StevieAus

21 hours ago, madmen said:

Those other embassies didn't panic . OZ ,yanks and poms threw in the towel immediately 

I don’t know what the other embassies did but in relation to the Australian Embassy all that was provided was what is called a Statutory Declaration which is a statement made by the individual.

In other words I provided a written statement declaring how much Pension  I received monthly and annually.

An official from the Embassy witnessed my signature, I understand that Thai Immigration wanted the Australian  Embassy to confirm that the information contained in the declaration was correct

The Embassy I understand advised that it was not their role to confirm that the statement was correct and in any event had no way of confirming this.

They are legally and practically right on both counts

In my case even if they wished to try to confirm the information they could not as I receive a non government pension.

If this is throwing in the towel so be it.

57 minutes ago, Farang99 said:

I wonder what the logic might be to justify reducing a pension on marriage? In the UK we used to get extra tax relief on marriage, but that has now been abandoned

It’s because I think if wife is not of retirement age she  could be expected to work.

Apart from the reason of course of trying to reduce costs and payments.

At least in the UK as seems to apply in most Western countries including the US, if you have worked most or all of your life you are entitled to receive a pension.

That is not the case in Australia where the pension is means tested and the assets level continues to be lowered excluding people who have worked and paid taxes all their life.

I live in the North and I can say without exception I find the people very friendly and polite.

I might meet someone in the street or shop who I might have only met once before and they greet you like they have known you for years.

Re the hotel, my wife has a motel and a block of apartments, re the motel often guests book in for one night and then forget to say they are extending the stay.

Of course you have to ask if they are staying or leaving, the rooms have to be cleaned and you need to know if there are vacancies, at the end of the day it is a business to run not a charity.

Treat people fairly and politely and you will receive the same, this is Thailand not Nepal.

17 hours ago, CeylonArey said:

????  Swedish mentality #

 

I will follow UbonJoe’s advice and go for Nong Khai. Seems like an experienced poster.

 

Incoming:

Ferry + van to Suratthani airport 

Fly Suratthani to Bangkok

Fly Bangkok to Udon Thani

Bus Udon Thani to Nong Khai

 

And then about the same way back.

Any extra info I can be aware of?

 

 

 

For what is worth, in my humble opinion and I suspect most others on this site UbonJoe is the most knowledgeable person in relation to Immigration matters.

I future perhaps specifically seek his advice.

10 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Or why, if they don't go through the reporting thing, they must leave Thailand every 90 days and enter another country. even if only for five minutes.

I think you have it the wrong way around, you only have to report if you are here for three months or more presumably so genuine longer term tourists don’t have to report.

The people who leave every three months the traditional “ border runners” are probably doing it because they don’t have a “ long term visa or permission to stay”

PS I’m not justifying the reporting I cannot see the point especially when you have lived at the same address for years.

6 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

They wouldn't have a job if they didn't have these draconian rules.

I have come to the conclusion that is probably correct, Immigration is part of the Royal Thai Police and unlike most Western countries there is little or no pro active policing in Thailand, so they would be redundant.

To be fair though it’s a product of governments in other countries as well, when I think of legislation that was introduced in Australia over the years, eg OHS, Discrimination, Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity etc etc, agencies are set up to administer the legislation and then place requirements in these cases on employers to report on what action they have taken.

I call it justifying your existence.

2 hours ago, carabaothai said:

At the border, from Malaysia with my thai car, return from one week holidays, in August 2017, I was refused to enter

"unable to financially support oneself"

Sent to the boss.. who was not very friendly with me ????

Because I didn't have 20,000 THB or more in my wallet. 

I had mastercard, I showed my bank account statement on my smartphone bank application. I had the car..

NO entry mister. 

I had to go back to a Malaysian ATM to get the money.

 

That day, maybe 100 Malaysian people were at the border with me... only me was asked to prove that I have enough money! 

The Malaysians were probably genuine tourists who would return I have met quite a few over the years who come on driving holidays.

Also I think there is a reciprocal agreement for ASEAN residents traveling  to other ASEAN countries that no visa is needed, my Thai wife doesn't need one for Vietnam but I do.

19 hours ago, overherebc said:

I honestly doubt very much if any first time or once a year  tourist from UK  EU  USA etc has been rejected entry when coming for a 4 week holiday even on visa exempt. Unless they turn up looking like a bag of sh-t tied around the middle with an old rope.

None of the many “genuine tourists” who have visited me over the years have had a problem and have never heard of an issue from expat friends here.

Just wondering if wearing an old tie around the waist instead of rope might lift the standard slightly ???

21 minutes ago, gdhm said:

 

I had not choice natway09, when Imm told Embassies they must investigate Proof of Income documentation before producing the usual P.O.I letter.

My British Embassy was one of the 4 that said they could not do it. I only had 240,000 Baht in my savings account and I raced to get it to 400,000 Baht for a marriage Visa.  GBP has collapsed against the Baht partly due to strength of the Baht and mainly Brexit and it was impossible for me to get 800,000 Baht into my savings account by 2 months before I needed a new Extn. My pension monies are not transferred into a Thai account each month either,but withdrawn via Thai ATM's. Essentially I had Zero choice. I do not think I will be able to save another 400,000 Baht for around 2 years (and that depends on my health emergencies and Brexit). However future "Marriage" Extn.'s should be much easier as I believe photos, witnesses and home visits are not necessary for Extensions (only first application).I stand to be corrected if I am mistaken in believing that.

 

What amazes me is that Imm. believe that all the other Embassies who still produce P.O.I letters are now fully investigating Income sources each year.

Without any accurate knowledge, I find it hard to believe that many/most Embassies, when told they must investigate income sources in future are now doing so, maybe they nodded their heads in agreement and continued doing what they always have done. (I am happy for Expats who need P.O.I letters who are not from one of the 4 countries who ceased produced them). The Brit Embassy told Thai Imm. honestly, that it was a new Embassy function they cannot do. Additionally, I think all Brits here know the UK is saving money for Consular services and Passports as much as they can and IMHO the Brit Embassy in Thailand were probably only too happy to have a reason to remove the P.O.I  service.

I don’t wish to reopen the debate on proof of income letters provided by Embassies and your contention regarding the motives of the British Embassy may well be correct.

In relation to the Australian Embassy however I don’t think it is correct as they were only witnessing a signature on a Statutory Declaration in which the person states how much they were receiving this process for which they were well paid took less time than processing the payment,

This are still providing this service but not for income purposes.

The information I was provided with was that Thai Immigration requested that they confirm that the income stated was correct.

The Embassy advised so I was told that it was not their role and something they could not do.

In relation to the latter it is something I can accept as my pension is non government and the Embassy, whatever hurdles they might face in relation to verifying government pensions would have no hope of verifying mine.

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Aus is TNC-S with MEN (Multiple Earthed Neutral) with a local ground rod and N-E linked in the distribution board.

 

Thailand is moving towards the same arrangement with a slightly different N-E linking arrangement which is electrically the same.

 

That said, there is still a significant chunk of the country that does not have the required neutral grounding in place (a grounding rod at every 3rd pole) if this grounding is not in place it would be unwise to add a N-E link in your board leaving your installation as TT. If this is the case then an RCD/RCBO is essential.

Thanks for the explanation much appreciated, I know when we had the house built insisting on safety requirements and there are grounding rods and one  one of those safety units next to the consumer unit

22 hours ago, Crossy said:

Yes ^^^.

 

It LOOKS correct, but the only way to be sure is by some simple tests, your sparks ought to be able to do this if you don't feel confident.

 

Whilst we are on the subject of electricity and earthing could I Indulge you to answer a question in relation to a Neutral Link

One of the posters on this topic mentioned neutrals being disconnected from the earth.

I seem to recall from my days in Aus being told that the neutral is connected to the earth for additional safety.

Unless I am mistaken of course.

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

As a general rule, habitual liars tend to continue telling lies. 

 

You are so right one of the necessary qualifications of politicians in any country.

5 hours ago, poohy said:

Ha Ha Ha its called sarcasm (you may have too look it up)

Only traveled to about 80 odd countries and worked in about 7

 

so not too well traveled!

 

Obviously on your travels you didn’t keep your eyes open

As they say the definition of sarcasm “the lower form of wit “

I will just file it under Thai Bashing.

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Try to imagine what it cost to move tanks from Prachinburi for a birthday celebration? A Royal salute would be more than in order; never saw any tanks on HM's Father's birthday nor at the trooping of the colours on December 2nd. Some hidden agenda or a new protocol scripted? 

Look back through the archives there were many

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Why does Thailand even have an army? They appear to serve no useful function for society. And at this state of the game, they are actually moving the country backwards, and sucking its oxygen. 

Considering there is quite an extensive border with  Myanamar in the West they seem certainly where I live in the North to carry out what in other countries would be carried out maybe by a responsible police force the role of trying to stem the flow of metamphetamines allegedly manufactured by the Shan Army.

There have been quite a few gun battles up here with the smugglers a lot of which don’t seem to gain press coverage

21 hours ago, poohy said:

Military parades and  displays, nice...... very North Korean

Try also the UK, France, India and of course the great US.

Obviously not very well travelled.

5 hours ago, Garybaldy said:

Not only are the tourists down but the ones that are coming are not spending as much because it’s too expensive. If you can go to Vietnam for less then most people have no loyalty they will go. As for us who live here full time then we are feeling the pain of the strong Baht and ever increasing hoops to jump through at immigration etc so we have 2 choices, tighten our belts and hope for a better exchange and dance to the Thai tune or leave Thailand for pastures new.

I agree that the baht has resulted in a drop in the value of a number of currencies but what are the ever increasing number of hoops to jump through at Immigration?

I am not doing anything differently than when I came here years ago and from memory the cost of the retirement extension and retry permit hasn’t increased.

I had more hoops to jump through just with daily living in Australia. 

7 hours ago, Metapod said:

Exchange rate is bad, costs are going up, visas are getting a lot harder to get, and more competitive alternatives are arising.

 

it isn't really surprising stuff. Thailand ain't that cheap anymore. Aussie dollar is like 21.7 thb these days. A lot of things are cheaper back in Aus now,

How are visas harder to get for tourists coming to Thailand?

Tourists from more than sixty countries can travel to Thailand visa exempt, compare that with Vietnam you can almost count on one hand the countries from which you don't need a visa.

One company closes and the economy is in crisis ?

Have a look at the number of company closures in recent years and which are ongoing, in Australia and the UK then you would have something to worry about.

2 hours ago, cnx355 said:

The 500 THB fee  you pay at Tachilek Immigration give you a border pass valid for 14 days in this province only .

I have been doing it   a few  time and slept overnight. 

 

It is possible that because  your brother just ><went shopping> they gave him a small receipt to get his passport back on exit so they do not have to take the  photo and print the border pass.

 

But if you tell them you are just "in and out" they cross the street with you and give your passport to the officer that put the exit stamp in your passport.  I saw that happening with people before me  in the queue.

 

But in every case it is always 500 B to be stamped in.

 

 

A few times when we have gone over for shopping they haven’t bothered about filling out the form or taking the photo and have just stamped the passport presumably if nothing is recorded neither is the 500 baht !

On 7/20/2019 at 5:16 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

Yes, i wrote about that here before somewhere. Reason being if u are the registered housemaster the system at the airport doesn't log your tm30 out so you are still registered. 

 

Of course i got only naysayer replies, including mods here, but now u have it from immigration source too. ???? 

 

 

So much for the systems aren't connected, they are.. And revenue department sooner or later too. 

I have my own yellow house book and pink ID card and asked the same question at my local Immigration Office In Chiang Mai Province about two years ago.

Their response was that my wife had to lodge the TM 30 form as the house book was issued by the local Ampur not them and presumably not recognized.

17 hours ago, Stocky said:

Double amputees and those born with symbrachydactyly

There is a solution to at least one of those problems, when our daughter was a few months old we obtained a Thai passport for her.

On that day for some reason they were very taking fingerprints manually and very kindly allowed her to give a toe print in case she licked the ink off her finger.

It appears in her passport.