hagler

10 minutes in Tondo and you'll know about things getting real.

Abject shitehole of a country inhabited by the dumbest locals  in Asia whose culinary expertise has reached the heights of cooking intestines on charcoal. 

Dont go.

And this is from one poor soul who has been going in and out every 3 weeks for the last 5 years.

10 months to go ......

Have a go and let us know how you end up. Might work out ok. Might not.

Whats the worst that can happen?  Lol

Some people really shouldnt be given the privilidge to travel.

Used to work the Med and Carib seasons for years and declared myself non resident for tax purposes.

4 of us leased an apartment in HK and that was sufficient to qualify for non resident for tax purposes. 

Remember countries now have reciprocol tax agreements with Aussie so pick your country for leasing wisely

Real EXPATS will be doing what they do now . Working, raising a family and contributing to a functional society. 

Retirees will still be moaning and whinging cause that is what older people do no matter how good they got it anywhere in the world.

The young skivers and dropouts will be doing the same. Inventing names like digital nomads and finding ways to circumvent the rules so they can extend their time in the sun.

Nothimg ever really changes. Just gets recycled and repackaged as a new fashion

Surely it wont be the end of the world to head down there and report in person and cause them to lose face ?

I think they will be happy with your wife doing it the next time after that

First report of it being asked for o arrival.

Form is similar to other versions of it that have been posted. At least they didn't want a photo for like some version have.

What type of entry were you doing? Visa? Exempt? Re-entry permit?

I came in from KL on the 4th June at China Mai International and had to fill out the same form. No visa. Just doing a short 10 day trip so normal 30 day on arrival.

It was strange that they were only handing them out to males and every male got one handed to them between the plane and immigration. No females ( well certainly the one I was with anyway and she says she didn't see any others doing it) were required to fill out.

I "scribbled" mine thinking it was just blah blah blah and the immigration guy went through it with me and "cleaned it up" so all was legible

Duterte is the best thing to happen to the Philippines in the past 30 years.

There is a good reason he had over 80% of the OFW vote.

Tapang at Malasakit !

RIP

There are 2 guys in their mid 20's who spend a lot of their time in the Manila base they have set up these days.

They both do alright

Daniel makes around $500 000 USD a month profit at the moment

http://danielaudunsson.com/

Do yourself a big favor and lodge the application online via

https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login

VFS global are pretty hopeless. I have literally got off the phone to them in Manila about an application for a Filipina about 2 hours ago.

If you lodge online you circumvent VFS for a lot of the process and can make a complaint via Australian Immigration and that speeds things up no end if things are going too slowly.

You should check and see if you can renounce your daughter's Australian citizenship. It would make things so much simpler for you and she could then get a visa.

I'm sure she would thank you when she was older.

Well said.

I can listen to conversations that are conducted on the basis that as a foreigner I cannot understand fluent Thai.

The definition of human trafficking in the RP is so broad that just about any paid sexual activity with a woman of legal age could be defined as HT. This is especially so in the case of girls working in bars. I was recently reported that Under RP law it is also illegal to be alone with a girl more than ten years younger than you, who is not related.......feeling a little insecure now guys?

The law actually states that it is 10 years younger if the person is a minor (ie under 18) .

good thing too.

Its just a promo piece for the elephant shelter.

there is hardly any "news" anymore. Just spin.

Johnny sorry to hear about this. You have been in country for a long time now. Terrible thing to have happen at such short notice. Best wishes and hope you can get back and get the affairs sorted out in the near future. And dont worry about the newbie numpties and their bleating. ;-)

This is going to be an interesting thread. 

yawn.

been hearing this same topic of conversation from when I bought my first piece of real estate in the Kingdom in 1990 and have heard it every year since.

Still buying on average a property a year. Values still going up. Just bought another 2 condos this week while in town checking on the current tenants. Prices still rising.

You either got the kahooners to lay down some dough or you dont. Hopefully the status quo doesnt ever change and the 95% of people who talk about buying real estate in any foreign country find every excuse not to so something end up doing something. Lets the 5% of us continue to do so and to make our money.

The one deal breaker for me when dealing with SCB was that they insisted on settling in THB as opposed to USD. Currency loss at their rate at time of conversion on ฿10MM just doesn't make sense. Haven't looked further since.

I'm due to pick up my ABTC when I return back to Canada for an annual visit. My HK friends with ABTC get fast track and 90 days stamped into their UK passports upon arrival at swampy. Will be interesting to see if I get the same as a Canadian. If so, Elite just lost what I feel to be a great advantage.

Be aware that the days of waltzing through on an ABTC and automatically getting 90 days have been over for quite a long time now.

I enter the country on a very regular basis on an ABTC for business and in the past 12 months have been quizzed quite a few times about the length of my stay( it is never more than 7-10 days and is for business) and on 3 occasions have had a 30 day stamp put into my passport rather than the 90.

It is not a concern for me but dont presume that you will automatically get 90 days even with the ABTC. The Thais have been one of the most vocal countries in the past 2 years complaining about abuse of the ABTC scheme and the tightening of who can qualify to get one in Australia now stems from that.

Is that the APEC card for 3 years ??

Correct

The one deal breaker for me when dealing with SCB was that they insisted on settling in THB as opposed to USD. Currency loss at their rate at time of conversion on ฿10MM just doesn't make sense. Haven't looked further since.

I'm due to pick up my ABTC when I return back to Canada for an annual visit. My HK friends with ABTC get fast track and 90 days stamped into their UK passports upon arrival at swampy. Will be interesting to see if I get the same as a Canadian. If so, Elite just lost what I feel to be a great advantage.

Be aware that the days of waltzing through on an ABTC and automatically getting 90 days have been over for quite a long time now.

I enter the country on a very regular basis on an ABTC for business and in the past 12 months have been quizzed quite a few times about the length of my stay( it is never more than 7-10 days and is for business) and on 3 occasions have had a 30 day stamp put into my passport rather than the 90.

It is not a concern for me but dont presume that you will automatically get 90 days even with the ABTC. The Thais have been one of the most vocal countries in the past 2 years complaining about abuse of the ABTC scheme and the tightening of who can qualify to get one in Australia now stems from that.

I am Australian and contracted Bilhazia when I was in Africa (Malawi) over 20 years ago. I was successfully diagnosed and treated within the Australian medical system for it with no fuss whatsoever.

I am not a medical professional by any means but I think your issues may lie elsewhere.

I dont know who is more stooopid.

the buffoon British bandit or the bozos who cant believe it is really him.

The 'do not travel' warning is the same on they have had in the UK for years due to the problems in the South.

It's nothing to do with the Coup and has probably been in place for the areas mentioned for several years.

correct