jagfx

After living in Hua Hin for just over a year, we moved to Da Nang in Vietnam.  Been here for about 7mths now.  The only thing I miss about Thailand (other than friends) is the food.  You can't beat Thai food!  But everything else here is way much better.  The Vietnamese are highly motivated and are real go-getters  Super friendly also and the expat community also seems to get on better here.  It is very cheap to live and the infrastructure is surprisingly good.  Probably another thing we miss is the availability of a 7/11 on every corner.  Vietnam appears to be a poorer country, and without going out into the sticks, I can't really comment on what it's like in other parts of the country.  Da Nang is also about 1 million population with bucket loads of construction and very few Russians.  Not sure who they are building for as there doesn't appear to be any great influx of tourists at any particular time of the year.  This was obvious in LOS, but not here in Vietnam.  Having only visited Cambodia as a tourist, it is hard to give an opinion one way or the other.  But as my wife is a bit of a princess, she did state no way in hell would she ever move to Cambodia.  The infrastructure was lacking and nothing seems that modern.  I can see the attraction of Cambodia though as the people seemed friendly enough, albeit probably just as poor as the Vietnamese.  From my experience also, the locals in Cambodia seemed to bitch a fair bit about their govt, which is something the Vietnamese rarely seem to do.  I guess you could criticize all 3x country's govts in some way.  Would I go back to live in LOS?  Maybe, but unlikely.  Will we stay in Vietnam?  Highly likely.  Cheers.

And just so you know how the wife's application panned out, we attended our local Immigration Office with all of our paperwork, but the application was declined as we didn't have our original Marriage certificate. We actually lost this a few years back but we had a few certified copies of it (from a Justice of the Peace in Oz) which we've used for various applications etc. Told we would have to go to the Aussie Embassy in BKK and arrange correct certification. But they did offer to process the application then and there for an extra 2,000 baht. Wife a bit peeved with the sudden reversal for a price, and as we are moving to Vietnam next month, she decided against their generous offer. She is now over in Vietnam with our son who had to leave the country anyway. They will both return on 30 day visa exempt entries, where we will then leave LOS within that 30 days. The reason for her application was just as a bit of insurance in case we decided we didn't like Vietnam and wanted to return before my Extension expired. Thanks for the help anyway guys. Cheers.

Okay, I must be missing something here. I've been flying in and out of Oz fairly regularly over the last few years from Thailand, Indonesia and PNG, and have taken duty free alcohol on board with me in both directions. I have never had an issue at either a foreign check point, and definitely no issue at Oz airports. I may have been lucky to date, but man it seems like a strange rule considering how it is not an issue at all taking duty free alcohol out of Oz as a part of your carry on. Well, at least I know now and will change my way of purchasing duty free from now on.

I'm not sure if the Canberra Embassy would be an option for you if you wanted to avoid Sydney. My wife and son (both Aussies visiting Brisbane area at the time) recently did their Non O and Tourist visas via snail mail to Canberra. Not a problem.

Same problem for me re distance. I'm O Neg but in Hua Hin. I have given blood before at HH Hospital but that was for a local expat. Happy to donate if they can transport it.

A lot of these viruses and malware tend to prevent you running any anti-virus software you have already loaded, or even prevent you from downloading any new anti-virus software. So it can get a little frustrating and those without any tech knowledge may do more harm than good when fiddling around in Safe mode etc. One thing I have used a few times is called RKill. Seems to do the trick when the above problems arise and once it has cleared the issues, you can then generally run your normal anti-virus software to help clean things up. RKill is free and there is plenty of info on it if you just Google it. For a paid virus protection software I use ESET Smart Security and never really had a problem since installing it. Cheers.

I know the OP was after a gaming console but why not trying a few games on a laptop or PC if you have either. There are plenty of online games available. A lot has changed in 30 years, especially where you can now play live online with and against anyone in the world. It can be addictive as I have a 21 year old son currently living with me and he is trying to break into the pro ranks with the game LOL. Even if the OP went down the console route, I'm sure he could pick up an older version a bit cheaper just to see if it really is his thing before splurging on the latest and greatest...

It is the admitted until date, so we'll work off that date, 30/45 days before then. Hua Hin are pretty friendly so if we turn up with her application on the day we do our son's extension, they may just accept it. If not, then so be it. Thanks for the help guys.

And just a follow up question with regards to the wife's application. Can she apply anytime for the conversion before her Non O expires? The reason i ask this is, is that we have to go into Immigration in a few days as my son has to extend his Tourist Visa for another 30 days so I was thinking it may be possible to knock over the wife's application at the same time to save a 2nd trip, but her Non O Visa doesn't expire until the 27th Feb, which is still some time away. Thanks.

Thanks elviajero for clarifying all the terminology. Always helps when you attend Immigration and that you know what you are talking about right from the get go. It all makes sense to us all now. Cheers.

It is so nice to see how people are cheering for their own enslavement by completely redicolous government decissions.

1. A helmet has nothing at all to do with road safety ! [it is for personal safety]

2. A helmet does nothing about reckless driving

3. A helmet will not avoid any accident at all

4. Wearing a "non safe helmet", like probably 90% of all helmets in Thailand are, is highly dangerous !!!

So what are you all cheering for ?

If somebody wants to wear a helmet so be it ... it is a personal decission !!!

[but only for people who like to be responsible for themselves ...]

I am wearing a helmet when I chose to ... and so can anybody else !

Slaves need to be ordered what is good for them.

People who like to be slaves will cheer for the slave masters to enforce more slave rules ... brainwashing par excellence !!!

I can sort of see where you are coming from, but I don't necessarily agree. This is especially for the people without a choice ie wife and kids that get lumbered on to the family scooter. Then there are the issues of others that may be affected by your decision not to wear a helmet. Examples may include the burden of others that have to look after you/cover your medical bills whilst you are in a coma from serious head injuries as a result, or the life long trauma of

possibly another person involved in an accident with you, especially if you had died of head injuries that a helmet may have prevented. I know, it is cool and liberating not to wear a helmet, but also may be a little selfish...

Thanks Eclipse. Very detailed explanation and very clear on what is required. Your help is appreciated. Cheers.

Thanks Eclipse. Tried the 'pop along and ask them' before regarding other matters, and probably walked away from there more confused than when I went. The old lost in translation scenario. But I hear you.

Thanks for the advice also. Can you also advise exactly what sort of visa she would be applying for when filling out the TM7, or is it just an extension of her current Non O? Thanks.

Hey guys,

Can't seem to find the answer to my question after searching around here, hence the new topic. I am currently living in Thailand on an Extension of Stay based on retirement (Australian). My Aussie wife recently obtained a Non Immigrant O visa in Australia which is valid for 3 months (expires 27th Feb). This was obtained on the grounds that she would be my dependent whilst living here in Thailand. We are now both back living in Hua Hin.

Just wondering what the process is for her to change this over to a dependent type situation. Obviously it will require a visit to our local Immigration Office, but just wondering about the whole process, including what forms etc are required and cost involved. I'm under the impression that once this is done, she will then just be in sync with my Extension of Stay which is valid until late Sept 2016.

And just further to this, will she to be able to apply for a Multi Entry Permit at the same time? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

There are certainly warning signs that there may be financial problems looming, especially with the Chinese issues. Not sure what the RBS's agenda is here, maybe they got caught with their pants down in '08, or they are going to come out with some new recession proof financial product in the next few weeks, and starting the scare campaign early. Who knows. I'm certainly not looking to buy anything other than maybe SJB (Google it) or possibly looking at a long term position on oil which is near historic lows. Both long term buys though. Interesting times ahead and I do hope that the RBS is wrong with their outlook...

Maybe I'm missing something, but to me HH is no where near as busy as last year. Mind you, I live down Takiab way and the restaurants etc are no where as full as they were last year. Business owners also complaining to me that it is quiet. On speaking to one restaurant worker, she stated a lot of her Scandi regulars have headed to Vietnam this year. Cicada & Night Markets are very popular tourist spots, so they are always busy no matter what, especially at this time of year.

Nothing like Patts! In August it is very quiet here in HH. Plenty of bars, restaurants and no go go scene as such. There are bar girls but easily avoidable. The beaches are ok but not spectacular. For accommodation info and activities, best to join the dedicated HH Forum (Google it) and also there are quite a few Facebook groups that cover this stuff. You want the quiet life but still enjoy a quiet beer in a good spot, welcome to HH....

As most Aussies know, the tough new Aussie gun laws came about after the Port Arthur massacre back in 1996 where 35 people were killed by a lone gunman. The Australian Prime Minister at the time, John Howard, took a tough stance basically without little consultation and drastically changed Australian gun laws without too much complaining from the general public. That was Australia's wake up call.

Prior to that, different Australian states had different laws with regards to firearms. I was in the Police in the Northern Territory, and surprisingly they had the toughest laws prior to this massacre. Queensland probably had the most casual laws where anything went as was witnessed by the number of M16s etc I confiscated and had to mail back to Qld from visiting hunters to the NT.

But having said that, if you are a genuine hunter in Oz or a member of a gun club (rifle, pistol or clay), you still have access to the required firearms but you just have to jump through a few more hoops to get access to them. Basically there is no restrictions (other than ridiculous military style weapons) as long as you comply with the laws. You won't be permitted to have your 40 cal Glock under your pillow, but it may be locked in a double locked safe area within your house for example. At the end of the day, crooks will still get their grubby hands on firearms no matter what the current laws of the land are.

To state that Australians are less safe as a result of these laws is an absolutely ridiculous statement. But the Australian model may not be for the US, but they can certainly look at it and modify it to suit their needs. I probably feel more concerned regarding firearms here in Thailand than either the US or my home country. As an outsider, I can see that the US seems to have a gun problem that does need addressing, but that is up to US citizens and their government to sort out. The NRA does seem to be a powerful voice there, so good luck with all of this. No doubt we'll read about another mass shooting somewhere in the US in the not too distant future and this argument will continue....

I was under the impression that when this law was first introduced several months back, that it only referred to a certain type of school. Not every school. Which in turn would substantially reduce the number of businesses affected. First I've heard about the temples though, which does concern me because where I live, we are basically surrounded by them. Time will tell....

The 1% ers are grubs. They choose a certain lifestyle, but once they're in, it's hard to leave. An annual toy run doesn't make them good guys, nor does popular TV shows like Sons of Anarchy. They run prostitutes, drugs, extortion rackets, night clubs, security companies etc, These grubs forced pretty radical law changes in my home state of Qld in Oz when they took their grievances with each other into the public domain where innocent bystanders were put at risk. The new laws weren't popular as they did have a flow on affect against your legal bike enthusiasts, but they have worked. I'm not going to shed a tear for the victim here as his crim history clearly shows that he has more than likely harmed others in the past. Hopefully BIB will track down the killers and remove another grub or two from society. Win win! Maybe it's just the ex-copper in me.....

Well done mate. I wish the Thais would put more effort into this themselves. Education required either at school, or more importantly, their parents etc. But having said that, I try and help the local Trash Hero Hua Hin every week for a couple of hours. Good exercise as one poster already mentioned. There is one Thai girl dedicated to this cause and I think she get s a little frustrated as she does this every week, sometimes by herself, but whenever I go and help, she seems to get more attention because the farang is helping her. She knows it is a good thing but she is disappointed that more Thais don't get involved. Currently back in OZ for 10 days and yesterday whilst on one of the Gold Coast beaches had a quick look around to see how much rubbish was lying around, and I was struggling to find any. I guess a combination of people being a little more conscious of their actions and also a council that spends on money keeping the areas clean. Thailand would improve their tourism if they just made more of an effort to clean up all the crap, whether that be on the beaches or the vacant blocks of land around towns and cities...the place is a pig sty in parts.

Yes JAG,live and blanks were carried together. There is a huge difference between the two so you couldn't get it wrong. These rounds were not my go to rounds, just left overs from various shoots etc. I would still go to the ammo box for reloads. As far as the range rules went, we actually had our own range and kill house and the rules were somewhat relaxed as most of us were qualified Range Officers so we just took turns at running the shoot, and it was fairly loose. Granted your General Duties Police were a tad more stricter and everything was a lot more formal, but still ammunition was was not accountable. For the qualifying shoots every few months, they would just turn up on duty already fully armed, blast away for a couple of hours, and then resume duty fully armed, without anyone really caring how many rounds each individual shot or was responsible for. Completely different to Military shoots where you have the 'yes sir, no sir' stuff. Not sure if the OP is actually on active duty in the Norwegian Police as a Trainee or still in training, and without knowing their procedures, it is hard to make a call. All I'm saying it can be an oversight on his part. In this day and age, probably an oversight that you don't want to make. Cheers.

I can relate to the OP. A few years ago when I was a member of the TRG in the NT Police in Oz, I use to carry the same backpack everywhere, including several hundred trips to the shooting ranges. I always had a collection of live rounds and blanks in that bag. No more than about 15 or so at any one time. You don't have to account for every single round in most Australian Police Forces. I also use to carry CS gas and other smaller explosive devices in it, but they always found their way back to the armory or were used up on the range. But on a trip to Bali from Sydney, Security grabbed my backpack and wanted to know why I was carrying a metal fork, which they duly confiscated because it was considered a dangerous weapon. I wasn't going to argue as just as they were giving me a lecture, it dawned on me that I had my work backpack and there was ammunition in it. Cleared Security without any further hassle, and quickly found an AFP Officer and handed over all my ammo to him explaining my situation. No problem as he took it from me and all good. The idea of an Indonesian investigation didn't appeal to me. So it can happen. I was an idiot not to check my bag before leaving home. Lesson learnt as I then bought a new backpack for travel only. Cheers.

I would hardly call them concentration camps. The conditions aren't ideal mainly due to the heat and humidity and lack of aircons in parts of the centres. Plus there is the uncertainty of the clients' future, especially now that some had been held for over two years. They are technically called Processing Centres, but essentially are a prison. The clients are not permitted to leave unless accompanied by security etc, ie excursions or medical treatment in town etc. They all get three full meals a day and can generally eat as much as they like (the wastage is unbelievable), they have access to basic gyms and activities, including English & cultural classes. Some have access to the the internet via a computer room and also phones. There are basic canteen type services also. When I was there, there was no actual roll call or muster, basically just kept track of them when they produced their photo ID at meal times. If they didn't show up for 3x meals in a row, then Security had to find out why as there may be a problem ie hunger strike, sick or just missing. I always thought they were doing a Hogan's Heroes on us at times, slipping in and out of different compounds. Concentration camp? Definitely not. Some place I'd liked to be locked up? Definitely not.

I was with G4S, who have a pretty shoddy record the world over. Google it. They have a huge presence in PNG. There were a few issues at the Centre prior to the riots, and as Transfield and Wilson already had the contract at Nauru, they were always in the running to take over from G4S. Management on the ground for both companies is basically ex-Army. Being offshore, the guards employed don't need to have the formal qualifications of Australian based Security Guards (licences etc). G4S had a pretty good mix of ex-Military, ex-Police and ex-Corrections Officers, guards that knew how to deal with people as had plenty of experience in their past jobs. There was also a fair quantity of the guards that were a tad more mature at 40+. When Wilson came in, they did offer all G4S guards a chance to apply for a position with them, where basically none of the older guys were successful unless you had very specific skills they needed. On seeing the Wilson guards, they were all young, big ex-Army, with most of them just recently returned from the Middle East. Don't get me wrong, most of them are good guys, but it was obvious how they were loading up their staff. What probably peeved me more than anything was the number of Kiwis (actual living in NZ) that were employed over Aussies considering it is an Aussie run centre.

And regarding the issues where Expat staff are immediately sent home if there is a problem. That's always going to happen. To be honest, they are not going to let any expat face a PNG court unless it is an extremely serious matter, where is a person is formally extradited back to PNG. Same use to happen when I was a copper in the Northern Territory working on Aboriginal Communities, where if a copper or any white person did anything serious enough to upset the locals, then that person was shipped out immediately to avoid payback. This was common, especially for motor vehicle accidents and the like. What I saw during the Feb 2014 riots was enough to convince me that the locals can be very native and barbaric when they choose to be, giving me the distinct impression that we weren't even that safe there. Cheers.