Marksamui

If I was in the OP's situation I would get my kid and go straight to the airport and fly direct to the UK.

Providing that the mother has not reported that he has been kidnapped then there should be no red mark against his name on the immergration computer.

I would also take his birth certificate (making sure that you are listed correctly as the father although I guess you done that already).

Legally I doubt you have done anything wrong so far, you just did not tell the mother, which no one can prove as it is your word against hers. Of course once in the UK she may kick up a fuss and try and get the child returned to Thailand but then the Thais have to apply to the UK and you will be able to fight things from the UK which will be easier for you I guess.

Thinking a little bit more about this what Mario says above about being the father legally is correct. If you are the legal father then I would get him out to the UK as fast as possible, if you are not then it is a bit more serious.

If you are not married to the mother then you need to make sure you are the legal father in Thailand, but seeing as he has a UK passport already then I guess he must also have a UK birth cert, as he was bone before 1.7.2006 I assume that you have to apply the old long winded way which I am unfamilar with but I would guess you had to be legally recongised as the father in Thailand? If you just need the Thai birth cert. then you should check that you are the legal father.

But still try and get him on a plane and out as quick as possible is my advice.

If I was in the OP's situation I would get my kid and go straight to the airport and fly direct to the UK.

Providing that the mother has not reported that he has been kidnapped then there should be no red mark against his name on the immergration computer.

I would also take his birth certificate (making sure that you are listed correctly as the father although I guess you done that already).

Legally I doubt you have done anything wrong so far, you just did not tell the mother, which no one can prove as it is your word against hers. Of course once in the UK she may kick up a fuss and try and get the child returned to Thailand but then the Thais have to apply to the UK and you will be able to fight things from the UK which will be easier for you I guess.

They will check a Thai national when they depart Thailand that they either have a return ticket or a visa (a suitable visa which would not require you to have a return ticket) to stay for the destination. My son fly's on a Thai passport 1 way to Singapore but then he has a dependants pass for Singapore and so does not need a return ticket.

You can always just buy the return and not use it I guess.

Corect me if I am wrong but there is no rule that the mother needs to accompany the child, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

Live Thailand, work offshore.

In a long term relationship (3 Years) with a TGF . Spend 25-33% of my leave at her parents house/farm up Sia Khao.

You must live with the family, if they are a good sort and you sleep under their roof with no A/C, squat toilet, bowl to shower with, you gain "face". (Realise that farang have no face to lose......But it does not stop you earning "Face" with the family).

That is my satangs worth...............do not be rushed, or held to ransom. You meet a good lady from a good family, you'll be okay. Bad family........................... You'll know sooner

Why must you live with the family to gain "face"....

Stupid advice - if you can afford to live in your own house with A/C, proper toilet shower etc. What posible "face" do you gain by choosing to live in worse conditions? Some "face" - which helps how excatly?

Nonsense - you have to live your own life within your own means. If you have the means to live better than someone else good for you! If other people can't accept that, who the hel_l cares? All this FACE really is a load of complete and utter outdated nonsense and the sooner the Thai culture drops it and starts getting off their backsides and getting on with things the better.....

You need a 'Quick Six'

Six different women in Six Nights (or less)

If it does not change you luck it will still be good fun....

Thanks for the replys, will try them out.

I have an outside gate which slides across the front of the drive.

I have seen these motorized. Does anyone know where I can by a motor from in Phuket?

Thanks

There are much more interesting places outside the expat scene, if you like to find some adventure

I always avoid such places, and when I'm in another town somewhere I never go to beer bars where expat are hanging out. Like I said there are much more sanook places elsewhere.

Maybe that's why in 30 years I never went to Pattaya or other tourist towns, beaches or islands.

In 30 years in Thailand you never went to a beach or one of the islands?

Jez, Thailand is famous for having some of the best beachs in the world, truly stunning....

What have you managed to do for 30 years, sit on a farm? How boring your life must be....

No all of the beaches are surrounded by go-go bars you know, in fact most are not!

My wife is an expat living in Singapore and she only complains about not having many friends around to talk to. A year ago there was another Thai lady living in the apartment block and she was happy enough. Apart from that we are not far from Thailand and still in SEA so there is nothing that she cannot buy here that she can get in Thailand.

When she goes to England it is really just the weather if it is cold that she complains about.

On chaweng beach the silver sands resturant was nice and good seafood when I went.

Hello! Welcome! Please come in! Welcome my walking ATM!

When they see this robot humming along, it screams walking ATM! You can see these ฿ig ฿aht signs spinning in their eyes!

Yeah, that's what I don't get. The idea of paying someone who probably has a 2nd grade education, is not attractive, is not interesting, to spend time with me and "be my friend" is strange. The sight of them salivating over the prospect of a farang atm is off putting and symbolizes the truly depressing nature of humanity.

If you find the idea of going to a brothel and paying a hooker for sex strange, may I suggest that you don't go.

Yes it is depresing, but you can avoid it........

ALSO, I have heard (not my own experience, hence I cannot confirm), that no airlines will give a Thai a bording pass if their passport is less than 6 months validity. Even if it is short by one day.

This is true with most passports not just Thai. Nearly all places you visit require your passport (regardess of issuing country) has longer than 6 months remaining.

You need to read your contract and it will state what the maximum amount of the deductable is in the event of an accident. Normally it is the same as the deposit, so in your case 5,000.

You should not have to hire a new car and lose what is still remaining on the other contract, they should give you another car.

But I will admit I find it a little sad that you have had to give up so many foods that you like to just eat Thai food.

You gonna send him a food parcel ?

No

Until today, I didn't know I had a mental problem.

But - you eat Thai food everyday apart from 1 or 2 times a year? How can anyone, as much as they enjoy Thai food just eat Thai without wishing to explore other food options, be it Western or anything else? If you lived in England would you just eat English food apart from 1 or 2 times a year? For me that is just not a natural thing to do.

Just does not seem natural to me that someone could adventure to live where you do (not sure where you can from originally but I guess you traveled far) and not want to retain more of where they have come from.

Well I'm French.

When I lived in downtown Chiang Mai, I used to eat Japanese, Indian and Vietnamese food a few times/month or a (genuine) pizza once in a while.

When it comes to food, England is a bad example. Actually, I've been to England quite a few times and apart from the wonderful breakfast, I don't like their food. English cuisine is an oxymoron. Fortunately London (that I like very much) is full of great foreign restaurants (Chinese and Indian restaurants being my favourites).

I could cook French food here at home but under this climate, I find it difficult to digest. Eating Thai food in Thailand seems like the natural thing to do.

Well if you can't digest it then I guess you have a reason.

But I will admit I find it a little sad that you have had to give up so many foods that you like to just eat Thai food.

Until today, I didn't know I had a mental problem.

I am not saying you don't so don't think that I am.

But - you eat Thai food everyday apart from 1 or 2 times a year? How can anyone, as much as they enjoy Thai food just eat Thai without wishing to explore other food options, be it Western or anything else? If you lived in England would you just eat English food apart from 1 or 2 times a year? For me that is just not a natural thing to do.

Just does not seem natural to me that someone could adventure to live where you do (not sure where you can from originally but I guess you traveled far) and not want to retain more of where they have come from.

Sorry, you are too slow. I am the one that empty the shelves, and on-sold it to Mon & Pop store for a profit.

If they had stock you would. Sure. But there never is any stock.

I remember a few months back Tesco doing a 2 for 1 offer on an LG flat screen TV. I think it was about 20,000 Baht for 1 TV, and you got a second set for free.

They had loads of them left.

Wish I had brought a couple now....

Should be fine but make sure he carriers his return ticket with him as proof that it is booked, he will probably be asked for this when he checks in!

Apart from that he will need to fill out the immergration card but should be able to get someone help him with that if he cannot do that himself.

He will either get 14 or 30 days, depends on the officer stamping the passport when he arrives.

I don't see any reason to worry about this.

I think if you are a thai lady flying to singapore then the checkin staff on the airline will ask for your return ticket or ask to see your green card.

Has happened to my wife, but she has a green card so does not need to show return ticket, but this has been checked everytime I think, or it appears to be.

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

The bars are dumpy and low class.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

Shock, horror 'the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?'

You are basically talking about sex establishments here. Underneath everything they are never classy or show much respect.

Anyway, are you actually Thai or a Farang yourself?

The Farang or for a better word Tourist Scene is much bigger than the area you have visited. Maybe you need to get out more and look around and explore Thailand.....

"I am just interested and surprised by the amount of farang who now try to live and act 100% Thai."

Are these the ones with Thai tattoos and bits of cord around their wrists ?

why would it be any different to an Asian integrating into the west and acting 100% western <insert millions of examples here>

Because I don't think they do.

Just because you live in a foreign country and different culture does not mean that you should adapt 100% to that culture.

If my wife (Thai) went to live in England she would not try to be as English as possible, she would be a Thai person living in England. I would have to try and get Thai food for her, try and find Thai friends for her, find a Thai temple for her.

So I don't think Asian's do go west and act 100% west. Hence you have Chinatown in NY or London. They started because the Chinese kept some of their culture with them.

What gets me is some posters who accept Thai style everything and compain about tourists and farangs, when that is what they are. They just appear to have lost some of their identity. However reading the responses on this thread I now think it is a very small number (smaller than I thought) that have actually done this. Most I think try and keep as many western parts of their lives with them.

Just what they can possibly enjoy about this is beyond me.

Then why do you ask?

Because I am interested to know and understand people's views on this....

Do you have a opinion on the matter?

"Going Native" ? What does that mean exactly? Living in or near a village? I think everyone here so far that lives in a village still has plenty of modern comforts. Living in Udon Thani I would hardly call going native. It's a city of only 100,000 or so people with all the various services available in Bkk, all the stores, movies etc on a smaller scale. I wouldn't mind living in a village as long as it had internet for work and obviously things like running water and electricity and hot water in the 3 months of colder season.

But there is something else to look at. What if you were forced to live in harsher conditions? Could you handle it or commit suicide if the world went to he_ll?. I think being willing and capable to live in different conditions is more about adventure. Thailand is a bit like the Wild West in a way. There is a lot more freedom and a lot more work to be done but the benfits outway the discomforts.

I enjoy the new experince and adventure of it and definately prefer the smaller cities of thailand to Bkk. I was born a city boy but it's nice to get a change in life. There are more important things in life than material possessions. But most materialistic people would never agree. They believe material wealth is everything. That is their Religion "Materialism".

Why are village people more friendly and look happier than city people? There's something there and you would have to discover it for yourself. No amount of explaining would give you the full understanding.

I am just interested and surprised by the amount of farang who now try to live and act 100% Thai.

i.e. Live Thai style without all the western creature comforts (although they have some because they are on the internet!).

It's just sometimes I read posts where people jump and scream about commercial thailand and how they live in the real Thailand, and I wonder if they really deep down are 100% happy with the way things turned out for them...

For me I would never go that far, that rural, that native. Why, not becuase I am very materialistic but because it is not my culture and I would not fit in and/or ever be happy and comfortable living that life. So I try to maintain a balance with my life for what I am, a Brit living in Thailand. I try and fnd a happy medium with it, not go for either extreme.

I don't believe the half naked passport pic. Not possible in a UK passport

Agreed.

Actually I don't think there's a country on Earth that would allow such pics in a passport. I believe you have just spotted a lie from the immigration police.

Maybe the facts are wrong.

He has half naked trying to go through immergration and they took offence would be my guess.

I don't believe that you can have a half naked passport pic in a UK passport for a second....

World Boxing Commission

Actually its 'World Boxing Council'

This is so OTT.

Swearing is one thing, being rude can cut both ways. Just because they work for immergration does it give them the right to be rude to the travellers?

I had a problem in Phuket, the guy said I was rude for asking what the problem was. He said that I had to stand there until he said I could move. Sorry but really there is no need for the officals to go on stupid little power trips as much as for the tourist to watch his language.

But putting him in Jail for being rude!! Someone needs to grow up and the judge should throw this case out of court and do something to the immergration officer who is wasting time and money with this.

Pointless and rather embarassing for Thailand I think.