sawadeeken

I'm still thinking that it is worth the time to go to a local Immigration or the Main Bangkok Office to ask about it....... I mean, after all, these folks didn't have any criminal intent.......... so it is just a matter of correcting an 'error'........... Not so different from moving a long-term visa (eg: Retirement Visa) from an expired passport to a new passport........

I can't see how it could 'hurt' to just inquire...............

Has an attempt been made to go into a local Thai Immigration Office to see if they can arrange a 'short-cut' or other suggestions on how to rectify the problem?

This guy is 'splitting hairs'............. (the OP)

I'm a 'farang' (or round eyes, as many Thais have also called me)......

It don't bother me to be a 'farang' ---- to either Thais or other farangs.......

I can't see a problem......... and I don't know why I'm wasting my time with this guy except that I would like to offer a suggestion to him: If you don't like being a 'farang' in Thailand (to both Thais and your peers) then move somewhere else ---Maybe NIGERIA, where I think you will have more serious things to be concerned about...........

But while you are here --- Welcome to Thailand............

I'm just wondering if they will gather any evidence from THIS THREAD????????

Most things in the world today the price is based on what you can pay in proportion to to other expenses you accept. as in the cost of your room.   I personally after 30 plus years have a lot of compassion for the working Thais and try to look at things thru their eyes...... try it and.     Don't quibble about a few baht that you just toss around at other times..,  

And also consider that the one who recommended her to you is probably grabbing a cut of the 500 also....

I just read, On COCONUTS NEWS, then copied and pasted this article here..... 

(sounds just like what Taksin and Yingluk would do)(Don't you agree?)

By the way....... What is the word for the 'opposite' of ROBINHOOD?     Stealing from the POOR to give to the RICH.....

TAXATION maybe???????

Junta leaders blew THB21 million of taxpayer cash on fancy flight to Honolulu

Photo: Matt@PEK/Flickr

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Did you hear that a bunch of junta officials spent almost THB21 million of taxpayer cash on a trip to Hawaii to have an informal chat with American military leaders?

That’s right.

Deputy junta chief Prawit Wongsuwan and his entourage of 38 officials flew to Honolulu on Thai Airways, even though they they had military airplanes at their disposal, because they didn’t want to have to stop and re-fuel, which they would have had to with any of the government planes.

They were attending the ASEAN-US Defense Informal Meeting, which took place from Thursday to Saturday of last week.

The bill for the flight? A stiff THB 20.9 million including THB600,000 for “in-flight food and beverages” and a THB3.1 million for “processing fees.”

They must’ve been hungry. And thirsty.

The cost of the trip beyond the flight is not known. But it probably wasn’t cheap. Public response to the leaked airline bill has not been positive.

Maj. Gen. Kongcheep Tantravanich, Defense Ministry spokesman, told reporters that the spending was normal and in keeping with regulations but online commenters saw it as another example of outrageous spending and financial irregularity under the military regime.

Facebook groups have been criticizing the junta for overspending. One of the comments found on Facebook group called Stop Fake Thailand wrote: “They know we can’t do anything to them other than throw insults. We can’t investigate anything.”

Koncheep, however, said that the flight was necessary since military airplanes were incapable of a 19-hour flight without refueling, reported Khaosod English.

P.S..........................And then it was on ThaiVisa recently about the Retired military General who steered lucrative military contracts to his son and wife, a round-about way right into his pocket....

 

Are you asking about waing a Thai person or waing somebody working in a governmental position? And it is you who is the farang that is offering the first wai? You must remember that Thais working in governmental positions consider themselves as 'gods' and they feel no need to respond. Some government office workers do respond just out of appreciation that YOU are trying to be polite. My basic understanding is that a wai is a show of respect between Thais. Lower rank wai higher rank ( as a common citizen will wai a police). Farangs are not really included in the custom although are appreciated usually for their desire to 'fit in'.

Outside of your concern about waing are other Thai customs that farangs commonly 'offend' and are forgiven because they are farang and ignorant of the customs. Examples of this are that a younger person never touches the head of an older (or superior) person of any age. You never use your foot or allow your foot to point directly at a person, especially an older or superior person (and especially Buddha or a Buddha image), when sitting or gesturing. You do not place socks and underware above anything of Thai (or Buddha) value, Such as a buddhist amulet on a gold chain or even food items. When clothes are hung out to dry the socks and underware are always placed at a level below other garments - the feet are considered dirty as are sox and underware and are not to be allowed to soil or be placed above anything of Thai 'value'. Also a lady never touches a Buddhist Monk. Some Farang ladie sometime touch a Monk as in taking a photo together and although usually avoided by the Monk the farang ladies are not scolded as a Thai lady might be, because they are farang (and ignorant of the custom). That is why you see Buddhist Monks on public busses seated with men and often in 'front seats'............

As farangs, we are usually excused normally when we 'compromise' any of these customs and just considered stupid or ignorant of 'Thai (Buddhist) Custom'...........................

Forget the guy at Immigration.........................

I come in every other month from the US and never asked for onward/return ticket..... BUT......... It is a requirement that you HAVE it and THEY CAN ask for it. Beware..... It all depends on your luck..........

Most of you have credit cards with sufficient limits, Just buy a fully refundable one-way ticket out of LOS a few days before you come then refund it to your credit card once you are here. The credit will be back on your credit card before the pament is ever due......................

It's equal to 1 (one) "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" card........... LoL

I just did exactly that. Came in with 60 day tourist visa and finally gave in to the graft and Paid 20,000 baht to a lady in the Jomtien (Pattaya) Immig. office.. I am back and forth almost every other month and over the last 3 trips I have gone into that office, only to be propositioned with that offer (20,000 baht for special assistance).... I even went to the Chang Wattana Immig. office once to be offered the same proposition there. Finally I just gave in and paid them...........

If you enter with an NON Immigrant 'O' then it is likely you will be ok without the 'special service' fee.............

Edit........ And yes you must have more than 15 days remaining in your current entry stay................

I think you should go and pay for it.

Instead of going and paying for it just go and buy 9 more of them but tell the cashier you have 10. The 49baht is back in the store's pocket and nobody's shortcomings have been brought under scrutiny. Job well done....

"All that ends well, is well"...........

You need to understand that the only way for the store to see that a pack of water has disappeared is doing a full inventory, in which case a small thing like this would be nothing out of the ordinary, completly natural, a cost of doing business with hundreds of thousands of transactions.

I think you would be surprised.

Many years a go someone I know bought a microwave, some other stuff, and a case of beer at Tesco.

The microwave and the groceries were in the trolley and the case of beer was on the lower level of the trolley.

The cashier didn't notice the case of beer, and the customer also only noticed that it wasn't on the bill when he arrived at home.

A few weeks later he received a phone call from Tesco to ask if he maybe forgot to pay for a box of beer on that day.

They had noticed from the camera above each check out counter who had failed to pay for a case of beer, and of course they had his details because he had filled in the microwave warranty.

This would have to be a "one in a million" case of putting 2 and 2 together after the fact.

Since it was long ago and a friend of yours would mind telling the rest of the story?????????

Did he pay? Did he tell them he was sure he had paid? Did he ignore it? Just curious..........

Surely on in a million...........................

They have my credit card number from the transaction and also my phone number from the points card that was used.

Calm down, dear.

Yes, calm down.

They may know all that about you but they don't know the missing case of water went with you. If they knew that they would have HAD YOU right on the spot.....................

DON'T DO ANYTHING.................... Let it die quietly..................

There's no way to link this tiny indescrepancy to a single cashier. It's simply not possible in a large store with many cashiers.

Do yourself a favour and forget about it.

If you walk in there with your receipt and tell them she <deleted> up her job they will probably just fire her. How will you feel then ?

They won't tell you they're going to do this but for the purpose of arguments sake you should assume that they will absolutely 100% fire her if you do this.

The cashier could live on happily everafter if you keep your mouth zipped, and the 49 Baht will not hurt the big business that rakes in big profits and don't pay her enough anyway......................

Plus the security guard will probably get fired alnog with her if you tell them..........

You can always do as I just did...........in Pattaya/Jomtien Immigrations..........

After 3 visits to Pattaya and one visit to Chang Wattana to try to obtain retirement visa with just having a 30 day 'Entry' stamp and each time offers of special assistance for a fee of 20,000 baht, I finally, this time, gave in and Paid the 'special service' fee of 20,000 Baht to the immigration officer

The Army hasn't gotten around to cleaning up the graft in Immigrations yet (I think the 2 Departments could be related and not want to clean it up)

Does anyone know if a 60 day tourist visa can be converted to a non O visa here in Thailand. I want to get a retirement visa even though I just stay a month or a bit more in Thailand then home to the US for a month. (Thai wife in the USA and Mia-Noi in Pattaya - 20 Years now.).....

For the past 20 years now I have been doing the 30 day stamp but nowdays I like to stay a bit over 30 days sometimes so it gets complicated. Plus that i want a Thai Driving licence as I have been getting International D/L for years and I understand obtaining a Thai DL is easy with retirement visa....

Over the past 2 trips I have gone to Pattaya Immigration each trip with 30 day stamp and was told by the 'Tomboy' Lady in Room 7 (counter 7).That she couldn't issue me a retirement visa on a 30 day entry-stamp------- but for 20,000 Baht she COULD DO IT...... TIT ???? lol

Anyway any helpful tips will be appreciated.

Also, I do take the advice that I have always seen here and am always polite and dress nice.

There is always a lot of talk about how cheap those Chinese tourists are. She probably got tired of them not tipping and took matters into her own hands and 'scammed' her tip out of them........ Then 'dumped' them...........

I would like to hear her side of the story................... I just may be on her side after details were known...............

Just curious what would happen if somebody unloaded a few truckloads of pigs in the middle of these zones to run loose. I don't think they will have anything to do with any land where there have been pigs. I recall an article a couple years ago where some muslim bought a large parcel of land (seems maybe in Texas) and after starting construction they found that there was indeed a small 'pig farm' neighboring their land - and then caused a big uproar to make the pig farm owner remove his pigs. Does anybody else recall that story and know what happened?

Let's see if I understand this, 8 ATM cards in toliets from Belarussians citizens who threw their cards in a toliet at the airport while on holiday here? Then these 2 guys scam 1 million baht in Bangkok and set free? Now, they scam 100,000 baht and only now go to jail. So, in Thailand you must commit 2 crimes before going to jail correct?

Are you not kidding us?????????????????????? Try reading the story a few more times........ and this time ask the girlfriend?wife to leave you alone while you read it...... Wow, I'm amused at what some TV readers can twist an article into..................... Do you have kids to take care of you???????????? I hope so.........................

Several years ago I bought an insurance policy from a company called "RETURN ASSURED" in the USA.. At that time it cost me US$250 and is good till I die. It will return my body to my home in the US from anywhere in the world (Except within 50 miles of my home) at no cost to my family.

And even though I have this insurance I don't race around on a 'Chopper' inviting trouble the way I see many foreign tourists/expats doing in a drunken state, as I see much to often in Pattaya and elsewhere.

Just yesterday a drunken farang tourist/expat motorcyclist died from his own stupidity in BAN CHANG, a quaint little town just 45 minutes south of Pattaya where there is a number of girly bars and Golf Courses. It attracts a few crazy bikers as well as just regular bar crawlers and this guy apparently drank too much and decided to make a show of his expertise on his bike, while 'under the influence'

Too many learn too late about drinking and driving and very possibly as in this case the family who loves him are the ones to suffer. You can't feel sorry for those who 'ask for it' but you can (as I do) feel very sad for the loved ones who pay that horrible price unnecessarily.

This could be an eye opener for a few that I see almost daily.............. THINK ABOUT THE ONES THAT YOU WILL HURT........................

One thing keeping the BIB's or RTP who are accused of 'Torture' from coming forward is possibly the fact that Thailand doesn't have a 5th Amendment as we do in the US. Our 5th Amendment states that we can refuse to answer a question as the answer we may give "would tend to 'incriminate' me".....................

Has anybody thought about - if these 2 Burmese are not the killers, then the real killers have had so much extra time to get away and cover their tracks, etc. (even time to change identities) ...........

Now, how about finding Kirsty Jones killer? 14 Years. No closure for her family.

Not very relevant to the topic on hand??

I think it is right "ON" topic VERY relavent................... What is your problem?

Thai Police are being found more and more to 'WRITE THINGS OFF' rather than work hard to solve them...............

edit for mis-spelled word

They confessed to killing and dismembering the victim.

And now they get caught, they are sorry they got caught....................... and are asking him for forgiveness...........

Do you figure their chances are good????????

Just the "TIP OF THE ICEBERG". Many (and I mean Many) Thai Police feel like they themselves are above the law. Two of my 'Thai' wife's family are medium level police in Korat, and I must say they are no credit to Thailand................... Drunk 'on duty' most every day just to mention one thing.................. In Pattaya I know two police who own and rent a large number of houses, (Where did that money come from to buy them - I wonder)............................

I hope they get a few more of them (I say 'few' because I think there are so many of them involved in drugs) and I see often Thai youth ruined by drugs).

It is only fitting that this scum will 'rot in Prison'.................

Good work to to the Thai justice system in this case..........................