ebonykap

I saw this "altercation" on the midnight news last night. Although the Thai spoken was too fast for me to understand all that was said, I could detect a slight annoyed tone in the Prime Minister's voice.

There was, however, no indication of raised voice/shouting going on.

On another note, until recent events I have been a big fan of the General. He really does need to employ some PR assistance, because I believe most leaders who are passionate about their countries would also have these slip-ups without expert help.

Unfortunately, i think the extra revenue earned by the taxi drivers will end up in the owners' pockets by raising the shift fee.

Therefore, no change to either the drivers' standard of living or quality of service; except perhaps for the owner-drivers, who are probably making a decent living already.

So, the only change will be more expensive rides for you and me! And perhaps less income for the drivers as more people seek out public transport instead.

I opened a new account at Bangkok Bank Central Rama 9 yesterday. The first thing they asked was to see my work permit. I explained that I don't work and on a non-O visa with view to retirement.

Gave passport and copy of condo lease....done in 15 minutes.

I've done it and it's quite easy PROVIDING you attended all or most classes, as I did.

My school even prepped me with their own internal exam prior to MOE test.

Thanks, but do you mean money in a Thai bank or my Oz bank?

If a Thai bank I wont have the full amount because I will be using the combo method. If my Oz account I don't have a bank book, so will a statement suffice?

If there's any doubt, it's probably better I go outside Thailand....I can make it a holiday too. Posts here suggest Laos is the best country to go to. I would like to spend a week in Phnom Penh as I have some friends there, but they are not the most friendly staff at the Consulate. Last time I used an Agent, not expensive and very good service. Do you have any recent information on Phnom Penh Consulate dealings?

When I go for my non-O Visa, what financial proof do they require?

Thanks in advance again.

Thanks for your reply Ubonjoe, and Paz for your input. You are right about my planning Paz, but my money has been tied up in an investment and will be available from 1st September.

If I can get a combination of income affidavit and money in a Thai bank totalling ฿800,000+ prior to 14th September, will I be able to change my reason for extension at CW? I would be cutting it really fine, maybe only 2 or 3 days before my current extension ends. What do you think, worth a try?

So, can I get a 90 day extension in Bangkok rather than a neighbouring country?

What financial proof will they require?

After reading 106 pages of topics here, I am still a little confused.

My ED extension ends on 14th September (next month), and I now wish to apply to remain in Thailand on long stay (retirement). I do not have the required funds in a Thai bank at this time, so I require a 90 day visa/extension of stay to enable me to deposit the money in a Thai bank for the required 60 days prior to applying for the extension of stay based on retirement.

From what I have read here, I can go to a neighbouring country and apply for a 90 day Non-O Visa, travel back to Thailand and organise my finances etc. within the first 30 days, and then apply for the 12 month long stay extension at CW immigration towards the end of my Non-O. Is that correct? If so, what documentation other than the TM7, passport/copies, photos, letter from school confirming completed studies, condo lease, are required for the Non-O? Do I need to show proof of my finances (eg, bank statement from my home country institution)? If not, is there another/better alternative?

On another note, I have recently read here that rental income may be used in combination with deposited funds. Could you please confirm this?

Ubonjoe, you have helped me before so I look forward to your comments in particular. My apologies if this has been covered before, but I'll be damned if i could find it! Thank you in advance, all assistance is greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Do you really want Bangkok to be like Singapore?

er yes it's clean, safe and has very little corruption. I don't find the blocking of pavements with sometimes dangerous stalls (food cookers) at all attractive. large amounts of the crap on sale is illegal copies which does Thailand reputation no good at all. Get rid of all the stalls selling fakes and the problem of too many sellers would probably to solved. If tourists are that interested there are plenty of markets off the road.

And it is 3x the price in almost every aspect, difficult to have good fun on a night out due to heavy rules and penalties, and you never get a smile until you pay.

I love Thailand, because I can be Thai, or I can be that stupid Farang, and as long as I am friendly, and kind and approachable I will always get a smile even if I am not paying for a Taxi ride, hand bag for my lady, or a pair of shoes. And yes, even from those Suk street vendors. For those of you about to criticize me for saying I can be Thai, if you really understand the culture you understand that it is the soul and not the skin color which allows you to become a part tuk tee, tuk khon, tuk waan (everywhere, everyone, every time).

The system needs to be better regulated, with small payments given in exchange for permits to occupy, and that money used to maintain the pavement and Police the tourist areas of beggars, pickpockets, ladyboys and fake Police officers/Security staff.

There is an avenue for improvement, but keeping the integrity of that special side of the Kingdom is much more important to me and according to other posters them also.

tuk krang - every time.....mai chai tuk wan (every day)

Well your written English seems far better than many who consider themselves qualified to teach and who then make the mistake of attempting to post here, totally destroying that illusion.

I have enjoyed each and every time I've had the opportunity to teach someone language and it just feels like a natural calling for me.

I suppose enjoying what you are doing is important, but in your entire opening post there was almost no mention of your students, past or future. Any time I ever interviewed prospective teachers in the past I always expected them to discuss what they were bringing to the table that would benefit their students and/or how they would motivated students and/or how they managed the learning experiences to best serve the interest of their students.

Reading through some of the posts in this forum, I would say that students seem to figure pretty low in the concerns & priorities of those who teach or administer here. It seems the main focus in this forum is on having some good times in exotic Thailand, coping with teacher chores that reduce the time available for having good times here in exotic Thailand, getting hired with minimal qualifications and, of course, occasionally spouting nonsense/excuses about how backward Thai schools are because they don't employ "best practices," with no view to making these alleged best practices relevant to the students one deals with in a real Thai classroom.

So I guess if you have a pulse someone will hire you to fill a vacancy but still leave a void.

You are absolutely right.... Foreigners dont come to Thailand to teach English.... Teaching English is just a means.... Its what they do to allow them to live here. These people didnt wake up one day with a passion to teach people English. Their passion is being in Thailand. Teaching English just allows them to stay here.

I really wish some people here would use quantifiers, rather than generalisations, when trying to get their point across.

I decided three years ago to live in Thailand after visiting here as a tourist several times. This country has everything I need; lovely people, nice climate and great food, along with a relaxed, laid back lifestyle.

I am over retirement age, but not ready for the scrap-heap just yet. However, without a degree (I have an Associate Diploma in Marketing), I realise my options for work here are extremely limited, so I have spent my three years here on an ED visa learning the Thai language.

I spent 30 years in management and marketing, and the most rewarding aspect of the various positions I held was, for me, training and developing my staff. I felt immense satisfaction at knowing that I had a part in helping my colleagues achieve their goals. Unfortunately, due to the rules and regulations in Thailand, I am unable to seek work teaching here, and I would really like to give something back to the country and the people that have (so far) given me so much.

Results of two psychological studies conducted 4 years apart surprisingly, to me at least, gave similar results. Verbal Aptitude 98%, Clerical Aptitude 95%, and Abstract Thinking 74%. The overall conclusion from both studies was that "He is an extremely gifted person intellectually" (their words, not mine ).

So I guess, KennyN, you are quite right in saying that I didn't/couldn't come to Thailand to teach English, and financially I don't need to. But I can't help thinking that I still have something to offer. Not as a means for living here, but as a real contribution to some peoples' lives.

ELO - 1974

And, dare I say it.......ABBA - 1976 ( I had a crush on the dark haired lass!)

Others of note - Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, ACDC (before they were famous....bloody terrible!)

I have also like a few others never had a problem with this but I suspect I am not the targeted tourist customer as I generally know where I am going and how much it costs.

Occasionally when I pick up visitors to they airport I have to block a few limo touts. As the taxi rank is on a different level from arrivals it creates opportunity for touts.

Clear information including pricing information may be a better cure than anything else here, I did also notice that in Chang Mai they now do fixed price to downtown, it is a bit of an inflated price but you know exactly what you are getting.

Touts at many airports around the world and difficult to police. And yes, they are annoying.

When they ask me, I find a direct look in their eye, a smile on your face and a firm and clear "mai ow krab, khop kun krab" is the best solution.

so, the headlines reads "machete-welding", but then says "knife wounds", and the cops are trying to figure out what happened. Does ANYONE have any actual FACTS???

"...a machete, known locally as a “sparta knife”."

..hence knife wounds. Not difficult to understand really if you possess the ability to read.

I have a Master's in English Composition and Creative writing from a well known American university. I assure you there is nothing wrong with my reading ability and comprehension. I was pointing out the fact of the shoddy writing and reporting. Or perhaps you are unable to comprehend that small fact.

".....headlines reads...."?

"lot noi dai mai khrab".............could you discount please

My first time in Thailand I took a bus trip from Bangkok to Hua Hin. Without knowing, i managed to score what I think was a 2nd or 3rd class bus, making what seemed to be about 100 stops for people to get off and on. About 5 hours later i arrived at my hotel room, only to find I had left my camera bag (DVC and digital still cam.) on the bus. The desk clerk tried to contact the bus company to no avail, but said he would try again in the morning. Next morning I saw him with a huge, beaming smile, telling me my bag was at the bus station. Unfortunately, I was unable to track the person who returned it, but rewarded the desk clerk for his persistence and effort.

In my home country there would have been two possible outcomes to this situation......buckleys and none!!

I think you meant to write 90 day not 30 day extension.

For supporting documents your old passport number should not be a problem. But for the TM7 application form will need to have your new passport number and etc on it.

Sorry....yes I meant 90 day.

TM7 has new passport number so all looks ok.

Thanks for your quick response ubonjoe.

I have a new British passport and need to go to immigration on Monday 16th to transfer the stamps and also do my 30 day extension (ED Visa).

I noticed on the documents from the school that they entered the old passport number in the forms. Do I need to get the documents changed to the new passport number, or will it be ok?

PS: If anyone is going to transfer their stamps, make sure you go to the British Embassy for the approval form. I went today without (stupidly) and they turned me away. Som nam na!

Thank you, and much appreciated in advance.

Studying Thai, while having a visa based on that is not a loophole.

In the same way that retiring in Thailand and getting a visa based on that isn't, or getting a job in Thailand (God forbid. ) and getting a visa based on that isn't a loophole.

Seems there's a lot of people hating on a rich, successful person making money with their business here.

Probably because they haven't the ability to.

For a Person to get an ED Visa in Thailand requires 4 hours per week of study. For a Thai to get an ED Visa in USA requires 18 hours per week of classroom study

I believe a student in the US is also permitted to work the rest of the time with no restriction on the type of work he can do as long as it is legal.

And foreigners on ED visas in Australia can work 20 hours per week, and during school holidays they can work full time.

Cowardice

If someone shot me in the face, I would definitely be telling the police everything I know.

Tempting to just lock him in a cell until his memory improves.

For what? Has he committed an offence by being shot?

With-holding evidence, perhaps?

If someone shot me in the face, I would definitely be telling the police everything I know.

Tempting to just lock him in a cell until his memory improves.

For what? Has he committed an offence by being shot?

With-holding evidence, perhaps?

Four young daughters whom their mothers will never see again

Possibly four young mothers who will never see their children or husbands again

Very Tragic....very sad, my condolences to their families