MRToMRT

29 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

yes, by definition, they have additional prefix for indians/arabs,

like farang kaek.

farang originally referred to french,

i can just imagine the french explaining they were

coming from francee' with a hefty alien accent,

which thais pronounced as the easier on the tongue farang

Interestingly in Khmer its a very similar "Barang". 

20 hours ago, fishtank said:

They have already negotiated a deal that the UK side agreed to.

That is sadly dead in the water because Parliament rejected it 3 times.

5 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

Paradise Lost. Trash is everywhere in Thailand. 

I think one of the overlooked causes is what has been total lack of municipal garbage services outside of the main cities and towns. They are getting more wide spread now but the consequences of this have been a nation that thinks chucking it is the "natural" way because its the only way. The results are terrible.

Sorry should have read "garbage" not garage

1 hour ago, rwilem said:

Update, and maybe a screw-up in the offing.

 

I registered as the possessor, and attached just my docs. Photos of the PP details, extension, arrival stamp and arrival card. I have nothing from the landlord.

 

After submitting, I got registration successful notice, wait for email.

 

Yeah, maybe wait many weeks, and it'll be rejected, would that be a likely outcome without landlord details?

 

 

Others have reported that they received emails requesting additional info.

FYI mine took 10 weeks to come through.

34 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Most people (I'm not one of them) are proud owners of 'smart phones'.....

It's a very good point, once registered why do we have to report as the police have the power to monitor our phones location (as has been openly evidenced in a number of police cases).

7 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Always amusing reading the typical one liners from expats from other parts of Thailand. The " I went there once, it was too expensive and I got ripped off. It's a shithole, I wont go back."  I get especially amused at the whining complaints from people who chose to live in the crowded, polluted, grid locked capital city!

 

These detractors compare tourist prices at a beachfront restaurant, at one of the world's most visited places, with the price of a bowl of rice at their local 7-11 in the wilds of the north!  Despite many proudly espousing their professions as an ajarn at a local school, they lack the basic understanding that prices reflect the popularity of a place, and that perhaps their readies aren't going to cut it when that place is the tourist side of Phuket.

They also constantly fail to recognize that living as an expat away from Phuket's tourist centers is only slightly more costly than living elsewhere in the country. There are still deserted beaches to sit on, and jungle hideaways where one can live separate from the crowds. The advantage is that, when desired, you have access to some of the best beaches, Islands, facilities (international hospitals and airport) and clean air in Thailand, indeed the world.  You decide on the lifestyle you want to have -  quiet, isolated, hedonistic, adventuresome or sporting such as diving, sailing, fishing, bike riding, etc.

Yes, Phuket has problems. Greed, unfettered development and the inevitable transport and traffic problems have grown expeditiously with the influx of tourists. That should be a matter of great shame to those responsible for this lack of control and planning. Governments in Bangkok, local Phuket Government, mayors, hotel and transport cartels, and the big families that run/own most of the Island have combined to line their pockets in the short term, to the detriment of long term potential.

 

 

 

I don't disagree with you (my base is in a fetid city I admit) but the thread is about tourism, so the opinion of someone who does not live in Phuket and just visits as a tourist may be especially relevant to the subject matter.

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You may leave, but IMO everyplace has become <deleted>, caused by too many people destroying everything. You may be leaving a country that lost its sanuk ( and its soul ), but I don't know any place that hasn't sold out to big business, so just exchanging one <deleted ) place for another.

Thailand is still great, but only in the hard to reach places well off the tourist trail. So long as the Chinese just ruin the places they have already ruined, the hidden gems will survive.

I don't disagree with you, quite the opposite I agree with you heartily.

I think its not the Chinese who have spoilt these areas, it the Thai's (and as you rightly infer any host nation national in other countries suffering the same as well). I don't think the hidden gems will stay hidden much longer, on my own travels I see tourists of all ilks EVERYWHERE.

I spent 3 weeks in southern France earlier this summer, I was amazed at how beautiful, well kept and "genuine" the place was. I would not want to live there for other reasons but at least the French and French authorities take pride and spend money on keeping their villages, towns et al clean, tidy and generally VERY well kept. This is sorely missing everywhere in Thailand IMO and I cannot see the years of going off the rails ever being corrected to give them back what they once had. The thing that made this a great tourist destination..

28 minutes ago, simon43 said:

 

A guest room that she used to sell for 1,500 baht a night now sells for 750 baht, because not only are Asian guests unwilling to pay 1,500 baht, the number of competitor hotels and guesthouses has hugely increased.  .....

It is a race to the bottom, nothing less.

Thats interesting Simon, which province or specifically Phuket? My own general experience (I don't travel too Phuket anymore) as an independent traveller (with own transport and traveling almost every week) has been that those places I used to stay at for 500 baht now charge 1200-1800 baht. The exception being the southern provinces (esp east) where I can still get excellent quality motels for 500-600 baht.

Edit: Sorry I did not realize this was specifically the Phuket forum, my comments are about Thailand in general

Paradise Lost. Trash is everywhere in Thailand. 

I think one of the overlooked causes is what has been total lack of municipal garage services outside of the main cities and towns. They are getting more wide spread now but the consequences of this have been a nation that thinks chucking it is the "natural" way because its the only way. The results are terrible.

KSR is not the "farang" backpackers haven it used to be (I remember staying there for 20 baht a night albeit 30 years ago and it was a dump btw) it has long been gentrified and the whole area has been expanding for years with some good nightlife and restaurants and a generally young crowd which has become increasingly Thai and "other" asian. 

What we are seeing is tourism changing the country over time. I admit its not a change my rosy colored spectacles like but everywhere is changing. It's just time to see Thailand as it is not as what it was.

PS I have and am leaving

UPDATE: SO now I have my 90 day report completed and additionally the TM 30 receipt and Guess what..... after nearly 10 weeks of waiting my TM30 app password came through in the email. I am really wondering now if the delay in Bangkok TM30 logins and passwords may be linked to up to date TM30s or new TM47s being filed???? I notice one other poster had exactly the same result and received his the day after doing a new TM47.

40 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

It's the immigration offices that bend the rules in the first place. Without the use of Agents then it's fair to say most farangs, without the required finances, would be gone. Close down the Agents and most of the rule breaking will be history.

There are many agents in Bangkok who provide bona fide legal services in compliance with Immigration Rules and are not dodgy (see chipbutty above as well). MANY people use them rather than lose a day to Chaeng Wattana. I do as do thousands of others in Bangkok also. Many Bangkok companies use them to assist their foreign staff.

Those who provide dodgy services should be shut down I agree. They are fraudulent. 

14 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

MRT, I filed my 90-day report for BKK CW this morning using their website and good ole fashioned Internet Explorer... Took about 5 minutes from start to finish...  So their system definitely is working, at least today.  Though I, like others recently, couldn't get the site's print function to work today for getting a copy of my filing.

 

In your situation, you didn't explain what happened with your online efforts. Generally there are two scenarios.... 1: The Immigration database/website is down, as it sometimes is over the weekend and just not responding. or 2: there's some problem with your info or entry status and as a result, their system won't accept an online filing, and tells you to contact your local office.

 

As for TM30s, I've never been blocked from filing an online 90-day report to Immigration because of TM30 status, and AFAIK, the 90-day online reporting website doesn't do any TM30 checking, nor does it ask for any TM30 information.  But either way, instead of wasting the day at CW, you can also postal mail in your TM30 filing documents and get a receipt back in the mail.

 

You use the same postal mailing address at the Govt. Complex that you use for 90-day reports, and change the first line to TM 30 Reporting section, and of course include copies of the various documents they require for TM30 submissions.

 

 

 

Thanks.

I just saw another thread this morning that implies that Chrome NOW no longer works with the Immigration system, but Firefox does (I am on a Mac so no IE available unless Safari emulator which does not work). 

I wish I had known about Chrome not working yesterday as I could have saved myself some money ;+)

For the TM 30, good advice I will follow that thanks.

Re your last question - I have not, it been about 9 weeks waiting for me so far

14 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Just go in and make a TM30 report and pay the fine if so

Yes I could but to be honest wasting a day getting to and from CW as well as all the time there is something I want to avoid. If there was a local office I could just pop into and get it sorted on my way to somewhere else then that would change my mind but I stuck with the CW experience.

What do you fill in on "expire date of stay" ?

He says complete your 90 day ...... 90 day reporting is offline this morning again (Chrome/Mac)

3 hours ago, Salerno said:

Which is where people can be tripped up. Say you stay in a place in Bkk that doesn't file, you then do a tour up north staying in a hotel or wherever that actually files. You head back to Bkk and for whatever reason (extension, 90 day report etc.) you have to deal with Immi. Last TM30 on the system would be from up north ... cue sounds of cash till.

 

 

For 90 day report would the TM30 be an issue? 

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Interesting post.

I have been looking to buy where I live & no sign of any owner having a fire sale yet.

 

Probably will not be one if the aftermath of the 1997 bubble is anything to go by. Back then prices only reduced (for foreign currency buyers) because the baht was devalued. Property prices in baht did not really move.

The more I read about this TM30 thing the LESS I understand.

The more I read TVF the more confused I get. Everytime someone writes something that make sense, an alternative opinion or a real experience seems to bugger up my understanding. 

I wonder if I have dementia?