sikishrory

Laos is online as far as booking the appointments. Until next year when they change the system again. I think the appointments are all full for this year and the current system

Because I've lived in Thailand for 13 years have no connections or ability to provide a home country document to show home country embassy that i reside there. As mentioned the trip was a mess from the start incorrectly booking travel to Vientiane

Weak as piss

Report of my failed DTV application based on muay thai at savannakhet this morning. Arrived at 8.37am. Just 3 people ahead of me in the queue. No mass lines like in google reviews. Opened at 9. I came prepared with literally about 50 documents for every scenario I could think of. Backup applications, extra photos, 5 pens, copies of everything, backup bank statements showing well beyond the required amount. However I handed over just the required docs: Passport and signed copy 10,000b unmarked crisp bills. Application form. A statement from kasikorn with 1.2 mill baht in there for over 6 months in thai language and stamped by the bank. Muay thai docs (all signed): Acceptance letter with letterhead in thai and english. Very well written and professional from the gym. A copy of their registration as a muay thai gym with the sports authority of thailand. A copy of the persons Thai id card the registered the place as a gym in the above document. A copy of the receipt for 12,000 baht. Letterhead etc. She flicked through briefly in about 3 seconds. Didn't really read anything. Said she wants the "business licence". I pointed out there is a copy of the registration as a muay thai gym in front of her. Nope. I get the business licence emailed through and print it and return to the window. Try again. This time she looks more closely and actually reads the documents I hand over. Now she has a problem with the business licence having a different name to the gym. This gym has a cafe and few other things going on. Company names do not always match the business name as is common knowledge. Anyway nope. She gives me a phone number and says they can call her. I send that to the gym owner and sit refreshing my crap internet in gmail for 30 mins. It gets to 10.50am queue closing in ten minutes so I give it a last try... "Did they call"? No she says. I see in my email the gym says they will try to call. I have given up. I say to her I spent 50,000 baht, catch 6 planes to come here for a week - "you can't do anything"? Nope. I tried to find successful DTV stories online for this embassy. I think there is 1. Otherwise I see about 3 similar fail reports. I thought I had a better chance as I was using muay thai (less complicated) and the docs from the gym seemed sufficient. I also could see holes in some of the other stories I read. Bank statement not notarised, not long enough, no letters from company etc. I wouldn't have chose here but I messed up and booked a plane and hotel to do it in vientiane before seeing the appointments were unavailble until 19 Dec. I did check and they appeared to be availble but when you actually click they are not available. So instead of lose the flights and room I switched to this nightmare embassy. I would say to anyone wanting to do DTV at Savannakhet just don't. Don't bother. Don't think you are different or have all the docs more than the failed people before you. The lady is looking for any little thing she can. I can see the motor running in her little head scanning for whatever she can think of to deny you next. A man before me seemed to be applying for a tourist visa. The lady requested a copy of his work permit as he previously had a non-b. So I also copied that accross the road incase as previously I was non-b. The queue seemed mostly myanmar nationals. Saw a couple of USA, filipino, laos, france, arab as well. It was not very busy. Other people were getting denied too and having lots of issues with the lady. Not sure the plan now but I guess I will be entering visa exempt on my flight back then applying for DTV again in the region or in Australia. I have to re-evaluate. Hope this helps someone as there were barely any reports online for this embassy.

Put a ring in the middle of the street and let them fight. Or send them to the army

This could be a trick question. You answer <60 days and she decides to stamp you visa exempt instead. I just read a report online of something similar that I'm having trouble finding now. That was a different scenario but just got me thinking

"State" must be happy

He was a good friend and my sous chef for a number of years. Quite well known and popular around the dock in Phuket for his funny and mischievous personality. He worked on yachts not cruise ships. He was unfortunately not a healthy guy. Diabetic and overweight which would have been the main factor. I think the story is a bit unnecessarily graphic but understand it's a translation from khasod thai. RIP Chef Thum

Phuket Central

As an update to this. I filled out the Thai form and went to the bank today to hand it in as I had to go there for something else anyway. I handed it over and she said "you take a picture and send in your email". "You have it in your email"? Clearly not wanting to accept it. Despite explaining that the bank told me I can hand it into the branch. As I sat down to do this I noticed an older man next to me was trying to do exactly the same thing with the same form and getting the same answer. Except that he was explaining he can't do it because his house was flooded and computer damaged etc. I calmly ignored my tellers smug refusal and proceeded to do what I was really there for. Getting a statement for the DTV visa. After this was done the teller mentioned that she had updated the other tax form for me and I no longer need to do it. Except she made me sign the signature page again in front of her for some reason. I don't know what changed her mind tbh. As I was walking out the older man that was next to me was at a nearby bench fumbling with the stupid form trying to take pictures and send it and stuff because his teller evdently did not let him give it to her. So in typical Thai fashion no consistency or standards in the service they give and no F's given. I felt like mentioning to him on my way out that they just did it for me but I knew it wouldn't have helped anything anyway.

Australia is not far behind I imagine

Sort out the hair. Problem solved.

Thai banks call centres are 7 days a week in my experience. Regardless I just spoke to them.

Actually I just got through to them on the phone by entering the extension that was listed in the email. It bypasses the regular system. She spoke good English and was very helpful. The form / email is real. Non- US citizens can ignore the 2 IRS ones and just fill in the Thai one. It can be done via email as requested or done in branch for people with security concerns or who would prefer that. I asked what if it is not done. She said then if you want to do transactions or update your account in branch you may not be able to proceed to "the next step". I said you mean "if it is not done you cannot do transactions and use your account"? She said no it is only when you try to do things in branch. Take that as you will. I said I believe you have this info already should I still do it. She recommended yes. For the passport she said you need to scan it on white paper and sign it then send it. She also said it is something about this being a new requirement of a system that Kbank has signed up to last year or something. She also mentioned something about older accounts. As if to say some accounts are older and at that time the information wasn't needed but now it is. Perhaps by old she meant older than the new system they signed up to a year ago. That's about all I know and asked.

So has anyone spoken to the bank about it yet? That seems like the first logical step here. Can it be done in bank? Which forms need to be done? Don't you have the information particularly the Thai form on file already? What if it is not done? These would be my initial questions. My guess is nobody asked them yet as they have either intentionally blocked the line in anticipation of the flood of expat calls or it is actually congested. I tried to call but in typical Thai fashion "sorry we are unavailable please hold the line". I have a callback apparently but I doubt they will call. Are Thais getting the same email? - For non US people at least one form can be ignored - The other IRS form is annoying and seems necessary to be filled out but who knows as you can't contact the bank. - The Thai form I imagine needs to be filled out if not done already. The thing is I thought it is done together with the mountain of forms when you open an account with them. I had an overseas bank recently do similar as part of their "obligations" to that particular jurisdiction. As for security I don't doubt it is kbank but isn't it funny how their love of paper only is all of a sudden unimportant and they are willing to except digital copies of official documents. I've never seen that in Thailand before. If anyone gets some answers from the actual bank please do share.

Something doesn't add up with this story

When applying in Laos do you: 1 - List permanent address in Laos as your guesthouse and provide the booking 2 - List it as the western country you're from originally. Haven't lived there for over a decade. All I have to show is a drivers licence. 3 - Thai address. Current rental contract or tabian ban. I'm guessing this is a big no no even though for most people it is the truthful answer.

Is it confirmed 90 day reports are needed on DTV? What is the issue with doing a regular 90 day report? Is this an issue everyone has or I must be misunderstanding the post?

Apoligies to "Simon" for referring to you as an unequivocal male. My deepest condolences if I have offended you with my irresponsible reference to you as a possible "hansum man" or otherwise. Furthermore, I would like to express my regret and oversight in the assumption that the unnamed, hypothetical "women" in my post are infact and choose to identify as "women".

It depends. Have you noticed a decline in being called "hansum man"? Does it now require a mild effort to find a women?

minecraft doesn't require internet. There's also a "suite" of offline games called offline games by jindoblu. Also you can play microsoft solitaire games too but offline you have to play random decks only

Overnight oats covered in fruit, prunes, almonds and flax each morning. With a shot of pyslium husk water on the side. Or metamucil (same but with sugar). The poo poos will be fallin out the bott bott no worries. The fibre does suck moisture from the bowel so you should drink more water. This everyday also rapidly lowers cholesterol

"If an accident occurs, there is no insurance coverage to rely on" That will be good peice of mind to others. You can rely on insurance thanks to your >1 wheel

I was told awhile ago by someone it's called canola because of the word Rape. It comes from the rapeseed plant. According to chat gpt a few weeks ago when I fact checked my friend it said yeh that's true. Just now it has answered that although from the same rapeseed plant it is canola because CANadian scientists in the 70s developed rapeseed to have less harmful Erucic acid (Oil Low Acid). CAN + OLA

You can use olive oil. In my opinion it's a one the healthiest of the common oils. Personally i use that but for asian things sunflower oil. Yes there's debate around seed oils now. The healthiness of saturated coconut oil is debatable. Palm oil - Thais love it but its bad for the environment as well. Heating any fat to a high temperature regardless of it being healthy changes it's chemical structure anyway and can produce harmful compounds. You can't win these days. Apparently everything gives you cancer. The plastic bottle your oil holds gives you cancer with its BPA's. The pan you fry in will give you cancer with it's non stick surface. The water with it's fluoride and also BPA's etc. The food with it's chemicals, hormones, sugar and GMO. Brun your food a bit = also cancer. I make a mild effort to the best I can but realise I cannot avoid everything unless I live in a bubble. Except they would probably find my bubble is unhealthy and has BPA as well. So screw it.