SaintLouisBlues

Just now, JLCrab said:

I realize but that still doesn't answer the question as to WHY they are doing it.

They need a reason? How long have you had dealings with Thailand?

Just now, JLCrab said:

Well if they really didn't care they could've left things as they were without all this effort to change the rules.

I meant they don't care that you're being inconvenienced

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

So with this new ruling to curtail non-holders of Thai border passes to make frequent visa-exempt trips into Thailand with the frequency, duration, and purpose of their choosing, one can assume 2 situations:

 

1- The Thai Immigration folks do not realize the impact this will have on expats living in border countries, or

 

2 - They do realize the impact this will have on these expats and they specifically want to curtail these visa-exempt activities.

 

Up to you.

Surely there's (3) Whether they do or they don't realise the impact, they don't care

Just now, lkn said:

You can’t go near anything in Central without a sales clerk appearing and telling you “discount 20%”.

Moreover in Tops the cashier will always ask if you have "member card" and if you say no they will enter a card number anyway before they even start scanning. I'm guessing it's their card number and they somehow gain benefits from doing so. I haven't found that so in Tesco Lotus; they usually don't ask and I have to hand my card over

3 minutes ago, laislica said:

If you choose to live in Lao but want to spend up to a couple of days in a neighbouring country every week for R&R and to buy your food, where do you really live?

Doesn't that depend on your mindset? I live in Bangkok. It happens to be in Thailand and I know I must conform to Thai immigration procedures but frankly they're a nuisance. I think of myself living in Bangkok, Sydney, London or San Francisco, not Thailand, Australia, the UK or the USA

17 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

Each time I've  call True  over the years I get the feeling I'm talking to a new hire who is in training. 

Standard Operating Procedure for every new hire everywhere in the world - stick them on the help desk where they're learn all the problems customers have

16 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

She would surrender herself to who at the airport if she wanted to avoid immigration? 

Doesn't she just check-in in the usual way and when she attempts to pass through the Immigration checkpoint she'll be apprehended? At that point she has a ticket out of the country and a boarding pass, so it then gets to be an over-stay issue

2 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Never ever i have met a person that prefered living in Malaysia over Thailand.The single point that Malaysia tops Thailand is inregard with visa and homeownership regulations.

Malaysians (and Malays in particular) come to Thailand for fun. Thais do not go to Malaysia for fun

2 minutes ago, dentonian said:

I'm sure you understand the topic and the difference between a Visa and an Extension.

When I was back home recently I went to get a driver's license as my then current one was expiring. I got a new license based on my old license. Was that a new license, a renewal or an extension do you think?

Just now, darrendsd said:

No I am responding to your suck it up comment but it also applies to the moaners on here who seem to want everything handed to them on a plate

"also applies"?? It only applies

Just now, darrendsd said:

Notice the word "if" in the sentence, it is a important word in the sentence

 

My point is you can get a new PP without having to go home to do so and yet people still complain, VFS and your respective Governments provide this service for you which I doubt they are legally obliged to do so (Government) making it a lot easier for people instead of having to go home and yet some people are still not happy

Are you confusing me with the poster to whom I was responding?

1 minute ago, darrendsd said:

I;m sure you will be the first one to complain if it is made a rule that you can only renew your PP in your own country and have to be present to do so

What are you basing that on? In particular it isn't true in this circumstance

1 hour ago, parryhandy said:

 Please tell me why I cant apply by post myself ? what service ?

nothing more than following a checklist is indeed all they do and is a "service" I do not require especially when being forced to travel over 1000km.

This whole discussion is hilarious. Some people were born to be bent over and say thank you afterwards.

Mate comes round my house and says "whaddaya reckon to my paperwork for my passport application". Quickly glances at it and replies "yeah thats awright mate" Throws contents into courier envelope and sends to England. Job done. 

That scenario is exactly the equivalent of the job VFS has just done.

 

VFS may provide a service to a minority of people who cant follow simple instructions but in this case they are a forced middleman.

As we Americans say "Suck it up".

1 minute ago, parryhandy said:

I repeat what service ? there is no service they provide. If i were to stand in front of trendy towers and refuse to let you in unless you gave me 100 baht and some how managed to get that legalised in the uk  would you still thank me if I opened the door for you.

What exactly are you complaining about - that the UK government has outsourced certain offshore visa and passport activities? Or you don't think much of the service the outsourced entity offers? In some countries the national passport office has outsourced passport activities to their national post office. Outsourcing is a common activity by governments where repetitive clerical work that is little more than following a checklist can be done more cheaply - generally for a per item fee - by a contract agent than by a government employee.

1 hour ago, jasonsamui55 said:

And I know people living off Sathorn paying 150k+ per month to rent a 2 bedroom place. You get what you pay for...

Maybe but I've visited both of my friends and they're over the moon. They believe that in comparison they're getting far more value than what they pay for. They've now both been a few years now and have no plans to move

8 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Thai people run businesses and are aware of the benefits of a return customer, repeat business etc.

They may try a couple of extra baht the first time, normal pricing the second time, even an extra satay stick the third time because you are a good customer.

I live here and I can say that my attitude is there won't be a second or third time

17 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I've not heard of any reports of TM30 being required for anything at CW.  It's only a few Immigration Offices that require one (particularly Chiang Mai).

I was interested to read themerg's edited post that his "visa agent" has told him it's required. A friend of mine also uses a visa agent for a CW extension and they've told him for the past two years that a TM30 is required and, moreover, they then register him as living at an address they supply. There is, needless to say, an additional fee for this personal service as they go with him to CW with all the (fraudulent) paperwork

9 minutes ago, themerg said:

TM-30 is now needed for Renewal of Retirement Visa

At Chaeng Wattana?

10 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Get a laser light and start pointing out the drone to your friends,especially the camera.

Mirrors and especially flashing mirrors have been useful in the past for the sort of cameras that take pictures of cars running red lights

7 minutes ago, JB300 said:

Often use budget carriers because of the times I need/want to fly so it's the cattle queue I'm afraid

 

I guess that's an example of "you get what you pay for"

12 minutes ago, JB300 said:

Add in the fast track immigration (took 1 1/2 hours to get through on my last visit Dec 23rd) & it's even more attractive

 

You just walk straight into the Fast Track area. I've never been stopped. No queues and through in 10 minutes or less

7 minutes ago, Seancass87 said:

its the no degree thing that concerns me, Nike advertise "degree an advantage". 

Asia in particular is obsessed with "credentialism"

19 minutes ago, Naam said:

to finance an extremely comfortable lifestyle using a part of the income he would otherwise pay to the greedy taxman of his home country or most other countries with top "infrastructure". 

Yes, all those law-abiding policemen and decent public health, clean water and effective wastewater and waste disposal, roads. The list of the services and infrastructure that needs funding from taxes is truly appalling and he's well out of it

8 minutes ago, dentonian said:

Then you can discuss who pays the fine with Immigration if they find you left and re-entered without a new TM30 being filed.

That is if Bangkok enforce the law!

I bow to your superior knowledge 

12 minutes ago, madusa said:

Yes, in fact the government in my country is very particular and they do keep a good record of local citizens who had STD and foreigners who had STD (those who seek medical treatment are recorded). You could request for the statistic from the government department if you have good reason to do so they give you the info.

The private clinic and hospitals in my country must send the STD records every month to the government department where they are kept. It is a by-law so they are obliged to keep the government informed of the situation whether they want or not. By law refers to the law passed by all the local councils and are binding in the districts concerned.

And you think that's also true of all the clinics in Thailand who promise anonymous testing?