wormdrive

Can anyone confirm if JAL is requiring a PCR test or ATK for transit (connecting) flights to the USA?  The USA, only requires a negative ATK test, but unsure if JAL has their own requirements?

I have a 5-year (actually 6 years as I went the day after B-day) driver's license that is due to expire at the end of the year.  Is there any penalty for not renewing it before the expiry date?  For example, you can no longer get the 5-year and are reverted back to the 2-year one?  Or, maybe have to provide additional paperwork etc?  

I'm just really pressed to make it over to MTT to do the COR before the end of the year and want to know if I go in early January if there will be problems?

 

Thanks in advance for the info.

What are the current requirements for renewing a 5-year to another 5-year?

 

Forgot what I did last time. I believe my name was added to the house registration book.  Can a copy of that be used, or do I have to go to immigration and get something from them?

I would like to know what they are doing about serving food and drinks onboard?  I have read reports that airlines are no longer serving food or beverages during flights and are not permitting outside food or beverages to be consumed on board.  So, what are they doing for international flights that are 13+ hours long?  Are they still not serving F&B?

 

What, if any, threshold is there?  Is it the duration of the flight? Anything less than X amount of hours nothing is served?  What is that threshold?

 

If they are serving F&B, it would make wearing masks for the other 12 or so hours a moot point. As soon as everyone brought their masks down to eat for the 30mins to an hour, whatever was floating around in the air is going to be inhaled during that time period.

 

And again, if F&B are not being served - why is this not reflected in ticketing prices.  For example, business class and first class tickets don't reflect all the alcohol and food costs that are not being incurred. 

18 minutes ago, Jaxxper said:

If they are scanning baggage then there should be no need to open it. I agree locked bags are no real deterrent but I’ve found that if you put a small cable tie in addition to the lock it’s impossible to open the bag without cutting the tie and thus leaving the evidence that the bag was tampered with. Just one more deterrent.

You are sadly mistaken. It is not "impossible" to open a bag without cutting the tie.  I suggest you search on YouTube "using a pen to open suitcase" and educate yourself before you go dispensing incorrect information.  When all you do is spend your time refuting people - I suggest you make damn sure you are educated in the area.

Thank you for the clarification. I wasn't sure if a trip to the embassy had to be made every year.

Can anyone substantiate if it is necessary to provide the required marriage affidavit with attached certified Thai translation (which is needed for the initial (year one) extension / married abroad) annually during the renewal/extension? Meaning that each and every year a trip to the embassy has to be made for a new affidavit? The Kor 22 has been procured and reissued again within the last 2 weeks.

Or, can the applicant provide the previous documents? Is the affidavit even needed again or does the Kor 22 suffice in lieu of it?

I have to call BS on this one as being little more than a complete PR stunt. The U.S. has been trying to counter skimmers for nearly a decade now - the financial institutions lose billions a year due to fraud/skimming.

Don't you think they would have developed a method to prevent it if there were one? "Devices" attached to machines to prevent skimming is an attempt to restore some false confidence to the financial consumers and nothing more - almost the same way a car alarm does for it's owner. If a person wants your information, believe me.... they will get it.

Technology and sophistication within the skimming community is dynamic. It is constantly adapting to whatever changes are being made. Thailand and SEA, are a hub for this type of activity. Most of the ATM skimming devices (not inhand physical skimming. ie at restaurants) are fabricated in SEA or Russia.

The best way to protect yourself is do not use a debit card at an ATM. Using a credit card offers you some degree of fraud protection, but using a debit card you are generally going to have a VERY difficult time getting any lost money back.

If you have no choice other than to use a debit card:

Have 2 accounts, and establish access to them via online. You can set up automatic transfers between the two. Keep one account as your bi-weekly cash account. Your first account is used for the direct deposit of your salary. Then set up an online transfer from that account to your 2nd account, which is your daily expense account. Just transfer enough in the account for your expenses for a 2 week period, or the duration that you choose.

Use the debit card of the 2nd account at ATM's etc, never from the 1st.

Count is 59 now, and will probably be understated for sometime to come.... damage control.

Very strange that they were able to full investigate that the fire was not arson. Usually this takes a lot of forensic work and interviews.

Source

Nationmultimedia

So, I wonder who made it past the first 5 or 6 pages to read this - congratulations you have a longer attention span than most.

I have been in Thailand for 1/2 a decade (that's how you make 5 years sound like a long time) - I'm in my mid thirties.

For the above time I have played by the rules. The result: about 22 pages of various stamps in my passport, a stack of work permit books, and so much maze-work in my passport I couldn't even begin to understand the jist of it.

I've traveled a lot, have lived in many countries. I can say without a doubt that Thailand is the WORST of any of the dozens of countries I've lived concerning Visas.

My Thai friend just got a job as a flight attendent with an American carrier - got a TEN YEAR!!! work Visa. 10 YEAR!!

Thailand truly makes it difficult for a foreigner to work here, and to live here (retire).

I have to say - that if I were to choose to retire here. I would stop playing by the rules!

I'd come on a 30 day tourist Visa - and say "screw you" to anything else. I wouldn't boast or brag to anyone.. I'd just do it.

In all my time here I have only been asked one time by police (getting off a bus 4 years ago from Pattaya) to present my passport. Then they didn't even look at it - they just wanted to know my nationality it seems.

So, with that said I could have been here for whatever time on a 30 day Visa and nobody would have known the difference.

Then there are those that say "oooohhh well what if this or that happens." I'd reply - "I could die tomorrow as well - what then?"

If I ever needed to leave the country - I'd pay the overstay fine and be done with it - 20,000 baht no problem.

Hopefully, by the time I am 55-60 (20-30 years from now) Thailand will have pulled their head out of their arse.

Possible?

Yes. I am always fully stressed... So, I'm always looking for ways to to lower it. Ya, I know that Thailand is THE place to do it if ever there were a place (abundence of willing girls) - I haven't found a gym in Bangkok that would be similar to a place like GOLDs gym in the States. A dedicated BB gym that is bigger than 25sqm is hard to find in the city.

I know that expat places like Pattaya, Phuket, and even Hua Hin have some nice BB gyms without the Glam and Hype - but here in the city.. you got me?

If you do find a place let us know!

It's the best gym I've ever been a member of, here and in England.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ROTFLMAO

"Hoodwinked" now that's imaginative!

:

The catch is all about the auto-billing cycle that they have. But, it is not just California, most of the clubs do it now. They create a legal contract a yard line of all the hoops you have to jump through in order to EVER get the auto monthly charges to stop.

Like the energizer battery... they just keep going... and going.... and going...

However, there is some recourse. I don't know about Thai's or Thai credit cards, but I know that if I don't like a charge I can contest it and will not have to pay for it - and it effectively locks out the auto pay - every time they would try to get payment, they would be rejected by MasterCard and Visa - Citibank is great on this...

Once you do that, you better keep about 1km from the club because if they see you they will kill you on sight. LOL

Some gyms now ONLY offer membership by auto payment - there is NO cash option. What would that tell you in itself?

I gym for foreigners by foreigners would be sweet. It would charge the 10-15 bucks we get charged for them back home. $800 - $1000 a year for a gym membership IS UNHEARD OF back where I am from. It just wouldn't wash at all.

But then I might go into some kind of withdrawl from not being able to see Thai birds... hmmmmmm. wonder about that one.

Wow, almost confused as I was before the post. Many people saying move on and many saying "keep at it."

Seems like reading between the lines is pretty difficult.

We will see how girl and boy are over the course of the next week. Will she stop getting her water break near him, or continue as usual.... if she continues her patterns inside the gym and doesn't steer clear of Boy, then I think that would be an OK sign... right?

If she disappears for a couple of weeks - I think that would be the message of not interested...

She is awfully clever, and it could be that she does know how to "play" the game. It could be that she is used to guys trying to develop something with her.

So Boy should just relax and say hello when the occassion presents itself at the gym?

Ok, so I have been here in Thailand for more than a few years... but one thing that gets me is "reading" Thai women. I am asking for opinions on this one.

Here's the scenario:

Boy sees girl at gym almost daily for a couple of months.

They make eye almost everytime. Both seem interestingly disinterested. Never really a smile or hellos. (She looks about 21-22 years old) and works a car maker in the city.

Boy has enough and chooses to see "what time it is."

Boy waits for girl outside gym discreetly.

Girl waits for a bus outside a major shopping center.

Boy approaches girl and says:

b: hi

g: hello

b: can you speak english?

g: yes a little bit

b: you remember me? you know me?

g: maaaaybbe

(I should say that her English is spot on)

(and boy is talking in his caveman/thai farang english)

b: ah we go to the same club. I see you many times.

b: my name is xxxxxxx

b: what's your name?

g: xxxxxxxxx

b: well I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself because I see you almost everyday - but didn't want to bother you in the club. So hello.

g: ah OK - hello (she seems to want to end the conversation then and there)

b: you know I just trying to make friend in this new city. It is difficult to meet a nice girl.

g: oh really?

b: friends yes.. girls no

g: oh, if you want girl you can goto a gogo.

b: I know. I know. It's very easy for me to get a girl. If I wanted that, but I am trying to make a friend.

g: OK, Ok sooooo... ok good.

b: so, you go to the gym everyday?

g: if I can finish work early I go.

b: you work around here?

g: yes.

b: what do you do?

g: I work for xxxxxxx

b: cool. you sell the cars or work in the office?

g: Oh no. I don't sell the cars. I work in office.

b: hmmmmmmmm

g: what do you do?

b: I xxxxxxxxx

g: what is the companies name?

b: xxxxxxxxx

g: where is that?

b: It's xxxxxxxxxxxxx

g: Oh OK.

b: ya it's ok. I just blah blah blah all day

g: Ok, well...

b: well just wanted to say hello.

g: ok

b: listen, would you like to get a cup of coffee for a bit?

g: no I cannot it's late already. (8pm)

b: really?

b: hmmm... maybe you have a boyfriend already? That's why you can't?

g: No. No. I don't have a boyfriend.

g: I am ok to be alone.

b: I know. I know. Me too but a friend is always good?

g: hmm

b: so. no coffee?

g: no because I will get home late. It takes me about 2 hours.

b: oh wow. where do you live?

g: I live in xxxxxxx, it's very far - I don't think that you hear before.

b: WOW! I live there too (not a lie.)

g: (girl is in shock)

b: very funny. very funny.

g: yes

g: where are you from?

b: I am from xxxxxxx

g: Oh, I have been there before! It is very interesting place.

b: ya.

b:ok, well maybe we can get coffee another day?

g: maybe

b: mmmmmmm

g: maybe I see you again inside

b: what?

g: inside gym. maybe I see you there again sometime..

b: oh ya.. ok bye

g: bye

Ok, so what is the take on the deal. What is a Thai maybe? Is that like a Japanese no? Like they don't like to say no. But this hasn't been my experience. I hear the famous MAI about 10,000 times a day?!!?

2 things stick-out, the boyfriend question is always thrown out there to give them a way out. If a girl is not interested in a guy for whatever reason, then they have the chance to say they have a BF which tells the guy they are not interested. She didn't.

The other thing, she did ask a few questions and wasn't totally stand-offish and they have a couple things in common already. They both like fitness, go to the same club, live in the same area, and she has seen where he lives. Needless to say, the conversation could have went on for sometime if she had taken the coffee offer as there seemed to be enough filling just from the 10mins talking on the side of the road.

Is there no hope here? No phone numbers where exchanged. Coffee was turned down - and kind of like a "whatever" attitude during the initial talk. He is really struck by her.

Where should it go from here you big romeos out there? How do you read the conversation and situation?

The two issues at work here are:

Parenthood - controlling your child's behavior is the parents responsibility.

It is NOT the responsibility of a National Government to do so. Maybe Thailand should invest more in developing parenting skills rather than licensing Internet shops. Why is the government of Thailand taking a parenthood role? We all know about the level of parenting skills in Thailand - that's were the commitment should be made.

The plan, as it's stated, speaks about Internet Cafes having to apply for a license. That is all. This means that the Government is going to make money from the licensees, thus the addiction. It is not a preventative measure - It simply means that a Cafe will have to pay 1200 baht a year for a piece of paper to hang in their shop saying they are legit.

It does absolutely NOTHING to deal with the issue. It has EVERYTHING with the government seeing something where they can get money.

It's really sad when foreigners start using Thai violent tatics against fellow foreigners (or anybody for that fact).

Probably paid the gunman 1,000 baht to shoot them both. Makes me sick.

I mean we have enough to worry about over here, and now we have to worry about desputes being settled the Thai mafia way?

*heavy sigh*

Here is one for you,

True Corp. fails to ensure system integrity before launching registration campaign.

Company continues to exhibit failures in their logistical and forecasting business acumen.

BANGKOK, Thailand – August 25, 2005 – Today one of Thailand’s leading Internet service providers True Co., Ltd (www.truecorp.co.th) failed to meet fundamental operational and logistical forecasting when their online registration system went offline within 45 minutes of operation.

On August 23, 2005, the company mailed out 285,000 letters to their hi-speed Internet subscribers requesting them to register for a new streamlined sign-in system aimed at combating “login related frustrations and problems.” The letter continues to state, “Making your life on-line faster and more convenient is our top priority.”

The company provided incentives to prompt increased registration response with a chance to win:

-HP NX 6120 Notebook

-iPod Shuffles 512MB

-Life is Yours t-shirts

Subscribers who tried to register for the new service today were met with an error message indicating an incorrect login name / password combination. Sources say this error prompted over 5,000 calls to True Corp. to inquire about the problem causing some parts of their automated voice routing system to fail.

The company has been suffering from a series of planning shortcomings over the last 8 – 10 months. In the later part of last year they launched an aggressive campaign to get new hi-speed subscribers but failed to ensure appropriate bandwidth routing which resulted in 1MB speed subscribers getting less than 20k actual speeds.

When the company was contacted in regards to the online registration error, they acknowledged the error and stated the system would be online again within 24 hours. A True Corp., representative suggest that users should try to register again within the next day. The representative further states, “If a user cannot sign in, they should continue to try register for up to a month.”

Pictures look cool, but I am wondering if there will be some nice hostesses present? Anyone have any reviews for this place? Just curious because of its locale.

Obviously some don't know the difference between a rant and a bash - but there seems to be some that are quick to draw. The post would have an entirely different tone to it had I wrote it as a bash. So take your own advice and lighten-up.

There comes a point where one has to stop and think what the ###### is going on. Some people have a greater tolerance to things that are not presented in a clear and logical aspect, and then there are people who get upset at the slightest thing. Somewhere in-between these two extremes – I find myself. Many times a day, I am blinded by sheer incompetence when it comes to when a Thai person or company has to make a plan or forecast for a particular need or project.

It is completely beyond the capabilities for most Thais to make a plan about anything in advance. Their tendency to live only for the day has wide ranging implications. First it impacts business done in Thailand.

Many, yes not all, western based businesses have rejected Thailand as a hub for the businesses because of the failure of Thais to carryout task specific deadlines. A deadline to the majority of Thais is a concept beyond them. They simply do not think before they act. They never consult with a focus group to try to predict problems before they arise.

For example, the Thai Elite Card. How many times has that program changed over the last 2 years. The first major selling point was the ability to actually own some land. Then later, they renege on that point – leaving those that had purchased it without an explanation. Then over the next 18 months the card proceeds to become nothing more than a glorified golfing card.

Another example. DTAC and AIS. These two very competitive companies started having network problems because of the influx of traffic they created with promotional calling rates. It was easy for them to think … “Oh lets offer .01 a minute calling for all our 50 million customers to try to beat our competition!” They neglected to think… “Ok, how are we going to adjust our network infrastructure and routing to handle the 20 million more calls the promotion will cause each day..” It is only after the fact that some idiot realizes that their network can’t handle the traffic. Then is the Thai sprit of not “losing face” they try to blame TOT/CAT for bottlenecking the network and a classic “It’s not our fault” is issued.

The country’s infrastructure is crippled by the Thais failure to forecast and to deploy predictive modeling for developing everything from the BTS to the MTR. To the stupid pedestrian overpass at the Mall Bangkae. That project has been going on for more than a year, and has changed plans at least 5 times over the year from mistakes they have made in their planning. At one point, the construction stopped altogether for about 4 months because it became too complicated for them and they reached a point where they couldn’t figure out how to complete it. Evidentially someone finally came a long and gave them some insight.

The BTS thing really bothers me. If you look at the Japanese subway/train station there are significant areas for parking both bicycles/cars at nearly every station – not so much the major metro (Shinjuku etc) ones, but definitely the rural stations. People simply ride their bike the station and then park their bike and take the subway into the city.

The concept of a mass transit system is not just to move people around once they are already in the city center. It is to meant to provide a means for entry and departure from the center as well. The Thais do not understand this. There is absolutely no place to leave a motorcycle (the Thai equivalent to the Japanese bicycle) at any BTS station.

Now, they are building a BTS all the way to Bangkae. YEAH! It is about time, even though it will be done nowhere near the August 2005 projection released when the extension started. My money is on that there will be NO parking spaces for either cars or motorcycles. Even that the Bangkae station will be a major transit artery for outlying areas on the other side of the Chao Phyra, there will be no accommodations for “park and ride.”

I tried one time to take my motorcycle into the city and leave it around the Surasak BTS station. Then I wanted to take the BTS into MBK. However, there is absolutely no parking around this area. So I went down the next street (the one with the Myanmar Embassy) and I parked my motorcycle on the street about 200meters down from the embassy in front of a office building. I walked about 10 minutes back to the BTS and returned about 6 hours later.

I returned to find that my motorcycle had a BIG YELLOW lock on the front of its wheel. There was also a ticket my motorcycle for 700 baht. So, to try to do what the BTS should have been intended to do – ended up costing me an additional 700 baht. Absolutely fricken crazy!

Over the many years that I have been quite of few “instances” that I recall. Here are just a few of them:

---Restaurants---

A Thai restaurant running-out of rice by 6:30 in the evening;

Dairy Queen runs out of both Chocolate and Vanilla ice-cream by 1:00 on a Saturday (only strawberry left);

MacDonald’s out of fries on a Sunday evening “no have fry. Want pie?”;

Street Side stalls constantly running out of food “not have. Not have.”;

Fuji running out of Chopsticks “sorry not have, have fork today”;

Pizza Hut runs out of lettuce for the salads on a Wednesday night “salad? Cannot. Not have salad”;

Fitness First running out of Banana, Mango, and Watermelon for juice shakes – (can only have strawberry) “want coffee?”

The list can go on and on from Thais not being able to make a travel plan until the night before they are supposed to leave, to fricken Home Pro selling paint but not having any paint Rollers.

I will leave some for you to post. I would be interested in reading your take on this situation!

My rant. XXXXX XXXX Bangkhae – the worst fitness center in Bangkok, Thailand.

Last week I decided to join the new XXXXXX club at the Mall Bangkae in the hopes to reduce my stress level and lead a more active lifestyle. I have already been a member at several fitness clubs in Thailand, but have had to cancel or seek new facilities because of moving around. I have been waiting for a fitness club to open around this area for a long time. The closest facilities to Bangkhae are in Pinklao. By the end of the application process, my heart was racing 150bpm and my stress was through the roof. Here is why:

One of the things that I hate most about Thailand is the blatant incompetence of sales representatives. Thai management, holding firm to the believe that Thai people are not concerned about particulars – rather the appearance, hire the most ignorant and beautiful 20 year old girls to sell everything under the sun in this country. Need to buy a thermo-nuclear generator? There is a 20 year old bimbo selling it. Need a refrigerator or washing machine? “Hi my name is Nattaporn.” Same. A 22 year old still in university with a serious mini skirt on and a smile the reaches from Chiang Mai to Butterworth. Ask any kind of technical question like “can the spin cycle be manually set” or “how cold can this refrigerator get degree wise?” and you will get a deer-in-headlights stare back at you. And, yes. It is asked in Thai.

I walked into XXXXXX Bangkhae, after having an even WORSE experience at California WOW on Silom. The sales reps there (California fitness/California wow) need to get slapped some sense into them. Their American high pressure in your face sales tactics are way over the top for Thailand. It is sad that their “Ya baby, join our club” “Lets get pumped-out and motivated” yells over the blaring music impresses countless Thais into joining. Almost every expat that I have known has stayed away. Those that are there have a naïve factor off the charts, or are gay and just using it as a pick-up joint.

It seems like all the fitness clubs like to maintain dynamic pricing structures. Their pricing changes about twice a month, and you really don’t know what the next month will bring. Will they raise prices, or will they lower them? This really sucks for the consumer.

XXXXXX in Bangkhae has the aforementioned sales reps – no short skirts. These reps have long black pants. I don’t think any of them are out of school yet. When talking about membership prices – the girl needed a calculator to add 1,000 and 1,500. She added the two figures and got the total. Then, cleared and re-added. Then, cleared and re-added again. It was necessary for her to check the answer 3 bloody times before she was confident the calculator told her the right number. I just sat their rolling my eyes wondering where the ###### I was.

It is not a serious fitness club. It is in Thai style a social club. Everything is designed to be beautiful but highly ineffective. There was no R&D that went into the club at all. For example they have 4 interior glut machines, but not a SINGLE triceps or biceps machine – when I inquired about this, they said “have to use free-weight.” They neglect to tell you there are no preacher benches or other dedicated benches for using free-weights to hit these areas. The fact they don’t have any machine for these two muscles is utterly unbelievable, but they have plenty Glut machines.

The focus of the club is obviously geared towards the more social aspects. The weight equipment is some Thai crap with limited adjusting capabilities and is made for the Thai average sized man person 160 - 170cm. They do have countless treadmills, stair climbers, exercise bikes, recumbent bikes, and various other cardio stuff. If you are looking for a cardio gym – then it would suffice for you.

The other 3 social rooms are nice indeed. But you would expect them to be seeing how this is First Social and Second Fitness club. The group aerobic room is brightly lit with quality sound. It is a large room and can accommodate a good size group in excess of 40 people. The instructor’s platform is not high enough for the people in the several last rows to properly see. The yoga room is also nice with good atmosphere. The Spinning room (cycling) is also nice with a fairly good set-up.

Being set at the Mall Bangkae and being the only club for miles and miles creates some unique problems for the club. The first is the amount of traffic. There is an absurd amount of foot traffic wondering around and through this club. Many of it is young children – even though the club says they have a policy of no person younger than 14 in the club. Thai people like to bring the whole 34 person extended family when they are purchasing something. The collective brain power is required to make the joining decision. You will never see a person alone signing up for the club – constant tours give the club a circus atmosphere.

Less than 5% of the members there are serious in their intent of joining the club. There are so many people on the treadmills with the speed set to number 2 out of 35 – talking away of their mobiles – looking form shoulder to shoulder every 3 minutes to see who is looking at them. A typical routine I see is: come into the club and talk for 20 minutes, walk – never run- on the treadmill for less than 5 minutes, talk again for 30 minutes – do 1 set of dumbbell curls, talk again for 25 minutes, stare in the mirror for 5 minutes, do interior glut exercise for 1 set of 5 and then finish.

The club doesn’t have a towel service; the locker rooms are cramped and over crowded with small seating areas for changing. Each seating area is about 1.5 x 2 meter and has 30+ lockers surrounding it. The hot water in the showers took bloody no less than 5 minutes to come out and having glass doors (undoubtedly not safety glass) is dangerous as ######. One slip could equal having a shard of glass ripping through your neck. The “free” soft drink machine conveniently doesn’t work and their “free” VCD movie library has 4 VCD’s for checkout.

Lastly, the membership of this club is comprised of at least 85% woman. If you are a guy wanting to meet a girl or just look – then it is probable your gig. There really isn’t much eye candy though here … not too many college girls have signed up. The woman consist of those in their earlier 40’s and serious heffers in their mid twenties. Stay away from this club if you don’t want to work-out in a circus everyday (I forgot to mention the have 4 meter high glass walls so that everyone in the Mall can stare in at you like a monkey in the zoo).

I did not name the club specifically to avoid backlashes. There are better clubs out there. Don’t make the mistake of joining this one.

Hello,

Did you go with an agency, or did you do this on your own?

Also, how long was the trip there, and did you have to give exactly 5 bucks, or do you think they can make "change."

Thanks.

My background situation is this: I have lived in Thailand for several years. For the entire duration of my stay here, I have always had a Work Permit and the corresponding Visa. I have already been issued three(3) one (1) year Visas. I have had to “do” to runs to Penang over the years to get a new Non-B, but the last year I didn’t even have to leave the country – the employer took care of everything. I have a good 12 passport pages of assorted extensions and “under consideration” and various other stamps from Thailand.

For 3 years I worked for the same employer – then I got restless. I left that employer over a summer break and went to work for another company in April of last year. The last work permit/visa issued by my former employer was good until October of last year. So, from April until October I worked for this other company using my WP/V issued from my previous employer. (Yes I know that it was technically a violation). However, I found I didn’t like this employer and returned to my former one in October. I don’t know if they ever cancelled the work permit. But, they renewed it for me again for a year… lucky me.

However, I got restless with them again in January of this year. So, I worked for them from October until January – the WP/V was good until September of this year (issued back in October of 04).

The new company I worked for immediately cancelled the work permit from my previous employer. And this fact is stamped into my passport. They then got a WP/V good for only 5 months because they have to show I pay taxes for my new salary. THAT work permit is good until June of this year.

However, I left that job after only 6 weeks. That company informed me that they would cancel my work permit within 7 days, and this would affect my Visa.

That was 3 weeks ago. I will have a new job that starts about the 3rd week of March.

So, this is where I stand and here is my question. I know that my question skirts with illegal issues but I just need some opinions. Thanks.

OPTION A: I know that I have a couple of options: The legal one, which is to go to immigration return the work permit, pay a fine- how much would that be?, tell them I don’t have a job and that I overstayed 20 days, pay about 4,000 in fines (200baht per day) – do a run to Cambodia – come back on a 30 day tourist visa. Wait for about 3 weeks until my new job starts and have them go through the process of getting me a new WP/V.

Or

OPTION B: Stay here a little longer, maybe a week or two, and then just head to Cambodia on the Non B visa extension (expires June), have them cancel it and re-enter on a tourist Visa. Then go to immigration and return the Work Permit book to them and tell them I quit the job a couple of days ago. Then show them that I have already left the country and have the proper tourist Visa.

QUESTION: Will the border immigration pose a problem with me leaving with 3 months still valid on my Visa? And if they ask why I don’t have a re-entry, I can say a quit 2 days ago? And all is well? Should I leave the country first then return the WP, or should this be done vice versa.

If OPTION B is exercised will my future employer have any problems securing a new WP/V for me?

Rather long winded I know, but wanted you to have a good understanding of the background. Hopefully, it will save me 5 postings answering questions for additional information.

Thanks in advance for your opinions, any other advice would also be appreciated.