Kinnock

Came here on an ex-pat posting, stayed for the people. Despite significant hardship, the vast majority of people here are happy, kind and remarkably honest. Just think what UK, US or Western Europe would be like if there was a totally ineffective police force? And image if in any of those countries, you protected the stock in your little fashion store during your lunch break - by hanging a string across the entrance.

Thank you both for the valuable replies! Being frozen at the 2023 rate is not too bad, as there's a significant increase this year, but we all know the system is wrong for us ex-pats. Luckily, I also have a private pension, although that's currently being eaten away by the scheme fees and dodgy investments .... but that's another story.

Just consulting the collective Aseannow wisdom .... I turn 66 later this year, and looking at the DWP info it says that my State Pension will be frozen at the level it was when I left the UK. I moved to Thailand in 2008, so does that mean I get the 2008 pension amount? Or does it start at this year's rate, and stays frozen going forward? Supplementary question: I've maintained a UK address, so what if I moved back to the UK around the time of 66th birthday, claimed the pension from there, then moved back here, informing them I left the UK this year. Would my pension now be frozen at the 2023 rate, which got a reasonable inflation hike? Thanks for any info.

..... and then started again during COVID. Now it's back to plastic bags plus 5 plastic spoons and 23 plastic straws.

Happened to see this on Shoppee .... new ADV 350 for 230,000 THB ???? Profiteering? That's more than a new CB500X. Anyone managed to get one yet? Any initial riding impressions?

Old riverside warehouses converted into a covered market and restaurants. Was popular with tourists pre-covid, now half of the units are closed. You've probably seen the ferris wheel in Bangkok. Next month there will be a Disney/Star wars exhibition there to try to attract more tourists. Next year it will be replaced by a high rise condo (apparently another tallest building in Thailand), as Bangkok has a desperate shortage of high rise condos.

Yes ..... we seem to have a worldwide absence of good leaders at the very time we need good leadership.

Can't think of any.

China and Russia turned the tide of the Korean War then the Vietnam War, then China won the Cold War. They are on a roll. Unfortunately, at a time the "Free World" most needs great leaders, we have duds in every country.

Private hospitals in Thailand are businesses, pure and simple. They see a foreign tourist as an opportunity, and will actively look for ways to add to the bill with extra tests and treatments. First time I went to one in Bangkok with my new company hralth insurance, I thought, at first, they were just being thorough and caring, asking me if I had any other worries apart from the minor issue that brought me to their hospital. Then I realised, after several unnecessary 'tests' ... they were just padding the bill. They are like back street car repair garages.

I've done a similar trip several times on a larger motorcycle, but started in Bangkok. From Pattaya it will take you about 6 hours including stops, and the route is not much fun until you get to Chanthaburi. On a 150cc scooter you'll be hugging the left lane and being passed by trucks, and heat/dehydration can be an issue, so it's more 'endurance' than 'enjoyment'. But it's certainly do-able. I'd recommend a bigger motorcycle or a 300cc+ scooter, but if using your PCX just take regular rest/drink stops. You should really invest in some protective gear, but be mindful of the heat. I wear kevlar lined jeans and a ventilated bike jacket plus short bike boots, gloves and full face helmet. This may look a bit excessive on a scooter, so motorcross elbow and knee pads worn under jeans and a T shirt may be an alternative. As a minimum, strong boots, good gloves and full face helmet. You need to be able to wear sunglasses without the helmet squeezing the arms into your head .... or even better an internal sun visor. The 7-11 20 THB waterproof jacket is useless when touring on a bike .... it will be a ripped mass of holes after 30 minutes at 60 KPH. A breathable, nylon hiking jacket is better. But in practice the rain rarely lasts long, so shelter under a bridge or in a coffee shop. A good, waterproof bag for your clothes is more important than a rain jacket. A drink bottle holder is a good idea (loads on Laada), plus a phone holder and powerbank for navigation. It looks like a straight tine on a map, but there's a few turns you need to do on a bike. A breathable mask is also a good idea for the dust and diesel smoke. Motorcycle touring in Thailand is something you tend to enjoy after the trip, when looking back. At the time it's like working as a stoker on a steamship, only hotter, dustier and noisier, with more chance of being torpedoed.

.... or buy Taiwanese. I've been impressed with Asus. At work we originally used all Dell laptops, and while on on-site repair was good, it was needed as they were very unreliable. We switched briefly to Lenovo, but both reliability and servicing was very poor. Then we swiched to Asus, and we've no experience of the servicing as they never go wrong. All the laptops were used in the field and had a hard life. Price wise, Dell was significantly higher in Thailand than the equivalent spec at the US head office, but Lenovo and Asus were lower cost than US.

My guess is someone is playing an elaborate hoax with large, unusually shaped hydrogen balloons. Launch one and you provoke a $ multi million fighter jet attack. The Chinese balloon was the catalyst, as it's got everyone on edge. The lack of any explanation from NORAD may be a clue ..... they can't find any wreckage as it's just a bag of gas? But I hope it's not friendly aliens, as the welcome from the US was not exactly friendly.

A colorful set of images ..... but meh.

Yes, almost impossible to type a post with the video ad blocking the screen. And the damn ad scrolls up to block your text as you type.

The legal notice for Phuket seems to relate to stand on, small wheel scooters? The electric bicycles must be a very grey area legally. If they have pedals, and you are propelling it with the pedals, I assume it's legally the same as a bicycle? So OK for use on the road, no tax or insurance needed. But if you stop pedalling and use the motor, does it's legal status change until you start pedalling again?

I think it's wise to make masks compulsory for the long term in certain situations. Hospitals Public Transport For food handlers But pointless in open air situations such as the beach, on the street and on motorcycles.

In the end the Blue Book was stamped correctly for In and Out by Phuket port immigration, so my worries were unfounded. But was great to the suggestions and reassurance here.

I was told that the stamp in my passport means that PR status and exit permit are recorded in the system, so any issues with the blue book can be sorted at Immigration after arrival. You could report your book as lost?

I considered that option, but they stamp all the passports anyway. It's a strange system on cruises - all the passports get stamped when the ship arrives, then if you decide to visit the port you just use the Cruise ID card to go through Immigration. I spoke to an Immigration Officer yesterday, and she said as I have the one year Multiple stamp in my passport and Residence Permit, it will be OK even if they miss stamping the Residence Permit or give me the wrong type of entry. If I get a 45 day visa free stamp, they can just cancel it and add the correct one later. She suggested I attach the Residence Permit to my passport, but if they miss the stamp at Phuket, to not worry as I have the 12 month multiple endorsement.

There used to be a drag strip at Tepnakorn, near Samut Songkran, but it's been inactive for several years. I'm not aware of any others in the area.

For the compulsory insurance - you can get this from 7-11 (of Lotus's's's's or Big C) for 100 THB. The insurance certificate has a tear off section along the bottom that is used by the DLT office for tax renewal. With a bike - you don't need to queue up at the drive through lane, just drop into the DLT office, take a queue ticket for the tax (not the one for driving licence renewal, which can be a long queue), then hand over your insurance document and green book plus 100 THB for a small bike (107 THB for my 300), and 5 minutes later you'll get your tax sticker. I went to the DLT office on Sukhumvit Road, tax renewal is on the upper floor, it took less than 10 minutes in total. Also possible to do the whole process in 7-11, but you need a Thai ID card, and you have to wait for the tax sticker, so better to go to the office. All signage was in Thai, but it's easy to figure out the process, and staff were helpful.

The cruise operator had no idea about PR, but my agent is now contacting the Immigration Officer who gave the multiple endorsement for advice. I'll probably attach the Residence Certificate to my Passport, but I've seen the cruise port entry procedure - the Immigration Officer plus Cruise Staff just stamp 2000 open passports in a large rack. You're not even allowed to have a case on your passport. Any anyone needing Visa on Arrival just pays a handling fee - and again they are not present for the stamping. So I'm a bit worried they may lose the Residence Cert, and pretty sure they will not stamp it anyway. With hindsight, I should have avoided any cruise that calls into Thai ports. But hopefully I'll get confirmation that the Multiple 1 year endorsement is enough to maintain PR whatever happens at the port.

Yes ...... I obtained mine while working in Thailand before retirement, but if I had to pay for it all myself, I'm not sure it's good value in money or time. Although I like not having to deal with annual visas/extensions of stay and 90 day/TM30 reports, and I was able to buy a condo using savings in Thailand without having to transfer out and back in. I'm guessing that getting the one year multiple stamp in my Residence Book and in my Passport before I travel is enough to prevent losing it on the cruise, but I'm not certain, so need to make more checks. The 'Warning' in the Residence book is as below, but if anyone has any more thoughts that would be helpful ..... Warning A Residence Certificate is of permanent validity but it automatically expires when the holder leaves Thailand, unless an endorsement has been made and sealed on the document by a competent Immigration Officer at an Immigration Office before departure. If the holder of an endorsed Residence Certificate returns to Thailand within one year from the date of endorsement such Residence Certificate shall be considered valid.

I'm after some advice from Permanent Residence (PR) experts .... I'm taking a short cruise from Singapore, and one of the ports of call is Phuket. When I depart from Suvarnabhumi I'll get my blue Certificate of Residence stamped as usual, but at the Phuket Port, all the immigration processes are handled by the cruise company. We hand over our passports when we board in Singapore, and don't see them again until we leave the ship back in Singapore. On a past cruise (before I got PR) I had the 12 month Extension of Stay linked to my Work Permit, but I noticed that the Thai Port Immigration just stamped my passport for the (then) 30 day visa free tourist entry - this is because they just stamp all 2000 passengers' passport en mass ..... no problem as I'd get 12 months when I flew back into Swampy. But now I have PR - missing the Residence Permit stamp at the port and getting 45 day visa free entry could be serious? I obtained a 12 month multiple exit permit at Chaengwattana Immigration (Non Quota Immigration Visa - Multiple) on Jan 3rd to cover the Phuket entry/exit, but now I'm getting worried about the stamp in the Residence book and potential impact on PR, as I've heard that you can lose PR if you exit Thailand incorrectly. Any views or advice very welcome.