, Thai buffet dining experience, SD Bar BQ in Ekkamai Bangkok is cheap, cheerful and highly popular with the locals. The SD Bar BQ premises are simple and open-style with just a roof to protect customers from the rain. It gets very busy and lively, crammed with about fifty long, wooden bench tables and decorated with fairy lights along the roadside front.

There is no air con and the Bangkok buffet is the popular Thai type of do-it-yourself bar bq with your very own grill on each table – in case you hadn’t guessed, this makes eating at SD Bar BQ buffet very, very hot.

Food prices are simple at SD Bar BQ Bangkok with serve-yourself buffets costing either 129 baht or 250 baht per person. For 129 baht, you can eat your fill of bar bq meats, salads, vegetables, curries, dim sum, sushi, Thai snacks such as spring rolls, som tam, fruit and Thai desserts.

For 250 baht, you can have your pick of all of the above but with a choice of shell fish for the bar bq too. The SD Bar BQ staff will set up your very own grill for you to get started cooking the raw meats. There are plenty of cooked meats to eat if the do-it-yourself cooking approach doesn’t appeal to you though.

Overall, for only 129 baht all you can eat Thai buffet, the food at SD Bar BQ is very tasty. Beer towers are also very popular at SD Bar BQ costing only around 500 baht for 2.5 L of beer. The atmosphere at SD Bar BQ Bangkok buffet is very laid back, local and casual. It’s popularity with the locals is a good sign but also, when I went, I was the only foreigner there – I think this makes for ideal off the beaten track, authentic and local Thai dining.

How to get to SD Bar BQ Bangkok buffet

SD Bar BQ Bangkok is located on the main Sukhumvit 71 road near Ekkamai soi 29.

Living in Thailand

Posted on June 26, 2013 by koomatzu

6 Months In Thailand

It’s been about 6 months since I moved to Thailand in November now. During the first few months living in Thailand I struggled to adapt to life. The culture shock hit me and I felt incredibly homesick, in fact, I could only look forward to the day I went back home, rather than appreciate my new life in Thailand.

I felt lonely and outcast living in Thailand society, taking every little reaction from a Thai person personally. Despite seeing no point in staying in Thailand any longer, I perservered, determined to see my stay through and past the 6 month mark.

Expat friends living in Thailand who originally moved only temporarily have ended up staying permanently. People always say to me, once you get past your first 6 months in Thailand, you’ll never want to go back home…. And they were all right! I pushed through the first 6 months in Thailand and now it has become my home. I’m happy here. But now I find myself in a quandry; not wanting to go back to England but not wanting to abandon my friends and family there either.

In one sense, through taking the big step of moving to Thailand, I have succeeded and found my place to belong in the world. Yet in another sense, I have given my life more confusion and anguish by being torn between two homes. The way of life in Thailand, the people and the laid back simplicity have trapped me here now. I have other lifelong dreams like travelling America and seeing the rest of the world, but I’m simply left feeling drawn back to living in Thailand now!

When I picture myself returning to England, I see myself feeling homesick for Thailand. I struggle with the thought of leaving my new friends in Thailand… It seem like I’ve gone and put myself in a lose-lose situation now!

Once you get past the 6 month mark living in Thailand, Thailand has you…

Volunteer In Thailand

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Happy

Volunteer In Thailand For Free

Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of charities in Thailand and volunteering agencies around that charge volunteers who want to volunteer for them. Understandably charities in Thailand desperately need donations and have to get funding however they can, but I just can’t help but feel a little mugged off at the thought of forking out extortionate amounts of money to lend a helping hand volunteering in Thailand. Some people really don’t have excess money to make substantial charity donations – all they have to offer is their time to volunteer.

If you look hard enough though, there are plenty of amazing charities that genuinely need people for free volunteering in Bangkok, without expecting donations in return.

No Cost Volunteering In Bangkok

Teaching English. GoodWill charity in Bangkok help disadvantaged women, usually from hilltribes, learn valuable skills to increase their work opportunities and avoid life in the sex industry. They often need people to volunteer in Bangkok to teach english or IT skills a couple of hours a week. Hill Tribe Education Projects charity helps support and educate children in hill tribes in Thailand, who have few rights and little support from the government.

Or check out Bangkok Volunteer Teaching on Facebook for an interesting mixture of teaching volunteer work in Bangkok on offer, such as teaching guitar, for various charities.

Mercy Centre, an orphanage and centre for disadvantaged children in Bangkok, often have volunteer openings for art, music and language teachers or general fundraising and office work.

General volunteer work. In Search Of Sanuk & Foundation for Slum Children help support poor families from the Bangkok slums by educating on parenting and taking care of the children. Thai Craft help support village artisans and their Thai crafts, volunteer work for them varies greatly from simple ‘checkout bagger’ positions, to skilled photography position.

Meetup Bangkok Volunteers is a simple community group of expats and Thai locals who meetup and take part in volunteer work in Bangkok. It’s quite an informal group so it’s especially useful for people who want to volunteer in Bangkok without making a commitment. You can sign up for a range of volunteer days with Meetup including making books for school children or road tripping on jungle trips to help provide medical care for Thai hill tribes.

Where to volunteer in Thailand

Active Aid International is a very useful, free directory of grassroots organisations and community projects. It is a very useful website to search for honest charities to volunteer in Thailand for free with.

Petite Audrey Bangkok

Posted on June 20, 2013 by koomatzu

Petite Audrey is an elegant cafe restaurant in Siam Center, Bangkok. The bangkok cafe serves both savoury and sweet dishes in beautifully inviting surroundings. I appreciate the sleek, industrial theme of Bangkok’s Siam Center, but Petite Audrey seems to be decorated completely oppositely to the rest of the mall – this stark contrast makes it look all the more cozy and inviting when you walk past it though. The elegant, french style open windows combined with the airy interior and wooden floors separate the cafe nicely from the Bangkok mall.

The food served at Petite Audrey Cafe is mainly Italian and Thai. They also have a nice selection of salads with imaginative dressings from only 160 baht. Pizzas and pasta cost between 160 and 300 baht and Thai food from around 120 baht. The selection of deserts in Petite Audrey Bangkok is another story though! From tea flavour cakes and chewy chocolate brownies to a selection of waffles each the size of your face; Petite Audrey Bangkok has a huge selection of desserts to choose from and they all come beautifully and elegantly presented. Petite Audrey is a perfect cafe to visit for some sophisticated cake stuffing.

How to get to Petite Audrey Cafe Bangkok

Take the BTS to Siam station and follow signs to Siam Center, situated next to Siam Paragon. Take the escalators to level 4. Petite Audrey cafe is located around the middle area of the 4th floor.