mgjackson69

"...the driver fled the scene wearing one shoe...."

Liking all UR posts..

Conspiracy Theory = Healthy Skepticism

Aloha

What is a UR post ?

Call it a salary, call it whatever you want.

I give my wife a certain amount of money per month for household expenses and enough extra for a reasonable amount of spending money for her.

From that she pays the internet bill, light bill, water bill, groceries. And in typical Thai fashion, the rest gets spent on "whatever".

We have one vehicle payment, which I pay via transfer from my local bank.

There is no way in hell I am going to give her access to my bank accounts, neither in Thailand or my "main" account in USA.

Absolute BS for the intended purpose to track down terrorists and criminals. National security??What about Thai criminals which frequently disappeared in the past?? The only purpose I see is to sample information, which otherwise would be difficult and costly to access. But as it is not mandatory to fill in...in more than 30 years here I never gave them any information regarding my bank details.

Well, if you are here on a marriage or retirement visa they will have already had access to the details of whatever account your supporting money is held in.

Not if you are using income as the qualifying basis for the *extension of stay* (not visa).

If Sunday was anything to go buy there cannot be many people left in BKK. I think people have been leaving since the 6th.

Took me 6.5 hours to get from BKK to Korat on early sunday morning when you can nearly do it in 2.5 normally.

It was about the same for me Friday night/Saturday morning...5+ hours from Suvarnabhumi to Chok Chai, normally < 3 hours

US economy is bad but the dollar is strong. I guess sometime the dollar will lose its value and it just may be the start

Here's some reading material for you. You couldnt be more incorrect about the US economy.

http://econsnapshot.com

I think you better take another look at some of them charts. Governments chartists and economists along with CFO's can make charts read whatever they want to. The real facts are why is Walmart closing 269 stores. Other retailers are also showing shrinkage and profit loses. Inventories are climbing. Companies have set profit bars so low that they really look like winners when doing comparisons to the past. Cat is in trouble you know the people that make construction equipment, real wages are falling, the frackers are in trouble in debt up to their eyeballs. The labor participation rate stands at 63% so what is the other 37% doing? Most new jobs are hamburger helper jobs. About 30% of new cars sales are on lease. The car financing market is much like the housing collapse if you have a pulse you get the loan at 20 to 25% a year. If things are so great why are outsiders like Trump and Sanders gaining so much traction. Then throw in 20 trillion of government debt and 200 trillion of total debt yes debt can sure prop things up and make them look good for a while anyways. Take off the Rose Colored glasses and see economy for what it is.

Auto loans at 20-25% APR? Who is doing that?

I guess this is the first time a cop took a bribe.

I wonder what is legal definition of "being unusually rich"....

I suspect that is in the eye of the beholder, and translates to "more than me"

The wife says they finally fixed the water in our soi.

There has been a leak somewhere in our soi for at least two years.

I think the OP's question is more suited for Quora.

Pleased to hear it went well; I never look forward to my annual trip down the immigration, what should be a mundane visit just to apply with updated documents always seems to become stressful with a hoop or two to jump through.

A question to all:

"...for all the docs required to apply for an extension based on marriage. The lady on reception immediately asked why don't I apply based on retirement instead of marriage (I'm over 55 and had more than 800K in the bank)?"

I'm just wondering why immigration suggested Retirement extension (800k in the bank) compared to Marriage extension (400k in the bank)? Am I missing some perceived benifit retirement extension gives over marriage extension?

The officers typically try to promote it as "easier", implying that it is easier for *you*. True, the paperwork requirements are less, but it is really easier for the officer.

I have done 8 extensions of stay based on marriage. Every time the option of doing the extension based on retirement has at least been mentioned, even before I was age 50. Every time I politely refuse, and proceed with the extension based on marriage.

You have to love the headline writers.

The gist of the article is that a water transport is going to be studied; the headline has it already planned out and ready to start building.

I always have a copy of my passport with me, that's what some of high rank police officer said before that it was enough.

In the case I need to produce my passport and before in the day I had to leave my passport to a motorbike shop, then how come am I suppose to show it to them ?

Also, I heard a lot of people saying that one should never give his passport to a motorbike rental shop but whenever I go they always ask for it, they will never take a copy or any other ID documents...

Moreover, my company often take my passport with me for a few days before reporting me to the immigration, in that case again I would have to stay at the police station all night until the HR department of my company is able to bring the passport back.

Bit difficult to understand your post - have you actually been detained in the police station overnight because your company "had your passport for a few days, before reporting you to Immigration"?

And NEVER give your passport to a motorbike rental shop. If a photocopy is not sufficient - go somewhere else. Too many cases of passports being mislaid, lost or stolen in this way.

Yeah you're right my post is not very clear.

I meant that HR department usually take my passport for like 3-5 days during the time they go to report me at the immigration.

If during that time I decide to go out and end up in a police station for not having my passport with me on a Saturday night, then I think that I will have to spend all my weekend there until they are able to reach the HR department of my company on Monday morning to check my passport.

Regarding motorbike rental shop, last time I deceided not to give my passport, I spent more than 3 hours looking for one and ALL of them did not even accept a thai ID card from our friends so we gave up and gave them one of our passport. Some guest house do offer motorbike rental and I don't need to give passport in that case but most of the time I can't find any shop who just accept a copy and a hotel name and room number.

I guess it comes down to what is more important...renting a motorbike or possibly having your passport stolen/forged/etc.

".....reduced-size, laminated copy...."

That seems like a bunch of messing around.

I just carry a folded, full-size copy of the photo page, extension of stay stamp, and latest entry stamp, on one sheet of paper.

I want the inspecting official to be able to read it, and the photo to be at least somewhat recognizable.

A permission to stay stamp, granted after the visa has expired, is not usually seen in a tourist's passport, so he's partly correct inasmuch as the visa allows them to be here (on vacation presumably).

The "permission to stay" stamp is what is put into your passport when you enter the country, whether you come in on a visa, visa exempt, or re-entry permit.

Anyone who claims Thai immigration has not gotten more difficult should continue to keep their head in the sand--it makes entry much easier.

Experiences vary.

Through 9 extensions of stay based on marriage, my experience has been the same every time; tedious, but not what I would call difficult.

Not joining in the pissing and moaning about a country enforcing their immigration rules is not the equivalent of sticking one's head in the sand.

My hat's off to any guy who can get away with buying a "Kit Kat brand plastic glass" for Valentine's Day. We should all take lessons.

I bought nothing for Valentines Day...my wife bought nothing for me. We are both fine with it.

It is just another day...a holiday of obligation, that means absolutely nothing.

I would much rather give my wife a nice gift on an average Tuesday, than on a fake holiday.

I see it as enforcement of rules that have long been in place. Thailand has long been rather lax in enforcing immigration and labor rules.

Nobody is being picked on.

When you move to Thailand from a western country.....

Your "rights" do not fit into your suitcase.

You can't bring them with you.

Some people think that human rights are Universal. That really is the point isn't it?

People can think whatever they want...but that is not the real world.

The only winners are lawyers

The only way to keep the cost down in any country is to have an agreement with the other half prior to going to see a Lawyer

Ideally, all you need them for is to draft the agreement for the courts to approve

At the end of the day, you ALWAYs need an agree with the other half

If you do not agree yourselves, your just throwing money down the toilet

Been there, done that.

The (now) ex-wife and I wrote our own settlement agreement (she was in USA, I was out in the world). She took it to a lawyer to have it put into the legalese. I approved the legal settlement document, the lawyer filed it with the court. Done deal.

A minimal amount of our assets went to the attorneys....and the ex-wife and I are still friends.

After this drivers license discussion, I pulled my licenses out and gave them a look, just for curiousity.

The dates are a bit hazy, but I think the chronology is roughly:

2006 - obtained the first license ( 1 year )

As I recall, the one-year license cannot be renewed until after it expires, while the 5-year licenses

can be renewed before they expire)

2009 - obtained the 5-year license

12 January 2014 - renewed the 5-year license, a few months before expiration

But here is the strange part, or perhaps it is normal and I am not aware:

My current licenses, renewed in 2014, show the Issue Date as 12 January 2009/12 มกราคม 2552, with the Expire Date as 8 November 2019/8 พฤศจิกายน 2562.

Now, I am not a young guy, but my recall of dates and the general timeline of my life are pretty clear in my head...I know that I have gone through the drivers license "gauntlet" in Thailand three times, and I am certain that the last time was not 7 years ago.

It appears that they gave me a 10-year license, but made it retroactive back approximately five years, so it is effectively 5 years from the time it was issued.

Is this normal?

For renewal of 5 years licence you get to your birthday plus 5 years to that date, so depending on renewal date up to almost 6 years.

I understand that aspect...I effectively got 70 months from when I renewed the license.

My point was, I renewed my 5-year licenses on 12 January 2014...the new licenses have Issue Date of 12 January 2009 (backdated 5 years), with the Expire Date of 8 November 2019.

I was only curious about the backdating of the issue date, and if others have observed the same.

Different slang for different nationalities, I guess.

But "sprayed/resprayed" seems a bit ambiguous...sprayed with what? Paint? Clearcoat? Ceramic or other snake oil? Dog piss?

Painted/repainted seems more descriptive...but to each his own.

I got a new passport in June 2015.

I applied on May 26th and picked up my new passport on 5 June at the embassy in Bangkok.

My passport says it was issued in Massachusetts.....but that is not true.

The reason they supposedly send your passport back to the U.S. (which was never done with mine as I had possession of it while it was supposedly back in the U.S.) is to do a records check for security purposes.

It is not about your passport "getting sent back to USA"...there is no need for the physical document to go to USA to do a records check.

Passports are created in USA and sent out to the Embassy/Consulate where it is requested.

After this drivers license discussion, I pulled my licenses out and gave them a look, just for curiousity.

The dates are a bit hazy, but I think the chronology is roughly:

2006 - obtained the first license ( 1 year )

As I recall, the one-year license cannot be renewed until after it expires, while the 5-year licenses

can be renewed before they expire)

2009 - obtained the 5-year license

12 January 2014 - renewed the 5-year license, a few months before expiration

But here is the strange part, or perhaps it is normal and I am not aware:

My current licenses, renewed in 2014, show the Issue Date as 12 January 2009/12 มกราคม 2552, with the Expire Date as 8 November 2019/8 พฤศจิกายน 2562.

Now, I am not a young guy, but my recall of dates and the general timeline of my life are pretty clear in my head...I know that I have gone through the drivers license "gauntlet" in Thailand three times, and I am certain that the last time was not 7 years ago.

It appears that they gave me a 10-year license, but made it retroactive back approximately five years, so it is effectively 5 years from the time it was issued.

Is this normal?

Anything but the old trogs on BA!!!

Have you ever wondered as to what they might be thinking when they look at who is occupying your seat?

I have always treated the "old trogs" the way I would like to be treated if I was doing their job and it frequently pays off in champagne/being moved to better seats, etc. Always happy to fly BA.

Many of those "old bags" can end up being the best flight attendant one ever had, if they are treated with the respect that should be imparted to all females, not just the attractive ones.

Yes, it is their job, but it is not hard to be pleasant and say "Hello" with a smile, even though one might prefer she to be 30 years younger and 50 pounds lighter.

You are not going to sleep with them either way, so what is the difference?