dbrenn

My girlfriend got a visa to come to UK a few days ago. We are only 18 and 20.

As long as there is enough reason for the embassy for her to come back, there shouldn't be too many problems.

edit: the topic title gave me a laugh just remember when applying it's not your visa, it's hers

Right - the things that they are looking for are financial guarantee for the trip, and no intention to stay beyond the end of the trip. If she has a job or is studying in Thailand, a letter from her work or uni would be a good addition to your application

I have a large number of long-term and respected members of this forum that have met me in person and verified my status.

I would guess that the majority of people who post on TV have never met each other, so are you saying that we should all go back to meeting in person only to avoid contact with all the reams of unverified information that is Thaivisa? It makes no difference - the real world is full of people who tell fibs too.

Happy to prove if we do ever meet SJ

Do you get to vote?

If any of haven't already caught on, the reason why dbrenn is asking this question, and the reason why in fact he asks it so regularly, is because he can. Were this thread a few years ago before his Thai citizenship application, my guess is that this question wouldn't have been on his lips all the time.

Rixalex - for once we agree on something. Those who hold the citizenship of a country should be allowed to participate in its democratic process in equal measure. Coercing and/or rewarding his Missus to vote on Animatic's behalf is just the kind of behaviour that the Dems eschew and call a red-only phenomenon. Don't you see the hypocrisy there? Using influence to cast a vote that would otherwise not have been cast is an undemocratic thing to do, and perverts the proper course of democracy, right? Only the Antichrist Thaksin is guilty of that, right?

You can maybe now understand why I feel so indignant when some tired old generals put tanks on the streets to install their favourite party, against the wishes of my fellow Thai voting public.

Do you get to vote?

If any of haven't already caught on, the reason why dbrenn is asking this question, and the reason why in fact he asks it so regularly, is because he can.

I'd just add that his status is "alleged".

As someone once said on the forum, "You can be anybody you want to be...on the Internet."

What's your status SJ, and how do we know that it is not just 'alleged'? Your name makes a claim that you live in Sri Racha, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet you could actually be living in a suburb of Milton Keynes for all we know, having visited Thailand for a week as a tourist years back

I have my opinion but I shan't bother to commentate is it has all been done ad Ad infinitum.

Nothing new to see here folks, move along now.

Ummm but you did just give us your opinion

Made me smile too - giving an opinion on something that's not worthy of an opinion

dbrenn

Just out of interest, how long have you lived in Thailand? And could you give us a timeframe for all your applications.

How long had you been in the Kingdom before you applied for PR, got PR 9 months later and how long after that before you applied for Thai citizenship.

Basically, how long from setting foot in Thailand until you got citizenship.

Many thanks

RAZZ

Moved to Thailand 1990, stayed on non-imm yearly extensions

Applied for PR 1997

Got PR 1998

Applied for citizenship 2004

Got citizenship 2007

The long delay before I applied for PR was because I didn't realise at the time that I was eligible for it until a friend got his. The delay applying for citizenship was laziness, and the fact that my upcountry Tabien Bahn meant that I couldn't apply in BKK. At that time (1998), there was no 5 year PR requirement and the special branch were willing to accept my application right after PR. I was very busy at work, so applying upcountry would have been too problematic, causing me to give up on the idea until I got a BKK Tabien Bahn. The 5 year PR requirement before you apply for citizenship comes and goes, so you should ask at the special branch what the situation is now.

So as you can see, it took me 17 years, but I could and should have done it much sooner. Immigratioon rules the world over only ever seem to get tougher, so the rule is: if you are eligible for something, apply for it as soon as you can. As other people have said here - getting Thai citizenship is no more difficult than PR these days.

Rick what they don't know that can't do squat about.

It's not quite so:

'look over your shoulder and show us your mark as up north.'

Eh? 'Show us your mark'? Are you talking about the mark of the Beast here? The beast being Thaksin. Or, are you implying that the proletariat are too stupid to exercise a political opinion, and as such must have it curtailed according to PAD doctrine? You vote by directing your wife to vote, and let's hope she listens to you. ]Be careful lest she is labbelled an inferior being by the shadowy powers that be, for her own good, and her vote is diluted. Your proxy vore via her (if she listens to you), would then be worth even less.

Don't you just love the way democracy works?

Again you insult my wife's intelligence to get a me....

Do a see a pattern here...

What is this beast thing and biblical devil thing you are on about?

Completely irrelevant.

You are trying to twist my words to imply something never said,

what is PAD doctrine, I know not.... I have never met a PAD member,

this is your philosophical rant not mine.

I just know who is less of a cockup in the practical sense as leaders,

based on past experiences.

I ASK my wife to vote, I think she gives me fair hearing,

more than many, such as yourself, here do certainly.

She is not worried about the 'keeping up with the jones'

social climbing / status whining that is typical, she has no hi so airs,

and doesn't think to be a 'superior being', just a nice one,

and anyone who would try to call her inferior,

only shows their own insecurities, not hers.

I happened to be in Chaing mai for the 2005 election,

I watched the VERY aggressive canvassers at work for a month or more.

And while eating election day noticed a line of people voting

and having to show their ballot to some guy with a check list

before putting it in the box at a Wat voting site.

That was my first inkling that TRT was fulla <deleted>.

That was not the case down here.

Fold, put in box, and go home after a bit of social small talk..

You've seen this, that and the other. 'Agressive canvassing'? Show me a political party anywhere in the world that doesn't do that and I'll show you Utopia. Let the people decide. Whooops! Almost forgot! You know what's best for the Thai people even though you aren't one yourself.

I am better informed on thai politics than she is ...

She ... votes because I ask her to exercise her franchise rights

Ah, now I get it. In your view, you are better informed than your wife is, and you franchise your vote out there through her. Even though (unless the PAD gets its way) she has a constitutional right as Thai citizen to vote in any way she wishes, a right that you don't have, it's your opinion that matters most. Now, where have I heard that before? Isn't that kind of manipulation tantamount to vote buying?

I'll bet that the poor girl dare not have a political opinion while you are around. Does she show you her mark before she puts her paper in the Ballot Box, or does she secretly vote for Thaksin's lot while telling you she voted for the Dems to make you happy? How do you know? This is Thailand, and one of the charming traits that the locals have is avoiding conflict wherever possible.

Rick what they don't know that can't do squat about.

It's not quite so:

'look over your shoulder and show us your mark as up north.'

Eh? 'Show us your mark'? Are you talking about the mark of the Beast here? The Beast being Thaksin. Or, are you implying that the proletariat are too stupid to exercise a political opinion, and as such must have it curtailed according to PAD doctrine? You vote by directing your wife to vote, and let's hope she listens to you. Be careful lest she is labelled an inferior being by the shadowy powers that be, for her own good, and her vote is diluted. Your proxy vore via her (if she listens to you), would then be worth even less.

Don't you just love the way democracy works?

Over and over again, posters continue to make the same mistakes about the election laws of Thailand. Voters don't vote for the PM. They vote for MP's who then select the PM. The PM must be an elected MP. Abhisit as an elected MP. He was elected by the people who do vote.

I share the same opinion that has been made several times by others. An election right now is the worst thing that could happen to Thailand. In this economy, this country needs stability which is what national reconciliation would bring.

Ahhh so the army throwing a coup, then banning the members of one side but not the other - is that what you call 'elected by the people that do vote'? Only the people with guns and uniforms count, right?

Be careful with that Animatic. My wifes family did the same during the last local election. Since then all the households on her road have been given a fish farm, with the exception of the wifes family. The reason is obvious. Corruption rules!

Cheers, Rick

Well observed Rick. Thailand is a corrupt country. Corruption was around long before Thaksin's lot. Ask any policeman.

That's your opinion, which you are entitled to in a democratic society. Let the people decide.

Do you get to vote?

No, my Mrs. does for us.

I keep her informed about various trends.

LOL ... Your Mrs. votes for both of you? How fortunate - you can't vote. How do you know the Mrs. votes according to your instructions? Does she follow your brainwashing? That's a very authoritarian concept, but the PAD would no doubt agree with it. Is your Mrs:

1) Educated, deserving of full voting powers? Or,

2) Uneducated, only deserving curtailed voting powers, or none at all?

Refer to the little yellow book

There is too much that needs doing RIGHT NOW,

Too much is at stake RIGHT NOW, to do it.

Couldn't agree more. What's getting done? Nothing. What's getting said? Lots, as usual

Wow! Now the Dems are going to solve the unemployment problem. Blah blah blah blah

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1601...rkers-keep-jobs

Here's an idea to tackle global warming using unimited renewable resources - harness Abhisit's / the Dems hot air promises, vows and assurances for electricity generation

Catch the ones who blocked airport first. Cannot? Because they helped Abhisit to get power.

The one whose wife bought a land with their own money.

And the ones who caused the huge lost from closing 2 airports in 8 days. Not to mention a dozen of other damages they did before that.

Who are worse?

True! Abhisit has chosen his words wisely, but that's all he can do. He only speaks. Was he the one who said "We will not use violence to the reds"?

That's Abhisit's problem - he comes across as a hypocrite who preaches reconciliation in theory while applying a double standard in practice.

But no where NEAR the hypocrisy of his opposites;

Thaksin and Chalerm and Jakorapop and Jastuporn.

A mere amateur, dabbler, dilettante in hypocrisies in comparison.

That's your opinion, which you are entitled to in a democratic society. Let the people decide.

Do you get to vote?

I meet a large cross section of working thais from

most all strata's of society and regions of the land.

The amount of actual red supporters is fractional.

This is based on meeting many, many thais in daily life.

Both here and Phuket recently and Bangkok.

And far from only those from 'the south'

we have people from Chaing rai to Satun

and many from the east north east.

The red supporters are a negligible percentage.

So you must live in a Bangkok red enclave.

Lots of taxi drivers as your sources maybe?

Thaksin actively co-opted great groups of people in Bangkok,

and some have yet to revert to reality.

I don't buy it at all.

The VAST majority of Thais wish all the street protests would stop,

that is the ONE prevailing theme.

So yes there is a HUGE difference between The Street and The Country.

As to asserting that only those who don't beliieve Abhisit and the Army implicitly,

must be extremes, is nothing that I said. Not all go re-read if you can't properly grasp my meaning.

It also is ignoring the fact that the two are different entities, even as they must interact together.

The two are not interchangeable parts.

It's not important whether or not you buy anything really. It's what the people buy that matters. Abhisit should put it to the test - call an election. If the people really do like Abhisit and vote him in, more power to his elbow!

Why is he too timid to go to the people, preferring instead to gas-bag about how he can do this and that?

If it wasn't for Thaksin, Thailand would be an decent country, full of thoughtful industrialists, selfless army officers, philanthropic aristos and hard-toiling unenvious working classes. These people are not to blame for it being banana-world in any way shape or form, they were just following ze orders that must be obeyed at all times and the bad example that was being set.

Now if only the sole bad apple, Thaksin, could be put in jail in leg irons (because after all he is convicted, he's a convicted convict who is the subject of a conviction), then Thailand will be this country again. Its axiomatic.

Brilliant! At last we have a solution to Thailand's problems. The clock will turn itself back once Thaksin 'the Beast' is in jail where he belongs. A public lynching may be in order, just to reinforce the message.

Catch the ones who blocked airport first. Cannot? Because they helped Abhisit to get power.

The one whose wife bought a land with their own money.

And the ones who caused the huge lost from closing 2 airports in 8 days. Not to mention a dozen of other damages they did before that.

Who are worse?

True! Abhisit has chosen his words wisely, but that's all he can do. He only speaks. Was he the one who said "We will not use violence to the reds"?

That's Abhisit's problem - he comes across as a hypocrite who preaches reconciliation in theory while applying a double standard in practice.

This government do command a majority in parliament as shown by their easily winning the censure vote with an increasedmargin over what the PM was initailly slected by.

Wrong. The Democrat Party occupies only 173 seats. By any definition of basic mathematics, that's a hung parliament, not an overall majority. Hung parliaments in Thailand have always played out the same way: powerless coalitions that veto real progress for the man in the street, in favour of petty intrigue and factional, often personal interests. None of them has ever lasted a full term.

Speaking volumes is the simple fact that Abhisit still hasn't managed to achieve anything concrete since he was installed by his military masters, other than making vows and assurances. Making promises is something that the Dems have had a lot of practice in doing over the years.

May I remind that Mr. Abhisit won his confidence vote in parliament. Even some votes came from the opposition.

So, he got a mandate from your political brothers and sisters as well, right? I know it is hard to lose face and admit you have failed not only in parliament but in the entire country.

May I remind only after a military coup, a judicial coup, losing a general election, a junta, banning as many of the opposition as possible, airport closures, militant protests etc, etc, etc.

Right - only by a prolonged interference by the military and judiciary, did Abhisit get installed. His opponents that had been chosen by the people were banned from politics. He would never have made it in a free and fair election. That makes him look like a lame duck, for all his lofty promises, vows and assurances.

That's all that successive Democrat governments could ever do - promises, vows, assurances

Anyone wonders why people voted for a person who does not talk well in both Thai and English?

Because he works well. Khun Thaksin is most suitable for the PM position. Abhisit is best to be a spokesman or head of opposition party.

after reading this post I must admit I am not able to relate to your postings anymore.

Ain't got now idea what do you want to achieve or "say" with these confusing postings!

It seems very clear what Koo is saying. Koo is saying that work is more important than talk. Governments work. Opposition talks. Abshisit, ny talking and getting nothing done looks more like he is in opposition than in power.

May I remind that Mr. Abhisit won his confidence vote in parliament. Even some votes came from the opposition.

So, he got a mandate from your political brothers and sisters as well, right? I know it is hard to lose face and admit you have failed not only in parliament but in the entire country.

So Abhisit didn't get kicked out by a no confidence motion? So what? It's reconciliation on the streets that AbhisIt promised us. Where is it? Why doesn't Abhisit get the peole to give him a vote of confidence?

No he said country, not streets.

There many many more people involved than just the street renegade brigades.

It is the division within PTP that points this out the most.

There are still PTP members who voted their consciouse

and backed the government because

nothing was proved by their OWN PTP LEADERS.

The PTP hardcore Thaksin leadership is the red shirt controler,

but that doesn't go for ALL the PTP MPs.

By driving a wedge of good intentions and good actions,

between the red controlers and the moderate PTP members,

the MAJORITY can reach some form of reconciliation.

The exreme fringes NEVER will be reconciled,

just as there are STILL Red Communists looking for a resurgence even 30 years later.

Reconciliation on the streets is not the aim,

but the majority of the body politic taking

a live and let live stance should be the real goal.

The country, the streets, what difference does it make? Where is this reconciliation?

I had a laugh at your labelling people who refuse to believe Abhisit and his military cronies as 'extreme fringes'. It's pretty obvious just talking to people that the red movement has a lot more sympathy than that. Feelings are running high in the general population, and you are comparing the red shirts to an almost Al Quaeda-esque tiny minority? Open your eyes and look beyond the pages of the Bangkok Post and the Nation.

It's hard for Thais to to believe Abhisit has the popular support that he will need to undertake the monumental task of glueing Thailand back together again, at street level, when he is too unsure of himself even to hold an election and get a mandate from the general public. Relying on the army cronies that installed him into power to keep him there wil only make his task harder.

Meanwhile he makes promises just like all the Dem PM's who came and went before him.

May I remind that Mr. Abhisit won his confidence vote in parliament. Even some votes came from the opposition.

So, he got a mandate from your political brothers and sisters as well, right? I know it is hard to lose face and admit you have failed not only in parliament but in the entire country.

So Abhisit didn't get kicked out by a no confidence motion? So what? It's reconciliation on the streets that AbhisIt promised us. Where is it? Why doesn't Abhisit get the peole to give him a vote of confidence?

This government do command a majority in parliament as shown by their easily winning the censure vote with an increasedmargin over what the PM was initailly slected by.

Wrong. The Democrat Party occupies only 173 seats. By any definition of basic mathematics, that's a hung parliament, not an overall majority. Hung parliaments in Thailand have always played out the same way: powerless coalitions that veto real progress for the man in the street, in favour of petty intrigue and factional, often personal interests. None of them has ever lasted a full term.

Speaking volumes is the simple fact that Abhisit still hasn't managed to achieve anything concrete since he was installed by his military masters, other than making vows and assurances. Making promises is something that the Dems have had a lot of practice in doing over the years.

PM vows reconciliation in 8 months

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Published on May 1, 2009

And this is news? Tell us another one, just like the other one.

That's all that successive Democrat governments could ever do - promises, vows, assurances - all coming to nothing more than factional infighting and bickering. Nothing of substance for your average Thai.

Actions speak louder than words, and Abhisit is reduced to babbling about yet another rehash of the constitution, and thinly veiled acceptance that he has no other choice than to call an election. Give us a government that actually commands a majority in parliament.

The only time I had a syphillis test was for my PR application. The work permit medical is a bit of a joke - down to the local clinic, doctor waves a stethoscope in your general direction, asks you if you feel OK, then gives you the certificate.

Hmmm, I must have this itchy rash looked at ...