richm7

The "piss-up" comment was a joke. It never even inferred that you partook. Lighten up.

If you want her to go she'll have to reapply, of course. Otherwise, address their objections and cross your fingers. You're asking "how long is a piece of string". Nobody knows.

Sometimes these bureaucrats baffle me. I'm not at all sure about the UK, but if, like the US you can apply for a change of status and remain in country on a visitor visa (i.e. enter as a visitor, then while there apply to immigrate and get immediate permission to stay) I understand their reluctance. Otherwise, it makes no sense to me. After all, if she wanted to stay, as the wife of a citizen she could apply for a settlement visa and be legal, which is surely the route anyone would take. Of course, if you're not legally married, the picture is entirely different. It sounds to me as if you might be omitting some important details. Apologies for questioning whether you are legally married, but many people in Thailand who have been through the village piss-up consider themselves married when, legally, they're not.

I can assure our marraige is legal and took place in BKK. As for the village piss-up, i dont drink alcohol so that wouldnt apply to me.

Can i refer to my original question please.

Should i re-apply or appeal and how long would the appeal be likely to take.

Sometimes these bureaucrats baffle me. I'm not at all sure about the UK, but if, like the US you can apply for a change of status and remain in country on a visitor visa (i.e. enter as a visitor, then while there apply to immigrate and get immediate permission to stay) I understand their reluctance. Otherwise, it makes no sense to me. After all, if she wanted to stay, as the wife of a citizen she could apply for a settlement visa and be legal, which is surely the route anyone would take. Of course, if you're not legally married, the picture is entirely different. It sounds to me as if you might be omitting some important details. Apologies for questioning whether you are legally married, but many people in Thailand who have been through the village piss-up consider themselves married when, legally, they're not.

So Cobra, regardless of whether it was a Troll, is it a valid discussion point? I'd suggest that the nine pages indicate that it is and that unless you have something valuable to add you should <deleted>.

Nine pages of troll feeding,

That's correct, not easy to beat $1200 these days. Don't worry; try booking the same flights but originating in Thailand, then you'll get real sticker shock!

Yes, the States is big, but unless you're close to a West Coast major hub (LA or SF or Vancouver in Canada) you'll find it difficult to get a better price than $1200, which is actually pretty good these days!

Well, we all "know better", don't we, Mellow? As for your cynical remark about Thailand being a "paradise of equality and justice" only for the wealthy and powerful (is a result obtained by power or wealth "justice" anyway?) I agree as long as you put Thailand in the same bucket as the US, UK and the rest of the Western world, for if you think that influence and money do not give you a huge advantage in those countries you truly have your head in the aforementioned bucket.

The problem I see here is that this is not Spurs vs Arsenal, or the Giants vs. The Redskins. For me, aligning yourself with either "side" in this "argument" shows you (not you personally) to be a rabid partisan with no real understanding or belief in the meaning of democracy and equality. Neither "side" in this argument will deliver either democracy or equality. It took us well over 100 years in the west to achieve what the Thai man in the street is striving for (and good bloody luck to them when they het it, because then they'll realise it is truly the impossible dream- sorry that should bet "get" but this bloody editor doesn't work in Firefox) so it's not going to happen overnight, though hopefully not in 100 years!

To follow your cynical theme, once they do get it they can wander around in the same self satisfied smug state we all do, looking at perhaps some African nation going though the same pains and tut tutting about how backward they are and wouldn't they be so much better off being real democrats. Just as we do. So, we are in Afghanistan and we are in Iraq. Ask any man in the street in the US or UK or Oz with a brain (no mean feat, I'll agree) about those two enterprises and see if he agrees with them. No need to give you the answer to the overwhelming response. Where's our democracy?

I don't understand why so many are saying Nings story is fake, even if it was... do you all deny that stories just like that one actually do exist all throughout Thailand? Or is Thailand actually the paradise of equality and justice some of you are suggesting it is?

I think the point of the story is that Thailand is actually a paradise of equality and justice BUT ONLY if you are wealthy or have other significant influence.

PoliTards will cherry pick whatever part of the story they want to support their illogically formed arguments for either Thieving Thaksin or the equally morally and financially corrupt government in power.

Meanhwhile, the current government and their "oh so educated much better than you" power in party will conveniently bundle in all the valid grievances with Thaksin and then merrily ignore them, because, well, you know, they "just know better."

If you're worrying about whether the story is fake or not you're missing the point. It really doesn't matter. Could it be true? Undoubtedly. Is it true? Who knows, who cares. As I say, it's not the point. Typically with TV idiots drive a perfectly valid and potentially interesting thread down a pointless rat hole. I despair at the lack of intelligence demonstrated by my fellow man. Sad sad sad.

Not a dig at Laughing man, of course. I agree.

I don't understand why so many are saying Nings story is fake, even if it was... do you all deny that stories just like that one actually do exist all throughout Thailand? Or is Thailand actually the paradise of equality and justice some of you are suggesting it is?

Sorry if this has already been covered (I could not be arsed to go through 500 pages of replies) but this story (aside from being "rapped" (sic)) would fit very nicely into the same story I heard from my old man about London in the 20's, dirt poor people, arse hanging out of their trousers, no shoes to wear or at best shoes with bloody great holes in the sole. Perhaps back then if the poor in Britain had a "leader" with gobs of money ready to pay them to create havoc and mayhem so he could get into power they might well have followed him, I dunno. Probably too bloody cold in Britain. The real problem with any of these kind of Thai hard luck stories aimed at tugging at the heartstrings is that they are just that, sentimental stories. I don't doubt for one minute that there are large groups of people in Thailand living in poverty; that there is discrimination going on left right and centre; that there is an elite (Eton, Oxford, Cambridge - couldn't happen in the West) really running the country. It is all no doubt true. But, compared to Europe 90 odd years ago they have it good. There's a big difference between having no shoes in Thailand and having no shoes in Britain. There's a big difference between having ragged clothes in Thailand and having ragged clothes in Berlin. No matter how poor they are I see very little evidence of Thais going hungry; I can tell you the same story of Britain in the 20's of a teacher giving a poor kid money for some fish and chips, but there were far more in dire straits in Britain then than there are now in Thailand. Abundant food and a human friendly climate ensures that.

So, what's my point. The only place I can think of where these appalling conditions led (in part - this is not the place for an in depth discussion of everything that led them there) to a politician deliberately creating havoc, paying people to do his dirty work, making alliances with the enemy for political gain, destroying and using the media to his own ends and ruthlessly trampling on anyone who was in his path was some bloke in Germany. He also did a lot of good things, just like this Thai fellow. No need to mention the other things. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Then what?

I'd suggest that the fictional Ning would be far better served becoming politically active for real change in Thailand. I think that people would have more sympathy for the cause of the poor and disadvantaged if they disconnected themselves from Thaksin. I don't know what he has really ever done for anyone other than himself and his own; the truth is frighteningly difficult to establish in Thailand. What I do fear, very much, is that if the Thaksin supporters prevail and he does return, they will to a man/woman rue the day they set out on the road in his support. The old days of shooting people in their own front yards will return with a vengeance, and not for dealing ya ba this time. The current administration might not meet the westerner's distorted criteria for democracy (amazing how many of us actually believe we come from democratic countries. How naiive!) but if they were just one tenth as ruthless as the alternative would prove to be they would not have a problem this weekend. Believe me, if he comes back all Thais might just as well forget any future protests, unless they want a bullet in the head.

Aw c'mon, TV is full of FACTS; they're everywhere you look. Indeed, reading TV has, as a direct consequence of it being riddled with FACTS, increased my knowledge of all things from Politics to Electrical wiring to immigration rules in the most obscure backwaters of the world to such an extent that I have now joined the ranks of many of the posters here and am, officially, a know-it-all. So, I'm so riddled with FACTS that I no longer need to read TV any more and have become smart enough to realize that I don't really know why I started in the first place. Perhaps back then there were not so many know-it-alls armed to the teeth with FACTS and you didn't need such a huge shovel to search for the gems amongst the sh*t. Too many posters of their ill informed juvenile opinions and not enough sensible, well thought out, reasonably based or even expert observations. Sorry, but TV is rapidly becoming MF....Moron Forum. And that's a FACT.

Given the relationship (or lack of it) between Cambodia and Thailand, I don't think Thaksin's popularity with Isaan Thais has increased.

This is a fact! People in the village I am in (Near Khemerat) are really annoyedat the Cambodian link and have dropped him like a brick!

Is it more of a fact if you state "This is a fact!"

Perhaps if I say "This is a FACT!" in capital letters it will be even more factual.

Kids stuff, a few hundred baht here or there. They'll never succeed that way. Congress is in the pockets of big business in the US and nobody (or so it seems) bats an eyelid.

If I were religious I'd quote that bit about the plank in your own eye.

Find somebody in the village who slaughters at home (usually out back, don't go if you're squeamish). Get your beef from him. Beef filet runs 260baht a kilo. Of course it is too fresh. He just killed the poor beast. Age it yourself in the fridge. Not ideal I know, but in a plastic bag after two weeks you will be surprised at the difference. Longer if you have the nerve, but to put that in perspective I know that the fancy steak restaurants in the US age their beef for at least six weeks, sometimes as long as three months. I worked with a guy in Texas who had been a (real) butcher. He told me "she-iiit boy you can keep it for weeks. If it gets a little slick, just wipe it off with a damp cloth". If you've ever had a steak in Texas you'll understand that Texans know their beef. Problem with Thai beef is not enough fat on or in it. Fat gives the flavour (and the heart attack!).

He said Sukhumwit, (I'll assume he means in Bangkok), so it's a no-brainer. Go to the Black Swan, you won't regret it. It's at the corner of Asok and Sukhumwit, next to the BTS station or across the street from the MRT station.

Get the "Big Yorkie", slices of beef and pork on a gigantic yorkshire pudding, dripping with gravy, along with mashed and veggies. Oh god, now I want one!

The Black Swan is expensive and in my opinion, dull. Probably because it is expensive. If you want a quiet night, drop in there, because all three customers go home to bed at 9. I cannot understand for the life of me how he makes any money there.

Here's my take:

Soi 8 - good grub, good beer, good prices, good entertainment, lively. Therefore busy, often hard to get a seat and Dave allows smoking, though that might change with the new ownership (as might the prices, but I hope not).

Londoner - Good food, don't touch the homebrew, rest of the beer good. More expensive, good entertainment, busy and "underground" which some people might not like. No smoking though.

Bully's - Good food, good beer, quite busy but not usually any entertainment. Decent prices though not as cheap as Soi 8. Worth a look though.

Robin Hood - Have not been there since my mate found a cockroach in his salad. O.K. this is Thailand, the bleeders are everywhere, but the attitude of the management did nothing to foster confidence.

Bulls Head - not been there for a while but was always good. Have some decent beer on tap, including Old Speckled Hen. Busy ground floor bar area and very social. They have comedy nights every so often.

Dubliner - Like your corner pub. Good food, good beer, medium prices a very civilised place to go for a drink and a chat.

Hanrahans - Is it still there? Beautifully done but no bloody customers. Too close to Nana? I don't really know; it's as much of a mystery why people don't go there as why a handful do go to the Black Swan.

Queen Vic - Soi 23, close to Cowboy (never been there myself - is it good?). Quiet last time I was there. Nicely done, good food, good beer, a little expensive.

There are a few others too. You'll need more than one night to hit them all!! It will be fun though. Can I come?

My experience is a very high quality product in Thailand. My Fortuner has been perfect, not a single problem. Still runs and looks like new after three years. I'm driving a new Toyota in the US at the moment (NOT a rental) and it's not too impressive, rattles and squeaks from every corner and it rides like a ten year old truck.

I wonder about these battery problems. Are they real or did you just fall for the dealership flogging you a new one. They've tried that on me and get pissed off when I say no (especially at dealership prices) and the battery is as good as new even after standing for a while when I'm out of the country (sometimes two months). It is a nice little earner for the dealer. Beware of their "only 60% capacity" claims.

This post is almost perfect to put into your covering letter with her application. Clean it up a bit and make sure the buggers actually read it (they don't always!). I think you'll get the visa.

I'm really a newbie when it comes to this but my thoughts are the same. Why would my gf want to stay in the U.S. when I'm going back to Thailand? She gets a nice stipend every two weeks, she has a very nice condo to stay in, and we both are on my Bupa health insurance policy which means that if either of us get sick or have an accident it's top of the line for either of us----Pattaya Bangkok Hospital. I don't have heatlh insurance in the U.S. so if I returned to the U.S. I'd be out in the cold until I was eligible for medicare. I don't know but I think if we showed both passports that establish us as tourist travel companions to Vietnam and we both showed the embassy our Bupa health insurance contracts, i would think they'd think either one of us would be stupid to relocate to the U.S.

Pakboong - I disagree that Jack's status is not material. It absolutely is, because it is another compelling reason for the GF to return to Thailand. It is always much more difficult (understandably) if the sponsor lives in the US. Jack definitely needs to emphasise their relationship, confirm he is paying for everything and as far as possible provide as much evidence as possible that they cohabit in Thailand. For what it's worth I actually believe that in this case she has a very good chance of getting a visa. I wish them both the very best of luck.

<br />

I would like to get a short term tourist visa to the U.S. for my live in Thai girlfriend. I have lived in Thailand for over four years now and only get to the U.S. once a year for a week or so. I am required to do this due to a corporate board meeting I must attend once a year. I own a nice condo here in Naklua where my girlfriend has been staying with me for the past eight months. My gf already has a passport which she used to travel with me to Hanoi several months ago. I intend to fly to San Francisco, then to St. Louis where I'll be meeting the other board directors (we own a farm together). My nephew will be joining me and after the meeting we will use a rental car to take some personal possessions belonging to me that I am entrusting to his care. This will be an 1800 mile haul ending in Arizona. My getting a rental car for this long a time is unusual and I might not repeat this one so the way I'm looking at it is this represents an unparalleled opportunity for my girlfiriend to see a good part of the U.S. including the Grand Canyon. <br /><br />I'm thinking my chances of getting the visa are much greater than most as my home is Thailand, my heathl insurance is in Thailand (moving back to the U.S. would leave me uninsured, and I have no intention of moving back. So the way I'd present this is a pure tourism venture with both of us fully intending upon resuming our lives together here in Thailand. <br /><br />My girlfriend worked several years at an electronics company in Rayong and it was just several months after she quit work there that we started our relationship. She does not have a current job as her focus is to be my companion and to look after me. Any advice or opinions as to our chances are most welcome.

<br /><br />It is always hard to say how a particular interviewer will feel about your situation. There are many factors to be considered and some are personal.<br /><br />Remember however that it is your girlfriend who is applying for a visa to tour the US and not you. Her story holds the key. Your living in Thailand is helpful but other than that, your story is common to say the least. We all like to take a travel companion home with us to show them our country. Nobody cares about that but you.<br /><br />Her ability to communicate a solid reason to return to Thailand after her tour of the USA is the key to getting the visa. Her believability at the time of the interview is what really matters. Negatives will be a huge age difference between her and her travel partner, physical indications of non compliance to societal norms, etc... are the aspects of the process that the interviewer will consider but the key will be a compelling reason to return to Thailand.<br /><br />Make sure her automated history is clean. If she conveniently forgets about a former application or an old name change, etc... this will be found out in the pre-screen and any discrepancy will result in a quick and dirty refusal. Hide nothing and lie about nothing.<br /><br />As she has a job, you will have to be mentioned as her travel partner and financial sponsor. No way to avoid it. Nothing odd about it but nothing magical either. You will travel with her and pay for the trip. A story they hear many times every day. They don't care much about that story only her compelling reason to return.<br /><br />Good luck to you.<br />

In my case (and it seems we're all different or some are perhaps more honest than others) the vischeck site is perfect. If you go on that site then click on the "examples" in each case for me the first and second pictures look the same. I have no idea how "normal" people see the first picture. I also agree that traffic lights are not a problem, at least for me (except when they're red for five bloody minutes!). Anybody suffering from clour deficiency will be immediatly identified by the "dot" test. I cannot see the digit 3 in the example, for instance. Many people are in denial and the 20% number given is one I have seen before. Interestingly as I recall it is very rare in women and the defective gene is carried by the mother. Or so I read years ago. Later research might have modified this information though. I also read that experiments have been carried out with (I think) stem cell research and they now believe they will in future be able to repair the condition which is, as previously stated, a fault in the clour receptors at the back of the eye. Anyway, I believe I suffer from the most common form of this problem so, look at those examples and you'll see what I see (I think - I guess you can never be certain!)

Clour should of course read colour but my editor has packed up in Firefox. I'll have to go back to Bill Gates until I figure out why it's stopped working!

I posted this link in the mods forum a while ago in regards to questions on color blindness and TV web pages. As has been mentioned, those of us not having the deficiency can't really understand it but this page gives a little peek into how it is perceived. Colorblind Web Page Filter

Another interesting site > Vischeck

Not a very good sight in my (colour deficient) opinion.

The images shown suggest that if you're 'colourblind' you can't see red and/or green at all, so, for example, you wouldn't see the red and/or green lights at traffic lights.

This just isn't true.

And if you put your own image in to see how it would change they just take the red out.

Again this just isn't true. Colour deficient people see reds and greens the same colour as everybody else, it's just the intensity of that colour that varies. In their strawberry plant example we would still see the red strawberries and green leaves but, maybe, the red would be a bit dull compared to the green.

What does vary is when, for example, you mix red and green together to make brown. Because we might see red less intensely than green we would see a different shade of brown. But because we've always known that as 'chocolate' brown that's what we'd call it, the same as non colour deficient people.

Yes I've done the Finnair route. Not too bad as already stated, but not sure on their fare. Definitely better than two long hauls through the ME with a nipper.

The Thai fare quoted was excellent. If you see one at 600 squids or less I'd grab it quick.

Airlines always did charge for under two's on long haul flights, right back to my first (longer ago than I care to remember) and it is generally 10% of the adult fare. In fact, I rember flying from San Francisco to Rome in Business Class fiftenn years ago using frequent flyer miles and it cost me $500 for my daughter to sit on my lap!

(Apologies for the typo's but I can't fix 'em because for some stupid reason Firefox suddenly won't let me edit)

Finnair needs a change of plane at Helsinki. It's an easy transfer though as the airport is not too big, and connection times are usually short.

That's why the speaker ads always "forget" the cable, 'cos it looks ugly! I know you can buy white square section conduit in Home Pro. It is a U section with a clip on cover (turning it into the square section). Can't remember if it is screw or stick to the wall. Won't look too bad on the wall but not so hot on your tile. I'd suggest keeping Speaker to wall runs as short as possible and just let them be exposed. If you've got a wooden baseboard you could pull it and run the wires behind it; even if it's tile and you feel ambitious you could do the same. Doesn't matter where you are the bloody wires are almost always an eyesore to a certain extent, even in the US. Mine don't look too pretty in either location!

Having struggled for years with this kind of conundrum (and I still do) I have reached the conclusion that Albert Einstein originally decided to figure out airline pricing but decided it was too difficult so chose something easier. There is no simple answer; it is a crapshoot. Direct flights are always best but are usually the most expensive. The cheaper carriers are (currently) Etihad and Emirates, but you have to change in the Middle East. Not too difficult in my opinion, but certainly not as nice as a direct flight. As for the nipper, that's another crapshoot. The baby might be as good as gold or might scream the whole way. I've always been lucky, largely because I take one flight and the wife and kids take another (just kidding).

You might book a flight today and find it cheaper tomorrow. You might book one in 5 months and find it is a more than you could have got it today. You just don't know. Frankly, since cost is obviously a major consideration I would not book yet, unless you also take out insurance, because a lot can happen in 6 months. If you do book now, find the best fare you can, be happy with and and DON'T CHECK fares again. We all get pissed off if something we've bought is cheaper next week but what you don't know about you don't worry about. One good point about early booking is that the cheap allocation of seats might be more plentiful early on. Or, as Einstein discovered, they might not. Buy and forget, that's my best advice.

Not terrible helpful I know, but you really posed a very difficult question to which there is no definitive answer.

There is a very simple reason it is difficult. As a US citizen if your wife enters the US legally (i.e. on some sort of visa, in this case I guess a B1/B2) you can submit an I130 and immediately submit a change of status application (normally a formality) which grants her the right to remain in the US while her immigration application (I130 etc.) is processed. That is why they don't like giving a visa to a citizen's wife. Now if you work in Thailand and show YOU will return it is different, again for what I think are fairly obvious reasons. She can of course, as your wife, go through the same I130 process in Thailand and all things being equal (what does that really mean!) she will automatically get an immigration visa, though it will take some months. The problem with that is she can't then just stay for three months or they'll likely consider she has abandoned her permanent resident status. I have great sympathy for folks in your situation because your damned if you do and damned if you don't, if you see what I mean. BTW where you live in the US is irrelevant. She will have to file in Bangkok, so US location has no bearing. Indeed, as far as I can tell in my considerable research on the subject, your location is irrelevant in any situation.

Having said that it is not impossible to get a visa IF you can successfully convince them that she will not be staying in the US. There are lots of pieces of advice on this forum on how to go about doing that but I can tell you that one HUGE flag is she will stay for 3 months. That kind of negates the job and family thing so in your application I would definitely NOT state she wants to be there that long. Two or three weeks at the most. Another is that you've only been married a short time. Of course if you really intend to file for permanent status once she's there they'll pick up on that in a heartbeat. They're good at it!

Why not just get her and her son over for the few years you intend staying? After 3 years she could then become a citizen giving you both lots of options. Just file in Thailand and she should be in the US before Christmas.

Brilliant!!!

What worries me is that Reg believes in Jesus. Actually, anyone who believes in Jesus worries me to be honest. And before I get crucified(!) by the God Squad, I have just as much right to not believe as you do to believe, and I have just as much right to be concerned that you do believe as you have to maintain that because I don't believe I won't go to your heaven. Good, there won't be any fighting up there then, will there? Assuming it is up. Mind you, I don't fancy the chances of getting there for many of the God Squad in Thailand, for obvious reasons! If there is a "there", which of course, there isn't. Bit of a circular argument, I fear.

This should help you decide on the fate of Jesus and if he Was Gay!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9_qzB-FtH4...player_embedded

Yes, undoubtedly very informative with some really good contributors. Lot's of plonkers too, but like everything else on the internet it is user beware. There are huge chunks of misleading information posted on this and every other forum, so watch it or you could get yourself in trouble. I make a distinction between information (often pulled from you know where after a few Heineken) and opinion, to which we are all entitled. Often, sadly, opinion is disguised as information and there lies the problem.

Moderators are OK, but like people, they're a mixed bunch. They can't catch everything and they can't always be right. They are opinionated and biased just like all of us and I do occasionally see that opinion/bias creeping in. I wouldn't want their job so I'm not going to complain about something I'm not prepared to do myself (not that I'd be invited, I'm sure). They've slapped me a couple of times and I slap back, which I reckon is fair enough.

Does that qualify for a T-Shirt? How about a sleeveless one? Or just a small for the missus?

What am I missing here? Should I be laughing or what? Sorry, I don't get it. Maybe ten pints will help.

Pilots make 100 baht a day.

Engineers, 1000 a month

Heart Surgeons 50 baht an hour and first right of refusal

As for your second question - one average man earns 3000 baht a year. One above average man earns half of that.

What worries me is that Reg believes in Jesus. Actually, anyone who believes in Jesus worries me to be honest. And before I get crucified(!) by the God Squad, I have just as much right to not believe as you do to believe, and I have just as much right to be concerned that you do believe as you have to maintain that because I don't believe I won't go to your heaven. Good, there won't be any fighting up there then, will there? Assuming it is up. Mind you, I don't fancy the chances of getting there for many of the God Squad in Thailand, for obvious reasons! If there is a "there", which of course, there isn't. Bit of a circular argument, I fear.

This has got to be a leg pull. It is just wrong from start to finish. All those who gave a serious reply stand in front of the mirror and slap yourself round the face. There, does it hurt? Good. You deserve it!

If you want me to tell you why it is all wrong I will, but you must be as dim as a Toc H lamp if it needs explaining.

Richm7, can you read this please:

Section 1547

A child born of the parents who are not married to each other is legitimate by the subsequent marriage of the parents, or by the registration made on application by the father, or by a judgment of the court.

What does it mean?

If you do not know the law and has no experience of how family law in Thailand is practiced then please don't post and spread false information

Michael

Michael,

It is of course your right to disagree with me, but please do not accuse me of spreading false information. I find your comment particularly irksome because the BS you get from unqualified and uninformed clowns on this site is something I have railled against in the past. Recognizing that I might have (inadvertently) done the very thing you accuse me of I checked my post carefully and am at a loss to see just what false information I am spreading. The simple fact is that neither me nor my daughter's mother is the notifier on her Thai birth certificate yet it never was an impediment to us doing anything BEFORE we were married. That included getting her Thai Passport (for which I HAD to be present and sign for) nor her British birth certificate or passport. My comments regarding your chances of success in the Thai legal system (or, to be cynical, any legal system) were based upon direct experience and the experience of friends. I don't claim to be a lawyer nor do I quote great chunks from Thai Law(or the English translation thereof, which anybody who has dealt with foreign law will tell you is extremely dangerous). I am just a (sensible?) guy recounting my own opinions and experiences.

I take it from the way you write you are perhaps a lawyer. If not, exactly what is your basis for quoting chunks of Thai law? If you are a lawyer, jolly good. I'll ask another one and get a totally different opinion. How do I know? Because I do it and it happens, every day. And if you think the legal process is fair and above board in Thailand I have a very nice bridge in London I can flog you, cheap.

I do not mislead people by claiming to be something I am not or by perhaps giving the impression I am something I am not. The last time I challenged someone on their qualification (medical in this case) I didn't get an answer. I wonder why?