Kalasin Jo

I guess because no one with him knew better. I made a similar mistake years ago. Fortunately my friend's in patient admission was only for 24 hrs for observation. Still it cost around 20,000 baht I recall.

Yeah quite agree. I see pics almost daily of a Thai someone with a variety of beverages in course of consumption on her FB feed. Don't suppose for a second that she is aware of this absurd law and wouldn't have the means to pay the ridiculously high fines this guy received, let alone survive a spell in the clink. Meanwhile and very sadly her husband eventually died from alcohol abuse at the age of 46 and her younger son now aged 26 and a really nice, caring lad I've known for 10 years, was admitted to emergency care for od'ing on alcohol today. Ironic that some here in Thailand think that the decriminalising of " weed" here is an issue. My best regards to you worgeordie

We live on the edge of our small village and have " acquired" a dog in addition to our own. Undoubtedly he came from another home where presumably the owners simply lost interest and don't care. He started by visiting at meal times for our own dogs and gradually staying longer and longer as we didn't drive him away. Fortunately he is very good natured and very placid here, never fights with ours although often has wounds from fighting with others in the village and after a timid start now greets me when I get out of the car, responds to the name I gave him " Big Guy" and allows me to stroke his head whilst we make direct eye contact. Changing tack a little, I was amazed when a few weeks ago a veterinary team turned up and said they were attempting to neuter all the bitches in the area with owners ( if found) consent and this was a free service sponsored by our village. I leapt at the offer as we now have 5 bitches from a dumped and abandoned litter of 6 pups that my wife perhaps unfortunately successfully nurtured. They'd already been on heat once which was an utter nightmare I never want to experience again. Nana Plaza came to mind. But our persistent and many visitors during this time paid nothing for sexual servicing. Capturing our bitches for this neutering was not so funny either as the Thais thought frantically running after them shouting and waving their arms was the way. I appealed for calm and quiet and one assistant. One by one each animal let me approach and get a hold whilst the assistant fitted a muzzle and gave a tranquilliser injection. Even so one escaped again drunkenly running off until collapsing in a panting heap in the adjacent field. By the time all were captured I too collapsed in a heap. All were returned comatose and with a neatly stitched belly wound. All are fine. So am I now!

Our driveway was concreted using this kind of mesh that came in rolls. I'd hardly call it re- bar! The mesh was laid on sand over the ground which itself was imported fill material, then concrete pour from a mixer truck and levelled with lengths of wood planking by men in wellies. There were 3 pours with a waiting time of about 30 minutes between each for the mixer to return to base and refill. I've watched this process so many times here from house builds like ours to highish condo construction. Now In it's 8th year the driveway has done well, except for cracking which directly follows the unfortunate irregular line between one pour and the next, mesh notwithstanding. I guess caused by the set time of the concrete in this heat and the interval between pours creating a weakness. There is no discernible difference in levels so it's not a settlement issue. I think each pour should have been straight lined and expansion joints inserted between each pour would have avoided this. Now these cracks are degrading and getting wider and anticipate will need cutting out and refilling which will be a tedious long winded job and may not last long either. Helpful advice would be appreciated.

Yes please Red Phoenix. My wife, as " housemaster" with her blue book is quite useless at this and most administrative matters, just asking " why I have to do this, you my husband, this our home"! So I'd really appreciate an idiots guide to getting our home registered for this chore, should it need repeating.

I think you have the right idea there! Might be wise to overnight in Penang? Others will know better than I whether that's necessary.

That's the procedure if you are a Brit with a Thai marriage certificate. Plenty of translators hanging around waiting to pounce at Thai MoFA. For some reason the translation I obtained from a certified translator in Pattaya wad not acceptable at MoFA.....do the prowlers pounced. Still we got it done same day there. If a Brit watch out at the British Embassy too. On the phone I was fobbed off with " we do not authenticate Thai Marriage Certificates ". This is technically true. After much research I cottoned on that what was needed, which they do. was a British Embassy apostille: the authentication not of the document but of the signature and official capacity of the MoFA official who approved the translation in to English. So ask for the apostille service under their consular services listing and don't mention what the document is! For a hefty fee the British consular staff will verify the MoFA official's signature and his/ her official capacity to do this are genuine and then add their own signature, their official capacity ( British Consul), and emboss the British Embassy seal on the document. I had to do all this in person. Not sure if that is still a requirement.

Attempted murder? I don't know in Thai criminal law, it wouldn't be in English law unless he had a clear pre meditated intention to kill fellow guests and staff at the hotel. I doubt he intended deaths as the consequence of setting fire to his room. I doubt he gave that any thought. He was though very reckless. What are the actual charges he is facing? Is attempted manslaughter one of them?

No seatbelts worn then?

Well what a surprise! TIT. Looks like no consultation with airlines before announcing this tax, then giving a date for the start. Hoping that the airlines would bear the costs of collection and that for tourists it would be hidden amongst all the other add ons to the base ticket price.Then the airlines quite understandably say they can't differentiate. And for expats it's nuanced anyway, only if you are working. The airlines would need to do any differentiation at the point of sale of the ticket requiring special algorithms and uploading of documents I would think. Just for Thailand. Of course it CAN be done but would surely add to costs. Meanwhile the powers that be know ( or perhaps not! ) that attempting to charge on arrival would be very upfront, produce chaos, additional delay to clear entry and so very disgruntled arrivals. If those arrivals start posting adverse comments that would be very bad for business. Thailand could I guess reintroduce the Thailand Pass, requiring pre registration and payment of the tax. It wasn't exactly popular during Covid. Now? I don't think so. The straw that breaks the camels back? Why bother, let's go some else. Costly for the powers that be too to run the system.

Must be 10 years ago now I did this. Solo. Flying out to Vientiane and back from Suvarnabhumi Stayed one rather weird night in Vientiane!

Isn't it about the need of many to believe there must be an afterlife? Supplied in spades by Christianity....if you follow the rules. Convenient too for control of the masses, at least in the past. I've always found it bizarre that padres on each side in a war between Christian believer nations pray to the same God for glorious victory. One of them is going to be disappointed, perhaps both. Then there's the Muslim ( same God as Christians but it stops there!) glorious death reward of 100 virgins to keep you company in the afterlife. There must be a never ending supply...or are they shared around?

Well plumbers fees in the UK are tantamount to extortion since all the Polish ones left following brexit. But then those who wanted brexit presumably wanted them out because they were stealing the jobs true Brits should have.

555. My shower is too hot here in Thailand! No heater needed. In January it was too cold and of course the water heater died.

Me too!

I went on a stag "do" and booze buying trip for the wedding some years back involving an overnight X Channel ferry trip from Portsmouth to Roscoff. We were all 40 something. Apart from bad behaviour in the ferry's bar. one of our number who got lairy in drink picked a fight with another passenger over a spot for his sleeping bag, another got locked out of his cabin naked. Once in France we were asked to leave a café/bar because one of our number ( I'll call him " the nutter" ) insisted on setting fire to paper napkins and throwing them at the groom. We were to get the evening ferry back but there was time to have dinner. A quieter member of the party made the mistake of booking a very nice restaurant for us at which he was well known. At first everyone was well behaved until the nutter said " watch this" then very politely in his best French asked for a raw egg, still in it's shell. It was duly brought. He then stood up and smashed it on the head of the groom whilst singing Rule Britannia. The groom reacted by standing up and attempting a punch. The restaurant owner then asked us all to leave immediately or the gendarmes would be called. Lucky he gave us any warning at all. The poor chap who had booked the table was absolutely mortified, profusely apologising, bowing and scraping to the owner as we left, most of us with heads hung in shame. One expects high jinks on a stag do particularly aimed at the groom but this was on another level altogether, especially for a group of usually well to do, well behaved 40 somethings. Why the groom invited the nutter beats me, as it

Good advice!

Yes. The re entry permit is tied to and shows the same expiry date as the extension on which it issued. So if the OP gets a fresh extension before leaving he will need to get a fresh re entry permit tied to it or he will have wasted his time and the fees as without the fresh re entry permit his new extension will be cancelled on exit.

I have done that. A few years back now. Exited with re entry permit on a non O year's extension with a couple of months validity left. Re entered with less than 3 weeks left. The officer at Suvarnabhumi stamped me in for that period and pointed this out. Once home I went straight to my IO and applied for a further years extension. It was granted. If it had not been granted I planned to head to Savannaket for a fresh non O visa.

I suppose not. Especially Thailand. What's in a name anyway? Might be better called an " Over 50 extension" though?

Best of luck!

I read it is an official holiday covering all the public services plus banks

The French do that quite alot especially in rural areas.

Well they needed a few studies first 555

My missus has a very messy mirrored make up unit. Never cleans or tidies it. Never throws out empty make up compacts, lippies, you name it there'll be an empty one there. So you aren't the only one! You were lucky it was only water! When really riled my missus throws anything near to hand, fortunately no knives yet!