HOAX

I have a Norwegian uncle at same age in Khonkaen. I don't know much about his girlfriend except that I've seen a picture once of her with her 2 or 3 Thai kids from previous relationship(s). I've tried to call him several times but his phone is shut off. He usually calls his sister (my aunt) every Friday but he haven't called yet.

Will someone who knows this Norwegian man please PM me his name or something so I can clarify?

Thank you.

A topic in another forum was posted yesterday and has been closed as this topic became available. Check this topic:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/632312-help-for-oyvind-holmen/#entry6294669

Thanks for your quick reply.

Ok, it wasn't my uncle.

RIP and my condolences goes to his family and friends. I hope his girl makes it.

The traffic in Thailand is a depressing thing.

I have a Norwegian uncle at same age in Khonkaen. I don't know much about his girlfriend except that I've seen a picture once of her with her 2 or 3 Thai kids from previous relationship(s). I've tried to call him several times but his phone is shut off. He usually calls his sister (my aunt) every Friday but he haven't called yet.

Will someone who knows this Norwegian man please PM me his name or something so I can clarify?

Thank you.

Imagine, a Hollywood anti-bacteria-actress with a freaksmile while ordering chicken on the street when she sees the food spits out of the open mouth of the sales woman, and not to mention the unclean "kitchen", bugs, dogs and the pollution.

High-end tourists? Haha. Most Thais don't even have a clue what a High-end life is. There's like... a trillion things... It will... take generations...

I "lost" 11 000 baht this month compared to last month (seriously, no joke), converting Norwegian Kroner to Thai Baht. I'm shocked how it can swing like that just in a single month. If you wonder how much I was taking out to compare it with the loss, you can figure that out with a ruff calculation. All I want to say is that it was beyond noticeable.

Keep in mind that the NOK is one of the strongest currencies in the world. A nation with good economy. World's 5th largest oil exporter and high oil prices contributes to a strong NOK http://sovereignsociety.com/files/2012/07/SI-G.png

Here you can see NOK vs THB http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=NOK&to=THB (Though it doesn't seem to be 100% correct, the graph for a whole year will give you a nice and realistic overview)

The last three years, from what I've personally noticed, 1 NOK has been between 5.20 - 5.55 THB (mostly around 5.40-5.50), but at the time I took out money last Tuesday, it was 4.86. It's now gone up to 5.02 but it's still far away from what it was just a month ago. Sadly I had no choice but losing those money since I had something that had to be paid.

Luckily I can afford it but I see an industrial problem and a noticeable problem for some tourists and farangs in Thailand, if it continues. Hopefully for me it will end up in a little crash or something. I just don't think Thailand as an industry country and the Thai Baht is strong enough to be playing to much around with. My logic guess is that it will backfire.

Horrific!

All kind of imaginable revenge-episodes goes through my mind, but this is a job for the police. Let's hope they do their job thoroughly and with good results.

These young pensioned off Norwegians have nothing better to do all day than drink. Mix that with firearms, especially without experience, accidents are bound to happen......what on Earth a father is doing waving it around with a 3 year old girl present beggars belief.

I'm a young pensioned off Norwegian. 7 years younger than him. Unnecessary of you to stigmatize us all with something negative, (grumpy old man?).

Yep, I get free money. Money I mostly spend on helping kids around in the area, like education, kindergarden, school bus, football and other activities. Bear in mind that I haven't been in Thailand for so long because I'm a "young Norwegian drinking all day".

... and by the way, it's 3682 Norwegians between 20-24 that's pensioned off (April 2012). Quite a rear moment for you to actually getting to speak with one of the 3682 Norwegians you don't like, isn't it?

I have Norwegian friends and family members here in Thailand, but non of them are young pensioned off bastards like me. The young guys sure drink much when they are here, but they all either got work in Norway (avg. salery in Norway is about 170 000 Baht a month) or online study vacation (a trend in Scandinavia). The older guys are living on their hard working retirements.

A sum up translation of an article from Dagbladet:

-------

A 34 years old man from Norway was shot and taken to hospital with serious injuries in Wang Chin district in north Thailand yesterday morning.

Police have arrested a local man after the shooting. A Thai newspaper links the shooting as family-related, but the circumstances around the shooting is, this morning, unclear.

The detained man have explained there was a fight between them before shots was fired. The local police tells Dagbladet that the investigators don't believe his explaination.

.....

According to the Utenriksdepartementet (Foreign Department/Affairs) The man was shot in the head, had an operation this morning and is not in a critical situation.

(Norwegian) http://www.dagbladet.no/2013/01/28/nyheter/skyting/drapsforsok/25471792/

60 hours... eh, a cat or an infant maybe. I would compare them (in strenght) with Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) and Xanor/Xanax. Taking a mg of Fluniz will make you sleep up to 20 hour, if you've never taken them before. Taking 5 mg wont make you any sleep longer, but rather shorter, but more drowsy/dizzy/intoxicated when you wake up.

The article probably just copied what the medical description of an benzo-overdose is: Drowsiness, dizziness etc... what others would refer as intoxicated.

Yawn!!!

some people would be outraged at the monk that was having an affair, or the monk that was selling drugs recently, or the monk that was kiddy fiddling. Some people are outraged at the Chiang Mai school that had students dressed as Nazis. Most Germans and Jews are outraged that Thailand sells Swastika t- shirts. And just about every luxury label maker is outraged that Thailand sells fake copies of their goods. I am outraged that Sukhumvit road is now just an open air sex shop with all the stall holders having dildos etc on public view.

Somebody should tell these monks/Thai government to get their own house in order before they criticise other countries/organisations.

there feel better now.

There's no question about the ones who made the decisions on the use of the nazi uniform, Hitler-mascots and other nazi-swastika (red, white and black) symbols printed or painted on items knew exactly what it meant and had no good intentions with it, but it's wrong telling Buddhists not to use the Swastika. It has been part of the Buddhist religion since the beginning of Buddhism (2555 years). Many different kinds of Swastika's are being used by the Buddhists, even the red straightforward Swastika. Around the world the Swastika has many different meanings, dates back as early as the bronze age, over 3000 years ago and is still being used all over the world today. Germany tried to ban the use of Swastika in EU in 2005 but it was rejected by most EU-members since the Swastika was being used by many, mostly in spiritual context.

I was here in 2008 and I had a 3G capable Nokia phone then... And I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one capable of mobile 3G back then. Maybe even you had a 3G phone back in the good ole' days.

DTAC certainly made a big deal back in 2008 in announcing the arrival then (supposedly) of their 3G network... and how it was going to transform Thailand...So at least DTAC must have thought and believed back then in 2008 (FOUR YEARS AGO!) that there was a market for it... unlike you Loma...

The three benefits of 3G

The NTC’s approval of the 3G upgrade comes at a good time; the country needs investments in vast projects to stimulate its overall economy. The decision also helps boost the confidence of the general public and investors in the growth potential of the nation. The company believes the approval for mobile phone operators to develop 3G services will result in three advantages at the same time:

• Consumers will enjoy better and faster access to information through high-speed telecommunications networks, as people in other countries are experiencing.
  
• The decision benefits the overall telecommunications industry because the 3G technology will lead to active development among mobile phone operators and related entrepreneurs such as mobile phone vendors, application developers and content producers.
  
• The decision will contribute to national economic and social development because 3G systems will expand information access to all regions of the country, especially remote areas that are longing for efficient telecommunications and Internet networks.
  

Five billion baht investment plan

dtac will build about 1,200 new base stations during the first phase of the upgrade plan, at an estimated cost of approximately five million baht. Initially dtac introduces 3G services in Bangkok, Phuket and Chon Buri, which are major provinces with high market demands. The company is confident that it will complete the installation and launch commercial services within one year after obtaining official approval. [Emphasis added]

http://telenor.com/n...ts-green-light/

And as for the issue of mobile 3G service in rural/remote areas of Thailand, note what DTAC was saying four years ago.

3G systems will expand information access to all regions of the country, especially remote areas that are longing for efficient telecommunications and Internet networks.

That's true. I remember, and it didn't take long time before Telenor started complaining about their frustrations with the Thai government. They would never stop pointing fingers. And there was also an lawsuit going on.

Anyways... the argument between TOT, CAT, NBTC and the congress now seems to be over. DTAC won the auction Oct. 16 and can now continue with their real 3G plan. What Thailand have now is in reality just an upgraded 2G.

DTAC will spend 40 billion baht over the next 3 years on 3G, which they say will cover 80% of the Thai population.

DTAC has completed its 4G trial after offering mobile broadband in the Rama IV and Siam Square areas since 01 October. The test, via aircards and 4G-compliant smartphones, achieved a maximum speed of 150 Mbps for data download. Though 4G LTE can handle upto 1GB and perhaps even more, 150 Mb is at leased a lot better than what is offered today. AIS and DPC held their 4G trail test back in January. DTAC were not granted the 4G test license then by NBTC and had to wait til October.

DTAC say they already have 4G-ready bases across BKK but are still waiting for licenses (given by NBTC). 4G-ready (1800MHz) isn't as fast as 4G LTE (2300MHz), but I remember reading a while ago that DTAC was talking about LTE.

Lets hope they will get the licenses soon so they can start with 4G as well.

Takes huge nards to go on about being a 4G leader when you

have not yet got all 3G up and running everywhere

Having the capability and using and implementing it are very different things

Dtac was first to come with 3G in Thailand, that even after the gov held back it's licensing for a year over it's time. It took Dtac 5 years to get the go ahead, and the mother-company (Telenor) has expressed frustration with the government here in Thailand. Telenor says it's a chaotic mess, with the system organizing being pulled from all kinds of directions within the government. The only reason why there aren't more base stations are because of the gov and not Dtac.

NTC already hinted to the media that Dtac (foreign) dominance in Thailand was not welcomed. AIS is experiencing the same issues after Thaksin were forced to sell AIS. Even Financial Times have been critical to the Thai government's unfair treatment of the foreign owned telecom companies and the licencing process.

Telenor have been finished with 3G in most countries for a while except from Cuba, Burma and Thailand. They have already started with 4G in most countries they are operating in.

The government also require foreign telecom companies to pay 25% of all income to CAT plc. AIS (owned by Singtel/Temasek, which is owned by the Singaporean government) pays to TOT.

LudoMobil (Thailand) AS, a private owned Norwegian telecom company, also confirms the same turbulence with the Thai government. Ludo is a recently new started company. Idar Vollvik, the owner, got famous for buying his previous telecom company Chess for 20 million baht (4 million NOK), then 4 years with success he sold it for 12.5 billion baht (2.5 billion NOK) and after a short time had lost everything by gambling it away on lousy stocks.

The problem isn't Dtac. It's the Thai nationalists unwillingness, hate and ignorance. They kinda shot themselves in the foot when they forced Thaksin to sell AIS, which got sold to Singapore. That's when the problems started.

Well, it isn't quite true that they forced him to sell to Singtel, he brokered the deal himself. He rode his monopoly as far as he could, and then saw it start to be eroded by DTAC and True. If they would just realise that developing mobile networks is of absolulte strategic importance to the country, and it doesn't matter which geography in the world this capital comes from. Telenor got in, but I would have to wonder if they think it was all worth it, but they face the same issue that AIS faced? Who to sell to? Who are the Thai companies with the money to buy it? CP? Oh they are in already.

PTT phone? Siam Cement Telephones? No one is interested in getting in as long as these restrictive laws are in place. So, there will be no Vodafone Thailand, no NTT, no T-Mobile Thailand, because they can't be bothered to deal with the crap that goes on here, and so even though the licenses are issued, the market is comfortably split, no new players, no innovation, no impetus to make it better.

All in the country's best interests right?

According to the media though, he was "forced" to sell AIS due to him becoming the Prime Minister, since it was against the law (disqualification/conflict of interest). That he chose to sell the company to Singapore was probably his own choice.

Takes huge nards to go on about being a 4G leader when you

have not yet got all 3G up and running everywhere

Having the capability and using and implementing it are very different things

Dtac was first to come with 3G in Thailand, that even after the gov held back it's licensing for a year over it's time. It took Dtac 5 years to get the go ahead, and the mother-company (Telenor) has expressed frustration with the government here in Thailand. Telenor says it's a chaotic mess, with the system organizing being pulled from all kinds of directions within the government. The only reason why there aren't more base stations are because of the gov and not Dtac.

NTC already hinted to the media that Dtac (foreign) dominance in Thailand was not welcomed. AIS is experiencing the same issues after Thaksin were forced to sell AIS. Even Financial Times have been critical to the Thai government's unfair treatment of the foreign owned telecom companies and the licencing process.

Telenor have been finished with 3G in most countries for a while except from Cuba, Burma and Thailand. They have already started with 4G in most countries they are operating in.

The government also require foreign telecom companies to pay 25% of all income to CAT plc. AIS (owned by Singtel/Temasek, which is owned by the Singaporean government) pays to TOT.

LudoMobil (Thailand) AS, a private owned Norwegian telecom company, also confirms the same turbulence with the Thai government. Ludo is a recently new started company. Idar Vollvik, the owner, got famous for buying his previous telecom company Chess for 20 million baht (4 million NOK), then 4 years with success he sold it for 12.5 billion baht (2.5 billion NOK) and after a short time had lost everything by gambling it away on lousy stocks.

The problem isn't Dtac. It's the Thai nationalists unwillingness, hate and ignorance. They kinda shot themselves in the foot when they forced Thaksin to sell AIS, which got sold to Singapore. That's when the problems started.

2032?

If the Thai population growth, tourism growth and the development and economy growth is on the same path as the latest years then 90 million by 2032 is definitely not good enough.

btw... wasn't there a topic about moving the capital up north? Oh they must be think way ahead, like year 2873 or something, my bad.

You are most likely right on that. I wouldn't recommend it either.

That's why I wrote trust in apostrophe. I've learned that honesty doesn't weigh much in Thailand. Thai people lie alot, for all kinds of reasons. not just to farangs but also between thai friends and family. No one seems to care much about it like we farangs do.

Another very informative reply. Thanks

Now if you're trying to maximise the amount of time you can stay in Thailand on that triple entry visa....it's all based on you getting the timing correct,

You need to pay careful consideration to that expiration date,,,the must be used by or before date on the visa..

It's just a small issue I've been aware of for a month now, in Norway the Thai consulate now uses "up to" 1 month instead of the 10 working days it used to take. I can't get away with losing some days I'm afraid.

I doubt they use a whole month, but it's better to get my passport back in time, then having to do it over again which will cost me another 30 000 baht (including flight ticket).

Here's my story 3 month ago.

The immigration office in BKK told me if I overstayed 1 day I will not be given a red stamp but a 500 baht fine. They all recommended me to overstay that 1 day instead of paying the 1900 baht it cost for a 7 days extension.

They insisted on overstaying 1 day didn't have any consequences what so ever. They told me I'll just have to pay a fine of 500 baht at the airport when leaving the country.

Though I chose to "trust" them on that and overstayed 1 day, the visa control lady (right after the passport control) didn't notice it or she just let me through without ripping me off. Perhaps it was my smile

I've been like a visa-zombie for 2 years ... and it wasn't harder than that. Now I finally got it.

Thanks alot wayned (you also Maestro). Very helpful and very well explained.

Topic bookmarked.

Aha, so that's how it works. When writing 180 days, those numbers does not include the 3 extensions directly, but when I've been in Thailand for 2 months and go for an extension stamp (1 900 baht) I get 30 days extra (which is not counted in the 180 days itself). Then I go for a border run and the same process follows 2 more times, correct?

Thx for your reply.

Ok, so I'll have to go with a double-entry 120 days or do I write 180 days?

(120 days = 60 days + 30 days extension + 60 days + 30 days extension)

(180 days = 30 days per month, 6 months)

Hi, good morning guys

I was just wondering if anyone here knows if it's possible to get a 9 months triple-entry tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in Norway?

Their website isn't very informative. It mention 6 months though. I've spoken to other Europeans in Thailand, some saying they do 9 months in their countries and others saying their countries do not. Never met any Norwegians in Thailand exept my uncle, but he doesn't know.

If I try 9 months and they decline, will they just send everything back in return with no visa at all or do they reduce it to their limit, lets say 6 months?

Last question, when I fill out the application form with 9 months (triple-entry), how many days do I write (274 days or 180 days which excludes the three extensions)?

Thx!

Been a reader here for a long time, perhaps 6-7 years.

Btw... Where is ThaiVisa located?

Congratulations guys, and thanks!

PM learning the ropes of politics quickly

Schooling is usually something PM's are done with before they're sworn in...

... unless they're puppets.

... and that's just some hours of heavy rain. What will happen when it's heavy rain for 3 days or even 7 days? It WILL happen. Maybe not this year or next year but of course it will happen.

Doing it the easy way is one option. Doing the real hard work is another thing. Seems like they've just kinda pointed the water to the poorest, outside the cities.

Cronic diseases hunts the whole world, not just Thailand. I read somewhere that 1/3 of the Thai population will at some point in their lifetime get cancer. That's the same as in Norway, but survival rate is a lot lower in Thailand.

Other than of course make us immune to cancer or something, Thailand must offer a lot more to the people. Follow-up-programs, better experts, more experts and letting people know the risks and what to do before you get cancer and when you suspect something wrong.

DTAC or Telenor as we call it in Scandinavia , is one of the leadiing telecom companies, worth Billion of dollars worldwide.

10 mill Baht is nothing , they will earn that back within minutes,

But it could be costly if DTAC will be fined every time there is a small problem , what about the other Thai owned companies ?

Yes this is discrimination , but Telenor dont care much about that , as long as they own 50% of the market..

Same in India now , a lot of problems and a heavy fine they never paid , went to court and won the case.

Now they will start building the infrastructure that India needs and as a result maybe 200 million new customers in India.

World wide.. the only thing Scandinavian that's world wide, is the common cold and skoda.

Skoda is a Czech Rep company, Owned by German Volkswagen.

Telenor -

• Telenor Norge AS (Norway)
  
• djuice (Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Ukraine and more)
  
• Talkmore (Norway)
  
• Telenor Broadcast Holding
  
  • Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (Norway)
    
  • Canal Digital (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland)
    

  [*]Telenor Danmark Holding

  • Sonofon (Denmark)
    
  • CBB Mobil (Denmark)
    
  • Tele2 Danmark (Denmark)
    
  • Cybercity (Denmark)
    

  [*]Telenor AB (Sweden)

  • Bredbandsbolaget (Sweden)
    
  • Glocalnet (Sweden)
    

  [*]Pannon GSM (Hungary)

  [*]Telenor d.o.o. (Serbia)

  [*]ProMonte (Montenegro)

  [*]Kyivstar GSM (Ukraine)

  [*]DiGi (Malaysia) (45 %)

  [*]DTAC (Thailand)

  [*]Grameenphone (Bangladesh) (62 %)

  [*]Telenor Pakistan (Pakistan)

  [*]Uninor (India) (60% in 2009)

• VimpelCom (Russia and many other countries) (36,4 %)
  
• NTV (Norway) (33,3 %)
  
• RiksTV (Norway) (33,3 %)
  

• Maritime Communications Partner AS
  
• AeroMobile
  
• Telenor Sverige (Sweden)
  
• Sonofon (Denmark)
  
• CBB Mobil (Denmark)
  
• Pannon (Hungary)
  
• Kyivstar (Ukraine) (54 %)
  
• Bredbandsbolaget (Sweden)
  

• Glocalnet (Sweden)
  
• Cybercity (Denmark)
  
• Tele2 Danmark (Denmark)
  

• Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (3 satellites in Space at 1° west)
  
• A-pressen (Norway) (47,8 %)
  
• TV2 Zebra (Norway) (50 %)
  

Including many, many other companies and shares in other telecom companies.

Telenor is the 4th largest telecom network company in the world, after China Mobile, Vodafone and Airtel.