jaideeguy

yeah, trip advisor, kayak, expedia have taken all the business away from the friendly old mom and pop travel agents that used to be in every city/town/village and it's just another example of the digital take over with no human involvement.

Sorry, but I'm an old fart that is still trying to hold on to and support small local business.

Honest and English speaking [understanding] is a must.

Google didn't have any info.

Thanks in advance............

Where, how long to get results, and cost? and is it acceptable for airline travel?

Phone number would be appreciated...............

thanks in advance

a [terrible] update..................

Boy [a man now] showed up for the drawing of the cards and was not so lucky as we were hoping...................he drew a big RED, but his date for duty is in November. The good thing is that gives him some breathing room [and time to fret].  Mama wants him to get on the next plane to come home [the US is his chosen home now] and after reading some recent reports on life as a recruit in the Thai army, I am with her on that.

read a frightening story   https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/thailand-military-conscripts-face-rampant-harassment-beatings-sexual-abuse/

would you want your son to deal with that?

Hypothetically,  IF he does get on a one way flight back to the US, what would the ramifications be and are there any dangers like being 'red flagged' at the airport on his way out, etc?? 

Don't know if this answers your OP, but we just booked a repatriation flight arranged by the Thai embassy from LAX to BKK [via Doha] for the 1st week in March.  Maybe a charter flight?

As I understand it, all Thai boys/men at age 21 are required by law to report for the military draft.  My [adopted] son has been able to get a deferment from his yearly reporting by submitting evidence translated into Thai that he is attending college abroad.  He graduated last year and now has to fulfill his obligation.  He doesn't want to give up his Thai citizenship so he is fulfilling the obligation to avoid future ramifications for 'dodging the draft'.

We're hoping that with the higher number of volunteers, his odds of being chosen will be lower. 

My son's date of drawing is 1 April for his province and according to my wife, it's a 1 time thing and if he is lucky, he'll be free after that.

I would like to find out the latest numbers of volunteers so far..............would anyone know where I could get accurate and latest figures of total volunteers?

Our Thai son will be returning from the US to fulfill his obligation to participate in the military lottery and my wife [his Mom] has been following the news because of that. We have even booked and paid for his return ticket, quarantine etc.  

Her latest news report to me is that with the economy so bad there has been a big surge in volunteers.  Says that 18,000 volunteers and the army's quota is 20,000 so we're hoping that the quota will be met and his trip back will be in vain.  

Is there any truth to her [translated to me] news or any other news pertaining to this year's lottery draw and the situation on ground there in LOS?  

Feel free to post on this topic or to PM me if you have any [real/not fake] news regarding this.

She also says that if the quota is filled he still has to return to get the paperwork from the military that will give him legal status.

Thanks in advance for any real news and the source of the info,

Thanks Nan for your informative post and I totally agree with you re: letting my boy get some experience under his belt and get out from under his 'well meaning' Mom's skirt.  As most 1st born Thai sons are usually spoiled in the typical Thai family.

This boy is a 23 year virgin and we lead a sheltered/isolated life for better and worse.  When I compare my life experiences at 23 years old in the wild and crazy 60's and his limited experiences, it is sad in a lot of ways. Experience is the best teacher for us all.  and I remember making some of my closest friendships while in basic training while sharing the misery with others my same age.

The covid situation is changing daily and anything can happen in the next 2 or 3 months. 

Thanks for the update.

Aloha

Not sure which forum to post this so mods can move it if needed.

As the title says, my adopted [but still Thai citizen] will be returning to his 'mother country' from the US after being a student [with legal deferment from draft] but now has to face the music and determine his fate for the next year or ?. 

A few questions and concerns come up....................wife [here in US] is dealing with the Thai embassy who has referred her to an 'agent' to make the travel/quarantine arrangements [for a fee, of course] which I was cautious of at first until she said that the agent mentioned that my boy could avail of the government quarantine for no cost.  including rent and 3 meals a day, wifi, TV.  Too good to pass up. Any remarks on this??

now, the military issue................. wife also read on her 'trusty' facebook that the 'BIG GENERAL'  is considering making the military all voluntary so that may cancel our plans.  Any truth to this rumor ??

Thanks in advance for any input.......................

'People have to eat though, so one hopes restaurants at least can keep their doors open, even if they provide a take away service only.'

Could be a good idea for the bars to do that too...................'provide a take away service' so you are only infecting one other person????!

Did you watch the 60 Min episode?, or are you just reacting?? I saw more than pets and fish with my own eyes and again on the vid. It's a known documented fact that locals not only consume the wild animals, but traffic in them, transporting them to the hungry Chinese, who love pangolin [and other endangered animal] meat.

Not sure where to post this, so it went in to the 'General' topics and mods can move it if they see fit.

Just watched a youtube vid of a recent 60 minutes/Australia on the [possible] NEXT PANDEMIC, as conditions are perfect for viral crossovers at the "JJ market" in BKK.  I witnessed it decades ago and just assumed that the Thais had put a stop to it.............but NOT, as this recent episode proves.

Watch at your own risk!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nZ4mw4mXw

Motorcycle accident in Nong Kai's newest/best hospital with a broke ankle = 4 nights, operation from a non English speaking Dr and had a VIP room with hot and cold running nurses and [smuggled] Mekong rum cost me 37K THB, but was later reimbursed by the moto rental basic insurance company for the whole amount.  I think room charge was 1.5KTHB/night..............good value, as it would have cost 37K$ at least in the US at a regular hospital with ugly uncaring nurses................

We bought @ 23K baht 10+ years ago..............great ROI!

Personally, I find the 'mutts' [mixed breeds] of all humans races and animals the most beautiful.  Eurasian especially.

Every pure bred dog I've had has been the worst.

so, what would be the worst case scenario IF the immigration folks do find out?

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

So my son had the same thing when he went to college in the US.

 

Now he has no plans to ever return to Thailand, but he exited on his Thai passport, but if he ever returns it would be on his US passport as a visa exempt tourist.

 

As a US citizen, and entering Thailand as such, I can't believe there would be a problem with the draft, if and that's a big if, they could even tell!

2,000 thb is a small price to pay to stay out of the Thai army. And I thought that you had to enter and exit LOS with the same passport?

Mods, please feel free to move this post to the most appropriate forum.............

Boy goes to college in US and gets student deferment from draft, then graduates or gets employment and US citizenship and returns to LOS with US passport..............Does he get in any trouble for dodging draft? or are there any other bad ramifications?  Or, is he treated as a US tourist with all the limits of a tourist?  Should he let the Thai passport expire or keep it renewed?

Thanks in advance for any info, either official or first hand experience.

Having lived 7 yrs in the Phil [25+ yrs ago], I found that like Thailand, there are pros and cons.  First thing to consider is 'where' in the country do you want to live.  The cities are all overcrowded, polluted, dangerous and expensive so I chose base myself in the country and lived a simple lifestyle in a native house in the Banaue rice terraces and occasionally indulged in a few of the frills of the city, but had a 20 yr old country girl that made it bearable.

But after 4 yrs, the city called me and luckily I found a nice place with an outstanding view, got a long term lease that I was able to cash out on when I discovered the falang friendliness of LOS [in the yr 2,000] and decided to say good-bye to the Phil. 

Thailand seemed to be a lot more 'falang friendly' at first until I had to deal with the immigration, heat, communications, etc. After 15+ yrs there married with children and up to my neck with the frustrations of aging and dealing with a good medical system for an aging guy that lived a wild life and was not the young and healthy guy that I used to be, I came down with a virus that even the best specialists in CM's best hospitals were ignorant of, I decided that I was better off back in the US and dragged my Thai family back with me.  Lost big bhatt in the transition. Bad timing to sell a house and 3 properties, plus the cost of hiring an attorney to do the immigration thing [luckily before king Trump tightened it all up].

Sorry, got longer than I had planned, but bottom line..............

'It's all paradise until the mosquitoes find you!!'

a side note for anyone looking for alternatives to LOS is to consider Ecuador.  Good source of info from users is https://www.numbeo.com and if I was 20 yrs younger, I would be there now.  Bearing in mind that I discovered that 10+ yrs ago and it's a different world all over the planet and 'the walls are going up as well as the cost of living' globally!!

Bumping an old thread in the hope that I can get some questions answered.  

If a boy takes advantage of the 'education' deferment overseas and graduates with an associate degree, then returns for the lottery and picks the dreaded red ball and 'winns' the draft......does he enter the military at a higher rank than a dirt poor farm boy with no education or are all draftees ranked equal [as grunts]?? 

Bumping an old thread in the hope that I can get some questions answered.  

If a boy takes advantage of the 'education' deferment overseas and graduates with an associate degree, then returns for the lottery and picks the dreaded red ball and 'winns' the draft......does he enter the military at a higher rank than a dirt poor farm boy with no education or are all draftees ranked equal [as grunts]??