moogradod

Whether I take that as a joke or not does not matter. As a visitor you can do nothing to change it. The best you can get out of it is to take it as an exercise of patience and be thankful for it. That cheers up a bit.

No need to elaborate on the consequences on tourism I suppose. The only question I would have is: How is this communicated abroad, where the tourists to be would decide to visit or not. Or is it not ? Surprize on arrival otherwise ! ???????? And it really scares me that such decisions can be made within such a short time frame. It conveys not only the feeling that the decisionmakers did not think through what they did decide but that any change could happen anytime again - shutdown ? curfew ? As a tourist that would make me insecure even further. Would you book under such circumstances ?

We only came to know Waitrose as a brand after we moved here. But it was a big surprize. None of their products did let us down so far. Top quality. We even buy our original Parmesan DOP which they sell under their name. 18 month matured at a reasonable price. We will try the tea as well now if they have it here in Pattaya Central Festival although thinking about it makes me sad a bit. No, actually sad quite a lot. The standard Tesco tea that Tesco/Lotus had was the best tea I tasted after Twinings discontinued ???????? my older favourite "Prince of Wales" while still offering dozens of others. Many things I do not understand about this world.

The plates do not necessarily give you an indication where they are coming from, exept maybe when they are from far away. We have always lived in Pattaya and have a Bangkok plate. When we bought the car this was recommended to us "to reduce the frequency" of controls and is obviously no problem at all. There is definitely an influx of domestic tourists, has been that way on weekends even since quite some time. No armada of big tour buses as far as I can see and when we pass beach road by car - limited number of tourists spotted. Some small groups of Indians walking carelessly on the streets as they do probably back home, too. For the "real" tourist places we cannot tell for we dont visit there especially in the night - then we stay home or visit selected restaurants most of the time. Still a VERY long way to go to reach pre-Covid levels

What causes the confusion here is that there are 3 conditions that need to be met together before it is becoming nasty and many of you argue on these different layers independently. It is: 1. Intention (cause, discussion about social themes) 2. Availability of Tool (That is the discussion about the gun laws) 3. Actual pulling of the trigger while aiming at victims If one of these is missing there is no nasty action. And that is why 2. Availability of tool is part of it but not alone.

This argument is not so far off to explain the vast accumulations of arms in one household as you seem to suggest ("...not a very good one"). I try here to delve down in a gun owners mind..... I do not own guns, I play guitar and I can assure you that every serious guitar player on this planet owns more than one single guitar. More likely near to 10, maybe very much more. Well the difference is of course that guns kill and guitars makes music, but the pride and interest of ownership for something you like is the same. Assume now there is something like a not violent collector, then it does not surprize me to find large arsenals in the hands of a few. OK - maybe my argument is not really strong....there might be potentially violent collectors as well and the guns they posess may cause more harm than a collection of guitars. Sorry, just appeared in my mind, trying to find the reasons for their fanatism.

I am not an expert at all, but how about looking to the countries that have sucessfully introduced meaningful gun laws, like Australia for example it seems. The problem is not which law in every detail but that the US citizens should become accustomed with the idea and that it would help to save lives to ban, confiscate and restrict and not the opposite.

I know it from more than 40 years ago. My first wife was from there. Might have changed but it was: 1. Nicest beaches I have ever seen. No comparison with Thailand (unless someone can give me a secret insider tip for LOS - please). Last time I have been swimming in the ocean here was before the tsunami in Phuket. And I really miss it. 2. Cleanest water I have ever seen. You could see from a boat through to the bottom of the sea over a distance of surely 3 meter (my guess) 3. Terrible food exept for fresh grilled fish which is no miracle to prepare 4. Very dangerous. Once my ex wife and myself took a taxi from a disco home because of security reasons. Distance about 200m. 5. Horrible traffic and especially pollution in Manila. Bangkokian air is a fresh mountain breeze in comparison 6. I somehow hate the special pronounciation of their English - maybe a reminder of my ex-wife. She was absolutely terrible by the way. Now I am married in Thailand since 16 years and it could not be better 7. Modest and friendly people. Were once invited to a family. They had two chicken - both undernourished to the bone (literally). They did catch one to prepare it that they had something to offer. I still remember their kindness but as well the desperate attempts of our dinner to escape in the small hut. 8. And I forgot: These are the most talented people if improvisation is needed. I always said as a joke: They are able to construct a nuclear power plant using a paper-clip and a rubber band. 9. And I learned how the inside of a car tyre looks like. A taxi I took had tyres mounted practically without rubber, they were that torn down. The steering wheel had a tolerance of nearly 180 degrees. And this in the mountains near San Fernando. 10. Arrival at the airport: After leaving the war-like zone I wanted to enter a taxi. Trying to open the door it came off the car.

But they can be banned as they are in other civilized countries, where hunters, target shooters exist also. It is a question of the wording of the law they need to pass. But there is reluctance in the US to do even that. Less guns - less possibilities. Nearly the same with nuclear weapons. If there are none then none can be fired.

There is a saying I do not remember from where I got it actually and I remember it only in German: "Ein Schwert zum töten, ein Schwert zum lebendigmachen". Roughly translated: "A sword to kill, a sword to make alive (vivid)". Might be from the world of Kendo. I believe this has very many levels of meaning from an obvious course one down to subtle realms. One of the most obvious is that it is the intention that counts - how and when it is used - for good or bad. For agression or protection. I could imagine that this is an argument of the NRA (I am as far from the NRA that could be) and they stress the effect of possible protection as first priority. But after all it is the human mind that is in the center of it all. I doubt that all NRA members are impeccable in their decisions and character, too. But it does not help: It is not a law that can help with this problem, only slightly influence it. The effort must lie on becoming a "better" human then maybe in the end hand hold weapons would become even obsolete at all and the problem is finally really solved. Until then it will stay all the time.

You are too polite. Sensible ? I would opt for "should not be allowed". The crucial point here is that nobody should be hurt or badly affected by my actions. As long as this is not the case it should be my decision alone if I kill myself and what substances I eat and drink. If I do not embark on a jolly ride in my car after a hefty mouthful of Ayahuasca or similar.

Do you mean by that that to levy a tax is justified if you are just taking your normal bags, jewellery, gold ornaments etc. along for travel ? If yes than this is total BS. My Wife has several Maison Mollerus items (they seem never to wear out and look like new all the time) and other expensive stuff, diamond jewellery etc. This would mean she could never take this out of the country any more. Keep the receipt ? You must be joking. I am just talking normal use, not 10 Rolexes per arm.

Well, six hours is quite a feat. Would need to fall into a deeper meditation state to afford it this long. You are right, Thai people are very sociable, and if they are then my wife might be part of the upper 1%. Wherever she shows up - regardless if in Switzerland or Thailand or wherever we visit, she makes friends in a jiffy and starts chatting - quite the opposite of what I would do. Her talent, aura and disposition in this regard is facilitating communication with even official administrations and is a door opener (I remember opening my first bank account which I did with a hotel adress and without visa - OK - some time ago). But sometimes it is just too much for me. Noise cancelling phones can help as well as can ear plugs - "Ohropax" being the only ones I know that really work. OP, rest assured - you are not alone.

Indeed, almost everybody from all kinds of Swiss administrations I have ever come in contact with was really friendly and helpful. Including the Swiss Embassy personnel in BKK. It was a bit complicated to get my wife to be visit me for the first time to let her have a look where she would marry to and a lot of administration for the marriage was indeed necessary. With a lot of translations and smiles - hard work for me but now we are married happily since 16 years. My wife got her permanent residence after 5 years. Sort of automatic procedure. This took some minutes, paper work was near to nothing. All data in the computer. Some minor questions and none of the investigative suspicious kind. CHF 80.-- to be paid if I remember correctly et voilà she had nearly all the rights any original Swiss have exept voting. Free choice of work was anyway allowed from the beginning she set a foot on Swiss soil. But she did only work as a house-wife anyway. I had a reasonably good job. No idea how the Britains manage this kind of thing, and the Australians and the Americans. I have heard it must be a bit more complicated. But lets stop here - its a thread about the certification of a life certificate for a Swiss pension by a German guy with Thai wife and daughter.

In Zurich there are about 1200 drinking wells open to everyone passing by which are absolutely safe. The mineral content of Zurichs tap water even does surpass some of the bottled water. Here is one of them, some of them date back centuries. Not using tap water anymore for everything was one of the bigger challenges we did face moving here. What I have heard is that some noodle shops on the streets use tap water for cooking (question of price). Although the water is heated during the process (enough ?) that explains a lot of unfortunate events in my past.

If you want to enjoy bureaucratic matters, nonsense, misuderstandings fully then marry in the Philippines. I did in my very early premature times and was punished accordingly. One example: A document had to be "legalized". I asked for how long it took. They said maybe up to 3 years on official channels (no joke). If I did it myself possibly in 14 days. I opted for the 14 days ping-pong-ing between different offices. Once I freaked out and did what is usually not recommended in Asia: I raised my voice substantionally in the midst of the administration hall. I was then invited to see the boss. A little bit of small talk about German cars with him (he liked Porsche) gave me then the stamp I needed. Even no money required. I lost as well my passport once in the Philippines and got a new one within 5 days. The downside was any future border crossing from this time on with my Phips made document where my picture faded very quickly away ("Sir, can you please get out of the car.....") I am an AHV pensioneer, but I have a German passport. I am gifted with unusual situations. Nothing straightforward. But somehow I always get it. So as well this time - the difference is that some use their condo admin and I need a bus fully loaded with lawyers and diplomats.

That is what they told me on the phone in person some time ago (actually more than a year ago). However there is a webpage, updated 03.02.2022 which explicitely states that they would accept a lawyer. If this can be trusted is another question since the certificate they sent me for certification looks quite different than the one the mentioned "current" website links to. What I will do now is to let it be certified by a lawyer and sent it to them via DHL. I told them already by mail. If they dont like it they may complain but I have no grounds to insist on the info on the web. Just like it is sometimes in Thailand. Not so much different, right ? And this is Switzerland - the epitome of correctness and transparence. Maybe not.

Yes maybe they will but it is easier to have a short drive in Pattaya to see my lawyer and let him do it within 3 minutes. Please consider as well that my stepdaughter is still going to school. To drive to BKK and maybe back the next day means one day off. They start classes this coming Monday again. If I would need to drive up to Si Khio it would be 3 days off.

They want it one the same paper as far as I understood it ! Stepdaughter and Wife are as well involved in the process but please let me refrain to entertain you with everything. (Only short: Wife probably because she would have the right to obtain a reduced pension when I am dead). There are more details you do not know: I have a German passport but good hope that the Swiss embassy will help me nevertheless if needed. I leave out all the details, but I thank eveybody here for their contribution and good ideas.

I am not sure, either, although the link you posted some posts above does confirm it should be possible. Would be by far the best solution. I sent them an email and if they say again no we will have some phone calls. But I see myself already certifying 2 different versions - one for my wife and myself (drive to Bangkok eventually) and some 800km in addition to Si Khio only to get the certification for my stepdaughter (maybe together with my wife) since they are both registered there. The district office there even issued a Kor Ror 2 16 years ago (handwritten) - but they would not certify me as living at a certain adress based on TM30, Driving License or Rental Contract, although I showed up in person with all supporting documents you can imagine together with my wife and stepdaughter who had all their IDs with them of course. I even suspect a little discrimination for when you thin it through it is obviously clear that they could certify me as well.

Was this for Switzerland (AHV) ? Actually nearly everybody could do it - Me, my wife and my stepdaughter are definitely identifiable as living persons. I do not know about my living adress - the police might not know it and neither the Poo Yai Baan. Important is here if the Swiss authorities accept the certifier. To prove my adress I have many TM30, my driving license and my rental contract - all with the adress. Swiss are known to be accurate. Although I do not know how they process the thousands of certificates anyway they might have a close look at every form returned.

I have heard rumours that they used to do it in the past (they are predestined to do it actually for they have all the data - finally an application for a TM30 with your adress on it) but no longer want to (maybe until they get specially motivated). The link that you embedded says explicitely that "Immigration Police" and "Licensed Lawyers" may certifiy it (Updated info on 03.02.2022): Here is the excerpt: On the phone they denied as well that my "Licensed Lawyer" may do it although this would the most sensible way to do. My Stepdaughter is Thai and for an embassy this might be difficult to process, although it is logically possible But thanks for the link anyway. I see some entertaining discussion with Geneva coming and I can surely use this info.

I receive a Swiss State Pension and they have sent me a form on which an official organisation should confirm that I am still living. They ask the same for my wife (Thai) and Stepdaughter (Thai). We all live in Chonburi but my wife and Stepdaughter are registered (Tabien Baan) in another Province. They also want to confirm my living adress. These are extremely easy questions and can be answered with the information the Immigration has about me in seconds. There are boxes that can be ticked in a jiffy. Even for my wife / Stepdaughter an ID-Card with its picture and the personal appearance before the one who will confirm the Life Status would take seconds. There are 4-5 ticks in boxes to be made, signature of the authority and officical stamp. And that's it. All in all a 2 minute exercise I assume. At least should be. My neighbor could do it on the spot if he were only recognized as acceptable authority. Now I have heard that Immigration may somehow be reluctant to perform this service. But does anybody still use them for that purpose ? And if not them then who ? Nobody of us is registered in the City Hall. If extra charges are necessary because it seems not to be a regular service anymore so be it. Maybe a case for a so called agent who could help, facilitate things and convince them to make an exeption ? And if yes, who exactly could be the best in this regard ? I do not have any experience in that area and it is as well the first time I need to sent said document to Switzerland. Thank you for any help.

Your planning is synomynous with mine (I do not know a map of "toilets of Thailand" ????) although you still need a bit of luck then. Not every gasoline station has a western toilet (decreasing, but my own experience). "Out on the sticks" counts for me already for a region without "regular" (OK, thats subjective) infrastructure. Example: In Si Khio they have no taxis and the one Songtaew they have on the line you need will not go until it is full. Could take 2 hours. I meant rather a bit underdeveloped and not in the midst of the jungle. You may even encounter the "toilet problem" on the darkside of Pattaya.

Potential headaches (sometimes) - not to be confused with bashing as seems to be so popular. I believe its the truth and nothing but the truth. Not in order of importance: 1. Insecurity of staying the older you get (quick change of regulations, may threaten lifes and disturb quiet family life at its base) 2. Impossibility of getting residence status if you have not worked here before. In general too strict immigration regulations (too much administration) and only limited stay of one year without a new application. Perfect explanation by @Lacessit in this thread. 3. Scare of employees to take responsibilities (sometimes) therefore making many things lengthy and complicated. A signature - my-o-my - this means I have to stand for what I stated - alone ???? !! 4. Sometimes: Noticeably relatively low competence of employees in their field of work overall - a question of education but there are exeptions which then stand out as positive surprizes ! But nobody wants to explain a supposedly professional what needs to be done and double control everything all the time 5. More than inflatory increasing prices and no price control. Lucky you if you know where to get the same for half the price. 6. Far too high import taxes (why should I travel more than 9K flight kilometers to pay 3 times as much for the exact item as in my homeland) or for selected items (wine for example) 7. Still no western toilets everywhere (countryside) - but has become better tremendously. No idea how many elderly farangs like me do manage. A trip out in the sticks needs careful planning based on the availability of toilets. Ridiculous. 8. The writing (too small to read most of the time, torturous rules which could have been simplified a lot to get the same result even for a tonal language. Why have classes of consonants if you have signs which stand for the pronounciation ? 9. My sadness if you notice how many local employees are treated 10. Some of the local music - especially the modern tunes. Always the same harmonies and terribly boring. Some traditional tunes are actually quite interesting. 11. Ketchup on what they sell me under the description "Pizza" (would belong to its own category "Horror") actually. Acceptable: 1. 90 day reports are really no pain in the ass although I do not see the reason for it, either. 2. Driving (yes, driving - really - now start hating me or still hate me or put me on ignore if you want) 3. Beaches and water quality (of the ocean) Paradise: 1. My family and my exeptional wife which I know for more than 18 years and am now married for 16 years without any problems 2. Friendliness of the people I know. This includes foreigners and Thai. 3. Exeptional helpfulness of the people I know 4. Politeness 5. Diversity of food - especially a lot of japanese products and restaurants 6. Warm weather all year long 7. Cheap land (for my wife) - well, depends where but my wife bought 0.5 Rai with chanote, electricity, water on a government street for THB 120K. From where I come consider yourself lucky to get 1m2 for that. Still looking for a much larger plot. 8. I like Asia since I travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Japan starting with 19. Many countries on the continent within better reach than from Europe. So I could visit Vietnam now for the first time of my life (example) easily 9. Still cheap if you want to restrict yourself mostly to local eating habits. 10. Prices for minor medical assistance and treatment 11. Cheap housing for what you get if you do not live downtown Bangkok