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Leaving the Cold behind... SEA (Thailand, India, Singapore) with LH A380 in FIRST

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Leaving the Cold behind... SEA (Thailand, India, Singapore) with LH A380 in FIRST

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Old Mar 28, 2020, 10:41 am
  #91  
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Programs: Lufthansa SEN, Bonvoy LT TE, SIXT Diamond, AVIS President, HERTZ President
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Friday, March 27, 2020

Also in Thailand the number of infected is rising, and now passed the 1’000. Therefore the government introduced new measures:
- Restaurants have to be closed to the public, only delivery & take-away allowed
- People should stay at home between 1900 and 0700
- People should stay at home during the weekend

Since we needed to stock up we drove to the next bigger town, Takua Pa, 15 km north of the Le Meridien. There’s a small shopping centre with a BigC supermarket and other shops. It’s not Bangkok, but basically you can get what you need.

On the way back to the hotel we saw this petty monkey, fixed by a cord to the motorbike.


The rest of the day we spent poolside and walking along the beach, having a mango-maracuja-smoothie on the way – not quite a lot to do (but better than sitting in a hotel room in Bangkok).

When checking out hotel rates until end of April I learned that the JW Marriott Khao Lak isn’t available anymore from 5thof April – good we changed our original plan to the Le Meridien. Hotels start to close down, hopefully not ours. But just in case I checked AirBnB, lots of apartments and villas available.

In the evening we decided to drive to Khao Lak, where still some restaurants were operational, a few even offering their clients to sit down.

We drove to ‘Little Italy’,


where a 15% discount for all food was offered - perfect for a Swabian like me.


After we received our food, we drove to the next supermarket, bought cold drinks and used their outdoor tables to have dinner.


Back to the hotel, where we played UNO.
___________________________________________

Saturday, March 28, 2020


According to our original plan, tonight we would have flown back via ZRH/MUC to Kiev. Who knew, just 5 weeks ago, that the world would change that dramatically ?

The hotel seems to be more and more deserted, at breakfast hardly more than 5 tables are occupied – but the breakfast still offers full selection. Let’s see for how long.

Normally it has been our plan to drive to a National Park with big lake 1 ˝ hours away from the hotel – but, due to the new measures introduced to fight Covid-19, we decided that it wouldn’t be adequate.

Instead we drove to town to get a new mobile internet package & stock up masks – but nothing was available, neither paper-, nor cotton masks. Meanwhile you see 98% of the people in public do wear some kind of them.

On the way back we refuelled, had a coffee at ‘Amazon’.


Further to ‘ThaiLife’ Villas, where the new Sheraton Khao Lak is under construction.


I talked to a supervisor who told me the hotel would open middle of 2021.

I didn’t like the location and the set-up, along a lagoon, with a narrow stretch of beach.


At least it’s a nice beach, beautiful sand, no dead corrals at all.


Back to the hotel, sports, lunch, beach, swimming and relaxing.

Because of the current situation I called the hotel’s reservation department, asked if we could prolong until April, 12th, under the same conditions. No problem so far. But who knows ?

In the evening we decided to visit the only Michelin Guide recognized restaurant in the area, awarded for its southern Thai kitchen.


Restaurant ‘Krua Bai Toey’ is located directly next to BigC supermarket in Takua Pa. It’s not an especially pretty restaurant, but it didn’t matter, we know there’s anyway only take-away available and we would set up our dinner at the sidewalk nearby.


When we arrived the owner and waiters were very kind, offered to move a table out between the palm trees in the middle of the unpaved side street. So instead of eating on the sidewalk we got a pretty romantic setup, even with candles on the table.


We ordered the recommended dishes, southern Thai Crab Curry (served with rice noodles), salted fried pork belly and prawns with stinky beans, in addition a seafood salad and a green curry with chicken, accompanied by two ice-cold Singha beers.


The food was outstanding, especially the very spicy crab curry and the salted fried pork belly, which came with a fantastic dip


and, of course, rice. The prawns were prepared to perfection, juicy – and in combination with the stinky beans and sauce, very tasty.

The green curry wasn’t bad, but not much better than in the hotel or many other restaurants.

For our friends, who normally don’t eat spicy, some of the dishes were definitely too spicy.


Well, Takua Pa isn’t a tourist destination and except us only locals passed by and picked up their food. I would say it was the most authentic meal we had for days.

For all we ate and drank we just paid US$ 30, including the best service we had on this trip.

Back to the hotel where we paid UNO.
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Old Mar 28, 2020, 4:35 pm
  #92  
 
Join Date: May 2011
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Enjoying the report. Thank you for keeping us entertained during our quarantine!
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Old Mar 28, 2020, 7:42 pm
  #93  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CGN
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Good you are well doing.
If you have some time drive over to Surat Thani provience. Its yust a 3 max 4 hours drive and different culunarie culture!. U will see a impove in original habits & food experience-if u like seafood. When working in BKk i always prefered flying to Surat Thani instead of Phuket to look around.
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Last edited by Lufthansi; Mar 28, 2020 at 7:54 pm
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Old Mar 28, 2020, 9:07 pm
  #94  
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Join Date: Oct 2014
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Originally Posted by Lufthansi
Good you are well doing.
If you have some time drive over to Surat Thani provience. Its yust a 3 max 4 hours drive and different culunarie culture!. U will see a impove in original habits & food experience-if u like seafood. When working in BKk i always prefered flying to Surat Thani instead of Phuket to look around.
At this moment we're trying to be as near at our hotel as possible - you never know what will happen next.

We don't want to be 300 km away in case a curfew will be announced. Still we're allowed to travel all over Thailand, if we need to. But who knows for how long. Especially with the raising number of infected on Phuket, they should close the borders between the regions as soon as possible.

At the present stage the governor of our region introduces some measures:
- curfew in the night, so people don't visit bars
- wearing a mask as soon as outside the house/hotel (fine THB 100'000, approx. US$ 3'100)
- not more than 2 people should be together

So we wait what will happen next.
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Old Mar 29, 2020, 10:59 am
  #95  
 
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Sauber - bezogen auf alle Bilder

LG aus London
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Old Mar 29, 2020, 12:41 pm
  #96  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
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Christian, your reports never get boring, thanks so much for sharing also in these difficult times. I've been following you for years, first in Vielfliegertreff and now here on FT. I know how much time it takes to report live - please keep on going!
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Old Mar 29, 2020, 3:05 pm
  #97  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CGN
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One question:
How about your Visa? Normally its only 30 days for German passport holders.
You plan to fly back end of April/1st of May.
Do you have a longer permit since you should have already stayed then more as this 30 days.
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Old Mar 30, 2020, 3:45 am
  #98  
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Originally Posted by Lufthansi
One question:
How about your Visa? Normally its only 30 days for German passport holders.
You plan to fly back end of April/1st of May.
Do you have a longer permit since you should have already stayed then more as this 30 days.
Since we arrived March, 13th, our Visa is valid until April, 12th.

At this moment, with the actual regulation, onn April 10th or 11th we have to drive to the immigration office of our region, in the city of Phang Nga. There're we have to pay THB 1'900/person to get another 30 days.

But there's the discussion to change the procedure, maybe within the next days our Visa will automatically be valid 60 or even 90 days.
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Last edited by ChristianKiev; Mar 30, 2020 at 4:02 am
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Old Mar 30, 2020, 10:00 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by ChristianKiev
Since we arrived March, 13th, our Visa is valid until April, 12th.

At this moment, with the actual regulation, onn April 10th or 11th we have to drive to the immigration office of our region, in the city of Phang Nga. There're we have to pay THB 1'900/person to get another 30 days.

But there's the discussion to change the procedure, maybe within the next days our Visa will automatically be valid 60 or even 90 days.
Considering that the interpretation of immigration requirements can vary from province to province, I would strongly suggest that you get the formal extension (even if it is granted free of charge) from the immigration authorities no matter what. The last thing you want is to argue with them over a potential overstay situation when you leave the country.
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Old Mar 31, 2020, 5:29 am
  #100  
 
Join Date: May 2009
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This I found on the website of Trat Province Immigration office:

"The fine depends on the number of days you have overstayed. The minimum charge is 500 Baht per day. This goes to a maximum of 20,000 Baht for overstays of 40 days or longer.

The good news is that if your overstay is under 90 days and you pay the fine then leave the country then you won’t have any problem returning to Thailand at a future date. There won’t be any black mark next to your name."

So it could get expensive somehow but no further problems if your stay is under 30 plus 90 days.
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Old Mar 31, 2020, 6:58 am
  #101  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Hey Christian, you might have seen this?

You might check options yet again. I think toughing it out abroad won't go well in this situation.
For these reasons I returned home from Japan y'day.

Thanks for the months of TR (followed it on VFT earlier).
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Old Mar 31, 2020, 10:43 am
  #102  
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Join Date: Oct 2014
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Posts: 268
Monday, March 30, 2020

There’s not a lot to report of ‘traveling’, but there’re some news from Thailand, Ukraine, Russia and Brazil I want to share with you.

Thailand:
Since the infections are raising and one of the hotspots is Phuket, which only land connection is bridge leading from northern Phuket to the region we’re in, Phang Nga, the governor of Phang Nga decided to close region. From Monday, March 30, 00:00, you can only travel to Phang Nga with a negative Covid-19 test and need to perform a 14-days-self-quarantine.

The governor of Phuket decided to close all beaches and lock his region completely (also, from Monday, March 30, 00:00) until April, 30, traveling by land and sea. Only travel by air is allowed so far – but rumours say the airport will be closed April, 10th, to 30th.

This let to huge traffic jams at the only bridge to mainland Thailand on Sunday evening, people trying to escape the island before lockdown.

(Screenshot from Youtube)

From now on you can only enter Phuket with a valid air ticket of the same day, driving directly to the airport, not stopping anywhere, not staying at a hotel until your flight would depart. But really, who would want to stay at Phuket now ?

Regarding tourist visa also there seems to be a move. Presently you would need to leave Thailand after 30 days of stay, or drive to the immigration office of your region, best with a letter of your embassy, asking of a 30 days extension. But hopefully this will change.

Ukraine:
At KBP airport arrived an evacuation flight from Vietnam, operated by Vietnam Airlines Airbus 350.

When the passengers were already inside the aircraft a form was handed to sign. This form said, that all passengers have to undergo a controlled 14-day-quarantine at a selected hotel, each person would have to cover the cost himself. Of course, people didn’t want to sign, so it was announced the aircraft would only depart after everybody signed.

At arrival at Kiev airport the passengers had to wait in arrival hall for transport. But people, even they signed the form, didn’t want to stick to the rules, forced their way out of the terminal.





(Screenshots from Instagram)

and just went home, mostly to their relatives, so the government can’t find them at their registered address. Really clever people – but I knew that it would be like that, and therefore decided better to stay in Thailand.

Odessa on Sunday was full of people, restaurants and cafes, even closed for the last 2 weeks, reopened due to perfect weather. People were sitting in cafes, thousands walking at the sea, making shashlik. The president is now begging the people to follow the rules, stay home.

Russia:
The president of Russia announced a week where people should stay at home, not go to work. According to our Moscow friends it was impossible to get a flight to Sochi, hotels sold out. So, a lot of people in Moscow saw this ‘workfree week’ as additional vacation, flew to the seaside resort of Sochi.

Brazil:
Our Portuguese friends a month ago fled to their beach house near Natal, thinking there they would be save because isolated. With them fled another couple, from Russia. We thought Brazil would be a stupid idea, because already not safe in secure times.

Now they took one of the last flights back to Portugal, because they reported the situation getting tense. Food in the nearby city got extremely limited and driving to the next bigger city with supermarkets wasn’t safe anymore. Basically the last week they were sitting in their house, sending the workers for shopping, not to get in any trouble.

For our Portuguese friends it was all easy, flying from Natal to Lisbon, further by car to Porto. But for the Russian couple it wasn’t. They arrived to Lisbon – but since they’re holders of Russian passports, they were denied to enter. So they were deported, on their own cost to London, from where they had to take a flight to Moscow.

_____________________________________

Tuesday, March 31, 2020


My main business was to deal with SIXT Thailand (Mastercar) since I needed to extend the rental contract until minimum May, 1st. I’ve sent them an Email the day before, asking for the rental charge until May, 1st, or maybe even June, 1st.

To my surprise the quoted, as a monthly rate, a much higher price than I’m paying right now, US$ 45 instead of US$ 27.50. As an alternative they offered to exchange the car at the Phang Nga / Phuket checkpoint for the smallest car available, Honda City (MDAR and 1 step upgrade), at US$ 25/day. I crosschecked the rates at six.de, found the MDAR at US$ 12.50/day, IDAR (which I’m paying now for the BMW) at US$ 23/day. When I asked them ‘why ?’ they answered me that the rates given would be their rates, the lower rates I would only get when I’m booking online. So what did I do ? I made a new reservation for IDAR from April, 14th, to May, 1st, via sixt.de at US$ 414 instead of US$ 810. I wrote an Email explaining the situation, hope I’ll accept it.

Lunch at the hotel – until now we were never able to spend our THB 1’000 F&B credit in full, even we’re ordering overpriced coconut at the hotel restaurant.


Gym without gym also got a routine. With the help of Youtube you can find quite good instructions what to do with limited equipment. I’m surprised how well this goes.

Cardio is walking at the completely deserted beach,


today one-hour southwards, passing ‘Graceland’ resort, a week ago full of Russians, now completely empty.


During an hour of walking and collecting shells we saw two fisherman and one tourist.


Luckily the Thai people are very friendly, happy to see foreigners, unlike the situation in India.

In the evening we met our friends at the lobby,


drove to town, got some Italian food, which we ate at our Villa, playing UNO and SUECA.

News from Ukraine:
In the evening of March, 30th, another evacuation flight from Bali arrived to Kiev. After having the experience with the passengers from Vietnam, the government of Ukraine got more clever, didn’t allow the passengers to enter the terminal – instead they were met by the army and busses at an apron position, from where they were directly transferred to a quarantine hotel in the very centre of Kiev. But I think you can already imagine what happened then: in the night a lot of them fled the hotel. Now the police is looking for them.
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ChristianKiev is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2020, 10:46 am
  #103  
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Programs: Lufthansa SEN, Bonvoy LT TE, SIXT Diamond, AVIS President, HERTZ President
Posts: 268
Originally Posted by PAX_fips
Hey Christian, you might have seen this?

You might check options yet again. I think toughing it out abroad won't go well in this situation.
For these reasons I returned home from Japan y'day.

Thanks for the months of TR (followed it on VFT earlier).
This wouldn't be an option for us since Valentyna has Ukrainian citizenship. She can't enter the EU and there're zero flights from Frankfurt to Ukraine.

So we anyway have to wait until Ukraine reopens for flights from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, maybe on April 25th or most probably May 25th.
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ChristianKiev is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2020, 10:47 am
  #104  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,117
Hi, this breaking news may help https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385187
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ExpatSomchai is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2020, 5:26 am
  #105  
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Odessa, Ukraine
Programs: Lufthansa SEN, Bonvoy LT TE, SIXT Diamond, AVIS President, HERTZ President
Posts: 268
Originally Posted by ExpatSomchai
Hi, this breaking news may help https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385187
Even they 'announced' the automatic Visa extension on April, 31st, until today it's not in place. Let's see, we still do have a few days...
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