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smotherb

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Posts posted by smotherb

  1. Perhaps a little more about the hypothetical situation is needed. 

     

    You mentioned defamation of character and non-justifiable threats. Although I am not sure of the legal definition of a justifiable threat; I can fathom a case of defamation of character. 

     

    Let me spin a little yarn for you--there is no valuable information in this tale, so go on to the next post if you seek closure. I am waiting for an old buddy to arrive so we can drain this crock of Tullamore Dew and am just killing time.

     

    Once upon a time, this acquaintance of mine had gone through a couple of bad marriages and was envious of my relationship with my Filipina wife.  Apparently, in his mind, marrying a Filipina was the answer to a happy life.

     

    So, off he went on a two-week trip to Manila and married a girl he met on the streets--his words.  He took her to the US Embassy to start the spousal visa process before he left.  According to him, the consul/embassy employee told him to go home and sober up; that his wife was nothing but a whore. Well, he did admit he met her on the street and she went with him.

     

    As I said, he was an acquaintance and this is his story. He asked me about suing the Manila Embassy employee--As I understand it, to prove defamation of character a third party has to be privy to the claim and the claim has to be proven false.  When I confronted him with that statement, he said there was another person in the office when he was told that and that she was not a whore--apparently, he forgot he told me how they met. 

     

    He said he went to the State Department when he returned to DC and complained and said he got results. I am not privy to all the results he my have gotten, but he did bring a Filipina to the US some months later--this was in maybe 1984.

     

    She did leave him a short while after and she certainly acted like a lady of negotiable virtue--her first question to my wife was, "How much money do you get out of him?"    

     

    Well, she left him and he claimed all women were bad--sound familiar?

  2. I asked that very question in 2008, when my wife and I first received the retirement extension--she piggy-backing on my extension. We did the income letter, so it may be different than the B800k in the bank method. She is eligible to receive my retirement income upon my death. So, according to Songkhla immigration at the time; she had to get a non-O and income letter in her own name and reapply for a retirement extension. Which meant she would have had to go out of Thailand for the non-O and have the pension transferred to her name and then get the income statement during the validity of the non-O and apply for a retirement extension. 

     

    Obviously, we never had to try it to see.

  3. 21 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

    Well, 65 is pretty much the normal retirement age for social security.

    Not sure where you are getting 55....

    Also, for many of us the Thai system remains simple and inexpensive. Minimal changes for those of us that have previously always qualified and followed the rules/law.

    Could careless about the Cambodia Visa system the country is a low level third world mess.

     

    Many US citizens start taking Social Security at 62 and 55 is what Jingthing heard is the age set by Cambodia for not needing financial proof for a retirement visa. I do not think Jingthing meant people draw social security at 55.  You really have to follow the trail of posts to see what is being said.

    • Like 2
  4. On 3/1/2019 at 1:15 AM, impulse said:

     

    Some people can roll with the punches, others not so much. 

     

    Chaeng Wattana (sp?) may be a zoo, or they may be in and out in an hour or 2 (took me 90 minutes last time I did an extension in mid 2018)  Then they have a week or so to explore BKK, head off to Kanchanaburi to see the Death Railroad Bridge on the River Kwai (that's what I'd do) or any of a thousand things they didn't have time for.

     

    Life gave 'em lemons.  They can choke on 'em.  Or they can make lemonade.  

     

    Yeah, but unfortunately many will have already spent their holiday funds. Those with the financial resources can simply spend more and extend their holidays to make lemonade.

     

    However, I think you may have overlooked the big picture complaint. Sure the lemons came in the form of hostilities between India and Pakistan which, rightfully so, incurred the flight cancellations. Why do those people have to choke because of the added hassle from Thai immigration? Especially those without money and needing to eat and sleep and pay the overstay fees.

     

    Come-on Big Joke; flex your muscle--it seems so easy, let those with proof of cancelled flight slide out within some reasonable time, maybe one week. Immigration gives you seven days to clear-out once you've extended your stay, don't they? 

    • Like 1
  5. On 2/22/2019 at 1:06 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

    In my own experience and what I heard from other you don't have to offer a bribe. If the recipient is interested in a bribe he/she will tell you.

    And if you absolutely want to offer a bribe you could ask something like: xyz takes a long time, can we solve this faster if I pay something - or something similar to that.

    The recipient will understand what you are saying but you can always deny this was about a bribe. You just wanted to help.

    Yes, I see. Well is there some sort of expediting fee?

     

    • Like 1
  6. On 2/22/2019 at 12:41 PM, LoS itaint said:

    I have always understood that bribery & prostitution were not unlawful in Thailand


    Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

    Well, you have misunderstood. Both bribery and prostitution are illegal in Thailand.

     

    However, they are often simply ignored. It is more culturally accepted action than one of illegality. I spent my career as an expat mostly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Bribery was almost the norm, and still is very common.  

     

    Thailand is not far from bribery, the surrounding countries of Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos (numbers 1, 9 and 11, respectively)  are in the top 20 countries in which bribery is expected or accepted (https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/20-countries-where-bribery-in-business-is-common-practice.html)

     

    Of course, only in the more developed countries is bribery beyond the average man; in those countries, it simply takes a lot more money to foment a bribe.

    • Thanks 1
  7. 17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

    Hey it's not all bad, instead of drinking a cup of hot cocoa and sleeping with a 60yo Brit woman, I've been forced to drink beer Chang and sleep with an assortment of 30 year old Thai ladies.

    Yeah, that is the bright side. I lost over half my retirement too. However, I can blame no one but myself.  So, I live with it and enjoy myself.  

    • Like 2
  8. 12 minutes ago, Corruption 101 said:

    What of those with health crisis and other life disruptions.

    Sorry, but that too is another problem. Just because something happens you did not foresee, does not make it Thailand's problem to lower their financial requirements for you.  Expecting everything to go well and nothing to go wrong is fool's play at best.

    • Sad 1
  9. Just now, BritManToo said:

    I did all that, but at retirement my wife divorced me, getting my 500,000 pound house outright, and 50% of my company pension.

    There's not much planning I could do to offset that.

    Ah yes, another sad, but all too frequently occurring tale. Sorry, but that again is another problem. Perhaps you should have been a better husband or made a better choice of wife. 

    • Sad 2
    • Haha 1
  10. 4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

    Average retirement income in the UK is 500 pounds a week of which 100 pounds is earnings and 40 pounds is benefits.

    I doubt many are living well.

     

    Yeah, the UK has the worst state pensions in the developed world--https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/05/uk-state-pensions-ranked-worst-developed-world/ 

     

    However, that is another problem. If you are a Brit and did not know that; well, shame on you. The point is you need to have money to ensure a decent retirement; so you need to save and/or invest during your working years. If you have not done that; well, shame on you again. I know many retirees who blew what they made and saved little or nothing their entire lives. Too bad, but whose fault is that? 

    • Sad 1
  11. 13 hours ago, possum1931 said:

    What a ridiculous post, none of us retirees could seriously agree with this poster.

    Well, I really hate to say it, but you are wrong. I am a retiree and I agree with what murraynz says.

     

    I doubt many posters could argue with the fact that at retirement you need to have some cash as well as some income. B800k is not a great amount--< USD26k, <GBP20k. Anyone retiring in their home-countries with only that piddling amount would hardly be living well. 

     

    However, I do understand that some retirees simply do not have the required income or the ready cash to satisfy Thai retirement laws. If that is the case; you really need to start considering another place to live. 

    • Like 1
  12. 15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

    I would agree with this analysis IF that is the intention of the Thai authorities. They are not given to transparency or explaining their motives. Having said that, there are probably quite a few retirees who would be happy to see the issue of medical insurance put to bed if that in fact is how the Thai government intends to deal with it. I for one would be unable to get medical insurance due to age and pre-existing conditions.

    Having drawn those funds down to meet an emergency, the expat would either have to import more funds from overseas, or leave. Fair enough. Although the system could be a bit fairer if a grace period was given so as to not jeopardise the next extension.

    As you say, the income method is more problematic as there are no cash reserves in Thailand to cope with an emergency. Perhaps the next step is a smaller deposit of funds for those using the 65K route; however, that's pure speculation.

    I am not asking for any agreement, I have simply said what I think.  I do not know the impetus behind this new policy and I have not suggested this would solve any medical insurance problems.

     

    Medical fees can exceed B800k and the retiree funds would not cover all such expenses. In my posit, medical debts were only part of the equation. I concluded the Thais could impound the retiree funds they mandate be kept in Thai banks if the foreigner legally owed money in Thailand for any reason.

     

    I do not know the next step the Thais will make in the income extension for retirees, but I'd wager it will be one which involves more funds in Thai banks. The problem I see is many retirees do not have any substantive savings because they have a guaranteed monthly income; so requiring them to cough-up several hundred thousand baht may be difficult.  

     

    I do not understand what you  mean by being a bit fairer by giving a grace period. 

     

     

     

     

  13. 4 hours ago, spetersen said:

    I don't understand, What about a letter from your bank proving foreign deposits , of 65000 THB every month or more, together with income affidavit from your Embassy or consulate. Does it also need 800K/400K sitting in a Thai bank for months ? The vast majority are still Issue them with the exception of four countries.

    I think that is exactly the point. The Thais want you to keep the required money in Thailand. So, aside from the banking perspective; if you break a Thai law, cause monetary damage to a Thai, or have to use Thai resources, such as a hospital, they will have the ability to garnishee from each foreigner B800k for five months of the year and B400k for the remaining seven months of the year. 

     

    Considering all the deadbeat foreigners in Thailand, having this ready stash of cash is quite logical from the Thai point of view--I am somewhat impressed.

     

    However, the Thais probably see the monthly income of B65k being somewhat of a problem. There is no back-up stash of cash for those people; the Thais can only get a maximum of B65k at any one time. So, I am looking forward to the next Thai retirement funding evolution of how to get more out of the monthly income types.

     

     

    • Like 1
  14. 5 hours ago, Stocky said:

    Songkhla air quality is whole lot better than Bangkok, and it was air quality that had him all a quiver. As for Numbeo, please, "These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years." Highly scientific.

    Please? The OP is a visitor and it is her perception which we are discussing. However, as I said, Songkhla is moderate at best.

     

    See other sources on air and other pollution; https://aqicn.org/city/thailand/songkhla/hat-yai-municipality/ for example. Songkhla is moderate at best. 

     

    If you thought I was saying Songkhla is as bad as Bangkok, you are confused. It appears you are simply offering a place with better air quality than Bangkok--which is pretty easy to do; Chiang Mai is better than Bangkok, but not much http://livingasean.com/explore/air-quality-asean-air-pollution-bangkok-hanoi-jakarta/  

     

    My point is that Songkhla is hardly a pristine paradise and that the OP should try some more remote areas--as was stated, "Maybe some quiet little semi-remote beach town away from the boozing/prostitution nonsense at the usual tourist destinations? "  Now, Songkhla is not the usual farang  tourist destination; although, it is quite popular with the Malaysians and Singaporeans. However, Songkhla does have the "boozing/prostitution nonsense" Granted, the decline of the O&G industry has somewhat curtailed the farang trade, but going to Songkhla will not avoid the "boozing/prostitution nonsense"  

     

     

     

     

  15. 6 hours ago, Stocky said:

    You're surely not suggesting the air quality in Songkhla isn't a considerable improvement on Bangkok!

    Songkhla's air pollution is not good. And, I believe the OP is concerned with other forms of pollution.  Songkhla is moderate at best. See the chart below from Numbeo:

     

    Pollution in Songkhla, Thailand

    Air Pollution
     
    66.67 High
    Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Dissatisfaction with Garbage Disposal
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Dirty and Untidy
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Noise and Light Pollution
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Water Pollution
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Dissatisfaction to Spend Time in the City
     
    66.67 High
    Dissatisfaction with Green and Parks in the City
     
    50.00 Moderate

    Purity and Cleanliness in Songkhla, Thailand

    Air quality
     
    33.33 Low
    Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Garbage Disposal Satisfaction
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Clean and Tidy
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Quiet and No Problem with Night Lights
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Water Quality
     
    50.00 Moderate
    Comfortable to Spend Time in the City
     
    33.33 Low
    Quality of Green and Parks
     
    50.00 Moderate

     

     

    https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/in/Songkhla-Thailand

  16. NotReallyHere, maybe you should live-up to your name. Your apparent newness to developing countries, particularly Thailand, is showing. Thailand, although more advanced than some other countries in the region, is still developing and pollution is rampant. I had to chuckle at some of the other posters' suggestions of going to Chiang Mai or Phuket, or even Songkhla--where I lived for eleven years--to avoid pollution.   

     

    I suggest you take whatever precautions you think necessary and try to enjoy your stay. It seems rather futile to think you could stay three months in Bangkok, which is so disturbing to you. I would suggest traveling about. Public transportation is cheap, but I would shy away from vans--because of their safety record--and fly or take buses or trains. 

     

    You may even consider spending some of those three months in other countries in Southeast Asia--just to get a better idea of the benefits of Thailand.

  17. 11 hours ago, JackThompson said:

    I would not bother doing this until the next police-order goes into effect - and even then wait for some digestion of it at the local-level.

     

    This is the prudent step - agreed.  And be sure the xfer method used causes the deposits to appear in bank-statements as "foreign" transfers.

    While I am pleased to see you see some merit in my statements; I still believe you are better-off talking with the IOs and getting their opinions. As I said, and we all know, Thai immigration has alternate opinions--especially with new rules and their opinions may even differ within the same office. The IO who issued my first retirement extension is still in the same office he was eleven years ago; thus, my wife and I are well known to him, other IOs, and staff--they do see us several times a year for extensions, 90-day reports, and re-entry permits. The IO with whom I am best acquainted admits he is not always aware of the changes until they are made--like the two times (2015 and 2017) I was asked to provide monthly income in Thai banks--but he does have good insight and input to provide. Of course, since he has seen our finances and paperwork yearly, he is certain of our compliance and we have earned his respect. So, I must reiterate my advice, get to know your IOs, earn their respect, and they will talk to you.

    • Thanks 1
  18. Doesn't it appear Thai immigration has something to do with this? As I understand it, the Thai  government is requiring income guarantees and the embassies are reluctant to guarantee any income amount for their citizens for various reasons--information security, lack of manpower, lack of dependable method, etc. Go for it if you think you will change their minds.

     

    Based on my talks with Thai immigration, it seems the Thai government wants to see the money--B800k/yr or B65k/mo--deposited to a Thai bank.  Simply proving you have the money in a foreign bank is not enough.

     

    I suggest you talk with your immigration officers to form your own opinions; however, since we all know Thai immigration has alternate interpretations, it may be best to just start depositing the money into a Thai bank. Then, at extension time, you can arrive at immigration with Thai bank statements in hand showing the required deposits. 

    • Like 1
  19. Years ago I had a Japanese girlfriend from Obihiro, Hokaido. Her father was a Tokachi Wagyu cattle breeder. He fixed me a fillet of the finest Black beef; he prepared the habachi to a white hot, slapped the 5 cm thick chunk of wagyu on the grill and cooked it for a few seconds on either side. I won't tell you I could cut it with a fork, but I could with a butter knife. The first bite fairly melted in my mouth and spoiled me for any other steak the rest of my life--this was 1967. I have had the best of steaks wherever I lived or visited--including North and South America, Europe, Asia and several places here in Thailand over the last ten years. I went back to Obihiro about ten years ago--the cattle farm was a government complex and I had lost contact with the girl years before that. I tried the local wagyu, it was excellent. However, nothing is as good as it once was.

  20. 2 hours ago, Benroon said:

    Sorry you said 'the gullible have had it tough' right ?

     

    Yeah that's a lot different isn't it !

    Yeah, that is a statement of belief--I think the gullible have had it tough, they get taken too often.

     

    However, the word "gullible" was from the poster to whom I responded, check it and see.

     

     

  21. 1 hour ago, scorecard said:

    Some good points, however I dislike how controlling it is.

     

    I also have concerns about misuse.

     

    When my granddaughter was in P6 her school got a new Thai IT teacher. The first thing she did was teach all the kids how to join facebook, all with fake birthdays because P6 kids way too young to join / for their real birthdays to be accepted to join.

     

    Within 24 hours several of the kids (girls and boys) received posts asking 'can I buy you an ice-cream', 'can you come to Big C to meet me after school', etc.

     

    Many kids in their naivety showed their parents, and many parents went quickly to the school and complained.

     

    Headmistress instructed the IT teacher to cancel all the membership immediately and with a deadline time for them all to be deleted.  IT teacher was adamant she did nothing wrong.

     

    The parents demanded that the headmistress issue an instruction to all teachers that they must never do anything like this again.  

     

    Another example, I worked with a Thai lady about 30 years old, she posted everything on her facebook page, including a scan of the chanut for her condo with full address, plus photos of the keypad at the front door of her condo building and the keycode, photos of her car and the blue book, her passport and Thai ID card, and more.

     

    Plus she posted every personal activity, e.g. 'I'm leaving the office in 2 minutes, should be at my condo room about 625 pm. 

     

    Her work colleagues pleaded with her to remove all the photos, personal documents etc. She just laughed.

     

    Eventually she got home one evening pressed the code number on the lock for her condo door, and instantly a man quickly appeared from around the corner, pushed her into her room, molested her, stole her bag and car keys, and some gold and fled.

     

    He was caught a few hours later. The police pushed her to remove all the photos, info., etc., from her f/book account, she refused because she wanted her friends to know her details.

     

     

    Gee, did you read what I said? " However, you should avoid being gullible and providing personal information. And, that is difficult to do. "

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