15th EAST ASIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2025 in THAILAND .... may I have more info , pls! (Letters & Info Packs)
Dear IT Phils Eagles, Partners and Friends,
GREETINGS !!! A little over a month from now, we will be seeing each other in the beautiful city of BANGKOK for our 15th EAST ASIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE 2025. We are so excited for this gathering. We look forward to an amazing time of fellowship with all of you again!
Additional conference info and instructions:
A. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS for both PHILIPPINES & THAILAND
1. Please check regularly the announcements on our Facebook. We will have a pre-departure briefing for all registered conference participants to best prepare you on your immigration encounters – both in the Philippines and in THAILAND. The dates and time will be communicated to all via announcements on our Facebook page.
2. All documents that may be asked from you by immigration officers will be provided by our office. Please show the documents only when asked by the immigration officer!
3. There is NO VISA requirement for Filipinos to enter THAILAND. All you need to show is your Philippine passport. You are allowed to stay for sixty (60) days. A requirement for entry is that your Philippine Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the exit date. You may be barred from entering and will be sent back to Manila if the date falls below the specified period. An additional thirty (30) days extension on your tourist visa can be requested at any local immigration office.
B. AIRPORT IN THAILAND
Our conference venue is in BANGKOK CITY. We highly recommend that you choose to arrive in BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT, also known as BANGKOK Airport (BKK) This airport is the largest airport in THAILAND and the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Another airport option is DON MUEANG AIRPORT (DMK). This is Bangkok’s original airport and one of the oldest airports in the world. It serves as a secondary hub, which caters primarily to low-cost (budget) domestic and international airlines (such as Air Asia etc..) DON MUEANG is closer to downtown Bangkok (14km) than SUVARNABHUMI. Transportation from airport to the city center will be discussed in the section below
C. AIRPORT DEPARTURE & ARRIVAL FORMS
a. DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL in NAIA (Manila) …Paper-based departure will no longer be supplied. All departure and arrival forms are now on digital format, meaning all travelers must fill the forms ONLINE. You must accomplish an eTravel online form by downloading the application from etravel.gov.ph and fill it up completely. Once completed , you will receive a QR code (take a screenshot right away). You will be asked to present it upon departure or arrival, before you are allowed to proceed to the immigration counter.
ETravel pass is FREE. Do not pay for it. It is easy to use! If you are still having difficulty you may just ask the assistance of any IT missionary who have used it already
b. ARRIVAL / DEPARTURE in THAILAND… There are no quarantine requirements anymore in THAILAND. There are also no checks on vaccination certificates. Immigration officers will just ask the standard questions such as reasons for visit and how long do you plan to stay in THAILAND. Please be ready with the immigration documents supplied by our office and present the documents if… and only of it was asked. If not, then you may just keep those documents with you.
Upon arrival, you are required to fill up an arrival card, the TM6 immigration Form. The completed form must be submitted to the Thai Immigration officer. The form is normally distributed by an airline crew while you are on the plane. If you have not received one, you can obtain the form at the table located before the Thai immigration checkpoint.
You may already fill up the Departure Card of the TM6 Form, but it will not be checked unless you are to depart from Thailand .
D. TRAVEL FROM BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT (BKK) TO THE CITY CENTER
There are several transport options to go to the city center: Airport Rail (Train), Airport Taxi , Airport Bus or Grab Car service .
A. BY AIRPORT RAIL LINK (TRAIN):
There are two direct routes called SA EXPRESS with the tie between the two locations is from 15 to 18 minutes, the price of a one way ticket is THB 150 (Pesos 235). There is also a slower City Line, stopping at 6 stations on the itinerary, but the total journey time is only 30 minutes, one way ticket is THB 45 (Pesos 70).
B. BY PUBLIC BUS:
The S1 Shuttle bus often referred to as Suvarnabhumi Airport Bus is the public bus that operates between the airport and the city center.
The S1 shuttle bus is found on Level 1 in front of Gate No 7 in the Arrival Terminal. Public buses operate between 6:00am and 8:00pm with departures every 30 minutes. And the journey takes between 1hour to 2 hours to arrive in the old part of Bangkok. Travel time is affected by the traffic conditions.
Tickets cost THB 60 (Pesos 95) per person and must be bought in person on board the bus. Only cash is accepted and it is advised to use smaller notes to pay the fare because the driver may not have enough spare change. Please note that payment on the bus can only be in the local currency (THB).
C. BY TAXI :
Taxi fares from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city centre can range from approximately 300 to 500 Baht (Pesos 470 to 780) depending on your destination, traffic conditions, drop off location and whether you are using a regular taxi or a premium service.
If you use a taxi, always try to find a driver who will use a meter to avoid overpaying.
D. BY GRAB CAR: You may use your Grab Car app in Thailand.
You won’t need to download another Grab app if you are already using one in your country. Your existing app will recognize your new location and will automatically transform to a local Grab app. Prices will be in local currency already.
E. TRAVEL FROM DON MUEANG AIRPORT (DMK) TO THE CITY CENTER
A .BY PUBLIC BUS:
To get to the nearest Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), also known as SKYTRAIN or the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) train (subway) station from Don Mueang Airport take the A1 bus to Mo Chit, which comes every 5 minutes. The bus stop is just outside once you exit Customs. It should take about 20 minutes from Don Mueang Airport to Mo Chit. At peak traffic times the bus will take the Toll Way/Express Way at no extra cost to you.
The bus makes a few stops. The last stop is Mo Chit and everyone must get out there. When you get off the bus walk about 20 meters in the same direction as the bus is facing and you’ll see the BTS and MRT stations. Walk upstairs to get to the BTS station or downstairs to the MRT. A majority of destinations in town are accessible by the BTS (Skytrain), or the MRT, which is the subway
One great thing about going from Mo Chit on the BTS is it’s the last stop of the line, so you’re more likely to get a seat before the train gets crowded.
If you walk to the second set of stairs there is an escalator up to the BTS, which is a relief if you have heavy luggage.
Bus and BTS or MRT Costs: 30 baht for the bus from DMK to Mo Chit + 16 to 59 Baht for BTS or MRT depending on how far your stop is.
Total cost: 46 to 89 Baht
B. METERED AIRPORT TAXI:
Once you’re out of baggage claim and through customs, follow the signs on that level that say ‘Taxi’ toward the metered taxi stand. The airport regulates these taxis and they must use the meter. Note that there is a 50 Baht surcharge on top of the fare.
Do not go with any companies or people who may offer you taxi service while you are walking toward the metered taxi stand. This is often a scam and much more expensive than the metered taxis!
Depending on what time you get in, the lines for the metered taxis can be long, but they move consistently. There is a ticketing system where you take a number and then sit and wait for your number to come up on the screen.
When your number comes up, you’ll go to the front and tell or show the person working at the taxi stand the address of your destination, which they will write down and relay to your driver.
Keep your taxi ticket in case of any issues that arise. You do not need to give the ticket to the driver at any time. Follow the driver to the taxi and off you go!
If you arrive during peak traffic time, you’ll have the option to take the Toll Way/Express Way. This can save a lot of time. While in line, check Google Maps to see if the route to your destination is red or yellow to see if it’s necessary. There is free wifi that you can use while you are waiting in the metered taxi waiting area.
If you choose to take the Toll Way/Express Way the driver will ask you for Baht during the ride to pay the toll. The Toll fees are 120 Baht in total (70 for one toll, 50 for the other). It’s better if you have small bills for this, so change big bills at the airport before you get in line for the metered taxis if possible.
Metered Taxi Costs: 300 to 450 Baht on meter + 50 Baht airport surcharge + 120 Baht toll road fees.
Total Metered Taxi Cost: 350 to 620 Baht (depending on the distance to your destination and if you take the Toll Way/Express Way).
C. BY GRAB CAR:
Another option is to book a Grab taxi from DMK to BKK. The good thing about this option is you will know the cost of the ride ahead of time.
F. . CHANGE CURRENCY
Exchange your US$ or whatever currency to the local currency or THAI BATH at any Currency Exchange Counter that you’ll see at the airport. The exchange rate as of May 7, 2024 is USD 1 = THB 33.77 = Phil Pesos 57.90.
Some Currency Exchange Counters accept Phil Pesos and the rates are normally posted on a board or screen. You will have to pay your bus or taxi in THB so please remember to have your money changed to the local currency before heading towards your preferred mode. Of travel.
G. CONFERENCE VENUE
We have already chosen a venue for our conference :
Jaisamarn Full Gospel Church
Soi 68 Ramkhamheng 82,Ramkhamheng Rd.
Hua Mak, Bangkapi, Bangkok Thailand
H. ACCOMODATIONS
Conference participants are responsible for their own lodging. For this conference we could choose our own accommodation based on our budget and preference. We have also requested our Thai teams to look around for possible free hosting accommodations to help those who are financially challenged. As soon as we get confirmation from them, we will inform all of you right away. Those who have church networks in Bangkok and Pattaya are requested to help others with their accommodation needs. Our office staff will be coordinating with your GMC leaders as soon as they receive news or accommodation status updates .
There are a good number of hotels in the Bangkapi area that are reasonably priced. There are literally hundreds of lodging options available for you to choose from ranging from backpackers type of accommodation to starred hotels. A big number of missionaries who took part in our Bless Thailand trips a few months back are somewhat familiar already with good and budget friendly accommodation options. Always consider the location of the conference before you finalize your hotel booking. If you choose a hotel because of its cheap price but is more than an hour’s travel to the conference venue, then you’ll probably wind up spending more and be more stressed.
There are budget hotels that offer dormitory style rooms (6 beds per room) that offer better priced accommodations and are ideally located to places you will be visiting including the conference venue. If you are coming as a group, this could be a really good cheap option. Booking sites that offer backpackers and dormitory style rooms will appear when you inquire from Google “Dormitory style accommodations in Bangkok” Hostelworld.com is the preferred booking site for budget, backpackers, dorm type style accommodations. If you prefer to stay in private rooms, there are hundreds of hotels available to choose from in booking sites like Agoda.com or Booking.com with a wide range of prices depending on the category of the hotel.
You may want to check first in the map the proximity of the hotel to our actual conference venue. We advise that you evaluate each hotel at their respective websites before you make your decision. Go to Google and simply type the name of the hotel and you will be directed to their sites. Room bookings can be done online directly at their websites or at hotel booking sites like Booking.Com, Agoda.Com, TripAdvisor.com, Hostelworld.com, etc …
If you still have a difficult time locating a place to stay in during the conference, you may join your GMC group that will be assisted by our office team. We are still trying to identify rented (AirBnb) apartments or homes where we could have groups stay in the same place. Our Thai team is still on the lookout for additional church and dormitory options.
We will still provide accommodation updates on our next Info Pack.
I. THAILAND POST-CONFERENCE TOUR
We will be discussing at the next Info Pack the Pre and Post Conference activities – optional tours to special sites. Missionaries in Training who signed up for ACCESS 2 will follow an itinerary set by our ACCESS 2 Evaluators Team.. The rest will have their options open to any trips or activities in and out of the city or even to bordering nations, such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. .. We will also present suggestions on good places to go to and activities to do while in Thailand on our next posting. On April 13 -15, Thailand will be celebrating their new year with a nationwide water festival called SONGKRAN WATER FESTIVAL. It is clean fun where everyone tries to douse water to as much people that they see out in the streets or even in the commercial areas. It is a 3 days festivity with a party like atmosphere almost everywhere you go.
J. REMINDERS:
1. STREET CROSSING CAUTION …. Be extra vigilant and be super attentive while crossing the streets of BANGKOK. So many accidents occur mostly to people who took lightly the dangers of crossing the streets in this city. When crossing the street, please always remember that they drive on the other side of the road. Cars in Thailand drive on the left side of the road. The cars they use have steering wheels located on the right side, just like the ones used in the United Kingdom & Japan. Cars in the Philippines drive on the right side though. Always look to your RIGHT first when crossing, if you don’t, you might be shocked to see a fast-incoming vehicle coming from a different direction that is about to hit you. Many road accidents are a result of careless street crossing due to non-familiarity with the direction of the incoming cars.
2. PASSPORT CHECK … Please check your passport for any discoloration, tear or any visible defect. Even if it looks like a minor thing, the airline counter might not allow you to check in anymore because they are instructed to refuse boarding of travelers with defective passports. You still have time to request for a replacement passport from the DFA should you find defects on your passport.
3. SMARTPHONE … everyone must bring their own smartphones. We would like everyone to be accessible in case of emergencies. Most airports, including our own NAIA airport, don’t issue paper departure and arrival cards anymore. They require that you fill up the forms online and show the QR codes to the airport officials who will request for it.
4. ROAMING SERVICE: Please ask your service provider (Globe, Smart etc...) if they could activate your phone for International Roaming. When you are on roaming, your friends and loved ones can call you or text message wherever you are. Warning the cost of roaming services is high. When activated your mobile phone will be able to receive text messages and calls from the Philippines, for free. However, once you start to answer the call or send a reply text, the cost to you is extremely high. Better purchase a local SIM card that you can use to respond to text messages.
5. INTERNET SERVICE: You may avail of the Pocket Wifi rental or simply purchase a SIM card. The Pocket Wifi would be good for group (around 10 individuals) use. For SIM card, you could use your phone as a Personal Hotspot where you could share your internet signal to a maximum of 4 individuals. However, there are SIM cards that don’t allow the use of hotspots and has disabled the feature. Both would offer you outright connectivity and capability to call or chat using FB messenger, Viber etc… Both services can be purchased at the airport upon arrival. Your local phone provider (Globe, Smart …) will send a message upon your arrival of their various offers that you could access right away. They could activate your phone for international internet service at a price that ranges from around P599 per day or less.
K. PRAYERS and INTERCESSION:
Please always include the conference and the organizing staffs in your prayers. Pray also for GOD’s provision for all those who will be attending the conference.
We’ll this is it for now! I’m excited and looking forward to another great EAST ASIA REGIONAL CONFERENCE. More conference info and updates on our next INFO PACK.
See you soon in the beautiful city of BANGKOK … much blessings!
Ptr. Gani Sison
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