Eazy-Going

It's a definate coalition with Cameron as PM and Clegg his deputy...don't know how long this will last, will probably see another election withing the next 18 months. One Godsend, at least Labour are out and Brown the Clown has retired as leader...of the Opposition, after 13 years it's good to say that now!

Craig, you can get a Non Immigrant O visa for visiting friends from Hull, you will need a letter from your GF inviting you and a copy of her ID Card, check the Hull Consulate site for more details. Gives you 15 months here, you have to do a border run every 90 days.

Hi Craig, very easy and not necessarily true what beano says ref copy of g'f's ID card and letter of invitation. You can apply to the Thai consulate in Hull, download the application forms from their website and send off with the appropriate cheque for funds and passport, (all info is 'idiot proof on the website). I did this last year, got a Non-Imm O, multi-entry - cost £100 + £12 admin fee. Sent off all forms and received the visa in my passport back within 5 working days. This should be your best option if you are coming for a long stay for the first time.

You will have to do border runs every 90 days to get your re-entry stamp, there are many company's here that offer this service and depending upon where you intend to locate in Thailand, the costs vary. I live in Udon so I drive myself to Nong Khai, (about 40 mins), and cross into Laos, go through the checkpoint and come back. If doing this, you will also have to factor into your costs of a Visa to get into Laos which is currently 1500BHT and allows you to stay there for up to 15 days should you wish to visit the country. I don't know if y ou have to pay for visa's to cross into other countries borders but once you are here you can no doubt access this info. If you have someone to rent your house, what have you to lose...nothing ventured, nothing gained. Hope this info is of use and good luck.

Also I forgot to mention, when you come into BKK airport, please ensure that they give you the 90 day stay stamp and not the 30 day one. This happened to me and it was a real pain in the ass to get it ammended.

Well I was paying £8 in UK last year just for a trim with clippers, about a 5 min job, + £1 tip. Now have a lovely place in Udon Thani, takes her time, about 20 mins, does a brill job and all for 50Bht + 10Bht tip. It even looks better than the crop I have in UK...

So pleased for you OP. My g/f came to see me in the UK last July (2009) for 3 months on a 6 month tourist visa, however I went through a fabulous agent who virtually guaranteed a positive outcome and assisted, fetched, carried, guided the g/f through the whole process with a money-back gurantee, took 6 days from start to finish...money well spent imo. Massive fair play to you to have the perseverence and confidence to go it alone without an agent, because the stories I have read on here about the negatives of not using an agent, were my catalyst for using one, however it was the equivalent of £300 money well spent.

I hope you enjoy your time in the UK together but as prior posters have said, I would rather be were I am now...I have now moved to Isaan and the 'boredom' is just sublime thank you very much!!! Would not swap it for what I left behind, it's great to retire at 43 instead of the thought of working another 20+ years in what I left behind.

Enjoy the beautiful British summer together, there truly is no better looking country, imo, on the face of this Earth...shame about the people that run it...she will adore it, my g/f did and cannot wait until her next visit. Cheers

Spend your prime earning years in Farangland, save your pile and come here for holidays and when you retire. Thailand is awash with farangs struggling to get by, wasting their prime years here, earning just enough to get from one week to the next. They are throwing away their future.

Most people aren't able to retire much before 60, so perhaps there's an argument that staying somewhere they don't want to be for that much of their life, just for the sake of building a nest-egg, might be throwing away the best years of their life for an old age that might never come or might be short-lived.

You talk about throwing away futures, but isn't throwing away the present as big a crime?

Nicely said rixalex, whats the point of life if you can't enjoy it a little? This is not a rehearsal you know, we are only here the once until we shuffle off this mortal coil, (depending upon your religious beliefs of course). Fair play to the OP for following his heart, and I hope it all ends up swimmingly for him in the long term. I'm only 43 and decided to retire here, (and I mean retire from work), because I was just so fed up with the 'rat-race' of living in the UK, the stress, the *rsehole of a govt, dog eat dog way of life, the mundane 'living to work' instead of 'working to live' attitude. Do it now while you're still young enough to enjoy it to the max with your loved one. Ihope all works out for you OP and keep positive... YOU can make it happen if you really want it!!!

This is so stupid.

Thank you! You gave me a reason to check out the "ignore" function.

At least you're good for something....

And that also made me smile

Well it is on the Farang Pub and Jokes forum so it has every right to be, 'stupid' as you put it! I for one liked it, it brought a smile to my face as it reminded me of many similar situations I have been in.

This is so stupid.

Back in my home country, (UK), if anything like this was going on we would be glued to our TV sets, computers, radios etc in search for the latest info. It would be the talk of everyone at work, in the pubs, on the streets...the main subject in any conversation, however, I now live in Udon Thani and everyone I speak to seems to have a scant opinion but not really THAT interested. They would rather watch the stupid Thai soaps than search the media for up-to-date info. Life goes on as normal up here, and apart from the many people who who have been paid to don a red shirt and head for the capital for the demo's, apathy rules up here. Civil War??? I don't think so and pray that it would never come to this.

The discussion really isn't about tatoos at all. It's about RESPECT for your partner's ideas and wishes. That is what Mark is saying. I also suspect that Mark is looking for an excuse to end the relationship. Whether this is true or not only Mark knows for sure. The woman had a tatoo when he first met her. Why was it not a concern then?

If your partner knows you don't like something (whatever it is) and goes ahead and does it anyway, then that is showing disrespect for your wishes. Now, just WHY a person does that is the REAL crux of the matter. Maybe Mark IS a control freak and his lady friend is rebelling at that. None of us know that for sure, so we can only make assumptions... which may be false.

Jingthing, Sarasbloke, Richard Smith and Bangkokrick all made valid points, as did some others.

Personally, I don't like tatoos or body jewelry. I think it demeans a beautiful body. But, I respect other's wishes to do what they want with their own bodies. Would I CHOOSE NOT to live with a lovely lady because she has tatoos or body jewelry? No, providing everything else about her I liked.

I don't give a hoot what others think of me or whomever I wish to be with. If they make false assumptions about someone they don't even know then that is THEIR problem and they are too judgemental, hypocritical and biggoted to be worth my time.

Mark has a valid point, but only he and his girlfriend can sort out the problems they have between them. Frankly, I think it is time for both of them to move on. I'm quite sure that Mark's lady friend has some valid points as well. It's inidicative by her lack of respect for Mark's wishes.

There is no question how the biggoted Thai society feels about tatoos. Mainstream Thai society has very narrow guidelines of what is proper and what is not. Step outside that at your own peril and accept the consequeces.

Flipping Heck I.F, talk about a psycologigical breakdown...full credit to you and hats off. No dis-respect intnded, however, I think you may have it there!

Completely true, 100% of my encounters thru the internet ended with money request. So warning to all farang who meet gals on internet, be very careful and change name, phone email, etc as soon as the internet mate asks for money, is just the beginning and will never end

The internet wasn't able to find you a perfect life partner?? What is this world coming to.

OMG

How bad is this.

get out more mate or go on an african chat site they are far worse

Why narrow it dowm to African? The www is global...happy hunting!!!

why single-out out Thai girls???

Because this is a 'Thailand' related forum.... Hello!

Bitter...twisted?...look around my friend, you're telling me that EVERYTHING on this forum is related to Thailand we are Weserners and we are comparing to what we have already experienced in our homelands, if you are Thai, I understand...if not...wake up and smell the coffee!!! and...what was the point of your thread?

Completely true, 100% of my encounters thru the internet ended with money request. So warning to all farang who meet gals on internet, be very careful and change name, phone email, etc as soon as the internet mate asks for money, is just the beginning and will never end

Easy....don't look for girls on the internet, this rings true with girls of any land/race/culture, etc...why single-out out Thai girls???

Dear OP, regardless of the opinions, quips, flaming, slandering and the like that you are getting regarding this subject, this is the 21st Century and girls in the East are prone to follow those in the West.

It is the 'norm' for ladies, (I use that term lightly), in the UK at least, (from my experience), to adorn the occasional tattoo(and some not so occasional, if you cath my drift?)...some look sooooo sexy, (dependent upon age and stature, dress sense), and some look so dam_n right out of place/slutty/mutton dressed as lamb etc.

It seems we are are of an an age, (I'm only 40 myself), whereby the "ladette" society of sporting a tattoo, and I hazard a guess that this for women, is an export from the shores of Britain (then Europe, following the music scene), has now become the 'norm.

Personally speaking, I don't mind a tattoo on a womoan as long as it is not on public show all of the time, is not vulgar, crude, lude and in essence is subtle...my preference is for none at all. My last 3 Western girlfriends where in the former catagory, my current Thai girlfriend is in the latter...she wou that doesn't mean thay are are morally different... but in truth, they are, (my thai G/F is as an absolute saint and would not dream of having one and loathes to see tattoos on women and has the same misconceptions as the OP,in that they are/have been bar girls).

It depends on age...yours!!!...and where you're living. Dependent upon on your girlfriends history, can you not put it it down to a a fashiopn accessory...and then get a big <deleted> off one of your own?

PS

Depending upon where you have it, they can be quite painful....

Can buy just about anywhere, it's a staple part of diet in this neck of the woods I think.

Thx for that Soutpeel. It was not for car finance, I was looking at the future prospects of expanding the business, (both car and business funded privately by myself), I have collateral and substantial money in the Thai account and was wondering about the opportunities of borrowing from the Thai banks as opposed to releasing more money from the UK.

A nice 41, (or so the digi-thermo shows), here in Udon...aint that why we moved to Thailand...love it!

So sorry to jump in on this post, but it is along the same lines, ref credit; also can a Farang apply for a bank loan in Thailand, if they have a Thai bank account? Also does the work permit apply ref the credit card if already have a bank account. Apologies for 'hijacking' the post but thought I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone, so to speak.

Have you tried using your card to make online transfers to a Thai bank? I do this with my NW card, very easy online though you do have to have your card reader with you and of course a Thai bank to transfer to. I can transfer any amount over at a cost of £20 per transaction so worth it for large amounts. It is very efficient and takes about 3 working days. You get a tracking code and e-mail notification when the transaction is processed. I can thoroughly recommend this service, it is very user friendly and up to now, (touch wood), it has worked well for me.

Yet another pathetic sob story. ----------------This man gets pis*ed (2K bill) volunteered to go with people he did not know ------------------- and then wanted to go to Soi Cowboy -------------- how stupid is that ? If in 97 trips he has learnt nothing this man must be mentally deficient and his son shou;d have been taking care of him.

All "victims" are volunteers !!! Stop whining

Considering that is your very first post jrt, you're certainly off on the right foot on how to make friends and influence people....welcome to TV....NOT!

Careful, you'll get the crowd waving the 'racist' card in front of you face... on a serious note, black chrome should be a winner in the dusty North!

ack up and piss off then!

Yeah that will really improve Bank services here won't it Mr unoriginal quote

Just how long have you been in this country?

What a miserable turd. Hey Jusme, that's the reason I never ask advice on TV anymore, it's full miserable sods and failed comedians.

By the way, I use Bank of Ayuthaya, yellow machine, no charge and never any problems.

I personally joined the TV forum for useful info but now toatally with you on your remark/observation

.

I hope I give sound advice to posters who ask questions, based on my experience, but on the flip-side, I would never ask for advice now which required a serious answer, particularly on this forum. It is such a shame really, because there are so many decent people that use the forum, but as always it is one bad apple that spoils the cart. I mainly just read posts, as can be witnessed from my posts in over 1 year of membership. The site could be so much more informative, but I guess the Mods can't control all negative answers...unfortunately.

There are a lot of bitter n' twisted people out there, just ignore them and enjoy YOUR life to the full, I do...

Careful Loz, that should be an Edinburgh kiss, noting on where the OP comes from!

Eaxactly same happened to me when I came in to Swampie in Dec 09, only noticed it next day. Not such a problem but it is a ball-ache, (can I say that), to go all the way to immigration in Wattana, BKK to get the stamp amended. Only took about 45 mins waiting when there but it was the time and cost of going there, don't know if that can be done on Samui, I hope for your sake it can. I def thoroughly check my visa stamps now but can totally understand the OP's oversight.

You must be prepared to pay non-returnable deposits/guarantees. BKK is a big city, what's your desired location? 10k should get you something half decent depending upon where!

I would advise your friend to enroll on some sort of computer course, as often it is user error, not bad equipment....oh bu**er, there goes mine again, just about to crash.....