AlbinoAsian

Hi all,

my 30 days extension for the "first entry" of my double entry tourist visa is up next week. I was planning on travelling across a border on Mother's day to get my new 60 day stamp.

Is this a bad idea? (ie the border is shut? the traffic is terrible?)

If its a reasonable idea, then from Korat what would be the suggested border to cross-over for an hour or two before heading back home?

Thanks

This guy has been talking about "The Jospeh Solution" for about 8 weeks. I have no clue <deleted> he is talking about. Does anyone else?

Not sure, it seems to me that this is a guy called 'pastor Joseph' (Thai) who stole millions from the congregation a couple of years ago. This particular church has been disconnected from their brothers and sisters in all other countries. I got this info via Australia, since they tried hard to cover this up here. He stole the money and poured it into politics.

I'd be interested to know more about this...

This guy has been talking about "The Jospeh Solution" for about 8 weeks. I have no clue <deleted> he is talking about. Does anyone else?

Not sure, it seems to me that this is a guy called 'pastor Joseph' (Thai) who stole millions from the congregation a couple of years ago. This particular church has been disconnected from their brothers and sisters in all other countries. I got this info via Australia, since they tried hard to cover this up here. He stole the money and poured it into politics.

I'd be interested to know more about this...

THAI TV 11 now showing more Black Shirts w/assault rifles mixing with reds outside their fortress.

Thanks for the headsup, although some people here seem to be more interested in proving a point than seeing whats really going on

shocking pictures on channel 2 of the April 10 incident.... I didn't realise that much hurt was done to the soldiers =(

Quesion: Anyone know whats happening with the Police at the moment, are they still involved in the conflicts? sided with the reds? or have they gotten out?

I don't thing the police have become involved in the fighting. There was a post yesterday by the red parrot that the police were now shooting the soldiers. When I looked at the reference it was a report (Reuters) attributed to an unnamed witness that a (one) officer had been seen firing a gun (maybe once) in the direction of some troops.

Maybe there's more later but I have not seen it.

Thanks for the info, anything is possible in the confusion, but the clearer the lines are drawn the quicker this is over... hopefully

Quesion: Anyone know whats happening with the Police at the moment, are they still involved in the conflicts? sided with the reds? or have they gotten out?

First there would need to be some proof they switched sides before there can be proof they got out.

Ok thanks, it was more likely just a fear-mongering rumors then?

Quesion: Anyone know whats happening with the Police at the moment, are they still involved in the conflicts? sided with the reds? or have they gotten out?

Thai Tv is saying Seh Daeng is dead

I'm a little worried how the reds will react if thats true... the rift is about to widen even further.

Thanks for your replies Mac, we'll be there for 3 nights, would you still recommend the passport option as its free?

When we took some of my wife's family to Vientiane two years ago I'm sure the maximum time they could stay there on a border pass was three days and two nights.

yep thus the reason I'd gather it would be best not to use the ID Card but instead get the free 30 day visa in my wife's passport.

Make sure the Thai passport has more than 6 months on it,or you will have to get an A4 paper visa(about 100-150bt) from a shop down the road from the Thai side of the bridge!

That'd be a Thai-Lao "Border Pass" not a visa, and good for just three days and supposedly only for Vientiane area. Often a guest house can get this extended for a day or three.

Mac

Thanks for your replies Mac, we'll be there for 3 nights, would you still recommend the passport option as its free?

My wife would like to take her parents to visit her sister in Laos. She would like to know if they need to get a visa to go to Laos. If not, are they required to even have a passport?

Thanks,

Dave.

Dave

No visa required as Thai can get a "Border Pass" from one of the shops there at the van/bus station near the bridge.  Runs baht 150 +- and two photos.  Good for three days & two nights, I think, Vientiane area only.

Alternatively, if the Thai has a passport, the Lao visa is FREE and can stay for 30 days and go anywhere in country.

Mac

sorry to dig this thread up from the dead, but i have a simple quesion regarding getting the free Lao visa in the Thai passport, do they normally (for example in Nong Khai) go to the same immigration window as us farangs to get a visa stamped in their passport?

The important date is the expiration date of your current extension of stay. The re-entry permit will be valid for a return journey to Thailand until that date. If your return trip to Thailand is after the expiration of your current extension of stay you must get a new extension first, then the re-entry permit.

Your next 90-day address report will be due 90 days after your return to Thailand.

--

Maestro

OK thank you very much, my extension of stay is valid until mid May. Then at that point what would be required to do to renew my non-B and work permit? Is a fairly painless process?

Hi,

I previously lived in Thailand on several Non O multiple entry visas.

I was doing volunteer "work"

But in the last year I switched over to paid work, therefore I obtained a Non B & a work permit.

about 6 weeks ago I went to the Imm office here in Korat for my 90 day notification. Painless except for the fact they moved the office here in Korat.

In about 2 weeks I'm going back home to Oz for 2 months. As far as I can tell gaining a re-entry permit is quite easy, I have the form printed out ready to fill-in.

What I'm not sure about is the fact I'm going away for 2 months but my next 90 notification will be up while I'm away.

My Work Permit states I can get extension of stays up to May 2010. So I still have a valid visa and WP, but how does the re-entry permit work?

Will I be able to go out for 2 months as planned, and then on arrival what do I get? stamped 90 days from arrival?

I'll be rather upset if I have to get a new visa and WP because of my trip home.

Thanks very much for your help

I'm not in the trade but may i suggest that you read your contract with them ? I mean what are the minimum hours required and what is your notice period for termination stated in the contract itself ? If you want to be man of your words do it as per the contract terms. Or did you sign a "open check" to them ?

Also sounds bit stange that 30 hours a week is too much ? I myself and pretty much everyone in my trade work average 60 hours a week without too many problems. And it is intensive work that i could think would be the same as teaching english to teenagers. Seriously, how it is so draining to teach ? Not trying to talk you down, just interested.

yes I admit 30 hours doesn't sound like much, and that may be because I haven't learnt the skills of how to conserve energy when teaching (I'm still relatively new to the trade). Normally its not all that tiring if you get a break to recharge, but the way they've got me teaching I don't feel like I have a moment to stop and regain my thoughts. I've still got alot to learn. I'm sure no matter how tired I feel, there are many people more tired than me, so I've stopped feeling sorry for my self at the moment =)

thanks for the replies everyone.

I think I was mostly burnt out with the fact of having to work every single day of the week, and having to travel so much to get between the 3 locations plus home. I wrote them a letter asking to have one day off a week (which is already in my contract) and that I'd like to work the minimum 25 hours (I'm contracted for that many) while I'm having to work between the 3 places, and I'm happy to do 30 hours again once they can limit me to two locations.

I didn't want to leave, I know I'm not getting paid the greatest where I am, but I'll stick out the year and then see what happens next year.

Sorry if I sounded unproffesional by complaining, think alot of things were getting to me, but it seems that the polite letter has done the trick and will enable me to manage my time better, especially for other important things like family.

Once again thanks and sorry if I didn't reply to everyone's questions

I don't understand the OP.

First he/she says they took a contract with ECC because he/she does not have the energy to teach Primary/Secondary.................and then towards the end of the OP states that he/she "I get up and sing, shout and dance. I'm just that kind of teacher".

Oh dear.

oh sorry I didn't mean that I don't have the energy to teach Primary / Secondar school. I do ... I love it... and I can do 20+ hours of that kind of teaching no problems, but I can't do what ECC have me doing now. I did make the mistake of going with ECC in the beginning thats for sure, I'll have to admit to that mistake as I didn't know better at the time. Now I do.

Dude your letter is going to collect dust in their office! Do you think they really care about you? I dont think so. You wont be able to finish your 30+ hour work week and you'll be burnt out before you know it. Id run fast and would run as soon as you see that pay check comming. Stay away from ECC and agencies. All they care about is MONEY, they could care less about you lol

you are 100% right about that they care about the money...

I will however give the letter a go, I will hand it to the branch manager in person.

The letter requests changes to my current timetable all which I am contractually obliged to such as a WHOLE day off.

So if nothing does happen from there, I will be forced to take other measures.

I know what you meant when you said that you're a man of your word and that you will try to abide by your contract, but you should not do so if it will damage your health (mental or physical). Do you think that if they could find someone to replace you for a couple of thousand baht less that they would care about firing you? I don't think so. They could cause you some grief, but probably aren't going to try to track you down if you relocate. When you write make if simple and formal and offer to speak to them in person, if they wish. Spring for a translation from a good low cost translation service. Keep copies. Mail it EMS with a return receipt, and that will show that you made the attempt to do the right thing. You may want to avoid a face-to-face in the begining to avoid possibly causing them embarrasment, and them regarding this "confrontation" as a loss of face for them, in which case they'll probably just fire you on the spot.

Hey mate, thanks

would it be ok for me to send you a draft of the letter to see if it uses to complicated language?

Since you are technically working illegally, without a work permit, ECC kind of has you over a barrel, and they know it. If you walk, they will invalidate your non-B visa obtained with their papers. Also, most of the contracts like ECC has, have a clause that states that you will not offer or accept employment from any school, company or individual. This clause could cause you grief but probably not too much of a problem for the other school. It just depends on how much ECC wants to push the issue. Obviously, they are not going to be able to do much to a government school, but they can pick on you.

I suggest that you try to negotiate with them for either more money or fewer hours, stating the stress that the excess hours are causing may cause your performance to suffer, and that their few hours before compared with too many hours now are too much for you to cope with. If they don't care and you decide to walk, walk to another locale and start fresh but don't let anybody know where you are going, and don't list them as a reference, and act as if you've never heard of them. If you are in central Thailand go north or south. If you're in the south head north, and so on. I doubt that ECC will make much of an effort to find you or blacklist you given their questionable practices in the past. You can almost always get another visa.

As above poster stated (in so many words), they can only take advantage of you as long as you accept it These agency/schools take advantage of people as much as they can because they know many people are willing to do anything to be able to be able to stay in Thailand, and if a highly qualified teacher bails on them there are more than enough unqualified or marginally qualified people who will take anything that they can get. The agency/school earns the same amount of money regardless.

Good luck

Thanks very much for your thought through response.

I think that what my first cause of action will be is to write a letter to the manager of my branch manager, this way if they don't understand what I mean, the can check with the head office.

Like you said they won't like if it I just leave them, and they could cause me problems. I accept that I may have to see out the year, but I want them to understand I won't be trodden all over. If I have a breakdown I won't be much good to them.

Thanks again

Dude your getting screwed BIG TIME, Leave ECC ASAP as soon as you get your paycheck, bail out on them. Dont even give them a notice or your address. They are screwing you bigtime, I was in a similar situation. Im doing 19 hours a week and around 20 teaching hours a week is all I can handle. Get a FULL-Time Job hel_l I'll even reccomend schools to you. Never work for an agency too, I wish you the best of luck mate.

thanks mate... they have my address already. They haven't issued me a work permit I still have the papers. but I did just get a new visa last month, its a non-im "B" which I obtained using a letter from them. I shouldn't have to pay for the work permit for early cancellation as they haven't issued me one. However would the visa be cancelled? I'm of the understanding the visa would only be cancelled in the case of it being tied to a work permit. I would like to know what would be the consequence for cancelling the contract... even if I did it the correct way and gave them notice.

I do like teaching at schools, and would teach at either of the ones I currently teach at, but I can't do both for such a terrible hourly rate.

I currently find myself in a rather tiring and tough situation.

At the end of last year I decided to sign a contract to work at ECC full-time. I understood that the payrate was far from good, but I was happy to accept that because teaching private classes / small classes takes a whole let less energy than teaching at primary or secondary school. I have really enjoyed teaching there and have some great students... during the initial time they sent me to two external schools. I worked at a primary school for 3 hours a week, and a high school for 4 hours a week. ECC payed me an extra 30-40 baht per hour on top of my hourly wage, but ECC received 200-300 baht extra from the schools for doing basically nothing. Ok that I can handle... A business is a business.

What I can't handle is what has now happened this term, I'm working the same 2 schools except 15 hours a week at the primary school, another 7 at the high school. Then goto ECC for another 10 hours over the weekend. I'm only one week into the term but already feel like a wreck. I once did 38 hours a week for two weeks in private classes at ECC, but didn't feel anywhere as tired as I feel now. I have a degree (The major was TESOL actually), both the schools I work at have asked me to leave ECC and come and work for them directly (they would risk a huge fine from ECC if they did scalp me).

To break it down, I currently work at the primary school 15 hours a week... then have to go and do another 15 hours between a high school and ECC to earn the same that I would get for working directly with that primary school for 15 hours. I feel totally and utter screwed... I didn't expect to be working so many hours externally from ECC in order that ECC makes a killing, whie I have physical / mental / emotional breakdown. When I signed the contract I did hear something about doing the occasional class at a workplace or another school, but they never said anything about the whole week!

I love to teach, and when I teach I give it my absolute all. I get up and sing, shout and dance. I'm just that kind of teacher. Its the only way I know how to teach.

But with the amount of hours I'm doing at the schools. I'm left with nothing... and I'm worried that soon I'll break. I Would love to hear any suggestions or ideas of what I should do. I know that contracts don't mean much in Thailand. However I am a man of my word, and would like to continue teaching at ECC part-time in the future when I have a "real full-time job", so I'm not looking to quit necessarily. Though I am sure I won't be renewing the contract with them. Even if they paid me 40000 a month. I'd rather get 35000 at the primary school for just 60 hours a month rather than 120.

Thanks,

one very tired teacher

I used to download some great videos from AVISTAZ but when I went back there recently you need to register.

anyone have an invite they can spare... I'm happy to give a demonoid invite in exchange

I'm happy to trade a Demonoid invite for another invite like IPT.

I live "bor nork" but am finally able to get ADSL next month, so will be sharing 24/7 then =)

Just curious to those out there, if you notice any difference when giving your computer or router a dns to use. I mainly switched over to OpenDNS when I learned more about DNS and when it seem more information what posted online about many ISP not fixing there DNS Servers. I have thought about using CAT's DNS but don't know if it makes any difference or if its secure or not. Any ideas

my advise - use only open DNS, no matter where you are located

I have switched over to open DNS after after serious problems on my 12call EDGE connection... now things are alot better.

definitely a convert =)