MangoKorat

You may note that in his second post, George said that feedback is welcome. How is pointing out what I feel is wrong with the forum 'drama'? Not the worst by a long way but nontheless, a pointless form of personal attack, which is one of the points I'm making.

Thank you @george for providing an opportunity to comment on moderation without fear of censure or worse - well overdue here. This and any other public forum would be absoultely pointless if members cannot give their views and make their points in a polite and decent manner. Then again, members cannot be allowed to simply state whatever they want and/or attack other members. I've moderated a forum before and whilst it can be very time consuming, to be honest - ensuring those things don't happen is not that difficult. Whist there is a clear need for moderation/some form of control of the things that people say on a public forum, I think that in some cases such control is failing here. When any topic descends into a slanging match between members it needs to be stopped - on too many occasions it isn't. Its right and proper that members are allowed to debate and put their opinions/veiwpoints forward but some, and its often the same few, do that by also including personal remarks or even clear attacks on someone with an alternative viewpoint. As well as the clear personal spats there is, in my opinon a degree of over-moderation in some cases. I would go further and state that there appears to be a 'clique' here where moderators/admin/certain members stick together. Without naming names or topics - because I am using this purely by way of an example as it fits exactly with my points, I'm involved in a situation here at the moment where on several occasions, usually on the same sub forum, my posts have been removed. Removed as being inaccurate when they contain information on subjects where I have experienced something personally and removed because it's claimed, they are 'off topic'. When I can answer a members post by relaying something related to their question by stating something that actually happened to me (and to others I know) - how can that be stated as inaccurate? That is no different to calling me a liar. It would be quite easy for a moderator to simply state "that is what happened to you, its not following the rules" or similar. Removing something as inaccurate in that way is depriving the OP of a potential answer. It should be remembered that the vast majority of subjects on Asean Now relate to Thailand and in Thailand - things are rarely firm. When it comes to laws/rules - some authorities make their own up along the way. It is not inaccurate to point out to a member - something that he/she is likley to encounter. When it comes to 'off topic' what exactly does that mean? Topics often evolve, answers that may not exactly fit the original question can often assist the poster to understand their own position. When a new rule is announced or things appear to have changed in some way in Thai officialdom, members may well suspect that other related things may happen etc, etc. For example, if a post was asking how many points can be removed from a driving licence for a particular offence - a member may reply comparing the points removed for a different offence or compare that punishment to a similar one in another country - is that OFF TOPIC? If the discussion starts to veer off into a discussion about dangerous driving for example - yes its clearly veering OFF TOPIC. As I say topics evolve but provided the key subject is kept to - in my opinion the discussion remains 'ON TOPIC'. I believe there are occasions where posts are removed simply because a moderator doesn't like them or doesn't agree, not because they are 'OFF TOPIC'. I'd rather not use my current complaint about moderation as an example but it is a clear illustration of what I'm getting at here and I've seen much the same happen on other occasions. I will try to explain without giving details: A few weeks ago a member posted a question, I replied and told him what had happened to me and a friend in the same circumstances. I qouted what a Thai official had told me. An argument ensued between myself and another member who, whilst he has knowledge on the subject, does not and cannot know everything there is to know. I was quoting real world events that had happened to myself and others in the same or similar positions - whether what happened to me and others actually followed a particular rule was not the question. I posted an account of what I experieced at the hands of a Thai official. Eventually a moderator/admin stepped in and removed my posts as inaccurate! In a later thead on the same sub forum, I answered a members question on a particular rule. Other's, including a moderator, replied and stated what they claimed was the official position and that I was wrong. I replied giving links (some official) that supported my understanding of the rule. Again I was told I was wrong by a moderator. I then asked the moderator to provide official links that supported his claim - as I had. As yet he has refused to do so but on this occasion, did not remove my posts. However, some of the comments I received raised my suspicions that a 'clique' existed on that particular sub forum. In more recent days, I replied to a post that in itself was not, strictly speaking, following the OP. It was however, related. My reply was deleted by an 'Admin' as Off Topic yet the post I replied was not - nor was a similar reply to the same question by a moderator! Moderators/admin need to be impartial and should not support or pick on any particular members. Moderators can be wrong and when they answer a question themselves, they should not be immune from requests to prove their claims. Forums such as Asean Now are invaluable to both expats living in Thailand and to visitors. To be successful, such forums must operate fairly.

Shock? I'll say so, his her hair is falling out. Seriously though, there seems to be more than the usual amount of foreigners getting robbed/attacked at the moment.

I bet he didn't also lose his travel insurance policy with a personal cash limit of 60,000 baht.

Speak for yourself. I ain't paid in years. Apart from dinner, a few beers, desert, bla bla bla..........come to think of it, I think I'll start paying again .

304 - once stated as the most dangerous road in Thailand. But as is clear form the state of the cars in the photos - its not the road, its the drivers and the speed. This is in a built up area - what speed were they doing to annihilate that Chevvy? Nothing gets better and it never will as long as the police continue doing what they do (very little).

Just one comment on that. Its the House Master that is legally required to notify immigration that a foreigner is living in a premises under his/her control. There are several definitions of House Master but there is no requirement to be a Thai national. I have actually seen an official version that also states this but I can't for the life of me remember where................. If you have a registered Usufruct agreement on a property, you are classed as the House Master and are allowed to register your own TM30. I think that might also apply to long term leases. In my case, when I went to registerer TM30 at Korat Immigration with a copy of my Usufruct, Korat I.O. were having none of it and told me the person registered in the Tabien Baan had to do it. When I returned with the original Channote with my name on the back in relation to the Usufruct, a discussion took place and they backed down. I've also heard of other I.O.'s accepting a TM30 registration by a tenant where they were having problems getting their landlord to do it - a much more sensible approach seeing as the end result is the same.

Did a bloody good job of holding the cop off - on an obviously bigger bike. A lot of luck involved there though and a pliion that knew exactly what she had to do - glue herself to the rider. Shame he came off where he did - I thought the cop would drop his bike there and the guy would be away. What country is that from?

Competitors? In the UK we tend to use jets and other military equipment against our ENEMIES. Our 'COMPETITORS' might be a little shocked if for example, the cricket team arrived in fighter jets.

Could you explain what you mean by the above?

That is where you mixed the visa/stays up.

Just to clarify. You can look it up on either a UK site or an EU site. The rules are the same - when the UK left the EU they adopted most EU laws including 261 - the airline compensation rules.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm https://www.flightright.co.uk/your-rights/eu-regulation

Then its highly likely to be covered fully - refund or alternative flight + fixed compenastion + reasonable food and accomodation. The only way the airline can get out of paying is if they can show the delay was not their fault. They even have to pay if the aircraft breaks down. I've had this twice. Once a few years ago with KLM. They tried to argue but backed down once I quoted the law. Last time was with Qatar last year when their plane had a technical fault at Manchester. Your friends case may be a little more complicated as the airline are claiming a different departure time. Your friends need to prove the departure time and that they have not been notified of any changes. If they can, its quite straightforward and the airline know it is. Compensation - I should remember but its around £600 euros - per person. I'll try to find a link to the rules but they are on Google.

OP, was your friend's flight from the EU or UK?

From a man who's been divorced in Thailand more times than he cares to mention I have no idea of the position regarding your US marriage but regarding your Thai marriage........ When you go to the Amphur to register your divorce (which you can only do if you are both in agreement), you will be asked if you've agreed on the split of assetts and on access/maintenance for any children. This can either be recorded in the divorce papers or a simple yes or no will do. I would recommend you list major assets held by either party. That's it, you're divorced and your wife will find it difficult to challenge any settlement later unless she has an exceptional reasons. That's why its better to list assets - she can't claim later that she didn't know about X, Y or Z. Under Thai law, anything you owned before marriage is yours and does not form part of the marital estate - the same applies to your wife. If you don't both agree, the amphur cannot register your divorce and you will have to go through the courts.

Tourism is down.........right so let's get out there and hassle some guys in Nana, just to make sure they are not enjoying their holiday too much. Anyone remember when they started raidinng nightclubs in Sukhumvit and drug testing both Thais and foreigners? If you couldn't produce your passport you were locked up until someone brought it for you. My taxi was pulled over at Askoke lights and my passport checked. An hour later I was asked to show my passport again and had to provide a urine sample for drug testing - I'd just walked in the place!! All tourist friendly stuff. If they actually want to make some genuine arrests for things that matter, I'm sure more than a few here could point them in the right direction.

It would be helpful if the OP returned and let us know if he did a TM30 on his first entry or not.

There's actually still no 90 day report - as such. The application for an extension takes care of it.

The official line is that you need an IDP and your UK licence or a Thai licence. Most police will accept a UK licence on its own but no guarantees. There are actually 3 different types of IDP depending on which convention a country signed up to - 1926, 1949 and 1968. Thailand signed up to the 1968 convention so that's the one you need. https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/international-driving-permit#IDP-Checker https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit Any online sites that claim they can supply an IDP are a con. UK citizens can only obtain an IDP from the Post Office in the UK. Other countries may well supply one if you are legally entitled to live in that country. The Thai police quite often don't know the rules on licences but there's a more important thing to consider..........insurance! I've had this argument quite a few times where people have said you don't need an IDP with a UK licence - I suggest that people call their insurers on that matter and get it in writing if they say you don't need an IDP. You'll find the truth out if you need to make a claim. If you are driving someone else's car or bike and they tell you its insured for anyone - its not. Its insured for anyone that is LEGALLY ENTITLED to drive it and that includes having the correct licence. Remember this, if you have an accident in Thailand where damage or injury is caused to a third party and you cannot provide VALID insurance, you will most likely be locked up until you pay for the damage/injury - worse still, compensation for death. So, as you didn't get your IDP before you left the UK, if you want to be legal AND covered by insurance, your only way is to get a Thai licence. If you have to do that through an agent - so be it.

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

As I said....... it doesn't matter about the ethicity. Its pretty certain but not definite that, if she's a US citizen, she's spent time in the US.

Would I be right in saying that if he has not registered, his first registration has to be done at Immigration? That was the case when I first registered but things have changed since then and to be honest, I got sick of playing around with Korat I.O. and trying to get the online reg to work - I just don't bother now.

Thanks for that. Its not at all clear if he has ever registered - sounds that way but not definite.

Sorry but your posts are a little unclear. If you registered TM30 on your first entry, as everyone else says, at most Immigration Offices you don't have to register again unless you change address. As far as I know, that applies to every entry you make on that visa - not sure if you'd need to register again when the visa expires and you enter on a new one. If you didn't register on your first entry, do it now, they may fine you but not a lot.