scorecard

I confirm that, most in my extended Thai family avoid Amphur and similar offices like the plague. Main reasons: - Less than clear answers. - Citizen often enough they know the answers given are wrong but any attempt to query the wrong answer ends up in abuse. - Demands for money. On the other hand my Thai son won't bide the above. Example, he took his Thai wife and 2 kids (14 and 11) to the local passport issuing office (Northern Thailand province). Aim: get new passport for himself (current p.port soon to expire), new passports for wife and 2 kids). Initial response was negative all round. Various excuses. Some e.g.'s : Son had 2 passports issued previously, p'port lady said 'too many, you have exceeded the the total allowed. have to wait 5 more years' Wife (30 years old, had every document invented with her. 'Cannot, her mother needs to sign that daughter can have a p'port'. Mother 500Km away. 2 Kids 'too young cannot issue p'ports (14 and 11)'. Son noticed an old uni friend walking away from the counter, his very young daughter 3 or 4 years old looking at her new p'port. Son asked his buddy if he would show his daughters p.port to the p.port lady son had been talking to. Result lots of abuse. Supvr came to see what the problem was; son had to get strong with the errant p.port officer ant tell her to stop talking and listen. Supvr confirmed that kids can have a Thai passport from 1 day old. And confirmed son's wife had sufficient document to get pp.port issued on the spot. And confirmed there is no limit on how may total passports can be issued to a Thai person. Supvr took son to another desk and monitored the immediate issue of all the passports: son, wife, 2 kids. Son then insisted on an apology from the errant officer which came quickly when the supvr instructed her to apologize. She tried to give an excuse 'I've been busy all week and I need a quiet day'. Supvr told her her comment was unacceptable and to apologize to my son and his wife and then go home and wait for a phone call from the suprvr whether she was dismissed.

Good for you and your partner, I hope it's a picture of equality and I hope it continues for your lifetimes.

You're missing the point.

Unfortunately, sadly true.

Is this post your submission for an award?

Even worse, he believes he's above the law and entitled, with no rules / everything allowed, to operate outside of the law, even murder people without charge or punishment, and operate with no ethics or morals. And even after his term finished he believes he is still entitled, for life, to operate in all circumstances / situations outside of the law. Further he believes he's allowed to tell enormous, dangerous, disturbing and divisive lies and untruths. Seems to me these activities committed by any citizens and especially by a person who should be the role model should be seriously punished including jail time.

Perhaps he was hoping someone would suggest he chair the meeting. But in the photo he looks weak and sick.

Nothing mentioned whether the driver was affected.

Some months later. I called the 1506 hotline and spoke to a SSO lawyer. I explained my name is in the typical dark blue covered Tabien Baan book because I have Thai Permanent Residence PR (27 years). The SSO lawyer shared that most SSO staff in local offices have very little/ zero knowledge of the different coloured TB books and sme for different types of visas / PR etc. She said she would call the CM SSO office and explain all of this to them. Soon after the Snr. officer from the CM office called me and shared that he now understood and my name in the dark blue TB book (he already had a copy) was totally acceptable.

True, that's what's happened. But I believe that step by step Pita and his party and their new balanced modern thinking which can bring more equality and even a soft socialist element will eventually shine.

Boost renowned attractions... How about some focused work to strongly boost manufacturing etc., capability, efficiency, entrepreneurship, etc.

Don't forget the enormous number of votes and seats Move Forward got last election, they are very popular especially with younger voters.

Seems to me that there would be / must be alternative options available.

Easy. Nobody is above the law regardless of any circumstances / previous titles or anything else. No discussion needed / no discussion allowed. Case closed. How can it be anything else.

Line of viber, both are VOIP operated (voice over internet protocol). And both are quite easy to download, SMS, chat and video chat, can send photos etc., all at no charge.

Parents? Perhaps their schools should be fined heavily also. I've heard many times that some of the teachers at these troublesome technical schools strongly encourage / demand the students track down and fight students from other similar schools. Supposedly for the glory of their schools

That doesn't mean it 'works' every time, and in every circumstance.

And his arrogance is beyond belief.

True, three generations in same house is not so prevalent. But it is the case for my family. Me, my Thai adult son and his Thai wife and their 4 kids - 3 generations. Luckily we have a 5 bed / 4.5 bathroom house, full western kitchen. House is debt free. For us it works, very happy family.

And there's another sector - old farang living alone. I live very happily in a well managed mo baht with my loving / supportive Thai family. An old farang (82 yo) live in same village ten walk from me. His Thai wife died 10 years ago, he refuses to engage in any conversation about whether he has other family in the US. He rents a small house and depends on food cooked and given free by neighbors every day. a couple of Thai ladies clean his house and do his laundry free. He does receive a small company pension from the US but whether it continues until death is unknown. Other Americans have offered to check if he's entitled to US social service benefits but he changed the subject immediately. He has no medical insurance. He almost never leaves the house. Myself and 2 other farang have tried to take him to lunch at medium price restaurants but he cancels at the last minute or asks unnecessary questions about food preparation ([How can you make hamburgers, you're not from New York'. etc.). And makes other impolite comments. I've taken fresh sandwiches and other foods to his house but he pushes it aside. He can't walk more than about 100 metres, and he seems to have a severe back problem. We have offered to help his visit 'old folks homes' but he flatly refuses. Just recently he's been making comments like 'I don't want to live more then perhaps 1 year more'. What to do?

And be fair, there's nothing whatever to confirm your claims of muslim terrorism.

As a kid / young teenager I travelled often by steam train from my small city to the provincial capital. 350 kilometres, very slow, took 15 hrs. Many 2 to 5 minute stops. About half way a 20 min stop for warm tea and a bun. Very old carriages, very upright seats, some with no padding depending on what carriage you ended up in. Very basic toilet facility in each carriage. No fans or air conditioning and depending on the outside wind direction carriages often full of smoke and soot from the engine., often enough windows jammed open or closed. Parents watched their kids closely because no closing doors at both end of each carriage.

Lots of assumptions. Sad.

My comment is not to 'protect' islamic folks. I'm becoming more and more concerned about fake news / errors / serious errors in all news reporting, all channels, all countries.

The long reports on the SMH newspaper site and the TV interview with the OZ PM and police commander mention nothing at all about Islamic terrorists. Where did that come from?