boatguy

Has anyone had the barbeque sting ray available in Singapore? is it available anywhere in Thailand?

I used to enjoy that down on the waterfront in the afternoon in Singapore, along with some stir-fried Bok Cho with black mushrooms, and a cold beer

Its done it before, and my wife says it has indicated it will do it again to try and maintain the value of the baht. But how long is that sustainable, ...sooner or later it catches up with you.

Central Bank intervenes to stabilise the baht

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/354945/bank-of-thailand-sells-dollars-to-halt-the-baht-fall

Wow, it just seems like such a logistical pain to be required to leave the country every 90 days, although, I suppose if one was close to the border, it would not be a big deal.

There are different rules for that as well, as I understand it. If you leave and come back by land you only get a new 14 day visa rather than another 30 day visitor visa.

If you do it by air (plane) you get a new 30 day visitor visa.

If you do it to Laos you need to get photos made and pay for a visa to go to Laos, even if for just a day.

If there is a Thai consulate in the other country at the border crossing, then you cab spend an extra day and apply for an extended visa (beyond 30-day tourist) to reenter Thailand.

Sounds like a lot of fun doesn't it

If you are in Thailand, you do not renew a visa. You obtain a one year extension of stay, no matter which of the two visas you choose. If you have the requisite amount of income, you can use that route rather than keeping money in the bank. And some seem to find the extension of stay based on retirement easier to obtain than one based on marriage. If you perform a search of TV I believe this subject has been covered in great detail previously.

Perhaps its the wording on that website (and many of the forum discussions) that has me confused?

"This type of visa is valid for one year and can be renewed every year at the Thai embassy in your home country, in the country of your residence or in Thailand".

http://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/Thailand-Retirement-Visa.php?gclid=CLGq_YbugrwCFYJU4godYAgA9g

Everytime I try reading all of these exceptions and alternatives I just seem to get very confused by the whole process,...and even more so when I hear folks talk about the various 'interpretations' of the laws that they experience with their local officialdom in the Kingdom of Thailand. At one point I just decided that I was not going to retire full time to Thailand if it was going to be so difficult to come and go (visit other countries, etc) without a whole lot of hassle factor.

I once ran into another strange mixture of rules/regulations with customs in Cuba,...I called it the Spanish proposition for paperwork combined with the decrepit socialist system of the USSR.

Retirement visa vs Marriage visa

I was looking at this the other day,...the comparison. I reference the Thai-legal site

Retirement Visa

http://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/Thailand-Retirement-Visa.php?gclid=CLGq_YbugrwCFYJU4godYAgA9g

1) look at 'Requirements'

2) look at 'Reminders to do'

Marriage Visa
http://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/Thailand-Marriage-Visa.php?gclid=CIqZ1cTlgrwCFYUl4godACIAow

1) look at the 'Requirements'
2) look at the 'Reminders to do'

In both cases you are reminded:

1. No Work Permit

It is important to note that retirees are not allowed to work and generate income in Thailand.

1. 90-day Reporting

Retirement visa holders are required to notify the Immigration Office every 90 days about their addresses in Thailand. This can be done by mail or by personal visit to the Immigration Office. You may enlist the services of an agent to do this on your behalf through a Power of Attorney. You are not required to report if you are not in the country when the 90-day report is due.

1. Re-entry Permit

If you plan to travel in and out of Thailand within a year, it is advised that you obtain a multiple re-entry permit. However, if you plan to stay in Thailand the whole time a single entry will do. But, in case you would need to leave the country for any reasons then you would need to apply a re-entry permit at the nearest Immigration Office or at the international airport before leaving the country. This way your visa won’t get cancelled.

1. Bank Account

The retirement visa is valid for a year but you can renew it by presenting the same requirements the first time you applied. However, the funds in your bank account must be at least 3 months old before you can renew your visa.

I believe it says that both of these type visas need to be renewed each year, and you must do reporting every 90 days with both types. The big difference is the retirement visa requires 800,000 baht, while the marriage one requires 400,000 baht.

Why would I go for a retirement visa????

Lets look at these two sites for a Marriage Visa

http://www.thai-consulate.net/thai-marriage-visa.html
Do you see ANY requiremenst listed here for a police report (criminal history),...or a medical report ?? I don't

http://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/Thailand-Marriage-Visa.php?gclid=CIqZ1cTlgrwCFYUl4godACIAow
Very clearly here there is a requirement for both a criminal backgrd report and a medical report

Both sites are somewhat legal representatives of the process. Why so different requirements?

Oops, please excuse me, I did not see this notation on the Siam-Legal site,

These (medical and criminal history reports) are not required if the visa application is submitted within Thailand. These documents are required by some Thai embassies and consulates for the issuance of a Non-immigrant O visa.

But I believe I was told that these reports ARE necessary for a US citizen that is applying for a Marriage or Retirement Visa, and that it is much more difficult to submit these reports if you are doing the process in Thailand, as now everything needs to be translated into Thai language.

Forgive me if this is a silly question but this visa business seems crazy complex

I'll second that motion....somewhat convoluted.

Then on top of that consider that some of the immigration people have their own special interpretations of those 'laws',...not all the same,...and can depend on under the table pmts.

Am I missing something, or are the videos from 60 minutes 'blocked' in Thailand ?? (I got that message on one site where I tried to play the video)

What is "60 minutes"?

60 Minutes is an American television newsmagazine program that is broadcast on the CBS television network. Launched in 1968, Don Hewitt created the program and set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. In 2002, 60 Minutes was ranked #6 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. The New York Times has called it "one of the most esteemed newsmagazines on American television.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60_Minutes

BTW, there are OTHER good American TV networks, and FOX news is not one of them. Too bad that's what most folks see over here,.... at least that is what I get on cable up here in Khon Kaen. I can take about 10 minutes of watching that bias crap with a lot of 'entertainment segments' thrown in ever 5-10 minutes to keep their viewers from getting too bored with some intelligent thought rather than just short sound bites.

I've taken to watching Aljazeera or NHK for good news presentation. Use to be you could get CNN and BBC over here in Asia, but I don't see that as much as I use to??

I like the crispy, spicy covered Thai fish with a cold beer.

Here are some pics posted here:
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/yachtforums-yacht-club/18059-farm-raised-caught-wild.html

Question about posting images? When I attempted to post an image I get a pop-up window asking for a URL address. does that mean the photo has to be posted somewhere on the internet with a URL address? You can't simply attach a jpeg image??

The spread needs to be calculated against the midpoint, not against its opposite transaction. Perhaps worth you comparing the cost of your conversion here against the cost in your home country?

Why the midpoint? Isn't the buying and selling prices they are quoting the figures they use in their transaction? They buy dollars from you at 32.62, and they sell dollars at 33.26 in this particular case....a 2% gain . or even if it was half that, 1%, that's a pretty good deal for a single days transaction,...to make 1% on your money.

I realize that banks need to make money, but I do find in this day and age, when converting foreign currencies is so much easier for them to facilitate, that maintaining these 'old methods/pricing' is a bit of a rip off.

Proper Sushi

Sushi Bar Yasuda Tokyo (Minami-Aoyama), Japan

http://www.doyoueveneat.com/sushi-bar-yasuda-minami-aoyama-tokyo/

and another website with photos of lots of good sushi varieties

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/02/omakase_at_sush.html

Here is a portion of that presentation where they talk about the 'freshness' of sushi, but the video cuts off before they mention the freezing. I was totally surprised !

On the next Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain spends time in Tokyo with a sushi chef who believes the best sushi is "aged"

http://edition.cnn.com/video/shows/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown/season-2/tokyo/index.html (click on finding the perfect sushi)

Here is the text message about freezing.

He was certainly the first acclaimed sushi chef I know of who not only admitted, but proudly boasted of freezing some of his fish, (much of the fish you eat in sushi bars is, in fact, at one point, frozen), giving the dates or "vintage" of each fish he'd blast frozen in a medical freezer to "cure" it in a desirable way. Many varieties of fish, Yasuda taught me, are in fact, improved by freezing.

My favourite fish soup is - Dom pla! I have no idea what type of fish is used in this dish though...

Most people who live in Isaan have most likely tried it once or twice. Simple to cook & very healthy

I wonder if this is anything like the French Bouillabaisse ??

This along with some good French bread is a great dish....no need for heavy spices...like a good American pot-roast dinner

If I am reading your comments correctly I should not eat Chiang Mai fish in restaurants or food stands but only frozen fish I would buy in the grocery stores?

I don't know about frozen fish, but I did see a VERY interesting story on TV about a really top notch sushi chef from Japan who once owned one of the very good restaurants in NY, and then had returned to Japan.

One of his 'secrets' was the best preparation of really good sushi was to freeze it first....WOW !!!

Sea bass with a chilli wrap in rice noodles

That's enough from me! I'm off out for some tucker

Those both look great !..... might be harder to find up in Khon Kaen?

At Thai banks the spread is typically 30 satang above/below the midpoint, extremely good value, the spread at Western banks is far higher and is typically a rip off.

What is a 'satang' ?

When I exchanged some US dollars for Thai baht a few days ago the spread was 32.62 verses 33.26. That appears to me to be a difference of 0.64,...or about 2%

Am I missing something, or are the videos from 60 minutes 'blocked' in Thailand ?? (I got that message on one site where I tried to play the video)

And while we are at it, can someone here justify the differences in the 'buy' and 'sell' rates these banks utilize??

It seems to me that they (the banks) are collecting something like 1% of your money on these transactions,...in a single day!! I can't get 1% on my savings accounts from these banks in one full year !!

Are the supercomputers involved in some of these currency exchanges,....betting on tiny changes in fractions of seconds ??

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-speed-traders-are-changing-wall-street-07-10-2010/

"What Narang and other high frequency traders tell their computers to do is to make a profit of a penny or less, 40 million times day.

They scan the different exchanges, trying to anticipate which direction individual stocks are likely to move in the next fraction of a second based on current market conditions and statistical analysis of past performance. But the computers have no real understanding of who these companies are and what they do."

And of course this only applies to assets that are actually going through probate - most wealthy people will have made prior arrangements, set up trusts etc that legally don't belong to them at the time of death anyway, and these are pretty untouchable if they had decent advisors.

This trust situation / alternative is one that desires closer scrutiny. I don't know enough about it yet, but its my intention to look more thoroughly.

I think it avoids a lot of this probate situation that arises with or without a will (and the associated attorney bills).?? I imagine it could even avoid the cross-country problems as the assets just pass (not ownership, but total access of) from one trustee to the other without 'state' jurisdiction,....I believe??

does she have a TIN number or social security number. Did he file taxes as a joint filling? would make it easier for social security because she would be in the system.

I file jointly with my Thai wife and have a USA marriage certificate. I assumed this would entitle her to my social security (presently collecting) should I die, and possible after she turns retirement age (soon).

But after reading that SS document that was sited previously I'm in real doubts as to what hoops and loops she might have to go thru, particularly when I read the various exceptions & exclusions it seemed to make for the country of Thailand ??

I may have to reread that multiply times to determine what it really says? Does my spouse really have to have physically lived in the USA for 5 years to be eligible to collect my SS if I die first?

Each tourist visa entry is 60 days and is extendable by 30 days at immigration. If you look at the visa there is a part that says "number of entry" either 1, 2, 3, or M. That is how many times you can go through the same process.

I continue to see this reference to the tourist visa good for 60 days. How come when you arrive at the airport they automatically give you ONLY 30 days??...at least that is what I always experience coming from the USA numerous times ??

It's too bad mostif the posters here weren't in the US armed services when the previous US President and his administration invaded Iraq based on lies and saber rattling, Also destroyed the housing market, damaged the economy not only in USA, but allowed the crooked bankers on WallStreet to get away with crippling the real estate market, and afterward rewarding them with bailouts. Yes the Obama administration isn't perfect, but they kept the USA from total financial ruin, where as the Bush administration couldn't leave the burning house fast enough.

Three cheers !!!

Perhaps a few of the posters need to pick up a beer and a book....Hank Paulson's "On the Brink"

http://www.amazon.co...l/dp/0446561932

We were at a SERIOUS economic brink that I fully expected we would not be out of for at least 5-6 years, maybe more.

And we have NOT yet cleared up all those 'funny new instruments of trading',...deriviatives and credit default swaps...those inventions of the new-age traders and the hedge fund gurus

I splashed a few quid on the Netgear DGND3700. Apart from support 802.11n downwards, it also has two USB ports; if you download stuff you can stick it directly onto Router attached Hard Disks and stream it to any network attached device in your abode.

Best bit of Wireless kit I've ever bought.

Did you buy it in Thailand?...where?...how much?

Buddhism seems to be the only religion that has a non violent history, it doesn't actively seek converts or look down on other faiths. Perhaps other religions should take note. Mainstream Christianity also had a violent past but is now grown up and is more accepting of other faiths. Islam needs to do the same and could make a start by dropping the derogatory term "Infidel", I find this as offensive as "nigger " or "Paki".

My bottom line has always been "The freedom to swing my arms in any direction stops short of the next persons nose"

That's one thing that attracted me to Buddhism as well, and the fact that its not the worship of some singular God almighty like most western religions....the invention of man....man's crutch.

I think back during the Bush adminstration when many hi-level officials were all holding early prayer meeting in their offices...lot of good that did us? Or that general that stood up and proclaimed his God was more powerful that the other guys. BS

The concept of free speech and religious tolerance--even for the crude and asinine--is alien to those that live in Muslim dominated lands. Thus, when they hear of an "American" making an anti-Islamic video they assume, ispo facto, that the State (American Government) approves the release of the film because where they live the State must sanction what the media produces. E.G., if the American Government did not want the video out produced and disseminated it would not be on You Tube.

BS !!, Google is trying to be totally non-political, and not act as the ultimate judge on what is proper and what is not. This is not a US government decision, its a Google decision. I believe Google has consented to block its viewing in several hotbed countries

Good or Bad the USA is still a country that insist on "FREEDOM OF SPEECH",...and we are lucky to be citizens of that country,...for better or worst.