RIP Ubon Joe - ASEAN NOW visa expert

[Red Phoenix]

When I moved to Thailand some 6 years, I was a Total Newbie w.r.t. Thai Immigration/Visa matters.  And discovering that there was an Oracle on the Visa subForum of TVF (now AN) called UbonJoe was a true Godsend. 

As everyone confirms: Joe's knowledge of all Thai Immigration/Visa matters was encyclopedic and always accurate.  And on top of that he always responded on Immigration queries that needed a Definitive Answer on the Forum, as well as on any PMs sent to him (did he ever sleep?).

I am very very grateful to Joe for all the help he provided me, and it is the reason that I try to do something back when members are in need of Visa/Immigration advice.  Needless to say, that my efforts do not even come to the ankles of the gentle Giant that UJ was.  

Rest in Peace Joe, and you will not be forgotten by the thousands of people that benefited from the knowledge that you so gracefully shared.   ???? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I want to comment on the amazingly long commitment Joe made to this forum and his immeasurable contribution of time on behalf of fellow forum members. I don't know exactly when he started... but.....

 

While some others have been here longer than me, I first became aware of the forum about 20 years ago, and it was thru Joe and his visa/immigration related advice and posts...  And here he was 20 years later, still providing such an invaluable service to the forum and its members.

 

His truly was a contribution of epic scale and consequence.

[GinBoy2]

Very sad loss to the community, UJ knew more about rules and regs than anyone on here.

 

I don't know how old he was, but I'd venture most of us are in the same ballpark, and it brings home how quickly the lights can go out for any of us.

 

RIP UJ, hope someone of the nextgen will take over the mantle of being the oracle of all immigration knowledge.

[DJ54]

R.I.P. Joe …. Prayers to you and your family… You’ll duly be missed by all of us that asked for help with visa knowledges and the input you provided on Ma y topics. …

 

when ever I read posts concerning visa I’d scroll down to find the water buffalo because I knew that’d be an correct answer.. .. 

 

guess I’ll have to start my getting ready for extension ready this year… Thanks for 

all your help over 8 years for me on the forum..

 

 

[DualSportBiker]

Helpful without reservation! Ubon Joe was a legend on this site. RIP.

[DrJack54]

In shock.

Most of us wondered what was going on with Joe and now this SAD SAD news.

 

Joe was the backbone of AseanNow. 

 

Universally liked, respected and a true gentleman. 

 

To say will be sadly missed is a ridiculous understatement.

Irreplaceable in so many ways.

 

I know Joe had a wife and believe daughter. Thoughts go out to his family and friends.

 

R.I.P 

 

[thailandsgreat]

 

RIP. I mostly remember all correct and friendly information he gave. Always willing to share.

[jrward42]

I post on this site very rarely and 90% of the time it was about visas or official-related stuff. Joe was the one who answered every time and was reliably accurate and incredibly helpful. Seemed a great guy too. Sad news. RIP.

[Cake Monster]

Sad news

Joe was always on hand to help so many people with various Visa issues

My deepest condolences to his Family and closeFriends

Joe will be sorely missed 

[Chicksaw]

A scholar and a gentleman if there ever was one.

[sungod]

Top man, must have helped thousands.

[Crossy]

Apart from his encyclopedic and up-to-the-second knowledge of all things immigration, Joe was also one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet.

 

He will be sadly missed by many!

 

RIP Ubon Joe ???? 

[Jingthing]

Say it ain't so, Ubon Joe.

 

Truly the gold standard of Thai visa immigration advice.

 

Nobody else ever came close or ever will.

 

He helped so many people clarify very confusing issues including me.

 

He was brilliant in the art of brevity.

 

Where others may ramble on and on he often summed things up in a short sentence that totally did the job

 

He wisely never engaged in messy bickering fests but if people needed the final definitive resolution of a controversy he would eventually state it and you could be highly confident he was right

.

His passing leaves a black hole in the core mission of this forum.

 

AI won't be able to fill it.

 

Truly the end of an era.

 

 

[Dart12]

This is a big loss for the community.  So sad to hear.

He was extremely prompt with help...extremely knowledgeable, and open to sharing it with tons of patience.

I, for one, will miss him here.

[gamb00ler]

He put the "visa" in ThaiVisa.

 

RIP Joe. ????

[STALINGRAD]

My thoughts and prayers to his family.He was a wealth of information and help to me many times.Always quick to respond to my messages,I relied on his responses to be to the point and accurate.He represented what is the best of this forum and will be greatly missed.

[scottiejohn]

There have been so many rightly deserved eloquent statements made above on UJ's behalf that I feel that cannot in any way make a meaningful addition to them.

 

R.I.P. @ubonjoe

[UWEB]

R.I.P. Ubon Joe

[KhaoNiaw]

RIP Joe. A great loss. My condolences to the family. 

[Lacessit]

UbonJoe was an encyclopedic authority on all the nuances of the Thai visa system, his achievements were in being unfailingly accurate, and always helpful in the open forum or by PM. IMO everyone will miss his sage advice.

I still have some of his responses copied from my PM questions. This is sad news.

 

RIP Ubon Joe. A giant of ThaiVisa and ASEAN.

[Gaccha]

I'll miss you, the Oracle of Ubon. 

 

Obviously, like many other people here, I noticed several weeks ago that you were absent from the forum. But it is still a shock.

 

I genuinely think there will now be a statistically noticeable uptick in the number of illegal overstays or other infractions, since without Joe's advice and calm certainty few expats will have a clue.

 

I wondered to myself just what Joe did to so brilliantly master the Byzantine visa rules of Thailand. He certainly seemed to know the rules better than most immigration officers. I still would like to know.

 

His calm, kind demeanor will be an asset even in heaven. RIP joe.

[Denim]

RIP Joe. A big thank you for all your help over the years. Always there to provide assistance and information to everyone. Your services were much appreciated by everyone , myself included.

 

My only lingering thought is of how little we knew him, where he was from and how old he was etc. 

[Airalee]

I think he was the most helpful forum member here.  RIP

[transam]

Rest in Peace, Joe...

 

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction on many a time over my  years on TVF...

You were, and still are, a TVF Star, your unwavering commitment to helping others will not be forgotten.

 

????............Trans...........????

[Jack1988]

Honestly I knew that there was something weird, I mean that he was very quiet in the last months, he even stopped to answer me. I am so sorry that he is dead! He was a very good person, I could feel that, even if I never meet him. REST IN PEACE JOE

[Jack1988]

I really can't stop crying. He helped me many times with his perfect answers. He was for sure a good man, it's hard to find people like him today

[freedomnow]

Oh no.

Had noticed his absence on the visa thread recently.

He was a cornerstone of this site.

 

The amount of last-minute problems he had set right clearly and simply.

 

 

What a guy.

[BE88]

Very sad news. Thank you Joe for all your help you have given so many of us, we would always remember you.

[chubby]

why did he know so much about visa issues?   did he live in Ubon ?

 

[transam]

Just now, chubby said:

why did he know so much about visa issues?   did he live in Ubon ?

 

Because he read the facts, used his head to find those facts....

I met him in Ubon................