Visa Runs

[DrKnow]

I have heard both good reports and negative reports on the Visa Run service by friendly car service.

Is this the same guy that got deported from Cha Am (Stuart) working without a visa??? Heard he is back under another name.

Feed back required.

[Lev]

Have moved this to the visa section.

I have also deleted your other post as it was inappropriate.

[Guess]

I have recently done the run to the Andaman Club to stamp visa and stock up with duty frees. I got the stamp OK but on entering the duty free shop shock/horror. They had only very expensive gold and blue label Johnnie Walker and their own label whiskies.

No cigarettes at all.

The explanation was that they could not get supply. I only know of one reason why merchants will not supply and that is because the bill has not been paid.

Rumours abound but nothing concrete. I did hear yesterday that Phuket Air, who I believe are owners of the Club, have had their last aircraft impounded because of unpaid duties and that the Andaman Club has been propping up the airline for some time now.

If anybody is planning using this route I would advise to check first.

[chelsea]

Saw something a few weeks ago regarding Phuket Air planes being banned from some overseas airports.
Found these two articals that back up what you have said about the Andaman and the Airline.

1st
"Phuket Air quietly barred from UK LONDON: Just days before being banned from flying to the Netherlands, Phuket Air was also quietly barred from flying to the UK, it has emerged. One of its aircraft has also been seized for non-payment of landing fees at London’s Gatwick Airport. The website of the UK Department for Transport (DFT) says that “the Secretary of State has suspended the permit of Phuket Airlines (Thailand) because of operational safety concerns"

2nd
"An airline which twice abandoned take-off attempts when passengers said they saw fuel gushing from a plane's wing has suffered another safety scare.
Britons flying with Phuket Air out of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday were left stranded by the halted take-offs.

On Wednesday, a separate Phuket Air Boeing 747 had to return to Gatwick three hours into a flight to Bangkok because of a hydraulics fault.
UK officials have grounded the plane until repairs have been completed.

It has emerged that an engine had to be shut down while the plane was airborne.
The plane, which had taken off from the Sussex airport at 0830 BST and landed back at 1137 BST, has been grounded by the Department of Transport.
A spokeswoman said it would not be permitted to leave the UK until the damaged engine had been repaired or replaced.

An airline spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "There were 82 people on today's flight, which flew into Gatwick from Sharjah last night and had suffered a hydraulics problem.
"Though it was thought the fault had been corrected, the plane suffered the same problem this morning."

The passengers were transferred to London Heathrow to take alternative flights, said a British Airports Authority spokeswoman.
On Sunday, around 200 Britons travelling with Phuket Air stopped their plane when many said they saw fuel gushing out of the wing of their aircraft.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as screaming passengers threatened to storm the cockpit.
The airline later said the aircraft had been overfilled with fuel by ground staff and had not been a danger to passengers.
But several passengers refused to board another of the company's planes and others were left stranded in the UAE following further problems and delays. "

[Guess]

Not the best possible PR is it?

My guess is that the airplanes will be sold off to an even poorer Asian country and the Andaman club and all the other resorts owned by the company will be sold off by the recievers.

All you guys who have pre-paid tickets with Fucket Air and have lodged 10,000 baht with the Bandyman club, do not hold your breath waiting for your money back.

[lomuamart]

I don't really think there will be any future problem with The Andaman Club, however I didn't realise that it was part of Phuket Air.
Even if it went under temporarily with PA, I'm sure someone would snap it up quickly. After all, it's a casino and does well, thank you very much. The visa thing is a secondary offshoot.
Just look at good old Toxin starting a new debate on legalising casinos in Thailand. He knows very well how much money flows out of the country each week, particularly from the Thais flocking over to the club and to Poi Pet in Cambodia from Aranya.
BTW, having returned from Ranong a short while ago, I can confirm that the Andaman boats are still running.

[Guess]

I don't really think there will be any future problem with The Andaman Club.r.

Just look at good old Toxin starting a new debate on legalising casinos in Thailand

He knows very well how much money flows out of the country each week, particularly from the Thais flocking over to the club and to Poi Pet in Cambodia from Aranya.
BTW, having returned from Ranong a short while ago, I can confirm that the Andaman boats are still running.

Point 1. I agree no one could ignore the potential there.

Point 2. Toxin has approved gambling already, along with the bridge across the Gulf, the doubling up of the railways, free health service for Thai people, the Kra Canal, the knocking down of illegal estabishments in Walking Street Pattaya and even the knocking down of the same here in Hua Hin.

Point 3. Maybe he does know how much money he looses every minute by not taking control of immigation. For some strange reason though he chooses to ignore it and continue with the archaic procedures that are in place today.

I have heard recently though that currently the first thing on his agenda is to expel all farangs that have a PC that is older that 1 year and have less that 1GB of memory.

That will happen sometime in 2548.