MangoKorat

Thankfully your views are very much in the minority - as was evidence by the counter protests - carried out, you might note with no damage to public property or any violence. You should perhaps read up on the 'misinformation' that was spread in order to spark the riots - and who spread that information. There was not a shred of truth in what was used as an excuse. British people have carried out horrific murders in the past - have you ever seen riots and violence cause by that? 'Thank god' I will also be leaving the UK shortly and one reason for that is because of the rise of these uneducated far right lunatics. Yes, I'm going to a country who's government has little sympathy for people who have been genuinely displaced etc. but its not my country so I needn't be ashamed.

Agreed. Its a shame that it was only realised after the first round of court appearances that some of the racist a-holes could be charged with rioting which carries a 10 year maximum jail term rather than the violent disorder which carries a maximum of 5 years. I was in Thailand when the rioting began and didn't see the UK news until a few days in. I had my TV on mute and wasn't paying much attention but thinking 'I wonder where that is' - then I noticed a bus go past and was shocked to realise that it was my home country. Shocked and ashamed! Yes, the UK has an immigration problem, as does much of Europe but there is no excuse for rioting, violence and looting - what will that solve? They are criminals and I'm pleased to see that on the whole they are being given appropriate jail terms - especially now that some are being charged with riot. One exception so far though, and I think they got this very wrong - one woman was charged with incitement for posting on social media that a mosque should be bombed with the congregation in it. That, in my opinion, is just a stupid comment, its not incitement, she didn't actually incite anyone. I believe she was sentenced to 15 months in jail for that and I would expect it to be successfully challenged at appeal. Sentence the real culprits properly by all means but her sentence creates serious concerns regarding freedom of speech for me. Watching it on TV - it was quite clear that the majority of the brain dead rioters were the usual 'football hooligan' types - often associated with a certain Mr. Robinson. The far right racists have been waiting for an excuse to carry out such 'protests' and used misinformation (as usual) to incite their hooligan members to carry out the violence and looting. I'd like to know how burning police cars and attacking public property solves any immigration problem? Anyway, they are now reaping the rewards - I hope more are charged with riot. They need to learn that their behaviour is simply not acceptable to the vast majority of a civilised country and now they have plenty of time to contemplate the results of their actions.

Not in theory, that is the fact of it - although I don't doubt you may have to press your case in some places. As far as I know, not all land offices ask for that document signing these days. Its a pretty useless document in any case as foreigners can't own land. However, I haven't seen one of the documents for a long time (20 years) but I'm pretty sure the one I signed also stated that I would not make any claim on the land in the future. That part, according to what a lawyer told me, also conflicts with Thai statute law on matrimonial matters. What I was told is that in a court case, the court decided that the document was not lawful and held no water as it had never been enacted so statute law applied. I have no doubt that in some cases, crooked lawyers from both sides will do some sort of deal and try to convince the foreigner that he has no chance but according to what I was told, that's simply not true. Its also a fact that many foreigners have simply walked away without contesting the matter because they've believed the 'bar stool' stories that say the foreigner always loses. I have though, read reports of foreigners being awarded half of the assets in a divorce. I know I certainly wouldn't accept being fleeced - although, I know enough about the place now to never put myself in that position.

What? Who loses the right to hold title? Title to what? If you mean property, in the case of a Thai wife, that is simply not true. Also, not all assets become joint. Some are 'Sin Suan Tua' - (assets held before marriage): property belonging to either spouse before marriage property for personal use, dress or ornament suitable for station in life, or tools necessary for carrying on the profession of either spouse property acquired by either spouse during marriage through a will or gift Khongman. Or 'Sin Somros' (jointly owned matrimonal property): property acquired during marriage; property acquired by either spouse during marriage through a will of gift made in writing if it is declared by such will or document of gift to be Sin Somros (jointly owned property); fruits of Sin Suan Tua (personal property). There is some 'blurring' - one example: If you held an asset before marriage (Sin Suan Tua), in general, any uplift in value since the marriage is considered 'Sin Somros'. But the above is the 'gist' of it. A lot of foreigners don't realise the above applies and simply walk away losing everything. They may have been asked to sign a document stating that any money used to buy land was given as a gift to their wife and they will not make any future claim on it. According to my lawyer, such documents are illegal because they go against Thai law and that has been upheld in court. Depending on the details and fine points, in this case it is probable that the guy can force the sale of the land and house (through the courts) and obtain half of the proceeds. More details here: https://www.samuiforsale.com/family-law/personal-and-marital-property.html

Just remember Richard - the UK kicked Thaksin out as he was still trying to use his diplomatic passport. He's unlikely to forget that.

Don't know where you are but a guy who has a shop in my local Lotus (Pak Chong) copied my chipped Chevy key for 2000 baht - works perfectly. There are probably other stalls around in similar locations.

Would you like to bet on that? It doesn't matter how many parties are formed or rise from the ashes of Future Forward or Move Forward, they will not be allowed to take up and meaningful positions, should they win any future elections. The establishment will take comfort in the fact that Move Forward were not allowed to put forward a Prime Minister without reaction from the people and then the party was 'disolved' - again without any protests. Do you seriously think they will not do exactly the same again? Change and reform in Thailand may well be long overdue but unless the people rise up and rise up seriously, nothing's going to change. Such a rising would involve considerable bloodshed and the evidence so far points to them not having the stomach for that. Part of the problem as I see it is that apart from not having the stomach for serious protest, the public themselves are complicit in what I believe is the country's biggest problem - corruption. Corruption appears to take place at all levels of society - as I've been discovering recently whilst trying to help a Thai friend find a job in local government. It seems that its not how well qualified you may be to do a particular job, its how much you are prepared to pay for it. That's one aspect, another is cow-towing complicity such as paying 'fines' for made up traffic offences. Unless the public are prepared stop being complicit in such matters, they can hardly baulk at the dinosaurs that are their masters. Those dinosaurs have the power and resources to quell any serious unrest - as they showed not too long ago with the Red Shirts. At the 'Establishment' level, reform is what is required - reform of the sort that Move Forward proposed. However, the people themselves need to reform - stop paying for jobs and stop paying 'fines' for made up traffic offences - and I'm picking on just two aspects there. The more I look into it, the more I discover that the entire system in Thailand is rotten. There is also the issue of eating s h i t that Thai's put up with when dealing with officialdom. What happened after the last election and the lack of reaction to the dissolution of Move Forward seems to indicate that whilst the people want reform they neither have the stomach for any meaningful protest nor are they prepared to reform themselves.

Now they've added seasoning? Absolute madness for a visa intended for people who don't live in Thailand and caused by those who abused it!

You won't be successful in requesting they stop requiring a OTP but most UK banks will send the code to your e-mail address if you ask them. I could not receive OTP's for years as I live in an area with no mobile signal. I was only when my bank agreed to send OTP's by e-mail that I could fully use online banking.

Name, date of birth and PLACE OF BIRTH.

I can't answer your question but I can tell you that your passport will be linked automatically if by any chance you pass through immigration. None of us know what goes on behind the scenes so it is possible that just your name on the flight's passenger manifest will ring alarm bells. Its not something I'd take a chance on.

And all they will do is close ranks and pretend the world is wrong. They really don't care.

You would hope so and the people of most countries with any self respect would. However, the people's failure to respond to the election sham in any meaningful way points to the fact that they will not. I spoke to several Thai's following the election and the mood seems to be that whatever they do, it will be a waste of time. They seem resigned to the fact that they will be s h a t on forever. We can but hope that their application for a seat on the UN HRC is now denied, as it almost certainly will be now and that stirs up something but somehow I doubt even that. They will consider they will lose face by being denied a seat but they will lose more face, closer to home if the court's decision is overturned. Absolute disgrace - much the same as the c r a p that the Thai public has been expected to believe with the Thaksin fiasco. This and all previous governments + the military and judiciary treat the Thai people like 5 year olds and just spout whatever childish rubbish they like. Oh, and there's no sex for sale in Pattaya either - another line fed to the public.

Yes, there are more idiots out there. Done him a lot of good hasn't it. I'm told the food in Bang Kwang is pretty dire - hope his stomach is up to it.

A man is dead because of such a stupid action.

There is a clear distinction between work and leisure. Note: in the OP the guy was in a restaurant.

The only knife you need in a restaurant is the one you eat your food with. Working, DIY etc. fair enough but when out at night, its asking for trouble and there is no justification.

Does that make my point less pertinent?

Unless you are working, its totally unecessary.

Don't be so stupid. I've lived between both countries for 22 years and never carried any sort of weapon.

Quite, and may I add - the poster is accepting a verbal notification that he doesn't need to file a return. How would he prove that later if he is ever investigated? I very much doubt any tax officer is going to admit giving such advice. I would only rely of such a suggestion if it was in writing.

Why do people carry knives? The last thing I would ever do is go out with a knife in my pocket, it just doesn't enter my head to do so. Alcohol + knives (or guns) + testosterone = trouble. The 'hard man' has ruined the lives of the aussie's famliy and ruined his own life - for what?

Not at all, I am simply saying that prior to the recent announcments regarding tax residency, many foreigners living in Thailand have brought substantial amounts of money in without question.

I don't doubt you did but were you working? I'm talking about the people who bring millions of baht in to buy houses and cars etc. I should have included people who are/were working in Thailand - not only those in business but I doubt any of those could have avoided paying tax.

None of the border runners that I either know of have met are remote workers.