thaitang

The title pretty much says it all.

I never used to have to wonder questions like these as I was content heading straight out to Pantip Plaza. However, in the past 5 or 6 visits to Pantip I have become more and more dissatisfied with my experience there as it seems more like a giant warehouse for pornos and software than anything else. I did buy the parts I needed to build my current PC which I was extremely happy with, but other than that I dread the idea of going there unless someone can share someone mentions that it is in fact a good place to find a decent selection of budget-end camcorders.

We went to Fortune IT mall on Ratchada last weekend, and wow! what a nice place to shop. Bought a 1TB hd and a new smart phone (used, but seems like a sweet deal). Unfortunately only one shop had camcorders on display for sale, and one model, a JVC GZ-E10 with a price tag of 10000 baht, looked promising for what the wife and I had in mind. But on amazon.com and a handful of other online shops the same model sells for only ~6000, which is a bit discouraging. Enough of a difference in price for us that I am will to look around, but I do not really know where else to go. If I was looking for a new phone I'd head to MBK, but where does one go to peruse a selection of camcorders?

Also if anyone wants to brag about a camcorder they have bought recently in Bkk that would be great too as I would prefer to have a list of known models I could look at ahead of time before heading out to shop.

any hints, suggestions, or advice much appreciated

My wife and I are tentatively planning a return visit to Canada for Xmas this year with our daughter who will be 11 months at the time. The daughter has already received her Canadian certificate of birth, proving her Canadian citizenship, so I am wondering the best way to travel with her.

1) because daughter was born in Thai and has never yet left the country, she must therefore leave Thai with a Thai passport that gets exit stamp

2) in order to enter Canada daughter could use Canadian passport, except, if she exits on Thai passport and wants to re-enter Thai on Thai passport, she must get the entry/exit stamp from another country, and so must then have a Canadian visa and enter/exit Canada with Thai passport instead.

And because I do not have much knowledge of immigration procedures, I was wondering if it is possible to enter Canada showing a Canadian passport and get an entry stamp in Thai passport also, which I think seems highly unlikely since it would require understanding and co-operation from an immigration official that is not my experience when returning to Canada from Thai.

I cannot see how things can be tried the other way around, that is, leaving Thai on Canadian passport, since daughter was born in Thai and thus would have no entry stamp showing entry into Thai in her Canadian passport, applied for from Canadian embassy in BKK

So it seems to me then that I will have to apply for a Canadian visa for my daughter in her Thai visa in order to return home with me for a visit, returning again afterward with me to Thai. Does that sound about right, or I hope I just do not see or understand some very obvious solution.

I guess my ultimate goal would be to save the $60 or so bucks for a Canadian visa, and spend that money on a Canadian passport instead. Otherwise the wife and I will apply for her Thai passport getting just the Canadian visa with no need for a Canadian passport at this time.

You need to qualify for the job for the work permit to be issued. You may be qualified for other positions within the company, such as administration or general manager.

Well my main concern is whether or not the Thai gov't, visa issuning process will look down on my application for a visa with intent to work initially as an assistant operator (is the word they like to use for daycare centers in lieu of teacher), which after a year the dept. of human/women/child services would then recognize me as an operator via experience.

B/c my wife will continue working her regular job I will infact be hired as the daycare's co-ordinator (their word for manager) managing the daycare for the owner. Again neither if the two depts we have already been to talk with had any issue with our plan as I have laid it out. But they both mentioned our next job is to find out visa details, and this is the part that concerns me.

So is there any kind of list available detailing for which jobs farangs can qualify to apply?

cheers

This might sound like a quirky problem b/c it was for me the first couple of times I encountered it; but now it is just becoming annoying. It seems we have the recurring problem of ants bunging up our light switches. I am not exactly sure what occurs, but every so often a light switch stops working and the rocking of the switch is rough compared to previous operation. After taking the cover off to disconnect the leads from the switch box to shake loose any foreign matter, the switch seems to work fine once more.

I think the problem is with ants because it only seems occur at times when the ant population hits a boom (several times a year around out place).

The real problem is disconnecting the leads from the switch, since the contractors who installed the electrical never left any goof-loops on any of the leads and gawd-dam_n if there is no slack whatsoever to work with, making the job a real PITA!

Anyways, just curious if this might be a problem anyone else has encountered and what solutions might have been employed.

My Wife and I are planning to open a daycare. We have been to the depts. of human/child/women welfare, overseeing and issuing operating licenses for daycare centers, and commercial affairs that oversee and issue licenses for operating a business (in LOS). The only thing left to check out is the dept. of immigration to get the skinny on details about my working in the daycare.

Currently I live in LOS on marriage visa. I thought it prudent before I go to the immigration office asking questions about potentially working to ask some questions/advice first so I do not raise any unnecessary alarms or red flags of suspicion.

We will open the business in my wife's name, who is a gov't officer and will continue to work as such, and will thus hire me as co-ordinator of the daycare, with which neither of the above mention depts. we already visited had a problem. Does anyone think dept. of immigration will have any issue with me transitioning to such a role and switching from my marriage to a work visa?

I am not (yet) qualified to instruct toddlers (children younger than 6 years old I think was the definition) and so we will hire a qualified instructor to do so. I can then work in an assistant capacity for a year and then be considered qualified to instruct, according to dept. of human/women/child services requirements. However, I wonder if the dept. of immigration might balk at this idea, stating that they do not issue visas for non-Thais to live here to qualify for such jobs. Absolute speculation on my part of course, but I just want to think of any issues which might potentially arise to cause grief.

Any related thoughts or shared experiences would be great to read.

thanx

go to control panel.look for regional or language settings,change a;; to english,then restart

Thanks for the quick reply. I am unsure about the "control panel.look" option, but when I go into the system (admin) tab in my xfce drop-down menu and look at the language/regional settings I do have english selected as the default language, but i also have Thai script installed as an alternate that I have mapped to a hotkey for easily switching between the two, the odd time or two a month when I need to do so.

But I cannot see that this should be the problem. It seems more likely that webpages are reading my Thai IP addy and being smart rendering pages in Thai script. It seems like Google and Blogger (Google also) are the most annoying culprits.

There is actually a webpage Google offers to deal with this problem:

http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en

That allows English speaking users to get an English version of Google when they are surfing from an IP addy recognized to be non-English, so it seems pretty clear the problem is with webservers trying to be smart. I guess Blogger (Google page I realize) has not offered up a similar type URL for its traveling English users that is making using the page a PITA here in LOS.

Oh well if anyone has any other suggestions I am open to ideas.

Hey gang,

I am pretty sure this has nothing to do with Ubuntu, but just in case, I thought I would first try posting here for potential solutions.

I hope I am not being RTFM dumb here, but whenever I go to some pages, like blogger, they render the page in Thai(script) without any button (that I can find) to choose English instead. I am sure the blogger page is only trying to be proactive rendering its pages based on ip addy location, but it is getting to be a royal PITA. Does anyone know how to prevent this from happening while surfing with a Thai IP addy?

I generally use FFox browser, which I have ensured the language defaults are English and English, without Thai even being listed, so I do not think this is a browser issue. To be sure I tried out a few other browsers and experienced the same problem. I do not have access to Winblowz to test it there, so I am not certain if it could possibly be a setting in Ubu preferences (actually Xubu, but same same, almost).

I guess a solution is what I am hoping for, but failing that I am curious if anyone else has this problem. I used to have the same problem with Google home page, but I found a URL for ppl living in non-English speaking countries to use to render the Google homepage in English. This also makes it seem like it is an internet issue and platform/browser independent.

cheers,

tt

On my last trip here, I brought a very large can in...will do double that on the next trip! I might even have my friends smuggle in a can or two on their next trip here!!!!

Well I do go home in May for a couple of weeks and I have thought I will bring some back, but that will only last me so long, I was hoping to find a regular source.

I have seen it at Foodland and also at Central.

Thanks for the reminder about Central. Central never comes to mind immediately b/c I biasedly always think of them as being so expensive. However, I remember when we were shopping for a water filter I mentioned to the GF that just for shits and giggles we should have a look in Central and hot dam_n was I surprised when their prices were lower for the same model we were ready to buy at Tescos.

If I come across anything surpringly cheap I will post it.

cheers,

tt

hi gang,

i have been drinking way too much coffee lately. I wanted to try switching to decaf in the afternoons and evenings, but I have had no success finding decaf coffee for sale at a reasonable price. I think the cheapest jar at Tescos or Tops I have found sofar is 400 Baht, which is 300 Baht more expensive than the (same size) jar of regular Nescafe I buy. I was expecting to pay a premium for decaf, just not 300%. For me that seems just a little too steep. I realize perhaps decaf is not the norm here, but I am just curious if anyone buys decaf regularly for home use that is a little more reasonably priced?

I wonder how much luck I might have at either BigC or CarreFour? I do not live anywhere near a Foodland which I know carries more westernized type food items, so I got to try to get to one to check it out. I also know there is a grocery store in the basement of Siam Paragon shopping mall that I have found food items at before that I could not find elsewhere in BKK, but I do not often get down that way either. If I knew they had what I was looking for though, I would get my arse moving and buys a few jars to last me 2-3 months.

Any other ideas or suggestions would be appreicated.

thanx,

tt

perhaps I am blind, just out of the loop, or both? I have a visa run to do at the end of next week to use my second 60 day tourist visa (already got my first 30 day ext.). i know there is some trouble these days between LOS and Cambodia, and I think I heard the borders closed at one point, but I am not sure.

If they did close, are they still closed? for visa runs?

If they are closed for business what are my easiest, and cheapest options for a simple out-and-back visa run?

cheers,

tt

Ok great, exactly the info I was looking for b/c my first 60-day TV is going to expire next week, and I was not sure if going to apply for an extension early would affect the dates on the current visa or not.

I am sure being a gov't office that this office works normal gov't business hours, but I thought I would ask just in the off-chance they were open on Saturdays? My weekdays are pretty chewed up, so this would be a total bonus, but I am not holding my breath.

While looking at the map for the new immigration office, I was wondering if this is the same huge office in Laksi you go to when you need to get translated documents authorized? It looks the same, or similar at least.

Any ideas what bus from near KU (Kasetsart Uni) would get me there?

BTW, is there a form online that can be d/loaded, printed and filled out prior to going to the office?

cheers,

tt

I am interested in this subject. What exact words are used to designate your passport, issued in a Scandinavian country (Denmark, Norway, Sweden or Finland) as your property?

For others having a scholarly interest in this, in my Swiss passport it says nothing about whose property this document is. It has a text saying that unofficial changes, additions, personal notes and the illegal use of the passport are prohibited and that any loss of it must be notified to the nearest police station.

--

Maestro

There was probably something (clause) in the paperwork you filled out when you applied for your passport, requiring a signature, stating that the passport will remain the property of the issuing country. I think I remember reading something to that affect the last time I applied for a new passport anyways.

cheers,

tt

I bought one of those 3 stage stainless steel jobbies with stage 3 being a ceramic filter. Excellent value for money.

I just bought one of these from Central Lad Prao and I guess I should have investigated firt before buying, but I now find myself wondering if it was the best purchase for my BAHT.

It is the stainless steel 3 stage, charcoal, ceramic, and resin, filter system. It will be used in an apartment building in a Thai neighbourhood (if that matters?).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

cheers,

tt

I like the way they give instructions on how to get there by bus, as if anyone's actually going to use them!

I gave up on taxis long ago. I have no problem taking the bus to get anywhere in greater BKK. What can I say, I'm a cheap SOB, and as an aging (mature?) student I always have lots of reading to get through.

The consulate in Hull is charging an admin fee for visas now. I expect other consulates are following suit.

sheesh! and when the free visa period is over do you think they will remove the admin fee once it is already in place? right after they stop income taxes to pay for the war... oh what war was that again?

tt

bump ^^

so does everyone that worksout in BKK go to California WoW or another big gym chain? or does someone out there actually frequent any smaller local gyms that don't actually take a chunk out of your ass per visit?

thanks in advance.

hi gang,

will be back in LOS for 6 weeks in december and january (i hope they have cleaned things up at the airport by then) and i am wondering if anyone has a list or knows of a list of gyms around BKK that have free weights and allow drop ins.

i lived in BKK for a couple of years awhile back and i was totally put-off by the prima-donna gyms such as Cali-WOW and there is another similar big chain that escapes my mind at the moment, but i am totally looking to avoid those gyms at all costs! i am looking for somewhere charging reasonable drop-in rates (250-500 BHT) for a workout.

i will be staying in an apt near old airport (Don Meung... sp???) but i can get my way around BKK a-ok.

any suggestions welcome.

thanks in advance.

my intention is not to hijack the thread, but i found this thread while looking for advice on divorcing my thai wife.

we are not quite at the point where divorce is our only option but we seem to be headed that way. my question is, would my wife be able to start divorce proceedings in canada even if she doesn't have a visa to enter canada. i mean could she hire a lwyer in canada to represent her & initiate a divorce?

obviously if we have to slog down that road, i would much rather prefer to have the divorce done in thailand (we were married in thailand btw).

thanks for the replies in advance.

Legalisation of documents only at laksi.

But you do not make the translation there - you use a normal translation service that is certified by the MFA.

Guys thanks for the clarification. My wife would have been going to the Laksi MFA office in a week, with Thai documents in hand looking for the section that translated and notorized. You saved her a big headache for sure and probably saved me at least a small little headache also!

They can then do the run to MFA for you or you can take yourself.

lopburi, you made it too easy for my wife, to let someone else take the translated documents to Laksi. She actaully was there with me when we got my Affirmation to Marry document from the embassy translated (to Thai script) and certified/notorized at the MFA office in Laksi.

So she (my wife) is good to go for there. Just awesome to know she needs to go with translated (to english) copies in-hand, just like my Affirmation to Marry document, to have them notorized.

thanks again for the map, awesome visual help.

cheers,

tt.

hi gang,

my wife (thai) and i are very close to submitting her app for PR in canada. however she does need to take her Family Book and her Birth Certificate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for certified translation (into english).

my question is this, is there only one Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Bangkok located in Laksi? if so does anyone know what floor this service is available on?

my wife got her new passport issued (with new surname) after getting married in a gov't office in Pin Klao. i didn't take notice if this office was also a Ministry of Foreign Affairs or not. if it is it would certainly be much more convenient for my wife to go to rather than Laksi.

any help appreciated,

tt

editted for clarification

We use the Thailand maps from ESRI/Garmin. You can buy it from Garmin directly or ESRI in Bangkok. The maps were very useful and seemed to be up to date.

yes i know i can buy the maps from garmin... but i was wondering if those same maps were available at s/w vendors in bkk for the slightly cheaper price than what i would pay on garmin webpage.

thanks

hi gang,

this time when i come to LOS for holidays we are planning to get a little more adventurous than usual & rent a car & do some travelling outside of bkk.

so i was thinking it would be a great idea that i bring my handheld gps unit with me. but it would really only be useful if there is maps of thailand available for uploading to the gps unit.

do the software shops (pantip or mbk or similar) sell gps map software for thailand does anyone know? if so has anyone tried or used it?

thanks

if the law was genuinely being brought in to minimize/stop peeps from talking on the mobile while, well mobile, the easy fix would be to make the carriers drop any calls that hand-off between cell sites fast enough to be in a motorized vehicle.

but then again traffic in bangkok never seems to move fast enough to probably differentiate between someone talking on the mobile in a motorized vehicle & someone talking on the mobile while walking.

but i am still sure this is yet another angle for a cash cow money grab before road safety if you ask me.

Why was her tourist visa denied ?

I understood she has land in her name, a job and maybe a house...? That would be enough reason for most countries to grant a visa.

believe it or not she was denied the visa because i provided too much information (silly me i thought the more info the better). they decided because we had an established romantic relationship that that is a big reason for her to not want to return back to thailand. they told her best course of action was the PR route because we were already far into a relationship. you don't have to tell me, i know it is crazy but when i shared this crazy refusal/outcome at the time on a canadian immigration forum, it turns out that is actually normal for canada to refuse tourist visa in such cases.

And, what's the situation with your proposal to the prenup ?

well i am really doing my best to give her some time & space. i always feel like i am pretty aggressive at whatever i do & sometimes i need to turn it down a notch or two & handle things with a little more delicately (i can can be the bull in a china shop at times). i talked to her about adding in some compensation into the pre-nup for her in the event that the marriage ever hits the rocks. she is still pretty upset thinking i am treating the marriage as a business deal.

so i really believe we might have gone beyond a point of no return. i haven't totally given up but it doesn't feel too promising. i think even if she agrees to the pre-nup now that i know how dead-set against the idea of it she is/was & a compromise that big makes me wonder how it might affect our relationship (tainted?).

tt

Why do you send her money? Last time I checked this isnt necessary for a bf/gf relationship, doesnt she have a job?

ouch, that sounds so sinister.

the GF does indeed have a job working in a salon making 6k baht + tips per month. not a great deal & i don't enjoy thinking of her making due on that alone. what i send to her is not very much in the end to me but i think it means a lot to her.

i have send the GF money about every couple of months since i returned home because some of it is for her to pamper herself. i have also asked her to pick up various items & send them to me (dvd movies/tv show series, software, some food items i have really come to love but can't find here at home & some other odds & ends). i started sending her money because when we were going for her travel visa to canada the second time & i was here at home i thought it would be a good idea to have some extra dosh in her bank that she could show during her app process. the money was then going to be used to buy her airline ticket.

tt