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Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Neither the US or Europe needs to up their ante by one red cent. All they need to do is get up and leave the game, which means closing their markets to Thai products or products made with parts from Thailand.

You really think they will leave the game zydeco?

I don't think for one minute that will happen.

Time will tell.

There's too much at stake here.

What is at stake? Thailand is chaotic, undependable, inefficient, and the infrastructure that the Americans built for them in the 60s and 70s is beginning to deteriorate. Meanwhile, Vietnam and the Philippines (where there is a traditional relationship and people speak English) are beckoning.

Ever heard of the expression giving an inch and taking a mile?

Look at what is going on in Africa, South America and even Ukraine.

China is making huge land investments not to mention corporate takeovers in the US and UK.as well.

However, I take your point, but I still don't believe the west will totally abandon Thailand in the long run.

If the Chinese can cut through "Thainess" it might not be such a bad thing in the short term.

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Neither the US or Europe needs to up their ante by one red cent. All they need to do is get up and leave the game, which means closing their markets to Thai products or products made with parts from Thailand.

You really think they will leave the game zydeco?

I don't think for one minute that will happen.

Time will tell.

There's too much at stake here.

When was the last time The Chinese army fought anyone other than unarmed civilians? Oh yes. They were trounced by the Vietnamese in the 70s. Their last victory was Tiananmen square. I am sure there will be a useful relationship between the two armies. Victory over the people!...Sorry I meant: Victory to the people.

What about in North Korea as an example?

"In October 1950 the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) secretly moved across the Yalu into the central mountains of North Korea. In the first of five offensives the Chinese halted the UNC advance. Then in December they drove the UNC out of North Korea, inflicting several severe defeats, including at the Chosin Reservoir where the United States Marines were almost overwhelmed. The UNC on the east coast was cut off and evacuated by sea at Hungnam and Wonsan.

In later attacks the Chinese recaptured Seoul. By the time the CPV halted exhausted in January 1951, they had driven the UNC 400 kilometres south down the length of the peninsula to 70 kilometres beyond Seoul. The UNC recovered and was able to advance north again, but in April came the last ‘Fifth Phase’ Chinese offensive. The 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) played a vital part in halting the advance on Seoul at Kapyong. In a final brief period of open war in October 1951, during Operation Commando, 3RAR took the key height of Maryang San from the CPV."

Check this out manic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_wars_and_battles.

Don't ever underestimate the Chinese with a population of over 1.35 billion people and an army of approximately 2.3 million personnel.

My apologies moderators if this is off topic.

Long spoons, gentlemen, long spoons.

That's a very good analogy Bluespunk.

I wonder how many people on TV know the parable of the "Long Spoons."

This is what life should be like in an ideal world.

Yes, it looks like the Thai government is hedging its bets.

The corporate puppet masters in the US and the rest of the world will have to up their game.

Old Chinese proverb "When you drink the water, remember the spring."

The Thais would do well to remember this when those bets are called in.

Apparently the 7/11 counter staff have all been rigorously trained by teams from the Immigration office during the last month or so even down to the customary scowl.

Every country in the world has its own corruption, in some its the police force in others the banksters and in others the army. In Thailand it is multilayered and it will take generations to cleanup. The only problem is that if you have an honest politician that tries to clean up corruption he would be eliminated asap by either the elites/army or the mafia. Sometimes a building gets so rotten that you can't fix it, its just better to knock it down and start from scratch.

It happens in UK and US in particular. The good politicians who make an effort to stand up against corruption may be eliminated one way or another but with more subtlety either by some kind of defamation eg at best any dirt that can be dug up against them or at worst some kind of fatal accident or medical condition. Particularly to the ones who have come close to some wrongdoing which could upset the apple cart if it is exposed.

Also look what happens to whistle-blowers who dare to stick their heads above the parapet after exposing what has been happening in their particular organisation.

Never ceases to amaze me how some people don't get it.

Corruption has been going on for thousands of years in "civilised" human society and is inbred in all of us no matter what part of the globe we live in.

How many people on this forum can say they are truly not corrupt?

Who on here has not lied or been economic with the truth for whatever reason?

I singled out the UK and the US here in the first part of my comment (notwithstanding the rest of the world is any less corrupt) because I consider they are past masters at corruption especially at corporate level.

My apologies if I have ruffled a few feathers on this forum.

It's just that I was agreeing with quite a few OP's that corruption is a world wide problem not just with Thailand.

No way was I trying to make out how squeaky clean I am.

There are things I've done and said in the past which I am not proud of.

I can only use the time I have left to make up for it one way or another.

How many people on this forum can say they are truly not corrupt?

I'll bet the OP is trying to claim that he's as pure as the driven snow. It's called lying to oneself.

Absolutely Berkshire, I'm whiter than white.

No other claims on my part.

I just see the world for what it is and don't need to lie to myself about it.

Please read my post again.

Every country in the world has its own corruption, in some its the police force in others the banksters and in others the army. In Thailand it is multilayered and it will take generations to cleanup. The only problem is that if you have an honest politician that tries to clean up corruption he would be eliminated asap by either the elites/army or the mafia. Sometimes a building gets so rotten that you can't fix it, its just better to knock it down and start from scratch.

It happens in UK and US in particular. The good politicians who make an effort to stand up against corruption may be eliminated one way or another but with more subtlety either by some kind of defamation eg at best any dirt that can be dug up against them or at worst some kind of fatal accident or medical condition. Particularly to the ones who have come close to some wrongdoing which could upset the apple cart if it is exposed.

Also look what happens to whistle-blowers who dare to stick their heads above the parapet after exposing what has been happening in their particular organisation.

Never ceases to amaze me how some people don't get it.

Corruption has been going on for thousands of years in "civilised" human society and is inbred in all of us no matter what part of the globe we live in.

How many people on this forum can say they are truly not corrupt?

Who on here has not lied or been economic with the truth for whatever reason?

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In the West our societies are run by criminal banking cartels & their Central banks, they buy governments and are above the law. Conveniently they also own indirectly the media so you certainly never hear about it, most of the corruption is at the very top. Most people are completely oblivious to the big picture as they indulge in the provided bread & circuses.

In Thailand the corruption is more obvious as top to bottom scramble for their share of the pie.

In Thailand politicians pay voters directly for votes, in the West the wealthy finance advertising campaigns for their stooges for the same outcome. At least here they know they've been bought, in the West the welfare handouts are the same thing but people don't even know they've been bought.

In Thailand the wealthy are above the law, the West is the same but the population seems largely unaware as the odd nobody is thrown to the sharks.

Thailand is just human nature on display in its raw form without the media manipulation pretending it is otherwise. Average people just adapt to the rules of the system in play.

Thank you Rancid, one of the the most definitive comments so far. Ignorance is bliss as the old saying goes. In the West some people still don't realise how corrupt their governments are and when election time comes will still vote for the same old parties. It's only when they wake up to the BS they are fed in daily doses that the revolution will come.

In Thailand it's a whole different can of worms but once you have worked out how the system works you are who or what you can pay for.

So I have little criticism of how things are done in Thailand when my own country has such a huge level of corruption. It is what it is.

This might answer your question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D22BOOGbpFM&feature=youtu.be

One of the most famous roundabouts in the world in my home town Swindon.

It's now on a bucket list for tourists.

I think the Thais would love to have something like it.

No apparent logic, no rhyme or reason, just follow the flocking rules.

I did my 90 day reporting today 17/3/2015 no problem. In and out of the IO within 15 minutes.

I take this report with a pinch of salt.

The latest exchange rate (barring what you get from the fiddling rip-off banks and not just in Thailand) is as follows: THB/GBP = 48.82,

THB/USD = 32.91, THB/AUD = 25.19.

Back in December last year the rate was nearly 52 THB to GBP.

I don't see much weakening there.

Remember folks it's always win win for the elite whatever the currencies are doing and lose lose for those of us at the bottom of the food chain.

I agree 100%......I just hate with a passion farangs dressed like slobs asking for tourist extensions, sloppy clothes, unshaven, real dirt bags!

I couldn't agree more.

So many farang guys go to the immigration office dressed like tramps so how do they expect they should be treated?

Even the Japanese, Burmese and Lao immigrants make an effort to dress accordingly.

I wonder if people realise how significant this man's death will be in the coming months.

No matter how much Putin denies he had anything to do with it the world will not believe him.

The thing that scares me is this may well bring us closer to an all out war with Russia.

I can hear the hawks sabres rattling louder every day in the US and Europe.

Spock was my favourite Star Trek character.

RIP Leonard Nimoy, LLAP.

Another little piece of my life gone reminding me of the limited time we have on this planet.

Has the ban on the Daily Mail been lifted?

I was browsing through Facebook this morning and came across an interesting article posted by the Daily Mail.

When I clicked on it I was directed to the Daily Mail online instead of the usual green banner telling me this site has been prohibited.

Quite a surprise.

Turbulence can occur unexpectedly at most any time during a flight.

Having had a bad experience with turbulence a few years ago on a European flight I tend to keep my seat belt buckled up for the duration of the flight except for trips to the bathroom or to stretch my legs.

Of course people will say it could happen during that time when I am out of my seat and that is just sod's law but the probability of that is fairly low compared with not being buckled up when seated.

It is also likely that some of the passengers were asleep at the time the turbulence struck and not buckled up or the belt was only loosely done up.

My sympathy is as much with the crew as with the passengers.

They don't have much choice as they have a duty of care to the passengers.

There is no such thing as Thai Buddhism, it is Theravada Buddhism.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/whats-thera.htm

However if they are talking about the Dhammakaya then this is a branch movement in some ways similar to Mahayana it seems.

Personally I would suggest that the essence of the religion remains the same. It simply manifests itself as a reflection of the present culture and society. In effect the religion is showing us the state of culture and society as it stands. It is not the religion that needs changing is it?

All religions and dogma are the creation of mankind and so have become subject to the weaknesses and fallibility of mankind, no matter how good the original intent, whether they be Buddhism,Christianity, Islam, Hinduism Communism, Democracy and all the spin off's and factions of each.

Once all the trappings and superstitions are removed what is left? Answer-NOTHING!!

Human beings are hell bent on destroying each other and will eventually become extinct unless they can learn to live with each other in peace and harmony. It is only once people start thinking for themselves, asking questions and stop being afraid they will truly be free.

Difficulties you encounter with your Thai partner................where to start?

Luckily enough I am now single here in Thailand although I did live with a Thai lady for some five years, and before that I had a six-month relationship with another lady. I have to add to that that I have made a lot of single Thai lady friends, and that's all they are, so I do have some experience.

The difficulties are many-fold: – for example communication is just about a no-no on anything other than a superficial level. If you want to talk about politics then it will end after a couple of sentences either related to the reds or the yellows; the state of the country with regards to anything ranging from GDP to finances, markets etc will draw blank stares; discussions about The Monarchy will get short shrift, after mentioning that so-and-so is liked, and so-and-so is not.

Try to talk about anything that is going on in the world and it will be lost on them......... the state of the US economy, the euro, the GFC and how it could affect Thailand and your income and so on, mean absolutely nothing.

I could go on and on however suffice it to say that any discussion on anything other than the price of vegetables, the local gossip and who is doing what to whom, is totally lost on these people.

Financially, many of them are hopeless and it is all about spend for today, because tomorrow there will be something which will turn up. "Who knows what the future will bring" is a lovely start to a sentence about planning for the future, which basically says they don't bother with it, and that is very true.

If you just want someone who fills up a space in a house and someone to have sex with, then all will be fine PERHAPS, until one of you gets tired with the latter.

So in summary, the difficulties I find are in meaningful conversation, entirely different beliefs and values, the complete lack of understanding how things and the world works, and the fact that they are only really interested in themselves and in doing what they have to do to ensure they come out of the relationship with more than they went in with.

If you are after a superficial relationship, don't like to be alone and think that the hot sex will last for ever, then you are in the right place.

I think this is the case with some Western women as well in my experience. Just go on Facebook and see the similarities. I'm sure there are women out there Thai or otherwise who are on your level.

"The second is money. She has absolutely no concept of how to spend wisely, and actually saving money is a totally alien concept to her. Her philosophy is if you got it, spend it. It finally got to the point where I opened an account for her, and I put xx amount of baht in it each month, and tell her that is hers to do with as she wants, and I'll take care of everything else. That pretty much works for the most part."

Yes I can relate to that Just1Voice.

I just wonder whether that is a Thai woman trait or universal where women (not necessarily all women) are concerned.

Incidentally, and I know this might be slightly off topic, but does anyone on here have a wife with a Guman Thong spirit child?

My wife has had one for the past 6 years and I still find it strange that she buys clothes, toys and food for "him."

She does have a real son by the way.

Anyway I'm just curious to see how many TV members have a Thai wife with one and what their take on it is.

I can't believe the prices EVA and Thai Air are charging for economy class. They used to be the cheaper option.

Can't fault BA's prices now and it would be even better if the unnecessarily high tax of around 6000 baht was reduced.

Just to be clear on this topic I am over 50 and receiving a pension so the situation as ubonjoe says will be different for people who are under 50 and/or not receiving a pension in which case contact the British Embassy in the first instance.

What about marriage visa extension? I always used to get the income confirmation letter from the Chiang Mai British Consulate but they don't do this service any more.

When I contacted the British Embassy in Bangkok they told me they only do this for the Retirement visa.

What's going on?

I am always circumspect of things I am told over the phone in Thailand if it fails the common sense test. Go in person.

The embassy confirm your income as per the info you supply. You pay the over priced fee and leave with your evidence. There is no mention of what type of visa extension you are applying for. If you told them it was for retirement extension how would they know what type of extension you are actually applying for? Its the same evidence for each extension only the figures vary. For a retirement extension you can mix income with money in the bank so the embassy will not query your income.

I think if a person was under 50 they would know it was not for retirement. Also if a person was not on a pension could be an indication.

There have been reports of the embassy having people do a statutory declaration instead of them doing the letter.

Thank you all for your replies. The issue is now resolved. I sent off my details to the British Embassy and in return they have issued me with a letter confirming my income for the Thai Immigration Office. So my advice to anyone who needs a confirmation of income from the British Embassy telephone the Consular Notarial Section first and explain to them that you need a letter of confirmation of income for immigration purposes i.e. visa extension, then find as much documentary evidence as you can in support of your application e.g. bank statements, letters from your income suppliers etc, fill in the form they supply online at:- https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402545/Pension_10_02_2015__Master.pdf together with the fee and post by EMS. The embassy quotes 10 working days for this to be processed but in most cases you will receive their letter plus your documents back within 2 or 3 days. Bearing in mind this is for people over 50 as ubonjoe says this will be different for people who are under 50 so contact the British Embassy in the first instance.