salween

Wanting to run two monitors on my 2008 mini and was wondering if something like the Kensington Dual Monitor Adapter is sold in BKK so I can add one via one of the USB ports. I've checked at some iStudios and they don't have one--they want me to just purchase a new mini that has two video ports. About six months ago I asked around at Pantip, but could not find one. Before checking there again, figured I would ask here if anyone has found something like this for sale.

Some non violent content for the BBC's coverage.

But who's the Martial?

To the older members, I think we have a generation or two that haven't got a clue as to how any electoral system works or how things work in the real world. Seems that most have no sense of history and no sense of compromise . Abhisit is the best PM Thailand has ever had. Over 500,000 farmers just had their loans cut in half and given up to 15 years to pay them off in some case. The Mekong River Commission (including China) agreed to consider the down stream effects of building dams and have promised to maintain a sufficient water supply to its downstream neighbors. Doesn't this help the poor?

These are not small feats, but they go largely ignored by people that post on this forum because the stupid <deleted> posting here that can't read beyond the first page of a news paper.

Cheers

Don't know which is funnier, belief that imitating Thaksin's populous policies (farmers) or that China and the MRC will actually work for protection of the lower Mekong, make Abhisit the "best PM". Nonetheless, thanks for the humor.

egg & thaiphoon, thanks for the confirmation. Hardly ever deal with this account, but for the extension, so only really think about it once a year.

My bank account for the 400k baht marriage extension requirement still has much of the amount in it from last year.

1) Can I just top it off to 400k baht two (three) months in advance of my extension application date, or do I need to deposit a full 400k of new money?

2) Would like to confirm that there is still no requirement that such monies come from abroad, and a simple baht deposit at the teller window will suffice?

Thanks

Wow, sounds like someone at immigration just read John Bardett's recently released 'The Godfather of Kathmandu'?

Wow, great stuff. Any chance you would share your route on mapmyride.com?

Just an update to report that on 7 January I arrived with a tandem box and was waved through customs. I even declared an extra bottle of wine, but was sent on may way anyway.

As an aside, was pleased that China Airlines just counted my 64# tandem box as one of my two pieces of allowed luggage. Not a lot of that kind of service going around any more. Maybe I was just lucky.

Unless things have changed recently I've never heard of duty being charged on USED items at SwampyBoom.

Great to hear. Guess I'm going to find out...

Valuable topic, but hoping there might be more recent info/experience with bringing over a used bicycle for personal use. I found Pez's remarks interesting/encouraging, but maybe out of date, especially given the tighter customs net at Suvarnabhumi of late.

I've got a used mountain tandem that I plan on bringing over, but don't want to get reamed at customs. Pretty big box, so can't really hide it. I will plan on going through the red line, then see what happens. How, if at all, do they account for use/depreciation? What can I do to help keep the tax down if they decide to charge me. I've got photos of wife and I riding our mountain bikes, as well as some with us on one of those cheap rental tandems in Cha Am. This tandem is not new, and could be plenty soiled if need be. To purchase the exact model new would be very expensive. If I had to pay 40% duty on the new price, don't think I would bring it.

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

This sounds like what the embassy said. I wasn't aware you could call citizen services in Bangkok at 022054049 until after I posted this. They told me they can do what needs done for $30 and I don't need to send it to DC. I get so mixed up with the terminology and what needs authenticated/approved/whateveryoucallit. Just wait till we have kids documents to deal with too. Ahhh! If anyone has not yet been married, I encourage you to get married in Thailand, not your home country. Would have saved us lots of time and money.

Forgot to mention that if this is for visa purposes, particularly extending based on marriage, wife may need to take the certified copy to her Ampur along with house registration and id to change her status from single to married. I recently found out I needed this documentation as well when extending my visa using just the certified Marriage Certificate.

Yup, easier to just do it here, but we did it this way a while back because then all you needed was the certified copy for visa purposes, thus wife would not have to go to the Ampur and change her name. Now it's a non-issue as the laws have changed and women can retain their maiden names if they choose.

Here's what I would do (did).

1) Go to US Embassy with the Marriage Certificate and sign a statement as to the authenticity of the certificate. They will then notarize it.

2) Go outside the Embassy, turn right and pick one of the shops that will translate your statement from the US Embassy as well as the Marriage Certificate. Pick one that will also take them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have them certified. Should take just a day or two.

Just to follow-up. I did the reporting while waiting for my extension number to be called, which took 4 hours. Also, some new documentation required for me that I reported on here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/marriage-Ext...91#entry2904991

Marlo: No problem about making sense indeed, just no notice that it had changed.

Also, regarding the 60 v. 90 day proving time for 400K in the bank: In addition to your documentation that it's been there for 90 days I also had to sign a piece of paper stating that it had been there for 90 days. So don't know if the 60 days will be accepted any more. Given the back and forth on this I had been reading here, I made sure I made the 90-day cut-off, albeit just barley.

Maybe this has been the case for some time now, but on my recent (4th) O extension at Suan Plu (Thai Wife), our Ministry of Foreign Affairs certified foreign marriage certificate was no longer acceptable on its own. We were married in the US. Wife was told to go register at the Ampur that she was now married and return with the documentation.

Also, although I had a letter from the bank obtained the day of my extension application stating my bank balance, which was consistent with the most recent entry in the bank book of a week prior, I was told to return to the bank and make another deposit merely to have a more recent entry in the bank book.

Had dealt with the same officer before, and she said that these are now new procedures. She processed everything else and gave me the pending stamp and told us to just bring the marriage registration certificate and copy of the updated bank book to her within the next week.

All taken care of now, just another wasted day. Oh, and no word from her on the move.

Thanks much.

Know now to tack on the extra time, or take the risk of trying to get the reporting done while waiting for my extension number to be called.

....

So just fill out the form and do it together with the extension.

Meaning just hand the same officer handling the extension application the 90-day report form -- not go grab a new number for the reporting line and kill another 30-45 minutes?

I'm applying for my annual extension (0 marriage) during my 14-day window for 90-day reporting. Once I get my 30-day consideration stamp, I trust that constitutes reporting and the calendar starts anew, so I will not need to go through the actual reporting process while I'm there.

I've got a 1.5 Ghz core solo that's been held in reserve (in storage) for about 14 months that's in fine working order that I can now sell. It has 1MB RAM--but I may be able to upgrade that to 2MB in a couple of days--and a 60G hard drive. PM me if interested.

Wow, you've done a lot more work than I did two years ago. Unless things have changed significantly??, here's what you do.

Take your marriage certificate to the US Embassy. They will give you a simple form to fill out and will certify the marriage certificate for you.

Go outside the Embassy, turn right, and use any one of a number of translation services that will both translate your documents (marriage certificate and Embassy certification) and get it registered for you by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I think it took two days and cost about 1500 baht for everything.

Of course, that may be the easy part depending on what the various Embassies/Consulates in the region may be requiring to obtain non-immigrant 0 visas of late.

Now if you were still in the US, you could have just mailed your passport, visa application and $150 certified check/money order along with copies of: your US marriage certificate, your return air ticket, wife's ID/passport and a recent bank statement showing a $1,000 balance to the Portland Consulate and gotten your multi-entry 0 back in the mail in under a week.

Just to echo what's been said about the Honorary Consulates. I just received a multi-entry, non-immigrant visa (marriage) from Portland by mail in just seven days. Copy of marriage certificate, wife's ID, flight itinerary, and recent bank statement showing at least $1,000 along with the application, 2 photos and money order. Only needed to travel as far as my local post office. Very efficient.

If the constitution drafting is not finished until November 2007, don’t they first plan to organise a referendum on that document, then organise the general election. Maybe December 2007 is a bit too optimistic as well—and of course all this assumes the constitution passes the referendum. Regardless, they seem to be preparing people for delays.

The atmosphere at parties' headquarters are not lively

The atmosphere at the headquarters of Thai Rak Thai and Chart Thai parties is not lively after the Council of Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) has issued the announcement to prohibit any form of political gatherings.

As for the security measures around the headquarters, only security guards are present, but police and army officers have not been dispatched to safeguard the areas.

At 10:00 hours at the headquarters of the Democrat Party, delegates of the British Embassy to Thailand met with Mr. Chuan Leekphai (??? ???????), the Democrat's chief advisor, and party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva (????????? ?????????). However, the meeting agendas have not been revealed.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 22 September 2006

From the Bangkok Post today, at least a more "honest" face is being put on TRT: Bye Bye!

Mr Thaksin is seen as the party's benefactor, able to sustain the party's finances for the 400 former MPs, said the member who asked not to be named.

''I think it will be hard for Thai Rak Thai to stay on. Today, all factions are pondering where they should go. Their pulse is on the political developments and they are waiting to see the shape of the new constitution,'' he said.

In fact, the party source pointed out, Thai Rak Thai was never a political institution as some people thought. It belonged to a single family.

Few of its former MPs actually shared the party's political ideology.

...

Like staying in power at all cost. They could have left at any time? But probably the best spin now that they must look for new homes.

Also from The Nation today:

Supachai approached for interim PM's post

Unctad boss set for talks with CDRM; Admin Court chief Ackaratorn also in the running

The search for an interim prime minister has extended across the globe, with Dr Supachai Panitch-pakdi, secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, emerging yesterday as a top candidate alongside Supreme Administrative Court president Ackaratorn Chularat, highly placed sources said.

Earlier reports yesterday said the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) had decided on Ackara-torn and that the appointment could come as early as today. But it was reported later that he had asked for time to think about the offer.

Ackaratorn refused to say yesterday whether he was ready to become premier, noting that he already had his hands full with his current job.

"I have no idea. My hands are full. If they have [asked], I would have said so,'' he said.

Asked if he would accept the top job if asked to, he replied: "I am carrying out my duty. One has his own duty."

The sources said if Supachai agreed to take the post, he would become the first choice. One source said Supachai's wife had confirmed that the CDRM had asked Supachai to take up the premiership.

The CDRM launched a successful, bloodless military coup on Tuesday night to overthrow the Thaksin government.

The source said Supachai, a former director-general of the World Trade Organisation, is scheduled to fly to Bangkok soon to discuss the offer with members of the CDRM, led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

Over the past two days, speculation has been running wild in the local media about possible candidates to take over as Thailand's next prime minister. The names include MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, the Bank of Thailand governor, and Ackaratorn.

Sonthi has promised that a new civilian government would be up and running within two weeks. At that point he and the CDRM would step into the background to allow democratic reform to proceed.

At least two of Supachai's close friends have confirmed reports that there had been talk of appointing Supachai, who is well-respected in the international arena, as prime minister.

One of his friends said: "Yes, he is one of the candidates."

Another friend asked: "How come the news has spread so fast?"

Supachai was not available for comment. His friends said he was travelling outside Geneva, where Untac has its headquarters.

Supachai's credentials make him a strong candidate because he has an international reputation that would lift the country's standing during this time of political transition. And his economic background should see him well accepted by local business circles.

Supachai was previously a deputy prime minister under the Democrat Party, but is now seen as a neutral figure. He has not worked for the Democrat Party since his appointment to the WTO.

Bank of Thailand Governor Pridiyathorn has also been at the front of nominations for the next premiership. People in the business and financial communities have broadly welcomed news that Pridiyathorn might take the reins.

A source close to him said it was not certain whether Pridiyathorn would eventually get the job because it also appeared that he might be offered the finance portfolio.

Supreme Court President Charnchai Likhitjittha and Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwannarat are other candidates to be PM.

Supreme Court secretary-general Charan Pakdeethanakul said that if Charnchai were approached, it was likely that he would accept the proposal because a request from the CDRM was like a command from His Majesty the King.

Charnchai could not comment on the matter because he strictly observes protocol, he said. However, Charan said he believed Charnchai would be a suitable choice and could carry out its associated duties.

Other possible candidates to take up ministry portfolios include General Panthep Phuwanat-nurak as defence minister. The former Forth Army Region commander is close to Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda.

Former defence ministry permanent secretary General Ood Buangbon could become interior minister; while Piyasvasti Amranand, former secretary general of the National Energy Policy Office, may become energy minister; and Krirk-krai Jirapaet, former permanent secretary for commerce, could be commerce minister.