Stocky

The woman should be in an asylum

I got a local Thai accountancy firm here in Hat Yai to do the filing for me. All they needed were a copy of my TIN, wife's ID and my bank statements with the deposits-in highlighted. She also wanted to know where the money had come from, and I think she took a photocopy of my Laos work permit. A couple of the early transfers last year were not assessible income because it was money earned before 1st Jan 2024. I gave the accountant the paperwork end of January and today I received a copy of the tax form filed together with the e-slip for paying in. I scanned the bar code and paid with a bank app. Accountant charged me Bh2,000 to do the filing.

I ended up booking premium at the Hyatt Regency, easier to get to, and could find slots that suited us. All very civilised, VFS are on the 4th floor, they put you in a lounge and serve you coffee and a bite to eat. Ushered into the VFS office wife and granddaughter processed together as they had adjoining 20 minute appointment slots. I took the paperwork for them to scan and upload. Biometrics done Feb 10th, passports arrived back today Feb 21st visas granted.

OK. So the applications were completed 20th January and biometrics all done 10th February. Passports returned today 21st February, wife got her 10 year and granddaughter a 6 month. For granddaughter I used a local lawyer to put the document together in line with the visa application advice, giving consent, detailing who she was travelling with, where she was staying a who was paying signed by both parents together with their details and ID card photocopies. This was in Thai with a certified translation. Granddaughter & wife's application accompanied by my covering letter and 6 months bank statements.

It's always been the case that you need sort wheat from chaff, but chaff levels have increased exponentially of late.

I found Thailand through working in Malaysia. Then with work in Indonesia Thailand proved to be a far more convenient base to live than Europe. I still do contract work regionally, Malaysia and Laos, plus occasionally Africa. It helped that I met a pretty lady 30 years ago who I eventually married and bought a house for. But the cost of living is not an issue and not something I consider or worry about. I didn't reject the West, rather I found living in the East more advantageous.

I'm pretty sick and tired of people whining on about it's not yours, as if it had never occurred to me that it wasn't! I know it's not mine, it's money I spent fully understanding I could lose it and was comfortable with that. I bought the wife a 4 storey shophouse unit 20 years ago for Bht2.3 million, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 350m2, so that's Bht9,583 per month and falling. You might correctly point out I needed to refurbish and furnish, and yes that was an additional 700k, so total 3m, so that's Bht12,500 per month and falling, I'm happy with that.

Oh please, the sooner he goes the better, hope he takes the whole First Grifter Family with him

It's a tropical monsoon climate, so it goes with the territory. Traditional rural houses are built on stilts, towns and cities rely on flood defences. Thankfully Hat Yai's did their job last year and the city didn't flood, just some suburbs, our's included though not high enough to enter our house. Air quality no so good today.

But that's foreigners taking 5% of Thai jobs by your reckoning.

Well it's a little safer than feeding your hands to a shark

It's fine down south

The nouveau riche are so terribly vulgar.

I doubt she could find Denali / Mount McKinley (delete as applicable)

Sounding the same, from homophone, a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning, and/or a different spelling; so like right, rite and write.