jonclark

"Whoever causes chaos to Thailand or takes peace and order away, they should not be recognized as Thais, because Thais don't destroy each other," the junta chairman said in his speech last night.

Given the annual murder and road kill stats I'd say Thais are pretty good at destroying each other.

Watching the morning news over the past few weeks this seems to have been a very common occurrence with bullets falling like rain from the skies over New Years. Everyday on the news there are different families pointing to holes in their roofs / car windscreens etc - one even woke up to find a bullet had fallen through her roof and had gone through the lid of her rice cooker.

One now infamous event that has been repeated on the morning news showed 6 - 8 teenagers at a New Years bash - each with an automatic pistol - firing off a barrage in unison and emptying each magazine - so dumb and drunk they filmed themselves doing it and ended up getting their collars felt by the BiBs - who made them apologies and confiscated their guns.

The one thing that is clear is that Thailand could certainly give the US a run for its money on gun ownership.

whats up with the guy on the right?

These Thais are weak of all it takes is 15 degrees C to kill them.

With that monthly salary there will be no problem with a mortgage.Just remember the following

1) You will be the guarantor - This means that there will be an obligation for you to take out the banks insurance. So that in the event of your passing the debt is covered / paid. This insurance will add a couple of thousand a month to your repayments over a 20 year mortgage.

2) Any mortgage offer is dependent on the valuation of the banks surveyor for the property. Not the asking price.

3) The bigger your deposit the better - UOB offer 95% mortgage in situations like yours - head office down by Prom Phong BTS is your best bet

4)You will need you get a credit history for you and your wife. This costs 100 baht and their is an office in the basement of the office block on the corner of sukhumvit / sukhumvit soi 25 (i think - has a noodle bar on the opposite side)

5) Get multiple copies of everything

6) As an aside in your situations banks seem to be more willing to give mortgages if there is a bit of length to the marriage history - this is purely anecdotal based on my experiences.

Good luck

Congestion Charge and car less streets.

thanks for the message and advise

i understand that if i take out a 30 year lease on the land …. i am covered by law ?

i wil own the house

but not the land ….

but i have the right to access ?

please advise

Billy

As I said before what is the gain for your girlfriend should you split. The law is flexible especially where foreigners are concerned. To assume that she will be happy with a plot of land that she is unable to use as an asset for example as collateral against a bank loan, because it is tied into lease is too simple.

As I see it your thinking is. Buy land give it to your GF, lease land from GF build a house and live happily ever after. Seems a one sided deal. What does the GF gain? How much are you gonna pay for the lease, or are you expecting it for free??

If you buy land for your GF it is a gift, you have no legal right to that land. So my question for you to consider is this. If in the unfortunate event of you breaking up with your GF, What does your (ex) GF have to gain from letting you stay in the house that is on her land? Because the expectation as you have described it in the event of a split, might be a little naive.

Splits are usually acrimonious with 'pay back' often on the cards for those who feel jilted.

"In the film, Hitler is not portrayed positively or admiringly," he said

Which he should be of course??? Right??

We've had the Ebola Vaccine breakthrough a few weeks ago (but they may need to have a serious word with GSK who have nicked their idea!) and now a HIV vaccine (I'm assume that there is one as they want to build a factory for its production), next week cancer.

"...now a HIV vaccine (I'm assume that there is one as they want to build a factory for its production)"

You assume too much and read too little.

Sounds like the perfect qualifications for a job in the government.

We've had the Ebola Vaccine breakthrough a few weeks ago (but they may need to have a serious word with GSK who have nicked their idea!) and now a HIV vaccine (I'm assume that there is one as they want to build a factory for its production), next week cancer.

Unfortunately, I know this guy and had the displeasure of working with him many years ago. All teachers should have background checks done. Especially here in Thailand, where the opportunity for predatory behavior is enhanced.

We caught him with pictures of girls on his computer, and he had been using hi5 with a fake profile to stalk young girls. It made all of us squeamish when we would see him meeting with female students. Shortly after that, he resigned from the school to work in Udon Thani. I'm not surprised at the charges in the UK, and just hope he didn't harm anyone here in Thailand.

Good to see that you reported him immediately to the school and the Police and helped to prevent yet another pedophile preying on other young children and ruining their lives ...

He would have probably sued for defamation of character!

This is your girlfriend you are talking about - correct. So basically your buy this land in your girlfriends name, with your money Part of the purchase process involves you signing away any legal right to this land. 2 months / 6 months down the road you split with your girlfriend (hopefully not). But if you do - she has the land in her name.

So the choice you have to make is simple. The purchase of the land is a gift for your girlfiend, (like a watch or a ring or a cat but bigger), it is hers and hers alone. Do you love her enough to give her such an expensive gift? Yes or No?

If you were in a strong marriage (and you would know that better than anyone) then go for it, it will be a great investment over the years if used well. If you get divorced the wife gets the land - happens in most EU / US divorce cases anyway so us men shouldn't get hung up on it.

The CBC in Thailand is basically fingerprint taking by the local police to see if they match (or might match future) crimes, check Address, passport etc. International schools (depending on the school) require a CBC -( often enhanced disclosure) from the home country, as they operate under international standards. Thailand, being Thailand doesn't. It runs on Thailand's standards.

CBC can take up to three months and in the UK a teacher will often work, whilst the CBC is being undertaken. Most NQT now have CBC - enhanced disclosure completed after graduation - which cuts down the time when any new CBC is done. CBC are a continuous process often undertaken when any teacher moves positions.

Also I am fairly sure that (and the law may have changed) the school must request the teacher CBC, not the teacher. The teacher signs a consent form and then the school administers the rest. This is so that there is absolutely no interference in the process by the 'applicant'. So to answer your question a Thai school would need to get the prospective teacher to sign a formal UK consent form and then the Thai school would have to apply to the relevant UK agencies for the CBC (basic / standard or enhanced).

Those practicalities (and the language barrier) make is very unlikely that this will ever become the norm in Thailand (international schools as the exception).

Thanks for the answer, but it's left me a bit confused. So am I understanding you right in saying:

--The CBC for prospective teachers done in Thailand is just local involving keeping/checking any records for THAILAND offenses and warrants.

--But it sounds like you're saying, there's no government requirement for foreign teachers to provide a CBC from their home country...

BTW, I don't think you're correct about it having to be the school and not the teacher to request a home country CBC. Reason is... look at the current requirement for retirement visas issued by Thai Consulates abroad. The applicant is required to provide both a police clearance and medical check from their home country as part of the visa application process. So obviously, it would seem that individuals can request their own CBC in their native country.

If the Thai government can require a home country police clearance for retirement visa applicants, it kind of boggles to understand why they wouldn't/couldn't do the same for foreigners seeking to teach in Thai schools.

Regarding your comments above about personal information, I've never had to have one of these done for myself. But I've always assumed it was a document that simply says, such and such law enforcement agency had checked its records for so and so and found no criminal record history, or, found this criminal record history. I'm assuming the document that gets issued is not like a private credit report with info about past residences, bank accounts, employers, etc etc.

When I had my Enhanced CBC done as a teacher in the UK ( many moons ago & I am sure the requirements / details provided have change over time) the details were very detailed - but with data protection etc its possible it may well have been changed. And there was an obligation that the report be destroyed by the employer within three months of issuance.

But I know that you cannot apply for it. It must be initiated by the school / employer with your consent. I am not sure what 'police clearance' is? . You may find that the two are different (basic and enhanced).

This gives the basic process for a UK teacher or worker with vulnerable groups

https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview

As far as I know the one in Thailand is local. That maybe changing as Thailand works more closely with other law enforcement agencies.

This is a timely reminder for this current administration to legislate that all foreign nationals and nationals applying for work visa's or to work with children require a working with children police clearance from their country of origin , this would alleviate any of this unsavoury behaviour and endanger children, as this has happen before. .

But lets not forget that - whilst these allegations are if true awful. Thailand needs to get it own house in order as well.

There are many instances of male teachers having forced or consensual sexual affairs with some very young students in Thailand.

Can any of of the teachers here explain about how the criminal background check issue works -- or is supposed to work -- for teachers here in Thailand? Or even if the Thais have such a requirement?

I can understand that it's not really likely or practical to expect some government school in Nakhon Nowhere to obtain its own criminal background check on prospective teachers.

However, it's easily practical for such a school to make, and for the government to require, that as a pre-condition of hiring a new teacher that the TEACHER obtains and provides a criminal record clearance document from their home country.

What's the deal with that here???

The CBC in Thailand is basically fingerprint taking by the local police to see if they match (or might match future) crimes, check Address, passport etc. International schools (depending on the school) require a CBC -( often enhanced disclosure) from the home country, as they operate under international standards. Thailand, being Thailand doesn't. It runs on Thailand's standards.

CBC can take up to three months and in the UK a teacher will often work, whilst the CBC is being undertaken. Most NQT now have CBC - enhanced disclosure completed after graduation - which cuts down the time when any new CBC is done. CBC are a continuous process often undertaken when any teacher moves positions.

Also I am fairly sure that (and the law may have changed) the school must request the teacher CBC, not the teacher. The teacher signs a consent form and then the school administers the rest. This is so that there is absolutely no interference in the process by the 'applicant'. So to answer your question a Thai school would need to get the prospective teacher to sign a formal UK consent form and then the Thai school would have to apply to the relevant UK agencies for the CBC (basic / standard or enhanced).

Those practicalities (and the language barrier) make is very unlikely that this will ever become the norm in Thailand (international schools as the exception).

Governments charge obscene paper processing fees to release information for the public good. Eliminating this aspect, providing verified internet record access would help everyone concerned.

The big issue with internet record access - in Thailand especially - Is that an enhanced disclosure check provides very detailed information on the individual (previous addresses, telephone numbers, bank accounts, etc). If you were subject to an Enhanced background check that data could be sold / misused / passed on to a third party for the price of a bottle of Johnny Walker. Who would in effect have the information to assume your identity. Tracing individuals who have access to CBC in the UK is difficult but very do-able. In Thailand clawing that data back and amending it (if required) would be nearly impossible.

How would you ensure that a CBC given out over the internet wasn't misused and was only seen by the intended party? And not the entire admin office staff, visiting teachers, parents and students who occasionally wander in. I sure as shit wouldn't want my data sent via the internet to some of these less than reputable teaching agencies - would you?

Most admin /office staff in UK schools have had an enhanced CBC done themselves (as they work with vulnerable groups). Thai schools / teaching agencies don't. So it would be very naive to assume the staff in Thai schools / teaching agencies are honest and upright citizens. Most are in debt and making a quick buck (at a foreigners expense) with little chance of come back maybe too tempting. Data sells!

A difficult conundrum

Can any of of the teachers here explain about how the criminal background check issue works -- or is supposed to work -- for teachers here in Thailand? Or even if the Thais have such a requirement?

I can understand that it's not really likely or practical to expect some government school in Nakhon Nowhere to obtain its own criminal background check on prospective teachers.

However, it's easily practical for such a school to make, and for the government to require, that as a pre-condition of hiring a new teacher that the TEACHER obtains and provides a criminal record clearance document from their home country.

What's the deal with that here???

The CBC in Thailand is basically fingerprint taking by the local police to see if they match (or might match future) crimes, check Address, passport etc. International schools (depending on the school) require a CBC -( often enhanced disclosure) from the home country, as they operate under international standards. Thailand, being Thailand doesn't. It runs on Thailand's standards.

CBC can take up to three months and in the UK a teacher will often work, whilst the CBC is being undertaken. Most NQT now have CBC - enhanced disclosure completed after graduation - which cuts down the time when any new CBC is done. CBC are a continuous process often undertaken when any teacher moves positions.

Also I am fairly sure that (and the law may have changed) the school must request the teacher CBC, not the teacher. The teacher signs a consent form and then the school administers the rest. This is so that there is absolutely no interference in the process by the 'applicant'. So to answer your question a Thai school would need to get the prospective teacher to sign a formal UK consent form and then the Thai school would have to apply to the relevant UK agencies for the CBC (basic / standard or enhanced).

Those practicalities (and the language barrier) make is very unlikely that this will ever become the norm in Thailand (international schools as the exception).

 

Thailand have long been a haven for fugitives of justice of all walks of crimes, from petty thieves

to major crimes, why? because, by default, the system here allow it to happened where you can

assume normal life and virtually disappear from the police radars.. but as they say, every dog

has his day...

 

So, It's all Thailands systems fault that he was allowed here and it had nothing to do with the UK's system that allowed this man with 17 counts of sexual violation to leave the UK.

Tis possible that the allegations of sexual violation were made after he left the UK so therefore at the time he left there was no reason to not let him leave.

Jimmy Saville traveled all over the world in hislifetime...and it was only until recently we discovered his very dark past.

I think best to say that despite the imperfections in the 'system' in this instance this person will be returning to rightfully (and forcibly) face the charges being brought against him.

What is obvious is that you can't make people happy, when you refuse to let them speak their mind.

One of Yinglucks election promises was to bring 'reconciliation', between the different sides, but then - like those in power now - refused to let her opponents speak. And how did that work out for her?

Thailand the proverbial hamster in a wheel. The only thing that changes is the colour of the hamster.

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

TiT

"...sustainable road safety in Thailand."

Does that mean killing people on the roads at a rate below that at which people are born to replace them?