patongphil

If your dream is running a bar in Thailand make sure you see the audited tax figures for the business

These are the only reasonably accurate figures

also check the bar out for 2 weeks, owners will set you up by getting bar girls in and paying them to be there

which attracts male customers if you only check the bar out once

Do not be another failed business person

A business in Thailand that has real audited tax figures - I would like to see that.

Safari nightclub was another one I really liked. I used to go to bed early and set my alarm at 230am and head down there fresh. Easy pickings when your relatively sober. There was another nightclub called buzz or something similar next door.

I think we have met.

After I smartened up, I had implemented similar tactics.

I had some good times at Safari, but even better times once I got home from there.

Maybe you picked each other up - Whoo Hoo some kind of loving

yes l have something similer. my wife pregnant she would not kill anything, fly ,mosquitto,chicken for dinner. she and ma ma say very bad luck. hey l just go with the flow. don't argue.

My wife asked me not to kill anything while she was pregnant with our daughter, said it was bad luck as well! Poor bil got stuck with killing everything for 10 months....

Your wife was pregnant for 10 months

OK...can any of you explain why so many people, of here, are against this ED visa "loophole" does it hurt you, does it hurt Thailand, does it hurt anyone...just what is the problem with you people.

It's just being abused by the wrong type of people. Russian hookers and other illegal workers use it as a easy means of stay, in most cases it just cheaper and easier than other visa options as others have indicated but this just invites crime and scum.

Not all people are abusing it but unfortunately it gets ruined for the genuine people here to study whatever.

I don't think the Ed Visa is cheaper. I've done the sums in another post. Minibus visa runs to Penang are cheaper. No onder they are so popular.

Anyway, I would like to know the true percentage of the "genuine" students compared to those that get the Ed Visa for the purpose of living here on it and show up at school for the bare minimum time, and under sufferance.

There is a great little earner going on in the International schools whereby they organize the parents of the students to piggy back on their children's ED visas with some sort of supporting visa (not sure exactly what).

You better have deep pockets to get this sort of thing from toysrus.

Two weekends ago me and a mate went to Nana Plaza for the first time then stayed in the area afterwards drinking at various pubs and street bars.

We're not sure we saw a single legit women the whole night.

Nearly every single girl that approached us was a katoey.

Ha Ha you must have that Look about you

It took you 3 hours to drink a bottle of Leo

No, you do it at the office for the area you are living in.

Having said that, some offices allow you to report in their area if you are staying in their area for a vacation when you need to do your 90 day report, etc. But they might require some proof of address.

my extension/WP is issued in BKK at the one stop, and at sometimes I report at Maptuphut and sometimes in BKK, and in all these years never even been questioned so it can be done and never had to provide any proof of address at either offices

Me too - I have a retirement extension from Phuket but often report at Khon Kaen when we are up there on the farm. Never had any issues doing this.

Any latest news on parking at the airport?

I have to go up to the big smoke for a day and will be taking my car to the airport.

Aquaponic veggies this year me thinks

I knew Denis for a few years and I believe the whole industry here will be worse off without him. I mourn his loss for the free spirit he was. Shame on you who judge without knowing.

Intermittent rain and high winds for the next week, with the highest wind speeds forecast for Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. Definitely not the time to be contemplating spending any at sea.

Haa Haa time to pop down to chalong and watch all the speedboats bobbing their way off into the distance.

Chao fa east was looking a bit grim near chock tip villa turn off. The water was starting to get quite high on the road

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No worries - the elephants will still get through.

Isaan is where my wife comes from. Her parents still live there as do some of their children and assorted grandchildren. We visit regularly and have built a house for ourselves on the outskirts of the village.

I LOVE the time we spend up there (about 2 to 3 months a year) and have nothing but good to say re my inlaws. They look after my missus's farm, our cows, ducks, fish etc for mothing but a free feed every now and then. We show a small profit every year which is just what we want.

Fishing in the local dams and rivers, barbecues with a few other expats in the area, my kids getting to know all about farm animals in the flesh etc etc are priceless experiences for me.

However I could not live there full time as miss the western side of things too much when away. Hope we can continue living where we do with regular visits to where my missus and kids call home.

That is what my son was told prior to applying to the British Embassy , and when you look at the web site it's like a minefield . It's probably for ensuring he is legally entitled when the parents are not British citizens by birth, but when he applied he simply submitted the form as I said before and the citizenship was automatic and they issued the passport with no problems. The only difficulty was I (the grandfather ) had to apply for a copy of my birth certificate to prove my parents names, which wasn't really difficult just time consuming.

Anyway providing all papers are in order then he should have no trouble.

HL

Op is an Australian and as such has to go through the citizenship route first - believe me- been there done that.

My son got the grandson a British passport last year. Lots of worries about how to do and also costs and yet when it came to doing it, it was easy as pie. Literally just applying for a first passport with the application form and birth certificate and the mothers ok, etc.etc. but no problems whatsoever.

I imagine that so long as you are on the child's birth certificate as the father then OZ would be the same. As MeMock said get the OZ passport first because I think it will ask whether the child has any other passports to his name and it will be easier to just answer no rather than going into details about when and where's.

Then when you travel he leaves on his Thai passport and enters and leaves OZ on his OZ passport, no visa worries then.

HL

My daughter has both Thai and Aussie passports. We got the Thai passport first and the Aussie later. Thai passport is very easy. To get the Aussie passport you first have to go through the citizenship route which does require a visit to the Embassy.

Only advice I can give is avoid Phi Phi. This stunningly beautiful area is now inhabited by some of the lowest forms of human life imagineable.

I think if I told you 4 years ago not to move I would have been talking to a brick wall also.

I do not feel that I will be isolated as I said i have a group of young friends mid 20s same interests living an hours drive away, if and when I feel the need to socialize ill pop in the car. that's when the in-laws come in handy to babysit. its not like we are tied to the village if me want a holiday in Thailand no problem for a few weeks.

as well as being in the uk for a few months each year.

I do not plan to spend £65k no need to spend 1million on a car. and a modest clean house will do.

I to feel I am being sensible the house is for the family now and my child long term even if he/she wants to live or sell the land in the future after we are in the ground.

I have read all the comments and taken on board the many helpful posts, but a few my way or the highway post are not helpful to me as I was always moving to the village just wanted to here readers experiences.

I have to agree with Mat on this. Although some can make the change and live in a village most cannot. I am one of those who cannot. We have a house in the village which we visit for a few months every year and that is enough for us all. There are a few farangs aorund and about our area with fairly regular "meetings" in various places but all require a few miles on the bike or in car and with the beer, rural roads etc etc not too good an idea.

By the way I know Nong Song Hong a bit and it is defintely not a village, such as most posters here are referring to, but also a fair flog up to KKC or down to Korat to see friends.

There are quite a few westerners in Ban Phai who meet up twice a week but definitely not in your age group

Hub of Rubber Dubba Doo.

But.... but.... but there will be no floods so all is well.

golf sucks. a tepid "sport" for old farts who are past it.

matt - kudos on your decision to bring your kids to the UK. a difficult one but i think you've made the right decision. it grieves me to say but having been a teacher in thailand, the standard of education remains poor, even compared to cambodia, laos and vietnam. cheating and plagiarism are so rife, even at the highest level

. If they don't speak Thai they shouldn't been able to teach English.

what an utterly bizarre comment. well done, as you've just summed up in a nut shell why the standard of english is so poor in thailand. i've met countless Thai teachers who conduct their english classes mainly in thai. often their own english converational english is abysmal. i knew an american teacher who was fluent in thai are in order to show off would teach his "english" lesson mainly in thai. any school worth their salt would have a teaching assistant to translate when necessary.

I personally know Thai English teachers who cannot converse with me, just bits and pieces.

I personally know many native English speakers who cannot converse with me.

If you have retirement visa and stay in Thailand would you have departure card?

Apologize if i got this wrong and this is a stupid question.

Yes Jocko, the departure card is the one usually stapled in by immigration when they remove the entry card you have filled in.

On copies for 90 day in my experience it is not consistent, time before last at Phuket town office no copies required, last time at

Patong office no copies required, but sometimes in the last 6 years copies required and copies not required I don't offer them now

but that does not mean they will not ask. As for copies of passport I strike two lines through them and write copy before I sign them,

not entirely sure if this would stop any fraud from taking place but never had anyone in immigration object.

You strike 2 lines through them and write copy on the COPY of your passport - for what reason exactly?

If you have retirement visa and stay in Thailand would you have departure card?

Apologize if i got this wrong and this is a stupid question.

Yes and yes.