Always18

"Caretaker Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul proposed the setting up of a database on missing or stolen passports for use by immigration police to arrest people using them at gates to enter or leave the country"

Yep - that would make perfect Thai sense.................much easier to save face that way than just tapping into the existing Interpol database and having to answer awkward questions about why they didn't do that before!

As a wonderful TV character once said:

" They don't like it up 'em Mr. Mainwaring!"

Collective Karma perhaps?!

61 years, 2 (failed) marriages, countless "girlfriends" and about 8,000 miles.......................but here she was, waiting for me!

I'm a bit confused................is this the same G2G rice deal that the Chinese govt allegedly "backed out of" (read "never existed in the first place") a few weeks ago that has just been magically resurrected, or is this yet another pie-in-the-sky fake deal they've dreamed up after one too many glasses of the amber nectar?

Either way, it ain't gonna happen and is just the latest puff of hot air from this sad bunch of liars.

Bats....................that's my guess.

We've had several of these visitors over the last few years - they seem to be able to get in through the tiniest opening in the eves then cannot find their way out but make a real loud noise banging into the hanging metal supports for the false ceiling.

Only cure for us was to manually evict/kill the blighters (climbing around in the roofspace) then trying to block up any new access points with expanding polymer...............good luck!

You really couldn't make this kind of bolleux up if you tried....................Thai officials at their mindless, mouth-frothing best!

I have a Samsung GTP6800 (7.7 tab) which came already loaded with the official Samsung eBook reader but I'm sure it's available for download from the Samsung Apps Market.

Works very well and I only normally use ePub file types.

I'm sure that this poor soul whose life has just been destroyed will be heartened by the news today that Yingluck "is satisfied that no violence occurred during the election"...........................<deleted>??

Stuff and nonsense............just a little research would show the first part of that statement to be bilge and the guys with black socks and flip-flops are most assuredly German!

No not at all. I don't wish to be rude or inflammatory but has your partner had much education? That is often the root cause of ignorance in my opinion.

Nothing whatever to do with education, or the lack of it, or indeed "ignorance".

Thais are instilled with the belief that they "always do good and are never wrong" - it's a mindset that does not admit of any criticism or logical analysis, so don't even try.........................

A concise and accurate summation of my own feelings about the ''great adventure'' - just wish there was some way of making this posting required reading for the ''....if you don't like it here, why don't you p*ss off? '' brigade.......................

The "Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) are setting up a WAR ROOM".................could only happen here!

You'll have a very rewarding time baking your own bread - in common with many others on this forum, I've been producing bread for a number of years and there are probably as many different recipes for the "perfect" loaf as there are bakers!

Take as much advice as you can from as many posters as possible, distill it down to manageable proportions, then buy the best dried yeast you can find and off you go..............

BTW - bread machines are really good at taking all the effort out of dough mixing even if, like me, you then use a gas BBQ to produce the final loaf.

One interesting point I've discovered is that a sliced small/medium red onion added to the initial bread mix produces far better quality bread than an onion-free mix..........why? - I've absolutely no idea, but it works everytime.

Happy baking!

ThaiLAND certainly deserves a better democracy but most Thais certainly do not.

Not, that is, until they fully understand the meaning of democracy - warts and all.

Democracy isn't something that suddenly "appears" or can be forced upon a nation - there's a great deal of struggle, perhaps bloodshed, certainly soul searching and definitely a real change of attitude and culture needed here first - and that all takes a LOT of time...............

"Unless the government withdraws the case, its impact will be felt far beyond those reporting on abuses against the Rohingya -- and could have a choking effect on all investigative reporting in Thailand," said Asia director Brad Adams in a statement.

My first thoughts are that this is exactly what they are aiming at with their numerous defamation lawsuits.

Indeed.

I am quite certain that this was the precise purpose for enacting these outrageous defamation laws in the first place - there's certainly no other logical reason for attempting to stifle publication of the truth.

Over a period of about 18 mths, several small, low value, packets from overseas "went missing" although I knew all of them to have been correctly addressed.

The last one I had arranged to be sent EMS and signed for on delivery, so I was able to track it online.

To my amazement, it was shown to have been successfully delivered and signed for, apparently by my wife, and the signature was clearly shown on the tracking webpage.

My wife and I took a copy of the webpage to our local main post office and were initially told that, as my wife had signed for it, it had clearly been successfully delivered - that was until she angrily pointed out that her name had been spelled incorrectly! - yes, it was our friendly village postman all along, who, fortunately for us, hadn't read my wife's name correctly on previous mail.

No apologies, but the provincial boss visited our house and asked us not to assume all Thailand Post staff were dishonest!..............to my knowledge, no disciplinary action was ever taken against the thieving little shit as he is still our village postman................

Just as a suggestion, if anyone suspects that their local postman is up to the same tricks, try getting stuff sent Poste Restante to their local main post office.

This has always worked faultlessly in my experience and cuts out one potentially weak link in the chain.

Report them to 1111

My immigration guys are great - happy and smiling and really helpful - and not a single hint of backhanders.

Many thanks for that number jpinx - I'd be very interested if you could share any personal experience of using it or if you know anyone who has.

Just thought I'd share my latest experience of annual retirement extension and the <deleted> that we have to endure from some officials.

Even though it's not on the list of required documents, I've been told for several years by the Sisaket Immigration officers that my retirement extension would not be granted unless I produced a recent medical cert.

Accompanied by my wife, I therefore turned up with the med. cert., photocopies of all passport pages, Embassy letter confirming income,1900 Baht and 3 photos (also told every year that 3 were required).

First thing I noticed was that all four male officers were "new faces" and none of them smiling..............

The med. cert. and two of the photos were, quite literally, thrown back over the desk with the comment "No want".

Having found everything in order with my paperwork the officer then demanded my wife's phone number and a copy of her Tabien Baan but settled for her ID card which he then photocopied and made her sign - I know, neither of these docs are required for a retirement extension (what would he have demanded if I had been single?).

Seeing that the renewal process was nearing completion my wife produced the 1900 Baht and was told "2000 Baht" which she gave to the officer in return for a receipt made out for 1900 Baht!

I waited until my passport was back in my possession then pushed the receipt back over the desk, pointed to the discrepancy and politely asked for another receipt for 100 Baht or a new receipt for 2000 Baht.

The "senior" officer (I assume, as he was in civvies not uniform) then barked loudly that the 100 Baht was for "Service" and "Photocopies".

I stayed cool and merely repeated that I wanted a receipt for this extra 100 Baht - this seemed to enrage him beyond comprehension and he shouted to the desk officer to give me back my 100 Baht and told my wife that he would be reporting me to our local village police for "investigation"!

I thanked him for the 100 Baht and we left.

Within minutes of driving away he phoned my wife and harangued her before ending up with the threat that I would not be dealt with in the future "unless I brought all my own photocopies with me"!

Very sad that these ar**holes are allowed to act like they do without any fear of consequences - up until now we've always had a polite and friendly reception at this office but times change, it seems.

"The protest leaders have said that they would not be satisfied with new elections, leaving the two sides locked in a stalemate that risks scaring off foreign investors and tourists."

The protest leaders want the country to be governed by appointed, not elected, councils because they keep losing elections. If they succeed it will tear this country apart, the Thai's will not abandon democracy without a fight.

"The Thais will not abandon democracy without a fight"......................sadly, you're assuming that Thais actually understand the true meaning of the word democracy...................not in my lifetime or yours, I can assure you.

In my experience,Thais do not even understand the concept of a "contract".

In their eyes a contract is nothing more than a stupid Western irrelevance which they are happy to sign up to and then disregard when it suits them!