connda

A friend of mine took his Thai wife to Canada in 2010 and she's doing just fine. However, popping a cake in her oven after getting there probably helped. She has a kid to dote over and she'll not lonely.

"The Ugly American" reportedly prompted US president Dwight Eisenhower to call for an adjustment of US foreign policy. President John F Kennedy is thought to have sent a copy of the book on which the film is based to every US senator."

And obviously, if you study history up to the present day, it didn't have any effect on the outcome of present US foreign policy. Business as usual, 'Ugly' or not.

Not that old chestnut.

40,000 temporary jobs building a pipeline that no-one needs that feeds Canadian oil to global markets.

And what's going to happen to all those jobs supported by the current rail transport?

Most of the southern refineries are already working near capacity because there's already a glut of production in the US.

This is a moneymaking venture for the oil companies, and is simply of no worthwhile benefit to all but a few Americans.

The sheep don't 'get it'. Never will. They'll just jump and and down excitely, parrot the MSM, and tell you to 'put your tinfoil hat on'. They just keep going down the chute to get sheared. baaaaa

Now Canada dodged the bullet and will not have future concerns about potential environmental headaches from pipeline leaks and pissing off their voter base by declaring eminanant domain and seizing Canadian real estate.

Canada: "Thanks fer lettin' us take a dump in yur back yard. 'ehhh!!!"

For example, 866 million pairs of shoes imported by the US, of which 68 per cent of them would be unloaded at Los Angeles and Long Beach, said Ms Jirapaphan.

Wow, does everyone in the US now wear shoes from Thailand?

Imported from China to Thailand and then exported to the US. Anything made here wouldn't fit. US Size 12 shoe made in Thailand is really a US Size 10.

Just go to the local Dog Pound in any Ohio city. I'm sure they all have plenty of phenobarbital for putting down dogs.

Hummm. Cobra Gold 2015 a no-go this year? Mai bpen rai. Sorry girls, but Subic was always a better port-of-call than Pattaya.

Why couldn't they go to, to China, to teach English to Chinese people ?

What's so amazing about Thailand, that means people have to be in Thailand and teach Chinese people here ? Are women in Thailand that much better than the ones in China ? A lot of those who have got a Thai girlfriend, well, the Thai girlfriend practically looks the same as the women from China.

Chinese girls are a lot more conservative. And Thai girls and Chinese look nothing alike. Sure some Thai girls have small eyes, but for the most part they don't look the same.

And many of the Chinese girls can speak fluent English already.

Martial law always sounds bad to outsiders but it hasn't actually affected my life personally any way. And for those people who post here crying about liberalism blah blah blah and all that, has it affected YOUR life?

I like the fact that we don't have idiots on both sides, yellow or red out there right now protesting and fighting each other because the army won't let them.

Personally, I see stability where there use to be controlled chaos (for those controlling and pulling the strings, life was good).

Things take time here. They'll eventually go back to a 'democratic' model, but it will probably have many of the same shortcomings as the past systems. And then, eventually, you're back to square one...and the military takes over again. Anyway, the word "democracy" is just a buzz word. The only true "Democracy" is in Switzerland. And no country really wants to adopt the Swiss Direct Democracy model, because then all the 'little people' actually have the power to dictate the direction of government policy. That ain't gonna be allowed to happen -- anywhere -- but Switzerland! And even with Direct Democracy, if you throw enough money into mass media bombardment of the muppets, you can still sway the outcome of any election. lmao

Makes no sense at all. If it was an accident then why didn't he call the police? Now, if he murdered the woman, ten he would have reason to hide the body. Is this reasoning to complex?

Because he made his living by renting out villas that were in Rungnapa's name.

If her body was found, the properties would go to her next of kin and he would lose his income.

Not bad sleuthing there Mr. Holmes. Not bad at all. That would make sense.

Signed,

Dr. Watson

What a joke of a sentence.

Sort of explains why Thais quickly resort to lethal force after a loss of face. Kill someone and look at 10 years in jail as a deterrent. Cross the border with a couple of grams of (name a drug) and end up on the receiving end of the Heckler-Koch machine gun.

<Dude! They use lethal injection now.>

Ok, Cross the border with a couple of grams of (name a drug) and end up on the receiving end of a needle full of phenobarbital, midazolam, and potassium chloride. Slice a farang or technical student from a different school, or girlfriend, or boyfriend up with a machete or beat one to death with re-bar, bats, helmets, rocks, etc, and your back on the street in 10 years.

Yeah, that sound about right for the LOS. Interesting justice system.

I think it says a lot when the news topic "SWAT team sent in to arrest light-fingered Thai ladyboy" gets twice as many views as this post about US Sec Daniel Russel.

Thanks mate. appreciate your post and your extra effort to attach the map photo.

No problem. Just doing what I'd like to see others on this forum do. Trying to lead by example. lol

A visa would have less requirements but to get an extension stay as a monk it requires the following.

"2.13 In the case of studying Buddhism or practicing religious activities:

Each permission shall be granted for no more than one year. The alien:

(1) Must have been granted a non-immigrant visa (NON-IM).

(2) Must have been confirmed and requested by the National Office of Buddhism, or Office of the Prune Minister, or Mahachulalongkomrajavidyalaya University, or Mahamakut Buddhist University.

(3) Must have been confirmed by the abbot of the temple where the applicant is studying Buddhism or practicing religious activities."

From immigration order 327/2557.

(2) Must have been confirmed and requested by the National Office of Buddhism, or Office of the Prune Minister, or Mahachulalongkomrajavidyalaya University, or Mahamakut Buddhist University.

I think item number 2 is the key Ubonjoe. Wife and I are off to discuss this with the abbot this week. Thanks much!

Suspect you are talking about baht rather than bathing and in reference to retirement extensions of stay - and that 800k figure is for applications from Oct 21, 1998 onward - the old law was a still found in Police Order 777:

(6) For an alien who entered Thailand before October 21,

1998 and continuously allowed to stay in the Kingdom as a

retiree, the following shall apply:

(a) He/she must be 60 years of age or over and has regular

income. His/her bank account deposit shall not be less than Baht

200,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the

previous 3 months must be shown; or he/she has a monthly

income of not less than Baht 20,000.

( If he/she is under 60 years of age but not less than 55, the alien shall have regular income with a bank account deposit of not less than Baht 500,000 a year and evidence of the account deposit for the previous 3 months must be shown, or

he/she has a monthly income of not less than 50,000 baht

1998 or in other words, right after the 1997 financial crash here in Thailand. The baht crashed against Western currencies, and up the financial requirements went for farangs in order to compensate for Thailand's devalued baht.

However, I'm waiting for the day went the Western currencies crash against the Baht (and I'm thinking this may be a scenario we see within the next ten years). Then let's watch the Thai authorities drop the financial requirements back down? If a Western currency devaluation happens, and I believe it will, watch the exodus of farangs leaving the LOS who no longer meet the income requirements. The Thai government will get it's wish: the only farangs left standing will be "quality" farangs. Really hate to think how many farang/thai families will be broken up if that day comes. I think Thai Buddhist compassion will dry up when that day comes.

So personally, I think it's wise to stash your extra ฿฿฿ away in a Thai bank account until you meet the base requirements for your type of visa (marriage or retirement). If you're relying on monthly income, I think you're 'playing chicken' in a financial system that is actively being gamed by banks in the West. Remember the old adage: What goes up, must come down. Study history.

The problem for the laour office is probably that they must have a legal entity you will be volunteering for. Now it seems nobody can sign the official paperwork, hence they suggest through an NGO.

The local municipality might be sufficient, it they are willing to help.

Mario, why wouldn't the wats be considered legal entities, or would this be a situation where the legal entity would be the top level Buddhist organization overseeing the individual wats? My rationale here is that I know of foreign monks who are ordained and require visas. I always was under the assumption that whatever wat the foreigner monk stayed at had the legal authority to sponsor the foreign monk's visa application; so using the same logic (and this is what is confusing me a lot) if a wat can sponsor the foreign monk's visa application, then why would they not have the authority to sponsor a WP for a foreign layman at the wat?

It's immensely frustrating when you're attempting to follow the letter of the law, but you can't get clear, concise information even from the government entities that are responsible for issuing the WP and enforcing WP laws.

Anyone happen to know the link to the actual Thai statutory laws that applies to the issuance of Work Permits in Thailand.

Obama, Modi declare era of 'new trust' in US-India relations

Is that where India turns around and the US starts thrusting?

<"Dude! It's trust, not thrust.">

Opsss! Nevermind. Puut len

<"No problem dude. Nobody reads the world news anyway. Boring. BTW, what do you think about Kim Kardashian's butt. Nice, huh?">

Rhetorical question: but if no financial proof is needed, than what stops a foreigner married to a Thai from heading to Laos to apply for a new Marriage Visa every year if he doesn't have the funds necessary for an extension based on marriage?

Nothing. Many people do that.

Hummm. Good to know. I always wonder what options farangs are going to have if their county's currency crashes against the Thai baht or the Thai baht appreciates against farang currencies. One day you're making 50K ฿ a month, the next you're making 25K ฿ because the exchange rate goes bonkers. "Bye bye honey. Say goodbye to the family and kids for me. The Thai government's kicking me out of the country because because I'm no longer 'making enough money' to stay in country. Hope you can find someone else to support you."

I do think about that - much too often in this day and age.

Well this is my third post on the same topic. Third times a charm maybe.

I posted a couple of times trying to find accurate information on the location of Dept of Labor's work permit office. Had my second post had not been locked, I might have found the information I was looking for instead of driving around Mae Rim for an hour or so to find this place. Note: It's not at the Provincial Hall on Shotana Road.

It's located in what looks to have been a warehouse just South of the 700 year stadium on Highway 121 (Canal Road). If your heading North on Highway 121 from Huai Kaeo Rd, the left lane of the divided highway ends about 1/2 kilometer south of the Somphot Chiang Mai 700P Rd intersection. Right where the highway ends, take a left into a huge parking lot with a massive warehouse. That's it. Enter the building on the far (North-west side) and up three flights of stairs.

If you have a GPS here are the coordinates: 18°49'58.33"N/98°57'39.54"E
And I've attached a Google Earth placemark
Chiang Mai Work Permit Offices.kmz

Chokdii. Hope you had better luck than I had in both finding the place and obtaining the service I was looking for. Unlike me, you should at least have no problem finding it now.

Since you travel frequently a multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage would be your best choice. It would give you unlimited 90 day entries for a year. You can get one in Savannakhet Laos for a fee of 5000 baht. No financial proof would be needed.

With the non-o you would not face the possibility of being pulled to the side on entry to be questioned about what you are doing here because you have done so many of them.

Plus the drivers license would be easier to get.

The other option is a one year extension of stay based upon marriage that requires 400k baht in a Thai bank for 60 days or proof of 40k baht income. But with your work schedule it would be difficult for you to apply for it due to the timing needed to apply and the 30 day under consideration period after applying.

Rhetorical question: but if no financial proof is needed, than what stops a foreigner married to a Thai from heading to Laos to apply for a new Marriage Visa every year if he doesn't have the funds necessary for an extension based on marriage?

A registered charity is not necessary, at least not for immigration. But we are talking here about the rules from the labour office and not immigration.

Have the abbot contact the governor, or have the district office contact the governor.

That's probably the sensible answer, but sensibility seems to keep going out the window when I'm talking with Thais.

The WP office really made it clear that they weren't interested in pursuing this. They told my wife to find another wat that has a teaching program already establish with an NGO, non-profit, or through a Thai government contract, to ask to administrators to sponsor me to obtain a WP under the their organization , then add the name of my wat to the WP. Honestly, that's insane and the chances of that solution actually working is about zero.

And, although I understood a lot of the conversation in Thai, I couldn't even get them to make eye contact with me when I tried to ask question, in Thai. Everything went though my wife. So, going back and talking to them again is going to be fairly fruitless unless I have a relative powerful patron in my corner. So yes, I think my next step is to have a talk with the abbot and see what buttons he can push within the government.

Seems like an immense waste of money considering that highway 11 already exists. Wonder who's pockets will be getting lined with ฿฿฿?

A terrible thing. Seems the main focus here is Valium and Alcohol. Further thru the police listed Tramadol as one of three drugs found in the room.

Take a second to pop that into Wikipedia and see what you come up with. It is an opiate based drug to be respected. I used it 10 years ago.

My doctor proscribed it after surgery for an anal fissure stemming from Haemorrhoid issues. Pain after surgery I cannot describe. Doctor said if the primary pain killer 850 mg Paracetamol with 150mg Codeine did not work, only then use the Tramadol and don't leave home or drive anywhere. And yes I was seriously spaced out.

The lady had some serious combinations of drugs and alcohol available to her. Some as in the case of Tramadol don't manifest well in some forms of testing - read below.

Fatalities with tramadol overdose have been reported and are increasing in frequency in Northern Ireland; the majority of these overdoses involve other drugs including alcohol.^[35] Recognised risk factors for tramadol overdose include depression, addiction and seizures

Most commercial opiate immunoassay screening tests do not cross-react significantly with tramadol or its major metabolites, so chromatographic techniques must be used to detect and quantitate these substances.

Lets wait and see what comes in the next few days and further testing.

I'm no expert, I saw the name Tramadol and remembered it to be a more serious substance than this thread seemed to realize.

It's a pretty weak opiate, however it is rare within the opiate family because it is also an antidepressant which makes it even more of a hazard if you take it daily for a long period of time and then just suddenly stop. I have had it many times myself and this month I had to because I broke a few teeth. I was on it for 3 weeks and even that short space of time left me with withdrawals, I was taking nearly a gram a day though.

Very weak opiate. Painkiller? Not in my book. Makes you feel better so you can tolerate the pain, but codeine works for me when over-the-counter painkillers fall short. But I'm not every sure you can get codeine here in the hospitals. I asked for it when I was hospitalize with dengue fever and my doctor blew me off. A caring friend brought me some Tramadol while I was in the hospital. Like I said, didn't do much of anything for the pain, but mentally it made me able to tolerate it. I was happily suffering. lol

I should have been dead years ago if that mix kills . . . . .

Wow! Maybe after a gram or two of diazapam and a bottle of Scotch. You've got to work pretty hard to kill yourself that way.

This is a very short story where the ending is 'mai dai' (can not).

I'm a qualified EFL teacher with experience teaching English in Thailand, but I'm retired from working.

I'm a layman at our local Buddhist monastery (wat) , and I've been asked if I could teach a small number of monks and naen at the wat. I said I'd be more than happy to volunteer my time as long as I can obtain a WP first in order to teach legally. So today my wife and I headed to the local provincial WP office.

Although my wife and the government WP employees discussed this in Thai, I could follow the gist of the conversation, right up to the point where one of the lead administrators simple said, "Mai dai". The end to the story is simple and short: My wat can not sponsor me in order to obtain a work permit. (Note: This is strictly a WP issue. I can volunteer on my Non-O marriage extension, but I can not obtain a work permit with the Buddhist temple being my sponsor.)

So there's the paradox to volunteering in Thailand: In order for me, a foreigner, to legally volunteer my time to teach, I must have a WP; but it's not possible to obtain a WP because the government WP agency will not allow the Thai Buddhist temple (that would like me to volunteer teach) to sponsor me.

man bpen rêuang sâo châi măi. tam a-rai yàang èun dâai măi lâ.

"Mai dai". End of story.