frogmo1

Do you have recommendations for reputable small appliance repair businesses in Hua Hin?  Tnx!

After several email and written inquires, the employer has failed to provide standard proof of having paid wage withholding taxes.  This documentation is necessary to file a Thailand tax return by the April 1, 2022 deadline.  What recourse does the employee have?

New Thailand international postal rates took effect 1 February 2022.  Check the different rates here (scroll down for English):

https://international.thailandpost.com/news-announcement-post-service-rates-2022/

Some of the rates were increased 72%!  But maybe you can ship using the letter rates, which would be substantially cheaper.

15 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

Should read thecharges, mail to USA is not 220, more like 30baht for a letter.

 

To clarify, please see the attached screen shot from the Thai Post website:  40 baht now available for an airmail  letter; 220 baht + 40 baht surcharge for trackable airmail letter.  The website does not indicate the weight limits for these rates.

The Thai Post international rate calculator is here:

https://www.thailandpost.co.th/index.php?page=index&language=en

Click on "calculate fee" at the list on the right.

Mail to the United States is 220 baht plus a 40 baht surcharge.  More for heavy letters.  Quite a shock after years of inexpensive international air letter post.

I paid 50% down for a new Mazda, financed the balance over three years in monthly payments with Siam Commercial Bank.  Was not asked for my work permit or salary.  Unproblematic loan facilitated by the car dealership.

Here is the July 1, 2020 list of available international mail services (updates appear monthly):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OGkBLRXkgaOuA-x2N-I2fLe0faBrUXeu/view

Airmail letter service to the United States will not be restored until the C-19 virus is under control there as such mail is carried on passenger flights. 

Incoming service from Europe is very slow.  I received a registered letter from Belgium a couple days ago that was postmarked in Tournai on April 6, 2020.  Argus!

6 hours ago, Stygge said:

Statue of limitation - as long as the bank notifies you about your debt it starts a new 2 year period.
They can keep this up forever.

The car: it depends if you lease the car or if you bought it on credit. The difference is who owns the car.
If it is the latter the bank can seize the car but has to esure the rights of the creditor. It means the bank kan extract the difference from the remaining debt to the market selling value of the car.

 

The Civil and Commercial Code provides a three-year statue of limitation for unsecured credit card debt.  There is no two-year statute nor any revival of a statue because the creditor gives notice of the default.

The statute of limitation period in Thailand to sue on unsecured credit card debt is 3 years from the date of default.  If any payment is made after initial default, the 3-year period begins anew from that payment date.

To garnish wages or seize assets, the creditor must first sue the debtor and obtain a court judgment by winning the lawsuit.  A lawsuit filed during the 3-year period stops the running of the statue of limitations.  If the court dismisses the lawsuit for non-prosecution (for example, if the debtor cannot be found to be served with formal notice of the lawsuit), the statue resumes running. If the 3-year limitation period has run prior to the filing of the creditor's lawsuit, the debtor must assert the expiration of the limitation period as a defense to the lawsuit. Only after a final judgment has been obtained may the creditor use legal process to garnish wages or seize assets. 

This is all set out in the Civil and Commercial Code.

Here is the Thailand Post's list of countries to which some services are available as of June 2, 2020:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OGkBLRXkgaOuA-x2N-I2fLe0faBrUXeu/view

The arguments put forward by ex-smokers on the quality of air issue belong on a separate thread and I support you. I do not like the smell of smoke. Its that simple. I am not commenting on world air quality, holes in the ozone or global warming. I'm talking about the smell of smoke in an enclosed space and how it irritates my nose and eyes.

The war on smokers is pretty much over. We are just walking around bayouneting the wounded.

Enjoy.

Well, the "wounded" appear to be fighting back!

The Soi 8 Pub and Restaurant near the entrance to Sukhumvit soi 8, which I've patronized for years, has decided to defy the smoking ban by intimidating, assaulting and physically ejecting anybody who politely complains about the pub's policy of defiance.

I found out the hard way en route home this evening from work. When I politely pointed out to the onsite manager that most of the pubs and restaurants in the lower Sukhumvit area were compliant with the non-smoking law, the manager replied with a variety of threats of physical violence. He then acted on his threats, taking away my eyeglasses and a glass of wine I had ordered and canceling my sandwich order, after which he punched, kicked and physically ejected me.

If you are inclined to complain about the Soi 8 Pub's lawlessness, you'd better bring your own security personnel.

Yes, I did file a criminal complaint with the Lumpini Police Department -- not for violation of the smoking ban, for assault and battery. And yes, there are alternatives on soi 8 to this rogue pub.

Returning recently from Dubai, as I left passport check there was a table behind which was a large sign. The sign advised that if you didn't take an AOT "official" taxi, your safety could not be guaranteed. As I was reading the sign, a couple clerks repeatedly asked me "Where you go?" Finally, I said Sukhumvit soi 8, to which one of them replied "900 baht." I won't repeat my response here. I then started looking for signs to the taxi queue, mi-awing the aggressive touts who were clamoring after me, seeking my business. All I found were bored looking "official" taxi drivers and long lines of AOT vehicles. Finally, another traveler kindly directed me to the lower level, where I found the taxi queue and took a metered taxi for 210 baht to soi 8 (knowing, of course, that AOT wasn't guaranteeing my safety).

In contrast, at the Dubai airport there is a supervised taxi queue, no taxi touts, and signs in each taxi that read "If the meter does not work, your fare is free."

What an unkind welcome back to see AOT trying to ripoff incoming visitors, not to mention the abrasive touts.

I worked for American University Alumni (AUA) for over two years before they finally applied for and obtained a work permit for me. The administration there did not take seriously the Thai immigration and labor laws. As a consequence, teachers (all of whom were part-time) spent a lot of their below-market-rate pay on expensive visa runs.

After teachers performed two years "service," it was AUA's stated policy to reimburse them for the visa fees they had paid during their first two years of "service." In my case, they renigged on this promise, contending that the two years ran from the date that my work permit was issued, and not from the date my "service" began. They shamelessly used this subterfuge to benefit from their lawless conduct.

I subsequently obtained another job where my new employer promptly obtained the requisite work permit and visa within less than two months of my starting date at no expense to me.

Actions often speak for themselves. AUA's certainly did.

Meaningful screening of foreign teachers is badly needed. Even well-established ESL schools such as American University Alumni (AUA) continue to require new teachers to serve a probationary period during which they do not have work permits. As long as the Thai government permits language schools such as AUA to flaunt work permit requirements for newly recruited teachers, it's unlikely that any uniform standards or criteria for teacher screening will emerge, desirable as that would be.

I appreciate the comments to my post; however, I remain puzzled as to what went wrong with the decedent's bail request. Was it made improperly or did the judge who heard it (if it in fact was heard) have a legal or psychological reason for denying it? The workings of the Thai judiciary are of interest to me, but the press seems not to have any information to offer on this detail.

Not sure if the bail request was made, but even if it had been ,the court would have been compelled to deny the request.

The main problem in this instance is that by knowingly altering a visa, the visa was automatically made void. The court cannot grant bail knowing that the defendant has no legal right to be in the country.

Thanks Diet-Dog. I'm compelled to agree with your analysis--the poor sap simply wasn't bailable.

Why detain someone who is attempting to leave and has no right to be in the country? They are attempting to leave, let them leave. Not like the crack staff at Thai immigration tracked down some nefarious criminal that was attempting to stay in Thailand for who knows how long. This chap was attempting to get out. Was at the airport with a paid ticket and everything. Let him leave. Anyone that shows up at the airport with a proper paid ticket, and their only crime is related to visa overstay, or visa date changes; then fine them, or black-ball them in regard to future entry, but get them on the plan and out of your country.

Perfect logic - you have no right to be here anymore, so we think we'll keep you longer.

"Here's your sign."

Had a mate once in Japan that had some problem/ issue related to an overstay. He did not consult with anyone, just went to the airport with a paid ticket back home, and they would not let him leave; they did not detain him either. He had to (on his own accord) make arrangements with the central immigration office in Tokyo to basically get permission to leave Japan. The process to sort out the overstay ended up keeping him in Japan for another 30 days. Had to get approval from immigration on date and flight for departure. Could have saved everyone a whole bunch of useless hassle had they simply fined or black-listed him and put him on the flight he had originally bought the ticket. And after all that he was back working in Japan by the end of the year.

With that being said obviously the best course of action is not to overstay in the first place.

Should the penalty for altering a visa be the same as or proportionate to the overstay penalty? The guy who overstays essentially pleads guilty by presenting his/her/its unaltered documents to Immigration and is fined accordingly. This Liechtenstein-residing royal (and you have to wonder why he is residing there as Liechtenstein was not the country of his birth), however, thunbed his nose at Immigration (and the system of immigration laws) by presenting a document he personally knew he had altered. Seems to me that justifies a somewhat greater punishment--just what that should be apparently required a court hearing of some sort. Anyway, just random thoughts ...

I appreciate the comments to my post; however, I remain puzzled as to what went wrong with the decedent's bail request. Was it made improperly or did the judge who heard it (if it in fact was heard) have a legal or psychological reason for denying it? The workings of the Thai judiciary are of interest to me, but the press seems not to have any information to offer on this detail.

Not sure if the bail request was made, but even if it had been ,the court would have been compelled to deny the request.

The main problem in this instance is that by knowingly altering a visa, the visa was automatically made void. The court cannot grant bail knowing that the defendant has no legal right to be in the country.

Thanks Diet-Dog. I'm compelled to agree with your analysis--the poor sap simply wasn't bailable.

I appreciate the comments to my post; however, I remain puzzled as to what went wrong with the decedent's bail request. Was it made improperly or did the judge who heard it (if it in fact was heard) have a legal or psychological reason for denying it? The workings of the Thai judiciary are of interest to me, but the press seems not to have any information to offer on this detail.

An interesting legal question is why bail was denied. It seems the Thai judiciary isn't providing the answer to that question.

Here's the latest English language summary report from the Internet:

» eTN Partners » Discussion Board

From the Editor

Monday, August 14, 2006

Dear Tourism Partners,

The death of Prince Christoph Hohenlohe of Liechtenstein under Thai authorities’ watch, after jailing him for entry card forgery, has sparked an international outcry. Have Thai authorities overstepped their boundary? Be the judge. Read today’s lead story for the details. Thomas Steinmetz reports.

eTN Articles

International outrage over Prince Christoph’s death in Bangkok

By Thomas Steinmetz

HONOLULU (eTN) -- If the Thai government treats tourists the way my friend Kiko was treated ,nobody should even go there anymore, said Honolulu resident Tamara Motteler.

Motteler is referring to Christoph von Hohenlohe (known to his closest friends and family as Kiko) who died last week under Thailand authorities watch after being jailed for forging the dates on his entry card. Before his death, he resided in Honolulu, Hawaii but he is a citizen of Liechtenstein and is the son of German Princess Ira von Fuerstenberg, a famous European socialite and the daughter of Prince Tassilo Egon Maria Karl George Leo of Fuerstenberg and Clara Agnelli, a Fiat heiress.

"Kiko, was a wonderful, gracious man, who was always considerate of those

around him, and who loved the beaches of Hawaii and always was a positive spirit. I will miss him terribly,” said Jon Paul Chevalier, adding, “The vile way in which Kiko died, and the horrible, unlawful circumstances under which he died, should be investigated by the international community to the fullest extent of international laws."

Prince Christoph von Hohenlohe arrived in Thailand in mid-July from Hawaii, where he was then based, for a stay at a celebrated wellness centre. Unfortunately for him, he missed his returned flight back to Hawaii and could only get a seat three days later. Adding to his dilemma was the fact that his entry visa had gone passed its allowed 14-day stay. Most European and American citizens are not required to pay an entry fee but Hohenlohe belonged to neither categories so knew he had extra formalities to deal with. Concerned that he would again missed his flight, he made the innocent mistake of forging his entry card document.

However, Thai authorities noticed the alteration and arrested Prince Hohenlohe. The Liechtenstein prince spent almost a week in jail where he fell victim to a sudden illness and died. That, at least, is the official version, which explains that death occurred a few hours after the prince was taken to a hospital. It is not known at this time why he died although possible causes include heat stroke, heart attack, infection and insulin deprivation, heat stroke.

Prince Christoph’s family is saying they are incredulous at the way an episode they thought would be quickly resolved has transpired. His brother, Hubertus Hohenlohe, and mother, Princess Ira von Fürstenberg, flew to Bangkok a few days after his arrest, after learning about the incident from one of Prince Hohenlohe’s friends in Bangkok. Princess Ira managed to visit him in prison before his mysterious illness and death.

According to official reports, upon Thai authorities at the airport immigration office spotting the forgery, Prince Christoph was at once detained, searched, questioned and taken to a police station, where he spent the two days. While under custody, the prince tried to explain and assure his Thai interrogators that did not intend committing a crime and that he had already missed his earlier flight and that he was only making sure he did not miss his flight again. Forty-eight hours later, a judge confirmed the arrest and sent the prince to jail. The jail that Prince Christoph was was transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison on the morning of August 8. The same establishment the Amnesty International periodically denounces for the abuse of prisoners and the inhuman conditions in which they are detained.

Liechtenstein does not have an embassy in Bangkok, so the Hohenhole's sought the help the Swiss and then the Italian embassies. “The family contacted us only last Friday (August 4) and we immediately put them in touch with a competent lawyer”, confirmed Gianluca Greco, an official at the Italian embassy in Bangkok. However, Thai authorities rejected a bail attempt.

The jailed prince became ill on August 5 of unknown cause. He was taken to a hospital, where he died a few hours later on Sunday night. “We received an embarrassed phone call from the prison”, said Hubertus, adding, “and who knows if we will ever find out the truth.” To date, there has been no official cause as to what caused the prince’s illness.

In an exclusive interview with eTN, Hubertus said: “The temperature in the jail exceeded 45 Degrees C. Kiko shared the cell with 43 criminals and was not given sufficient water and food. Kiko was not given a mattress and prisoners had to stand because there was not enough room to sit or lay down. Kiko was a diabetic and repeated requests to provide insulin was not responded to. Kiko had long blond hair and Thai jail authorities shaved his head.”

In response, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, director International Public Relations of TAT said: "The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is saddened by the death of Mr. Christoph von Hohenlohe, a Liechtenstein national, in Thailand recently. The safety of every visitor to Thailand is of paramount importance to this organization. We endeavor whenever possible to coordinate with various public and private offices to ensure that the life and property of foreigners in Thailand are protected under Thai law.”

Added Ayudhya: “We will contact the government offices involved with this case to seek a report. Once that is received, we will discuss with that office measures that hopefully will facilitate the entry and exit of foreigners visiting this country.”

Previously, Amnesty International has issued the following appeal to Thailand: "The Thai government should take immediate steps to improve prison conditions, which amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, bringing them up to the level required by international standards. These include abolishing in practice the use of prolonged shackling; providing adequate space for prisoners; and providing adequate food and medical care for all prisoners."

According to the Thai Tourist Police Department, a total of 115 foreign visitors have died in Thailand this year.

Prince Christoph funeral will be in Marbella, Spain on August 16. He will be entombed in the family plot at the famed Marbella Clu, founded by Prince Christoph’s father. Royalty from throughout the world are expected to attend his funeral.

With additional reporting from eTN representatives in Bangkok

Is it possible to set up a Pay pal account if you have a Thai credit card and are based here?

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However, I believe you can withdraw funds (up to a daily limit) via any Cirrus ATM with a PayPal debit card.

And I suppose anything short of an acquittal would mean years and years of appeals.

By the way, who pays defense counsel in this country when the defendant is so poor, as in this case, that he had to pawn his pistol (accordingly to his testimony as reported on this thread)?

Coverage of this case seems to have gone from infrequent to non-existent, both here and in the West.

Is the trial over and the verdict under submission?

Has the defendant remained bailed pending a verdict?

Is this just a reflection of the judge's disdain for farangs or representative of Thai judicial procedure generally?

I have an excellent tutor with considerable experience working with expatriates employed with American corporations. PM me for a phone number if you like.

Having worked in Thailand for three years, I recently applied for a credit card with Siam Commercial Bank. It arrived by registered mail a couple weeks laterwith an appropriate credit limit. The application form (in Thai) was simple to fill out and no rip-off fee was charged to apply. As for consumer protection, there isn't much here for credit card or identity theft fraud. Nonetheless, there are times I'm glad to deal with a local bank where at least some of the clerks know who I am.

30 - 40,000 would be fair for a Thai legal consultant.  A foreigner could initially command two to three times that, I would imagine.

I'd agree, plus perks, such as decent health insurance, 20 days paid vacation, 13 paid holidays, and for some, a driver. That's more baht and benefits than most junior Thai attorneys without graduate degrees receive.