ludosiam

The knobbly tree is probably cassava, a starch producing low effort / low income crop.

If you like to determine what can be done one important aspect is the availability of water. I have a friend in this area who has successfully started a rubber tree plantation, he has sufficient water supply from a bore hole to water the young trees for the first year or so.

You can have a look at PSI Sat.

The officer in charge of my annual visa extension has in fact recommended to change from non "B" to non "O" as a wife is on hand already. A non"O" (marriage visa) does not prohibit the issuance of a work permit and the annual extension based on marriage does require less paperwork as per my information gathered.

If questions to be asked they are: why is an off duty police officer, allegedly drunk, wearing a gun? This is by law not allowed. Any why, after being charged with murder can he be out on bail? The circumstances how it came to the murder might never become totally clear but as a matter of fact, if that police guy did not have a gun there would not have been a murder!

But just as in the Kanchanaburi case, it was "only" another farang that did not play by the rules whereas the poor police guy has lost face. For that the police department has to protect their own, right now working on evidence production.

My 10 year Irish passport up in Nov 2008. I'll be extending my non-imm B the end of april 2008.

So I need to get a new passport either before or just after, can I do this Thailand? or do I have to go to Japan or China?

Anybody have experience of this? Thanks.

Not with an Irish passport, but I had my new passport issues at the Bangkok Embassy, and when it was time to renew my Visa I gave them both passports, saved me the transfer procedure.

"The idea is to get descriptions of valuables so they can be entered in a computer file at the police department in case a residence or business is burgled in the future."

Some Thai Cops, want a list of your valuables, in case maybe they get stolen, in the future ?...and the Police station doesn't have a clue?

Somthings wrong.

That's what I thought, yes. And this was also the reason why I have started this topic to keep other members informed. We'll see if there is something else on it's way or it can stop right here.

"Thank you for the advice, but the 2 officers in uniform have demanded the filled out form back already, I have refused to make any statements regarding valuables though. "

If Tony Soprano came to your house and wanted a list of your possesions would you give it to him?

Do what you have to do, perhaps smile a lot and pretend not to understand, however under no circumstance give a list of valuables to representatives of the largest criminal organization in thailand!

Thank you for your advice. I have given my personal information like name, age, nationality and address here in Thailand but no information about valuables. This was accepted I believe.

Checking in our local forum and so far knowing of 3 foreigners have received the form, of whom I'm the first one where they have demanded the filled out form back again yesterday. The thing that had made me suspicious in the first place was that the police department in town doesn't know anything about this activity and not a single farang outside the area I'm living at has received such a request. So to me it looks like the activity of a single person who's motives aren't clear and this does make me worry.

If you're not comfortable with it, don't fill it out. It clearly isn't a compulsory legal document if the Police department doesn't know anything about it.

Thank you for the advice, but the 2 officers in uniform have demanded the filled out form back already, I have refused to make any statements regarding valuables though.

Checking in our local forum and so far knowing of 3 foreigners have received the form, of whom I'm the first one where they have demanded the filled out form back again yesterday. The thing that had made me suspicious in the first place was that the police department in town doesn't know anything about this activity and not a single farang outside the area I'm living at has received such a request. So to me it looks like the activity of a single person who's motives aren't clear and this does make me worry.

We had an official and higher ranking police officer dropping by after requesting some more information about the purpose of this inquiry, the explanations were somewhat helpless and not satisfying last weekend. Today 2 officers have dropped by insisting to get the filled out form back, no chance but to comply. I have not filled out the information about valuables though, any other information requested is freely available from immigration anyway. Might be just a lack of cooperation between departments, but not really sure and unhappy about this kind of treatment.

Ludosiam,

- are there more farangs in your village, city that received the same documents,

or did other farangs also got visits from the local police? Yes, other farangs I know did receive the same document

- How long do you live here, on what kind of visa or extension? - Alltogether 12 years, since 6 years unbroken non immigrant "B"

- Are you a teacher? - No, I'm an engineer

- Do you own a bar or restaurant? - My wife does own a restaurant

- Do you have a work permit or do you own a company in Thailand? - I have both work permit and company

- No problems with the business or the extensions of visa? - No problem with visa extension

- Did you had problems before this with the local police? - I personally never, but my wife has had a local police officer shooting at our staff because he didn't want to pay his bill

- ....

We had a meeting with the local head of police yesterday, explanations about the reason of this inquiry were somewhat helpless. To me it looks like it is a rather innocent and not well planned attempt to collect more information about foreigners. In some way I do understand this as there is a huge inflow of foreigners in the moment and not everybody is a decent one. One information we got is that these informations will be collected nationwide. The reason I got suspicious about this inquiry is that the person who signed the inquiry is the same that goes around asking for some extra salary, but it seems to me now that these 2 issues are not connected.

Finally some posters hit the nail on the head! If it really were a community project to protect foreigners and they believe it is effective - why not giving this great service to their own people first? Nobody can be so ignorant to believe that foreigners are going to be treated better than the locals from now on.

Do you know that they don't? If yes, how do you know? Have you been reading the Thai papers, listening to the Thai radio, and watching TV so that you keep abreast of what is going on here? Do you read the mail that comes to your house in Thai from local and or national government organizations? Or do you get your info from fellow TV members, your Thai GF, or the Thais you know who speak some English, or your own fetid imagination?

Did you know they have house registrations here, and have for years? Imagine, having to register where you live and present that paper to officials from time to time. Sounds like a nightmare straight out of 1984 (the novel). I have to wonder why any of the paranoid nutters who have blown this all out of proportion would have even moved or visited such a country in the first place??

Since I had posted the form along it surely isn't a fetid imagination of mine. And yes - I know that they do not inquire Thai households, confirmed by the relevant authorities. I had decided to post this topic to inform other members after consulting some police officers I do trust. They too have some doubts about the intention of such an inquiry. I did not post this information to draw insult from other members though.

Finally some posters hit the nail on the head! If it really were a community project to protect foreigners and they believe it is effective - why not giving this great service to their own people first? Nobody can be so ignorant to believe that foreigners are going to be treated better than the locals from now on.

I just read the document and do not think the intent is sinister. Basically the local police at the directive of higher ups elsewhere have been asked to assist in preventing crimes against foreigners and their property. The first page asks for documents such as passport, house registration, etc. and family details, etc. The second page asks for a list of valuable items, and to note any defects. Ostensibly this would be to help in identification if those items were recovered, although the paranoid here will I am sure assume it is a shopping list. I read it quickly, but did not see anything that indicates you are required to complete and submit the form. In fact the term used on the first page when asking for the information is the English equivalent to "We invite you". It is just some kind of community relations project, well-meaning but somewhat misguided. I recall a similar project years ago in MN, in which the police would provide you with a form to list valuables, and an engraver to etch a trackable number on items.

Nothing to see here, move along...

P.S. Jews, France in WWII, puleeze!

Hope you're right with your opinion and sure agree to leave WWII and what happened there out of this discussion. I have posted this information to learn about other member's opinion and let everybody know that this inquiry is around, so everybody can prepare himself. Personally I do not see how this information can help preventing crimes.

Handed over by 2 police officers in uniform coming to my wife's house.

I believe it was a demand, but since I can't read Thai well enough I probably won't be able to fill out the form anyway

Dear Members, there are currently some activities, apparently by the police here in Korat, to inquire about foreigners houses, personal information and how many valuables are at their homes. How many other members have heard about this inquiry already? For more information you can PM me, I don't think it's a good idea to publicly talk about theories, could be bad for the board. Attached is the form submitted to me by the police.

Inquiry_1.pdf

My wife as a former police officer has explained to me that if you do stop people believe that you feel responsible Logic does work in another way here. One fine example I have experienced was when I dropped of the kid at school. A (Thai) driver comes speeding through the area, over the zebra crossing, a mother hit her older kid for not looking after the younger kid who wanted to cross the road without paying attention. In my home country that driver would be in serious trouble, in Thailand the kid gets slapped!

Hi, I believe that Chatuchak weekend market is one of the best places to get seeds and flowers. The flower section is open almost every day, not just on weekends

Rheinwiese is not looking for an extension but a new visa, different issues. I as a German had my 1 year "B" received in Sydney 5 years ago, just with an invitation letter stating that a company wishes to employ me subsequently to approval of applied visa. Since then I do extensions of that Visa with the docs mentioned by p.s. (work permit, income tax etc.). Sydney is a nice city well worth visiting while waiting a day for your visa.

If you guys want everything squeeky clean why dont you just go to Singapore and get bored there?

I think there is a difference in demanding that everything is "squeeky clean" and asking not to get cheated. If the forum and this topic can serve as a warning for new visitors to Thailand it has done a fine job. In most ways Thailand is just a wonderful country bus as everywhere there are some black sheep around

All the cheaper beers (Archa, Leo, Chang) are surely made of malted rice, I don't believe this is causing the hangovers. Better taste of a Chang draft is probably because bottled beers are usually pasteurized (just like milk, heated up for a short period) and this has a negative effect but increases the shelf life, Try drinking a little less, may reduce the hang overs

2 weeks ago I took a (orange) Taxi to the new airport. After a few wrong turns we eventually arrived there, he then gave me the "i have no change" trick, I obviously wasn't happy but no choice, so he had another 150 Baht tip on top of an overly expensive ride, then tried to drive away with my luggage still in his trunk. I had always found the green / yellow ones more honest and won't sit in one the orange ones ever again. By the way - if you see an orange Taxi with a dent in the rear bumper - that was from my foot when he tried to drive away Lesson learned, if I have to go to the airport, sufficient change with me, no orange taxi and no payment before all luggage is out of the car.

As far as I know Formaldehyde is not being used since decades, and is not being used at Beer Chang as well. The reason for headaches is the brewing process, if the brew has enough time to convert into "good" alcohol no headache, if accelerated and prematurely stopped some alcohols are still being in the form of methyl alcohol that do cause headaches. Since Beer Chang is a low cost brew I believe that time is a main factor. Been at the brewery, very professional for sure, owner is filthy rich so very commercial for sure as well. I for myself stick with the Leo, no headache for up to 4 bottles

DavidThai, you can do the 90 day reporting at the local immigration office, I did mine today in Nakorn Ratchasima. As someone else mentioned, leaving the country starts the clock again, had this confirmed today as well.