mrmicbkktxl

27 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

If there is another vote on this it should be between, on the one hand, 'May's Deal' or. on the other hand, 'No Deal'.

 

'Remain' already eliminated in the earlier referendum.

 

 

Eliminated because they didn't know what consequences a Brexit will have

4 minutes ago, rott said:

mrmic for your ref most westerners do not come in on a VOA they are on visa exempt.

 

Not being a smarta-rse but it confuses people when you use the wrong terminology.

yes,correct I mixed that up

6 minutes ago, Ctkong said:

Maybe Sadao port of entry is used frequently By a certain class of visitors who try to enter Thailand after spending a couple of days in Penang to season their travel plans. Most ‘genuine tourists’ and more affluent tourists generally enter from airports and not from overland neighboring countries. So scrutiny and suspicions are generally part and parcel from those IOs. 

Western tourists don't come for work to Thailand

Just now, BritManToo said:

Cambodians get much easier treatment than white guys, takes them 10 minutes to cross, we queue for an hour.

Yes on land borders,I think they no need to show a passport,they get a day pass and can not leave the province they came in

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Reverse the situation. Ask yourself if a Thai national could visit France, whenever they liked, on a Visa waiver, and doing this regularly without raising interest from French immigration?

 

I remember once standing behind several Indians entering Malaysia at KLIA. They had to show out bound tickets, hotel reservations, money etc. When I walked up it was just a smile and a stamp in the passport.

 

But those days are over. Europeans and other "Westerners" are no longer automatically treated as some elite upper class. Sorry but that's how it is.

 

There have been some good suggestions on what visas and re-entry permits might be useful to you. 

You are comparing apples with pears.France is a 1st world country,Thailand is 3rd world country.I don't think french come to Thai because they want to work here,Thais would love to go to any western country if they could, and work there.Also Thais 90% love to overstay their visa or misuse their visa[ask the Japanese and Koreans.If the immigration wouldn't be so lazy or stupid,they would separate between 1st world countries,2nd... 3rd.... and...............,actually they doing that already,most westerners get a 30 VOA,some 15days and some need a visa from their embassy,but when it comes to multiple entries they put all non Thais in one bucket.They can not or don't want to understand some westerners have money and time to travel around,so they asking stupid questions like'are you working here?'I think 99% of westerners what come here on a VOA are genuine tourists,and like the OP  said'why I should get a visa if I stay only a few days"Why Thai immigration must treat airport arrivals different from land border arrivals?Why Thai immigration treats a westerner the same way as a guy from Cambodia or Myanmar?It is obviously that  Cambodians not travel to Thailand for a beach vacation.

If they don't want non Thais travel around including neighboring countries,then they should say so clearly on their immigration or embassy website.,but that will never ever happen Thais are happy with their shi. mentality[nothing is sure] and if westerners don't like it they should stay home,since the Chinese and Indians are coming they no need westerners anymore

There won't be a coup!

Why TG can't give those passengers a hotel room or book them on another airline.I find it unbelievable TG let's them sit at the airport for a few nights.What a sh.. airline.

On 2/23/2019 at 2:57 PM, cliveshep said:

Some items that are light I get sent to my daughter as even if they do post to Thailand paying £25 postage for a 4 ounce packet is a rip-off.  Case in point is tips for the mig welder, £4 to buy, £25 to ship. Actually from what I have since found I could probably buy them here anyway.

 

Most things we buy from ebay come from China, postage is free and customs charges don't so far seem to apply. Maintaining a UK bank account meant I could maintain PayPal but it is a pita accessing their site as I have to get my daughter to accept a phone call, give me a pass code, etc. before I can log in. But we have bought all sorts of stuff especially for my lorry here from e-bay, like reversing cameras, reversing radar, reversing beeper etc. Computer stuff is good from them too except UK specific bits like keyboards for laptops, or some specialised parts for our Samsung American Fridge-freezer with ice-maker. For some reason those parts come via e-bay from Lithuania. 

 

Lazada is bloody expensive I've found - a multi-media player from them for my lorry was 1400 baht, reduced from 2500 baht, but my wife got a far better one for her car, fitted for her, for under 1000 baht at the auto parts market at Ban Klang, up the side of Kasikorn Bank, at the end of Rangsit-Pathum Thani Road. Totally ace for after-market bling bits for both cars and bikes too. Then if it's computers, cell-phones, bits for pc's and laptops, dash cams, in fact you name it plus clothing and textiles next door and free parking then Zeer Rangsit is defo the place to go shopping., because if THEY don't sell it you probably can't buy it in Thailand.

get a vpn use UK ip address then you should not have a problem to sign into paypal UK,or use the paypal app on your phone,the app seems to not care where you are at

On 2/22/2019 at 3:15 PM, WyrldTraveler said:

After tw

After 20 years, they probably don't remember.

 

It's only a 'personal defeat' if you define it as such; you are welcome to call it a re-calibration, or change of plans, or simply refuse to keep score.  With so many Thais wanting to move to the 'West', wouldn't it be fun to tell people that you wanted to see what the fuss was about?

 

There is everything right with preparing for an uncertain future.  There is everything wrong with making excuses to be miserable.  It's a personal call.  If you involve the family, they might think it's a great idea.  I don't know your personal situation. 

 

I was moved to Asia at nine (9) years of age.  It definitely ruined me for work at the 'Golden Horns' (as McD's is called in Ukraine.)  Nobody consulted me, either.

Thais have a different reason why they want to go west.I came here because of the weather and a more relaxing lifestyle.Uncertain future is a point what bothers me a lot here.Every year you have to worry the thais still let you stay here or kick you out

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am surprised that one issue about moving to somewhere else is basically never mentioned: the language!

My Thai is far away from perfect but good enough to interact with the locals - even the Thais who don't speak any English at all.

 

If I would move to Cambodia or Lao or Myanmar or Portugal or many other places this would mean learning another language. That takes time and it's not getting easier for people who are a little older.

 

It's ok to go on holiday somewhere and rely on English speaking tour guides. But I think living somewhere includes knowing the local language - at least some of it.

Difference is Spanish or Portuguese are easy to read,and trust me most guys know how to say "Una cerveza por favor"

11 hours ago, WyrldTraveler said:

What many fail to realize is the value of experience.  People "Back Home" will try to shame you, but the reality is that you had the courage to do something which they do not have the courage to do - move someplace else.  Having done so, you now know that it can be done.  Remember the expression, "Been There, Done That"?  Your neighborhood now extends to the entire planet.

 

They are intimidated by that, so they go on the attack, as they are 'threatened'.  By thoughts in their own minds.

 

"If So-and-So can do it, why haven't I done it?"

 

This thought is behind every unhelpful comment.  I visited the US temporarily and the assumption was that I was "back" and that my journeys were "a catastrophic failure".  Nothing was farther from the truth.

 

But that didn't stop them.

 

Because it's about THEM, it's not about US.  We're just the stimulus for them to examine themselves.  And when they look, they do not like what they see.  So they blame us.

 

Most of my consulting work is to establish the correct mindset for being successful in an alien environment.  Having left, now one is a 'new and improved' version of the one who left.  As a result, one is 'new' once again.  People want you to be the person they remember, not who you are.  It's their problem, not ours, but we have to deal with their behavior if we want to be around them.

 

Psychological preparation is just as important as packing your suitcase and getting your documents in order. 

 

 

20 years ago friends and family told me 'you are crazy,you will come back crying'.I never cared about that.If I have to leave Thailand it would be a personal defeat,on the other hand,so many things have changed in 20 years so I think leaving would be a good idea.And actually I would like to leave,I don't feel comfortable anymore.But leaving is not an option,I'm married with a Thai lady and I have daughter.My wife has a good job here and higher salary than my pension.If we would go back to Europe she would probably end up at MCD,not good for her personal ego and not good for our financial situation.My daughter doesn't like Europe,she is scared of muslims.Cambodia is like Thailand 30 years ago and with Hun Sen as PM it's an absolute no go for me.Philippines is not safe enough,I went a few times to Manila and Cebu and felt scared to walk around there.If I would be single I would probably choose Penang or KL,And if Europe then most likely Spain

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I think that is one of the reasons why Phuket folk wanted a Phuket specific thread...........

 

During my 12 years here now, I have used both lump sum and combo methods and on every occasion the IO has wanted to see bank statements and letter, copies of bank books as well as the embassy letters.

 

On my last visit the IO was particularly "thorough" in not only going through some of my statements line by line, but also asking his junior offsider to check the exchange rates as I was using the "combo method"........ maybe I look like a suspicious character??

 

The problem as I see it, and which has already been mentioned, is that you never know what you're going to get at immigration here, a bit like Forrest Gump with his box of chocolates analogy!

I would be ok if they say show xxx or yyy,if they accept foreign bank statements why I should get an embassy letter?Embassy letter for me is 1500bt and a 80km drive to Bkk.I really hate that wishy washy "up to the immigration officer"

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you can get income proof from you embassy it will be accepted instead of monthly transfers.

 

It says will be accepted if you have other forms of evidence.I never needed to show any other form of evidence.Embassy letter was always enough.

He is not judging 'a place',he is judging Pattaya.It used to be the a fun city

El Nino,I don't think so,it's more like El Stupido,if they had a better water management there wouldn't be any problems.Rain season and dry season are long gone.There is no more dry season here in Chonburi,it used to be 100% dry in December and January  until 4-5 years ago,but that changed.Dry season is more like mixed season with high humidity,high temperatures and hard rain once or twice a week,probably from global warming.

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

When they say foreigners they dont mean Farang they could be Burmese if so they go to the labour dept and get a permit to work not a Farang work permit, thats how the builders do it down here in Phuket,

yeah that makes sense

How they can get a workpermit for a job like that?

11 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

All passports are property of the State that issued them.

yes,I know that,still I don't think any embassy staff is allowed to enter the transit area of an airport and threaten incoming passengers or revoke their travel documents.

you can keep your superior attitude for yourself,thanks in advance.Could you point me in the right direction,I can't find the column where it says embassy staff is allowed to use force to revoke travel documents

9 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

A diplomat has the right to go airside to meet with any transiting passenger he/she wants.

says who?

Feel sorry for the girl and hope she can leave unharmed to Australia or any other safe country,but what makes me really wonder is how embassy personal gets entrance to a closed and locked area in the transit zone and take away travel documents from travelers.If that is not  normal then that means the thai immigration supported the saudi embassy personal stealing her passport,who knows maybe they carried also weapons

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Rights group urges Thailand not to return Saudi woman fleeing family

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Ghaida Ghantous

 

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, a Saudi woman who claims to be fleeing her country and family and is currently in Bangkok, Thailand, is shown in this undated photo obtained by Reuters from social media. @rahaf84427714/via REUTERS

 

BANGKOK/DUBAI (Reuters) - A human rights group urged Thai authorities on Monday to halt plans to deport an 18-year-old Saudi woman who says she is fleeing abuse from her family and fears they will kill her if she is returned home.

 

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun said she fled Kuwait while her family was visiting the Gulf country and had planned to travel on from Thailand to Australia to seek asylum. She said she was detained after leaving her plane in Bangkok and told she would be sent back to Kuwait.

 

She was scheduled to be sent back on Kuwait Airways flight 412 leaving at 11:15 a.m. local time (0415 GMT).

 

"My brothers and family and the Saudi embassy will be waiting for me in Kuwait," Qunun told Reuters by text and voice message from a Bangkok transit hotel late on Sunday.

 

"They will kill me," she said. "My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things."

 

Thai immigration authorities denied Qunun's allegations they were acting at the behest of the Saudi government, saying she was refused entry to Thailand on Saturday night because she did not have the proper documents for a visa on arrival.

 

A representative from the Saudi embassy in Thailand said there was no one available to comment.

 

New York-based Human Rights Watch said Thailand should not send Qunun back to her family because she is an adult who faces danger.

 

"Thai authorities should immediately halt any deportation, and either allow her to continue her travel to Australia or permit her to remain in Thailand to seek protection as a refugee," Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on Monday.

 

Qunun said she had obtained an Australian visa and booked a flight. She said she planned to spend a few days inThailand, a popular destination for medical treatment, so she would not spark suspicion when she left Kuwait.

 

"When I landed at the airport, someone came and said he would process the (Thai) visa but he took my passport. He came back with what seemed to be airport security and said that my parents objected and said I must return to Saudi Arabia via Kuwait Airways," she said.

 

She said she believed she was stopped after her family appealed to Kuwait Airways. A spokesman for Kuwait Airways said he had no information about the case.

 

Thai immigration chief Surachate Hakparn said he had had no contact with Saudi officials or Thailand's foreign minister before Qunun's arrival. He said she was denied entry because she did not have a paid return ticket or a hotel reservation.

 

"She was over-exaggerating ... She fled her family from Saudi Arabia and arrived in Thailand but she didn't have necessary documents to enter. Thai immigration had to deny her entry," he said, describing such cases as standard procedure.

 

(Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous in DUBAI; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-07

Why she should want to enter thailand if she has a ticket to Australia?