purushanti

A problem with "grey" dealing is that the filer and an observer can see the same situation different ways. What is legal to one may be perceived as illegal to another. A matter of perception.

And then there is the problem of double jeopardy: with the increasing globalization going on to this point, one's home government, in addition to the Thai government, may sense a whiff of bribery. A matter of deception......If one breaks a home country law in a foreign country, one may be liable legally to the courts of both nations.

Aside from considerations of ethics and morality, safer to be undoubtedly compliant.

Appointment card, what exactly is that?

Thank you all; I feel more confident now.

And Dante, when one goes thru the ACS Appointment System, one is asked to print out ACS's version of confirmed details, and bring it to the consulate or embassy involved.

Perhaps "card" was not the right word for it.

I have an appointment at the US consulate in CM, but have lost the appointment card.

Have emailed them as to whether I will still be admitted, but no reply.

Anyone have experience with such a (self-created) predicament?

(If the no reply means no admittance, I cannot even cancel the appointment to open it up for another person, nor do I think they will let me have a new appointment. At the very least, I think they do not want you opening up another appointment without canceling the first one.)

As another alternative, I will be in BKK before my CM appointment. Could I therefore get the notarial there for CM Immigration, ie, would CM Immigration accept a notarial frm the BKK US people, or would that upset local protocol in CM, as there might be puzzlement as to what I am doing in BKK, when I live in CM. (I visit an excellent dentist in BKK.)

Thanking you in advance.

Walk away from Santichaiprakarn Park, in the upriver direction, and you will find a nice apartment house on the water. Also check out MN Residence, Soi 5 (Samsen), but much cheaper than your maximum.

Why don't you take it back to Europe as cash money?

No hassle with explaining, where you got it from, what you intend to do with it, etc.

And best of all you don't make the banks rich, as they will charge you half a fortune for a banking transfer. First the Thai banks will want it documented, whether the money is legal and legally yours, then they charge you.

I recently took cash money across borders, way above the stated limits. I had to press the officials to document my taking in and taking out of money, both in Asia as also in Europe. They simply don't want to be bothered with this! So take your money as cash and travel! I will do that in the future as well!

As long as you don't act suspicious, nobody will know, what you got in your pocket(s).

Just make sure it's not in the checked-in luggage!!!

If I had that kind of money, I would be concerned that some offical would call a buddy, perhaps outside the airport, to lessen the load. But maybe that is paranoia. Up to you!

Also, it seems that regulations and laws are tending to be same-same (excuse my Thai again!) in many countries, as there is a push toward one world sameness. So, if a country across the pond does something, the next thing you know, a lot of other nations may be picking up the idea. Therefore important to to keep up with the latest regs.

And, it is not just a matter of security people, nor of Immigration people, but Customs officials also. Their regs may even conflict with one another.

The bottom line is always to be compliant, but one needs to know what the latest regs are to be complied with, leaving arriving, and even transitng thru a third spot.

Finally, there have been cases in traveling where that which has not been declared is confiscated.

There is another forum, free also, where expats, and wanna-be expats discuss such topics---International Man.

Related question with regard to traveling costs in CM........taxi! 120 bhat or 150 bhat hve seen. But if more than one person, full price again, or one payment covers every body? Thanks in advance.

For late December, do i need somehow to make an appointment in advance, before showing up at Thai Immigration, Bangkok? If so, where, how do I make this appointment? Thanks in advance!

There is a new AA print shop on the basement floor of Kad Suan Kaew, not too far from the sushi bar. They might do this.

I am understanding that one can renew the 5 year license up to 90 days before expiration.

How about the one year license; how many days before expiration can it be renewed?

Friend reports her symptoms disappeared after using cataract eyedrops from "Similican".

Big-pharma trained physicians, most of them, may scoff at the idea.

Bany alternatives out there to everything we have ever learned. Up to you!

No, I am not aphysician, nor do I have any relationship to this company.

Friend reports to me that she forego surgery and used cataract eyedrops, brand name "Similisan, and her symptoms. went away.

On the other hand, i would expect that most doctors trained in traditional medicine by big pharma would discount the above.

So, it is an individual choice. A whole world of alternatives out there to everything we have been taught. Up to you.

My experience was that the Thai driver's license people were happy to see my AAA documents. Not sure if I would have been given Thai license without both them and a state license.

Surely I must msunderstand this thread. I would advise to always be compliant with the laws of governments, and with the edicts of courts. Otherwise, beyond ethics or morality (remember them? there are considerations of huge consequences (finances and/or incarceration) for being non-compliant or for aiding and abetting others in that direction.

Another angle; yes, there are legitimate, low-cost second passports, but they require at minimum 4 years of residence, or a number of trips back and forth to complete the process. If I felt, as I do here, that someone were evading finacial requirements, or running from the law, or advising such, I would offer no referrals.

Parts of this thread, taken as a whole, reflect poorly on the majority of expats. Only a minority are running fom the law, or evading finacial constraints placed upon them,

govermentally or judicially. (At the same time, I must admit that my initial experience in Bangkok, when I asked some people what were their means of livelihood here, produced the answer of silence, so I learned to keep pretty much to myself, not wanting to be perceived as involved with such people. A loss, because otherwise they seemed quite interesting folk.)

And those officials, of whatever nations, who might perceive guilt by association or by deed, I am certain are in a position to collect additional perceptions when surveilling Thaivisa.

I simply freely write what I feel. Do also what you will.

Advaita vedanta has a method of constantly asking: 'Who am I?", and the answer eventually will come from beyond intellect, for we are , in our true nature, above and beyond intellect. The knowing of self melts knower and known into pure knowingness, without an object.

Thus the meditator enters samadhi, and the fusion of enoying and enjoyment leaves but pure joy, ananda, bliss-consciousness, which can become permanent, eternal, everlasting.

More commonly known as self inculcation. If you spend enought time trying to convince yourself that you are a three legged purple chicken you will finally believe it. Nothing more (or less) than self induced insanity.

Socrates was at the point at the end of his life, where he was able to say: "I know nothing".

Sounds like he needed a trip to a gogo club to remind him of carnal pleasures, instead of racking his brains against a dead-end. I know, I know, he was Greek, but they do have boy-a-go-go's too.

This accomplishment of coming to "not knowing", is not an accomplishment, for the ego, the small self, is out of the pecture now, and what is happening is at most simply witnessing what transpires, not being involved, on the level of the Higher Self. The process is effortless; one cannot try to transcend; it happens by itself. Those who continuously concentrate on a mantra stay stuck with it; however,when the mantra goes by itself, finer and finer experiences of it occur until, it is gone. And what is left is the pure field of knowingness, absent knower and known.

Some would claim that it is easier for the non-intellectual to be at one with this experience, but it is our inherent nature.

Desires drop off, and samadhi comes. It is a matter of when the time is right when anything comes to us or leaves us.

And Byron Katie has said that the only honest answer is: "I don't know."

This is not a complaint (I am in "mai pen rai" mode), but an anecdotal record of my experience in CM, as a motivation to be more careful than I . Had not received reply from Immigration, 30 days after mailing. Called; they said to come down there. Problem now was that I had misplaced my EMS receipt, which they were expecting me to produce. Finally, after locating me in their records, were able to tell me mail had been sent back to me. (Do wish I had a private mailbox at my apartment; maybe that would have helped.) Was told that the mail option would no longer be open to me in the future. Othrewise, our interchange was smooth. I had made a mistake, and accepted the consequence.

Somewhere along the line there is responibility, the other side of the coin of reedom. Is freedom really an absolute?

I have seen Post Office boxes in the Post offices in Thailand. Not sure if you can rent one from abroad. The ones I sa had a door inside the post office and another in the wall outside. customers can then collect their mail even when the post office is closed

MBE in Bangkok.

I have seen Post Office boxes in the Post offices in Thailand. Not sure if you can rent one from abroad. The ones I sa had a door inside the post office and another in the wall outside. customers can then collect their mail even when the post office is closed

MBE in Bangkok.

One more here!

Hi! I am pleased with Huay Kaew Residence, and no, it is not perfect (at least another thread somewhere with negatives about it). it seems to met your requirements, has wi-fi (which I have not used). Internet shop nearby with wifi and knowlegeable computer staff----Buddy's.. Also, there is a soi opposite the adjoining Shell statrion, which has a couple of apartment houses. None of these are hotels, but at least HKR, (maybe the others), meet your requirements. Chiang Mia Orchard Hotel and Kad Suan Kaew also have fitness; the hotel has swimming also.

Might want to check about how healthy soy is, side-effects accumulating. Just speaking frfom family experience and health food news,

FWIW, I have even had the experience, at one one of my BKK extensions for purpose of retirement, of being asked to sign an extra paper indicating that i understood this regulation.

Things changed a while back.

From Hull Immigration website:

Category “O”

--------------------------

1) Married to a Thai national

Evidence required:

a) If married in Thailand:

Copies of Original Thai Marriage Certificate and Thai ID Card or Thai Passport.

b ) If married in UK:

Copies of Original UK Marriage Certificate and Thai ID Card or Thai Passport.

Please note that either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted in these circumstances.

or

2) Visiting Thai child living in Thailand

Evidence required

a) Birth Certificate of child showing relationship

b ) Proof of having legal custody of the child

Please note that either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted in these circumstances.

or

3) Visiting non Thai family working and/or living in Thailand

Evidence required:

a) Birth/Marriage Certificate to show relationship and date of birth – applicant must not be older than 20 years.

b ) Letter from relative in Thailand confirming they are in Thailand together with copy of

page in their passport showing valid entry visa or a copy of their valid work permit..

Please note that either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted to applicant aged up to 20 years in these circumstances. If applicant is aged 21 or over then they can be granted

only a Tourist Visa with 1, 2 or 3 entries.

or

4) Volunteer Work

Evidence required:

a) Sponsor Letter from Registered Charity.

Please note that only a single entry visa can be granted in these circumstances.

or

5) Visiting Thailand as Pensioner aged 65 and over

Evidence required:

a) Bank Statement showing receipt of State and/or Private Pension.

or

b ) Pension Statement

Please note that either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted in these circumstances.

or

6) Visiting Thailand as Retired Person aged between 50 and 64 years

Evidence required:

a) Copy of Bank Statement showing income of minimum £1200 per month or lumpsum

amount of £20,000

Please note that either a single or multiple entry visa can be granted in these circumstances.

Number 6 indicates a specific sum needed for younger folk, but for those over 65 (number 5), no specific sum needed? In particular, I am looking at this inside Thailand, and renewing the visa for purposes of retiement. Thanks.

FWIW, no argument about BKK, but my recent first experience in Chiang Mai, mailed 15 days early, they counted it as received a week early, and assigned a new 90 days report date based upon the receipt date of my report. So, I figured next time maybe best for me to mail it just a week ahead of time....... Ah, but I do not want to be in violation of even the smallest regulation.!