Mekong

Judge orders US officials to hand over Prince Harry’s visa application The DHS is fighting to prevent the publication of the documents after the Duke revealed he had taken cannabis, cocaine and magic mushrooms in his memoir – in apparent violation of US visa rules. Link So, which was it young Harry, did you lie on your visa application or did you lie in your “The Full Truth SPARE” book? Either way you have been caught out as the lying toe-rag which you are. Please USA don’t cancel his vise, the UK doesn’t want him back.

It has been a couple of decades or more since I was opening Bank accounts on 30 exemption stamps / tourist visas but back then it was easier to open an account in Silom / Sukhumvit, the tourist areas, than say Rama III. It also depends on the cashier, some will open an account others won’t, a branch may open an account on Tuesday but not Wednesday all hit and miss. I did find This Article which seems to indicate that SCB are more likely to be accommodating to those without non imm visas One thing which has always struck me as weird is Paradox, To obtain a retirement or marriage visa you need to show funds in a Thai Bank Account, to open a Thai Bank Account you need a Visa. With that in mind, being the quality tourist which you are, you might consider mentioning “I need to open an account so I can apply for a retirement visa”if they resist in any way. Good Luck

I tried to watch this, probably 3 or 4 episodes, just couldn’t get into it Not saying it was bad, just not my cup of tea

There is actually a thread about this subject on Reddit No I don’t spend much time if any on Reddit, it just came out top of Google search on the topic

In other words the Pinoys speak better English and can land more punters …. Thai LB’s have their noses out of joint, as for giving Ladyboys of Bangkok a bad name, could it possibly be any worse. What is the collective noun for Ladyboys Bevy of Lady’s Troop of Men

You must be having a good time if you have missed this one, been headline news on TV for the past week it seems now. Phuket officials want beach bully’s visa revoked Link Hundreds rally on beach against Swiss man who allegedly kicked doctor Link 2 i watch quite a bit of Thai News on TV or should I say the wife does and I understand about 20% of it and the Mrs fills in the rest, I mainly look at the picture 555

I don’t think he would be that stupid. As I said previously he was the stooge / fall guy. Any drugs dealing hand will sacrifice the lower players in order to remain at liberty and continue in business. The heat was on, Police knew what was happening and wanted a name so they gave him the farang with enough drugs on him to make it look like a major bust for the police but not make a dent in the cartels business. Many international Smugglers are grassed up by the people they are carrying for. Load a fall guy up with say 1kg of Coke inform the airport they have a bust, meanwhile whilst customs are happy the real mule is strolling right through with 10kg of Coke

Pork Swords at Six Paces After recent happenings in Phuket I am surprised there have not been Candlelit vigils held by Anthem singing, placard waving Thais demanding the cancellation of visas and deportation of the Pinoys

Another “Only inThailand News Story’ Chaos erupted early this morning outside a hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 11 when a violent confrontation broke out between Thai and Filipina ladyboys. The Thai group assembled in response to an incident today, March 5, where a Thai ladyboy was assaulted and robbed by a group of about 20 Filipina ladyboys. Tensions heightened as the Thai group demanded justice, leading to a heavy police presence from Lumpini Police Station to secure the scene and negotiate a path to peace. The standoff intensified as the Thai group, numbering in the hundreds, refused to back down, occupying the space in front of the hotel where the Filipina group was staying. The gathering persisted into the early hours, with the Thai group shouting “Thailand!” and “Get out!” as the Filipinas, evidently intimidated, refused to leave the premises. At around 3.30am, police officers, numbering just over ten, arrived to establish a perimeter around the hotel and escort the first two Filipino individuals out amidst the uproar. Despite pleas from the Royal Thai Police, communicated over loudspeakers, to avoid violence, the situation quickly descended into mayhem as the Thai group began hurling bottles at the emerging Filipinas. Ultimately, police managed to intervene and detain both the assailants and the victims, transporting them to Lumpini Police Station. The exact number of those arrested and the condition of the injured remains unknown, reported KhaoSod. Link

He was obviously the stooge / fall guy for the Koh Tao mafia, he had been on the island / under observation for five months according to the article. Where was he getting his supplies from? How did he stay so long on no doubt a tourist visa, they don’t issue Business Visas for drug dealing. My comment about “Extra from Deliverance” was implying he looked like the elevator doesn’t go to the top floor / a tinnie short of a six pack. A simple gullible bloke who was being paid beer money to extend his stay. There is no way a foreigner would be able to deal drugs on Koh Tao for 5 months without the mafia knowing, I doubt even a Thai would get away with such.

Thai cop spills beans on bid to hush British backpacker’s drugs dealing bust An unnamed Thai police officer revealed that his superiors attempted to suppress a story about the arrest of a British backpacker for selling Category 1 drugs on a notorious island in Thailand. Andrew Brett was arrested on Thursday, February 29, for allegedly selling ecstasy and LSD to other foreign tourists at the Ecco Bar on Koh Tao island in the southern province of Surat Thani. The Thai officer, who wished to remain anonymous, informed a reporter that the police had been monitoring the drug dealer for several months before they swooped to nab him. The Thai cop made known they wanted to conceal the crime because the drug dealing took place on the notorious Koh Tao island, widely known as Death Island. Full Story I must say Mr Brett looks like an extra for Deliverance.

The cover to the first (and best IMHO) RATM album You may be a man for Zak but for, me as a guitarist myself, Tom Morello is my standout man in RATM. He was also pretty decent in Audioslave amongst his other ventures.

Thích Quảng Đức Incident was 1963 over 60 years ago, do you remember the other 5 monks who also did similar protesting about the same issue within 4 months? What about the other 48 in the 60’s including some in the USA against the war in Vietnam, majority of instances male the headlines one day and are forgotten before used as Chip paper. 25 in the 70’s, 15 in the 80’s, 21 in the 90’s, 22 in the 2000’s and 114 in 2010’s That is well over 200 since Thích Quảng Đức and most people would struggle to name one.

Self Immolation is a rather pointless exercise, the only people you are harming is oneself and it will be all forgotten about in a couple of days. Globally there have been 25 Cases since 2020 alone, how many do you remember coz I remember none

Not a lot sneaks past me 555 I thought the spelling as kewl being sarcastic May have been just a British thing

Love the Sarcasm

Not quite sure when yet, but hopefully in 2-3 months time, just have to keep exercising and build the energy levels up. As for where, who knows? I was offered a job last month in South Korea, similar to what I did in Spain working as Project Management Resident Engineer in Contractors design office representing Saudi Aramco, they are extending the refinery I was part of in Spain. Big projects have different parts designed globally I.e Spain, Italy, UK, Korea, Singapore, but it was a bit too early in my recovery to consider. I haven't flagged up to people that I am looking / available for work yet, so will know more when I tell the world I am back in play again. Where ever it may be will have to be somewhere I can take the wife, only married status jobs from here on in

I think the difference being was that you were a tourist looking at Vietnam through tourist eyes where as I was working there and viewed Vietnam through the eyes of someone on an overseas assignment, our expectations differed greatly. I have worked in many Shit holes including a Saudi Qatar, Libya and even the USA so the bar for comparison was set extremely low. Reasons why I ranked it higher than Spain include closer to Bangkok, Cheaper cost of living and on Married Status, having a partner with you when overseas makes it a lot mere tolerable.

Definitely Thailand, I have been here / been based here over 30 years now, more than half my life.

After Madrid / sorting the shit out in Thailand, I did a few months work in the UK, mainly to be around for my Fathers 80th Birthday which I am glad of since he passed away a couple of years back just short of 90. Then I had a good 6 years spell working in Vietnam, not Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh, a a city in the North called Thai Binh just South of Hai Phong and Halong Bay, enjoyed my time there best country I have ever worked in, and there have been many. Been taking it easy the past 4 years or so, keeping head down during Covid as well as recovering from a major illness, probably start looking for work again in a few months, still learning to walk again muscles tend to turn to shit when stuck in bed for a few years 555. Retired, I wish, still only in my 50’s (just, I turn 60 in 3 weeks time) a few years of work left in me yet and need to make up for the “Lost Years”

I stopped using Bangkok Bank 12 years ago, I found there customer service between non existent and downright criminal i.e. a Branch Manager refusing to give historical statements unless I purchased a health insurance premium from them (Which she would get commission from naturally), the Judge who issued the Court Order for the Statements wasn’t best pleased and Bangkok Bank (The Bank not the individual) ended up in the dock. Not only did I no longer wish to be a customer with them after such, I very mush doubt they would welcome my custom anymore 555. Kasikorn are OK, amazing how the perception of KBank changed amongst foreigners when it changed from Thai Farmers Bank in 2003 even though Kasikorn is an old Thai word for “Farmer”. When I was working for an MNC in Thailand my local payments were made into a company opened KBank account. KBank was voted best domestic bank in Thailand 2023 I prefer Siam Commercial Bank, voted best bank in Thailand for digital solutions 2023 I find it serves my needs better. Many of the services offered by / why voted best, by KBank are not available to foreigners and SCB being better online bank puts it above KBank IMHO and for what I use it for. But opinions are just like arseholes, everyone has one and other peoples usually stink 😜