Khun Robert

Nice to read that in all of your home countrys armed guards are needed. Even police controle and checks before delivering.

But it sound that in your country it is a dangerous job to refill ATM's. As many of you write down and whitnessed refilling here.

so you all agree Thailand is a much safer country than yours.

dont worry i learnt long ago (from the mistakes of others ) never involve yourself among thais if you want peace and quiet.

What an advice. So his only option is to leave Thailand. There is no way to live in Thailand without getting involved with Thais.

I see more discussions ending up with threats to fight between Expats visiting bars then sitting relaxed and quiet with Thai friends in a bar.

At least other posters had good advice for OP. Hope it will work out well for you.

Teaching is a profession. But this seems to be forgotten when coming in SEA as I read the comments.

Lots of people complain about the level of English spoking by Thai Nationals.

If you have no degree in Teaching, please stay away from schools, unless it is a school where you will get qualified as teacher.

I feel sorry for the children already, another backpacker want to stay in Land Of Smiles and cares only his live.

Get sorted out what you really want, get degrees to do it, find an Employer who is willing to hire you because your expertise, get a Work Permit and appropriate Visa.

You are young enough to sort this out.

Good luck.

Krabi is the pilot province for Tourist Safety.

Well at the moment they are working hard to prevend accidents with Speedboats and Longtail boats.

The first new rules are:

Every Dive Center using a big boat must be registered with National Park and contribute 10.000 Thb for bouys.

Every Dive Center must have Basic First Aid trained people on board.

Every Dive Center must have all sfaff legally working with work permits.

Dive Centers are only allowed to Scuba Dive near Safety bouys who will be put in place in the near future.

But for Speedboats and Longtail boats things go on as usual. And if I look back at the accidents:

Speedboat on sight seeing trip sunk, Speedboat on sight seeing trip run over a longtail boat, longtailboat on sight seeing trip sunk

Speedboat on sight seeing trip run over 2 Scuba Divers who where using Safety Marker bouy.

I have been told we have to start somewhere, okay but why not start to educate and enforce Safety standards there where most accidents are happening, speedboats and longtai boats.

Can hardly believe they enjoy after watching a boat turning over in the waves.

1 Tourist drowned and 3 wounded.

Not the best scene at your holiday paradise.

At least a good call to stop them from leaving the island and provide food an shelter.

I'm not English so I can not comment on the English but

She fell into the Sea, Mrs Inge and She came with her husband

I really think it is no good to comment that at least his family ...

Oh well who cares about English Gramma police.

RIP and condoleances for her Family.

I don't know about beaches but I made most of this move on board Royal Thai Navy.

Last year I applied for a new Passport in the Netherlands. My passport pictures were refused with the remark my face was to dark.

I tried to explain that after living 12 years in Thailand not only my face changed color.

I had to make new pictures and she approved them but she explained that face was still to dark and the picture could be denied by senior officer.

After all application finished I nicely asked how she deals when African people apply for passport.

She called security to escort me outside the building. I never had that problem in Thailand.

a medical certification does not help alone. Defenitly in Thailand where you just pay and wait outside at a local doctors office.

Yes I did myself when needed for the PADI Instructors exams, paid 500 Thb and waited 5 minutes for a signature.

Dive organisations like PADI have quality assesments, but only for Instructors not for Dive centers.

To increase the income out of courses dive organisations lower the level of requirements.

How can a person never seen salt water and only seen scuba diving in movies become a highly experienced professional in 6 weeks?

With 100 scuba dives experience (including training dives in swimming pools) you can become an Instructor and work world wide.

Lots of diving staff are butterfly, they just come to an area to work one season as a paid holiday.

It takes time to know local conditions on dive sites, but are you given the time when you only work in the area for 5 or 6 months?

Not only in Thailand but world wide things have to change to make Scuba Diving safer.

instructors are supposed to make an immidiate accident report according the Dive Organisations.

But they did not come forward yet, company is buying time so the staff working without work permit can leave the country??

That's not complicated. I have a private residence and while doing my 90 days decide to see if i could get my visa extension at the same time, this would be a month in advance. It was possible and after two hours i got my '' under consideration'' stamp, '' we will come to your house to check if you really live there and then on the 20th December you come back to the office and you get your visa''. ''What about my 90 day slip'' ''Go to next desk'' The officer looked at my under consideration stamp and decided i don't need the 90 day slip until i get the visa stamp so out we go and i started to think....This is a scam, they come to my house look at the passport and fine me for not having done the 90 days so i send the wife back in and the officer grudgingly put the slip in my passport. The wife later rang up a friend of hers married to a farang who had gone through the whole process, they turned up at the house and asked for 3,000 Baht to ''make sure'' that the visa would go through.

Applied for extension of stay based on marriage. Got the 1 month under consideration stamp and have to wait for the house visit.

Local Thai police visited my house yesterday, made a picture of me with one of them, wrote my name in Thai language, adress, telephone number, age and passport number in his book.

I had to sign the page.

NO MONEY ASKED.

Application made at Krabi Immigration.

OP did not mention where in thailand he is located.

- If he wanted to stay in thailand without doing border runs, the other non-400k optiom is to get an affidavit notarized from your embassy that you earn 40k baht equivalent monthly income. Then notary service price varies from country to country; USA is $50 USD per notary (1500-1650 thb). You still apply for the yearly extension at LOCAL immigration office with all the other extension paperwork; the affidavit is your financial proof instead of 400k.

Did this last week in Krabi. Had to form from Embassy.

And Krabi IO wanted an updated and all pages copied bank book for proof of the money is coming into Thailand.

Simply obtain your VISA NON O in your own country where pending your country of residence, you will not be required to show bank statements

On returning to Thailand leave the country every 90 days

Good Luck

Not work in every country, from the Thai Consulate in Amsterdam the Netherlands:

(translation: You need € 1200 income for proof. Very hard to proof if you're not working in the Netherlands.

-Bent u gehuwd/officieel geregistreerd partnerschap en heeft 1 van de partners geen inkomsten dan dient het maandbedrag 1200,- per maand te zijn.U dient dan een kopie van het trouwboekje/huwelijksakte/officieel geregistreerd partnerschap bij te voegen.

Just copied from Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur:

Now also changed on the website of the Thai Consulate in Amsterdam, the Netherlands:

From 13 November 2015, the sixty (60) days Tourist Visa with “Double (2)” and “Triple (3)” Entries will no longer be available.

Applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom of Thailand for tourism purpose can apply for:

1. Single Entry Tourist Visa: The application fee is 30 EUR, with a visa validity of six (6) months and the duration of stay of up to sixty (60) days per visit, or

2. Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) : The application fee is 150 EUR, with a visa validity of six (6) months and the duration of stay of up to sixty (60) days per visit.

From 13 November 2015, the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is available to tourists of all nationalities. The following documents must be submitted with a completed visa application form for consideration.

1. Passport with validity of not less than six (6) months;

2. Bank Statement with a minimum balance equivalent of Two Hundred Thousand (200,000) Baht (approximately Five Thousand (5,000) Euro);

3. Employment Letter;

4. Roundtrip flight reservation or ticket (at least for the first entry);

5. Hotel reservation confirmation (at least for the first entry); and

6. Residence permit or proof of residency (for applicants who are not Dutch nationals)

So many dive centers and even more Dive instructors.

Every Dive Instructor is able to teach Rescue Diving.

Why in Koh Samui the dive centers not set up a Search and Rescue?

I did in Krabi with Tourist Rescue Police,

Small effort for dive centers.

Off topic reply sorry.

I read several times a new passport because the Embassy/Consulate can not check.

In my Dutch passport on the page next ID details it clearly says: This passport has been issued to replace passport no: ..........(old passport nr)

So if they have copy of old passport and have records on name or passport details it is possible to check old passport.

I rent a shophouse and a second house in Krabi. When friends come over the can use my second house. First day I go to landlord with TM30 forms let her sign it all.

Then I go with friends to report at Krabi Immigration with signed copy of landlords ID and my rental contract in Thai.

He got extension without any problems.

And on it goes, complain complain.

Thai Immigration keeps on changing the rules to keep the tourists out.

I have no money in the bank, I do not work but I like to stay in your country without any income and support my family.

You have to give me a visa because I know a person in your country.

Well where in the world this works out.

Okay, except you are a refugee of war.

Who are you talking to? Not one person so far in this thread has said anything that you quoted. You just couldn't wait to jump in and express your prejudices against your countrymen. Says a real lot about you, mate.

Thanks, I don't know you but it seems you know more about me than myself and my countyman.

I did not made a quote as suggested but who am I to discuss.

I have no prejudice against my country man or any other Tourist in Thailand. But please take a look at your own country and their visa rules.

Lots of abuse is taking place in Thailand and now there is a little enforcement we all start complaining about the rules.

Thailand is know of the lack of enforcement on many laws, what will happen here if Thailand get speed trap camera, more alcohol check points, helmet - license checkpoints, fining abuse by post like europe?

I could go on and on. But This Is Thailand, a country we all choose for different reasons.

When there is more control about a rule, people love to write whatever feelings the have on a forum. Its like a discussion in a bar after a few beers.

If you think it is personal up to you as we like to say in Thailand.

But don't judge me when I just write down comments from people I have met in Thailand.

LOL, had same experience looking for Scuba Dive Instructors.

I got emails from non-Thai people:

I very experienced shop manager in tropical countrys, but how do I get from England to Thailand?

I'm very experienced, my (2 week) instructor course will finish in the next 3 weeks.

I run dive center for many years, do you have dive equipment for me to use?

and this is just 3 examples from the hundreds of mails I recieved.

So strange job aplications you find everywhere.