pendingo

This is a result of country bumpkins ruling the system.

Better to shoot onself in the foot than lose face.

"I go washy your clothes today" is my wife's term for doing the washing.

I installed Windows 10 on my Windows 7 laptop and desktop. There were some issues but with a few fixes everything works fine now and I like it.

Now start up is much faster and both laptop and desktop seem to work more efficiently.

Edge works fine but still needs refinements and I still prefer Google.

You do know that this free upgrade to Windoz 10 comes along with some rather egregious invasion into your privacy, right?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-02/surveillance-state-goes-mainstream-windows-10-watching-logging-everything

If Edward Snowden's patriotic exposure of all things 'super secret surveillance state' in America were not enough, Newsweek reports that, as 10s of millions of hungry PC users download the free upgrade, Windows 10 is watching - and logging and sharing - everything users do... and we mean everything.

You do know that every time that you use Google or Yahoo or any search engine, it also collects information and shares it with online advertising companies. Most websites you visit, attach cookies to your browser. Microsoft isn't doing anything different than Android, Apple or Amazon.

You can get AdBlock and that works very well with Google and YouTube.

If you use Yahoo within Google it also cuts out the advertisements.

Well, I downloaded Windows 10 to my Windows 7 laptop pretty seamlessly and then spent the last couple of days ironing out and finding updates for my printer driver and other necessary drivers. The only problem I have now is I don't have any indication that Caps lock or Numbers lock is on so if anyone knows of a fix for this I will be grateful but it's no big deal.

Also there are no standard Freecell and Hearts games any more which used to come as a package but again it's no big deal.

As for the privacy issue it is possible to toggle a little yes/no button for each app you have in settings which can be somewhat tiresome.

All in all despite the above I like my new Windows 10 and have managed to work around its issues.

All my desktop items from Windows 7 are still there and work ok.

As regards security there is no such thing as absolute security whatever operating system you have.

If anyone including the governments of your countries and their agencies want to look at what you are up to they will do so whatever system you have and however much security you think you have.So if you're feeling paranoid throw away your smartphones, smart televisions, pc's, laptops (or notebooks) and tablets and don't use the internet.

The day Thailand operates a nuclear reactor will mark my last day in the Kingdom.

A country which to date cannot operate a functioning, safe, pedestrian crossing system within its urban areas is not one yet ready for the storage of radioactive material.

Well goodbye then because Thailand already has a functioning nuclear reactor in Chatuchak. It was comissioned in 1961 and has been operating from 1962 until today.

So don't let the door hit your dumbass on the way out.

I think you've got your wires crossed somewhere Seekingasylum. Chatuchak is a radioactive waste management center with a small research reactor that is in no way connected to the national grid. See http://www.wmsym.org/archives/1997/sess13/13-33.htm and also a report on energy consumption in Thailand for 2013 (latest I could find) which outlines the current status of Thailand's nuclear power programme which as you will see is still at the discussion stage https://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Downloadable/Meetings/2014/2014-03-17-03-21-WS-INIG/DAY3/COUNTRY/Thailand_v1.pdf.

Sorry Seekingasylum I meant Time Traveller in my reply.

The day Thailand operates a nuclear reactor will mark my last day in the Kingdom.

A country which to date cannot operate a functioning, safe, pedestrian crossing system within its urban areas is not one yet ready for the storage of radioactive material.

Well goodbye then because Thailand already has a functioning nuclear reactor in Chatuchak. It was comissioned in 1961 and has been operating from 1962 until today.

So don't let the door hit your dumbass on the way out.

I think you've got your wires crossed somewhere Seekingasylum. Chatuchak is a radioactive waste management center with a small research reactor that is in no way connected to the national grid. See http://www.wmsym.org/archives/1997/sess13/13-33.htm and also a report on energy consumption in Thailand for 2013 (latest I could find) which outlines the current status of Thailand's nuclear power programme which as you will see is still at the discussion stage https://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Downloadable/Meetings/2014/2014-03-17-03-21-WS-INIG/DAY3/COUNTRY/Thailand_v1.pdf.

Many expats never liked Thailand in the first place - just the fact that they could pay women to pretend to like them.

You might add that most of them are so ugly, no female would look at them in their own country

Not necessarily the case.

I've seen fat, bald and ugly men out with gorgeous Western females in my own country.

Maybe the Thai girls come a little cheaper?

Maybe you two guys are just a tad jealous? Even judgemental.

I have known some guys like this who we think of as ugly and don't have too much money or investments charm the ladies like birds down from the trees.

Trust me, in my experience women love a handsome fit body some of the time certainly, but when it comes without a brain or personality they soon start looking elsewhere and when it comes to trust and security they opt for the lesser spotted male.

Thai girls are no exception apart from the bar girls who need more than one farang to keep them in the manner they are accustomed and looks don't come into it anyway.

Best we don't talk about our ex wives.....think the Forum will catch fire!!!

Getting divorced put me off women for too long.

Never mind, being financially scalped was a learning experience.

I can relate to that faraday!! and I'll bet there are a few of us on this forum can too.

Are these exes Thai or farang?

I think people need to make a list of pros and cons about Thailand and then about their own country, then compare the two and ask themselves why they came here in the first place?

I find the longer I stay here and get used to the way of life the less cause I have for cynicism.

Maybe things like having Chiang Mai immigration kick you out of their offices to stand in the sun while you wait a few hours to get a 90 day report processed (without a workable queuing system) may just have a tiny effect on how I view Thais, and how I believe they view us Kwai farang.

When I do my 90 day report at Chiang Mai IO I never turn up much earlier than 10 o' clock and never on Mondays or Fridays if I can help it.

In and out within 30 minutes or so.

One time last year I was out in 10 minutes flat but that must have been an exception.

I must admit their latest queuing system is a pain when you have to renew your visa extension.

Let's hope it will improve now they have moved some of their business.

So far I've never had any problems with the IO's - generally polite and helpful.

There are one or two grumpy ones but if you don't give them any "aggro" they will still put the required stamp in your passport and after all it is what you're there for is it not?

I have had much worse run ins with authority in the UK, mainly jobsworths who think it is their remit in life to make people's lives a misery.

All in all I am far more cynical about my country than Thailand because there are less things to moan about.

Many expats never liked Thailand in the first place - just the fact that they could pay women to pretend to like them.

Ouch!! Where did that come from?

Most of the expats I've spoken to don't give me that impression and some of them have been here over thirty years.

Generally speaking I find that if people don't like a place they will move on.

There are lots of things to like about Thailand and some things not to like as in other countries.

It's a matter of weighing the pros against the cons (no puns intended).

I find it rather insulting that someone would think I "never liked Thailand in the first place - just the fact that I could pay women to pretend to like me."

That may be so only in a minority of cases and generally these are guys just here for a holiday and a good time.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Wise words from Abraham Lincoln which these so called experts whether they be from Thailand or anywhere else for that matter should heed.

Although Michael Fish our ex British weatherman could take a lot of beating. Poor guy has never lived it down but became a celebrity overnight for all the wrong reasons.

https://youtu.be/yIQX9UhOhwU

I refer to The Nation's report on 26th September 2014 in support of my last post: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Investigation-into-Koh-Tao-murders-seriously-flawe-30244163.html

My apologies if this has already been mentioned before but I was unable to get my head around why a rapist would use a condom and furthermore why there was no DNA found inside it. I've done some research and yes rapists have been known to use condoms to hide their DNA but that purpose is defeated if it is left lying around. For the life of me I fail to see how this counts as evidence other than the fact it was allegedly used on the victim.

There should be no requirements or hoops to jump through for a British subject to be able to return to his or her country of birth with their chosen wife/husband, and nothing to prevent them from living there as being unable yo do do would be a breach of their human right to a family life.

Such reasons tendered to the Courts by immigrant criminals in order to avoid justified deportation

I agree absolutely matman.

The draconian rules introduced by clueless and spineless politicians in the UK albeit a knee jerk reaction to the British public's demand for a reduction in the amount of immigrants arriving in the country every year has done nothing to stem the tide to say nothing of the unknown numbers of illegal immigrants in the country.

What a perverse world we live in when foreign criminals have more rights than the innocent hard working individuals who have paid tax and national insurance over several years now being told to leave the country because their income no longer qualifies them to stay.

.

i am not sure wether brits.are right or wrong to protest.

look at it this way,the average wage in britain is 26,000 gbp.per yr.yet they must show they earn 18,500 =355gbp.per week.seems fair.below the average.

why i say seems fair,lets look at our [thai] rules on our living here.

average wage for thai's is 156,000bht,per yr.yet we have to show to stay here yearly either 400,000 or 800,000 well above their average wage.

as for rules a spouse married to a british citizen with an ilr.can work,buy land,own houses,open any bank acc,pay into pension scheme's and dont have to report to immigration as if they are on probation.so they are entitled to quite a lot.

as for us living here we dont have any right's yet have to show at least double or 5times the average wage.

Bear in mind meatboy this is an average wage which does not imply that everyone of the UK working population is earning 26,000 GBP. In fact there is a large percentage way below this figure, even below the 18,600 threshold demanded by the Immigration Department. Please check out the following websites which will give you a better idea of salaries both in the UK and Thailand: http://www.poverty.org.uk/01/index.shtml, http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages

Also being married to a British national does not automatically entitle his spouse to have the rights you mention. She also has to be in the UK for 2 years before she is entitled to free medical treatment.

Quite a few UK expats married to Thais are on pensions which although qualify them to stay in Thailand are still below the 18,600 GBP threshold so there is no way a they can bring their wives home with them on a permanent basis even if they wanted to.

The British Immigration rules are a total nightmare, different sets of rules for different sets of immigrants and weighted heaviest against minorities.

There are approximately 37,000 Thais in the UK compared with approximately 7.5 million of other nationalities.

In my opinion there should be a one size fits all immigration policy as with Australia and the US with exception of Asylum seekers who can prove without a doubt they are escaping tyranny in their own country.

Unfortunately the waters are muddied by EU immigration diktats so it's a whole can of worms.

What a top Topic...

Was discussing this same subject on the phone with a close friend here in Thailand...We are both foreigners... WHY is everyone discussing it???

Some of us get fed up with all the crap here, but after going home for a couple of weeks, months, we are looking forward to coming back...

This place (Thailand) sure has plenty of problems right now, that dont fit into modern societies thinking in the western world, but if you dont let it get to you, it's ok....and believe me...There are a lot of us here, fed up at the moment....but things will get better.

After the chat on the phone, I realized i am the same as many who actually live here....and like most, can leave if I really wanted to.

My feelings exactly weegee. I couldn't have put it better myself.

I'm going back to the UK in August albeit with some trepidation and I've only been in Thailand for nearly 3 years.

Luckily I have a son and daughter and some friends who can put me up.

I think, though, after a couple of months I'll be chafing at the bit to return to Thailand.

If the Thai police said these men committed these murders then that is evidence enough.DNA evidence is irrelevant along with any other evidence. The prosecution will convict them and the RTP give themselves a big pat on the back. Great job chaps, all done and dusted.Justice has been done.

Sorry gentlemen but that's the way this case is going I'm afraid despite that I believe they are innocent and the whole shebang is a set up to save face.

Doesn't work for me so will continue going to Immigration Office. It's because I have a new passport and until I leave Thailand and come back again it won't work.just wish they'd told me this before I wasted half a day of my life.Sorry guys,feeling peeved about this. Thought Thailand was in the forefront of technology. Guess I was wrong.

All the very best vagabond and have a safe journey.

I hope it won't be too much of a reverse culture shock when you get back to the USA.

A lot has changed since 2006 but hey it will be a fresh challenge.

I'm just wondering whether that will make life interesting when I next apply for my extension especially as this stamp was placed directly underneath this year's extension stamp.

No consequences whatsoever, as well there are none for overstaying.

Thanks paz

Alcohol isn't the reason I became an expat.

In fact I don't drink much at all.

These are my main reasons for being an expat:

1. I can live here in Thailand comfortably and in comfort.

2. I cannot stand the cold clammy weather and lack of sunshine which in the UK is about 9 months of the year.

3. Not being ripped off by Council Tax, VAT and utility bills which vastly reduce my meagre pension (even if I may be entitled to benefits) together with the cost of food and clothing.

4. Thailand has its challenges admittedly but they are to be embraced and not shied away from as to me this is what being an expat is all about.

Here are 10 reasons not to be an expat http://www.german-way.com/ten-reasons-why-you-should-not-become-an-expat/

When I paid the 2000 baht fine for late 90 day reporting at Chiang Mai I got a stamp in my passport same as chrisinth at #24.

Then I had to sign against my name in a ledger which I believe they keep for people who fail to report on time and after that another piece of paper written in Thai so I have no idea what that was and I didn't feel inclined to ask at the time.

If anyone can tell me what that was for I'll be obliged.

Finally I got a receipt.

I'm just wondering whether that will make life interesting when I next apply for my extension especially as this stamp was placed directly underneath this year's extension stamp.

They certainly seem to be very diligent with their record keeping.