Clip_My_Wings

heres a suggestion for thai immigration to aid counting days ...

from oct 1st everyone has a clean slate .. i mean you are now al allowed 90 days in the six months.

you now get a new BIG stamp on 1st arrival (as when as the normal one) with the date of arrival and the end date of the six month period. on this you have a tally chart.

say you enter the 1st october and leave on the 10 October. The immigration officer realises this is ten days stamps your passport with the exit vias and adds the 10 day on the new big stamp on a tally chart. THE NEXT TIME you enter say you stay for 15 days ... the official only need count once when you leave and add the nb of days. when ypu arrive it is therefore easy for the immigration officer to only check the big stamp and not all the individual ones.

when you 6month period has elapsed then you get a nice new big stamp

NEW VISA

1 10 6 11

2 15 7

3 8

4 9

5 10

this process is then repeated.

<IE ---- on Oct 1st do they look at the next entry being #1?>

This is our understanding.

this seems to confirm it.

http://www.asianpacificpost.com/portal2/ff...hailand.do.html

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas

Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

The Immigration website says the same

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/newpro.html

90 days... but the logic they have is 90 days that you are granted.

You use only one day out of 30 days, still counts as 30 days as you were granted that right. So the logic is no confusion.

I know people don't want to hear it. I understand that. I wish they would make it clearer on the website as well.

Here is from the same article which quotes Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, he head of the bureau,

http://www.asianpacificpost.com/portal2/ff...hailand.do.html

and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

Other press seem to be saying the same thing

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navcl...24841&hl=en

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

sorry but this is not clear .... lets forget what the press reports as they seem as confused as the rest of us .. but the official document says SEVERAL times and not more than 90 days in 6 months ...

now forgive me for being stupid but if the 3 VOA was the official line wouldnt it say 3 and not several ???

if it is 3 strikes and your out i expect and lot of friction at the airports and a quick review to goto the 90 days rule instead

i suspect we willl see how this will all unfold after october 1st ...

must just say that the press and relation department of thai immigration should be officially sacked for this whole fiasco as has already been said the confusion will almost definately cause people not to book flights here

idiots

There are a lot of 'dodgy' people here who have no money and no WP. More than a few have warrants from their native countries. They scrounge around somehow and make the monthly 'visa run' usually on public transportation. The problem for Immigration; how to rid the country of this vermin but not run off some of the 'good folks' (with money, internet job maybe, etc.) in the process? Not an easy problem to solve. If I'm reading things right coming back in country by plane and you're okay.......the vermin can't afford this.

agree. most of the scuttlebutt and unofficial emphasizes that they're going after 30 day overland visa runners.

if this is a good translation of the legalese, it definitely leaves room for judgment on the immigration officer's part, when faced with perpetual weekenders, oil rig workers, etc. as to how often they can enter:

3. According the Article 13 (3) of the Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), within six months period, the holder of passport or substitutive documents which issued by any country that is approved by the Minister of the Interior, under the approval of the Cabinet, to enter to temporarily stay in Thailand for tourism purpose, shall be permitted to enter Thailand several times. Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

people are fretting about how ambiguous this part is, i really dont think it is all that ambiguous.

the careful observer will note that a.) the situation is evolving, and subject to further change, so that fact that it contradicts previous statements from immigration that it would be 3 and only 3 entries means nothing, and b.) "several" and "three" are very different words. if they meant three, they'd have said three.

(all bets are off, of course, if it turns out the translation sucks but i suspect it's decent because it reads like legalese not thaiglish. they also very carefully word the "TOTAL PERIOD" part. i fail to see how anyone can read that and conclude that it's definitely only three entries, even if you only stay overnight. certainly, the document allows that, but doesn't mandate that.

short version: it certainly appears that, based on the wording of this document, frequent weekenders and people who use the airport as a hub are safe.

This is exactly how I interpret it and makes logical sense (howver nothing is logical in thailand) ..

Thailand recieved a lot of bad press in the U.S. over the Karr fiasco.

Eg, Nancy Grace on CNN national news ranting about Bangkok

Ray

maybe i missing the point here, but wasn't Karr born and raised in the U.S .. and also (alhtough i think he has not been charged) the U.S police officers did not actually appehend Karr of even suspect him of the crime.

so to rant about bangkok Nancy is somewhat stupid as really they should be looking at there own doorstep before critizing a country that i suspect they have never visited and know only about through there particulary uniformative and biased press !!

hey

There are a lot of 'dodgy' people here who have no money and no WP. More than a few have warrants from their native countries. They scrounge around somehow and make the monthly 'visa run' usually on public transportation. The problem for Immigration; how to rid the country of this vermin but not run off some of the 'good folks' (with money, internet job maybe, etc.) in the process? Not an easy problem to solve. If I'm reading things right coming back in country by plane and you're okay.......the vermin can't afford this.

I think this has less to do with "vermin", as you so elequently put it, and the (as yet completely theoretical) opening of the new airport....

interesting theory ... so you envisage that the frequently delayed and no doubt over budget new airport's opening co-incides with the changing of the rules (or enforcement of existing rules) to perhaps raise additional revenue for said govt ?? if im reading correctly that is.

should we expect a new special visa for people arriving in breach of the "new rules" rather than instant deportation. lets say for instance you arrive in breach .. mai pen rai we grant you new 15 day VOA arrival 5000 baht please !!!

anyhow enough of the conspiracy theory ...as i read the rules the key words are SEVERAL and NOT MORE THAN 90 DAYS IN 6 MONTHS. several is more than 3 times so for myself travelling for weeknd stays from HK say twice a month there is no problem (6 days a month for 6 months is only 36 days). but for the person arriving on a 3 month tourist visa and then wanting to do 3 VOA's for 30 days there might be a problem as this would be continuous 6 months. a 4th VOA for the 7th month of course now definately a no go.

of course as as it appears vague to us you can only imagine how the poor immigration guy is going to be. i expect this new directive is to clearly stamp out those on continuous month on month and will allow a little discretion to the immigration officer. if he sees you keep staying maximum 30days and hpping the border for a few hrs then you going get shafted!!!

anyway the above is just my opinion .. hopefully we can get official clarification from sunbelt as there origial interpretation suggested a 3 VOA in 6 months and thats it ... regardless of time duration spent ... this is where alot of confusion has exists around this point.

gf flew eithad airways ...

good comments

- good food - apparently had steak

- entertainment system - your own personal tv in tha beack of seat

- only one hour stopover if you book the right flight

Ok trying to deduce the facts from what i can see and not making subjective argument I see two interesting facts that raise further thought and avenues which seem not top have been address (apologies if i have miscontrued .

1). You mentioned a friend of yours i think her name was "AW" whose brother was a policeman but died and was close to you and your wife. Well it would seem to me that possible she is a prime candidate for writing the email - is this possible??

2) We have the accident - yet to be confirmed and the missing 13,000 Baht yet to be declared where this went missing. Could the two be linked? - how long ago was the 13,000 baht lost? ... i mean is it plausible that the 13,000 baht was used to to fix the car??

unfortunately none of these resolve the ultimate issue - is the story in the email real ??

what is good news is the emailer is responding - i suggest you do a bit of PI work yourself subtedly interogating the email writer who im sure now will reply ...

maybe say half of you belives the story and half does not and ask him/her how they can prove it to you >> perhaps a picture or some other evidence.

anyone else have suggestions on how Tip should proceed with emailing the mysterious "Stephen" ??

have you tried searching the user in yahoo members

http://members.yahoo.com/interests?

might give you some more information , i.e at least when the account was created. if its just recently may suggest the person has created specifically to send to you.

who knows if the sender has been foolish you may even get a picture

just trioed myself but amn security firewalls at work prvented access .. god there even stopping the soft porn nowadays!!!

I have been playing with the IP locators and they only give rough guides to location.

Two emails from my brothers in Canada only gave the province and city.

My own IP address is stated as the county i'm in not even the town.

Thanks, Chippie. I guess that doesn't bode well for nailing down anything conclusive. If I could verify that my computer was used then I could certainly narrow down the suspects. Someone else mentioned about installing a keylogger, or perhaps accessing the computer to see what activity conincided with the time the emails were sent. Both of those options are beyond me, though. The last would require not only an acquaintance but one with enough computer saavy, too. I, myself, wouldn't know how to go about checking your computer for particular activity.

checking internet history would show if the website (yahoo was it?) was acessed on the paticular day you rc'd the email.

not sure how long the history goes back on a deault history tracker (my computer at work is one week) but sometimes it could be setup for longer, meaning you could check when you return

Are you 100% sure that this was a third party ?? or is that something your wife told ou?

I don't want to scaremonger but if you wife did involce family or friend in the writing/procesing your bank draft then this would raise a few eyebrows and suggest she is not the only one privvy to your email and circumstances.

The wifey is computer illiterate. On top of that she cannot write English at all and so does not email me. We talk enough on the phone that email is not warranted. she truly lacks interest in knowing anything about computers.

Im sorry Tip but you are condradicting yourself here, as you go on to say in another post.

She emailed me stating that the bank in Thailand wanted a rather large fee and although the money was guaranteed they needed to hold the check for 30 days.

So if this is the case someone else knows your e-mail and personal arangements, they must have helped her with the e-mail?

Sorry for the seemingly contradictory info regarding my wife's emails. Before I had moved to Thailand she would utilize a then nearby 3rd party (not a friend but a paid service) to write and read my emails. This person no longer works in the particular Internet cafe she used to frequent, nor do we live in that are of town any longer. Since we've been together there's obviously been no need for her to utilize email anymore.

1st question, how did he/she know your E mail address?

I'm truly touched at the immense outpouring of concern. You all have my most respectful and heartfelt appreciation

I'll try to reply to individual posts as quickly as possible. Just know that I'm reading each and every one of them.

That's another point I've considered, Kurgen. This sender is unknown to me. Yet how did they obtain my address? Two possibilities occur to me - 1) it is someone close to us who has access to our condo and quite possibly my computer, and 2) it was discreetly obtained by someone removed from us from a member of our household.

My opinion thus far is No. 1.

Tippaporn can you please clarify what you mean by obtaining your address ?? do you mean your condo address or simply your email address ?

if it's email addres this could be obtained simply by a number of means and wouldn't be so hard to fathom. Say for instance if you've communicated directly to someone on this board via email.

best thing in this kind of scenario is try to think and discover the motives of the sender. If the sender "is as he claims" caring about your interests then I would expect that he (or even she) would reply to your emails and reveal more truth and impelling evidence. If however you get no further reply it does suggest more sinister motives (this is not deducing whether or not the email is ficticious or ot simply that the motives of this person dubious)

interestingly the username looks like it is a real falang name. could be worht in investigating this presuming the sender has not made this up.

anyway try not to do anything rash and collect as much evidence as possible. Then with a collective head decide what to do.

Good luck and I hope you find the truth and it works out for the best

Should we wonder why?

41.8 % single women in BKK ?? seems a little low to me .. i don't think i ever met a thai woman in bkk who wasn't single

however theres all those falangs who claim to have thai gf's .. the numbers just dont add up !!!

my advice ignore what people say on here ... a generalised rule can never be applied to anything in this world.. True if she worked as a bargirl then the warning signs would be increased but silk bar is not a "working girl" bar.

and ... as you said in your mail your not "serious"about this girl yet so the best thing to do is just enjoy anytime spent with her and make up your mind yourself. Get to know her more and trust your own extincts.

search for your own truth .. if your around her and things don't seem right (she disapears for a few days, strange calls in the night, etc )then maybe you have found some concerns . However just coz someone from a site who has never met you or your g/f says unequivocally "she must be slipping into prostitution" coz she has worked in a bar , don't take that as fact.

however be realistic with your aims here and don't let love cloud your judgement. long distance relationship are hard. Even with the best of intentions your g/f may get lonely and there might be a a load of guys trying to hit on her. in the long-term for these things to work out you need a plan. starting a business here can be really difficult unless your particuarly savvy and finding work is extremely dificuly .. unless you go down the tried and tested route of the english teacher ...

anyway my advice is dont get too serious too quickly ... go with the flow. If you really like the girl get to know her family and thai customs. and try to follow your head as well as your heart

Hey

Reading through the soprano thread and much of the stuff that was said about "all thai girls" who happen to work in bars(slip in and out of prostitution at one stage or another), dont get me wrong i know there are certain bars where the generalisation is generally (i said generally dont jump down my throat!!) true but i want to ask about a specific bar.

"Silkbar" on Koh san road I dont think the girls that serve the drinks are barfineable are they?

I did meet a girl there a while ago really sweet prob not the best looking thai girl ever but really nice person. When we went out she paid for food and drinks alot of the time, took me to all these cool places met her friends who worked all over, when i was hurt she bought me medicine and generally looked after me. I left her alone with all my stuff in the hotel loads of times and she never took anything only thing she did do was clean the room!! Said she was a virgin i dont know but it wouldnt bother me if she lied about that i think a lot of girls (especially thai girls)do. when i had to go home she cried at airport i said i didnt know if i would be back again she understood.

we have kept in contact via msn, (who knows maybe she has loads of people lined up on it) txt, email odd phonecall I am thinking of going back to see her. Should i tell her or should i just arrive and see how it goes? The thing is i know she is dirt poor wants to leave thailand (she hasnt had any sick buffalow yet anyway) her sis already has left married with kids to european and a few of her friends have gone this way too. I am just not that serious. She knows this i said i wouldnt be getting married till i was at least 35. I wouldnt mind just meeting up to go for a meal and dancing with her and her friends.

She has a degree and has worked with a few different companies since she quit silkbar (she really enjoyed working there ) but she always leaves these jobs for one reason or another. The thing is she hasnt worked in months now and this has got me thinking about what is being said in the thread that all girls who work in bars slip in and out of prostitution. I dont think this to be true especially if silkbar is not like bargirl bars. She is probably just getting money from her sis in europe or other guys stupid enough to send it. Isnt she??!

I will be going back soon and i would really like to stay if i could get a good job (i really wana get into business but anit got the funds yet so will do my research when im there) in BKK i would stay for a while and see how things work out with her. I really like her but you guys have messed with my head with all these generally true! generalisations of sweet thai girls who happen to work in bars.

Cheers

Thebigfella (its just a name im really quite small)

Hi everyone,

i will be flying regularly from hong kong to bangkok and would be greatful if anyone who could recommend a good travel agent / airline who offer the cheapest return flights?

thanks

Nickname Kob by any chance??

J

yes !!! why do you know her ???

Hello Everyone,

A friend wants to visit UK and I wonder if anyone can tell me the if she will require a visa to do so

her situation is that she is a thai national but has a french passport so will the french passport negate the necessity of having to apply for a uk visa?

i know scouse has an expert knowledge of visa info so if he or anyone else can help it will be appreciated

thanks

not suprised in the slightest

Thai seems to have a total disinterest for affairs not concerning Thailand. I know this is a complete stereoptype but i feel it is the general trend. On the news too. There will be a short burst of intrnational coverage in no great depth (after the Thai coverage naturally) but the main emphasis is usually on some truck driver getting caught with someting or an explosion in the south or something other crap like a woman jumping off a roof.

This seems the way for the west too, I spoke to my dad back in the UK. Knew noting of any political unrest in Thailand. He is getting on a bit though:) I guess contries in general have their own interests best at heart. (did the Thais fight against hitler/japan?)

When the south starts bombing Bangkokyour wife will know about terror and it will all make sense (with a little (or lot) explanation regarding religion, the American's giving Jew's what the palestinians considered their homeland after the 2nd world war.........and the general hatred that has bred an era of terror. not just recent either......)

(PS Thai sent forces to iraq to appease bush - not to let the the Thai people know how great they are (!?!?!?!?!?!?) _I might be wrong but i think their army isn't up to much and it was a purely token gesture. Bush is Sith lord and leader of the fourth reich who will probably be assassinated to establish martial law in the US, all possible IMHO but i don't think the majority see it that way! Try telling your wife they blew up their own world trade towers and explain that, now that will really confuse her. My next worry is iran. China diagree and only need to step in and things could get ugly

Just looked on yahoo today and 51 UK firms in iraq. The UK and US have made a serious and i mean SERIOUS amount of money ie billions/ not millions......no idea about Thailand though.

bedtime

PS got some great avi videos on conspiracy - looks like they worked on me!

Aren't you a racist beotch check your facts jack. The British were in charge of Palestine after the war. What color is the sky in your world.

I'm not rasicst, infact my grandad was american, but i was pretty offkey in my post factually - and didn't mean any offence, so sorry for that. I felt that the post started on track becauseinternational news coverage does seem poor to me on the TV thats all. The rest of it was the Chang talking

Also, I just can't remeber some of those things they taught me at school, like the name of the meetings the allies had, hold on....ahhhh so versialles treaty was world war 1...I'm no historian so please except my appologies....having a look on the internet though, its a topic i don't know much about and would like to know more about, what with it's ongoing relevance to the world we will live in.......but thats offpost so let this just be an appology for providing bad information and offending you

keeping on track. Is it true that Taksin has a problem with the Muslimis in the South? Has Taksin has talkjed to Bush about these things?. Does ush and the US support Jewish interest in the US above Muslim interests? Has the world of 'terror' as we know it today has been created partially because of this? I know my histories not good and am genuinely not sure on all the above? you seem to know a lot more about it than me tavarich so maybe you could helpeducated ( in a friendly way this time please)

cheers

slightly of track but as you mentioned bush , with reference to bushes recent speech about iran ... it went something like this ...

"well we know they are bad guys (iran) .. and they got the nukes ... and they threatened isreal, and isreal they are our buddies, so this is obviously a real threat to national security"

ok then george can you please tell me when Israel constituted part of the nation is the united states ?? alternatively maybe some of tv member can explain this rational to me

"ooHHH!!! Betty" as frank spencer would say .. you really dropped yourself in it right at the end just when your carefully written and disguised plea was going so well ...

i would love for you to come and follow my story but considering i didn't meet through an "agency" i guess its no use ....

there are however three main agencies you may want to contact for your nice little programme ..

1) Nana's young loves dreams

2) Soi cowboy's meets cowgirls

3) Patpong's do you no wrongs

i hear these agencies "hook up " lots of falangs with foreigh girlfriends

Redrus that is probably the most insightful and gloriously inventive thought process i have had the witness and pleasure to read ...

do you think that maybe theres is a planet in the universe with such an evolutionary existence ???maybe Redrus you have existed on such a planet many lives ago ???

Hey redrus,

Where and how did you have this epiphany?

Was there any substances invovled?

It sounds like something that comes to you in a deep meditative state......or maybe after a few too many beers.

Thanks for the info guys. I ended up getting a Creative Zen Neeon at pantip. I didn't see your post in time Sansai.Stll, happy with what I have.The sound is amazing.

where wopuld the cheapest place to buy ipods in asia (please let me know the country) or UK ???

I've been recently and flew with emirates for about 7000B, it was just booked at a Travel Agency.  There were cheaper flights with China Air (about 5000B) but we couldnt be flexible with times and dates.  I think you can book on both those airlines websites, a travel agent may get you a better fare.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you can buy at the airport befoer departure or on an earlier day./ Does anyone know the current cost of a ticket bkk to hk on orient air ??

"Pimps" - its what we call our "Recruitment Consultants" - a necessary evil but they are bottom feeders lower tha estate agents or time share salemen  ;-)

3% for the invoicing company seems OK - I pay 4% currently.

Getting taxed on only 20% is good as well - is the rest of the money going offshore like ours does?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

pimps exactly ... i joined the bank through payroll last year .. the amount the bank paid for a 12 month contract for me was £8190 without va..t .. i know because i signed the invoice

crazy money

Hi

I have just thought - it sounds as if you are going to invoice them direct with no Agency.

If so add 15%-33% as that is what those "Pimps" take before you get yours.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well i spoke to a company called TreasureGaurd who will invoice the investment bank for my services and charge 3% but assure me only 20% of totla earnings will be taxed.

i can invoice then in sterling setting up an off shore company is an option and is something i can discuss with them frther down the line.

telll me who are these "pimps2 who will take 15-33% of my money ??

It sounded a complicated formula, but actually it was no joke.

I'm saying multiply by 3 as the cost of living is expensive compared to Thailand.

The division by 5 is simply the HK$/THB exchange rate.

Thats for Thai migrants.....

Anyway, if you're coming from UK, its obviously different.

Accommodation is expensive here - bank on GBP 2000 per month. However taxation is just 15%.

1.5x UK salary is ballpark, yes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks moog .. sorry i thought you were suggesting a salary less than that to be earnt in thailand ..

well the situation im is im currently contracting for 1 and a half years in uk for an investment bank where i did a cost allocation model for IT costs. They now want me to run this model for the asia regions but rather than take me on as staff they want me to be a consultant. it lookis like i can set myself up as a compnay in the uk and invoice them in sterling paying myself a small salary and then pay uk corporation tax on the rest.

seeing as i already have the skills , knowlegde and experience of what is required and will be running the project i think i can ak for a fair amount as they will save on employee contribution costs, relocation and of course having to recruit externally. it looks like i'll ask for a sterling amount , im just wondering what a ballpark figure will be

I know negotiations always take up a scarface dialogue " I go Hi, you go low !!!!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so waht would be an approiate day rate in pounds ???

It sounded a complicated formula, but actually it was no joke.

I'm saying multiply by 3 as the cost of living is expensive compared to Thailand.

The division by 5 is simply the HK$/THB exchange rate.

Thats for Thai migrants.....

Anyway, if you're coming from UK, its obviously different.

Accommodation is expensive here - bank on GBP 2000 per month. However taxation is just 15%.

1.5x UK salary is ballpark, yes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks moog .. sorry i thought you were suggesting a salary less than that to be earnt in thailand ..

well the situation im is im currently contracting for 1 and a half years in uk for an investment bank where i did a cost allocation model for IT costs. They now want me to run this model for the asia regions but rather than take me on as staff they want me to be a consultant. it lookis like i can set myself up as a compnay in the uk and invoice them in sterling paying myself a small salary and then pay uk corporation tax on the rest.

seeing as i already have the skills , knowlegde and experience of what is required and will be running the project i think i can ak for a fair amount as they will save on employee contribution costs, relocation and of course having to recruit externally. it looks like i'll ask for a sterling amount , im just wondering what a ballpark figure will be

I know negotiations always take up a scarface dialogue " I go Hi, you go low !!!!"