55Jay

Yep, probably start seeing more info on social media about live, local turkeys (for culling) as we step through October and November.  In past years around that time, have seen frozen ones in a few of the supermakrets up around where I live and Villa Mkts down in Big Smoke, etc.

12 hours ago, thaitero said:

Well, Good to know..

It seems all kind of work around solutions to stay long time are going to be erased and one really has to apply correct visas and extensions and if there is not one, go elsewhere...

Uh, yeah, fktards, that's pretty much what the Thais are trying to tell you.  Duh!

For all you ex-Saudi contract guys, and would be tourists. 

Just now, bbi1 said:

You and your wife didn't both walk up to the immigration desk together but you went 1st while your wife queued then after you got processed your wife walked up next? When I did it that way with the gf the immigration officer asked my gf to also come to the counter and then processed her passport 1st then mine 2nd. This was at Don Meung though.

No, one by one this time, although see others go as a couple/group.  Retired military, got the lobotomy, so when I see a hold short limit line for the queue, and only one set of foot prints on the carpet in front of the I/O's desk, to me, that means one at a time.  That I/O had a stick up her a** about something, probably had little to do with me personally, so I forgot about her quickly, and went looking for our cases.  Whateva....

10 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Unbelievable!

 

Trump goes through 2 years of Mueller regarding foreign intervention in US elections, then turns around and tries to do the exact same thing again.

 

I get that there are Americans who like Trump's policies (or who could not have voted for Hillary); that is a perfectly reasonable thing. However, I find it very hard to believe that Americans in general approve of a grievance-spewing, hate-fueled, unethical, amoral type of person to be their face and representative.

 

I have said it before and will say it again

 

Donald trump is an ever-expanding cloud of toxic waste that defiles everything it touches.

 

Please my American friends; get rid of this swamp thing and return to making the planet a better place. You are so much better than this!

Balanced comment, diamond in the rough.  There are indeed many frustrated Americans who approve of a few of his efforts, in broad terms, while also despising him as a horrible presentation of a US President.   It doesn't have to be one or the other, and that's what I despise about the tribal nature of politics and discourse.  Both ends of the spectrum are just as bad as each other.

I read the transcript memo last night.  Quite obvious to me what was going on between the lines in what was/should have remained a perfunctory fluff phone call.  I hate to agree with the smarmy worm Schiff, but there sure is a likeness between this, and how President Trump tried to play Comey in their one-to-one meeting re: Flynn.  Indirect.  Leaves room for doubt and deniability later. 

I don't think we'll get impeachment from this.  Trump will wiggle through but there will be another "aw s**t" around the corner.  It's inevitable. 

1 hour ago, donnacha said:

People do sometimes get new passports. Most last only ten years.

The OP said nothing about getting a new passport in order to hide his past visits. He merely mentioned that it was new.

His previous record does not sound that bad to me. He had no overstays. It is not as if he was hiding any denied entries. We are all in big trouble if a new passport and previous stays in Thailand is considered a problem.

In their rush to condemn the OP, and suggest he did something wrong, you all seem to be missing the fact that this was a shakedown. This has been happening with increasing frequency. Airport Immigration Officer now appears to be the dream job for any Thai who aspires to build up a nice collection of hundred dollar bills. It could just as easily happen to any of you.

No, I get that.  And yes, it was a shake down.  End of. 

Doesn't diminish that, from TI's POV, OP started fitting the profile - just another clever farang trying to slip one past us dumb, 3rd world monkeys.  He knew it was possible, and didn't squirm in the net.  "It finally happened".

Good he didn't get uppity.  Might have gotten an attitude adjustment.  TI definitely feeling strong these days.  They've challenged the sacred caucasion cows, regained the initiative and some institutional confidence, and that can manifest itself in  unprofessional conduct. 

I got bitched out by a young, fit, good lookin' female I/O at Swampy last month around midnight, for a minor, and I mean minor, glitch on my Arrival Card.   She stood up, pointing and talking loud, like strict headmaster to an unruly student or Drill Sergeant to a recruit.    What the f?   Yeah, ok, Sarge, so solly, me dumb farang, try harder next time, ok?   She hesitated for just a moment, assessing me up and down, shook her head a bit, and waved me through abruptly.   Wife was next, this was the Thai PP line, that might have had something to do with it. 

This was the second time in a row I'd gotten this kind of unwarranted, <deleted>ty attitude from an I/O - the last was a new I/O at my local TI office over the TM30 nonsense.  Before this, 7 years of benign to rather pleasant experiences with TI. 

Even in the 7 years I've lived here, looking at TVF and watching the trends in these Immigration Threads, I recall getting a new passport used to be Plan A for those with too many in/out stamps, or those who got bounced out and needed a clean slate.  Wasn't it also a fairly standard procedure among "Travellers" who consciously over-stayed, as a way to avoid Immigration enforcement/fines when they did finally leave the country via aiport?  Just report your passport lost/stolen/damaged to the Thai Keystone Cops, get a new one at your embassy, and you're pretty much good to go. 

These things were discussed openly all over the internet for years, including here on TVF.  TI tightened up on these starting a few years ago.

So despite their own failings and corruption, TI has seen you chumps 1,000 times before and sees you coming a mile away, like a zit on a prom queen's nose.  Fresh passport = quick cross-check.  Data match confirms their profiling was bang on, yet again, so they bounce the cheeky J-class farang in the blazer over to secondary inspection for your arrogance.  You play your game.  They play theirs - with an obvious Home Team advantage.

Yes, if they don't have assets/money enough to get by. 

In our case, my Mrs. visits her Mom once a week, either does bulk/staple shopping herself on the way, or just drops 1,000 Baht in the pot and let them do it themselves at the local market.   Other siblings pay the utility bills, buy household items/applicances as/when needed, pay into the annual death/funeral insurance scheme, and do their duty staying at the house as rotating caretakers.  Believe dear old Mom gets the 800 Baht/month old-age stipend as well.

1 hour ago, KhunFred said:

Just what an economy in recession needs......more choppers and guns.

Indeed!  Thanks, Thailand.  ????????????

Just now, worgeordie said:

Exports down,Tourists Down,Growth down,

But they keep on spending like a drunken sailor,

money that could be spent on hospitals,schools,

infrastructure ,so the electric isn't always going off.

anyway,looking at the past,they are only going to crash them.

regards worgeordie

I've partied with drunken soldiers and airmen - they are just as bad.  Or good, if you own a bar.

14 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

i dont know what msm means, but if its some sort of abbreviation for ipcc, then i agree with you,

this is embarrassing to mankind, ipcc is an embarrassment to mankind and civilization

Main Stream Media, which doesn't include Fox - they are in their own special category. ????

I'm not a climate change denier either, but I'll probably be tossed in that basket anyway, because I had the temerity to not smother the brave little girl with praise. 

I think her emotion cracking through in the clip was genuine, but not in the way it's being interpreted.  

I got a new one because it was on the Immigration checklist, and it "made sense" to my government brain that they would want to ensure I/we were still married if I was requesting an extension based on marriage to a Thai.

In my case, we had to drive through the Amphur town on route to Immigration anyway, so the 15 minutes and 20 Baht spent was an insurance policy against a whimsical I/O who could add 1 more day and a second 100km trip to the process, with a flick of an ink pen.

If your personal Thai bank account is in Thai Baht, then yes, the deposit will reflect as Thai Baht. 

If you want to dig dirt on a political opponent, hire a foreigner do it for you, and then give it to the media.

Often the case, different Immigration Offices, and officers within them, have different ideas.  My office said they wanted it the first time. 

The next year I got another one and was told I could have used the same one from previous year.  Which makes ZERO sense if you're actually meant to demonstrate you're still married/haven't been divorced in the past year. 

So I ignored that "advice" and got a new one every year. 

Wife been through the process 3 times, the last one in Bangkok recently. 

I always thought it helped when listing yourself, American / Spouse, as the person travelling with her and funding the trip.  And then at the end, listing myself as the person assisting her with filling out the DS160 form.  Relationship: Spouse.  

It's also helpful that she be well informed about the itiniary and the place(s) where you'll be staying, and can relay that verbally with confidence, without sounding rehearsed.  

20 minutes ago, tso310 said:

I don't understand why you have to delay the delivery of a warship from one country to take delivery of one from a different country. I suppose it might be for fiscal reasons but warships take time to build, equip and train crews to use. Is this beyond the capability of the RTN.

The full/linked article says the new Amphib will be dual-hatted as the support/tender platform for the new submarines.  Don't know much about the RTN really, but my general sense of their accumen is they are going to have enough on their plate training and integrating a new submarine fleet.  Folding the new Amphib in might be a stretch, but I see the logic in wanting to prioritize that over receiving a second frigate. 

It must be madness translating all the tech/maintenance/operational/training manuals from Chinese to Thai, and then getting Thai Train-the-Trainers through the schooling pipe line.

1 hour ago, leeneeds said:

Khorat as a first choice , as the politicians can catch the high speed train down to BKK, should they need to go, or use the good airport that is under utilised.

That would be ironic as quite a few people lived/worked for years in BKK and tourism spots, Patts, Samui, Phuket, etc., then moved to Korat to get away from all that.  Doh!

It's after midnight, must be kicking in.  ????

45 minutes ago, Tagged said:

Forgot something today? 

Looks like you got most of the supply at your house!