jayceenik

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can any one help with this question any help would be appreciated.If funds are withdrawn from a bank account in uk as travellers cheques then brought to thailand and deposited in a thai bank account does that count as money coming from abroad,as we would have documentory proof that it had come from outsid of thailand.

Last October I exchanged AMEX TC $6,000 (bought in Jakarta) at my bank, Krung Thai. I kept the receipt but a month later they refused to include that amount as funds from abroad in my yearly 800K baht visa renewal letter.

I went to the Thai Embassy in Athens, Greece in order to apply for a double entry tourist visa today. The Greek employee in the visa section there asked me if I was a resident of Greece. I am not (I am Swiss, living partly in Thailand, currently visiting friends in Greece, travelling BKK-ATH-BKK), therefore I honestly said "no" and this was already the end of my visa application, before even getting a form...:

The employee told me that there was a regulation for Europe that Thai visas could only be issued for residents of the respective country by Thai Embassies and consulates in Europe, therefore I couldn't get any visa in Athens. Only the countries surrounding Thailand would issues visas to non-residents of these countries.

I have never heard or read anything like that.

Does anyone know if this is a special Athens thing or if it is a general, rather new Thai regulation? I am quite sure that the practice isn't (or at least wasn't) the same all over Europe.

Bad luck. An American I know got a one-year non-immigrant visa at the Thai Embassy in Budapest last June while vacationing in Europe. No problem but he could show a BKK bank savings account passbook.

The tech who answered did not know about youtube.

He asked me to spell it for him.

He said it is blocked by the Royal Thai police.

My wife reads the same text that appears on the screen and says there is no mention of the Royal Thai police on there but some vague explanation that it contains videos that may offend Thai people's feelings.

I'd send the minister an email but he admitted to never reading it.

"Unforgiving Thailand"

Six weeks ago, right after the launch of the EU info channel on YouTube, I emailed ict.cyberclean.org to advise them that they shouldn't block this EU channel because it is not pornographic or constitutes a menace for Thailand's security. No reply, of course! I would like to see a local child protection NGO ask the powers-that-be why the just-launched YouTube ICMC DontYouForgetMe channel calling attention to missing children worlwide is blocked. That channel was immediately and publicly endorsed by Laura Bush but here in Thailand it is blocked. Unbelievable!

I also think that the lèse-majesté clips should be removed because they're certainly of no interest anyway. They're just crude and offensive (I had them described to me by a friend in the US). They were obviously uploaded by a creep who was looking for YouTube to be blocked in Thailand and he succeeded! The best would have been to just block those clips right away and be done with it. The less said about them the better. Instead they have made plenty people aware of them who would otherwise have not paid any attention to such useless trash.

Today YouTube launched its "Don't You Forget About Me" channel. This channel, developed in conjunction with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) and the Find Madeleine Campaign features clips of more than 25 missing children from around the world.

http://www.youtube.com/DontYouForgetAboutMe

Sorry! the web site you are accessing has been blocked by ministry of information and communication technology

Why is this particular YouTube channel considered a threat to Thailand and blocked? What have those missing children got to do with banned offensive lèse-majesté clips?

And this is JUST the IP address from youtube, there is nothing illegal in accessing websites from their IP's or I missed something?

Yes, you missed the junta's new rules concerning Internet use. It's really now against the law to access web sites that have been officially banned. It doesn't matter what IT technique you use. No loopholes allowed. Proxies are even mentioned. This is no hearsay. Google around and you'll find that particular law (in its English translation, or in Thai if your GF is IT savvy).

Arrived at Suva Monday noon. Thought I would get a quick taxi at the top level (departure), avoiding the sometimes queue at the normal taxi stand on the first floor. Bad experience. After letting me in the driver started out and then announced it would be a non-meter 400 Baht to Sukhumvit Road22. I said no and asked to be let out. He then relented, turned the meter on but said I had to pay the 50 Baht "Security Surcharge". Told him there was no such thing , that the surcharge are for taxis down below but by then we were leaving the airport and I reluctantly agreed. After insisting on going his own longer road he finally delivered me home and asked for an extra 100 Baht. I gave the agreed-upon 50 Baht "surcharge" only. Never again will I take a taxi from the Departure level. They're not allowed to pick up fares there, anyway, and I paid for having tried to beat the system...

With all due respect

What are you thinking getting into a taxi with out discussing the Price?

Or if the meter is on or off.

Not to smart mate.

Yeah, but I was caught by surprise since in Metro BKK one never has to discuss price or meter or no meter, only ask the driver if he agrees on the destination. I never had this no meter problem to and from the airport before.

I have very little doubt that offensive clips can be found, and I completely understand and sympathize with those who find them offensive. I have not seen any of these videos, and will not search them out simply simply because I do not want to. My choice. But here is my problem with the actions of the Thai gov't. There are 194 countries in the world (wikipedia) and Thailand is but one of them. I would say that each of these countries has its own culture, laws, different ways of looking at the world, and different ideas of what is considered offensive and what is not. If you give the government and the country of Thailand the power to have something removed from a website because they consider it to be offensive, then you must also give this power to each and every one of the other 193 countries, and this is what I have a very big problem with. Any one of the 194 different countries in the world would have the power to decided what the rest of the world can and cannot see. The smallest internationally recognized sovern country in the world is Vatican City (also wikipedia). For those who feel that Thailand has the right to decide what is offensive and what should be removed from Youtube, you must also give that same right to the Vatican, and that is really something I don't think I can live with. I personally would prefer that Youtube be banned in Thailand rather than giving Thailand, or any country, the power to decide what can and cannot be shown to the rest of the world. I would also just like to add that personally I really don't think this ban has had that much of an affect on those who really want to watch it. Thank you for letting me have my say, and yes I know that google kowtowed to China and puts money ahead of its alleged values.

Those crude and vulgar clips are not an expression of freedom on the net but put up by creeps who have found a sure way to keep YouTube banned in Thailand. Now, what else is there on YouTube that some don't want us to watch?

Not a single PM with some actual proof of a questionable video yet.

How about it, put forward your findings or stop trying to justify the blocking?

Why don't you ask one of your contacts outside Thailand to check YouTube and confirm/deny that at least one offensive clip is still posted?

The clue is in the post before: 1740 clips checked, not one was offensive.

Hence the request.

Just got my USA friend on the phone again this Monday, August 6. He confirmed that, as we were talking, he was looking at two very, very offensive clips that are a string of pictures with very insulting write-on comments. There may be thousands of we-love-the-king clips, there are at least those two. Check again!

I still confirm that Youtube is unblocked on the Sukhumvit area, True Super Hispeed 1MB.

FYI

Laurent

Can't understand. I'm in Sukhumvit 22 with True 4MB and it is still permanently (I check often!) blocked. Are you using a no-no proxy?

Arrived at Suva Monday noon. Thought I would get a quick taxi at the top level (departure), avoiding the sometimes queue at the normal taxi stand on the first floor. Bad experience. After letting me in the driver started out and then announced it would be a non-meter 400 Baht to Sukhumvit Road22. I said no and asked to be let out. He then relented, turned the meter on but said I had to pay the 50 Baht "Security Surcharge". Told him there was no such thing , that the surcharge are for taxis down below but by then we were leaving the airport and I reluctantly agreed. After insisting on going his own longer road he finally delivered me home and asked for an extra 100 Baht. I gave the agreed-upon 50 Baht "surcharge" only. Never again will I take a taxi from the Departure level. They're not allowed to pick up fares there, anyway, and I paid for having tried to beat the system...

I have endured queue jumping at that same villa and the nearby 7/11. The jumpers have never been Thai though. The last one was Indian I think. The kicker was that the guy wasn't even in a hurry. He opened his drink and swigged it all down before departing. I had a parting word for the MFer

At the NANA Post Office I had once an Indian guy reach rudely around me as I was just ready to conduct my business. He ordered loudly some aerogrammes. Intimidated, the female employee served him. I managed to put my sweaty arm on the aerogrammes when she laid them on the counter. The guy shot me a murderous look. Petty revenge but what the heck!

On the other hand, at the same PO a few days ago, a Thai with a pack of letters who was ahead of me made me go before him when he noticed that I had only one letter to post.

Not a single PM with some actual proof of a questionable video yet.

How about it, put forward your findings or stop trying to justify the blocking?

Why don't you ask one of your contacts outside Thailand to check YouTube and confirm/deny that at least one offensive clip is still posted?

Just to keep things in proper time sequence...the video was put up... and then the blockage began. Subsequently, other offensive videos, even more offensive, were then also put up.

Several months ago, Google agreed to remove all the offensive videos and to their credit most were, but not all, and the blockage has remained in place in response to that incomplete removal of the offensive videos.

These events have all been detailed and chronicled in other youtube threads.

Just for the record, via 'sources close to me' [but not saying it is me] I have been informed that you are incorrect.

There are 1740 'I love the KING', 'Why we love the King', and so on, videos.

You claim that there are offensive videos left - and you keep claiming it. Would you be so kind to send a PM with a link to these videos?

A couple days ago a USA-based friend still found one such offensive clip on YouTube. Tag words "King", "Thailand". He found too a moralising "Farangs don't understand Thailand" lengthy clip, though all Farangs, I'd think, are against keeping such, offensive to the Thais, clips on YouTube and the posters could very well be Thais.

Also, YouTube was blocked a few times well before the initial official ban-causing offensive clip was posted. Each time the authorities claimed they had nothing to do with the block. Coincidentally Mr T. was YouTubing at the time.

For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would disparage the King. Google/YouTube should have taken that clip out immediately after it was brought to their attention. This would have been no censorship but good taste.

My guess: YouTube will NOT come back. It contains just too many Mr T. news clips (CNN interviews, etc). I think it is at times unblocked for a limited period at the request of "influential" ISP subscribers (embassies, news services, corporations) who request to be able to access a clip of interest to them.

Until YouTube removes the offensive videos which prompted the block in the first place, and which have nothing to do with the videos you describe, the block will remain in place.

Posting that short (40"), crude and very offensive (to the Thais) clip was a sure way to rally the people behind the blockage. That video was removed by the user him/herself in early April, anyway. Maybe there are other clips like that one posted since by some who definitely want YouTube to stay blocked in Thailand. Now, why would that be?

Excerpt from the Telegraph/UK 30JUL07 (the next to last sentence explains it all...):

The popularity of online television and video is growing. Videos on YouTube, the video sharing site, now account for 10 per cent of all traffic on the internet, according to analysts Ellacoya Networks. In just one day, YouTube sends the data equivalent of 75 billion emails.

Hitwise, which monitors internet searches, said visitor levels to YouTube have grown by 70 per cent since January and search engine Google thought the site had such massive potential it agreed to pay $1.65 billion for it last year - despite it having never made a penny of profit at the time.

Thousands of fresh videos arrive on the sites every day, courtesy of the millions of people around the world willing to spend their time uploading videos for others to watch.

YouTube is even regarded as an important medium for politicians to reach their electorate.

Tony Blair was the first world leader to have his own YouTube channel and, last week, nearly 3,000 video questions to White House candidates were submitted via YouTube in a debate aired on the CNN channel.

My guess: YouTube will NOT come back. It contains just too many Mr T. news clips (CNN interviews, etc). I think it is at times unblocked for a limited period at the request of "influential" ISP subscribers (embassies, news services, corporations) who request to be able to access a clip of interest to them.

why is everyone so addicted to youtube when there are other sites like Clipser that offer the same thing? there are loads of other sites out there.

It's not an addiction. YouTube is a tool because it carries a lot of information not available elsewhere. For example, the European Union has set up a series of clips informing generally on the EU (youtube/eutube) and CNN will use it to broadcast US election debates (CNN/youtube). Going through my daily intake of world info on the Internet I keep being referred to youtube clips that are maddeningly blocked here though they have nothing to do with Thailand or pornography or illicit activities whatsoever.

Certainly there are lots of other sites where one can find amusing, sometimes informative, clips, but those sites don't offer the same range as YouTube.

She will not lose her US citizenship.

When I became a naturalized US citizen in 1970 there was a requirement on the naturalization application form that I intended "the USA to be my permanent abode". This permanent abode was considered as not going to live outside the US for five years after naturalization or the naturalization would be cancelled because of deceit on that application form. This de-naturalization was nearly applied to me because I didn't think about this five-year permanent abode when I went to work overseas a couple years later. Only an influential senator and my honorable military sevice in the US Army (Vietnam) saved me from the guillotine. Better check if this five year requirement is still in the books.

my wife: Thai by birth, recently became a US citizen

our twin daughters, age 11: US citizens by birth

Check US citizenship laws too. She might lose her newly acquired US citizenship if she starts re-using her Thai passport and Thai nationality. Of course you can keep quiet about this...

OK, it's Joke Day. But this particular "joke" could give ideas to certain politicos...

St Patrick's Day OFFICIAL TV Pissup

All TV members are cordially invited to attend the festivities. Free mesquite smoked BBQ Ribs, corn, jacketed potatoes etc. will be provided. And as this is an "Officially Sponsored" party, free beer will also be provided to Thai Visa members.

Where: Tropical Bert's

When: SAT 17 March 2007, 1900 to ????????

The updated attendance list so far is.....

Britmaverick

Ungabunga+1

Buckwheat

Buriramboy

Rdrokit+1

Raro+1

Bazmlb+1

Glenbat

MonPengCarabao+1

Monty+1

Lovely Cutie

bob4U

Soundman

mamanoodle

PattayaFox+1

begsaresponse

Mobi D'Ark (Maybe)

lampard10+1

davethailand(?)

ehs818

hans booreiland

dishrace

albymush+1

Hope to see you all there.....if you can make it, please post so in this thread in order to give Bert a rough idea of how many people to expect for catering purposes.

Add me "jayceenik" to the guest list. See you!

Retirees who got their retirement visa before 1998 and have been living here continuously on that retirement visa cum yearly renewals (and left Thailand only with proper Exit/Reentry visas so as to keep the validity of their retirement visa) without break are grandfathered with only 200k in the bank. That clause is clearly spelled out in the most recent visa rules.