NoshowJones

18 hours ago, impulse said:

I don't mind paying the 300 baht as long as it's easy to pay, with no queuing up.  And no SNAFUs if paying it online.  Just add it to the airline ticket.

 

I think it's a great idea as it means (well it's supposed to) that we won't need any medical insurance.

18 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Members of the fat, ugly, big titties brigade will have to pay for sex, otherwise they would never get it.

What are you confused about? Are you one of them?

On 2/26/2025 at 9:03 AM, Harrisfan said:

Which the socialists in ww2 tried to destroy. You want that back?

Socialists????

On 2/26/2025 at 12:16 AM, hankypankee said:

If you spend enough time on this forum, you’ll notice a consistent trend: some people seem to struggle with nearly every bureaucratic or systematic process in Thailand. If the posts here were the only source of information about how things get done, you’d think it was almost impossible to live here legally.

 

From visa extensions, 90-day reports, and TM30 address reporting to opening a bank account, filing tax returns, and transferring money in and out internationally, the complaints never stop. Getting a Thai driver’s license is somehow “very complicated,” yet thousands of foreigners manage to do it without much difficulty and without hiring unnecessary consultants or agents. Meeting the financial requirements for a retirement visa is “unreasonable,” according to some, but isn’t that just the reality of living here long-term?

 

Then there’s the outrage over work permits and visa rules, the difficulties of registering a car or motorbike, and the supposed impossibility of owning property and the challenges of buying a condo (even though the laws are clear and have been for years). Some people complain that overstaying a visa results in fines and bans, as if immigration rules are ever optional anywhere in the world. Others act surprised when they run into problems with marriage and divorce laws, even though a little due diligence could have saved them the trouble.

 

Of course, bureaucracy anywhere can be frustrating. But are these really particularly massive issues in Thailand more so than in other places around the world, or are they just the standard rules of living in a foreign country? Most of these things seem to merely take a little effort, patience, and an understanding that things don’t always work exactly the way they do back home.

 

Personally, I haven’t had an exceeding amount of difficulty with any of these things over the years. It’s just a matter of following the rules, making sure you have the right paperwork, and then things move along mostly as expected.

 

So, are many of the incessant complaints in these forums legitimate, or are people just malignant moaners making life harder for themselves (and making it seem that way to others) than it really needs to be?

Name me another country where expats have to do 90 day reporting? This is the sort of thing you do to criminals on parole in a normal country.

22 hours ago, KhunLA said:

In my world, 'most', means more than half, and I'm pretty sure, not ever close to half the bus drivers are crashing.   

 

And I'm the delusional one 

 

The hate of TH & Thais is so blinding ... 😎

I hate the majority of drivers, and motorbike riders, yes majority, in Thailand.

22 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Don't need stats, as 'most' don't crash.   I'm out and about quite a bit, and people, trucks, buses & cars drive just fine.  Not much difference from the USA, and actually I feel safer when on my scooter in TH, than I did in the USA.

I am the exact opposite, I found that driving in America, my car, not motorbike, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Nashville etc etc was much safer than driving in the UK, and the drivers more courteous.

I won't mention driving in Thailand.

On 2/24/2025 at 5:05 PM, JoseThailand said:

why on earth would you do it?

 

regards,

joe

Members of the fat, ugly, big titties brigade will have to pay for sex, otherwise they would never get it.

4 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Because there would then be so  many Westerners living in Thailand that it would become crowded and over run with Westerners .

I don't think so, Thailand is not a good enough country now to attract enough westerners to come here.

16 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Entered on 30 day visa exemption.

 

Why would he have had to do 90 day reporting ?

If people want to come and live in this country or any other country and are contributing to the economy, why can't they just be left alone without all this hassle from immigration? 

Just imagine the UK if every adult was contributing to the economy instead of all these immigrants costing the taxpayer.

21 hours ago, Samh said:

In the follow up videos, why after an accident do the Thais instantly start a fight? Are Thais that deranged and violant that the instant response to an accident is to start a fight.

A lone Thai starting a fight????

On 2/22/2025 at 1:51 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Simple absentmindedness.

Simple carelessness.

Alcohol

On the phone

No training

Stupidity

Poor road signage

Poor road engineering

 

At any 'cross roads' on a 'smaller road' always stop regardless of right of way, there is nearly always another vehicle driven by someone who's outstandingly stupid and will just blow across without slowing... its astonishing.

 

------

 

Driving yesterday... Dusk, so visibility was low... that kind of awkward witching hour where some of their lights on, some don't some have their full beam on etc...  

Two lanes in each direction, traffic flowing at about 60km...  lane markers non-existent or very unclear...  road works in places so we're switching from one side to another (no central devide)

I'm following a lorry figuring he's my safety barrier if another idiot wants a head on....

 

A small Vios following decides the line of traffic is too slow...  Goes to overtake, nearly has a head on 'cos the oncoming car is outside of his lane...  Swerves inside, goes to undertake, nearly hits a parked car... swerves back to the outside and overtakes into oncoming traffic which manages to move out of their way.... 

Less than 5 mins later, this idiot in a Vios is turning left onto a smaller road (clearly close to his destination)....  

...  The mentality of these drivers - IMO - its just simple emptiness, there's nothing there, no thinking, just do, and when they do the measure of stupidity that comes with the lack of any concept of consequence is clear to see.

 

 

They just do not realise they should drive on the inside lane unless overtaking.

On a 3 lane carriageway the vast majority of Thai drivers are so stupid that they hog the

middle and outsides lanes all the time.

1 minute ago, MikeandDow said:

No amout of justification or apology can bring those people back, What Thaskin and Prawit did are the same as the death camps in WW2, At least some of the perpetrators in WW2 where brought to justice, here NON !!! Thailand should be ashamed !!

I have decided to come out of my cave "which you wanted me to go into" and agree with you entirely. 100% correct.

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Absolute brutalization of those arrested. When an arrested individual dies of suffocation on your watch, during transport, you have an awful lot to answer for. That blood will always be on your hands Thaksin. And the RTP. An apology is simply an attempt to whitewash your own history, so sorry we're not buying it.

 

You are a plague on your nation. You stole an election from the people and you will not be forgiven for any of it, ever. 

I do take your point about Thaksin and I agree with almost all of your posts, but let me point out that when I first came to Thailand to stay Thaksin was the PM in 2005.

As an expat I compare Thailand then and now, Thailand is much worse now, but compared to the UK the good still outweighs the bad.

On 2/20/2025 at 10:10 PM, scottiejohn said:

Why don't you download them from Torrent sites?

Which is the best one?

On 2/23/2025 at 6:43 AM, Harrisfan said:

I trust nature but not people. Look at how stupid the average person is. 

 

George Carlin summed up humans well.

"Look at how stupid the average person is." That's a load of nonsense, in the 20 years of living in Thailand and meeting people of all nationalities, although I have came across the odd idiot, it would be very wrong to say the average person is stupid. 

On 2/23/2025 at 5:41 AM, Georgealbert said:

 

Pictures courtesy of Matichon.

 

A Turkish traveller has vowed to share the generosity of the Thai people with the world after spending six hours attempting to hitchhike to Chiang Mai, only to be met with an outpouring of support from locals.

 

The story went viral after a Facebook user, Louis De La Maison, posted about a foreign backpacker attempting to hitch a ride from Phahonyothin Road in Rangsit. The post, which included a photograph of the traveller, read: “I found this adventurous YouTuber from Turkey trying to hitchhike to Chiang Mai. He has been standing here since morning. If anyone is heading north, perhaps they could give him a lift, even if just part of the way.”

 

Many online commentators expressed concerns over the feasibility of hitchhiking in modern Thailand, with some reminiscing that such a journey might have been possible 50 years ago. Others suggested alternative transport options, including finding a ride with vegetable trucks departing from Si Mum Mueang Market or Talaad Thai. Some users noted that they had seen the traveller waiting for hours under the scorching sun.

 

On 22 February, reporters visited the location in question, Phahonyothin Road, opposite Future Park Rangsit in Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district.

 

Ronnarong Phetcharoen, 46, who originally shared the post, recounted that he had first spotted the foreigner with a large backpack around 10. The man was making hitchhiking gestures, and by 13:00, he was still in the same spot with no luck. “My colleagues and I started wondering what he was doing there. We realised he was probably in need of help,” Ronnarong said.

 

After seeing the traveller still waiting by mid-afternoon, Ronnarong approached him with a bottle of water. “He told me his name was Deniz, and he was from Turkey. He was trying to get to Chiang Mai but had been unsuccessful in getting a ride.”

 

Despite several more hours passing, Deniz remained in the same spot. Eventually, a well-wisher wrote a sign in Thai stating, ‘Looking for a ride to Chiang Mai,’ in the hope that drivers might respond better to a written request.

 

The story gained further attention when a local news page, ‘Rangsit Community News,’ shared the post online. As a result, several concerned residents began coordinating efforts to assist Deniz. Fearing for his safety in the heat, they sought alternative solutions.

 

Kanokpol Kaewwichit, 34, another good Samaritan, recalled seeing Deniz making hitchhiking gestures for over five hours. “When I found out he was a YouTuber documenting his travels, I decided to print out a sign in Thai to help him.” Kanokpol later posted about the situation, hoping that someone would come forward to offer assistance.

 

Eventually, a group of kind-hearted individuals, including an administrator from the news page known as ‘Rose,’ arranged transport for Deniz. Before his departure, locals treated him to a meal of traditional Thai noodles and gave him a brief tour of the area, including the Rangsit City Shrine.

The bus ticket to Chiang Mai was paid for by Rose, who dismissed concerns about whether Deniz could afford his journey. “No one should judge others based on their financial situation,” she said. “He’s here to learn about Thai culture, and we should extend our hospitality.”

 

Upon safely arriving in Chiang Mai, Deniz took to social media to express his heartfelt appreciation: “Hello everyone, first of all, I want to thank everyone who helped and supported me. I waited for about six hours to hitch a ride, and the people here were so kind to assist me. One man even brought me water, while another wrote my destination on a sign. In the end, someone picked me up, treated me to delicious Thai food, and bought me a bus ticket. I will never forget your kindness.”

 

Deniz, who has travelled to 25 countries, described himself as an adventurer rather than a conventional tourist. “I don’t come to places just for fun or partying. I want to learn about cultures and meet new people. My journey through Asia started in Sri Lanka, followed by India and Nepal. Now, I am discovering the richness of Thai culture.”

 

A content creator, Deniz also runs a YouTube channel documenting his travels. He promised to share his experience of Thai generosity with the world. “Thailand is a beautiful country, and the people are incredibly kind. I will tell everyone about the help I received here.”

 

-- 2025-02-23

 

Maybe if he took care of his appearance he would have got a lift without waiting for hours. I would not like someone looking like that sitting next to me.

5 minutes ago, actonion said:

And a lot of  Mentally disturbed Thai's  use weapons

and Brits, Aussies and other farangs don't?? 

On 2/22/2025 at 3:12 PM, MikeandDow said:

lots of Thai nut jobs out there

Nut jobs in any country, don't just blame Thailand. If you take away the road behaviour, I think you will find the average Thai's are pretty decent.

48 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Not quite. 

 

Whilst you will no doubt be able to satisfy the requirements for the 'new' extension based on marriage, your problem is not being able to evidence adherence to the terms of approval LAST year....ie 800k 2 month prior to approval, 800k for 3 months after approval and then not falling below 400k.

 

I think that it would do no harm to talk to your local IO as practices do vary from office to office.

I might just do that but I have nearly a year. Thanks for your output.

On 2/18/2025 at 9:39 PM, swissie said:

Recent Visitors/long term Expats may not know this. There was a time in Thailand where a "long-term" visa consisted of a monthly "border-run" to Cambodia. To be repeated endlessly, having fun on the monthly run, a change of pace. That was the "long-term-visa" for everybody.

 

The only persons that asked you "where you come from and how long you stay" where the bar-ladies. Immigration was not interested in such trivial things. One could have rented a car with a drivers licence of eastern Timbuktu. The word "feminism" was known, but interpreted as "a female must look as female as possible". Hotel clerks mostly unfamiliar with the western ABC.  Everyone welcome with some kind of stamp on some strange paper. That was a long time ago.

And today? A strict visa concept. Farangs having to pay taxes. Tel-Phone SIM Cards readable by "authorities". Hurdles to even open a bank account? While at the same time "property -rights" for Farangs have not been "liberalised". For example.

Boy, those were the days, when the only worrie a Farang had, was to miss the monthly mini-bus to the Cambodian border. Days gone by.

 

When I first came here about 20 years ago, it was a 90 day border run (In my case your nearest border) to get your passport stamped. Cost 500Bt. Not every month.

9 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

The issue is that only retirement extensions can be approved locally, at the discretion of the IO  -  marriage extensions are sent up the line for sign off. Coupled with fact that you first have to evidence adherence to the last terms of approval (you can't) it forces you back to the agent.

 

I imagine that the only way you could do this is to let the current approval lapse and then start over again, on a marriage basis, with 400k in your bank.

I understand what  you are saying in your first paragraph. You mean when my present retirement extensions  finish, I should just go to my local IO, and they will just automatically send my marriage application up the line for sign off and it will make no difference that I was on retirement extensions for years with an agent, and then I go through all the formalities, bank account, house visits etc.

21 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I know many people who use agents that do qualify they just don't want to waste time at immigration. 

And, there are a lot of businesses here that employ legal foreigners who use the agents to process them.  

I opened a new account with another Thai bank about a year ago, (I was very unhappy with my present bank,) sending money from my UK bank because I wanted to go on the the marriage extensions.

I was told by two visa experts on this forum that because I was on retirement extensions with an agent it could be problematic.

It was mentioned that when I went to my local IO they would notice there was no 800,000 Bt in my Thai bankbook and that could cause problems. I am now left with dealing with my agent who is providing an excellent service, when I should be able to go to my local IO for marriage extensions.

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

You've clearly not been around very long. Prem Tinsulanonda was prime minister from 1980 to 1988, and a highly respected figure. The people united under his premiership. It was a good time to be in Thailand. He died in 2019, another event you appear to have missed.

I came here in 2005 when Thaksin was PM. Why should I be interested in any Thai PM before that?