StevieAus

Totally agree on the subject of homework, our three and a half year old daughter goes to a private school here in Northern Chiang Mai Province, mainly because they have a heavy emphasis on learning English and so she has access to other kids.Yet she comes home with homework which mainly is coloring in exercises, beggars belief.

On the subject of speaking English at home fortunately because my Thai is abysmal that’s all that occurs between my daughter and myself, her Thai mother speaks excellent English so they rotate between Thai, Lana and English often leaving me in the

dark.

I wonder if this is part of the problem with the low standard of English here, they learn at school but don’t or can’t practice at home ?

Finally on the subject of car safety I see kids leaving school standing up on the front seat of the car, I have suggested to the junior school principal that they educate both the parents and the kids on the dangers.

Unfortunately it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

A great article by the way.

I bought some from Rimping at their Meechok store I think the brand was Remstenberg but that was some time ago.

I have found them pretty good in ordering products particularly if you have the old container with the barcode.

If you go to one store they will be able to tell you if they have the product available elsewhere and have it transferred. It will save you tre king around the city.

On 2/21/2020 at 11:22 AM, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I have seen them do it with my own eyes more than once, so denying police do it doesn't work with me. There is a depth of stupidity beyond belief when they do it especially to those who aren't wearing a helmet. They know the dangers as people have died from exactly this before, so the cop should be charged with murder, pure and simple.

I understand that the police in the UK are now authorized to use “ force” including “ stingers” roll out nail mats to stop motorcyclists who fail to stop.

Should they’ve charged with murder as well ?

Perhaps if you were the victim of these people you might think differently.

PS research the definition of murder I think you are way off the track.

11 hours ago, treetops said:

Yes.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coming-to-the-uk/faster-travel-through-the-uk-border

Many thanks for your reply somehow I must have missed this advice.

On the last occasion there was one Immigration Officer dealing with Non EU passports as we all hold Aus passports it could have saved time and not have to listen to a group of foul mouth guys from the Indian Sub Continent.

Having read the document out of interest I found towards the end the statement that holders of Biometric Passports from Australia, NZ, USA, Canada etc can continue to use the E- gates

I presume they are referring to the gates used by holders of UK and EU passports.

I have visited the UK a few times in recent years usually entering through Manchester and have joined the non EU passport line which on the last occasion took almost two hours.

Can anyone with the above passports confirm if my understanding is correct and that I can join the line with UK EU passport holders.

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

When it comes to applying the law in this country, nothing is ' unbelievable' and money can buy everyone and everything, well, almost...

Do you really think that doesn’t happens in other countries as well have a look at some of the cases in the US ?

Money and influence talks everywhere.

6 hours ago, digibum said:

 

This is pretty much the plan.  I am just trying to get an idea of what the obvious pros and cons might be and see if I'm missing something.  Obviously, I would consult with a lawyer before going either route to make sure all of the i's are dotted and the t's crossed.  I don't want either myself or my wife to get some shocking news when one of us dies. 

 

It's also helpful to see the various advice given because it helps form the questions I can ask the lawyer. 

 

Often times, you can read about a lot of this stuff, but some minor twist in your circumstances changes everything.  For instance, I don't think I read anywhere that a husband and wife could not enter into a usufruct.  There seems to be some debate about that, but I had no idea it was even a question. 

I have never heard that before, that  a husband and wife couldn’t enter into a userfruct as I would have thought they would be the people who most commonly use the provision.

I have three userfructs on three different properties

 My wife also has a userfruct with one of our Farang friends as he isn’t married.

We have used an excellent Thai lawyer for over fifteen years and she has told me that some Land Offices do try to apply their own interpretation of the law and that on occasions “she has had to pull them into line”

1 hour ago, ianwheldale said:

That varies. Went from 2yr to 5yr a couple of months ago in Chiang Mai. Only test was identifying colours on traffic lights set up behind the counter. In and out in under an hour!

I live in Chiang Mai Province but live further North

Last year I renewed the car and motor bike licence at the local office but unlike the City office wouldn’t accept the pink ID card as proof of residence requiring the Immigration certificate.

I had to do the color tests, braking test and watch my own DVD in English about things I learned over fifty years ago.

The only benefit was that my DVD finished before the Thais and they issued both licences for six years.

Bizarre !!!

15 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

An angry denial of the truth speaks volumes...  I think Sweden are correct in there assumptions the figures don't add up in Thailand ????

Yet according to a chart published on this site Thailand are better placed than Sweden, Denmark and Finland to deal with a pandemic.

On 2/14/2020 at 9:31 PM, Trujillo said:

"...for the first time in over a decade with a visa agent because I just couldn't take another year of getting up at 4 am and sitting around for hours. "

 

Well, yeah...but a few hours A YEAR? You'd rather spend three times the cost of the extension itself (or more) just to avoid a few hour of "sitting around" once a year? 

You must be one active person to not sit around at home for a few hours once in a while, let alone a year. 

But who wants to spend 0.034 percent of their entire year sitting around at immigration? 

I am one as well who doesn’t want to sit around in Immigration.

Its the same reason that I fly Business Class instead of Economy, for the comfort and convenience.

Its my money so I will spend it as I wish.

Sorry if you cannot or choose not to. 

3 hours ago, soalbundy said:

or anywhere else for that matter, relationship breakdowns are an emotional matter involving feelings, as well as money, fear, children, property etc. the ego is being attacked as well as the foundation of one's life. If both parties can't put aside feelings for a few weeks and deal with the matter fairly and logically, and few are capable of that, it is a disaster for all concerned, at the extreme end of the scale violence is the outcome, this is worldwide and not a Thai phenomena. 

I totally agree, you only have to read news reports from around the world.

Unfortunately the prophets of doom on this site can only think of reasons to be critical of Thailand.

Very sad people.

21 hours ago, madmitch said:

Never seen you this negative about your adopted country, Rooster.

 

Maybe you need to get back to the streets of Sarf London.????????????

Which is where you will see regular gun crime and gun attacks by home grown terrorists.

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

63 year old pensioner, WOW, last check, you had to be 67 + to get the pension in the land of Oz. Maybe he is on a disability pension ?

 

I can tell you one thing, if these clowns think they are funny by claiming this guy to be a hiding kangaroo because of his nationality, it just goes to show how pathetic and child like minds they have, real "racists" trying to justify the taxpayer dollars spent for their BMW ride.

Not everyone is reliant on the so called Australian  government

pension and with the changes made in recent years in relation to the assets  test and other eligibility rules particularly affecting expats I suspect it will become harder to obtain.

I retired at 60 years old with my own private pension but I suppose I am still a “ pensioner”.

13 hours ago, Aussiepeter said:

It is kind of funny now reading this at 2200, with the rain falling gently and, breathing the 100% totally pure clean air at our little farm in northern NSW in Oz. Almost surreal. My Thai wife, washing the dishes ('cos she won't let me, as she says I don't do it properly) had just said "I hope you don't die for a long time - I am never going to be able to learn to drive (our daughter to school) - you already know how Thais drive". Seriously ! Then I showed her this prang on my laptop. She nodded and said "tumma-dar" there - (normal/usual). I drove through this crossing at least a hundred times on my way to Big C or Makro in the six years my wife and I lived in Saraphi after building our house, between 2008 and 2013. I lived in Changers for over twenty-five years, until I got laryngeal cancer from the foul air. Now in remission after radiation and with the Saraphi house sold,  we aren't ever going back, (at least according to the boss).  I never had a problem driving or motorcycling in LOS, but I saw the aftermath of at least a dozen really bad accidents at this same location, with so many cars written off, but never by trains, just by idiot locals, who couldn't drive to save themselves. Goodnight !

Why don’t you send her to an approved driving school if there is one in your area.

My Thai wife passed her so called driving test whist visiting here on holiday one year, after seeing the farce it was when we returned to Australia she learned to drive correctly and after the three year mandatory period got her unrestricted licence.

She is as good as any driver I have seen but rather critical of her fellow Thai drivers.

5 hours ago, Elkski said:

I seem to be a good flavor for mosquitoes.   I hate how there are in condos, bars, restaurants .  The bites really  last on me for like 5 days.  1 on my finger  got a 1 mm puss pocket.  I worry much about dengue.   I read  it can have lifetime health  issues.   

Have you never thought about using a mosquito repellant I seem to attract them as I did in Australia
There is a very good aerosol repellant in an orange can widely available that keeps them away from me or as an alternative many herbal types that seem to work

8 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Useless feckwits!

 

Because of Thai govt response and wrong priorities I am going back to uk early. Can't trust them. Not only will people cancel their plans to travel here. Those here will think about leaving when tourist money and an insufficient response is so typical!

Be sure to buy a box of face masks and wear them because according to media reports the UK government are only screening passengers from flights from Wuhan

PS

I have no plans to leave lived here for years and love the place

2 hours ago, robertson468 said:

If these numties just listen to the news they would know there are at least 10 Chinese Cities on lock-down.  Again, incompetant decisions by those who have their priorities totally wrong!

You had better add the UK, US, Australia and Italy just to mention a few, to your list of numties as they are only screening passengers from Wuzan

4 hours ago, sharecropper said:

Waiting for information from China? Probably the only country in the world I'd trust less than Thailand with official 'news' and self-serving official BS. Thailand's 'government' again proves it cannot act decisively in a crisis.

If you read the article further it states that the Thai authorities are awaiting information in relation to which additional cities from which passengers affected by the virus may be traveling and presumably need to be screened.

Don't let the facts spoil your Sunday Thai bashing though.

On 1/24/2020 at 5:44 PM, Stevemercer said:

I would go for the marriage extension if you are eligible. I think Thailand will continue to make changes to the retirement extensions.

 

It may be that Thai authorities will become increasingly ambivalent about single older men/pensioners living in Thailand, particularly given that Thai society is ageing. 

 

On the other hand, I think Thai authorities recognise that making life difficult for foreigners on marriage extensions could backfire by causing hardship to Thai partners and their dependents.

 

I'm not saying that single retirees do not support Thais equally, there is just a perception that maybe many are just here for the women (as unfair as that perception may be).

I have some difficulty reconciling the logic you express here as there are many married men and I know several including myself who choose to use Retirement Extensions rather than Marriage Extensions.

Surely if the situation you describe in paragraph three occurred, it would have the same effect on those retirees using Retirement Extensions and face the authorities with the same dilemma. 

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

In case of death the extension will remain valid until it expires. Unless it occurred shortly before your extension ends you would have time to apply for one based upon retirement.

Some like me might have a Thai child and could apply for being their parent. There is even an option for them to support you that could  be used.

Hi Joe, as a matter of interest only, does a retireee, who has a Thai child have the choice of using the option you refer to in your last paragraph while still married or is it only available if you are divorced or your wife is deceased ?

21 hours ago, Preacher said:

Strange but true. It appears that foreigners are no longer alllowed to pay bills at Tesco Lotus. I tried to pay my electric bill as usual today. But if you want to pay bills at Tesco Lotus you now have to show your Thai ID-Card. Passport or drivers license are not accepted. I have a Thai ID-card for foreigenrs, that was not accpeted. They didn't know how to proces it as the pink ID-card doesn't have a chip like the Blue ones for Thai nationals. So Tescolotus doesn't even accept an official ID-card from the Thai government. They did look in their manual to see what to do with a pink ID-card. But seems there was no mention of it. Wonder what the Thai government thinks of that. An official Thai ID-card is not accpeted as proof of ID....

 

I didn't came as far as paying the Tescolotus credit card. I guess that is now also impossible to do at Tesco Lotus. Do foreigners with a Tesco Lotus credit card now have to pay their credit card at the bank instead of at tesco itself? I wonder.

 

Any body else with this experience? 

 

I think you will find that the pink ID card issued to foreigners is not a National ID card like the ones issued to a Thai citizens perhaps because it is issued by local “ District Offices “ who as we have read on this site many times apply different criteria for its issuance.

When I obtained mine several years ago I was told it was only valid in the local District 

However I have found sometimes it is accepted elsewhere other times not.

To give an example of the inconsistencies that apply last year when I renewed my drivers licence at the local DLT office in Chiang Mai Province they would not accept it as proof of residence

My friend who lives in Chiang Mai City was able to use his to renew his licence a the Head Office.

I gave up trying to work out the logic years ago.

On 1/16/2020 at 12:33 PM, worgeordie said:

Make a phone call and get the plague,another way to die in Thailand.

regards worgeordie 

After reading your earlier post about another virus potentially wiping out the population you seem to have an obsession with death !!

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Antibiotics cannot treat virus, so your previous use won't matter. 

 

But still, get well soon.

I'm currently blocked up with a cold, messed up one of my ear tubes, but getting better now.

Was in Vietnam last week where it started.

Oh my god maybe I've got it!

If only doctors realized that antibiotics don’t treat viruses!!

The problem I have been told is that many patients feel short changed unless prescribed some form of medication or in the alternative often a secondary bacterial infection can occur so better to get in early.