Just now, Bday Prang said:

Well I have yet to see Thais fighting over toilet paper, unlike in the "civilised" west

Toilet paper here is used for napkins, in lieu of handkerchiefs, in general for anything requiring tissues.

 

I have got to the stage I consider the "civilised" West unhygienic, after having used a bum gun here for many years.

8 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

there's hundreds out there   are you a transphobe 

No, I am a live and let live person.

 

Psychiatrists have noted quite a few homophobic males are actually reacting that way because they fear their own suppressed tendencies.

 

Personally, most of the gays I encounter are usually more intelligent and articulate than average.

 

Not that I have ever met Alan Turing, Leonardo Da Vinci, Oscar Wilde, or Tim Cook.

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

What other kind is there?

 

Political ones, altered ones, multi-X ones....etc....

 

 

You name it.....

 

20 hours ago, hankypankee said:

What's your take? Have things really gotten more difficult as I suspect, or is it just a natural shift as Thailand modernizes and industrializes?

It's not only Thailand. In my Scandinavia home country things has become even more difficult. Part is caused to terroismen and money laundry, and it's all over most of the World that they check more-and-more. Things are still easy in Thailand compared to my home country, I'm happy that I moved and therefore have less to fight with in my home country; unfortunately still have some, including more demanding requirements from banks etc due to governmental demand...

20 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

You do know people resign and rejoin under a different moniker?

Yea We Know  They Get Banned for good  and Resurface  Again,,, different ID and Phone number.  😇

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Poor guy before us.....78 year old German.....been here for ten years, married to a Thai......said he had been told to comeback to the IO at 3 pm.......(five hour wait).....he asked why?.....they said the person who needs to sign his documents is out.....yet they signed all my docs about 40 mins after he'd left????

 

Must be luck of the draw... am on my 3rd consecutive (2yr) extension.... always under 1 hour in and out.

4 hours ago, digger70 said:

Yea We Know  They Get Banned for good  and Resurface  Again,,, different ID and Phone number.  😇

how do you know they change phone number ?

I find it very easy to get things done here in Thailand.

Everything is too easy for me here in Thailand. No formality and nothing to complain about. My weed gets delivered straight to my door by post, my meals arrive once a week, and I take regular trips down to Nana for a short-time or two. After that, I'm back home just in time to read the drivel on AN from all the miserable old foreigners moaning about their troubled lives in Thailand.

9 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Well I have yet to see Thais fighting over toilet paper, unlike in the "civilised" west

Guess you weren't here during the 2011 floods. Toilet paper, packaged noodles, canned fish, bottled water. Fighting and hoarding over the gamut. 

7 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

how do you know they change phone number ?

Wouldn't that be Obvious to change phone number and Email Address  Otherwise  AN would know that it is the Same person Registreren  that they Banned .   Right .

37 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Wouldn't that be Obvious to change phone number and Email Address  Otherwise  AN would know that it is the Same person Registreren  that they Banned .   Right .

 

Does AN now require a phone number to registrerenan account  ?

7 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

Guess you weren't here during the 2011 floods. Toilet paper, packaged noodles, canned fish, bottled water. Fighting and hoarding over the gamut. 

you guess wrong pal, no problems where I live

On 2/3/2025 at 8:58 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

Many people are unaware of the AN forum, the handful of regular posters being a minority of foreign visitors and being here for many years does not mean that they should be aware of it or join as a member.  Reading the forum does not require membership and there is no need to be a member unless one wants to post!

There must be times when you will need advice from other posters, I have no farang friends anywhere near me, so I would be lost without the help of many AN posters.

IO visit Chaiyaphum....

 

Documents were reviewed by four officers.....each one going through the pile of paperwork over and over again.....do they get shot if they make a mistake?

 

Wife's ID had our previous address, so she had to write a letter explaining the discrepancy.

 

The photographs were on photographic paper and they wanted them on 'normal' A4 paper. I suggested they just photocopy the photographs.....no.....we had to cut the photos out and glue each one onto A4 paper. B20

 

New requirement......never been requested before.....a copy of every single page of my bank book....B100.

 

Back of marriage certificate now must be copied.....B20

 

Have always give two Google route maps, printed in colour, one large scale showing the whole journey and one zoomed in to where we live. They went in the bin.....hand-drawn only.....which, based on what the wife drew, they will never find us.

 

Then we had to see the same guy we see every year and answer the same set of questions......but he did smile (first time in six years).....he asked....... "How long you been married"........I said "Forever".

 

P.S......forgot to add they wanted a copy of my TM 30...claimed I hadn't reported my return to Thailnad last June, which I had.....and by pure chance I had a copy in my folder.

 

 

Just go to one of the government offices may it be the amphur or more like a city hall for ministry of foreign affairs, whatever else, and you suddenly see actual volumes of people that make you finally believe you are in a city with a large population. 

Is like everything you would expect to be walking around in city centers, to sit in restaurants and coffee shops, is actually always there. It just shows you how extremely bureaucratic it is here. To not even start about in depth details surrounding that aka slowness, needing endless papers, corruption etc etc.

 

I really realized once again like today, needing to go with 2 taxi's and 7 people to the amphur to finalize something, that this is just like a industry lol, it almost made me happy to see so many Thais at once doing something productive, which is rare lol. The same time you see all hustling happening and what else not more.

On 2/3/2025 at 6:56 PM, Will B Good said:

 

Just thought....having said the above.....I asked 3BB for an internet connection.....two days later (and we are way, way out in the sticks).....all wired up and working perfectly.

 

Swings and roundabouts......or business and government?

Yeah there are some specific things they do get done quick but to be honest these are also always services and things that are simply possible to get done right away.

 

Not to mention, that fastness is also the reason you see 100 cables hanging around, that's what makes the entire streets with the electric look so insane. In a way i'm surprised nobody started a business to locate and remove them, the amount of fiber cable would be worth quite a bit.

1 minute ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Yeah there are some specific things they do get done quick but to be honest these are also always services and things that are simply possible to get done right away. Not to mention, that fastness is also the reason you see 100 cables hanging around, that's what makes the entire streets with the electric look so insane.

 

Funny you should say that......sat out front and one of the cables is now touching the top of our gate......very tempted to cut it!!!!

Just now, Will B Good said:

 

Funny you should say that......sat out front and one of the cables is now touching the top of our gate......very tempted to cut it!!!!

With all the electrocutions, I leave it to the 'professionals' (hired 5 electricien showed me papers and first 4 still messed up).

2 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

With all the electrocutions, I leave it to the 'professionals' (hired 5 electricien showed me papers and first 4 still messed up).

 

Might ask the wife to cut it.....safer that way.

Just now, Will B Good said:

 

Might as the wife to cut it.....safer that way.

Get a 30 year lease on the house first.

9 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Does AN now require a phone number to registrerenan account  ?

I am Not Sure if needed now but I  Remember that they asked for it when I registered Way back  years ago.    But they  need your Email. 

On 2/3/2025 at 6:02 PM, hankypankee said:

Take something as simple as opening a bank account.

Why pick that one, opening a bank account is no longer "simple" for a foreign national in most jurisdictions.

It is certainly a lot easier to see a doctor in Thailand than in the UK.

9 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

you guess wrong pal, no problems where I live

A bit of selective memory being applied.

Finding alternatives didn't eradicate the national distribution breakdown.

That old saying about silk purses and sow's ears comes to mind when chewing on gai baan.

On 2/3/2025 at 6:02 PM, hankypankee said:

a natural shift as Thailand modernizes and industrializes?

Yes

On 2/4/2025 at 12:39 PM, Ralf001 said:

 

Yeah 6 is a bit ordinary.

 

I did my extension last December.... in and out in under an hour.

CW in November. In at 0830 out at 1030 having obtained a retirement extension and made a 90 day report. No hassle.

On 2/3/2025 at 6:02 AM, hankypankee said:

Fast forward to 2025, and I can’t help but wonder, has that ease disappeared? These days, even routine matters seem to come with layers of paperwork, additional requirements, and stricter enforcement of rules, laws and regulations.

 

try canada if you think thailand is tough... here regulations are regulated

On 2/3/2025 at 6:56 PM, Will B Good said:

 

Just thought....having said the above.....I asked 3BB for an internet connection.....two days later (and we are way, way out in the sticks).....all wired up and working perfectly.

 

Swings and roundabouts......or business and government?

I have many years with 3BB.  Never had a problem with them in speed of repair work or keeping the Internet running.  Can't say the save with Verizon in the US at a much greater expense.  One time was down for 5 days.  Just like being in a third world country but paying US prices.  Don't talk about speeds either.

On 2/5/2025 at 1:40 PM, digger70 said:

I am Not Sure if needed now but I  Remember that they asked for it when I registered Way back  years ago.    But they  need your Email. 

 

emails are easy.... ive atleast 30 different gmails !

On 2/4/2025 at 1:47 PM, Lacessit said:

Toilet paper here is used for napkins, in lieu of handkerchiefs, in general for anything requiring tissues.

 

I have got to the stage I consider the "civilised" West unhygienic, after having used a bum gun here for many years.

yeah..  nothing like washing your a** with a hose that every tom,dik and somchai before you touched  and probably touched their butt  secreations with

then having a wet dripping butt  ,,  add that to ..usually no soap or paper towel to clean your flavored fingers with ,,,,,,

 sounds real appealing..