Jonathan Swift

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Big Joke has rubbed certain factions the wrong way for a long time. Many of the reasons around the continual Big Joke controversies are not appropriately raised here.

 

That being said, fill your bandwidths with all sorts of speculation, secure in the knowledge that 99% of you have no idea what you are talking about. We will see who wins in the end, just like the old Politburo

I guess the only reason I read the comments is curiosity as to how many people of actual intelligence and common sense exist here (on Aseannow). The Dunning-Kruger effect: people too stupid to realize how stupid they actually are. People who love making loud noises but otherwise don't care much about what exactly they say. Just another constant drunken verbal brawl to them. So, due credit to you sir, as today's only adult in the room. I daresay I would buy you a pint any time. As to me, even having been here 10 years I don't consider myself credibly well informed enough to have a valid opinion on anything but my own country of origin (which I don't discuss here, see Dunning-Kruger) , and am not very prone to even speculate, although at LEAST I know that it IS speculation. 

15 hours ago, dinsdale said:

The Corrupt Vs The Corrupt. What a country. Bent from top to bottom.

Your home country is better in what way exactly? Oh, they are better at hiding the corruption from the general public. I guess that counts for something. 

6 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

In preparing our latest annual extension of stay based on marriage, we always submit evidence of 400K+ in the bank to meet the financial requirement.  We never use the monthly income method.  Now we were told, by an agent, that CM IM wants to also know your monthly income amount and sources.  I declined to provide that to the agent and we will see tomorrow if an IO requires this info....never have we ever been asked about my monthly income given we use the 400K+ in the bank method.

Anyone ever been asked to provide monthly income when submitting the 400K+ in the bank method?

 

And another new one; in addition to photos of us in front of the house address and in the living room, now we were told we need two more photos- one in the kitchen and one standing outside the front door...anyone having similar demands?

I've had similar "made up on the spot" rules happen to me, although not recently, so do not be surprised. They seem at times to like sending people on treasure hunts and wild goose chases. They are relatively free to make up their own rules, after all it's a pretty boring job and that's all the excitement they have. I once had two immigration police officials come to my apartment to physically inspect it. Then it turned out they were two beautiful Thai ladies. When they saw my guitar collection and were surprised I picked up one and played a tune, then it was selfies all around. You could run your situation by a supervisor for clarity, I have several times had the demands and statements of lower officials reversed by superiors. Lastly, I am only speculating, but due to changes in income tax enforcement this may be the result. 

6 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

Wrong. 

 

I was invited, by letter, by the Thai Govt. as a foreign expert to work in their petroleum industry. 

And because that's how you got here then it's also why millions of others are here, and the commenter is therefore wrong because you say so based on your own experience of one person? I suggest you take one of those cognitive impairment tests, it appears you do not understand what you are reading. 

7 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

 

No, man, they're white.

Right, in that case maybe only 8 times each, depending on the guns used by the cops and how many cops. In actuality (American here) it very much depends on where in the US happens and whether it is a reputable police dept (yes they exist) or some rogue racist dept. More likely though, tased or dog bit if they didn't immediately drop the weapon. 

"slapped with five charges". Rather cartoonish choice of words. 

11 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

At the very least Im hoping for a public  lynching, decapitation , put thru a mincer, made into jam and given free  to all Thai nationals as a  lesson to us  all. Clicks  machine goes into overdrive

So you’re one of the ones who thinks the perceived imaginary anti farang attitudes are so unfair even in the face of something like this, and serving up the justice they deserve, and doing it publicly which they also deserve, amounts to lynching? I think you should leave, you’re not helping. You’re not doing yourself any favors either with such absurd comments.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

“They also conducted security inspections in the Old Town area of Phuket, distributing informational materials and promoting the Tourist Police hotline at 1155, which offers translation services 24/7.”

 

what has this got to do with deporting foreigners who break the law? Do they expect them to call the tourist police hotline and report themselves?

Well why don't you just march your indignant little farang fanny into their offices and demand an explanation! Tell them you're Donald Trump, I'm sure they'll be impressed. 

16 minutes ago, Noah K said:

That's not entirely true. If you have a Thai partner you can pretty much open whatever business you want. I know lots of people that are retired expats. And they like not working. They enjoy gardening, collecting, hiking, biking, etc. I found that working was interfering with my hobbies. Been living here more than fours years now, never bored, never want another job.

Awww, don't spoil the fun of blaming his woes on others, and especially don't spoil the fun of complaining about things he doesn't, and never will, understand. People who love to complain and blame rather than take responsibility for their own lives and their own happiness. Complaining is all they have because they never built anything out of their lives. 

19 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

If you read again carefully you'll see that he didn't claim that ALL are crims and scumbags.

Awww, reading carefully is too much work, complaining is more fun, so is blaming others for your own misfortunes

Listen to all the American Karen style babies here whining about being picked on as foreigners. Make no mistake, that's what you sound like, that's what you are: whining babies. If this is so unfair do us all a favor, law enforcement included, and leave. 

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

if he only could put his extraordinary abilities and 'gifts' for doing good things rather than being a criminal but i guess

there's no money in being good now days as being a criminal... 

The problem is insatiable lust for wealth, and a willingness to do anything to get it, not that there is "no money in being good". What does wealth mean if you are such a reprehensible person that you would rob and cheat to get it? When I see expensive cars I just think of people like that Red Bull kid, or Bernie Madoff, people who are so hollow inside that they have to constantly try to prove otherwise with their gaudy and tasteless display of wealth, and the people who buy these watches are of the same cloth, just not willing to risk prison by breaking the law. 

I don't understand why you would come here with a question like that. It's 90% hearsay here. Why do you not contact the Thai embassy, or Thai immigration with a question like that? And why are YOU doing this? She's responsible, it's her passport, and she speaks Thai, duh. It's not your place. This is too important to engage in page after page of banter with non experts.  It sounds like you already do too much talking to the wrong people, else you wouldn't have to ask this in the first place. 

11 hours ago, bob smith said:

over the weekend I was in Bangkok visiting an old friend and he took me out for the day.

 

We landed at Khaosan road around 4pm.

 

for the first 2/3 hours it was OK,

the smell of weed was in the air and everyone was pretty chill.

 

then nighttime came.

 

the first big speakers were wheeled out in front of us and the music was deafening.

then next door did the same,

then the next bar,

and then next next.

until it was a complete mish mash of noise and blare. 

the music on offer was a horrendous mix of EDM and pop song remixes.

Laughing gas was being tooted right out of the cannister by almost everyone around us.

it was so loud we could no longer hold a coherent conversation over our beer and I could hardly hear myself think.

 

We lasted 20 minutes in that atmosphere before we got in a taxi and headed back to his place.

This was the first time I had been to khaosan road in years.

 

What has happened? is this chaos being organized by someone?

is there some kind of committee that meets up and allows this to happen?

 

i'm sure that many locals in that area are not happy with what is currently going on,

not to mention holidaymakers with hotel windows facing directly on to the road itself..

 

bob.

It's a big mistake to ever think that anything in Thailand will remain the same over the years. That's actually one of the first things I learned about the place. What you describe as to Khao San Rd is no different that similar changes everywhere, especially after Covid forced everything to wilt, reseed,  and regrow. Someone said that well, son, you grew up, it's a young people's place now. That may be partially true, but the sense of change isn't simply because you can't change with the times, the times are changing faster than anyone can fully keep up with. You just have to let it happen, whether you join in or not. There are still plenty of worthy things and places in thailand, just cross this one off your list and move on. I've been living here 10 years now, first went to Khao San in 2013. 

Just now, Aussie999 said:

In Australia, using Uber, you pay when you book, via your card.

The App companies have an option to cancel without penalties, including Uber, from whom your money gets returned to your card or whatever you used to pay.. We don't know if she canceled via the app. But since the driver called first she most likely did.

No point whatsoever to the story if the ride company isn't named. People have a right to know. The company needs to get its nose bloodied in order to clean up its act. Otherwise this is not the only time it will happen. These are big companies, they need big motivation. I speak from experience taking on companies from LAZADA merchants to the airlines to online hotel booking agencies. 

Overthrow the government? Like in 2014? This is the road to follow to have that happen. I think maybe it's about time. But what do I know? Not my country, just another silly farang whose opinions mean nothing. 

They're getting as bad as the US. No, wait, still nowhere near as bad. No Thai leader owes half a billion US dollars in legal penalties or is on trial for 91 felonies. 

8 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Another foreigner with a mental health issue. 

 

 Maybe he grew up on a farm and he was trying to breed it. 

20 hours ago, CMoldie said:

Does anybody have a recommendation for a doctor/hospital to treat/monitor Non Hodgkins Lymphoma?? Anywhere in Thailand. The only concern is to find the best possible.

Thank you

If I were you I wouldn't go to forums like this for medical advice. Go online and search exactly what you posted as your question. You will get EXACTLY what you need, directly. All you get here is hearsay from non experts. That said, I have gotten excellent care at highly rated Phaya Thai hospital, Bangkok, very affordable, and I'm sure they could send you to an excellent specialist. Treatment for Non Hodgkins has been around a long time and I'm sure most everyone is up to speed on it. You can check the credentials of each doctor online. All the best and good luck to you.

9 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

He should be moved to the mental asylum, bloody nutjob. 

 

Why are we seeing so many foreigners in Thailand with mental illness? 

 

Because they always make the news. I have never seen one in person, have you? How many foreigners WITHOUT mental illness have you seen? Then do the math. There is undoubtedly mental illness among Thai people, but they are just better behaved that foreigners in general, plus mental illness is not as widely understood and recognized in Thai culture. Most mental illness is not visible to other people until they go over the edge. I have Bipolar II disorder, a recognized mental illness, but my symptoms consist mostly of depression, in which case I don't go out or do much, or anxiety. 

9 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

I don't regard 58 as 'elderly'!

Different rules here. Retirement visa is 50, remember? I imagine they might not have a term like "middle aged", it's just you're young and then you're old. TIT. 

21 hours ago, Spamhead said:

Sorry but that's plainly not true. If they put the original price up 12% and then discounted the resultant price by 12% you still received a discount on the original price. That's just basic maths.

You assume that everyone passed basic math in school. Clearly SOMEONE  didn't. Perhaps you should recommend a good Thai elementary school that he could attend. I hear they are a lot of fun.