pnustedt

It was before this year - have you checked recently?

Yes. After reading advice on this forum I checked with my imm. office 60 days before renewal was due. I renewed my 12 month marriage visa a couple of weeks ago with joint a/c. No prob.

Maybe I should elaborate further as my experience seems to contradict and upset the advice of moderators.

After reading the advice on this forum that joint a/cs were no longer acceptable I embarked on a hour and half drive with wife to Phu Sing Imm office. There the officer advised me that our joint a/c was fine - he said the only change was requirement for 2 month dep. instead of 3 and that there had been no further interpretation from head office on this. Wasted best part of a day but ok, thought it was sorted.

Went back to extend visa based on marr. end of Mar. The whole office had changed. I was served by an officer who had just arrived from Phuket. A chief officer from Phibun Magsahan was in charge and another officer transferred from Sauvanabaum was present. Our joint a/c was accepted, no question asked, so I queried it, citing questions on the internet. The officer dealing with me confirmed the original reply from the previous Phu Sing officer. My wife then queried the woman in charge who also agreed and this was confirmed by the woman from Sauvanabaum. The officer who originally dealt with me 60days earlier had been transferred to Chonburi.

All documents were then sent to Korat (who have jurisdiction over all Isaan imm. offices) for approval. Needless to say, it was approved and I got the visa extension stamp end April.

So, from the evidence I have, joint a/cs are accepted in Phu Sing, should be accepted in Phibun Magshan, Sauvanabaum, Phuket and Chonburi, and indeed, in all Isaan offices who are under the jurisdiction of Korat.

You are talking about a 12 Month Extension of your permission to stay.

So wot?

It was before this year - have you checked recently?

Yes. After reading advice on this forum I checked with my imm. office 60 days before renewal was due. I renewed my 12 month marriage visa a couple of weeks ago with joint a/c. No prob.

The bank account in your name only is a sure thing under the new rules.

A long standing joint a/c is preferred. Check with your imm. office before you make any changes.

I've now managed to get it. I normally use Google as my browser but changed to Yahoo! Tks for advice.

I cannot get on to The Economist's website anymore, I am getting the message "The SGOS license has expired". I was aware of problems with distribution of the printed edition but is the web-site also banned?

Or take your coconuts by Tuk Tuk

2) Is it possible to buy palm oil trees already 6 months old and at what unit costs and where.

( i have calculated that about 3'200 trees will be needed for a 100 rai plantation is

that right ? )

There is a nursery selling 6 month old palms on the main road out of Kantaralak towards Kao Prah Vihean, a couple of kms on the left, their price last year was about Bt70 each. They will also give you lots of advice re: planting densities, soil conditions, fertilisers etc. and have printed info. to help you.

Why don't they ask the people if they want to mess with consitution at all, and what they percieve as wrong with it, if they give a fuc_k.

i never thought I would agree with "Plus" but who gives a fuc_k for a constitution which the military ignores any way?

Because the military is less and less in a position to ignore it.

Really? I must have missed something!

Why don't they ask the people if they want to mess with consitution at all, and what they percieve as wrong with it, if they give a fuc_k.

i never thought I would agree with "Plus" but who gives a fuc_k for a constitution which the military ignores any way?

The website is out of date. There have been no changes since November of last year when the 400,000 baht option was brought back.

The money needs to be in the bank for 2 months and the account has to be in your name only (no joint accounts now). Then a letter from your bank confirming the balance and a copy of your bank book.

Check with ur immigration office if a joint a/c is allowed before you upset ur wife. Phu Sing office does accept (and prefer) them over a new a/c. There is no regulation or official interpretation which discriminates against joint a/cs.

DOES ANYONE KNOW FOR SURE WHAT IS THE THAI LAW DEFINITION OF TREASON?

THE AUTHORITIES HAVE PUT OUT ARREST WARRANTS FOR THE RED SHIRT LEADERS INCLUDING TAKSIN WHICH SPECIFY "inciting people to break the law and cause unrest" PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON.

THIS SEEMS SIGNIFICANTLY MILDER THAN PLOTTING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT.

Treason normally is considered as attempting to overthrow the constitution, government or monarchy (in a constitutional monarchy) of a country - as the "generals" did about three years ago. However, in Thailand, interpretation of the law and implementation of it tends to be subject to the preference of the people in charge at the time.

That the leaders have been charged is good news, as should anyone found causing damage to private or public property in Bangkok and Pattaya during this time.

But it is quite amazing that they can be charged within 24 hours whilst the leaders of an arguably larger protest, the yellows, still have not been charged at all for taking over three International airports. I wonder if this is what is behind the absolute division in this country and until both sides are treated equally by the police and judiciary, rich poor or otherwise, is there any chance for Thailand to reach its potential?

Agreed both sides Pad and Redshirt leaders should be on trial . Propagander from either side should not be allowed apart from some limited and controlled air time . TV stations should not be controlled by one side or the other .

Unless it is seen by the whole of Thailand that all sides are treated the same there will never be a solution .

Let us not forget that this whole episode is a result of a military invasion of Bkk for which no-one has been charged - and that was a treasonable action which overthrew a democratically elected government in direct violation of the Thai constitution.

Good Morning Folks

Which are the best hotels in Sisaket City. I am looking at the excellent map that one of the Members compiled and see there are the Phrompiman,Kessiri, North East, Krua Tia, Santisuk etc.

Price is not an issue as I am very, very wealthy!!

Depends what you are looking for but I would go for the Phrompiman - it has recently been refurbished, has the best bars in town and close to station and market etc. There are no expensive hotels in Sisaket so you can save your wealth! Sisaket is a small country town, not a city.

Where can you buy decent guns in bangkok? I want a pistol, how much would a semi decent one cost???

There's an area in Bkk near the junction of Charoenkrung Road and Unakan Road. I bought a nice Smith&Wesson .38 in stainless steel there for about Bt90K. Slugs are Bt40 each there (Bt60 ea. in my home town). I understand a large part of the price is tax, much of which goes to your local town hall.

If your wife says you/she needs a gun then you do.

She goes to the local town hall and gets a "permit to buy" a gun, she will need to agree with the mayor what sort of gun she can buy. Take the permit to the gun shop (in Bkk is best and cheapest), buy the gun, take it back to the town hall where it will be registered, pay about Bt500 and get the license to own the gun.

Normally it is licensed only to be in the house, although she had special dispensation to carry it.

Thanks.

I will go for the 3 months rule just to be sure with Immigration.

One more question: Some people say the 400k must come from oversea.

Some people say the 400k does not have to come from oversea!

What is correct?

(I will go for the oversea transfer to be sure again.)

In my interview at imm. yesterday they were happy that my 400K came from overseas. If it came from within Thailand I understand that they would have wanted to establish whether I had been working and if any tax was due on the money.

Just a quick question while we're on the topic of photos; when you apply for an extension based on marriage

* How many photos of you and the missus around the house are needed?

* Are they returned to you after application (as some posters talk about keeping the photos on file)?

Ta

JD

We had one of our wedding (10 yrs ago) and one recent photo of us in our house (drunk on new years' eve). They were photocopied and handed back to me. Photocopies were put on file.

You were lucky. Usually that is not accepted as it has to be the Husbands Money only.

I was not lucky, I was careful. I checked with the imm. dept. just what the interpretation of the rule was two months prior to my renewal.

RM - I always read your annual visa app. report with trepidation as I am in the same position as yourself and follow you to an imm. office. Fortunately, I have not had the same problems as yourself.

I use Phu Sing office. First year I didn't have a letter from bank - they issued the visa anyway and told me I could post it on to them later. 2nd year I was missing the house book - I posted a copy later.

Yesterday I had everything - extras they wanted were map to get to house, wedding and house photos. Deposit in bank (joint a/c) had been there 2 months, no query about that, but they did want to know the origin of the money - I was able to satisfy them that it came from my bank a/c in HK. There is a completely new staff at the office so it was like starting again at year one.

Incidentally, they showed me an A5 booklet which has been issued to all immigration offices with the visa rules in both English and Thai. The 2 month rule is quite clear in that and should be available to you at any imm. office. The imm. staff do seem to find the marriage exten. difficult to do and I guess the person that dealt with your app. didn't want to do it.

My wife is on the phone with a friend from Khao Suan Kwang who says the train is free to Bangkok.

Anyone know anything?

That is for Thais at the back of the train in cattle class. A scheme was introduced last summer and extended in Jan. to May.

Soil differences could be a key factor in Sisaket for us both and I would be more than a little interested in the local Ag College trials.

Isaanaussie

If you drive on the entrance road to the Queen's park you can see the Ag College field near the bottom on the right. The rice is about 12in. high at moment.

Its not viable - the margins on rice growing are not enough to cover the energy costs associated with irrigating in Thailand (which would be capital outlay on pump, and piping and then the ongoing cost of fuel - operative word been: "ongoing" , as in the dry season you will be having to pump large qauntites per rai per week - the cost of the diesel will strip away all potential profit - it will cost more to grow than it will sell for).

Yes - places like Vietnam and China have successfully introduced out of season irrigation techniques - but both those countries are able to yield double (and in some cases 3 to 4 x as much!) rice per unit area than Thailand - and thats without irrigation!

In Thailand, for all but a few folk, rice farming is a subsitance crop - and it will stay like that untill hybrids can be introduced on a commerical scale which give the yields that are realisable in China and Vietnam without having to irrigate - then, the costs of irrigation may well justify an out of season crop - but not with average yields as they are.

Rice farming is NOT a subsistance crop for most farmers - I harvest thousands of rai/year for hundreds of farmers - they all sell most of their crop, I cannot think of one who keeps it for subsistance. The price of rice is 50% up on previous years.

At today's rice and energy prices it is viable to irrigate for a 2nd crop if you are close to a water supply, you do not need huge quantities of water/rai, dampening the paddies once per week will do. There is also the added advantage that, with controlled watering, fertiliser will not be washed away. The main prob I predict would be that at harvest time (end April/May) the rains usually start.

I have been told many times that my ventures are not viable but they seem to keep me and my wife's family reasonably comfortably.

Main prob is that you will need to buy tickets in advance. Maybe get someone to buy and send them to you or plan to stay in Bkk for a day or two. It is very difficult to get a bed around bank holidays.

I propose to try a 2nd rice crop next year on one of our plots near Sisaket. It consists of about 14 rai next to a river. I will probably buy a diesel pump (or get electric laid on) for irrigation. We will buy 3-month germination seed and plant late January and harvest late April/May. Labour will not be a problem as I own all necessary equipment to do the job.

I reckon that I should get over Bt60K at the current rice price (Bt14.30/kilo) less costs of Bt12K (incl. fertiliser, seed but excl. capital cost of pump/hoses). If the price drops dramatically, as some forum members have forecast, I won't bother.

The local agricultural college are doing the same thing this year on about 4 or 5 rai which I am watching with great interest.