Captain Jack

6 hours ago, Lupatria said:

While hundreds of scientific reports state it can cure certain kinds of cancer...

Haaa :). Cure cancer? No, not quite. What it does do is help people manage the chronic and debilitating pain associated with most forms of cancer, as well as many other serious illnesses, while causing none of the horrible side-effects or actual addiction associated with other painkillers.  It thus allows sufferers of serious illness to carry on reasonably normal lives instead of leaving them bed ridden.

And before anyone starts harping on, marijuana is no more addictive than eating toilet paper (real thing). Both are "behavioral addictions", NOT "chemical addictions".

9 hours ago, trogers said:

 

That's how Asean countries would perceive them.

 

What is a full moon party without drugs? The same the West would perceive a bible study session without the Bible...

For pity's sake, Asian is spelled with an i.  ASEAN is the "Association of South  East Asian Nations" and needs to be in capitals (because it's an acronym) Make your mind up. Of course correct spelling wouldn't make you're comment any less racist so...

6 hours ago, trogers said:

Ask tourists from the province of Canton for the meaning of that first word in this post's Title...

What, "Tiew" ? A Thai word meaning "to tour" or "to visit". It's even written in Thai, the video being aimed at Thai's and everything.

53 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure how you are getting on the site using the old address. Just tried and got this.

 

 

Used this address and it worked:  https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do

" Until some time in the last 4 months" .

Sorry for the confusion.  Point being the old one's not working now but, in my experience, was until recently.

Maybe this info can help others who are reporting problems here.

Even under Thai law it is required that the prosecution prove the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. Given the evidence mentioned it is impossible to see how such guilt could possibly have been proven and as such the accused should never have been convicted, even if they actually did it.

The crime scene wasn't secured until several hours after it was discovered. So much so that several gruesome pictures of the bodies taken by passers-by appeared on social media. Also the DNA samples from the scene weren't collected until several days after the crime. In court the prosecution were unable to produce as evidence the original samples from either the scene or the bodies.  So the scene would have been contaminated and the chain of evidence was broken. Also it is known that the accused were working in the bar where the victims were drinking just hours before their deaths, potentially explaining away any DNA connection.

The CCTV footage presented by the prosecution is vague, of poor quality, from another location and only shows one person.

The phone presented as being found in the abode of the accused  is disputable since the phones of both victims are otherwise accounted for.

I see reasonable doubt.

On 9/6/2016 at 3:12 PM, ubonjoe said:

It has been a https address for over a year now. Perhaps you never noticed it.

Topic I posted on July 2nd of last year.

 

Well, unless someone updated my bookmarks for me in the intervening year then both addresses have been working until some time in the last 4 months.  I've used the old address (bookmarked in IE 11) for every report I've made in the last 18 months without any trouble.  I only mention it because I see a lot of people commenting that they can't get the site to load at all and this might help explain it.

Today, 12:30 until now, site is working for me. Application submitted first attempt, no problem, now "PENDING"

NB: address of website has changed. It's no longer an "http://" address like it was right up until the end of June 2016 when I used it last.  It's now https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do

Make sure you get a re-entry permit from immigration BEFORE you leave or when you go you will leave your visa status behind and have to start again from scratch.  Re-entry permit can be single (2000 baht) or multiple (4000 baht) entry valid for 12 months from date of issue.  Photo required, application form TM8 can be downloaded and completed beforehand.

Your 90 day count restarts the day you re-enter Thailand, just calculate it yourself.  Usual 90 day report procedures apply.

In person  from 15 days before until 7 days after the deadline at any immigration office.  Probably have to arrive early and queue for a long time. Also probably will be required to fill in one of their new spy forms giving all your contact details including social media accounts in addition to the usual TM47 form (which can be downloaded and completed beforehand to save a bit of time). Shouldn't need to pay anything or bring a photo but should be prepared for anything.

Online at http://extranet.immigration.go.th from 15 days before until 7 days BEFORE deadline. System only works on Internet Explorer and produces a security warning, so use it at your own risk (virus definitions up to date?). Requires entering only basic info. even flight number is not required (although there is a field to enter it if you like) and no  Facebook etc.  System is unreliable so keep trying.  When it's not working you will be given some kind of vague error message after completing the first screen.  If you're taken to a second screen where you are asked for your visa details then it's working. You might have to try every day for a week, but eventually it will work.  Once completed your "application" will be listed as pending, check back over the next few days to get confirmation.  Once it's confirmed print out the receipt, which includes your next 90 day deadline, and keep it in your passport.

Today (29-08-2016) online site is completely unreachable, keep trying.  Success has been reported even after 7 days before the deadline, just keep trying...

Anyone selling alcohol in Thailand needs a license to do so, we know this. These days anyone using a business that sells alcohol to get a visa or work permit is going to need to know the rules and regulations intimately since the powers that be seem to be trying even harder than usual to keep Johnny Foreigner out of the land of smiles.

An alcohol license (along with cigarette licences if you are interested) can be applied for at the Provincial Area Excise Office. This is going to be a bland looking building somewhere in the provincial administration district with little or no English language signage.

A license can be acquired in an individual (Thai) name or a company name, the former will always be easier. It's best to make sure the Thai name is someone named as a director of your company if you are worried about ramifications.

Your going to need to show ID and housing registration for the individual named, a business registration for the location, these days you'll probably be asked for a DBD (Department of Business Development) registration as well, and you'll need to show a lease or proof of ownership for the location too.

Be warned, they now are demanding that any lease you show is the original, not a copy, and you get it stamped with tax stamps at your local Amphoe level administration building. They put stamps on it that look a lot like postage stamps. Used to be that this was easy, but now they will record your details and use them to calculate how much land tax will be due for the location, depending on the rent this could be A LOT OF MONEY, and since most landlords (illegally) require the tenant to pay that tax it is common practice to sign a second lease document for a dramatically lower rent level to show at government offices like these.

When the application is submitted at the excise office there will be a single sheet form to fill in (in Thai) and a fee of 1100 Baht to be paid in cash. If everything is in order you should walk out with your new license in about 10 minutes.

All licenses are dated from the 1st of January until the 31st of December and all cost the same even if it's only going to be for a few months.

Licenses to sell cigarettes can be applied for in exactly the same way, at the same time (one set of documents is enough). Cigarette licenses are separated into "Domestic" and "International" and cost 40 Baht each.

Alcohol licenses are also separated into categories. Most bars and restaurant will want a category 3 license to sell alcohol. I think this is for the alcohol to be consumed on the premises, if you are planning to sell bottles to take away I think you need a category 1 AS WELL. Maybe someone can clarify this for me?

I hope this has been informative.

Good luck.

Be warned folks, the Phuket Labour Office seem to have changed their requirements for Work Permit renewals, again.

In my case the company employing me operates a restaurant and my renewal will now, apparently, only be stamped until my companies food hygiene certificate expires. I'll get 3 months. This is madness because the food hygiene certificate currently takes months to renew and when it is finally issued it's back dated to the initial date of the application. So any work permit issued in this way will only ever be valid for the remaining 9 months of the year.

Anyone else having trouble?

I'd recommend everyone to be very pro-active in preparing your renewals this year.

What's really terrifying about this story is that, for him to so vehemently refuse to be breathalyzed, the lieutenant general presumably feared he would fail said test. So not only was one of Bangkok's most senior police officers driving while drunk, but he also thinks so little about it that he doesn't fear publicizing the fact!

Discover Thainess

Ok, this does work, eventually.

I've been trying for the last 2 weeks to get this to work, finally managed yesterday (June 16th).

I used Internet Explorer (v. 11), must have tried 10 times, every time I got a popup after completing the first page telling me to contact immigration for further information. Then yesterday, for no apparent reason it went on to the second page where you fill in your address, and from there it worked perfectly. Took less than 1 hour for it to return an 'Approved' status (they actually emailed me) and to print out my new due date slip.

This was my first report since re-entering the country at the end of March 2015. Interesting my 90 days would have been up on June 21st so I only had 5 days left, which is less than the 7 days the website says you need. I have an annual extension to a Non-Immigrant B visa, uninterrupted now for 5 years. 90 day reporting has always been a drag, especially here on Phuket this last year, so doing it online is great.

There are lots of theories going round in these forums about online reporting, I just thought I'd report my actual experience. It seems it can work, you just have to keep trying.

Good luck.

It now seems clear that Suthep and his followers now don't intend to respect the law. "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty". To be honest that seems fair enough. The problem is that this is a very dangerous direction to take. Where does it stop? Which laws should be enforced and which should not? Who decides? This is the point where the promised reconcilliation becomes absolutley essential. And yet what does Yingluk do? She issues a warrant for the arrest of the protest leader, therefore guaranteeing that reconcilliation can not happen.

To me this action seems clear grounds for a vote of no confidence in the sitting government. Is there even such a process for that in Thailand? Does anyone know?

If the worst should happen and there were to be a military cooe (just hypothetically) then who can we expect the army to support? Anyone have any thaughts? It seems clear that the Police will support the current government? Or are they just trying to appear impartial and to support the law as it stands?

Lets hope this can be settled peacefully and without the international humiliation that this country historically sufferes whenever protest take place.

They seem to be talking about those living in Thailand with work permits making application for visas in a third country. Not about business travelers.

Yes what about those of us that live here but don't work. I'm about to apply (in 90 days time) for my 4th 1 year multiple entry non imm B visa.

I'll be sending a new passport to Hull for it though as my current UK passport is full (2 blank pages or 4 sides left).

If it is going to be an issue I might consider applying for an education visa for the next year, although I'm unsure what that will me to do. Are Education visas Multiple Entry?

I don't want to have to go to immigration every 90 days, but I do want to be able to fly out of Bangkok whenever I feel like a visit to family in Hong Kong. I also don't want to go to Thai classes, I prefer to learn on my own in my own time.

Thanks for any advice.

How can you live here and not be working? You must be retired right? (that's a retirement visa then) Or perhaps you're studying? (that's an education visa) or you're here on holiday? (that's a tourist visa) or you have family dependants who have permanent right of abode in Thailand? (that's a Non-immigrant O visa).

I'm afraid that if you don't come under one of these headings then, as far as thai immigration law goes, you're not welcome. So it comes down to the same 2 options that those of us who wish to remain legal have always had, get a work permit, or get married to a Thai.

As I understand it a retirement visa is only available to people 50 years of age and older. So I don't qualify for quite a few years.

An education visa would work but although I'm trying to learn Thai, I do not want to go to a school and sit in classes to learn. I realise I can just pay for the course and not bother going (or at least I've heard that type of thing goes on a lot).

What I really wanted to avoid was constant trips to the immigration office (for no reason other than avoiding the time and inconvenience caused).

I have family in Hong Kong and Macau that I enjoy visiting whenever possible, so I would like a multiple entry visa. If I can get a Multiple Re-Entry permit then that solves that problem.

I guess I'll send my passport back to Hull again and see if they grant me another visa. If they don't then I'll consider an Ed visa.

What I will NOT consider is any overstay or using any of the 'visa fixers' that I know are out there.

And of course I do appreciate the comments and advice (even the slightly negative ones).

Cheers Gentlemen.

Not being funny or anything, but it's precisley people such as yourself that these changes are aimed at. Immigration want to discourage the permanent-tourist. Frankly I can't say I blame them. If we are not contributing in some way, financially, culturally, socially, then why should we be allowed to stay? I know no foreigner would be welcome in my country under such conditions.

Sorry friend, but the reality is you might just have to get job and start contributing.

You didn't understand his comment. Of course you need a WP, but you need a business visa to get a WP and there are two primary ways to obtain and keep a B visa. The extension the embassy is suggesting people get has more difficult requirements to fulfill, such as amount of capital, length of time business is established, and tax, which is why so many people like to get the one year outside Thailand every year then do a border run every 90 days which the 1 year visa obtained outside of Thailand requires. The one year extensions don't require the 90 days entry/exit, but you have to get a re-entry permit before you leave in order to keep the visa "alive".

Not true at all. You always need a work permit to work.

I do understand his comment, but it's not relevant in this context.

The reason I say it's not relevant, is because many people (myself included, hence my interest) obtain a 12 month (and hence multiple entry) Business Visa for the specific purpose of being able to come and go within a 12 month period and conduct business here on behalf of a overseas business. In my example a 12 month Business Visa is the correct and only appropriate class of visa.

If someone wants to apply for a work permit, then my understanding (and please accept my apology if this understanding is wrong) is that they can get a single entry (3 month) business visa and apply for a work permit and extension of stay on arrival. That would be appropriate for someone who intends to work in Thailand, in my circumstance (and I suspect many others like me) I do NOT WISH TO WORK, and I don't want an extension of stay either, I just want to be able to come and go as I please and conduct business whilst I'm here, hence my 12 month business visa.

You're absolutley right but you misunderstand one key point, if you want to 'conduct business' in Thailand then you need a work permit, full stop. If you just want to come and go then you can get a tourist visa.

The new system is actually much better than the old one. It's specifically designed to encourage legal investment inside Thailand through the legally registered Thai companies that sponsor the WP's and are required to legally 'conduct business' in Thailand.

Once you have your one year permit to stay and work permit (the dates will be synchronised) you can visit immigration and get a one year multiple entry re-entry permit stamped in you passport. You can then come and go as you please and legally conduct business in Thailand.

I disagree, and so do the Thai consulates that issue me with B visas, and so do immigration.

I am allowed to conduct business in Thailand with a B visa, I do not have a work permit and do not require one because I don't wish to work here.

Too many people get confused about a B visa, just because you require one in order to get a Work Permit does not mean that you require a Work Permit in order to have a B visa.

Be very careful. The term 'work' is broadly defined for the purposes of immigration law in Thailand as 'any work or effort, be it physical or intellectual, that provides any reward, financial or not'. Notice that under this intentionally vague definition you could actually be charged with working illegally just for dragging yourself out of bed in the morning, since we all know how big an 'effort' that can be.

The point is that the definition is kept vague in order to maximise the potential for catching and punishing the many foreigners who do work illegally.

Be careful. Your B visa allows you to 'operate' a business, yes, but it does not actually allow you to do anything, anything at all, in the spectrum of the real world, to actually run it.

All it would take would be one enthusiastic report to immitgration (and perhaps a small payment) and you could suddenly find yourself facing a fine, deportation, and time in the holding cells at immigration.

The pupose of the B visa is, and always has been, to allow a non-Thai national to be listed as 'director' of a Thai based company and/or to be able to apply for a work permit. As such the one-year permit-to-stay extension system is perfect. The multiple-B was never needed, and is now being phased out because of the loop-hole where people get them through companies with Thai-nominee shareholders. If your company is legal, and has legal Thai workers, then it is the easiest thing in the world to get a one year extension. Well, no harder than the multiple-B was to get anyway.

The main difference for the bonefide business traveller is that the one-year extension has to be arranged in Thailand and not at a foreign consulate or embassy. I can see how that would be inconvenient.

Clearly the system is not set up with the regular business traveller in mind. There's certainly nothing convenient about Thai immigration law, but when has there ever been? But unfortunatley if you want to do any kind of work at all in the Kingdom of Thailand, even if it's just one day a year, then your expected to have a WP.

They seem to be talking about those living in Thailand with work permits making application for visas in a third country. Not about business travelers.

Yes what about those of us that live here but don't work. I'm about to apply (in 90 days time) for my 4th 1 year multiple entry non imm B visa.

I'll be sending a new passport to Hull for it though as my current UK passport is full (2 blank pages or 4 sides left).

If it is going to be an issue I might consider applying for an education visa for the next year, although I'm unsure what that will me to do. Are Education visas Multiple Entry?

I don't want to have to go to immigration every 90 days, but I do want to be able to fly out of Bangkok whenever I feel like a visit to family in Hong Kong. I also don't want to go to Thai classes, I prefer to learn on my own in my own time.

Thanks for any advice.

How can you live here and not be working? You must be retired right? (that's a retirement visa then) Or perhaps you're studying? (that's an education visa) or you're here on holiday? (that's a tourist visa) or you have family dependants who have permanent right of abode in Thailand? (that's a Non-immigrant O visa).

I'm afraid that if you don't come under one of these headings then, as far as thai immigration law goes, you're not welcome. So it comes down to the same 2 options that those of us who wish to remain legal have always had, get a work permit, or get married to a Thai.

Because it allows you to live and work in Thailand legally for a year.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Not true at all. You always need a work permit to work.

You didn't understand his comment. Of course you need a WP, but you need a business visa to get a WP and there are two primary ways to obtain and keep a B visa. The extension the embassy is suggesting people get has more difficult requirements to fulfill, such as amount of capital, length of time business is established, and tax, which is why so many people like to get the one year outside Thailand every year then do a border run every 90 days which the 1 year visa obtained outside of Thailand requires. The one year extensions don't require the 90 days entry/exit, but you have to get a re-entry permit before you leave in order to keep the visa "alive".

I do understand his comment, but it's not relevant in this context.

The reason I say it's not relevant, is because many people (myself included, hence my interest) obtain a 12 month (and hence multiple entry) Business Visa for the specific purpose of being able to come and go within a 12 month period and conduct business here on behalf of a overseas business. In my example a 12 month Business Visa is the correct and only appropriate class of visa.

If someone wants to apply for a work permit, then my understanding (and please accept my apology if this understanding is wrong) is that they can get a single entry (3 month) business visa and apply for a work permit and extension of stay on arrival. That would be appropriate for someone who intends to work in Thailand, in my circumstance (and I suspect many others like me) I do NOT WISH TO WORK, and I don't want an extension of stay either, I just want to be able to come and go as I please and conduct business whilst I'm here, hence my 12 month business visa.

You're absolutley right but you misunderstand one key point, if you want to 'conduct business' in Thailand then you need a work permit, full stop. If you just want to come and go then you can get a tourist visa.

The new system is actually much better than the old one. It's specifically designed to encourage legal investment inside Thailand through the legally registered Thai companies that sponsor the WP's and are required to legally 'conduct business' in Thailand.

Once you have your one year permit to stay and work permit (the dates will be synchronised) you can visit immigration and get a one year multiple entry re-entry permit stamped in you passport. You can then come and go as you please and legally conduct business in Thailand.

There is a rumor going around Phuket that applications for the standard 30 day extension on a tourist visa must now be made two weeks before the original expiry of permission to stay date. That is to say that if my friends passport says he is allowed to stay another eight days, for instance, then it's already too late for him to get a 30 day extension.

Can anyone confirm or deny this rumor? I can find no reference in the forums here to any such rule.

Thanx

Allow the pharmacy to sell it to the kid, then arrest the kid. How's the kid supposed to know it's illegal if the pharmacy just sells it to him no questions asked? The pharmacist sure as hel_l knew what he was doing when he sold it to the kid, yet we aren't reading about him getting arrested and paying big fines are we?

This most certainly is Thailand isn't it.

BTW, valium is no more dangerous a drug than the alcohol some of you are complaining it might end up mixed with. What's more dangerous, a sedative with minimal side effects or a stimulant that causes loss of co-ordination and reasoning ability, exaggerated confidence, dehydration, and eventually unconsciousness. All my life I have struggled to understand why so many relatively harmless drugs are controlled/restricted, while one of the worst of the lot is openly available world-wide. It's not just Thailand that's crazy.

Real world calling here, you guys all over-estimate the influence of spirituality. This issue is a more basic one of Thai mentality. The fact is that Thai people are selfish. They don't actually care about other people. If you don't care then why do something silly like indicate? It doesn't help you yourself in any way, doesn't ease your drive, so why bother? That's the Thai mentality. You see it everywhere in every day life here.

It's 'cos of the way they're brought up, look out for yourself and your own at all costs, 'cos they will look after you when you are old/injured/unemployed/lazy/drunk. What does it matter what you do to other people? What does it matter if you kill other people? Sure you get bad karma, but that's when you go to the temple and buy an expensive amulet (sorry, not 'buy', receive in exchange for a generous donation) and wide it all away.

Fascinating people

The artical lists Makro amongst the stores partaking in this revolutionary scheme. Someone aught to get there facts straight. Makro is a cash and carry, and like all cash and carry's it always has charged for plastic bags, in all its stores. Of course this isn't out of any sense of environmental responsibility but rather simple economics. The premise is simple, if you sell the bags you make money from them and can afford to keep other costs down. This results in lower costs to the cunsumer at the end of the day.

Now this begs the question why other major retailers haven't taken this supposedly bold step long ago, aspecially when you consider the positive spin of the perceived environmental awareness. In my native England the major retailers have all been doing this for many years now.

Also, conspicuous in its absence from the list is Carrefeur. I'm sure that in it's native France the retail giant has long ago begun charging for plastic bags and pretending it's because of the environment. So why not here? The answer is simple, this is Thailand. Thai people lack the required sense of responsibility ah, oh, how to say, they just don't care.

Lets not forget that the work permit (according to Thai "law") belongs to the company and not the individual. If the application/renewal fee increases then it is the company employing the alien that is liable to pay these fees, not the alien themselves.

If you are genuinely employed by a company then you shouldn't need to worry about it at all as your employer should pay it for you. If your company is making you pay the fee then they are breaking the law. The exception of course is when you employ yourself, in which case you are your own employer, and you yourself are liable for the fees.

I have one simple question,

Can I get a 1 year multiple entry non-immigrant B visa from Singapore?

I already have a work permit. My last non-im B came from Penang where they issued me with a single entry (about as much use as a chocolate tea pot!) but told me I could get a multiple entry once I had my work permit.

Well, I now have my work permit but I don't want to go to Penang. Everyone says that Singapore is notoriously strict, but does anyone out there know if they'll give me a multiple entry?

I'd be glad to read about any experiences you guys have had.

Captain Jack