chuckygobyebye

I live in Dusit which isn't acclaimed for it's wildlife but I've just evicted the second snake from my place in as many months. What's more suprising is that I live two stories up in an apartment, God knows how they manage the stairs.

Luckily they're little buggers, about as long as your hand and skinny. Black with brilliant yellow rings and a diamond-shaped head. I'm assuming this is the mature form as other people have seen them about.

Can anybody tell me what they're called?

Here's a little conundrum...

I'm the managing director of a firm in Thailand, but not for long. I'm going to hand over to a new director shortly. Hoewever, my work permit and non-imm B will expire before that.

Now, if I let my work permit expire (which I'd be glad to do, to be honest the thing's quite useless), but I come back with a non-imm B, can I still be the MD of this company?

I know that directors have to have business visas but do they have to have a work permit as well?

There's a fellow with a magnificent collection who'll burn them off and deliver them to your door, private message me for his email.

Hi,

I am a student in USA, and in Bangkok for 3 days en route back to the USA. I am currently taking a class in introductory photography, thus using a 35mm SLR and B+W film, mostly Kodak Tri-X 400.

I need your thoughts on:

<snip>

In answer for 1) and 2): Oh you want a shootlist do you? Most photographers keep their local knowledge to themselves as it's time consuming and expensive to gain. Go into Asia Books as they carry a huge line of crappy Thailand/Bangkok photobooks and flip through and see what you like, then go out and reshoot. Also look at postcards, they're usually good for spotting locations and time of day to shoot.

Get out of Sukhumvit, it's an ugly ugly neighbourhood and check out some of the old neighbourhoods by the river, ditto for night photography - most of the nicely lit boulevards/buildings are around the royal district.

As for film, you can get colour film at every 7-11 in the land but you're probably talking pro quality. There's a number of good shops about - I always go to Foto Camera in Khaosan as it's local, downtown there's a Fujifilm pro place a block or so from Patpong. There's a bulk-loading place in Siam somewhere but I probably couldn't find it again. As for tripods- any shopping centre will sell you a flimsy one cheap. If you want something more sturdy try Sappan Lek in Chinatown (cheap).

When you find which one it is and get your settings working,

I suggest you change the password to your own one to prevent tampering.

Especially if you have a wireless router.

Yes, a while ago I hit Loxinfo's IP range and found a couple of routers that had blank passwords and would display the ADSL account passwords in plaintext. Handy if you don't feel like paying for access.

A modem provided by True to me had the password printed on the box underneath the bar-code product data.

Regards

PS They used to use password

Ah yes, that would be the box I threw out a few months ago. Oh well, phone hockey it is then.

Got a free Zyxel 600 series ADSL router with my plan, works ok and all but they've changed the router's password from the default 1234.

Any ideas what they'd change it to? I'll ask here before ringing the dingbats on Monday.

The immigration rep (whose duties among other things include maintaining the "balcklist" of "undesirables") assured the small group of journos there that things aren't changing all that much. Basically, according to him and the interpol chap, the prime reason for the changes is because with the expemption stamp, immigration and other authorities are unable to do background checks easily against the blacklist (or further investigations with other countries), and thereby keep out known murderers, terrorists, fugitives, and what have you.

So once again, the purportedly omniscient immigrations computer isn't as all-knowing, all-seeing as we are often led to believe. Kinda makes one wonder why, if the powers-that-be can't perform something as simple as real-time checking of the names of entrants into Thailand against a blacklist, they bother with the stupid webcams to take every inbound/outbound traveler's mugshot.

From what I was given to understand, they want 24 hours to check you against the blacklist. Have a quick think about what you'd do if you were on the blacklist (change your name, passport, nationality) and you can see why this may take a while.

The blacklist is different from Persona Non Grata (there's actually a gray list as well) and the list apaprently isn't available electonically at border posts. However this is set to change.

To sum up from the meeting again:

You'll be able to do three visa runs after october 1st.

They count days, not entries.

What happens if you try to enter after your 90 days are up? The answer to that was, don't know but we'll think of something 90 days after 1 October.

The attitude of the official we met was that they don't want the visa runs to stop, but they do want to be able to screen people. He's the one who's actually implementing the changes so this is as "horse's mouth" as you're going to get.

While he reassured everyone that things will be very much 'business as usual' it does seem to rely on finding a consulate that will issue you a tourist visa -- I'd stay away from Vientiane and Phom Penh.

This evening there was an informal meeting/unofficial press conference held at a small cafe on Samsen Road with an Interpol representative and a high ranking secretary from Immigration (who was responsible for drafting much of this policy) concerning the issue that has been eating everyone alive over the last few days.

The immigration rep (whose duties among other things include maintaining the "balcklist" of "undesirables") assured the small group of journos there that things aren't changing all that much. Basically, according to him and the interpol chap, the prime reason for the changes is because with the expemption stamp, immigration and other authorities are unable to do background checks easily against the blacklist (or further investigations with other countries), and thereby keep out known murderers, terrorists, fugitives, and what have you.

So, they said in no uncertain terms that it is possible to continue to stay for years on end as long as you limit your exemption stamps (the 30 day "visa on arrival" border runs), to three, and then go to the consulate in any other country and obtain a two-month tourist visa and return (they said that the consuls are all being instructed to issue these visas -- with the blacklist check). This can be extended at immigration for an extra 30 days and then you can either go and get another one (yes, back to back), or do three more border runs and then another tourist visa. This being the case, border runners will only have to do a maximum of 8 departures a year, but as few as four, if they opt for four back-to-back tourist visas. So if anything, it is more convenient for the long-term stayer, and the authorities get to reduce the amount of true scum (as in criminals, not backpackers and other people that some on this forum have arbitrarily deemed distasteful individuals)

I suspect this will post be shouted down and ridiculed because so much has gone before this and so many have staked their forum name on their theory, but the reps were legit and they were very clear. Maybe the system will break down after a few months, who knows, but this is meant to be the current state of affairs.

So the good news is: It's business as usual folks. Now isn't everyone sorry they blew heart valves over this?

It should be pointed out that registering a company alone will not entitle for the extension of stay to your non-Imm B visa (of 12 months). To qualify your company must show a history of operation and employment of Thais*. Thus, even after setting up your company and getting a work permit, you'll still be doing visa runs to each three months foreign consulates -- unless you can get the 12-month multi entry B visa** for, say, six months. After which the FA department will sit on your application and make you extend it a few times.

I've said if before and I'll say it again, if Thailand wants people to stay legally, the best way is to make it easier for people who are already here. Most visa runners are honest people, nobody likes doing runs but the difficulties in going legal make (or made) visa runs a cheaper and easier option.

* Not sure if a sole employee company will be exempt.

** Which are getting as rare as hen's teeth and still require you to renew your permit and leave every three months.

As we can see this law has been on the books for some time, it looks like now they're going to enforce it.*

From my reading it seems that you have as many entries as you like in Thailand but can only spend a total of 90 days here in a six-month period. Thus when you turn up at the border, they will count up the number of days you've spent here in the last six months.

Doesn't really clear anything up but I guess we'll find out more after the meeting tomorrow.

Yes, there are no doubt going to be thousands of decent people's lives really hurt by these changes. Lots of people who have nothing to go back to in their home country. There will no doubt be some deaths and suicides that can be directly linked to these changes. Any freelance journalists out there? This would make a good story for the international press. (Not sure what kind of visa you would use though.)

Was this change partly done for international FACE in the wake of the John Karr incident? Face has many aspects, eh?

I really like the phrase another poster cited: like shooting mosquitos with cannons.

Freelance journalists typically use the 30 day visas to stay as, technically speaking, it's illegal for them to work here*. Traditionally Bangkok has been the base for freelance writers, photographers and stringers as it's cheap to live close to places where the news happens and is easy to enter and exit.

The situation with visa runners is one that Thai Immigration has allowed to develop, they've been aware of the phenomena for what 10, 20 years? If they really want people to stop working illegally they need to make it easier to work legally. I've just gone through the process of setting up a company (it's a real venture, with investment and employees) and getting a work permit and have found it an extremely lengthy and expensive operation. After getting the WP I find that I won't qualify for the extension of stay so I'm stuck doing visa runs every three months anyway**.

One of the biggest problems with hiring foreign staff are the ratio of four Thais to each foreigner. The law does allow for exemptions in special cases but the lazy-assed officials only ever apply this to schools. English-language publishers, scuba operators and entertainment companies should get an exemption but never do.

Most people on visa runs would prefer to be legal but the system seems to be set up for retirees and oil company execs***

Finally, with regard to the John Karr incident, he was a qualified teacher and street _legal_. None of these changes would have kept him out of Thailand.

* In order to get a media visa you need to be sponsored by a foreign publication and are, therefore, no longer freelance.

** Just can't seem to find a consulate that will give me a 12-month multi entry 'B'. Would still need to exit every three months anyway, which is ridiculous.

*** IIRC the original act was written to allow oil companies to operate here, which would explain why it's such a cumbersome process.

You can gain Thai nationality, regardless of race, creed or existing nationality.

In theory maybe (could you point me a government site so I can see the requirements?).

In practice, no.

I have never heard of a forigner gaining this status, and don't know anyone that has.

Maybe if he is a politcal figures younger brother or something but for us mere mortals??

I think not.

One I can think of offhand is American Hotelier and Pizza Company owner Bill Heinecke, who I believe is now rated among the top 50 richest "Thais".

The title of this one is a bit misleading, the government hasn't confirmed a coup attempt. This isn't news, it's a rumour and probably perpetuated in order to solidify Thaksin's control over millitary commands in Bangkok.

I predict a huge increase in WP's. Can a person get a WP.....say to teach.....but then not really pursue work; just use it as a way to stay in country legally?

No, your work permit is tied to a specific position in a specific company and is cancelled when you leave the job.

Also, the work permit is issued by the Ministry of Labour and only entitles you to work in Thailand, you need to ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for permission to stay in the country, typically through a one-year extension of stay to your visa. This is also cancelled if you leave your employer.

This is a disaster. For all you non-imm O holders, not all visa runners are miscreants, they're teachers, dive instructors, journalists or simply employees of companies who are too lazy to spring for a work permit.

I've finally got a work permit after a process of nine months. Now I can only get three-month 'B' visas as the last two consulates I went to wouldn't issue a 12-month visa. Our company is new, small and hasn't been operating long enough for me to apply for an extension of stay. So don't tell me it's easy to stay here legitimately, I've been trying for the last three years.

The visa run situation is obviously ridiculous but it's a situation that developed with the consent of the immigration bureau and it would not have developed if the rules reflected the realities of working and doing business here. If it's so easy to get a work permit why don't all the visa runners have them? Think it's fun to take the bus every month?

Are visa runners stealing jobs? I can't see why, as an employer we find that Thais are always cheaper than foreigners, but it's hard to find one who can do the job. The argument that this is to stop the flood of Indians and Chinese is rubbish, they don't get the 30 day exemption.

I aplaud the end of the visa-run situation but think it should go hand in hand with an ammnesty and reform of visa rules.

Doubtful any real retribution will befall the Thais involved. They're so quick with excuses, and the Thai legal system is so quick to pardon anyone important. We hear much about corrupt and lacksadasical police in Samui - when will we see some effective cleaning up in that dept? Note; the special police teams were brought in from outside the island.

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Brahmburgers: how excellent to see the use of the word "lacksadasical" ! ! I so enjoy to discover the fact that there are still people in this world who actually use the english language properly and to it's fullest extent ! !

By the way; the true gleaning & cleaning of the widely published land-fraud situations in places like Phuket, Samui, Koh Chang, Koh Tao et all, is well over-due and I for one, am happy that things are being actually being done !

It is great to see people stretch their vocabulary a bit, but shame it's a shame it is spelt "lackadaisical" -- keep up the good work though!

Doubtful any real retribution will befall the Thais involved. They're so quick with excuses, and the Thai legal system is so quick to pardon anyone important. We hear much about corrupt and lacksadasical police in Samui - when will we see some effective cleaning up in that dept? Note; the special police teams were brought in from outside the island.

===============================================================

Brahmburgers: how excellent to see the use of the word "lacksadasical" ! ! I so enjoy to discover the fact that there are still people in this world who actually use the english language properly and to it's fullest extent ! !

By the way; the true gleaning & cleaning of the widely published land-fraud situations in places like Phuket, Samui, Koh Chang, Koh Tao et all, is well over-due and I for one, am happy that things are being actually being done !

My condolences to the families of the computers that were destroyed.

I'm sure all our thoughts are with his family.

What is it with violence and Farang at the moment?

Website Business Manager:

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Us: Bangkok travel magazine publisher with a popular but underdeveloped website.

The Job: Overhaul our website and introduce new revenue streams such as advertising, travel booking and merchandise sales. Duties include day-to-day management of the website, promotion and brokering agreements with travel providers. Position is in Bangkok with some opportunity for travel.

Qualifications:

We're looking for a candidate with a mix of the following skills/experience: Project management/planning, HTML authoring/Website management, Search Engine Optimisation, Writing/Editing, Business development, Online travel product booking

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Can't see anything recent here about getting a non-Imm B in Penang. Would I be correct in assuming that I'd need signed and stamped copies of the company registration and an invitation on company letterhead? Anyone had trouble with them before?

I've always thought that microsoft became the dominant operating system because everyone copied it. Way to loose market share.

Unless you are a journalist ( why though?) I thought that the government imposed minimum limits for employing westerners.. approx 60,000bt month! Or have I misunderstood??

Journalists get a lower salary because nobody will pay them a decent one.

There are actually plenty of Farang working for less than Bt60,000/mo. The fact is that it is very easy for an employer to cook the books to avoid this. About half the Farang I know are around the 30/40 mark and the other half are on 60+.

"The current political situation is not conducive and I have to uphold the proper political ethics of good governance,'' she told a news conference.

Stricken by Spagetti Straps ... ?

I believe that was Ladda Tangsuphachai, director of the monitoring department at the Culture Ministry.