UKCanuk

It looks like the push to monitor the movement of foreigners has not abated. I've been using DTAC on a monthly plan direct from my bank account for three years now.

Today, the message came up "No SIM card installed" and I headed down to the Apple Shop in Bang Khae expecting it to be a phone problem. No, Apple says, our SIM cards work fine in your phone. Went up to DTAC and they told me they had suspended my number because there was no contact name and number on the SIM card. They issued me with a new SIM and the phone is working again.

Smells like the government going ahead with their 1984 surveillance plan of foreigners with no laws or statutes to back it.

40 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

http://time.com/4446059/thailand-tourists-cell-phone-tracking/

The easier to fit you up

Neither are civilised countries and both are consummate liars. Should get on like a house on fire.

An oxymoron: (Thai) military intelligence

DIY - I'm trying it this year: http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20160422-battling-the-zika-virus-one-old-tyre-at-a-time

Removing happiness from the People?

...and free speech?

Not being american and with no interest in thanksgiving, I was out trying to find a turkey for Christmas yesterday after the niece called to tell me that Top in Central World was running out and were charging 1000/kg for what was left. Checked at Villa, and they have 5kg or 9kg birds available at 650/kg but limited supply. In the end we found a single bird and a single crown at 375/kg at Foodland - maybe there are more available in other branches for those living near Bangkok. If you ring around to the shops they will hold them for you.

Christmas is sorted for us at any rate.

Sorry if I missed it in the article, but where will the coal come from ?

Thailand has coal mines in the north. Thai companies also own coal mines in Indonesia and China (and possibly elsewhere).

A subsidiary of EGAT I believe. All very incestuous to be sure, but this is Thailand.

I feel like sending this article to all the major newspapers throughout the western world.

I did on Twitter. Suggest you do the same.

After the events in Paris, the first thing they think about is how it will affect tourism and revenue. What a vile shower there is in government here.

"it appears that I’m now the proud owner of a Non Imm “A-O” extension!"

There is no such thing ! Anyone over the age of 50, providing they can meet the requirements can apply for an extension of stay based on "retirement" .

The officer assisted you because a "retirement " extension is administratively simpler and can be issued on the day of application.

The "retirement" stamp merely indicates why the extension was given

It is entirely legal to continue working outside Thailand.

I hope you remembered to obtain a re-entry permit.

Aah, that makes sense. Cutting down the paperwork...and yes, I remembered the re-entry permit. The immigration officer was a nice lady and had quite a chin wag with my wife about convincing me to permanently retire to Thailand. She seemed to think that the UK would be too cold for me to retire to. ;-)

If your income was over 65k baht that is why they did the extension of stay based upon retirement instead of marriage,. It is not a OA visa.

If you want one based upon marriage you have show less than 65k baht income. You are not first one this has happened to.

Did you get a re-entry permit while you were at immigration. You will need that to keep extension valid if you need to travel.

Thanks ubonjoe. Indeed I did get a multiple re-entry permit while I was there.

The wife and I just returned from CW where I was doing my first extension on a UK issued Non Imm “O” visa. The extension was achieved, but not in the way I expected - it appears that I’m now the proud owner of a Non Imm “A-O” extension!

We went down with as many obligatory and optional bits of documentation we could find, including marriage certificate, house book, letter from the British Embassy (sufficient funds), photos of the wife and I in the house, passport copies, etc etc etc. The officer asked me how old I was (58) and then started stamping everything with the “Retirement” stamp.

I pointed out that I still work overseas on contracts and asked if that would have any effect on my status - she simply asked if I was working (or had ever worked) in Thailand, to which I said “No”. Mai pen rai she said and looked at my passport, embassy letter and said no need to see any of the other documents or photos. We breezed through the next two people checking the application and were out the door with a one year extension and a reminder to do the first 90 day report stapled in my passport.

This was not something I asked for, but maybe because both the wife and I have matching grey hair they thought the visa type should be changed over (not that I'm complaining...)!

And the cheat was originally allowed to graduate on a plagiarised paper, which really helps boost the country, and Chulalongkorn's image. No wonder Thai universities struglle to reach world rankings.

Funny where you can find these things. In the 90's, I used to see bachelor degrees from UK universities hanging on my staff members walls at home and many contained the words "Only valid in Brunei Darussalam" on the bottom of the certificate. UK universities got the money and the student (who may never have attended a class in four years) got a useless piece of paper that looked nice on the wall.

Not just in Thailand...

Yup. But outside of the pieces of gold leaf on the steering wheel there is no other visible sign. The drawing was done on the underside of the sun visor on the driver's side and is only visible when I flip it down. The wife insisted it had to be done and I insisted there be no visible scrawls and the head monk was accommodating. Everyone happy!

I was there the week after the bombing and had no problems. Business as usual.

The theory from Mrs. Noo is that there is a strongly held belief by the Red Shirts and the Big Boss that until the Erawan shrine is destroyed the Big Boss will be unable to return to Thailand. When queried on why the bombing was timed to explode at a peak visiting period, she said maybe it was a lone nutcase who was just desperate to destroy the shrine without considering the carnage to the worshipers.

Viagra not up to the job so they used a 500 ton crane? Overkill or very severe dysfunction!

Which large Thai mining company would that be?

She didn't specify when we were discussing the problems we were having on the story, but I would guess that the electricity generating authority would be who she meant. The have a subsidiary mining company who are also in Indonesia. If true, I think the term incest would apply.

There's a bit more to this story than meets the eye. The niece has been trying to do a story on this for a few months now for an international news organisation and blockers keep popping up all over the place.

In the first place, the "authority which generates electricity in Thailand" has a tie up with a large Thai mining company who produce coal in Australia. If you're going to build a generating plant to produce any kind of meaningful electricity output, the clear answer is natural gas. It's cheaper both in price and transport cost as LNG which can be re-gasified at the site. It's also 70% cleaner burn and at a higher temperature than coal.

The niece was unable to get any interviews by academics in Thailand as the "generating authority" provides grants to the major universities who are fully backing the coal option. I pointed her to a couple of UK universities who gave a diametrically opposed view to what she heard from Thai academics.

Once she started asking more difficult questions, she was unable to get any more interviews and veiled threats were made: "Why are you hurting our country? Something bad will happen to you."

TIT.

Is it 27 or 47 years? Don't no one proof read?

You missed another one.

"The Terminal closure will make way for improved service and way finding around the airport and eventually an extension of the new Terminal 2 will take its place."

What is "way finding"?

I wondered for a minute as well, but remembering the rat's maze of roads connecting T1-T2-T3 maybe it makes sense. ?

The government is right to be looking into the issue of price gouging and should also be examining the relationship with the health care insurers. I recently had a small procedure done at a private hospital and the initial estimate was 75,000 baht. When they discovered I had insurance from BUPA the price dropped to about 45,000 baht (pay now, claim later). OK, I had the money to pay this and will be refunded, but someone without the insurance would be gouged 30,000 baht by the hospital.

As a business relationship I can see there would be a discount applied to an insurance company, but nearly 50% tells you something doesn't it?

I don't know there you are located, but about six months ago I did the same thing in Bangkok with my pre-paid DTAC SIM card. The DTAC shop on The Mall simply asked for a billing address, passport copy and bank book for direct debit.

I have the 490 baht plan and get a text message from my bank whenever they transfer payment to DTAC. No money missing from the account (fingers crossed) and no problems thus far.

"...soaking durians in turmeric, a yellow liquid, and other chemicals..." Other chemicals? What other chemicals? Turmeric may be fine on it's own, but I would want to know what else they are mixing with it. Other chemicals indeed.