14th September 2006

[mrcharliemofo]

2 minutes ago, bob lt said:

Pretty sure you're aware that flights that transit through red list countries (At April 2, Oman. Qatar, U.A.E.) require paid hotel quarantine.

Oh yes, Qatar was on my list to use and then got added to their dreaded red list, now it's looking like I'll be slumming it with KLM or Finnair. Singapore was on my list too until I realised how long their flight was.

[Lemondropkid]

2 hours ago, mrcharliemofo said:

It was part of my plan to head back for the summer as more work available. Apparently the course I do isn't a pass or fail it's just a learning thing which to be honest I think I'll need to do as I've been out of it for a while now

 

Sounds good, summer's going to be great here. 

The weather will be unreliable and England will under-perform at another major football championship- will feel like you've never been away🙂

[Horizondave]

1 hour ago, bob lt said:

Pretty sure you're aware that flights that transit through red list countries (At April 2, Oman. Qatar, U.A.E.) require paid hotel quarantine.

This is a good point and a point that needs to be taken into account when selecting flight to/from the UK.

Some have been caught out and I remember the story of the guy who flew Emirates out of Thailand and on arrival at Heathrow he had to quarantine at his expense in an airport hotel;  this was despite him calling Emirates on 2 occasions and being told he would not need to quarantine.

My flights to Greece in late summer (if I go) are non stop from London with no transit despite the cheapest flights via Brussels or Frankfurt being a better deal. 

[mrcharliemofo]

26 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

This is a good point and a point that needs to be taken into account when selecting flight to/from the UK.

Some have been caught out and I remember the story of the guy who flew Emirates out of Thailand and on arrival at Heathrow he had to quarantine at his expense in an airport hotel;  this was despite him calling Emirates on 2 occasions and being told he would not need to quarantine.

My flights to Greece in late summer (if I go) are non stop from London with no transit despite the cheapest flights via Brussels or Frankfurt being a better deal. 

It was noted and as I said above I'll be using KLM or Finnair even though Qatar were my original number 1 choice as they have a good luggage allowance. If it all goes tits up between now and June then I'll fly to Paris and hitch a ride via the new Calais - SE England dinghy service !

[Horizondave]

44 minutes ago, mrcharliemofo said:

It was noted and as I said above I'll be using KLM or Finnair even though Qatar were my original number 1 choice as they have a good luggage allowance. If it all goes tits up between now and June then I'll fly to Paris and hitch a ride via the new Calais - SE England dinghy service !

Just think you are running the possibility of it costing a lot more than the savings on a transit flight as quarantine could set you back £1500 or more.  Are non stop flights that expensive from Thailand?

Think a lot of the normal transit points in Europe could end up in Amber or red (more likely in May and June) which could make a trip via countries such as Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy expensive when arriving in the UK, just my opinion.

[mrcharliemofo]

34 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

Just think you are running the possibility of it costing a lot more than the savings on a transit flight as quarantine could set you back £1500 or more.  Are non stop flights that expensive from Thailand?

Think a lot of the normal transit points in Europe could end up in Amber or red (more likely in May and June) which could make a trip via countries such as Germany, France, Netherlands and Italy expensive when arriving in the UK, just my opinion.

EVA are quoting near enough 20,000bt for direct, KLM are around 12,000bt via Amsterdam to Birmingham which is 45 minutes from where I'll be staying vs Heathrow ( EVA ) which is a close to 4hr trip home via the bus service, have to change buses too. EVA flight arrives early evening into Heathrow which makes life difficult for the bus service while KLM arrives about 9am. The 7000-8000bt difference in price plus added bus fare may not sound a lot to some but for me it virtually pays for the required CPC course that I have to do.

Personally I don't see many if any countries in Europe going onto the red list.

Edited April 7, 2021 by mrcharliemofo

[Horizondave]

33 minutes ago, mrcharliemofo said:

EVA are quoting near enough 20,000bt for direct, KLM are around 12,000bt via Amsterdam to Birmingham which is 45 minutes from where I'll be staying vs Heathrow ( EVA ) which is a close to 4hr trip home via the bus service, have to change buses too. EVA flight arrives early evening into Heathrow which makes life difficult for the bus service while KLM arrives about 9am. The 7000-8000bt difference in price plus added bus fare may not sound a lot to some but for me it virtually pays for the required CPC course that I have to do.

Personally I don't see many if any countries in Europe going onto the red list.

I understand your comments but if you did need to quarantine in a hotel at your cost the presently quoted price to be paid by an individual (you) is in the region of 60,000 to 68000 baht.

I still believe that Thailand will be in the green list (no reason for a change from previous standing) but traveling via Europe will then be down to what colour list that European country falls into.

I hope that the saving you make on the air fare doesn't come and bite you in the form of extra quarantine charges. 

Good luck.

 

[fygjam]

As an aside although it does relate to the title of this thread if not the actual subject matter. The 14th September 2006 was the day of the great deluge in Pattaya. It started raining about 9pm on the 13th and just kept raining until about noon on the 14th. I was staying at the White House Condotel on Soi 13 and nobody was going anywhere unless they didn't mind getting their balls wet. This is Second Rd at the top of Soi 13 about 8 hours after the rain stopped.

Then about a week later we had the coup. Never a dull moment in 2006.

 

 

[maipenrai]

8 hours ago, Krapow said:

Good luck!

I think Covid is an excuse for a lot of bad customer service at the moment.

Is Thailand on the red list?  Tests are easy in the UK, every c**t is offering them, nevermind the NHS ones.

Not just in the UK, believe me - enough of this around my neck of the woods too. 

[mrcharliemofo]

8 hours ago, Horizondave said:

I understand your comments but if you did need to quarantine in a hotel at your cost the presently quoted price to be paid by an individual (you) is in the region of 60,000 to 68000 baht.

I still believe that Thailand will be in the green list (no reason for a change from previous standing) but traveling via Europe will then be down to what colour list that European country falls into.

I hope that the saving you make on the air fare doesn't come and bite you in the form of extra quarantine charges. 

Good luck.

 

I'm sorry to say this but do you think I'm a bit simple in the head ? Do you honestly think that if they brought in the quarantine then I'd set foot on the plane knowing I had to pay that amount of money to stay in a poxy hotel room when I arrived back there ?

Give me a bit of credit in that I'm doing as much checking as I can before actually booking anything and I'm also checking that any flight I book costs nothing to change flights. If by some tiny chance I'm on route on the plane and they changed it then there's sweet FA I'll be able to do about it and it'll be a case of tough shit for me but I really can't see them doing that without notice.

[mrcharliemofo]

8 hours ago, fygjam said:

As an aside although it does relate to the title of this thread if not the actual subject matter. The 14th September 2006 was the day of the great deluge in Pattaya. It started raining about 9pm on the 13th and just kept raining until about noon on the 14th. I was staying at the White House Condotel on Soi 13 and nobody was going anywhere unless they didn't mind getting their balls wet. This is Second Rd at the top of Soi 13 about 8 hours after the rain stopped.

Then about a week later we had the coup. Never a dull moment in 2006.

 

 

I missed that as I flew straight up to Sakon Nakhon when I arrived. I do remember my mate in England texting me and asking if I was ok and me replying along the lines of 'yeah, why wouldn't I be ?' and him telling me about the coup ! Up in the jungle the coup wasn't considered newsworthy !

[fygjam]

1 hour ago, mrcharliemofo said:

I missed that as I flew straight up to Sakon Nakhon when I arrived. I do remember my mate in England texting me and asking if I was ok and me replying along the lines of 'yeah, why wouldn't I be ?' and him telling me about the coup ! Up in the jungle the coup wasn't considered newsworthy !

I was in Catz (the original) when a few of the farang customers started pulling out their phones. I guess their mates were texting them. The Thais, dancers and wait staff, didn't miss a beat.

 

[KWA]

On 4/7/2021 at 10:25 AM, Krapow said:

Via the Government website?   If it's NHS, they'e free. Though if it's test to release, which i think you mean, yea have to pay for now, will change probably May 17th onwards if on the green list, which Thailand will be on.

The day 2 and day 8 tests must be booked and paid for before travelling.  You won't be allowed on the plane without evidence.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/providers-of-day-2-and-day-8-coronavirus-testing-for-international-arrivals

 

[Krapow]

1 hour ago, KWA said:

The day 2 and day 8 tests must be booked and paid for before travelling.  You won't be allowed on the plane without evidence.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/providers-of-day-2-and-day-8-coronavirus-testing-for-international-arrivals

 

No need for them prices, other Countries do them much cheaper.

Rip off UK as usual ...

[Horizondave]

21 hours ago, mrcharliemofo said:

I'm sorry to say this but do you think I'm a bit simple in the head ? Do you honestly think that if they brought in the quarantine then I'd set foot on the plane knowing I had to pay that amount of money to stay in a poxy hotel room when I arrived back there ?

Give me a bit of credit in that I'm doing as much checking as I can before actually booking anything and I'm also checking that any flight I book costs nothing to change flights. If by some tiny chance I'm on route on the plane and they changed it then there's sweet FA I'll be able to do about it and it'll be a case of tough shit for me but I really can't see them doing that without notice.

I personally wouldn't even consider flying on a flight via another country in the present state of play with the pandemic in Europe.  I just think your desire to save a few bucks when it could end up costing you a lot more with the associated headaches of quarantine is not a good idea.

Anyhow by the tone of your reply I won't waste my time trying to offer advice or alternate views to you again. Funny though that you thought I was talking down to you, seems in trying to give advice I have perturbed you, I won't make that mistake again.

[john1000]

Good luck in the UK. Sometimes just changing your environment makes life seem fresh.

[Painter]

Just a query.... are EVA actually flying to the UK at the moment?

https://www.airport-london-heathrow.com/lhr-departures-airline-eva-air seems to say not, but they may have restarted/be restarting soon/planning on restarting after May 17th if Boris says we can travel overseas.

From what I'm reading on Fakebook, the only direct flight BKK to UK is on Thai air.

[mrcharliemofo]

2 hours ago, Painter said:

Just a query.... are EVA actually flying to the UK at the moment?

https://www.airport-london-heathrow.com/lhr-departures-airline-eva-air seems to say not, but they may have restarted/be restarting soon/planning on restarting after May 17th if Boris says we can travel overseas.

From what I'm reading on Fakebook, the only direct flight BKK to UK is on Thai air.

Good point, I've been looking at flights via all airlines own websites and EVA seem to be accepting bookings for my dates in June. Further checking says no flights available for dates in April and even more checking says you're correct and they're not flying.

Thai air, KLM and Singapore all do seem to be flying ? Finnair were a possibility but they've changed their flights now to 2 stops and some crazy layover times so they've gone out of the equation. A few years ago I had an horrendous time flying with Thai and I vowed to never fly with them again and looking at their prices now that's not going to change anytime soon plus numerous horror stories about them from others too over the years.

[mrcharliemofo]

3 hours ago, Horizondave said:

I personally wouldn't even consider flying on a flight via another country in the present state of play with the pandemic in Europe.  I just think your desire to save a few bucks when it could end up costing you a lot more with the associated headaches of quarantine is not a good idea.

Anyhow by the tone of your reply I won't waste my time trying to offer advice or alternate views to you again. Funny though that you thought I was talking down to you, seems in trying to give advice I have perturbed you, I won't make that mistake again.

Hypothetically speaking now ok. I book Thai air at their expensive price as opposed to KLM or Singapore believing like you that thailand will not be put on the red list, is there any guarantee at all that this place won't be suddenly put on it ? No, so there's 20,000bt + gone down the toilet as thai air hate to give any refunds and if you read reviews then you'll see people waiting a long long time and still getting nothing.

Singapore are a very good airline, again who knows about them going on the red list but 14,000bt as opposed to 20,000bt +.  Same with KLM and they're European and that gives me a bit of hope that they will continue flying and no red list. Strange I know that I'm actually believing that those clowns in the EU and the UK may actually stay open.

Now if everything everywhere went tits up and it was quarantine for all then I'd say f**k it and stay here until it blew over as I'd rather top myself than do the quarantine in a cell at a Heathrow hovel and pay for the pleasure while being guarded by people who probably arrived by the South East dinghy service.

[Jambo]

I get regular promotional emails from KLM simply because I have used them before on trips back to see my family in Edinburgh.

It seems to me Airlines are quite happy to accept bookings however there is no guarantee the flights will actually take place.

[mrcharliemofo]

10 minutes ago, Jambo said:

I get regular promotional emails from KLM simply because I have used them before on trips back to see my family in Edinburgh.

It seems to me Airlines are quite happy to accept bookings however there is no guarantee the flights will actually take place.

That's true so I've been looking at various sites showing what flights are actually leaving Bangkok to the UK and also searching for flights that are leaving in the next couple of days, EVA have no flights available now but for my dates in June they're showing flights available even though they're not flying ? Very naughty.

[mrcharliemofo]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:52 PM, Lemondropkid said:

Sounds good, summer's going to be great here. 

The weather will be unreliable and England will under-perform at another major football championship- will feel like you've never been away🙂

I hope you're right about the first part and I get there for the 2-3 days of summer but who knows ?

As for the football I'm racking my brains as to when I last watched a live match on TV and I think it was 1994 and Forest against Man Utd  in Forest's first season back in the premier league, Stan Collymore scored a stunner and I think it was a draw ?? As for England of all the players in their squad now I could maybe recognise 2-3 of them if I saw photos of them, all yawn material now for me.

[mrcharliemofo]

Update

Flight booked with Singapore flying on the 3rd June. Cost was 13,605bt, they were chosen mainly for their 30kg luggage allowance as opposed to KLM and 23kg.

Drivers online CPC course was also booked for next month.

Now I need to check prices for the Covid test before I leave and book the rip off UK tests.

[Painter]

4 hours ago, mrcharliemofo said:

Now I need to check prices for the Covid test before I leave and book the rip off UK tests.

May be of some use nearer the time...

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/travel-covid-test-pcr-randox-b1830553.html

[mrcharliemofo]

Question now for the phone techie people on here as I have zero idea.

When I get back I'm going to need a simcard, probably a PAYG to start ? Now I'm seeing all sorts of plans for how many GB I might need, my question is what would I need ?

I'll be using the phone for calls and texts and online I'll be using whatsapp and messenger and maybe Line, I doubt very much I'll be watching youtube or movies or doing much searching online so how many GB will I be ok with ?