Enzian

This is like the romance scams in that it never ends, there's always new recruits, humanity repeats its mistakes every day.

I'm all for over-reaction, I loved the Nana station area during Covid, it was like my own private little fiefdom, nobody on the sidewalks, and the massage ladies were so eager...

KK is poor. My TGF's parents still live on dirt/gravel floors with the chickens underfoot. The town is not bad, the malls are not expensive. There's massage and hospitals and education, and the people are helpful. It's really something I have to think about because as I approach 90 I might actually consider moving up there.

Idk but when I entered SFO a week ago from BKK the IO thought I was interesting and started rapping and told a joke about foreigners falling off balconies in Pattaya, with people waiting behind me to get out, and I had to say "Bad joke haha, Thank you!" and rush away.

I have a thing for high end whiskey and whisky but I've stopped buying it here. I just buy the lower cost blends and mix them because I refuse to continue funding this crowd.

If more than half of alcohol drinkers oppose a proposal to liberalize the rules of alcohol production, that means they support the present monopolistic system, which means the slaves love their chains... which is entirely possible here I admit.

What's the right way to report a change of address? Or: what's the rule? I returned in Dec. after 5 months and moved into a different rented condo room in the same building as before near Nana BTS. I then went to CW and renewed my Non-O visa, providing a copy of my new 6-mo lease with the new room number. I must have thought 1) a change of room is not a change of address and 2) I had just provided Imm with my new room number. I've learned my building rental agent doesn't submit TM30, but that was no issue in the two years previous in the previous room; maybe it is now? When I tried to do the 90 day report earlier this month I changed the room number on my last successful report, and it was rejected. I then tried again with the previous room number and it was accepted. I assume I will eventually have to reconcile this situation. (I'm out of country March 23--May 10.) In June I have to start a new (6 month again probably) lease on the unit I'm actually in, or move within or without the building. Would that be the time to take action, claiming that June is when I moved from my old (last year) number/address? And will I have to travel in person out to Immigration at CW? I don't care about a fine of whatever figure, as long as it puts this behind me. And sorry if this is a bit complicated, and thanks for any help!

I got talking with a fellow American and his wife watching the passing scene on Sukhumvit the other day and turned out he was in the process of an application and told me something to the effect that "lots of people are doing it, it's all the rage". Sounds more like he's a rara avis. Solid guy though. I don't see how I for one could commit to this country for 5-10 years (even if I thought I would live that much longer). Too many things can change, including the terms of this visa itself. A year at a time is fine.

That's a fowl thing to say. But she's long past being a spring chicken, that's why I rule the roost.

She knows because she walks me through the process of renewing my Non-O at Immigration once a year, and does the work of making all the required photocopies, from the bank etc. She does most of the talking. A necessary risk. You and I know none of them are "different". But some of them are not stupid. I don't think she would risk killing a long term golden goose in return for a short term gain. And she may actually be relatively honest. Also, how would she steal if the only means is my passport at a window? A bank transfer with my bank book in hand? I don't know how that would work.

Krungsri is a great bank, but one time after I had made some adjustment with a manager someone called and said they still needed my American SS number; I said of course I can't say that over the phone and went in, and indeed it had been them. A slip on their part, only one I've known. As I've reported here before, I recently had a manager delete their app from my iPhone out of caution; my Thai GF, horrified at my balance, actually pushed me to have that done. Now things can only happen through a teller or manager. I periodically withdraw larger sums of cash from the window.

The Ice Man in Bolzano has tattoos on his back and elsewhere (I've seen his body lying in the cold room). But his are from 5,300 years ago; back then they had a more serious purpose. Today, not so much.

Ubonjoe, I'm quoting you to get your attention and ask a question. I just got the approval you predicted at 9:15 this Wednesday morning, close to 48 working day hours from application. Thank you! The catch is that I got approved by submitting a repeat of my old success with my old room number in The Trendy Suk 13, as you suggested. So what will be the best strategy and timing to correct my room number with Immigration eventually? My rental agent confirmed she does not file a TM30, and I'm sure the owner in Bangladesh doesn't. I never made any kind of report of moving to a new address when I arrived in Dec., because I had been gone 5 months and I was still in the same building, which doesn't seem to me like a change of address but I guess it is. But the copy of my lease I provided in Dec. when I extended my Non-IMM-O had the new room number--but Immigration never shares nor enters that anywhere? I may move again in a few months, or may not, but that's a different bridge. Thanks!

Indeed how can the government address the issue without generating moral hazard and eventually leading to more debt? Are there any examples of bailouts (other than a few genuine examples of force majeure) that actually made things better over time? It would seem that better underwriting is the only sensible approach. And why is underwriting by Thai lenders apparently so bad?

Does the time of day matter? I have an 8 AM sharp departure for Seoul on Thai Air on 3/23. I'm in the Sukhumvit Asok area and figuring if I get up by 3 AM and in a taxi or the Express train by 4:30 then I will be out there by at least 5:30, but that's only 2 1/2 hours ahead, which of course used to be fine. Any tales of experiences with early flights are appreciated.

I submitted early Friday the 3rd morning, got a "successfully received" notice at 9:30 AM, but should I expect nothing to happen until after the weekend and the Monday 6th holiday? Thanks.

Karma is wonderful.

In 2016 I swore I would never spend another April in LOS, but Covid put that on hold for 3 years. This April I will spend in a part of southern France where the average daily high in April is around 17.5 Celsius. The flight is booked. Have to do it while I still can.

That's the question, and my unscientific opinion is that in Thailand sex is a matter-of-fact, outside morality, hardly to be judged, natural as breathing, sign of temporary and harmless friendship (even if based on exchange of money--but everyone needs money) beyond almost any other country. But I need to do a lot more research to understand for sure.

But how can something be regulated when the regulators, members of the RTP I presume, are allergic to work?

My application explained above was rejected with no explanation The only thing that changed was the room number in the building. So now I have to get a service or go out there myself? And do I have 7 days after the 90 date date to go out to Immigration?

I immediately got the email that my online submitted form was successfully received, but when I open the attachment I see I did not check the box for NON-IMM nor did I type how I arrived on Dec. 10. Do these two things matter? It won't let me just try another one which makes sense. I guess I thought that when I hit the search symbol everything important on the right side would be filled in, I just had to retype the things on the left. Tired and in a hurry. I'll just have to wait and see if this one is rejected? I have till Feb. 9 I think. Thanks! Edit: Also my room number in the Trendy building changed when I arrived in Dec. after 5 months away; only that number changed, nothing else about my address. Did that constitute a change of address that should have been reported in 30 days? I'm rusty since it's been a year roughly since I had to do a TM 47 it looks like.

A few days ago I had a bank manager in person delete the (well designed) bank app I had on my phone for this very reason. Earlier I had them destroy and cancel my debit card. I never got a credit card (use my US ones). I do everything with a teller or a manager, and that's fine. For money to disappear it would almost have to be an inside job, or signature fraud in some form I suppose--I don't know what other possibilities there are.

All this is mostly for show, but I find interesting what Orban is reported as having said: that Russia at this point can't win, but as a political matter Putin can't afford to lose, so what's left is to turn Ukraine into a wasteland and then depart. Further, I know Russia is a (very) bad actor, but I still think the EU could have handled their side of it all better before the invasion started. Unless of course, they wanted it to happen; but incompetence may be a better explanation.

A massage woman was telling me she's been semi-disabled for over a month by gut issues. Having been there myself and read up on it, there are so many possible ways for that to happen in Thailand as well as the ways that commonly happen everywhere, that it would make a very long list.