jayboy

13 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

There are some contemporary accounts that dispute this myth about Il Duce. There is little evidence that he really made the trains run on time but he did upgrade the rail system in the North of Italy and built the first autostrada or expressway.  In keeping with fascist principles the poor and less productive parts of the country were left without any improvements to their mobility.   

Thanks, very interesting.But as you probably gathered my post was not really about Mussolini and his trains but rather about the danger of assuming illegal and authoritarian regimes being somehow more efficient than more democratic ones (not that Arkady was suggesting this.) Incidentally I'm not sure you're right about the poor not being part of the fascist constituency.The bread and circuses approach or populism is very much part of the fascist approach to split the working class.

Arguing against myself, one can always invoke Alexander Pope:

'For forms of government let fools contest

Whate'er is best administered is best

6 minutes ago, Arkady said:

Let's hope that the sinister minister doesn't make a quick comeback from his recent political setback and won't end up getting his coveted interior portfolio.  We should bear in mind that the post-coup years under Gen Anuphong brought a return to the greater transparency and streamlining of the citizenship and PR processes of the pre-Thaksin era. Once politicians get control of the MoI again, the processes will most likely be upended and revert to what they became from 2000 to 2014 with applications disappearing into a black hole and 5-8 year waits normal which was probably what the MoI bureaucrats prefer.
 

And Mussolini made the trains run on time.

4 hours ago, coops said:

Got the A4 vaccine certificate after the 30 minute wait - they did ask for my passport number also to add into the system (I was booked using my pink ID card number). My passport number was entered and a couple of hours later I checked on the Mor Phrom App, and the Vaccine Certificate is there, as is a Digital Health Pass which has my passport number and vaccination status (my name is written in Thai  on this Health pass, in English  on the vaccine certificate).

Thanks for this useful info which prompted me to check my own Mor Phrom App and noted the same results as you have set out.

I expect many of us have booked a Moderna (or similar) vaccination for next year as a booster, or at least are thinking about it.As far as I know the government is not providing these so we will have to source from private hospitals. It would be great after having received the booster, the details could be incorporated in the existing Vaccine Certificate/Digital Health Pass - but I guess the likelihood the hospital concerned will be issuing their own verification.

2 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

If they open that floodgate the Chinese will have bought the place up within a week.

Funniest comment I have read for quite some time and unless I'm mistaken I think it's meant to be taken seriously.

13 hours ago, British Consular Team said:

I see your point. Sorry - our reply did not address it. This link might though: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/

Thanks.I think this walk in facility might be of interest to quite a few British expatriates "on leave" (do people still say that?) who are looking for a booster jab after having received the first two vaccinations in Thailand.It's UK policy now that the booster be given to appropriate groups six months after the second jab.Obviously it's not available now so it's a matter of keeping on checking next year.

6 hours ago, British Consular Team said:

 

 

Information about who can access the COVID-19 vaccine through the NHS can be found here. For more information about how to access the NHS if visiting from abroad please see the link here. 

For the record this doesn't answer my question or even point me in the right direction.The information on the government website you highlight does make it clear that:

"Overseas visitors to England, including anyone living in the UK without permission, will not be charged for:

• testing for coronavirus (even if the test shows you do not have coronavirus)
• treatment for coronavirus – including for a related problem that affects some children called multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• vaccination against coronavirus"

But it doesn't give any practical information on how vaccinations might be obtained without details of an NHS number or, failing that. a relevant GP's surgery.For many of us these UK based details no longer exist.

I don't have much doubt that vaccinations are accessible in the UK for visiting expatriates and I will make inquiries accordingly.

17 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

But there wasn't an unelected military "government" in charge then.

The current government is elected albeit on the basis of a rigged constitution. It's obviously a sham democracy.

As to the different treatment of foreign protestors who can fully gauge the warped thought processes of the Thai elite? However I suspect that their deranged ideas of who are the "good people" have something to do with it.

5 hours ago, KhonKaenAde said:

 If you think about it, if you were a foreign National in another Country and caught at a political rally you be arrested, imprisoned and deported, so no different.

Er, no you wouldn't unless you're talking about totalitarian regimes.In Western Europe, North America, Australasia or Japan it wouldn't be of the slightest concern.

Perhaps it is you that needs to think about it further.

@British Consular Team Thanks for all you have done in moving the vaccination process forward for British expatriates.There seems to be the prospect of vaccinations for all - though it's been a tortuous journey.

My question is this.If expatriates visit the UK is it possible to secure vaccinations without a GP referral  and (as in my case) without an NHS number. In other words are there walk in vaccination points where one can for example get a booster jab?

40 minutes ago, Misty said:

No, that's not what has been going on, at least in the last two years. 

You seem reluctant to be specific.Please give some examples.

On 9/1/2021 at 7:54 PM, Misty said:

Yes.

I'm still not sure what additional requirements you have in mind.Can you very briefly list the more significant ones.

It's always been the case that Immigration can ask for extra documents though in most cases they don't.

It's never been fully proven but there's always been the thought that some minimum levels - e.g salary, tax paid etc - may not be in practice be enough.But I've known people with the minimum salary level that achieved PR without a hitch

I think it's perfectly possible that at the border line level some applicants may be refused if they are perceived as objectionable - eg rude or condescending or heavily tattooed .For the vast majority of applicants however if they meet the criteria they will get PR.Since my time I've been told that a higher standard of Thai is required but others need to advise on this aspect.

22 hours ago, Misty said:

Things have changed a lot. The process for applying is quite involved, there are a number of requirements that apparently didn't exist years ago.  And there's an unstated requirement that applicants need to employ an agent and pay "VIP service fees" for the application to be accepted for consideration. We're told this last item became unofficially required two years ago. And suggested agent business cards were distributed at CW last year.

1.What are the new requirements to apply for PR? You mention but do not elaborate.

2.Are you sure that it is now necessary to employ an agent and pay "VIP Service Fees"? Who told you this - an agent?

I ask because I'm advising a friend who applied last year (I have PR already)

58 minutes ago, jayboy said:

It's worth having a look at this 600+ page autobiographical masterpiece because quite unintentionally on the author's part, it's a work of comic genius.In short it's pure Alan Partridge.

'Lovely stuff!' Not my words, the words of Shakin' Stevens!

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How about the interview and Thai language knowledge?

I heard, but I can't confirm it, that questions might be very different for people who have a lawyer and paid the right people or others who try to do it alone.

I.e. my Thai is good enough for daily life and for a basic conversation with my gf's family. But all my business conversations are in English. I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to discuss business decisions or i.e. laws and politics in Thai. I just don't have the vocabulary because I never use it.

Does anybody have experience with easy or difficult interview questions? And what happens if the applicant understands little and is not able to give meaningful answers (to complicated questions)?

I have never heard the questions are different.In fact I doubt whether the interviewing panel is aware whether the applicant has retained a lawyer or not.

I understand that the approach is helpful.It certainly was in my case.Obviously it makes sense to prepare for the interview anticipating likely questions and answers.

6 hours ago, Wiggy said:

The first question is none of your business. And while on the subject please provide evidence that she’s being untruthful. 
I didn’t necessarily ‘need’ a lawyer, but as a full-time employee time wasn’t really on my side to do all the running around necessary, so it was the best option for me. 
I continue to use my ‘normal’ (employment) extension as that gets done automatically (not paid for by me) and I saw no need to have double stamps using up additional pages in my passport. 

 

Pay no attention to him.For years on this forum there has been a small (thankfully)  number that screams with outrage when it's suggested that a lawyer might be helpful in any aspect of the Thai Immigration process including PR. The error they make is the assumption that everybody has as much time on their hands as they presumably do and is skint as they are.As you point out this isn't really the case with full time employees with demanding jobs.I've known several people who have achieved PR without using a lawyer but in most cases they had an efficient secretary who handled the bulk of the paperwork. And there is the important caveat - don't use a lawyer who isn't 100% reliable and that means all the cowboy outfits who feed on gullible farang. 

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes it is. You might want to show PR book to prove you have it also.

Thanks.The PR books (red book and certificate of residence) don't have the number.At least I can't find it in them. When I got vaccinated I had the blue Tabien Baan from which the number was extracted.

One question I've wondered about, in the context of registering for vaccinations, is whether the PR's 13 digit number in the Tabien Baan and pink card can be accurately described as a Thai ID number.

6 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Just received another email from expatvac:

 

 

 

 

Clicking on the link doesn't give me an opportunity to update, but informs me I'm successful in registration.

 

 

 

I wonder what is meant by Permanent Residence card.Do they mean the Pink ID?

44 minutes ago, Madgee said:

Excuse me!    
At 8.45am this morning I called the number provided to contact the MFA directly. Press 9 for English.
At 8.48am this morning it was answered by a very polite lady. I explained the problem of registering on the expatvac website successfully then receiving a notification that it was being rejected because of wrong visa. (As many have reported).
She assured me that within 2-3 days I would be sent a link to edit my document and re-submit. 

 

She explained that the problem with the submittal form only accepting one form was basically my fault and (sort of) advised that the 'visa' and passport copy should be on a single form.   Ok, not going to argue. She never asked for any I.D. to check, so I assume everyone who received the 'successful registration' followed by the 'rejection' will receive a re-submit link. 

 

Of course, never admitting it was their c0ckup but hey ho, this is certainly Thailand and at least something is being rectified .... hopefully!    

Now let's wait and see if I get an edit link.    

 

 

Glad to have been proved wrong on this occasion.Apologies to all.

13 hours ago, grain said:

That's just Thai style, they always do it. I go to a skin specialist to get freezing on skin spots, every time they check my BP, my weight & my height. 

That's my point - rituals which have become institutionalized and embedded.I've seen the same reluctance to extemporize and abandon traditional practice in many aspects of Thai life.In a pandemic the process needs to be streamlined and unnecessary elements cut out to ensure maximum throughput.At least height and weight aren't being checked!

Encouraging to see so many satisfactory experiences.I think we are getting there.

It struck me that the actual process of vaccination could be speeded up if the Blood Pressure checks were dropped.Obviously they do no harm and nobody would object (I certainly didn't) but I wonder what real purpose they serve.I don't believe they are done in the UK.

I