mstevens

Suffered burglaries twice in Bangkok, each time in (different) condo buildings. Never been burgled in New Zealand.

Had my car broken in to once in New Zealand, never in Thailand.

Had my car damaged where someone ran a key over the bonnet of it in Thailand, nothing like that ever happened in New Zealand.

For me, I personally suffered more crime in Thailand than New Zealand.

9 hours ago, humbug said:

Using the visa two times for extension is kinda multi-entry, it's not difficult for immigration to stamp 'used' once you have gained the 2nd extension of 180 days, within a validity of a 5 year visa

 

 

That sounds like double-entry and mot multiple-entry. Until now, multiple-entry has always meant "as many times as you like until the visa expires". I simply cannot see multiple-entry suddenly meaning only two entries. Makes no sense and goes against the convention they have always used.

12 hours ago, humbug said:

That article is a mess, in fact that news site has always been a mess to read on most articles

 

Integrity legal from a pattaya mail article in my mind hit the nail on their youtube on dtv

 

180 days then one more 180 days then the 5 year visa is void

What you say might turn out to be true. But why does it say the visa is multiple-entry then?!

5 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

The face of Thailand is going to change with these visa changes. 

 

Go look on Indian forum immigration pages. You have people already preparing to move here for a long time, and looking to come here to work. 

 

The sheer vast numbers is going to be ridiculous. 

 

Especially during the peak season when most tourists venture here - can you imagine the numbers now? 

 

Enviromentally a disaster for some of Thailand's most natural beauties. 

 

Quality tourism over Quantity was the reset mantra during covid they wanted. Thrown out the window. 

I welcome an influx of immigrants. Thailand's birth rate is low and without allowing more immigrants, the population could go backwards. Thailand is doing what many Western countries are doing and opening the door to allow more people in.

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

Do you have any problem with hoarseness?

Not at all!

58 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Then how often on average do you use Symbicort? The instructions say to use twice a day.

I use Symbicort once in the morning and in the cooler months, once before bed.

11 minutes ago, JoeRan said:

Ventolin is a rescue inhaler when experiencing an asthma attack( mild or major). Symbicort is a maintenance inhaler for respiratory issues. Two completely different meds. Speak to a real Dr and don’t take advice from keyboard Dr’s. 

Symbicort can be used as a relief inhaler - as I have for close to 20 years - and it should be noted that Ventolin is also prescribed to ease breathing difficulties due to COPD.

Have you tried using one of the old-style Ventolin inhalers? Much cheaper than Symbicort. This said, for what it's worth, I found Ventolin could sometimes dry out my throat whereas Symbicort doesn't. But Ventolin inhalers are so cheap it's worth giving one a go. Note: I use these inhalers for asthma and not COPD.

Elsewhere, it is being reported that the guy who took a kicking to the head has died.

If the poor guy really has died, this story is going to be reported all around the world. Another black eye for Thailand, and Pattaya especially.

26 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

a thai friend is not a 100% solution to everything

That's true, but it can be very helpful in situations like this.

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I don't understand this statute of limitations nonsense. If a crime has been committed then keep going until a verdict is reached. Why do cases have an expiry date? Suddenly the alleged crime doesn't count anymore? Time's up. Nothing to see here. Move on. Red Bull guy next, only one more charge against him to go before he can arrive back in Thailand with a huge grin on his face., free as a bird after allegedly killing a cop. No court necessary. On your way, son.

It's a fair point you make. But let's not forget that over time memories of events so long ago are forgotten, documents are lost, all of which would make it very hard for someone to defend charges brought against them.

Let's take a totally imaginary situation. The police knock on your door and say you're being arrested and will be charged with statutory rape of a 17-year-old who you met in a bar in 2005 and went on to have sexual relations with. You're going to be wheeled in to court and have to defend yourself in a situation with a person making very serious accusations against you that you simply don't recall. Charge someone in that situation shortly after the event and odds are they'd remember it. Charge them many years later and they might have zero recall and therefore almost zero ability to defend themselves, especially if they had been a voracious bar hound.

Happened to me twice. Both times went along to hospital and the doc cleaned the wax out and all was well again.

On 5/14/2024 at 12:21 AM, JoeyMac said:

Phuket, near Patong beach - coming of a motorbike taxi with shopping. As i come off, my bag falls, and a motorcyclist, goes over the bag and falls. Nothing more to it, it was a pure accident, but i believe judging by everyones reaction it was my fault. The driver of bike did get up and seemed fine, but then an ambulance turned up.

It's a concern that an ambulance turned up. That usually costs a good few thousand baht at least....and I expect the OP would be in the gun for that.

On 5/14/2024 at 6:50 AM, kiwikeith said:

Thai government pays for his deportation, same as NZ government pays to deport thai overstayers 

Actually, this is not right at all, or only half right. In the case of a Thai (or anyone else) being deported from New Zealand, yes, the NZ government pays.

But for foreigners being deported from Thailand, that person must pay for the flights themselves. There have been many cases of foreigners sent to the Immigration Detention Centre who have had to somehow raise money for their air ticket out of Thailand. They are reliant on family or friends. In some cases, they cannot raise the funds are stuck in the system for a long time.

2 hours ago, Hammerite said:

The New Zealanders  I have met,  really dislike being labelled as Kiwis. 

Does this mean we can call Pakistanis the P word? Or Chinese the C word etc etc . 

Double standards as usual!!

Most New Zealanders aged 40 or 45 up will be totally fine with being termed a "Kiwi". It's really only the new generation, particularly the wokesters who don't like it as they see it as being an old term from the colonial times.....

On 5/13/2024 at 5:25 PM, Jonathan Swift said:

And that's what we don't know. Maybe he just couldn't afford life there any more and this was his only option, but was unable to navigate the legit options. I couldn't afford life in the US any more. Maybe he got bad advice from others, other overstayers. Lord knows, in 10 years I've gotten a lot of bad advice which I knew not to follow. We don't know what his story is, so we shouldn't make assumptions. I feel bad for anyone his age in this predicament, he could end up homeless on the streets on NZ. 

This guy is going to be in for a shock when he gets back to New Zealand. The cost of living here has sky-rocketed over the past 5 years, and that was off a fairly high base. Sadly, New Zealand has a bad combination of a high coast of living and comparatively low salaries (about 25% lower than Australia, for example). He will be able to get some government assistance but it probably won't be enough to lead anything more than the most basic existence. Even getting a place of his own might be difficult and he could end up in a boarding house, and those places are, to be frank, a nightmare.