bangkokrick

It changed me to being handsum and poor overnight.

'The survey put Nigeria in pole position.' Nice line considering the subject matter.

The reason that they are tightening up on visa issuance is because they have found that many people on Tourist visa's are not leaving the Country and working illegally. I think that the alleged rape was the last straw.

Applied for and received Chinese Tourist visa a couple of weeks ago, after three (yes three) trips to the embassy to get the paperwork in order on my fourth visit I finally received a visa valid for a stay of 12 days (actual trip was 5).

They finally received from me:-

Both visa forms A and B

Confirmed flights

Confirmed hotel booking

A non-immigrant visa of some form (if you have any type of Thai tourist visa or visa exemption, forget getting a China visa)

Your Work Permit (I'm on a work extension here, don't know how married or retirees will get on)

A Certificate of Employment (ditto above)

Copies of your PP photo page and permission to stay / extension

But no requirement for an invitation although one is required for a business visa along with a letter of intent from your Thai employer.

I applied a while back and i don't have a work permit here in Thailand, but I am married to a Thai. The asked for a copy of my marriage certificate and the wife's ID card.

Visa issued OK and no need for an invitation letter.

The personal grief is undoubtedly unmeasurable. And how does a lot of personal grief justify steam roller torture exactly? An "Eye for an eye" is appealing emotionally, but it's an incredibly stupid way to deal with tough issues like this.

That wasn't a rhetorical question, please answer how the unhumane treatment of offenders will make the Norwegian society (or any other society for that matter) more safe and less violent.

Since all the statistics are against you, I don't think you can.

yes, the punishment is for what:

1) lock him in a room so he does not do it again now: OK done for the next years

2) teach him so he won't do it again--fail most probably

3) Prevent other people to do the same...That works if the police catch the neighbor and charge him 1000 euro for driving drunk, but it does not work for insane people.

Revenge doesn't help anyone and if the society makes another crime by torture him, it won't help anything.

He had the audacity to salute as he walked in to court. What a <deleted>, but I am sure he can be saved. You know that the majority of Norwegian people will not agree with you or the knobhead that is defending their justice system.

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

Norway has some problems like every country, but our criminal care system isn't one of them. Instead of advocating/teaching violence through the prison system, we prevent and treat it through it. Our system is one of the main reasons for the very low violence rate in Norway.

Brevik did terrible evil things and will likely spend the majority of his life in prison for it, but please don't act as we're the bad guys for having a extremely successfull system that gives you a second chance to make things right for society while you're advocating running over him with asphalt steam rollers.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

@V8 - nothing more to add to that, well said!

The personal grief is undoubtedly unmeasurable. And how does a lot of personal grief justify steam roller torture exactly? An "Eye for an eye" is appealing emotionally, but it's an incredibly stupid way to deal with tough issues like this.

That wasn't a rhetorical question, please answer how the unhumane treatment of offenders will make the Norwegian society (or any other society for that matter) more safe and less violent.

Since all the statistics are against you, I don't think you can.

Are you out of your mind. The bastard gunned down 77 young people and you think that he should be given a life of luxury in a Norwegian prison as punishment. He should have been topped as soon as they caught him. I guess in your mind following his sentence he will have some way of contributing the Norwegian society. The 77 slaughtered youngsters would have contributed far more, but because of his actions they can not. Very sad.

I'm really surprised at the level of hatred here.

There is no such a thing as justice in case of murders and the illusion of it (eye for an eye) only leads to even more human suffering. Don't tell me the "US Justice System" is about justice, it's just about revenge and inflicting hurt on people who have hurt others.

And yes - the Norwegian prison system (which is fantastically successful both at results and costs) are just about two things:

• Protecting society from offenders if they're dangerous
  
• Rehabilitating the offenders and making sure they become safe and productive members of society, facilitating release after the mandatory part of the sentence is finished
  

We don't punish people here because the primal sense of revenge humans have. When we punish people by taking away basic human rights, we do it because we have to and would like to do so for a short a period of time as possible instead of gleefully legally torturing them for the enjoyment of the masses.

If YOUR daughter has her brains spread over the scenery then come back here with the same post.

Totally in agreement Transam. The personal grief must be unmeasurable.

You can be lucky. Most Thai companies receive overseas orders and they have a clause that the delivery must be 100% of the order quantity. Therefore if the order is for 100000 pieces the Thai company will make 10% extra, so as not to incur penalties for a short delivery, due to sewing faults and reject fabric. When the order is despatched the over make goes onto the markets. This is not legal, but what is in Thailand!

Reference. I have worked in the sewing industry for many years here in Thailand.

I really hope that the prison guards accidently forget to lock his cell door one night.

Unless you can convince them your second passport is replacement for the current passport and have extension and re-entry permit transferred do not believe it would fly.

Thanks Lop I thought that might be the case, so I guess that I am just clutching at straws. I might have to travel in the meantime, but I suppose that I will have to cancel any business trips until I get my new passport.

OK guys more opinions and advice if possible. I have decided to send a copy of my current passport back to the UK via HK as is the process. I still have my current passport in hand.The passport will be cancelled as soon as it is received and a new one will be issued in around 3 weeks. Given that the passport is no longer valid do you think that it would be possible to use my second passport for travel accompanied by my current cancelled passport that contains my O visa extension.

Thanks.

In the north of England where I come from your a puff if you wear a rain coat.

In the North of England where I come from you are called a 'Flasher' if you wear a rain coat.

Sorry to offend you. I will try to improve my posture and get home from the beach a bit earlier at night.

Thanks for the help guys. I am in Vietnam at the moment, so I will not have time to apply for a new passport until I return to Thailand next week. I might also have to leave Thailand again in early September, so I will get my extension in my current passport on the 18th September and take things from there. It looks like I am in a bit of a mess with this.

Thanks again.

Hi Lop,

Thanks for the reply. I still have a few pages in my current passport so I think I can get my extension in that. My concern is mainly in how I can transfer this to my second passport. I guess it will take about 4 weeks to renew my current passport and that's why I thought of using my second passport for the extension. I have been married to my Thai wife for 12 years. My plan was to get the visa in the second passport and then renew my current as soon as possible. Is this workable?

Thanks

Hi All,

As A Brit who travels a lot I am allowed to have 2 passports. I have 1 passport that has 2 pages remaining which contains my O visa. I also have a second passport that is new and only has one stamp in it. Since my annual visa extension is due early next month is there any problem in using the second passport for the visa stamp?

Any good advice appreciated.

Cheers, Rick

Poetry was once an Olympic sport. Knocks the hell out of 4 man canoeing.

http://www.shakethedust.co.uk/shaker/did-you-know-poetry-was-an-olympic-sport/

Mr Red i agree we have an awesome midfield. Allan for me is one of the best youngsters that i have seen in a long while. Cleverley goes without saying.

Team GB have beaten Uruguay to finish top of the group and go through to face Soth Korea in the quarters.

They put in a great performance and deserved to win. All of a sudden we can pass the ball and we had the majority of the possession. I just hope that some people on this board can actually get behind our team and stop all the knocking.

If the spare is still brand new as in unused put that on, cant see how what there saying can be true. Just changed all 4 on my vigo, 7 years old, still loads of tread but had to admit were perished to hell. But still felt OK.

Thanks I will try that first and then go for the swap as previously suggested.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Let us know the out come. Seldom hear out comes.

OK will do Transam. Thanks.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Not so many motor men out there today.

I have a Ford escape 2.3 L which is 18 months old and has done 30000 Km's. I took the car in for a service at the main dealer in Pattaya and reported a slight whining noise on the rear drivers side wheel. They checked it out and said the only way to cure this is to buy 4 brand new tyres. I got a second opinion at a tyre fitting shop and they said the same thing. Anyone any advice on this please?

The 'ratfruit' looks particularly yummy!