WyrldTraveler

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I wish they would hurry up I need to give it my wife after the chemo somedays unbearable  

CBD oil is reported to be helpful with chemotherapy side effects.  It has no THC, which is usually the gold standard for marijuana convictions.

Other options include seeking the prescription medication Marinol, which is a synthetic THC drug.  Not known if available in Thailand. 

When communicating with physicians in a country that did not permit Marinol, oncologists were giving tips on how to smuggle through Customs from USA...  If your wife is truly ill, there are caring physicians who are sometimes willing to help if you ask.

14 hours ago, yogavnture said:

 i will try to do my part. if every one did just one tiny thing.  lets say not use plastic bags or straws so much. we could at least do a dent and the spirit gods will smile upon us at our death

Why do a tiny thing when you could do a big thing?

14 hours ago, stud858 said:

A coup is when military as a part of society takes control of society.

What is it called when a group (soldiers for example) as part of a military take over a military?

Could that happen you think?

 

It is usually called 'mutiny', but sometimes called a 'People's Popular Uprising'.  Remember that Thailand is still a monarchy.

On 2/4/2019 at 11:14 AM, vinegarbase said:

In Panama you can get your permanent residency in about 2 months for about $8k USD, I did this myself years ago. Here are the guys I used https://www.joyful-feet.com/panama-citizenship/ It was a straight forward step by step process.

 

You must use a Panama lawyer and these things can not be done yourself. It can't be stated enough you need to deal with a reliable and honest company which are hard to find but I can verify 100% these guys know what they are doing. Try to get in contact with Peter, he is the guy I was working with.

This is a referral agency dealing in the shady area of purchased passports and offshore entities through anonymous mailing services.  Most outfits targeting 'high net-worth individuals are overcharging for the 'services' they claim to provide, in my experience.  I have helped some people arrange these things prior to their move and it is advised to NEVER use any agency which does not have names or addresses of principals publicly posted. 

While the application process is fast, the results may take a while.  I have been waiting for a certified copy of a document since November, just  one example.  There is a strong anti-corruption movement in many parts of government right now; for example, it was forbidden to give out Christmas candy for fear that it would unduly influence the clerks.  Don't think that hiring someone who claims to be 'connected' and can expedite things 'for a small fee' is a viable plan.

2 hours ago, madmen said:

Why not just live in your home countrys and travel where you want as tourist?

Everything is already set so you get cuddled until you die , no visa drama or worry about currency getting smashed as an expat

For some it is a question of leaving before one is jailed for political reasons in the home country.  Prisons are known for cuddling their inmates with free housing, healthcare and food while restricting access to information and other locations.  Being a perpetual tourist is expensive (try living in hotels for a year!) 

Odds are that you are not a white South African.  Tourists cannot enroll their children in local schools in most countries, with a possible exception being California.

Assuming that the notice has been withdrawn, the continuation of the 'legal process' is theater to get people emotional about someone else's problem.  For the Thais, it may do the following:

• Show the world that Thailand follows the Law like representative democracies in the West.
• Show the Thai people that they do not give foreigners special treatment, but treat all equally under Law.
• Curry favor with Bahrain by further embarrassing him.
• Curry favor with Australia by (probably) releasing him after the courtroom drama and allowing Australia to be seen actively defending refugees (even if footballers).
• Distract the populace from the global economic collapse, government corruption surfacing in the media, ongoing global cooling, pollution and other things that no one can stop.
• Other things that escape me at the moment.

The shackles are propaganda.  Probably some jailer's idea to curry favor with their superiors.

I got caught with this when I tried to make a border run to get the last week of follow-up care and was denied boarding by airline due to only having 178 days of validity on passport remaining (rule is 180 days).  I only had a 6 day overstay, but they added on two days of penalty since I had to travel up to the border and it was already too late to leave that day.

Going to Immigration Office (airport or other) and explaining situation (accepting responsibility, etc. like you did here) along with supporting documentation (receipt from Consulate for passport, letter from Hospital explaining treatment) and paying the fine will likely be okay. 

When this happened to me, I was told to go to Mae Sai (sp?) border crossing after paying the fine to reset the visa waiver period while waiting for new passport.  I had to sit in the office all day, but once they realized that I was polite and doing the right thing, they were very polite and helpful in the Chiang Mai Immigration Office. 

Bring a book.

Quito has a program that bans certain license plates depending on the day of the week.

Ends in:

1-2 park on Monday

3-4 park on Tuesday, etc.

Sunday no enforcement.

Cops issue tickets (good for bribes OR good for city revenue)  Drivers comply or pay bribes all day.

Another idea is to ban all heavy vehicles in urban areas between the hours of 6am and 8pm.  (I forget which cities do this.)

Enforcing existing environmental rules is also a good idea.

But, hey, what do I know.  I am just an idiot Farang.

45 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I don't see the appeal of Paraguay as a place to live.

No one place is right for everyone.  Ever wonder why so many people are trying to get into Europe and North America while the expats are fleeing? 

The approach I take with my clients is to suggest that they go and check it out for themselves.

If we change the paradigm from "I'm right and everyone who disagrees is wrong" to simply sharing information (including our opinions) freely, then we might get somewhere.  Everyone has someplace they want to live for some period of time.  Some expats fold up their tents and go back to the homeland with a fresh perspective on the place. 

It's a journey, not a destination. 

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Passport depends on the country. As I said some of the nations that offer a path to permanent residence (sometimes very quickly) for retirement status also offer a longer path to optional citizenship. That's the connection. Living there for some years and passing their other requirements which might include language proficiency, etc. Different than buying passports, a different thing, mostly wealthy people are interesting in and appropriately expensive. Paraguay might be an exception of having an easier passport, but the issue here is mostly for people that want to LIVE in a new place and Paraguay is not a popular choice for that. 

For those interested in second passports, many countries offer naturalization after a period of time.  Some offer naturalization/citizenship-by-investment.  None of them are 'fast' if legit.

Retirement visas are relatively inexpensive for those on a budget.  If you are worried about changes, it would behoove you to look at other options. 

Naturalization is a nice hobby to pursue if you are interested in further securing your status.  I'm on Year Two of one application.  It is neither easy nor fun.

Paraguay is very inexpensive, good water,cheap electricity and no snow.  Ecuador and Peru are also inexpensive right now.  Compared to those, Panama is relatively expensive.  Colombia seems to be improving, but there are factors like refugees from Venezuela and the broken promises to FARC to consider.  I have reliable sources and boots-on-the-ground experience in Colombia and Ecuador. 

Costa Rica has a history of cancelling their residency visa programs with short notice, so I am wary of their programs.

2 hours ago, SuperTed said:

I have read through this thread hoping to see listings of PR requirements in various countries. There are only a few, a couple of which are wrong!

And there is no serious discussion of Thai PR. One poster says it is available after three years, another says it is available after five. Here is what ThaiEmbassy.com says:

“All applications for Thai Permanent Residency is processed by the Royal Thai Immigration Commission...
 

Readers would be well advised to only trust source information from original government websites. 

Any website ending in dot-com or dot-net (sometimes even dot-org) may be from a non-authorized source and slanted towards their particular commercial goal (like helping you get your citizenship for a low, flat fee after you pay some retainer to them, only to find out that the information is wrong, outdated or otherwise useless promotional fluff). 

Most of Latin America offers a permanent residency at some point in time.  The purpose of a temporary residency visa is to make ejecting you easier if you are unsavory (happy drunks are generally tolerated, but belligerent drunks might not have their visas renewed, for example.)

Some nations offer citizenship after a significant investment/donation/bribe to the local Treasury.

Keep in mind that both 'permanent' residency and citizenship can be revoked at the stroke of a pen anywhere in the world.

Philippines Retirement program (SRRV) is not well marketed (website and email addressess regularly crash/change and/or are ignored) and my requests for information have been inconsistently fulfilled.  I lived in the PI as a child and like the place, but the 'permanent residency' which costs $30USD/month after the deposit and fees might not be a 'bargain'. 

Beware anyone pushing the SRRV program on forums online as 'marketers' are required  to be registered with PRA due to a history of MASSIVE fraud.

Panama has several programs for residency; most of Latin America has some sort of pensioner's visa regime as well.  I have multiple 'permanent' visas, including Panama.  Malaysia also has a good reputation.

Services at the VA clinic are fairly basic - not much different from any decent local doctor.  If you are in Manila, you can get an annual physical and be seen for any illness or injury on an outpatient basis, just like in the USA.  (Keep in mind that you will be charged the US co-pay rates for your medications and care, just like in Kansas!)  If you get sick outside Manila, I doubt you will want to travel all the way to the VA Clinic for some Sudafed and Tylenol.  Oh, and your doctor at the VA Clinic might be a local hire.

If you are Service-Connected Disabled, you are eligible for local care (almost) anywhere in the world for your S/C conditions through the Foreign Medical Program. 

You may be able to request a non-biometric 'temporary passport' at your consulate.  These are often available for travelers who have lost their documents to allow them to return home, etc. This is at the discretion of the consular officer.

A better option is to contact your local Immigration office directly and explain your situation and see if they can waive the rules until your new document is ready.  They can be very helpful when you can show that you are trying to follow the rules and have exhausted the options available to you.

Few people think about this whole event as a pretext to evaluate how the shutdown would serve to qualify which services are actually necessary and which can be eliminated.  Government costs money.  This could be used to see what services are actually 'essential' and which are simply 'jobs' programs...

A few points:

  Extension is based on marriage.  Did the Thai wife participate?  Did the Thai wife smooth over the situation or irritate the Immigration Officer?

  Did the OP throw a fit?  Never a good way to curry favor.  Obviously, the OP will not volunteer this info.

  Did the OP return another day and talk to someone else?  A (very) junior Immigration Officer will guarantee a refusal based on not wanting to make a mistake and be sent to some obscure border crossing with no A/C or nightlife.

In every transaction are two parties.  Think about them perhaps?  How does your request affect them?

Cyberspace allows easy avoidance of local rules protecting local practitioners who have no interest in serving your target population.  PM for more.

If everyone had a small fishbowl with 'mosquito fish' the idea of spraying molasses wouldn't be quite so offensive.  (The environmental ministry knows what these are and might give them to you for free!)  At least it is not a toxic petrochemical...

The only ones qualified to answer these questions definitively are the Immigration Officers deciding your application.  Everyone else's opinion is just that - their opinion.

Humility, patience and good manners go a long way in Thailand.

Points for honesty, if warranted, but begging is begging.

As a clergyman, I would honor a monk properly attired, but he is not.

At some point, one must decide if you are a Man as yourself, or merely a member of some Group, whether it be called Farang or something else. 

Other people can call you Farang.  The deciding point is when you identify as Farang; then you accept all of the negative connotations.  I believe Thai people understand this while foreigners do not.

Masculinity is about being strong and also sensitive.  If you are not aware of your surroundings, you might only be a brute.  This can be changed only by you.

When one travels abroad, one may leave one's tribe and become a nomad.  Who are you, anyways?

The amount in question for the Wall is 'Peanuts' in comparison to the amount in which Social Security and Medicare are underfunded.  In Alaska they fund 'Bridges to Nowhere' and other 'pork' projects elsewhere which are far greater in cost than this silly barrier which will prevent Americans from fleeing the USA.

Describing your plight in detail stating only the facts will possibly shield you from a defamation claim, especially if you post on forums which deal extensively with teaching issues (i.e. ESLcafe.com, tefl.com, teachingnomad.com, ajarn.com, etc.)

Any school which cannot hire teachers to perpetuate their scam will suffer.  You are advised to file your claim BEFORE this course of action is followed.  Broke schools cannot pay.

The IDP is a scam.  It is a translation in seven languages (the last time I looked) on nice paper of the international treaty 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, with a nice space for your name, details and a photo.  There's a stamp that looks official.  There is no procedure to authenticate the validity of such a document.

Provided that you have a valid license from a signatory country, there is little to prevent you from printing your own.  It is NOT an official government document!

From https://idl-services.com

The International Driving Permit (IDP*) of the AAA® is a document that grants someone the privilege of driving a motor vehicle legally while abroad for up to 1 year, but It does not replace your government-issued U.S. driver’s license. The IDP serves as a translation in 10 languages of your valid U.S. driving permit. You must carry both your IDP and your U.S. driver’s license when driving abroad. You must obtain your IDP in the same country that issued your driver’s license and you can never use your IDP to drive in the country in which it was issued.

Why do I know so much about this stuff?  I have a driver's license from a country which is NOT a party to the treaty!  It's been interesting.

Here's the treaty:

https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/MTDSG/Volume I/Chapter XI/XI-B-1.en.pdf