TallGuyJohninBKK

Safety No. 1 in Thailand... for sure! Or as the saying goes... LOOK OUT below!!!!

On that point: Lock Him Up? A New Poll Has Some Bad News for Trump ... "A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll provides some bad news for Trump: Even as he remains the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination, the cascading indictments are likely to take a toll on his general election prospects. The survey results suggest Americans are taking the cases seriously — particularly the Justice Department’s 2020 election case — and that most people are skeptical of Trump’s claim to be the victim of a legally baseless witch hunt or an elaborate, multi-jurisdictional effort to “weaponize” law enforcement authorities against him. ... Fifty-nine percent of respondents in the poll said that the federal trial in Trump’s 2020 election subversion case should take place before the 2024 Republican primaries begin early next year." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/lock-him-up-a-new-poll-has-some-bad-news-for-trump/ar-AA1fKXl3

Last year, when I was demanded unexpectedly to produce a 12 month statement at BKK CW, the Krungsri branch there also was able to generate one within a half hour or so, I think, for the same 200 baht fee.

My custom, for the more than decade that I've lived here, has been to always get my reentry permit at the same time I do my annual extension at BKK CW. Which I would assume is pretty common. And in almost all prior years, it was the more involved extension part of the process that generally took longer than the simple reentry permit application. So I had no habit or custom to rely on airport exits as my route for doing reentry permits... Plus, my international flights out generally tend to be at or after midnight here local time. And frankly, I've never been sure that the Survarnabhumi Immigration desk for reentry permits would necessarily be staffed at those off hours, and didn't want to risk getting left high and dry, which would mean considerable grief. Also PS - I didn't KNOW it was going to take FIVE HOURS when I sat down to wait at the beginning of the reentry permit process... All I knew was I was given a queue # of 171 at 10:10 am that morning, and they were on #70 for people submitting their applications at that point. As it turned out, I was able to submit my application (the first part of the process) just before the noon lunch break. But then having done that, with things in their processing stage, I didn't get my passport returned and stamped until after 3 pm....

Could be a variety of things... 1. Sometimes, people run into individual IOs or IO offices at particular points in time that are just rogue A-xxxxxs. 2. Sometimes, if the IO has some problem with the way your bank book entries are listed (such as if it appears some entries are missing or have been combined into a recap entry), they'll demand a formal bank statement covering the past year. I had the demand for the formal, annual bank statement happen to me last year when, during the prior 12 months, I had one bank book end upon being filled, and then a new one issued for the remaining part of the year. And Immigration didn't like the way the bank had handled the carry-over entries into the new bank book. And probably some other possible explanations as well.... FWIW, lately, at least with Krungsri Bank and some other Thai banks, customers can request prior 12 month full bank statements for free on their own via either the banks' website or via their mobile apps, which are then sent to you via email.

Wow... a brand new poster so loudly on the Trump train... Obviously, your timing is PERFECT... Just when he's facing multiple criminal cases for multiple different kinds of alleged criminal activity. He's got a presidential candidate resume now like no other in U.S. history.

Regarding my 5-hour wait for a reentry permit at BKK CW yesterday, the waiting area is all indoors with nominal air conditioning. As evidenced by the hours log wait, the queue was moving at glacial pace. So folks waiting could leave and go out to get a drink or snack at the various eateries in the Govt Complex, and come back later without too much fear that their queue number had been passed, at least when they're still far down in the queue. Nonetheless, a 5 hour wait for a stupid thing like a reentry permit isn't going to rank high on my list of fun things to do... BTW, has anyone ever asked... why can't the IO who considers and processes your extension also do the stamp for the reentry permit if one is requested, especially since they already have all the required info and paperwork? Nah, that would make too much common sense and interfere with busy work assignments for Immigration officers.

Trump's gone where no U.S. president has ever gone before: Past presidents, while never indicted, have faced legal woes of their own "If you live in America today, the one historical fact you are most likely to have heard is that former President Donald Trump is the first U.S. president ever to face criminal charges." https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167662256/past-presidents-while-never-indicted-have-faced-legal-woes-of-their-own\ Nixon didn't. Clinton didn't, despite their misdeeds. Neither did any of the prior presidents in the U.S.'s almost 250 year history. It took Trump to become the first, now four times over.

I wonder if there's going to be a new entry for Trump in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most criminally charged" former U.S. president? Might even be on the comparable list for prosecuted world leaders, except he's probably got a lot of competition there, https://www.axios.com/2022/08/26/countries-where-former-leaders-jailed-charged "The big picture: In reality, leaders who left office since 2000 have been jailed or prosecuted in at least 78 countries — including in democracies like France, Israel and South Korea." "In the vast majority of cases all over the world, the charges former leaders have faced relate to corruption." https://www.axios.com/2022/08/26/countries-where-former-leaders-jailed-charged

He looks like a very angry, very old, self-entitled white man.. which of course, is exactly what he is.

My nominee for the Asean Now "Analogy of the Year" Award!!!! ????

It's a PERFECT booking photo.... just like his Georgia phone call! ???? Man, if I saw that guy coming down the street toward me, I'd run the other way!!! PS - America should do the same!

HA! So that means I, with a most recent air arrival in May 2023, should be free and clear re the TM6 and the LTR application... at least... if that's the correct interpretation! ???? Maybe I'll have a TM6 burning party.... (No, won't, just kidding!)

Pib, do you know if the quoted excerpt you posted above means the date of your ORIGINAL entry into Thailand, OR your most recent entry into Thailand? For example, my most recent entry into Thailand was in May 2023, after their cited date. But, original entry into Thailand was long before their cited date. So I'm somewhat different from you you and Jim, whom I believe, have both remained in Thailand continuously without leaving well back before the cited mid 2022 date.

BKK CW for extension applications typically wants all three: --they want to see and examine your original bank book, which has to be updated the day of your Immigration visit before you go in. --they want the original bank letter no older than 7 days prior confirming your account and balance. --And, they want signed photocopies of the main page of your bank book along with the pages showing all your transaction activity for the prior 12 month period.

Ahh... on the point of bank passbooks... at least in my experience, Krungsri Bank (the yellow, Ayudhya one) continues to have problems with their bank book update machines not accepting some (all?) bank books. After I got my Immigration letter at my local branch earlier this week, I tried updating my bankbook in their public machine, and FAIL.... Go inside, and the bank staff can update my book just fine on their private machines... And exactly the same thing with the Krungsri update machines outside the branch in the basement of the BKK CW complex... Same this year, same as last year... Same with my prior bank book, same with my newest bank book.... And as a consequence, each year, I'm unable do my required bank book update on the day of my Immigration visit until AFTER the BKK CW Krungsri branch opens at 8:30 am, which happens to be the same time the BKK CW Immigration office begins allowing in people from their long queue. It's an ongoing hassle with Krungsri.

Insanity.... and clearly not the policy being followed in BKK....

Funny thing... Every time I make my annual pilgrimage to BKK CW, I always try to drag my Thai wife along with me... And she always asks, "Why do I need to go.... I don't do anything there..." And yesterday was a good example... When we walked in to meet the IO handling my extension, I sat down and said "Good Morning" to her in English signaling that that was my main language.... And then, from that point forward, the IO nonetheless talked entirely in Thai with my wife, and when the IO asked something in Thai, I had my Thai wife translate it for me... And meanwhile, the two of them ended up having a grand chat and laughing together in Thai.... all of which, was fine by me..... ???? Whatever makes them happy and smooths the path to success. Also, with the IO wearing a face mask and sitting behind the plexiglas-COVID screen, I could barely hear/understand most anything she was saying...in any language.... But somehow, my wife could. ????

Sorry to sound lost here, but, I've never clearly understood the real rules on just when a TM30 filing should be required and apply... Originally, I thought, it was basically when you as a foreigner tenant moved to a new permanent residence, and you (or your landlord) needed to notify Immigration of the change. But then things got muddy and complicated in the past when some Immigration officers began requiring new TM30 every time you went out of Thailand and returned back, or even when you left home in Thailand to temporarily stay in a hotel.... The whole thing has been so bollixed up over time, and I've totally lost track of just what it is and isn't supposed to be... All I know is the one I have dates back from 2019, and I've had the same permanent residence in Thailand during that entire time. And no one thus far has asked me to file a new one, even when I've left and returned to Thailand and when I've made short-term domestic stays elsewhere within Thailand. So, at least in my case in BKK, once Immigration has a TM30 for me at my ongoing home address, they don't seem to want a new one no matter where i travel, as long as I return back to my same ongoing home. Fingers crossed....

I can confirm that the ONLINE 90 day reporting system no longer requires you to input a TM6 number. But I haven't done an in-person 90-day report at BKK CW in some months, so I can't speak to whether the TM6 is still required there. My last in-person there was at the beginning of this year, and I believe I did include a copy of my TM6 as part of that application, because at that point it still reflected my last prior air arrival into the country (even though it was back from 2019). When I went to BKK CW for my extension yesterday, I'd already had an international air arrival into Thailand in the meantime earlier this year and wasn't issued any TM6 for that arrival. So even though I had my old TM6 yesterday, it no longer reflected my most recent arrival into Thailand.

Interesting to read everyone's various experiences... Sharing them and hearing what everyone has encountered here and there is very helpful and informative.

I got my queue ticket for the L section yesterday from the main front counter inside, and that officer only took a quick cursory look at my paperwork, which obviously didn't include my TM30 at that point.... But again, best to be prepared just in case.

I had seen someone suggest that elsewhere here on the forum regarding the boarding pass, so I brought my most recent one along with me to BKK CW yesterday just in case in my backup documents file along with a variety of others.... Wasn't asked for the TM6. And wasn't asked for anything as a TM6 replacement item.... We shall see.....

I'd always ordered my paperwork somewhat differently in the past, putting my passport photocopies right after my TM7, and then the rest thereafter...just because that seemed to make sense. But for whatever reason, the Doc checks officer put the 4 misc rules/statements form right after my TM7, and the IO handling my paperwork seemed to like it that way.... Obviously, the order of things doesn't really matter a whole lot in the bigger scheme of things, as long as you have what they want... But if I can do simple things that keep them happy/happier.... so be it! ???? I'll try it that way again next year, and see what ensues... Who knows, different day, different IO... What could possibly go wrong! ???? Part of the reason I write these detailed recaps every year is to help me keep a guide of what I've done and what they've done on all the details, so I have a guide/roadmap to follow for next year....

On my PC with Firefox, the full article ends with the following sentence relating to the one German guy's case... not anything about the other two cases... 'His girlfriend acted as a decoy to lure the victim to the pool, where they ambushed and shot him." And then there's a final paragraph, as is customary with Thaiger, that summarizes an entirely different past article with a somewhat related topic.