dinbangkok

When I left my job a year ago my work permit was cancelled along with the accompanying non-immigrant B visa (which gives you permission to work). My company also paid for a 7 day extension. When my visa was cancelled this was clearly indicated with a stamp in my passport. Depending on how good your relationship is with your employer they may 'wait a while' whilst you sort out your stuff before going through the cancellation process, mine did but then I'd been working for them for 7 years. A friend of mine - whilst on a 7 day extension after leaving his job, was able to get a marriage visa without leaving the country. But other than this, as far as I'm aware though, once you lose your non-immigrant B you MUST leave the country and you will have the same immigration status of any other tourist of the same nationality. I definitely wouldn't recommend any course of action other than being compliant and co-operative with the wishes of your ex-employer as I imagine that if they regularly employ foreigners on work permits and do everything correctly, the last thing they need is an ex-employee jeopardising their relationship with the immigration department. Time to gracefully bow out with a smile and then re-enter the country on a new visa.

The reporter is probably a feminist who is unable to distinguish between being forced into prostitution and engaging in it intentionally.

Errr right, so you are better qualified than a Swedish journalist to judge whether some women in Sweden were trafficked or not? Sorry, where did you say you live right now?

However, let's give the benefit of the doubt and say these women were trafficked. What did they expect? Sweden in 1999 criminalized prostitution and began a policy of arresting customers rather than providers.

So, it's the fault of the women being trafficked is it? Oh I guess that must serve them right then. Sex trafficking never happens in countries where prostitution is legal of course. Sex trafficking happens everywhere full stop. Women, children, you name it. Anyone vulnerable and they're yours.

Predictably, when you push a business underground, the underworld takes it over. As the BBC noted at the time, the legislation was a failure.

I quite agree with you that pushing a business underground often has devastating social consequences. Legalising prostitution would certainly have a very positive impact on those who choose to enter the profession voluntarily (just like the legalising of drugs would help too). But it still doesn't alter the fact that sex trafficking happens irrespective of whether prostitution is legal or not.

Funny how a serious article about sex trafficking turns into yet another tortuous discussion with farangs debating the whys and wherefores of paying for sex with consenting Thai women, the perils of getting married etc.. etc... It feels as if some of the contributors to this thread are looking for a collective validation of their sexual behaviour now they live in Thailand and have 'discovered the women', with the 'moral compass' their parents gave them, adjusted accordingly. Yes there are plenty of Thai women who voluntarily enter the sex trade and get 'hooked on it', and the lucrative income. Do they enjoy having sex with overweight and over privileged farangs, probably not, but as with many dis-empowered people in Thailand, they can't see beyond and just stick with it.... It's an absolute tragedy that so many intelligent, strong, but poorly educated women end up at the mercy of a lazy patriarchal culture where men can do pretty much whatever they like. But let's not forget that this thread was originally meant to be about sex trafficking. It's a FACT that sex trafficking is a serious issue affecting thousands of women and children worldwide. The traffickers use a combination of violent coercion, debt bondage and even forced captivity to get what they want out of the people they traffic. Alas the women and children who get trafficked have no idea of their basic human rights nor that if they were to go to the police in their 'host country' (in the case of Sweden or the rest of the EU), they could actually trust the police to do their job and protect them. I pity the poor women who have to sleep with those farang who rationalise their 'need to <deleted>' women with a shambolic biological explanation legitimising what appears to be something just short of rape. I wonder whether these farang would cope with life in their home country as an 'ordinary person' again, now that really would be a good test as to how 'man' they are.

For the record, I now live in Europe again after many many years living a happy working life in Thailand (on a work permit, in a Thai office). The reason why I moved back to Europe? I met my unassuming Thai wife on a trip over here to visit my family. She'd lived in Europe for 4 years and had chosen not to return to Thailand purely because she hates the prolific exploitation of the 'have nots' by the 'haves'. People make way for ambulances over in this part of the world... Long live the 'have nots'.

MRT won't allow big objects/ parcels while BTS will, e.g bicycles.

It's farcical. Every other public transport system in a major city around the world allows passengers to transport their luggage. That's the whole point. Arrogance and ineptitude strike once again at the heart of Thai infrastructure.

For all those UK expats who feel a strange sensation of deja vu and a general sense of foreboding and despair when they see the train design. Perhaps because it's identical to the interior of the delayed 17.52 service from London Waterloo to Reading... calling at... Clapham Junction.... Winnersh Triangle etc etc... In fact the trains used on the Airport link are Siemens and based on the Heathrow Express... but use the interior of a standard commuter train rather than the somewhat plusher interior of the Heathrow Express.

The delayed 17.52, from London Waterloo Excited passengers trying the new Airport Link

So... if you ever feel an inexplicable urge to feel like you're back on the old commuter run into central London, just hop on the brand new Airport link!