BKK_banger

Diesel fuel is made from several of the heavier distillates. petroleum likewise.

If you used vegetable oil you would have to grow the ###### stuff, process it, refine it, transport it etc. There is a world food shortage???

In general pumping it from the ground and processing it in industrial quantities is cheaper than growing it. When oil runs out this will be an alternative fuel source.

As to having cheaper fares Dr. Sombat of BMCL has told the governor of MRTA K. Prapat to ###### off. Understandable with his long experience of the BECL expressways sagas. As soon as you show weakness the govt. thinks they can push you around on fares.

Having said all that the Siemens supplied ticketing machines were not working again yesterday. the queues were horrendous. Bring back 10 Baht fares until you solve it Dr. S !!!!!!!!

No, of course you are not, everyone makes mistakes.

You have screwed her life up and she will find it hard to attract another husband when she returns but this is not your fault, it is her fault for not being able to satisfy you. You are the victim here of an incompetent Thai wife.

Order her back to her village, to the house you so generously built even though it is of sod all use to you, and make her stay there. Ignore her protests, you are the wronged party. Once she is out of the way you can relax and go back to chasing the ladies.

Send her about 6,000 Baht per month, this should be more than enough for the whole family. Better still she can get a job and you send her nothing.

And post her name on the Internet so no other neanderthal will become a victim of her wickedness and/or incompetence. You can do this at www.craphubbies.com

Umm, just a tad suspicious, a one post wonder who spins a yarn with a sting.

As if any sane person would talk about a same sex marriage and concerns over the sin sot.

Darlek,

Perhaps then you or someone else like Scouser can clarify something for me.

You say these ECOs do not stay too long. Are we talking about the Foreign Office employees who are on 2 year rotations or the locally hired staff, including farangs?

I often wonder how the Visa section in the UK Embassy is recruited and trained. It does not look a particularly pleasant job and quite demanding. Are the staff attracted to this work or is it something they fall into?

If they are local hires are their pay and conditions quite good or completely crap?

It is common in Thailand to tile ponds and just about anything else made out of concrete.

The reason is that the concrete work is <deleted> with rough board formwork and concrete that without chemical retarders will set in 30 minutes making trowelling and floating extremely difficult. The standard of finish is universally crap and unfinished concrete is an eyesore in Thailand.

Add to that the enthusiasism to use it and you begin to see why tiles are so popular.

Almost all concrete in Thailand is finished in some way, plaster, render, tiles etc.

Having tiles in a water retaining structure may not improve its watertightness unless the tiles are properly bedded and, more importantly, grouted with expansion joints at appropiate intervals.

You may also find the fish do not like the lighter tiling as they prefer shade during the day. Try introducing plenty of plants to the pond.

And of course the lighter colour will show the dirt.

If your wife has done such a good job with building works get down on the ground and grovel, you worm. Such ladies are hard to find!!!

How much are you looking to pay?

I have processed shipments through teh Customs House and never again.

After the first full day of scurrying between counters I was physically exhausted and at breaking point.

The only "tea money" paid was for a large cake for the lovely old lady who took pity on my lady "I caaannnnt carryyyyy onnnnn, boooo hooooo" and fished a box of stamps out of her drawer and finsihed stamping her forms for her at 4:30 p.m. when the office shut.

The next day on picking up the goods an attempt at extortion was made. Unfortunately my lady was making the pick up so he lost face when she screamed abuse at him, threw the shipment in her SUV and drove off.

Not all stories are so nice and often your container will be delayed in the port, attracting hefty demurrage charges, whilst they extort the tea money. If they have some heavy expenses that week the demands can be quite high I understand but never anything like US$1,000 for a container, a few thousand baht max.

Read the post again. Photocopies were not accepted as proof of id. The police who came were not local police. They were from the Ministry of Interior.

Do you really think illegals are hiding out in Q Bar???? And that they have computers with them in the raid to check them??!!! That was not the point of the sweep. Drugs were.

Yes, legally in theory it is only immigration who are allowed to check your visa status but this is Thailand and what happens is down to the moment and the head person on site. If this is a prescedent, then if you go out with a photocopy, you will be taken to the police station until someone comes with the original.

Previously, I thought I had been safe carrying a photocopy with the latest stamp but even this now appears to be not enough.

This is the main point. NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE!!!!!

As for your advice, I will take it with a pinch of salt. Just dont call me at 2.30am when your photocopy isnt good enough.

Well maybe you would like to call me from Lumpini police station if you have a problem.

I had Mr. Lawrence on the blower a few months ago from there (Name changed to protect the guilty) but fortunately at 3 p.m. He had been swept up in Soi 3 along with other Nigerians and carted off even though he had his passport with him. Immigration were processing them at lumpini station with a view to throwing them out of the country. Never found out why the cop shop was used and not Suan Phlu.

Fortunately he was able to contact my dear lady who handles various legal transactions for him and who was able to provide all his company documents, work permit etc. to show he was bona fide and get him released. Otherwise off to a holding cell and deportation.

In his case it did not matter if he had a real passport or one of the fakes you can buy in ........ .............. ..... or a photocopy.

You do run a risk with photocopies that you may have to make such a call but it is a small percentage. My point was that you are not subject to a fine or conviction but that the police can get pissy if they cannot identify you. If a big cheese is breathing down their neck they may get officious about photocopies and then you need to retrieve your passport.

An original Thai driving licence has always satisfied them in my experience, even when they have a hard on to bust me. I do not carry a photocopy of my passport and have never shown it to anyone in many years in Thailand except for official transactions.

As to illegals in Q Bar, why not? Are illegals all crammed into sweat shops in Yaowarrat? Are all English teachers above board? Londoner on a Wednesday night is next??

If it was drugs then the patrons deserve to get busted for hanging out in this den of drug hazed teenage sex. I will go tonight to check it out ............................................

I have sent him my cash flow problems to see if he can help.

But he might only make them worse.

I never had any problems with AMEX here until i renewed my card last month.

My name was spelt wrong.

Ok, a small thing but surely these things are printed by a computer?????????

First of all, this sounds remarkably cheap. 22,000 Baht to ship a 20' TEU container from Europe to Thailand including transport to and from the port?

The 10,000 Baht for Customs cost and duties however seems low if it includes customs clearance, handling charge, demurrage in Klong toey awaiting clearance etc. AND a preestimate of any duties and tea money.

The tea money issue is one which you cannot avoid but a shipping company will know how much to pay. I was a little suprised they could have got it so wrong but no-one will give a receipt for tea money.

Are you saying these people are dishonest or they made a mistake? If this was indeed the tea money paid and they are not cheating you then why are you not paying?

Anyone who has gone through Customs in the Port will tell you that it is better to pay up than argue.

If you read the Pattaya Mail you will be aware of people, living quite happily for many years in Thailand, who are arrested and deported to answer charges in their home country but have valid immigration status Non Imm etc. despite a lengthy criminal past.

And not just groups like the ex-Spetsnatz commandos who killed a police officer in a bank raid in Pattaya a few years ago but underworld figures who have made Thailand their home.

This thread has answered my musings as to how Thailand can let crims in and not be aware of their nature. The answer appears to be that there are loopholes which can be exploited by those the Thais do not really want.

A man's past is his past but Thais are rightly worried about the present and the future conduct of ex cons. Add to this Toxin's belief that Thailand needs "quality" tourists and long-term tourists and you may get a negative attitude to your past.

Bluebear,

Calm yourself, man.

The sweep was to pick up illegals hence the buses and the fact they wanted to check everyone's ORIGINAL passport and visa against the computer.

What is to stop you carrying a photocopy of someone else's passport and visa with your mugshot on it?

This is not normal police business. The drug testing would be but not the Immigration checks.

Always have some form of ID such that the cops can verify who you are, otherwise they will want to interrogate you further. A small matter which can be sorted out at the cop shop without money changing hands. Never pay just because a cop demands it unless you are clearly guilty, then grovel a bit to get the price down.

In England you do not have to carry ID but if the constable has reasonable grounds to believe you have given a false name and address you can be arrested, it is one of the General Arrest Conditions. Hence Thailand is not alone in having these procedures.

My advice would be not to carry your passport with you. If you have a Thai driver's licence which has your Thai address on it the cops would love to see it. If you carry a photocopy this will be fine 99% of the time and will avoid getting your licence ransomed.

Asianna Oriental

759 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtan Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Near Emporium

Anna runs it and is very helpful.

Tel: 02 258 7281 Fax: 02 662 4643

E-mail [email protected]

Specials on EVA, Etihart, Gulf Air, Phuket air etc.

I just got a one way from her to LGW direct for 12,800 Baht.

My dear lady splurged 6,000 Bhat on a new 18 gear mountain bike from Tesco Lotus. It was red to match her sports car.

Next day she pedalled to her business on Sukhumvit and stopped outside to race to the hom nam.

She came back two minutes later, gone.

"What is the world coming to, you cannot leave your brand new bike in the middle of Sukhumvit unlocked without someone pinching it."

Sympathy was not forthcoming.

That's fair and good. Anyone who wishes to settle permanently should feel at home with the language if they intend making it their home and wish to become British Citizens.

I like the bit about only having to speak Gaelic. That will really make them comfortable.

This is a particularly interesting point.

The requirement is for adequate accommodation to be available when SHE arrives in UK. For the obvious reasons.

There was a letter from then Home Office Minister Nicholas Baker to Giles Shaw MP 5th October 1994 which described the accommodation requirement as “the applicant and their spouse have at least a small unit of accommodation, eg a bedroom for their exclusive use”

Without going into the Housing Act and case law on "dwellings" suffice it to say that a single room EXCLUSIVELY OCCUPIED with a shared toilet is enough, a kitchen is not needed. The exclusivity is just that, you need to be able to lock it or the other occupants of the building understand that they cannot wander in, change the sheets etc. whenever they feel like it.

I obtained a settlement visa on the basis of neither an owned property or a leased one but for a room held on "gratuitous licence". i.e. you have a licence to remain there free of charge until the owner turfs you out. A mate's spare room in fact.

You may need some proof of this and piccies etc. The standard does not need to be high as long as it is not unsanitary or overcrowded.

The most used Forum is called "The Virtual Pub" and the current topic is "Hangover".

Nuff said.

Phew, that's OK then. Not much car crime in Thailand.

Seriously, that was bad luck. My sympathies.

Bobcat is absolutely right. I do not have the papers to hand but there is no requirement, certainly in Bangkok Metropolitan area, to carry your passport at all times. However This is Thailand.

The round ups and sweeps in the last year around Bangkok have revealed all sorts of respectable looking people who are here illegally.

The sweeps of Suk 3 and Suk 5 have netted many people of African origin. These people have been taken to Lumpini police station irresepective of whether they were carrying a passport. At Lumpini they have been checked and processed and those who could produce genuine documents allowed to go. The others have been detained and deported. This would appear to be in conjunction with Immigration police.

This could happen in any area and just having a passport with you may not help you avoid a trip if you have been "profiled".

A Thai driving licence is readily accepted by the police as their purpose is to identify you and this works just fine. Thai police do not like to cause too much work for themselves.

And even that is arguable.

If you have at some point worked outside UK in the EU you would have become an EU worker. Even on return to UK this would give you rights that are the envy of every native born Englishman who has never left the UK, if only they knew about them.

This would be a last ditch effort but you could consider working in Ireland for a period and then your problems could be solved. Basically the Embassy would be obliged to give you every assistance FREE OF CHARGE to bring your wife to UK.

I won't bother rabbitting on about EU law provisions on this forum.

I haven't found anyone yet who is having a visa problem for their wife AND can show EU worker status. I would love to argue that one at the Embassy.

Weatherbureau,

You are knocking posters on this Forum as having little or no knowledge of the process or the law and hold yourself out as having the right knowledge and experience tinged with empathy for his situation.

Very strange as some here clearly know the letter and the spirit of the law and are very free with posting it to help other posters. Indeed some appear so knowledgable you might almost believe they worked in Embassies.

Some understand the immigration laws of particular countries and have experienced the application process a number of times. Such practical advice as can be given is normally most welcome by those who come here to seek help, advice and support.

In particular I have been impressed with the level of knowledge of US immigration procedures which are so convoluted as to confound a US citizen's human rights.

The original poster will have gained some useful insight into the process and the posters have not held back, avoiding sugarcoating the process. It will be difficult for him but not impossible and he will have to be prepared to answer some tough questions at the Embassy for which he and his lady will have to prepare.

He has also doubtless perused other threads which will have laid out both the criteria and the process used at the British Embassy. He would be well advised to enlist the help of an agent in compiling the application and holding his lady's hand through what can be a traumatic experience.

What is a little off is to suggest a PM and give all the advice off line. I can only presume this is because you intend to charge to give advice. Cruising this site looking for customers?

This is hardly uncommon. I have seen many refusals for these grounds and these grounds alone.

She does not work? No land? No farm? Are you quite sure that she cannot find some work, as demeaning as it seems that she may eek out a living in Thailand instead of relying on handouts? There are 40m+ Thais doing just fine with work.

She has no close family commitments? You say the mother is sick, no way a Thai daughter would leave her mother for long in those circumstances. Maybe two or three weeks if another sibling was available.

How did you meet?

What was her previous job? Does she have wage slips? What was the name and address? What was the phone number?

How much money does she have in the bank? And how does she get this money?

This business you want to run together in Thailand? Doing what exactly?

These are all questions she will be asked at the interview.

If she has worked in a bar before and you met her in her professional capacity this will come out. If she hides it with some flimsy lies she will be found out and refused.

If you have a meticulously prepared application which demonstrates she will be returning to Thailand then no problem. But it has to be meticulous and no lying.

Already I can picture that small stamp in the back of her passport and the file on the shelf.

These things are not impossible to obtain but it takes hard work, commitment, a good advisor and deep pockets. If you lack these then forget it, you will fail.

I saw a guy a few weeks ago in the queue infront of me with a form for his young male friend to submit, no attachments, no photographs. He got pissy as he did not want to waste any time getting photos, surely they could just process it now? Rude awakening coming.

Dutch visa - Amsterdam - good money.

Why come back to hooking in Bangkok?

I can only believe her visa needs renewal or she is evading the cops for some reason. The scene in Amsterdam is ROUGH ROUGH ROUGH.

My money is on her finding a farang to look after her in a day or so and men start competing for her affections.

You have to admire them, what a business.