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Logbook of a traveler in quarantine in Bangkok (Thailand)
Having a nomadic lifestyle and being a permanent traveler may seem tricky during this covid period, but honestly, this health crisis has so far been synonymous with opportunity for us. Apart from the two months of lockdown in Francewe have multiplied unforgettable experiences : a tour of France, 3 months in Italy, skiing in Montenegro, discovering Albania, … All of that with a lucky timing allowing us to avoid the bulk of restrictions and having only had to undergo a single PCR test so far. While we were considering continuing our exploration of the Balkans by going to Kosovo and North Macedonia, the call of Asia became too pressing. About…
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[Covid] How We Got the CoE (Certificate of Entry) for Thailand + 45-Day Visa Exemption
We managed to get the CoE for Thailand in two working days, without going through an agency. I think we’re already paying enough for quarantine, no need to shell out extra for an agency. It’s very easy and quick, you just need to understand English and have a fairly well-stuffed wallet (we estimate €1600/person in expenses before even setting foot on Thai soil). Note, we’re showing you the process for those who decide to do quarantine in Bangkok. If you opt for the Phuket Sandbox, there’s another article hereSoon there won’t be any quarantine in Bangkok, so keep an eye out because things change fast! Should you opt for a…
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[Covid] How to get the 90-day STV visa for Thailand?
In this article, I will show you how to get the STV visa and COE to travel to Thailand. This article was written based on information gathered from people who obtained it at the Thai Embassy in Paris in April 2021. Warning This article is only for those who want to apply for a STV (Special Tourist Visa). For those who want to enter without a visa (45-day visa exemption, extendable by 30 days)… the process is slightly different, I’ll cover that in another article. Some prefer to apply for the STV because it allows you to stay in Thailand for 90 days, and extend that by 2 periods of…
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[Covid] How to enter Thailand right now? (Visa Exemption, CoE, Tourist Visa, STV)
After asking around here and there, I found several ways to enter Thailand during this Covid period. Here, I’ll just talk about visas, not PCR tests, doctor’s documents, etc. The list is long, but it’s totally doable without going through agencies if you’re in Paris and you understand English. There are 3 ways to enter Thailand right now for tourists: Visa Exemption Tourist Visa (TV) Length of stay: 45 days max (including quarantine) Length of stay: 60 days max (including quarantine) Quarantine: 10 days Quarantine: 10 days Extension possible: yes, 30 days for 1900 baht (about 50 €) without leaving the country Extension possible: yes, 30 days for 1900 baht…
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Debug & advanced features for reMarkable 2
Since several of you have purchased a reMarkable 2, and some for a month now, it’s time to reveal some advanced features that aren’t in the user manual, which I’ve translated and annotated here. Before touching anything, open your reMarkable 2, go to Settings => Help => Copyrights and licences => General information and take a photo of the part I’ve shown here (without the stylus; I’ve hidden the password displayed there). This password will come in handy if you mess up your hack installations. Note that this password will change if you do a factory reset, so after each reset, you’ll need to note the new password. OK, now…
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[review] reMarkable 2 after 2 months of use
Just a very short post to update you on my reMarkable 2. I still love it a lot. If you haven’t done so yet, I recommend you first read my detailed review, and my thoughts after 1 month. The highlights: I sold my Kindle to read exclusively on the reMarkable 2 (breaking news!) I received my Mobiscribe backup stylus The reMarkable 2 took a flight for the first time protected by its case and sleeve, and it’s still alive I got the 2.7 update and it’s a.ma.zing I made a video about Live View I still haven’t had to change the nib I sold my Kindle to read exclusively on…
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My Current Favorites [April 2021]: Mystics of Tibet and Sinuhe the Egyptian
Nguyên Phong is a respected author and translator in Vietnam. I’ve already recommended his book Journey to the East here. I then became interested in the books he translated, thinking that he must have read a lot, but only chose the best to translate. So I read four books selected by Nguyên Phong, three of which are about Tibet. Sinuhe the Egyptian (The Egyptian) by Mika Waltari: The character Sinuhe takes on some traits of the protagonist of the same name from an Egyptian tale. In this novel, he is set during the reign of Akhenaten, a pharaoh who undertook enormous religious changes but unfortunately failed. During our trip to…
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Where to get a PCR test in Paris? Results within 24h & Open on holidays
Recently, we had to get our PCR tests on a holiday, with the urgent need to have the results in time for our trip to Thailand. I searched everywhere on Doctolib and all the labs were closed. But I found several addresses in Paris open on holidays with quick results: Laboratoires XV: open Monday to Saturday (mornings). Including holidays (mornings only) As for us, we went to laboratoire Mozart in the 16th arrondissement because it’s better rated (not to be confused with Vaugirard, where it’s very poorly rated). You can book an appointment online here. They promise results before 9pm (same day) if the test is done before 2pm. We…
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Quick stopover in Paris (France) to better set off again: May 2021
Our return to Paris is driven by Vietnam plain and simple. I’ve been watching for the moment I can go home to Hanoi since March 2020. Following Thailand’s reopening, I see an opportunity: go to Thailand, while waiting for the borders to open between Thailand and Vietnam. But there are a few issues: my Vietnamese passport expired in November 2020, and the Vietnamese embassy in Italy refused to issue me a new one at that time. I have to go back to France and get my passport in Paris. Passport Getting this passport was no sweat-free feat: 2 hours of queueing in a small, unventilated room, with super stressed-out people,…
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Weekend in Saint-Raphaël (France)
I think I can congratulate myself on the choice of dates and destinations because as soon as I go somewhere, the situation improves at the right time. We didn’t know, when booking the flight to Paris, whether we’d be allowed to exceed the 10km travel limit, but we just had to wait a few days, until we’d isolated a bit, for all of France to open up. Having deliberately chosen a weekday to travel, I’m surprised to see that the TGV from Paris to Saint-Raphaël is full all the way to Marseille. Usually, we wear cloth masks, but we’ve finally upgraded to FFP2 masks for public transport. To avoid a…
