Acharn

Reuters used to be better than this. The Sacoolas bloke is not a diplomat. He is a contract intelligence worker for NSA. As Craig Murray put it in his blog post, "Sacoolas works as an NSA technical officer at the communications interceptions post at “RAF Croughton”. His role is support to the interception of communications from British citizens." https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/10/jonathan-sacoolas-is-not-and-has-never-been-a-diplomat/comment-page-1/ Of course the American government spirited his wife out of the country rather than let her face the parents of the boy she killed. Americans must never be subject to the laws of the countries they are guests in. /sarc

LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/libreoffice/) is free and available for Windows or Linux. I suppose it's available for Apple, too, but I consider Apple an abomination and do not pay much attention to it. The programs work very much the same as the Office programs, and there is on-line help, but some of it is very old and no longer applicable. The spreadsheet application is called Calc and handles .cvs files.There is another suite called Star Office, from Sun Microsystems, which is also free, but I don't know much about it. I do not trust the Google online tools.

It's called bargaining, not bartering. What I picked up from watching my late wife, if they start out by asking for double the "fair" price, respond by offering half the "fair" price. If you don't know what the "fair" price is, offer one third of their offer. If you want to keep things friendly, you should start out by asking, "Can you go lower than that?" You might try, "Two days ago I was able to buy that for only [whatever you want to pay]." Without saying anything try just walking away and see if the seller calls out a lower price. If you don't like the price just walk away. Why do you think you know what the "fair" price is, anyway? To the seller, the "fair" price is the highest price anyone is willing to pay him/her for the object.

7 hours ago, car720 said:

Yep.  If it is him then he should be put down faster than a rabid dog.

Ah. "If it is him." Are you willing to wait to prove it one way or the other? I notice most of the posters here are not, but often enough they are happy to accuse the Royal Thai Police of incompetence, stupidity, and corruption. Is it possible that this guy is just a handy scapegoat? Anyway, if he's convicted he won't be getting out again, and since the police have made such a big deal of arrresting him he's pretty likely to be convicted.

On 12/9/2019 at 12:29 PM, Mavideol said:

key factors to be monitored and keep an eye on at all times ? yeah, the BS from TAT and BOT

Was that meant to be helpful?

A couple weeks ago I met a fellow farang at a Starbucks because it was the only place we both knew (he just moved to Nakhon Sawan). I hadn't been in one in about ten years, since I moved from Bangkok. ฿120 for a medium size. I think if I go to a coffee shop again I'll go to the Black Canyon nearby. Tastes better, anyway.

I vaguely recall having been required to sign those forms several years ago, but didn't have to this year, and think I didn't have to last year. If they need them they'll have blanks available for you.

18 hours ago, Neeranam said:

My point is that all other police departments/govt. depts. do offer this service for a reasonable charge. 

My immigration even had the nerve to ask for tips, which many Thais on social media were disgusted about, while clueless foreigners put money into it. 

If allowed, i can provide rhe Facebook link.

 

I don't have enough contact with the police to know what they charge for making copies. I notice you have not mentioned what immigration office you use. I suspect they're picking on you because they don't like you. From other comments I gather there is no uniformity nationwide. I make mine at home before going to extend my stay, but several years ago forgot and the civilian clerk made them (several pages from my passport) for 20 baht. You're supposed to bring the copies with you, I believe, so I didn't feel exploited. Every Immigration Officer I've dealt with has been pleasant and helpful. I really don't get why some posters have so many problems with Immigration, and hate Thailand so much, and others, like me, never seem to have any difficulties.

On 11/29/2019 at 1:18 PM, hyku1147 said:

I got a really bad feeling when they started to widen Beach Road.

I figured that the project was poorly planned, but  i had no idea that it was a harbinger of radical change.

Pattaya was the Las Vegas of South East Asia.

If you read the collection of essays, Parkinson's Law, you will see that he explains why that kind of project is a sure sign that an institution is dying. The example he used was the British Colonial Office, which built a huge, new headquarters building just after the last colony was granted independence.

17 hours ago, soalbundy said:

A bible verse from a murderer, he must have undergone a conversion while inside.

Luke 23:24 is the story of Jesus being taken to Pilate for trial. Maybe this guy thinks he's an incarnation of God.

On 11/18/2019 at 6:04 PM, CharlieH said:

Took you long enough to realize what we have all been feeling for months !

Don't know what you're on about. He's been saying for months that it's a worrisome development. Haven't you been reading Thai Visa? He's in a tough place, because if he moves to aggressively to reduce the baht the Americans will accuse him of manipulating the currency, which is what he would be doing. Thailand would be subject to very harsh punishment.

I am reminded that you know you've lived in Bangkok too long when you look both ways before crossing the sidewalk.

3 hours ago, KKr said:

one cannot make this up.
Who is responsible for a Curfew ?
Civil Government or Police ?

Errr.. the Royal Thai Police are a part of the Civil Government. The agency responsible is the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), which seems to be part of the Army, and which does not have a sterling reputation. 

On 11/4/2019 at 12:19 PM, NCC1701A said:

you will never see a repeat of the 97 crisis. One of the reasons Thailand is doing so well is they took the advice of the world bank and corrected the problems that lead to that event.

 

and remember it was a Farang who crashed the Thai currency, the monster George Soros.

the Thais will never let that happen again.

 

Well, no, it wasn't George Soros, but it was a couple of American hedge funds. The main point is they DID NOT take the advice of the IMF. As soon as they were able to they paid off the loan (people were contributing their jewelry, temples were taking up collections) they kicked the IMF out. That greatly added to Thaksin's popularity. They devoted themselves to building up export industries and created massive dollar reserves. After that they added large reserves in other currencies, but the important thing was to limit borrowing in dollars. Before 1997 the Bank of Thailand became very lax, but since then they have managed their currency very well. I'm hoping once this flood of hot money eases the BoT will get the baht back down to 32 to the dollar. Unfortunately, with President* Trump's disastrous trade policies that may be a very long time from now. Oh, the last advice they took from the World Bank was to develop tourism based on prostitution. Seriously.

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

She said, everyone was tired and fed up- they were forced to dance in high heels for 7- 8 hours a day.

Sorry girl nobody forced you to do it, you and the others chose to flash your bodies for money.

Errr... Haven't been in Thailand long, have you? Or maybe you've just never gone "up-country." Do you know any poor Thais? Currently all the Thai people I know (my late wife's extended family) are Thai middle class, pretty good incomes. My first wife was from a dirt-poor family in Buri Ram province. If you've never visited with a poor Thai family I don't think you can imagine what poverty really is. Yes, you can say the girls "choose" to "flaunt their bodies for money." Do you have any knowledge of how hard it is for a young Thai to get money? They normally have only one salable skill. 

On 10/26/2019 at 6:50 AM, saengd said:

This is financial speak for....cut interest rates and spend more. I read an analyst report on Thailand recently that said Thailand was a victim of it's own prudence, it has learnt the lesson of the 1997 crash too well and is now afraid to spend. The deficit budget is a good start but more spending and more debt is being advocated but there is reluctance to do that, understandably.

 

Speaking of "the lessons of the 1997 crash," they should remember that the advice the IMF gives (or the measures they impose on countries when they grant loans) is aways wrong. It's funny, their research department is made up of some of the finest economists in the world, but the executive still follows the neo-classical, neoliberal austerity policies. Maybe this recommendation comes from the research branch without being filtered by the executives, because it sounds sensible, but there were reasons why Thaksin getting free from the IMF ahead of schedule was so popular at the time.

No individual user needs 5G. Your eyes cannot process 4k video resolution anyway. It's just marketers selling more stuff nobody needs.

11 hours ago, Martyp said:

People do confuse visas and extensions of stay. And people, expats and Immigration officers, commonly refer to both the O-A visa and extension of stay (based on retirement) as a "retirement visa". 

 

However, the O-A visa, purchased outside Thailand, is a visa available only to people over 50 years of age. You cannot work inside Thailand and you cannot get a work permit while on an O-A visa. However you do not have to be retired from work. Plenty of people get this visa and work in their home country and spend considerable time in Thailand. With an O-A visa you can keep your money in your home country but you do have meet financial requirements to apply for the visa at a Thai Consulate. And, as of Oct31st, you will have to have insurance.

 

For a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement you do need to have money and/or income in a Thai bank. You get an extension of stay at an Immigration office inside Thailand. Once again, you don't have to formally be retired from work. You could leave Thailand and work outside the country. BTW. When you fill out the TM7 form for a 1 year extension of stay there is a large blank space for you to write in your reason for applying for an extension of stay. I write in "retirement" and that is what they put on my extension of stay stamp. However, there are other options to write in that space.

I confess I never heard of the O-A visa until last year when it suddenly had problems. I came on an O visa and had to extend for one year (actually nine months) after ninety days, so I thought that's what everybody does. I have the same financial requirements and I've been extending my stay for the purpose of retirement for 37 years. Still, when I go to immigration (and this was true at Soi Suan Phlu and Chaeng Wattana, as well as here) I tell them I am there to "extend my visa," and they direct me to the right place.

13 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, I call my cat 'dog'..... it makes no difference whatsoever to the cat, but confuses people and makes me look stupid!

You're being too hard on yourself. I would not think you were stupid for calling you cat "dog." Eccentric, maybe, but not stupid. Quirky sense of humor. 

9 hours ago, wisperone said:

Just keeps getting weirder. Can't they just refer to them as "two women"?

Who decides if they are pretty?

Do they carry a official Thai card that designates them as pretty?

What about if they are ugly? Who decides that?

Heaven forbid they are "fatties".

Who teaches journalists in Thailand that every noun needs a stupid adjective preceding it in a headline?

The term "pretty" refers to a moderately attractive young woman who knows how to use make-up and works at supermarkets, beer bars, shopping malls as a presenter of goods. I've seen them selling detergent in Tops, or Mini Coopers at Central. They're low-level models. 

4 hours ago, hereforgood said:

Well that makes a whole lot of sense doesn't it? Yes please send us your passport we're happy to issue your Visa you may not be able to use it of course we don't care we've got your money you've got a Visa that will be unusable if they decide they don't want to let you in. Next

Sent from my LG-H990 using Tapatalk
 

It is the same with the U.S. If the consulate here issues any type of visa to enter America, the Customs and Border Protection officials at the ports of entry did not have to permit entry -- for any reason or no reason. 

On 9/30/2019 at 7:29 AM, kingdong said:

It was 35baht =£1 in 1997,then what happened? You can only blow up a balloon so much till it explodes in your face.

That can't be right. I remember that the US Dollar was ฿45 for a while in 1997. Some people tell me it went as high as ฿50, but I don't remember that. I don't remember the exchange rate for sterling in 1997, but vaguely think it was around £1 = $1.80, so its baht value should have been at least 80. When I was a kid, £1 = $2.40 (around 1950). so a penny sterling was equal to a penny American (12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound). Or are you talking about the fixed exchange rate before the crash? It was $1 = ฿22.5, so £1 should have been around ฿40. 

It would be very helpful if the US/China trade war would end and all this capital sloshing around the markets goes back to China. Weakening global markets should have the dollar rising, not weakening. Of course I've been afraid for years that the dollar was overvalued and would eventually drop. I just hoped I'd be dead by then. Darn these good genes (actually I'm very grateful for my good genes which have given me better than average health. I'm a lucky man).