DerringDo

OK for the anti-british contingent here. Using Google:

Results 1 - 10 of about 714,000 for american ######. (0.15 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 370,000 for drunk scotsman. (0.08 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,300,000 for canadian pussy. (0.15 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,380,000 for stupid irish. (0.15 seconds)

I guess that means using my search terms means that only drunk Scotsman are less world famous than the British Football hooligans. Anyone else for tennis?

We have one side of the story as the OP. It's common for my Thai co-workers to deny anything if there is even a little possibility that they may have got a job wrong. They have even told me whilst I have been looking over their shoulder watching what they enter into a computer that "It was the computer which put the words in the wrong order." A bare-faced untruth. This lasts for a while until they realise i don't give a ###### if they make a mistake as long as it's caught before we print/publish/send. That is not to say that the Tuk Tuk driver is not telling the truth but I have no way of knowing from the OP who is responsible.

Was the Welsh lad drunk? Unknown at this time. Drunken people don't deserve to get stabbed. Got a problem call the police, the police will get more out of the drunk tourist than a stabbing will.

Do NOT try and put your ideals onto this country, people or culture. You must never ever forget that people in this country do not have the same cultural values as you from the west would like to think. Especially the value of ONE life. FACE is very important in this culture as is the ability to walk away when you know someone is completely BSing you. You never ever put someone in a corner they feel they cannot get out of especially in this culture. As another poster said: "It's all or nothing."

The number of people who are saying "I wouldn't play around because she'll cut my meat and two veg off" are living in LaLaLand. You have been accepted into this culture and all that requires is to use discretion for your dalliance. 80% of Thai men surveyed (I believe it was an ABAC poll) admitted to being unfaithful for goodness sake. Why should a foreigner have to play by different rules from the locals? Isn't that assimilation? What every culture strives for is for every person within that culture to know the rules. Don't **** on your own doorstep.

Speculation is a fact of life here. Only when a foreign government steps in is there an appearance of justice being done. Otherwise, the wheels of justice grind slowly or not at all. How many years did it take for the "Chonburi Godfather" to actually be convicted of murder, and then he did a runner.

I feel sad for the child/ren who will grow up without a father and possibly a mother.

Well it comes as no surprise.

It's an expensive Boutique.

Greets. I AM NOT AN EXPERT.

I think that any combination to make up 40k income is all that is required now. I thought that it was YOU who have to have the income not your wife.

1) Send a message to Sunbelt Asia exactly like the one you have posted. They may or may not help, but they're usually pretty helpful. DON'T buy a business just to be able to stay.

2) Register and perform a job, as a journalist, with a local German newspaper before you leave, and accreditation drops the requirement to an income of 20k baht per month. I think Journalism is one of the lower Baht requirement Work Permits.

Disadvantage with other local shops? The tax rate is something like 5%, so what's that 2000B a month. Hardly a disadvantage if you're not declaring true income anyway.

As you want to stay for a long time then it is better to be legal from day one. There are many ways to remain legally too. If you go down the Work Permit route, after 3 years, you can apply for residency.

Hope this helps. As i said i'm not an expert

From the Nation:

PM's men detained, wife in Singapore

Many politicians and those with links to caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were spread far and wide last night as the news of the coup broke in Bangkok.

First lady Pojaman reportedly flew to Singapore on Monday and it is not known whether Panthongtae, the family's only son, followed his mother last night.

The whereabouts of the PM's daughters Paethongtae and Pinthongta were not known.

Thaksin is in New York at a hotel, where he has reportedly been watching the United Nations General Assembly and keeping abreast of developments here.

Many Cabinet members and other people deemed hostile by the "Council of Administrative Reform" have been detained. Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya and Supreme Commander Ruengroj Mahasaranont and pro-Thaksin television host Dusit Siriwan are among them.

Head of the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand Mingkwan Saengsuwan was apprehended by anti-Thaksin troops at Channel 9 compound after it aired a statement of Thaksin, from New York, announcing a state of emergency and relieving Armycommander Sonthi Boonyaratglin from his post.

Deputy Thai Rak Thai leader and caretaker Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan reportedly flew to Paris with her family.

Defence Minister General Thamarak Isarangura na Ayutthaya reportedly escaped arrest narrowly and has fled upcountry.

PM's secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej reportedly made an unplanned landing in the Phillippines during a trip abroad while Bank of Thailand governor MR Pridiyathorn Devekula was in Singapore.

Deputy Thai Rak Thai Party leader Somsak Thepsuthin said he was shocked by last night's coup and never thought it could really happen. A number of TRT MPs may meet today at the party headquarters.

The Nation

Looks like they're going to tighten up all the visa classes. Which is fair enough in my book.

Too many people are posting about "soft touch" consulates and it'll only be a matter of time before orders go out to them all.

No need to panic just yet, for everyone concerned, it'll take some time to settle down.

Here's the face saving caveat:

"Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said the new VOA rules will be put into effect once approved by the Royal Thai Police Office."

There is just a tiny chance it won't happen or that there will be "consultations" on the issue. (Taken from the BKK Post article.)

You can't get a Non-Imm O, LEGALLY, for renting a house. SO you're either being simplistic in your argument or the visa officer in Washington? issued you an illegal visa. However, as you married your girlfriend and are expecting a child, congrats by the way, perhaps he used a little poetic licence to award it. THAT would make it fake therefore a scam. Either you or he is scamming the Thai government.

People are making a big deal about "Teachers" but i would guess that their salary is going into the local economy. Not necessarily a rich persons pockets as happens with most "Quality tourists." I have worked with several people who have bought a property outside of Thailand and send their children to schools in order to increase their "face." How does this money benefit Thailand?

One half(something) and half Thai businessman who caters to an upmarket clientele is not a good barometer as to whether something is good for Thailand. This is not a slur but he doesn't say half farang so i won't be so foolish as to assume that.

For the sexpats here who don't want to get a visa: unlucky. For many people instead of doing a run every month they'll have to do one every 3 after they get a proper visa from outside the country and extend it inside perhaps. Days lost doing visa runs can now be used to have a small holiday while you wait for a legal visa. It's not more time, just condensed.

Perhaps we can all settle down and relax a bit and wait for more information to flow out, it always does, and wait for new ways for people to get around whatever has been decided.

Not all banks give interest on "farang" deposits. I have never received 1 baht in my savings account here. AND that was with varying amounts from 10k to 789k Thai Baht. It pays to check with a particular bank.

The BKK post carried a letter last week about someone upcountry who had been receiving interest without problems for a while and then just a complete change of policy.

Well i hope the poor guy survives and makes a more or less full recovery.

Business dispute? Watch yourselves out there people. Assassination is still an acceptable business practice here.

Someone in this thread (or the other related thread) mentioned 1 billion retirees in the next 20 years from "developed" countries: <deleted> is s/he talking about? That would mean ALL the residents of The USA AND Europe retiring in the next 20 years.

Now whilst i understand that a large number of people will retire and the general sensationalist tendencies associated with topics in this forum, why do illiterate idiots continue to post such obvious sh!t.

Why the heck are religious zealots given so much airtime in the first place?

I'm a Protestant Christian and found the book a jolly good yarn. If you're too stupid to think for yourself you'd better ask mother if it's alright to go to church.

If the man himself is listening i hope he gives all these stupid rsoles a ###### good birching for using His name in an irrelevant manner. Stop telling me how to live my life.

/rant off

We all have a vested interest in this country, or at least those that live here and/or have families here. Just because i don't have citizenship doesn't mean i don't have an interest.

My wife is an ardent Thaksin supporter and i'm not. However, she can't remember Sonthi or Chamlong saying they want to be PM. There are many able administrators in Thailand, just because they aren't famous doesn't make them invisible to many of us who have to deal with them or have them as friends.

For evil to flourish it requires only that the good do nothing.

I don't post often but i read nearly every day.

Superb rebuttal of Mr Sydney. We all have political opinions and should continue to do so.

True was as awful as people say here and worse, but everything was eventually sorted AFTER i started to take people's names and mention them in the next conversation i had. Assign the buggers some responsibility even if they refuse to take it. Make sure you get the name right at the start of the convo before you get a little heated. Customer Care were a lot better when i started talking to supervisors direct - no BS just ask for them as soon as you get another staff member.

I've had the service now for around 18mths and it is running smoothly.

Can't comment on other services as i haven't tried them.

Thanks to ijustwannateach and PB.

All the little problems i've experienced in Thailand nicely summed up in one thread.

Sometimes this mai bpen rai stuff is useful but in almost all cases you are delaying the inevitable confrontation, and it always starts over something we in the west think is normal.