Bredbury Blue

I used to have a non-B with a work permit through my own company. It was the chief of the local immigration office who said to my wife when we were renewing one year, why are we making it difficult for ourselves having a non-B when it be easier/better to have a non-O; we changed to non-O next extension time. So why do you want to switch from non-O to non-B - what's the benefit? See the attachment about working in different locations on your work permit. Thailands New Work Permit Law_NARITLAW.pdf

It is not always necessary to show WP at Immigration.

As I'm in the process of extending my WP (received extension stamp this week) I asked the lawyers. WP can be extended without you attending the Labour office in person but as noted above L.O. need your medical certificate, your tax payment receipts, company documents, etc., your passport and WP book. So if in the country possible to do without you attending. Your visa cannot be extended without you attending in person. If your annual visa expires then automatically your WP expires.

I added a 1. and 2. to your post. 1. You seem to be totally misunderstanding my posts. Obviously Thai tones are correct, they are part of the Thai language structure. My earlier posts were saying that while I understand Thai tones, I don't always get them 100% correct, I'd say I'm probably correct 95% of the time. Hence while I'm still learning to read I like to see the tone(s) of a word in a Thai dictionary online so that i get it correct / as a check against what I think the tone(s) is/are. Hope I've made it clearer this time. 2. As stated I learn the Thai script (which I use on the front of an Anki card), but on the back I add a transliteration (maybe later I'll stop doing that when my Thai ability improves) and the English meaning. I would agree that only learning/using transliteration is *troublesome in the long run and learning Thai script is the way to go, but there's certainly nothing wrong with using both transliteration and Thai script (*each of use speak English in our own dialect - Northern English and Southern English would say 'run' totally differently - so the transliteration I use is unique to me).

Quick question for you guys who use Anki. Which is the best process / which did you do: A. Start your own Anki deck, as i did recently which is a slow process to build up but the words in it as words relevant/found by you personally, OR, B. import a deck (like Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list) and add to it?

UPDATE The wife was telling just now that as the dog doesn't have enough milk for its puppies, the B-I-L is going to buy milk or food for them. When I asked why are they buying for a stray dog and it's puppies - as that doesn't sound like thai's to me - I was told that they want the dogs to stick around as security, as people sometimes come in the night to steal fish from the pond.

1. See my response to Katana on tones. 2. I don't add sound to Anki cards. if I'm not sure of pronunciation I know I can check it on Google translate or similar or ask a family member. 3. Thanks for the tip about Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list which I'll check out.

Err, think you mustn't have fully read my earlier post, in which I posted: "While I can work out the syllable tones with reasonable accuracy, I want to be 100% correct."

1. Problem solved: use https://thai-notes.com/dictionaries/predictionary.html 2. What about my method of making an Ank card, good or bad, is there a better approach?

Sadly it's the same every year in Thailand, it's either flood or draught. Hope you get some rain. Don't think it's rained much anywhere this year. When it rains heavy, we get a quick flood in our street (it drains away in a few hours) but that hasn't happened once this year which is indicative of the rainfall this year.

I decided to have a go recently at compiling my own Anki card system recently to see if it helps. When I find a word I copy it in to Google translate and also in to thai-language.com . I use both so I get to listen to two sound files (I don't always think Google's sound bite is clear). I then copy the word in Thai to the front of the card and on the back I copy the transliteration WITH the syllable tones and the English meaning on the back (is that a good system? For me, it forces me to read the word in Thai, work out the tones and the English meaning and then check it on the back of the card). Thai-language.com is down currently. While I can work out the syllable tones with reasonable accuracy, I want to be 100% correct. Where can I get the tones from while Thai-language.com is down?

Couple of pics from week or so ago from the B-I-L's rice farm up in Sakon Nakhon province, not so far from Owl's 'ranch'. The fishpond shown gets flooded if/when the nearby river overflows, which restocks the pond. The bitch with puppies hangsout at his night camp (is there a name for those overnight wooden shacks). They are very lucky that they always have water from the river/weir which runs past the village.

Strangely it doesn't seem to be mentioned on their website and I didn't see any signs informing when I was in the SP Imm offices doing my 90 days in April (and I haven't seen local resident Richard Barrow mention it), but there is a new office which seems only to deal with 90 days and informing of your address (is that TM30?). It is a small office, just 2 staff members, in Building A, in the 3 orange-colured market buildings (A, B & C), opposite Big-C Bangplee and Bangplee Hospital, on Theparak Road. Building A is the building on Theparak Road frontage (B is behind A, C behind B). The office is a few doors down from Amazon coffee. Loads of car parking, super quiet office (i suspect few know of it) and more convenient than going to the main offices on the Chaophya river. Cafe' Amazon https://maps.app.goo.gl/xxB1iVhJ84EAvxAG8

Go to the link I posted for the Fundamentals of Thai book, and I agree that it is an excellent book. I type (slowly) Thai in to Google translate to get the English translation and I noticed that the Thai characters on the keyboard are tiny (far smaller than English characters) which isn't great when you're learning.

Having recently taught myself to read (I won’t bother with learning to write), I think you have made a wise decision learning to read. I enjoy going around and reading signs, etc., in Thai and wish I’d learnt decades ago. As mentioned, I taught myself so I can’t comment on using the reading/writing courses of BananaThai or Thaipod101 or any other. I have subscribed and watch BananaThai’s videos and I listen to her podcasts and really like her and her approach. Thaipod101 I subscribe for the videos on youtube but haven’t bothered to watch any yet (too much advertising themselves for me). I also subscribe to ThaiwithMod videos and recommend the two lovely ladies. I also really recommend Speak Thai Possible on youtube. Her lessons on tones is the best in my opinion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhVpY7TlO-o I watched a lot of Stuart Jay Ray videos. If I could pick up and a see his book in a book shop I might buy a copy but as that’s not possible currently I didn’t bother with it. I would just recommend as very useful his Youtube lessons where he uses his ‘map of the mouth’. So here’s how I learnt to read (I’m still at the stage of reading slowly): 1. I used the lessons in the brilliant old book ‘THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE THAI LANGUAGE (Fifth Edition) by Stuart Campbell and Chuan Shaweevongs’ to learn the consonants, vowels, tone rules, etc. I bought the book years ago and I found it online here http://www.lyndonhill.com/FunThai/CONTENTS.html 2. After I knew a bit about the basics (consonants, vowels, tone rules, etc.) I searched around for youtube tutorials I liked. Funnily, I found this English guy Phil to be the best (he explains reading over about 20 tutorials and uses his Thai wife to pronounce the words in Thai – it works well). His website is http://phil.uk.net/tutorials/index.html The YouTube videos are here: Learn To Read Thai Video Tutorial 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZuOB_HFIhQ 3. I now know the basics and I’m close to finishing off the translation lessons in the Stuart Campbell book. I tried reading some of my kids early age Thai books but I didn’t enjoy reading kiddies stuff so I persevere with grown-up text and use google translate to translate all the words I don’t know. It will be a slow process to improve but I’m doing a bit every day. 4. As mentioned I can read standard text, but I really still struggle with all of the other fonts in thai. Hopefully that will improve in time. I found this lesson very useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdy0KRJp4s4&t=570s

Need to renew my recently expired 2 year temporary licence. Beginning of the month the wife called DLT who told us that that renewal in BKK wasn't possible but it was ok to drive on the expired licence until 30 September 2021; the notice below of 27.07.2021 confirms the 30 September 2021. Later this month the DLT closed again; see the notice below of 20.07.2021 If anybody spots any updates on the DLT being open again for Renewal of Driving License, please post on this thread to let people know. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/07/20/department-of-land-transport-suspends-most-in-person-services-in-chonburi-other-maximum-control-provinces/ Department of Land Transport suspends most in-person services in Chonburi, other maximum control provinces The Department of Land Transport, or DLT, has announced they have suspended most in-person services in the thirteen maximum control provinces, including Chonburi, home of Pattaya, to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. This also includes the Bangkok area and most surrounding provinces. Specific services suspended, amongst others, are driver’s license renewals, issuing, registration, in-person tests, and more. Training for renewing driver’s licenses will be online only, according to the DLT. Tax payments for vehicles will be online or drive-through online, the DLT added. The notice is effective immediately, July 20th, 2021, until further notice. Non-maximum control zones will operate according to provincial governor orders, the DLT concluded. (20/07/2021) From: https://thailand.prd.go.th/main.php?filename=index The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has coordinated with the Royal Thai Police to give a respite to the rules, regulations, and ordinances for drivers whose driving licenses have expired. The expired driving license can be shown to authorities until 30 September 2021. For driving licenses that have expired for more than a year from 10 April to 30 September 2021, drivers will be exempted from taking the exam, while those who have expired driving license for more than three years will be exempted from the driving tests. For more information, please contact hotline 1584 or visit the DLT website at www.dlt.go.th. (27/07/2021)

No idea if this the right forum for this but I was just wondering what birds people got in their gardens, where are they (town/province), do they feed them and with what? Not an expert on the local birds but I'm in samut prakarn, area has lots of plaa salid fields, have a khlong next to my house with lots of trees and then fishfields. In the garden we get very brave collared dove types which aren't bothered by me, different types of mynah birds which are very jumpy, coucals (saw 2 together for the firts time last week), very noisy koels which I rarely see but are very vocal especially at night. In the fields theres a variety of storks. Had a kingfisher a few months back flying up and down the klong...that got me excited. I always chuck out bread for the birds. The mother in law says they're farlang nok as they don't eat rice she puts out (and no she doesn't mean falang kee nok). Anything unusual visiting your place? What do you feed them with?