mikebike

i bet all you "holier than thou posters, who go spouting off, you are all ,rich farangs,dont live in a tin shed with no electric or water, haven't got a clue what it is like to wonder where the next baht is going to come from to put food in the kids mouth, so get off you high horses, i have actually got an insite into this,

In other words, it's OK to turn to crime if you're poor.

What total rubbish.

It may not be philosophically right, but it is a viable option.

I personaly wish they would get all these vendors of the sidewalks and put them in a market somewhere off the main street.

Would be nice to walk a few blocks without all these people and their customers blocking the sidewalk, of course there is the dodging motorcycles on the sidewalk.

Next is all the beggars, I mean three or four to every block is a bit much.

Enough, I feel better !! Jerry

If this is what you desire there is a utopia not so far way... Its called Singapore.

worth an hour and a half of your time to watch this documentary on counterfeiting

all too easy to say it doesn't hurt anyone except the big corporations, but they can afford it can't they. yea everyone likes a good knock off pair of shades or T-shirt, but what about essential medications?

If you use your head and do some research and testing I've found that Thai (or Indian) generic meds work for my condition(s)... But it ain't like buying a t-shirt you actually have to educate yourself...

nope its not....

common law refers to a real marriage without any prenup agreements....

Sent from my ME172V using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How could you have legal rights as a married person if you are not a (legally) married person?

Sent from my ME172V using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

One reason for the schools closure might have been traffic related: loads of demonstrators going home, there is far less of a rush hour when schools are closed.

How would that have any meaning except in urban areas? Where I live, and indeed in most of the countryside, there is no such thing as 'rush hour'...

Schools ordered closed. Now that confuses me..

Me too - cannot think of any logical reason why.

I can think of many reasons and one damn good one. Why have kids gathered together in such a way that they make an easy target for terrorists? Not to say we are anywhere near this... but why risk it.

From the thread title I thought the Op missed that big body of water on the other side of the beach!!

Wondering why you would want a Thai credit card anyway!! LOL!

seems like there should be a hammer in there somewhere

If you need a hammer you had better add bailing wire as well... and a screw driver and... Oh pluck it. WD-40 and Gaffer's tape work for me!

Amost too many things going on at once....

Border/Immigration cracking down, the military declaring martial law, Prime Minister ducking out, and nobody really running the show.

Feeling Insecure?

Not in the least!

Are you?

Australia has already re-issued strong travel warnings for it's citizens who travel to Thailand.

In '06 the Aussie and US embassies/consulates/whom-ever-the-heck-issues-warnings were 'stongly' warning their citizens; don't go; violence; yada yada... Apparently the same this time... In '06 we Canucks received gentle a 'reminder' that there were political issues in BKK.

Here's what we got this time today:

Martial law was declared in Thailand. We will continue to assess the implications for Canadian travellers at this time and update you accordingly.

I think we got it right - the sky wasn't falling in '06 and I doubt its gonna fall this time!!

I would never cycle in ''Thailand'' anywhere, as its too dangerous, and i am a ''Cyclist''...

Never? Anywhere? Beautiful cycling almost anywhere upcountry with little or no traffic and the traffic there is is quite polite and restrained. Here in Khanom groups of Thai and farrang cyclists every evening all over with virtually no cars and a handful of motorbikes around...

I don't know how true this is but someone told me the following a couple of months ago, maybe he got it completely wrong but here goes anyway :

He said that it's possible to get a retirement visa when you're only 49. Something to do with your 49th Birthday actually being the 50th time you've been alive on your birthday, so you are in your 50th year so to speak.

I'm only 41 so I didn't give it much thought but it could be worth looking into in your case.

Maybe it's a case of how the rules are interpreted by the officer in question at the time and who knows, perhaps a 'fee' was paid.

It would be interesting to see if anyone else has ever heard of a retirement visa being issued to a 49 year old before though.

Not true, unless the officer has trouble with dates... From personal experience.

Being gay of course makes the situation much worse as your partner is not officially recognized as such in this backward country. So no marriage visa - no retirement visa if under 50.

I do not get the statement in bold above. Currently only sixteen countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France,Iceland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and Uruguay) allow same-sex marriage nation-wide. The first was the Netherlands ONLY 15 years ago... So every other nation in the world is 'backwards' - even those which are moving towards same-sex marriage? Or are you actually singling out and bashing Thailand for being identical, in this one sense, to 93% of the world's nations?

I, for one, hope that same-sex couples acquire the same rights as hetero couples world-wide, as soon as possible, but I won't bash nations for not being ready yet due to religious and/or cultural barriers and biases. Critical mass will be a few years off yet...

Huh? My post was not in any way 'getting on his back' and as I stated in my post which you quoted, I know quite well that he is a sponsor. Weird.

With comments such as: "to me it comes across as unsolicited advertising" and "why not start a searchable thread....."

That's a fair bit of "getting on his back".

No, the first one was a politely stated personal opinion (which is the purpose of this forum), the second was a genuine suggestion towards better targeting his audience rather than the method he is using now which seemed to be garnering criticism and irritation from some members.

With all the posts which have been truly bashing this site sponsor, and ignoring the fact that in your first swipe at me you accused me of not knowing he was a sponsor even though I clearly stated I did understand that in my second sentence, I just find it weird you singled mine out, which is, at worst benign and at best helpful feedback...

It really wouldn't bother me at all if every third post was a sponsors advertorial as my computer has the ability to scroll past posts I have no intention of reading.

The Thai Constitution is promulgated for Thai citizens. It has bugger all to do with any foreigners.

That would be my guess, but I'm open to find out otherwise...

I've news for this guy - he can't throw me out the country unless I commit a criminal act.

You are absolutely correct he cannot throw you out.

But he most definitely can refuse you entry.

Actually, the wording in the Constitution is "cannot refuse entry".

From The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand:

10. Royal Thai Embassies and Royal Thai Consulates-General have the authority to issue visas to foreigners for travel to Thailand. The authority to permit entry and stay in Thailand, however, is with the immigration officers. In some cases, the immigration officer may not permit foreigner holding a valid visa entry into Thailand should the immigration officer find reason to believe that he or she falls into the category of aliens prohibited from entering Thailand under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).

Please link to 'cannot refuse entry' in the Thai Constitution - I am very curious...

Ohh but they are vague..

This at the officers discretion.. If he feels they are a tourist.. If he is happy they are not resident.. maybe he might..

That cant operate.. Not when people have planes to catch, transfers to make, and timing to stick to.

Either the rule is one and done.. Or its not.. But 'based on the mood of the guard on the day' is not a system that can be applied successfully.

Sure the only people who are going to miss planes and have huge financial costs to this are non Thai, so they can do it.. But it will be a disaster.

I have traveled to the US many times over 35-odd years... Two times I have been refused entry, the other 100 or so, no problems... Bleedin' well screwed up my travel plans... Why is it so hard to understand that immigration officials have discretionary powers and they sometimes USE them. And sometimes in an inappropriate way... I just never ASSUME things are going to go well and am prepared to deal with the consequences... here or anywhere else.

I've news for this guy - he can't throw me out the country unless I commit a criminal act.

You are absolutely correct he cannot throw you out.

But he most definitely can refuse you entry.

But you cannot have vague discretionary rules.. Not when air travel is concerned.

The system cannot operate on the whims of the guy on the desk, there has to be a system of precise rules.

And yet every immigration officer in the world has 'discretionary powers' built into his or her job description...

A better question is where is the world is there not a visa class for rich people to come there and spend money indefinitely ??

Show you have assets and everywhere is open.. But not here for under 50s.

Investment visa and extension

If you invest 10 million baht in the Kingdom you may be eligible for a one year investment visa.

You can be eligible for a one year extension of stay based on investment if you make an investment of 10 million baht or more in the Kingdom.

I'm not privy to the workings behind the scenes, neither are you. If you can't see the funny side of asking who the head of Thai immigration thinks he is, deciding how long tourists can spend in Thailand, then I can't help you.

Let me help you understand then, he is an non-elected cop with (relatively) limited power, exploiting a power gap to introduce regulations not officially published in any body of law, at the time someone above him will think different he will be quietly back at his desk polishing his medals and working the best posts bids paid by his subordinates.

Political Science 101

Ideally, in any country, politicians define policy/laws AFTER consolation with experts (academic, bureaucratic) and bureaucrats then enact policy/laws. Interpretation of policy/laws are at the discretion of the bureaucrats, not the politicians. If politicians feel that they laws they have enacted are not being enforced in a they way that they intended they can change the laws but they have little influence in the day-to-day enforcement of their policy.

That pretty much spells it out -- good for them to take a stand. There is always some slippage here between the law and it's implementation, but it seems that the boss is going to be watching for a while

You must be naive fool. What makes you think the next "crackdown" will not affect you?

1. Raising the retirement visa to 60 years and/or raising the monthly income/savings limits, for example.

2. Or they start examining are you "really" married to that Thai girl! One wrong answer while immigration officer having a bad day and it is bye bye time for you!

3. Or you having a successful business and a competitor complains about you. Then they bribe an official and "found" something in your business offices and then you will be deported.

These kinds of absolute powers for blacklisting to be given to border officials are NEVER good! Especially if there are no ways to file an appeal. It is basically inviting all kinds of abusive behaviour.

1. Then a person would have to start to look for alternatives... There are never any guarantees that laws and rules won't change over time...

2. An immigration officer having had a bad day can cause immeasurable grief anywhere in the world.

3. I'd be more worried that my competitor would pay for a 5000 baht motorcycle 'drive-by'...

As is so with ANY country, a visa is NOT a guarantee of entry. It is merely a document that will allow you to move freely if granted entry.

Pompous BS. It's a document that unless forged or illegally issued or any other very good reason. WILL guarantee entry.

The "move freely" part comes from your wild imagination.

No it most definitely will not guarantee entry. From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website:

Thailand's Visa Information : General information

10. Royal Thai Embassies and Royal Thai Consulates-General have the authority to issue visas to foreigners for travel to Thailand. The authority to permit entry and stay in Thailand, however, is with the immigration officers. In some cases, the immigration officer may not permit foreigner holding a valid visa entry into Thailand should the immigration officer find reason to believe that he or she falls into the category of aliens prohibited from entering Thailand under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).