Kimagure

So.. I guess since the EU is threatening a ban, the typical Thai reaction will be.. to send a (legal) mob of Thais to the US embassy to hold a demonstration..

I had the same problem earlier this year. My Non-Imm B was about to expire, but the company was restructuring, so I couldn't get it renewed on time.

I flew to Laos for a few days, got a Thai tourist visa there, came back to Bangkok and had a couple months to get all the paperwork in order. Then I simply "converted" the tourist visa to a Non-Imm B at the immigration center.

It was an easy enough process, and I enjoyed an excuse for a trip to Laos.

Wow, I thought it was just me.. My experience this week:

I got a motorbike taxi going down Suk Soi 36 on Tuesday, planning to meet my wife for lunch, and got pulled over immediately by a couple cops on a motorbike. They frisked me, checked my bag, frisked me, ran through my bag again, frisked me, took off my shoes, ran through my bag again.. Luckily, I had my actual passport with me as I was planning on opening a new bank account this week, but it went like this:

"You don't have passport!"

Here's my passport.

"You don't have visa"!

Just a minute...Ok, here's my Non-Immi visa.

"You overstay!"

Uhh...No, I'm good until next July. Here's the stamp..

"You.. You have drugs! Come here!"

And they ran through my bag again, and frisked me again. And ran through my passport again. And went through every thing in my bag again.

"What's this? This is drugs!"

Umm... Well, It's an unopened package of Halls mints...

At this point my wife drove by in her taxi, and stopped and came out and asked what was going on.

I said I was apparently under arrest, and put my hands in the air dramatically, and the police told me to put my hands down because my gesture was "Mai dee, mai dee", My better half pulled out her phone (to call her lawyer friend at her embassy), and the main (older) cop finally said, "Ok, you go, no drug, you go, you go, pai pai!"

I think they thought she was taking a photo for Facebook or something.. (Never underestimate the power of an annoyed Japanese woman or the threat of social media.)

Anyway, they spent about 10-15 minutes searching me by the side of the road, again and again and again.. I was honestly afraid (for the first time in my life in any country) that they would plant something on me, because they were so persistent, and just didn't stop when they couldn't find anything.

Sorry for the long rant..

Ok...

(Crosses Samui off list of holiday options)

Well, they could just add a few "Death to the Great Satan America" signs, and hold their rally in front of the US embassy. That way it would be perfectly legal.

Of course there's no complaint about the other countries who denounced the coup and demanded a new government be elected as soon as possible, while cancelling various agreements with Thailand.

The foreign ministers of the 28 countries in the European Union opposed and criticized the coup. The EU cancelled all official visits to Thailand, cancelled an upcoming negotiation with Thailand on free trade, and put off signing a cooperation accord with Thailand.

Australia also denounced the coup, downgraded military ties with Thailand, and issued a visa ban for the Thai military.

But of course, it's only bad when Amerika does it.

"Ding ding ding" .... Slobber Slobber Slobber!!

What was that?! Pavlov rang his bell, and his mindless preconditioned dogs started salivating uncontrollably. The poor things can't help themselves.

"USA..America..American.." Rant Rant Rant!!

What was that?! Someone said the word "America", and the mindless preconditioned Europeans started frothing uncontrollably..

Having said that, I do wish my government would stop their crap and accept that Thailand is better off this way.

I wonder what kind of comment the OP would have made if I had started this thread:

"I'm American, and I'm a true patriot, so I have a big American flag flying right outside my front gate! Here's a photo! Anyone else?"

Bet I would have gotten some rather snide comments. All in good fun of course, but still...

I also couldn't find it at the supermarkets or even health food/organic stores, except in tiny expensive bottles. Finally found one liter bottles at reasonable prices at some of the small 'shops' that set up tables inside the shopping centers, selling local Thai health-related natural products.

So the next time one of these nuts blows himself and everyone else to pieces in a market...

Instead of shouting "Allah akbar!", he should shout, "Allah akbar, copyright Malaysia 2014, all rights reserved!"

Hopefully this will give security personnel a few more seconds to respond.

And of course 99% of the comments on this thread are the same old tired and predictable stereotypical insults against Americans that our European cousins love so much.

Well done! You've proved yourselves to be witty and original!

Yawn...

Carry on...

NCPO, you are not their mothers and you staged a coup to take their freedom away. Summon the yellow protesters who are sitting out for over 6 months.

Stickyrice, you are always good for a laugh... are you posting on behalf of your wife..? tell us, "you are not their mothers" but you did not tell us their mothers WHAT..? could be their mothers handbag ? their mothers panties ? Maybe you should have said.... "You are not their mother..!" that may have made sense ! Go back to skool...

Actually, Stickyrice's English is fine...

mothers = plural of mother. The NCPO has multiple members, so they would be multiple mothers.

mother's = possessive for mother. For example, a mother's handbag.

mothers' = possessive for mothers (plural). For example, all of the mothers' handbags.

Anyway, carry on....

This is kind of scary... Except for his hairstyle, he looks exactly the same now. Especially that photo on the right.

How did they identify the suspects just from the security footage? Does the immigration department have photos of all the tourists who come to Thailand, or what?

I'm not being skeptical, I'm just honestly curious how that works.

Bad move for Thailand, they haven't thought of the consequences of such move.

The foreign media will rip them apart.

Then they will probably file defamation/slander charges against the foreign media, too.

There's a Japanese supermarket called Fuji Supermarket on Soi 33/1, near Phrom Phong station. My wife (Japanese) buys mochi there.

As mentioned above, the street right next to Seacon Square ( Srinakarin Soi 51, between Seacon and Paradise) has bars and restaurants, although I think they are mostly open only at night.

On that street, there is an outdoor lake-side restaurant called Klang Bueng, which has good Thai food and cheap beer, and is open from 11:00 am. It's one of our favorite hangout places.

Also as mentioned above, the street right behind Paradise has some pub style bars and restaurants that are more 'farang'-style with imported beer and Western food.

Thanks rgs2001uk, I had no idea there was a Mexican restaurant near there. I'll check it out.

I've always had a really active imagination, but...

I never Imagined that I'd one day find myself living in a country and wishing it would have a military coup soon...

Not been here that long then?

Only 13 lucky years, but I still manage to get surprised by what goes on here from time to time.

Yes.....look at all the fantastic results of the military's last effort.

Yes, that was tragic and a real shame, but as it is now, I personally think things will just go from bad to worse without any resolution either way if both sides are left to roam the streets at will. Just my humble opinion, and I hope I'm wrong, but..

Anyway, whatever the outcome, everyone please take care and stay safe.

When will they start calling this the beginning of "Asian Spring"?