Working towards getting a long-term visa in Thailand, (so it is my base' for trips into Myanmar), the local immigration office on Phangan Island almost scuppered my plans by declaring that I had made too many trips into Thailand using a visa-on-arrival, and that they were not inclined to extend my current 60-day visa for 30 more days whilst I await paperwork from Bangkok to start my ED visa Thai language course, (because farang he no speak Thai lol!).

I pointed out to the IO that I entered Thailand many times because no-one had yet built a tunnel between Don Muang and Swampy airports, to allow me to transit from Yangon to Siem Reap on my previous trips without entering Thailand. (Actually the comment about tunnels is a lie - I doubt that IOs have a sense of humour....). Anyway, once they scrutinised my many entry/exit stamps, they realised that this is what I was doing, just transiting between the 2 airports, and stamped me for another 30 days. The language school assures me that the ED visa paperwork will arrive in a couple of weeks, so I should be fine.

Despite being 'forced' to remain in Thailand just for the moment, this hasn't stopped me from my efforts in Myanmar. Here are some of 95 orphan 'little' monks at an orphanage in the historical city of Bagan - A local Myanmar lady who supports that orphanage with food etc received my poster file and printed it/laminated it at a local print shop, (all of course paid by me using Western Union). More money (it doesn't take much) will follow to help the orphanage buy pens, crayons paper etc.

It doesn't take a lot to make a difference, hence the slogan of 'Xtrer', a mobile technology, charitable enterprise that I established years ago to use SMS revenues to benefit charitable causes. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/xtrer used the slogan 'A little xtrer helps...' That venture fell by the wayside when premium SMS fell out of favor perhaps 20 years ago.

Looking at these young monks, it occurs to me that the elder monk, (who is no doubt their teacher for Burmese language etc), could also do with some teaching resources for learning to read Burmese language and basic maths. So I'll be getting my design skills out to create new posters with the Burmese alphabet and maths tables etc. My Burmese language skills, although fairly basic, are good enough for me to create posters that illustrate examples of Burmese letter use...

Edited July 22Jul 22 by simon43

When viewing the link I get the message 'Xtrer is permanently closed. If you feel this is an error, let us know.'.

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Working towards getting a long-term visa in Thailand, (so it is my base' for trips into Myanmar), the local immigration office on Phangan Island almost scuppered my plans by declaring that I had made too many trips into Thailand using a visa-on-arrival, and that they were not inclined to extend my current 60-day visa for 30 more days whilst I await paperwork from Bangkok to start my ED visa Thai language course, (because farang he no speak Thai lol!).

I pointed out to the IO that I entered Thailand many times because no-one had yet built a tunnel between Don Muang and Swampy airports, to allow me to transit from Yangon to Siem Reap on my previous trips without entering Thailand. (Actually the comment about tunnels is a lie - I doubt that IOs have a sense of humour....). Anyway, once they scrutinised my many entry/exit stamps, they realised that this is what I was doing, just transiting between the 2 airports, and stamped me for another 30 days. The language school assures me that the ED visa paperwork will arrive in a couple of weeks, so I should be fine.

Despite being 'forced' to remain in Thailand just for the moment, this hasn't stopped me from my efforts in Myanmar. Here are some of 95 orphan 'little' monks at an orphanage in the historical city of Bagan - A local Myanmar lady who supports that orphanage with food etc received my poster file and printed it/laminated it at a local print shop, (all of course paid by me using Western Union). More money (it doesn't take much) will follow to help the orphanage buy pens, crayons paper etc.

It doesn't take a lot to make a difference, hence the slogan of 'Xtrer', a mobile technology, charitable enterprise that I established years ago to use SMS revenues to benefit charitable causes. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/xtrer used the slogan 'A little xtrer helps...' That venture fell by the wayside when premium SMS fell out of favor perhaps 20 years ago.

10 minutes ago, Halfaboy said:

When viewing the link I get the message 'Xtrer is permanently closed. If you feel this is an error, let us know.'.

Indded, because it closed 20 years ago! It's a link to a company database which lists Xtrer as a charitable mobile technology venture that I established yonks ago, when premium SMS was in favour :)

On 6/24/2026 at 11:46 AM, simon43 said:

Sorry not to post for a week or so :) I had some 'issues' with the Burmese authorities over my educational charity work, which helps both young students and local teachers. Many of the local teachers resigned from their government school posts when the coup happened, and took to teaching online privately. Some have been arrested and jailed for doing this online teaching.

My charity resources are mainly aimed at helping local teachers 'teach' English in an effective manner, and I think the Burmese authorities suddenly realised that! In any case, they declined to extend my business visa for teaching at the school in Myanmar.. So I had to leave. Unlike Laos, I wasn't deported :) (Laos is a completely different matter and concerns a local 'idiot' police chief not liking my legal ham radio activities...). I can visit Myanmar at any time on a tourist visa, and I haven't been banned in any way from visiting the orphanages etc.

So right now, I'm back living on Koh Phangan, where I previously lived and taught Thai and English as a volunteer to the 70 or so young Burmese kids in the local community. Those kids are undocumented in Thailand, and were allowed to accompany their parents to Phangan when the latter moved here to work (building houses etc for the Israelis and Russians etc!). The kids are granted 'safe harbour' status by the local Thai authorities, meaning that they can stay but must not leave the locality where their parents live.

The number of such kids has now increased to about 280(!), and very few of them are able to attend any kind of school. Previously the Thai authorities turned a blind eye to unregistered schools for the Burmese community, but now they raid these, and arrest and jail/fine the teachers.... So now it's very difficult for me to do any volunteer teaching in a classroom because I don't want to endnger my visa etc to remain in Thailand. I've had meetings with the previous teachers, and they are going to promote the mobile app that I created yonks ago for Burmese students. That means I need to create another 350 short lesson videos that align with each lesson in the NUG government English school text books from grades 2 to 8!! I had already completed videos for grade 1.

So, making videos and putting them onto my app will keep me busy :) I would love to find legal way to volunteer teach 'in the open', but this requires a Thai NGO to sponsor me, and for some reason Thai NGOs don't seem keen to sponsor a volunteer who helps the Burmese community.....

I'm saving up some money to either obtain a DTV (because I have my online teaching of Cinese kids and my UK pension), or a 'retirement' visa. But it will take me about 10 months to save up these funds. In the meantime, as a legal way to stay in Thailand, I've signed up for a 10 month ED visa to study 'Advanced Thai', (since I already studied it yonks ago to MA level at Chula and speak daily at a resonably high level).

Once my annual visa is assured, I'll plan a trip back to Myanmar with educational resources etc, maybe to the big Sama orphanage just outside Naypyitaw...

as teaching is work, volunteering is work
how do u get by doing both on such a small island?
u seriously dont think the authorities dont know what ur doing
ur at risk of being arrested and deported with a ban put on u>
its NOT worth it in Thaikland

seems ur running out of countries in se asia

On 7/27/2026 at 7:42 AM, zzzzz said:

as teaching is work, volunteering is work
how do u get by doing both on such a small island?
u seriously dont think the authorities dont know what ur doing
ur at risk of being arrested and deported with a ban put on u>
its NOT worth it in Thaikland

seems ur running out of countries in se asia

Well, according to my Thai lawyers and my previous experience, there is a 'loophole' in the law concerning volunteer work and the need for work permits. It stems from a 2018 amendment to the Thai law concerning the need for a work permit to do volunteer work. Basically, if you are doing volunteer in a totally-personal capacity, with no contract with an organisation, with no schedule of 'work' provided by an organisation, (and various other clauses), then you do not need a WP. Right now, my Thai lawyer has asked in writing to the Surat Thani authorities if, given my circumstances of teaching Thai language to these Burmese kids in a purely personal capacity, do I need a WP? Until we get a (hopefully positive) reply, I'm not doing any volunteer work :)

I previously worked for many years (8) as a Thai tourist police translator, and the authorities are well aware of that. I was not required to have a WP at that time (this is how Thailand works...). I'm sure the authorities know exactly what I do, (just as the Myanmar police/authorities know what I do in Myanmar with my charity work). Why neither has seen fit to stop me? Perhaps they both see that although rules exist, I am doing something positive, who knows.....

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

Well, according to my Thai lawyers and my previous experience, there is a 'loophole' in the law concerning volunteer work and the need for work permits. It stems from a 2018 amendment to the Thai law concerning the need for a work permit to do volunteer work. Basically, if you are doing volunteer in a totally-personal capacity, with no contract with an organisation, with no schedule of 'work' provided by an organisation, (and various other clauses), then you do not need a WP. Right now, my Thai lawyer has asked in writing to the Surat Thani authorities if, given my circumstances of teaching Thai language to these Burmese kids in a purely personal capacity, do I need a WP? Until we get a (hopefully positive) reply, I'm not doing any volunteer work :)

I previously worked for many years (8) as a Thai tourist police translator, and the authorities are well aware of that. I was not required to have a WP at that time (this is how Thailand works...). I'm sure the authorities know exactly what I do, (just as the Myanmar police/authorities know what I do in Myanmar with my charity work). Why neither has seen fit to stop me? Perhaps they both see that although rules exist, I am doing something positive, who knows.....

Thanks Simon and interesting to know you were a Thai Tourist Police Translator for 8 years without a WP.

I was a Thai Tourist Police Volunteer working first out of Chiang Rai then Khon Kaen for 9 years and like your self, I did not need a WP. I was issued with an official ID card.

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Thanks Simon and interesting to know you were a Thai Tourist Police Translator for 8 years without a WP.

I was a Thai Tourist Police Volunteer working first out of Chiang Rai then Khon Kaen for 9 years and like your self, I did not need a WP. I was issued with an official ID card.

Yes, still got my old police ID card. I recall when I first became a volunteer and asking the police boss about the need for a volunteer visa and WP. He looked at me a little strangely and smiled and said :"Not needed... we are the police...!"