pauleddy

Sock, neckties etc are removed routinely from prisoners the world over. Put into a secured property bag and stored.

have you ever tried punching your own liver until it bled? can't be done.

HowardV's response is right on the button!

The whole system is a struggle, and leads to gradual burn-out.

There are no really easy answers here. Thais (and Thai teachers) truly resent being coached by farangs. As I have said for years, there exist massive chips on shoulders. Thais are brought up thinking that Thailand is the centre of the universe and that everything Thai is the best, even the (sometimes lousy) food. This solipsism prevents progress. As often proclaimed, students who do an MSc in the UK or USA and then come back to LOS are much more friendly, keen and open-minded. I have seen this many times amongst my own students, over the years.

In mitigation---If I were living in my native UK for 20, 40 or 60 years, and then the government decreed that Portuguese had to be the lingua franca, with all children learning Portuguese and all business being conducted in that language, then I guess that I might be a bit resentful. Reminds me of the Welsh Nationalists 40 years ago, who attacked English signposts and even set fire to houses. Of course, it ain't gonna happen. Englishes are the way to go, so the Thais need to fall in line or heave out. In addition, a friend working in China's top uni discounts the old theory that everything will be in Mandarin within 30 years. That also ain't gonna happen, believe me. It's Englishes or take the high road, guys. Even the Vietnamese are queueing up to learn English (I was offered thirteen jobs in Hanoi last year), and there is none of this arrogant Thai nonsense, as far as I could make out.

Eddy

I am more or less the same as Emster! I have just retired after teaching English at Unis in three countries over the past 24 years, being an IELTS examiner, doing Teacher Training and devising exams using CEFR. I have an MBA, an MA and some other tickets.

Joking about perpetual cycles aside, how do I become one of these "Super Teachers", or even become involved in a minor way? Contact the BC? I don't want to teach young kids.

Eddy

309 staff per plane compared to 30 for that awful Ryanair? I know that we are not comparing like for like--but that's outrageous. However, I think I believe you...

I started avoiding Thai years ago, largely because:

1. The "service" thing is a hoax. After the first meal service, 90% of the crew hide or go to sleep. And I always travel Business! Try to get a third glass of wine, and they look at you like dog mess. Even BA is better. Cathay is 500% better. Lufthansa is not my favourite either, but it's efficient. Thai crew are well paid and tend to come from middle-class or higher families, and I find them arrogant beneath the fake smiles. It's not like working for Ryannair, which is a fairly lo-so crew job.

2. The seat prices are about 30% above Emirates and Qatar. I think this is because so many Thais get free seats or discounts. If you are distantly related to a junior cleaner at Swampy, you can wangle something--which means that farangs pay more. All government officials use "networking". TIT.

3. The fleets of Qatar and Emirates are virtually new. On my last Qatar Air flight, the food and service were fantastic in Biz, and the plane was so new that there were parts of the cabin which were still wrapped in polythene from Airbus.

4. On my last 13 hour flight to Europe with Thai, the Boeing was so old that the seats in Biz didn't flatten. They simply reclined about 45degrees. Equals no sleep for me, anyway.

5. The terrible management "thing" doesn't get better. I resent paying 30% more than Qatar prices simply to subsidise inefficiency.

6. It's perfectly apparent that oil prices are rock bottom, and that fewer people are travelling. Airlines need to work hard to attract people to fly.

Eddy

DrDavid has framed my theory about transfers out with much more coherence than I could muster when I posted in this thread about three weeks ago.

Apart from chump change, or maybe a Mill, I would never leave larger sums in any Thai banks. You could well find yourself unable to get it out in five years when you want to head for home...

I'm still as confused as before: do I need to get a WP only when I have an employer? What if I want to teach English as paid work in homes or my home? Some people seem to do that without trouble but I believe they are on dodgy ground.

Re. the 8 hours a week or less: this is, evidently, a fairly common fallacy, it seems. I say that because 3 or 4 older farangs have informed me that I can work on that basis: "oh yes, you can do most things if it's under 8 hours"...seems to be an idea which has done the rounds for a while. It may be BS, but I was given this advice several times when not even asking about it! In a bar or someplace. I was quite surprised myself!

To stir the pot more: I have a friend who does paid work editing/proofing in a Thai Government Dept, for 2 or 3 hours a week or ad-hoc. She has never been asked to get a WP in six years. This must be because Gvment Depts can do as they please.

Do we get deported or just fined if we teach for money on a small-time basis, or if we work as a charity thing? I know somebody who teaches Hill Tribe kids for free. I'm 99% sure he doesn't have a WP.

Eddy

Thanks to everybody.

I will definitely consider all of those options. I hate to depend on anything for nine years! I'm fed up rather than ill, but I start to feel bad when I can't sleep, so it has been a vicious spiral...

Still trying to answer this once and for all. Have 2-3 different opinions sent to me.

To change back to an O/A working visa (and so get a Work permit) AFTER retirement---

Do I need to go to Penang or etc to get a new visa and then convert at Immig?

Can I fly in on a Tourist visa (despite being retired) and then change to work visa at Immig?

Can I simply spend 3 hours at CW and ditch the retirement ext for a work visa? after paying 1900b.

-----------------------------------------------------

Some people say that I can work on a Ret extn if it's under 8 hours a week. This is quite a popular notion! Is it legal? Must it be for charity? Can I get a Wk permit for under 8 hours anyway, for paid work??

Thx

Eddy

Really? Thanks NE1. I will need to try that.

I have been using these to sleep for nine years, normally taking two 10mg tabs before bed, and sometimes in order to nap in the afternoons.

On a number of USA advice sites, some people say they stay on this drug for years with no problem, but some don't. One famous rap singer managed to get off the drug about five years ago.

I tried to stop again last week, although I had mild DT-type effects within 24 hours. My dependency derives from not being able to sleep well in LOS or any hot country. I know that the drug is bad news, and I am trying to get away from it.

Can I say here that I know about Tapering off using Benzos, The Cabin (which I can't afford), The BKK Cabin (ditto), NLP, relapse support, The Temple with the horrible drink, Bumgrad etc etc etc ad infinitum (I am an RN amongst other related qualifications).

What I really need to hear is personal experience i.e.

Have you ever got off Stilnox, and how?

Do you have any friends or relatives, ditto?

Could you point me to any REAL addiction doctor as a personal recommendation  (and where located)?

(I once saw a psychiatrist at a well known but non-central hospital. A nice, lovely, kind man but trained in the days when ECT was still popular and F. Lobotomies routine! No idea about tapering or N.A.)

thx

Eddy

Thanks Ubonjoe. Sounds technical, but I will have to try.

If it is the Gvment (Immigration), they surely have computer geeks. Is it impossible to set this up for "normal" people to use??

I use Macs and I normally use Chrome as a browser. For the last time (about 2 months ago) I was unable to report or to get past the page which said "Unable........."

Is there any update on this? I thought that the "reporter" could only use IExplorer on a Windows machine.

I believe that there exists I Ex for Mac--but somebody else I knew had no joy with that either.

All expert help welcomed!

Eddy 

2 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

This bit made me recall an incident.

 

I had a 12-month term deposit with a bank here. It was around 300,000 Baht or something like that. It came to an end. I went in and asked to renew it. The conversation proceeded as follows:-

 

Bank : Do you have a work permit?

Me : No, I no longer work in Thailand

Bank : Oh cannot renew. Wait. Do you own a condo?

Me : No, I rent a condo long-term.

Bank : Oh cannot renew. Wait. Are you married to a Thai?

Me : No I am single.

Bank : Oh cannot renew.

Me : Ok, since the account matured yesterday, I would like to withdraw the funds.

Bank : Oh! Wait. Errmm, do you have a Thai girlfriend?

Me : What has that got to do with anything?

Bank : Okay, okay, can renew.

 

Just bizarre.

Computer it say mai.

Many variables but:

Buy any condo in LOS and it's hard to sell. Thais only want new because they get a free microwave and shower curtain from BigC and pay over the odds.

Don't invest in any Thai bank bonds or long-term. Have one Thai bank current account for weekly stuff. Nobody knows the future here. Thai banks, even in settled times, hate it when you try to withdraw a matured lump sum or anything over 30,000b. There are all sorts of tricks and charges to keep you in.

Eddy

(Actually, the rental prices for condos are coming down cos no farang about. Keep seeing places in Asoke and Suk for 17,000, with more luxury 25-30,000. Rachada 2-bed 14,000. Anybody else notice this?)

Mamory is a little-known free-source software which is derived from Linux, for categorising ROM-based libraries of info.

Far more interesting to some members in Pattaya might be MAMMARY glands, of which all mammalian females have 2, 4, 6 or more with which to suckle their new-born. Ahem.

Eddy

Is this also at Chengwattana? I am doing my retirement ext this week.

I know a lady from the UK who works full-time in a Thai government office as a supervisor. Presumably she is on a yearly contract. I know that she gets a flight home included every year. But, she gets no SS cover and she has to pay privately to see doctors.

I am retired from teaching in Thailand but I still pay 436b per month under the normal scheme. I can go to Chula Hospital for any illness or disease. I may need to pay extra for certain things, like titanium staples, but I have had "free" cardiac procedures and other things.

Why is my lady friend not getting covered? She has worked in Thailand for 10 years or more. Why am I 'different'?

Eddy

I sent off my pension stuff for certifying by UK embassy today. It's gone with EMS. I'd forgotten that there are so many holidays due up.

It can take up to 10 working days to return the letter, it seems.

My Extension is due on 30 July, a Saturday, so it will be 29 July.

15 days away but many holidays and weekends.

Am I allowed 7 days either side of renewal? Could I lose my visa completely? What do I do then??

Thx

EDDY

Enforcement has been promised before, but never happened.

I have flown in to DM from KL at least three times this year. Each time, I get a cab upstairs at arrivals without a problem, despite police there.

At Swampy, I have done the same twice--although the new "prevention" gates mean that the driver must reach over to take your bag, despite police who just stand there!

TIT

Something fishy here.

I was on an air Asia flight yesterday, and the tannoy announced that any valuables of over 10,000b must be declared (as well as cash and other things) at Thai customs.

Re. prison: He won't get raped every day, but it won't be long. There are 30-35 guys in a room. As in all prisons, there are Daddies who take or force a younger guy to be a "wife". The younger guy will then get protected and get other benefits. Unfortunately, HIV is pretty rife as well.

Eddy

Leicester City came up from nowhere for the first time in 120 years. Not only were they able to buy some good players (some of them cheap because of shrewd selection), but millions went into upgrading and marketing. Of course, none of this has come from dodgy money.

Thailand has many many queers, Thai and Farang, and I see Lesbian couples everywhere, even holding hands and caressing.

Old dinosaurs need to realise that we are not living in the 1950s. Attitudes have changed, and queers can get married. A lot of the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, and the art we look at...originates from poofs. A very big, strong, and famous rugby player in the UK recently told everyone that he was queer. At least three very top UK footballers are queers, and we will find out within the next year or two who they are. Footballers get distracted by fans with phobias, and many have not been open about their lives.

A survey in the UK recently found that 50% of young people had had some kind of experience with the same sex. Things have changed a lot, and phobia about queers is thankfully an outdated concept. Diversity is normal in the 21st Century. It's great to be alive now!

Eddy

Thailand is cheaper although by 100 quid or so.

Malaysia is cheaper still AND the Malays don't have Thai keys. I think is QWERTY there.

Ed