MaiDong

I'm not totally sure about vis exempt etc, but they didn't say anything about it, I was gone in a flash, long trip back. I'm heading to Savannakhet for a Non-O.

Not so great! I only read the date on my stamp, which was the 7th of July, but my visa expired on the 3rd. Immigration first offered me a 'special package' of 30 days upon my return across the river, with no questions asked regarding B10,000 and an onward ticket, for B2,800, then kindly offered me a 'special price' of B2,600, which I declined, and rode the 600kms home again! I'm off to Laos imminently to get a new visa. So, the border crossing is still open should anybody be interested, I just didn't use their services.

I can't believe people come on here to waste theirs and everybody else's time by arguing and nit-picking, it's pathetic. Anyhow, transam, thanks for your report, it's always handy to get up-to-date info for those of us who need it, we're appreciative of your OP! Now, please PM me the name of that hotel you stay at with the ...Indian food menu, I'm going in a couple of days and fancy a change from the night market area, despite that being a nice area to enjoy a cold one. Thanks!

Has anybody used the Ranong border for a bounce? I'm in Chumphon now, and I'm going to try the border in the morning...

And I too don't mean to appear rude either. But, I asked him for the same product in Line, he confirmed, so I purchased, this was a few weeks ago now, so whether or not he was sold out, I don't know. I was actually planning on buying a kilo from him but wanted to make sure the product was the same again, so whether it was a B300 order, or a B2,800 order, is irrelevant. All he needed to say was, sorry, sold out, and I would have made my choices. But he didn't, he sent me something else, then told me that I ordered the wrong thing, then ignored me, that's my complaint. The 'wrong' weed which 'I' purchased(I didn't, I asked for the same thing again) is ok, just not as nice as the last lot, and it was his mistake, that's what I'm saying here. And anyhow, I'm not continuing to complain, I've spent almost every single reply here trying to explain my original point, a point that was quite clearly made if my screenshots were read thoroughly in the first place.

Yes, that's what I ordered originally, and what I asked for in the second order...

I'm questioning myself now! I've read through my messages to him and there's nothing handled badly, no bad attitude, nothing unnecessarily unpleasant. Here's an easy to understand transcript of the chat; Me; Same again please Same product 100%? Him; Alright sir I proceed to pay the same as before. The next chat page is exchanging address etc Some time later, once I'd tried my new shipment... Me; My most recent order tastes, smells & feels different from my previous order, why is that? Him; You ordered a different one from the last time. You ordered a different one. You ordered the product Green Crack Bar. Me; I asked to order the same as before I proceed to show him a screenshot of me asking for the same product. He proceeds to show me a screen of me asking the price. Me; I asked you for the same product as before But you sent me something different Why? Again, I proceed to show him a screenshot of me asking for the same product. Me; I would like the same as my first order please I'm not enjoying this other product(which I didn't order) And that was it, no nastiness, nothing, just straightforward, easy to understand English, which I done on purpose to avoid any 'misunderstandings'. This is the same Thainess I've experienced for decades here. A normal business in most cases would apologise at the least, but just ignoring, it's childish.

Showing me the price I paid doesn't help in any way whatsoever. I know what I paid, and I asked for exactly the same product. Once I received it, and realised it was different, I contacted him - as my screenshots show - quite normally, but received no apology, no explanation, and finally got ignored. And no, I didn't pay a different price - have you read and understood my screenshots? I asked for the same product, he gave me the same price, I paid straight into his bank, he sent the wrong product, it's really that simple. I haven't made a big deal out of it, I've simply brought to light that you should tread carefully with people here, as once their mistake is highlighted, they'll bury their heads in the sand. And thanks for your advice on how not to point out a businesses failure, I'll be sure to never do that again...

Please explain. I received the wrong product, having asked for confirmation that I'd receive the same product, I received the wrong product, enquired why I received the wrong product, then got ignored, my screenshots clearly show the entire conversation. And I would imagine, that he didn't send the wrong product to anybody else.

The price for green crack is 3 times that of bangyabongzing, so not unbeatable, I think I'll give them a go though, as bybz(apt) isn't responding still... His head being firmly buried in the sand.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

You assumed wrong.

So, any other recommendations out there?

Not anger, frustration. And no, it's not a misunderstanding, it seems he's ignoring me because he made a mistake and I wouldn't accept it as my own. And it's not up to me, it's up to the business owner who is choosing to ignore me, the same way a child would.

Like I said in my previous post, it's not the loss of the money. It's having the wrong thing sent to me, then being told that I ordered the wrong thing, even though I asked for 100% the same product(see screenshots - I feel like I'm repeating myself here), then being ignored - that's the worst thing, and any adult brain would understand that.

My second purchase was through Line, as they offered a better price, and there was no mention of anything in, or out of stock. I asked for the same product and they sent me a different product, and now they're not answering my messages. Any other recommendations?

I received my second order from this shop last week. The taste, smell & buzz was completely different, it smelled agricultural, almost manure-like, there was also many more seeds & twigs than in my previous order. I messaged the seller and received a reply saying that I ordered something different from the last time, which I didn't - as 1st screenshot below confirms - I specifically asked for the same product(knowing there would be some variation, obvs). In the screenshot below, they continued to tell me I ordered it, and have stopped replying to my messages - in a pathetically child-like manner. So, Thai customer services shining brightly again. Before anybody starts telling me 'it's only B300 etc etc', it's not about the money, is it, obviously. It's about getting what you ordered, and not having to fart around trying to get straight answers - or any conversation at all! Any other recommendations for more grown up sellers?

Also, whilst I was passing through, visibility was at about 100 meters up in the hills, and about 3 or 400m half way down. The air was thick with smoke, and all along the route the farmers were burning. I'm not exaggerating when I say I almost lost my voice by the time I was half way home due to the smoke. So maybe not the best time of the year for a holiday in Mae Sot.

Just to confirm, and to add my experience today - I rode to Mae Sot, and what a ride! I set off at 2am, completely empty roads, mostly newly laid roads too, all the way to the mountain pass at Tak, which despite having some road works going on, was absolutely amazing to ride! Both inbound and outbound rides were amazing, really nice flowing corners ???? The ride back on the 'highways' though, that was horrible. Maps sent me through Singburi, Ang Thong & Ayutthaya, and the roads absolutely shook me to bits, so best to come back the way I went in future, through Suphanburi & Chai Nat - lesson learned. The border experience was nice enough, apart from the bad manners of the Burmese crossing the border, it's as if nobody else existed... I paid B500 for my Burmese border hop, and both the Burmese and the Thai IO's were friendly and happy, which is a million miles away from my experiences with Cambodian & Laotian IO's. So, all-in-all, I recommend this visa run, especially if you're riding, as traffic jams simply don't exist - I managed 980kms in 12hrs 37mins, with a few stops each way.

Thanks again, Todd! I'll be leaving BKK early morning, hoping to beat any queues, then hopefully back to BKK by the evening...

Thanks, Tod.

Thanks, Red, I'll consider that. I'm also considering Mae Sot, which is further but probably a nicer ride.

Forget that, I've just seen the Mae Sot border is open for visa runs, I'll ride up there, it's a much nicer ride ????

Any news on whether Ban Phu Nam Ron Border Crossing Station is open for a visa run?

I'm contemplating a border run, initially I was going to go Poi Pet but I read Chong Chom was quieter, and just generally easier than PP, the extra distance from BKK isn't a problem for me, I like the riding... I'm nearing the end of my 90 day stay, I still have a few months left on my Non O visa, so I just need to exit and re-enter. I've also read that I can pay a few hundred Baht to re-enter Thailand on the same day, is this currently possible at Chong Chom border crossing? Thanks in advance for any recent experiences! MD