scorecard

Depends on personal experiences. I booked a BNB small house for 2 nights, just North of Sydney, Australia. I asked for full details of what was provided, what I was responsible for etc. Two hours before my flight from Thailand, on my way to Bkk airport to depart Thailand a long email from the owner listing what tenants can / cannot do / can / cannot touch / what tenants must thoroughly clean several times every day etc., including a box outside the front door with a keycode facility to open the front door. Tenant must call the owner (tenant didn't have a SIM working for Australia) and quote a security number then owner will release the to the door lock. Neighbor kindly allowed me to use his Oz based mobile to call the BNB owner. Plus 'tenant must bring their own cleaning materials and cleaning cloths. And on day of departure the used cleaning cloths and cleaning liquids must be taken away by the tenant'. Plus 'tenant must turn back the bed and lay out an old ripped, clean bed sheet on top of the bed sheet already on the bed'. And a lot more. I had just been to a pre planned meeting nearby (at local RSL Lifecare Office and village) to discuss a one year lease of an apartment nearby which has been listed as totally unfurnished but in fact had it a bed / clean linen / bath towels and more. Then went to the BNB house, on eventually entering the BNB house I found numerous large sticky post it notes with more items of can / cannot etc. I decided to go back to the admin. lady who was taking care of the one year apartment rental and requested that I move in on the spot, which she agreed to. Later same day went to local Telstra shop and bought a SIM card and started an account. I then called the BNB house owner who insisted that I must stay in her house for 2 nights and fulfill her instructions for a full house clean before I left. I hung up but called back a few minutes later to request a refund which was refused.

"Thaksin advised..."

I'm aware of foreigners being told that PR is basically automatic is they have held a valid visa for 10 years. Just one example: An early twenties Indian man and his Indian wife in several MBA courses that I was lecturing. They had been invited by the boys' Indian uncle (who was a Thai citizen to both come to Thailand and he would sponsor them to improve their education and help them to get well settled into life and work in Thailand. The uncle owned several large successful companies in Thailand and in India. He had requested his personal lawyer to get full details of what visas his nephew and nephew's wife needed for Thailand, the progression to PR and then to citizenship. The lawyer then gave all the details to the nephew and his wife. Including 'After 10 years in Thailand, with any visa, PR is automatic, then 5 years more and Thai citizenship is automatic. I carefully told my students 'I'm quite sure that's not correct. They insisted 'but that's what uncle's lawyer told us'. The conversation ended to start the lesson. Monday morning of the next week, the young Indian spoke to me 'you are correct, that's not how Thai PR works. His uncle had made some calls and eventually spoke to a snr cop at the police HQ who was assigned to PR admin. Cop told uncle 'the info you have been given is very wrong', and he shared the correct process. Uncle spoke to his lawyer who was adamant he was correct and then added 'but I'm sure you can pay....' End of story lawyer was sacked. Indian uncle interviewed a potential new lawyer and said 'tell me how Thai PR works'. Potential new lawyer's response copied the new info uncle had gained from snr. cop at police HQ. he got the job. Uncle then introduced his nephew with wife to the new lawyer and said 'this is my nephew and his wife, you are now their personal lawyer and I want you to start gathering all the details / documents to be ready to guide them to apply for PR when appropriate.

I had my PR interview, 2 hrs (28 years ago) with a senior immigration officer who spoke perfect English. Only this officer, no other people in the room. I remember he mentioned that the PR main criteria is work permits and then strong indicators that the foreigner is making strong contributions to the development of Thailand. (He did also mention that he was aware of many PR applicants who were rejected because, although they held WPs for several years, they were not contributing to the development of Thailand.) He asked for the name / position and telephone numbers of 3 Thai staff who were working with me and who spoke English. He asked me to remain with him, and he called all 3 work colleagues, spoke very pleasantly to each of them in English for about 5 to 10 minutes and asked them for details of what they were learning from me, whether I expected them to use their new knowledge / experience in their work, and asked for their detailed comments whether their new knowledge / experience was valuable for their future work and valuable for Thailand and why?

That's my understanding too.

Good details, thanks. Hoping Russia is 'defeated' in whatever way in the very near future. I'm guessing many folks (incl. me) are wondering why trump, with all his recent criticisms of putin doesn't provide Ukraine with more / bigger definitive firepower.

Very interesting. Are you saying that PR holders who us the e.gates don't need to get a stamp in their passport re exit and re-entry? In other words e.gate out and in is covered by an older non-quota immigrant visa?

Is it true that the PM can override the legal decisions of a senior Thai court? I hope not?

Drop a big bomb on the kremlin.

Maybe. So what do you suggest?

A lot of very heavy rain in the Don Chan area for many days, but no street flooding in my Moo Bahn, so far.

Search and maybe you can find the form on line. Complete it, get it endorsed as required and return it by post and by email.

No, I don't agree.

Does this connect to the fact a very large % of Vietnamese people have the surname Nguyen?

Or, can we suspend him...?