jackspratt

I've used the food court a few times and its cheap and cheerful. Will never eat air/land side again. Usual stuff.....curries, nooden( ), rice dishes etc for 30B or so per dish.

And plenty of ice cold Leo/Singha/Heineken available. As you walk in the main door to the cafe, keep going straight to the far wall, where you will find the drinks counter.

There is an elegant and simple solution for the police, for those who are caught talking or texting while driving.

Take the phone, remove the SIM and give to the offender, and then seize the phone. No return, no excuses - gone forever.

Plus the ticket/fine/points, of course.

Thai Visa really does provide a great outlet for the ignorant, bigoted farangs for whom Thailand (in either the short or long term) allows a home.

God/Allah/Buddha/Zeus/Apollo give us strength.

Living in different countries and cultures is supposed to give people different perspectives - hopefully broader and more tolerant of "difference". From reading many of the posts on this thread, clearly that is not the case in real life. Although I guess one must question at times whether the bigots, as represented on this forum, have a real life.

I lived and worked in China (Beijing) for nearly 4 years, before I retired and came to live in Thailand. I completely support the OP's comments and observations.

If my relationship here was to go tits up, Beijing would be first on my list of places to live for the foreseeable future.

Basically, Isaan is one big retirement home for the farang. Kinda like Eastbourne, but without the sea.

I lived up in Surin from 26-31 years of age and never once met anyone (farang) younger than me. Generally people live there because they have little other choice. It's the armpit of Asia.

The worrying thing is that I can't wait to return. The Isaan people are sooooo much nicer than the rest of the Thais, as long as money is not involved with the friendship.

So I guess that makes Bangkok (where you live) the ars*hole or crotch of Asia, does it not?

Interesting situation......looking forward to Bridges response on this one.

It does seem to be a bit silly.

Were you given any reasons as to why and also you said your wife has had two previous visas....did the son also have previous or is this his first one.

Initial application for the son. gb.

No reasons given - I can only surmise that they (Immigration) are very sensitive about applications from children of a single parent, even though my wife has sole guardianship (Por Kor 14).

About 10 days ago I lodged applications for Visitors (tourist) visas for my Thai wife and her 9 year old son with the Oz Embassy in Vientiane. She has had 2 previous 12 month tourist visas.

As we live about 1 hour from Nong Khai, this was a far simpler solution than having to travel to Bangkok.

Today the Mrs crossed the bridge again, and picked up the passports and visas. As requested, she was given a 12 month, multiple entry (3 months maximum).

However, her son was given a single entry with 3 months maximum. My wife was also informed that future applications for the son would need to be lodged in Bangkok, but there was no problem with lodging future applications for herself in Vientiane.

That is hardly the point - a great proportion of modern society realizes this and is able to process the liberty given us. A great many who lack such 'disciplinary' skills cannot!!

Hence our very liberal 'Freedom of' laws - its because of our ability to act rationally. I remember the English - who would murder +50 people at a soccer game!! Yes - at a game!!

These blood suckers know exactly what they are doing - how many deaths, destroyed lives they have left behind. For my money the death process is way too easy.

I would toss them in a cage with a bunch of hungry hyena or lion - tear them limb from limb, in public - watch drug dealers go out of style quickly.

Buying any garbage, in a baggie, from some douche, on a sidewalk, has to be delusional. It is gonna kill ya - sooner than later. At least my Whiskey has Uncle Sam's blessing/tax

We appear to have lost the plot here - we have no discipline anymore, constantly blame it on others - is it small wonder that guys like Dr Phil are overworked?

The axe murderer claims he got spanked as a child!! NOT!! - not enough spanking, probably. Discipline & love are synonymous.

If one lets ones child do anything - there is obviously no caring or love. same/same with our society as a whole today - we dont care - we lost the love, the discipline.

Liberal thinkers are great - liberal politicians are scum - like their druggie brethren - they would destroy society to appease their fallow egos.

But I have seen way to many 'Whiskey' related deaths here to give this legal DRUG a pass.

You are obviously talking as the royal "we"

There is a forum dedicated to GPS stuff here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thailand-Map...marks-f145.html

May answer your questions.

In Oz, $700+ for a replacement Honda key, plus resetting the electronics.

I wonder why they chose to execute convicted drug dealers rather than convicted murderers ?

Hopefully, it will be the murderers turn next, in fact, they ought to expedite the deaths of all those on death row - once their appeals have failed of course.

Who the <deleted> do you people think you are? God?

Christ, there are some neanderthal life forms who post on here....

This is Clayton in humanitarian mode. Normally he advocates a touch of torture and other brutality prior to an execution.

Have a look at the Bali bombers thread if you don't believe me.

www dot singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/local/TH/promotions/EarlyBird_Sep09.jsp

Note that sales closes on 8 September.

McGee, Garmin has not released an official Mapsource map of Thailand (at least, in recent times).

It is, however, possible to convert a GPS image file (.img) into a version that can be used in Mapsource - albeit, without the search ("where to") function.

I will send you some links by PM where you can find all the information you need on how to do this. However, I don't have the inclination to do it for you.

Good luck.

That is ABSOLUTELY incorrect, and more than likely a PR ploy on the part of embarrased government officials. I know for a fact

that imported wine is taxed at 430%. As far as I know, this is the highest import wine tax IN THE WORLD! I was told that a group

of Thai wineries (monsoon valley, and the other purveyors of boones farm type garbage wines) lobbied some of the Thai senators,

and got them to pass the anti import wine bill. It was supposedly to "protect" the Thai wine industry. Unfortunately, the reality is that

Thailand in their xenophobic zeal, is depriving themselves of an estimated 5 to 10 billion baht per year, which they would earn on

imported wine, if it were taxed reasonably, at 100%. The wine industry here would flourish, as there are many Thai people, and

of course many ex-pats, and tourists who would avail themselves of a great selection of reasonably priced, and high quality wines.

Instead, people are having to pay 2,000 baht for a bottle that I can get in California for $8.00. I went to a nice restaurant (Dr. Frogs)

in Samui recently. The house wine was gato negro, for 1,450 baht per bottle. This wine is $4.00 in Los Angeles, and nobody that I know

drinks it, as it is garbage wine. And it is the house wine at one of the best restaurants on the island. It is a shame that Thailand has to

appear to be so ridiculous, and so unreasonable in the eyes of the world, on this issue. And all for what? Protectionism? Lack of vision

to be sure. Lack of wisdom to be sure. But protectionism of what? An industry to creates a horrific product. They cannot compete with

the foreign market without this silly taxation. Oh well.

So the rest of the world rooly, trooly, has it's eyes on Thailand's imported wine taxes?

Having read your oft repeated post on Thailand's corruption, and when taken together with the above gem, I would suggest neither Thailand's "xenophobia" nor "zeal" are within a million miles of your own.

The so-called 'O-A' retirement visa is hugely overrated and not worth the extra effort in your home country. Arrive in Thailand with a plain Non-Immigrant 'O' visa and your finances in order, then get a 1 year retirement extension of stay within the first 90 days. End result is the same, with less grief. Yes, I know that some embassies will try to talk you into the 'O-A' visa first.

Not to me it wasn't.

I found the O-A process to be simple and expedient, and well worth the effort - with the advantages of:

1. leaving my money where I chose

2. have multiple re-entries in the 1st year

3. gaining an effective 2 years for the price of 1.

Perhaps Mr Bryant has a point:

No boob jobs, please, we're British

AFP August 13, 2009, 7:37 am

Help! I've just had my breasts enlarged and I don't like the new size. British embassy - sort out my boobs!

Along with tips on jam-making and how best to discipline naughty boys, these are just a few of the crazy requests being fired at British embassies around the world, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

The country's 261 diplomatic missions across the globe are getting fed up of bizarre demands for help from Brits abroad, some of whom seem to think the British embassy is an agency for finding lost sunglasses and paying bills.

"If you have a serious problem abroad - maybe you've been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime - we can help you," said Juliet Maric, the British Consul in Alicante on the Spanish east coast.

"But we can't tell you who is allowed to use your swimming pool, pay your taxi fares for you - or do anything about the exchange rate.

"We regularly get inquiries from people who think we're a one-stop-shop for any problem they might encounter while abroad; this can be frustrating as we need to focus resources on the serious cases that we're there to help with."

One lady, unhappy with the size of her newly-boosted breasts following surgery, asked if the embassy could help.

A mother asked the Florida consulate to help her teenage son pack his suitcase and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling unwell.

One person called in consular assistance to find out what ratio of fruit to sugar should be used when making jam.

A holidaymaker in Italy asked the embassy where a particular brand of shoes could be bought.

Other requests have included asking for embassy staff to pay a bill when a credit card had "maxed out" and a traveller asking "Can you tell me how to make my naughty son behave?"

"Our embassies are not there to provide weather reports or give advice on unruly children," said consular affairs minister Chris Bryant.

"It's important that British nationals understand what the Foreign Office can and can't do for them."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/mp/58...e-were-british/

I was told that headlights in the daytime were reserved for emergency vehicles, government and VIP's. They can also be used during rain storms.

Yes, well that does make sense.

Clearly, the occasional government or VIP vehicle is far more important, from a road safety sense, than the well-being of the general Thai population.

Did the Taxi driver also have cloven hooves?

Was he working for King Power?

Speaking of "facts":

Can you explain your post - after you have reviewed the thread and looked at the facts.

The police had agreed to refund the "fine" what I have read talks about the bail money.

The Thai ambassador was involved and, I believe but am not sure , was confronted with the video and the KP letter. Neither now has credibility. How so?

The Ingrums did not plead guilty and were never tried. Correct - they paid monies to certain people to obtain documents which would ensure they'd not have to go trial, and thereby establish their guilt or otherwise.

I suspect something will be arranged regarding the "fine" though we may not know anything about it. Face must be saved.

Do try to keep up.

No bail was posted And you know this how?. Bank to bank transaction to a private account. And yes that did establish guilt but not on the Ingrams.!n This is the problem. That transaction was made from the UK and can't be made to disappear

The Thai police had agreed to fund the money I have only read about the Thai ambassador in the UK talking about refunding bail money. Can you point to where the Thai police have said otherwise? I posted "fine" in inverted commas because that is what it effectively was. I noted your use of inverted commas. That doesn't change what actually happened

The minister raised the issue but - ball-less as he is - did not instruct the embassy to follow through.

The video does not show a theft, however suspicious it is made to look You are right - looked very suspicious to me (amongst many others)

Both the video and letter were released after he left the kingdom with a police report showingh no guilt You get what you pay for. Whatever you may think of that no thai court could then convict could it?

It will be sorted the thai way with no loss of face. Face and guilt are totally different issues

If the Ingrams are shown to be innocent, I am happy to admit I am wrong. To date, everything I have seen places them on the doubtful side of innocent.

Speaking of "facts":

Can you explain your post - after you have reviewed the thread and looked at the facts.

The police had agreed to refund the "fine" what I have read talks about the bail money.

The Thai ambassador was involved and, I believe but am not sure , was confronted with the video and the KP letter. Neither now has credibility. How so?

The Ingrums did not plead guilty and were never tried. Correct - they paid monies to certain people to obtain documents which would ensure they'd not have to go trial, and thereby establish their guilt or otherwise.

I suspect something will be arranged regarding the "fine" though we may not know anything about it. Face must be saved.

Hmm........."Thai News clipping"

There is a report on Udon Map www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/post185882.html#p185882 of a guy getting an address letter within the past couple of days from Nong Khai - generally considered one of the more difficult Immigration offices.

I read this.

"I think the OP needs to be taken with some caution. "

Jackspratt, what did you mean ?

Simply that, based on other evidence and experiences, the "more than 30 day" application period may not be correct - and readers should be cautious.

And this seems supported by your update yesterday, which to me is suggesting (and not prescribing) an application should be made around 30 days.

OP = Original Post (not always Poster).

There is a report in UdonMap dot com today of a guy who went to Nong Khai yesterday to renew his extension, based on retirement.

His current extension expires on 8 August, and he had no problems renewing.

I think the OP needs to be taken with some caution.

I could accept this (Maybe), but only if the same laws/rules etc are handed out equally, this would mean the PAD leaders would be facing similar charges for the Swampy fiasco!

FF

Well yes, (quite rightly) they are.

Did you also mean to mention the UDD leaders for the Pattaya and Bangkok Songkran fiascos?