cumgranosalum

19 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

 The better ones do.

Sorry but I think you are wrong - major company told me yesterday that their off-site work not only has no work permit but also no visa.

I can't see how comapnies can continue to support what appears to be a major scam - this needs investigating.

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

There are lots of specialist schools that cover the corporate sector.  I work for one of them and we have a Corporate Department, but there are lots to choose from.  Google is your friend.

Yes - but it would appear that none of them actually have a work permit that covers working outside the school?

I don't want to employ a teacher - the schools offer to send someone in to run a course for a few weeks - but if that is illegal, I don't to get involved. 

I get the impression though that this is happening with the connivance of immigration and Dept labour.

So I think my best course is to approach the dept of labour - I get a lot of evasive answers from the schools I've contacted and asked about work permits - it looks like the majority are operating outside the law. If the dept say don't worry I'll get a school confirmed with them as OK?

The teachers - are needed for part time 4 to 8 hours per week - over about 10 weeks

Can I get them a permit for this - the school isn't interested.

This is OK on a tourist visa?

I've just been in touch with some schools to provide classes for our business and having sorted everything out asked just to check their documents.

I was casually informed that none of the teachers had work permits or even a visa.

i was advised that this was the norm and that any teacher working a short contract in the corporate sector is unlikely to have either visa or work permit - or if they have it won't cover them for the task at a factory.

can anyone suggest a solution to this?

I have always played work permit by the book and now have serious concerns about immigration turing up at the place of work and marching the teacher off to jail

any suggestions?

On August 19, 2016 at 7:42 PM, manfredtillmann said:

on box jelly fish stings??? my a..e. smarten up, mate! you might be thinking of blue bottles...

Oh dear - manfred - vinegar is the first aid tip for BOX JELLIES - it can make bluebottles worse.

The vinegar is to paralyse the stinging process - not relieve pain.

there seems to be a warning we can take from this thread.....if you have the misfortune to be sting by a jellyfish in Thailand make sure that a TV member is not allowed anywhere near you - their depth of ignorance on this creature could lead them to take actions that could kill you.

On August 22, 2016 at 0:43 PM, Speedo1968 said:

I thought sea water was the best thing to pour over jelly fish stings, as it does not set off an allergic response in the stinger ?

There again ideas / solutions change all the time ...

 

Blue bottles - those long long stingers don't give you much chance of being missed by them, I used to see BB's back in the 60's and 70's in Manly and Bondi etc - really glad there not here - Yet ! - in Thailand, or are they ?

Box Jellies are n't actually a "true" jelly fish - they have a strong and individual venom. It is accepted practice that the first thing to do is apply vinegar - this DOESN"T ease pain it paralyses the stinging mechanisms which can be triggered by removal of the thread which  can increase the chance of death.

On August 16, 2016 at 8:11 PM, OMGImInPattaya said:

Box jellies are endemic to just about all the seas of SE Asia and Australasia...just not too common. If memory serves, they generally appear closer to shore during the rainy season in the particular area. Many report of them in the Gulf of Siam...Tao, Samui, Phanghan. I don't recall reports of them on the Andaman side, however. Maybe that's outside their range.

There have been box jelly and suspected box jelly incidents for decades on both sides of the peninsular and across the Guld of Siam.

I just use bathroom scales, put a box or something on first and place the baggage on that - be sure to zero up with the box first!

My favorite so far is Mocca beans by Bonecafe which i have been getting from Macro.

It makes a big different how strong you brew the coffee and how hot you serve it.

i love French coffee - to the point that in places like Oz and US I won't drink the coffee whenever possible - and I include Seattle.

The main reason here I don't drink is because of the muck served up by companies like Starbucks and Boncafe who use all sorts of pseudonyms to make us think that what is little better than mud is some kind of exotic treat.

as for temperature, most coffees are served luke warm to warm to get the best taste e.g. Italy or middle East - and of course some like iced coffee.

getting good coffee in Thailand is pretty difficult.

I occasionally buy Chiang Mai (northern) coffee from OTOP shelves.

BUT

If you want decent coffee - buy Laos coffee (see post above) - if I have to get a new visa or go on holiday there, I stock up....and loads of friends ask me to bring it back for them.

Can we focus on the question of whether or not people have noticed that the police have become more efficient in tracking down criminals?

The BIB-good vs. BIB-bad debate has been done to death on past threads.

Many moons ago, Amnesty International (I think) and other human rights groups said at least 50% of people in Thailand's jails were innocent - they had been falsely arrested by the police who wanted "quick" results. Earlier this year, another report suggested as much as 63% (hmmm - that's a pretty precise figure????) of inmates were stitched up.

Gecko123, I think you might find some answers in those figures above. Not saying the cops can't catch a crim when they need to. It's just that few believe they do so out of a philosophical bent to protect and serve.

aaah, but at least they're quick!

"he OP's observation is however founded on a truth, the police can act effectively ( almost always when the perp is poor but occassionaly when protection is 'temoved' from the wealthy/connected)." - so no change there ...therefore not starting to impress.

Clearly the result of copious research and in depth analysis.....NOT!

short answer - "NO!"

For me the major draw back here is the general and culturally wide Mai-bpen-rai attitude towards safety....

It's tragic when I see so many people unnecessarily hurt, injured or killed.... in road accidents, electric shocks etc... just walking down the street is a hazard...

Don't think so ???... I didn't either, I was ok walking around quite relaxed but alert, until I had my Son, now i see stupidity, carelessness and danger from every angle...

Walk past a street food stall alone... no issues... With my son... Wow, naked flame, hot oil, splashing oil, cooker at my sons eye level... suddenly something simple as walking past a street food vendor takes on a new dimension... but its avoidable by driving everywhere !

Crossing the road... before, I could judge traffic and ease myself between... now with my son... I simply don't cross the road !!! ever !!... Yes, it is avoidable... we drive most places !!...

Restaurants... The waitress just passed that Tom Yam over your shoulder onto the table, no issues.... but with a child... WHAT ???? NO !!!! STOP... What on earth ?... Don't pass boiling hot food over the head of my Son !!!!

.... so many things were an astonishing eye opener and its clear that the common sense of many here, especially with regards to general every day safety is absent to such a degree its easy to be placed in direct danger.

We've travelled a lot (Wife, Son and I).... UK, Singapore, NZ, Aus, Japan etc and I've never observed and felt such risk as I do here in Thailand...

....its manageable, but it something I'm always alert about....

Others in the Poll:

Visa issues: I'm married and I travel a lot working overseas, I also have the Elite Visa (from before I was married), so I never had any visa issues... I have numerous options when I'm not here on a WP.

Property Ownership: I'm married, with a son now, so my Wife (Thai) can own the property and I don't mind.

Other: There's a lot to discuss here - unfortunately un-discussable... a major issue regarding the future security, safety and human rights of every day citizens... if food ever became in short supply Thailand could become dangerous very quickly.

But for now, the single standout issue is the careless attitudes towards safety, which I find outright idiotic at times....

"For me the major draw back here is the general" - This is seriously making me cionsider whether or not I want to continue working here - it is curiosity more than anything else that keeps me here now.

I had to buy OTC a couple of times after an accident, but had no problems whatsoever....although I was limited to 2 sheets.

I also found it tramadol remarkably ineffective unless used in conjunction with paracetamol.

So if they aren't "Thai" that's OK? .... Or do you feel you are not in a position to tell other nationalities what to do?

Huh! they say they "love " dogs yet look at the state of them, on top of that anyone who really loved their dog wouldnt let it wander the streets yet as usual they are too lazy to exercise them just let it out into the road to cause carnage and crap all over.

Sadly a good thread re an article in the Bangkok Post was closed yesterday with a Thai writer commenting on "The easy way" ....ie LAZY.

I totally agree with this comment.

A lot of dogs are neglected with mange and broken legs walking around. Thai folk are too lazy or kee neow to take to the vet. Walking a dog everyday are you kidding. Thai's have no ideas when it comes to our fury friends

I agree that many, if not most, Thai people seem to look at dogs who are clearly in a terrible state and do nothing.

Why is not as clear - I think a lot of it has to do with the concept of the suffering and various lives we have to go through on our journey to enlightenment. Taking life of any kind - even a mosquito is not acceptable to many Thais - (look at the faces around the room if your squash a fly or mozzie) - but a lot seems very hypocritical, especially the idea that leaving some fried rice out in a plastic bag will earn you merit....just as transferring a fish from one tank to the next or releasing a bird that will quickly be re-caught.

IMO much of this is down to a lack of REAL education, rather than how to think Thai people have for Decades (centuries even) been taught to accept and not disturb the harmony. an in-depth look at animals and their welfare is replaced by a Disney-esque cartoon version that starts with feeding the odd dog (a BIG mistake) and ends in "Hello KiTTY".......

BTW - there are estimated to be about 300,000 "soi dogs" in Bangkok. Make sure you get a good definition for Soi dogs before you comment!

My observations based on Isaan village life!

Village dogs: Many dogs are free to roam say and night throughout our village, these are easy to distinguish from strata, which usually look pretty mangy, but not always!

Generally dogs are kept as waste food disposal units/guard dogs, although some in the village are kept as pets.

The western idea of a pet dog is almost one of the family, whereas here they generally aren't, although those lapdog you see in Bangkok undoubtedly are!

Animal cruelty: Thailand, as a whole, isn't anywhere near the top of the list for animal cruelty, I've seen a lot worse in Africa.

Here in our village the strays seem to gather mainly in one of the three temples, where they are fed by the monks, and one of our dogs was the offspring of a stray from that temple.

Care of dogs: In our village dogs are generally well cared for, in that they are well fed and homes, some responsible owners even control reproduction with hormone shots.

Strays: There are the occasional strays, but here in our village they are few.

In the big city it's not uncommon to see, what appear to be, strays. The strays I've seen in town generally aren't too unhealthy, so it's safe to assume they are being fed by someone.

Unlike my experience in Africa, if a stray dog isn't viscous the locals just leave them alone. Although I haven't seen any vicious dogs I'm assuming that should there be any they are dealt with, probably by the police with a lead injection!

Opinion: While there are a lot more strays, than you would expect to see in my home country, the Thai attitude to them is generally more favourable than a lot of places.

Firstly personal observation isn't ever conclusive and the sins observed in one country don't ever mitigate the sins of another.

- Many organisations that work around the world will tell you that Thailand is one of the worst culprits - there is good reason for this. Thailand has a massive tourist industry - one of the largest in the world and a large amount of the animal abuse/exploitation is directed towards this market.......it is much larger than in other countries so the abuse is far more widespread and the amount of creatures greater.

The effect this is having on S.E. Asia's wildlife is bad enough, but it even extends to supporting exploitation around the world - vis-a-vis the trading in ivory from African elephants - a lot of the cruelty and capture or killing of animals in Africa is actually to supply the trade in Asia - e.g. Thailand. many of the reptiles and other animals you see being touted on the streets are not native species - they come from overseas...

Judging a country by western standards isn't a good idea either. A nation struggling to survive can't afford to impose too many restrictive measures.

Both the UK and US have lost jobs to SE Asian countries because we have rules and regulations to protect environment, workforce, etc. Countries like Thailand would suffer considerably if they imposed western regulations and watch as neighbouring countries take all the jobs.

I'm sure you, like me, try to avoid places that exploit animals, but unfortunately there are too many farang tourists quite willing to pay to ride on an elephant. Rather than whinge about a Thai trying to make a living in whatever way he can it would better to educate the tourists in their home countries, and there have been numerous campaigns operating on this basis. Just follow Rickey Gervais on Twitter and you'll see some of these campaigns.

"Judging a country by western standards isn't a good idea either." - it's not western standards, it's a world ecology. Furthermore Thailand is NOT a poor country.

In fact if the environment is functioning well it CREATES jobs. the prawn farms that the EU are so disapproving of are built on mangroves - not only do they use slave labor, they pollute the water are an inefficient way of producing food and the very location on mangroves destroys fish stocks in the Gulf. You need to differentiate between a quick exploitative buck for a wealthy elite and creating a future in which the country has sustainable food industries complete with a good supply of such things as water and land. Thailand's ignores this at the peril and so long as the elite are making money and slave labor is available who cares that the wealth isn't distributed?

I'm not "whinging" about Thais trying to make a living at all - if you read my posts you will see I'm extremely critical of ignorant westerners who support this industry. But simply trying to say that if we don't have one thing, there will be no money is a complete misunderstanding of the situation. what is called for is sustainable activities, whether they be in tourism agriculture or even urban planning, .....do this and you will immeasurably improve the living standards and quality of life of the rank and file in Thailand.

in fact the most powerful influence on Thailand’s animal exploitation recently has come from CITES not small private campaigns - Thailand is signed up to this major international treaty and has been hailed over the coals several times - especially regarding the ivory trade. Sanctions from this lot are a reality and Thailand reluctantly took steps to avoid this.

It is quite likely that the antics of the tiger temple re- trading of tigers may also attract their attention.

They have recently introduced the first ever animal protection laws - the fact is they are a joke as is their enforcement, but it is the proverbial thin end of the wedge. Thailand is not an island in any respect, when it comes to wildlife welfare and conservation they are part of the world community and can't avoid it any more than claim in Thailand the world is flat...it is in the end inescapable.

My observations based on Isaan village life!

Village dogs: Many dogs are free to roam say and night throughout our village, these are easy to distinguish from strata, which usually look pretty mangy, but not always!

Generally dogs are kept as waste food disposal units/guard dogs, although some in the village are kept as pets.

The western idea of a pet dog is almost one of the family, whereas here they generally aren't, although those lapdog you see in Bangkok undoubtedly are!

Animal cruelty: Thailand, as a whole, isn't anywhere near the top of the list for animal cruelty, I've seen a lot worse in Africa.

Here in our village the strays seem to gather mainly in one of the three temples, where they are fed by the monks, and one of our dogs was the offspring of a stray from that temple.

Care of dogs: In our village dogs are generally well cared for, in that they are well fed and homes, some responsible owners even control reproduction with hormone shots.

Strays: There are the occasional strays, but here in our village they are few.

In the big city it's not uncommon to see, what appear to be, strays. The strays I've seen in town generally aren't too unhealthy, so it's safe to assume they are being fed by someone.

Unlike my experience in Africa, if a stray dog isn't viscous the locals just leave them alone. Although I haven't seen any vicious dogs I'm assuming that should there be any they are dealt with, probably by the police with a lead injection!

Opinion: While there are a lot more strays, than you would expect to see in my home country, the Thai attitude to them is generally more favourable than a lot of places.

Firstly personal observation isn't ever conclusive and the sins observed in one country don't ever mitigate the sins of another.

- Many organisations that work around the world will tell you that Thailand is one of the worst culprits - there is good reason for this. Thailand has a massive tourist industry - one of the largest in the world and a large amount of the animal abuse/exploitation is directed towards this market.......it is much larger than in other countries so the abuse is far more widespread and the amount of creatures greater.

The effect this is having on S.E. Asia's wildlife is bad enough, but it even extends to supporting exploitation around the world - vis-a-vis the trading in ivory from African elephants - a lot of the cruelty and capture or killing of animals in Africa is actually to supply the trade in Asia - e.g. Thailand. many of the reptiles and other animals you see being touted on the streets are not native species - they come from overseas...

My observations based on Isaan village life!

Village dogs: Many dogs are free to roam say and night throughout our village, these are easy to distinguish from strata, which usually look pretty mangy, but not always!

Generally dogs are kept as waste food disposal units/guard dogs, although some in the village are kept as pets.

The western idea of a pet dog is almost one of the family, whereas here they generally aren't, although those lapdog you see in Bangkok undoubtedly are!

Animal cruelty: Thailand, as a whole, isn't anywhere near the top of the list for animal cruelty, I've seen a lot worse in Africa.

Here in our village the strays seem to gather mainly in one of the three temples, where they are fed by the monks, and one of our dogs was the offspring of a stray from that temple.

Care of dogs: In our village dogs are generally well cared for, in that they are well fed and homes, some responsible owners even control reproduction with hormone shots.

Strays: There are the occasional strays, but here in our village they are few.

In the big city it's not uncommon to see, what appear to be, strays. The strays I've seen in town generally aren't too unhealthy, so it's safe to assume they are being fed by someone.

Unlike my experience in Africa, if a stray dog isn't viscous the locals just leave them alone. Although I haven't seen any vicious dogs I'm assuming that should there be any they are dealt with, probably by the police with a lead injection!

Opinion: While there are a lot more strays, than you would expect to see in my home country, the Thai attitude to them is generally more favourable than a lot of places.

True Tim, but this is ThaiVisa, and all the worlds problems are Thailand's fault.

Old English guy in my condo does nothing but moan about Thailand, literally everything about Thailand he moans about, I asked him why he doesn't go back to the UK.

He looked at me and said " You must be <deleted> joking mate, I ain't going back to that <deleted> dump "

People are strange at times.

the problem there is you presented a false syllogism, and the other guy din't recognise it.

Thailand has one of the worst animal cruelty records in the world - there are virtually no animal protection laws and even less enforcement thereof; encroachment of habitat is often condoned by the authorities they are even using article 44 and animal abuse is simply ignored in favour of money.

Elephants tigers and other keystone species are endangered, abused and there parts traded.

Dogs are not controlled - 100, 000 in Bangkok, they spread disease and cause damage to people and property.

The public perception is that suffering is part of karma and preferable to being put down. No real effort is being made to solve the dog problem - owners are uneducated and have no idea of what animal welfare consists of....the “bag-dogs” are overfed on inappropriate food until they die of obesity related diseases....they are unregulated and interbred for a market that cares little about the animal but more about what it looks like in the owners bag.

Thailand is a hub of the illegal trade in endangered species and has been warned on several occasions by CITES to clean up their act, especially in relation to the ivory trade which is LEGAL in Thailand.

In the next few years it is highly likely that Thailand will have the ignominious distinction of being the next country to preside over the extinction of the Tiger within its borders.

It is also noted more and more by the international community in general.......

"“Most gibbons and lorises are taken from the wild, where poachers usually have to kill the mother of the young animals to take them away. Some elephants are also taken from the wild, we estimate 40-50 per cent, while others are bred in captivity," he said. "The direct exploitation of wildlife, such as using them as photo props in public places, is horrible.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/11048530/The-dark-side-of-animal-tourism-in-Thailand.html