Kerryd
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Posts posted by Kerryd
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Throw it into the bucket of examples of China's slowing growing control of Thailand.
As mentioned before, people see one story like this and ignore it as a "single little thing" that isn't a part of some "greater plan".
Because they've forgotten (or never paid attention to) all the other "single little things" that China has done, or is doing, or wants to do.
Chinese investors want to build new super hi-rise condo buildings (that was a few years ago).
China wants to build a high speed rail line from China to Thailand (that China will own and control for a very long time before eventually turning over the Thai portion to Thailand).
China wants in on a proposed "land bridge" linking the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand. (To be owned and operated by China - probably for a period of 55+ years like their deals in Cambodia for the new airports they built there.)
Thailand grants China full "Visa exemption" privileges.
Thailand - coincidentally - increases the "Visa Exemption" period from 30 to 60 days.
The Chinese love gambling. Thailand has strictly forbidden it for ages (probably before the days of Rama I).
Thailand busts top money-launderer connected to numerous online gambling sites.
Suddenly, Thailand wants to legalize gambling.
Remember the story and scandal about finding Chinese police officers - in uniform - "working" in Thailand ?
(Canada and other countries also found that the Chinese had "unofficial" police stations running in their countries, looking for dissidents and keeping tabs on Chinese citizens in those countries.)
Sheesh, that makes the "all Chinese" advertising billboards offering to sell passports seem inconsequential by comparison !
Remember the condos ? Suddenly Thailand wants to change the "49% foreign ownership" rules which will allow condo buildings to be "majority owned by foreigners".
Thailand says it's because there's a glut of unsold "high end" condos (from between a couple thousand to a couple hundred thousand depending which "official" is making an announcement it seems). Apparently they are all in the 20-30 million baht price range !
The officials are saying that the "new ownership" rules will only apply to condos in certain "zoned" areas.
(Sounds like a plan for Chinese condos, built by Chinese "front companies", in "zoned" areas where they can control who buys those condos and give them 99 year leases to ensure they maintain control of the buildings.)
(Funny, how did all those thousands and thousands of supposedly unsold high end condos all end up in the "zoned" areas that haven't even been approved or designated yet ? Unless they already know where those zones will be and are just waiting for those "high end" condos to be built ?
Some might good fortune telling going on somewhere !)
99 year Leases - almost as good as ownership (depending on the details and costs of course). And a useful way to get around the "51% Thai ownership" issue.
Simply sell 49% of the units in your new Condo building to "foreign" owners/companies (that you control), then lease the other 51% - to the same owners/companies (or different owners/companies that you also control).
Essentially the building and the land are now yours for the next century.
And you can make sure no pesky "non-Chinese" gweilos (white devils) move in !-
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All "search engine" type sites like Expedia, Kayak, Agoda and so on leave "cookies" on your computer. In most cases it's so the next time you visit that site it knows your preferences and what you searched for last time.
And because they know the details (dates, times, destinations, etc) of what you searched for before, they know they can give you similar results - for more money - because now maybe you are a little more desperate.
It was a tip over 20 years ago that you should delete your cache, cookies and browsing history before visiting any of those sites - and again if you go back to one you'd recently visited. (These days it seems it takes an hour to finally delete everything.)
Some years ago when I was booking a lot of flights for myself (working out of the country) I found a number of tips to make things better.
One time I searched for a flight from Dubai to Bangkok to Manila to Vancouver. The travel website (Expedia or Kayak I think) gave me a price that was $1,200 more than booking it myself through the airline's website(s). And that was after I'd cleared my browser data and after I'd tried different date/flight options.
But I'd learned to only use those sites to search for flights and find the flight/date/schedule that best suits you and note the airline(s). Also pay attention to any "code share" flights and look at where it says "operated by" because that is who you will really be flying with regardless of which airline you booked with.
Then go to the airline's website. Enrol in their frequent flyer progam !!!
They will give you a "temp" card and number and I've found that many of them (outside of North America at least) will give you a bit larger luggage allowance just for being a member.
Then, armed with the flight details from you search, go through the booking process. It's not that hard.
And normally, when booking direct through the airline, you can pick which seat you prefer (a free choice on most airlines) and even your meal preference (if any).
When you get to the "payment" section - look at the difference between their price and the search engine site. The search engine site is usually more.
Fun fact ! Don't be tied down to one airline !! Use the search engines and note what other airlines are flying the same route.
Go to their websites and see what they charge for that flight.
The company used to book me on Emirates from Dubai to Bangkok but that meant I had to sit in the airport for 8 hours before I could even check in for a flight leaving in 11 hours. Then I'd watch how many other airlines departed for Bangkok in that same period and wonder why the company's agent didn't book me on one of those.
I started booking my own and found that Gulf Air out of Bahrain had some super sweet deals. I could fly from Dubai to Bahrain (Business Class), spend a couple hours in the Business Class lounge, then board my Business Class seat for the flight to Bangkok that arrived about the same time the Emirates/Thai Air (codeshare) flight arrived.
And it was only about $300 more than an economy ticket on Emirates !
Way better all the way around, from separate check-in lines, separate Immigration queues, Business Class lounges, priority boarding, larger luggage allowances, better seating of course - and meals. First off the plane on arrival, separate "Fast Trak" Immigration counters.
Another tip. If flying Economy, select an aisle seat on the left side, 2nd or 3rd row from the front.
Planes always load and unload from the left side.
The front row usually has to share a small TV mounted on the wall ahead of you and that is also where they put the "baby bassinets" if there are infants on the flight.
The aisle seat means you are free to get up and go to the bathroom or stretch or whatever without hassle. Being in row 2 or 3 means you usually get served drinks/meals before everyone else as well.
As soon as I feel the plane starting to make it's descent towards the destination airport, I get my carry on and pack everything away and stick it under my seat (or back in the overhead).
When the plane stops at the gate, I've got my carry-on and am standing near the exit door while everyone else starts to think about what bag to stuff what junk in and blocking the aisles for everyone else.
I had one flight where I sat in the Emergency row at the back of the plane. It literally took me 1 hour after the plane stopped before I stepped out of the plane.
But on the first flight where I sat in row 2/left aisle/aisle seat - I was through Immigration and heading for the exit barely an hour after the plane stopped.
Another tip. Everyone and their dog usually starts their holiday "after work" on Friday and has to come home on a Sunday to be ready to go back to work on Monday.
As a result, airlines often (as in - always) charge more for "weekend" flights.
Try to schedule your departure/arrival dates for Tue/Wed/Thu. There's a good chance that not only will the flights be cheaper, but you will have an easier time picking your seats and when it's time to fly, the flights may not be as full (more food and drinks for you) !
People use "booking agents" because they think they are "experts" at finding the best deals.
But they aren't.
Booking agents working for companies like Flight Center try to put you onto flights where they've bought blocks of seats at a discount from the airline and then they have to sell them to try and make a profit.
Their priority is often more about filling those seats than optimizing your travel plans. If they can't sell the seats, they lose the money they paid for them. (And then the airline can maybe stick some standby passengers in those seats.)
Booking agents - and their companies - also get paid to "promote" some destinations more than others. They may get discounted flight deals, hotel upgrades and "companion fares" for example if they can book people into (where ever) on (what ever) airline.
In another case of "shopping around" - I flew Vancouver to Bangkok a couple times on China Air. Very nice airline flying through Taiwan and better prices that Japan Air Lines (or any North American air line for that matter).
But then I found that I could book flights on Philippines Air and for a couple hundred $$ more, fly Business Class !
But the drawback was - the flight to Vancouver had a 22 hour layover in Manila.
But the good part was, the flight from Manila to Bangkok (on the return) left about 3 hours after the flight from Vancouver landed.
(And again, by travelling Business Class, it was much easier to get on/off the planes and go through Immigration.)
(Had to laugh the first time I flew Business Class on Philippines Air. I was looking at how much room there was on the floor between seats and wondering if the cabin crew would have a problem if I stretched out there.
Then the woman across the aisle from me reclines her seat full flat, puts on the (free) eye shades that come in the little kit they give Business Class flyers, wraps a blanket around her and goes to sleep.
And we're still loading passengers ! And the crew didn't make her sit up and "put her chair in the upright position" when we took off either.
Yeah, had a good sleep on that flight.
And time travelled too !
Left Manila on a Tuesday at 16:00. Arrived in Vancouver on the same Tuesday - at 14:00. Went back in time nearly 2 hours.
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It's one thing that continues to baffle the mind.
In this day and age where a single person whines about something and an hour later it's "news" around the world, Thailand can't seems to co-ordinate anything within it's various bureaucrasies.
One would think if the Minister in charge of Immigration makes a decision, it would be sent to every border crossing/airport/Immigration Office in the country within minutes so that they all are on the same page - of the same book.
One would think if the Minister in charge of the Department of Land Transport sets down rules about Driver Testing that within minutes every single DLT office around the country would have the new rules - and be expected to follow them.
If the Minister in charge of the Royal Thai Police (or the General or whoever controls them, if anyone) makes a new rule about how to conduct roadside safety checks, you'd think that every Police Station in the country would have those rules within minutes. And be expected to follow them.
But so often it seems that each Immigration checkpoint and each Police Station and each DLT office all work on their own set of rules that may, or may not, quite be the same as the "big boss" has said they should be.
You'd think of the Minister of Foreign Affairs set out new Visa rules and conditions, within minutes every Embassy and Consulate around the world would have the exact same information.
And be expected to update their websites accordingly.
(Canada went the way of having all Embassy/Consulate "websites" on one gov't site so they will all have the same (general) information and format and any substantive changes can be made once instead of once per individual site.)
But perhap's the various Thai Embassy's and Consulates are waiting for the inevitable changes and amendments that are sure to follow in the near future so they don't have to keep changing, editing, amending and re-changing, re-editing and re-amending their sites every 2-4 weeks.
Or - and this almost seems to be the most likely case - they simply haven't been sent the information through "official channels" yet. Seeing an article in a newspaper about some changes happening isn't "official notification".
Maybe someone simply forgot to send an email through "official channels" to pass on the information. Or missed a few addresses.
Or decided that it wasn't that important and just didn't bother sending any emails at all.-
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Counting down until "someone" blames those "dirty farangs" for bringing the virus here. Just like they tried to do with the Covid virus because they didn't want to blame their Chinese masters for the problem.
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Ah OK.
It's the temple at the top of the hill just West of the city of Chiang Mai.
Which makes you wonder why they used an old Black & White photo of the Sanctuary of Truth temple in Pattaya for the story.
What the actual temple in Chiang Mai looks like (a part of it at least).
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If you watch and pay attention to world events instead of spending 98% of your time looking at "footie" then you'll notice that China has been dramatically increasing it's presence - and influence - in the South Pacific, SE Asia and Indian Ocean regions all the way to Djibouti on the East Coast of Africa.
And they've been doing it, slowly for over 20 years now.
It's a part of their "Belt and Road" initiative. They use "Export Development Banks" to offer low interest "loans" to various gov'ts and Chinese owned/controlled companies willing to construct various "mega-projects" in the target countries on "own/operate/transfer" deals where the Chinese own and operate the project for many years and then eventually hand it over (or what's left of it) to the host nation.
Along with the loans and infrastructure programs, China tries to push the target nations into "buying Chinese". Ships, airplanes, tanks. Even submarines. (Subtle hint.)
Want a high-speed rail line linking China and Thailand through puppet nation Laos ? China is ready to help.
Need a "land bridge" in Southern Thailand to move massive amounts of cargo into the Indian Ocean faster (?) and easier (?) than by shipping it around "the long way" ? China is ready to help.
Need a new airport in Siem Reap because of all the Chinese tourist arrivals ? China will build one for you. And own it and collect the revenue from it on a 55 year deal and at the end of that term hand whatever is still working over to Cambodia.
Need an new airport outside of Phnom Penh ? (Same deal as the one in Siem Reap apparently.)
Need a new, fully self-contained "resort" on the Cambodian coast with it's own water, power and waste-treatment facilities ? China will "lease" 1/5th of your coastline and build that army base for you. Opps, I mean "resort" !
Need another airport to bring people to that "resort" ? China will build one for you ! And even give it extra long runways it doesn't need for some reason.
And it's just an hour's drive from the Cambodian Naval base that China recently made a secret deal that allows it to station ships in that port if it wants to !
They've done similar projects/deals in Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Djibouti. China was also the first nation to receive an "official" delegation from the Taliban after the US pulled out of the country.
These "projects" are often accompanied by "dual use" agreements where China can use things like the airports, "resorts", "high speed rail lines" and naval bases to stage Chinese troops, aircraft and ships should they choose to.
Hence the "dual use" tag.
It's an "airport" that just happens to be perfect to operate Chinese fighters and bombers from.
It's a "self contained resort" that just happens to be perfect to use as an Army (or Air Force) base facility.
It's a "high speed rail line" that just happens to be perfect to use to transport large numbers troops from China to other places.
These "dual use" agreements allow China to (if the need ever arose) "project power" from the Sea of Japan to the South Pacific and all the way to the Red Sea (via Djibouti).
And land bases have the advantage of not being "sinkable" the way Navy Aircraft carriers can be !
It's a "Long March" strategy that foresees a time when China will need to be able to hit strategic targets far from home (the same way America can with it's carrier fleets) and to be able to hit any hostile military forces while they are still far away from China.
They start by digging their way into a country's pockets through cheap loans, cheap infrastructure projects, cheap deals on military equipment and so on.
And by "assisting" pliable (as in "corrupt") leaders in various countries stay in power.
It doesn't take long before a country suddenly finds itself so deeply in debt to China that it literally has to do whatever Beijing tells it to "or else".
Or the leadership, backed by China, is so deep into China's pocket that it has to do whatever China wants - or risk them finding a new "puppet" to take over.
And think about this. All the recent "changes" Thailand is/has proposed. The new visa rules. The proposed changes in condo ownership rules. The "casino" proposals. The on again/off again submarine deal.
Those are ALL done with China in mind. NOT with a couple thousand old, fat and gray western expat's best interests at heart.
(Was it last year or the year before when there was a big news story about some Chinese companies wanting to build very large condo projects in Thailand ?)
And one of the proposed changes for the condo rules was that they would only apply to condos "in designated areas". So their idea is to allow "foreigners" to own more than 49% of a condo project - located in a certain "zoned" areas.
Sounds perfect if you want to build "Chinese only" condos right ?
But the gov't claims they want to change the ownership limits because "there is a glut of unsold high end condos" on the market.
Which made little sense as it's unlikely that those "high end" condos would all be located in the same "zoning area" to begin with.
Unless they already have plans of where those "zoned areas" will be and the "high end condos" are just waiting for the rules to be changed so they can be built.
And keep another thing in mind.
Thailand is just one little "coup" away from becoming just like Cambodia or Myanmar.
That was proven barely 10 years ago. And there's nothing saying it can't happen again.
With all these "Chinese friendly" proposals already in the works, one might suspect that China already has her hooks deep into Thailand.-
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For those that don't think it's possible.
Lets say this guy:
sells his passport to a pawnshop (or it's "stolen" or whatever).
And then this guy:
buys that passport, goes to a ticket agent, uses the passport to buy a plane ticket and goes to the airport.
As neither guy is likely to be in Thailand's "Immigration database" (presumably) and Thailand is probably one of the 176 countries (out of 196) that don't normally check passports against Interpol's database, what are the chances some Thai Immigration officer - that's checked 400 people through already and sees 400 more in line and his lunch break is coming up - is going to question that guy "b" doesn't quite exactly look like guy "a" - when guy "a" is at the end of a two week binge drinking and "other fun" holiday ?
Probably zero chance.
Even if Thailand did check the passport against Interpol's database - it would only raise a flag if it had been reported stolen or the owner was "wanted" (i.e. had a red notice).
What is more likely is that the IO will glance at guy "b" and the passport and note the guy is the "right age, skin and hair colour and similar scraggy facial hair. Passport and fingerprint scans don't raise any flags in the system. Stamp, stamp - "have a nice flight" and guy "b" is heading for the boarding gate.
I have never seen an IO give someone the 3rd degree (interrogation) like some people seem to think they do with everyone they see.
And I've stood in a lot of Immigration lines over the years in places like Kabul, Dubai, Delhi, Manila, Bangkok, Cairo, Istanbul as well as numerous Euro and North American airports.
It's always the same thing. Hand them your passport, they look at you, look at your facepage, put it on the scanner, type something on the computer while they wait for the scan to finish, check that no flags were raised, tell you to look into the camera and/or put your hand on the scanner, stamp your passport and hand it to you while waving the next person forward.
They've totally forgotten you 2 seconds after putting your passport on the scanner and most won't even give you a glance after the first time they've looked at you.
Unless little lights start flashing on their computer screen of course.
So as long as you look similar to the guy in the passport photo and you aren't in the "database" for some reason (and the passport hasn't been reported as stolen) it's really not that hard for someone to get through Immigration using someone else's ID.
(Another, older case involving Thailand. A career criminal from Canada "stole" someone's ID (passport) and used it to fly to Thailand. He spent a year here before murdering his girfriend in a fit of rage. He then mutilated her face, dismembered her body, hauled the pieces to a local swamp and dumped them before heading to the airport.)
Where he bought a plane ticket, casually passed through Immigration and flew back to Canada - still using that "stolen" ID.
That was before "biometrics" and fingerprint scanners - which wouldn't have made any difference at all because the person in the stolen ID wouldn't have been in Thailand's database anyways so no flags would have been raised when he flew out.
(I questioned when that "stolen ID" was reported as being stolen but never recieved a response. "Privacy concerns" I guess.)
ps: Guy "b" in the photos above is the son of a friend of mine. After my previous post I was catching up on some Facebook posts and there was one from my friend with her son and it was like "THERE ! See that ? Someone completely unrelated that could probably easily pass for the missing guy if he showed up at the airport with his passport."
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OK so this is on #3 road where "Chalermphrakiat 19" meets it.
The girls said they were "stationary at the intersection" but what they really mean is they were probably on the lane divider, creeping into the oncoming traffic lane, while trying to cross from the #3 and head into Chalermphrakiat 19.
The Kuwaiti was in the oncoming lane (presumably legally) and probably racing and suddenly there's a scooter full of women pulling into the lane in front of him.
A very common event pretty much anywhere in the country at any time of the day. People want to cut across the road and start edging into the oncoming traffic waiting for the slightest gap so they can push into it a bit more and try to make the oncoming vehicles yield for them.
Chalermphrakiat 19 leads to Soi Buakhao and comes out right by the "Buakhao Market" at the big curve in the road (north of Tree Town). -
7 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:
It is not 1993 anymore with Immigration digital photos and fingerprints you think that is easy?
Actually yes.
If your fingerprints are not in Thailand's database, nothing will come up.
And if I look kind of like you and walk into any of the 50,000 "travel offices" scattered around the country and want to buy a plane ticket, what are they going to do ? Ask for "your" passport and assume you are the rightful owner of it. Travel agents are not "trained Immigration officers charged with protecting the country from nefarious travellers".
So now "you" have a passport and a plane ticket and head for the airport.
And most Immigration officers barely glance at the thousands of passengers they see each day. They check basic details (skin colour, hair colour, roughly the right age and - name on passport matches boarding pass. If nothing pops up on the scanner, away you go.
I've never had one question why my hair is cut shorter than what's in the photo or why I don't have (or do have) a mustache.
It's not a Cold War "Checkpoint Charlie in East Berlin" type interrogation like you see in the movies.
And between 2003-2014 I flew from Canada to the Middle East a couple times, from the ME to Asia a few times, Asia to Canada and back a few times. Essentially went back and forth enough to have circled the globe (west to east and east to west) 3 times.
Averaged 3 long distance international flights a year. Never had an Immigration Officer anywhere question me about anything more than how long I plan on staying.
I just read an article a couple hours ago where an Interpol spokesman noted that only about 20 member countries actually check passports against the Interpol database.
And MH370 was only 10 years ago. Yet two Iranians were able to board using a stolen Austrian and a stolen Italian passport.
And 5 years ago when I was leaving Canada to come back here I "tested" the system.
I checked in for my flight, girl checked my passport was valid and name matched the ticket. Gave me my boarding pass.
I went to a food court and sat for an hour watching people check in and head to the security check. Or the bathroom. Or the food court. Or the shops.
Then I went to the bathroom and then into Security.
Where they scanned my carry-on and checked the name on my passport against the name on the boarding pass. And as I sort of looked like the person in the photo I was waved through and into the departure area.
Which was why I was paying attention and "testing" the system because once I passed the Security screen - I was in the Departure area and could simply board my flight.
NO Immigration passport check - at all !!!
And that is in Canada !
I had recalled on a trip in 2014 that I didn't remember going through Immigration when I left but thought I must have just had a brain-fart or something.
But no - when you leave Canada, no one checks your passport to see if you are really you !
Simple as can be. You check in for a flight. Get your boarding pass and go to the bathroom. Mohammed, who more or less kind of looks like you, takes your passport and boarding pass and goes through security.
Security looks, yep, similar skin colour, dark hair, age looks right, name matches boarding pass - "have a nice flight" and away you go.
(I suspect they do that in Canada because they don't really want to know who is leaving the country or accidentally "catch someone" that isn't supposed to be there in the first place.)
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My theory stands.
He (possibly) sold his return ticket and (possibly) his passport to get more money to stay longer in Thailand.
Someone else, who for whatever reason didn't want to travel on their own passport, bought his passport and used it to board a flight to Finland and from there to who knows where.
Consider that on the missing MH370 flight 2 of the passengers were Iranians who'd supposedly bought "stolen" passports in Thailand and were trying to get to Germany (on a round-about route to avoid the Middle East it seems).
The "stolen" passports were from an Austrian and an Italian.
On my first trip here back in '93 I was told that if I "needed money" I could go to a pawn shop and sell my passport. (I was in the military and on leave from a peace-keeping mission in Croatia so there was no way I was going to do anything like that.)
10 years later I recall an article mentioning that a valid US passport could fetch up to $10,000. (While a valid Canadian one was apparently only worth $3,000 ! Discrimination !)
And no, it would not be the first time someone has gone bonkers during a holiday here.
While I was in Kabul in 2004, one of our firefighters took a 2 week trip to Phuket. This guy was one of "those guys" that the girls would go out of their way to catch a peek of. (We used to see a gaggle of women in the "female tent area" all trying to sneak peeks of the guy when he was sun-tanning on the Hesco barriers around the tents.)
During his trip he apparently fell in love (shocker) with the 3rd bar girl he met. He came back to Kabul, did his next 4 months and took his next trip to Thailand again.
The Deputy Project Manager asked me (as the company Security Officer) to go with him to check the guy's bedspace when he didn't return from his holiday. He'd cleaned it out and left a pair of worn socks and a print-out of a photo of him and a girl in a tuk-tuk.
He didn't give notice because the company was paying salaries "in arrears" so that if someone skipped out on their contracts the company could get the cost of their airfare back. But by pretending he was just going on holiday he was able to get his last paycheque before they realized he wasn't coming back.
And lol - the guy thought he'd just "start up a dive shop" in Krabi or something. And then found out it's not that easy. And when the love of his life realized he didn't have a job or anymore money - she left him !!
According to his friends back in Kabul, he had to resort to doing "odd jobs" under the table for a Canadian couple that owned a hotel and took pity on him. (And because he'd burnt his bridge with the company, there was no way he could come back and work with us again.)
All because of a woman he'd met on a 2 week holiday.
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Ah - "on the app".
It's a scam that's been going around for awhile now. The bills normally look like a normal bill, but if you scan the barcode or QR code it sends you to a different website where they try to scam you out of an outrageous sum by hoping you just "click" on "pay" without paying attention.-
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2 hours ago, 818Pilot said:I wouldn’t give up my retirement visa for any of these and I have no issue with my 800,000 sitting in an account making little or nothing.
Same here. I put my 800k in a Fixed Term account over a year before I was first eligible for an "Extension". As I was working out of the country and going back and forth 3-4 times a year it wasn't a big deal to use the 30 Day stamps (most of the time) but the Non-O and Extension made it less fretful when my holidays sometimes stretched to 32-33 days.
Back then all Immigration wanted was to see that you had 800k in an account on the day you applied for the Extension. It was "expected" that you would live off of that money for the next year. In fact, some people had problems at Immigration because their account didn't show any withdrawals.
But Immigration got over that and was happy as long as you had the money in some (accessible) account.
And I've left that money in there ever since. About what, 14 years now I guess. I did scoop some of the interest out a few years ago but now just leave it there.
And yeah, things have changed, often, since then. First with the having to have the 800k in the bank for 3 months before your Extension. Then having to keep it in the bank for 3 months after. Then having to have it in the account for 2 months before and 3 months after and then having to leave at least half the amount there all year.
And it seems the idea of "grandfathering" people under the old rules went out the window decades ago as well. I recall a few discussions on this forum going back 18-19 years ago about people who were "grandfathered" under the "old" rules and only had to show 400k in the bank on the day they applied for their Extension. So long as they never missed renewing by the due date, they could (supposedly) continue doing that as long as they lived.
That was back when the gov't changed the requirement from 400k to 800k, which caused quite a stir as Immigration wanted (single) old foreigners to show more money in the bank than senior politicians and military generals made (in official salaries) in a year.
(I think someone back then calculated that the "average" tourist - meaning mostly "western males" - spent an average of about 2,000 baht per day when on holiday so they decided that any (foreigner) living here full time must spend the same amount and then rounded it up to an even 800k.)
Didn't matter that most of the people "living" here weren't staying in hotels, eating all their meals in restaurants and partying in the bars every night. Huge difference between being on holiday for 2 weeks and living here full time.
So I'm just going to leave my 800k in that Fixed Term account for the foreseeable future as I expect things will change, again, and probably not for the better.
And it only costs 1,900 baht to do my annual Extension. No border runs or having to do Extensions every 3 months.
And the peace of mind knowing that if something happened, that money is readily available (hopefully) !
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Soooo, unlimited 60 day "Visa Exemption Stamps" - which could be extended for 30 days at an Immigration office for 1900 baht.
Giving you a 3 month stay for 1,900 baht.
Then a border run to get a new 60 day stamp and another 1900 for an extension when that one is due.
So you will be able to stay for 12 months at a cost of 7,600 baht (4 extensions at 1,900 each) plus the cost of 4 border runs.
And for as many years (currently) as you like.
Until they suddenly change their minds and cut back on them the way they did with the 30 day Extensions 7 or 8 years ago.
Must be a lot of skint expats rolling on the bar floors laughing their butts off right now and ordering a bottle of the "good beer" for a change instead of their normal small glass of cheap draft.
And a lot of "digital nomad" (aka "begpackers") who will now be able to buy a skewer of BBQ chicken to go with their half order of rice once a day.
All they have to do is show a "slip" from their employer and show that they have basically just over $14,000 US in "assets" - somewhere in the world and they are good for a year.
They didn't clarify though. You get the 180 days, and then can extend it for another 180 days and then what, do a border run and get another 180 days ?
Because the Visa is good for 5 years. If it was only good for 1 year that would be a different story. But by making it a 5 year Visa, that implies you can keep getting "180 day" stamps each year and then extending the stay by an additional 180 days each time before having to do a "border run" again.
Sweet deal.
But for the people who follow the rules and keep their money in the bank ?
Not a bluddy thing.
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This is becoming a weekly event.
Police crack down on a "certain" demographic that keeps doing the same thing in the same place over and over again. A few scooters get confiscated, a few tickets handed out and everything is fine.
For a day or two until it starts again. And then a week later there's another crackdown, in the same area, involving the same people. Again.
Solution ? Just transplant a couple dozen (80-100) ladyboys from Beach road to that area.
The "scooter gang" could drink all the fruit juices in the world (because they "can't" drink alcohol of course) and still not want to have anything to do with those "ladies" because it would be an affront to their religion (supposedly) so they'd have to move somewhere else to do their "scooter gang" impersonations.
Imagine what fun they could have if they didn't have scooters to race around. They could find nice, quiet places to sit and drink orange or - shocker - mango juice - while discussing the benefits of not going to clubs or drinking alcohol or being "lured" in by scantily clad women.
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Genital warts are from the HPV virus. They do NOT "blister" or "pop". They are just roundish, hard protrusions that appear in the genital area.
If you have "blisters" in your genital area that "pop" you have a whole different problem and really need to see a doctor.
Soon.
As in - now.
And as long as you are infected with HPV, the warts will come back. Maybe smaller, maybe bigger.
Also note that HPV is linked to some kinds of cancers (cervical, mouth, anal, penile, vulval and vaginal cancers for example).
Reading some stuff on the NHS, Mayo Clinic and other medical sites. They say that "eventually" the body should be able to eliminate the virus. If you already have it, the vaccine may not help get rid of it, but may help prevent catching a different strain of it.
Unfortunately, for men, there is NO test to tell if you have HPV. The only sign is genital warts. (Women can get a cervix test that will show if they have it or not.)
"Human papillomavirus, also called HPV, is spread by sexual activity. Some strains of HPV cause genital warts. Other HPV strains can cause cancers.Most of the time, the body can find and clear out HPV. But if the virus stays in the body for a long time, it can cause cancer. Getting vaccinated against HPV helps prevent cancer in men and women."
"Who cannot have the HPV vaccineMost people who are eligible for the HPV vaccine can have it.
You only cannot have the vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the vaccine, or an ingredient in the vaccine.
<snip - pretty sure most of you aren't pregnant or breastfeeding an infant - even if you yourself are still "breastfeeding".>
Also note, pretty much every medical site I looked at said people up to age 45 should get vaccinated. On one FAQ it asked about people older than that and the answer was that they figure by age 45 you probably already have HPV.
Here is a FAQ from the Bumrungrad Hospital (Thailand).
https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/health-blog/january-2024/q-a-cervical-cancer
They don't mention an upper age limit.
They do mention the number of different strains and which ones may cause cancer (7 strains) and which may cause warts (2 strains).
They also list the different vaccines (3) and which are effective against which strains.
Go for the "9 Volent" as the 2 and 4 volents only protect against some strains but the "9" is supposed to be effective against all of them.
As for the warts, pretty much any dermatology center at a hospital or clinic should be able to get rid of them one way or another.
Like the Dermatology center at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. They laser off the warts. In and out procedure (speed things up and shave "down there" before you go).
https://bangkokpattayahospital.com/center_clinics/dermatology-and-plastic-surgery/
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Remember - when he was first "sent to prison" he complained he was having problems sleeping - despite not even being there an HOUR.
He was then taken to the hospital because apparently thats what they do with all prisoners who have trouble taking a nap.
And THEN they came up with a host of "illnesses" to justify why he was being treated in a VVIP suite instead of where ALL the other prisoners get treated.
And NOW that someone has requested an investigation into his treatment, he suddenly has a number of NEW health issues and wanted to go back to his luxury dwellings in Dubai for medical consultations.
Which is a JOKE when you remember the "medical visa" scam Thailand started years ago which was specifically aimed at attracting wealthy Arabs to come to Thailand for medical treatment.
It sounds like a certain former PM may be worried his freedom could come to an abrupt end soon and is trying his old "just going to watch the opening cermonies of the Olympics and I'll be right back" scam he got away with last time.
Makes you wonder if they've cancelled ANY of his passports ? Or is he using one of those cheapy "third country" passports like those Chinese billboards were advertising ?-
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Keep in mind that as of 2 July 2024 (a month ago now) Thailand is supposed to be charging VAT on everything shipped from China valued at under 1,500 baht.
(Got to believe that they are already charging VAT on things over 1,500 baht ? Would seem really odd if you ordered something for 1,495 baht and got dinged 7% VAT but if it was 1505 baht there'd be no tax.)
I haven't really been paying attention to the taxes on Lazada or AliExpress. I just set up a couple cheap and a couple expensive items on Lazada and all it tells me is VAT is included "where applicable".
Had a look at TEMU. Looks like a knock-off of AliExpress in many ways. Lacking in product details on many of the items I looked at. You have to scroll through the pictures and hope they have the information you need.
Looks like they have the same lame default search filters as AliExpress and Lazada as well where they give you results for every word you put into the search regardless of category.
For example, I searched for motorcycle helmet. It gave me results for wall mounted helmet holders, "motorcycle running shoes", reflective "hello kitty" decals (that I guess can be used on cars or motorcycles), tube "neck socks" you can wear "under a helmet", safety helmets and so on.
And that was even when you picked the category of "motorcycle helmet" !
(Amazon uses the default "and" function so if you put "modular motorcycle helmet" it will only generate returns on listings that contain all three words. On Lazada and AliExpress and Temu, they use the "or" function so they generate returns on any listing that has one of those words in it. I think the idea is to give you a massively huge number of returns so you see items that are totally unrelated but "hey, that one looks interesting, maybe I should click on it".)
And as far as Lazada is concerned, half (or more) of their vendors are people running shops out of their living rooms/apartments or their stall in whatever market. When you place an order, they go online to AliExpress (or wherever) and order the item and have it shipped to you.
I generally track my orders, especially if they are expensive or fragile. Clothing and books, don't care if they toss them through the gate. But a camera or special "double-wall" drinking glasses - I like to be there to receive them.
And when I track the orders, it's rarely a surprise to see it's being shipped from China. And has to clear China Export Customs. Then arrive and clear Thai Import Customs, then get transferred and delivered.
Probably 90% of the stuff I order from Lazada seems to come from China.
USB powered digital alarm clock ? Shipped from China.
Non-slip floor mat ? Shipped from China.
Aluminum Grease strainer pot - shipped from China.
Leatherette Passport Holder - shipped from China.
Plastic A4 sized document protectors - shipped from China.
Tent poles, canvas bags, clothing, electrical parts - all shipped from China.
I've even selected "local" as the point of origin, which is supposed to limit the vendors to those that have stock and ship from Thailand, only to see the item is still being shipped from China.
I think the only people that are going to have competition from Temu are AliExpress and Alibaba, though Alibaba is more of a "business to business" site than a "single item to a single customer" kind of retailer.-
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His sister (former PM Yingluck Shinawatra) is still in exile as well. Last heard living in London although she became the chairwoman of a Chinese Container Terminal company located in Guangdong, not far from Hong Kong.
She is still facing a 5 year prison sentence as well. Kind of surprised she didn't get the same deal her big brother did. -
I've never had an online site like Lazada, Shopee, Amazon, AliExpress or eBay ship something and then tell me I have to go collect it myself at the port. They ALL arranged for Customs Clearance and delivery, even for larger items. That's why you pay for "shipping".
Unless the order is being held up by Customs for some reason. In which case YOU have to go sort it out yourself.
I've had that happen many times. Item arrives, goes through Customs, Customs decides something isn't quite right and I get a notification (from whichever site I purchased the item from or from Customs themselves).
I've had to deal with Customs in Laem Chabang a few times (I know the route there off by heart now).
Also had to deal with different Courier companies (like DHL and FedEx) and their "in house" Customs brokers that handle all their import/Customs paperwork at the airport in Bangkok. Those "brokers" usually charge the maximum rates on everything they can to "speed things through Customs" so they can meet their delivery dates.
But every so often something gets flagged and you, the customer, has to sort it out.
Like ordering a $500 (US) item but declaring it to only be worth $45 on the Customs Declaration. The shipper/courier can't sort that out for you (normally) so you have to go yourself.
And (normally) you can't hire someone else to do it for you because Customs needs to make sure the person collecting the item is the one it's actually being shipped to.
You know. Keeps people from claiming/stealing other people's shipments and stuff. -
I prefer a drip coffee maker.
Especially with a programable clock function. Easy to use, easy to clean.
I set my machine to start dripping about 5 minutes before my alarm goes off in the morning.
I get up, pry my eyelids open, stagger to the bathroom, then to the coffee maker and I've got (however many) cups of coffee ready. (Depending on how I set it up the night before.)
Most (North American) machines are set up to keep the coffee hot for 2 hours and if you need it, you just have to click the power button off/on and you're good for another two hours.
Most have a "reusable" filter basket but I still use paper filters. Easier to clean, fewer grounds and less "silt" in the cup and the pot.
Simply open the top, pick up the old filter and drop it in the garbage, insert new filter and however many spoons of whichever blend of coffee, add the appropriate amount of water, close the lid and press "program". (Or "On" if you want it to start dripping right then.)Old wives tales suggests you should never clean the coffee pot itself. I generally give it a scrub once a month.
I bought this one from Lazada. Made in China (of course). 1,226 baht with delivery.
Only a 40 minute timer for the heater which isn't normally a problem as I'm not making full pots these days. I generally set it up for 1-2 cups and that's it for the day.
Lots of options for coffee on Lazada as well. Local and imported. Got about 2 more days on the Maxwell House. Just ordered the Folgers Monday morning from Bangkok and it arrived 25 hours later in Pattaya. The bag is from a local supplier (in Chiang Mai I think).
Most grocery stores have a selection of (medium or drip grind) coffees as well. Watch out as the packages are almost identical to "whole beans".
And many are "espresso grind". Basically pure powder for use espresso machines and "presses". You can use it in a drip machine but you usually end up with more "silt" in the cup and pot.
And if you really wanted to, you could simply pop a new filter in, run a pot of water through it and now you've got a pot of almost boiling water for tea (or Ramen noodles or whatever - just don't make them in the coffee pot) !-
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From DHL:
A Shipment is considered as undeliverable if (i) the Recipient's address is incomplete, illegible, incorrect or cannot be located, (ii) the Shipment is unable to clear Customs, (iii) the Shipment has not been released by customs due to non-payment of duty and taxes (iv) the Shipment contains prohibited items (v) shipment is refused by the consignee before opening the package.
All undeliverable Shipments will be returned to the DHL eCommerce facility for customer identification and return service preference.
Shipper may be liable for any and all charges and fees incurred in returning, storing or disposing of an undeliverable shipment unless the undeliverable shipment was due to the fault of DHL eCommerce. -
From UPS website:
Special Handling of Undeliverable Packages
Shipments refused by the consignee, or which for any other reason cannot be delivered, will be held, and UPS will attempt to contact the shipper for further instructions. The shipper will be responsible for payment of all charges, including, but not limited to, forwarding, disposal, or return transportation charges, as well as any duty and tax, if applicable -
From FedEx website:
Can I refuse to accept an international package?
As a customer you have the right not to accept an international package if, for example, it was damaged, you cancelled your order or you changed your mind.
If you refuse to accept an international package, the FedEx driver may ask you for a signed confirmation of your refusal. The driver will then take the package back to the delivery depot. We will contact your shipper to inform them of your decision and ask them whether the shipment needs to be returned or destroyed.
Keep in mind that you might still need to pay duties and taxes for importing a package. You can try to claim a refund on these duties and taxes directly with customs.
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From FedEx website:
7% VAT to be imposed on imported goods with a value lower than THB1,500 | Posted on July 2, 2024Effective from July 5 to December 31, 2024, the Ministry of Finance will impose a 7% VAT on imported goods valued less than THB1,500. As a result, goods purchased from abroad will be subject to the same VAT as goods purchased from local Thai stores.
FedEx would like to inform our customers that we will collect 7% VAT on imported goods with a value lower than THB1,500 to submit to Customs Department. Customers can learn more about this VAT through the Thai Customs website or their hotline at 1164.
Continue to check this page for service updates. For further enquiries, please contact your Sales Representative or our Customer Service team.
Living in Airbb's Instead of Renting
in ASEAN NOW Community Pub
I guess that's one way to keep your name off the radar.
No rental contracts.
No lease agreements.
Constantly changing addresses.
Yep. Nothing to see here. Move along.