scorecard

Good point, possibly several or more country leaders who have concerns that: Sitting with him / being at the same meeting is sanctioning his actions. Sitting with him / being at the same meeeting will damage their own reputation / damage their own standing and credibility. Sitting with him / being at the same meeeting will produce misunderstanding who they support in the war.

And perhaps check what they means in terms of insurances.

Reminds of when helmets became compulsory for mo-cy riders, but not in Chiang Mai.

Also beware of amphur staff getting involved / too involved in writing the will. Some amphurs have staff who are tasked to help write wills but this can become a 'ptoblem': - Amphur staff insisring on certain clauses. Example: my Thai nephew got married and a bit later went with his Thai wife to the Amphur to write his will (This had been suggested by older siblings of his Thai wife). - Amphur 'officer' inisted that by Thai law nephew's will must state that nephews' mother in law receive 100,000Baht upon his death. Nephew queried this and was instantly confronted with comments about disrespect for his MIL. Nephew made excuse to leave and come back later. Nephew contacted old school friend now a practicing Thai lawyer and asked if there was any such law re money for MIL? Answer NO, no such law, nothing like it at all. Nephew went back to amphur office with wife and lawyer. Lawyer asked same amhur 'officer': - To show him a document/any documen/a Thai act which states 'must leave monty to MIL'. Amphur lady couldn't produce any such document. - Lawyer asked her 'have you actually seen this in writing in an official document, or is there any such document in this office?' Answer NO. - Do you have a law degree and do you have any raining about writing wills? Answer NO and NO. Lawyer then asked her why she had insisted that there must, by Thai law, be a clause in hephew's will bequeathing 100,000Baht to nephew's MIL. Her response: 'But I think it's a good idea'. Then amphur officer fled and wouldn't come back to the 'meeting'. Her supervisor came and got very angry with my nephew and his wife and the lawyer , saying, 'why do you ask questions and why do you come here making trouble?' Nephew's wife then politely asked the lawyer 'Can you please write my husbands will and a will for me too please? Lawyers replied 'YES'. No further discussion with Amphur staff, nephew,wife, lawyer stood up and walked out.

Good info. In some countries police not so trusted (often for good reason), therefore the regulations involved required that the person handing the gun in watched while it was rendered unuseable / un repairable.

Do you take Magnesium or similar based medications for muscle spasms? I often get back, leg, foot muscle lock, which is of course very painful. I discovered years ago that Magnesium, Bio-magnesium or similar tabs give quick full relief.

Maybe, but what will happen to the guns handed in? Will they be instantly disabled (e.g. barrel twisted/bent so that it cannot be used, and trigger menchism squashed in a heavy press so unuseable/unrepairable, all while the person handing it in is watching?

Good point, can't count the number of regular announcements about expansion. Is there any long-term planning?

"This topic comes up here periodically and the general consensus is the Thai laws do not help the foreign parent much...." I'm not sure that's true. Seek some proper legal advice from a respected lawyer.

Stop getting armchair comments, seek out and discuss with a well respected lawyer.

You can request such services after the initial booking but (as already mentioned) best at least 3 days ahead to ensure there's enough time for TG to get it organized.

Nice points. My comment was just a suggestion to see if the two versions differ significantly. I concur that both versions must totally agree. I also comment, people can write their own will, but need to be quite careful that: - It's not possible there could be 2 or more interpretations of the words / meaning of the words. - What's written in one part of the will doesn't clash in any way with what's written in another part of the will. - What's written in the will is not actually illegal.

It's not surprising that there must be a copy in local language. To test what's in the written in the Thai version, find someone who reads/speaks both languages well. In private, show them the Thai version (Thai version only) and ask them to translate it to spoken English for you. What they say in English will quickly tell you whether it's what you intended or not.

Creating a strong society where there's good/equal opportunites for education and work would also help to minimize the numbers of people who feel isolated and helpless. Much more sophisticated recruitment processes for the RTP would also help so that folks who are likely to have mental issues are not recruited. And that should include higher levels of education are required to be admitted. Serious change in education methodology would help so that kids are encouraged to ask questions to more deeply understand their lessons, and therefore better equipped to quickly create a response to anything in life. Much more effective methods to reduce the abundance and easy cheap access to drugs in society would also help.

Sure as broad generalisations, very true. Just one example, lots of talk about changing police structure, methods, stopping corruption, cronyism, nepotism, inappropriate behvaiors, etc? Certainly hasn't changed, in some aspects worse than before by comparison.

Not quite that simple.

Seems to me that the SS office plays a lot of games. Just one is when foreigners go to to get a refund of their contrributions (which happens frequently) they are NOT told that they can elect to continue as a private member paying direct to the SS Fund each month until death. About 12 years back I retired, I was given some documents by the accountant at the company I was retiring from so I could go to the SS office at Din Daeng to claim the refund. The accountant's knowledge about the SS laws / act was close to zero, not her job. (I had worked at the company I was retiring from for 12 years and had been a SS member working previously at 2 other companes, total about 8 years. All up total years of membership about 20 years.) On the evening I got the refund I got an 'urgent' call from the accountant saying she had been speaking to a friend who told her that members can get the refund and can also elect to continue their membership by paying each month direct to the SS fund, until death. I went back to the SS office at Din Daeng very early the next morning and said that I wanted to continue as a privately paying member. The officer said 'cannot, too late, have to lodge the application to continue on the SAME DAY you get the refund' I asked to speak to a supvr, on the way to the counter the supvr had a conversation (out of my earshot) with the officer who had told me 'cannot too late, same day..... . Supvr came to the counter and immediately repeated the same words 'cannot too late, same day..... . and walked away. At that point I naively assumed they were telling me the truth. I departed. It's only this month (Oct 2022) that I discovered theres' a clause in the SS Act, Clause 39, that states clearly on retirement members have six months to decide whether they want to continue private membership. (Thank you again Dr. Sheryl for sending me the act in English.) After carefully reading the act and talking to a knowledgeable lawyer I have discovered there is no mention whatever about 'have to lodge continuation application SAME DAY as receiving the refund'. The lawyer mentioned that she has never heard this ever before. Lawyer (this month) asked me 'when you went to get the refund did the SS officer tell you about 'six months to decide......', or did they give you any brochure or handout to read on this subject. My response NO and NO. Yes it's now many years past 6 months however I / my lawyer are preparing a claim that I should be allowed to continue private membership. I / my lawyer are not going back to the SS Din Daeng office to lodge my claim. We're still investigating where to lodge my claim. In fact if anybody knows where the ultimate SS head office is located and/or has the name and contact details for a very senior official would you please share. Thank you. P.S. 1. I have Thai Permanent Residency (25 years) and my name is in the standard dark blue Tabien Baan book and I have the pink ID card, if the SS fund should ask for these. 2. An old farang friend retired 2 years back after 20 years of membership, he went to the local SS office (smaller office) and was told. 'You can get a refund of contributions or you can elect to continue in private membeship and pay each month direct to the SS fund, but you can'e get both.'

If a Social Security member moves to another job, do they keep the same member number? Anybody know?

Well it works in Japan. There's dozens of week-end small excursion trains operating on week-ends and holidays etc., often using very old carriages, mostly electrified lines. I took these excursions many times, sometimes 1 hr / someimes 2 hr trips. Very reasonable fares (often with coffee and snacks distributed on the forward and return journeys). Carriages/seats old but in good condition and always very clean. Most times just 1 or 2 carriages, sometimes 3. Often had English language handouts, pretty much always politely given out by young paid high school 'ambassadors', usually featuring a map and landmarks, in English, how to get back to the station to go home.

Thanks for sharig your experience, very interesting. My hope is to get some real examples of farang who: - by law, had to personally join the Thai SS fund. - retired, and elected to remain a private member of the fund, paying monthly contributions direct to the fund. The most critical detail I'm trying to find is: - how did you know (when you retired) that you can elect to continue in private membership by payin a private direct payment each month to the SS Fund? - Did the HR Dept., at your employment tell you about this, or how did you find out? - If you went to the SS Fund to receive the contributions refund, did the SS Fund staff tell you that you can elect to continue by changing to having a go to private membership? - Did the SS Fund officer give you any brochure/handout materials specific to continuing in a private membership? - Did they mention that you had to change to a private membership on the same day you received your contributions refund? Or ? Thanks.

Quite a few members have mentioned, over many years, that on retirement they elected to continue their Thai Social Security SS membership by private payments each month direct to the SS office. Can I please ask these members to share quick details of: 1. - How they became aware that this was possible? And were they specifically informed by the SS staff it was possible to continue when they went to get the refund of their contributions? 2. - When did they complete and lodge their application to continue as per above? 3. - Was any member told by the SS staff that to continue private membership the appplication had to be completed/lodged the same day they received their refund? Or were they told that 'one day later was too late, cannot continue? 4. - Was any member given (at the date of refund of contributions or at any time) any brochure or paper handout regarding private continuation of SS membership? 5. - Was any meber aware of Article 39 in the Thai Social Security ACt which says that when members retire etc., they have 6 months to decide whether to continue private membership? Sorry so many questions, but all quite meaningful and perhaps even enlightening for other members. Thanks.

In other words, there's scaly unethical lowlife deeper than deep and they have no hesitation to try to be top dog regardless of their criminal history, regardless of their displayed total lack of ethics or morals or whatever.

Yeah, perhaps he pulled his money out of blood diamond mining...

Especially not hard to make corned beef if you have access to the right 'block' of beef. Great for Sandwiches.

Agree, the folks in and out of the oppsite condo love drama and love to cause drama, enjoy giving and receiving abuse (can be violent,more like verbal strong abuse). They don't listen to security, they love the confrontation, and they don't listen to the juristic office. Best to move.