marshbags

" Like people needing a holiday to get away from work or other misery like a dictator boss or money problems, bitchy wife, bad children, whatever, I need to get away from Thailand NOW, I can, I will and am perfectly happy to return to where I grew up, find and taste all the things Thailand does not have and never will (millions of them unfortunately)"

I was going to add something along these lines TT, as I was typing I kept thinking about the holidays most people take as and when they can to get a bit of relief from their everyday situations with the hope that those who appear cynical to what we do, might see it for what it really is.

Not a having a go or complaining about our lot, simply put, just ready for a " holiday " which in our case means a trip back home to enjoy the many comforts it gives us, feel the warmth of times gone by and most importantly, the presence of our loved ones and our friends.

I,m sorry if the following is considered off topic by some, but ask for understanding please...........

By the way TT I used to go to Gent a couple of times a year to see a dear Belgium friend who we originally met on a holiday in Teneriffe back in the eighties.

I was introduced to cooked mussels Belgium style, Enkel beer, Trappist Monks ( Dubbel and Quadruple ect. ) who really know how to brew, and your famous chocolatesamong other things.

The open " shared " toilets were I must admit, a bit of a shock at first ( casually peeing away washing the back of the urinal when the door opened and a couple of ladies walked in, never batted an eyelid and proceeded to carry out there business with a big grin on their faces, brought about I,m sure due to my initial responses to cover up and my expressions.

The warmth of everyone was something I will always remember and we looked forward to our ferry trips from Hull and meeting our friend Marcel at Zeebrugge dock side ( his wife Maddy sadly passed away shortly after returning from Tenerrife and while it was after her funeral, the reason for our initial trip was to offer comfort and give him a cuddle ) I,m so pleased we decided to go to him.

Enjoy your break then TT, and come back content and refreshed.

marshbags

I dont really get it you retire here then complain that its not like home. You dont say where in issan that you are. But that may be part of the problem. Living in the back of beyond. For me there are certainly frustrations living here but all told its better than the UK maybe if I came from paradiso europa like you. I might not like it so much here. ..

sent from my Wellcom A90+

Ah but to get away from the " frustrations " occcasionally is the way to go for me.

Complaining it,s not like back home naaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! just appreciating having the best of different lifestyles.

Why give them up when you can enjoy things you like from time to time here and at home..

I,m not sure who you may be referring to TC but i,ll offer a friendly response.

Seems to me the only ones who may be looking at this negatively are those who prefer not to time share..for whatever reason.

I,m not knocking or begrudging them their chosen way of life, far from it.....live and let live comes to mind for all reasonable people IMHO.

Choice as in choosing were to spend / choose you time and all that goes with it for some of us is part of our diverse lifstyle and what retirement is all about, well for me anyways.

How nice it is for me go to and fro, I genuinely enjoy my choices.

marshbags

I am in the process of pursuing a case with the courts albeit not vehicle related.

Two seperate issues are clearly defined, one is criminal ( law ) and the other is civil ( compensation damages ect.)

My lawyer is dealing with the criminal side of things first and then the civil side after.

There has not been any offer on the latter so it goes to court along with the first issue.

marshbags

Thanks Marshbags. It says the account must be in the name of a natural person. Does that mean it has to be in the Thai wifes or girlfriends name? Or can it be done only in the name of the foreigner opening it.?

In my case it is done in my name and takes into account my visa status with permission to extended stay.

My passport and a signed copy of my wifes blue house book was accepted as proof of my abode and I.D. qualifications.

Cheers

marshbags

It's Official. The "sweep it under the rug" process has begun!

This is just the beginning to mimimise his evil doings and limit what he finally goes before the authoirities to answer to in the way of charges....if at all

The low life who tried to cover up for him and alter what acually happened will if history repeats itself in these cases involving high ranking officers, will eventually fade away and while he may suffer inconvenient behind the scene punishment, he will not get what he deserves... if at all.

Yet again another so called member of the infamous and so called elite will not get the deserved punishment and incarceration Thai law demands, based on the charges anyone else outside this group of the favoured law breakers would expect and rightly receive.

One ( non existant ) law for the rich and privilidged and one enforcable law for the non privilidged members of society.

The latter should be applicable to all law breakers.

It could if the Thai Authorities of Integrity in high places just for once used their privilidged positions to enforce the law in equal terms, make him accountable and give him the same penalties everyone deserves / can expect and most certainly should receive for the abhorant crimes they commit, not only in respect of traffic laws, but all Thai laws as per the respected contitution voted into place.

Shamefully on societies part I reckon it is a non starter and is going the usual predictable way.

marshbags

P.S.

*** The 3 mil bribe / settlement has again been kindly updated I,ve just noticed by Webfact in the next post.

Thanks for the information,

just a few points I'm not too sure on having never ventured into Thai banking fixed account schemes before .

( Its deposit rate is equal to the deposit rate of a 24-month fixed deposit (at the lowest deposit limits for a natural person) + 0.15 percent, p.a. or as the Bank’s announcement.)

So if some on deposited One Million ( 1,000.000 ) Baht in this fixed account , what would be the yearly Baht return ?

The combined interest of all types of fixed accounts must be up to 30,000 Baht per year in accordance with the Revenue Department’s regulations

I'm again not too sure what this means .

Would it be possible to open more than one account in the same name?

Thanks

You are only allowed one account in your name.

When I get my first months interest I will post the amount I get transfrered into my current account.

Cheers

marshbags

I have heard of getting 3-5% interest on A deposit of over A million baht.Maybe have to leave it it there 2 or 3 years.

But you must check that that type of account is acceptable to Immigration for use as the 800,000 needed for a one year extension.

I know someone who was talked into opening such an account at a bank, with assurances from the bank that the account type was acceptable to Immigration. On applying or a one year extension he was told the account was not acceptable. He moved the money to an acceptable account and either had to pay a fine or tea money to sort it out. I'll try to find out more details.

AS my OP mentions, I did a similar one last year and it was acceptable by immigration at the 2 offices I used.

I was also told so long as I can access the fixed account it was acceptable.

I will on my 90 day report confirm this and post it on this thread.

Obviously i cannot vouch for all offices but it should be easy to ascertain prior to opening an account by getting a print off of the brochure in Thai which the Kasikorn should kindly do as in my case.

I will take it for my office to read when I report.

Regarding the interest, I will post what interest is transfered into my a my account next month.

Cheers

marshbags

With the kind permission of Thai Visa I would like to submit the following information, hoping it doesn,t break any rules.

A new fixed account with accident insurance cover and avialble for existing current acc. holders with the Kasikorn Bank.

After last years 12 month fixed deposit acc. which was well in access of the paltry current account rates, I have now found another one that IMHO is worthwhile doing.( Last years has now expired so I had to find an alternative )

I would like to offer it for consideration to interested members to maybe check it out and apply for further details at the Kasikorn Bank.

Several members took up the last one that I also posted for anyone interested and LIke me must be pleased with the additional interim payouts it realised.

Some of whom opened new current accounts to qualify.

I,ve downloaded the basics here with the URL so it can be read in more detail.

First the url ref:-

http://www.kasikornbank.com/EN/Personal/BankAccounts/Fixed/Pages/HappySeniorFixedDeposit.aspx

Part quote of the actual account :-

Happy Senior Fixed Deposit

This is a new deposit product catering to depositors aged 55 and above, especially those nearing retirement or already retired, who have a pension or savings.

This product provides higher returns than other general fixed deposit accounts.

Get a monthly interest payment for your routine spending, plus free personal accident insurance and coverage for bone fractures and accident-related medical expenses, for a leisurely life!

Key Features

The 30-month fixed deposit product caters to depositors aged 55 and above.

Its deposit rate is equal to the deposit rate of a 24-month fixed deposit (at the lowest deposit limits for a natural person) + 0.15 percent, p.a. or as the Banks announcement.

The monthly interest will be automatically transferred to a linked savings or current account.

Depositors enjoy tax-free interest payment (The combined interest of all types of fixed accounts must be up to 30,000 Baht per year in accordance with the Revenue Departments regulations).

This product offers personal accident insurance coverage equal to the outstanding balance of Happy Senior Fixed Deposit or up to 1,000,000 Baht, plus bone fracture coverage up to 10,000 Baht and accident-related medical expenses up to 5,000 Baht per accident/incident.

Unquote.

Please go to the ref url for all the details in English that I,ve downloaded.

Others may say there are more options out there but for me this is a decent return considering I used to get 0.5% while it was in my current acccount and I am very satisfied.

It can by the way like my other one be accessed anytime and should be O.K. for immigration when you go for your extention as it is similar to the last.

I,ll confirm this on my next 90 day report.

Just remember to take into account the qualifying periods 2 months for new appicants and 3 months for existing visa holders.

I did mine today and was immediately covered for the insurance.

Should in the future it doesn,t meet Imm. requirements it can be transferred back into your current acc. 3 months before renewal and you still get favourable interest

Personally if this is the case I,ll leave 100K in the fixed acc which is acceptable as a lower limit for keeping it open and move 700k to my current acc for the qualifying period, then put it back after getting my extension....no problem.

marshbags

Without wishing to get into the politics and due respect to facts and figures.

For the individual it only costs 1K and IMHO is well worth forking out as a stand by just in case.

So you may not need it but is the fee really wasted re peace of mind and convenience, personally I would say no.

marshbags

Two days in advance?

What about the people who have an emergency and get an urgent flight somewhere? Are the covered.

Every time I extend my retirement visa, I get a multiple re-entry permit. Saves my pages and lets me make last minute trips.

Just to compliment Grahams useful advice if you don,t usually leave the country.

For anyone not expecting to do multiple exits you can do one re entry to cover emergencies.

I have always done this and utilise it approx. 2 months prior to my renewal visa to have break prior to applying for my 1 year extension.

I think it is worth the 1K fee, allows you to keep your visa, no worries or stress and very convenient at the airport / exit point.

Should you go beyond the last qualifying day to renew your visa, just visit your nearest consul ( I was advised at Birmngham U.K. )to get a new 90 day "O" if it,s convenient or come in on a 30 day tourist visa and hopefully start the proceedure again at your nearest local Im. office.

As the 400K / 800K fees are static at present no worries about them upping the anti for new applicants.

marshbags

I have forwarded the suggestions to the software developer.

Thanks! Cheers

Sincere thanks George for your much appreciated understanding and assistance.

Kind Regards

marshbags

I find there is adequate interaction regarding the running of the forum, no way the MODS can be expected to faff about being polite and responding to every report, let them use their donated time efficiently and deal with the said report.

That,s your take on my basics and I don,t have a problem with your point of view.

However I still believe courteous response and civility are paramount and should be reciprocated or interaction for me, as I see it, will continue to discourage members from using the facility.

I also think there should be some feedback on any matters raised, when it is reasonable to expect it and it is applicable.

marshbags

not sure what the OP is after, a pat on the back, a detailed summary of judgment, a thank you, a reward?

I would also like to think that as a personal report is submitted, and we cannot go into discussion on the subject matter raised, at the very least members deserve a personal acknowledgement in return and not an automatic " your report is being dealt with "

Taking time out to do a report on whatever has been noted should be / deserves a brief response at the very least, otherwise it does not encourage further reporting and gives the wrong impression and some members will think it is a waste of time,sadly I am beginning to get this impression also.

it sounds needy like you are seeking attention. did you ever consider that maybe, just maybe, you are pushing that button just a little too often?

imagine the boy who cried wolf.

Perhaps you are not so much being ignored as not being encouraged.

this thread reminds me of another thread a group of members chastising another member for coming back to a thread to thank them for their input After a mere 24 hours!

maybe it is time to reconsider what you expect from the forum.

May I humbly suggest you look back on my input from 2005 to get an idea of my persona what you cannot access on here, due to it only going back a couple of years, you can easily find elsewhere.

What I say is what I think, I do not consider reward nor a pathetic pat on the back for simply offering my take on how the forum performs give due credit were it is due and although it is limited out of consideration for the rules what I consider fair criticsm.

My objectives being for the betterment of Thai Visa members which include myself.

I,d really like to post my reactions to your observations, but sadly I,d be barred indefinitely.

The report button in my case is not frequently used, more so now due to reasons at least one other member has highlghted.

I am recently back from a long, self imposed holiday on myself to refletk on my participation,

came back recently with private encouragement, LOW KEY and at present I am happy to offer my contributions and try to add positives to our membership.

I am not a yes man and do not hold back with my thoughts, while always taking on board, how much I can say and being what I consider diplomatic in my comments and being within forum guidelines....most of the time anyway.

I am an annonymous person on this forum as indeed most members are, so why on earth would I want recognistion in the ways you describe, they are totally meaningless IMHO and way off mark.

On the other hand, if we can have a friendlier relationship between all of us, courteous acknowledgements and civility when using the facilities,I will take that as a worthwhile reward not only for me but everybody.

It,s nice to be nice and courteous and most definitely not cynical and self rewarding.

marshbags

P.S

You really had to be here in the earlier years to appreciate Thai Visa, it,s inception and the importance of recognising our founder members, not for the motives you have highlighted but simply because they truly deserve it and we should always be grateful to them for this briliant, informative forum we have.

Without them it would not have existed.

marshbags

A longish observation.......

The saddest thing of all for me with these never ending stories of farang problems, not only in relation to this tragic thread / topic, but several others.

Time and time again something disturbing, repetative and untoward happens, has done for many more years than my 20 out here and yet there is, seemingly, no real committment by the Thai authorities to make any genuine effort ( if at all ) to stop it.

Farang come here and commit themselves to Thai and most expecially ALL those with families want nothing more than fair treatment and encouragement to have a decent quality of life.

Re Farang :-

It is not right for people to keep spouting out the meaningless crap about it being our choice, if you do not like it go back were you came from ect. ect. ect.

Re the Thai Authorities ;-

When visitors come to Thailand and commit themselves to staying here lond term and provide their chosen partners with a quality life, are willing to invest their hard earned funds in their families.

Many taking on children fathered by Thai who have abandoned them and left their families destitute.

They have in my opinion EARNED the right to EXPECT genuine support from the authorities and legislation that protects them from these sort of incidents, or at the very least geniune assistance and support and most certainly " not kicked in the teeth and hung out to dry "

Tourist also come to Thailand with expectations of a good vacation and all the TAT publishes on how enjoyable and safe it is here.

Reassuring them they will be well looked after by their hosts and can relax / enjoy their holidays without any major problems ( of course there are always problems but these should only be minor ones ) in the knowledge we are here to serve you.

Both the above groups of visitors should IMHO be able to count on and expect to receive reasonable support while they are here, and reassurance that they can move about in safety and meaningful assistance relating to different situations and especially law.

Instead we are consistantly fobbed off by the very authorities who encourage us to come here, do not get assistance when problems of many differing kinds occur, and in many cases provided with insulting phoney lip service.

Worst of all no meaningful lessons are taken onboard and nothing of substance is put in place to help prevent future repetions taking place.

We also know it never will happen unless there is a complete change of mindset, implementation of the law and seriously applied accountability.

Offenders usually pay fees / bribes to escape there wrongdoings and carry on in the certain knowledge they just do the same again next, next, next, time ect.ect.

Surely we are not expecting to much nor being unreasonable when turning to our hosts / the authorities when looking to them for meaningful assistance, support and advice.

If they are not committed to doing this then may I humbly suggest they rewrite the magazines and holiday brochures, print the true facts they could encounter.

Complimented with graphic colourful photos and add a prominent warning on the front page informing visitors ect. ect. " they can reasonably expect to be robbed, cheated, should not / cannot expect more than the minimum of assistance from authorities and in the main must sort any problems out themselves."

Perhaps also a heading in big red letters that state " you come here at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety and wellbeing " ect. ect. on the back page.

I won,t even start a section on the comittment of the embassies, especialy mine for UK citizens.

Ah yes I hear the usual diatribe loud and clear, " we should be aware of this when we come here, accept it or not bother visiting ", rather than to reasonable expect a certain amount of support ect. ect.

What a load of <deleted> that pathetic cleshay is.

marshbags

Yes it could happen but thank god it does not.

Wow that's good to hear - for a minute there I thought this had really happened.

Please do not part quote like this as this gives misleading impressions as to what I have posted and could take it out of context

marshbags

i really sympathize with her though i really feel like giving her father a punch. i might be wrong but he sounds like he is worrying about a lost of income than a daughter, how irritating.

hope she does get better

Agreed.

Sadly while ever questionable proceedures are available at cut down prices, many will be tempted to use them.

Jail big time for all those guilty of offering these unethical life threatening services may help to discourage them, plus bankrupt style compensation and fines to boot instead of the pittance they can expect at present.

Responsibilty at all levels is essential relating to cosmetic services, especially adverising.

Disfigurement,unattainable weight loss ect. and the biggest one of all death do and have happened for a longggg time now yet there is still no publicity re the negative side of what can happen.

When it does it is always when tragic situations like this happen.

Never from my recollections have high profile offenders been given appropriate and effective penalties.

marshbags

I think you are right marshbags, but i always try to keep in mind, in any matter regarding moderation, that the team that has this thankless task, are unpaid volunteers taking time out of their own day to keep the forum running smoothly.

Personally, i have never understood why anyone would take on such a job with no remuneration, but that they do, and i therefore understand why they sometimes perhaps don't feel inclined spending more time than they already are, sending the sort of PMs you mention. I agree though, they would be appreciated.

Definitely not a reference to what you have posted Rixalex just an extention of it.

Perhaps I used to be spoilt but I always received notification initially when my posts were questionable and it was always fair comment / moderation I must add.

I mentioned the PMing based on then, but again basic communication civily given, especially when taking time out to file a report should likewise returned, after all we all have other important things to take care of, well most of us anyway.

If I was to just active the report button without a message for example, no one would have a clue what is happening just as we don,t in this situation.

marshbags

First of all regarding Thai Visa, we have much to appreciate as members and should remember that in the early days going back the period when it first started.

George, Doc and others did not envisage or appreciate, i,m sure that it would become the success it is today.

They invested in the concept for other reasons and could have lost finacially if that was their objective at the time.

They deserve the rewards it is bringing to them now just as any entrepreneur with brave initiative does and as I see genuine good luck to them, they have earned it.

We are all winners in this situation and have a briliant informative forum to prove it, IMHO, with deserved recognition and thanks due to George, Doc and others who kicked it off for us in 2002.

My beef is a simple question of courteousy and common reciprication of it.

This is not challenging moderation but as Harry points out in a similar vein relating to notification and in my case acknowledgement.

Civilty should be a two way thing and there is no excuse for non reciprication / giving it back in return.

If it isn,t then Thai Visa and us it,s members both loose out.

Respectfully offered to everyone with Puyai George at the top of the credits.

marshbags

P.S.

No, I am not being paid to submit this observation, I am my own man and as I always have been and continue to do so, to post my thoughts unprompted as I go along.

Is it just me or do the cars here just mangle beyond belief when they have accidents? I never recall such destroyed cars back home unless it was a really high speed accident. Even slower speed accidents usually total the vehicle.

No anticipation. No defensive driving. Serious accident.

Which comes down to the importance of attaining a proven standard, knowledge of the highway code and dangers, education, safe driving instruction and awareness finished with a test to show they have acquired the basic standards required and recognised at international levels.

If drivers are not pre taught and supervised until they reach a desired level of understanding and safety related awareness, they will continue to think incorrectly they can just get in / on a vehicle and go out on the road and simply go from a-b ...no problem.

Tho old boring clechay re TIT should not apply for anyone tempted to quote it because this does not in any way better the embedded culture that is responsible for many of the fatalities and injuries that occur daily.

The belief gleened from bad example, the attitude that no problem it,s o.k. because their families and supposed piers by their actions do not spread the message we all seek and should be enforced in no uncertain terms

If you cannot drive safely DO NOT DRIVE has to be implemeted for everyone and. needs immediately putting in place.

If a pre safe driver training initiative is not put in place the horrendous statistics will continue at an alarming and horrific pace if the authorities do not put in place recognised pre driving standards backed up by genuine law enforcement for ALL existing road users and a banning period coupled with the order to take pre driver tuition and instruction followed by testing of course for all offenders prior to finally getting back their licence.

marshbags

How is this going to help increase revenue?

Thanks for acknowleging my post SaNim and your support.

Reciprocated courteousy has nothing to do with revenue and could be taken, give out a cynical arrogant attitude if taken the wrong way and not returned in kind.

marshbags ( there should be a friendly winking face here SN but my emoto,s for whatever reason are not accessible. )