Old Croc

I've heard they still do in some places.

All the above just highlights the often absurdity of Thai Immigration and their rules and practices. There's no consistency, as requirements can vary greatly depending on the office or even the processing officer. The contributors in this thread are all jumping through varying hoops just to be granted 12-month restricted extensions year after year. (One poster in another thread has lived here for 40 years, been married to a Thai for 38 years, but is continually processed as a newcomer) Compare this to the continual easing of entry for others who are possibly of criminal intent or from rogue states. They're allowed to stay for increasingly longer periods with very few of the same checks and balances as those committed to Thailand. I get the feeling we long term expats are just there to provide reasons for large staffing numbers and to assuage egos of the few who need to exert authority.

..

The bank letter shows the balance of the account at the time of writing, it doesn't detail timelines of balances. Not everyone uses a term deposit which dictates the money stays in situ for a set period. I have only one account in Thailand through which all my transactions flow. If properly maintained, a bank book can show balances and dates. Mine not so much. I no longer have a local bank branch so at times I go from one extension to another without updating the book. When doing so, just for Immigration, the bank, on a couple of occasions, has just lumped all the year's transactions together in one line, making it impossible to interpret timelines. I consider these books to be an anachronism and would be happy if they were dispensed with. A bank statement is all that is needed for Immigration, and it would save a lot of photocopying of the book for no real purpose.

This will go away, and he will quietly retire from politics

No means no.

You've been lucky, give it a try.

Most IOs have required both for years. A bank book which can be updated periodically is generally not a reliable guide as to how much is held in an account at a given time. Surprised there was an office that hasn't required the statement.

No. It's been commonly required by Immigration since the money-in-bank rules changed several years ago. You have to show that you have held the 800k and 400k in the bank for the required periods over the previous year.

Chips Rafferty

I concur. A British friend, who has passed, used to buy his post every day from there. It's about 320 meters north of the circle on CF East.

What's the (b) option?

There was a rule on this forum against posting missing person searches and this case illustrates why it existed. This was not a police search, it was instigated by an hysterical sister or ex-girlfriend. Authorities obviously knew early that he had departed but couldn't (officially) comment without consent. The guy left early for Finland perhaps because he found Thailand too hot for his delicate British constitution or perhaps because he met a hot Finnish girl about to head home. Strange travel patterns do attract scrutiny at airports for good reason.

So someone told them where you were.

A short trip in and out of Bangkok, then an unusual route taken back to a third country. Not Thailand news. Some people here are as stubborn as Mules in clinging to a story.

Some dobber must have called them.

Don't worry, most of them believe the intergalactic highway construction project for a hyperspace express route was completed without being aware it went to Phuket for a feasibility study.

I was initially surprised, and frustrated, by the incredible layers of paperwork and processes to effect simple everyday tasks. To transfer a phone line required more than an hour sitting in front of a clerk in TOT painstakingly completing multiple forms, photocopies, signatures and payment of deposits, etc. Transferring the electric connection was even worse where I was confronted by a Vogon clone who demanded more and more documentation to simply change the name on the connection. These things are handled by a short phone call in my home country. My surprise was because Thailand was/is largely computerized, but many government and public companies either don't understand or mistrust their use. They require, and store, reams of paperwork for everything. My yearly visits to the bank for a statement and simple letter still rankles because of the protracted processes involved.

In some countries, people commit road rage and vandalism against EVs out of extreme ignorance and unreasonable hate. I despair about the lack of education and rise of organized hate groups in these countries that traditionally consider themselves above such behavior.

Even a dingy dinghy.

Unless the Airline owns the airport itself, their staff, whether pilots or management, would not be responsible for building R&M. They are just paying clients of the owners.

I would think this Air Vice Marshall would be retired from the Airforce before taking a position as the GM of a regional airport. Many former high ranking military officers still retain their titles in retirement. A vanity thing. This very high service rank should not be confused with the similarly named security people on flights.

Those missing him are probably all the Army senators out of a job,

Perhaps you are smart enough to give opinions on decomposition of bodies in the sea, I am not.

It's feasible I guess that the wallet travelled on the journey with the skeletal remains right up until those remains landed on a Thailand beach. However, I found the fact that the wallet and ID ended up intact just 50 meters away to be very unlikely. Ergo my suggestion that it was "fishy".