lectito

The form appears to be for people who claim they were born in the United States and are US citizens, but who are unable to provide a birth certificate confirming they telling the truth. In those circumstances it is probably reasonable to request alternative evidence which might be able to help show where they were born (eg hospital or doctor records, or baptismal records, or school records).

It would be nice to see consulate/embassies start ... start issuing travel warnings about all the serious dangers an individual could be subjected to, in the country where they are operating, this one about fake visa/stamps/whatever else being issued ...

Many countries already give those warnings.

The British travel advisory states: "The only legal way of obtaining a new visa, entry permit or extension of stay is from a Thai Embassy or Consulate, an Immigration Officer at a point of entry into Thailand or one of the Immigration Offices around the country. Visas issued by visa shops, travel agents or by any other means are likely to be illegal and lead to criminal proceedings, which may result in a large fine or imprisonment. You would also be prohibited from entering Thailand again."

The Canadian travel advisory states: "Visas, visa extensions, or entry stamps issued through visa shops or travel agents in Thailand should be avoided. Canadians have been arrested for having improper Thai visas or entry and exit stamps inserted into their passports. A passport that has been altered or that contains counterfeit visas and entry/exit stamps is technically invalid. Offenders can expect jail sentences, fines, and/or deportation, and may also be prohibited from entering Thailand in the future."

The United States travel advisory states: "Private "visa extension services," even those advertising in major periodicals or located close to Immigration offices or police stations, are illegal. A number of U.S. citizens are arrested at border crossings each year with counterfeit visas and entry stamps they have obtained through these illegal services."

Its about time that foreign countries put a warning up for their nationals visiting Thailand, not to use Jet Skies

Foreign countries have long warned people about jetski operators.

From the Australian travel advice:

Australian travellers have reported harassment and threats of violence by jet ski operators on tourist beaches, particularly in Phuket. Some travellers have reported that, after returning hired jet skis, they have been confronted by gangs claiming that the tourist damaged the jet ski. There have been reported instances of such gangs threatening violence, including at knifepoint, if a large sum of money in compensation for the alleged damage is not paid.

From the Canadian travel advice:

It has been reported that upon return of the rental, claims of damage allegedly caused by the renter have been made and some travellers have been harassed and threatened in an attempt to collect compensation for the alleged damage. In other cases, particularly with jet skis, it is alleged that accidents have been staged to create damage for which the rental company seeks compensation from the traveller. In cases of motorcycle rentals, some companies have been known to "steal" the motorcycle and claim for loss. When compensation is not collected, travellers often have difficultly retrieving their passport if it was left as collateral.

From the United Kingdom travel advice:

If you rent jet skis or water sports equipment, consider the dangers involved and satisfy yourself that adequate safety precautions are in place. Rent only from reputable operators and insist on sufficient training before use. Ensure that the operator is licensed and has adequate insurance cover. Never hand over your passport as a guarantee against returning a jet ski. Unscrupulous owners have been known to hold on to passports against claimed damage to the jet ski.

From the United States travel advice:

Renting cars, motorbikes, and jet skis is a common practice in tourist areas. Many rental companies ask to hold your passport as a deposit. If there is damage to the rental vehicle, the company often holds the passport until you pay for the damage. For this reason, you should not use your passport as a deposit or collateral. Some companies have reportedly charged the renter for damage that he/she did not cause or have charged a high percentage of the vehicle's value for minor damage. You should be certain to examine the vehicle and note any pre-existing damage before operating the vehicle.

Yeah! Nice of them to let the punters know. The website closed down with not even a hint of goodbye. Is it really too much to say 'sorry we're closing'? I have never been there but have read some very good reports about their visa service, !

Read the first report. The consul Retired..The consulate has an exceptional history. Helped so many people.

He may have had but he didn't seem to have the decency to inform the public about the closure.

The Thai Embassy website in Australia has been letting people know for for quite a while: http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/announcement_perth.html

The consulate itself has been letting people know for months that they were going to close:

Let's put this in the context of living in Thailand vs. overseas.

Not in your lifetime nor the lifetime of your children will there be a half-Thai Member of Parliament (MP).

But your child can come to America at any age and become a member of Congress after becoming a citizen (which is easy here).

Therein lies the social contrast, based entirely on race.

Privy Councillor Siddhi Savetsila (born 1919) was not just a member of parliament, but a Foreign Minister under the Prime Ministerships of General Prem and General Chatichai. http://en.wikipedia....iddhi_Savetsila

His English blood came from John Alabaster, who initially came to Thailand as a British diplomat, before returning as a personal advisor/chief translator for King Rama V.

Privy Coucillor Santi Thakral (born 1942) is a former president of the Supreme Court. He is the son of an Indian Sikh (does that count as "Luk Krung"? - or is the term only applied to those with Ango/European blood, with a different term for the children of Indians or Chinese?)

I know that most Bangkok taxi drivers when asked for the Australian Embassy go sraight to an office I presume is VHS. When they are asked at the gate they get told it is the Australian Embassy. I presume you do know for sure she went to the White coloured Australian Embassy itself.

Harry, can you clarify what you mean by the "White coloured Australian Embassy itself".? The Australian Embassy is a bright gold colour (there is a picture on the embassy website at thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/AboutUs_building.html ). Are you talking about the white guard box at the front gate? Or are you getting mixed up with another building?

Here is a cunning plan...

Announce on Thaivisa that you have a bum who has overstayed his visa and you are thinking of turning him in to immigration. If he is the sort who reads the forum, he might realise you are referring to him and take the hint, He could well voluntarily leave before he gets a knock on the door. And if you get the post vague enough, there could well be others in the same situation who also mysteriously depart...

Here is one possible interpretation...

This T-shirt might be seen as a mocking commentary on the notion that a country spends significant sums of money on its military, while so many live in poverty, having to survive on eating rice.

Why should I read and read again..! To me it is dam_n obvious that YOU have no idea what is going on in all provinces in Thailand.

"Thai soldiers are being sent home missing bits and pieces of their bodies" maybe, but it does not say Falang are being sent home does it.

Actually, yes it does.

In June 2009, gunmen killed at least ten worshippers and injured 12 others in a mosque in Narathiwat province. In March 2008, two people were killed and 13 others injured when two bombs exploded in a car park near the CS Pattani hotel in Pattani province, which is known to be used by government and security officials, non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers, foreign visitors and journalists. An Australian was one of seven people injured in a bomb blast in Yala province in May 2007.

And look at the paragraph at the beginning of that section

Southern provinces - Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla: We strongly advise you not to travel at this time to the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla, or overland to and from the Malaysian border through these provinces due to high levels of ongoing violence in these regions, including almost daily terrorist attacks resulting in deaths and injuries. Attacks have taken the form of bombings, shootings, arson and beheadings. The Thai Government has warned foreign tourists not to travel to these areas."

Or is this the part of the advisory that has you irate:

In early April, the Thai Government declared a state of emergency in the Bangkok area and in several surrounding provinces and has been extended several times. The state of emergency remains in place in Bangkok and nine other provinces including: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Rachasima, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakarn (including Suvarnabhumi International Airport), Ubon Ratchathani, and Udon Thani. The Thai authorities have stated that the overall state of emergency is expected to remain in place until 4 October 2010, though it is likely that the area covered by the state of emergency will be subject to further change.

The state of emergency gives broad powers to the military and can affect civil liberties by limiting the right to assembly, and by imposing other restrictions. Australians in Thailand are strongly advised to monitor local media for further information about the state of emergency and to follow the advice of local authorities.

The 2007 Thai Constitution states as follows:

Section 99. A person having the following qualifications has the right to vote at an election:

(1) being of Thai nationality; provided that a person who has acquired Thai nationality by naturalisation must hold the Thai nationality for not less than five years;

Section 101. A person having the following qualifications has the right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

Section 115. A person having the following qualifications and not being under the following prohibitions has the right to be a candidate in an election of senators or to be nominated for the selection of senators:

(1) being of Thai nationality by birth;

Germany, China, Cambodia, India and Australia

5 countries i'll never be visiting

ps sorry to c aus. on that list

The article didn't actually say the countries endorsed the event. Just that they attended it. But here are some other countries for you to boycott: "Ambassadors and their entourages from many countries such as Germany, Hungary, China, Cambodia, the Netherlands, the UK, India, Australia, and many others this morning visited the exhibition organized by the Opposition. The US also sent its representatives to partake in the activity. " Source: http://thainews.prd....id=255307220034

If you are leaving the baby in southern Thailand and going to the embassy on your own, perhaps think about taking a few different photos. If the embassy reject the first lot as not quite meeting the guidelines for whatever reason, it will save you the time and expense of having to travel back a second time.

Why not just do the paperwork at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok to get her registered as a Citizen By Descent, and get her an Australian Passport to travel on? It will save all the running around for visas.

The travel warning is at smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand . At the height of the riots (when the embassy was closed to the public) the level was "Do Not Travel". Shortly after it was downgraded to "Reconsider Your Need to Travel". It has just been downgraded further to "High Degree of Caution". The ABC is spinning that as "Travel Warning Issued for Thailand".

The only areas now listed as "Do Not Travel" are Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

you may want to black out your son's name and date of birth in the letter that you uploaded.

At the risk of sounding cynical, the way this story is going it sounds like the original poster is in a competition with the original poster of http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Huge-Problem-Help-t369008.html to see who can provoke the most responses.

Before the thread gets closed as non-Thai related, the figures for Thailand:

Thailand 6,410 failed 6,875 passed 13,285 total 51.8% pass rate

I do have a police report, replacement passport, proper id, evidence of my flight home last night, and immigration letter from the embassy.

When you got your replacement passport from the embassy, you were meant to take this letter to take to the Immigration Office (with your police report) to get all your stamps and departure card replaced before you went to the airport. I'm guessing you haven't done that yet?

It is not unusual for people to lose passports- when you get out to the Thai Immigration Office, they have a whole lost/stolen passport section, dealing with people in your situation.

"Table de tee" is great if you are wanting to go slightly more upmarket. The location is slightly off-putting, being in a seedy looking soi off sala daeng, but the food is incredible.

Currently in hospital - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/30121...blood-infection

They will have to be sent to Hong Kong for processing but the same 10 day waiting period is expected to remain from what I have read.

Where did you read that Lop?

The press release is at http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom...amp;id=21633738 .

It sounds like stamp duty.

The Revenue Department page explaining the rates of stamp duty you are meant to pay on your rental agreement: www.rd.go.th/publish/37773.0.html

What date will this Sunday traffic-free day happen?

It was yesterday.

It sounds like Orchid Books, upstairs in the Silom Complex (next to Sala Daeng BTS) is what you need. The shop itself is fairly small compared to (for example) Kinukuniya, but it has a fantastic range of Thai dictionaries and literature. They also have a good range of non-fiction books about Thailand.

Although having said that, it depends on what type of Thai literature you are after - Orchid's Thai literature contains books by Thai authors that have been translated into English (ie actual literature in the literary sense), as well as non-fiction and academic books. It doesn't carry the trashy "sexpat" novels that you can pick up in the airport.

NZ is the same as the UK - it doesn't have same-sex marriage, but does have Civil Unions. See the official NZ Govt website: dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Births-Deaths-and-Marriages-Civil-Union?OpenDocument

An Australian can fly to NZ and undertake a union to a Thai (although you need to leave enough time for all the paperwork).

Keep in mind the Howard govt (with the support of the Latham opposition) passed the Marriage Ammendment Act 2004, which states in part "A union solemnised in a foreign country between: ( a ) a man and another man; or ( b ) a woman and another woman; must not be recognised as a marriage in Australia." Consequently you wouldn't officially be recognised as being married.

However the "Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws—General Law Reform) Act 2008", passed at the end of last year does mean that even though you won't officially be considered "married", it will help in being considered as being in a relationship (eg for tax, superannuation, medicare, pensions, etc...)