MikeyIdea

15 hours ago, rasg said:

To answer the original question, probably because the cost of diesel is quite a bit cheaper than petrol, diesels are taxed less and when it floods, a diesel is far more likely to get through the flooding than a petrol...

Diesel enthusiasts in this thread keep on comparing Diesel with Petrol. We're in Thailand gentlemen. You should compare with LPG

TRUE and quite a few very big private Thai companies are changing their work vehicle pickups from diesel to LPG, and they are listed on the SET stock exchange of Thailand => they'd sell their mother to get share prices to raise :)

They do not do this for the environment, it's money, money, money and they are not stupid, calculations show the same everywhere including the company I work for; LPG is cheaper than diesel in the long run also if you cater for that a diesel lasts perhaps 800,000 km and a converted petrol 400,000 km

14 hours ago, bheard said:

At odds with all the diesel enthusiasts here, the rest of the world is progressively dropping diesels . . .

Sent from my BLL-L22 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Diesel enthusiasts will not listen to that until have to park outside the bigger cities :)

I think Thailand again is doing a good job to be honest, BMTA in Bangkok has converted almost every single one of their buses, TRUE has stopped using diesel pickups and use mainly LPG, quite a few of the really big companies have or are in the process of doing the same

39 minutes ago, Sapporillo said:

Then there's the anti-diesel craze in Europe, where diesels won't be allowed in the big cities in a few years (or something like that). It's not a problem today, but it would certainly affect the residual value down the line, if Thailand does something similar later

That will come here too, it will take quite some time before it takes off here but it will be implemented faster than we expect when they start.

I am 54 and I will one day drive around in Bangkok and see what difference a diesel free Bangkok did.

It made a big difference when 2 strokes more or less disappeared. There was a blue tint around the busy intersections in the early 90's, the blue is gone now :)

Very good posts here, Scott and Barnet are spot on in my experience too.

A few comments

There are only two types of schools in Thailand whatever they call themselves
1) any type of Thai, bilingual or Thai EP programme school 2 ) any other school outside that system

All Thai schools must teach content that follow the Thai curriculum but it can actually more or less be taught in any language and it gives a Thai High School diploma, the "outside" gives what the school offer, no accreditation = no high school diploma anywhere. Both types must teach a minimum number of hours in Thai

-- I didn't think they would be able to find enough qualified teachers

Why not and what is a qualified teacher? Everything is a trade off, they can find enough qualified native English speaking teachers but the tuition fee will be several hundred thousand baht per year, they can easily find enough qualified Filipinos and tuition fee can be under 200,000.

I don't agree that an international school should have only native English speaking teachers at all, quite the opposite actually. Diversity is good for our children the way the world is today. The 50,000 baht per term bilingual school in Bangkok that I used to send my daughter to only hired qualified Filipino teachers that really spoke excellent English so there are options. That Thai BL school failed quite badly in several other areas though...

Sarasas: Not the first time I've heard about the Sarasas Iron Wall. It's a cheap way of keeping the noise down instead of addressing problems, nothing else. What they do is very unacceptable. There is nothing a foreigner can do except change school because Thai parents accept it.

By the way: Filipino teachers are much better than western teachers at "offering solutions to limitations the school have" :) My daughters old Thai BL school had a rule that teachers weren't allowed to tutor pupils privately. The Filipinos had a great Line network that we parents appreciated a lot Can the Filipinos at Sarasas perhaps help with the Iron Wall?

Michael

A friend has had a 2.7 petrol with Energy Reform LPG fitted for several years now and driven it 150,000 km by now, he has only good to say about it, especially that it's much cheaper to run than his old diesel was.

That is not feedback from one fitted with the lowest end possible cheapo LPG to save 5,000 baht on the installation cost though :)

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 2:03 PM, DLang said:

Look at her doing iGCSE instead of a Thai EP.

 

Can study privately at different centers.

 

iGCSE is seen a equivalent to the Thai M6 certificate, even though she will get it at around 16. 

 

Many Chinese families do it this way. They can enter Thai university when finished (earlier than Thais doing the M6 in a Thai school/EP).

 

Allows them to start on their master's degree at age 20, or take a year or two out to travel at age 20 with their BA Degree already behind them.

 

iGCSE in private centers is the way. Good social group and (future) networking too. 

The MoE changed the rules as of 1-Jan-2017 so you can no longer enter a Thai university on an iGCSE at 16

Regarding starting a master's degree at 20. I personally don't think that is advantageous at all. I don't value if my daughter can work for 45 years instead of 43 before she retires and it's quite a risk that she would realise that it wasn't what she wanted to do / what she needs if she travels a year and then come back if I have taught her well. There should be at least a couple of years between the Bachelor and the Master

I love the YouTube video below, what a wonderful message

I agree with the IGCSE to 100% :) British Counsel in Bangkok do IGCSE and A level exams a few times per year, need 5 C's in scholastic subjects and can go on to take A levels. An active parent with limited budget can help his child through that  
 

Michael

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 12:30 PM, Moti24 said:

After teaching for 10 years in Thai schools, my advice to you is have her educated in the UK.  You're doing her no favours by keeping her here just because you like the lifestyle.  

 

Your choice; nice lifestyle for you or a proper education for your daughter.

I work in a big American multi-national company in Bangkok since 20 years back and I find that we have no problem hiring smart and knowledgeable Thai's who has gone through the Thai system now-a-days. The ones we finally hire easily outsmart and outperform most western know-it-all teachers working in Thai schools. The key is parental engagement helped with *a few* western teachers - doesn't have to be all at all

Taaworn ถาวร works with office Thai's for me

7 hours ago, Arkady said:

 

SCB is pathetic at this sort of thing.  They point blank refused change the nationality in my account to Thai when I got my Thai citizenship.  No other bank had a problem with this, although BBL made a huge meal out of it.  KBANK did it in a couple of minutes without demanding any document copies at all - just stuck my ID card in an electronic reader and it was done.    

Both SCB and BBL told me that it is not possible to change status of an existing account, BBL offered that they can help me open up a new account and I must provide (pink) id card and *blue* tabien baan in original as supporting documentation and that their HQ specifically had told them not to accept yellow tabien baan. SCB didn't volunteer any information except that it couldn't be done but agreed that I could open up a new account using my (pink) ID card and blue tabien baan when I specifically wanted an answer to that question.

The most important thing: Both BBL and SCB confirmed that I must use both pink ID card and blue tabien baan as identification, pink ID only not enough. Not worth it since I still would have to bring a document I normally don't have with me.

And BBL quite often do not accept my signature as I am bad at writing the same signature as in their system, I get a second try and they threaten that they will refuse me to take out money if I don't get the third try the same even if I provide passport, blue tabien baan, work permit and pink ID card to prove who I am - they photo copy but don't even look at the ID(s) I provide. SCB may ask for a second signature but will always check me against the passport and accept if it is not the same => I find SCB safer

Edit: This is experience from Siam Square in the past and EmQuartier now

11 hours ago, A Lurker said:

My feeling is that most of the students are not passing but I'm trying to get official information on that.

Schools that are allowed to hold IGCSE exams are audited and controls are strict, there is no Thai style "pass anyway"

The majority of the students have rich Thai parents and they are not stupid. They would never allow their children to continue if their kids couldn't get into a university after grade 12.

11 years old now? That should easily be enough time

"International" within quotation marks surprise me, not that the school still can be bad as such but rather that IGCSE is not one level here and another level in England, it's the same and if the school is that bad, then 50% of its students would never pass the IGCSE exams and in fact never get a high school diploma

The most important thing for westerners looking at more international education or better thinking for their children but perhaps cannot afford international schools is:

Both Thai schools and Bilingual Schools (Thai schools with any kind of English programme) MUST follow the Thai curriculum, of course, otherwise they wouldn't qualify for high school diplomas. This basically means that they first teach things in Thai and then they teach selected parts again in English, it doesn't mean that they teach much more non-Thai things at all. The phase "ELP is offered on top of the Thai Curriculum" is not quite correct. Not much time left to add additional stuff, is there?

Philippines vs. native English speakers: Depends on level of school = term fees. The Philippines teachers at better = more expensive bilingual schools all have degrees, nearly all have Ed degrees even and I find their English excellent, perhaps they still have a little bit of accent to their American accent but so what? I'd rather have excellent English and an Ed degree than a native speaker with no Ed degree in nearly all subjects. I say nearly not because of language as such but because I think that both really are needed: They teach a different background / personality / thinking at the same time as the subject they teach. Cheap Thai schools and the Asian English teachers English can be appalling

Both bilingual schools and English Programme schools often end up around 50/50. As Davis said, 100% English is impossible in a school that must follow the Thai curriculum because it's not just social studies, religion, health etc. that should be taught, it's what the MoE state those subjects should include that should be taught => it's the Thai version of what the subject social studies mean, it's Thai social studies, that is absolutely not International Social Studies

Someone wrote "An "English Program" is supposed to offer English tutoring by teachers whose primary/native language is English". Why on earth do the teachers have to be native? What's that got to do with teaching? Except with a few exceptions like teaching pronunciation of course. Most native Americans and quite a few Brits too don't even know what the conditional were is, they haven't been taught the rules, they haven't felt what was difficult and what was easy to learn, they have never even thought about how to best learn this and that when it comes to their native language. They just lived until they spoke the language like a native.

Native and non-native teachers compliment each other well if the school hire non-native teachers with Ed degrees. I also think that bilingual or EP whatever schools are a good middle way if parents can't afford international school rates. Parents must be interested and involved for results to be good, that's absolutely necessary. And it is fun :)

Michael

8 hours ago, A Lurker said:

My focus is less on university and just having the minimum requirement (M6) that qualify him for work in Thailand

IGCSE (and M6 certification) could really help him to a better job  in Thailand though

I think British Counsel do IGCSE exams too by the way.

IGCSE and you must pass 5 core subjects and for sure, English is one of them - And Yes, I bet it's not easy for a child has been in a Thai school to pass an IGCSE exam for the subject English :)

Kids do pick up very very fast though so a year or possibly two in "the right environment" should really be enough

DreamWorld has much better rides, Siam Park is much better for water activities

GCSE or with a bit more international content IGCSE is based on the British curriculum and contains several levels, it is not clear which one you refer to

Final GCSE / IGCSE exams take place end of year 11 = grade 10 but there are a number of exams during year 9 and 10 leading up to that. You need minimum grade C in Scholastic subjects, I can't remember them all but they are basically the core subjects, English, Maths, Science etc. Subjects like Art and P.E. don't count. It continues with A-levels at the end of year 13 = grade 12. The old AS level exams still exist but it's quite useless to sit them nowadays as they don't count for the A level any longer anyway (=you have to re-take the AS part for your A level even if you passed the AS exam).

A level maths is quite a bit more advanced than IGCSE / GCSE maths, it's 2 years further studies. IGCSE / GCSE wouldn't be enough for science /technical universities for sure. It should practically be enough for HR, History, Literature degrees if the university accepts

MoE changed the rules 1-Jan-2017 so that students with IGCSE no longer can enter Thai Universities at the age of 16 but they are still accepted at 18. Most universities anyway, I don't know if it is all of them. I don't actually know if MoE formally rate GCSE/IGCSE as equivalent to M6 high School Diploma

GCSE/IGCSE is a level approx. 2 years earlier than minimum requirements to (most?) European universities. IB is approx. 2 years longer too = equivalent to A-levels. It's possible to take GCSEs/IGCSEs at any school, quit and self-study to take the A-level exams independently at a British Counsel but it's certainly not easy, guidance is a must. British Counsel in Bangkok do A level exams a few times per year

Michael

Quite easy to answer that, it's not possible to give away something that someone else owns or perhaps no one owns

The "right" to occupy and use farm land with no Chanote is fuzzier. There was no distinct right from the beginning and the best that can be expected is that children will be allowed to continue to occupy and use farmland when parents die. The land department will come one day and formally mark the land with GPS and issue a Chanote to the one who farms the land

18 hours ago, jimster said:

Well they should sue for racial discrimination then. Although I presume your example refers to situations where the father is no longer married to the Thai mother.

 

Same thing if a Thai Sikh were denied land ownership for not looking Thai enough. I wonder if this happens too.

There is a logic to this: The land offices have had the directive to keep an eye on that control over Thai land stays in Thai hands for a long time, that is the directive that a few land offices even push so far that they don't allow land to be transferred to underage Thai citizens if one of the parents (well, the father) is foreign even

A foreign legal guardian control the childs land until that child reaches majority

13 hours ago, jimster said:

Funny question asked by the OP. Of course any Thai citizen, irrespective of "race" can own land. There would be an uproar otherwise, imagine if Indian Sikhs holding Thai nationality were barred from land ownership all because they don't look "Thai enough". Never heard of land ownership in any country being related to one's ethnicity or physical appearance, only citizenship and residency.

There are a few land offices in Thailand that do refuse to transfer land to underage Thai citizens if they have a western father, I have heard this happen several times in Hua Hin and once in Chieng Mai. The land office gives the reason that they have the right to refuse based on that the land falls under the control of a foreigner until the child reach majority as the legal guardian is non-Thai. One land office demanded that the parents divorced and father signed over sole custody to the mother before transferring

It will not stand up in court of course :)

Thanks Arkady, everything you write makes sense

-- Even I overstayed once in the late 80s  555

Confession time: I overstayed one day once in the early 90s :)

2 hours ago, samran said:

Many a natural born dual citizen including yours truly have tried to have the visa in their foreign passport cancelled, all to no avail. It is clearly possible but they just don’t like doing it. 

Do you know if it is possible to pay the fine and clear the problem at immigration in the government complex and not at Suvarnabhumi when leaving the country?

2 hours ago, greenchair said:

So are you saying, no need to cancel the visa? ?

I now understand it as a Thai citizen with my friends daughters specific problem can't cancel her visa (extension of stay) and can never leave Thailand without paying a 20,000 baht overstay fine first
 

A bit weird that foreigners who become Thai citizens can cancel extensions of stay but Thai's who enter the wrong way cannot

16 hours ago, samran said:

After spending 30 mins getting her Thai passport sorted at she then wondered over to the government complex and spent close to 6 hours having her extension of stay cancelled in her foreign passport. She now has a nice handwritten note in her foreign PP saying that the extension has been cancelled due to gaining Thai nationality via marriage to a Thai spouse.

Which section at Immigration did she go to? Something special about the process that made it take 6 hours? 15 year old Thai/British daughter of a friend of mine was denied leaving Thailand on her Thai passport without paying the fine because she originally entered Thailand on her British PP 12 years ago. The normal story: Born abroad, entered on foreign PP, cleared all Thai status but never cancelled extension of stay. I wonder if foreign and Thai PP Thai ID and one legal guardian (western father) would be enough, Thai mother more likely to want to sabotage than help

Thanks

Michael

On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 11:37 PM, Arkady said:

It is possible that those who have just been naturalised might be treated more leniently since they are not supposed to close the loop by exiting on their foreign passports.  I would say that, if you have already left on your Thai passport and there was no problem, you can probably get away without cancelling the visa.  Anyway the fine maxes out at B20,000 at B200 a day which is 100 days of overstay and you can't be blacklisted or jailed for it.  If you have not yet left the country, it would probably be worth cancelling the visa which would avoid the risk of being fined. 

Arkady, quick question regarding this

I've heard that Thai children cannot be fined for overstay, any children actually. Do you know the age limit for this? I've heard 15 but some say it should be 18/20

Thanks

Michael

On 17/10/2017 at 9:41 AM, Artisi said:

The outstanding amount she is stuck with is B100 000 plus - he did cough up with an initial payment but leaving her to sign-off for the outstanding balance. 

Have already advised her, he pays the balance plus some extra or no divorce or see her in court in Thailand. 

Artisi: Good of you to keep your temper with some of the westerners posting here. The Thai proverb - People who don't know speak easily comes to mind :)

How to help: Well, there are a few legal twists that the rich-in-heart Thai wife can use. I am assuming that the Western man wants a divorce and that the Thai wife can wait almost indefinitely and that she has no "hard" assets (land, condo, car etc. in her name)   

The western man must use one of the sub-sections of paragraph 1516 as grounds for the divorce, his problem is that there are several points that the wife can use but read it carefully and you'll see that there are actually no clear points that support him. Thai Family courts do not try to keep marriages intact so they will still allow divorce but

- He cannot legally get a divorce within 3 years if the wife refuses. Only the latter.. = only she = the deserted party can file for divorce based on desertion  - 1516(4)

- When he files for divorce: She must come to the pre-meeting, hand over copies of hospital documentation -> she was a good wife and signed -> they demand that she pays, she must state that she told him she is in excessive trouble because he failed to give proper maintenance and support and he deliberately ignored it. SHE is, not her children, they are from another father and irrelevant (1524)

- She can easily delay the procedure after the pre-meeting totally 6 months

- There is a paragraph that support compensation for her. Actually the paragraph states that she should institute the divorce but it should be enough that she tried but couldn't afford it (1524)

- Mutual consent divorces are considered from the date of registration, court orders from the date of order (1532)

- Every central Juvenile court has a department called Nittigaan where people can go to get free legal support. I suggest that she reads paragraphs 1516 to 1518, 1523 - 1526, 1528 - 1535 and then go to Nittigaan with a set of questions, and contact lawyer first after that, easier to understand each other

The Thai legal system doesn't really facilitate high compensation claims but fair ones relating to real events like husband abandon and wife ends up in excessive trouble and seeks compensation equal to the maintenance for the period he abandoned her are possible. 4 to 8 thousand per month sounds reasonable. Fair is important so he will definitely also have to pay the hospital bill. 

Delays are nearly always more advantages to one party more than another. It sounds like the wife would benefit from telling the husband that he will have to pay X,000 baht per month maintenance for the period he abandoned her until the divorce is final and it will continue to increase every month until he agrees if he ever wants a divorce.

The laws regarding retrieving debts work fine in Thailand but they have the same problem here as everybody else: nothing to retrieve with zero assets and zero registered income. Don't worry about that

Michael