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LUMPINI PARK UPDATE - 18:00 15.Jan.2013

Just had daily 2 hour walk around Lumpini Park.

The amount of tents has grown dramatically to a few thousand. An almost carnival atmosphere persists inside with Thais offering me free food and drinks. 90% of the cars parked inside Lumpini are from Surat Thani. The others are from Nakhon Si Thammarat. Loads of noise coming from the stage located just outside the park as to be expected. Came across a group of men dressed in black T shirts, black headscarfs and armbands who were openly wearing sidearms. Later, came across a tent being watched over by a few balaclava and bulletproof vest wearing men with a 'no photo' sign attached to it. Walking past a few times and watching the wind blow it open slightly, looks like an armoury in there.

They are continuing to try to block Rama 4 Road at the junction with North Sathorn Road, but I witnessed cars stopping and drivers pushing aside sandbags and continuing. Also saw a few pickups just driving over the extremely low level 'block' (1 sandbag).

LUMPINI PARK UPDATE - 18:00 15.Jan.2013

Just had daily 2 hour walk around Lumpini Park.

The amount of tents has grown dramatically to a few thousand. An almost carnival atmosphere persists inside with Thais offering me free food and drinks. 90% of the cars parked inside Lumpini are from Surat Thani. The others are from Nakhon Si Thammarat. Loads of noise coming from the stage located just outside the park as to be expected. Came across a group of men dressed in black T shirts, black headscarfs and armbands who were openly wearing sidearms. Later, came across a tent being watched over by a few balaclava and bulletproof vest wearing men with a 'no photo' sign attached to it. Walking past a few times and watching the wind blow it open sliughtly, looks like an armoury in there.

They are continuing to try to block Rama 4 Roadat the junction with North Sathorn Road, but I witnessed cars stopping and drivers pushing aside sandbags and continuing. Also saw a few pickups just driving over the extremely low level 'block' (1 sandbag).

I live high in the sky overlooking all Lumpini Park, Sathorn and Silom. As the previous poster said, it is all totally normal.

If you want a verysafe and inexpensive car park, try 123 Parking in Sathorn Soi 1. I can give precise details if you need them.

Just to confirm now 13:50 Weds, and all totally normal.

Thai partner and I both applied for and got China visas in BKK. We did not have any flights booked at the time so obviously no tkts.

Nor did we even attend the China visa office; we sent a company driver and he suceessfully got all.

Oops! Just read your post dated "Posted 2013-09-11 19:39:50"

Come to London or BKK and we'll have a few!

The Thai will not be able to claim anything from the state. Her ILR status should mean that for 5 years she must remain with her married partner, AT HIS ADDRESS AS PER APPLICATION (unless otherwise mutually changed) and she will have NO RECOURSE to state funds. She does sound 'dodgy' though, as if she has been told something by some back room Thai associate, who is 99.99% incorrect.

As another poster said, she appears to have put NOTHING financially into the relationship. It is all yours.

If you are SURE and I mean SURE it is all over, so as he says and anul if that is possible.

Well it's certainly easy to be in a position to carry 2 UK/EU passports. Having worked in Israel and neighbouring countries, it's pretty much the norm.

To answer the OP's original question: "...is it legal to courier a passport to Thailand". Yes, definitively.

_{Apparently it is possibkle to have birh cert issued, upon small payment and choice of selected date. No, I am not being funny. Happens in Surin City for sure.}

It makes no difference.

No.

Must apply for NI number for Thai wife. This, amazingly, means physically going to a Jobcentre, then being given a tel number to call a jobcentre call centre oop north (from within the jobcentre!). They then send you a pre-printed doc, You send copies of wife's spouse visa, passport ID page and they generate a LETTER containing the new NI number. There is NO NI CARD ANYMORE This letter obviously shows yours/her home address. This is sufficient with ALL UK banks to open a bank account.

Again, if you can get it done in the UK,, and use Trinity College, cheap, bookable online, immediate result, accepted by Brit Emb BKK.

Getting a China visa for a Thai in BKK is as easy as handing over the cash. Automatic.

Is it possible to get her a tourist visa and get it done in London? That's ewhat we did. At Trinity College next to Kings X. Cheap, efficient and easy. Aplogies if post no help.

Does anyone have any knowledge, or dare I say experience, on this?

A good friend racked up a sizeable debt on a Thai bank issued credit card. I mean substantial. A few million THB. Then he and his Thai wife left LOS to settle in his home country.

Q - Will he/she/they experience problems on re-entry to Thailand, or is a 'civil' debt maintained quite seperately and would not affect immigration issues?

Card issued by Thai bank, In name of farang. Thai wife supplementary card holder.

Thanks!

Have done this MANY times BKK-HKG-BKK and never entered HKG, i.e. not passed thru immigration. No problems whatsoever. Period. Ad infinitum...

"Certified copy", meaning that you copy your original certificate, and sign the copy. Clearly an extremely safe verification technique. Guess it wouldn't matter if the certificate read DIsney University and signed by Dr Duck. Kept me going for 26 years here.

Just to clarify a minor point.

Registering with an NHS Doctor and receiving (Gov't funded) medical advice is not classified as receiving public funds is it?

Thanks for the response. Answers all perfectly.

Hope one of you can advise on this.

We got UK spouse visa, issued for initial 33 months validity. But surprised to see that this visa STILL says 'no recourse to public funds etc'.

1. Can spouse work shortly after arrival in UK?

2. After arrival in the UK, do we need biometric card at this stage and if yes, how do we go about applying for this? The UK website is useful but does not tell you how to make an initial application, bearing in mind that biometrics were taken in BKK.

3. My understanding is that spouse needs an N.I. number. Do we have to trudge to a jobcentre to apply for that or is there an easier way?

Thanks as always.

It's worth remembering that there are very few of these 'Super HiSo' families in Thailand. By that, I mean owners and mega-wealthy controlling families of global corporations. They can do no wrong.

I agree with many posters and sincerely hope that due legal process is followed. You can bet your bottom dollar it already would have been if the guy was not mega-wealthy/powerful and one of a closed circle of these 'untouchables'.

All of these families would have immediate access to the most senior politicians.

Red Bull is a fantastically powerful brand to promote Thailand and any politcian would not want to be the person who possibly destroyed that position.

But, of course, something must happen.

My guess?

1. A profound apology (monies already having been paid);

2 The guy 'steps down' from such a high profile position within the organisation;

3. He enters the political arena, using a tiny part of the massed fortune to rapidly rise to power.

There is so much bla bla bla on this thread it's unbelievable.

Guy has been arrested and charged. Police have done their duty and there is no longer any room for back-handing on their part.

It's all up to the Courts now.

The accused had pleaded guilty, so he is already guaranteed a lighter sentence (typically, a 50% reduction).

He will be fined the highest amount possible, less 50%.

He will receive a suspended jail sentence of a couple years, which is more or less equivalent to being on probation.

His drivers licence will probably be suspended for a year or more.

He might be ordered to do some community service, which he will be thankful for as an opportunity to show remorse and his commitment to social good. This will all be covered enthusiastically by the press.

The family will make a substantial payment to the family of the deceased.

And that will be the end of the story. Done, dusted, and forgotten.

I've been around a long time and seen it all before, ad nauseam.

This is what will happen -- I'm 99% sure of it.

I am afraid that this is a quite perfect summation of what will actually happen. Like me with my 25 years here, it is now probably time for you to leave! Or alernatively, continue to reside here and just let it ALL go over our perfectly formed yet non-forgiving farang heads.

The world's press seems to have leapt on to this. Pretty much immediately, it was covered by BBC, Sky (UK & Oz), Fox, ABC, CBS (US) and many major global news paper websites.

The timing couldn't be much worse after the ruling that the girl whose lack of driving skills killed nine others in 2010 has been handed a 2 year suspended sentence.

But what will happen? Many posters here have had the tenure in Thailand to appreciate that a cursory sentence may be given, with no time actually spent in custody.

I've been here for 20 years plus, and post very rarely. I know and have worked with many of the 'hi-so' families, know how they operate and their expectations of what their enormous wealth and power brings.

But causing the death of an on duty police officer then fleeing the scene in a vehicle so clearly identifiable is clearly not the best start.

Good to see that one senior policeman is insisting on doing the right thing, but how long before support for him at higher levels evaporates?

This is one of those make or break points. If left, it will end up broken.

SCB is a great bank, undoubtedy the best in Thailand and one of the best in the region, offering a full global banking service. In particular, exceptional online services including worldwide funds transfers to corporate clients - nad very good online personal banking too.

I am the CFO of a large UK plc operting here for years and we conduct all our banking with SCB.

My partner wishes to take the A1 English language test asap so we can apply for the UK settlement visa.

I find so much conflciting infornation, and particularly, Thsi schools insisting on offering services in addition to the basic A1 test, such as 'how to write emails' which seems superfluous

All we want is a place to take the test. Is there such a place in central Bangkok? Anywhere that is tried and 'tested'?

Grateful for any help!