chokdee69

Thanks for the advice guys, it would appear that I should return to Bangkok to be on the safe side, our holiday house is only 85 kms from Bangkok, so I can also check the water level in our estate at the same time. Which begs the next question, does anyone know if I can drive my usual route along Ramintra Road then around the round about to the Chaeng Wattana Immigration Office. Once again thanks.

I usually do all my 90 day reports at the Bangkok Immigration Office but because of the flloods we moved to our hoilday house up country. As my 90 day report is due next week can I make the next 90 day report at any Immigration Office in Thailand. Cheers.

The 2 year law was brought in by the Howard government but has never even been reviewed let alone revised by the current government. The law as it stands does has some merit restricting people from accessing the age pension after using Australia for their own convenience then returning back to their country of birth once they're cashed up. Greeks were notorious for making their wealth in the lucky country, then returning to Greece on retirement cashed up and drawing 2 pensions. Ironically the federal government has now committed itself to give financial backing to the EU in it's bid to bail Greece out of it's financial turmoil. They're giving away our money, we invested our labour in Australia for 40 plus years for what..... Jack Shit.. Next thing they'll legislate against Aussie expats from accessing their tax free superannuation outside of Australia.

Under the current Centrelink guidelines it appears that most in this forum would need to return to Australia for 2 years to activate their residential status. What happens to those who are self funded and living outside of Australia and their funds dry up. Can they return to Australia and immediately claim the age pension or play Centrelinks game by returning to Australia and going on a 2 year hunger strike waiting for their residential staus to be restored.

very ballsy move, the bottom line is that employers should be allowed to run their business as they choose and provided this does not abuse empoyees while remaining competitive then thumbs up, I agree with unions but sometimes individuals lose sight of what they are all about, in this environment of turmoil throughout the world qantas employies should take a long hard look at what they have

Agreed, sometimes individuals lose sight of themselves. A CEO paying himself a salary of AUD 5 million is a good example. That's 14 times what Australia PM earns, and a 71% increase in pay. He should take his own haircut.

Its ok to say that Joyce and his cohorts salary increases were ratified by share holders at the AGM but it begs the question, given all these lurks and perks that go with senior management salary packages these days how many votes did the board get to give themselves such exhorbitantant increases. Bearing that in mind the current board hasnt returned a dividend for the past 2 years, so we cant say its performamance based. Why doesnt Joyce come clean and tell the general public what the unions are seeking instead of using such terms as exhorbitant and unjust. Qantas has had it to good for to long and this idea that all Australians must use Qantas is a fallacy. The Commonwealth Bank and Telstra work on this same theory, all once great Australian companys that were privatised. Privatisation to these companys is to sack 30% of the workforce and expect the same amount of productivity not to mention Australian workers skills lost forever. I can't complain, it worked in my favour, my job in the Australian Defence Department was sourced out to overseas, so I took my redundancy package which enabled me to set up my base in Bangkok with my Thai wife. The flying kangaroo maybe a very extinct specie in the not to distant future.

Hi Guapo I believe we're flogging a dead horse on this issue mate. The legislation as our honourable civil servants always fall back on was introduced by the Howard Government and even after a change of Government this issue has never been raised in parliament. Several times at CL interviews I was questioned about my Australian family. I own a unit in my name in Australia. I have an Australian tax file number and several Australian bank accounts and even a bank loan. I pay the local council rates, water rates and body corporate for my unit, I even have a post office box, all in my name.I have a current Australian drivers licence. I was born in Melbourne in1945 and never left Australia even for holidays until 15 years ago. I worked long hours for the Aust Defence Department and the tax man never missed me over all those years. Don't get me wrong I'm not whingeing but I believe we're being dealt a bum deal especially when we consider we were led to believe that we were automatically eligible Aust Aged Pension ( subject to means test ) when we reached the age of 65'

I'm married to a Thai woman and have been living in Bangkok for 10 years now, over that period I've only returned to Australia for holidays and business, say 3-4 weeks at a time. I'm 66yo now and several times that I've returned to Australia and made enquiries with Centrelink, they've always given me the run around but in all cases ended the same way, 2 years to regain my residential status. If it takes 6 months absence from Australia to lose my residential status then how come it takes 2 years to get it restored. If the UK pension wasn't paid to Brits living overseas then Pattaya would be a ghost town .I'm living here on superannuation from Australia and I'm certain if it weren't for the cheaper cost of living in Thailand then my lifetime investment would be gone. The 2 years rule may have some merit for the gate crashers who moved to Australia just used the country for their own convenience but in most caes in this forum we all spent 40 years plus working and paying taxes in Australia. Surely there needs to be a clause where applicants who were long term employees in Australia are exempt.

I'm in a Moo Bahn halfway between Nong Chok and Minburi. The water has begun to rise (from the drains) and the walls we have constructed have been breached a couple of times. According to the media, we are ona flood alert along with Sam Wah and Minburi.

I'm in Floraville 43 kms on Suwithawong Gerinimo and our soi water level rose last week around 30cms but since then it has been steady but I have noticed water amassing on the nothern side of Suwithawong where the land appears lower. I have a dip stick and I minitor our soi water level every 4 hours and the natives standby watching me as though I'm performing rocket science. I've told my wife not to panic but be prepared for a quick exit if need be. It's about time they respected the knowledge of specialist in their respective fields. For example the army chief should be firing the shots in regards to evacuations and getting supplies to stranded people not telling everyone how to solve the flood problems. This crisis is well beyond a cabinet that was selected by means of nepotism and cronyism, so we just have to hang in here and hope for the best.

Suwithawong minburi seems ok now. Heavy rain right now which isnt good. Klum khao rd just from suwithawong to latkrang/romklao is underwater, Thats a no go area if you have to drive.

I'm in the Floraville estate on Suwittawong Road ( KM 43 opposite CP Food ) currently the water is 200 mm's outside our home front gate and rising slowly, other sections of roads in our area are deeper than that. The heavy evening downpours lately haven't done us any favours either. Access will be a real problem to our estate if the water continues to rise. The estates rear entrance is heavily under water and the road is severly damaged. Motorists moving in the opposite direction in our estate don't help either by making waves like jet skis because they can't show any control and slow down. I'm in two minds whether to move up to our holiday shack which is 50kms away on higher ground or sit it out here.

Lopburi3 as my non immigration O visa expires on the 5 January next year when would be the latest I could apply for my next extension. Im sweating on the Aussie dollar returning to normal after the recent federal election which returned a hung parliament as I mentioned before.

My non immigration O visa expires on 05/01/2011, I realise that a requirement is that I have 400,000 baht in my Thai bank account for a minimum of 90 days prior to my application. My question is, whats the minimum time that I can apply for the extension prior to my visas expiry date. Im trying to delay applying for the extension waiting for the cash exchange rate to regain where it was prior to the Australian federal election which resulted in a hung parliament. Thanks.

I need to do a 90 day report on Monday May 3, I've been told that this is a public holiday in Thailand. Will the immigration office be closed if so should I report on Friday April 30 or Tuesday Apr4 allowing for the weekend. Thanks.

Where can Permedan be purchased in Bangkok.

I've recently re located to Bangkok and I brought my expensive cell phone with me, now I wish to convert the phone for use in Thailand. Do I just buy a new SIM card or is there other adjustments required for the set up. Thanks.

I've been living in BKK for the past 5 years, returning to Australia for 3-4 weeks annually. I'm fast approaching 65 yo and I will pass every criteria to receive the age pension but I'm sure I'll fail the residential status test. I believe it takes a person 2 years to have his/her residential status restored, does that mean I have to stay in Australia for every consecutive day over a 2 year period. It does seem rather harsh if this happens to be the case as we had planned to share our time in both countries.

It seems as if there are some serious communication issues that need to be addressed.

From your post I gather that your Thai isn't great...how is her English?

I know many Thai words but I can't make sentences, I can make myself understood when I'm alone shopping etc. My wifes English whilst its not great I'd give her 5 out of 10 which is better than most Thai can talk English and when we do talk we only talk English.

So, you were 57 before you committed to a relationship. Gee, you reckon maybe you have some intimacy issues?

Seriously, it seems unlikely you will be able to repair this relationship without some serious work on both sides, and professional help is probably required. Highly doubtful to have that happen within Thai culture.

My advice is get a mia noi, that's the Thai way for a man with your resources.

TH

Thanks for your advice TH, really I don't want a mia noi and professional advice is out of the question because her attitude is that she's never wrong so what's there to fix. What get's me is why were things so good in our first 6 years if this is her normal behaviour. To the previous poster I said I was married for the first time at 57years of age, of course I had flings and live ins until I met met current wife and decided to settle down.

She's bored.

Take her on a cruise, or something.

Maybe she is bored but she won't take a holiday unless I take along her entourage, of course I'd be footing the bill, that's fine but at this stage I don't feel like using good money to chase bad. Even when we do go on family holidays they sit in a huddle talking of course and I'm left to sit by myself, really I'd rather stay home. I don't expect her family and friends to speak to me in English but at least they try, my wife speaks quite good English, taught to her by me but whilst she with Thais that's the only language she want's to speak.

I have a serious relationship problem that won't go away. My Thai wife and I were married 7 years ago in the local amphur office and prior to that we were engaged for 12 months. The last 18 months have been really hard to take, she only seems to speak to me when she wants something. It's not as though I don't take care of her, we have 2 houses, our home is a 2 storey house on our own land, the other is a town house which is currently rented out because we couldn't sell it. We have a modern car, modern furniture and all the mod cons. She has around 12 baht gold and I'm on a very good retirement income, so you may say we want for nothing. So why has this happened, seriously I've got no idea. She has 2 adult daughters who treat me like their real father who was killed on a motor bike when they were young girls and my wifes grandson adores me. I'm a moderate drinker, I don't go to bars, I certainly don't play around with other women. I've never been violent with her even after the abuse I've copped for the most trivial things. I've tried many times to sort this problem out and everytime I get the same answer, there's no problem it's just me being stupid, how can I restore my relationship with replies like that. Has anyone been through this same situation, I'd be more than grateful for their replies. Even after what I copped over the last 18 months I'm still deeply in love with my wife bearing in mind she is my first wife I was single until I was 57yo, if she could just understand my feelings then we could fix this problem in no time but I'm afraid it's up to her as there's very little I can do about it. It appears that divorce is the only way to solve this dead lock. Thanks.