You've got visa!

Today, I was able to phone the visa office. They said that the status "Received from Embassy" mens I can get my passport back.

My visa starts from 8 September (my arrival plan) and ends with 30 June 2008. This means I must request for continuation if I am able to find the summer job in Edinburgh. :)

Some visa info:

• Number of entries: MULT
• Valid from: 08/09/2007
• Vald until 30/06/08
• Obsv: No recourse to public funds Work (andany changes) must be authorised
  

More information about Edinburgh

Insurance [Pre-arrival guide]

• Health insurance is not necessary. We are eligible for NHS service
• Personal item insurance is included in accommodation payment.
  
• Should have travel insurance for items.

Accommodation [Accommodation leaflet]

• University accommodation rents include all utility bills, cleaning, personal
  contents insurance, data and telephone facilities.
• By late July, I should received the accommodation offer. [ref]
  

Arrival

• There is welcome team at the airport on 8 - 9 September (red t-shirters). They will guide us to the bus into town and guide us from the bus station to the accommodation.
• All Non Commonwealth Students (other than EU, US and Japanese Nationals) who have been admitted to the UK for a period of more than 6 months, may be required to register with the police. The fee for registration is currently £34 per person. [ref]
  

Misc

• There are German language course available for £120 per semester. The course in the first semester starts on 25 Sep. [Modern Language Website]
  

More information

• Pre-arrival guide
  
• Pre-arrival Checklist for international Student
  

Internatioal driving license & Bank account

I've found some information about international driving license application in this Pantip entry (in Thai) and the bank account at the Royal bank of Scotland in this entry (also in Thai). I will translate it when I have some free time.

UK Visa application and tracking

According to the letter from Ms. Gordon, I've applied for UK visa n 21 June. The document preparation can be found in UK visa entry. I've provided following support documents:

1. TOEFL score
2. Letter of scholarship acceptance from EuMI school (The one that Mr. Valenzin e-mail me to sign and send the paper back.)
3. My dad & mom bank book
4. My transcript

The website said that some document does not need the photocopy, but the officer actually to have me make a photocopy of everything! That cost me three times higher cost! (of general photocopy service, and six times higher than those in my university) In addition, I have just quit monkhood, which make me skin-headed. They let me take new photo there. (4 photos for 250 THB. Normally, I can take 12 photos for 100 THB. T.T) The real worry is at the time I fly, I may have my hair grown, and that won't look like the photo in the visa.

Here are some recommendations for UK visa request in Thailand:

• Don't go to the Embassy. The visa office is in another place.
  
• Wake up very early to have an early queue.
  
• Buy bank draft from any bank that sells you. Buying there is dally. The bank that sells (as far as I know): UOB, Thaharn Thai
  
• Prepare a real and a photocopy of your census registration and any name changing document or marriage documents (if any). (They do not tell us in the website, but they recommend me to provide everything I have in order to support my application.)
  
• Prepare the bank book. (Get the good one.)
  
• Photocopy EVERYTHING! They will keep the photocopy.
  
• Take your photo at normal 2 inches size. Take it near the time of application, so you will still be the same.
  

After interrogations, they accepted my application and have me got biometrics data collected. The collection process is quite easy: taking a digital photo, and finger print scan. It is about 5 minutes.

I've tracked my application for 3 days now. Current status is as follow: (some ID information is deleted form this screenshot.)


The silly thing is when I try to use the tracking system in Thai language, it appears that the programmer forgot the "submit" button. :D

I've got no TB!

TB
Yesterday morning, I went to IOM after terrible experience of sputum collection for three days. The doctor told me that I have no TB! Yeeey! They issue a certificate for me and also give me the x-ray film. I have to bring it with me on the plane (no folding!). It will depends if the random check from immigration at UK will take place or not. He also advice me to have a film examined by a doctor when I arrive there. (Aj.Ja told me that the medical expense is state responsibility, so I do not have to pay anything.)

More Shopping
I went to Sumpeng and got a dozen of socks (330 THB) and a dozen of handkerchief (140 THB). Very cheap!

EMS Arrived Edinburgh
I've tracked and see that my unconditional offer is received by University of Edinburgh on June 19, 2007 16:30-17:59 [EMS report]

Next stop, visa application
Tomorrow, I am going to apply for UK visa. The UK embassy has just installed new biometric system and will operate the first time tomorrow. I will be a volunteer for this system! Lucky me!

My flight with Emirates

Flight information:

BKK -> DUBAI: EK387 (BOEING 777-300ER) Departure 03:15 / Arrival 06:20
DUBAI -> LONDON (Heatrow): EK29 (BOEING 777-200/200ER) Departure 09:50 / Arrival 14:15
LONDON (Heatrow) -> Edinburgh: BD60 (EMBRADER RJ145) Departure16:30 / Arrival 17:55

Price: 29,000 THB

Online check-in: not available for Thailand yet. Re-check the website again. (If I use online check-in I can be at the airport at least 90 minutes before flight.)

At the airport

• Ticketing counter is located at opposite Check-in counter Row T
• Emirates Check-in counters are located at row T Floor 4.
• Check-in counters open 0330 hrs and will be closed one hour before departure.

Advance Passenger Information: API
I need to provide the API information before flight. This must be provided at the check-in desk.

Laws in force in the UK require airlines to collect the following information from all passengers travelling to and from Miami, Washington, Dubai, Bangkok, Johannesburg and Islamabad prior to travel:

Personal Details	- First, Middle and Last Name - Date of Birth - Gender - Nationality
Official Travel Document	- Type, Number, Expiry Date and Country of Issuance

Transit through Dubai
Dubai is GMT +4
Directions:

• Disembark via the windowed airbridge, up the connecting escalator to Level 3 of the terminal. Pickup point is also located outside the Arrivals Hall.
• Follow the signs to any one of the four Transit / Connecting Flights desks, passing through Security Control.
• Once you have your onward boarding card, you can take the escalator down to Departures on Level 2.

Emirates
Ticketing and reservation: 02 664 1040
Sales manager: (Fax) 0-2260-7095 bkksales@emirates.com
Note: I have also request for the seat near window but next to aisle and oriental (chicken & fish meal).

I have sent the request for extra weight (they give 5 kgs) via e-mail on 18 June. They require me to provide the copy of student visa and send entire request (request letter, copy of student visa, copy of e-ticket) again.

UPDATE: Sent a request again on 2 July.
UPDATE: Emirates grant me extra 10 kgs.
UPDATE: Changed meal to low cholesterol and added Skyward Number: 247862871

British Midland
Thailand Office: 02 634 1802
Note: I've request for extra weight (+10) on 18 June. The officier told me to e-mail the request (written in English) together with following documents:

• Copy of visa
• Copy of ticket
• (optional) Copy of letter of extra weight from Emirates.

E-mail: bmi@mma.co.th (attn: k.Yuwathorn)

UPDATE: Sent request to British Midland on 2 July
UPDATE: Called to BMI to check, they have added remark in the system. Yes!

Current baggage constraints:
Load: 2 bags, 3D is not exceed 107 inches, total weight: 30 kgs

Mass update

This is the mass update since I have been in monkhood for a month.

EC process

• 10 April, 2007 Luca Valenzin e-mailed me to wait for EC confirmation.
• 4 May, 2007 Luca Valenzin e-mailed that the EC has accepted the position and scholarship. He told us to send the acceptance letter. (I've sent it for a while.) I have to wait until the end of the month.
• 1 June, 2007 Luca Valenzin e-mailed that I will be contacted by my main university.

Edinburgh side

• 12 June, 2007 The unconditional offer is finally arrived. Together, there are a brochure of funding (wonder why?) and accomodation.
• 15 June, 2007 I've sent a signed unconditional offer through EMS (Thailand's express mail service). It costs me 9xx THB. If I remember correctly, it should be 6xx THB through Fedex, isn't it?
• 15 June, 2007 Judith Gordon, a co-ordinator of ED, e-mailed me informing about the acceptance, and accomodation issue. This e-mail indicate that I can use the acceptance letter for visa application.

Flight

• 14 June, 2007 I went to reserve flight with Amornsak at Majestic travel (Langsuan Rd.). It cost me 29000 THB for a one-way ticket BKK-Dubai-London-Edinburgh. In 03:xx of 8 September, I will fly with Emirates and transfer in Dubai. Upon arrival in London, I will use British Midland to Edinburgh. I will arrive there about 18:00 EDI time on 8 September.

IOM

• 14 June, 2007 I went to register at IOM about 16:00. They said that the registration is open only in the morning, so I reserve a queue for tomorrow 09:00. I've observed that there is nothing in the website indicate that!
• 15 June, 2007 I registered and went to Payathai 2 hospital to have my chest x-rayed. After went back to IOM, the IOM doctor tell me that there is a dot in my lung, so I have to went back to Payathai 2 to re-x-ray again. After x-ray I saw that the doctor in Payathai 2 write on the diagnostic report that I am NORMAL. But IOM doctor need me to have sputum examination. So I have to do it three morning at IOM. I've observed from pantip.com website. They said that many people have to do it. They will have to carry the x-ray film (quite bulk) with them on the plane and may have to re-x-rayed upon arrival in UK. If I am lucky enough, they will have me do health check for every 3 months for free.
• 16 June, 2007 I've do my sputum collection for the first time, it is very hard.

That's all update for now. The next thing to do is to pass IOM and wait until 20 June for UK Embassy to open again. Amornsak suggest me to observe the health insurance prices in Thailand.