ThaiFelix

wait til you get a work permit. 14 passport pictures, I thought that they were kidding....

12? I never had to hand over that many...maybe your better looking than me

What an absolute load of bol-locks for this years excuse for extreme pollution, blame it on the neighbors. Perhaps next year we'll blame it on the farangs or global warming. The excuses are so tiresome yet people are dying in the process.

Some of you must lead incredibly sad, frustrated lives. No matter what is posted here as "news," it always generates these messages full of vindictive, gratuitous nastiness.

It must be especially difficult for family members who are subjected to this cranky negativity day after day.

I meet so many people who love living in Thailand and enjoy everyday here. I wonder why ThaiVisa seems to attract such a lot of unhappy people.

could not agree with you more -- seems some of these guys are suffering from senile dementia and with nothing to do all day but sit around the house -- they vent their displeasure here -- what a pity --- I love Thailand -- and if you can do nothing but complain about living here and pointing out all that is wrong -- go back to the mother country -- or perhaps they dont want you there either ---

I'll second that guys, I have to work in the same office as a lot of these wingers..'its too hot here', 'I cant eat this s..it, where's the Big Macs?', 'why cant these idiots speak English?' 'Nuke the moslems' etc etc !!!

I think you will find they cant go home as they have already sh-t in their own nests already, so rather than take a good hard look at themselves, they come over here and start over again. Amazing what power they think they have from behind a keyboard!!

Back to the topic it seems a lot of parties are responsible for the smoke/fire problem, and on both sides of the border. I think we need to look at safe sensible solutions/alternatives, especially for the traditional subsistance farmers who certainly cant afford a sudden total fire ban policy.

Thanks for the replies I also assumed it was a cultural greeting not linked to religion until I heard the lotus story. I think the Muslim guy was just rude as he was younger and junior than me... maybe he just doesn't like farangs.

You don't wai someone younger and junior to yourself first. Perhaps you confused him with your inappropriate behavior.

I look at this way, manners are cheap but they can buy you a lot. If in doubt wai. and wai first. I am always responded to with a huge smile and a wai in return. You are obviously trying to show some respect as well as trying to fit into a society that you dont originate from. How can someone be offended by such an action (unless they are carrying some other 'baggage').

When in Rome......!

Thats the new (ish) Immagration Office at the new airport and it is in the Novotel hotel. Had my Non Im B extended there a while back..lovely people, no queues, no probs. If your asking re the airport and Novotel...yes its all above board.

Ive used the same guy for the last 4 years to renew my visa and work permit, last year it took 6 Under Consideration Stamps due he said of problems between Pattaya and Bangkok Immigration. This year I was not going to use him,however he said he promised no problems as he now dealt direct with Bkk. I took his word and sure enough after just 1 week I had it back and valid up to 23 Feb 2008 and I collect the WP next week. Now the bit that worries me it is stamped Immigration Suvarnabhumi Airport and signed Immigration Officer Novotel, Is this legal and above board!!!!

Would be interresting to see a scan of that stamp

Yes - entertainment venues are lifeblood to resort areas. One has to wonder when the powers that be, will get it through their thick skulls.

thailand has to be one of the only places in the world where people come and cant get a drink after 1am legaley (sic) they will stop coming like they have almost in samui

Every few weeks the resident gurus predict that the tourists will stop coming and that the economy is in dire straits.

Apparently the tourists never seem to subscribe to these views. Coups, tsunamis, bombs...and the tourists keep coming in record numbers.

The baht continues to strengthen. Analysts appearing on Bloomberg continue to suggest that Thailand offers great investment opportunities. Major corporations contemplate opening billion dollar industrial operations.

I can easily see why some of Thai Visa message board's most vocal commentators want alcohol available 24 hours a day...and it has nothing to do with helping the tourism industry.

Watch Pattaya People Channel on TV for a few days. The continuing parade of drunken farang misfits getting into brawls, jumping from condo & hotel balconies or being mugged because of their drunken state of vulnerability is just amazing. Who needs that? If all the tourists who absolutely need to drink between 1:00 am and 6:00 am never came to Thailand, it would be no loss.

I totally agree with you, Kao Jai.

I think they should have a place for Slobbering drunks, but lets not let it be Thailand, please. Pick a place in your own country guys and leave us in peace. I'm sure Thai people are getting tired of being the dumping point of American and European misfits (just to name a couple). We have enough Thai drunks here to carry the breweries and distilleries. We don't need foreigners to come over here and act like idiots. There are enough idiots here already.

I know people (mostly young people) need a place to let of steam, but let them do it in their own country. Don't pollute beautiful Thailand with your attitudes and behaviors.

We have Raves and such in Canada, where people can party their faces off, stay up for days at a time and do all kinds of other stuff, which is great, for people who want to do it. They are usually held in remote areas, which has practically no negative impact on the community.

Maybe they should create a "party zone" in Thailand, but please let it be away from where local people live, who mostly work 12-14 hours per day and need their rest.

I see it up here in Chiang Dao already, when some idiot opens an outdoor bar or Karaoke place and nobody in the neighborhood gets a good night sleep anymore. My neighbors get up at 5am to go work in the fields (mostly farmers around here) and work until sunset. They don't need crap like that.

When you stay up all night and party every night in a neighborhood where people live and sleep, you are asking for problems, because people will complain and when they finally had enough of local corruption keeping the doors open, they will go above their heads and bring in someone from Bangkok to close them down.

The wheels of justice might grind slower here in Thailand, but eventually one will get crushed by them.

Totally agree. I have been coming to this country frequently, for over 20 years and I have seen some disgraceful changes. No I am not talking 'the good ol days', I expect things to change...it is the only constant. Now I live here and have done so for two years, but now I dont like going to the tourist areas because I feel ashamed to be a farang. I have seen the same thing happen in Bali and was ashamed there.

And yes, maybe we should be getting our priorities right, thinking about the violence and the encroachment, but are they not intricately connected?

When I first came here there was ganja everywhere, and a bit of opium. But the result was a few very relaxed smiling faces ( and some nodding). The farang brought the 'fast' drugs and their money, and the locals want to be like the oh so lucky farang. The fast drugs bring the violence and Taksin put the prices up so they had to turn to crime to support their habits. The straight locals want the farang money too, and destroy the environment in building what they think the farang want.

Yes quality not quantity, I personally think the authorities have the right idea, not exact, but on the right track.

And Virgil, your so right, you should stay 'out'. What a statement!

More information in this news report...

SOURCE: Pattaya People News: February 24th 2007

Mindless Murder of Two Russians on Jomtien Beach

On the 24th of February at 6.00am Dongtan Police were called to the scene of a double murder on Jomtien Beach opposite Soi 18.

Police rushed to the scene along with Rescue Volunteers and found two brutally slain Russian lady tourists named Miss Liubov Svirkova aged 25 and Miss Tatiana Tsimfer aged 30, slumped on two beach chairs. They had been mindlessly shot dead by someone using a 9mm gun.

Police found a mobile phone, a bottle of whisky, a pack of cigarettes and a paper bag containing clothes and passports belonging to the women, untouched on table.

Police discovered foot prints in the sand around the beach chairs which may have come from the assailant's combat boots; they also found four bullet shells.

Security guard of the Ananya Hotel, Jomtien, Khun Somsak Noonoi, told Police that at 3 am he was on duty and noticed the two Russians Ladies leaving the Dragon Beach Resort only 500 meters away from the murder scene on the beach.

The ladies apparently liked to watch the dawn arrive whilst having a drink on the beach.

At 5 am he heard a gun shot and bravely headed towards the area of the blast. Whilst running to the scene he heard three more shots fired.

He spotted a Thai man who was walking calmly from the scene. He simply jumped on his motorbike and drove off quickly towards the Chaiyapruek Police box.

It is unclear at present if the Security Guard managed to write down the license plate number of the bike and a police investigation is quite obviously underway.

Mmmm, combat boots eh? Sounds like Mr Toxin to me trying to set off some undercurrents. Come on guys, cant you see the strong link..combat boots, Toxin was in army (police?..same thing), pissed off, and wants a comeback.

Thats pure logic to me.

Ummm...

Has anyone been to Northern Malaysia recently? They look to me to be running headlong into money; Western European and USA money; errr ummm, not religious fanaticism.

There is no doubt whatsoever, in my alleged mind, that there are Islamic extremists organizing and operating out of Malaysia. Yes. But does the Malaysian govt. support or allow the activity? I bloody well think not, there is far too much of that modern goodness to lose now. Malaysians are getting very comfy with the nice fit of those shiny new shoes, and they aren't giving them back.

Can anyone spell M O T O R O L A ? Or how about I N T E L ? The normalization and spread of money across the entirety of Western Malaysia has generated the effect that the Muslim population had hoped for, the balancing of Chinese urban control.

Now, even the hint of Malaysian terrorist support is going to get people hanged, or shoved before a firing squad. Watch. Malaysia is NOT a 3rd world country. It is NOTHING LIKE THAILAND. Hello? Things have changed since the last go round with blanketed trials and hidden agendas. Malaysia is not going there any more.

...

Now, on the other hand, BKK is an easy target. Pure and simple. Planes, trains, and automobiles. Too many to control. And, no I certainly don't think this is a case of the BKK Governor whistling for the dobermans just to chase ghosts for fun and profit. The situation is real.

Thailand is in trouble, al Qaeda has been able to penetrate and manipulate local Southern Thailand Islamic grievances since 1998. The seeds were planted a long time ago, and the fruit is ripening today.

Agreed 'blam', and IMHO I think the solution to the problem lies in your opening sentence..money, ie economic development. I am certainly no expert on Malaya/Malaysia but it seems to me that the area has had its fair share of 'insurgents' over the years...communist, then so called muslim insurgents. But this seems to have slowly dwindled away due not to the iron fist approach but economic development. Remember Northern Ireland, similar type news went on for years. But now, due to the economic standard of living rising, people are too busy to plant bombs. "Sorry, I have to go to work today, and tomorrow I have to pick up my new car/tv!" I think there are too many young unemployed/underemployed people idley sitting about, failing to achieve any sort of recognition in their lives and easy prey to those who have grievances.

And where do the grievances come from? Who knows, but they are increased by the results of the 'iron fist' treatment handed out by a previous Thai PM. Dont you think you would become more radical/anti government and be more likely to join one of these groups if your brothers/father had been humiliated, handled like bags of <deleted> and suffocated to death in trucks along with 70 odd of your fellow villagers. The US military has proven time and time again (except to themselves) in places like Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, that counter-insurgency only breeds more insurgency. The more the insurgency increases, the more chances there are that their efforts will be aided by outside forces, particularly if you can find a unifying/common denominator such as religion. Along with this the peace loving locals are threatened, and have little choice but to reluctantly aid or at least not interfere in the operations of the insurgents.

And remember, peaceful people dont set off bombs in crowded areas in the name of peace. They are silent and therefore unnoticed. So we therefore think all muslims are bomb carriers.

If something could be done to increase the economic well being of this area, and if some sort of reconciliation could be made to provide some justice for the wrong done to those people (maybe a Saddam type 'crimes against humanity' trial involving that particular PM) then there may be a chance for peace.

Well, thats my thoughts anyway.

During questioning at the Phuket Tourist Police Office, Minnig failed to produce his passport.

dont you guys read that? does staying in thailand make everybody being so racist / nationalist??? wether he's a swiss or not, for thai, he's just another non-quality farang... while for farangs themselves, since the post mentioned this mr. carlos minning is swiss nationality, they gonna fight each other by offending: thai, korean, chinese, italian, french, german, british, mexican, brazilian.....

for nationality's sake, isnt it ridiculous???!!!!

Agreed JiaJia, these forums always seem to end up in the racist gutter. Some of the writers remind me of something from when I was doing anthropology/sociology about the 'them and us". A lot of the old cannibal stories came from the same kind of insecure people..you know "we of the Fakkawi tribe are very good people....but those over the hill are so bad they even eat people".

Err by the way, you left out Filipinos!

Hello all,

I am a 48 yr german and have currently a thai gf of 26. I meet her a few months ago on msn and visited her some times in bkk. She says she loves me and she want to marry me. How can i know if she really loves me ? Anybody has experience with this ?

Thanks,

Bob

hi i am a 26 year old thai girl and have recently met a 48 year old german man. how can i know if he loves me or just wants me for my fit young brown well toned body ? ps i have an arse like a ten year old fillipino boy do you think this is a factor ?

I think you hit the nail right on the head there Malcy, well done.

I look at it this way. I have been with this terrific girl now for two years. We were married about two years ago. She did have quite a few questions about money in the beginning, and I dont blame her. At the time of meeting her I was spending more than my salary each month, boozing and whoreing around Bangkok. When we talked about her moving in with me, I made a deal with her that she could have my salary each month (less 5000 for savings) and she had to manage with the rest. I expected the same standard of living, holidays etc and she was not to ask for more for family etc...she had all the money now. The biggest condition was that we be completely honest with each other.

Two years down the track I am as happy as a pig in shit. She cooks for me every day, and she is a great cook. I do absolutly nothing, bar wiping my arse and brushing my teeth. She even packs my work bag every morning, polishes my shoes, sees there is money in my wallet, and lines my clothes up to get dressed. She would dress me if I let her. We have holidays away and even go into Nana a couple of times a year, book a hotel, and select a couple of party girls for the night! While jealous at rare times, she trusts me as I have worked real hard proving by example that I am as honest as I say. I dont go to bars as a habit and spend most of my time with her (happily).

The way I see it, it is an agreement. Isnt that what a marriage is? Not sure I love her but have the greatest respect for her because she has kept up her end of the bargain. She never asks for more money, except maybe an advance on next months if we have had a heavy one. And she knows I have had a few pay rises since the original agreement which I keep in the bank. She even asks me if it is ok with me if she send her family some dosh (I think twice) and it has never affected my standard of living. Yes your right, it is a normal thing for the Thai women to handle the finances and it is a lot cheaper too.

Another point is that traditionallyThai women see there fathers as gods. And when they marry, their husbands take that place. I know my wife is with me for the long haul as her father wanted the marriage registered in my home country and I refused more than a village wedding as I was concerned about my assets there (been taken twice already). I explained this and she agreed, going against her father's wishes..that tells me a lot knowing Thais like I do!

It seems a lot of Thai men give their women the run around. A girlfriend on every corner. I know for a fact her previous gave her a hel_l of a time. And what about us Farang? How many times have Farang men promised the world and then gone back home on the next plane never to be heard from again.

But yes be very careful. By the way, I am 55 and my wife is 33 years old.

From a very happy camper!

Ps This Donz bit is a joke right? Or doesnt he know it yet?

Hey guys thanks for the info. I'm from Oz so the US stuff doesnt apply but thanks anyhow. As for where the tax has been going Im not sure. I did have a WP before and was paying tax but my Non Imm B ran out and I was illegal for a while (ie no tax paid). I have since got my paperwork straight and am back to paying tax again. The school informed me today that they are applying for a tax number for me - so thats good.

As the Permanent Resident requirements call for 3 yrs of unbroken extensions of WP and visas etc, the previous period is not applicable (to my knowledge?). So I'm not too worried about that. I think the school is fairly above board with regards to tax matters (the rest??).

Thanks again.

Hi folks,

I am hoping someone can help me with some questions I have re taxation in Thailand for a farang teacher. I have a work permit, teaching lic. etc (yes a real degree) and have been having tax deducted from my salary (but no tax number yet??). Do I need to do a taxation return? If so from where do I obtain same? I checked with the longest serving teacher here (not many stay very long) and he says he never has but thinks the school does because some years he has recieved a refund from the school. A friend, just started at another school, tells me his new colleagues get all their tax back because they are not permanent residents? I am also considering applying for permanent residence in a couple of years time and want to make sure I am on the right track. I read on one of the forums you must pay tax/submit tax returns to qualify but cant get any info. Can anyone help me or direct me to some online info etc?

Thanks

Here is my 2 satangs thought...

A suicidal person usually is carrying around some burden that they feel they just can't handle anymore. Offer to listen as she vents her feelings of despair, anger and loneliness. Avoid trying to offer quick solutions or going against her feelings. How big she perceives the problem to be and how much she is hurting over it is what counts. Any rational arguments do little good to persuade a person when they are in this state of mind. Instead offer your empathy compassion for what she is feeling without making any judgments. The longer you keep her talking, the more you can take the edge off her desperation thus reduce the emotional burden she carrying and give her time to calm down. As her momentum winds down, it will be harder for her to act on her original feelings, hopefully.

If her condition is worsen as you're listening to her, then don't hesitate to seek the police or professional help

Agreed teacup, "give her time to calm down", but not alone. I have had first hand experience with this sort of thing and yes, I believe they are "attention seeking"...because they are looking for a solution to the 'emotional burden'. You need to be there for them and to provide as much comfort as possible. The cases I know of made a lot of threats but didnt do anything until they were on their own for a while. I feel sure they would still be here today if they werent left alone.

You get a work permit after you have proof of qualifying employment and a non immigrant visa. As I said before if they will not provide a non immigrant visa you have no choice. You arrive on a tourist visa. In your case you set up business (and that is likely to involve legal help). You obtain a non immigrant visa and then a work permit. Be aware there are a number of conditions that must be met. You may be able to change your tourist visa into a non immigrant type in-country if/when you can provide the below:

DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATTION FOR VISA STATUS ALTERATION (NON-B )

Application for Visa Status Alteration. (TM.86)

Copy of passport entries.

4 X 6 cm photograph.

Application fee of 2,000 baht.

Company letter requesting for Visa Status Alteration.

Employment contract. (Labor Dept.)

A letter of guarantee to certify commercial registration.

Company registration certificates.

VAT registration certificate and the lists of company Board of Directors.

The latest financial statement. (Balance sheets ; Profit & loss statement)

Company income tax or trading tax returns.

Documents providing evidence of education ; Job experience of foreign national.

Withholding Tax records.

BOI letter application for changing visa.

Remarks

The Applicant must sign every page of the application.

The Company Authority must sign to certify all documents and have them stamped with the company seal.

The visa applicant must arrange the documents in proper order and must prepare the originals as proof.

Call 02-2873101-10 ext.2237 for details.

Sorry to correct you Lopburi3 but I gathered the man said he was a teacher. If so he will not require the company registration/tax/employment records etc. I am certainly not a full bottle on the subject but I recently transfered from a 30 day Visa on Arrival (Baan Laem) to a Non Imm B in Bangkok. You must have a minimum 21 days remaining on your VOA and the following documents are what I was asked to provide:

Passport and 1 photocopy of all used pages as well as your photo/details page and your arrival card (each page signed)

University degree and transcripts plus 1 photocopy each (all signed)

Passport size photo (not gloss -rubber stamps dont like em)

2000 baht

TM.86 form

The school of course must provide documentation such as your contract (in Thai), teaching licence, school registration etc but they should know. I just downloaded the TM.86 from this website and typed up all the details on my computer before I went in. You go to Immigration in Suan Phlu, 3rd floor, room 303, and the people there could not have been more efficient and courteous. A woman met me at the door who seemed to be there to streamline things, she checked my papers, put them in order, gave me a number, and the whole thing took no less more 20 minutes! In fact they were three quarters done before my number came up!

But I admit I am not sure how much the school had done previously. At that visit they only gave me a 3 month as my Teaching Licence had been approved but was still being prepared. I believe there was some paperwork included from the Ministry Of Ed to prove it (I dont read Thai). I went back some 2 weeks ago and got my extension to 12 months and a work permit from the Labour Dept to boot. Now I'm laughing.

Can I just say here this is the first time Ive been on ThaiVisa??!! (you could do with a spell check...hate to admit it..English teacher and all)

Good luck anyhow.

ThaiFelix