DrPhibes

Power company has been installing new very high voltage line along the second ring road.  I can see power cuts as this new system is brought online.

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Windows XP.

regards Worgeordie

And an illegal copy of XP at that!  Swear I thought I saw one of the banks computers running Win 3.11, made me miss writing my own batch files for things...

On 9/29/2019 at 8:19 PM, kingofthemountain said:

555

no it's not an ''issan thing''

it's more a farmer thing

how do you think they can communicate from one ricefield to another if they don't speak loud?

 

Agree, sort of.  In the wife's village, some of the houses are not that far apart and since all the windows are open during the day, it is not uncommon to see a conversation going on between the houses and they are not yelling.  Have seen the wife in one room downstairs talk to the maid who is upstairs deep in aother room with just the door open.  She counts on how echo of the house to carry her voice.  Wife has two conversation voice modulations, loud and mumbling.  years of pointing this out to no avail.

On 9/29/2019 at 9:19 PM, bwpage3 said:

Isaan life, you either accept it or move.

 

I accepted it, even the roosters at 4 AM don't bother me!

Ya, the crowing time is a genetic thing as I understand it.  I hear the 4am roosters make the best soup stock ???? 

Just popped in for a liter of the Octoberfest which may run out about Oct 5-6th.  Found it very yummy with pork knuckle.

Wife called the number for them you gave us in another post a while ago when error discovered.  Have shifted my plans to exit and return on Oct 16, 2 days before expiration date, giving me another 90 days and then head back to the US a bit early for tax season thus avoiding the whole extension thing.

Thanks again for your time Joe

8 hours ago, SenorJorge said:

I nearly always go home resting assured that my money is being put to good use by the family.  ????

 

Ya, then later you get this call...

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

It seems very odd they only issued your non-o visa for 6 months. Are you sure it was not a error when they did the visa sticker.

Immigration cannot not fix visas. It can only be done at the Consular Affairs Department of the MFA.

 

1. If you have a multiple entry non-o visa you will get a new 90 day entry as long as you enter prior its valid until date.

   You could also apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife to get more time for 400k baht to be in bank for 2 months.

2. Your extension will be valid for one year. If you want to travel you will need to get a re-entry permit to keep it valid when you enter the country.

Yup, very unusual.  MFA would not do anything about it, tried.  My belief is that immigration wants me to go through the extension process to vetted if I really am living with my wife and kids here in CM.  

Good to know on the 90 days that extends past the use by date.  Too bad I'm short about 10 days to go back to the US for tax season, could avoid the whole extension process.

Thanks for your help U. Joe

Because the Consulate in Los Angeles saw to give me only 6mo on my Visa (instead of the normal year) and it can not be fixed according to Immigration in Bangkok, I am going to have to do my 1st extension based on marriage. I have scoured the TV forums but can not find the answers to these Q's:

1. If I cross a border and return right near the expiration date of the multi-entry Visa, will I get 90 more days to stay in the Kingdom or is the Visa expiration date mean have to be out after that date.  Reason is it will be close seasoning the 400k.

2. Will my extension be the same as my current visa as a multi-entry visa?

Thanks in advance everyone.

2 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Some could probably get a decent beer joke out of this one.

Ya, after an 8 pack, I always think I have abs and the libido of a Lion.

Always willing to help out.

For that amount of $, I hope they get the pools re-done and weight area revamped!  Geez, that much money for yard work and a bit of cement seating!

11 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

I guess I had an informal wedding in addition to doing the official thing at the Amphur.  No monks, other than feeding some passing monks at 0 dark 30 in the morning.  Then there were odd things throughout the day, like putting a bowl of fruit and flowers by an ancestor's picture on the wall.  I kept asking if we we were married yet.  We finally fed and boozed about 100 people and they dropped us off at my house later in the evening.  They hooted and hollered and left, thank God. Maybe a $500 USD wedding with food and booze to spare.  Stuff was cheap 41 years ago.

Yup, my experience also about 18 yrs ago.  About $500 for everything (except sinsot).  Crazy night and day.  The night before, all the guys about 4 sheets to the wind, I was taken out with a large hoe to kill the cow we bought (part of the $500) for the feast the next day. They were convincing me that I needed to hit the cow from in front to hit the spinal cord just behind the head.  Being a hunter in my youth, it was not the dispatching of the animal as much as the method.  Another 1/2 bottle of Mekong for each of us and I was ready.  As I worked up the animal in me to do the deed raising the hoe to crash down with all my might, I was taken down by 4 guys who were laughing and me very confused and amped up!  It was all a joke to see if I would do it.  Even more interesting was how they did in the cow.  They fashioned a long sharp bamboo spear and went in the chest from the front to sever one of the major heart arteries and comforted the cow as it bled out.  Very humane. 

The guys philosophy was that no man should marry unless drunk and hung over or else he would not do it.  I took their advice, and am happier than <deleted>.

16 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

So says Samuel Clemens

8 hours ago, wes360 said:

The problem with the elite visa is what do I get for half a million bhat ? Why should we pay half a million bhat to stay in Thailand just because we are under 50 or not married to a Thai if we was we would only have to pay 10,000 for 5 years, at least with a ed visa I'm getting something for the extra money I'm paying to stay here, like my new visa will cost me 68k bhat but I will get training 2x a day 6x a week for one year and get to stay here for a year a elite visa will cost me 100k a year and I get some free taxis and other stuff I'm not interested in, always makes me laugh how everyone on here (I don't mean you) is always pushing the elite visa like it's worth it how many people on here that is over 50 or married to a Thai have a elite visa ? 

Actually, quite a few TV contributors have had negative things to say about the Elite Visa.  The contributors are just offing you some ways for you to stay here you may not have thought of.  Unfortunately, this is not our country.  We are only guests and like any guest, the host may decide to hand you your hat when the host does not like you anymore.  If you have followed what has happening here over the last few of years where free visas are given out like candy on Halloween to guests from certain countries while the requirements for the rest of us staying here have increased, such as bank deposits in the bank of 800,000 3 months seasoning prior to retirement extension and then have to keep 400k minimum in the bank all year round, you get what the picture.  The message is clear.  You want to stay here, you have to pay and be bothered by the like of TM-30 and such so the agents can keep money coming to the IO's.  You can always walk out of the door yourself if you don't like the party.

I'm looking for that and where to drop off dead electronics.  Wife's 3 tablets are down to one due to 1.5yr old.  Not economic to fix.

19 hours ago, Gumballl said:

RIP.

 

Now if only the long-lasting series itself would die.

Ah, Dr Who.  Grew up on Dr Who. 

Who could ever forget the decision of the 4th Dr not to eradicate the Dialeks for good!  My daughter really got into it after the reboot.  So much so, her 10th B-day party was all Dr Who.  Inspired by her love of the show, I went a little overboard (no such thing as an ex-engineer), Red Velvet Tardis cake, Cassandra Lasagna, and all.  Even took a Tardis shower curtain and made the guests go down a narrow hallway to pass through the curtain to enter the big party room (It's smaller on the outside).  How many things (aside from a good book) can you share from generation to generation such as this.  We even went to the sold out (for months) 50th anniversary (Day of the Dr) Sonic Screwdrivers and all at the movie theater (it was broadcast live to 94 countries and shown in 3d at the same time in other countries if no simulcast).  My kids will never forget that generational bonding experience.  Yes, not every episode or Dr. was a knockout, but that does not matter.  It is the idea of the show that has made it so iconic.  RIP Terrance, I can't thank you enough for the memories.

16 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The new ENRON of the East .

regards Worgeordie

Ya beat me to it!

On 9/1/2019 at 2:09 PM, malibukid said:

F*****g lift lines at Mammoth

Big Bear mid-week not so bad.

1 hour ago, Ashto said:

Extract of an email today from Thai Elite attached. I’m sure they’ll tell you if you ask them.

They do not know what they are talking about.  A hotel will not issue you a TM-30, it is electronic reporting and the government will have it on record.  If you rent a place, you are equally on the hook to make sure a TM-30 has been filed.  If your landlord will not do it, you must do it and you will be fined if not done on time. That is the bulk of the bitching that is coming from expats that rent, we are on the hook to make sure it is filed or we get fined or denied 90 reporting or denied or fined for visa extensions.

17 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Not only the freezing cold aircon, but beer is now banned on trains. They just don't realise when they screw up what was an enjoyable experience. They have lost income from selling beer, plus what used to be an excellent service.

Yes, it was very sad that a young girl was murdered by a temporary SRT employee, who was not only drunk on duty, but also a drug addict. IIRC he got the job through a family member working for SRT.

The rubbish knee jerk reaction was to ban the sale of alcohol.

 

What do I know, I'm just a customer who enjoyed the train service twenty years ago, until a couple of years ago and now have to put up with a rubbish service that claims it's an improvement. Pah!

Not to mention the Disco music, glitter ball hit by lasers, and cramped dancing in the dining car at 9pm on the BKK to CM route.  Was the bomb!

1 hour ago, DJ54 said:

Any good Mexican in NE Udon Thani or Khon Kaen...

Salsa Kitchen if you ever get to Chiang Mai.   Tasty.

20 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Ah, is this another installment of The Big Nose who's Thaier than Thou, thing? 

 

Anyway, sure, I like Thai food but don't chain myself to it.  Why?   I really enjoyed Arabic food, and the food of their various slaves, while living in the Gulf for many years, but I didn't do it 7x a week.  Nor did I with Greek living in Greece.  Or Japanese living in Japan.  I wasn't choking down hot dogs and hamburgers every day in the US of A either.

 

I've recently developed a craft beer fetish after a couple months abroad, so I'm all into that, spending over the odds in Thailand for it, but it's a nice change of pace from swilling the local Thai <deleted> soaked in ice cubes.  You gotta live a little! 

Agree with the craft beer.  Chiang Mai German Microbrewery (only microbrewery in the North) just reopened here in CM after being closed for few years.  I used to live in Fort Collins, CO with a thriving independent brew scene.  This is a welcome treat!

15 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Watch and observe what happens over the coming months. Unless you are working or married, you will not get a visa in the region. Those people will be expected to apply for extensions in Thailand, not get visa after visa.
Others will need to apply for visas in their country of passport. The days of visa after visa are coming to an end.

Agree, I have been in Thailand for 3 years on a Non-O with my wife and kids here.  Teen kinds in school, all on the up and up.  Go back to the US to work each year and get my 1yr Non-O as a US citizen each time I leave for Thailand.  Have to step out of the country every 90 days.  Go to prepare for my first step over the border this year and discover I only have a 6mo visa.  After several calls to the Thai officials here and the US Thai consulate in Los Angeles (who would not return any e-mails), I can not get my visa fixed.  It must be extended in Thailand.  My reasoning is that I have too may Non-O stamps in my passport and they want to make sure I am truly married and living with my wife.  Had I not caught it early, I would not have time to get the 400k transferred in a timely manner or would have overstayed. 

Another Thai elite family sucking off the governments teat.