chatette

This is such a beat up. ``If they were in Thailand, police can arrest him and his wife because both are still wanted on Thai arrest warrants," said Samphan Sarathana, chief of international affairs for the Attorney General,.

The arrest warrants were issued by the Supreme Court in August over charges linked to a real estate deal.

This is old news and purely techical. The guy is just predictably responding to a question looking for a news angle, nothing more.

Except the right to vote. Amazing! What I thought was the most basic right isn't extended for 5 years after becoming a citizen. I have been annoyed all day, even though my vote wouldn't have made the slightest difference. Would be interested if anyone else knows of countries that grant citizenship without such a basic right.

Re the visa/overstay issue. It's REALLLLLY simple: 1: you are in Thailand on a visa or permanent residency 2: Your citizenship application is approved and you become Thai. 3: Your visa/pr is automatically null and void: it is impossible to overstay something that is null and void and you can not overstay something that doesn't exist.

I don't quite understand why people are confused about this or find it a point of discussion. It is not the same as a Thai citizen entering and leaving the country on the passport of their other nationality: of course they would be subject to an overstay fine like anyone else.

Just to close the discussion on the question of me overstaying on a now irrelevant visa, both immigration and lawyers assure me it's impossible and there is no requirement to do anything at all as the visa is, er, now irrelevant. A Thai entering the country as the citizen of another country isn't the same circumstance at all.

If you have a claim by birthright, you can apply abroad thru an embassy. Otherwise, you must apply here.

SleepyJohn, You are right that other teeth will close in on the gap. But you omit to say that the teeth alongside the gap are destabilized and over time all of the remaining teeth in your mouth will move response to the loss. In addition to affecting your bite, other consequences can be loss of bone and gum disease that can lead to further loss of teeth. Some people suffer neck and muscular pain because of the destabilization of their teeth affects their jaw line. So there really are sound medical reasons for having implants. II'm also looking at this thread because I'm looking for peoples' experiences in Bangkok because I, too, need an implant and am not sure whether to go to a commercial clinic or govt. clinic.

'If you use the English version of “farang” while chatting in English then your point would be valid. However you cant analyze what is polite and what is seen as rude in a different culture or language purely by translating it back into English and seeing if it is acceptable in that form. It just doesn’t work. Also just because its not polite to talk like that in the west it doesnt mean you are right and everyone Thai is wrong. Open your mind.'

erhum, Madjbs, objectification is not exclusive to the English language, which happens to be the language of discussion here. Where did I say I was right and everyone Thai is wrong? I am Thai. My point is that the code name farang, or any other such code, used as a generalization leads to the treating of people perceived as such as objects. To my mind, open or closed, that's not good. But nor are many other things in this world, like broken pavements in Bangkok or some of the extraordinary generalizations about Thais that appear in this forum.

Thx Paul. But I'm sorry to say there's not much scope for bar-room discussion here, Lopburi3. The perfectly valid visa in my incoming passport is cancelled by Immigration because its no longer relevant as I am now a Thai citizen and no longer require a visa (D'Oh).

ET's extremely well made point, which seems to be missed by so many posters, is that the general usage of the word 'farang,' regardless of its origins, amounts to objectification:

'the process by which people assign meaning to things, people, places, activities, (or, in the case of self-objectification, themselves), and thus become part of cultural constructions which inform and guide behavior. This term also refers to behavior in which one person treats another person as an object and not as a fellow human being with feelings and consciousness of his or her own, in other words as, as without agency. In this sense, it is a synonym of reification.'

The behaviour of charging 'farang' more for services, access etc. than people of 'Thai' appearance is one consequence. The use of the word by westerners, easterners, northerners or southerners perpetuates objectification and, to go back to the OPs question, originates from ignorance of or disinterest in the consequences. This is unlikely to change anytime soon, just as Bangkok's pavements or traffic are likely to change anytime soon, or the objectification of 'Thais' and generalizations on Thai behaviour in this forum.

Start as early as you can. I'd also recommend Bangkok Dolphins. They are very professional.

Thx Lopburi3. However, not arguable at all. I have not overstayed. I am canceling a valid visa and work permit I no longer require as I am now Thai.

I got my card yesterday, a week after registering the paper work. Would have prefered not to have had the delay but didn't want to make a fuss for an extra week when the officer was pleasant enough. Y'day's experience didn't start out pleasantly. The head of the card issuing section, to whom we were directed, arrived late, drunk, unshaven and obstreperous. HE would have to interrogate me and verify all of my paperwork (approved by his superior) before I would get a card and I could come back on another day at his convenience. We both got annoyed and pushed him to a 3 p.m. appt. he clearly had no intention of keeping as he refused to give us an interview slip. So we went back to the head of the registration section, told her of his refusal and she kindly went to tell him the application was approved by the interior minister, not him, and the paper work had been signed off by the district office head. He was cowed into submission but just as ugly as before, altho thankfully that was almost the last that we saw of him. We were given a form to fill and a queue number by the very helpful front desk staff and barely sat down to wait than we moved to the card processing officer and left by 11 a.m. with the card. It would have been an hour earlier without that ugly character who clearly was sizing us up for cash. It's really unfortunate, as he is the only such person we've struck from the outset of the long journey.

Next step: passport, which I'm aware is a breeze, and cancelling my work permit and visa. Advised the company lawyer today to proceed with the latter and got this reply:

`under the regulations of the Immigration Bureau, when we cancel your Temporary Stay Permit, you will be required to

leave Thailand within 7 days. Your case, however, is different from other general cases as you are now Thai and can arguably (my italics) stay in Thailand legally.

No argument about it in my book! The lawyer was a little chagrined when he called in response to my question why a Thai would have to leave the country

I came in with my daughter once and the TM6 had fallen out. Wasn't an issue at all.

what an interesting discussion. my Thai husband declares us buddhist on all official documents and I usually declare so too to avoid disturbing Thais, who have been taught that no religion equates to communists and antimonachists and paths we shall not explore. I was brought up christian and have happy memories of sunday school and singing in the choir at xmas. I stopped going to church just before being a teenager, when my parents had a falling out with the diosese because they were constantly being asked for money. Was no drama and I don't think I was aware of it at the time. I favor buddhism as a philosophy but not a religion and avoid temples like the plague since my mother-in-law declared, with no hint of irony, that they were full of theives after someone swiped my wallet during the few second I wasn't guarding it in order to wai pra. Daughter has more knowledge of archain Catholic saints I've never heard of after some years at a French-language Catholic school altho she's supposedly buddhist. She's also into reading kiddies books of the Buddha's life, so is building her reportoire. That said, she's been to a temple about twice in the almost past decade since she was born (well, much spent out of Thailand) the first time before she was four and the last a couple of months ago when we decided to perambulate the Nakon Pathom chedi (altho had to watch others to be sure to go in the correct direction!) when we happened to be passing and ducked in to escape a traffic jam. I took husband to a vippasana retreat with me more than a decade ago and, altho he's the one to declare us buddhist, he had no clue what was involved and spent the entire weekend sorting out problems instead of letting them go. Quite hilarious in a way. On the other hand, no different from the declared Christian who has no clue about humanity.

I can not imagine why Sriracha John describes Thai nationality as `not a very viable' option for the OP. He's certainly been here long enough to qualify for PR if he doesn't yet have that status and to apply for citizenship if he has had PR for the requisite period.

Getting Thai citizenship is not a daunting process. It just requires waiting out the processing time, which ranges from 1 to 10 years among cases I know of. My own application was lodged in 2001 and approved two months ago. I was out of the country for 4 years after submission and waited 6 months before advising I was back, so the processing was on hold for 4 1/2 of the 6 yr gap. Hardly a long wait.

Since the OP is planning to stay in Thailand, he has nothing to lose by applying.

I took my child to the dentist from six months old just to get her used to it. The very first time there was a child being held down next to us (at the Mahidol dental hospital's old pediatric clinic), which was pretty disturbing....Thankfully she was too young to know what was going on or to remember it even if she did. They now have separate treatment rooms, not that she's had anything more than than a check up in 9 yrs.

Carrefour Rachadapisek (Thai Cultural Center metro stop) definately has LU biscuits. Right down the back toward the right hand side, next to the bouillabaisse.

For outings, Bangkok Dolls museum, near Makkasan: http://www.bangkokdolls.com/aboutbd/,

puppet museum http://www.thailandtraveltours.com/news/13...ppet-museum.htm,

Rose Garden http://www.rosegardenriverside.com/ .

Human Imagery Museum is a little further but good for Thai history http://web.ku.ac.th/AmazingThailand/Bordin...ageryMuseum.htm

>Lots of other prospects here, near and far, depending on your location: http://web.ku.ac.th/AmazingThailand/Bordin...ations/#Palaces

Also a little further but a fab day outing is the National Science Museum in Pathum Thani, has a fantastic dinosaur exhib, totally interactive, among other attractions. Perfect for kids. There's a special Jewels of the Sea in the adjacent Natural History Museum. Also in the compound are the IT Museum, a Planetarium and a great outdoor science oriented playground http://www.nsm.or.th/english/index_eng.html

No nasty dual pricing, either.

For home activities, buy a 2m sheet of plastic or larger off the roll at Carrefour, go to B2S craft section and buy large cardboard sheets, paints, magic pens, glitter, plaster of paris, rubber moulds, brushes and whatever else takes your fancy and make things. Art Attack on Sat. mornings on one of the True kiddy channels has fab ideas: my daughter loves it and she's about the same age as the two you're entertaining. Put the plastic sheet on the floor before you start and in the washing machine after you finish.

Firstly, WhiskeyGirl, you will have plenty of time to get to a hospital if it's your first labor, which is typically 8 hrs, so you shd rate proximity below finding a doctor you're comfortable with.

The hospital my daughter was born is is much further away than Bumrungrad than from where you are, and I traveled from Romklao -- nearby the new airport -- when there was no motorway, ring road or Sri Nakarin expressway to nearby Victory Monument in Sukapiban 3/Ramkhamhaeng Rd morning traffic. For perspective, keep in mind that child birth is not a sickness or surgical procedure.

On venues, government hospitals can be better or worse than private, you can't lump them all on one side or the other.

I was told when six weeks pregnant by the head obstetrician at Rama 9 hospital that I'd need a cesarean because my husband is tall. We were standing in the lobby, no examination needed.

I ended up having a normal delivery with no intervention, not even drugs, at Phra Mongkut Klao Hospital (King Mongkut), the military hospital nearby Victory Monument. I was able to present a birth plan, had a private delivery room with favorite music set up, shower room, and husband present to deliver massage, encouragement and witness the arrival of his child.

Afterwards, I was wheeled to a private aircon room and had excellent post natal care and support for the next couple of days. I didn't have a TV, could've hired one but I didn't want one. There was a phone, altho I used my own cell.

My Thai wasn't brilliant, but that was no impediment. Really, there's not a lot to say when you're delivering. All up, the bill came to about 12,000 baht (the point being it's a lot cheaper than private), altho cost wasn't the main criteria.

By contrast, I wouldn't go near another government hospital, Chulalongkorn, with a barge pole. Its delivery rooms run like conveyor belts and you have absolutely NO say on anything at all. That, of course, might work if you're worried about communicating because you won't need to.

Hi, My daughter rides at Nonthaburi Equestrian Sports Club, which has fabulous facilities for horse owners and riders alike. We've been there for more than a year and are very happy with it. It's a way out of central Bangkok but very accessible via the expressway and quite affordable with immediate access, unlike the Polo Club, which seems to be soooo elite these days. Takes about 30 mins to get there from Sukhumvit/Silom/Sathorn via expressway, about 180 baht in a cab. They cater to experienced riders who want to ride rather than take a lesson and to those who want lessons. We came across the place by word of mouth when we were in Brussels looking for a good stable in Bangkok and I'm very happy with the place, the management and the instructors. I don't ride any more but it's a great place to relax while watching others sweating it out

They have a Web site which you can find by googling the name.

I used to live in a fruit forest on klong bang kruai in Nonthaburi and travel too and fro by boat. There are public boats along Klong Bangkok Noi that connect with Ta Chang, by the Grand Palace, until quite late or you can take small, superfast water taxis for a higher cost, but still quite cheap for regulars. Klong San Saeb connects with the skytrain at Sapan Hua Chang at Ratchatewi, or with the subway at Asoke/Petchburi. On the eastern side of town, you can try Sukapiban 3 and connect downtown using Klong Saen Saeb public boats (no water taxis) right now. I used to do this until relatively recently when I got sick of driving. The boats have lights inside so you can read while commuting, which is quite pleasant. The downside here is that the boats don't operate when the water level in the canal is too high as they can't pass under some of the lower bridges, which will restrict you to the congested land route. That only applies a couple of weeks a year, tho. The sky train will eventually extend out to Lad Krabang in the east, which will give you much more options for cleaner air. Do keep the water routes in mind, tho, when looking at your MRT connections.

The point, Tobbilla, is that the kids are not in the same country as the shop.

Here's a guide to conversions: http://reviews.ebay.com.au/Europe-America-...000000003300025

Best is to ask your sister for chest, waist and height measurements and take a tape measure with you. Don't ask the shop assistants. Most of them won't have a clue.

At least it's a nod at the damage cars do. I lived in brussels for several years and the car free day was just fabulous. You really could ride safely down any of the roads in a large area of the city that was out of bounds. Anyone driving had to display the special permit that had applied for in advance seeking approval to drive after furnishing a good reason. Lots of bladers, too. The lack of noise and fumes is just a joy. I can't imagine Bangkok ever reaching the level of sophistication that people would 'get' the rationale of a car free day and the joy of being able to ride around on a bike.

I traveled a lot with my daughter as a baby. The trick is, as Boo says, is to book a baby cot well ahead and be sure to feed your child as the flight gains altitude to equalize pressure in the ear canal. My daughter breastfed for years, and I'd highly recommend this as you don't have to worry about sterilizing, water, bottles, formula, baggage space for all the paraphenalia. Apart from the enormous convenience, there's also the health benefits....I've never given her any medication and never actually seen it recommended before, so I think you can pass on that on. Do be sure to take an adequate supply of disposable nappies and nappy sacks as sometimes the depressurization comes at the other end. We had a speedy disembarkment from one flight. The breast feeding on descent prompted a massive eruption at the other end and the flight attendants were very accommodating in allowing us to exit first. Yet another benefit of traveling with children

A sling is also much more practical than a push chair in the very early days. But when I did begin traveling with one, I found a very cheap, light fold-up one that I bought in a bargain shop while touring thru Bath to be far more practical than the sturdy, all-terrain expensive one I bought in a department store while holidaying in Australia. That said, I have seen some really cool, lightweights with a carry cot that converts to a car seat that may be the exception. I'd recommend, tho, you leave Thailand without one and buy it in Europe where the choice will be wider and the cost cheaper.

Only govt. officials get the holiday. Business as usual for banks, state enterprise. Govt. schools will be closed, private open. Pick an earlier day if your visa extension or other govt. business falls on that date.