MangoKorat

Remember one thing folks............ The raw materials for just about every medicine out there comes from plants.

Its a puzzle - what to do for the best? I will of course take care of my nearest and dearest but that's in the form of property left in my will. Its the 'cash' side of things that's difficult to work out - you want to have a good time but without a 'sell by date', how do you budget? I know this better than most. I got cancer nearly nine years ago and things didn't look too good - 2 to 4 years they said. I decided cancer wasn't going to cheat me out of my retirement so I cashed in a small private pension, 'retired' and set about my bucket list. Nine years later, the cancer is gone but so is the money - back to work!!!

Its been a while since I applied for a 60 day extension to a 90 day stay based on marriage at Korat. At the time I was surprised at just how little they wanted - as long as my wife was with me, certainly never asked for a KR2 - not to extend a stay from a MENO. Surprised indeed because when they want to be, Korat can be complete bar stewards. I'm pretty sure that offices requiring KR2's to extend a MENO entry are simply mixing the requirements up with those for a 12 month extension of stay. Think about it - a MENO gives you unlimited entries within a 12 month period for up to 90 days - you can nip out and enter again for a fresh 90 day stay and you're not asked to provide a KR2 on each entry, so why when all you are doing is extending that entry? You've provided a KR2 to get the MENO in the first place. Yes, I know, try telling them that.

Still? I thought they'd stopped that nonsense? Do they still want a photo of you both sitting on the bed?

Quite agree, however, apart from the fiasco they made over quarantine/Covid time entries, many of the things we see as a bit crazy about Thailand are changing, albeit slowly. I've certainly seen improvements in many areas since I first arrived 21 years ago. Some of the 'craziness' seems to be on ideas they've 'borrowed' from other countries but not fully understood and put their own slant on it. Still, its their country.

The one opposite The Dynasty? Around the same amount of years ago I was in there when a girl asked me for help with a 'sick buffalo' letter' I couldn't help myself from laughing when I saw she'd CC'd it to several 'boyfriends' - I didn't have the heart (or the will) to advise her of her mistake.

There haven't been landing cards for a while.

Their rules may be crazy - filling in your 'address in Thailand' is crazy, having to report to immigration every 90 days is also crazy, lots of things seem crazy to us but its how it is. I've been aware of having to produce my boarding pass for years - but only as a result of not having it on one occasion. Just as they used to hand out landing cards and tell you to fill them in, the airlines should tell you to retain your boarding passes - I've never known them to. However, to answer your question as to why they need to be registered, I don't think they actually do. I've been in the queue several times when people in front of me haven't kept their boarding cards and after a brief exchange, they've been waved through. I believe the only info that is recorded from the pass is the flight number. I guess it depends on how pedantic the I.O. wants to be and how long he wants the queues to stretch.

Replaced by who? I'm single.

Yawn, I'm not a newcomer, I'm fully aware of all that. What I'm suprised about is that these people have the nerve to open Social Media accounts and conduct their business so openly. How many times recently have we seen the Thai government taking action against anyone who brings Thailand into disrepute online because of their perceived worries about the effect on an already fragile tourist market? This woman was apperently offering 'coaching' on lying and how to deal with situations such as when 2 husbands want to visit at the same time.

Another one missing the point.

What I find puts the fakes off is when they realise that they can't get anything that they think you have. My house is my own, I didn't buy it whilst I was married and the channote is in the name of a trusted friend. If I was to marry again, I wouldn't 'donate' anything to the 'pot' unless I was prepared to lose it. The guy I bought my house from (English) took things a stage further - he registered a foreign mortgage on the house in favour of himself with the mortgagor being his wife and ran 2 million baht through her bank account to match. (Not all Land Offices will accept a foreign mortgage) Some guys seem to think they are impressing Thai women by showing their wealth - very likely to backfire and almost certain to attract the wrong sort. I learned of my ex wife's real aims through various means, one of which was from a friend who works at the local Land Office. Apparently my (ex) wife had been there checking out the channote. That would explain her sudden loss of interest and theft of my car very shortly afterwards - no house, no chance of getting her hands on it. Unlike many who think they've no chance, I pressed charges and she was summoned to court. Realising that she was facing prison, she settled before court. But yes, they do have a way of making men suggest they help out finacially - something I've learned to just ignore. However, once that starts - its time to move on. There are no hard and fast rules but I believe that if you meet a Thai woman on a dating site, you have a very high chance of meeting a 'wrong un'. Most are not so smart though and with a little experience, its pretty easy to 'weed' most of the scammers out before you even meet them.

I don't need them explaining thanks, I'm fully aware of them - as are most people with any association with Thailand. However, my point is that this woman is brazen enough to ply her trade on Social Media - just in case you missed that. Thankully the page has been taken down for now - no doubt she'll be back though.

if 21 years is 'new' - guilty Leave where?

Where is the rant? I take it that you support such behaviour then? I don't expect praise but I certainly didn't expect criticism from a foreigner. Still, I guess it takes all sorts to make a world - even low-lifes.

I've had some dealings with the Thai Medical Council and found them to be a decent outfit. They do have a Code of Ethics and its available in English. The code does not only refer to medical matters but also refers to general behaviour and honesty. They helped me to win a case against a major Thai hospital group - maybe they can make a difference in this case.

Well, a little faith in Thai people restored. I just tried to get some screenshots of the Tik Tok page and apparently it been taken down due to complaints from Thai's.

The fact that SOME Thai women deliberately target foreigners with the aim of ripping them off is well known. There are of course, Thai women who have genuine relationships and some that seek a partner and one of their aims is to achieve a better life - nothing much wrong with that. However, there are some that are real bitches and prey off foreign men that range from simply trusting to just plain stupid. Even the most experienced amongst us can be caught out. I myself had an unfortunate relationship/marriage with a girl who was much the same and in fact, had a Thai boyfriend since the day I met her. Some of these girls are quite clever in some respects - they can appear quite innocent. My ex fooled my Thai friends into believing she was genuine. Fortunately I soon realised what was going on and got out of it without much financial damage. Most of us here will be aware of the above - the stories go around the world, damaging the reputation of all Thai women and the country in general - none of this will be news to members here. Yes, there will be those who say that anyone who falls for such things deserves it for their stupidity. I would just ask those people to consider that some of the men involved are very vulnerable and some of these girls can be very cunning. Whether its stupidity or not, its wrong and I believe may possibly be criminal - if the intent from the start is to defraud. However, what I heard yesterday was news to me: A Thai woman, I believe from Bangkok and with a Danish husband is on the Tik Tok platform giving advice to Thai women on how they can find a foreigner, how to get money out of them and how to deceive them. She tells them the basics on things like running 2 or 3 husbands/boyfriends at the same time, what to say/how to act to keep their interest and generally how to rip them off. She then goes on to offer private paid lessons to anyone who is interested in taking things further. You guys may be aware of this, its news to me and I think this woman needs to be exposed. I am hoping to get a few screenshots of her Tik Tok pages later and would ask the moderators if I am allowed to post them.

Nope, it says 16 TOURISTS were being carried and 16 TOURISTS had been rescued buy 2 are missing.

Spot the maths problem - could it be that nobody is actually missing?

I'm not suggesting you would but I wouldn't waste my time doing any reporting if I was you. A mate of mine was in a similar position and was more than a bit miffed that his ex was using a visa that he'd paid for and done the application for her too. When he learned his ex was back in the UK, he called immigration - they agreed her visa was probably invalid but did nothing, probably couldn't be bothered. The only time when it seems there can be problems is at immigration on entry to the UK - after that, they don't seem bothered. I remember them giving my ex wife a proper grilling even though I was with her.

What I find difficult to understand is that things that would normally devastate the value of land in other countries, can often lead to massive increases in value in Thailand. Granted, some of those increases are very much 'hope value' but it does happen. My house lies between Pak Chong and Khao Yai, within 500m of the new M6 motorway (that will surely be completed one day). When I bought it, I probably paid a little more than it was worth but that didn't really matter, I bought it for the location and setting - rural and quiet yet within 10 minutes of civilisation. Then came the announcement about the M6 and values started to rise. When construction actually started, prices surged again. They seem to have levelled now but we still get plenty of Bangkokians driving round at weekends looking for house plots. The plot next door to me - just a small to average house plot, went on the market this year at 2 million baht! For me, the 'new road' as they call it, is the kiss of death and I'm probably going to sell up. If a new motorway was built close to your home in the UK, the value of your house would plummet - not in Thailand it seems. Things may not be as bad as the seemed at first - the road was advertised as an Elevated Highway but in fact, that seems to only apply to sections where it follows the existing Highway 2. Thankfully the section closest to my house is at ground level and the area between my house and the M6 contains a belt of trees. I also expect that noisy trucks will probably choose not to pay a toll and continue using Highway 2. Nevertheless, what was a rural location is now on its way to being swallowed up by the city - not what I want so I'm off. The problem is that whether they are real values or not, finding a reasonably priced plot within 10km of where I am, is impossible - people are asking crazy money for their land. Some will almost certainly not attract buyers at the asking prices but in Thailand, they seem to hang on to land rather than sell it for less than they THINK its worth. A lot of it arises, I believe, from the availability and cost of utility provision - + the time it can take to get electricity for example, to your plot even when money is no problem. Access to paved roads is also a major factor. This is probably why what is known as 'Ribbon Development' (development concentrated on or very close to a highway or road) is so prevalent in Thailand. I remember the first time I made a car journey from Bangkok to Pattaya (no highway 7 then) - just about the entire trip seemed to involve 'built up areas'. Little did I know that much of it only stretches a few metres back from the highway. So - when a new road is planned, I suppose its inevitable that land prices can explode.

Don't forget the ubiquitous shop houses - built in the middle of nowhere and empty. Next thing you know, someone builds an identical block 2km away - also empty. Good business that shophouse game .

Same everywhere in the country I believe. Kids from better off families in Pak Chong have to be driven to their schools in Korat because of the unreliability of what should be a simple and quick train journey. On one occasion my ex tried to travel in the reverse direction and when she asked what time the next train was, the station staff told her they didn't know - she took the bus.

Which floor are other sick prisoners treated on then? It must give members of the criminal fraternity great comfort to know that if they get locked up and fall sick, they can be assured of the best medical treatment. All the talk about harsh conditions in Thai jails must just be lies.