SoFarAndNear

"The suspect contested the charges," said Maj.Gen. Adisorn. "He claimed that Redshirt groups have visited the temple for merit-making, and left behind these belongings when they departed from the temple."

why the red shirts have this nasty habit to hiding weapons in temples like a certain Bangkok temple ...

Why these red shirts have the habit and always place a lot flags and t-shirts at the same places where the police find their weapon caches...

Why are white immigrants, no matter how long they stay in Thailand, always tourists?

You really sued the thai government? I wouldnt be surprised if this turned out to be even worse then before...

Why do Immigration not just set financial requirements for an Ed visa, the same as they do for marriage and retirement ? Say for instance, proof of income from outside Thailand of 30k a month or a seasoned 350k ? That would stop the illegal workers in their tracks, that would stop the people who step off the plane with a backpack and a dream.

Ok who earns 30k without work or has 350k thb to study a few months in thailand? I guess then you can sort out 70% of all serious thai language students...

So you have a work permit with a company which is registered at your home address and you are allowed to work at this address? And you dont have any thai employees? How did you managed that?

"She said she did not trust school bus services in the wake of reports that some kids had been left in school vans and suffocated."

How many kids die in Thailand every day because of motorbike accidents compared to the one or two times that a child was left in a van here?

My wife's family refuse to fly because "it's so dangerous" so they drive a car or take a bus from Isaan to Bangkok at night time with no worries at all or they drive a scooter 70km/h on a highway with 3 people and no helmets, and they see no danger in that.

Comment of the day!!

Yes nice now I have the LTE symbole on my Smartphone. Still speedtest I never get over 10mbit...

You live here and have wife, kids and money you can stay... you live here and have wife and kids but problems with money you have to go!!

He obviously lived here for a long time. Probably has no connections to germany anymore. Immigration should force long stayers to learn thai and culture then give them a fair chance to get residence permit. I guarantee this will reduce this suicide rate of farang who came here and live for many years spend all there money and when its gone realize that they are not welcome anymore...

Hi,

I have already a Non-O 1 year extension. I am not asking about any visas for myself with this thread. I just want to know why are there two different kind of Visa/Extensions?

Why should Thailand do give you a Non-O marriage visa for one year (which force you to leave every 90+60 days) with unlimited re-entries even without financial proof at some embassies and in the other hand give you a one year extension inside the country with a lot of hurdle, financial proof, pictures of your family life, immigration police visit at your house... etc...and with this visa you are not allowed to leave without a re-entry permit (1900thb each,right?)

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying it is stupid. But I just don't understand the logic behind this? Maybe someone can explain? I don't know visa marriage law in other countries as I never been married to someone else then my Thai woman

He said the crown replica and other stolen items from the museum were well documented antiques which could never be sold in the open market.

Guess what...the rich in South East Asia and China are the highest bidders for "could never be sold" stuff

The german tourist with his own pick-up

Good news!! As long as the right people are installed then Thailand should make progress. It weakens the 'bozo effect' of the voters that are easily bribed through their inability to understand politics and of whom keep on voting crooks in, only for them then to savagely abuse the system for their own purpose.

Anything that prevents this has to be good for the country (democracy is not that important as they, the people, cannot be trusted) - good and honest governance for the people IS!!

Yes, this is what happens for many decades and the result IS???

a charity that helps abuse victims, states that the film does not depict the real world and relationships.

Surprise. None of any TAT Videos ever showed the real world Its like the 7/11 microwave food. Looks pretty delicious on the cover and mostly you get some mucky stuff which tastes like plastic..

Obey!!

I am sorry but when I hear that. Her ex-husband has a new Thai-Wife but they all live together? <deleted>?! She must have felt like shit there

It seems the power of social media has helped in this particular case....

Unfortunately some governments (including Thailand) are trying to restrict free social media...

After living in Singapore for a year and a half this is easy to believe.

I can agree. I met a woman here in Thailand. She told me that she worked as maid in Singapore. After a while she had started relationship with one of the family members and a child was born. The family (chinese by the way) took over the child and made her leave Singapore. Now she is only every few years able to see her girl..

Do these phone booths still working? I noticed this stone-age things everywhere around the country but I don't remember to ever see someone inside using one.

Oh dear...this is just the beginning...

As you noticed already the only way is the Elite Card or the ED Visa right now.

Both has its advantages and disadvantages.

Elite Visa:

- One time high fee (500k THB ~10k brithish pounds)

- 5 years hassle free unlimited stay (no other visa can give you this!!)

- 90 days report at every immigration nationwide (or even per registered mail and soon online) 1900THB for every 90 days report

- Chauffeur services at Airports

- You can travel freely around the country without any limitations

- Can always leave and re-enter the country without loosing your visa

ED Visa

- Learn Thai Language!! (some fellas who lived here for decades speak lesser Thai than a student who attends class for 3-4 months)

- Meet nice people from around the world

- School fees (40-60k "per year" with group classed)

- No free travel for more then a few days

- You will probably loose your visa if you need to travel back to UK and if you come back you will have to to the whole hassle again

- Have to visits every 90 or 60 or 30 days your local immigration to do extensions of stay. This can take from 1 - 5 hours, depends on your location. This wouldn't be so bad at all if the immigration rules would not change every few months and many immigration officers wouldn't try to extort you for a few thousand baht extra about some alleged new regulations. I wrote 90,60 and 30 days because there were many student reports in this forum from the last few months which states that they didn't get the regular 90 days extension of stay. Instead they just got 60 or 30 days extension because the immigration officer was not satisfied with their language skills.

- at least after 1 year you will have to leave the country and apply for a new ED visa

If you have the 500k for the Elite Visa then I would highly recommend it to you, especially if you are new to South East Asian immigration bureaucracy. Immigration officers, mostly in expat areas like phuket, samui, pattaya, chiang mai and also in rural areas with many expats like udon thani, are tricky guys who appropriated high skills in rip of uninformed foreigners. I can assure you will have to pay more then 500k THB in the next 5 years just for your to stay with ED visas. There are so so so many hidden costs about visas in Thailand.

With the Elite Thai Visa you can also apply for a Thai language school. You also don't need to apply for 6 moths or 1 year as you have to do to get an ED visa. Just apply for a few classes and see if you like it.

The extension is not for visiting your daughter, it is for living with her, respectively for her living with you, the two of you living together as family members.

It is a visa, which you get from a Thai consulate, that is for visiting your daughter, ie you live outside Thailand and travel to Thailand to visit your daughter who lives in that country.

Ok but visiting your daughter for more then 3+2 months means you have to live with her? What happens if you divorce with the mother and or having a very unpleasant relation with the mother. You come to Thailand and want to live at least near your children and need the Non-O and extension to get a work-permit because of the lesser restrictions. I was very confused that the mother of my child even if we were not married always needed to be attend at every of "MY" Non-O visa extensions....I had enough documents from court and amphoe which states me as father but Mama has always to be attended...

Caffine is illegal? oh oh Starbucks prepare for the Police Raid!!

The article says:

"Thailand isn’t the only country that requires users to register prepaid SIM cards, with similar laws already in place in countries such as Australia, Japan, South Africa, France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary."

Yes its true, in germany, switzlerland and france you have to register to SIM Card but you can do this online and actually you can fill-out as name or ID card whatever you want also you don't have to send a passport or id card.

I am honest, I don't trust Thai Authorities with this one. This is some kind of the biggest weapon what they will have. I am sure this will end in many arrests and false accusations.

Okay.. when in Rome, do as Romans do. Then maybe charge foreigners the same as they charge Thais....maybe tourists would be more willing to adapt.