MuuKondiao

On 3/20/2019 at 11:57 AM, BahnTH said:

Didn't see it, but I just found it now.

 

^^ There's the trouble maker. Time for a new passport.

 

I'm not super upset or anything, I'm really burnt out on Thailand, been here for the last 6 years. Vietnam is all new and exciting, I want to go there instead. And staying out of Thailand during the twin whammies of Songkran and the elections is also appealing.

 

Not decided what I'm doing yet. Direct flights out of Vientiane are limited.

 

But anyway, there's some confirmation. 4 Thai TRs in my passport since January 2018, 4th one in a row will get you the dreaded stamp.

I lived in Thailand about 6 years altogether, too, including Jan-Feb of this year. Now in Quy Nhon from the beginning of March. Different set of problems in Vietnam; different crazy way of driving, but I am making a go at it. 

Subscribed to two ex-patriot forums here.

So, you are welcome to get in touch with me if you want to give Vietnam a try.

17 hours ago, Thailand Outcast said:

This is my plan, and from what I read, and from the people I speak with, it is a common plan. 

That is my tentative plan right now. just got 3-month V.N. visa; in Quy Nhon now. 

Enjoying life here and missing Thailand at the same time.  

On 3/17/2019 at 6:31 AM, GinBoy2 said:

I think it's all how your brain is wired from a small child 

As a hispanic American I grew up bilingual, and it seemed fairly easy for me to pick up more. 

Now I speak English, Spanish, Mandarin, Thai, Lao & German, all places I've lived.

 

But I think it's really down to that early brain wiring.

 

When we lived in Singapore & our son was born, I spoke to him exclusively in English & Mandarin, my wife in Thai & Lao. 

His head got around it flawlessly, and he's fluent in all of them.

 

I wanted him to learn Spanish as well, but I couldn't keep all 3 languages straight in my head while I was talking to him

 

So on the topic of living in Thailand. I don't think I could have lived in Thailand as long as I did without being able to speak and read Thai & Lao.

That being said it doesn't help that much in getting you inside Thai society on any meaningful way!

 

 

I could not agree with you more on the first point you make.

In my case , though, I did not get the opportunity to study languages other than English growing up in Canada. I was always fascinated by the sounds of people around me talking away in French and Polish and Magyar and Chinese. I remember that my parents thought it was amazing that the little boy next door would talk to us in English and turn around and talk to his grand-parents in Japanese - I thought it was simply natural. But I didn't get to study other languages until H.S. - except for learning some Italian (mostly) cusswords - where I was in the program that included French and Latin. No one wanted to actually "learn" these languages; it was just a matter of getting a passing grade. 

When I went into the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968 they decided on the basis of a general language test that I had aptitude for Vietnamese and sent me to the short 12-week course in Monterey. 

In studying for a degree in anthropology in California I was taught that - as you say - the time to learn language is in childhood and that some people can - and do - master several languages before going to school. And they learn that the world view of their own ethnic group is not the only way of looking at reality. 

In Thailand, first in 2009 and again this January, I set about studying the language every day, knowing that I am not learning as a child but that I could work through it. One advantage I had from having learned Vietnamese was that I did not have the mental block against "Tones" - a stumbling block for many Westerners - though the tones used by the two languages are different. 

And now - I am in Quy Nhon, with a 3-month visa that was easy to get, and a chance to settle here or apply for the TV to go back to Chiang Mai. Studying Vietnamese again and it is hard again and my hearing is worse.

But where I disagree with you is in the way it helps one to acculturate/assimilate/ to the alien environment/society.  I feel that any amount of language study helps. And everywhere there are people who appreciate your efforts to understand what is going on and some people will encourage you and assist you to do this. 

A friend from the States will stop in the middle of a conversation and yell into his cell phone and show it to someone and expect his translation program to communicate for him. I think that is disrespectful - creating a barrier between people;  I stumble through buying some food from a roadside stand, manage to get what I want on the bread, without hot spices and get the right amount of money paid for it - with the women patiently correcting my pronunciation of words... little children stopping by to say, "hello." 

That is communication.

Having said that I say that any person from "somewhere" will probably never fit in 100% in any new country.

But he could become more and more able to live and function and be accepted and even contribute to the society

as he works at absorbing the local language. 

That is why I say that I.M.H.O. it is worth the effort to study the language.

8 hours ago, Laza 45 said:

He is not comparing soi dogs with traffic accidents.. he is comparing risk.. the risk of being injured or killed in a traffic accident is far greater than being  killed by rabies.. or a shark for that matter.. or many other things that kill people...   I believe he is right that they provide protection from prowlers at night.  Where I live most of the local dogs are owned and cared for.. if a stranger.. dog or person comes into the area at night the dogs all start barking and don't stop until they move on.. Yes, it can be annoying but it is good protection..  He does make good points.. Sterilization and immunization  is the best solution..  removing animals just creates a space for others to move in.. 

Actually he is not right that the miserable savage strays provide protection - it is the well-bred and well-trained and restrained guard-dogs the protect their owners' property. The mindless, vicious soi dogs chase away your friends and the mail carriers and bite your children and this problem is not balanced out by the fact that they may also discourage a mad person on ya ba from breaking into your home some time.

Two separate issues: if you are concerned about protecting your home and family then you could invest in some thing other than breading soi dogs to run around lose, like real watch dogs confined on your  property

And the allusion to accidents is irrelevant too and as Geoffggi pointed the out these uncontrolled animals do cause a lot of traffic accidents.

On 3/6/2019 at 2:50 PM, CGW said:

That should help - people to choose another airline ????

Should help with cutting fuel costs as they will have less passengers on-board ????

Airlines that allow 30kg and are not a government cartel will be happy with this latest idiocy! ????

Well, don't look at VietJet airline.

I booked my flights - C.M. to Saigon, Saigon to Quy Nhon - and got to the airport with the same small carry-on suitcase and small back pack that I had moved from the U.S.. with, through Vancouver and Beijing and they charged me extra for the suitcase b/c it was over the 10 Kg - THAT IS TEN KILO - weight limit for carry-ons.... 

Then (after I threw away some things and re-packed dirty clothes into the backpack) in Saigon - where I had to stay for a night b/c I had missed the scheduled connecting flight - they said they did not permit a carry-on luggage at all, (unlike Air Canada and China Air) apart from the small backpack - so I had to pay again - since they had refused to send my checked bag through onto the connecting flight ( which I missed anway b/c I lost time searching for my bag in the Lost and Found, after getting my Vietnam online visa for which the line took about as much time as the flight to Saigon, 

What I don't get is that it is the same amount of weight whether you check it into the hold or carry it on with you - I mean saying that you travel light and have only a small piece that fits within the small limits they specify for carry-on luggage. It would have been decent and honest of the airline to make it clear that the cost of the ticket does not include the luggage fee.

Also you should consider that with VietJEt you get to have your flight changed at the last minute, or after the last minute - to a different Boarding Gate - and they don't post the change on the message boards, and they have been known to lose luggage entirely - and not give sh1ft about you complaining.

15 hours ago, vogie said:

If the aitch is silent you use 'an' and I'm from Yorkshire where we drop all our atches, so it's an ammer. ????

Fkcing A

IMHO you MUST go to the embassy now.

Tell them and they will issue a new p.p. (if U.S.A.), or add pages in now - before you attempt to cross a border. 

It ain't worth putting  your self at risk.

11 hours ago, bbko said:

Most Soi dogs are all bark and no bite when it comes to adults,  many joggers and walkers around my area seem to carry lightweight sticks. 

If they are really aggressive get a Thai to help you file a complaint at the local Tessibann office. 

Lazada sells dog repellent devices online;

https://www.lazada.co.th/catalog/?q=dog+repellent&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.1342719cDR7Odk

 

Lastly you can make some homemade dog repellent and put it in a squirt gun and spray them if/when they get too close.

https://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-make-homemade-dog-repellent.htm

Don't bet your life that these little savages won't bite.!

Children have been killed and crippled by the feral animals. 

Standing up to them; showing no fear can get you torn up leg tendons.

Talking to the owners can get get you nowhere. The cops are not interested when people murder people; they are less interested when a farang gets upset about being chased by dogs.

When I lived in Mae Sai and rode a scooter there from C.M., I used to carry rocks on the scooter. That helped - throwing a rock gets the dogs attention and riding at them can cow one or more of them and it only takes once to cow one of them into submission.

Also I used to carry a staff when jogging or walking. But it is better to hit one than just wave the stick at them.

And there is rat poison. Of course no one would really set out poison in some cooked chicken left out with the trash. No, better to let the animals tear childfren apart, and go on tearing them apart as they get away with it.

OK, this is off-the-topic. But I have a simple issue and I would like to ask for a simple answer if anyone knows it.

I am in C.M. on a 30-day visa-exemption; got it renewed once, without any trouble for another month.It says:

"Extension of stay."

Now the question is: can I get this renewed once more??

My plan was to fly to Saigon - booked a flight to there for 28 Feb, and another flight to Quy Nhon that evening.

But VietJet airways have apparently gone nuts. They sent me an email stating that my itinerary might have been changed - so I should check with the attached pdf file (which does not show anything but numbers and letters) to see if it has been changed, or call their phone number (which is no longer receiving calls), or send an e (I did, and they responded with a message saying they would respond in 3 - 5 days.)

SO, I could fly to Vientiane and apply for a TV to Thailand there - but I want to go to Vietnam, where I have a 3-month visa already approved online, before deciding if I want to apply for a Thai visa there. 

If I want to just wait another month - (Mercury is going retrograde in March - so all kinds of communications will be disrupted even more than usual; I don't want to make new travel plans in March)) - will the I/O ask - as the members of this forum ask - <deleted> I want another extension and why did I not get a regular visa. / Not that it matters but I thought it was not worth the trouble to drive one day to Los Angeles to apply for a visa and pay for a night in a motel that cost as much as a week in C.M., so  I just came here not knowing the visa thing would get worse and worse.

The point is: do I have the option of getting another extension of stay?

Appreciate any answers.

On 2/23/2019 at 7:32 PM, FolkGuitar said:

Interesting.... I've never had a problem with ebay shipping to me here in Thailand, and I order 3-4 times a month. But Amazon... My word! 95% of the time I try to order something I get the message "this item doesn't ship to Thailand," and I have to have it sent to my re-shipper in the US to be forwarded to me. Extra expense and extra two weeks time!

 

I have had mostly nothing from Amazon in the two months I have been back in Thailand, I dropped eBay long ago,, while in the U.S.A. but I thought it was a communication problem between them and me and my computer. Now I see that other people have had problems with eBay.

Amazon has shipped one thing to me here. It came from Germany, way ahead of schedule - I don't remember what it was - nothing vital - but everything else that I have tried to order was not available in this country. 

On top of that they claim now that none of the movies I want to watch are available in Thailand - even the movies that I bought and own I cannot  see. 

And not only that, they blocked me from listening to my music. Even the songs that I had purchased were blocked.Now I am able to download - some of them - from their site, after arguing with different reps a lot.

I do blame Amazon. They have become too big to care about their customers and if things can be forwarded by a shipper then Amazon could take the trouble to deal with these forwarders to make a sale. They are too busy counting their profits to honor their commitments. 

23 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Here are enough threads on TV with people who have trouble getting a long term visa. So there must be some who will leave or not return from what was planned as a visa-run.

That is the scenario I am working with. To Vietnam the end of Feb. expecting to receive a 3-month Viet visa there at the airport ... three months to get acculturated and settled in and to apply for the TV to Thailand.

I don't get it why so many people are arguing here about leaving or not leaving - threatening to go but changing their minds - paying the cost for a visa agent - putting your freedom in jeopardy for trusting a Thai scam artist who may or may not have the connections he claims and may or may not have influence  on corrupt I/O's, but you should have known better than to trust him.....

For those who are making it in Thailand: stay and be well; for the ones who feel the need to bail out or life could be easier somewhere else, or they don't fit in anywhere: let them pursue their dreams. How does it hurt you that they say the grass looks greener to them over there?

On 2/23/2019 at 1:13 PM, KKr said:

ChiangRai province.
only back of the bike with license plate,
and back of someone with muuuch longer and darker hair than mine.

Lucky for you your wife did not open the letter fist and see the lady with you.

1 hour ago, billp said:

How about Canary Islands? Temperature ranging from 20-25°C year round. Can be quite cool in the winter but never really cold. The two main islands have real cities in the north and busy tourist strips on the south coasts. Lots of English-speaking expats and visitors.

Canary Islands used to be on my list - and somehow I forgot about the place. 

Anything more to add: the attitude of the police/government officials towards farangs? traffic? medical facilties?

Hi Geisha.

No advice to offer today but I wonder if you care to share more info about this beach in Myanmar?

This country was not even on my bucket list of places to go to. But cool beach, remote appeals to me - I don't care much for shopping and hanging with ex-patriots.

On 2/23/2019 at 12:59 AM, Acemaker said:

Lagos is nice.

Are you nuts? Last I heard the harbor is almost totally sludge from sewage run-off from and unrestricted petroleum waste; the government is as corrupt as anywhere; the the disapproving customs officials carry AK-47's not stamps to express their disdain for westerners.

When I was in Senegal in 1982, however I found the women even more appealing than the Thai women. But I understand the political situation is constantly in upset and, despite the influence of the Peace Corps and the UN, 

the amount of disease and poverty is getting worse. 

Africa is is off my list of potential havens.

19 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

In my original post about why i left Thailand,  there were quite a few members who expressed they too would be leaving Thailand.   I realize that nobody knows right now how many will actually leave, for their own particular reasons. 

 

Mine are very clear and simple to understand.  You can read through my original post and understand my reasons.

 

The short of it was a lack of planning on my part, insufficient money to pay for any costly medical expenses and changes in the procedures to obtain and keep a retirement visa.  I have chosen to cut my losses and leavd now before I become any further invested in living in Thailand. 

 

Nevertheless,  i liquidated my possessions and car back in the USA and am addressing that decision now.  This was a decision that I made.  No regrets.   Just make better decisions going forward. 

 

Those who expressed they are leaving,  I am hoping will participate in this topic and share what their plans are and solutions for everyone. 

I see from the comments that some people ignored your request to not bother with personal insults and leave this blog to those of us who are quitting Thailand to share experiences and plans.

I will be looking forward to learning  how you adapt temporarily to life in the States and what you come up with for the next destination.

On 2/16/2019 at 7:42 PM, Thailand Outcast said:

A lot of people talking about not staying here anymore. If they do these adjustments and stay, what are all of these changes for? Maybe give more money to the Thai banking system? If the tourist visa rules stay the same, that's ok. I can live 6 months Thailand and 6 months somewhere else, but it is difficult to chose the other place. I ask this question on a different forum.

For me I settled on Vietnam. If things go according to plan, I will receive the visa at the airport in Saigon, which I applied for online - three months, a place rented in Quy Nhon near the beach, motor scooters to rent by people who claim they do maintenance on their machines. Long enough to decide if I want to stay there, apply for TV to Thailand there, or go to Sri Lanka, if they don't start a civil war in the meantime.  

Be glad you have the freedom to choose.

On 2/17/2019 at 6:21 PM, farangx said:

Why not fly to Vietnam and go to Thailand from there?

 

.... or stay in Vietnam ?

On 2/16/2019 at 12:00 PM, Thailand Outcast said:

Yes, but where in these countries?  I do not like to live in a capital cites.  I like the beach, but not a big tourist beach.  Maybe a smaller place with a beach.  I know I am not the only one leaving in the next 12 months.  Where are other people going?  

I am booked for Saigon to Quy Nhon the end of this month. 

It was a close choice between Quy Nhon and Hoi An, which is farther North, close to Da Nang. 

Never heard of them? I had not either - which is why they are supposedly not flooded with tourists - until I started to do my research online. 

Lots of info online for you and forums. 

If you need a smaller community, it might be worth it to start at one of these - easy enough to get to from the main cities and find accomodation and get settled and rent/buy a motor vehicle and learn about beach towns that are smaller and more remote and affordable.

Sri Lanka might be worth consideration too - beach towns on the SW coast sheltered from the monsoons. I am waiting though for the political situation to calm down, or for the civil war to start.

On 2/12/2019 at 9:20 AM, giddyup said:

When I see sparks fly and a blue flash I consider that a short.

I think you are wrong about that. A short circuit, by definition is a means for the current to go through a shorter route - not through the electrical motor or appliance it was circuiting through - and back to the source or to ground, which could be through the person cutting into the wires.

So, if the live wire was not cut then the current continued through the narrowed pathway, while some pieces of metal -  the sparks - flew elsewhere.

On 2/9/2019 at 5:26 PM, thequietman said:

Like I said, your business acumen is rubbish.

 

As a manager, I would ask them to return to the bike shop and get a copy of their passport ( U said that's acceptable but only just) then politely tell them to come back s you would be more than happy to rent them a room.

 

Your hotel is full and everyone is happy, but like I said, that would mean good customer service on your part and I guess you don't do that, do yeh twonk? ????

I have been reading this post for two days and I still have to say you people who are arguing against the hotel manager are still 100% wrong and he is still right.

This is a black-and-white issue. The laws - of Thailand and of your home country - state that you carry your passport. Period. The hotel manager - in accordance with the laws of Thailand - requires that you hand over your  p.p for him to make a copy of the required pages.

Renting a m.c. is a different issue. If you are adamant that you have a right to hand over your p.p. to every m.c. rental agent then you are breaking the law and putting your self at risk of losing your p.p. and of getting hassled -legally - by the Thai police for not carrying your p.p.

It is not the hotel manager's job - or mine - to advise you to check in to your hotel first and then go to the rental shop and then deal with them, with your p.p. in hand and give in to his demand to keep the p.p. thereby overriding the law with his procedures - or to tell him take take a copy or take a walk. That is your responsibility.

You people are acting like a little kid who has put on his shoes first and cannot figure out how to get his pants on over his shoes - and you want to act like some grown-up is supposed to change the rules because you don't want to

learn how to do it right.

If you really need help to figure this out then I will give you some advice: STAY HOME. 

1 hour ago, lyskamm said:

How and where can you book the visa trip with Andaman Club. We are staying near Khaolak. Thanks folks.

Me too.

What is this about? The Andaman Islands? 

A boat service from the Khao Lak beach area ? to the Andamans for a border run?

On 2/9/2019 at 5:13 PM, grollies said:

So by the same token, a motorcycle or car hire company should accept copies too and we all get to keep our passports?

God, I don't know what is wrong with you people making these silly rebuttals to the man who is stating the law in this country.

You have to have your passport with - you must carry your passport always in Thailand - you are subject to a lot of trouble if a cop asks you for your passport and you don't have it with you........ all else fit in with this law.....

If you are American your U.S. passport is the property of the U.S. government and must be surrendered to an agent of the government on demand......... so you cannot have given up the passport to some twonk - whatever that means - if you need to surrender it to an authorized person. 

There are no "what if's". 

By a different token when the rental company demands your p.p. you don't have to explain the law to him: you tell him to take a walk; then you take a walk - to a rental agency that will accept a copy of your p.p. and a deposit.

Get your priorities straight: housing and legal status come before risking your life riding a m.c. on Thai roads.

Which is a better scene?: to be stopped by the cops for a routine check, whether or not you have been in a collision - and you don't have your p.p. - or to be stopped and you do have your required legal document but you have left a deposit with the rental company - when the amount it will cost you at that point is likely to be higher than the amount you should have left in deposit at the rental office??

I wonder if the people who wrote these inane comments are the same people who walk out onto the roads without looking, pushing bicycles, or riding them as if they were in a park, oblivious of the dangers that they are creating by interfering with the flow of dangerous drivers in bad streets.

DId they leave their brains in the home country?

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

What a way to go

A person might say there are worse ways to go, like old age.