isaanistical

Allowing officials to take brown envelopes is a terrible idea. Everything about Thailand's administration (and that of many other countries) is a terrible idea and topping a few to "encourager les autres" would get my vote (er, I don't have one). I don't say all officials are bad, but all are bent. Even the good ones - who do their jobs diligently in their community - will happily accommodate one in return for a little something. And that is about something else - the rate for the job. To be serious, "Pay peanuts, you get only monkeys". The diligent local cop, or local council guy, gets a pittance. No great incentive to refuse my occasional "pourboire", is there? But - and we all know the reality - pay better and you don't actually get rid of the corrupt(ion). You have to somehow weed out the baddies BEFORE rewarding the rest. And that is something no administration in the region, perhaps in the world, has learned to do.

You just arrived? There are no good guys.

A "dangerous idea" for the pollies themselves, though. Far as most of us are concerned, they can purge each other to infinity. Sell tickets.....

and this anti-corruption party is led by............ a general. Am I missing something, or is it just TIT?

I have to admit the rabid bias against VFS is mine, not my friends'. They don't know about them (yet). Just that I recall my own dealings with them. But you made me think again: the Thai guy already has an ample file with ImmiAccount online, so would he maybe not be dealing with VFS at all but applying direct online? If so, thanks for prompting me to consider it!

Sorry if my comment was unclear - I meant VFS' connection to a tourist visa they could screw up with 8503 before he gets back into Oz. I have on multiple occasions personally (I'm UK, unfortunately) had good, fair and reasonable dealings with Immi in Oz and the precise opposite from VFS in BKK, hence my own scepticism.

Yes, point noted. They are both competent to apply on their own and would do so. As I said before, I only worry for them regarding the initial visa for him (the blushing groom, as it were) from BKK. If they are/he is at the mercy of the VFS clowns, anything could go wrong.

So it seems to be just a matter of making sure the Thai guy (speaks great English and has been in Oz many times before) gets some sort of entry that doesn't have 8503 on it. But that's a bit of a lottery, isn't it, when applying in BKK? Does it help to use an agent (cf visas and extensions for staying in Thailand)? Thanks for replies - being sent on and discussed.

Thanks, much like what I thought. But if you have to be in Oz to apply for the 820, and as you say the usual 8503 says no further stay, isn't that a bit of a Catch-22? Her husband would need some entry visa that can be extended while the 820 is processing (yourlinks suggest up to 2-3 years). Is there a readily available* visa class that would get him INTO Oz to start the 820 process? *Frankly, my own experience of the %%%%oles at the agency the BKK embassy uses is they haven't any idea of how to help (I'm UK and I have had problems with them trying to stop me getting to Oz!), which is why my friend is worried.

Yes, asking for a friend. She is Aussie citizen, he has only Thai passport; but he has had numerous previous visits and visas to Oz. They want to live in OZ ( obviously!). Seems like a marriage visa (820) is not impossible but expensive and may take up to three years according to the Immigration website: anyone got useful info on that? And is it best to marry in BKK or wait till Sydney to do the legal bit? Get a tourist visa here and then convert once in Oz? Any other ideas? Any constructive advice gratefully received and will be passed on. Cheers

Done a lot of this. Several migrations aog I found MyBackupPro (I have no connections to it) which can back up ALL apps AND their data (settings, messages etc) and then you put the same app on new phone and download everything. Has worked pretty seamlessly for me many times. I think it cost me about B60 for the pro version - not sure if it's still around but I think so. Even between two Samsungs, that alleged Smartswitch is a complete hand-gesture, as is everything Samsung nowadays. My Backup is the only thing I found that will fairly reliably transfer app SETTINGS as they were on the old unit.

Armageddon? I've been there and I think it (NOT being patronising, honest) a very nice little place that wants leaving alone and not being ruined.

I'm sure the brown envelope(s) are more significant than the statue, but... Has he ever tried the Savannakhet to Mukdahan journey? A full day with native bearers and immigration, for Thais too. Absurd to compare it with central Europe. A much quicker and simpler route is to fly to Nakhon Panom and drive the 100km. But there's no money - sorry, kudos - in that, is there?

or a classic test-match radio commentary, West Indies v England: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"

Exactly what I was about to say. There used to be something called the World Meteorological Society or some such conclave of scientists, whose chart had BKK down as the hottest capital in the world, based on its year-round mean temps (rather than outright maximum temp). May or may not be true, but nowadays all we get are the sort of hysterical "news" items like the above, or like any time a typhoon or cyclone forms, usually written by kid reporters who have never experienced anything. It's late April in SE Asia. Why would it not be hot???