StevieAus

On 12/21/2022 at 5:34 PM, Tropposurfer said:

 

I ask myself knowing the little but reality and truth of LOS what happens that a falang woman marries a Thai man and expects anything else but to be used, cheated on, and abandoned.

Same same all over LOS for either falang marrying Thais and or Thais marrying Thais. Cheat and adultery is a national cultural pastime. 

And people decry falangs as philanderer, butterfly men!.

I think you will find that it's a worldwide problem not only in Thailand. 

Unfortunately not all men are hard working, honest and faithful to their wives like all the posters on this site!!!!!!!!! 

13 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

And thank gosh it’s not Oz. No harm, no foul. 

The police are smarter in Australia than where you come from they try to get the drunks off the road before they kill someone not after. 

On 12/13/2022 at 8:57 AM, mikebell said:

It's the same with 2nd hand amulets which can be very expensive; the buyers never question the fact that all the previous owners are dead.

The tenants of one of our buildings buy and sell amulets and they are very much alive, also seem to be doing very well.

Yes unfortuately they have no regard for the time day or night. 

My Guinea Fowl are worse if they are disturbed you have a full chorus. 

14 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

and no driverslicense??? no points to deduct ....It is not the system it is the enforcement of the laws.. Start with a working policeforce 24 hrs a day and not from 9 to 5. and everyone has to show a license a t a checkpoint and not only the tax sticker on the window..

Plus of course those who are caught at checkpoints and booked for no licence, helmet, registration, insurance etc are allowed to drive away continuing to commit the offence. 

Another option you might want to consider is that if you  go to the UK Passports site they have an online enquiry facility.

We used it when we applied for our daughter’s UK passport.

We found it very useful with prompt replies.

If you outline the situation of the mother/ daughter I am sure you will get some assistance as this cannot be an irregular situation.

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Or when your dead.

Probably too late then don’t you think?

I think it would assist if they concentrated on trying to teach the kids to speak English rather than worrying about the grammar. 

Also I have come across teachers trying to teach them English in Thai not sure how that works. 

The other issue is that when they go home they naturally speak Thai so there is no practice. 

I find with my six year old who speaks excellent English that apart from with me and my Thai wife she speaks Thai expected I suppose. 

The problem is that as with most other government departments each office makes its own rules and these Amphurs are no different. 

I experienced similar problems years ago until as suggested below I produced the brown envelope. 

All the problems evaporated and I then received VIP service. 

You can also get a pink ID card as part of the process. 

6 hours ago, HuaHinHim said:

What’s a well heeled foreigner? I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, married to a Thai with a daughter. Purchased property that can only be in my wife’s name, a vehicle and payed school fees plus all the extras foreigners are charged. I get a non o visa every year at an exorbitant price. Have I qualified yet? In comparison my wife’s last visa for my home country was less than US$100 and was valid until the expiry date in her passport at the time (almost 5 years). I mean am I well heeled enough?

I am interested in some of your comments and if I may say they are incorrect,

I am married to a Thai lady and have a daughter.

We have in addition to our home two businesses and several blocks of investment land.

Utilising the User Fruc provision my name is also on most of these.

Regarding your visa you can have a retirement extension or marriage visa the cost of both is minimal.

What are the extra costs you pay as a foreigner ?

Your daughter if you choose can receive almost free education and medical treatment if she is Thai.

If you choose for her to go to a private school and receive treatment through the private system as do I that is your choice as it would be in your home country

Regarding the cost of the visit of your wife to the US if she was not married to you how much would It cost and how easy would it be?

My Thai wife and daughter can visit Australia at no cost and do not need a visa as they are also Australian citizens although not born in AUstralia, does your country not give them this ?

If you were a 50 year old Thai male and had the equivalent of 800 00 baht that you were prepared to leave in a bank account in your country could you turn up on a flight, visa exempt  and stay indefinitely?

I doubt you could, certainly  not in my country Australia, or any western countries I can think of.

In conclusion if you have lived here for twenty years, if the country is so bad why haven’t you retuned to your Utopian homeland ?

9 hours ago, Snig27 said:

The government will need to go to their bosses at Boonrawd and Thai Bev as they did when the the people of Thailand asked that the brewing laws be changed. It was the duopoly that made the decision to say no to the people of Thailand and passed on the instruction to Prayut, their servant. Much as they had done when they blocked online sales and had him introduce advertising bans that they could bypass with their water brands. 

I cannot imagine that the two organizations to which you refer,would have any concern about relaxing the restrictions on the sale of alcohol between the hours of 2pm-5pm as they would only gain.

After saying that however despite the law it is freely available if you know where to ask, including most hotels in tourists areas.

I suspect it is more related to the influence from the conservative side of Thai society and the Buddhist influence, they are all terrified that they will suffer in the afterlife if they don’t comply.

4 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

They forget to mention: Normal affordable prices for wine.

4 hours ago, Archie Baker said:

I don't give two flying hoots what the Thais do and what they buy on the side of the road. In the sticks they have made lao khao for decades. I tried it 25 years ago when I first moved to Thailand, whacky stuff. 

 

They have been making cut ethanol with botanicals and colouring for years, bottling in branded bottles & selling it in many pubs and night clubs. Mix Thai whiskey with coke and hey man it's ok.  Look around and see the extensive market for second hand alcohol bottles, huh!

 

On the other side of the spectrum, you underestimate the potential for micro pubs and Thai entrepreneurs.  Look at the gin market globally and you don't think the savvy Thais with a few bob will not capitalise? And what's more I can legally have my own still and make my own quality gin without fear at a tenth if the cost, just need a measly 300B licence courtesy of my wife of course and allowed to legally keep 200 litres, not much I know but enough. 

200 liters of gin would keep me going for a long time.

If you can produce some that tastes like Bombay Saphire you have a customer.

14 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Udon Thani Bangkok Hospital took deposits about a year ago for Midernas second generation (Bivalent). vaccines.  I got 3 for about 1800 each.  My wife has a reciept.

 

Reminds me I better call and find out when they are expected. 

 

It was such a disasterous rollout for people who had pre ordered vaccines a few years back.  The Thai Red Cross ended up taking 40% of the delivery to resell and it seemed the government was determined to make it very difficult unless it was Sinovac or Astra.

 

Hopefully smoother this time around. 

I live in the North and myself and many expats got two shots of AZ from the local hospital without any drama and for free.

Later got a Moderna which had been pre ordered and paid for plus another Modena for free.

Sinovac  never mentioned.

On 10/23/2022 at 12:23 PM, Will B Good said:

What's Lana?

I may not have spelt it correctly but it’s the “ local language” they speak in the North.

20 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I have found in recent years more and more companies I call on the phone, they can certainly speak English..... but are really lacking in understanding English and anything outside of the parrot English they have learnt <deleted> them.

Thats when I switch to speaking Thai.... they then understand what Iam asking.

 

Same happens in my work, my dept has 30 employees, all speak fluent English.... maybe 5 of them understand English which then means the daily morning meeting whilst conducted in English resorts to Thai to get the answers needed.

You are fortunate that you are able to speak Thai, one thing that has been reaffirmed do to me since living in Thailand and experiencing my daughter learn English, is that I am pleased English is my first language.

5 hours ago, Lantern said:

From my experience "customer service" does not exist in Thailand.

Obviously dealing with different places than me over the last eleven years and also had great service from local Makro.

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Not simple at all, unless one speaks Thai.

I have found in recent years that most of the big companies, banks etc including my insurer have people who speak pretty good English.

I have found you have to listen carefully and speak slowly.

I do admit that as my Thai is very very basic it is handy to have the wife who speaks the National Thai, Lana and good English to assist.

I got caught with some spares sent from the UK a few years ago probably because they came through DHL or  someone similar.

If you can send them by normal mail they often seem to slip through without the tax.

4 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Does this mean the signs outside Makro and other supermarkets and department stores saying effectively  "no mask-no entry" cannot be enforced?

Some government person made a comment about your point recently, to the effect that private organisations can require you to wear a mask if they so wish.

Despite what many may believe I understand they can refuse to allow you to enter their premises without giving a reason.

3 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

Sorry to hear. I have my US Social Security deposited into my American bank. From there I transfer $2200.00 through Wise pulled from my bank and transferred into my Bangkok Bank Account like clockwork every month to meet the required monthly deposit transferred from abroad. Ordering the transfer via Wise, you are asked for the reason of the transfer. Scroll down through the reasons and you will see “for long term stay”. Check that box and it comes directly as an FTT transfer. Do not check the box and it can come through an intermediary bank not meeting the FTT notation.

As I mentioned below I do exactly the same as you from Australia but using different company OFX which doesn’t put it directly into my Bangkok Bank account but through an Intermediary.

Do you know if Transferwise will send money from Australia?

9 hours ago, keithkarmann said:

Had the same problem about 3 years ago. Transfers with Wise to Bangkok bank not recognised as International transfers as they have to go through another Thai bank first. So had to open a Kasikorn bank account to transfer money that was then recognised as an international transfer by the Thai immigration. Had no problem since.

Are you still using Wise?

I have used OFX an Australian company for over 10 years and have been happy with the service, rates etc.

It seems they transfer the money ‘ elsewhere’ in Thailand before it comes to my Bangkok Bank account hence it showing BTN and not FTT.

Wondering if I open a Kasikorn  account it will fix the problem.

Failing that I suppose I have to just deposit the 800,000baht.

I don’t want this drama with  Immigration.