pagan1

This thread is a perfect example where some people see a glass half full and others see a glass half empty. Over the years I have been waved through hundreds of checkpoints with no issues. 99% of the time I expect no problems because i am doing nothing wrong. 1% of the time I may have had a couple of extra beers but get waved through. If I got caught (as a friend of mine recently did) there are consequences (as with any country) but there is the potential to resolve the problem on the roadside. The only times (three) I have been fined have all been justified and dealt with by receipt. As a result I have few concerns or complaints about the Thai police and always expect the best.

Conversly a fried of mine always believes the worst of a situation. He has never had a problem with the Thai police but like the OP believes that they are all out to get him. His take on this thread would be that all the Thai Police plant drugs on every foreigner at every checkpoint throughout Thailand. Further he would tell all in the bar that he read this thread and because a Thai GF of the OP thought there might be a problem with the police searching the car then the police must have been about to plant drugs.......and so the Chinese whisper starts amongst the half empty brigade.

I have a fairly statistical mind. If the planting of drugs is so prevalent why do we not see a host of posts or court cases of innocent expats and tourists complaining on this forum weekly or at least monthly (or perhaps someone can show me a 'first party' thread in the past three years where this situation has occured ). 

i feel sorry for the glass half empty brigade (old women who gossip like fishwives) They must either live in fear of everyday life ...everyone's out to get me, kill me, rip me off  ..... or spend all their time in a safe falang bar with like minded souls when not playing the keyboard warrior. 

We are in Thailand, our glass is half full. If you think yours is half empty ....Zip up and Zip off (as the great Mancunian poet John Cooper Clarke would say)

17 hours ago, Isaan Alan said:

The IO did not say I needed an updated certificate. She said I needed a letter from the Amphur saying we are still married. Big difference. And she spoke excellent English. So. of course, the Amphur didn't know what I was talking about.  If she said that I needed an updated certificate then I would apologise for being an idiot.

Also do you have to do that every time? Since when does a marriage certificate go out of date? How come I could get the original visa in Savan with my original marriage certificate? A hundred questions. 

And I had my <deleted> wife with me complete with passport, id card and blue book.

 

Yes every year you need to get a certificate (on the same day as you make the extension application). As a previous poster highlighted it is to prove that you have not got divorced.

At my local Amphur they also did not understand when we first asked but a little research indicated two offices close to the IO (Buriram) where we could get the certificate.

Maybe we are lucky with the people running the Main Buriram office and for those with issues there is always the other office by the stadium 

Below are the comments I made on another site concerning my experience in Buriram on Friday :

Went into Buriram yesterday to process my extension at the Main office. Once again Buriram Immigration did a great job and hassle free. I had expected the office to be busy on a Friday afternoon but there was nobody waiting when we arrived. One woman went through all my documents to check I had everything. then passed to  girl who completed the TM 7 and associated docs and then off to the guy who stamped everything, got me to sign the docs and completed the application. All done and dusted in 45 mins.
A couple of things I noted which may be of interest to those about to apply for an extension.
The format of the letter from Kasikorn Bank has changed. This may have been in place for some time and no issue / comment from IO
Due to a cock up in updating my bank book I got a statement from the bank. Statement provided no problem (100B). IO understood the issue and no problem using statement.
Unable to obtain updated KP22 from the Registrars office upstairs and had to nip into town to get a copy. Advised that the computer system (??) has not been working for several weeks at the Main building.
Hats off to Buriram Immigration for a great service and a job well done. I frequently fail to understand the complaining idiots who can not follow simple requirements and complain about visa / extension processes. Like any immigration office the world over if you have all the paperwork and make their job easy your application will be routine.

My Electrolux oven failed last year. No power so I pulled it out and took to top panel off. Obvious fault was that the wiring had failed (melted !!!) Reconnected everything up and it has worked fine ever since. Given my oven gets heavy use (at least 3 days a week for 6-8 hrs) and is now 8 yrs old I must admit it has been a good buy. Be brave unplug it and see if it is a simple fault you can fix yourself

Crass - Bloody Revolutions

As true now as it was in 1980 .......... Brother

I recently converted my 2 yr licence to a 5 yr licence at Prakhon Chai. Maybe I was unlucky but what should have been a simple process dragged on and on. My  2 yr licence expired on Sunday the 5th Jan so on the Friday I went with all required paperwork (medical,Residence let, old licence, copy passport, copy visa, Wife ID, Housebook) to get the 5yr licence. Office was busy and I arived at 2pm. Was told after an hour I needed to come back on Monday before 9am or before 1pm. No problem
Returned Monday at 12.45 and again the office was busy. All applicants were put through the tests (lights, brake, depth + spatial) as a batch. I was held until last. Whilst everyone elce then went off to watch the video & some did the e test I got to sit and wait. All applicants were then processed and started to get their licences. By 4.15 I was still waiting and somewhat preturbed when the woman processing my documents disappeared off to the bank saying he she might or might not be able to process the licence. She returned at 4.45 and after checking her phone and a chat managed to process everything in 5 mins. Got my photo and cards (bike & car) issued 5 minutes later.
So over 4hrs waiting for a 10 minute job. Was the woman on a power trip ? Did she want a little tea money ? Was I just unlucky ? Was it really that busy ?  I don't know but for my next licence in 5yrs time I will choose a different office.

Better to buy two rather than just keep one alone. They are herd animals and a goat on its own will not be happy.

I know a number of places where you can buy goats in south Surin / Buriram. Let me know if these are close to you and I can provide details.

I have used OFX (formally UKForex) for about 7 years. Never had a problem and very easy to contact / use, 

You can do a printout to show all your transfers from the OFX site,

Sorry need to look at bankbook to see how it is logged there (never took notice before). Will advise if it shows as a foreign transfer in due course

Watching May's statement to Parliament at the moment, Credit to her for taking so many questions but it looks like the Tory MPs gave given up on her. Only about 20 MPs on the government bench to give her any support !!

,,,,,,,,,,,, are the egg rings really required ?

Someone mentioned Pikelets to me earlier today, I had never heard of a Pikelet but it looks like they are identical in the batter mix vut are made without the egg rings.

A quick Google told me 

Essentially, the main difference is that a pikelet is not cooked in a ring like acrumpet, hence why it is thinner and more freeform in shape. Crumpets were originally hard, it was not until the Victorian era that they became soft and spongy as we know them today.

48 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

The other thing I may have done that created problems was use a sour dough starter because I like sourdough crumpets. 

 

But that aside perhaps someone could explain to me what this means in English.

 

5.  For the butter, pour the cream into a freestanding mixer. Whisk on high for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cream splits into solids and liquid.

6.  Drain through a sieve, discard the liquid, then rinse the solids thoroughly with cold water. Place in muslin and squeeze out any excess liquid. Mix ½ a teaspoon of sea salt through and wrap in greaseproof paper.

Marcus -

The recipe also gives instructions on how to make homemade butter. I am too lazy to do that and ignore the steps associated with For the butter,

Good luck and I hope they work out well for you

,,,,,,,,,,,,are going from skillet to plate ?

Skillet to plate

or

in the toaster next day

or

Freeze, defrost & toast

Have you seen what the Pike Place Crumpet Shop does to our crumpets ??

https://thecrumpetshop.com/crumpets/

High P - Made a few favorites for the boys last week end. I've been stuffing my face with Lemon Curd (well Lime curd if the truth be known) and Pate on toast (no not together ..... but it might be on the menu at Pike Place Crumpet Shop) all week,

Recipe in previous post works well  https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread-recipes/classic-crumpets/

You can scr&& a mans wife but you can't dis his crumpets

Went through the process in Nov 2017.

Easy to get certified cert from Milton Keynes by post

Easy to get Thai Consulate to certify & return to UK address by post (1 week)

Attended MFA in Feb 2018. Got the certificate translated there (took 3hrs because the guy said he had not done a Scottish Cert before and needed time to format the copy translation layout?? ,,,,,,,, said English Cert 1 hr). MFA sent Cert in post to Thai address. I understand they no longer do a 1 day service and that it takes 3 days if you plan to pick it up.

Local Ampur issued the KP22 within a couple of hours but we needed the village head to come with us,

All easy in our case and hope the information above helps

Jabis has given you a very good response and his information is clear. However if you are already in Thailand on a TV then you have missed a couple of important steps.

You need to have your marriage certified in the country of marriage (India ?)

You need the Thai Consulate in that country ( India ?) to Certify the document

You then need this to be translated to Thai and certified at the MFI in Bangkok. 

You can then obtain the KP22 at your local Ampur. The KP22 is then used as part of the package to obtain your visa extension for marriage.

You can not convert from Tourist visa to 'marriage visa'. You will need to leave Thailand and obtain an OA visa and progress from there.

Hope that helps

Like the idea of using the two trays and will give it a try,

With regards to temperature the values are no longer visible on my oven. However i have learnt roughly where the values are but I do have a hot spot at the front of the oven. The two trays idea might minimise the hot spot problem. 

I bought a bread machine a few years back. I was not overly impressed with the loaves produced and failed to shed a tear when the bloody thing launched itself off the worktop. 

Give me an electric oven every time and let me be creative.

Today was baking day and time to stock the freezer with a few fruit cakes, crumbles (Apple & Blackberry). Quiche and some soft burger buns.

Happy days ..............but getting to the stage where I need a bigger freezer

Vogie - I have had similar results to yourself with this wholemeal flour. Have tried at 50%, 30%, 20% and 10% mix with the Swan Green, I can get it to rise but the texture never seems right and it tastes chalky.

Aldo tried it using treacle in place of sugar. Got a good rise and colour but still did not taste right (although a little sweeter)

Tempted to buy some bulk flour but as highlighted there is a premium cost & shipping from Schwartz (?)  and their nearest stores are 5 hrs from me.

Like you I have found an interesting little store near me that has all kinds of stuff hidden away in stock (including powdered cream which I thought I would try. Having bought a pack I found out you need a presurised cylinder (they dont stock it) and a gas canister (they do stock). Guess its like the old soda stream systems.

Happy to come across so many bakers here. Our mums taught us well ......bet you can darn socks too ????

Stuffing from Tesco Lotus. 

Both the stores local to me (20km) had stuffing through  most of last year, Foolishly I asumned it was a stock item. however come December the shelves were bare and all I had left for Christmas were a couple of packs in the cupboard.

Tops also had stuffing but I didn't rate it and it was double the price and half the size of the Tesco brand.

Note Tesco Lotus seem to stock it on the top shelf so make sure to look up

Over the years I have made several visit and settlement visas for my (now) wife and the very first visitor I made for her were in circumstances very similar to yours. Unfortunately that was 10 years ago.

However 18 months ago a visit visa for her brother and son to come and see us in the UK was refused.  The main reasons for refusal were her brothers lack of job and finances. Her son was an automatic refusal because the accompanying adult for the trip (her brother) was refused. 

As ever there are 4 criteria to address with the visit visa. You appear to have good evidence to cover Relationship, Accommodation and your Finances.

With regards to your GF's  Reasons to Return and her Finances you may find the approach I took useful. Below is an extract from the supporting letter we submitted with the reapplication (2 weeks later) following her brothers refusal. This application was successful.

Take care with the online questions about funding the trip. The questions are badly worded. State she will pay 1 UKP and in the later question indicate you will fund the remaining cost.

Also take care with the visit date you input. It used to be that visit visa was valid from the date of issue but now they START from the date you input for expected date of trip 

As ever honesty is the best policy and with some creative thinking a negative can turned into a positive. Hope the information below gives you some ideas and good luck with your application

P   

Sombat K –

Four issues were raised in refusing the visit visa for Sombat.

Firstly the online application states  ‘How much money are you planning to spend on your visit to the UK?

Estimate the amount and include flights, accommodation and everyday expenses.’ We obviously missed the emphasis on ‘you’ and entered the total estimated cost of the trip. Subsequent questions clearly identified N and I would be fully funding the trip for both Sombat & Somkiad. In this application we have entered the value £1 (as £0 is not a valid input) and trust that this resolves any suggestion of a personal cost to Sombat of £2000.

Secondly Sombat lives and works on the family farm. N’s parents are now close to 60 and whilst still active they are reliant on Sombat and his brother to maintain and operate the farm. With April being a quiet month there is an opportunity for Sombat to make the trip. However come July he will be required to support the family in the farming business and get the rice crop planted. This is a clearly understood and vital responsibility to the family. The application form provides five categories of employment and Sombat fails to fall neatly into any of the given categories. As with many Thai families (and UK farming families) he lives and works on the family farm (not formally employed), is supported by the family (no financial outgoings), will inherit a proportion and the main responsibility for running the farm when his parents die (assets in trust & expectation that he will run the farm until N and I return / retire to Thailand) and is playing an active part in the upbringing of Noree’s son. We accept that it is hard to formally document this situation but on previous visa applications for N we have highlighted that she also worked on the family farm, was supported by the family and had no formal income.

Thirdly the Reviewing Officer states he is unable to determine Sombart’s financial situation. In completing the application and providing supporting evidence we have been straightforward and concise. He lives and works on the family farm, takes care of his parents, is fed and financed from the family farm income & the money N, I and her other brothers provide. Should he need cash his parents will provide for his needs and / or N and I place money on a Travelex card (eg to finance visa trip to Bangkok). On the application form we stated approximately £40 per month as his needs are few. To suggest that he has ‘no strong family, social or economic ties to Thailand’ is to misread the situation.

Fourthly the catch all ‘reason to return to Thailand’ can be addressed as follows. When deciding to return to the UK N and I had several discussions concerning bringing So with us to settle in the UK. The additional costs would have been minimal and we could easily meet the financial requirements. However we decided that it would be better for So to continue his education in Thailand. It does however make sense to give him the opportunity to take a holiday in the UK and see where his stepfather and mother are living. It makes sense for Sombat to accompany him on the trip rather than So travel alone. As for Sombat failing to return to Thailand he would be in a position where he would lose his sister for deserting her son, his parents for leaving them and the farm, his brothers for deserting his parents, his livelyhood and farm inheritance and place Noree in a poor light concerning her future visa applications with UKBA. Given the Thai family culture it would take someone much braver than Sombat to risk it all and not return to Thailand.