gerryBScot

Thanks Tim that's a relief.

My little boy, aged 7, left Thailand last night to join me in China; he came with his mother and his little sister aged 5. My wife, a filipino, had all the proper stuff so was stamped out in the normal way and ends her residence here in the LOS after 11 years; they have put this stuff into my son's passport - can someone translate please and clarify if he has been banned from re-entry? My 5 year old daughter was simply stamped out despite entering for the last time on exactly the same day as my son. I should add that since his last entry to Thailand, about three years ago, my son has been issued with a new passport so I think one of the stamp's is simply a copy of the last entry in his old passport. Many thanks for your assistance.

I have recently moved to China where I have started working. I have a foreign residence permit and am completely legitimate. I am proposing to bring my son, first of all, and then my wife and daughter in as dependents. It now gets a little complex. My wife is a Filipino national currently resident in Thailand but my two children are British citizens and holders of British passports through my nationality as a Brit. My wife works in Thailand as a teacher and all her paperwork is in order , Non-B etc.

Our two kids, aged 7 and 4, have lived all their lives in Thailand except for holidays in the Philippines. They entered Thailand for the last time about three years ago on a 30 day waiver and have in effect overstayed since that time; we never thought it was necessary to get them visas as basically the regulations are not imposed on those under fifteens. As part of getting the kids  Chinese dependent visas, Class S(1),  we thought it would be a good idea to get them Non-Os for Thailand simply to show their status in Thailand. Possibly the Chinese authorities in Bangkok might not issue a dependent visa if  they are on overstays here even though they are minors. Anyhow my wife got the papers together and went to our local immigration office to get Non-Os on her status and was told an Non-O could only be issued if the kids leave and re-enter on a  30 day waiver. Is this right? 

I'd also like to know if anyone can advise on this situation. Anyone have any experience of this type of thing? My fear is the Chinese authorities might require me to go back to the UK in order to apply for their dependents' visas and that would be a major pain and an expense. Not to mention the fact the kids have never set foot in the UK in their brief lives.

As always thanks for any help and pointers that you can offer.

On 1/5/2017 at 6:58 AM, rhythmworx said:

 

I was at a crossing point a few hours ago, hoped after quitting the insanity would stop.

 

 

The insanity never stops. You just learn to accept it and indeed to laugh at it. In fact the longer I stay stopped the more I realise just how utterly insane my drinking was. Today taking a drink has no appeal to me. I'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow. 

I have no doubt you'll get sound advice here. My understanding on the basis of my kids, aged 7 and 4, born to me, a Brit, and a Filipino mother, though resident in Thailand,  is as follows:

they have a legal right to British citizenship up to the age of 18 but this must be claimed by, for instance, applying for a British passport. That legal entitlement ceases aged 18 but they can still apply after that and get it, except it is no longer a right.

they can only transmit British citizenship if they are living in the UK at the time any child is born; it is therefore not automatic; if they live elsewhere, such as in Thailand, their children will not be granted British citizenship.

48 minutes ago, antoniuni said:

WOW! Mistake! Thanks anyway! Would you be so kind to look in the link of all these birds are the Yellow-vented Bulbul? Thanks in advance!

 

 Rest assured I've made many a howler including mistaking domestic swan geese for the wild version! 

A good source of photographic references is here 

Dear All

Some news since taking a stand a few months back.

I secured a new position in China and moved there in early October. It's everything I could have wanted for meeting the various demands on me and I am 100 % legal with an official work and resident permit. I am hoping that my wife and kids will follow me to China in 2017 so it will be marvellous to be able to live together as a family again. It's amazing living in China, in real China too, about 2.5 hours north of Shanghai where it is freezing cold right now and the air quality is pretty awful. 

I'm back in LOS for a Christmas break and should be back again for the Chinese New Year end of January. What a joy to be with my wife and kids again.

Yesterday I met up with a guy who I got to know through this forum a few years ago. He has struggled to string a few days together and has found the whole business of trying to quit very challenging. Yesterday he was celebrating a first ever 90 days of continuous sobriety. In a short period of time he is a different person. He typifies the reality of trying to get off the booze - easy it isn't. But he has stuck with it and he is now on the trudge. He's found a meeting in AA in Bangkok that works for him.

I owe everything in my life to quitting drinking, drugging, gambling, ......!  What undoubtedly has worked for me is Alcoholics Anonymous. Many people were highly surprised when I told them I had started going to AA a few years back, many would have recommended other routes, but I don't think any of them would suggest today that I made a mistake quitting drinking. Whatever works for you, my friends, and the final analysis is in two parts: firstly can you stay stopped an secondly if you have stopped how would you describe the quality of your life?

To all, may you have a merry and joyful Christmas and I hope you and yours enjoy a happy and prosperous New Year in 2017.

Gerry B

An alcoholic

Any recommendations for a shipper/agent to use for sending a few boxes of personal effects to the Shanghai area in China. Mainly books, documents, papers, all personal stuff for private use. Not interested in speed, looking for the proverbial slow (and cheap) boat!  I have a China resident permit for customs declaration etc

Would also welcome recommendations on what kind of boxes to use and where, in the Bangkok area, I might obtain them. 

Merry Christmas to all and thanks in advance for the help.

Never had to get glass replaced in a vehicle in Thailand before so would welcome an idea of how much it will cost to get  new glass fitted on the driver's door of my Triton truck; basically it popped yesterday. I think the glass had been damaged when an idiot drove into the r/s while the truck was parked outside my house a few weeks ago. Big dent on door. Over the last few days I notice the window handle was getting tighter and more difficult to open/close until it quite literally popped yesterday on my way out of Macro. SO would welcome an idea how I should be paying. Many thanks

G

On 22August 2016 at 9:55 PM, ravip said:

Why is the BP high taken just after waking up in the morning? Any particular reason? 

 

 Well it shouldn't be as the body has been at rest. (However it can be high due to not sleeping well, for instance or due to having high BP) ...  A BP measure taken first thing will be a good indicator of whether you have hypertension ... but as I have said before, don't conclude that on one reading. Measure it over a couple of weeks and see what the averages are.

Whatever you buy, the monitoring process is critical. Random measures taken at different times are simply that, a bit like cutting a frame from a reel of motion picture.

I suggest you take a reading everyday on waking up. It really is important to measure like with like, so first thing in the day is a good time, as most of us wake up around the same time most days. It doesn't matter if there is a time difference because what is important is that our hearts have been in resting mode because of sleep. It doesn't however always follow that resting mode means either low BP or heart rate. When I measure I take three measures in quick succession and average them. This process also highlights sometimes how there can be huge variation in readings taken at the same time. 

I put these averages into a spreadsheet and average them out on a monthly basis and now have a good backlog of data to compare month by month.

This will help you determine if you have hypertension in the first instance and if you do how effectively you are managing it. It has also really helped me to identify the effect of feeling stressed on my blood pressure. Not surprisingly it rockets. Good to know because the solution for periodic spikes is not necessarily more meds but learning how to manage stress.

Thanks for the advice, really helpful. I suspect the rate will improve in favour of the baht in the short to medium term so will wait until the last minute.

It's been a while since I was back in the UK but I'm headed back soon. I'm never very good with currency exchange but my understanding is the baht is strong against the pound. I reckon I'll need about 1000 GBP in cash. What's the best way to get it given all my liquidity is in baht. Change in BKK or wait until I arrive in the UK? Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks for all the advice, options and comments.My school is starting to be little more co-operative so may not need to break for the border. Still useful to have tis info cos things usually change.

I think the train to Malaysia looks favourite right now. Many thanks

57 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You will get 30 days if you are from a G7 country otherwise it will only be 15 days. But you can extend either one for 30 days at an immigration office.

Cambodia for a crossing might be closer than Ranong.

You could fly out and back from Don Mueang (DMK) to a nearby country. Check Air Asia for flights to Kuala Lumpur. 

THx Joe but I would need a Cambodia VOA wouldn't I?

Ratchaburi/Nakhon Pathom, sorry chaps - so I could head to Ranong and on re-entry get 30 days? I thought it was 15 days on  a border crossing entry but I am out of date!

About to leave my job so currently on Non-b. Work being rather unhelpful so unlikely to be able to take Work Permit to Labour Office and apply for 7 day extension. So to stay legal I want to leave and get my non-B cancelled and then re-enter on 30 day waiver. What's currently the cheapest/easiest way to do this? Your thoughts would be most welcome - thanks.

Just bumping this as I am still eager for a reply.

Hi I've read the threads about how difficult it can be applying for a China visa in Bangkok.

I'm about to apply for a Z visa, basically for entry to work in China, in Guangdong province. My sources tell me this is the strictest in terms of visa, for instance you cannot enter on a F Visa and then go to Hong Kong to convert it into a Z, but you have to return to your home country.

In my case returning to my home country would mean a first trip home to the UK in 7 years. I no longer have an address there, doubt whether I have a bank account with little more than a fiver in it, basically I have nothing that roots me there these days other than my passport. I understand people say it is far easier to go home and do this than to apply in BKK but I am finding it difficult to get my head around showing up at the consulate in Manchester and submitting everything on the basis of living here for the last eight years : my address, my health check, everything.

I'm happy to do this but as I say I fear the consulate might say: you need to go back to Thailand young man and sort it out there. 

Any one got any information or able to offer an opinion?

Many thanks.

Thanks Joe that is very reassuring. What airline would you recommend that I use? With regard to the wife and kids, she has her own Non-B completely independent of me and the kids are her dependents. Our non-B's are totally separate and independent of each other. In any event the medium term the plan is for the missus and the kids to follow me - I'll go ahead and get set up and then bring them in once I've established myself.

I have run into a few problems with my workplace. I am on a non-B which has been renewed annually over the last seven years that I have worked here. It's all a bit of a mess. Anyhow I am expecting to make a permanent move in the next two months to a neighbouring country as I have a job offer and paperwork on that is currently being processed. My wife and kids are here though, again the missus is a Non-B and children dependents. Can I just get on a flight, head to Singapore or somewhere else and then turn round again and re-enter Thailand on a 30 day tourist waiver on arrival?  Will I need to have an onward flight out of Thailand? Will I need to produce evidence of funds? Will I get quizzed exiting on a non-B which runs until next year without a re-entry permit? I can resolve all these issues but don't know what I might have to show to secure re-entry. So would be grateful for any help and information. Many thanks

It's not the trolls. I like the trolls. I am with them, they are my spiritual brothers and sisters. They are just like the drunks I occasionally bump into at meetings - I see myself in them, I understand what it is like to be isolated and angry, as one guy once put, it living in a dark room developing my negatives. I lived in that space for many years, too many years, but internet forums didn't exist back in those days .....maybe if they did I might have gotten help sooner! We need to allow the trolls to come on here but we need to challenge their rubbish....in as nice a way as possible, and I am sure you'll all agree I kept my cool and my worst offence was a bit of sarcasm. I have also acknowledged that AA is for from perfect and in one of my recent posts I acknowledged the immense harm 'thirteenth stepping' and other issues has caused to our fellowship. The original post with the reference was made by Johnniey, a fellow AA, who also has broad shoulders and an open mind. You see there are a core group of people here who really don't care how you do it, they just want people to get to the other side.

I can't talk about my decision to sling. I have been warned. I don't understand the rules and am not really interested in them. I approach these things from a sense of fairness and openess and I play by the rules of human decency and common sense. (reference to Moderation removed by Moderator) . I am not ashamed of anything. But I am out of here because there are consequences these days if people mistreat me or abuse me. You see this stuff is done. (further refernce to Moderation removed)

Unfortunately I challenge stuff these days, even here in dear old Thailand, and yes, it causes me problems some times, but I am beholden unto no one these days, I do not live in fear, and I do not have to continually be on the look out over my shoulder. Time to move on, dudes. I'll still be going to meetings and hopefully will see folk from time to time.

Once more, keep well, keep strong and do it one day at a time or any other way that stops you killing yourself.

I've decided to take my leave of this forum. I've been posting regularly for a number of years mainly on this part of the forum, 'I drink too Much'. But it is quite clearly out of control and there are strange things going on which fly in the face of reason. I have more important things to do. It seems absurd that people are allowed to attack me with impunity and I then have to take the consequences for rebutting some of the arrant nonsense that gets posted here and remains unchecked. So to all of you on the trudge by whatever means you have chosen, I wish you all well and hopefully we will cross paths on that trudge and life will continue to be good for us all. Best wishes

In peace and happiness

gerryBScot