maxjay

47 minutes ago, TSF said:

Or pick up a visa from the Lao consulate in Khon Kaen and waltz straight through the FB immigration.

agg211, I do not know where you reside, but if it is Bankok, fly into Vientiane for fast Visa Processing at the Vientiane Airport.

Or, as TSF advised get your Lao Visa in Khon Khaen.  There are buses from both Khon Kaen and Udon Thani direct to Vientiane with an short stop at the border.  If you have a Visa in advance your stop at the border will be no more than between 20-30 minutes.  They want those big buses out of the border area quickly.  I'm not entirely sure passengers have to even get out of the bus at the border.  These buses are only for passengers who have gotten their visa's in advance.

The bus will then take you to the bus station in downtown Vientiane.

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not sure why he would have problems boarding the flight in his home country?

He purchased the one-way ticket in his home country. The airline he is traveling on, is an Asian airline, that should be familiar with the rules?

Anyway, guess he'll find out this weekend.

A friend will be arriving soon. He will receive a 30 day tourist visa up arrival, however he will only be holding a one-ticket into the Kingdom. No return ticket to go back home.

Problems upon arrival???

Thanks in advance.

Yes, I will give it a try and if it works...great.

If not, a little ride on my bike, fortunately I am not too far from Jomtiem immigration.

Good attitude!

Never have quite understood all the adversity regarding the "90 Day Report" is? Is it really that big of a pain in the ass for some of you to appear at an Immigration Office every 90 days?

If you live an hour or more from an Immigration Office...so what. You made the choice to live, where you live.

Make a day of it...drive to town in the morning, do your report, get some shopping done, have a meal, drive back home. Or, spend the night before or after. IMO, easy.

For me, I will continue to make an appearance every 90 days. It's worked well since I first got my first "Retirement Visa" back in 2003.

Plus, I don't trust the Thais to get their IT act together anytime in the near future. IMO.

I'm guessing there are cultural reasons why there seem to be so few options available.

You are correct with that statement. Most Thais would probably look upon counseling as some kind of "loss of face" issue?

However, Bumrungrad Hospital, has psychiatrists on staff. About 10 0f them. So, someone must be using them???

This is not a psychiatric problem he is talking about, it is for a psychologist to resolve nobody. Is saying the female has mental health problems.

Yes, I realize that ableguy. However, it has been my experience, most psychiatrists, will know the name of a competent psychologist, and vice versa.

IMO. The most difficult issue will be convincing the female to seek, and accept health.

Guitar God, someone mentioned a monk. What about a minister, pastor, priest, rabbi, etc.? Many different religions and spiritual disciplines here in Thailand, other than Buddhism.

I'm guessing there are cultural reasons why there seem to be so few options available.

You are correct with that statement. Most Thais would probably look upon counseling as some kind of "loss of face" issue?

However, Bumrungrad Hospital, has psychiatrists on staff. About 10 0f them. So, someone must be using them???

Ann O. White

http://www.annowhite.com/

Confidential Marriage and Family Counseling Services for Individuals, Couples and Families.

Specializing in: Relationship Issues; Culture Shock; Life Transitions; Personal Growth; Parenting; Communication Skills; Grief and Loss.

Centrally located in the heart of Bangkok near Central Chidlom.

He does not look FARRANG to me - more asiatic. I thought Farrang means WESTERNER

Does it really matter, where he is from??

He is a fellow human being with a screw lose...............

Did he hurt anyone?? NO!! So leave him alone....

Beg to differ JOC...

It is one thing to have "screw loose" in your home country, and exhibit bizarre behavior.

It is another to thing to exhibit strange behavior in a foreign country. IMO.

This guy was sacked from his employment...casting a bad light on many English teachers.

Plus, this guy is one more nail in the coffin in the ways Thais look at us, and treat decent behaving ex-pats, now and in the future. IMO.

Watch the video, the guy is asian. If he was an Udon westerner, he would be over 50, have a huge belly , chicken wing arms, and would be wearing shorts.

No. Unfortunately, he is indeed a young Farang.

If one wants more details on this guy. You will have to read the threads about the incident, on one of the local forums: UdonMap (General Topics), or UdonTalk (Udonthani News).

I would post the direct links, however, T.V. frowns upon that.

But, I will tell you this: he is an ex-English teacher, currently on an overstay, currently in jail. Surprise! Surprise!

Oh Dear......................they have found Udon Thani...........

Sorry to be the one to break the news to you...

The low-life, young punk, cheap Charlie tourist, "found" Udon, I'd say roughly around 6-8 years ago.

MELBOURNE: -- The execution of Bali nine ringleaders Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan could be delayed for weeks with the Attorney-General's office confirming all the drug felons would be killed at the same time.

"There is no delay due to intervention from Australia or other counties offering prisoner swaps."

Indonesia's Attorney-General H.M. Prasetyo

However, the Attorney-General's spokesman, Tony Spontana, told Fairfax Media: "There is no change of plan. It will be done simultaneously."

This means the executions could still be weeks or even months away.

Yes, drag it out for as long as possible. Talk about cruel, inhumane, and unusual punishment.

I say enough is enough. They have milked this story for far too long. Get it over with...just do it. IMO.

Let the families get on with their lives.

Thanks for the replies.

OK. This is a hypothetical question only.

Let's say for my Retirement Extension expires on May 24. I go to Immigration on April 24 (one month early) to renew.

For whatever reason my application is rejected on April 24.

Let's also say, I don't want the visa hassles anymore. I make a decision to relocate back home.

My question is: How much time will Immigration allow me to stay in Thailand, while I get my affairs in order here in Thailand?

I've lived here for 15 years, so it may take me longer than a month to do all that is necessary.

Remember, this is a hypothetical situation. It has not happened.

I'm only curious.

im not a bar girl so Iwouldnt know but wouldnt the easy part getting a 65 yr old guillable geezer to have unprotected sex three times a day,

and the hard part would be to getting him to pay/maintain the upbrining of the child?!?!?!

if he just takes off then, she has a baby that now she has to take care of, which makes her list of demands even less likely!

or do they not think that far ahead like car loans?

You forget half white baby has added value.

Half white girl will have even more value to mom when teenage+.

I think the majority of farangs will not "just take off", the girls all know this. Whether the girl is a B.G., nurse, teacher...whatever.

They know if they can get their farang to impregnate them, they've got him for life. Unlike the many Thai guys, who simply disappear after finding out their g.f. is pregnant by them.

Back in the day, most of the B.G.'s I talked with, had a baby by a Thai man, who had long since left. At least that is what they would tell me...perhaps they were trying to get my sympathy?

Yes, AnotherOneAmerican is also correct. IMO

These kind of "appeals for help", seem to be on the increase....

This one from mid-December: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/12/18/daughters-fight-to-bring-father-home-after-devastating-thailand-bike-crash/

I can remember a few other similar "Appeals/Campaigns" from last year.

Magnum Force wrote:

I was chatting with a lady in Hua Hin yesterday. She's originally from the back end of Udon. She wasn't a stunner by any means but she was attractive and she was about 34. She was very pleasant and easy to chat with and we got on very well. She was brutally honest with what she expects from her work. She told me her "Angel" (some sort of shamen or local witch doctor) told her that this year she would be very lucky and meet a rich man to "take care" of her (and her family).

I asked what she meant by "take care". I nearly fell off my chair with her answers.

She wants a salary to live with somebody as their girlfriend of 30,000ThB per month. She wants the lucky guy to fork out 3-4 million baht for a house for her. She also wants a dowry payable to the mother of 1 million in the event that the guy wishes to marry her. She might even want a house built for mom and dad. After that, comes the car etc.

I was very surprised as didn't appear to be your usual hard case bar girl. She came across as the girl next door type.

How realistic are these expectations? Is there actually somebody who would willingly pay these amounts for a girlfriend/wife?

Up in Udon, those "expectations", can, and are fulfilled all the time. Yes, MF, there are some guys who have done exactly what you've described up in Isaan.

Have a look here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783029-35-million-thb-home-burglarly-in-nakha-udon-thani/ Especially the video on page two.

True story: A 65 year old guy meets a girl via the internet, comes to Thailand, meets her, thinks he's in heaven because this decent looking 33 year old girl wants to have have unprotected sex three times a day. Never thinking she's trying to get pregnant.

Long story short: within three months she is pregnant. A few years down the road she has a 5 million baht house, the obligatory Toyota pick-up, and a bouncing half-farang baby boy.

To add insult to injury, this guys house budget was 3 million baht, but she wanted a 5 million baht house, so this guy ends up borrowing the balance, to build her dream house.

This guy also didn't want a kid, but he thought at 65, he "didn't have any sperm left." So he didn't bother with birth control.

Most of my circle of expat friends have been here (or their chosen Asian country) a long time. I'm coming up on 20 years as an expat, I have friends at nearly double that.

Everyone seems happy with their lot although that may have something to do with having a rather larger disposable income than most.

I wonder how much has changed since the LSE did their survey in 1990, surly the author of the linked article could have found more recent data.

Crossy, if you scroll all the way down the article, to bottom of the page, you will see 47 "comments" written on Dec. 28, 2014, the same day the article was published.

The fact the LSE conducted the survey mentioned in article was done in 1990, is irrelevant. IMO.

What is important, is what the people who were interviewed, and the people who made comments on the article, said and wrote in the here and now.

According to the articles below, police arrested a 38 year old man on 11 Dec with a variety of watches, weapons, and drugs.

The jewelry is from a variety of robberies in/around Udon, most from a robbery that occurred on 30 Nov in moobahn Sritani (ศรีธานี), Udon, while the 26 year old owner was out visiting her mother.
That robbery involved valuable watches, diamonds, jewelry and purses. The girl shown in the Thai Rath photo below is the victim of the 30 Nov burglary...and I assume the watches and jewelry is from that robbery.

Police believe, that this robber 'may be' connected to the robbery on 8 Dec from the home of the British man and his wife...but I see nothing in the article photos that pins him directly to that robbery.

The article does mention that specific robbery...but I believe it's just conjecture on the part of the police at this point, that the man is connected.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/468521

http://www.banmuang.co.th/news/crime/3724

sstuff3, I replied yesterday:

Agree.

You would be 100% correct sstuff3...in a perfect world.

I stand by what I wrote.

sstuff3 said:

In addition, your description of the local villagers is a bit naïve at best (foraging for food in the jungle, really???).

That comment tells me you haven't been to the real Isaan. When I write "real Isaan", I'm referring to the villages. Like my wife's village, 45 minutes outside of Sakon Nakon.

Perhaps you been to the larger cities of Isaan? Seen all the new this and that. Think the whole region is like that?

I'll tell you what, next time you are up here in Isaan...PM me and I will give you written directions to the house & village in question. Check it out for yourself...up close & personal.

sstuff3. I am truly sorry you home was broken into. Having had the same thing happen to me...I can empathize.

sstuff3 said:

I'm baffled as to how many people on here blame the victim and not the thieves!

IMO. I don't think anyone is "blaming the victim". I think people are questioning his common sense in building where he built.

I wasn't aware there were restrictions on where or what you can build here. Seems to me that the logic used here (if you can call it that), is "if you build or have something that someone else views as extravagant or expensive, you should expect (and may deserve) to be burglarized." Everyone has their own reasons for doing as they do. Their choice of what to build and where shouldn't even enter this topic. Their house was broken into and their personal property stolen, which is inexcusable regardless of where their house is located or what it looks like. Simple as that.

Agree.

You would be 100% correct sstuff3...in a perfect world.

However, this is not a perfect world. This is a world of haves and have not's. No matter what country in the world we are discussing.

This is a world where people need to: install bars on the windows of their home, double lock the doors of their home when they go out and while they sleep, install alarm systems & CCTV's in their homes, lock their cars and install car alarms, etc.

I could go on and on with this list. But, I think you get my point.

For me, all I can say, if I was going to invest twelve-plus million THB in Thai real estate...I wouldn't build a luxury house out in the middle of the rice fields, where the villagers are just getting by, and still forage for food out in the middle of the jungle.

I do feel bad for this guy. What happened to him and his family is "inexcusable". I can't believe anyone would think he "deserved" it, I certainly don't.

However, as a wise man once said to me: "you've go to buy the whole package". In this particular case the whole package is...

In other words: Accept the consequences of your actions.

sstuff3 said:

I'm baffled as to how many people on here blame the victim and not the thieves!

IMO. I don't think anyone is "blaming the victim". I think people are questioning his common sense in building where he built.

There are traces of grated hard Closet door open Safe Weight 150 kg within the body disappear. The Safe with gold bars weighing 20 baht 2 bars weighing 10 baht 4 bars of gold bars weighing 70 baht jewelery worth 5 billion baht Rolex 1 house for five hundred baht diamond band 3 price band of two hundred thousand baht total assets. lost about 3.5 million baht

The house looks a little bit like "Scarface's little mansion".......Wouldn't anybody with common sense keep that stuff at a bank???

The "poor guy" wanted to build a Taj Mahal in his village?

But here's a serious question. Why would you keep that much in your house, when you're not even there?

Here is another serious question, and thought...

This house would not even rate a double take, or a second thought, in hi-end locations, such as Hua Hin, Krabi, Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, certain areas of Chonburi province, etc.

The same would be true for some of the hi-end housing estates in Udon Thani.

But building a "Taj Mahal" out in the middle of a piss-poor village???

In addition, this guy brought over an entire container full English furniture, some of it antique, a proper snooker table, a formal hardwood dining table w/chairs, collectables, etc. And the cherry on top of this sundae...an authentic red London telephone booth, which he placed in his front yard.

Common sense? Seems he left it back London. IMO.

I'm baffled as to how this guy was so successful with his business back in the UK?

I was reading about this a couple of days ago. From the article, the safe contained gold bars, diamond jewellery and Rolex watches, the combined weight of the safe and its contents estimated to be about 150 Kg.

The two-story house was located in Amphoe Meuang Udon Thani and the safe was hidden in a wardrobe in the bedroom on the 2nd floor, the thieves gaining access via a ladder to the balcony at the rear of the property which backed onto rice fields.

The owners of the property, a Thai woman married to an Englishman, had two children together and they travelled back and forth between Thailand and England, where they had a business running a garage. The house was looked after by the Thai woman's mother, father and relatives while they were away and she says they are the only people who knew about the safe ad its contents.

The couple returned back to the house from a trip to the UK on 27/11/14 and the jewellery wasn't stolen until 08/12/14. On that evening she took her parents and relatives out for a meal at 7 PM and on returning they didn't notice the safe and its contents were missing until the next morning.

The only thing missing from the house was the safe and its valuables. Looks like an inside job...

From what I've been told, this "garage", does automobile conversion for handicapped drivers. Good money, from the looks and sound of it...

PHOTOS of the victims and house: http://www.thairath.co.th/content/467946

That mansion must've stuck out like a sore thumb on a dirt road in the middle of rice fields.