[Pompeo says Hong Kong no longer warrants special U.S. treatment]

It’s a real shame, I love visiting (and shopping!) in HK. Mainland control freaks just couldn’t leave it alone.

[Thai economy could lose over $40 billion if virus crisis goes beyond second quarter]

Good!(?)

 

I’m tempted to say that. I don’t want to, because I know from experience that losing your job and income is awful. Undoubtedly worse in a country’s without a safety net.

 

But I also want Thailand to realize how important tourism is for their economy. It’s 20-25%! I’ve go to countries where tourism is 5-10% and the locals are a million times more friendly and hospitable than Thailand.

[Another 44 Thai labourers arrive from S Korea, all pass initial health check]

“Labourers”... that’s rich...

 

All these Thai “labourers” returning from Korea are young to not-so-young women working in massage parlours and as “entertainers” 

[How many days overland border crossing Vientianne-Nong Khai?]

On 1/20/2020 at 5:10 AM, Vietem said:

I still got a sticker in my passport, an in and out stamp and a ‘used’ stamp on the sticker, which totaled half a page. Like I said, time-wise it was just the same.

That’s too bad. I don’t mind paying the extra fee for a Cambodian e-visa because it saves a full passport page, but there’s not any point on doing the same in Laos if they still give a sticker.

 

On 1/20/2020 at 11:44 PM, MarcB said:

Yeah like i said, a difference of a few hundred baht.

But thanks for letting us know you always pay in $

A really constructive post.

Do they care about the condition of baht currency?  In my experience, Lao border officials insist on new and crisp US dollars.  If they are at all faded, you might have to use a nearby currency exchanger (there’s always one standing nearby) to get newer bills.

[claiming child support from Canada]

She needs to speak to a Canadian lawyer.  I’m not a lawyer so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

There aren’t any easy options for her.  Canada and Thailand don’t have child support reciprocity agreements, so she can’t file in a Thai court and hope to have it enforced in Canada (or vice versa).  She will need to talk to a Canadian lawyer who may advise her to file a claim in an appropriate province and make a case for child support.  (She should file in the province the father lives or works in, although technically it could be filed in any and enforced across Canada, but the father will certainly seek a change in venue.)  There are some sample international child support cases if you search on canlii.ca.  Since the claimant is outside Canada, the normal rules for awarding support will not automatically apply.  The father’s lawyer will first almost certainly insist that she be questioned on the stand, which means she will have to travel to Canada at least once and probably on multiple occasions, which could result in delays as she gets the paperwork necessary for a visa.  His lawyer will probably initially argue that the province should not have jurisdiction.  Usually they determine that they do, but not always, especially if the father can convince them he has paid in the past and intends to return to Thailand, where the children live and where it could be handled more appropriately by a Thai court.  If he is found liable for child support, payment amounts might be lower than what he would pay if the children were in Canada, and then adjusted further down by his (lack of) income.  He could retaliate by seeking sole or joint custody of the children, which might indefinitely put her claim on hold while he files cases in Canada and Thailand for that.  She will also need to pay for her flights, lawyer and courtroom translator out of pocket and likely only recover a portion of those costs if she is successful.

 

Again, I’m not a lawyer and the above is pure conjecture based on court cases I’ve read and the experience of a friend.  She needs to speak to a Canadian lawyer.

[Make sure you Check your passport!]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

Stolen passport is useless in modern times with fingerprinting and face-recognition software.

 

The stolen passport won't match the buyer's face and fingerprints.

 

The most valuable stolen passports have photos of East or South Asian men or women of average height.  They still have plenty of use going between borders outside the region they were obtained in, and if it's good enough onto a plane to UK, Canada or Australia they can flush it midroute and request asylum.

[Blatant abuse of entry denials at Phuket Airport]

9 minutes ago, dtag said:

 

A lot of personal info on that visa, I suggest you delete the picture.

[Denied Entry at DMK with 60 day visa from Penang]

Why put up with this grief to come to Thailand?  It’s a great place for short and infrequent visits, but there are other counties (e.g. Vietnam) that will welcome you with open arms (at $150 usd for 3 month multi entry, or $1.8k for 2 year temporary resident visa).

 

I like Thailand, but at the first indication a developing country was going to make it difficult for me to spend my money there, I chose somewhere else.

[3 months in, 3 months out cycle]

On 11/18/2018 at 3:38 AM, BritManToo said:

Why not try 3 months in the Philippines, 3 months in Vietnam.

They're just as nice as Thailand (better beaches), if a bit different.

 

I never understand guys obsession with Thailand?

 

This is sound advice.  Unless you have something tying you to Thailand, why not consider another SEA country (like Vietnam or Philippines) that will let you come and go as much as you want?  

[Overstay of 110 days; whats the easiest way out]

I have a question that might seem off-topic, but it's not really.

 

Lets say someone tries to enter Thailand but they don't have an exit stamp in their passport (or in the computer system) from their last visit.  Is there an automatic penalty for that - e.g. refused entry and X years blacklist?

 

[Blacklisted (apparently) then name locked? Mixed results from different people/departments]

This is a good reason never to show your passport (or real full name) to your Thai “girlfriend”.

 

If I thought the Thai police were waiting to question me, I’d go somewhere else instead.  If there was a pressing reason to go there I’d hire a lawyer to check it out.

[How to survive out of Thailand Alive in legal way?]

49 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Go to a harbor and sneak on a container ship out of here . Yes illegal , but it would solve a lot.  Let's see how long before this gets deleted....

I hope yours (and my reply) don’t get deleted, and more posters offer suggestions. Because knowing how to get out of LOS in a situation like this - without a passport - could be lifesaving information.