dairy queen

Just got back from the Ladprao [temporary] immigration office. Basically, it's organized chaos. [For all old-timers, it's like what a very bad day used to be like at Suan Plu 14+ years ago...]

If you've got anything complicated to do, expect a long wait. [i'd advise getting there as early as possible...]

That said, they've got computers etc. in there, so they can process 90 day reporting documents quickly once you're in front of the officer. [Getting to this stage though is the hard part ;-)]

Good luck!

I went to T.M. Chiang Wattana today, and ended up paying a THB2k fine. Out of interest, I spoke with the [very crotchety looking female] senior officer who took the fine and gave me the receipt, and asked her if there is a maximum number of times that you can run these fines. She said "no". Irrespective I have my second red stamp in my newish passport.

There was another chap there who had somehow got himself into a 180+ day overstay. [Not sure why he was in the 90 day reporting section]. If I heard the conversation right [which I might not have done] they were quoting him a huge fine.

While having to pay the THB2k was a nuisance, at least it was quick. In and out in about 15 minutes...

Phew! Thanks guys.

Dammit. Sounds like I owe immigration another fine. Do they charge more than THB2k if you have already failed to report once before? [This will be my second time...]

I renewed my 1 year visa [based on marriage] a couple of months ago [for the third time] and forgot to do the 90 day report. I am liable for the THB2k fine? Has anyone else forgotten to report when they renewed their 1 year visa based on marriage, and gotten away with it?

Theoretically the 90 day report is about your address , which is something that you sign off at T.M. Chang Wattana in order to renew your marriage visa. Not sure that this argument will fly though...

Thanks for all replies.

@ VocalNeal: Anywhere on the BTS will work. .

We shall see...I have an idea on how some barbed wire fixed to planks of wood should do the job. [it should cut off their access to one key area at the very least].

I have been using a BB gun to 'discourage' them, but it's not really been working. Frankly, I'd love to use a .22 air rifle [or better yet something bigger] to rid myself of the buggers permanently, but first off it would upset the neighbors, and secondly there's too much risk of 'collateral damage'].

Any ideas on how to stop cats from coming to a particular place/area?

Thanks Mac, you rock! Do you know of any good builders merchants in [or near] the center of Bangkok? [Or anywhere near the BTS]?

Hi Charlie,

Do you know of any good builders merchants in [or near] the center of Bangkok? [Or anywhere near the BTS]. Also, you don't happen to know the Thai words for barbed wire? [My wife is being difficult, as she thinks that the cats should be free to sh*t wherever they want. She gave me some nonsense the other day about cats being reincarnated monks; there's just no answer to this sort of statement...]

Strange question, but I'm completely stuck...I've lived in Bangkok for 14 years now, and have never seen the stuff on sale anywhere. [Not that I have ever looked to be completely honest].

Does anyone know where I can buy some barbed wire/barb wire, or razor wire as a 'plan-B', from? [Need to stop cats from coming onto my roof and shi%%ing all over the place; it sticks something awful, and is driving me crazy...]

Thanks in advance for any help on this!

Today at my gym I had a discussion with one of the managers over my wife's recent membership extension. They made a [THB 4,000] 'mistake' on the charge [they say] and got her to pay an additional fee to make up the difference. I questioned this, and they then said that if we didn't pay the difference the money would come out of the sales person's salary.

This can't be legal surely? Does anyone know the Thai Labor law on this issue?

Thanks for any replies. It's a little issue, but it bugs me enough to want to know if they're breaking the law on this or not... Frankly, it seems to me that after she made the first payment a contract had been made and legally they couldn't ask for further payment in any case...

Took the useless baskets 6 weeks to send me my new [48 page] passport. I phoned up and complained which turned out to be an expensive waste of money...

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm going to have to do some [more] thinking.

@ Naam: Not to worry; I'm not going to cry any time soon! Things could be way worse and this issue is merely an inconvenience that is hopefully only temporary. [As a FYI Standard Charters for their Private Banking service in SG is a minimum of $1 million liquid]. Somehow I need to work out how to achieve a reasonable coupon through fixed income on Asian currencies like SGD, THB, HKD. Any ideas/suggestions?

@ ExpatJ: Are these bonds for specific companies, or an amalgamation of multiple bonds packaged together? . HSBC SG has not offered me individual government or corporate bonds. Only structured products with high fees...

Is EDP FINANCE in your list this organization: http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=20702446

@Naam: I'm with HSBC in both Singapore and Thailand [Premier] and they'll only sell me their crappy structured products which have very high fees. [i've also got an online brokerage account in the US with one of the largest players]. To get your level of service it seems that I need a private banker. Most big institutions i.e. Credit Suisse, UBS, HSBC, Citibank et al won't even look at you until you have $2 million+. What I'm hoping that you can help me with is how to get your level of service when you're quite a bit less liquid that a couple of mil...

What are the 'entry levels' for your institutions in SG and Europe? Do you know of any where they're more flexible on your liquid net worth? [i'm not a pauper but it'll take me a bit longer to get to seven figures; especially if I don't get a decent return on what I've got...]

FYI I don't want your advice on what paper to buy; I just need to find out how to access this market, and have a spectrum of choices...For example, if I want to buy Singaporean, Thai or Hong Kong govt paper, how would I go about this as an individual without going through some fund? Or maybe individual bonds from multinational/regional companies...

in Europe (e.g. France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland) half a dozen so-called "direct banks" exist where you can trade (via your PC with mouse clicks) a huge variety of bonds with a starting capital of a "fistful" Dollars, EURos or Pounds and individual trades of a few hundred $, € or £. if you want i can post some links.

Please share some names! Any recommendations on which institutions are good i.e. service/platform?

Thanks in advance for your reply!

@Naam: Where do you buy bonds i.e. through which institution? Do you have a private banker? [it seems to fully access the world of finance through a private banker you're not allowed to play until you have $2-3 million+].

Thanks for any hints as I want to have a go at buying some corporate/government paper...[i'd like to buy some blocks of bonds in the 10s of thousands of dollars; anything higher than this is out of my league for now].

Thanks for the replies guys! Looks like this won't be the problem I thought it would be.

Hi all,

I'm waiting for new British passport [from Hong Kong] as the old one is completely full of stamps. I doubt that the new passport will arrive before I travel to Phuket with an old school friend who is over for a couple of weeks. Can I fly internally i.e. BKK to Phuket by showing my old passport? [i'm guessing not...] Or do I need to get some sort of emergency travel document from the British embassy?

Would it work to show a UK drivers license to fly internally? [Live in hope].

Thanks in advance for any replies! I'm guessing a few people here must have encountered the same problem....

Baht Rises to 13-Year High on Speculation Fed to Buy More Debt

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDR.gdM3WvBs

Not much to say other than; this sucks...Friends in the finance industry tell me THB/USD target price is 25. Yuck.

Thanks for the replies guys. Things now make more sense. Somehow I missed this page: http://ukinhongkong.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/apply-from-se-asia/thailand/passport-renewals

You are not a first time applicant if you already have a passport so do not believe you are reading the right instructions.

True. Further down on the page they write:

Renewing your passport or changing information in your passport

If you are applying to renew your passport or change information in it, in addition to the documents, you must also provide:

your current passport or

your old passport - the passport that has expired.

Hi all,

I need to get a new British passport and I checked the FCO website and it says that I need to apply in HK. First off it says I need to provide a birth certificate [which I lost years ago]:

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/passport-documents

All first time applicants

Born before 1 January 1983 in the UK

If you were born before 1 January 1983 in the UK you must provide:

a photocopy of your current ID and

your full UK birth certificate

Next it says I have to send my passport:

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/faqs-passport/general/copied-documents

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/faqs-passport/general/birth-cert-old-passport

General

Do I need to send my birth certificate and expired passport?

If you hold a valid passport, we normally do not need to see your birth certificate. But we always need your expired or expiring passport if you have one.

For all those of you who have been through the process of applying for a new passport through Hong Kong did you need to send your birth certificate and current passport? [something I do NOT want to do].

Thanks for all replies...

Sweet! Thanks for the quick reply Lite Beer.

Hi there,

I want to get a 1 year visa extension based on marriage. [N.B. I have all the required things outlined on this page: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Immigration-Laws-t318794.html].

Here's the thing; my Non-Immigrant O visa [issued in the UK] was issued on 23rd December 2008. I'm now on the final 3 months [of the possible 15 months] you can get on a non-immigrant O visa. Am I still eligible for a 1 year extension based on marriage? I'm thinking it should be cool, but as with all things in Thailand you can never really be too sure...

Thanks for all replies!

Thanks guys!