roamer

In a hotel in Ubon when a bemused friend came down to the bar to say that the maid had propositioned him, knocking on the door and asking "are you lonely?" to which he replied "No I'm ok thanks" and closed the door. We were a little surprised, good hotel, stayed there many times, never experienced anything like that. Then he said..."the thing was she had my laundry in her hand and when I came back out it was hanging on the door."

Cut to scene of my wife (Thai) chokeing on her Margarita...when we revived her she said "they can't pronounce their "r"s up here...the maid was saying "here your laundry..."

My wife watching an advert for Siemens mobile phones in the UK..."Oh I like Siemen" Even the educated ones often drop the final "s"...

An update. The Thai mail order bride arrived tonight. I honestly don't know whether any of the posters here would find it offensive....or hilairious. For a start she is an obvious Chinese not Thai....but like a Chinese out of a 60's Carry On film with the most ridiculous accent you have ever heard....don't know whether I'm offended (and I'm a bloke) cos I'm not sure they are just playing it for laughs so it probably is negative stereotyping of the worst kind....

This might be a dead topic soon. To judge by the rapidly increasing media interest here in the UK its difficult to see how the deal can go ahead, or if it does, how long it will be sustainable is another matter. Normally here football is largely left to the tabloids or confined to the back pages of the broadsheets. Not today. A two page spread in The Independent talks of his "...blood soaked record" and "killing sprees". Other papers had similar themes. The radio phone in progs are getting calls from fans increasingly hostile to this deal. Will be surprised if it goes ahead.

Read enough to convince me to go elsewhere. Thanks all.

Are you a currency trader? No, your a person who is trying to get an "O" visa. If it drops 5% by the time you get there you lose 20K Baht...and given current events few would bet on the baht gaining strength. Either way, I would'nt like to be going for a visa on the strength that the money I transferred into my brother-in-laws (whoever) account counted as the 400K transmitted from overseas.

Years ago it would be possible to arrange things like a transfer to an overseas branch of your bank for you to set up an account on arrival...that not possible now?

My wife and myself would be most grateful if anyone could provide us with some information. Sorry if all this has been asked before but we are both new to the forum thing.....

We are both from England and are in our late thirties.

We have been given a chance to make a new start in Thailand, we are hoping for this to all take place by the summer of 2005.

We have been offered the opportunity to buy a bar with accommodation above it in Kata Noi, Phuket.

What are the rules at this time with regards to properties such as bars like this.

We both want to do this in the correct way but we don't know all the immigration rules.

With the sale of our house and belongings etc, we should be able to take with us approx. 3.5million baht.

My wife and myself are both hoping to start this new venture together.

What visas do we need to apply for and how long are they valid for?

How, when and where do we apply for work permits?

We wish to stay there permanently and make Thailand our home, eventually applying for residency and hopefully citizenship in the future.

Any information will be most appreciated.

Honest opinion ? I think your a little too "straight" to survive in the Thai bar scene. Its just a gut feeling from your posts. I'd be delighted if you could prove me wrong but don't invest more than you can afford to lose in doing so. In the UK the largest amount of new startup failures is in the restaurant/bar trade, in Thailand the odds will be stacked up against you even more. I don't think Thailand is a particularly hard jungle to operate in...provided your expert in what your doing, have managed to operate your trade elsewhere, and know how to manouvre your way around some very tricky situations.

Bottom line. Some can, some can't.

I always read these posts with a sense of disbelief. I guess I've driven about 80 miles today in and around london, I've lost count of the amount of times I've been cut up, sworn at (and retaliated), avoided people jumping lights, sat fuming behind buses that never pull into bus stops...the list is endless and all of it done with often muderous intent. Granted, in Thailand I've watched trucks coming towards me down the wrong side of a dual carriageway cos the gap in the rails is nearer that way...GROSS violation of road rules, but in reality he has his hazards flashing and is going slow...less of a danger than the idots over here going the right way who don't bother to look when pulling out. The Songkran thing, bit of an old chestnut, if you break down the figures...most deaths are helmetless bike riders, closely followed by 38 people in a pickup etc.

For myself I find the relaxed attitude to driving in LOS infinitely preferable to the gotta be there yesterday style that exists here.

Given the stupidity of the incident and the age of the guy i think I may have come across this guy before. A Swiss guy of a similar age , a junkie, has long been conning people into lending him money as he's been robbed and is waiting for funds to arrive from his Embassy. he used to try it with farangs but then found better pickings around Emporium from Thai females. Can't be that many Swiss down and outs in Bangkok, probably the same ######....

No way is any terrorist going to control the way I live my life, I went to LOS just after 911, I was there during the Bali bombs, and I'll be there again in September regardless what those ###holes do.

I just love this post. I was in Ubon at the the time of the Bali bombing and I remember the blastwave...

I wonder why, if you run back on the posts on this topic you see a certain similarity in the new "non English as a native language pro Thaksin posts" ?

The phonetics, the views, their inability to reply to a question....and the fact they are completely absent from other topics on the forum not curious to you? Look at the subject matter and think, I remember when it was impossible to post an anti Myamar statement on the LP forum without these guys popping up, deja vu.

I disagree with many of the views expressed here, but thats part of it, we agree to disagree. Don't believe these people navigated here by accident, don't believe they are paid by anyone other than.... well who do you think?

Its not a problem but its interesting...

I've browsed far-right websites where the members were less gung ho than here, and certainly better informed, then again they were'nt full of Yanks, maybe thats why. Ok you lot can get your jollies from watching a bunch of kids shot up in LOS, ...now where was that blazing Humvee I was enjoying....

Follow along those lines then recipreocity becomes expensive...remind me what do we pay for a 30 day tourist visa to Thailand ? served up at the airport. What do Thais pay for the same to the EU ? you don't need to add in the extra costs of attending the embassy from Chiang Mai say..............

Can we clear up the legalities of this. There is no international law that proscribes against any nation setting its own entry/residence/ requirements, in fact international law recognizes the right of any nation to set its own requirements in these fields. You can regard that as unfair, but its life.

Eastender...last reply a dipstick. Go for the Nationwide approach, I've used Halifax for exactly the same thing, its just the 1+% that you can live with. The exchange rate is as good as you get on a cheque. Don't tell the bank/building soc your sending the card overseas or they may get all prim.

Pattaya Jail...for those of you hav'nt seen it, no more than what we in the West would call a police holding centre..lots of people in one cell. Before we sound off about Thaksin and Thai jails,,,contact your Senator etc, lets face it, this happens all over the world...you don't have to be an American in Thailand to die in a jail cell.

Maybe the message that goes out about this should be that little word OVERSTAY..don't do it.

Useing skype now,,,know its not always practical but for computer to computer and for free and first rate voice quality its hard to beat.

You,ve known her for a year...planning for next April, thats two years and thats a good start. From now keep records of everything, use phone companies like Onetel where you can get a printed record of calls. Theres no harm with her staying on the farm as the type of job she would need to be deemed likely to return to would need usually to be a professional position. Dig up...or somehow "obtain" docs that prove you have known her for the period you state. Normal reasons for refusal are "...unlikely to return etc"...your protestations that you intend to return to live in LOS count for ZERO. However, for various reasons it becomes harder to refuse visas when you can point to a relationship of a couple of years as these are refusals more likely to be overturned on appeal and they prefer not to lose too many on appeal. When you have proof of a relationship over that period the fiancee visa is hardest to refuse if all paperwork correct ( by definition the unlikely to return part can't apply). Conversely if every thing not in order its the hardest to obtain. If its the tourist visa your going for....money in the bank helps, is an important part of it....but is far less important than length of relationship.

Make sure every single item on the visa form is properly prepared...leave nothing to chance. Then be prepared for a knockback and accept you may have to appeal.

Last but not least, appearance and demeanour count. Deduct 10 points for a t-shirt etc, another 10 for anything other than the correct manner.

Getting a visa is as much an art as a science.

Good Luck.

The email address for the Embassy was, and probably still is, a general FCO address for all UK embassies, never known a reply on any subject. Beleive the extra pages etc went out with terrorist probs and the ever growing centralisation of all things in the UK.

last summer I got a flyer for a shop in World Trade Centre offering exactly that,,Only Fools etc. No more details I'm sorry, and don't know whether the place still in business. Not a lot of help I know but it night jog someone's memory.

Throw away the potatos. Buy Ethyl Acetate (easy) add equimolar amount of Sodium Hydoxide (Lye, Caustic soda). What distills over under 90 degrees is pure ethyl alcohol. Dilute.

Comment on Linguaphone. Good, its used as the basis of the Thai course at SOAS London University. Pricey, but heres a tip if your not in a hurry. Inquire about it, let them send you the bumph then do nothing. Wait. Sometime later you get an offer of a 50% discount. The waiting time varies but this has worked for a few people. However only seems to work if you phone and ask for the initial bumph...doing it via the website doe'nt seem to bring a discount offer.

Seem to recall the requirement is you have known each other for at least 2 years? (Its on the app form) My approach to dealing with the British Embassy was not to even think about going near it till I had EVERYTHING in place. My girlfriend, now my wife, entered on a tourist visa and we married here, not an option for you as you have already shown your hand. Also, a tourist visa depends even more on her status rather than yours. Plus, I know a change to the law of marriage here giving a right to stay is either impending or already in place.No doubt others can advise you if the situation re visa requirements has changed in the last few years, but the first point holds true.

If you appeal and your still outside the required period I see little chance of a change in the original decision.