Murgatroyd

Dell have agreed to send a courier to pick it up tomorrow and to issue a full refund. So all's well that ends well. Back to the drawing board to select a different high spec replacement!

Thanks for your words of wisdom and good advice Guys! The good thing is that I'm currently in the UK, and therefor enjoy a degree more purchase protection under the law than I would if I was still living in Thailand. The other good thing is that I paid for it with Paypal, and that gives me a further layer of protection, because I can just tell Paypal that the purchase was faulty and get my money back more easily... However I await Dells response to my polite e-mail to their customer support with considerable interest!

I un-boxed my brand new Dell Alienware 17 R3 laptop today. I've been limping on with a 9 year old dell Inspiron 1520 laptop, which takes so long to do anything that I feel I ought to be round the back of it cranking it with a handle. I wanted something with the specs that would play modern, High Spec games, (like "Everyone's gone to the Rapture").

The damn thing won't even start! I have been preparing myself for setting it up for days, finding or renewing all the passwords to all my forums, and other sites, backing up all my files so that I can transfer them to the new one, and whipping myself into a fervor of pleasant anticipation... And I've been sent a Friday afternoon Lemon!

I've tried to start it half a dozen times. I either get a frozen start screen, or a blue screen of doom with error code 0xc000001, and a message that my brand new laptop needs to be repaired! Of course it's impossible to get any response from Dell customer services on a Sunday, and I've sent an e-mail to dell explaining the situation. Tomorrow I expect to get a response from some self important Dell tech-head telling me to open it up and mess with it's innards and I won't bloody do it!

I'm an complete and total technophobe and have the quaint old fashioned idea that when I spend nearly £1700 quid on a top rated, well reviewed laptop it should function as advertised!

I spent extra money on having the RAM upgraded to 16 gig or meg or whatever it is, upgraded the hard drive specs to a 256 SSD + 1 Terabyte "spinning" HD, and to have MS office installed. (That is supposed to have a 25 digit key number to validate it, and I'm damned if I can find that anywhere!). I even invested another £30 odd quid for a nice neoprene carry case (plus P&P which is also bloody expensive!)

All in all I'm chewing nails and spitting out rivets!

Yes, I've tried to charge up the battery by leaving it plugged into the AC adaptor for the 4 bloody hours that was suggested as the first charging time, and still nothing! All I get is a message on the blue screen of doom telling me: "System Thread Exception Not Handled"!

If and when they uplift it and send me one that has been properly tested and actually works I also expect to have the start date of my warranty revised to the day I finally get a functional machine, or am I just whistling in the wind?

OK Boris... Now what's the plan for the future? It's alright, you can come out from under your desk... no one is going to try to hurt you today, Dry your tears, and put the blanket down, Now What's the Plan?... Oh dear... You haven't actually got one have you? You never thought you'd actually win did you? Well get off your fat ass and make a plan quickly... I know it will involve sums and difficult things like that, but if you don't work something out soon the country that you're so proud of will turn on you and take a horrible revenge on you for your idiocy... and no, sucking your thumb won't help!

Words cannot express my Fear and Loathing of what has happened. The very worst elements of our society now feel empowered and will be flexing their muscles. Even the Leave voters who have been so cruelly deceived by the promises of our soon to be dictators will come to rue this day. Britain First will be laughing all the way to the gun shops that will soon be re-opening if the loathsome man Farage has his way. There will be many more Thomas Mairs, and many more victims of hate. Racists and thugs will soon be looking for someone to blame when the golden apples of the sun fail to rain down, and who will they be picking on? Employers will be cutting wages, and turning the clock back to the "Good old days" of mass unemployment, and only the "Right sort of people" will be able to find jobs. The asset stripping of the NHS has already begun, and the carpetbaggers will be moving into the City and the stock market this very morning. A climate of fear, not seen since the great depression and the rise of the Blackshirts, will pervade our society. There will be more Cabal Streets, (alas with no such inspiring results), and any liberal thinkers amongst the judiciary will soon find themselves sidelined and purged. I can only hope that one day the leave voters will understand what they did for their grandchildren yesterday. That they were lied to by people who never had their interests at heart will become apparent all to soon. The NHS will be the first casualty, as Farage took back his false promises within a matter of hours. Be very afraid...

It turns out that she's gone missing in Krabi, not Pattaya.

Here's an update from her local paper at home: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/14293958.UPDATE__Swanage_backpacker_Grace_Taylor_missing_in_Thailand/

One might as well ask why all snakes aren't constrictors... it's an equally effective method of dispatching prey... Or why some lay eggs and some give birth to live young... They took a different route through the fractals of evolution.

Chloral Hydrate... the original Micky Finn.

Has anyone considered the remote possibility that the blonde hair "found" in, on, or near Hannah's hand,and then "lost" again might have been snatched from Sean's head at some time during the clearly physical altercation he had with Mon and the local policeman, either the night that they told him about his impending "suicide" or even earlier? Sean was clearly terrified of them, and seemingly with good cause.

That "evidence" would have greatly assisted the case for a grief stricken suicide.

In the second draft of the "investigation" this "evidence" was now no longer relevant and was therefore "Lost".

I'm not sure exactly how that would fit with the timeline, But Mon would clearly have had the opportunity to contaminate the crime scene, should he have wished to do so, as he "reported" the incident and was photographed there.

It's a small boa constrictor, probably a red tailed boa.

These snakes are not dangerous to an adult human being and will usually only attack something that will fit down their throat, like a rat.

These snakes kill their prey by constriction and are not poisonous.

It looks well used to human contact, so handling it shouldn't be a problem

Not native to Thailand, originally from south america, though bred everywhere for the pet trade now.

Up to you!

This 100 K Baht... is it a one off payment or an ongoing support thing? It's only about 2K GBP and some people would consider a divorce cheap at that price!

He did it because he wanted to be famous. An appropriate response is to forget him. Hereinafter referred to as nameless.

I'd be willing to bet that the death sentences are never carried out... they will be commuted when the fuss dies down. I'd be very surprised if any of the guilty police served more than a five year sentence, if that.

One thing to bare in mind is that it won't fit into any of the hotel safes... my 15" is too big for most of them.

PS, As I saved all the money that I thought I was going to have to pay to get my passport copies "Certified" I bought my wife a new printer/scanner/photocopier at pantip plaza... Now she can do photocopies for the neighbors and print stuff out for her daughter. My old printer is in a box somewhere between Thailand and the UK (I hope )

This morning I sorted out the Royal Thai Police Criminal record check, and it was a whole lot easier than I thought it was going to be.

My main worry was the issue of certifying the photocopies of my Passport... I had read some horror stories of this process having to be done at my embassy, or at a Lawyer's office and costing anything between 1500 and 2500 Baht per page!

As it turned out all I had to supply were the photocopies from the shop behind the complex, and the helpful "Information" chap stamped them with a rubber stamp and asked me to sign them... Job done at zero expense!

The other thing I was worried about was the theoretical requirement for a document that proved my Thai residency... Where or what that should be I didn't know, but I envisaged a paper chase that took in the Immigration office and the local Amphur at the very least.

It turned out that my fears were groundless and no such document was asked for... Huge sigh of relief!

Nor did they want the two passport sized photos that I brought along. After the fingerprinting part of the process I was directed to a rear room where my photo was taken digitally and the appropriate paperwork added to it.

The only messy part of the process was getting fingerprinted... it's always messy, and I'll be getting the ink off over the next few days...

Then it was just a matter of the young lady checking that all the paperwork was in order and her handing me a receipt which told me that it would be ready on the 14th of August. I have to leave before then but I was able to authorise my wife to pick it up for me. She will send this to me by recorded delivery... Phew, Sorted!

This morning I sorted out the Royal Thai Police Criminal record check, and it was a whole lot easier than I thought it was going to be.

My main worry was the issue of certifying the photocopies of my Passport... I had read some horror stories of this process having to be done at my embassy, or at a Lawyer's office and costing anything between 1500 and 2500 Baht per page!

As it turned out all I had to supply were the photocopies from the shop behind the complex, and the helpful "Information" chap stamped them with a rubber stamp and asked me to sign them... Job done at zero expense!

The other thing I was worried about was the theoretical requirement for a document that proved my Thai residency... Where or what that should be I didn't know, but I envisaged a paper chase that took in the Immigration office and the local Amphur at the very least.

It turned out that my fears were groundless and no such document was asked for... Huge sigh of relief!

Nor did they want the two passport sized photos that I brought along. After the fingerprinting part of the process I was directed to a rear room where my photo was taken digitally and the appropriate paperwork added to it.

The only messy part of the process was getting fingerprinted... it's always messy, and I'll be getting the ink off over the next few days...

Then it was just a matter of the young lady checking that all the paperwork was in order and her handing me a receipt which told me that it would be ready on the 14th of August. I have to leave before then but I was able to authorise my wife to pick it up for me. She will send this to me by recorded delivery... Phew, Sorted!

So I now have ten days to enjoy the company of my wife and stepdaughter, and our dog who was very pleased to see me again.

When asked what she'd most like to do while I am here in Thailand my stepdaughter said "Pattaya - Wynam"... which is to say that she wants to go to our usual hotel in Pattaya where she likes the pool. So I'm now going to book the weekend there... All done and booked. As a bonus the dog can stay at her favorite place, (apart from home), and get washed pampered and get a much needed clipping while we're away.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Well I'm back in Thailand, a lot sooner than I'd figured I would be. I now have ten days to accomplish the paper chase involved in obtaining my Thai Police criminal record check.

Before I submit my application to the Royal Thai Police I have to get 6 pages of my passport copied and certified (?) and obtain a document that proves that I have been resident in Thailand since 08/04/2008. Whilst the stamps in my Passport will clearly show this I suspect that they alone will not suffice.

This I suspect will involve a lot of hassle. It's a real pain not to have access to my scanner/ photocopier/ printer which is in a box somewhere between Thailand and the UK.

Is there an "Office Center" anywhere in Bangkok where I can take my lap top and get something printed from it?

Any advice on how and where to obtain the "Document that proves residence" and the "Certified" copies of my passport would be very greatly appreciated.

It's wonderful to see my wife and stepdaughter again, and to have the chance of spending a few more days with them.

Many thanks. That will set me on the right road!

I'm bumping this because I arrive back in Thailand on Tuesday morning and I need to get moving on obtaining my Thai criminal record check ASAP.

Please can anyone help by telling me about the correct procedure?

Hello jackr,

That is indeed the form, and I found it after I had last posted. However I don't have access to all the documentation that I would need to send with the paperwork package to Hull. I note that the chap who posted about his experience in getting this sorted from the UK via Hull did so in 2007, before the financial crisis, and when the GBP was fetching 70 Baht. I think that the expenses involved in doing this would be considerably higher now.

Therefor I am flying back to Thailand, and will arrive Tuesday morning to get this sorted out... I cannot work in the security industry in the UK until I do. And I get to see my wife and stepdaughter again as a bonus!

Thanks to all the other people who have posted on this thread. Much appreciated.

It looks very much as though I'm going to have to return to Thailand to obtain a Royal Thai Police Criminal Record Check.

What I need to know is exactly what is the procedure for obtaining this document.

Where do I apply?

What documentation do I need to take with me?

How long does it take?

Do I personally have to collect it when it's done or could my wife collect it and post it to me in the Uk, (I may have to return home before it's ready), or is it posted to my address in Thailand?

How much does it cost?

Any information that anyone could give me would be very welcome, I need to do this ASAP.

I think there might be a misunderstanding: I need a Thai Criminal record check as well as the UK one as I had been living in Thailand for four and a half years prior to returning home to the UK. This is a requirement for my SIA licence application. I have already applied for my section 7 Subject access retort in the UK but that's not enough ...

Well I arrived back in the UK last Friday. It was fairly traumatic parting from my beloved wife and stepdaughter, we were all in tears at the airport I'm afraid.

I've been staying at my sister's place in Scotland and preparing to send out a blizzard of job applications.

As I said, I work in the security industry and it's security work that I'm after. It's slightly more complicated than normal work as I need a SIA (Security Industry Authority) licence. I used to hold one but it has now expired.

To Obtain this licence I need to attend a training course and pass their exam, I need a UK police record check, and to present several forms of ID. No Problem:

I've applied for the UK criminal record check, I've booked my re-training course, (and booked a hotel close to the course venue, an expensive business!).

I've also researched Security companies in Edinburgh and started to phone round them to see if any of them are currently recruiting, and I've written and printed out multiple copies of my CV and references, I was all set to head down to Edinburgh next week to research accommodation.

Then came the new nightmare...

I checked the SIA website:

It turns out that because I have lived in Thailand for over six months I also need to present a Royal Thai Police criminal record check when applying for my SIA licence.

This is a real disaster. If I had known this before I left Thailand I could easily have obtained one before I flew back to the UK. Now I'm stuck.

I have read that it's possible, albeit complicated and expensive, to obtain a Thai Criminal Record Check from the Thai police whilst resident in the UK... I was directed to the Thai Consulate site in Hull to download the relevant documentation... I looked, no such download is available, only one telling you how to get the UK police record check to support your visa application.

I'm now at my wits end, for without a Thai criminal record check I can't get my SIA Licence. Without my SIA licence I cant get a job. Without a job I will never be able to save up to get back to Thailand.

Plan B of course is to bite the bullet, get the cheapest return flight back to Thailand, apply for the criminal record check, and spend a few more days with my family, which I'd love to do but It's going to cost money that I can ill afford.

Any suggestions? (Preferably clean and biologically possible ones!).

I lived in Thailand for four and a half years, from April 2008 until July 2012. I have returned to the UK to look for work in the security industry. I am in the process of re-applying for my SIA licence. To my horror I have discovered that I need to supply a Thai Criminal record check as part of my paperwork to gain my licence. Is it possible to apply for a Thai Criminal Record Check if you are outside Thailand? If so I presume this would have to be done at the Thai Embassy or Consulate in London, Has anyone done this?

If it is not possible to apply for this outside Thailand, would my wife be able to apply on my behalf?