Drumbuie

16 hours ago, jacnl2000 said:

 

Agree with previous poster. Given that the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) with a history spanning over seven decades has worked in earthquake-prone regions before, it’s expected that they would have experience in implementing earthquake-resistant designs, including a comprehensive understanding of constructing on soft clay substrates, utilizing various ground improvement methods to ensure structural integrity.

 

Sad that the current situation unfortunately cannot be undone, but that doesn't mean we can no longer share nice moments with each other in Bangkok's highest tower. My apologies to Oliver Zipse for covering his BMW X7—guess even a luxury SUV needs a little privacy sometimes.

 

A picture of shaky buildings perched on a wobbly jelly cake, topped with cherries, is far from reassuring.  Concept of unforeseen seismic activity might be introduced—when the intensity or characteristics of an earthquake exceeds previous expectations or building standards. It was an exceptional heavy one shaking up the design book.

CREC has seven decades of experience of building railways, smoothing gradients, tracklaying etc - but no experience of building high rises. 

Contracting them was a bit like asking a bus driver to tailor your suit. 

CREC was the company whose railway tunnel collapsed last year in Nakhon Ratchasima. Some of their officials were caught yesterday trying to remove files from the Audit building site. 

On 3/25/2025 at 11:48 AM, Woke to Sounds said:

This was positively methamphetamine abuse, or kratom, or maybe Red Bell w/ ciggies and laced pot.

 

No one -- and I mean NO ONE - just drops dead at 28.

 

He wouldn't even acknowledge the translation app on the mobile handed to him, clear signs of a drug induced stupor.

 

RIP young man.

Actually, young people *do* sometimes drop dead. A friend's 18yo son collapsed and died during a school sports day race, due to an undetected heart abnormality - she and her husband were watching. 

In this case, the erratic behaviour would tend to indicate drug use, and the nose bleed could relate to a head injury when he fell on the pavement, or to overenthusiastic restraint. 

Whatever the cause, it's a sad waste of a life.  

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Another enjoyable experience...

I didn't have to fill in a TM6 when I came back to Thailand this week, nor the last time I flew in, last year. Immigration have all my info from my visa extension ( retirement) so once they've scanned the passport and checked the biometrics,  it's all linked up in their database - and that's that. 

Presumably the new Eform is only for visitors and tourists. 

Incidentally last week,  a S African friend of my son's was refused entry at Suvarnabhumi last week and had to fly home. Reason given: "too many tourist visas". I'll see if I can get more details. 

17 hours ago, auntyedna said:

Thanks guys.

BenQ - I tried signing in from Firefox "private" - the login page just froze again, couldn't even complete my email address.  Stocky - I don't use a VPN.  Oldcpu - I don't possess a smartphone.

I guess I'll have to try a different browser.  Everything was fine last year.  When I started my career in software development (in the 70's) one of the golden rules was to make software updates backwards-compatible. Those were the days.

You might try Waterfox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfox

instead of Firefox. 

(I seem to recall reading somewhere that there are issues with FF these days).

Also Ecosia as a search engine, if you like software  with a handcrafted feel rather than the mass produced stuff. 

1 hour ago, Thumbs said:

Hire more staff then you just sold the embassy grounds and made a tidy sum of money, 

It would be fascinating to know exactly where the £420 million raised from the sale of the British Embassy by the last (Conservative) government went. And how much renting part of an office block in Silom and a duplex condo for the Ambassador is costing them. 

Meanwhile the face the UK lost in Asia by selling that land is incalculable. 

The budget the FCDO allots to Consular services each year is cut and then it's cut again. They do the best they can. 

The Consular offices are not a nanny service, there to wipe people's noses after yet another idiotic, predictable mistake usually caused by a cocktail of  ignorance and arrogance. 

16 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Debatable. If you pay tax in your home country or most of other countries you will get some benefits. In Thailand they only take the money and give you nothing. Do you see that as criminal as well?

You, like so many, are forgetting all the public infrastructure that you benefit from every day which is paid for by taxes. 

13 hours ago, ravip said:

 

I thought as much.

But, why was the OP charged 15 Bhat for a 250 Bhat transaction?

Bangkok Bank deducts 15 baht from all its savings accounts every month. If OP checks the phone app,  he might find the words " Annual Fee" next to the 15 baht debit. 

Scotland was for many years my home; I lived mostly in the Highlands and Edinburgh, and in Glasgow (where, incidentally, I have never eaten a bad meal, and have frequently eaten world class food) every January for Celtic Connections.

There are many different Scotlands. The Highlands are not the same as the Borders, the islands are definitely different from the mainland, especially the Northern Isles ( Orkney and even more so Shetland), the cities are different from the rural areas. 

Nowhere have I ever seen anything remotely resembling The Wicker Man - except at Edinburgh's Beltane Festival.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane_Fire_Festival

6 hours ago, IsaanT said:

 

If my arithmetic is correct, he would have been 42 when he filmed this.  Whilst commendable, this isn't exceptional for a fit 42-year old.

Evidently you're not a dancer. 

17 hours ago, Hummin said:

Quick hypothetical question

 

I want to transfer 1,2 million in to my bank account tomorow from my savings, and I am going to stay 7 months this year.

 

I am obligated to pay tax this year?

You will be obligated to pay tax on this year's income next year before the end of March. The allowances are generous, the taxation bands are gradual, and I'm checking my calculations with a Thai accountant (friend of a friend) tonight but I'm expecting to pay around half what I'd pay back home. 

In three instalments, with no penalty. 

I don't understand the mindset where you live in a country, you expect all the infrastructure and services in that country that are paid for by taxes - and you complain about them frequently -  but you don't want to contribute. 

13 minutes ago, Merrill said:

What proof do we have that sea levels are rising. I have a boat in Hull and the tide marks on the locks and docks are the same as they were 200 years ago. I think you will find BKK is sinking due to the water table being lowered due to population expansion. 

The Thames barrier was built to withstand a "once in a century" flood. It has been raised over 220 times since 1982. 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier

Most capital cities of countries with maritime border are on the coast at the mouths of a major river.  They are thus vulnerable to rising sea levels ( and Hull is not generally considered a belwether as far as that goes - try looking at some of the research instead). 

2 hours ago, blazes said:

Could ask the Dutch for advice -- they've been keeping the sea at bay for centuries.

 

Ah,but I forgot....foreigners know nothing....

Actually....Thailand has been tapping into Dutch expertise on water management since at least 1902.

https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/web/thailand/themes/water-maritime

4 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Please understand that being anti- genocide is not anti- Semitism

Many Israelis are not Zionists

Most current Israelis are of European decent, not from Middle Eastern heritage and have no historical connection to the land

A Jewish friend told me that many Israelis are descended from Russians who claimed to be Jewish in order to get out of Russia after WW2. (And who can blame them, tbh? )

Meanwhile, many Israelis today continue to protest against Zionist expansionism. As ever, truth is complex, not black and white. 

On 2/3/2025 at 2:13 PM, Elvis Presley said:

still a pain though innit,

 

PR is better.

It takes less than an hour in CW,  once a year. No pain at all. While waiting for my number to be called, I amuse myself  by counting up the money I've  saved by *not* having an LTR visa. 

On 2/7/2025 at 8:26 PM, DrJack54 said:

Thanks for report.

Perhaps bank statement was not required as you provided bank book to show financial compliance.

Many offices do not require bank statement for money in bank method.

Noted. 

 

Surely TM6 was not required.

Surprised CM required TM47.

 

Best practice is to make deposit on day of application and this shows update and activity on day of application. 

(10 baht you serious) 

I kill several birds with one stone by transferring the fee for the visa extension into my "seasoned" bank account the day before my appointment.

When I arrive at CW, I withdraw the fee, update my bank book,  go into the bank for my letter, to the photocopy guys for the copies of everything,  and finally upstairs to see the nice ladies in L27. 

I notice, while decrying the woman's looks, none of you has pointed out that a fat old bald guy like him was lucky anyone agreed to sleep with him, with or without money changing hands. 

Unlike others on this forum, I loved HCMC. Went on a motorbike streetfood tour where all the guides are students subsidising their studies. Our guide took pains to show us how ordinary people live, and recommended a non-tourist-y boat tour of the Mekong delta area - which was unforgettable. 

 Stayed in a 3* hotel where the food, and the service,  was better than many a 5* hotel in Europe. Shall be going again. 

On 1/30/2025 at 8:43 PM, Yellowtail said:

I'm not a big fan of China, but it was okay the times I was there for work.

 

Did not seem very friendly, and the food kind of blows. 

Pretty sure the Chinese could say the same about the UK and/or the USA.....😄