exfatriate

I don't want to clog up this thread needlessly but I feel I have to offer my heartfelt thanks for all the work and thought and care that you've put in to this, Mike!

No melatonin, no work.

My order from Lazada arrived just now. The pack has "natural MELATONIN" in big letters, which is why I ordered it. On examining the small print on this Made In Thailand product (easily recognisable by the American Stars & Stripes flag on the pack) I am somehow neither disappointed nor shocked to see that Melatonin is conspicuous by its absence. Yup! (or rather nope) when they say "natural melatonin" they mean "contains no melatonin at all, in fact completely free of the substance" which now seems perfectly logical. "This Is Thailand" after all, the country I love and have made my home. I shall try a capsule tonight, with its usual cocktail of "natural ingredients" and "vitamins" you'd need a Hubble telescope to detect, but I expect nothing, and I'm sure I shan't be disappointed. If you can bear the excitement, I will be posting a live update to this thread, probably about 3:00 a.m., so do check back. (Incidentally, I have no trouble at all falling asleep, I'm not insomniac in that way, it's the rhythm of sleep that's somehow lost with age - as with so many things - I wake up after a couple of hours sleep, stare at the dogs for a while, go to the bathroom, back to sleep - rinse and repeat. Melatonin definitely helped me glide over the shallows back into satisfying sleep.)

Thank you - looks good!

Thank you, yes, I've tried it.

For some reason, I tried shopee. It seems to be available on Lazada - thank you!

Brilliant comment. Very helpful. Melatonin works for me, as it does for many.

Believe it or not, I have tried every local pharmacy. How I thought of this myself is a mystery.

The local pharmacy that used to stock it can't get it any more. It's basically a harmless and beneficial natural product (classified as a food additive in the US) that helps me get a decent night's sleep. Can anyone tell me of a supplier? Online is fine. Thank you.

Thank you!

I did a successful 90 day a few days back, getting almost immediate approval. But out of interest I tried the link just now and it times out, every time. The home page of Thai Immigration carries an important-looking "announcement" but it's in Thai, with no translation available (clicking the language icon doesn't affect the pop-up). Could someone provide a translation? Something's gone wrong here. EDIT: Just tried again, and I get to the right page with no problem: https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/login

I've been doing a marriage extension for twelve years now, and I've "got it right" maybe a couple or three times. It's like a game where they change or invent rules depending on mood or whoever's dealing with your application. Last year I was convinced I had everything nailed down, but the intern/trainee told me the passport photocopies weren't formatted to his/her satisfaction, and I had to do them again. Getting photocopies close to the I.O. is, as some of you might know, a game show in itself. So I was gobsmacked to find my long time nemesis imm officer, now "retired", offering the service from the IndoChina market. This was the person who'd made a career out of giving misleading and often contradictory instructions, and setting records for glacial single-finger typing. She was all smiles in her new position behind a photocopier, and I was pleased to see her there.

Thank you for the replies. As the Nakhon Phanom Imm. Off. has never exactly bent over backwards to make things easy - or even less than insanely difficult - I think a trip to pick up their own forms is advisable. (*heavy sigh*)

Apologies in advance, but all I can find on an initial search here are dead links, and I'm baffled by the official Thai immigration site. My yearly marriage extension is coming up, and I'd like to download the necessary blanks (TM7? or is that 90 day?) and have them printed at the local print shop to save me rocking up at the Imm Off and getting stressed. Thanking you in advance.

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm not concerned about paying for my new passport just yet. Take it as it comes. And as I have zero intention to return to the UK, and haven't lived there for over thirty years, and have no family ties, all I need is to get my pension and passport. Things my UK bank has done: - Lost 5000 GBP in a botched transfer to my Thai account. Eventually, after weeks and weeks of getting nowhere (I got the impression I was just a nuisance to them), I wrote a script and read it to everyone who answered the phone until I got to someone who could actually do something. The script was this: "I am legally required to tell you that this call is being recorded and may be used in legal action against [bank]. If you assume responsibility for dealing with this matter, I require your full name and position. If you are not willing or qualified to continue on that basis, please connect me immediately with your superior." I wish I'd thought of that before, but it worked. They even credited me with about nine GBP compensation for the phone call. - Refused to send me a visa card because I live in Thailand, after two months of insisting it had been sent. - Made on-line transactions next to impossible as my chosen browsers are not accepted (four major browsers cannot get through to the international payments pane - only Safari on an old MacBook works). - My bank manager threatened me with showing my account details to the Inland Revenue unless I furnished them (the bank) with a Tax Identification Number. I explained that I could only get a TIN in Thailand if I was employed, and my visa explicitly forbids me to work here. I gave him (in Thai) the name of the tax office here, and never heard from him again. It is the only time "my" bank manager ever contacted me. - Took so long to get me through the online security process that I missed flight bookings several times. I believe their system is now improved, but it's too late for me. I know we see a lot of criticism about Thai service in many areas, but I've never received worse service that this: from a major UK High Street bank. Why didn't I change? The hassle, and I suspect they're all much the same.

Thanks for your help! Got through (eventually) to a very nice guy who was efficient and a pleasure to deal with. All done in ten minutes. What a change from my soon-to-be-ex bank, who go out of their way to make every transaction a stressful ordeal.

Thank you for your patience! Now it's my turn ... "please hold ..."

This is the phone number given on the gov.uk site: Telephone: +44 (0) 191 218 7777 - all I get is "number incomplete" or "number does not exist" Could someone please talk a stupid old man through the process? Thank you.

"I mucked about on the UK pensions website until I found the form for changing bank account. Printed it and sent it off by registered mail. Worked seamlessly." - Can you give me a clue where you found it? I've mucked about with no luck.

I already claim a UK State Pension. At the moment it is paid into a UK bank. As I am now permanently (i.e. "permanently") resident in Thailand I want it paid direct into my Thai bank account. I can find nothing on-line to help me do this. I have sent an enquiry to International Pensions at gov.uk but they're taking their time. - Yes, I do want to do this. I have no intention of ever moving back to the UK (couldn't afford it, couldn't take my wife, and I'm happy here). - My UK bank has always been a pain the a*** to deal with. I'll be very happy to close the account (I only use it as a conduit for my pension). - I would appreciate practical help, with links to the correct form or whatever I need to do this. If you can help with practical advice, I'll be very grateful.