farangsay

Was at Beauvais airport a while back and they were walking sniffer dogs up the checkin queues.

One dog started waging his tail and getting all enthusiastic over this lad's rucksack.

The handlers escorted him politely out of the line and started emptying his bag.

When they pulled the bag of sausages out the dog had to be restrained.

Bad dog , Fido !

I've never seen or even heard of this for a rented property.

The closest I've come is actually seeing the utility bill and paying the landlord that amount.

Many landlords quote an inflated rate in the rental contract which gives them extra revenue.

Most charge extra for accommodation with a/c AND make a premium on the extra electricity usage.

Cake (having plus eating).

Would a rental contract (plus rental bills/receipts) not be a proof of residence ?

I don't agree with monks getting involved in politics, but the fact that they are is a rather ominous sign. This may worry the Junta enough to start planning a harsh crackdown.

This happened because they were angry as some of their number had been injured by junta rent-a-thugs when joining in a peaceful protest. Whilst I dislike as much as anyone clergymen abusing the pulpit to foist a political point of view on their congregation they are also citizens and as such have as much right as anyone to protest peacefully.

Latest word is they let the creeps go. Alive.

These days if you check a bag they won't take off with it and leave you behind.

That would slow them down a bit.

Unlike Gaelic , which was invented about the same time as Australian footy , written references exist to a game resembling hurling going back 2000 years.

It's a game where I've seen unbelievable skill. To see a guy pick a fast moving ball out of the air with his stick , give it a tap and send it back up the field just amazed me. It can be a bit dangerous too. Had a schoolfriend who lost two front teeth getting in the way of a backswing.

He's back !

And the jokes are as bad as ever !

:D

Not British but I just had to replace a full passport.

For the photo the consulate provided a guide leaflet with a plastic window to check for size and bottom of chin to top of head limits of size tolerance. Naturally none of the photos I had fit the bill so I went to the photo shop , with the leaflet to show the girl what I needed.

At immigration there is a form to pick up at reception and you also need photocopies of :

Photo page from new passport

Photo page from new passport

Visa (if any)

Last "permission to stay" stamp

TM card

There is a girl with a photocopier on the pavement across the street almost opposite BKK immigration.

Man killed by death??

Wow. Great coroner!

death will get you, even in Pattaya.

Makes a change from "suicide".

Just wanted to get a feel if most people think the Sonthi government will complete the prosecution of Thaksin before the upcoming election? Or will we have to wait for justice to be served during the next government?

Your question is fairly disingenuous. In the last month the Thai authorities have issued two arrest warrants or Thaksin for failure

to appear. The trials have not even started. Are you suggesting they could be completed , even in absentia , before the election?

I do not discount the other posts which speak of a pro-Thaksin element winning that election.

However , to paraphrase Joe Stalin (was it?) "how many divisions does Thaksin have ?".

This is a fascinating thread and remarkably civilised , even for this forum.

NR's opening question about women being more "believing" was correctly refined down to them being more intuitive and sensitive to things we ignorant males are totally impervious to.

I would go along with that , if only on the basis of one experience.

Now we had watched one of those "climate change disaster" movies where NY (where else) was devastated by a tidal wave.

A good while later her indoors starts having dreams about mountainous seas causing destruction so I put it down to the movie.

This was Patong. December 2004. Go figure.

Now I've never had an out-of-body experience though the way it creaks from time to time I wouldn't mind trying one.

Any tips ?

Now while the "I believe what I can see and touch" point of view is valid one could also ask the question "is this all there is?"

And to end on a totally sexist not , there not having been enough of that in this thread.

I have known many women who cling tenaciously but quietly to the most ridiculous convictions (eg I married a Catholic) but if you want a total pain in the hole wack job you need a man.

I have seen an opinion (with halfway plausible reasoning behind it) that a woman was more at risk in contracting HIV than a man so maybe this has affected the thinking of some guys who really don't do much of that (thinking).

Personally I think if you even come across a party who suggests unprotected sex you would be as well off taking your affections elsewhere.

I have come to the conclusion that many Thai people must be seriously deaf.

Whether this the reason for or a consequence of the high noise level everywhere I don't know.

One thing that annoys me is when watching TV in bed late I might fall upon a Thai channel by accident when hopping and the decibel level doubles. I'm always expecting people to bang on the wall/floor/ceiling.

I've had only a 50% success rate of having mail sent from Australia to various parts of Thailand, delivered.

Any letter with a foreign postage stamp could contain money or other valuables.....so thinks the postman. ...or maybe he'd rather be fishing for the day, so he dumps the contents of his mail bag into some hole in the ground.

I learned my lesson a long time ago. Don't bother sending mail. It's a waste of time and money.....unless it's registered as priority mail and insured. That way it is supposed to be traceable.

A few years ago I sent a registered envelope from the UK.

When it never turned up I had the PO in the UK run a trace on it.

After two weeks all they were able to tell me was that the letter had arrived in Thailand but then the trail ran cold.

If I am correct, your period start on 21 March end ends 180 days later around 20 September (during that period, you spent your 90 days visa freein Thailand)

Your new 180 days period within which you are allowed a fresh 90 days of visa free stays starts also around 20 September

Thanks

Just piggybacking on this thread , hope you guys don't mind.

I am on my third "visa exemption" this year , which runs out Sep 14.

Now it's not a huge problem as I was planning on slipping over to Cambo for a while but I'm curious what my situation will be and when vis a vis visa exemption entries.

I am assuming worst case that the consulate in PP will not give a tourist visa.

OK my total history :

1st entry 25 Sep 2006 - Double entry non-imm B - PTS 23 Dec 2006

2nd entry 23 Dec 2006 - still on non-imm B - PTS 22 Mar 2007

3rd entry 21 Mar 2007 - visa exempt - PTS 19 Apr 2007

4th entry 20 Apr 2007 - tourist visa - pts 18 Jun 2007 extended to 18 Jul 2007

5th entry 18th Jul 2007 - visa exemption - pts 16 Aug 2007

6th entry 16 Aug 2007 - visa exemption - pts 14 Sep 2007

So on visa exempt I have 21/3/2007 , 18/7/2007 , 16/08/2007 say each time 30 days , my ration for 90 days.

I AM curious at what point could expect to be able to slip over the border from Koh Kong for a few days if necessary.

Welcome , Thaistudent !

From the way LP posted this and then bumped I think he might be seeking persuasive words for when he discusses the issue with her indoors.

I can't help much. No real experience. Just a serial monogamist me.

Come on guys , help a mate out !

If this is the "Scouser is a great bloke thread" you can count me in.

Long may you , mate.

I was at the immigration office in Bangkok last week and while I was sitting and waiting I saw a hand written sign by the window that usually handles tourist visa extensions. It read, "Only 7 day extensions for all visas".

So this may mean that they may be changing the policy or enforcing a policy that was previously unenforced.

I was at the Immigration office in Bangkok TODAY and I too saw a sign (paper) saying "Only 7 day extensions for all visas" on counter 5. However counter 5 is clearly marked "Transit visa , Visa on arrival , no visa (AKA visa exemption).

There was NO such sign on counter 2 (extension of tourist visa).

Now I remember a time when you could get 14 days on a 30 day VE entry and presumably this is no more and that is what they are referring to.

So that means, anyone planning to extend their 30-days visa exempt stamp, should do it at any border but the cambodian border? Or do it at the cambodian border but you might not be able to re-enter??

Why not have one set of immigrations rules that apply for the whole country as one, and not one set of rules for that border and another set of rules for this border !?!

Hmmm, agree??

They do have one set of rules , it's just that not every single border outpost applies them all.

I used the one out of On Nut a couple of times earlier this year.

The chap was helpful and checking passports for possible problems

before you leave is a very good idea.

Sorry but this thread revived a memory of an "Only Fools and Horses" episode where the waiter in the Indian eatery asks Rodney what kind of rice he would like and he replies "You got any Uncle Ben's ?".

PS Has that slipped into Thailand yet on the heels of Macdo and KFC ? Just a matter of time ?

The only downside is you may well have to be patient at the immigration counter as , even a year on , they don't seem totally up to speed on calculating whether you are still within the visa-exemption limits.

I waited patiently while my passport , which is just about full , was examined from cover to cover. Things were speeded up when the officer's superior came to have a look and explained to her that stamps from 2003 need not be taken into account.

It has been recomended that , if you have many entries on visa exemption for short periods , you compile your own table with dates of entry/exit and number of days spent in Thailand to help the officer should they appear confused.

'Military build-up' in Yangon

Myanmar's military government is building up troops in Yangon, following days of protests over a massive hike in fuel prices, pro-democracy groups have said.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EBE...AE4E14FACDB.htm

What I've done recently is buy a train ticket to Butterworth and then afterwards get it refunded - nett cost 200b.

Mind you I haven't really tested it yet as I went through Ranong and they didn't ask to see anything.

Mind you I just knew if I didn't have the ticket , or 10,000b in my pocket , they would have.