StandardIssue

is this a case of you reap what you sew? I wonder how he stands on the 2nd amendment lately. I go along with the outlawing of firearms altogether. Japan, England, most of Europe. Hell what is this US obsession with owning a firearm? Aren't the monthly mass shootings enough to knock some sense into folks.

Walk along beach road at dusk and do a bit of eve's dropping on these frequent occurences between 4 or 5 Indian/middle eastern dudes chatting up a freelancer. A quick answer to your question. it is fairly common. I used to walk beach road 3 or 4 times a week at around dusk.

I doubt they'd notice it. I'll make sure and get a receipt from the Embassy showing I've applied, the money paid blah blah blah. The punched passport + that stuff would presumably allow me to fly International. Anybody want to weigh in on that? Is a punched passport OK for international flights as long as it's not expired or past the 6 months left requirement? that is another interesting question that would be good have an answer too.

Or, as I am going to do, apply in person and ask for it back at the appointment. I don't like doing this kind of important business relying on Thai post.

fortunately it's looking like I won't have to surrender my current passport while waiting for the new one. Just present it when i make the application in person and ask for hit back then and there. I think what will happen is that once I submit my application for a new one they may do the punch hole action on my current passport. I assume that's what they do if you request the current passport returned via post.

OK! well this is great. I think something has changed then. I'll be doing it in person as I live nearby and don't like the idea of mailing my passport in Thai post. I'll just ask for it back at the appointment. This is great news!! thanks very much for your help.

If I could impose, what do I need to do to get a "pink" ID card. I stay in Bangkok. Is it a big hassle? If it will be a good substitute for flying while my passport is in process and doesn't take much to obtain, I might just get one.

I might just forget about flying and take the train around etc. I've never been refused accommodation at a hotel using my Thai drivers license.

What's the old school rap phrase? Check yourself before your wreck yourself. "Upgrade" .. wow. Your serious? Not cool.

Thats what I thought. I had done a renewal before at the BKK embassy 10 years ago. It had been so long I had forgotten but yes, they did keep it as I think they need to send it back to the states to get a new passport generated. They have no printing facilities to make passports here from what I know. Renewal is 4-6 weeks so you know I'll be making copies of all the appopriate stams and thankfully I have a Thai drivers license which should be enough in the unlikely event I get asked for my passport. (this has never happened to me in my 12 years of living in Thailand on and off)

I was thinking of going but I have plenty of pages left in my passport and ti's going to expire soon anyways. How long does the visa on arrival take? Did you have to stand in line for an extended amount of time? Evisa might be the way to go just to move things along quicker. But if it doesn't really matter I will just go and then get the big old sticker in my about to expire passport.

Ok, well I was under the impression I'd be without a passport while the US embassy is processing the new one. I will have to check on that.. this changes everything. If I can keep the old one and still use it while the new one is being processed. Seems to me I had to give up the old one while the new one was being processed and made. If done by mail it's required to mail the old passport to the US embassy.

I lost mine on the plane somehow last year. They asked for it and I couldn't find it. I did produce all the other docs. Tourist visa print out etc. They didn't ask me for my return flight although I had one that I cancelled after i arrived. TIT .. maybe more ways to make some tea money off the incoming herds. It was late at night, not busy. No problems but, as is the case with a lot of immigration business here rules are not strictly followed and the difference between policies at immigration entrance let alone immigration offices is quite a bit of a puzzle that keeps expats in constant frustration.

I have to renew my passport soon as it will expire in about 9 months but would like to do some Thailand domestic flight traveling while the embassy is processing it. Can I fly using my Thai drivers license as ID? I know I can use it to stay in hotels .. never had any problems using a Thai DL to stay in hotels but to board a plane I think I heard that they changed the rules?? any help appreciated. THIS QUESTION IS FOR DOMESTIC IN COUNTRY FLIGHTS. If not I guess I'll have to use the trains or bus it around.

Ok, whatever dude. Strange.

Ah, Ok I don't keep track of precious metal prices but that makes sense. 77% ROI is pretty good .. better than inflation so makes sense. I've only been aware of golds' appreciation as it's been in the news a lot. My investments are in a self managed portfolio in my home country.

I speak some Thai and some of my "dates" speak a little English but hardly enough to communicate about topics of racial preference. Are you freakin' joking. Come on man. What conversation we have is more akin to "Have you eaten yet" How's your family. Where are you from etc... You actually think I am compelled to have conversations with my dates about race and prejudice. I myself am not prejudice and as I said have had many good friends and co-workers of all races and creeds that are fine and upstanding people. Maybe there are some guys who go on Thaifriendly or pickup girls in Go Go's with the expressed intention and motivation of having drawn out conversations to instill prejudice towards middle eastern and Indian people in their dates but I"m not one of them.

Did you buy it to keep as investment? Or some other reason? I just can't quite figure out the use of silver bars for keeping value unless at some point there was an expectation that there would be a huge demand for this metal .. for use in industry or something else. I seem to remember it being integral in producing conventional photography film but that boat sailed years ago with the advent of high quality high pixel density cameras.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/police-raid-in-na-jomtien-uncovers-indian-call-scam-operation There are more headlines like these. Took me like 5 seconds of a search to uncover this article above. You've not been out enough my friend. Why would the fact that a few bars don't allow Indians compel them to crowd freelancers on beach road? That reasoning doesn't fly very far at all. It is because they are cheap and enjoy doing these gang bangs and humiliate women. Do some more Google searches about India's violence towards women. Believe me. I don't like beer bars or go go's. I find girl friends and companionship on Thaifriendly and many of the girls have "no india man" in their profiles. There is a reason for that.

If you use Thafriendly and other dating sites enough you'll notice a portion of the freelance girls will specifically say "no india man" in their profiles. (this is there way of saying no indian/Arab/middle eastern clients) Among freelancers, whether female or transgender, there is some animosity toward this race. Perhaps it's hygiene combined with attitude. When shopping in a 7-11 inevitably the odd Indian guy will be in line and smell to high heavens like they haven't had a shower for 3 days or washed their clothes in a week. I'm not prejudiced, I've worked with many talented and well mannered Indians in my profession but the dudes that come to Pattaya are sketchy. Pattaya is famous as a destination for Indian scam call centers. I spent a fair number of years living near Pattaya and walked Pattaya beach during dusk for exercise. Inevitably you'd see a group of 4 or more indian/Middle eastern guys crowding a single lone freelancer on beach rd. .. what's going on there? They are trying to negotiate a gang session probably at a discount. Frequently you'd see the poor girls trying to politely walk away with these guys giving chase .. really bad. Also this recent issue in Pattaya with theses young Kuwaiti hoodlums renting motorbikes and racing around the streets drunk, out of control causing all manner of disturbance. I'm not prejudiced but it is what it is. What is it about these middle eastern and Indian guys? India has repeatedly been in the headlines concerning it's problem of violence toward women. Just awful brutality.

For whatever reason it seems that when the US stock exchange does well the Baht strengthens against the USD. I don't quite know how those correlate but I've noticed it. I have found it beneficial to keep my immigration funds in a FCA and trade into Baht when the exchange rates are favorable. That's worked pretty well for me. I'll be buying some more baht soon.. the Baht will probably get stronger as the US Fed will be lowering interest rates fairly soon.

Yes, yes and of course yes. Clinton's slip up and Trumps serial philandering do not compare in any way shape or form.

NO! don't spoil and good thing. Let him be himself, he'll dig a hole so deep there will be no doubt to anyone with even half a brain that this guy needs to go back down to Florida and live out the rest of his life taking daily treatment from Russian golden shower girls.

Just curious, but what are doing holding onto a bar of silver? for it to be worth anything I would think you'd need like 100 pounds of the stuff. I think a pound is worth around $500 USD right now. None of my business but if I was going to buy precious metal it would be gold and probably buy it as an ETF rather than hold physical metal. To each his own.

Ah, the good ole' days of Pattaya are long gone. On to greener pastures. Text book example of over tourism by some of the worst tourists on the planet. I am amazed that the infrastructure has managed to hold up as the rate at which they are putting up new condos etc has been unbelievable. Pratumnak was once a peaceful lush and green area with a few houses and smaller condos ... no more. Jomtien is now lined with tall condos as far as the eye can see. In 12 years it went to being fairly pleasant to crowded and intolerable. I've read on Thaifriendly some of the girls say "no india man". Yea I can understand why. I try to be fair but when the behavior is quite obviously consistent among a group of people then a spade is a spade. I was quite surprised at how loud Russian and Chinese people are when they started invading Jomtien 10 years ago. My trips to 7-11 were unpleasant as i would see what the poor counter girls would have to put up with from some of the Russian and Chinese tourists. Loud, demanding and down right rude and impolite. Not one thought about trying to adjust and behave with the Thai politeness and humble demeanor I've come to appreciate.