bamboozled

6 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

there was a thread here about an alternate border close by mae sai if u can find it

 

something about a boat across a small river in that region

There is the Friendship bridge from Chang Kong to Huay Xai in Laos. That will work, too, it's just a bit more hassle than Mae Sai as you need an official visa. Available on arrival but it's more nerve wracking like all visas are, to me, at least. Mae Sai is super easy. And much cheaper but anyway... It's really the ease of it. The Laos crossing, you might not have the correct paper work, photo, face, etc...

I'm waiting patiently for any good news saying it's open again. Before the 17th, please.

25 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In your case your are right. You just speculated and gave a reason why.

But many other member here seem to know exactly what is going on: She must be a gambling addict, she has a Thai boyfriend and she gives him all the money, etc.

Yes, these are possibilities. Not more, not less.

I hope it's just an empty boat.

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I find it amazing how many people in this thread think they know exactly what is going on.

We all don't know. We can speculate and guess. But there are more options in this world than a boyfriend and gambling. What is so difficult about keeping an open mind?

That's not Occam's razor, as I understand it. Sure, there are plenty of other possibilities but I would say they're less probable. You said it: we are speculating and guessing which is what the OP asked for, more or less. Is it not?

16 minutes ago, novacova said:

16 minutes ago, novacova said:

war, anarchy or whatever you want to call it 

Yeah, but what's different on July 4 from July 3? Don't they want my 10 bucks?

Addicts will do anything for their addiction. I'm guessing gambling. That is a much softer blow to the ego than her seeing another man, I think. So that's a plus. Kicking addictions ain't no cake walk. Good luck.

Occam's razor: the simplest, least complex answer wins the day. She already has the gambling history.

Oh this is unfortunate news for me. Was due up there in 10 days time. So no reason given...something must have prompted it. Then again, perhaps General So & So woke up on the wrong side of the bed and just said, " %uck it, close the damn gate." Thanks much for the heads up.

Oh those lawyers will get you: 'Cause we're young, dumb, and farung. Not sure about the young part anymore.

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

for getting a drivers license & opening a bank account one is needed 

Hmm, I have just opened 2 bank accounts in the last month and didn't need one. But perhaps because I'm married? Who knows. They didn't ask. I needed a hell of a lot of other stuff but not that. I am just of the mind that we can go and get CoRs 'til we're blue in the face with no reason given. It is true that is is free to get one, or at least used to be....even if they make you think it costs 500 baht. This may have changed.

You are not legally responsible for any debts your wife incurred or incurs without your knowledge/consent. Absconding...these days, the police/immi presumably know where you are based on the TM30. So if she goes to the police to report your absconding, they can find you if they want....so I believe. Mental health care here: She is an adult and has to agree to any therapies or hospital stays. You can't "put" someone in there against there will. Unless the court institutionalizes her. In the mental hospital, if she goes, she will be given a lot of medication and no talk therapy of any kind. I know from going through this with my Thai wife, multiple times and for multiple years. It might help her a lot and it might not. But it's a long, slow climb out of the hole with no guarantees. Even if she finds some balance, can you see yourself staying with her? Has too much damage been done; too much water over the dam? Not easy to feel good about someone after they've smashed up a place and threatened with a knife. Even if you have sympathy.

Based on her documented violence, you have a good case for a judge granting you divorce with or without her consent, and custody, I would think. At least that is what is in the law. I don't think a Thai judge is going to be happy with a violent mother regardless that the father is farang.

Good luck!

20 hours ago, Raindancer said:

Yep.   If you need the info, PM me.  And some of the info was personal to my wife and not for public consumption.    And I didn't want to get involved in the usual debates that occur on this forum.

That's understandable.

On 6/29/2023 at 3:19 PM, Raindancer said:

Hi.  PM sent.

Any reason this info couldn't be public? I'd like to know the ins and outs of this. I ain't getting younger. Cheers!

2 hours ago, proton said:

Chang is now 4..8 % a girlie drink, what happened to kloster beer ?

A Sangsom chaser does the trick.

3 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I'm with you on that nothing special about Beer Lao in my opinion either, no different to any other mass produced beer, as far I am concerned, although admittedly I'm no connoisseur and don't really drink for the taste, I will admit however that even I find "Archer" and "cheers" almost undrinkable

I definitely prefer chang to Leo, and whilst I have no real issues with Singha I haven't actually drunk it for years nobody I know drinks it either

I remember the 6.4% chang in the brown bottles, some of which were embossed with the word Carlsberg   just above the chang label. ( what happened to carlsberg it sort of disappeared)  It was a bit touch and go, sometimes foul and sometimes not too bad but a headache was nearly always guaranteed for me.

 I much prefer the newer brew in the green bottles, which I think was around the time the alcohol content was reduced and would rather drink that, than the very very similar but overpriced Heineken

Does anybody remember the brew called "black tiger" ( no relation to the modern day "Tiger" as far as I am aware, ) and not unlike the dark Beer Lao.  it was around about 25 years ago at the same time as "Black cat" whiskey but has long since disappeared. A pity as I used to quite like it

I remember the 6.4% Chang in green bottles but I could be wrong. I didn't realize the change when it happened but only realized it at some point later on. I am a Singha drinker...so there you go! Carsberg is around, still. And what's the German sounding one, begins with an "F" I think? Kind of skunky tasting. That's it, Federbrau. I can't drink Leo, makes me feel ill immediately, for some reason. Though I can drink Chang (sweeter than Singha).

I don't have insurance and like to appease myself with the thought that the vast, vast, vast majority of the world also does not have health insurance. That won't save my life or reduce my pain but adds a certain perspective. I'm in good company. At least a LOT of company.

As other contributors have pointed out, death will get us all in the end. We might be better off meditating on it and getting more comfortable with it. Yes, this is all easy to say being in relatively good health, currently.

And chances are your insurance WILL be a waste of money. Let's hope so, right? Risk vs. reward.

Come on, man! The Thai economy has no bearing on the Thai baht. Everyone knows that! Nor do political events or sea changes in deeply embedded cultural touchstones. I am being somewhat facetious, I think.

Having been here awhile and having tried to gauge the direction of the baht, based on the various factors mentioned above, I have come to see that it's very difficult. You get black swan events in Thailand and the baht appreciates. Well, that's my experience. I'm no financial wizard by any means. Not for nothing is it called Teflon Thailand. Also known as TITs. Together: Teflon Tits. Who knew?

I don't quite understand the "Beer Laos is great" gang. It isn't, in my opinion. It's just something other than the ubiquitous 3 Thai beers so perhaps it SEEMS better? Surely, I'm inviting a boatload of flack and I'll probably get death threats but...it just isn't that good. The gold foil is a nice marketing touch, to be sure. Also, the dark is a nice change of pace when icy cold and the black label tickles my graphic sensibilities. But like McDonald's french fries, once it loses the optimal temp, the enjoyment decline is precipitous. Again, IMHO. Cue the brigade.

There are a few Thai-born IPAs now that are quite tasty, IMHO. Not sure what brewing musical chairs they have to do to brew it but a tall-boy IPA for 119...def worth it now and again.

Lastly, when and why did Chang drop down to 5% alcohol from 6.4%? I miss my Changover!

16 hours ago, Liquorice said:

@bamboozled stated his visa expired towards the end of July. He didn't state when his current permission of stay expires.
If he does a border run before the visa expiry date, he'll get a further 90 days on re-entry, which he could extend for a further 60 days. That would take him to Nov/Dec before he needed a new visa.
Re-entry permits would protect his permission of stay during his proposed trip.

Liquorice, you just woke me up from my slumber and saved my butt and I thank you. As most of you know, I think, with a Multi-entry Visa, and not extension, one must exit the country every 90 days. I totally spaced a few months ago and overstayed by 4 days. ...Tried to check into a hotel and they asked me where my current and valid visa/stamp was to be found. Whoa...heart drop! Realized I had overstayed in that moment, completely unaware and unusual for me. Luckily, I was close to a border and did my run with no ill-consequence (I hope!...time will tell) other than paying 2000 baht extra. Because of these 4 days, however, my visa expiration date and permission to stay date diverge by 4 days with visa expiring 4 days earlier.

I'm now leaning toward doing a border bounce right before the visa expiration date to extend the permission to stay to 15 months (instead of going to Savannakhet for new visa....that will be later) and had the date of the permission to stay lodged in my head and not the 4-day prior visa expiration date. Yikes! Would not have been a fun border bounce.

Kudos to you all, thank you! Bam

15 hours ago, Liquorice said:

You can always apply for a 60-day extension to 'visit Thai spouse', which will effectively change the date you need to renew your Non Imm O ME visa, if that helps.
You can also obtain a re-entry permit for the 60-day extension.

 

Are you aware with the Non Imm O ME, it's possible to stay in Thailand for almost 17 months, with only 3 border runs and 3 x 60 day extensions, before applying for a new Visa.

Thanks for your reply, Liquorice. I'm aware of those options and appreciate the reminder. Going to weigh them all and make a decision.

Cheers!

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

When you are given a new visa by a consulate, the visa is valid starting on the day the visa is issued. Your previous visas and visits to Thailand have no bearing on the validity period of the visa.

That makes sense. That's what I had figured. Cheers!