KED

any non-violent group should have the right to voice their opinions.

Mate of mine gave his gf and nice purse, maybe $50-$60 bucks worth. She tots off to Thailand and gives it to her sister.

Why?

Well, her sister worked so that my mates gf could go to University ... it was pay-back time

I think the gift of helping with tuition and furthering someone's education is an amazing gift.

Great that they seized all the drugs and apprehended the drug runner - but where is the detective work about those higher up who he was to deliver the drugs to. Why can the Thai police not follow the drug trail to arrest ALL involved?

Corruption from immigration can be tricky - you don't want to support the bribes - but you don't want to cause trouble for yourself. I think the best is to play naive and ask what is wrong with your papework - what else is needed and ignore the request for tea money. However, sometimes they can just make it so difficult until you just want to pay to get the BS to stop. If you can report the officer anonymously, then I think you should - but no guarantee things will change.

So inflexible.

Why they let not buy the students a lesson bundle per year.

For example: 52 weeks x 10 hours = 520 hours per year.

If a student wants to study more intensively he can do that.

Besides, the student could have a schoolbook and the school will stamp or confirms the visited hours.

Easy.

Besides, the students can then travel inside the country (and spend money!!!), so as better to learn and practise the language.

Sometimes I have the feeling this whole visa changes scare people away from visit Thailand!

Your proposal is actually a good one - as long as the student puts in a total of 10 hours per week over a one year period - it shouldn't matter how it is done.

The most important foundation of a marriage is honesty and trust. Explain to your wife your concerns about hiding money in a relationship. Hopefully, she will listen and you too can re-establish your relationship. Maybe even go to couples counseling. I do agree that for now, it is best to put your finances in your name only and work out an allowance for her. Trust but verify.

I have flown to Paris, Los Angeles, Bali, SIngapore and Hong Kong over the last 12 months - each time I check online for prices - Thai is NEVER among the 5 airlines with the most competitive price. Their service is inconsistant and not worth paying 20 to 30 percent more for flying them - I could see paying more for Singapore AIr or Cathay - but TG just doesn't compare in price versus service -

No problem they can then go to the UK and the same. This time they can claim some benefits perhaps

No' perhaps' about it.

Plus free housing, medical, schooling.

Libraries that have volumes of English books removed and replaced with books in their own language...Never mind they do not visit libraries to read but to hang out in winter weather.

And god help the digusting white racist that attempts to complain about this favourable treatment to the poor just married non English speaking guy.

Come on, all Indians speak perfect Oxford English.......

Just wonder why, after 5 min, I couldn't still figure out if they were talking English or Hindi, or whatever else.

I don't know many western people here in Thailand who speak Oxford English. when you start making broad assumptions about any ethnic group - you can start to sound racist. The ability to speak English is based on education and environment - not by the color of one's skin.

I have flown the shuttle between CNX DMK on a couple of occasions and they are OK. Seems to me the seats are a bit tighter than in Nok Air or Air Asia but other than that it is about the same. Thai Lion Air is good about giving out exit row seats without charging extra and if I can get a seat in that row then I have no problems with seating.

I have tried to pay for the tickets via credit card each time I booked on line but it never seems to work. Once I had to go to a travel kiosk in Tesco and pay 200 baht for them to issue me the ticket and the other time I drove to the airport and paid the fee at the Lion Air ticket window which saved the 200 baht service fee. My credit card is a US based one and that may have been the problem with using it online.

Most morning I can get a ticket from CNX to DMK for around 850 baht which is a good price. Afternoon returns tend to be a bit more.

I have a follow-up question about not being able to purchase online with a U.S. credit card. I've had the same problem with Air Asia - the reservation goes through and I get a confirmation number but the response comes back "payment declined". I went to DMK but the reservation was only held for 1 hour and had cancelled by the time I reached the AIr Asia booth - the agent could only rebook the reservaion and 3 times the cost - so I took out my mobile phone and rebooked and purchased there with my U.S. credit card without a problem.

My question about Lion Air - if your U.S. credit card is declined - does it give you a confirmation number to purchase at Tesco or at DMK with Lion Air. If so, how long is the reservation held.

If not, is Lion AIr counter able to book the same fare ?

Lastly, I did notice at Nana skytrain inside the station, there is a LIon Air ticket office - has anyone every used this?

many thanks.

I went to Bangkok last week for my one year extension and there was no such requirement.

cheers so really leaving and getting either a visa or voa then convert in phuket is the best option

He cannot travel to BKK to change the reason of his stay.

Only when he enters on a visa exempt entry can he go to BKK for a conversion to a non-immigrant visa for reason of retirement. But getting a non-O visa in a neighbouring country is often easier.

Baggies666, unless I misundersand you, I think you have your terminology wrong - if you arrive by land or air into Thailand without a visa - you get a Visa exempt entry - for the majority of western tourists - if you want to go from a visa exempt entry to a one year retirement extension - the first step must be done in Bangkok or Hat Yai as UbonJoe mentioned. The process would be to go to Bangkok or Hat Yai with the documentation supporting a retirement extension and then you will be issued a 90 Day non-immigrant visa. Then step 2 (which can be done in your actual immigration office based on your Thailand address) would be to apply for the 1 year retirement extension when there is 30 days remaining on the 90 day visa.

Sensing a huge SNAFU coming our way.. Better stock up some cash

May I suggest doing a balance check, with proof, or an electronic passbook update before the fun starts ?

From what I've seen and heard it's not fun to have a dispute with a Thai bank who seem to operate the old fairground rule of ' fallen darts not returned ' so any documentary evidence might help if the event of something going wrong.

I don't think there is any need for you to start suggesting to the gullible that Thai banks are going to be robbing their customers money.

I don't think there is any need for you to suggest that Thai banks would reimburse any customer whose account was robbed.

The only potential problem you might have is if you are flying from Europe to Thailand with a return ticket exceeding the 30 days - you will possibly be denied boarding by the airline unless you have either a ticket outside of Thailand within the 30 days or a tourist visa.

Without an elected government, transparency will probably be limited which means a cash bonanza for the wealthy.

Other than the usual concerns about graft and bad management, a railway from Kunming through Thailand down to Singapore would be wonderful. Kunming is a wonderful city, probably one of the best in China.

I agree that transparency is vital in government deals and governance; however, an elected government or a military coup - doesn't matter - corruption and the lack of transparency are the same -

Only place in SEA I haven't visited. And won't until they close down their dog meat shops/restaurants.

Most Buddhists don't eat cows. That's why beef is so bad here and pig is so popular.

Are Indians shocked at farangs eating cows? To each his own. Judge not lest ye be judged.

The issue of dog meat is the inhumane treatment of the animals before slaughter.

The prudishness of Thais about kissing in public or going on beaches with very little fabric on, has always made me laugh, considering what goes on in the go go bars. Ah... Miss Bigotry and Miss Hypocrisy... you two dessicated old spinsters are here to stay.

So you are saying you see Thailand as a huge population of go-go bars or that go-go bars represent BKK?

What does the fact there are go-go bars in a seedy part of Bangkok not frequented by more than 90% of BKK Thais have to do with standards of behavior in public places amongst the majority of Thais who go to work each day and having nothing to do with the sex worker trade?

I think the point would be - if you are going to be the moral police - then maybe you should go after the prostitution and people trafficing rather than worrying about PDA on a skytrain.

What did she say? Falangs do that, but we are Thais. Right?

The tomboy said farang also do it and she shouldn't discriminate people based on race.

The angry women replied that that is the business of the farang.

She said that she is in Thailand and has never seen farang hugging and she now sees Thai people doing it, and everyone around is Thai and speaks Thai.

To me it's all bullshit, the irritated woman that is trying to defend the Thai culture is a hypocrite.

She is criticizing the people with a loud aggressive voice and publicly blaming them.

In the in end, the one that is the least Thai in this story is the angry irritated woman.

The "least Thai"?

I do not know a similar expression in the US. If this were an American mass transit and two Americans were in this conversation I cannot conceive of ones behavior being called less American.

The content of their conversation is quite enlightening as it demonstrates Thai perception and opinion of farang habits. Thanks for the translation.

I agree that it is hypocritical of the screeching Thai woman complaining about the PDA is un-Thai while her raised voice and hostile attitude is also un-Thailike. It seems that the couple is very even-tempered in the discussion.

As for unAmerican - I remember many instances in the U.S. when people expressed opinions opposite to others they are frequently called less American.

I haven't had any problems (yet) in purchasing tickets from Thailand with my U.S. credit card yet. But, I often need to purchase tickets within Indonesia and the online purchase never goes through with the airline website. However, when I call my U.S. credit card issuer - they never receive the charge request. I have been able to purchase via Expedia.co.th but there is a surcharge around THB 500.00

I just did my fourth one year extension at Chaeng Wattana based on retirement. I hold a U.S. passport and used only the notarized letter of income from the U.S. Embassy. I handed in the required passport photocopies and the letter - and brought with me my Thai Bank bankbook and other documents just in case I was asked; however, nothing further needed and all went smoothly - the only negative was I finished the extension and multipe-rentry permit at 4 PM and took the 166 bus to Victory monument - but due to traffic it took 2 hours to travel the 19 kms.

I think the best procedure is to turn in what is required and no more yet have other supporting documentation just in case.

ClutchClark, on 08 Nov 2014

Are you able to compare/contrast the negatives & positives of yaba use against prostitution?
Both to the individual as well as the society as a whole?

It doesn't sound like.

================================================================================================

So, the laws against private drug use should be enforced because it is a worse crime than prostitution? The point is both are illegal so why should the police not enforce alll laws equally? And my second point is that EVEYONE should be subject to random drug tests - police and miliatary and tourists - ANYONE who breaks the law should be prosecuted equally.

Finally a good idea to drug test personell in resort areas as everyone knows as the workers need money for this addictive drug which raises the threat for problems aganist tourist. I have in the pass put my cash, travellers checks and passport in the hotel lock boxes assuming they were safe. So, here arrives tourist with a fistful of 1000 baht bills paying at the swimming pool bar, restaurant, tuk-tuks, so, we as tourist should learn also to be aware of the problem in resort areas and use common sense.

I learnt many years ago always use small bills, leave the watch at home and if you really don't need the BlackBerry use a cheap phone for local use. Your life is not worth flashing valuables in public here.

I like to see them drug test the overnight bus drivers and heavy haulers drivers at night check points. These guys are not coffee drinkers to stay awake but yet they drive 12-15 hours on the night runs. If the country is really serious to curb a drug problem then test people. We do it in the work place and military in the US and people who want those good jobs are clean especially when it comes to public safety.

well, if they are going to the hotel anyway - let them drug test the tourists staying there as well and arrest them also if they test positive for drugs - really seems like a witch hunt.....do the poice and military also go through random drug tests also? I just feel like the working class are being singled out and the affluent are above the law.

I do not use drugs, but I think if anyone's life is held up to a microscope - we all have some indiscretions which we would like to stay private. Big Brother is indeed watching.

Drugs are illegal.

Have to start somewhere so I would just as soon they start with people who have interaction with farang.

Mini-van drivers, hotel workers, etc, seem lime a great place to start.

Simple as that.

I guess I am more infavor of decriminalizing drug use - I also find it hypocritical that prostitution is also illegal but I don't see raids on go-go bars - so where is the line drawn?

Finally a good idea to drug test personell in resort areas as everyone knows as the workers need money for this addictive drug which raises the threat for problems aganist tourist. I have in the pass put my cash, travellers checks and passport in the hotel lock boxes assuming they were safe. So, here arrives tourist with a fistful of 1000 baht bills paying at the swimming pool bar, restaurant, tuk-tuks, so, we as tourist should learn also to be aware of the problem in resort areas and use common sense.

I learnt many years ago always use small bills, leave the watch at home and if you really don't need the BlackBerry use a cheap phone for local use. Your life is not worth flashing valuables in public here.

I like to see them drug test the overnight bus drivers and heavy haulers drivers at night check points. These guys are not coffee drinkers to stay awake but yet they drive 12-15 hours on the night runs. If the country is really serious to curb a drug problem then test people. We do it in the work place and military in the US and people who want those good jobs are clean especially when it comes to public safety.

well, if they are going to the hotel anyway - let them drug test the tourists staying there as well and arrest them also if they test positive for drugs - really seems like a witch hunt.....do the poice and military also go through random drug tests also? I just feel like the working class are being singled out and the affluent are above the law.

I do not use drugs, but I think if anyone's life is held up to a microscope - we all have some indiscretions which we would like to stay private. Big Brother is indeed watching.

there will be no chairs on the beach this high season

Well it could be the last high season then.

Too hot to sit on the sand with no shade and who would want to go back for 10 days of useless trinket shopping that you can buy cheaper in Bali

with better scenery.

Bali has very few chairs and umbrellas along the beach - that's one of the things that makes it a better destination than Phuket or Koh Samui

People are commenting like these acts only happen in Thailand.

Sure I'm a male, but I feel safer in BKK than I do in most other western cities I've visited.

Sure crimes do occur in all countries - however, Khaosan Road is a major tourist area and there should be more proactive policing of the area. Just because crime is prevalent throughout the world doesn't mean Thailand shouldn't try to protect it's citizens and it's tourists.

I would not want to have a friend, family or loved one hit in the head with a brick and robbed and potentially raped while on holiday.