jesimps

Cheap and earache free. Guaranteed.

????

Would have or would've. Not would of.

"This new requirement is from divisional head quarters in KK and he did point out it is only for new applications and not required for renewal next year." This is how the marriage visa home visits started, wasn't long before it was for every renewal, first or otherwise.

The insurance companies must be wise to this by now with the Indians, surely.

I should imagine that these foreigners are fellow Asians ie Myanmarese, Cambodian or Loatian. A westerner would find it difficult to pull it off.

After having several motorbikes in my lifetime and having a full UK bike license, I came off a moped on Koh Chang. I'd only been here a short while, had a lady passenger and was tackling a switchback on a steep hill. Suddenly a pickup coming down cut the corner and I had to drop the bike. Fortunately, because we were going uphill and therefore slowly, neither of us had any bad injuries, but the bike had a few bent and scraped bits, the repair of which I had to pay for. In my 16 years here, I've never ridden a bike on a road since, because it brought home to me that no matter how much riding experience you have, there are just too many idiots on the roads to risk it. If I travel, it's always by car with me driving.

You could be right there, this one's wife number three. We never learn, although we've been together for 16 years, so not doing too bad this time around.

I hope this also applies to marriage visas. Wouldn't want to keep 'er indoors waiting outdoors.

I personally wouldn't consider taking motorbike riding lessons from a Thai instructor, he'll only pass on his own bad habits of riding locally. I'd be looking for a British instructor. Seeing so many bike accidents here caused me to quit riding on main roads here years ago and although I still have the machine, I only use it for going to the local shop and emergencies if the car breaks down.

There's always one goody two shoes/teachers pet type on every forum. I think they actually get off on being holier than thou.

When I lived in France, I had a wonderful galvanised steel bucket with a mop wringing thingy across half of the top. I could press the mop really hard to get rid of most of the water. A plastic bucket just can't stand up to it and soon breaks. I've been looking for one here in Pattaya, but so far have been unsuccessful.

I've been in Thailand for 16 years and been stitched up by the traffic police three times. It was only 200 baht each time, but still a stitch up. Twice it was for "spending too much time in outside lane" whilst overtaking a line of cars and the other was when the BIB showed me a small wrinkled piece of paper with "120 KPH" written on it when I was actually well within the limit. I payed up each time rather than surrender my license and drive to find some obscure police to pay the fine and obtain a receipt. Yes, I know, it just encourages them.

"But there are a few who will take advantage of situations where they think they can get away with stitching you up for a few thousand baht." A few? I'd say about 99% of them.

Trust the Thai Police? You have to be joking. After 16 years of being stitched up at traffic stops, and reading about their antics in other instances I wouldn't trust them an inch. They're just clowns in tight fitting uniforms who're no use to man nor beast. I know who I believe in this case, and it isn't the 'police'.

There's always one do-gooder on here trying to excuse the appalling driving standards of the locals, when we all know that driving on the roads here is a lottery. How anyone can drive here, even for a day, and say that driving in the US is more dangerous, is beyond belief.

"At the Big C Extra mall on Klang, a dominant language was Russian, with entire families thoroughly enjoying their freedom." Yes but were any of them smiling? Even before the war in Ukraine, they all walked around like they had a severe dose of piles. You'd think that getting away from that sihthole of a country for a while would make them ecstatic.

I'd say that it's the only 'decent' orifice in your body that if you have no pockets and want to use both hands, you can keep your change in. Many years ago when I played the guitar in a band, I used to put my lit cigarette in my earhole so I could have a crafty puff inbetween riffs. Disgusting I know.

Sounds like two other countries in this world who Thailand is in bed with.

"Police work for the public not financial gain," he observed. :):):):):):)

Got caught up in a police check yesterday afternoon at about 4.30 pm yesterday on Sukhumvit Road between Ban Amphur and Jomtien. Massive tailback, but didn't get pulled in. First one I've encountered for a while and strange, because they always used to take place before lunch time. Because of the road widening work, Sukhumvit is always chaotic without the fuzz adding to the mayhem. Looked like they were mainly after motorbikes.

I've seen similar posts as this at irregular intervals over the past 16 years of living here. I do agree though with most of your second paragraph.

I think he deserves asylum more than most of those coming across the English Channel, in that his life will definitely be in danger if they return him to Russia.

Sending him back home would probably be a worse punishment.

Yes, but it's based on your postcode and not whether or not you're a US citizen. You could be a Thai, Indian, African etc living in the state and pay the same as a US citizen. Here, the lower fee is purely for Thais. A clear case of racism.