MAMMartin

5 hours ago, robblok said:

So its not the government keeping them closed its the owners thinking it wont be profitable if they have to follow the rules. 

 

I don't get it what is the problem with the 50% capacity. I mean its not as if they would be at 100% capacity in low season anyway. 

 

 

is that why you don't run a bar?  at 50% capacity and increased expense of staff to monitor and clean there's no profit in it - why open to lose money?

- is that Random Police or Police doing random checks?

- you do fit the profile.  foreigner on his own walking around the streets where they sell illegal merchandise

- " Is this normal behavour by police" - yes but not by The Random Police

- " So next trip I go to a country that don't treat me like a criminal" - excellent idea, but you won't be able to get your viagra, dildos etc on every corner!

comments from the armchair warriors that have never run a hotel - gotta love 'em

I think you're right about DHL/FedEx insuring it if they know what is in the box.  However, Customs will definitely know once it arrives and my experience of them is not good. 

Eg. 1 a box of 25 catalogues to give customers - had to pay 2,000 baht to get them into the country (FedEx handled it)

Eg. 2 a friend bringing over his own clothes as he was over the baggage limit in the UK.  Customs wanted so much it was cheaper to send them back to the UK (Customs assumed he was trying to resell second hand designer clothing)

Eg. 3 Well known global company bringing in office furniture - held up at customs as the "rules" changed so new documents were required to be able to pay the import duty - customs offered the usual fast track service for a fee - Global Company can't be seen to pay "bribes" so went through the 2 month process to get their container released.

My advice bring it over by hand as there is a good chance you will pay more than it is worth to get your delivery.  Alternatively see how much you are offered in the Philippines - you may get a good price and dealers of gold know what they are looking at.

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

 

Like you I wonder how she got infected on the plane.

 

I did a Google search and came up with this.

 

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/necrotizing-fasciitis-flesh-eating-bacteria#1

 

Every year, between 600 and 700 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. About 25% to 30% of those cases result in death. It rarely occurs in children.

How Do You Get Necrotizing Fasciitis?

The bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis can enter the body following surgery or injury. They can also enter the body through:

minor cuts

insect bites

abrasions

In some cases, it is unknown how the infection began. Once it takes hold, the infection rapidly destroys muscle, skin, and fat tissue.

because it can be caught through inhalation - as it is airborne (mentioned in the article and easily found if you look at a better Google search rather than a skin problems page)

16 hours ago, Aussietraveller said:

Travel was as follows.

Kids travelled Australia to BKK on their Australian Passports

Stayed in LOS several weeks

Travelled BKK to HKG on Australian Passports

Stay 1 week

Depart HKG on Australian Passports

Arrive BKK and at that point the kids were refused entry on their Thai passports

Immigration officer said we could use their Australian Passports, but not their Thai.

His manner to me suggested that it was more about his power than anything.

He refused to talk to me and would only speak to my wife who responded with thai subservience to Authority and a few Ka,s

They knew we had been using another passport as the kids Thai passports were new, with no stamps.

 

you say BKK to HKG on Australian Passports - it depends what they left BKK on.  If they left on their Aussie passports they would have had to show their entry visa.  If they left on their Thai passports they would need to have filled in their TM card.

Btw wanting to tear up their Thai passports and throw them on the floor is a mature approach.  Which one was the prick?

moral of the story should be Don't Do The Gardening

Corruption in Thailand generally.

Also, if we want to get to the root of the problem, we might consider, as an example, that the entry-level salary for a police officer here is around 8k Baht a month.

Last year a friend of mine managed to get a UK visit visa for his girlfriend after forking over 35k Baht to an "agent".

She would almost certainly not have been able to get a visa without the "fee".

There were no British staff in evidence at the Embassy on my last visit there.

What does your last comment have to do with your first 2?

Then your friend possibly wasted the 35k

the visas aren't granted by the processing centre or by the Thai's that work at the embassy.

I too know people that have used agents and personally all they do is collate the paperwork and present it well - not worth the money!

Well you cant cure stupid

yes you can - he self medicated!

I hope she gets better, but once again a lesson in having proper insurance for those who bleat they self insure, or live on a wing and prayer.... I would bet most of the "self insurers s" wouldn't even have anywhere close to that amount of cash to hand

"Following the accident on 10 May, an appeal to raise money to cover the cost of her care has so far raised more than £230,000."

Well done for getting the first comment in of bitching about something you don't have the full details to. Your assumption that an appeal to raise money means she had no insurance shows that all you wanted to do was have a dig. She may well have had insurance - the article doesn't say. A lot of travel insurance will not cover motorbike accidents in Asia because they are prolific, people don't have crash helmets and people ride bikes without experience. Yes a lot of tourists in Asia travel without insurance, yes a lot of them put out appeals to raise money when it goes wrong but a lot do have insurance and still don't get covered.

Why not advocate for compulsory insurance or something constructive rather than having a moan about the victim.

Whilst I admire Mr Halls courage and work it is gullible to think consequences won't flow in such a corrupt situation.

The government like to silence people westerners included who might raise further questions on not just companies but them.

Why do you think he was gullible? - having been here 11 years I'd guess he knew what was likely to happen. The world gives very little time to activist journalists in the main stream press so good to see the Telegraph covering the story still.

It is often difficult to give definitive advice on Thai immigration matters. It is particularly difficult when we do not know your nationality, prior visa history for Thailand, and whether you have ever had applications refused in the past.

The nationality is known !

Check the posting history ...................

Rightly or wrongly, I spend only a few minutes a day on this site. This does not give me time to research what might have been posted by the member weeks or months ago that could be relevant. I think it reasonable that someone posting questions here try to present the full pertinent facts without expecting other members to engage in forensic analysis.

in the OP's original question (just at the top of the page) he states his country is India. So what's your advice?

Nit pick time:

"Murder capital" would be money (capital) used to invest in murder

"Murder capitol" would be informal center of murder, along lines of "hub of murder" I would guess.

Well nit pick correctly!

Murder Capital - can refer to a city (as in capital city of a country)

Capital - can mean money but actually refers to assets that could be money or property

Capital - can also mean something is very good (old fashioned expression)

but your best error is capitol!

Capitol - refers to a building or a group of buildings that state legislative meets. If you were to capitalize it - Capitol - then it refers directly to the building in Washington DC

As I spend songkran working in Bangkok I can safely say over the last 9 years Bangkok is probably the easiest place to avoid getting wet at Songkran in Thailand (depending where you live)

Avoid On Nut road -water bath from Srinakarin to Sukhumvit

Avoid soi cowboy, Patpong, Nana and Soi 22 for sure.

Ratchada - minor amounts

Depends how you travel around - but I don't think I've been hit with Songkran water in the last 4 years except by choice

NO LOX FOR YOU !!

Or you could try making your own:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/how-to-make-your-own-lox/

Lox is not "smoked salmon" but rather cured un-smoked salmon.

Delicious !

Well that's a little nonsensical.

note: un-smoked salmon is actually called Salmon (it isn't swimming around smoked)

Smoked Salmon is cured Salmon by smoking it (to smoke fish or meat is to cure it - albeit it didn't know it was unwell)

Lox is cured Salmon by curing it with a salt rub or brine similar to gravlax

I don't think you can work on a non-O that has been granted for being a parent - only as the spouse of a Thai. Regardless, recently at immigration in Chaengwattana they have questioned a number of my married staff why they want non-O visas and not non-B's (now you need 4 Thai employees for the non-O rather than the 2 as before). So I would suggest if you need a visa to work in the restaurant you effectively own and run - then go with the Non-B.

Note if you are arriving with a Non-B you will not have your work permit it has to be applied for later. Plus to get a Non-B locally you need to have a WP3 as supporting documents

Bars can now be sold with a new feature - the Baht Per Metre Rate

When Gordon Ramsey was doing is travel cooking show - Great Escape - for his trip to Thailand he had a competition with Thai chef McDang son of the most famous Thai chef and in that McDang uses a pre-made paste as he says in Thailand they're all great and no-one makes their own.

It's the final part of the show

if this is a condo why have you bought it in a Thai company name? if less than 49% of the condo block is owned by foreigners you can have the condo in your own name. It would then go to your daughter if something was to happen to you.

No point having a company to own a condo

It's you wage, control the use of it.

No money for her debts.

No money for her family.

Pay all household bills yourself.

Give her a small amount of spending money each day.

Don't let her find your bank book or ATM card.

Then let her threaten away.

No need to move out, no need to lose anything.

You may need to grow a pair she seems like a banshee. Do like Custer did and make a stand or your pain will only continue and increase. Good Luck

"do like custer did ... " - he was killed

You only need passport validity equal to your allowed stay to enter the country.

If you are from the UK you should consider applying for a new passport while you are there. You can get one on the same day you apply by using the premium service,

See: https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

The fast track service to get you passport back in within a week costs about the same as getting a passport here. https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y/thailand/renewing_new/adult

The months remaining on your current passport will be added on to your new passport validity.

Not 100% sure - but if you do get a new passport in the UK you will need to send your current one with the application, it will then be returned clipped as expired. As your Non-B visa is in the old passport you will not be able to transfer it over to the new passport in the UK, or the multiple re-entry. thus your return to Thailand will be hindered.

Unless I'm completely wrong on the above - I'd apply for the new passport here once you get back (note applying before hand doesn't allow you to travel on the old passport even though you retain it for ID purposes).

Best holiday ever? Lucky man meets new girlfriend, falls in love - and she wins him £254,000

A holidaymaker who fell head over heels for his new Thai girlfriend while travelling there was having the time of his life - but then things got a LOT better.

The lucky Dubliner picked up his £254,000 winnings (€350,000) today after scoring top prize in last weekend's Lotto Plus draw.

And he has his new love to thank after she picked his numbers for him - and also landed a €3 scratchcard on the golden ticket.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/best-holiday-ever-lucky-man-6318595