isaanistical

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

I can never understand the urgency.

Why not spend a few days at places such as Saigon and return after few days.

I have in the distant past done same-days to (eg) Singapore when VE or on a Savannakhet ME- but from BKK. If OP is in CM,it might be different as the plane schedules would be longer. A night away could actually be cheaper than first-flight out, last-flight in.

Just checking AirAsia, fares vary a lot - return via cheapest flights would often be more than a thousand baht cheaper given an overnight, which would get you a room in eg KL or, as you say, HCMC which is a lot easier to get into town and hotels are cheap too.

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

And in all these 4 decades you couldn't be bothered to get immigrant status? A Permanent Residency or Citizenship?

PR takes years and is never certain - a respectable friend of mine, good job with Thai comnpany, here 25+ years, took about 20 years to get it. No, I won't "bother".

4 hours ago, renaissanc said:

Thaksin, since you'll be running the government ... please reform the Marriage Visa. I've been here for 40 years (38 years married to a Thai) and I still have to renew the visa annually.

Hardly a novel sentiment, but on the money. I have never understood why the "marriage visa" (non-o) extension is so filled with challenges - and with frankly insulting processes for the Thai wife - the Thai citizen. My wife undergoes the annual ritual humiliation at IO with barely concealed contempt (for the IOs, that is!) - although the home visit, if needed, has always been much more civilised.

When she talks to her friends about the process, they are always shocked at how police make it so difficult for respectable married women, as if all Thai ladies were bargirls (the clear implication. Anyone still here from 40 years ago would be aware of how locals used to regard any Thai girl walking with a farang and in some ways that has not changed).

I am just now changing extension to retirement for just this reason - I am sick and tired of IOs demeaning my wife regardless of our papers to show how long we have been together. We'll see how it goes, although in some weird way I shall miss the home-visit guys saying cheerfully after turning down a cuppa "All good - see you next year."

2 hours ago, ballpoint said:

more Australian, surely?

Brits would just let it in, whatever it is, and give it asylum.

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Sadly, many "Official" websites are not a reliable source of correct and current information.  Some are out of date even when they're posted (not to be corrected for months, if ever), and others are just plain wrong.

 

 

Sure. This remains a global TIT hub. 

Mind you, the MFA site SHOULD carry some weight - I wonder what's going to happen in a few months' time when I point the page to an IO on arrival!

..............because I'm not going to go thru the hoops in 6 weeks time to extend my non-O Marriage just so they can come and drink free tea, when I could do a few day-trips across the year instead.

57 minutes ago, Stekmer said:

I received an update from the Austrlian Govt SmartTraveller service today that states that the 60 days visa exemption for Australian passport holders (plus 92 other countries) started on 15/7/24 and that it applies for 2 entries only in a calendar year.

The same (60 days exemption - max 2 per calendar year) is also stated on the Royal Thai Embassy website.

Has no-one read the above? Surely this takes the edge off all the euphoria being expressed. UK gov site desn't mention it, neither does Thai MFA official site which has only this:

so at present you may, or may not, be allowed more than two. As a couple of people have said, holding your breath would not be appropriate just yet. Apart from the obvious, why limit ONLY Aussies to 2 entries?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

For now, these will serve only Thai citizens, while foreign nationals will continue using the older systems

Used to be that I could go through the "Thai" section with my wife (usually making the process a lot faster). Anyone know if that has been discontinued now?

On arrival at airport, just go to WH Smith after clearing Customs and buy prepaid SIMs, with some top-up, say 40 dollars each. I prefer Optus, partly because Telstra has had some horrendous crashes recently.

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

He stated the friend is short of funds.

You mentioned agent...

Any agent will only do hand holding for extension based on marriage.

They can avoid the financial requirements if extension is based on retirement.

Regarding funds for marriage extension and being short, he could obtain 60 day extension to visit wife and use the extra time to season the 400k 

Ah, that's interesting - I had naively assumed that in either instance (retirement or marriage) agents 'loan' the needed 400 or 800K or fudge it somehow - that's just how I always read it. If what you say is true, then my mate is barking up the wrong tree.

Of course the 60-day thing may, or may well not, materialise before his deadline.....

52 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, age of friend?

early 50s. Does age have any relevance (assume so because you ask, but it's not a retirement issue).

17 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Can you not lend him 400k for a couple of months? 555

would if I could, which is how the topic arose! It's actually 3 months not two, if you're being safe.

I have had annual 'marriage' extensions 11 times without much trouble (all fine if you just give the IO what they require) and would not dream of using an agent as spruiked by many on this forum.

However, a mate is soon to try for his second extension and because they are moving to a new house, he's stretched and won't make the '400k for 2 months' criterium this time

(as I have said on another thread, he can't sign up to this forum to ask, because apparently he doesn't know the capital of Thailand – the 'security question' on the application. Seems it's not Bangkok, folks)

So I'm asking for him about the feasibility, cost and logistics of finding and using an agent this time. It's grey-area illegal, I think, but is it hugely expensive? And how does he find one – outside the main cities (I think his new province is Nakhon Sawan). (We know about the Savannakhet option, but that's not a good choice for him)

We are not asking about the rights and wrongs, just the practicalities for this occasion, so anything useful will be passed on, (as would any update on the capital of Thailand…..) Ta in advance.

Friend of mine repeatedly trying to sign up to this forum, asked the "security question" What is the capital of Thailand, and repeatedly the answer Bangkok is refused ("you failed the security check").

So can someone tell me and him what IS the capital? Or does he have to write in in Thai?

Just found out two Thai employees (in their first 'proper' jobs) have not been signed up to SSO by my company's HR. It's about 4-5 months since they started.

We'll put it right and (presumably) go to an SSO office Tuesday to do so, but are we in big trouble? I believe there's a fine, but anyone know if it is substantial?

Also, does it take ages to sort out? Or can the staff get their cards fairly fast?

9 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Here is a blast from the past.

 

Anyone ever been to Woodstock, used to be in the top corner of Nana?

 

How about Tahitian Queen in Pattaya?

Woodstock. Now we're on Memory Lane, I had forgotten it. Great  place to play pool and just unwind. It was Nana but not Nana and a gem. Along with some now-forgotten bars in Patpong, Woodstock didn't hassle - all that was downstairs.

As for Thermae, it was somewhere to get even more drunk after hours and, as they used to say, "all human life was there" and a bit beside. Probably 25 years since I was last there, though, and I haven't missed it.

Sheryl - there are a few old-age homes (though that's not what they call themselves) in Thailand - I recall one near Chiang Mai - set up for farang. This may not be what you intend for yours, but they may be worth contacting to find out how they deal with importing (pardon the term) elderly relatives on long-ish term deals.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

With all the strange things going on with this forum, the obvious over use of AI in the news reports etc....   this wouldn't surprise me at all... 

 

But... Don't Gamma and GeorgiaGeorgia do the same ?

 

Agree. I no longer read any 'news' pieces here (this fares one was the last and a good example)  because now there is no attribution, no facts and no sources. Trash.

14 hours ago, Keeps said:

There isn't really the option to be fare gouged on public transport.

"Private" as opposed to public transport doesn't publish fares, so  where is the gouging? Not on Grab or Bolt, for sure. Anyone paying more than the proper rate for transport is a tourist, an idiot or both.

"Why are fares more expensive for foreigners in Thailand?"

The premise is bolox, to start with. I pay the same on buses as the Thai behind or ahead of me.

Tuktuk (illustrated by alleged "OP"): I pay the same 30 baht from the market to my condo as my (Thai) wife or any other Thai.

BTS, MRT, SRT: I pay same as Thais. So thru which orifice is "OP" talking?

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

remote bit coin mining? someone using your wifi?

Why would another user be recorded on my pooter? The 200GB is attributed to my machine (below is a few hours from yesterday).

I do use antivirus and similar tools, of course.

On 5/4/2024 at 1:21 PM, treetops said:

 

Go into your router settings and it should show you. On some models it's possible to set limits and adjust the measurment period to tie in with the billing period etc.

I only have a basic Huawei router from the ISPand it doesn't show usage.The Win 10 page shows me using more than 200GB per month on "system" alone, which is madness. Anyone any idea what that might be about?  I will soon want a data SIM and obviously they won't give me that kind of total.

I don't often watch movies or stream, just a couple of 1GB-ish downloads in a typical month, but those are separately shown under the relevant browsers and together are nothing like 200GB.

What "system usage" could explain that kind of amount?

3 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Obviously a place for a sound education!

what, in Texas?