Gethin Evans fined in Phuket airport also for an 11 hour overstay, the overstay is clearly stamped in my passport and was charged 500 baht..there is no clear rules on this and is at the discretion of the officer, some will waiver it some not.

Yeah done it a few times over to padang besar, I've walked across and also took a mini van from hat yai bus station. There isn't a lot in padang besar mind you. So best to plan to travel somewhere else once you enter Malaysia. Penang and KL are worth a visit.

Definately a lot more trickier at airports and some land borders now, and I've witnessed tourists who have only stayed a couple of months getting an intense grilling, about purpose of visit where their income is from etc.

Not worth the hassle, just hold out for a cash buyer even if it means taking slightly less.

Wouldn't happen to be a hotel on south pattaya road by any chance?

Only in extremely rare circumstances have I ever used an agent. At the end of the day they are there to make money and make money they will. Most stuff you can do yourself.

Ive had some snotty IO's over the years but nothing quite like your experience, the normal questions are how long you plan to stay, what do you do for a living and occasionaly do I have onward travel. I always reply I intend to stay less than the 30 days given on the exempt. If there is ever going to be an airport to get a grilling it is Bangkok so best to avoid there if your travel history is pushing its luck a bit.

They are generally the cheapest but you do have to tread carefully as they use lots of scammy tactics that can bump up the costs considerably, as for customer service it's one of the worst. I still use agoda from time to time but wouldn't use for things like international flights as if something goes wrong you will find the airline won't rectify anything as its all booked under agodas authorisation and agoda will do nothing to help. I've had to make many bank charge backs due to situations like this or had to pay the airline extortionate fees to over ride agodas admin on the booking.

As someone who was in a similar position a few years back a lot of the comments here are just rubbish, yes the NHS is overloaded but if you have a serious health concern you will stil get treated fairly quickly. It really boils down to what the health condition is and the severity. but yes if urgent you will get seen quickly. Id also say little as possible about living elsewhere just act like it didnt happen and if you somehow get pulled up on it then you make some excuses.

Try searching outside of the sex tourist areas, there are normal women out there but few and far between in places like pattaya and phuket.