RickFarang

Gotta remind you guys of the problems many gem buyers experienced a few years ago, when they were picked up for working without a permit. Or a few years prior to that, when a attendee at a professional conference was arrested and deported for working without a permit.

If you are not in strict conformance with the laws, you are open to prosecution should the winds change.

Probably not.

Hi People

I've just followed the link (top of the Visa and Immigration forum page) to Siam Legal. They seem to indicate that there is a route to Permanent Residence available to retirees. I did not think that this was possible. If it's true then I shall be very interested in applying this year.

Any comments / info, anyone?

DM

I asked this very question at immigration in Bangkok on August 24th. The officer replied that there is no category for retirement. The other categories are available to those who qualify.

As she said, based on retirement, you can stay year-by-year.

Forgot one question how long is the permit good for?

Hi Ray,

The permit is "permanent". Of course, we know that nothing is really permanent

Poking around on the Immigration Bureau's website a couple of months ago, I ran across the list of people granted permanent resident status last year. I stopped by Immigration in Bangkok last week and stopped in room 301 and asked about the permanent resident permit, and the officer I talked to confirmed that- the permanent resident permit is still alive and well.

It is not clear to me that non-Asians have the greatest chance of being successful. The names that I found on the list were predominantly Asian, but then again, it seems there is little reason for most Europeans and Americans to seek PR status.

BUT...you can extend your visa early, while you are still inside Thailand. I did it twice - in November of 2005 and 2006 at Soi Suan Pluu, each time about a month early. Be prepared to document your need to extend early. Both times, I brought the airplane tickets that I would be using to leave Thailand and return.

Most likely you can do this as well. It would probably be much easier than getting a new visa, though I have never tried the latter.

Good luck!

Yeah, that's about as clear as mud.

he was exporting in a legal way, helping people with life saving medicine is no crime.

asgharvohra, what makes you think he was exporting drugs in a legal way? From the article is sounds like the guy was operating a an unlicensed small time export company out of his home. He might not have had proper permits for the business, and just as likely, no work permit.

I agree with you that selling helpful drugs across borders to make them more accessible to others is a good thing, but it must be done legally, and in this country, you have to be careful not to make any enemies, either.

Based on what was published, I hope they go lightly on him.

There is a lot of misinformation on the web about HPV. Its a good idea to get this immunization regardless. HPV can be spread by many means, no just sexually. This includes accidental infection via hands and fingers. Get that immunization.

I accept Sunbelt's statement that it depends on the immigration officer.

Has anybody received a renewal of his or her retirement visa based on a fixed term savings account?

Let's study his subtle business tactics...

Continued from here

He said if the fare increase problem was not addressed, Samui residents and business operators would jointly lay a blockade to the Samui Airport of Bangkok Airways to protest.

-- The Nation 2006-11-04

rayw:

"I must say I am astonished that the US embassy are failing in their duties in not asking for proof as this will spoil it for"

Americans who lie on their affidaivits are guilty of a felony. Pretty serious stuff. Its more in lne with American tradiition for people to be responsible for themeslevs rather than having the government looking after them.

JimsKnight:

"Am I the only one considering the effect this will have on oil workers who reside in thailand?"

Not really. I worry about the people who pass through Bangkok on their way to and from Asian business destinations. Many people (including oil workers) vist Thailand for only a few days at a time, but many times a year. It appears that these guys will not be able to stop by so often.

But Rick, how did that person stay here (what visa?) for the last YEAR without leaving? As we are talking EXTENSIONS I presume on a retirement or married visa....

Cheers!

My point, exactly!

With respect to apex2000's comments: As you may realize upon thinking about it a little longer, the immigration people (at least in my experience, and apparently in yours) are generally good-hearted people and they will give you every break they can legitmatelly give to you. Its unlikely that you will have any more of a problem the next time your visa comes up for renewal that you had last time. (Knock on wood.)

One thing that seems to be a problem with the reitrement and married person's visas is the statement that they are "...to extend a non-immigrant visa for up to 12 months from the date of the last entry into Thailand."

So that would mean that if somebody were to enter Thailand on (say) January 1, and apply for a visa extension on December 30, they would get only a two day extension????

It seems as though there is a problem with the wording of the article. Agreed?

Here is the URL of a U.S. based ISP that provides a speed test.

Just click on "speed test" under the General Support heading.

Using True ADSL in Bagnkok, international download speed was often much lower than that from a site within Thailand, I guess its because of the international gateway bottlenck.

Interesingly (to me, anyway), using Loxinfo IP Star service up here in Udon Thani, speed to this U.S. site has been consistently maxed out at 262 kb/s (the rated rate of the service I subscribed to) every time I checked in the five days I've had the service. Except when it rains, then of course the rate drops to zero

Consider the possibility that there is no German. It was simply the Thai woman who made up a cock-and-bull story to get out of being charged with having the pills, or maybe because of an entirely different motive, such as to cover up the theft of the car.

So, which do you think is the worst part?

A. Being sent back to his home country to face murder charges, or

B. Having his residence permit canceled?

*Yawn*

You know what? The people making these rules don't take the tourist trade into consideration. The are thinking about the qualitiyof life of the Thais.

Not that I agree that telling people how to live their lives is good policy.

I wil not admit that I know someone who registered their SIM card without and identification. Yes, the whole exercise is pas ointless as it is frustratting.

More conservatives telling the masses how to live their lives.

So...it looks like my fiend who was just here on vacation, but checked his office email from his hotel room could be arrested and maybe fined and deported if he was ever caught.

We wouldn't want people coming over her and comitting that kind of crime. Spread the word.

Never had a problem at Soi Suan Pluu, either, except the wait, which is what this fellow's admonishin is all about.

It would be very nice if the 90 registration could be done by mail, telephone, or over the world wide web. This would save many from having to take half a day out of their lives every 90 days just for this (that comes out to 2 full days a year, quite a bit of overhead.)

Funny, the way the article reads, it sounds like they might speed things up in the offices by eliminating visa extensions for tourists. I really doubt that tourists will not be able to exend their stays, but I also really doubt that Immigration will forego the opportunity to collect the extension fee, so this (like many news stores in the English speaking press here) leaves me a bit puzzled about what was actually said.

It was mentioned months ago that they will eventually turn off all the unregistered SIM cards at one point. Maybe people buying new phones will have to wait for activation in the future.

One aspect they aren't talking about, is that they will know where everybody is, or at least what cell their cell phone is in.

With a new set of technologies coming online, broadly identified by the term "antenna diversity", the phone system will be able to locate a cell phone to within a few meters (no, this is different from GPS -the telephone does not have to be especially equipped -its a way to accomodate more phones in the same cell by illuminating small "hot spots" around the particlar cell phone.)

Do you really want someone building up a profile of your whereabouts as a function of time? It could be useful for law enforcement, and it could lend itself to all sorts of abuse.

"BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will closely monitor the quality of fruits and vegetables sold at supercentres in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces over the next four months to ensure that they are safe for consumption."

This is kind of picky, this problem shows up a lot in newspaper accounts of programs from government agencies.

Monitoring does not ensure the food is safe. It only provides information. Makeing the food safe starts way upstream from this point of sale montoring.

"...but God help me if I'm late with a bill. "

I don't see the need to bring Steve Jobs into the discussion.

About a year ago, I tried to open an account at Siam Commercial Bank and was flatly turned down because I don't have a work permit.

It may be more likely that these companies require a work permit because its an easy way to separate foreigners who have a legitimate need for these company's services from those with more shady intents (money laundering, currency speculation, unregistered internet-based businesses) and with the criterion of work permit, they get the great bulk of those they are looking for. Retirees? Such a small part of their total customer base, would it even occur to them to make provisions for us?

My True ADSL is in my Thai wife's name.

RickF