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Anon999

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Posts posted by Anon999

  1. In my opinion, the problem is the language. A relationship between two people needs communication and understanding each other. If you can't speak proper Thai and she can't speak proper English, do you think both parties are able to portray their exact thoughts and opinions in a serious discussion/argument? I doubt it.

    If I wasn't fluent in Thai, my relationship with my girlfriend wouldn't have lasted very long. It's not because we love each other for the wrong reasons, but because in a fight, we're able to speak up and express ourselves exactly how we want to. If we were both speaking a language we weren't fluent in, we wouldn't be able to express ourselves, we wouldn't understand each other, and so we'll just say "If we can't understand each other, don't know what's wrong, then how can this relationship go on?".

    It's not only with your partner, but the partner's family. My girlfriend's family speaks absolutely no English at all, if I was a farang who couldn't speak any Thai, I know my time with them wouldn't have lasted at all. The family was able to see and understand what kind of man the daughter is dating, and they quickly, welcomed me as one of their own, they started calling me their son within two months. And before you say it's because of my money, they're a hi-so affluent Thai-chinese family, I come from a family of poor farmers and soldiers, so no, it's not because of that.

    Would my situation been different if I wasn't able to speak Thai. I strongly believe so. Perhaps the family wouldn't even have welcomed a farang in the first place, as these kinds of families are known for only wanting someone within their caste, maybe the Thai soap operas helped me because just like the actors, I'm a lukklueng tongue.png.

    But like you said, everyone's situation is different (right?).

    I am in total agreement on the language issue and its effect on communication but I don’t see anyone being able to change the minds of those don’t or won’t speak Thai.

    All very well but you completely forgot to mention that many expats/farangs are unable to hear the tones in the Thai language. Consequently even simple words that sound correct to us when pronounced are indecipherable to the Thai audience. Therefore any attempt to 'learn' the language is out of the question. However, being selective with your choice of girlfriends does help considerably as the well educated invariably have some grasp of English and understand that they will need to be the one who will be interpreting. Not had a problem with any of my Thai girlfriends or wife.

  2. Look at this way, if this happened to you in a country like the UK or Japan you would have been on your way back home. Sit back open a cold one and enjoy the corrupt life in Thailand, but please never complain about corruption again. You commited a crime today, its called a bribing a civil servant and you are now part of the corruption problem in the country.

    What are you wittering on about? One way or the other he was obliged to pay a 2,000 B fine for late reporting. Just to clarify the matter in your tiny mind, "bribing a civil servant" he did not! Getting a stamp in his passport to prove he paid it is not a very clever thing to ask for. He should have thought of that before posting.

  3. It is unusually dry, but there is also an unusual degree of mismatch between the traditional lunar calendar and the Gregorian one this year. The traditional lunar calendar conforms well to the seasons as it is specifically designed to do so for agricultural purposes, whereas this is not the case with the Gregorian calendar.

    Visaka Bucha, which is always in the hot dry season (usually early to mid May) and is determined by the lunar calendar, occurred this year only on June 1st this year; last year it was on May 13. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia, held in accordance with the traditional Cambodian calendar on a date well preceding the expected start of the rains and rice planting, this year was on May 28 whereas it is usually early May.

    "Khao Pansaa" (start of the Buddhist Lent, and based on lunar calendar and meant to coincide with the start of the serious rainy season) this year will not be until 31 July whereas it is usually not later than mid July.

    In other words, everything this year is at least 2 weeks later than usual. If you will recall, the hot season likewise started a few weeks later than usual this year.

    The rainy season last year started a little late where we are in Isaan but it was not as wet as in previous years. However, this year the hot season started in the last week of February and the humidity didn't change a lot until this month. As far as rain is concerned so far virtually none just drizzle and some 'normal' rain for a short time, maybe half a dozen times, although there has been and are clouds showing 'intent' but nothing else.

  4. Why a NZ expat is getting in a lather about a UK pension letter I don't know. I have always found the boss of Key Visa to be extremely personable. The 'valuable documentation' was copies of passport/bank statements/Income tax summaries.

    I understand a scam to be some sort of a scheme whereby a person is duped into paying money over. Visa company prices are presented to you BEFORE you decide to use their services.

    It's not the value of the documentation (beyond the 100 baht the bank charged for a 1-year printed statement), rather the personal nature of it. If I want to throw it away, that's up to me but I wasn't given the option. Do you leave "copies of passport/bank statements/Income tax summaries" with strangers?

    I never disagreed with the fees that as you say, are clearly stated up front. It was very convenient as I had two appointments that day and neither could be deferred so using their visa letter service was very agreeable and convenient. Just thought it strange that they would keep the supporting paperwork.

    If you are stupid enough, you said it, to throw money away when the BE offer a 10 day guaranteed service by EMS with all your documents returned then that's up to you. No need to pay any money for a 1 year bank statement as most if not all accounts are now paperless. Just print out the statement covering the relevant period for virtually nothing. I wonder what you do about your report every 90 days, due to your aversion and distrust of the EMS system?

    • Like 2
  5. OP - definitely keep a hold of the EMS slips which the PO provided last month and yesterday if I were you. If you still don't receive any acknowledgement back in the post after 30 days, it might be best for you to go to the immigration office in person (despite the 3-hour drive) armed with these EMS slips as evidence that you did report on time. Otherwise, despite what they told you yesterday about the original acknowledgement having already been allegedly posted back to you, you are at risk at having a 2,000 THB fine slapped on you for late reporting if they conveniently (from their point of view) have a collective attack of amnesia and deny all knowledge of you having reported at all.

    You can check the acceptance of an EMS and see the signature then print it out. Email it to the Immigration office. Had to do it once when I had a TM47 lost internally. Had to post it again and got the new date a month later than when it was originally due. Nobody is perfect so suspected that two were accidently picked up together or felll on the floor and binned.

  6. Tell her to wait until you are back in the UK. She can renew her passport at the Thai embassy/

    This is useful information and a good workaround on this occasion. Though, doesn't resolve obstacles to the OP's wife's next visa application, i.e. FLR or ILR, or holiday abroad. Notwithstanding, applying for a replacement Thai passport in the UK is a pain in the butt due to the in-person nature of the application.

    Not an insurmountable problem but I fear this name change is going to cost some hard cash as far as UKVI/Home Office are concerned.

    Obviously, the Home Office will need to be approached and there will be some paperwork involved, topped off with a not insignificant charge for administration.

    Suradit's advice is sound in that it allows your wife to return to the UK without hindrance on this occasion.

    She can then set about informing UKVI/Home Office of her name change.

    See my post #39

  7. Convince her , you don't know my wife . She's decided her name is unlucky and that's it so she's hell bent on changing it and nothing i say will make any difference .

    So i'm stuck with this problem till i figure a way round it .

    I did phone GOV.UK

    --------------------------

    I had an English friend whose last name was HOY (pronounced HO EE)

    His Thai wife's given name was OY.

    Therefore when she was married her name was Oy Hoy.

    Obviously she wanted to have her name changed.

    But I don't know if she ever managed it or not.

    Dead easy to do just go to a solicitor and get it changed by Deed Poll. My Thai step son did it when he reached 18 because he wanted to have the same surname as his Mum.

  8. Thanks Joe.

    Maybe Phuket were just trying to be helpful.

    So, in future, if I am not in Chiang Mai at the 90 day time I have no choice. It's either POST or ON_LINE.

    Do you have the online weblink please?

    Don't worry, I am fully aware of my status in Thailand. However, it is interesting to note that the visa extensions in my passport do not say 'extension'. They say 'application of stay is permitted...'

    Regards

    James

    The following gives the full information:

    1. You can find the link for online 90 day reporting by going to the Immigration website and select the ‘Notification of Staying over 90 days’, from the left hand column. At the very bottom of that information page (scroll down) is a link, highlighted in blue, ‘notification of staying in the kingdom over 90 days via internet’.

    Alternatively you can just go straight to the website by the direct URL link, which is

    http://extranet.immigration.go.th/pibics/online/tm47/TM47Action.do

    a ) They specify using IE browser only, at the moment, but it will work on other browsers by copying and pasting the link or,

    b ) Use a User Agent for Chrome or Firefox and it will emulate IE. For FF IE Tab V2 for Chrome either User-Agent Switcher for Chrome or User Agent Switcher.

    SafariHYPERLINK "http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-activate-user-agent-switcher-in-safari.html" has the ability built in.

  9. <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

    I have no problem paying a little more for a bigger taxi if I have a lot of luggage. However, I will not let them screw me, to charge 600 to 700 baht. That is BS.

    Agree. Maybe:

    If bigger vehicle is needed, then kilometer rate perhaps 5% more (just a wild guess about %), but only if bigger vehicle is ordered.

    Maybe the taxi desk clerks inside the terminal should ask every customer: how many people? , how many bags? , and then tell the passenger they should use a large SUV / CRV or a standard vehicle. Get agreement from customer then desk clerk proceeds to assign the job to a standard or a large vehicle.

    For bags again I agree. Maybe:

    - 1 cabin bag / computer bag and ladies handbag, and 1 plastic shopping bag, and 1 suitcase - no charge.

    - Every extra small bag +10Baht

    - Every extra suitcase + 15Baht

    But only if there is a regulation that the taxi driver must help get the bags in and out of the vehicle.

    What I strongly object to is the situation I saw at Don Muang about 2 months ago. Passenger gets automatically allocated a taxi number at the taxi assignment desks inside the terminal. (The passenger is a Thai female, alone, has one standard size computer bag - no other bags, she's from my flight from Chiang Mai, she's a pleasant university professor who I have met and worked with several times previously, speaks excellent English.)

    Passenger proceeds to the taxi and discovers it's a large SUV / CRV vehicle.

    Passenger doesn't get into the vehicle, she asks driver if he uses meter. Driver says ' no, bigger engine uses more fuel' then goes on to demand flat rate to go to Landmark hotel area of 400Baht plus tollway fees.

    Passenger says no, because she did not ask for this special large vehicle, she just wants a standard taxi using meter. She goes back inside and asks to speak to the supervisor of the taxi allocation desks. Desk staff respond 'he's too busy'.

    Passenger asks one of the desk clerks to assign her another taxi, standard size. Nothing happens, desk clerks refuse to speak to her.

    Passenger is now talking with numerous other Thai passengers (in Thai language) and farang passengers (in English) all waiting for taxis explaining what's just transpired.

    Passenger goes to the police office next to the taxi queue line inside the terminal. She comes out and she spots me, she says a police vehicle will take her to her hotel.

    After she leaves the area some Thai passengers now spot the queue supervisor who has mysteriously reappeared. When asked (attacked) about the whole situation he just repeats 'mai ru' / 'mai saab' (basically I don't know / I'm not aware).

    Many passengers before disclosing their final destination to the desk clerk now insisting to know if the taxi card the desk clerk is holding is a standard or large taxi. Supervisor attacks one Thai lady and tells her she cannot do that and tells her she's rude. Mob boos the supervisor and he runs for cover.

    Surely there is no need for any of the above issues, problems, etc. Specific regulations should have been promulgated years ago to cover all of these which are fair to all parties.

    But, the chaos continues.

    The taxi desk inside the terminal at KL ask for the destination, how many people and how many bags then look at your bags. You then pay the fare as indicated on the display, not the taxi driver. Is that difficult?

  10. Yet the Thai Baht grows stronger every day making Exporting harder and with a strong baht surely tourism must drop as well but what do i know .................................rolleyes.gifcoffee1.gif

    Taking the same starting point of July 2014 the exchange rates as of today of the baht against the US$ it is unchanged while the GBP is down 12.6% and the Euro is down 21.3%. That does not make it particularly easy to weaken the baht with anywhere near even results. If the BOT are watching the $/baht exchange rate as their main guide then the US$ needs a to weaken by a significant amount. It would therefore appear the US$ is the main cause of everyone else having to suffer.However, the euro is affecting the GBP, causing it to weaken and that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

  11. Seriously,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, From the local Pu Yi Bann to the top job in BKK, and 100 names is the best they can do??? Someone's taking the P*ss,

    Really guy's if ya want the country and the world to take you seriously then you need to do a lot better than this pathetic token offering.

    Now have a real crack at the thieving corrupt scumbags and get a little of that much desired respect, but that will only come once justice is seen to be done and not the old inactive post or transferred gig again.

    Waiting for costas, djjamie, and hollaween, to come along singing and dancing and praising their bro-mance again. makes me laughcheesy.gif

    If you had read previous and related posts you may have noticed the number is not a round 100 and it is the first list the second one is larger I believe. They have to somewhere and whatever the number was it would still not satisfy you!

  12. "The new charter must be accepted by the international community"

    If they don't accept it and tow the Junta's line, what are you going to do. Prayuth can't treat the International community like he treats the suppressed Thais. The international community are still allowed to think, analyse and form thier own opinions. The compulsory brainwashing and propoganda doesn't work and never will on the free.

    Do you think it is possible that there could have been something lost in the translation? I doubt that he said, 'must accept it', in Thai.

  13. This polling organization cannot possibly be professional.

    It is misleading and ridiculous to report poll results as numbers like 81.22 percent.

    For a poll of this magnitude, a margin of error should be calculated and reported, and would most likely be on the order of plus/minus 3 points.

    Somebody should give these guys a clue. Every time they report poll results like this, they are opening themselves, and their poll results, to derision.

    And that's just one fatal defect in this polling farce. There are others. facepalm.gif

    Well at least the quoted %ages are near to whole figures of the 1,278 respondents to within 0.1%. Far better than some polls that give you half people, top, bottom, left, right or front, back, who knows?

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