joedee

People don't wear helmets because it is not enforced enough by the Police. If the Police enforce this rule more, people will wear a helmet. If enforcement is continued, then people will wear helmets as a habit. It takes time but continued enforcement works. I work in Goa in India. 20 years ago nearly nobody wore a helmet here. Now nearly nobody travels without one. Due to police enforcement.. The Police and Government should implement stronger enforcement and ongoing road safety messages in all media channels.

Yes, I paid about the same as you... Still working now 5 years later...

Firstly, Thank you all for taking the time to give your suggestions and ideas. They have been helpful in planning what to do next. I have translated a letter to Thai language and am sending it to the Email id given in a link provided in responses here. Hopefully I will get some helpful reply from them.. In addition, finally I got a reply from Thai Embassy London today.. Dear Sir, Under the Military Service Act of 1954, all Thai men are required to serve in the military. All Thai men must understand the duties of registering for military service, receiving a call-up notice, selecting people for military service, calling up, mobilizing, and discharging Thai men, which you can learn more about on the Ministry of Defense website. Or your mother will need to contact the officer at local registrar where you have your name in the address in Thailand. So, its pretty much as expected and advised by you guys here.. Thank you for your help. Lets see where this leads. Joe

To rescind Thai nationality is a 15 to 18 month process. It is the last option for him if it becomes really necessary. He wants to enroll in the Army as soon as possible of his own choice...

My son is only 17 years old. He has to wait until 20 years old for conscription. But the point is that The British Army want a letter not just saying to defer conscription but a letter stating that he will not be called up in the event of a war... Maybe some level of my misunderstanding in there somewhere. But I will keep pursuing this until conclusion or brick wall.

Thank you.

The British Army recruitment department have specifically asked for this during a telephone call. It's not possible to hide dual nationality because they want Mother and Father details. They actually said "If Thailand go to war at any time they need a letter on file that says Mr XYZ will not be called for conscription into the Thai armed services if he is enrolled in The British Armed forces ". That seems perfectly reasonable and practical to me. Yes, I understand that the Thai military probably won't come looking for him. But The British Army only do things by the book. (Their book). So, we have to comply..

This makes sense,, but other than an "auto reply" stating we will be in touch in 3 to 5 working days, I have not received any response from Thai Embassy London. I sent a follow up mail 10 days later. Just another "auto reply" so far

Yes. I understand.. I think we will test the water at local level then consider legal advice if it doesn't work out positively. Thank you for your suggestion Joe

Yes. I think local level will be the place to go. thanks for the info. Joe

Hi. This is very helpful and informative. Have got a contact Email id to send an initial enquiry. Many Thanks Joe

Yes. It seems like there is no option when I check online. But I think there will be ...somewhere.. Thank you for the info. Joe

Yes, I will get round to the local offices if no better solution is advised. thank you Joe

Yes, I agree. But I was hoping I may find someone who has actually overcome this problem personally or with their own son. I am seeking options to pursue . If I get no definite feedback I will tackle this locally in his Mothers town first. She is pretty good at dealing with local level authorities, is very polite and knows how to keep them happy. If I do not get a positive outcome I will seek legal opinion. Ultimately if nothing else works then he will have to enquire if renouncing Thai nationality will be acceptable to The British Army.. Hopefully there will be a better option somewhere... There are a lot of countries that still have military conscription. What happens to Dual Nationals with Thailand when that happens. ???. Thanks for your suggestions Joe

Yes, This is probably next step... I have not done this yet as we have not been in Thailand for some time.. I was hoping to understand all of the options (if any) before I make any requests to relevant departments. I think it may be better for his mother to make the application and show that he is not living in Thailand. He can give power of attorney to her to make the application. We will then provide necessary documentation if its possible... I wonder what happens with dual nationals where both countries insist on military conscription. ??? Thank you for your suggestions. Joe

Thank you for the suggestion.. I will research this to understand better. Regards Joe

Thank you for the suggestions. I will certainly check out cashew nut trees.. Mango, Papaya, Coconut, are easy to grow but the selling price is very low. I will probably have several of these trees but for personal use. regards Joe

Yes, I would love to grow Durian but I understand it needs a very specific environment to grow in. Unless you give it the specific environment it will 99.9% fail.. and Buriram isn't the climate or the soil to try. Also it takes many many years to get a tree producing if you can get it right... Profitability and demand is great but chances of success are very low in Buriram area. Thank you for the suggestion anyway. Joe

Yes, I would happily pay to get what he needs. But I need to find out where I can do this. Also , it is not just about skipping the process. I need a Military Exemption Letter or similar from the Thai Military or Government to satisfy The British Army recruitment process. A letter stating that my son will not be called into Thai Military service if he is enrolled in The British Army (or similar).. Thank you for your suggestion. Joe

Yes, I did think about this as he will always be able to stay in Thailand if he later chooses to, based on his Mother being Thai. But having seen the link you gave it seems like it would take 15 to 18 months to arrange. At this point I would prefer to pursue trying to obtain a military exemption letter. I hope to be able to find out where to start with this process.. Thank you for the suggestion. Joe

Hi, I have read hundreds of posts here over the years and find them tremendously informative. But mostly I read the difficulties of anything farming/growing related.. which would probably be the same the world over... Farming/growing is tough unless you get it just right (and the climate is with you).. I tried cows a few years back and came out unscathed but was lucky... have left things dormant for past 2 years. Will be back to Thailand in June and have the time and energy to try and get something new happening on 8 Rai. Firstly, I have some local family help living on the 8 rai,,,, very supportive, but they do need guidance, motivation and supervision along with funds to commence... I have a bore well and solar pump for irrigation. I am prepared to add another if necessary. For personal use they grow a variety items. Rice on 2 rai, plus a little chilli, bananas, guava, coconuts.. The guavas seem to do best and they have a few spare to sell at 20bht a kilo to locals.. but it is all very random . I would like some experienced suggestions on what may be best to grow (rice excluded) on the 8 rai of land. Preferably I would like them to grow for retail sale. Organic if possible. Fruit or vegetables seem to be the option, but I would also like to consider selling garden plants. Potted or otherwise. Not looking to make a fortune, just hoping that their small family can use the land to live off. I would love to grow berries of any description but I think it is just too hot and dry in Buriram area. I was hoping Kiwis may work or possibly Avocado's but they sound difficult.. Whatever they can grow I will assist them with retail marketing. No middle man just direct to end user. Probably roadside or local market. Any of your experienced suggestions would be most welcome. Thank you Joe

I am a British National I have a son with a Thai national. Our son was born in India. He was registered with The British Consulate and also The Thai Consulate in India We have Passports and Birth certificates for both Countries plus an Indian Birth certificate We also applied for a Thai ID card and renewed his Thai passport in Thailand during short trips to Thailand. We also registered him in the house registration book at his mother's local town in Thailand. My son and Thai Mother have permanently lived in India since 2005 other than annual short trips to Thailand. My son has been educated fully at private school in India. He is now past 16 years old. (His Mother and I both work in India) He has decided on a career in The British Army. He has started the application process which has all been fine. Now The British Army require a Military Service Letter from the Thai government informing that they will release my son from Conscription into The Thai Army and will not call upon him in the event of war or other reason. I have contacted the Thai consulate in India and London. In India they told me there is no process for this and he has to contact the local Military registration center where conscription is handled. London have not replied despite 2 Emails and using a UK address and telephone number. I have googled this and the information is very unclear if indeed it can be done at all... In a nutshell, My son has never LIVED in Thailand since birth, doesn't speak or read/write Thai. Has no intention of living in Thailand other than for vacation in the foreseeable future. Has limited career opportunity in Thailand. Plans to move to the UK in July this year. Wants to enroll for a career in The British Army this year. Has anyone got any experience in this matter or can offer any "sensible" suggestions regarding this process. Or happens to know where/who to contact directly for this matter. I look forward to helpful comments. Many thanks Joe

I am a British National I have a son with a Thai national. Our son was born in India. He was registered with The British Consulate and also The Thai Consulate in India We have Passports and Birth certificates for both Countries plus an Indian Birth certificate We also applied for a Thai ID card and renewed his Thai passport in Thailand during short trips to Thailand. We also registered him in the house registration book at his mother's local town in Thailand. My son and Thai Mother have permanently lived in India since 2005 other than annual short trips to Thailand. My son has been educated fully at private school in India. He is now past 16 years old. (His Mother and I both work in India) He has decided on a career in The British Army. He has started the application process which has all been fine. Now The British Army require a Military Service Letter from the Thai government informing that they will release my son from Conscription into The Thai Army and will not call upon him in the event of war or other reason. I have contacted the Thai consulate in India and London. In India they told me there is no process for this and he has to contact the local Military registration center where conscription is handled. London have not replied despite 2 Emails and using a UK address and telephone number. I have googled this and the information is very unclear if indeed it can be done at all... In a nutshell, My son has never LIVED in Thailand since birth, doesn't speak or read/write Thai. Has no intention of living in Thailand other than for vacation in the foreseeable future. Has limited career opportunity in Thailand. Plans to move to the UK in July this year. Wants to enroll for a career in The British Army this year. Has anyone got any experience in this matter or can offer any "sensible" suggestions regarding this process. Or happens to know where/who to contact directly for this matter. I look forward to helpful comments. Many thanks Joe

Thank you for the info. I will contact them. Much appreciated.. Joe

Does anyone here have experience in building and selling property in Chiang Mai . I have 25 years design, build and QC experience overseas and have previously built 2 houses in Buriram some years back. I am now looking to design and build in Chiang Mai . I am fully aware of legal issues of ownership and have that part in hand. So not needing legal opinion or advice on whether it's a good idea or not. I understand the pitfalls. Just looking for some persons with any experience of doing or planning same. Mostly in terms of contacts, purchasing materials and recommendations for any good individual tradesmen. I may also be interested to discuss investing in other build projects or land options Looking forward to any positive replies..