LivingNThailand

In Phuket immigration has gotten tougher with Thai landlady/landlords not doing the TM30. Especially if their tenant gets in trouble with the law. Let's say you are a Thai landlady and your tenant gets tasered because he busts up 10 cars in a 7-11 parking lot and gets thrown in jail, immigration is going to come knocking on your door to find out why you haven't registered (TM30) your rental as his place of residence. It's happened a few times in the past 3-4 months and the Thai landlady has gotten fined. Good guys in, bad guys out. ????

Should be mandatory vote. And abstentions should reflect on the # of votes needed to get to be Pm. 159 abstentions means 159 less votes the PM needs to get elected. Or formal explanation why absenting. Like related to so&so or I have media business with so&so or something. Come on man, You can't just abstain without a reason. Ugh.

I have three accounts at BKK bank, no problem. One with the 800,000, one for day to day expenses with an ATM card, and a third that I use as a "savings" account, which I wire money to every 6 months. That way I don't have six months of money in my ATM account and I can transfer a monthly amount into my ATM account. works for me and I can budget somewhat.

Definitely can do that, but have to do the transfer the same day. I opened a new account at my local branch and switched money from a Bangkok branch the same day and no problem with immigration. You just can't take the money out of one account, keep it out for a day or two, and then put it in the new account. I had to show two statements and two bank books the first year, but immigration didn't bat an eye.

I think all banks in Thailand have 1,000,000 THB insurance TOTAL for all accounts. Last year the bank manager at BKK Bank told me not to worry as it was a safe bank. Transferred most of my money back to the US a few days later. Except my 800,000 + expenses.

How many people are using their bank app on 8am on a Sunday morning? This explanation is a little dodgy.

In June 2021 it only took me 18 days. But then no one was traveling back them. I just read in one of the papers that there is a massive backlog of US passports because of staff shortages and a surge in travel. I don't know if the Embassy has a fast track. I would think immigration would let you do the 90 day with a copy of the passport, a copy of your visa, the 90 day report paper and a copy of the receipt you get from the post office or email from the US embassy. I don't think it's just the USA. Someone from South Africa a while back says it takes 6 months or more to get a passport. Not sure if that is true.

If the person in front of me has their phone out and pointed at the cashier I just move along to the next cashier and usually out the door first. Cash is King. I hope they don't do away with it totally.

Thank you for sharing this, it's really worrisome the way individual freedoms are crushed in a dictatorship such as China. Good article, but I looked at the source and found out this from Google. ???? Is Radio Free Asia the CIA? Radio Free Asia (RFA) was a news agency operated from 1951 to 1955 by the Central Intelligence Agency, through the Committee for Free Asia, to broadcast anti-Communist propaganda. It is funded and supervised by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (formerly Broadcasting Board of Governors), an independent agency of the United States government. Where is Radio Free Asia located? Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with eight bureaus and offices overseas, RFA is a private, nonprofit, multimedia news corporation.

I haven't been to Rawai since December when I was blown away by the herds of Russians. Turned around and never went back. So is there hope I can have an enjoyable time in Rawai now? There is a concept called sustainable tourism, that hasn't caught on here, unfortunately.

Lots of young military age and young families in Phuket. Especially in the residential areas. My Thai friends are complaining that the Russians are now living where Thai people usually live. And they party too much. Not happy with Russians living in Thai neighborhoods.

Don't hold back. Just say what is on your mind!

Agreed. Clean the filters at last once a month and with pets deep clean every 4 months and check for "gas". Makes a world of difference. Filters are super easy to clean.

Yeah, but personally I don't think they can get away with it indefinitely. Maybe 3 or 4 times. Phuket immigration is really amped up right now. Just my personal feeling that is.

I thought they were automatic if another extension request is refused. (And limited to a single one). I don't know the rules, but from what I saw they have to apply for a 7 day extension. Some of them were coming back and asking for another 7 day extension and they were told they had to leave. These guys thought they only had to go immigration every 7 days to extend. So I think it is (right now) 45 days + 7 and then leave. Of course some are buying business and education visas, but the vast majority can't get away with that......I think ????

How? What kind of visa. I was at Phuket immigration 2 weeks ago and they were begging for 7 day extensions.

800,000 baht in the bank. Right now my bank won't open a new account for a foreigner unless they can provide the receipt from immigration that they have registered their address, which means a lease and a notary release from the landlord. At least that is what the sign says at the teller desk. Kind of hard if you are here on a 45 day tourist visa. But not impossible.

Yes, I understand completely. The person's comment I was responding to was about kicking people out of the country if they don't speak the language, not educating the children. Also, to point out, there are only so many slots available in any given school year. The competition has become much greater this past year. I don't have any children in school, it's just what the teachers in my neighborhood that teach at several international schools have told me. I don't mean to debate school policy, only that it is private schools, not public. A big difference.

I have neighbours in Oz who live here for 40 years and can't speak a word of English kick all them out? I have neighbours in Oz who live here for 40 years and can't speak a word of English kick all them out? I don't understand your comment. What does this have to do with educating children. Private schools cannot accept children that don't speak the language that the lessons are taught in. They would slow down the other students and disrupt the class. Three separate teachers in my neighborhood have told me that. They are not public schools they are private schools and don't have to accept everyone. I just feel sorry for the children as they are missing out on their education.

Brits. Too cheap. ????

I have neighbors that work at 2 of the larger private schools around our neighborhood and another that has a small private school. They have to be very selective on the Russian children because of the language problems, they don't want to slow down the other students. And if the children don't speak and understand English then they become disruptive in the classroom. There is not enough positions in the private schools for all the Russians that apply. They are being turned down. I have no idea what / where these kids are being educated. I guess no where? Not a good thing in the long term.

not the 20+ year olds I saw at Phuket immigration last week.

Happened to a couple I new about 6-7 years ago. They didn't want to spring for the 800,000 in the bank so kept coming in as tourists every 90 days. One day coming in to Thailand the IO told them that it was their last time as tourists. So they had to cough up the 800,000.

I was at Phuket immigration last week. The Russians (and Ukrainians) are asking for a 7 day extension, which they can. Some are coming back for another 7 day extension and are told they have to leave. They are asking if they leave (Malaysia, Cambodia, etc.) can they come back? Can they? I think they can, but how many times can they leave and come back as tourists? (They were all in their 20s and 30s) It was a bloody mess at immigration. I hope immigration is formulating a plan to deal with this, because they will keep bouncing around until immigration puts a stop to it. (I was just trying to sort out a TM30 for my annual. Found out I was okay, but I was not happy being in that same room. It was hysterical. I prefer the civilized room for retirees, students and teachers ???? )

Legally they need a lot of credentials to operate. I had a friend that had a legal small school in chalong. There was a lot of paperwork and inspections involved. Very hard to do. This school needs to be reported. If you can.