samjaidee

5th PAD Armoured Division preparing itself for Operation Baanok Blitkrieg.

Typical... he is a persistent law breaker, always setting a bad example... where is his helmet?

He's not riding a motorbike.

Look carefully, it's got three wheels so he doesn't need a helmet.

...I can live with a 500 baht fine, but I never went through the process before. You just have to stand in line and fill their coffers/cookie jar with ha roy baht, then you can go through the border checkpoint without penalty, yeah?

Yes, that's it, except that your 500 Baht are properly accounted for and recorded in your passport. Simple and painless procedure.

Cool, well that's a load off.

Cheers...

Meanwhile I asked my old mate Google about the Phuket imm hours - closed on sat and sun - unless the site is out of date, that option is out.

http://phuketdir.com/pktimmigration/

I can get my laundry done at midnight on a Sunday, but these guys can't staff an office for a few hours on a Saturday. $#@%#@ - they could pay a single staff member double the avg daily wage just to take the cash from one overstay victim like myself. But no... This is Thailand. "Solly, no have staff for weekend mai."

Why?

Nevermind, they make up for the total lack of logic with smiles and good gestures enough to even things out.

You may be interested to know that immigration offices in the UK are open during normal office hours from Monday to Friday. No weekends.

Why should Thai civil servants have longer working hours than those in the UK?

Is arrogance your worst trait or do you have any that are even more unappealing?

Does that mean it's better to arrive with $ cash not traveler checks?

Cash dong are accepted everywhere incl big hotels?

I think this depends where you are coming from. Based on my experience there is no problem exchanging baht for dong outside the banks in Saigon (black market, but maybe gold shop market is a better expression) and getting a good rate. So if you are coming from Thailand there seems no point in changing baht to dollars first if you are staying in Saigon. Outside Saigon I do not know.

Travellers checks are good for security, but maybe using ATMs to draw overseas money is a better way. There are numerous ATMs in Saigon but not sure if they allow overseas withdrawals. Best check this out first.

Yes, they all allow overseas withdrawals. Money is paid out in Dong.

Does that mean it's better to arrive with $ cash not traveler checks?

Cash dong are accepted everywhere incl big hotels?

I live in HCMC. Yes, bring US$ cash not traveler's checks.

In my experience everywhere in HCMC takes payment in Dong. Your bill in a top end hotel maybe in US$ but they will accept Dong.

I get paid in US$ cash. It would never occur to me to convert my salary into Dong at a bank. I always use a gold shop and get +/- 10% more than at a bank.

You can get a chicken or pork burger at 7-11 for 20 baht. Why pay more for something that ain't much better? I only go to a specific Mr Mikes because I can flirt with a certain girl. Other than that I'll stick with my 30 baht Kow Padt or Padt Thai.

Oh, I'm sorry, it was at the AIRPORT Burger King. The airports ALWAYS add another 100 baht onto EVERYTHING. That is why I mostly fly Thai air or Bangkok air. They have a lounge where you can eat for free and rest in comfort while waiting for your flight. It's either that or I pack a sandwich BEFORE I leave for the airport if I'm flying on one of the cheaper, no frills flights.

But I am sure you appreciate Ian, not everyone wants khao pad or pad tThai - it is why they look for BK, McD or KFC signage (and menus in English).

Always personal choice but I think pulling out your own sandwich on a flight makes you look a bit of a ............

:lol:

I refuse to eat at airports or purchase anything in airports. They are all a ripoff. That includes ANY airport in any country. I'm quite happy eating my home made sandwich BEFORE I get on the plane. Most flights offer some sort of meal or snack anyway. The only ones that don't are the cheap charlie flights. I only fly cheap charlie flights if their schedule fits my schedule perfectly. I balance out what I pay for the value I get. You don't get value for your money in airports.

Oh, and I DO enjoy a good burger from time to time. I just want it to suit my surroundings and not have it forced on me as the only option.

"Cheap Charlie Flights" - grow up.

I fly from HCMC to Bangkok several times a year with Air Asia. Why? Because they're the best value for money. Do I need food or a movie on a flight of 75 minutes? No. Why should I pay for food or entertainment that I don't want or need?

There's nothing "cheap Charlie" about my decision, it just makes economic sense.

Hun Sen accused Thai troops of firing cluster bomb at Cambodian troops.

1) Does any one know if Thailand has cluster bombs?

2) Aren't cluster bombs dropped from planes?

Cluster munitions come in many shapes and forms. Bombs, rockets, artillery shells and grenades to name a few.

I think this was probably a translation error.

What's the 10 baht gold for?

I totally agree, you are already married, and the Thai wedding is only a formality, to please your wife.:jap:

This is a request not from your wife, but from her father! This is total greed and just ignore it! Your wife, you said was already giving them money. You are already married and I am assuming she was not the 18 year old virgin that he wants the money for for a custom from years ago!! This is just greed thinking you are a rich falang and wanting to take advantage of you. I personally had the same request but instead we have paid for many things for her family, parents and nieces and nephews. These type of parents you just have to let it go in one ear and out the other. One thing that many don't realize and that is that this is a request from her father or both mother and father to try and make a nieve falang pay so they can buy a new "whatever" Ignore this request! It is not your wifes request! It was asked of her to get You to give more money to them. Many naive falang's do this because they think it is customary but after she reached a certain age etc or has been married before and lived away from her parents home, this is just garbage! Forget his request and go on and use your money for your wife and your and kids. That father does not need to drain your finances for his leasure. You are not, I am assuming filthy rich and there is no reason to pay him anything. Ask your wife if her father requested this?

Of course she wants to help her parents but it sounds as though she has been all along. Or make arrangements to have the money and baht returned after the ceromony if it really is just a ceromony for show, but many of these types try to keep the money for themselves. This sin sod was never intended, as many think ,for the parents to keep and use as they please. It was supposed to be a measurement of security for your WIFE if something happens to you or a divorce so she can get another start. Not for the parents to buy a new pickup truck!!!....don't do it!.............I paid many things but never gave any sin sod and in this day and age the only ones that do this are the naive falang's that are trying to do what they THINK is customary.

Let him buy his own liquor or whatever. Your hard earned money needs to go to your emediate family. I suspect somehwere down the line, a family member needs som cash to pay for something. This is a way to get it and distribute it to neices and nephews etc. I can't tell you how many times I have had money disapear with so many reason's that I can't count. If you give that, then they will have another reason soon again. It seems , in my experience many parents use thier daughters as a money making machine without reguard for any problems it may cause to you and your wife. They all think we are rich and no amount of talking will convince them you are not. They think you should give your money to them because you have it and they don't!!...simple as that!....don't be stupid. Your wife has already been paying for them you said!...so what's with that??...greed, pure and simple!!....you both are adults now.....so are her parents!!!....ignore it!!

There is, in Thai culture a great amount of pressure put on thai daughters to get money from especially a falang husband. A thai husband would never pay that amount unless they are in the upper status arena, and only if she was never married and you are the first to take her away. And is is to show off etc. If her parents are truly good hearted people they wouldn't try this on you. I am thinking her parents are from central or norheast area of Thailand. They should be satified thier daughter is happy and being taken care of good and they are getting money help every month already. One thing many should learn and that is never let the parents know how much money you have because this will determine how much they want from you. For gods sake, they already are getting money!!!!!....live at least 2-6 hrs away from them also, if you don't want to be always hit up with some imaginary reason, emergency money need!....I am called stinky ifI don't give them when they want, and never has the money I HAVE spent on them been appreciated. It's never ending if you don't end it.

The gold is for show too(and to keep) if you let them!....isn't that nice! they show off with YOUR money!!.it's your wifes money, not for the parents to use!!....keep it and save for you and your family's future. This erks me that this happens so often to falang's....greedy Thai parents..ughhh...and do they care if it makes a riff for you and your wife?....no!...as long as they get the cash!....because you have a money tree that never ends, they think!.........

Why does someone who doesn't understand basic English grammar and spelling write such a long diatribe?

Slightly different problem but I once went to Indonesia with some one who didn't have full page left for their large visa on arrival sticker. Immigration was not amused and initially told him he would be deported after overnighting in a chair in the airport. Eventually they saw their way clear to accepting a contribution to the immigration officers' benevolent fund and slapped the visa on top of some Thai visa stamps LOL. It took about an hour and a fair bit of angst and I have to say I was somewhat irritated that my friend had not got a new passport before the trip. He got back to Thailand without any problem despite the covered up Thai stamps.

Better to sort out problems of expiring or full passports before travelling.

I had exactly the same problem going from Vietnam to Cambodia. There was no space for the full page Cambodian visa so they stuck it over some 4 year old Thai entry stamps. They didn't at any point ask for money but they made me sign a document, in English, saying that I was prepared to accept full responsibility for the breach of official guidelines.

I was so grateful that I tried to give some money as a way of saying thank you but the officer would not take it. :jap:

How does this work? Let's say my passport expires in Devember. I want to travel somewhere in June (pushing 6 month boundary), so being prudent I renew it 2 months earlier, in case there are problems.

Does My new passport have an expiry of old passport + x years? Or is it x years from renewal date? I've been told it's renewal date, which means the life of the passport gets shorter

I would consider this a sour point with passport renewal. I suppose only a small point.

Edit: I'm Australian. Consider each country has it's own rules

Living in Asia my last three passports have become full before expiry.

Last time I had to get a new one I still had 5 1/2 years left. They gave me an extra 6 months on my new 10 year passport as compensation. I was pleasantly surprised.

Lessons can be learned from one love-struck Thai woman who whipped off all her clothes and ran down Soi Bangla after her fiancée proposed to her last year.

lesbians are allowed to marry in Thailand?

Well spotted.

They mention education on the subject but lets get real; this is Thailand and we all know that education is going to be in trying to prevent Teens having sex in the first place. The Buddhists here really aren't any better then the Christians in America. Do they really think abstinence is going to work? It's going down really well in the US, not.

Any education on proper use of condoms would be met with huge resistance here. The general thai would rather just remain ignorant of what's happening around them and resist anything that goes against their moral stance. I can see the headlines now from the old guard, "moral degradation of Thai culture", etc. It's the same reason that sex toys and abortions are illegal here, religious zealots dictating other peoples lives while hiding behind the veil of a religion that claims not to do such things.

Whilst I agree that the whole abstinence movement is a largely Christian idea in the US, I would disagree that in Thailand it is a Buddhist movement. I wonder where you got the idea that Buddhism is against you adults having sex.

Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion. Where is your evidence that Buddhist zealots dictate other peoples lives. There are of course moral zealots all over Thailand but to suggest they're religious shows how little you know about Buddhism.

They ought to say Middle Easterners rather than Arabs because I assume they are including Iranians in the figures.

Political correctness can go too far. When you say 'Middle Easterners' I might wonder which part of the USA you refer to.

Keep in mind for those not in the group all others look alike. Farang, Chinese, Arabs, 'khon dam', etc.

Iran was known as Persia until 1935. Many people from Iran and those of Iranian descent still refer to themselves as Persian. The Arab people are the citizens of the 22 nations in the Arab League, which does not include Iran.

Persians are not Arabs, any more than Koreans are Japanese.

Went looking for the Air Asia office at Central Festival yesterday and the "Concierge" desk told me there is not and has never been an Air Asia office there.

They must be including the 4 million that are in transit waiting for flights to other holiday destinations.

Exactly my thoughts.

You don't happen to have "Mental Health" figures for the UK do you?

Thank you, in anticipation.

I'm just pulling the numbers out of my handy dandy atlas. Depending upon the year, the numbers can be up or down a bit in the UK. Retirements, redundancies and all that stuff.

In Total

UK: 58 beds per 100,000 population 11 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, 58 social workers per 100,000 , 9 psychologists per 100,000 population

Thailand: 14 beds per 100,000 population, 0.66 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, 0.74 social workers per 100,000 population, 0.26 psychologists per 100,000 population;

Clarification: The UK also has a number of other specialists involved which accounts for the apparent lower numbers in some areas compared to other countries. For example, there are 104 psychiatric nurses per 100,000 population. I know people slam the UK alot, but the number of social workers and nurses available for mental health speak to the team approach that the UK has. It's not perfect, but I think it's the right way to do it. There just isn't a pool of psychiatric nurses in Thailand to pick up the slack. Sort of like how there is a real shortage of geriatric care nursing staff in the west.

Thank you very much for the info. and your clarification.

are there similar WHO figures for general healthcare in Thailand?

I suspect that the situation is more or less mirrored in all fields?

There are but they need to be put in context (no it's not a cop out, honest ) I could dump all sorts of stats, but I think the real issue is that there is an absence of a national policy and a national strategy. It's wonderful to toss money at a problem, but without a plan, the money is wasted. The UK's NHS gets blasted, but despite its failings it still does the job, because it has a plan. When is the last time anyone saw or heard about of a needs analysis before a new hospital or clinic was opened in Thailand?

Thailand has the same medical staffing problem that one sees in Australia, Canada and elsewhere. The contrast in finding solutions speaks volumes. There's little if any public discussion in Thailand. One can't create doctors and nurses overnight, it takes time. Canada's provinces pumped alot of money into medical schools several years ago and now it is beginning to see increases in the number of medical school graduates that is bumping up the per 100K pop ratios. Australia and Canada were aggressive in seeking out foreign trained nurses to fill the gap while they trained new nurses. One can see it in the Philippino faces in hospitals now. And then there is Thailand. Where's the planning, the strategy? It's not there. That's why the GP ratio keeps falling. The Thai medical schools are not part of the national strategy. There are ways to get doctors to practice in rural areas and to consider understaffed specialties. Canada and Australia did it with financial incentives. The incentives aren't there in Thailand. The powers that be in Thailand won't do it. I suppose when one has a an interest in a hospital or an HMO it causes a bit of a conflict. Politicians in Sweden are treated at a public hospital just like politicians in Canada and Australia. That's why they are somewhat more aware of the problems and possible solutions. Politicians in Thailand usually go to exclusive private or military hospitals.

And now we have this silliness with some guy saying he's going to clear the mentally ill off the streets. It's a great idea. Unfortunately, there's nowhere to put these people and there's no one available to treat them.

Amazing research, thanks.

You don't happen to have "Mental Health" figures for the UK do you?

Thank you, in anticipation.

What a crock of sh*t. These people will end up handcuffed in local jails like the recent case of the Briton in Pattaya.

As of 2006, the most recent WHO report shows that;

- There are only 17 mental hospitals in Thailand providing 13.8 beds per 100,000 population. In the last five years the number of mental hospital beds has decreased by 7% (There has not been any significant increase in funding since the report was issued in 2006.)

- There is no provision for routine follow-up community care.

- No facility has mental heath mobile clinic teams.

- In terms of treatment, a few patients last year received one or more psychosocial interventions.

- There are no mental health day treatment facilities in Thailand, except the ones specifically for children with mental retardation or for people with substance abuse.

- There are 25 community-based psychiatric inpatient units in regional hospitals with 0.4 beds per 100,000 general population.

- Community residential facilities for patients being discharged from the hospitals do not exist.

Who will take care of these mentally ill people?

- 419 psychiatrists (0.66 per 100,000 population)

- 110 other medical doctors (not specialized in psychiatry but associated with mental health care); 0.17 per 100,000 population);

- 2406 nurses (3.81 per 100,000 population);

- 163 psychologists (0.26 per 100,000 population);

- 465 social workers (0.74 per 100,000 population) (Other reports cite 0.56)

- 125 occupational therapists (0.20 per 100,000 population

The numbers speak for themselves. The mentally ill will not be treated.

There will be no occupational therapy and the problem will continue.

That is the reality. Welcome to Thailand where people that should know better call the mentally ill nutcases.

Unfortunately the numbers don't speak for themselves unless you have another set of data for comparison. Do you have comparable data for a Western country? Any one will do!

Sure the numbers look low, but how low are they really?

How about preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first case? Contraceptives of all kinds have been available for many decades - educate people to use them

Indeed.

And blaming worries about money as a reason for abortion is despicable. That is committing murder for monetary gain/prevention of loss. Nothing noble or right about that. What is next, it is ok if a woman commits infanticide if the husband/bf leaves her in the first 2 years of the child's life?

Until both genders can carry a child there can never be equality as the man has *NO* rights whatsoever until the child is born. Only responsibilities. Gender equality, eh?

Are you suggesting that a country like the UK, which has legal abortions, has legalised a form of murder, in the guise of abortion? Catholic are you? Maybe if you're lucky you'll come to your senses as you mature.

The French tried to legislate against English words and phrases entering theur language, for example "le weekend", "le Parking", they introduced a limit on airtime of AngloAmerican songs, they failed.

Shakespeare is credited with introducing around 3000 new words in his works, about 2000 have survived into current usage,

It still goes on, radar, laser, scuba, are all examples of new words. If a language cannot create new words for new concepts it will simple borrow from other more vibrant languages. By no stretch of imagination would I ever describe Thai as a vibrant progressive language, I see elswhere in ThaiVisa they say Thais read on average 93 minutes a day, I would not count comics as reading

I'm not doubting for a moment your fact about Shakespeare but do you have a source for it. What I'd really like to see is a list of them. You've really piqued my curiosity.

Its interesting that the three new words you selected are all acronyms. This seems to be common thread in development of modern new words. As technology develops we are using acronyms more an more.

laser

origin:

1955–60; l (ightwave) a (mplification by) s (timulated) e (mission of) r (adiation)

radar

origin:

1940–45, Americanism ; ra (dio) d (etecting) a (nd) r (anging)

scuba

origin:

1950–55; s (elf)- c (ontained) u (nderwater) b (reathing) a (pparatus)

Here's another one.

nimby (not in my back yard)

and then of course there's the famous yuppie of my youth.

Time and time and time again I see articles about Thailand and there one emotion that keeps recurring.

Pity.

I pity their parochial outlook which sometimes extends to xenophobia.

After five years in Thailand I've been in Vietnam for five years. The thirst for knowledge here is so refreshing.

I am confused. Is it me or is it OK for a government official to meet, discuss, seek approval of government policy and giggle with a wanted fugative, charged with corruption, treason and funding the overthrow of that government? Not to mention a convicted criminal on the run to avoid his goal sentence and further prosecution?

If you're going to use archaic language why don't you practice spelling it first.

'goal' has a quite different meaning to "gaol".

Well law enforcement in Thailand has never been known for its speed or efficiency.. So, this does not surprise me in the least.

I'm wondering how easy it really is to covertly surveil someone ad infinitum.

Unless the best secret services operatives Thailand has to offer are constantly in visual contact with him, which is unlikely, then why should the Thai government know where he is 24 hours a day?

Do they have access to the immigration records of any country at the drop of a hat? I'm just guessing but, I think probably not. Do they have access to every private airport and maritime port in every country. Again, I think probably not.

Thaksin is a notorious individual in Thailand and everybody would recognise him immediately but would that be true in London, Paris or Oslo? I'm confident that he has the intelligence to be discrete when necessary. How hard can it be to avoid a tailing car and get on a private plane or boat. One hour later he's in another country. With the right timing and cash anyone could probably visit four or more countries in one day.

I must point out that I am NOT a fan of Thaksin but if you put aside his tendency towards corruption and many other faults you can't help but respect his mental agility. He's not stupid.

IMHO

I wonder how many foreigners die in

Australia every year ? I think it will be more than the amount of Australians who die here in Thailand ?

You can't compare the quantity of one nationality to the quantity of all nationalities.

How about a comparison with the number of Thais in Australia?

Unless the deaths are related to number of visits and length of stay then it seems to be rather pointless publishing them anyway.

Reading anything out of context can only lead to misinterpretation.

IMHO

Assuming that, when the visa was applied for, everyone was acting in good faith, then:

The sponsor has done nothing wrong. He should, however, notify the Embassy that issued the visa about what has happened. As stated earlier, they will not do anything, but the sponsor has protected himself in the event of any future applications.

The applicant has done nothing wrong if the relationship has broken down. She should either continue with her her visit to Europe up until the visa expiry date, or return to Thailand immediately. Then she too will have complied with the terms of the visa that was issued. Should she wish to apply for another visa in the future then she should have no problems.

Maybe I'm mis-reading this but are your suggesting that the sponsor, whilst in Europe, phones an Embassy in Thailand to inform them of a change in circumstances? Surely an Embassy takes care of a country's affairs in the country in which it is based. How can they do anything once the people sponsoring and being sponsored are in Europe. They can't exactly pop in for a quick chat can they?

"The court ruled that the couple was guilty on grounds that the plaintiff had convincing testimonies from damaged persons while the defendants' argument wasn't convincing."

He said, she said. What about evidence?

To avoid any loss of face why don't they make Laoation their second language then almost every Thai would be able to claim to be proficient in their second language in no time at all.

Actually the majority of Thais dont speak that language/dialect

I'm aware of that, but can you think of an easier language for the majority of Thais to learn?