lovenim

There's a little shop on Sukhumvit right near Soi71. They don't have many bikes for sale, no big brands, just cheapies, but they are handy when it comes to small everyday repairs where parts can be generic. Helpful, cheap and can do stuff on the spot.

Bring in the army, eliminate the 40 armed men. That's the government's job now. If they can use snipers to get rid of red shirts, this should be a piece of cake. and far more reasonable.

Does anyone know if any Thai consulate in India (Chennai, for instance) also gives out 1-year Non-O visas? Like the ones in Perth (AUS) or Stuttgart (D) or Hull (UK) ?

Hello,

can I also get a 1-year multiple re-entry non-imm "o" visa from melbourne by any chance?

I got my last one from Stuttgart/Germany, but I am not in Europe now and not planning to go there for a while yet.

Apart from perth, where else in AUS can I get one?

Where else near Thailand can I get one? Anywhere in the Asian region?

Many thanks

I wonder what percent of those who threw molotov cocktails or hand grenades were wearing a Buddhist amulet as they did so?

I would guess 75% or perhaps almost 100% ... considering that the majority of Thais who consider themselves "Buddhists" do not really live it beyond a few empty gestures that entail wai'ing to the Buddha when they encounter his statue in front of a Wat and "making merit" from time to time to get credit points for the future (this life or the next). It all seems somewhat superstitious, with the Buddha himself idolised and likened to a god who must be appeased - very un-Buddhist, come to think of it, and definitely not in line with his teachings. At the end of the day those amulets are usually seen as tokens of protection from harm and bringers of good luck, not unlike a talisman... were I such a superstitious idolising Buddhist I think I would wear lots of amulets were I to get myself into thick of the violence, just to protect myself from harm. A bit like the taxi drivers who rely on Buddha amulets rather than a seatbelt for road safety. THAT seems to be the essence of the Thai Joe Average's Buddhism - not abstaining from harmful deeds and such.

OH my buddha. 60 people? That is about the normal DAILY death toll from traffic accidents!! GET REAL! in a city of roughly 10 MILLION sixty people dead in about a month of unrests and you call that a problem?? Are you serious? Laughable but I am happy if you will feel safe again once the curfew is over and the competent thai government, army and police have things under control again as they did before

It's 60 too many... though you do have a point. Over 200 people died during Songkhran in a much shorter period of time than this has bene going on for so far. Still, it is brazen and uttterly self-centered to compain about not being to go out and to be defiant and just go out for the (quite literal) hel_l of it

Swing's open tonight. Rong Muaeng, soi 5

Hang out with the protesters, yeah right

loud, rude, know it all, argumentative people.

even though i like a drink or 3 when going to bars, this is by and large what i see too. horrible. alcohol is seen as the social lubricant but it actually isolates people further . . .

If there is a civil war,the Bangkok elite will be stripped of their assets,as many of them have done a Thaksin and stolen the dosh.

While I'd rather not see a civil war whilst living here, such an outcome would be desirable. I agree with your view here. They're filthy rich and their gains and their power are just as ill-begotten as that of Mr T.

Don't be silly. It is only farangs and the 'elite' who don't like Thaksin.

Don't be silly. That is incorrect. At least in Bangkok.

is this going to be a regular event?

I used to do this back in Europe and loved it.

"sick building syndrome" ?

try getting your hands on evening primrose oil and gentrly rub a small qty into the skin... alternatively use pure unrefined coconut oil... or mix them. might help.

I do, on and off. best taken in the morning to kickstart your system. good stuff.

Someone stated tha it is "illegal" in the UK. Untrue unless the law has recently changed. Got some off Ebay UK a couple years ago.

and general stress reducer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_%28herb%29

Available in Thailand?

I sleep on an Isan-mattress. The kind you see in some bars that fold up and have this triangular cushiony bit at the end. This one is custom-made without the triangular bits, has 4 folds, is 180cm wide and 200cm long. Fantastic double bed and can be used a sofa in day time (add pillows) and set me back less than 3000THB. Better than any actual bed I think. Ordered at Suan Lum Nightmarket.

great post, i often think of my whole life as Groundhog day

I am on a pay-as-you-go scheme with TRUE on my mobile.

I have come to thoroughly despise their service already because it seems I keep paying more than i should.

Staff keep giving me (or my gf, in Thai) conflicting info regarding the "promotion" I have chosen (a very nice one where calls and texts to fellow TRUE users are very cheap all the time).

At first, even though I had opted for one and was told it would be active straightaway, it never did get activated,

and calls & texts cost me more than expected. Several complaints and enquiries later, on the phone and in the shop,

we learn that said promotion doesn't exist any more and that I can have another... later, on another day, we were informed of another promotion, different yet again, but none as good as the first one we never got... Then there was a reasonably attractive one, so we opted for that... onyl to find out that you need to dial some stupid activation code day, and thsi will cost you 5 Baht every day as well... goddammit, who do they think they are? Initially we were told that there was no need to do this and to pay daily for the service. Changing the promotion again now would cost another 33 baht...

Anyway, rant over!

My questions:

1) Has anyone else had similar grievances with TrueMove on their cellphone?

2) What alternatives do I have? (Within True, are there promotions all the staff are too stupid to tell me about, or is there another provider that has better pricing)

Ideally I am looking for a provider that

1) allows me to make sms text messages for LESS than 3 baht (that is more than the price in Europe, I mean come on!)

2) doesn't spam me with indecipherable spam messages on a daily basis

thanks

PS : I do not use True for my internet service. The place i am renting has a Loxinfo Adsl service that works very well and had decent customer service as well, and is paid by the landlord )

Regarding that IELTS test, I am pretty sure plenty of native speakers wwith mediocre minds and language ability would score lower than the best of the non-natives . . .

2/3 month means that the money, 400,000 baht, needs to be in the bankaccount for 2 or 3 months prior to applying for an extension of stay. The first time you apply 2 months and applying after the first time 3 months.

The 40,000 income must be proven with tax docuents if it is income earned in Thailand. If it is income earned abroad, you need a letter from your embassy confirming your income.

Thanks. Appreciated. One more question: how long is that extension? A year?

You are wrong. Having a Thai wife does not allow your stay in Thailand. Only an extension of stay meeting the financial/marriage requirements allows a stay of more than 90 days and it has to be renewed each year. 400k in Thai bank account for 2/3 months in your name or proof letter from your Embassy of 40k income per month. To work in Thailand would still require a work permit.

Thanks.

what do you mean by "400k in Thai bank account for 2/3 months in your name" ?

2/3 months? Sorry, I don't follow.

And what's this "proof letter from your Embassy of 40k income per month" thingy? Again i don't follow. How can I generate a 40k income at home if I live and work here? Unless I am a pensioner, which, alas, I am not... 30 years to go unless i make it big in stocks, haha.

Unbelievable protectionism I find, this work permit reality. Even insular Japan allows any spouses of Japanese citizens to remain iin the country indefinitely AND they are allowed to work as well then. Which kind of makes sense, imho. But I suppose I'd better get usd to the Thai way.

I don't know the details of the PGCA, but do you have actual teacher certification?

Yes, you would need at least 24 educational credit points to get a teacher's license or be employed by an Intern. school irregardless of TEFL/CELTA certs. or experience.

And if you are coming here to make money, don't. You can, but better/easier elsewhere.

Thank you all for your kinds replies. Some are quite eye-opening. I did not come to Thailand to make money, so no worries there. If I had, I would be applying to Intrnational Schools to be working full-time.

Yes, I do have an actual teacher certification, it's a diploma that took blood, sweat and tears and lots of time to actually get. I worked at Continentql European high schools for 8 years until this summer as a "proper" teacher with teacher status, incl. setting, grading and invigilating exams etc, not mere TEFL or anything.

What are these "educational credit points" ? You lost me there.

I am not looking to work full-time as I am also doing some studyiing right now. I do not really need a full-time income as I have some savings but basically having been used to a generous European salary I just feel like I wouldn't even lift a finger for the typical rate of 30-40k per month full-time.

Basically I would like to be making 40k+/month on max. 3 workdays a week, not totalling more than 4 classroom hours per day.

Btw, i did meet someone wo makes well over 60k at a reputable university, full-time, and she does not even have an MA... luck, I guess.

And no, I do not have a work-permit. Thing is, a school that would be paying me less because they would use that against me is school I would tell tht they should be paying me more because thy do not have that expense to make... or would they like to sort me out with a work permit?

On that note, another question: what happens when you work for a school full-time in order to get sorted with a work permit and then quit after receiving the permit so part-time work is easier to find and truly legal? Will they just grin and bear it or will they contact immigration and give you hel_l? I did that in Japan initially, and it was teh done thing there, commonplace and no hassle. Any advice on that?

For visiting friends? Or on basis of Thai Wife/Thai Child/Retirement etc?

visiting friends "O" Visa Non-Immigrant, multiple re-entry, valid 1 year.

I assumed that if you have a Thai wife, you have a right to enter & remain just on those grounds? And no longer need to exit every 90 days? Am i wrong?

@Oz: are you tall and heavy?

Most Chinese are short and light... perhaps all the kilos they don't carry on their body can be transferred to bag weight. )

I argued my case that way before... seeing that I am under 65kg of body weight, I should be able to take 15kg more luggage with me than your average 80kg guy... didn't go down too well wiith staff... but this is how I came to wear multiple jackets/coats with big pockets and a few plastic bags stuffed in them to rearrrange after security check

It also pisses me off no end that most airlines allow sports gear to be taken free of charge or for a very smalll fee, but not musical gear... which is the reason I often have excess luggage.

The trick is to travel with a slightly oversized jacket that has many pockets and an even more loose-fitting coat that has even bigger pockets.

When it comes to the crunch then, what you do is just stuff all the heavy yet small items into yer pockets and you're good to go.

Alternative: get some plastic bags and somehow manage not to take these with you when you go to the check-in. By the time you get to the screening & boarding area later, you will be ok with those handbags extra.

I paid excess luggage once, so I learnt this the hard way. Never again...