Oceanbat

Best bet is to get a new one if you have time but as long as it is machine readable should be ok. I left Thailand, entered Australia then exited Australia and re-entered Thailand on a passport where the photo was not discernible after i was caught in the rain. The immigration officer in Sydney when i was leaving just told me to get a new one.  

OB

Thousands and thousands of teachers on 30000 a month that want to work on Saturday at a learning center. 

Maids that want to use their one day off to earn some extra money. Company workers that want to moonlight. 

I see. Given this govt track record I just can’t see this is the demographic they would have in mind. All I can go off is my circle and they sure as hell don’t want to moonlight. Anyway, we shall see I guess.

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Negative Norman. 

Reads to me like they have just tidying up some grey areas possibly to coincide with the EEC project.

1. No longer need a WP to come and attend a meeting or seminar. (Think in practice no one was getting one anyway). Also sales rep who covers multiple countries with a rep office here wouldn’t need a WP.
2. Once you have a WP your duties are no longer specifically what is written on your WP. (Again this probably what was happening anyway). Eg writer would also be able to do some sales work.

I wouldn’t be getting too excited.


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My missus is expecting next May so I'm curious to hear what people are paying for Nanny's, but this time in Bangkok. 
If not too much trouble, please mention what you are paying and whether that is live-in/live out and what hours you expect them to do. 
Thanks very much.

Sounds like a lot of old men on this forum with a curmudgeonly disposition. You all really should find some sort of hobby in retirement that isn’t trying to elevate your own social station in life by denigrating others.

OB


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I wonder if the abolishing of the TM6. card for the foreigner/the alien, would have a detrimental effect on processing times.  Seems that the IO looks at the TM6 to see if there is an entry in the "Visa No." section and then knows to search for a visa/re-entry permit. If the section is left blank the IO can just stamp in a 30 day "Visa Exempt" stamp without having to search through every passport presented,. Without the TM6 the IO will have to search through every passport before applying the appropriate stamp. 

I think as long as you are living in another country and considered a tax resident of that country there is no issue. The only tax due would be the tax on an interest earned on your accounts here. 


            Taxpayers are classified into “resident” and “non-resident”. “Resident” means any person residing in Thailand for a period or periods aggregating more than 180 days in any tax (calendar) year. A resident of Thailand is liable to pay tax on income from sources in Thailand as well as on the portion of income from foreign sources that is brought into Thailand. A non-resident is, however, subject to tax only on income from sources in Thailand

Based on the above definition if you are spending <180 days in Thailand you are a non-resident and only should be taxed on income earned in Thailand.

OB

59 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

I am talking from the point of view of having a family here. It is different if you are on your own of course but the cost of living here in Thailand is getting more expensive.

yep. not to mention schooling...

OB

I'd love to report the motorcyclists on the footpath if i had any confidence they would actually follow through and do something about it. They are bloody dangerous and ride like they are on an open road. Alas, i doubt they will, so will continue my death stares as they throttle by me and my children at pace.

OB

Just now, daboyz1 said:

I hold a multi entry non O in Thailand and an employment pass in Singapore.

I don't fill out any arrival cards when going to Singapore. I use the automated machines as well. Singapore gave me the employment pass based on information I provided during the application process. I am at a loss trying to understand why Thailand doesn't follow the same process.

If they let long term visa holders use these machines, it would seem this would take the load off of the officers. It would cut down on the fiascos we've seen in recent weeks at both airports. It would benefit both the long term visa holders as well as the people arriving getting 30 day stamps.

I know comparing Singapore to Thailand is like apples and oranges, but knowing Singapore and how anal they are about everything, I think Thailand can rest easy allowing long term visa holders to use the machines.

I had the same thing while i was going back and forth from Thailand to Singapore for a while. I get the impression though, now the Thai authorities are not interested in anything that might make living and working in Thailand any easier for foreigners. The model is already there, it's just whether the motivation is to replicate it.

OB

1 minute ago, tomacht8 said:

 

In response to criticism that travellers to several countries in European do not require such the form, he said those countries require travellers to apply for a visa before entering which provides all details.

 

But many travellers come with thai visas too.

Tourism, business, retirement, education or marriages visas. Follow logically the tm6 would be superfluous for these groups.

Maybe they should only split the groups at the control counters in : with visa / without visa. If hourly waiting times and duplicate data collection can be avoided, would be good.

I think there would only be resistance to any sort of modernization or digitization of the immigration functions given the considerable lower manpower required to administer. Not to mention the reduced opportunity to make a little extra. In my view immigration is nothing but a rather large jobs program.

OB 

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

I am afraid the spending of expats living in Thailand is undervalued.

Say 500,000 expats, spending an average of 50,000 baht per month, is per year 300,000,000,000 baht.

 

Your idea the expat community alone is occupying 90% of the time of the immigration police is rather beside the truth.

The expat community is taking in not yet 10% of the immigration's time.

And is paying for it.

It has been said by a provincial governor that every expat brings a job or two for the local community.

 

And face it, what the TAT says is not really trustworthy, is it?

 

I was told that there are around a million expats living in Thailand, around 35% are not too effluent, and some weeding out is going on.

The rest is bringing too much into the country to loose them.

A fact very well known by the authorities.

The vast bulk of expats are Japanese i thought.

OB

1 minute ago, tomster said:

They weren't paying tax to the government, only rent to the property owners. Some of the vendors in the busy areas were making quite substantial money every and not paying 1 Baht into state coffers, that was never going to last.

 

Thailand is having a massive crackdown on tax evasion in case you hadn't noticed - somebody or something needs to pay for the EEC & military hardware upgrades.

 

They'll be back but in areas where they can be taxed and regulated, pay their share like everybody else. As happens in other major cities in Asean, I believe.

Not to mention the incredible amount of environmental damage they do. I see colleagues walking in EVERY morning with at least 3 plastic bags carrying their breakfast and assorted fruit and coffee. The vendors themselves position themselves next to or across from drain and just pour their crap straight down it. Something had to be done about it and most Thai people i speak with agree on this. Thai's behaviour will have to change if they don't want to live in a polluted rubbish dump and leave one for their children. It appears it's mostly foreigners who don't actually live and work in Bangkok that are the most upset.

OB

My passport was water damaged once when i was caught in a rainstorm to the point you could not make out the photo. Interestingly i went through Thai immigration going back to australia then entered and exited australia the back to Thailand without issue. If the passport is machine readable your photo will appear on the IO screen anyway, The immigration guys in Australia and Thailand just told me to get a new one ASAP.

OB

2 hours ago, Aachen said:

You are required to report to your local immigration, in fact your landlord has to do this, but you can do on the approp. form also.

 

To proof the rumors about the necessity to report to Immigration within 24 hours when you return, I went to Immigration today.
And that's the result:

- Yes, Immigration wants to know that you are back
- normally it's the obligation of the owner of the house to do that (see attachment)
- but you are allowed to do that on your own. No need to bother the owner

you get a corresponding receipt...

Shouldn't immigration know you are back when you pass through immigration?

OB

6 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Sounds as though this may be a small step in the right direction ?

 

Next to make it 90-days visa-exempt-entry on-arrival (likeMalaysia), instead of 30-days,  also action to link the TM-6 computer-system to update the TM-30 computer-system so that we don't need to report withing-24-hours of returning,  and to require 90-day-reports only if you've changed your address.

 

It should be relatively easy to significantly-reduce the number of times visitors need to disturb Immigration every year, to the benefit of both visitors and Immigration.

I'm a bit cynical and think if they wanted to streamline immigration they would have done it by now. For mine it's just one big employment scheme paying people to push piles of paper around which they don't even require. EG if my visa information is supposedly updated into the computer system why does the immigration officer need to scan my passport for the visa date, and why the need to stamp it at all?

OB

Seems like some loose ends were just tied off.

OB


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As far as I know, non residents can't get a gun permit at all. Residents supposedly can, but very rarely - if at all - their request will be approved. There are basically 2 reasons one can request a permit for - 1. self protection - this will only work if you own a gold shop or do anything that might involve large amounts of cash, or if you live in an area considered dangerous. If you would say you feel threatened by someone, you will most probably be denied. 2. sport, shooting range practice - this is the most common reason for  permit issuance. In any case - the gun is to be kept in the registered place - be it your place of residence OR work. The permit is for holding a gun, not carrying a gun. There are very specific rules regarding storage and transfer from place to place (like how to take it to the shop for repairs or to the shooting range) so basically you can't have it in your car on a regular basis, and when it is in the car it must be locked out of reach and the ammunition locked in a separate place ie 1 in the glove compartment and the other in the boot. Under no circumstances you are allowed to conceal it on your person nor carry it loaded.

A permit to carry a gun with you (but again - not on your body) is extremely difficult to get, and basically impossible currenty. Even cops are only allowed to carry their weapons in their jurisdiction area, and can get into trouble going with it to other provinces.

Even if you do have a permit to carry a weapon - you are not allowed to take it into public places such as shopping malls, schools, restaurants etc'.  

There are also legal limitations for ammunition. One may only keep 6 bullets legally. When you go to the shooting range you can buy as many as you wish to shoot, but not supposed to take any leftovers back home... If all other legal requirements are met, police will usually be lenient if they find you with 1 box of bullets, but they might still go by the rules... 

 

All in all - I think a gun is not the answer for your fear of violence in Thailand.

 

OB

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Given the OP mentioned receiving "money back" and when I changed jobs I received my "money back" I think possible his friend was talking about the provident fund. It's a company benefit though so I'd guess not all employers would set it up or contribute.

OB

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I pay into both. The company wrote me a cheque. I had the option to roll into a new PF or take the cash. There are rules on how much of the co portion is paid dependent on length of service. There may be some accommodation for foreigners given they are unlikely to stay working in Thailand until 55.

To be clear I am talking provident find here not SS.

OB


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Yes, when I changed jobs they wrote me a cheque.

OB


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Sure they don't mean provident fund? I pay 5% of my salary and my employer matches it. When I leave I can withdraw it minus tax as it's paid initially gross.

OB


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Average household income in Bangkok is 45k



OB


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