benw10

? Seems nobody as answered the original topic here. Unquote

Who cares what they do with work permit, retire and you dont have to work.

As someone who is married to a Thai, I am only interested in what visas I am entited to if we go there to live in maybe 4/5 years.

At the moment we work in the uk and fly to thailand 3/4 times per year for 3/4 weeks holiday. I manage on holiday visas.

I listen to all my wifes family, farmers from Khorat, and they couldnt give a monkeys about whether they have falang in Bangkok or Pattaya. They dont need english..... All of the village speak Thai fluent!

None of the falang around work, they all have their own income and just sit and watch the world go by letting the Thais get on with it.

They existed better in the village 50 years ago before the falang moved in. Probabily they would be better off back to them days. Kids were all at home, families stayed together, no mobiles and a party every week for Budda, not forgetting the cheap vodka with fanta....

All the students that wanted english as a foreign language travel and studied in the UK or the USA. Didnt need any many english speaking tutors. Maybe they are thinking that the falang are creating the demand for teachers of english. If that was the case, they wouldnt need to give work visas for teachers and save some real money.

"all the students" ? wow who paid?

? Seems nobody as answered the original topic here. Unquote

Who cares what they do with work permit, retire and you dont have to work.

As someone who is married to a Thai, I am only interested in what visas I am entited to if we go there to live in maybe 4/5 years.

At the moment we work in the uk and fly to thailand 3/4 times per year for 3/4 weeks holiday. I manage on holiday visas.

I listen to all my wifes family, farmers from Khorat, and they couldnt give a monkeys about whether they have falang in Bangkok or Pattaya. They dont need english..... All of the village speak Thai fluent!

None of the falang around work, they all have their own income and just sit and watch the world go by letting the Thais get on with it.

They existed better in the village 50 years ago before the falang moved in. Probabily they would be better off back to them days. Kids were all at home, families stayed together, no mobiles and a party every week for Budda, not forgetting the cheap vodka with fanta....

All the students that wanted english as a foreign language travel and studied in the UK or the USA. Didnt need any many english speaking tutors. Maybe they are thinking that the falang are creating the demand for teachers of english. If that was the case, they wouldnt need to give work visas for teachers and save some real money.

they rarely or never give work permits to teachers at these schools

Its about time the Thais were able to decide for themselves. I disagree to most of this and I have been married to a thai for 6 years.

Visas have been mis-used for many years. Retirement visas should be limited to the age of the expats pension age, eg UK at 65. You cannot be retired at 59, just escaping into another country for whatever reasons because you have nothing to do in your own country.

The other visas like teaching should be contracted for term times or for the academic year. It is strange that none of these teaching expat experts return to there country and sit in Thailand forever. Surely they go home to see they family or is it they dare not go home and there family have to come to Thailand to see them.

Also in the UK now we have gone to a points system for work permits. I dont see lots of Thais getting in to the UK through method. Why cannot Thais do the same and let people in on a similar system.

Johnswift - Why should people not have the option to retire to another country at 59 or even 49. Surely if you have been a big shot banker, engineer, doctor etc and have worked your pretty socks off and accumulated a nice pot of dosh, why shouldn't you have the choice to retire at an age of your choosing, to a country of your choice if they are willing to accept you? Thailand already stipulates you must have x amount in the bank to qualify.

As for the teaching suggestion, utter rubbish, how would this effect school, If contracts were limited to terms or academic years, how would schools retain teachers?? The summer holiday for Thai schools is three months long, how would the teachers support themselves?? Do you think its fair to expect people to be unpaid for 25% of the year and still return?? Or do you think they should be paid to go home?? Also many schools need there teachers to be in Thailand during the summer holidays for extra classes for new students.

Personally I think that this is one of those typical government games to try to satisfy all parties. On one hand they have 'relaxed' businesses (Annex 1 and 2 ??) which foreigners can work in, but on the other hand are presenting more stringent regs to allow foreigners to work in them. Probably to prevent and influx of foreign bankers etc, so that the thais get the lions share of the jobs in the new businesses which open.

Surely showing just X baht, 800,000bt is not realisitic. As you say people with a big pot should be able to show a realistic income of 800,000bt from unearned income/pensions, etc or show funds that can generate this amount per year. Anybody will a little money can show 800,000bt. You need 16 million baht to generate this every year at 5% interest. Perhaps retirement visas should be brought up to line with other countries. I just wonder what Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, US and UK require. I bet it is not as low as $20,000. I would have thought nearer $1,000,000 (32,000,000bt).

As I have already have a Cert Ed and taught IT/computing at a college of further education in the UK, I just wonder about all the foreign teachers in thailand covering english as a full time teachers. With a lower teaching certificate they would in the UK be having to work towards something higher for the first two years They would also need a Degree or Diploma in the subject(s) they are teaching. They would have been cross-checked with the Child Protection Reg and the Criminal Reg. I would think that 90% of the foreign (falang) teachers in Thailand would not get a job in their own country even if similar positions were available. I do not make this statement lightly as I have met quite a few in the years I have been in and out of Thailand. A six week course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language just does not cover anything. So really, Thailand is getting the poor end of the stick! This must be bad overall for Thailands education system and I can really understand them being very frustrated with it and the level of English being taught.

Well thats my feeling on the matter.

Of course, if you are trying to talk your way into a country then its all wrong. The only thing that matters then is how you get your visa and work permit to stay there.

and once all that is done barely any schools in thailand would be able to afford you, they pay unqualified foreigners double the thai teachers wage, or more actually, but considerably less than the salary required to qualify for a work permit. would a fully qualified english teacher contract to a thai school for 32000 baht a month, when an international pays 60-120000?

i've worked in thai schools and yes met one or two seedy individuals especially amongst the thai male teachers, and some thoroughly bitter. handy with wooden ruler thai female staff, but most if not all will teach english better than the thai teacher at the same school who are responsible for teaching grammar . it's not perfect but neither are the schools!

Just got my work permit - no problems at all - 1 week and it was a done deal. If it it is a problem I at least have a year of clear sailing.

not if you lose your job for any reason, officially you will only have 7 days of free sailing.................

Its about time the Thais were able to decide for themselves. I disagree to most of this and I have been married to a thai for 6 years.

Visas have been mis-used for many years. Retirement visas should be limited to the age of the expats pension age, eg UK at 65. You cannot be retired at 59, just escaping into another country for whatever reasons because you have nothing to do in your own country.

The other visas like teaching should be contracted for term times or for the academic year. It is strange that none of these teaching expat experts return to there country and sit in Thailand forever. Surely they go home to see they family or is it they dare not go home and there family have to come to Thailand to see them.

Also in the UK now we have gone to a points system for work permits. I dont see lots of Thais getting in to the UK through method. Why cannot Thais do the same and let people in on a similar system.

What a snobbish, ill-researched and thoroughly empty comment!

Oh dear, oh dear! Did you ever consider, "Johnswift1956", that some people retire before the official retirement age because they can afford to? What you are saying is that "visas should be limited to the age of the expat's pension age". What rubbish! So if I have the same Net Worth as a 65 year old, wealthy enough, have earned my stripes, and just so happen to be in my 50's I don't deserve a Retirement Visa? It's a free World, don't you know. Why should I stay in UK if I am near retirement age and can afford to be elsewhere - namely Thailand?

Don't you know that many families depend on their 50-something year old breadwinner in order to sustain a reasonable lifestyle and that having a Retirement Visa makes life far easier for the breadwinner to stay here? What do we do, prohibit them from coming here to take care of their adopted family? Kick them out?

You say - "just because you have nothing to do in your own country"! What bol_lox is that! "Retire" means, if you check your thesaurus (you'd need a dictionary first, to check the meaning of THESAURUS) , that you "stop work", "take leave of work", "withdraw" etc. To be retired means that you are free to do as you wish, and that does not mean you have to stay in your own country of normal residence and domicile.

It means you don't HAVE to do anything at all. Look in the dictionary.

Furthermore, you say "It is strange that none of these teaching expat experts return to there country and sit in Thailand forever". I think you need to check the correct usage of the words "there, their and they're" for a start. At least most teachers have a command of the English Language. Teacher expats are here because they want to be here and maybe they've been stuck in a humdrum life in the UK for too long in the past, working with people like you. Maybe the teacher community over here decided to broaden their horizons and leave the grey faces, insular mentalities and nonsensical people behind in the UK. Why should they return? They pay taxes here and have their legal right to be here as much as anywhere else.

In addition you say "dare not go home". You think that there are loads of folk here because they remain outside the reach of the UK police? What a joke you are! Heard of Interpol have you? What a shortsighted take on life you have! It's serve you well to get some lessons in life after you've had your lessons on English Language.

I'm by no means done with you yet!

You go on to say "I dont see lots of Thais getting in to the UK through method". If reciprocation was the order of the day when considering the implications and effects of allowing an immigrant into any country, there would be no immigration law. Immigration is taken on a case-by-case basis with law used as a metaphorical "line in the sand". A certain former Prime Minister became an exile in the UK and bought a football club and a number of houses in the UK - can a foreigner do that here without circumventing or evading the rules of this land? No! So why are you staying what's good for us should be good for them? It has never been and never will be reciprocal, simply because reciprocal agreements do not always work. A slightly off-topic example, but for the purpose of demonstration, please read on:- If we could all buy land over here in Thailand, the locals would not be able to afford to buy land of their own - basic economics. As much as I dislike the fact that I can't own my own land over here I am fully aware of the reasons. Concerning immigration, maybe Thailand took a look at the UK's porous immigration laws, considered that in about 50 years the native British man will be a minority in his own country and thought "why the hel_l would we want to go down that road"! Reciprocation does not always work - even though in a rose-tinted fanciful way we'd all like it to work!

Sorry....no I’m not.....but your post has to get the award for "worst I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading".

I rest my case!

excellent response, i just had my stomach churned by a similar post using the words lower class leaching etc,

I have said it before and I say it again, Who in the right mind would want to work in this country.

If you dont have funds to live here , go back home and work and come back when you have the money.

a job here even at the basic required wage by the labour office can offer a standard of living greater than that at home, and in a considerably better climate.

Pretty slim on the details and exactly what types of work will be restricted, however the pattern that is emerging right now is clear - we are becoming increasingly unwelcome in this country. Within the past couple of months crackdowns have occurred on:

-ED Visa's from Thai Language Schools (testing of Thai speaking ability)

-Tourist Visa's (people extending multiple times in a row)

-Now Work Permits

That covers every type of expat I'm aware of other than Investment Visa's and Retieree's - and possibly those types have had crackdowns as well, or will have them soon.

So what's the f'n deal here? Are they trying to expel all Farang or only a particular type? I think it may be possible the overall goal is to drive unskilled and illegal workers from the country - as in lower class Farang, leaching off of an already poor country. That would make sense. It would not make sense if they just want us all gone - a form of ethnic cleansing. Bad for their country in the long run if you ask me.

unskilled/illegal workers/lower class/ leaching? what offensive statements

Troll? I'd think twice before wearing anything yellow.

The post heading says that he wants an ORANGE one not a yellow one.

THE ORANGE ONE IS THE YELLOW ONE, AND YES YOU CAN GET THEM AS A PAIR WITH A BLUE ONE AT ANY 7-11

Troll? I'd think twice before wearing anything yellow.

The post heading says that he wants an ORANGE one not a yellow one.

THE ORANGE ONE IS THE YELLOW ONE, AND YES YOU CAN GET THEM AS A PAIR WITH A BLUE ONE AT ANY 7-11

A COUNTRY VERY NEARLY ON THE EDGE OF A CIVIL CONFLICT POSSIBLY FLEETING POSSIBLY DISASTROUS, A COUNTRY THAT HAS TEETERED ON THIS EDGE BEFORE BUT WITHOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SPIN AND A DEVELOPED MEDIA AND THE MONSTROUS MEDDLING OF DYE HAIRED DYE HARD FAKE DEGREED EX PREMIER, THE INVISIBLE HAND ETC. CAN THE MAGIC OF A KINGS WORDS SAVE THE NATION AGAIN? WE CAN ALL HOPE THAT FOR NOW IT DOES, BECAUSE YOUR ALL GONNA WISH YOUR HEADS WERENT IN THE SAND WHEN IT ALL BLOWS UP BEHING YOU!

this evening is the best night to look, along with the crescent moon the 2 stars will make a smiley face (aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh) and during early evening the earths shadow will be visible passing the moon surface also! according to last weeks bkkpost

I empathize with those pasengers but I wonder why most do not simply get on the train to Penang. Get a bus from there to KL and leave from there.

Is the average tourist that hopeless?

On a different tack I hope the Thai travellers to Mecca managed to get out. Some of them may have saved for years for their one ond only trip of a lifetime.

trains . busses, min vans packed to the gills, no most tourists are not that stupid!

If there will be a new election the PPP will win again,simply because they represent the majority of the Thais !!!

The majority of votes come from the people which are easy to buy. Please do not misunderstand. I sympathize with the rural and poor population and am of the opinion, that they were neglected by the elite much too long. But the people in power are ruthless. The play with the poor, win their votes by handing out peanuts to continue their high scale corruption.

Unfortunately the rural population does not understand this and after all they are not interested in the stuff, because they struggle with their own daily life and are more than happy to accept every single Baht.

If a new elections come, it should be very closely monitored.

please, explain this to me; I take 500 baht from 1 party, take 500 baht from second party and vote for third party ... how is party 1 and 2 going to know this?? it's a fundamental problem in this whole vote-buying debate ... it doesn't work !!

people don't sell their vote; they need the money to pay for transport and food to be able to vote; in other words; this whole vote buying is actually boosting democracy !

OK we run with that ball....................however in having their vote bought, most ( most!) Thais will be very honouable and vote for the vote buyer, I imagine those in control secure areas for the buying unless they are abosolute fools........................mmmmmmmmmmm

back to you ...

This has nothing to do with how Thai people bring up their children.

The Thai philosophy is: the worst hasn't happened yet, so why worry about it.

This is the general Thai viewpoint, not just for the purpose of safety regarding their children.

You are so right that Thais never seem to worry I remember after the Tsunami in2004 a friend of mine lost his taxi in phuket I phoned him just to say sorry about what happened he just said life goes on a good philosiphy sometimes

yes i hear that taxi was like a child to him!

A lot was said on this issue. Many advices given. Most people are softly wrapped in their 'moral' cocoons. Consider her income, consider her family, consider that it is not her fault (someone gave her this unwanted gift), remember you are in asia (so you are supposed to have left your conscience back home).

Bugger this. And bugger UNAIDS. Inform the Interpol. Give them her name, history, condition, profession and intention to go West.

THEN, if they do not do anything to stop her from coming, you can rest. Otherwise, if she infects anybody, or many people, the onus is on you... Morally speaking. And if this is not enough, think, the medical check-ups are not 100% proof of some malady hitting you in a deferred mode. Not that I wish it to happen, don't get this the wrong way... Oh, and give them her client database as well.

My friend, think of this as a TIME BOMB sent in your country. It can hurt maybe your loved ones.

I don't know what world you are living in that decides that it is a moral imperative for other people to do anything than remind folks that ------

HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX IS UNSAFE, HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX WITH SOMEONE THAT IS PROFESSIONALLY PROMISCUOUS IS SUICIDAL

There are people with HIV all over and the only way to stop it is to educate people to be responsible!

Or find a cure !!!! The science of the disease is inexact hence the difficulty.

Quite right! A sexual adventure, must be pursued with a condom! if you dont want to use one go get tested, wait 3months get tested again, then fuc_k, then one wonders if either partner actually held out for 3 months etc etc.............wear a condom.............gay websites for sex hook ups here (and every where else) are full of guys saying they will consider unsafe sex,and many who will not have anything but , (this guy will wave the promise of fun nights out 'cool'drugs,you get the idea and on it goes. )if someone says i am negative , its not a mater of saying dont believe them, its simply that you do noy know! Having said all this I wish there was a way you could help and council her,im not sure your consience will be cleared by reporting her, and if she needs money, there will always be somebody who ignores the risks because they think they are imune as the active partner. i could go on and on................i attended funerals monthly for about 3 years of friends passing from hiv related illeness in london..........at least there the support structure is quite amazing all things considered. here? that appalling aids temple? 30baht health care? and back on the street............you must follow your heart, not advice but must live with your decision.

Absolute cheapest way - buy boat: you can still buy passage on a cargo/container boat from Thailand to Europe (18/21 days!!)

if you know more id like the idea of this, providing we dont get attacked by pirates of course

Does anyone know of any good secondhand markets in Bangkok. There used to be one on the weekends on the bit of wasteground at the junction of Lard Prow and Ratchadapisek. It was a non touristy thing mostly selling motorcycle and car parts but other stuff was in abundance too .It was held in the evenings and made a good starting point for a night out . Is it still going or has the site been developed ? For a daytime flea market try the top floor of Paintip Plaza 2 opposite the Mall on Ngam Wong Wahn. You can find almost anything here with a bit of digging.

I found the flea market at Pantip 2 by complete accident about two weeks ago. It's definately worth a visit.

Hi could i please get a more info on the pantip 2 market, district? near where?

It is in Pantip Plaza in Nontaburi on the 6th floor

Not the Pantip Plaza in Bangkok

You can hop the river taxi to the Nontaburi Station and take a bus from there or a direct bus from Victory Monument

Pantip Nam Wong Wan

many thanks

Does anyone know of any good secondhand markets in Bangkok. There used to be one on the weekends on the bit of wasteground at the junction of Lard Prow and Ratchadapisek. It was a non touristy thing mostly selling motorcycle and car parts but other stuff was in abundance too .It was held in the evenings and made a good starting point for a night out . Is it still going or has the site been developed ? For a daytime flea market try the top floor of Paintip Plaza 2 opposite the Mall on Ngam Wong Wahn. You can find almost anything here with a bit of digging.

I found the flea market at Pantip 2 by complete accident about two weeks ago. It's definately worth a visit.

Hi could i please get a more info on the pantip 2 market, district? near where?

good replies folks, keep 'em coming

yes, it seems fashionable in the west to have the odd tattoo, typically on the forearm, see some of the so called sport celebrity like Beckham. But wile this is meant to be a fashion accessory, looking cool, some people here in Thailand go to the extreme of tattooing most of their body, even the face. This is a new whole territory, they'll def stand out from the crowd like a sore thumb.

Yeah, those people just screams for attention, "hey, look at me, i am so special! !!

In a conservative society like Thailand, where keeping up appearances is of the utmost importance, and foreigners (outside tourist ghettos) are not a common sight, you're likely to encounter shocked stares and prejudice.

a huge number of thai men are hevily tattooed and damned hot they are too

If you are totally covered in tattoos, even your face, you are gonna get a reaction anywhere in the world. Even in NYC.

With maybe, the except for some tribe-like place or something.

Personally, I find them offensive--if I can see them. I avoid people with tattoos; I don't know why, but I do.

i wonder if you were traumatised by a pirate as a child?

Thailand in fighting mode to increase UK arrivals

The devaluation of the sterling pound, higher fuel surcharge and political tension in the kingdom all combine to create a perfect storm, but TAT governor Ms Phornsiri Manoharn insists that Thailand aims for an increase in arrivals from the UK next year, from the current 740,000 to 750,000 arrivals.

Has someone devalued the pound and forgot to tell the UK government?

I know the terminology used is wrong, but the sentiment is correct. Last November I remember exchanging money at 70 Baht for a friend who came to stay in Thalaind. Yesterday I saw the pound advertised at 50.8 Baht. As for the UK Government, they would at first deny the pound was 'devalued' against any currency, and if that did not work, then deny it was their fault! Curiously when the pound 'revalues' again, I have a sneeky feeling they may claim the credit for that event

I think Thai tourism, along will all tourism (tourism is not an essential item after all), will suffer until this credit crisis is truly behind us. People who booked to come here before the crisis hit may still have to come as its cheaper than cancelling. They will just spend less and not book a holiday for next year, nor the year after if the credit situation has not changed.

It also affects UK citizens living in Thailand and booking holidays. I was going to book a flight for my wife and me to go to Pucket from Pattaya Airport. The flight per person is around 7500 Baht with surcharges - that is around 150 pounds per ticket. A year ago this would have been around 120 pounds. So thats 300 pounds for two and we haven't even booked the hotel yet.

Couple this with the reduction in the savings rate from over 5 percent to below 3 percent on some of my UK cash savings (and the prospect of it going lower) and it just 'feels' like a bad time to be spending this cash on the trip. (is this the 'feelgood' factor???)

We could get a cheap flight from Bangkok, but I have decided to save the money. Go for a couple of days out in Pattaya instead. I am sure there are a lot of UK Expats thinking like me.

a countries currency can only be devalued by its government, it may lose value in terms of exchange, its a matter of terminology

I've always wondered why more straight guys didn't go to Japan, myself- that's really a good country for them (none of this morals hogwash surrounding sexuality between straight folks, anyway). My straight friends there always seemed a lot happier- and has nothing to do with money. For me, the benefits of Thailand over Japan include:

1. No, no, no homophobia. (there's not much in Japan, but there's less in Thailand)

2. Professional step up (took awhile, but I'm there)

3. Better overall savings (believe it or not- Japan is pretty darn expensive & the salary doesn't go far while you live there).

Would recommend if you straight folks can find a niche there to try out Japan; it's not bad!

"no no no homophobia"???????????????????????????????

get a grip

donate large amounts of money to select charities preferebly ones that go the right way on dhama wheel

I don't understand why you should acknowledge a fellow farang you have never met ?? You dont know them, do you do this in any other situation/country?

Well said that man.

I've got plenty of farang friends, all of whom I've met in either work or social situations. The numpties who grin at me on the Skytrain or 7-Eleven get ignored.

Why?

do you ignore the Thai 'numpty' who smiles at you also?

As I am curious why the Thai almost FRY everything...? Also noticed that actually people and foreigner say the have a "so wide range" of food choices and tastes great. Well I have to say that what I think, is they just poor everything together they can find, add huge amounts of sweeteners and sauce and chilies are used, let's stand alot the quantity of olive oil and fat used to prepare the stuff? So what's healthy?

In our culture we also know Butter... and bake things ass well. Also our meat for dinner.

Like sometimes i miss my morning bread with baked eggs in butter in the pan.

Also fun yesterday i mentioned at Pizza Company the also have the " BBQ Chicken wings"... LOL.. in our country we call that not BBQ but baked in a pan with butter.

Now I respect the Thai food and culture. But I'm very curious about the FRY thing....

I won't go into the asian history thing about frying (too long and I am going for lunch), but if you look at the averge Thai lifestyle, you will notice that getting home at 6pm to cook a roast is not really an option. Frying is fast.

in true thai cooking frying is done with the skimed broth of animal bones etc, using the fats, the advent of palm oil and other killers is the problem, and the frequent reuse of. there are schools where you can learn to fry without all the added oils and the taste is great even better without the sugar salt and msg..............