new2here

5 hours ago, dddave said:

I have a friend who was a longtime FA on a US airline.  She told me that the FAs flight pay does not begin until the doors are closed and that they are specifically told not to assist passengers lifting bags into overhead bins because if they were injured doing so, they were not covered. 

That’s not exactly true.

FA pay, for most US carriers IS tied to “block time” which is commonly defined as the time between the moment the brakes are released at the gate and again, when they are set at the gate upon arrival. 

So, it IS true that most carriers do NOT start an FA’s “pay” until the brakes are released (ie block time starts) … but… that doesn’t mean that any actions taken by them prior to that moment in time are purely “personal” in nature and not covered by carriers insurance/workman’s comp etc… for example, while an FAs pay may not start until brakes are released, they still have to be in full uniform during boarding, present at all required pre-flight briefings etc.. They can’t say “i’m not on-the-clock yet” and skip them.

So.. an injury suffered on the aircraft- during boarding - would usually be handled by the carrier, as a workplace injury, despite the block-time having not yet commenced.

Here’s my take,

First, I’m going to assume that female in your case is around the same general age as you… If so, then I don’t think it’s entirely unrealistic, unreasonable nor “unromantic”  for her to also be looking at her own financial standing/stability/future relative to you, be that married, divorced or widowed..  I think that ANY person - make, female, Thai or not, would be wise to make some educated financial decisions based on their life, current circumstances and future expectations.

That said, IMHO, any marriage of that has the legs to last has to be in some level based on factors like motivation, devotion, love and emotion attachment… it can’t be.. it shouldn’t be all about money… NOR can it be just about love without some thought to the daily practicalities either.. it’s a balance.

so.. to me, I think it’s fair for her AND you to be taking stock of where each of you are at — financially, emotionally and the like - and weigh all of that against the choice to divorce or continue with the existing. 

In my head I kind of subscribe to the idea of “better the devil I know than the one I don’t” …. but in the end, it’s you who’s going to live it 24/7 

On 8/23/2023 at 5:12 PM, Callmeishmael said:

I might add:  The scans must be submitted as a PDF file that is no bigger an 2 mb.  If you have multiple documents in any category, you must make a multi-page PDF file to submit them, otherwise only the first scan submitted will be saved.

 

Also, many of the pull down menus are only in Thai, so you should have a fluent Thai reader sitting with you when you are filling out the forms.  (my Thai reading skills were not up to the task)

Good add-on

Yes.. in almost all of the sections, the website only allows you to upload ONE file - and it’s got to be a .PDF and within their stated size limit.

In my case, I prepared all my scans in advance, and when necessary, created a multi-page .PDF..  The longest .PDF Ibhad was the WP copy as my current WP has about 7 pages with any kind of mark or stamp.. and even with that size, I was still under the file size cap.

So, my suggestion would be to prep your files and .PDFs first - before you start the application process - that way you can focus solely on the app and the relevant questions, and less so on needing to make a multi-page .PDF

My first 5-year “permanent” license was set to expire in late January 2024.  When i got my license back in early 2019, enclosed with the paper license and wallet sized card (presently TCT doesn’t send either a paper license nor a plastic wallet-sized card; only a .pdf that you print yourself) was a notice saying that renewals should be done 180 days in advance.

What I found out is that using their new KSP Self-service, that you can’t actually apply BEFORE 180 days.. You CAN do so once it’s LESS THAN 180 days.. 

I created my own profile- once doing so, the site auto-populated my current license data (issue and expiration dates) and other biographical data. I had to input my residential address and find my school from their nationwide database; which then auto populates it’s address etc..  That’s all that’s needed to create your KSP self service profile.

To renew, I had to submit scanned copies of… 

1) passport data/photo page AND current visa/extension 

2) current WP that had ANY stamped, entries or writing on it 

3) authenticated degree

4) authenticated transcripts

5) recent color photo

6) 3 DIFFERENT forms of “professional development” 

What I found odd is that online it says that you have to compete the renewal application form (KS.02) and the Qualification Declaration (KS.02.10) with the KS.02.10 Requiring a Schools Director or similar to sign… 
 

However, when I was doing all the uploading of my scans (see 1-6 above) nowhere did it ever ask for these forms (KS.02 and KS.02.10) to be uploaded nor physically mailed to them.. 

A few days - maybe 5 - after submitting all these scans, when I checked the application status, now I could open the Payment Form. You take it to a bank, 7/11 etc, and pay the 200 fee.  Once paid, the next day Krusapah will update their records and it will show your payment (date you paid)

Eight days after that, my status changed again to “committee checking”… Then literally the next day, it was approved and now I could print the new license from their site.

The renewed license says that it’s ISSUED in January 2024 and expires in 2029.. So, it appears that Krusapah effectively book-ends your old and new licenses as opposed to dating/starting it on the date you applied or date approval… Essentially you get a full 5 years.

I applied for my first 5 year before this whole KSP self-service… and I will say that it’s easier this online way.. but the old way was also nice as you interacted with a Krusapah staff who would tell you right then and there if anything was missing, insufficient etc… but the time it took me from end to end using this online platform was 18 days. 

just one persons experience. 

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

The guarantor route is the way many Thais go in order to buy a new car and do not have the money to show they qualify.  A friends wife had to do the as the friend would not pay for the car outright and a loan from Krungsri Auto was needed.  The local School director, the friend of the woman's father signed as the guarantor.  The FIL could not sign as he had two cars and a tractor on loan payments.  Of course my friend made the monthly payments so no issues, but just think of those who are not so lucky to have a foreign payment maker in the house.  You may ask, why did not the foreign husband sig as the guarantor and the answer was he is a retiree on a retirement extension of stay and has no WP so the bank would not loan the money for the car with him as the guarantor.

 

Those who take the loan default and the guarantor is on the hook and as you can see the stress is too much.  

 

If you can not qualify for aa loan then the banks really should not be making the loans.

On the surface of it, I’d totally agree

but..

given that (as I’ve read online) retail consumer spending accounts for around half plus of the total GDP figure, I don’t know that the economy itself can afford to take a more conservative or tight monetary policy for a sustained period -let alone the banks who ultimately finance a large chunk of that spend.

Sure, ballooning NPLs and the losses that banks and various lenders end up taking isn’t good for the larger credit lending space… but I don’t really see an alternative… Yes, banks could tighten up their underwriting criteria… but again, doing so would also negatively impact consumer spend.. so perhaps increased NPLs is just the “cost” that must be paid to keep the consumer spending, which for TH really is the lynchpin of the economy. 

What Id like to see is more consumer education. I’d bet that a fair number of these guarantors didn’t really KNOW how “on-the-hook” they really could be.. yes, they know what guarantor means.. but I think sometimes having it out front-and-center.. that as guarantor, YOU could loose your house, that the banks and the courts could come after YOU and YOUR assets.. 

To me, if you disrupt flight operations without a valid safety or security concern and due to the behavior a diversion becomes necessary (to include a RTBL or return to the blocks) then not only should they remove you and cancel (without right of refund) your fare, but you should also be subject to a sizable fine. 

For egregious behavior that posed a clearly demonstrated risk to flight safety or resulted in injury to crew or passengers, then i’d support a ban on flying TH registered carriers for X period of time.  

This is an issue that seems to be (unfortunately so) in the western world, and I think the aviation authorities would be wise to “nip-it-in-the-bud” here before it becomes commonplace.

23 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

The difference in Patong is you get attacked and beaten and if the attacker is arrested or handed himself in the next day he is out again fleecing tourists. They are never fined they know it so they carry on. Im surprised the Tourist was not waing him and giving him a bouquet of flowers with the local news team to document it.

I agree..  Essentially “rules without consistent enforcement and serious penalties are only suggestions” 

while some still try to bring illegal narcotics into Singapore, many won’t try as they *know* that SG does-as-they-say and takes a hard line and will enforce the law, up to and including capital punishment… and IMHO, it’s this knowing the punishment can be X and that it IS applied, does act as a deterrent to some…. it’s the lack of this element … any real sense of risk of punishment or consequences for illegal acts, that creates an environment of impunity.

I agree that this is itself not a new thing - but been around in this more or less form for years and years..

that said, I also think that it’s fair for a government of country X to seek to employ it’s own nationals in domestic jobs before those of non-citizens.. but.. I don’t think it should be hard “no” either …

for example, if a job classification is deemed “for domestic hire only” then before an employer can legally hire a non-citizen, I do think that they should have to reasonably prove to the government that despite a fair effort, no suitably qualified citizen either exists within X range of the job and has applied, or a the job requires a specialized skill that is lacking in the domestic labour pool.

I think overpriced, expensive and cheap are perhaps not the best words here.

To me, and this is a purely personal assessment, I’d say for Y and even C/J cabins, I’d call SQ a very good “value” defined by me as a comparison of what you get in those cabins, compared to the fare paid…

as for TG, I’d call them a poor value — again as a personal comparison of what I get (in Y or worse, C/J) to the respective fare paid.

However, to be fair, I think it’s not the best comparison of TG to SQ either as their market, pax demographic, governance and general operating structure are wildly different - all of which has some role on determining what you as the passenger experience.  

To me, given the combination of…

a) the dynamics of how retail banking works in this country and some of oddities (ie some corporations require their staff to bank with X bank because their employer banks with X as well) .. and

b) the rather limited options of retail banks (again, there’s really only 12 +/- to choose from nationwide against an adult population of around 55MM) .. and

c) a regulatory system that has limited real world consumer protection enforcement entity to hold banks to account for service issues and routinely does so

leads me to a realization that entities like BBL have near zero motivation to really invest in their IT to better ensure failures like this don’t occur.. there’s simply no or little downside for them to do so.. and risk that they’ll suffer the wrath of a regulator is equally distant .. and finally their consumer base - while perhaps vocal about it, the overwhelming percent will, at the end of the day, stay put.. so the bank need only wait it out.

Hi,

Of course, they’re going to say that.. They can’t say “we don’t want it” because that puts them on the wrong side of what really is becoming a one-sided environmental position … no company wants to be seen as being anti-environment..…. 

So… by saying “not now/not yet” they can still claim they support environmentally friendly policies,  but at the same time, also try to dodge the costs that may come with it.

I went with a new colleague to the Labour office near Silom.. I asked this question because like you, I use my WP book (old style) for address verification 

They said that the old style is no longer issued and they can’t revert back to it.  I guess the way books are now printed makes that programmatically impossible 

I asked if they could “free form” add it- they said that they can’t add anything outside of what’s approved and already in the system 

I agree with the others, it can really vary depending on the last-mile situation- ie your local PO and their staff etc

For me, as I live in the Bangrak district of Bangkok, all the staff; from counter to delivery, have a fairly solid comprehension of english- be that written or spoken, so rarely is there cases of mail that just isn’t delivered… Sure, some staff are more … professional and “service minded” than others, but overall, i myself haven’t really experienced rampant service failures- but cede that perhaps in more rural areas where english/foreign language skills may be lower, the issue may become more prevalent. 

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Time Thailand stopped being the slave labour for the rest of the world, poorly paid workers toiling away in sweat shops.

The bosses and owners are rich, living good lives off the poor workers efforts.

The rest of the world will still use Thailand and other countries as sub-contractors as wages in the west are much higher.

He's saying it's time the wealth divide was closed up and the profits are shared around a little more fairly.

 

I would, in principle, agree with that… but.. i also think that IF Thailand wants out of the cheap-labour market, then they’re going to have to show their ability to show much better “value-added” to attract foreign investment and capital projects.

There’s also ways going to be some level of demand for the low-margin, high volume manufacturing sector (things like mid market clothing and mid-market electronics) but to me, the best way forward for a country like Thailand, is to position themselves as a high value-added design and manufacturing destination.

Of course, that then relies on factors like the depth and breadth of the local labour pool as far as talent, long term government policies that favor long term FI, existing infrastructure to support that kind of build-out… some of these thailand has or can implement- others are a bit hit-or-miss… IMHO

While only 5 meeting standards isn’t a good look (barring an exceptional small class size etc) what i also recognize is that unlike Thailand, there really ARE quantitative academic standards that have to be met - and one usually follows up by some form of testing- there really is no option of “no-fail” which, IMHO, artificially inflates graduation rates and also simultaneously dilutes the value of those same graduates. 

So.. i’m reasonably sure those five have have at least met the minimum standards as set by the Texas Education Agency. 

I’ve said this several times, but IMHO, one way that I think the authorities can really make a dent in this kind of problem is seizures.. 

Sure .. impose fines… but.. if - for example - the offense is either egregious or perhaps a repeat offense - seize and permanently confiscate all assets used in the commission of the crime..

Start taking (permanently) bikes of repeat offenders… cars of repeat taxi scofflaws … land and structures of those that willfully violate drug or fire codes….  

Yes, I think it won’t stop everyone.. but i do think once you start taking peoples high value assets - and perhaps their “tools” to commit these crimes, you’ll see less of it.

Fines, IMHO, don’t really work— for many they’re just a cost of doing business.. incarceration only works of you have more money than time.. and for those on the lower end of the economic they generally have more time than money (plus incarceration transfers some of the punishment cost to the public)… so seizures to me “check all the boxes” if you will. 

38 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

I asked at KBank today and they told me their system will be up and running from the 12th. 

that makes sense and kind of matches tk the overall feeling that i’m getting from the banks i deal with…. thanks 

1 hour ago, RobU said:

Interesting,

To get this facility you have to get your photo taken at the bank branch

I am disabled, my nearest branch of Bangkok Bank is in Phon Phisai, Nong Khai District.

A Beautiful building with 2 long flights of stairs to enter because the main entrance is on the second floor (i.e. 3rd floor for Americans) 

No handrails whatsoever on the first flight no way for elderly or disabled customers to get into the building

Many Bangkok Bank branches are inaccessible

This policy is designed to  make life difficult for elderly and disabled people

Naturally, I don’t think it was some kind of deliberate, planned and purposeful attempt to somehow render their offices inaccessible.. by doing so, one could also argue that by doing so they would then be prohibiting customer or money from coming IN … so… 

That accessibility issue aside, the BBL at Paragon used a portable USB-style webcam clipped to the top of the computer, to take my photo and it was clipped to a bank-owned laptop (the laptop had a BBL property control ID type sticker on it visible) 

So.. perhaps IF the branch has this, it would be possible for the bank staff to come downstairs to you, to get the process done..

Just thinking outside the box if you will.