yang123

Fact: One seismologist at the Chinese State Seismological Bureau predicted the Tangshan earthquake (1976). No-one took much notice, except in one county where major loss of life was avoided. The dorks elsewhere were too busy with the Cultural Revolution to act to save lives.

Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Panya Mamen said that tourist police and the investigation team tracked the gang from their mobile phones

I see - the gang left their phone numbers in the cab of the van they robbed?????

Result! Wife got to the passport office at 3.00 p.m. on Tuesday, duly processed (it was her first biometric passport) and told to return at 8.00 a.m. on Thursday (day of her flight out). Early start to get there and one new passport delivered into her hands by 9.00 a.m. the direct to the airport.

Very good service for the standard fee only.

My wife, due to fly out of Thailand on Thursday 27th, has just discovered that her Thai passport has expired. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website indicates that there is a same day service for those who appear at the Passport Office in the morning. However, the Passport Office web-site states two working days are required for issue of new e-passports. We plan to go to the Passport Office direct from Swampyboom tomorrow afternoon (we live up-country).

Does any board member have any recent experience of the normal turn-round time for passport issue and whether it can be shortened (production of air ticket etc).

Thanks in advance.

Troops have deployed in Lampang to the gasolene/benzene store just by Big C.

Yesterday's development: it emerged that the Thai tax authorities did a random mail shot to several house-owners asking what price they had paid the developer. The developer is now facing a tax bill of 10 million baht for undeclared income.

Our place was built by a relative's company rather than the developer (own title deed, water and electricity provided directly by the utility companies). I haven't paid the disputed service charge and nor have the vast majority of the house-owners. For the moment, the ball is now on the developer's side of the net. Legal advice being taken on our side.

Brilliant! Thanks for the swift and informative reply.

In breaking news, a letter has just arrived from the developer explaining why promised services have not been delivered. Seems "we could not do more of our assurances because we had been struggling with economic situation and management". If my aunt was still alive, I'm sure she'd be giddy!

Unless you signed a contract for the so called services, tell them where to go

Yes I agree! Unless you have not signed anything you are not legally obliged to pay for anything.

If the estate is a true Moo Baan the developer is by law obliged to hand over the estate to the Moo Baan when half of the estate has been sold to new owners. The members will then elect a committee that decides what services the estates requires, how it shall be done and by whom, and also how the costs shall be shared.

Excellent! Can you point me towards a legal definition of "a true Moo Baan" and the law concerned - I'd be very grateful. Current score is that 27 out of 36 owners are refusing to pay the service charge.

I'm in dispute about the service charge liable for our house on a new estate. In summary, the developer is seeking to levy a service charge that few, if any, of the residents agree to - not least because the developer has so far failed to provide the promised services.

I guess this is a well-trodden path. I'd be grateful for any general advice and for the name of a lawyer with successful experience in handling such disputes. Any pointers to relevant provisions in Thai law would also be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Agree: it's a pain in the neck. BUT...I just got an EVA air BKK-LHR-BKK return for 49,465 in Elite Class (i.e. mid-way between Economy and Business Class). Used the EVA on-line booking service: better than the price any agent offered.

Thanks to all for the inputs above. Renewal at Chaeng Wattana last week was quite painless.

My passport apart, I took the following documents:

a) Form TM 7 + photograph

copies of passport ID page & form TM6 (arrival/departure card),

c) letter from embassy certifying my pension income and nationality status,

d) copy of letter-headed invoice and receipt for condo annual service charge (as proof of address) and

e) 1,900 baht fee.

No fingerprints or letter from my Thai bank were asked for.

Queuing and processing time from entry to departure was 90 minutes: it would probably have been less if I'd arrived earlier, but morning traffic jams did for that. No complaints.

The aim of all terrorists, regardless of 'color', is to use violence to

- provoke a government into over-reaction (thus alienating the uncommitted),

- demonstrate a government's incapacity to manage security (thus prompting demands for change in government)

- increase external pressure on a government to make concessions.

All successful terrorists have had an armed wing and a 'nice to be nice' political wing to manipulate the media and public opinion. By those standards, the Reds are doing well strategically as well as tactically. The terrorist script calls for a huge outrage, and I'm not going to go into what that could be: stand back and use your own memories; Thailands heaves with targets for that.

Tiananmen 1989: remember 'the Chinese People's Liberation Army will never fire on the Chinese people'.....

[Ex-military and hate terrorists of ALL colors.]

I have to renew my Retirement Visa at the end of this month. What documents should I take? Thos already to hand are:

Passport & landing card + copies

Pension statement + copies

Embassy Certification of pension statement + copies

Photographs.

I think that's what I needed last year but can't be sure. No obvious answer on the Thai Immigration web-site and didn't have time on my last 90 day check to queue at the Info counter.

Many thanks

PS: Sticky fingers - retirement not retirememt!!

Did my 90 day check-in today. Arrived at Suan Phlu 0920hrs; out at 10.15hrs. Only two rather overwhelmed counter ladies and one checker on duty at Counter 3, but no complaints from me.

Thai Visa may not fit the bill - the blurb suggests it only provides ad novem coverage for those under the age of 60.