Sateev

I've always been annoyed by the seemingly "special arrangement" requiring female Filipinos to jump through extra hoops to board flights to Thailand, even if they hold valid visas. It seems to contravene the rights of ASEAN member's citizens to travel freely between member countries.

Imagine my surprise when the Cebu Pacific web check-in agent at Suvannphumi demanded to see a printout of my return flight on my BKK-MNL-BKK flight. He knew I had a ticket,  so it wasn't the usual 'buy a return flight now' extortion. He claimed that Philippine immigration would ask to see proof of a return flight.  After I informed him that I hadn't yet printed it, he kindly had it printed for me,  but it was really weird. I have traveled that route many times, and never had any problems outbound.

Maybe Phil's version of tit-for-tat?

Traveling has become such a pain. Thanks so much, Dubya.

For those not familiar with Smartzone, they are an internet service provider to apartment buildings, condos, etc.  They sell cards with usernames and passwords, good for various lengths of time and access speeds.  Note that you can buy 2Mbit access for 30 days for 700 baht, or 1Mbit for 30 days for 500 baht.  So they are charging for BANDWIDTH.

I have small home network, consisting of a network storage server, a WDTV live, a printer, etc, which are variously connected to either a hard wire Ethernet connection, or WiFi, through my own router/wireless access point.

Now the tricky part: sincce I have to log in to Smartzone's web portal to enter my username/password to access their service, I use a small netbook as a gateway, and Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to feed the WAN side of my router from the netbook's Ethernet port, allowing anything logged into it the router see the web.

This has worked flawlessly for many months, then suddenly, no other machine (wife's laptop, Android phones, etc.) could see the internet, although my main desktop (which is connected by hardwire Ethernet) continues to have access.  I have tested it by plugging her laptop into an Ethernet port on the router, but still no access. My router supplies DNS passed through from the gateway as one of the selections, and Google's DNS as the alternate.

In the past, when it stopped working, I called them and got the ONE guy who seems to be smart enough to check a few things, and he did something to their SQUID server, and everything went back to working as usual.

My question is: why/how would they know what is on the other (ICS) side of my netbook gateway?  And how could they block access by ANYTHING on that side of the ICS NAT?

I know there are savvy network guys here on TV.  I hope one or more of you may have some ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Hi All - Just looking for a wholesale source of Equal artificial sweetener in Bangkok.  I would like to buy a case of 100 or 200 packet boxes for my own use.

Please, no posts about it being modified rat poison or causing insanity.  Consider:

I may want to kill a bunch of rats;

or,

I may already be insane.

Either way, I just need a source.

Thank you kindly.

Monday was my last day to re-enter Thailand and get another year on my non-immigrant O-A (retirement) visa.  I decided Laos would be the best place to go, for reasons soon to be obvious.

The part of visa runs I, and I suspect most people, hate is getting jerked around by Tuk-Tuk and mini-bus drivers who swarm around you like flies if they think you're a visa runner.

So, I have a fool-proof system, which works, at least at the Lao border across the Friendship Bridge:

1) First, buy a car.
2) Then, get $35.00 in United States Currency.  This should cost no more than THB2000 (by the time you read this, hopefully, but it was only 1050 in July 2011). Also obtain THB90 for parking/buses.
3) Live in Nong Khai.
4) Drive your car to the parking lot, 200 meters BEFORE the Thai border checkpoint, on the left-hand side, and get a ticket from the attendant.
5) Walk to the Thai border checkpoint, get stamped out of Thailand, and walk 10 meters to the Bus Ticket kiosk, and buy a ticket across the bridge for 20 baht.
6) On the Lao side, exit the bus, and walk to the window (#2) that says 'Forms'. Get a set of forms (visa application/entry/exit card). Sit down in the conveniently provided chairs and fill it out. Optional: buy a pen from the window that says, "Pens 2000 kip".
7) Queue up to the left against the building which provides SOME shade (and sells 2000 kip pens), and hand your paperwork to the nice lady at window #1 to be checked. She will ask for, guess what? US$35.00 Give it to her, along with your passport and a 2.5x3cm passport photo, and wait around the corner to the left at the passport pickup window.  If she asks for $36.00, check your PDA to see what day/time it is.  After hours costs an extra $1.
8) When they open the window, grunt and point your passport at you, accept it with a smile and a 'kobchai'.
9) Go to the Entry kiosk queue, and when you get to the window, hand them your completed Entry/Departure card and passport, and gratefully receive the stamp.  You're in Laos now.
10) Walk toward the exit. Avoid eye contact with the 'Entrance Fee' window people, who don't usually charge anyone (except those dumb enough to make eye contact, and/or stop to pay the fee. DO STOP at the end of the fenced-off area for the little communist dude who will check your passport.  Smile at him, and consider his plight.
11) Walk out of the gate, turn left, left again, and toward the Exit Laos Passport booths. Present your passport at the window, along with your departure card, and get stamped OUT of Laos. Similar to the Entry Fee people, avoid eye contact with the Exit Fee people, and walk straight ahead, as if you were a Party cadre.
12) Find the booth on the left where thay sell bus tickets across the bridge for 10000 kip.  Give them 20 baht, and get a ticket. Board the bus.  Don't ask me about kip/baht conversion.  They want 20 baht.
13) At the Thai side, walk toward the Passport Check booths, but stop and fill out an Entry/Departure card before going to the window.  At the window, hand the card and your passport to the nice Immigration guy, who will then give a stamp.  Make sure it is the appropriate stamp, i.e., permission to stay for however many days/months you are entitled to.  Be pleasant, even if they get it wrong.  Don't protest, but ask innocuously, "Shouldn't I get a year on this visa, as opposed to 90 days?"  Smile, as he double checks, and scribbles in your passport.  Thank him.
14) Walk back along the road to the parking lot where you left your new car.  Present the ticket you got when you parked, along with 50 baht (half day), and enjoy another year in the Land o' Smiles.

Not one word to a Tuk-Tuk driver, US$35 + 90 baht (~$3 in July 2011, several hundred by August 3), and one more WHOLE FRIGGIN' PAGE lost in my passport, but good to go (or stay, actually) for another year.

And it only took an hour and ten minutes, in case you doubt the effectiveness of the car purchase and the move to Nong Khai.

Hi All,

Having read all the pertinent threads, I have made a plan, upon which I invite considered (and considerate) comments.

First, the particulars:

I am an American, over 50 years old, with a Non-immigrant multiple-entry O-A visa, acquired in the US this past August.  I entered Thailand on this visa, also in August.

Subsequently, I flew to the Philippines to marry my GF (a Filipina); after much red-tape (PM me if you need info), we will tie the knot, and kill the pigs on Oct. 27.

My plan is to fly her to Thailand (after she gets her new passport, name changed) on a visa-exempt entry, with an onward flight to [some-city-with-a-Thai-Embassy].  We will then go to that Embassy together, with our marriage certificate, and apply for a non-immigrant O, based on dependency.

Once back in Thailand, we will visit immigration, and apply for a permit to stay for her, to match the time frame of my non O-A.

Two questions:

Is my general approach sound?

and

In what city would be the Thai Embassy be most receptive/helpful in getting her non-O?  I was thinking Singapore for a combined honeymoon and visa run, but I wonder if there might be some prejudice against Filipinas there, since so many are 'on the game', as in Orchard Towers.

Thanks in advance to those who take the time to read, and respond thoughtfully.

Sateev