pauleddy

To paraphrase Voltaire, I might not agree with your opinion, although I would fight unto death to allow you to have it.

To paraphrase me, I think you must have a lot of time on your hands. In over 35 years of having computers, going back to Amstrad green screens, I have received dozens of scams from Nigeria or otherwise. I am not at all worried about on-line rubbish. I only wished to inform others.

Yours in Hilarity!

I have neither the time nor the inclination to spin this as a yarn. There may be Walter Mitty characters in some area of LOS, although I do not count myself in that cohort.

To be honest, I am too busy to make these things up and then to cull my email address and then replace it with another.

Were I to be aware of a serious bomb threat or plot, I would call the police. With these "Nigerian" or similar scams, I am content simply to warn others. As we can see, 3-4 others have been targetted: perhaps we are all taking too much Zolpidem and doing strange things over which we have no control. However, I give fellow affectees the benefit of the doubt. I'm not alone in Las Vegas, firing off scam e-mails.

About four days ago, I received another of these scams from the SAME email--DANIEL COHEN  (see my opening of the topic).

This time, however, it was much less threatening. He told me that he made desktop calendars and would give me 1 dollar for every firm or office I supplied details of. He was selling these like hotcakes and I would not want to lose the "opportunity". I have no idea whether these 5$ calendars were in Thai or English, for the New Year or whatever. 

Perhaps gleaning offices or firms' addresses=some kind of fishing expedition, but the font was identical to earlier emails.

Of course, I sent it to the trash box.

Eddy

3 members now!!

I think the OPS should make this a headline in Forum News or Thailand news. I have received 2 of these--1 asking to write my CV (I have written '00s) and now this guy who says he is Enforcing Lese Majeste unless you pay 199USD

Today I received an email from someone calling himself Daniel Cohen. He claims to be a bilingual representative of the Thai Police and several other legal bodies.

He advised me that I was a suspect for breaking lese-majeste laws by defaming the monarchy, but that he would remove my name from the list of offenders for 199$ (6,000b).

I have never defamed anybody, nor can I speak Thai. I have never been questioned by police for anything. I do not even ride my bicycle after two beers.

It seems that this blagger obtained my email from a teaching job application I recently made. About two weeks ago, I received an offer to write my CV for 1,999b by a PhD from ANU or UA. The font was identical, and for some reason the header was TEACHING JOB APPLICATION in BOTH emails. I can understand the offer to write a CV for teachers, although I cannot understand why he/she should use the same header and then try to extort money for lese-majeste accusations UNDER the header of Teaching Jobs. Please note that I applied for the teaching job via one of the frequent teacher placement sites appearing on the net in Thailand. In that case, this person is obtaining emails by hacking into this teacher agency.

I am minded to take a copy of this email to the police, as this is an attempted extortion or blackmail and is also impersonation of a police officer or legal officer.

Please post if you have a similar experience.

Eddy

Stella is tastier than Carling or Heiny, perhaps because it is stronger by 2%. Personally I have found it to taste of chemicals and to give me a bruising hangover.

The non-fruity genuine Rolling is a nice drop, and is 666b in Villa. On the next shelf is fruit-mixed Rolling at 289b. Until you study the labels closely, you can easily get confused. Both labels are blue and have the same design.

Each to their own. Gossips is around 480-500b in Villa (maybe less). I must admit to being a bit of an oenophile, and picked/made wine during Les Vendanges (grape harvest) in France three times. OK, I am a bit of an armchair snob. But Gossips is not even drinkable. It's even worse than Vietnamese wine or the vile Montclair.

Sherry is available in Villa Market. They sometimes have Bristol Cream, but you can get Spanish Jerez (which is where the name comes from) OR some OK Australian Sherry (Sweet or Medium/Dry) in most Villas.

LAO KHAO (correct spelling) is a Thai Rice Whisky which is distilled from Rice Beer, I believe. It also offers the fastest way into the Liver Unit on God's Earth.

You can normally read the small print, and it will say wine+cherry juice 5% or some crap. Also, the price is always less than 400b. Anything even semi-decent Chilean starts at 550-600. Hard to find good French less than 1000.

Allow a whole morning, but sometimes you can get done quickly. Remember that the line at 8.30 am can be 500 meters long.

Blackcab is totally correct. 2 different departments. And you need the new extension first.

I have found increasingly that getting a re-entry at the airport is more friendly and 10 times faster. However, DM I use a lot, and my comment applies to the re-entry office there. SoWannaPoo=I don't know so well: I remember when it was a kitchen table in the corner (although for 200b more, I hear they will do your photo and all your copies).

For the extn, make sure you have everything copied and signed (that you should have), including your old extension. Pattaya expat club provide a list on-line, although I was told by somebody to copy every extension for the past 12 years. The officer was not interested in those, fortunately. If you forget one thing, you will be sent downstairs to the copy shop. the problem then can be getting back in line order because the officer has moved on to other people. You can be lucky and get a cheerful officer, or a miserable one.

Eddy

Tesco chicken is the pits. Injected with water and hormones. Cardboard. Villa is a bit better. Some of the chicken in the street stalls is excellent, but you need to find a favourite.

Vietnam has different grades of chicken. In some restaurants one can order black country chicken or top notch plump white chicken. As good as Ive had in French villages.

Eddy

Did the reentry 5 times in 5 months because of going to KL early mornings. never had any problem. usually have a laugh and joke with the staff. Takes no more than 7 minutes.

I would never ever, ever, wait for a reentry at CWattana 3 hours again. Ever.

Eddy

Age 62 and bored. Want to return to teaching but Im on a ret ext. 4 years now.

How does this work?

1. My landlord, who is something legal, says just get a job with an un-fussy school. Especially less than 8 hours a week. To all the tut-tutters, I returned p-t for a year or two to a very famous uni WITH a retirement extension. I have already done it once. No need to change anything.

2. My landlord says no problem to take students at home, 2 or 3 a week. The police will ignore, HE says---even if they find out.

3. How to be legal? Give up the retirement extn at CW, pay 1900 for an OA?? Or do I really need to go to Penang? I was told yes you do, but then I was told by someone that he had done it all in 30 minutes at CW. How to get the WP? If I get the OA visa, will the school/uni obtain it? I have four degrees incl. Post Grad, and I worked here 8 years already. Do I have to do a Thai dancing weekend nonsense to be a real teacher again?

Thx

Eddy

Good post from SCORE

There is definitely a stereotypical and widespread undercurrent that "all farangs are rich" and, as such, are fair game. It is so prevalent that it has become a game for both sides. My new love is trying to find out about my bank accounts WHILE I simultaneously deny all knowledge of money and say that I am a retired beggar and UB 40 holder.

Eddy

After 13 years here I can only echo the advice of sceptics. Thailand is a hot and dirty dump. Most "romantic" partners are after your money. It is virtually an unwritten law that girls (and sometimes boys) must send money to mother in a village (or keep a whole family). A few years back, I was living with somebody who was giving me 40 GBP a month to offset rent, power, wifi, food and everything (about 600 pounds a month back then). I did not find out for 9 months that the person was sending 160 pounds a month to keep a family. The last person with whom I got hooked up for a while asked to move into my large house, and actually dumped me when I asked for a token 4000 baht ALL FOUND, to live in a large house where 4,000 does not even cover the electricity. The person could not fathom that it's a 2-way street---giving money also brings a sense of entitlement and stability.

The romance vs. family culture here is 180 degrees opposite, and you cannot escape it. I have asked several Thais about "who comes first?" and it is always the parents, then the siblings, and even the old pals from junior school (Thais have "clusters" of friends from school who support eachother forever). The lover or white boyfriend is about number 4 down the list.

A friend of mine who is happily hitched to a Thai has given up the fight. He regularly pays for mother to have a new bathroom or car. He calls it "The Tax". It is what you pay for living here. I hate the idea. I have dumped more than one person when they started to ask for money. AND:--be careful because the smart ones REFUSE your money today but play the long game! You may not get asked for a car or holiday for 12 months, while you are being reeled in. All desire for money will be happily denied.

I can already hear the indignation...OK, there exists a minority who are happy with the trade-off or consider themselves in a stable relationship. But they are not in the majority.

Eddy

There are ATMs before and there is a cash exchange booth (a Thai bank or maybe 2)--as far as I remember.

The rates are not much different than a bank, unlike Holiday Towns in Europe which may ask 10% more for the cash.

I have never been asked to show money in 13 years and 30 arrivals. Nobody I know has been asked. Maybe you need to look like a druggy or look dirty?

Eddy

Hawker nails it for me.

I read a long thesis/thesis-length academic essay from the 1990s (written by a Thai): it was excellent, although I cannot remember the name of the academic author. It contained about eight major points of cultural difference, including the "acceptance" thing.

In addition: Partners and lovers here rarely even touch in public, yet alone kiss (but friends often lean on shoulders etc). I lived in France and Spain for many years, and I am very familiar with people cheek-pecking/embracing even with acquaintances. A close male friend of mine aged 40 (not gay, by the way)--in Madrid--will often kiss his father when he goes home every few weeks, which is normal in Mediterranean culture. I always cheek-peck my gay friends and hug my straight friends much as footballers do.

After twelve years here, the thing that really bothers me is the money-grabbing thing. Whilst I know that professional sex workers ask for money, and need to have a wage in order to eat, I cannot get used to being perceived as an ATM even with suitors/lovers/friends with benefits who are playing the "long game" (not wanting money today, but will ask for a new bathroom for Mother-in-Law next year...). It's almost as if we are paying a "tax". The only people who are not interested in farang money appear to be the 1% of the populace who are already loaded. I don't trust 70% of the "normal" people...maybe I am paranoid or just a sad case? But, in this land of fake smiles, money always lurks as an issue. Some armchair psychologists may see this as a facet of "human nature", although I spend time in Malaysia every few months without getting the same sonar ping that I get here ("take care me..."). Even in Hanoi or HCM you get the obvious vibe from sex workers and some "regular" people, but here in LOS it's always lurking. Some theorists say that it is the need for security stemming from rural poverty, although I can't accept that as the whole story. Maybe it's avarice arising from too many Hollywood movies, which give the mistaken impression that all farangs drive Jaguars and Lambos?

Any useful insights?

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

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

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?)