japatee

 

 

 

According to a recent NSO survey on social and economic situation of Thai households during the first 6 months of this year, 54.4% of the households were indebted. The survey says that housing loans, daily purchase of commodity products and education expenses accounted for the majority of the household debts currently averaging at 159,492 baht.

 

 

 

So is that 54% of houses have an average debt of 159k or ALL household debts accounted for 159k?   When you consider how many cars are on loan at considerably more than 159k, and the huge amount of houses that have taken on mortgages recently, I would say that I am absolutely astounded that it isn't more.  159k?  Barely makes the loan on a micro-car.

 

 

It is the average - most people in thailand don't have a vehicle or their own home and it includes them as well as those who do. That makes the debt of those who do much higher than 159000.

 

 

 

 

Well, what a ridiculous way to show a statistic.  It's all very well on the average to measure it this way, but it doens't help when the absolute average number can be so skewed.  That said, this is a combination of many types of debt, and the value of those in debt who have a house mortgage, would obviously be significantly higher than 159k.  So all in all, a very odd set of figures, since cars and houses being the two most dangerous types of debt.  If it is 160k on half, then it is 320k for those houses in debt.  This is akin to the debt on one medium car on average.  Hardly horrendous.  

 

Are they really telling us that the vast majority of people living in new moobhans in the last 5 years paid cash?  Or would it be better to assume that only about 15% of the people in the whole country actually have a mortgage on property?  I find that very hard ot believe.  If it wasn't the case, the figure for indebtedness would be much higher.  A basic bungalow costs 1.5 mn, and the basic mortgage would be about 1mn minimum, so how is the average figure so low?  Is private house ownership and mortgages really that low?  I don't think so.

 

My mate in the city is busy servicing an 850k GBP mortgage.  Now you want to see some rough finger nails.....

 

 

No it is not ridiculous. It is just your own lack of economic knowledge.

 

Everything in the OP is crystal clear to those who understand BASIC economics.

 

Let's say that there are a total of 20 million households in Thailand. Each has B159K of domestic debt applied to it. Now a lot may have no debt, so lets say that 40% hold this debt burden, then it is much more than the 159K.

 

In the countryside, one old beat up pickup can be used for 4 households and not have a shiny new car in the drive, and someone assuming that every Thai house owns a brand new car has only been in Thailand 2 weeks of has not been 1 KM from where they live..... EVER!

 

This is a huge debt, and interesting to see that Northeastern Thailand is the highest..... Thaksin country.

 

The main thing you have to consider is that all this debt is what is propping up the economy in Thailand. Once the debt bubble bursts, a lot of Thailand is going to be in severe poverty. They will ALL default and banks will go bust left, right and center.

 

Thailand is living on borrowed time. It is exactly the same in China and they are crapping themselves over it while Thailand is blissfully ignorant because the government are taking the credit for all this wealth that is all false. When China's bubble bursts, Thailand will follow within 2 weeks.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Democrats have to clear all the mess up.

 

 

Does anyone know which banks, if any, would be safest given this likely bubble burst?

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Assuming you are British, or the national of another EEA country, relatively easy and free; provided she'll be travelling with you.

She cannot apply in the UK, she must apply in Thailand as that where she lives.

She should apply to the embassy of the country she'll be visiting first if touring or the country of her ultimate destination if passing through others to get there.

A friend of mine in England married to a Thai woman makes every year a touring visits into Europe ... France, Belgium, Holland, and

Germany, he does enter different countries firstly, sometimes France, Belgium, and Holland.

For the wife's Schengen visa he always goes to the German embassy because the embassy it is very close to his London

West End home, when entering any of the three countries first, the Schengen visa from the German embassy is no problem.

Your Friend's wife must have a UK spouse visa in order to apply from the UK. I think this is that case anyway.

I am also applying for a schengen visa for my wife, but she has only a multi-tourist visa for the UK. We have to apply from her country of residence as she only has a UK tourist visa.

Does anyone know if we have to show travel arrangements when applying for the schengen visa? like the person who started this post, we are hoping to just travel to Europe when we feel like it, rather than having a strict itinerary. Also, being a spouse of UK national, does my wife need to have travel insurance?

I would also like to know if there is any EU embassy in Thailand that is seen to be 'easier' when applying for the schengen visa? Or are they all the same?

And, finally, when we provide translations of our marriage certificate etc. does anyone know where/by whom these translations need to be done in order to satisfy EU embassy criteria?

Any advice much appreciated.

Cheers

So, anyway, i just found this: VAT1.5 Frequency and duration of visits

There is no restriction on the number of visits a person may

make to the UK nor any requirement that a specified time must elapse

between successive visits. However, the Immigration Rules state that

the applicant must show that they do not intend to live in the UK for

extended periods through frequent and successive visits. An ECO must

consider the reason for a series of visits with only brief intervals

outside the UK between each visit. The ECO must consider the purpose of

the visit against the time elapsed between visits and the duration of

previous visits to the UK.

There is no Rule that states a visitor can only remain in the

UK for 6 out of any 12 months, but an ECO must examine the pattern and

frequency of visits to see that it does not amount to de facto

residence.

So, i guess we can go for 3 months, have a 2 week break in Europe, and then another 5 months back in the uK..

still a bit grey to me though - the applicant must show that they do not intend to live in the UK for

extended periods through frequent and successive visits - then why did they give us the visa in the first place? Surely numerous 6 months visits over 10 years is exactly that - extended periods through frequent and successive visits

Hi

We've given up on the idea of settling the the UK.

Thailand may have some down sides, but overall its a lot better than the UK for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is the new rules that have been imposed on spouses coming to live with their partner. Completely unreasonable and unfair new tests and requirements making it almost impossible for those people who cannot speak English well and don't fair well in tests generally, but thats another topic for debate.

fOR THis post, I'm looking for some help on a bit of a grey area We have 10 year multi-entry visitor visa that we got three years back. This year we want to go to the UK for 3 months, then leave for a couple of weeks to travel around Europe, and then go back to the UK for another 5 or 6 months. Is this allowed? Does anyone know? I find information on the website quite typically unclear/incomplete -

"If we grant you a long-term visit visa, you are allowed unlimited entry into the UK for the time that the visa is valid, but for a maximum of 6 months for
each visit"

based on the above statement, one would assume that my wife could enter the UK for 3 months, leave for a couple of weeks and then re-enter for another 5 months. IN fact, based on the statement above, my wife could enter the UK for 6 months, leave for a couple of week, re-enter for 6 months, and continue like this for 10 years... although, i'm sure we'd get accused of cheating the system..

anyway, I'd like to know if anyone can shed some light on this grey area. does anyone have any experience in doing this, or some written evidence to suggest we can/cannot do it as I've explained above?

Thanks

The Dairy Industry is really big business, with sales of billions for milk and

diary products annually, so you might expect hard line marketing

from them, but would you expect them to aggressively sell their products if

they were known to be harmful to people, especially to women and children?

The cholesterol content of three glasses of milk is equal to

what one would get from 53 slices of bacon.

Do you know of any doctor who recommends that much bacon per day?

In the animal Kindom no animals drink its mother’s milk in

adult life.

"It's not natural for humans to drink cow's milk.

Human’s milk is for humans.

Cow's milk is for calves.

You have no more need of cow's milk than you do rats milk, horses

milk or elephant's milk. Cow's milk is a high fat fluid exquisitely designed to

turn a 65 lb baby calf into a 400 lb cow. That's what cow's milk is for!"

--Dr Michael Klaper MD

Please Google "The Dangers of Cow Milk"

its also worrying what they feed the cows to produce such vast quantities of milk, including antibiotics!!

Details of where to take the test plus the other requirements, including the all important financial ones, can be found at UK Settlement Visa Basics.

I do not know anyone personally who has taken the test, but the level required is very basic conversation. If she can talk to you in simple English, and understand your replies, she should be able to pass it.

also, was wondering how long the test is valid for. does it say this information anywhere?

thanks again for your help

The A1 English test for residence will be replaced in the summer with the B1 test which will have to include a new part called UK CULTURE, which will be 1000% more difficult to pass at the moment the A1 is listening and speaking only this will change in the summer to reading and writing as well

Do you know exact dates for the change to B1 test/?

I assume that if my wife did the A1 test, and applied before this date, then she would avoid having to take the B1 test?

thanks

Also, I have been searching for examples of the A1 level test but not so easy to find. Has anyone (or their partner) had experience with the test, or is there good examples anywhere? I just meed to understand how much teaching my wife needs..

thanks in advance

Details of where to take the test plus the other requirements, including the all important financial ones, can be found at UK Settlement Visa Basics.

I do not know anyone personally who has taken the test, but the level required is very basic conversation. If she can talk to you in simple English, and understand your replies, she should be able to pass it.

also, was wondering how long the test is valid for. does it say this information anywhere?

thanks again for your help

The A1 English test for residence will be replaced in the summer with the B1 test which will have to include a new part called UK CULTURE, which will be 1000% more difficult to pass at the moment the A1 is listening and speaking only this will change in the summer to reading and writing as well

Do you know exact dates for the change to B1 test/?

I assume that if my wife did the A1 test, and applied before this date, then she would avoid having to take the B1 test?

thanks

Details of where to take the test plus the other requirements, including the all important financial ones, can be found at UK Settlement Visa Basics.

I do not know anyone personally who has taken the test, but the level required is very basic conversation. If she can talk to you in simple English, and understand your replies, she should be able to pass it.

also, was wondering how long the test is valid for. does it say this information anywhere?

thanks again for your help

Details of where to take the test plus the other requirements, including the all important financial ones, can be found at UK Settlement Visa Basics.

I do not know anyone personally who has taken the test, but the level required is very basic conversation. If she can talk to you in simple English, and understand your replies, she should be able to pass it.

Thanks, I couldn't find it anywhere on the UK boarder site either.

Not sure my wife will ever understand my replies (in English or Thai)

Hi

My wife is going to apply for 'family of settled persons' visa for the UK

Does anyone know where my wife would need to go to take the English language test? Also, if anyone has actually done the test, to tell me what it entails. Do they give out examples of the test or anything?

Thanks

George

Hi again 7by7

can I ask you a couple more questions? Sorry but answers to these may determine if we go back to the uk at all..

1. You say my wife should apply for settlement from Thailand. Is that the same as or equivalent to FLR? I.e. will a settlement visa grant my wife 33 months or will we need to apply for FLR once we have entered the UK? If the latter, then I guess we would have to make 2 separate payments - one for the settlement visa and one for FLR.

2. If we are granted 33 months + 30 Months (equates to 5 years and almost 3 months) will we have enough time to apply for ILR and receive citizenship at the end of those two periods or will we have to apply for a further extension while we wait for the citizenship? I assume this process takes some time and we can only apply after the full 5 years are completed.

Thanks for your time. Really appreciate it

George

Copied from UK settlement Visa Basics.:

Hi

I find the uk boarder agency website very unclear.

I wonder if you could clarify a couple of things to help me out?

Some background info first:

My Thai wife and I want to go and live in the uk. I'm a British citizen still but we've been living in Thailand for the last 5 years (been married for 4 of those). Ultimately we want my wife to get a British passport and citizenship.

So, the bits I'm unclear on:

1. What type of visa does my wife require to enter the UK in order to begin the period of time required to apply for ILR? Is it a spouce settlement visa or FLR or are they the same? If they're different how do they differ (ie cost, tests required etc.)

2. Can she use her current c-visit visa to enter the uk and then apply for one of the visas above, or should she apply for one of the above visas in Thailand before travelling to the uk?

3. How long does she have to stay in the UK before she can apply for the ILR? I've read that it's 5 years and in other places I've read it's 3 years for someone already married.

Much appreciate any advice! And sorry if it is clearly stated somewhere.

George

1) She is outside the UK so she applies for settlement as a spouse.

FLR stands for Further Leave to Remain and can only be applied for inside the UK; you cannot apply to remain in the UK if you are not already there!

2) Visit visas cannot be switched to settlement in the UK. She will need to apply for settlement as your spouse in Thailand.

3) Under the new regulations which came into force on 9/7/12 the residential qualifying period for ILR was increased from 2 years to 5 years. From the OP

Quote

These two visas (spouse and civil partner) are valid for 33 months and after the holder has lived in the UK for 30 months they apply for a further 30 months and at the end of that they can apply for ILR.

The residential qualifying period for British citizenship if the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen is three years, which is where your other source must be confused.

However, to apply for British citizenship you must also be free of immigration time restrictions, i.e. hold ILR. So your wife will need to have lived in the UK for at least 5 years so she can obtain ILR and once she has ILR she can apply for British citizenship; provided she meets the other requirements. See British Citizenship Basics.

Please do not post the same question in different topics, as it leads to duplication and confusion.

Thank you for the clarity. Much appreciated. And sorry for the duplication!

For details, see UK Settlement Visa Basics. Read on here if you are in a hurry. (I hadn't seen the other replies when I initially wrote this.)

Your wife needs a settlement visa, which must be applied for from outside the UK. There are tests to be taken before she can be granted the visa. Once in the UK she will be able to work. Naturalisation is intended for those intending to reside in the UK, even if British nationality is most useful for allowing one to leave the UK for a few years and freely return. I have heard that it can be denied if there is no intention to remain in the UK, though I haven't heard of it being refused on that basis.

Thanks for this

Do you know if on a settlement visa, does my wife need to reside for 5 years or 3 years before applying for naturalisation/citizenship? It seems to say both on the website and I'm not clear which applies to us.

Thanks

Thanks for the quick reply above

It does say on the uk boarder agency site that only 3 years is required for a spouse of a British citizen, but I did also read that 5 years are required elsewhere, so wasn't really clear about that.

So FLR is the first step. Thanks for the clarification. I read she can take an English test for this while in Thailand.

If it is only 3years, then 33 months wouldn't be enough anyway and so she would have to apply for another extension I guess.

Cheers

Hi

I am a British citizen and my Thai wife and I want to return to the UK. The aim is to get citizenship and a UK passport for my wife.

I have read that we need to reside in the UK for 3 years before we can apply and the take the tests.

What is less clear is what visa we (she) should apply for so that she can stay in the uk for those initial 3 years? Is this a residency visa? And is there a test that she needs to take to get that? And what is the cost for it?

I know the rules have changed recently, so I was hoping that someone who knows the procedure might be able to advise.

Some other questions:

My wife has a 10 year C-visit multiple entry visa that we have used several times already.. Can she use this to go to the uk first and apply from there, or should we apply from THailand?

Can she work for those initial 3 years? I guess this depends on the visa she gets but I'm not clear on what visa we should be applying for for this initial period.

Any help would be most welcomed

Thanks

Hi

I am a British citizen and my Thai wife and I want to return to the UK. The aim is to get citizenship and a UK passport for my wife.

I have read that we need to reside in the UK for 3 years before we can apply and the take the tests.

What is less clear is what visa we (she) should apply for so that she can stay in the uk for those initial 3 years? Is this a residency visa? And is there a test that she needs to take to get that? And what is the cost for it?

I know the rules have changed recently, so I was hoping that someone who knows the procedure might be able to advise.

Some other questions:

My wife has a 10 year C-visit multiple entry visa that we have used several times already.. Can she use this to go to the uk first and apply from there, or should we apply from THailand?

Can she work for those initial 3 years? I guess this depends on the visa she gets but I'm not clear on what visa we should be applying for for this initial period.

Any help would be most welcomed

Thanks

Had an infuriating visit to MHS immigration and wondered if anyone could shed some light on this:

I arrived with the usual pile of papers (applying for an extension to my non-imm O visa for the 3rd year running so thought I had everything in order) but I was ordered to get more proof of income. In fact the guy there said that I needed to prove that I had sufficient income to support my wife and children.

I thought that I only needed to show 400,000 in the bank OR 40,000 coming in each month???

I said this (as above), and he told me that the ‘person at the top’ that they submit the application to has just recently changed and is much stricter now. He even showed me an example of a refusal letter to a recent application.

I always get the feeling the guy doesn’t like me there, or his job, or even his life perhaps, but this time I did wonder if something has actually changed that we should know about.

I have now returned home and have promised to send him UK bank statements proving where we get our money from.

Can anyone help?

Thanks

Please support this campaign to stop the burning and put an end to the air pollution

http://www.breathecampaign.net/

http://www.breathecampaign.net/th (thai)

How convenient for everyone to blame the hill tribes for this. In fact, most Thais in rural areas burn their rice fields back, burns their trash, and clears land scrub by.... BURNING. Yes hill tribe perform slash and burn but as one can see from the fire maps it is not just in the Northern forest regions but throughout central and Northern regions. Living in Chiang Mai the problem is only worsening. To get a sense of the air particulate YOU and I are breathing watch this you tube video taken on March 4.

Share this via email - blaming others and just sticking our heads in the sand, Ostrich style, does not help the issue but accepts it. Change starts with us.

And if you agree with NormadTad and the burning has effected you, please sign our petition open to Thai nationals and foreigners alike... http://www.breathecampaign.net/

Thanks

Just go into a hilltribe village and arrest every male over the age of 10. Then you have a good chance of catching the culprit. Burning the forest is a way of life for these people and they donot care about the health of themselves or others.

That to me is a very important line which should be noted by all those complaining. Don't forget, it is their land. I find it hard to believe the advice being given to a guy who is planning to move here from UK (ongoing thread), probably to the Chiang Mai area and the number one item is check out where you are planning to live, don't buy for at least a year until you are happy with your surroundings. Not one comment about the burning that I have seen.

That said I do understand the health issues involved, but don't forget that it is their way of life and you are their guests. It was your choice to live where you are and even though there has been an increase (through modern measuring instruments) this problem has always been here.

(And no, I don't live in Bkk)

You sound just like the monk that lives next door to me.

I approached him recently about burning plastics and politely offered to help collect his garbage for him each week to limit the emission of deadly gases that spread to all the locals in the immediate area. In a very agressive manner he told me that he had lived here for over 10 years and told me to get off 'his' land.

Although some of these comments in this topic are complaints, a lot of them are not - a lot of them are suggestions to make this a better place for everyone that wants to live here, locals and foreigners alike Thailand has so much potential and for the most part it is a beautiful place to live. That's why we're here now, right? Foreigners should have a say, whether they are foreigners to Thailand or any other country. I'm from London and there are probably more foreigners than English people there. They all get a say on how London operates. What does it matter anyway, where we're from? Where we're going is much more important. And if we all start to act positively about this and actually do something about it, Thais and foreigners, rather than putting our headsin the sand, then we can have a positive impact on this terrible situation that effects not only those in the North of Thailand, but everyone in Asia and even beyond.

It is a fact that slash and burn farming does not improve soil fertility. It is an easy way to clear/clean up land. It is a lot more beneficial to the land to recycle organic waste. There are more people on this planet than ever before and so slash and burn farming doesn't work like it used to. Before, when the land had be depleted by this practice, the farmer would move on to the next plot of land. Now, we can't do that anymore with less land available and so people are turning to chemicals to 'boost' their output.

Burning forest land is simply a selfish act and those that do it should be caught and punished. The local police don't do anything about it because they probably know the individuals personally and so it becomes a bit awkward for them. Most effected people don't do anything about it because it goes against Thai culture to report another person. Also there is a severe lack of education regarding the dangers of breathing this smoke, which leads me to the next issue concerning the burning of plastics. Here, again a good educational program could really make a differnece here. In most cities, like Chiang Mai and Bangkok, your average Thai is probably aware of the dangers of burning plastics in and around your home, but in small villages, most people just don't know either way. So they burn it.

I personally feel the positives of Thai life far outweigh the issue of burning that we see at this time of year, but I also feel that it is something that can and really ought to change. For everyone’s benefit

Thank you for that, I was possibly a monk in another life, in a galaxy far away........................

And I am extremely happy that London has solved its slash & burn problem and its multi national populace is now living in harmony. But I am off topic as that is not Thailand. My issue was not to do with burning plastics; that I cannot stand.

You state that there are many suggestions included in this thread. I have seen one mention of education and another suggestion to read a book, apart from that, nothing but complaints.

As for the below statement, I wish you luck, but tread carefully when telling advising the land owners what to do. Wonder what it is doing for global warming (you could have used that as well)?

"And if we all start to act positively about this and actually do something about it, Thais and foreigners, rather than putting our headsin the sand, then we can have a positive impact on this terrible situation that effects not only those in the North of Thailand, but everyone in Asia and even beyond".

You were probably a better monk than my neighbour.

Nikster's suggestion is a great one -

My approach would be to assign local villagers / hill tribes guardians of the forest, give them some area to protect, and reward them when their area is found to have not been burnt any given year. You could call them fire brigade with rewards for not having fires.

I just feel that putting our heads in the sand is the same as giving up. And this is an issue that really must be challenged. Not by farrang alone, but by the Thai's that know about the dangers and consequences of the situation.

Please support us on this and sign our petition:

http://www.breathecampaign.net/

Thanks

Just go into a hilltribe village and arrest every male over the age of 10. Then you have a good chance of catching the culprit. Burning the forest is a way of life for these people and they donot care about the health of themselves or others.

That to me is a very important line which should be noted by all those complaining. Don't forget, it is their land. I find it hard to believe the advice being given to a guy who is planning to move here from UK (ongoing thread), probably to the Chiang Mai area and the number one item is check out where you are planning to live, don't buy for at least a year until you are happy with your surroundings. Not one comment about the burning that I have seen.

That said I do understand the health issues involved, but don't forget that it is their way of life and you are their guests. It was your choice to live where you are and even though there has been an increase (through modern measuring instruments) this problem has always been here.

(And no, I don't live in Bkk)

You sound just like the monk that lives next door to me.

I approached him recently about burning plastics and politely offered to help collect his garbage for him each week to limit the emission of deadly gases that spread to all the locals in the immediate area. In a very agressive manner he told me that he had lived here for over 10 years and told me to get off 'his' land.

Although some of these comments in this topic are complaints, a lot of them are not - a lot of them are suggestions to make this a better place for everyone that wants to live here, locals and foreigners alike Thailand has so much potential and for the most part it is a beautiful place to live. That's why we're here now, right? Foreigners should have a say, whether they are foreigners to Thailand or any other country. I'm from London and there are probably more foreigners than English people there. They all get a say on how London operates. What does it matter anyway, where we're from? Where we're going is much more important. And if we all start to act positively about this and actually do something about it, Thais and foreigners, rather than putting our headsin the sand, then we can have a positive impact on this terrible situation that effects not only those in the North of Thailand, but everyone in Asia and even beyond.

It is a fact that slash and burn farming does not improve soil fertility. It is an easy way to clear/clean up land. It is a lot more beneficial to the land to recycle organic waste. There are more people on this planet than ever before and so slash and burn farming doesn't work like it used to. Before, when the land had be depleted by this practice, the farmer would move on to the next plot of land. Now, we can't do that anymore with less land available and so people are turning to chemicals to 'boost' their output.

Burning forest land is simply a selfish act and those that do it should be caught and punished. The local police don't do anything about it because they probably know the individuals personally and so it becomes a bit awkward for them. Most effected people don't do anything about it because it goes against Thai culture to report another person. Also there is a severe lack of education regarding the dangers of breathing this smoke, which leads me to the next issue concerning the burning of plastics. Here, again a good educational program could really make a differnece here. In most cities, like Chiang Mai and Bangkok, your average Thai is probably aware of the dangers of burning plastics in and around your home, but in small villages, most people just don't know either way. So they burn it.

I personally feel the positives of Thai life far outweigh the issue of burning that we see at this time of year, but I also feel that it is something that can and really ought to change. For everyone’s benefit

This is a Thai issue, a farrang issue, a world issue and effects everyone. I think the majority of Thai's agree. The minority, they need educating to change behaviour to fit with the present day awareness of the issue. 500 years of burning can stop overnight with the right policy. And why shouldn't it stop? Thai people always amaze me at their ability to change when they need to.

Prey for rain

Few will hire a tractor (and pay for the gas) to turn the stubble back into the soil when it can just be burnt for free. Mulching is for landed gentry with time on their hands. The longer the dry season the thicker the haze. Like the farmers and their families, you just have to wait for the rain.

But they use a tractor anyway, to prepare the soil for the next crop.

education and heavy fines that are actually enforced!