connda

Fukashima Buffalo calf. They have any nuke plants or industrial run-off in the Sisaket area?

There Is A Submarine [to the tune, There is a Mountain]

First there is a submarine,

Then there is no sub, then there is.

Oh prime minister. Oh prime minister. Oh prime minister, I need more baht.

- A tip 'o the hat to Donovan for the interesting song and creative thought-provoking parody

The law I believe states that they can build to within 50cm of the boundary. If they do they cannot have any windows on that side of the house, nor glass bricks that can emit light onto your property. I have been through this with a new house being built on a 9 mtr wide plot next to me. They built the walls within 30 cm of the boundary and their plans included windows and a roof overhang that would have dumped all their water onto our land.

My wife tried talking with them politely about the law, but the neighbour started getting angry with her, so she put her foot down and they had to dig up the columns and beams on our side and move them 20 cm. You don't piss my wife off!

As you can imagine, the neighbours don't talk to us.

I to had a problem except I was way when the build took place they were 80 cms from the border but with the roof overhang it meant water coming onto our land . I went to planning who instructed the owner to cut the house in half but then 4 days later I was summoned back to planning and the same officer told me he had changed his mind ( it was clear that over those few days money had been exchanged ) I got very angry with the planning officer and said I would take it to the highest court in the land , to my amazement the next day a whole team came from the planning department they made the owner take all the windows out as well as move the air conditioning the roof overhang also had to be shortened on top of this the planning officer told me I could build as close to the border as the neighbour had done needless to say the neighbour was not happy , all this was because he wanted to sell / rent the property as being with a seaview which was correct as you could see a metre of sea from the lounge window. I decided to plant a beautiful flowering tree just within my border line 7 years on it is huge , shades his house and the sea view is no longer and any water that comes off the roof is swallowed up by the tree !!!!

Under the circumstances that was a great idea, and a good idea for anyone who comes out on the losing end and has their land encroached on. Get a wall up on you property boundary, and then plant trees, plants, vines, bamboo, shrubs all along the wall. Within 5 years, you won't even see your neighbors house any longer. Just a jungle. Bamboo works really well. In our case though, the surrounding neighbors all look out for each other, so we want that clear line of sight between our homes.

There is a setback rule but most neighbors do not object and thus both parties are allowed to build to wall and remain neighborly.

In our mo-ban know of one case of this being legally enforced (over 40 years old and about 300 homes) and both properties are now abandoned.

We had something similar with our neighbors that they needed to modify part of our exterior wall in order to built a gate. Being neighborly we just say, 'Mai bpen rai'. Without a gate on their property, people walked across their land as a short cut from the other side of the village to get to the soi that goes past our home to the main province road through the village. We sort of welcomed the gate due the the fact that it cut down foot traffic past our homes by about 99%. We all look out for each other.

You need to go back to the 90 day online reporting site and after accepting the conditions click on check status. Then enter your verification number or passport number and etc.

Yes, I did. It says: Not approved

and under "Approval Comment" it says:

approval comment.jpg

which I don't understand

From the way I read it, you're allowed expiration date doesn't match what they have on file. At the end they say kaw you daw which would mean continue to reside. I see if my wife can make more sense out of it. Thai ain't my native language. lol

Just asked my wife and she comes up with the same thing, although without knowing the context, we don't know what they exactly mean by expiration date. Visa expiration, 90 day expiration? Don't know. I'm thinking your Visa expiration date that you giving them is different from what is in their files. Just a guess, but you might want to recheck what you submitted.

There is absolutely no legislation, rule or law that includes a home visit as a condition of obtaining an extension.

Home visits are made at the discretion of the Immigration office and while I sympathise that the IO's expenses may not be fully covered, that's an issue they should take up with the Government, not the foreigner.

Hypothetically, even if such a charge was introduced as a 'one off', 3,000 baht is absurd.

I travel 5 hours return trip to Immigration. Fuel 600-700 baht.

Allowing for a spot of lunch for 2, 1,000 baht would easily cover the expenses.

Yes, so in the OP's situation you would have refused payment?

I would have asked to see the Immigration regulations where such a charge was levied, then a supervisor or senior officer. Failing that I'd have warned the senior officer that I intended to report the incident to 1111 and take it further if necessary. It's exactly that kind of corruption the present PM is trying to stamp out.

I think certain Immigration officials may try to extort 'tea money' from someone who isn't confident about their business

at hand and appear vulnerable. If your confident and know what your about they won't try it on.

I also don't think there would be repercussions in the event of a complaint. In fact totally the opposite, they'd be more wary of you and know your not someone to be messed with.

Corruption only exists because some people do nothing about it.

I would have asked to see the Immigration regulations where such a charge was levied, then a supervisor or senior officer. Failing that I'd have warned the senior officer that I intended to report the incident to 1111 and take it further if necessary. It's exactly that kind of corruption the present PM is trying to stamp out.

Your statement hits the nail squarely on the head. Exactly! Corruption only exists because most people do nothing about it, generally out of fear of some form of reprisal, or, because they are receiving something themselves (for example, vote buying).

This is the norm. They get an allowance to visit you at your home for any new application. However their expenses only cover the trip there by the cheapest means, ie; bus. In order for them to travel by pickup, they need money for fuel and food. This is similar to the BIB having to buy their own weapons, guns and transport.

The government doesn't pay enough for expenses, so this is the only way they won't be out of pocket.

I admit it's wrong but what does the government expect.

It's a one off and off-sets expenses. If however, the office is very close to your home then I would be pissed off as well.

Remember, this is the office you have to go to every year for re-newal. Don't bite the hand that feeds you and all that. Good luck.

Remember, this is the office you have to go to every year for re-newal. Don't bite the hand that feeds you and all that. Good luck.

Which is implicitly condoning corruption: Be afraid my friend, and don't rock the boat or they will get you. That's also called extortion.

Sounds like he needed some lunch/dinner monies :-) However, only hearing from one side, who knows, maybe the extra new fee came in last night, things are always changing, not just here in Thailand, but all over :-) Can you imagine what is going on in Europe with all the migrants flooding in over the borders by the thousands :-) What was okay yesterday, may not be the same today/tomorrow......

If it is legit, the I/O should have no problem writing out a receipt. No receipt is equivalent no proof of having received payment, which means the money can 'disappear' and no one can prove anything.

Best to leave it alone if you want your Visa!

You make a headache for them and you will get it back big time.

Which is exactly why corruption is endemic in this country and will stay so: Fear of reprisal.

Then you wonder why there are signs in immigration and other government offices stating, "No Photographs Allowed.

You could document corruption and post it to social media before you yourself are tossed into jail. Corruption does not like transparency. And 'whistleblowers' make great targets.

So why would someone go to Samui without being able to actually swim in the sea? I can swim in a swimming pool in Bangkok, too. This is what they are afraid of so I do not expect any big campaign but rather a huge effort to sweep it under the carpet.

Definitely they kill more people than shark attacks. Wouldn't stop me from swimming in the ocean though. Living life to it's fullest is full of risks. "You pays your money and you takes your chances", as the old saying goes.

1. Isn't zinc gluconate worth trying ?
2. Google "box jellyfish zinc gluconate"

I don't know why Scientific American couldn't be linked to. If I'm incorrect mod, apologies and delete.

Don't Pee On It: Zinc Emerges As New Jellyfish Sting Treatment

By Christie Wilcox | December 12, 2012

Nothing can turn a fun day at the beach into a nightmare faster than a jellyfish sting, as Angel Yanagihara, researcher at the University of Hawaii, learned firsthand when she was swimming off Kaimana beach in 1997.....

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/dont-pee-on-it-zinc-emerges-as-new-jellyfish-sting-treatment/

Summary: The toxin create holes in red blood cells that then leak potassium into the blood stream which can lead to cardiac arrest. Zinc Gluconate looks promising and has been used topically on a long distance swimmer attempting a Cuba to Florida swim through box jelly fish swarms.

Excellent article. 555

Time to build more prisons. They can call them Internet Reeducation Centers.

Interpreted: Obfuscate, confuse public, then ram legislation through parliament hoping no one will notice.

They can call it The Golden Gateway: where the government mines nuggets of golden information from a unsuspecting public. That should be much more palatable.

Here we go again...?!?

I wonder if his wife will double down and have 4000 pairs of shoes.

"I have pour taosan pairs of choose." Yeah, lived in the PI for awhile. Lol

Marco, Aquino. Aquino, Marco. Marco, Aquino. Aquino, Marco.

Bush, Clinton. Clinton, Bush. Bush, Clinton. Clinton, Bush.

That's sort of the trademark of a Banana Republic political system.

Sweden puts out some great movies that the US then remakes into mediocre movies Lol. I like watching Swedish movies in Swedish with English subs. The last set:

The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Excellent. Now that I'm talking about it, I might get the books.

The American version is a joke compared to the original movie. That's probobly why they only did one movie of what should have been three.

Agreed! The difference between night and day. It's unfortunate that the average Kim Kardashian, reality TV watch, clone can sit though a movie with sub-titles. Gotta have a remake, and the remakes are generally sh*t.

Thank God that we in Sweden had subtitles on all English launguage movies and TV-shows. I think i learned more from that than I did in school. Not perfecly as you probably can see, but I didn't have to hear John Wayne saying "up mit den Händen" instead of "hands up" as I had to hear when in Germany.

I have a friend for the Netherlands who I originally thought was American when I first met him. Perfect non-regional US accent. He said he picked it up watching US movies. lol

My visit last week for an online appointment at 14.30, retirement extension.

13.50 Arrived and waited at the desk. 2 people in front of me, first person wanted a retirement extension, was told no more tickets, come back tomorrow. He said he had traveled by bus from Fang, but the girl wasn't moved, so the man left, muttering that he had to stay the night. The next lady was for the 90 day report and was given ticket 171. I was told to wait to be called. There were 7 people waiting outside. I went inside where 21 people were sitting. I noticed they now have a new Information desk in the middle of the office.

2 officers were at the re-entry desk, each with an applicant, 2 officers were at the 90 day desk, each with an applicant, 2 officers at the retirement/medical extension desk, no applicant.

14.05 The 14.00 appointment was called and went to the desk.

14.20 The 14.00 appointment was finished, and retirement number 20 was called. The other desks still busy with numbers being called in groups of 3.

14.40 Retirement number 20 was finished.

14.40 My appointment was called. Papers checked, but officer said I needed the bank book updated. The book had been updated that morning, but he wanted it updated again. A trip to the bank and he then accepted it.

14.55 My interview was over, I was told my passport would be ready at 16.30. Nothing better to do, so I sat and watched. Still busy at the other 2 desks but the 2 retirement extension officers were both playing with their tablets.

15.05 One of the guys from the visa agents came in, presumably with a customer. The female retirement officer started processing him, the other continued with his tablet.

15.10 The 15.00 appointment was called. The re-entry desks now had no applicants, and number 171 was being processed at the 90 day desk.

15.25 The 15.00 appointment was finished, both the other desks had no applicants. One retirement officer began drinking from a coconut, the other played with his tablet. There were 7 people waiting inside.

15.35 The 15.30 appointment was called.

15.40 A guy approached the 90 day desk and was asked for his ticket. He said he didn't have one. One officer was on the phone, but the other officer processed him.

15.50 The 15.30 appointment was finished. Both officers played with their tablets. No applicants at the other desks.

16.05 A lady asked at the 90 day desk and was told, "Sorry, all tickets gone, come back tomorrow." She pointed out that it was only 16.05 but got the same reply.

16.10 Names began to be called at the Information desk and passports were returned.

16.12 One of the officers on the re-entry visa desk cleared his desk, picked up his briefcase and said goodnight.

16.15 My passport returned and I was out of there, just 2 persons left waiting. Officers now chatting to each other. Nobody at the desk outside.

So, just 4 online appointments, 1 applicant on the day, and 1 visa agent customer, processed for retirement extensions in over 2 hours, and at least one person turned away unnecessarily.

Very nice, informative report. They obviously could process more applicants, but choose not to.

And telling you to update a bank book that was updated that very day: That just sounds like harassment. But, maybe someone with a better understanding of the CM immigration system (or an apologist) could explain why you were required to update your bank book twice in the same day. There is no logical sense to that at all.

I cannot believe I read these last few comments. Honestly, if I don't like the service I get in a restaurant, hotel or car repair shop I don't go back. If you don't like how things work here.... go somewhere else. If it is all that big of a deal, just check bin and go. Plenty of other countries around.

By the way. I'd suggest any immigrant complaining about the procedures in your respective countries would get the same response from you.... If you don't like it....go somewhere else. Not to mention that most of us come from countries where they are are very unlikely to allow a Thai person to visit, let alone retire.

On the positive side of things there are many ways around these 'perceived difficulties'. It is up to each and every individual to make their life work smoothly. It is not up to the Thai Immigration to babysit for people.

You should rename your avatar to "Broken Record". That 'Thailand: Love it or leave it' meme is old, tired, and quite worn own.

I'm simply going with an agency next year, which is my way around it. But I will continue to criticize and comment on the parts of the system that I perceive to be broken, as will many other members who plan to spend their lives here, if allowed.

So as far as 'shut up or get out' - think of something new and original 'eh?

Only given it a small amount of consideration in the past but it is getting to the point where we think we should be looking at alternatives, just in case it turns pear shaped here.

I know there is certainly a groundswell of people also looking at other options, again, just in case!

For the record, we love and would prefer to stay in Thailand - if!

We're not there yet, but there may come a day when I actually feel a need to fill out that US Citizen Information form offered by the US embassy.

I wonder what Thai officials will be tasked with dealing with the wives of farangs who are forced out of country, if that scenario ever plays out. I don't see that as an impossibility. One day it's like - moratorium on extension for foreigners for 'national security reasons', don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out farang. Bail (out) or jail.

Hi,

No recent updates but here is a photo from the 17th of September at about 5.30-6am and you can see the lights are on. The Queue has been filled most days, with quite a lot of people returning for a second trip, but now is low season so it is quieter than before. There are people there everyday at 5am. I hope this helps Nancy!

This is really pathetic.

Not much different than the old office as a line formed early in the morning except for those who were luck and got a online Q number.

So you think this is acceptable? Under no circumstances should people be required to show up at immigration at 0400 hours to receive a queue in order to comply with immigration requirements.

Only in Chiang Mai.

The church isn't looking too Catholic anymore. Condoning the breakup of the family and the morality that holds family units together looks more... communist than Catholic. Strange Pope. Cutting tradition to ribbons. And a Jesuit too. Odd.

Humm, wonder if I have to worry about albinos from Opus Dei now?

Obviously he's not a student of history and seems to have overlooked the incursions into Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the CCCP. Well, guess they need someone there to guard the poppy fields.

The rooftop 'barrier' was just shy of 5 feet high. Not something you're going to just fall over. But easy enough to jump over or to be tossed over.

The 'right to bear arms' had some relevance when it was necessary to defend oneself in the 'wild west'.

Now that the west isn't so wild, the cowboys have taken to shooting themselves, instead of the native Indians. Take these guns out of peoples' hands and they'll stop shooting each other. Seriously, it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Maybe there's a Dr Von Braun out there to help the US solve this self inflicted disease.

What a load of nonsense.

11,208 gun related homicides vs 32,000 vehicle fatalities in the US in 2013.

Cars need to be banned!

And conveniently they have left out "hot zones" where their are active hostilities happening, ie, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, North and sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally, the US is on the low end of world-wide gun fatalities. Try checking your perspective before inserting your foot in your mouth.