martinsen

Bob, it's different here in Bangkok. The want you to file whenever you leave the province for overnight.

If you stay overnight in a place you travel to and the landlord/hotel owner files a TM30 then you are in trouble if you have not filed your own TM30 to show you have returned to your residence.

And, what happens if you want to travel anywhere out of your province? Apparently you do not realize that you must file the TM30 every time you travel.

Thai Immigration announces that foreitners will no longer have to fill out the TM6 when entering Thailand and that they will soon make it easier to file a TM30 online and the 90 day report. We will have to wait to see if the government's word is good. https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1124074-good-news-thailand-to-scrap-tm6-cards-launch-new-mobile-app-for-tm30-reporting/?utm_source=newsletter-20190919-0559&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

I checked this out but, unfortunately, could not find any fairs like you did.

Didn't look for them. I was just there to see what the place had to offer other than that.

Have you been to Hat Yai? I really enjoyed my visit there. They have really good food with mix of Thai and Chinese. There is also one of the best floating markets I've visited and a fantastic stainless steel temple that you can climb into. Hotels there are very reasonable in price and there are many more things to see than I have mentioned. http://www.thailand-guide.com/hat-yai/

Two articles listed below says that we may be in for some relief concerning the TM30 and the 90 day report: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1123047-immigration-chief-tm-30-law-is-outdated-and-needs-to-change/?utm_source=newsletter-20190912-1204&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1123044-good-news-coming-for-expats-regarding-90-day-reporting-tm-28-and-tm-30-being-discussed-friday/?utm_source=newsletter-20190912-1204&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Most interesting report. Why did you wait so long to post it? You are a smart guy. Just visit here for a while and return home. Very wise.

I tried to talk with him but he just grunted a reply I could not understand. The person who owned part of the bar dies and I guess this guy has taken over completely.

It is not just fear mongering. It is blatant facts.

He is indeed a most unpleasant person.

Pardon me but how did you reach the conclusion that the survey relates to expats working?

I get a colonoscopy every 5 years. My last one was at Bangkok hospital. That is also an upscale hospital.

Yes, I am opinionated. But I am not alone in feeling that Thailand is not the great place to live that it once was. Here are two very recent items about this issue: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1122066-thailand-drops-in-ranking-of-best-places-for-expats-but-which-country-is-number-1/?utm_source=newsletter-20190906-1235&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1122071-thailands-foreign-businesses-balk-at-stricter-immigration-tracking/?utm_source=newsletter-20190906-1235&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

You are absolutely correct. There are some very good things about Thai Culture such as respect to the elders, parents, religious and authorities. There is a downside to this and I have said what I believe about that. Do you live here? Regardless of if you live here or you are an occasional tourist I hope that you continue to enjoy yourself.

Divine, you are lost in a fog of your own creation. "There never was a man so blind as one who wouldn't see."

Divine, you continue to suffer from a desire to paint a beautiful picture of Thailand and its government. You have blinded yourself if you believe that they are not trying to make it as difficult as they can for expats to remain here. And, exactly what tax base is paying to the government hospitals here? Certainly not the Thai people who go to these hospitals. I won't pretend to know where the money comes from to finance the Thai government but I do not believe it is from taxes. Also, for your divine information, I use a private hospital here because I don't want to sit for 8 hours waiting to see a doctor as most of the patients who are there have to do. With regard to Thai culture, I firmly believe that it cripples this land. The desire to never disagree with or tell someone they are wrong is ridiculous. You try to make it appear that I am thoughtless and do not understand Thai people. I have lived here 13 years and during that time I have met many Thais and have had many good times with them but their culture also makes them hypocrits and sometime liers. There was an occasion when a group I was with, consisting of 5 people, 3 of which were Thai, were playing cards and talking. One of the Thais was lying about some serious things he said and none of the Thais would challenge him. Yes, this is a small example but I have seen it on many occasions. It is the same thing with directions. Thais will almost never tell you they don't know. Better to give an incorrect answer than to say they don't know and, due to their culture, loose face. I think that you love Thailand because of the sex available to you. That is not bad but don't let it blind you to underlying facts about Thailand and its people.

I enjoy many of Divine Madman's posts but on this topic he is full of crap. He should apply for a government job as PROMOTER OF THAILAND GOVERNMENT BULLSHIT. Visiting here and living here are very different. When you are in a place for a very short time it is easy to overlook the problems that exist in that place but living here is different. You must face those problems daily for an extended time. Trying to over look the recent attacks on us by the Thai government is impossible. It is obvious that they are doing many things to make it more uncomfortable for us to stay here for long periods of time. The most recent has to do with health care: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1121702-dual-pricing-retirees-and-expats-may-be-charged-more-at-thai-govt-hospitals/?utm_source=newsletter-20190905-0607&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news Add up all of their recent moves relating to expats and it is not possible to avoid the fact that they do not want us here.

If it were not for my boyfriend who has a great job here in Thailand I would be in Mexico. You made a great decision.

Living here is getting to be a severe problem. The Thai government appears to want to make it as difficult as they can for expats to reside in Thailand. More laws to cause us problems such as TM30, 90 day reporting and other harassment in acquiring a visa extension. The documentation they require is now about 8 pages and some they make you sign are exclusively in Thai language and you don't know what you are signing. What I really do not understand is WHY. Most of us spend a lot of money here but they continue to pile on problems for us. It is much better to just visit for a limited time. Come for a couple of weeks and go home to the West. You don't have a serious visa problem and most of the other silly requirements do not have to be deal with. They are much more welcoming to tourist.

Not a surprise to me but I have never enjoyed Phuket. Too many rip-offs there.

I don't have any advice on how to handle it when you bet him to your place and see it for the first time. However, you are correct that it is not a pretty thing to see. So, I agree that it can be repulsive.

While Thailand is not a third world country is is at best second world. As long as Thais cling to their culture they will never have a first class place to live. Unfortunately, their culture is bred into them and not likely to change anytime soon. I have never met a people who like to beat around the bush more and who have to dance around any and every issue. No confrontation. Just talk and talk and accomplish nothing.