douginbkk

I was in a similar situation 25 years ago.  X should simply make a Thai passport here and exit on the Thai passport and should never return to Thailand on the US passport again.  25 years ago I entered on another passport.  Both it and visa expired.  I made a Thai passport in Thailand several years later and exited Thailand on it and have used it to exit/enter Thailand ever since with no problems at all.  I travel frequently for work.

 

Five years ago, my daughter who also has two passports (Thai and another) was studying outside Thailand and had to urgently return on her non-Thai passport because her Thai passport had expired while she was overseas and we didn't have the time to get her a new Thai one.  She entered Thailand on the non-Thai passport then made a new Thai passport here and has used that to exit/enter Thailand ever since without any problems.

I am assuming your birth was recorded in Thailand.  If you return, first thing you must do is get a Thai ID card ... by law you must have.  Don't worry about showing up for the military.  You are off the radar.  Nothing here is sophisticated enough to connect you to anything.  Simply don't register for the draft and they won't bother you.  Would only be an issue if you want to work in some government capacity.  Really a non issue for you.

I was in same situation as the OP about 25 years ago. I was about 25 when I did my Thai ID for the first time. They sent me to report to the military personnel stationed at the district office (in Bangkok) because I did not have any papers about going through the draft process. The officer interviewed me about why and I explained that I was out of the country the whole time. I had to show my foreign passport as proof. They then let me get my Thai ID without problems. However note that back then all males were required to show their military papers before they could obtain a Thai passport. I believe the law has been changed since. If OP chooses to go the Thai ID route when he gets here then he will need to have a Thai passport to get out/into Thailand thereafter or he may encounter problems at immigration. I would recommend OP to research the new requirements for a Thai passport.

I was in the same situation as you about 25 years ago. You won't have any problems unless you plan to make your Thai ID card.

I've tried two of these machines here in Bangkok. The first one was about 5000 Baht and didn't work so I decided to try a more expensive one for 8000 baht and that one didn't work either. During the really humid months like April-May, They can actually make you feel hotter because they increase the humidity in the air.

Music concept is a very reputable store. I've bought an american fender from there and although they do sell Gibson brands, most of their guitars are fender brands, just one small room dedicated to Gibson. Their Fender prices are the lowest in Thailand.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You can buy similar to that foam at home pro. It sells for just over a thousand baht for four panels. I put it up around my home studio. It is not for soundproofing, but for controlling certain sound frequencies, especially from mid to higher frequencies

I used to use pro plugin a lot and recently stopped using them do to poor services. The past couple of times I phoned them with inquiries for certain equipment and they told me they would get back to me after checking stock and prices, but they never did both times. However, both these times I had contacted their newer branch store at gateway on bits ekamai. Prior to this I had always used their ladprao store which offered great service. I now use Music BLVD. There's a young guy there that gives really great service who will go out of his way to find me what I need even when he doesn't have it in stock.

Just ask one of those volunteer emergency organizations such as ruam gat tanyu to remove it for you. They'll send some guys around with a noose to take it away and release somewhere further away.

An old post I know, but just in case. I buy a lot of audio gear from Mahajak on Ramkhamhaeng Road (left hand side just after passing under the Bangna - Bang Pa-In motorway heading towards Minburi). They have a big warehouse in the back and sell all kinds of stuff including smoke machines, lighting systems, consoles, trussing, etc., all the things required for concerts. I think that they also might have a branch somewhere near Soi Nana (Sukhumvit), but I have never gone to that one. I believe that they are the major distributor in Thailand for brands such as Shure annd others, but I could be wrong about this.

I am also looking for a power transformer so that I can use an item that I purchased from the US last week. Last night I stopped by a Homepro in Minburi and found one, but they only had one model left for THB 900. I didn't buy it though because it was one of those very heavy, very basic models that's grey in color and looks like a bunch of magnets stuck together. In Thai, they call it "Kreung Plaeng Fai" in case you need to ask for one. Another place to find these online in Thailand is through a website called "we love shopping". Last month, when I was looking through this website I saw many different models available, but surprising when I checked again yesterday, there was only one model available (the same type I described above which I found at Homepro).

Hello Kristy. I also hold dual nationality; Thai / Canadian. Born in Thailand and naturalized in Canada. I was talking to a co-worker at the office today about the very question you posed. He is from the UK and married to a Thai and has two kids. According to him, he was told that when his children turn 18 then they are supposed to be requested by Thai authorities to choose either UK or Thai citizenship, although many of us know that this is a grey area in Thailand and that the chances it will ever happen is almost zero. I myself have have once read on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand) website that admittedly this is a grey area and that as long as the other country (Canada in my case) does not mind dual citizenship then Thailand would also accept it. The Canadian embassy in Bangkok also advised me the same thing. I am now 45 years old, and have never had any problems regarding dual citizenship in Thailand or Canada. My opinion is that Thailand will not force you to do anything, but Australia might. The reason for this is that I immigrated to Australia with my father in the late 1980s and held a PR permit. I was told that after living in Australia for four / five years (? - don;t remember exactly how many years) I would have to choose whether I wanted to become an Australian citizen and renounce the Canadian citizenship (or was it just the Canadian passport?) or remain on PR status. Coincidentally, I had decided to move to Thailand just before my 4/5 years was up. You may want to contact the Aus embassy regarding this. My information is more than 20 years old.

Up until last year I had my daughter enrolled in a local international school in Bangkok. It was one of the mid-priced schools and she had been going to it for 6 years. They tend to keep the school fees fixed at what you were paying during the first year your kids started studying. I used to pay THB 500,000 per year (3 terms), but newer kids are paying more like 750,000 now, and of course there are other schools like ISB that charge a lot more than that. It is terribly expensive! Too expensive for most including myself, but I was lucky enough to have my company pay for half the fees. It is a huge relief that she doesn't study there anymore. She's now 18 and can finish up a general high school diploma at tutoring schools like AIMS at Siam and Phya Thai. I have had my daughter in private schools all her life and have never even once considered a public school for her. Even many of the private schools that teach in Thai (which she had been studying at during her first few years) are not very good and still have to follow some of the local curriculum. I would have preferred my daughter enrolled in a bi-lingual school, but there are none around where I live. Anyway, most international schools have 90% locals studying in them anyway, so it makes better sense to enroll your kids in bi-lingual schools if possible. It is a lot more affordable too.

From my real life experience here. Yes, foreigners can obtain Thai nationality without having to be born in Thailand or having any Thai parents. When I was studying at university here in the early nineties I knew several Indians who were not born here, but spent most of their lives here living with their Indian parents. Two of them had to take examinations mostly related to Thai language skills and both were eventually granted Thai citizenship. Admittedly, the process is a very long and difficult one, but it is possible. ไม่ได้สัญชาติไทย does not mean "no right to Thai citizenship" (not in the future sense anyway). It does not mention anything regarding rights whatsoever. Its actual meaning (not in direct translation) is more like "not granted Thai citizenship" at the time of birth. Also, a Thai house registration will have the citizenship of each person's parents stated in it so if one of the parents in the house registration is listed as a Thai national then the child will automatically be listed as a Thai citizen. If neither of the parents is listed as a Thai citizen then the child will also not be listed as a Thai citizen. When researching this subject, I'd recommend looking up William Heinecke who owns the Minor Group. He is American born and has been living in Thailand (originally with his American parents) since he was 14. He is now a naturalized Thai.

There is a small book. Snakes and other reptiles of Thailand and South-East Asia. Authored by 5 people. Cost me about 400 Bt. I think Asia Books will have it.

Thanks for visiting Mosha, was hoping skywalker would drop past. Maybe soon.

I have a couple of snake books in Thailand, both at home on the shelf, unfortunately I'm not there.

I agree, a few hundred baht, easy.

A friend at work also found a big snake in his yard in Chachoengsao so we downloaded an eBook (English language) from this website http://www.thailandsnakes.com/ . The eBook is free and contains 80 pages of common snakes found throughout Thailand. You might be able to match your snake up to one of the snake photos in this eBook and find out what species it is. Be warned that it is a 30MB book, and you need to leave your email address for them to send the downloading link to. You can;t just download directly from the website.

I am currently putting in wooden decking at my house. I would not use the fake wood products such as smart wood, conwood, etc because they can easily snap under minimal weight. I used the product made by Siam Cement for fence planking and it doesn't even look that great for fencing purposes because it does not take well to wood filler (to cover over the screw holes) and sanding. I was able to snap a smaller piece of this planking in one hand using my thumb, it really is that brittle!

I am using "Mai Daeng" (ironwood) which is a hardwood and supposed to not be susceptible to termites although I plan to coat it with an anti-termite solution anyway. This type of wood is quite expensive, but is supposed to last at least ten years. Some say it will even last up to 20 years. It's better to invest in expensive wood right now which will save you more in the long run.

My wood decking will be placed over a metal frame which is attached to the concrete base of my house on one side and the base of a concrete fence on the other. My decking is raised above the ground by 30 cm. A lot of Thais use a cheaper type of wood planking called "Mai Tueng" (not sure what the name is in English), but I was told by the lumber mills that this type of wood will look OK when treated and stained, but will only last about two years before having to be completely replaced. It is also susceptible to termites and other insects. This stuff is about 35% of the price for the same amount of Mai Daeng (ironwood). So far, I have only gotten the fish pond and metal frame in place and expect to have the wooden planks in place about a week from now. I can upload some photos if you like. I am not doing this work myself, but have hired a professional to do it for me.

One need look only at the headline of the article to know that it is written by Khaosod. Again, we have one side of the story. No interviews on the other side. All journalistic principles abandoned. It is a given that Khaosod spoke to those detained. But why didn't they go to the site to conduct their own follow-up investigation ? If true, this would be a terrible occurrence. And yet, how do we know it is true if both sides are not represented in the article ? For many who have no need for balanced reporting, this article will fit the bill just fine. For others who do not spend their time with the National Enquirer and the diaries of Rush Limbaugh - it will not.

For once I completely disagree with you on this one. Just look at the photo. This monk and his group of demonstrators have completely overstepped. Who gives them the right to blindfold anyone (even if they were tresspassing / spying?). And look at the way this monk postures himself as if he was a supreme being which he definitely is not. I agree with most of the protesters goals, but the way this incident was handled by them is not much different than the red shirts and to a lesser degree, the yellow shirts. They need to be above this kind of thing otherwise they will lose supporters that abhorred the red shirts and their daily antics when they shut down Bangkok during their protests several years ago.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I have always maintained that the rural poor in Thailand need a body that in some shape or form supports them.

The Red Shirts came the nearest to that - although they never captured the hearts of those outside the North and North East excluding the band along the west and a big nump of the lower north east.

The RS flew the flags of the farmers until they took the positively Orwellian step of trading their beliefs for the hard cash of politics.

The "breakaway" RS party will need some support and will also need to garner some friends in the south for it to be a success. It will also need leaders who can't be paid to crusade for somebody else's cause. With a decent set of national agricultural modernisation policies it could have a big role to play even as a coalition party.

The 2 bodies who are losing support from those who toil the earth and the RS and the PTP

Yes, I think there's some truth in that. Take Nattawud for example, in 2010 he had little to lose. Now he's made millions and has a cushy position as Dep Minister of Commerce. He's not going to put it on the line to fight for the rights of the poorest against his own party. I'd be surprised if he even stuck his neck out too much to fight the PDRC or military (in the unlikely event of a coup). Too much to lose.

Nattawut at least opposed the amnesty bill

I might be wrong on this, but I thought his opposition to the Amnesty Bill resulted in an abstention? If I'm right, that was some pretty lame "opposition".

Yep, if he opposed it, he should have voted against it.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yingluk publicly apologising for the stupid rice policy her brother created and ordered her to implement - that's likely, I don't think.

I'm afraid the humility gene is completely missing from the Shinawatra bloodline, and very rare in the rest of the Thai-Chinese ruling class.

Well, yes, the humility gene being very rare amongst the Chinese-Thai ruling class can be seen clearly when looking at the Democrats. Surely, we all accept that the Democrats are dominated by Thai people of Chinese descent.

Utter nonsense. Equal proportion of Thai Chinese on all sides. Try watching a parliamentary debate some time.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In other words, "Oh <deleted> why didnt we think of that first "

A cynical attempt to make it look like his group cares for the farmers.

I think Sombat and Khru Prateep's records speak for themselves in terms of what they've done for the poorest in society. Whereas Suthep on the other hand... in any case, even if I was charitable towards Suthep and said that this was a genuine attempt to help people he deeply cares for, the point is precisely as Thait Spot says, neither group will be able to do anything to help the majority who are owed. The only organization who will be able to help them is the next government with the power to borrow money. So the sooner that happens, the better for the farmers. Then after that farmers should come out and protest if they don't want the scheme to continue. Burn down the warehouses. But make sure everyone has their money first. PTP have exploited farmers, of course, but farmers have also used them to get what they want. If they hate this scheme, they won't vote for PTP again.

I have always maintained that the rural poor in Thailand need a body that in some shape or form supports them.

The Red Shirts came the nearest to that - although they never captured the hearts of those outside the North and North East excluding the band along the west and a big nump of the lower north east.

The RS flew the flags of the farmers until they took the positively Orwellian step of trading their beliefs for the hard cash of politics.

The "breakaway" RS party will need some support and will also need to garner some friends in the south for it to be a success. It will also need leaders who can't be paid to crusade for somebody else's cause. With a decent set of national agricultural modernisation policies it could have a big role to play even as a coalition party.

The 2 bodies who are losing support from those who toil the earth and the RS and the PTP

I agree, and they should first start by detaching themselves from current radical leaders such as Thida, Kwanchai, Arisman, Jatuphorn, Nattawut, and most importantly Thaksin. None of these so called leaders are farmers, so how can farmers truly believe that they could properly be represented by them? Getting rid of these leaders would allow other average citizens / middle class to give them more credibility and respect.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Besides problems mentioned above, I notice the sound completely cutting out for a second or two when watching history channel. Seems to happen every five or ten minutes, definitely more frustrating than the increased volumes during breaks in programs.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I used to live on Ramkhamhaeng. I remember one time getting a scolding from a taxi driver who picked me up at the airport. Because the airport is a fixed queue, he had to take me.

Apparently, according to him, it wasn't far enough and I should have taken a local taxi from the airport transportation centre. I apparently got the wrong type of taxi and I shouldn't do it again. The distance was over 15 km but I suppose after waiting for an hour or two he was hoping for a bigger fare.

I live on Ramkhamhaeng Rd towards Minburi and had similar problems. According to one taxi driver, they often have to wait 2 hrs in the taxi cue before picking up a fare from the airport. They are not allowed to return back to the cue for at least two hours or unless their previous fare was a very short haul one. The taxi driver told me that instead of telling the people at the airport that I wanted to go to Ramkhamhaeng Rd, I should tell them I want to go to Romklao Rd (near the airport)., and then just inform the taxi driver the actual destination (Ramkhamhaeng) after getting into the taxi. This would allow them to return to the airport and cue up right away instead of waiting 2 hrs. I tried this a couple times and it worked, taxi drivers were no longer irritated. Apparently, Ramkhamhaeng Rd., because it's so long (basically stretches right down to Sukhumvit Rd - changing its name to Sukhumvit Soi 71 before intersecting with Sukhumvit) is considered long haul, but my house is closer to Minburi than Sukhumvit Rd. so this would annoy the taxi drivers taking me home from the airport (20 mins away). I have long stopped using taxis from the airports (due to their bad driving habits) and prefer to take the AOT cars. Much more expensive, but stress free with safe and courteous drivers.

Since you've clearly stated that Western men with Thai wives are the specific demographic that target you:

 

- Are you single? It could be your percieved 'availability' that is causing this persistent behavior.

  I would find it surprising that married Western men would hit on taken Western women, esp. in Thailand.

  I won't deny that maybe it happens, but it would be the exception, rather than the rule.

  If your percieved 'relationship status' were to change / if they saw you with a companion they think is your date/partner, I think they will back off completely.

 

Which brings me to my next point: Do you have a close male friend that is willing to masquerade as your date/ boyfriend?

This might put them off.

 

Ridiculous knee-jerk verbal rebukes such as F-Off, will only add fuel to the fire, and most likely not work.

Good luck.

I agree with this approach, but there are insistent men out there that due to their size or assertiveness would merely think that if a woman was with say, a smaller man, would assume that what a woman is really attracted to is a man with muscles or superior looks. So, if the woman is with somewhat who looks "smaller" they probably wouldn't care. If the guy is with a friend then you might consider speaking with his friend and let his friend know that you are not interested. Friends can usually talk sense to friends. In many cases friends actually like to see their friends fail to get the girl. Human nature, I think. There's always a bit of competition amongst friends regardless the sex.

Sent from my i-STYLE Q4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app