CM Dad

One more reason that I started using an agent several years ago after doing everything myself for over twenty-five years. The less time I have to spend at Immigration, the better. Now I go once a year and I am usually only there for less than fifteen minutes. As I have grown older, I don't like dealing with bureaucrats from any country. My US passport will expire at the beginning of next year. I have renewed it three times at the US Consulate here in Chiang Mai, but now the only "citizen services" they handle are emergency ones like deaths or arrests, so my agent will handle the renewal for me. I prefer not to even speak to any government employees from and countries if at all possible. By the way, I speak Thai quite well, so language is not the issue.

I don't find it all offensive, but when I am in a rural area of the country and children point at me and call out Farang, Farang, I oint back at them and reply Thai, Thai then everyone just laughs. Jai yen people, life is too short to be bothered by things like this.

Yes

Your place of employment/employer should be handling all of the paperwork for your work permit. Let them deal with it. All you have to do is show up at the WP office and someone from your workplace would generally accompany you.

Wow! "over-speeding"?

I have lived here for more than thirty years and I agree with what you say 100%. Like you, my Thai family and friends will care for me and be by my side until the end. Money has nothing to do with how they treat me. None of my Thai friends or family have ever asked me for money. For that reason, I am willing to help whenever and however I can. Support does not necessarily mean money. Often times a hug is more valued and meaningful. Sadly, Thailand is filled with what I call "Logs" - lonely old guys whose refusal to adapt to living here means they have no real friends. You get what you give - and the give part is not money, though if one is able to offer financial support when needed then one should do so.

The vast majority of patrons would be Thais or, perhaps, other Asians. I don't know any westerners who who would be enticed by the availability of casinos. Thailand is much too far to travel if gambling is the objective.

Father is Norwegian. He married a Thai. His Thai wife has both Thai and Norwegian nationality.

Anyone who would poison a dog whether they are strays or not should suffer the same fate.

This is yet another reason why I changed to using an agent after doing everything myself for more than 25 years. Now I only go to Immigration once each year for my extension at my appointed time. I smile, have my photo taken for their computer, sign my name a few more times then leave. The entire process lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. I just got tired of dealing with the whole hassle of numerous visits, so turning everything over to an agent for slightly less than 10,000 baht a year is a pleasure.

I hope you have made arrangements for the care of your deer while you are away.

This is beginning to sound like a hoax, and "Retiredjohn" is actually named Jack - surname might begin with the letter "A".

Most agents are very competent and reliable. After doing everything myself for twenty-five years, I switched to using an agent more that five years ago and have been more than happy with the convenient, reasonable and professional service. Definitely go to the police and file a report - I would suggest using the Tourist Police. These incompetent crooks pretending to be agents need to be jailed.

Chiang Mai

You are correct. It was one of the more ridiculous things done during Thaksin's time in office. It needs to be abolished along with some of the other stupid things done during his tenure like the 90-day check-in for non-Thais.

Thai social security insurance is only available for those who are working if their employer has applied for it. It must be initiated by the employer and then offered to employees. Even then, it is not given to all employees, which should be the case, but sadly isn't. The insurance industry in Thailand is a money-making racket for insurance companies. It is poorly supervised and regulated.

The owner should have been charged, arrested and prosecuted. Any assets he has should be seized to pay all medical costs for the boy along with a very large compensation. The paltry sum of 1.3 million baht is not even close to what the poor young boy needs to receive.

I would not drive at all. I would have a driver and my vehicle of choice would be large and comfortable for me as a passenger.

I just returned home from getting my third dose of Pfizer - my booster- at the closest government hospital to my house. I simply walked in at 8 AM, showed them my passport and a photo of my vaccination certificate for my first two doses, the second of which was exactly six months ago to the day. All three doses were free and I was treated politely and professionally each time.

I have had both eyes done here in Chiang Mai at the main government hospital in the city. The doctor that many of my Thai friends consider to be the best in Chiang Mai did both surgeries a few years apart. Both were out-patient procedures. I went to the hospital in the morning and was back home by noon. Total cost for each surgery was less than 50,000 baht. Although I did have to get new glasses after each operation, my vision is now improved to the point that I could read without glasses if I wanted. However, I rarely do that simply to avoid straining my eyes. I have worn glasses most of my life, so it feels natural to wear them. I had absolutely no complications with either of the surgeries. Many of my Thai friends are doctors and all of them tell me to avoid the over-priced private hospitals,

Why are you assuming that it is small?

I buy all of the fuel for my truck at Esso and I only buy diesel B7. I am in Chiang Mai and all of the Esso stations have it.

If you have 32 million baht, why would you want to work? Give it to do good, not help the wasteful government, and get a hobby instead.

Regardless of whether they are a miss, a mrs, or a ms, stay away from the understandings as they are a very bad lot.

It is due to stories like yours that I finally began using an agent three years ago after doing everything myself for almost thirty years. I pay very little for the service and now my wife and I only go to immigration once a year. Everything, including 90-day reports, is handled by the agent, All we do is take a few new photos and send them by phone app to the agent. After that we meet at the bank for the necessary account paperwork then enjoy a nice lunch during which we sign everything. The next day we meet at immigration where an IO takes my photo once again, and that is it. This year we were at Immigration for exactly 13 minutes. Sabai, sabai...