sandyf

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Updating your passbook is a cinch, do you mean obtaining the letter is a bit of a pain, and why?

Passbooks are meaningless, immigration does not even look at them.

As for the letter, I would be grateful if you knew a TMB bank in Chonburi that knew anything about it. The first time we asked at the main branch they hadn't a clue and advised my wife to go to Sri Ratcha as they were more used to dealing with foreigners. That's an hour away so we went to the bank before going to immigration. The bank does not open till 9 and although the manager knows what is wanted he is a bit like a headless chicken and takes about an hour to deal with it. That means it is about 10.30 before you can get down to immigration and by that time the office is full so it is doubtful you get seen by the time they close for lunch.

Last year wasn't too bad, the office was nearly empty because there was no one to sign off the extensions, downside was we had to back the following day to collect my passport, two and a half hours driving for 5 minutes in immigration.

There is no doubt for many it is much easier but anyone unfamiliar with the process should be aware of all potential problems before deciding which way to jump.

2 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Yes it will, as long as not a zipped file. You must do each and every bank statement as a separate jpg.

 

I never sent a zip file, I had incorporated everything into a single PDF.

Apologies, I should have been a bit clearer, comes from trusting to memory at my age. 

In the middle of last year, Outlook as it is now known did an update which altered the way in which attachments were handled, may have been via Onedrive and it is this method the embassy server will not accept. I suspect their security sees it as attaching to an external drive rather than just receiving an electronic document.

The attachment method can be changed and I have now changed mine back to the way it was prior to the update, just sends a digital copy. I do not know which versions were affected and it is possible some may not have seen a change in the attachment method.

On 2/13/2018 at 11:33 AM, Kadilo said:

I take it you can just scan your documents and credit card payment form and that it is acceptable to them. 

It is very straightforward at the UK Embassy, done it for several years, even for a marriage extension. 

Email application is very convenient but you must pay by credit card and I know from experience that the embassy server will not accept attachments from a Hotmail account.

Although there is the £50 charge for the income letter, there is a great advantage in that you do not need a bank statement. Since the brexit referendum I have had to use the combo method and getting the bank statement for the extension is a bit of a pain.

10 hours ago, talahtnut said:

Leaving the EU may kick start an industrial renaissance..it will have to if it needs

to trade with the world..Bumbling along safely in the Mafia EU, is not the answer.

Bit of a delusional concept. The cost of research in modern technology is prohibitive and a country that cannot afford to support essential services is not going to fare very well.

The UK kicked what lead it had into touch and now only enjoys a slice of the pie through joint ventures, something that is now at risk over a pipe dream.

Brexit was already on the cards when TM put Hinkley Point C in the hands of foreign companies.

From my previous post. "If China has made a deal it will be for a reason and it is almost certain the UK will not be the greatest beneficiary."

Bought some boxes of Archa a few days ago and the price is still the same as this time last year.

On saying that, when we were in Tesco the alcohol shelves were a bit bare, normally a precurser to a price rise.

20 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Transport in H H sucks of the most suckiest that I ever found in a so called tourist resort.

Mind you, I haven't been back to Samui in a few years and I understand their round the island songtheaws are a rip off now. The taxis always were.

We went to Samui about 15 months ago and had been warned about the taxis so hired a car for most of the week. Got the car from the airport and when we took it back the day before leaving, the girl on the desk offered to run us back to the hotel a couple of miles away for 300 baht, said it would be half the price of a taxi.

Been there, wouldn't go back.

9 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

they've been using this form for a while now.

That depends on what you mean by "a while".

I got the old form on an Air Asia flight late Dec. and they still had the old forms at DM immigration when I landed. The TM6 reform was effective 1st Oct, that is when the Thais stopped using them, but the actual form changeover has been a lot slower.

On 2/12/2018 at 9:13 AM, Henryford said:

Why do that when you can get 50/10 VDSL for 590 a month.

You cannot get something that is not available.

I was on the 13/1 at 900/month but they could not maintain the speed and it would drop off , so I had to change down to 10/1 at 590/month, the only benefit of that service it does not drop off when the speed is low.

There is no alternative where I live. I was with TOT but that was worse and couldn't go back even if I wanted to.

BREXITEER MP Nigel Evans said Remainers were on their "last death rattle" in their attempts to thwart Brexit after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox announced Britain had signed several multi-billion deals with China.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/913105/Brexit-news-latest-update-today-Liam-Fox-China-trade-deal-UK-EU-European-Union-video

Why on earth would China want to buy from the UK when they can source elsewhere. My niece often brings me pate and cheese from China, all good quality, of Russian origin and about a quarter of the price of similar product in the UK. Last time she also brought a couple of the large(150g) packets of Mackies crisps, Whisky and Haggis and Smokey Bacon flavours. Made in Scotland and sold in China at about 40% of the price, obviously partial to some UK product but are domestic customers subsidising exports. 

If that is happening now in non EU trade it does not bode well for the future.

If China has made a deal it will be for a reason and it is almost certain the UK will not be the greatest beneficiary.

Only the blinkered would think that it is better to have your customers half way round the world rather than on your doorstep.

Love thy neighbour?

UK trade relationships are usually stronger with neighbouring countries, as well as countries with large economies. China and the US are large economies and important UK trading partners, even accounting for their distance from us.

However, distance is important. The value of the UK’s trading relationship with Ireland is higher than the value of UK trade with Italy or Spain, even though the total size of Ireland’s economy is much smaller than Italy’s or Spain’s.

https://visual.ons.gov.uk/uk-trade-partners/

Never let it be said that brexit brigade ever complained about belonging to the European Union, in their mind they were merely advocating change.

Now those same people would condemn those that would advocate change on how the government perceives the way forward.

The rope bridge is fraying but "the people" are going marched across anyway, remaining behind is not an option.

On 2/9/2018 at 10:11 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Well, thanks to all the cheese fans for the useful advice .
I will not freeze it just take it from the fridge shortly before leaving for the airport and will probably buy a small cooler bag to assist keeping it cool as am traveling via Doha.

And remember :
 

I have been bringing cheese here for years on end and only a couple of times coming through the ME has it showed signs of sweating. Its the luck of the draw with that, if your case ends up on the top of a luggage trolley it can make all the difference.

Overall I would rather take the chance than alter the cheese by freezing.

The biggest problem I had was when I put it in a freezer box which travelled as separate baggage and got left behind in Bahrain, didn't affect the cheese but was a close call with customs.

On 2/9/2018 at 9:16 AM, Nurseynutcase said:

I bought some Branston pickle in Macro.  UK friends stunned that I got it here!!!

You can get it here at Tesco in Chonburi but I only buy it when discounted to half price, same with cheese.

15 hours ago, Cashboy said:

In a lot of places in Western Europe you have the sludge and settlement tank and then run into the street rain water drains.

It wasn't on the drawing passed by the government but seems to be quite normal in Thailand from what I am seeing.

In fact a lot don't have only one tank and overflow running into the street rain water drains.

Certainly not normal around here. The local planning have set formats for leaching waste water and one of the requirements is that the outlet be a certain distance from other properties.

They have recently started installing underground street drains around here and they may take a different view with those, but you certainly wouldn't find anyone discharging into a surface street drain.

On 2/10/2018 at 11:47 PM, Jip99 said:

 

 

Whether Red Rum won by a head, or a furlong, he still won. That is the rules. 

 

A narrow margin of victory in any situation should make the victor slightly wary.

And you believe that to be a valid argument for a contentious result, says it all.

Just so you and others are clear, I didn't agree with the referendum in the first place and would not support a second, whatever the result may have been. There has only ever been three national referendums which is a good indication of their importance in UK politics. 

Theresa May used it as an excuse to try and push parliamentary democracy to one side but of course there are those that would prefer to think that the court case never happened. It is parliament that makes decisions in the UK, no none else, and all decisions,whether you like it or not, are open to challenge.

Never forget that the "Enemies of the People" are only the enemies of a certain percentage of the people and the sad part is there will never be that "victor" you refer to.

3 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

“51.9% is not a commanding majority”

 

Of course it is.

 

Only 50.1% was required...

And therein lies the problem, in such important issues other countries take a more sensible approach with a set majority, virtual even splits are never a positive result and as we have seen does nothing but create division.

You are obviously happy to base the future of the UK on 51.9% but I wonder if that same confidence would be there if your own future was based on an operation that had a 51.9% success rate -  nothing to worry about.

5 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Fighting against parliamentary process started a long time ago.  The suffragettes and poll tax spring to mind.

 

But this is the first time people are trying to (edit - immediately) subvert a democratic decision in the UK?

The referendum was not a decision and the only one trying to subvert democracy was Teresa May.

She can afford to fund a court case but not social care.

14 minutes ago, aright said:

It should also be borne in mind that the vote to trigger article 50 was carried by 461votes to 89. That is a commanding majority.

Again you have gone out of context. The parliament vote result has absolutely no bearing on the public opinion split, keep your response to the point in question.

But as I said in my next post  "at the end of the day it will be up to parliament how things proceed".

On 2/5/2018 at 12:55 PM, Cashboy said:

My opinion:  Way too expensive.

 

I did my own drawings using Excel as I have no CAD software.

 

 

 

Then paid an architect 10,000 bt to make them into drawings for the government planning office.

I paid 4,000 bt for the engineer to do the structural calculations.

I paid 5,000 bt for submission and approval at the local government planning office and supposedly approval at the province government office (due to size).

So total was 19,000 bt and all done and approved in 2 weeks by the architect that just happened to work in the government planning office.

That was recently as in December 2017.

It all started by the Thai girl going to her local government office and enquiring what she would need to do to build a new house in her village.

I would get your Thai girl to go to the government planning office and ask and see if she can work something out like that.

 

 

 

I also did my own plans and then paid 3000 baht to have them done as engineering drawings, that and the planning office fee was about all I paid on the paperwork side. We even escaped the envelope on completion.

I have to say I am surprised you got away with running the sewage waste water into the street drain, disposal of that water was something they were quite particular about.

23 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

I always think how small minded it is how those who lose a vote by the majority of people try their hardest to stop that democratic vote

It is a bit small minded to think that the referendum result was a legal political decision.

Until the constitution is altered the UK is a Parliamentary Democracy, something that many, including the government, continually try to ignore.

It doesn't matter what you or I think of the referendum, at the end of the day it will be up to parliament how things proceed and until that happens parliament will be advised and lobbied just as they are on any other issue.

8 hours ago, nontabury said:

A few years ago, the Thais had a political party called “ Thai rak Thai” meaning Thais Love Thai. Perhaps the remainers should form a party “Brits who dislike Brits”

A clear example of the brexit legacy, divisive paranoia. 

How on earth can remaining in the EU be linked to "disliking Brits". Being part of the EU may very well offer the best future for our children an all other British citizens, it would take a distorted train of thought to turn that concept into anything other than supporting fellow Brits.

It should be borne in mind that 51.9% is not a commanding majority and in most cases would fall into margin of error. It should also be remembered that the government denied a vote to a great deal that were likely to be the most affected.

There is every chance that over 50% of the population would fall into your category of "Brits who Dislike Brits".

I am not very far away and use Sri Ratcha immigration, would agree with previous posts, can be very congested at times and not a lot going for it other than some good restaurants and the ferry to Koh Sichang.

As suggested Bang Saen would be a much better option.

14 hours ago, billd766 said:

This was when the old Labour party was running the UK and the union block votes were running the old Labour party under Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan.

 

Not disputing you viewpoint in general but the dockers created a state of emergency twice, in July 1970 and then again late 72. The miners created a state of emergency early 72. The postal strike in 71, although not a state of emergency it was prolonged and caused serious disruption. Not forgetting Rolls Royce went bankrupt in Feb 1971.

Edward Heath was prime minister from June 1970 until 1974, taking the UK into Europe on 1st Jan 1973, so can it be said that any UK government capable of taking control and running the country.

In April 2016 Teresa May gave a speech indicating she was in no doubt whatsoever that remaining in the EU was the best course of action.

In the service we used to have an assessment term, "Three 3s  and easily led"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-leaked-impact-assessment-economy-gdp-north-east-west-midlands-a8199746.html?S2ref=1532332