Stevo985 Posted May 23, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 23, 2014 Followed that Richard Barrow on twitter, donnie. very helpful, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Followed that Richard Barrow on twitter, donnie. very helpful, thanks! No probs fella, just looking after my fellow 'white middle class' villa fan :-) I loved Koh Samui by the way (and I usually find most places overrated) so i wouldnt worry about negative feedback your have a great time. I stayed in north chaweng and loved it. Im certain bangkok will he fine but even if it isnt you land at bangkok and can then take a cheap £50-£100 flight to places like siem riep in cambodia, chaing mai in north thailand all within a 50 minute flight with flights running every couple of hours daily. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 (edited) I don't get the Samui is a shit hole opinion. Well, I do - people pitch up in Chaweng, decide they don't like it, then they make the conclusion that Samui is a shit hole. There are some fantastic parts to the island. You have to not be lazy and seek them out. As for watered down drinks at the FMP...if people got stung by such a con then they must have missed the countless bars along the beach that serve you a sealed bottle of your spirit of choice with a mixer and a bucket. Edited May 24, 2014 by Morley_crosses_to_Withe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 My mate is currently there with his missus, in Samui. He was never enthralled about going but his missus really wanted to go. He keeps Whatsapping me telling me how amazing it is and how he is definitely going back. Says its one of the best places he's ever been. He's not one to go overboard and has been to over 50 countries (including most of Central and South America). Out of interest, where in Koh Samui is he? I went, and it was a shit hole. As far from as idyllic Thailand as conceivably possible. All the more strange given the places hes been in Central America. I meant he was on about Thailand in general not Samui specifically, apologies for confusion. He went to Bangers, Chaing Mai and Samui. In general he loved the country. I think he stayed in Chaweng in Samui. I went in 2007 and I really liked Chaweng, although i stayed in Choeng Mon, which was quiet. I think the idyllic Thailand that people imagine (The Beach) doesn't really exist anymore. You're better off hitting some remote island in Indonesia or Philippines for that. Thailand has become a victim of its own success. I still love going, although not for the idyllic beaches.. but for the hedonistic nightlife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 (edited) I think the curfew is only in Bangkok (at the moment) so I think the FMP will be ok. That would be really really shit if it applied all over Thailand. Unfortunately the curfew is all over Thailand, the good news though is that they've just changed the time from 10pm - 5am.. to 00.01 - 4am last night, and there's rumours abound that it'll be lifted completely within the next few days, time will tell on that one. I know there was a meeting between the army top brass and the mayors of Phuket, Krabi, Pattaya and Samui the other day, requesting that the curfew be lifted from the beach and tourist resorts., they've been taking a real kicking with regards to lost revenue and are not happy about it. I would imagine by the time you get here it will be all done and dusted, as far as the holiday spots are concerned that is, Bangkok may be a different matter. I live about 30 miles south of Bangkok, and the problems they've had recently and in the past have made no difference to life around our way, you wouldn't know there was any rioting or protesting unless you actively went looking for it. I was over here in the 06 coup and the riots in 2010, and again it made no difference to my life, the only way you knew about it was watching the news and media. Edited May 29, 2014 by villadude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 29, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 29, 2014 Yeah the guy donnie told me to follow is really good so I'm keeping up to date with the news. Sounds like the curfew should hopefully be fairly short lived. And it isn't really enforced on the islands anyway. I'm not really worried anymore. The gf is still shitting herself, but I'm sure it'll be fine by the time we go. I bet we'll hardly notice it. I'm more worried about my passport at the moment. Sent it off for renewal nearly 3 weeks ago and no sign yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Don't they have a curfew for locals anyway? I remember being amused as all the trucks with sirens came out to round everybody up, but I was always really drunk so don't know if it actually happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 I'm more worried about my passport at the moment. Sent it off for renewal nearly 3 weeks ago and no sign yet... My father in law applied for his about 7 weeks back, they told him it would take around 3 weeks, still hasn't turned up yet Don't they have a curfew for locals anyway? I remember being amused as all the trucks with sirens came out to round everybody up, but I was always really drunk so don't know if it actually happened. Lol, never heard of or seen that before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 29, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 29, 2014 I'm more worried about my passport at the moment. Sent it off for renewal nearly 3 weeks ago and no sign yet... My father in law applied for his about 7 weeks back, they told him it would take around 3 weeks, still hasn't turned up yet Don't tell me that!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villadude Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Sorry dude, to be fair tho it's par for the course this time of year, any other time of year is about 3-4 weeks, otherwise it's 6-7 around now. I had twenty years working for Royal Mail, and the sending/receiving of guaranteed delivery passport applications all came through my department at the Worcester mail centre, we'd have bags and bags of them every day.. As I'm writing this, I've just heard from my missus that my father in laws passport is going to be here in 2-3 days, so y'all be cool now, it'll be here before you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 29, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 29, 2014 I'm scared now. I didn't even send mine recorded delivery... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Worst comes to the worst you can still get a Passport in a day https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Mine took 12 days ( was mid March) , they even rang me as I'd changed my place of birth on the form ( it has Sheppy at the mo when it should really be Sheerness ) She said she could leave it as is or if I wanted it changed if need to send my birth certificate in Guess I just got lucky by the sounds if things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 30, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 30, 2014 I'll leave it and cross my fingers for the time being. If I get to the last week before I go and there's still no sign of it then I'll have to go for the premium passport service thingamajig. It's exactly 3 weeks today since I sent it so in theory it should be turning up any day. So nothing to panic about yet. Makes me nervous though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I'll leave it and cross my fingers for the time being. If I get to the last week before I go and there's still no sign of it then I'll have to go for the premium passport service thingamajig. It's exactly 3 weeks today since I sent it so in theory it should be turning up any day. So nothing to panic about yet. Makes me nervous though. You can track the application here after 3 weeks ..https://www.gov.uk/track-passport-application Gives another link if you did it online 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted May 31, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted May 31, 2014 Lovely stuff. Cheers mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted June 3, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted June 3, 2014 They received my application on 16th May ( a week after I posted it, annoying) Their target is 4 weeks to process the application and get it back to me via post. Which would be next Friday. But they recommend allowing 6 weeks. Which would make it the week before I go away. Cutting it close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted June 6, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted June 6, 2014 Passport arrived today. Woohoooo! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted June 9, 2014 Author VT Supporter Share Posted June 9, 2014 Properly excited now. Much more so than I thought I would be given that I wasn't really that fussed about Thailand in the first place. Especially as the curfew seems to have been lifted in most of the places I'm heading (only still in place in Bangkok) Another question though, injections. Anyone been before think I should get any? A bit of internet research suggests that Hep B might be a good one to get as you can catch it from food. Everything else isn't really necessary though. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Properly excited now. Much more so than I thought I would be given that I wasn't really that fussed about Thailand in the first place. Especially as the curfew seems to have been lifted in most of the places I'm heading (only still in place in Bangkok) Another question though, injections. Anyone been before think I should get any? A bit of internet research suggests that Hep B might be a good one to get as you can catch it from food. Everything else isn't really necessary though. Thoughts? Just book an appointment with the nurse at your doctors, telling her or filling in the form, that your going thailand. Then they know from that the injections you need. I had a couple (cant remember which) that were combined all in one injection. Didnt have to pay either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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