simon43

I visited Mae Sot last week. I drove from Pattaya in a rented car. As usual near the Burmese border (same happens near Ranong), I had to stop for various army checkpoints. No-one asked to see my documents - I just said that I was travelling to MS and was waved through. I stayed for about 3 days at a hotel in MS. No unusual document requests. I travelled in my car very close to the border area, opposite Shwe Koko 'scam' base in Myanmar. The entry road to the Thai villages had an enhanced army checkpoint. I was asked where I was going and I simply said that I was sightseeing in my car. No-one asked for any ID documents. I travelled around very close to the river, chatted with some of the Burmese locals, no-one checked or stopped me. I returned by car to MS and then drove up to Chiang Mai. In other words - absolutely nothing out of the ordinary for a border region. To add, I have a 'retirement' visa and speak Thai and Burmese.

30+30+30 leases were NEVER legal!! They were just another 'con' by Thai lawyers on naive foreigners 🙂

Lol, I got that SMS and deleted it - I thought it was some spam...

Well, he's got more fat and muscle on him than my 18 year old Thai niece who died in my arms of TB - she weighed 19 Kg... 😞

You could replace "Trump Administration" with "UK government" and that statement is also true...

[quote] ... Most famous singer from Phichit, Yodrak, died in 2008, went to his funeral, he did not look well ... [/quote] Well, I guess most people don't look well at their own funeral! 🙂

"This Foreign Secretary remains committed to ensuring the most cost-effective way of travel, delivering best value for money for the taxpayer.” Total <deleted>! The main reason why he travels in private jets is because this imbecile lard-bucket is too fat to squeeze into even a business class seat on a scheduled flight. Government ministers should all travel in economy class on scheduled flights - set a bloody example for a change!

Everyone has a different set of moral codes. Some think it's OK to lie and claim to be living in the UK, so that they can get state pension increases. Up to you as they say - your decision. For me, I was taught by my parents to never lie, even if the truth hurts me or others. So there is no way that I would lie and claim to be living in the UK. I do have a registered address in the UK, (registered with the electoral register, GP, bank etc etc), but I am not Ordinarily Resident. I know the rules regarding frozen UK pensions, and have no intention of breaking those rules by lying. If my modest UK pension is too little for my needs in future years, then I'll simply relocate and live in the PI, where my UK state pension is aligned with pension increases applied in the UK. But for now, I don't need to consider such a move.

Waiting on a visa to enter the country.....

And it gets more and more tedious and boring. No wonder AN is losing regular forum members....

I used to live in Phuket for many years. I won't return because I'm probably too old to learn to speak Russian or Chinese.....

Absolutely a top bloke that Trump guy 🙂 Now why don't we have a PM and a king in the UK who put British people first...?

Thanks VERY much for your kind comments. To legally live in Myanmar (unless I marry a Burmese woman!), is to register my own company and get a business visa. I can do that and Yangon lawyers quote me $2,000 USD to do all the paperwork etc. I've asked my Burmese friends if they know a lawyer who can do it cheaper 🙂 (I will pay $2k if needed, but if I can save money on these documents, then that means more money for donations etc) Alternatively, please propose a young Burmese lady who is willing to marry me so I can get a Social visa... 🙂

Yes I did, but I returned a couple of weeks ago to sign a contract to rent a small condo at Jomtien Beach as a long-term 'base', since I've now retired from in-class teaching. So I wasn't in Mandalay when the earthquake occurred. However, I have seen the damage etc from friends in Mandalay and at Inle Lake, and so I'm trying to work out a way to return legally to Myanmar to run my charity efforts. Basically, the issue is to get a viable visa, not a short-term tourist visa, and I'm speaking with lawyers in Yangon about that.

No...

In Mandalay (Myanmar), where the street lighting doesn't work most of the time, the local BBQ restaurant staff would all help me to cross the busy road after dark, lest they lose a good customer! I hope they are all OK after the earthquake!

Thailand is 'open' for Russians, and clearly many Russians have voted with their feet to relocate to a warmer and safer country. In my condo building in Jomtien, most tenants are Russians. Most are OK, some are tw*ts, just like any other nationality.

Bye...

Starlink is not authorised in Thailand, but that doesn't mean that it won't technically work! In Myanmar, the various pdf fighters use Starlink Mini, even though it's not authorised in Myanmar. They buy the kit with a subscription for Mobile Roam legally in the PI, then take it into Myanmar. If I manage to return to Myanmar, I plan to do the same - the antenna is small enough to easily fit into a backpack.

Give it a rest Bob - you're getting tedious...

Why was he allowed to take his mobile phone into GCHQ? That beggars belief...... (I never worked at GCHQ, but I signed the Official Secrets Act and worked on military equipment design. We were frisk-searched before and after we entered/exited the area where we worked...

Excellent news! Then we are both happy....

Trapped on the 4th floor? What 4th floor? It's all one big pile of rubble.....

Now she is one foreigner that I definitely don't want to meet! 🙂

DON'T go to Chiang Mai!! (I am currently relaxing in CM)