By Barry Kenyon

[Gaybutton]

They already have no restrictions on noise.

Actually they do. Several years ago the city passed an ordinance that the bar music cannot exceed 90 decibels. It was actually enforced - for about 2 weeks as I recall. That was the end of any enforcement.

I've said it many times over the years - in Thailand a law is not a law unless it is enforced. They can pass laws and ordinances from now to St. Swithin's Day. What good does it do if they're not enforced? Are some of these laws actually laws or mere suggestions?

[Gaybutton]

Pattaya one tiny step nearer to 24-hours drinking

By Barry Kenyon

August 27, 2023

The official news that Thailand’s Eastern Aviation City, 60 kilometers from Pattaya, is to have 24-hours booze sales shouldn’t set the champagne corks popping just yet. The only part of the “City” that has actually been built is U-tapao airport, so the interior ministry’s announcement in the Royal Gazette just brings the rules into line with Bangkok’s passenger air hubs. The rest of the multi-billion baht “City”, a flagship initiative of the Eastern Economic Corridor, will take years to complete.

None the less, the booze liberalization on Pattaya’s doorstep will intensify the efforts to extend drinking time in Sin City beyond the current 2 am which, ahem, is enforced selectively. Damrongriet Pinitkarn, secretary of the lobbying group Pattaya Entertainments Association, has been campaigning vigorously to see the cash tills ringing later. The two new Move Forward MPs for Pattaya say they will lobby the new parliament as well. They all stress that the bars and clubs need to maximize their income to compensate for the ghost town reality during the pandemic. A similar campaign is on the go in Phuket.

Given that the old military-backed government and the new ruling coalition are both committed to boosting the numbers of international tourists, the case for booze-rule liberalization is overwhelming. A local MP said the most likely scenario was an extension of drinking time in nominated tourist areas throughout the country to 4 am and the abolition of the odd rule, originally introduced by a military junta in the 1970s, that restricts alcohol sales in stores and convenience shops to 11.00 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to midnight. Next year is the likely timeline. Never try to hurry the Orient.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ing-439210

[Gaybutton]

British consul reassures Pattaya expats and tours international law office

By Barry Kenyon

August 30, 2023

His Majesty’s British embassy consul, Joanne Finnamore-Crorkin who is in charge of welfare work with Brits across Thailand, gave a well-received talk about her work to over 100 members and guests of the Pattaya City Expats Club. She pulled no punches and said she would not offer dishonestly to look into matters that were not the embassy’s concern. For example, the hot topic of British state pensions being frozen in many countries, including Thailand, was a political issue that could be settled only in the British parliament.

The consul explained that all initial enquiries to the embassy are now transferred automatically – at local rates – to the London call center whose staff decide which to refer to consular staff in Bangkok. This is a worldwide system and is meant to ensure that all callers, no matter which country they are in, receive the same advice. She gave last June as a typical month: the London center received 823 calls about Thailand and referred many of them to the Bangkok British embassy’s consular section.

Joanne emphasized that consular responsibilities have evolved over the last 15 years or so. For example, there are now many more British deaths here as the expat community ages and more cases concerning child welfare than in the past. The other main areas of welfare are hospitalizations, victims of crime including rape, missing and trafficked persons, sentenced prisoners and those awaiting deportation. She said that dealing with these cases was now the priority in consular work. Conversely, there was now less emphasis on notarial and documentary services, although the embassy did issue emergency passports, certification of passports for visa or other purposes and counter-signed affidavits for Brits wishing to marry in Thailand.

She noted that applications for British passports and visas are no longer the responsibility of the embassy but are handled by VFS Global. In a busy question and answer session, Joanne confirmed that the embassy was very concerned about Brits with unpaid medical bills and there was a general discussion about the pros and cons of compulsory medical insurance. She also confirmed that consular staff were now in regular contact with city, tourist and immigration police as well as hospitals. A visit to a mortuary was now part of the training.

In the afternoon, the consul visited the international law offices adjoining the Jomtien headquarters of Chonburi immigration bureau, led by Dr Jessataporn Bunnag. She met staff responsible for visa advice, training for driving licences and heard about the wide variety of civil and criminal cases being handled by attorneys. She was also introduced to the Foreign Workers Registration Center, housed in the law offices, which is responsible for the paperwork of thousands of guest workers from neighboring countries in Chonburi province. Appointed to her current post almost a year ago, Joanne expects to be Bangkok consul for the next few years. The appointment of a new honorary consul in Pattaya, to replace Bert Elson who has retired, is currently awaiting confirmation from London.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/britis ... ice-439507

[Jun]

She pulled no punches and said she would not offer dishonestly to look into matters that were not the embassy’s concern. For example, the hot topic of British state pensions being frozen in many countries, including Thailand, was a political issue that could be settled only in the British parliament.

Honesty is far better than the vague promises typically made by some people.

[Gaybutton]

Further clemency for Thaksin can’t be ruled out

By Barry Kenyon

September 3, 2023

Ex premier Thaksin Shinawatra, having received a partial pardon from His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn reducing his jail sentence for corruption from eight to one year, is still in Bangkok’s Police General Hospital. He is under observation for a variety of ailments including heart murmurs, high blood pressure, chest tightness and a herniated spine condition known as spondylosis. He returned to Thailand after 15 years in self-imposed exile, mostly based in Dubai.

While it is unlikely that Thaksin would receive a second individual pardon, he could still benefit from a collective pardon according to former deputy prime minister and legal expert Wissanu Kreangam. The King, to celebrate his birthday in 2021, granted a pardon to 200,000 prisoners of whom 35,000 were granted parole. The following year, 138,175 prisoners were amnesty and half were granted immediate release on the occasion of the remembrance birthday of the late King Bhumibol Aduluadej who had died in 2016.

Wissanu said he could not predict Thaksin’s future, but pointed out that his advanced age and illnesses could include him in a collective pardon including full remission or conditional release, such as parole, or even serving the rest of his one year sentence at home. There are many precedents for Royal pardons being granted to criminals with short sentences or with little time left to serve. Thaksin is thought to be the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai party which has formed a coalition with its erstwhile political enemies in a pact with two military-backed factions in Parliament.

Other comfort options for Thaksin might be an indefinite stay in hospital on the recommendation of doctors, or even an urgent surgical procedure which might be performed in the Police General Hospital or even a luxurious private sector hospital. The Department of Corrections has used its discretion many times in the past to move prisoners around in the light of perceived concerns about an individual’s health. To date, Thaksin has not served one minute in a traditional prison cell. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking towards his one year release deadline in August 2024.

N.B. Mr Wissanu has since stated that he was misquoted and that the Royal pardon was the final one.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/furthe ... out-439705

[Gaybutton]

I still think Thaksin knows exactly what will happen with him and when it will happen. Otherwise, I just don't understand his motivation to return to Thailand. What purpose does that serve for him? I doubt it is because he wants to be in control of his political party. He doesn't need to be in Thailand for that. He seemed to have plenty of control while in exile.

Another aspect of all this that I don't understand - if indeed he will have to serve out his now 1 year sentence, what then? What happens after that once he is released?

One thing that seems to be missing from the goings on. He received a prison sentence. But I have heard nothing about any financial restitution demands for the money he illegally made. Nothing about fines. Nothing about freezing his assets or anything else financial.

[Gaybutton]

Thai immigration policy: shape of things to come

By Barry Kenyon

September 4, 2023

New prime minister Srettha Thavisin has specified that immigration reform will be a priority in the new government. Although Thailand in 2023 has already attracted over 17 million foreign visitors, she will need many more if the aim to boost tourism revenue to US$100 billion by the end of 2024. Entry policy in recent years has been set by the Cabinet and senior ministers with the immigration police bureau playing an enforcer rather than a policy-maker role.

The most urgent issue is to overhaul short-term tourist arrivals by simplifying the system. At present, the nationals of around 60 countries (including US, UK, EU, Australia) can receive 30 days visa exempt with a further 30 days on offer by visiting the local immigration office. The Tourist Authority of Thailand is urging that visa exempt should mean 90 days on entry without further ado. This might be an easier way to attract European snowbirds, rather than forcing them to apply for visas in advance, although it is not clear how many would be swayed by less bureaucracy.

A larger issue concerns the potentially mammoth markets of China and India. Currently they require a visa on arrival giving them just 15 days at a cost of 2,000 baht (US$57) with tour groups making the applications in their own countries before departure. The process is said to be cumbersome and some lobbyists want the new Cabinet to transfer these countries to a visa exempt status, initially for 30 days. The issue here is national security as there have been high-profile cases of criminality in Thailand by Chinese gangs. Most pundits think a trial run of visa exempt is more likely to apply to India rather than China.

On the expat front, Thailand Privilege Card has already announced its new packages for the Elite visa which start on October 1. Many social media commentators have criticized the huge hike in enrollment fees – a 50 percent rise for the five year option and several hundred percent for 20 years – but they are principally reacting from a European or American perspective. Elite management is confident that affluent Chinese and Russian citizens in particular will willingly pay the extra to be allowed to remain here without the requirement of returning to their home country.

Senior Thai police in recent months have predicted that the one year visas and extensions of stay – retirement, marriage and study – need a tightening up of the rules. Deputy national chief Surachate Halparn (Big Joke) has pointed to alleged abuses such as applicants borrowing money from agents or language schools deliberately ignoring non-attendance at classes. Not to mention the thorny issue of comprehensive medical insurance for all. Yet some pundits believe that the current systems will remain basically in place, perhaps with cosmetic changes such as more regular checking of expats’ Thai bank account balances, or extensive use of “grandfathering” which means giving existing expats immunity from any future rule changes. There may be too many vested interests and profiteering for an all-out assault on visa agents who are widely seen as essential to make immigration policy work. Sometimes in Thailand the more things change, the more they stay the same.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ome-439728

[Gaybutton]

I hope Barry, the pundits, and Dodger are right about "giving existing expats immunity from any future rule changes", especially since the main reason for tightening the rules is to prevent criminals from taking advantage of the retirement visa rules. I would think it would be obvious that the expats least likely to be involved in crime are the ones who have been living in Thailand for a number of consecutive years. For most of us on the retirement visa, that's why we're living in Thailand - because we're retired, not here committing crimes, and instead of coming up with new rules that make it harder on us and unaffordable for many, they would be much better served by welcoming us with open arms - and for us, relaxing the rules, not tightening them.

Another thing they need to do in order to get more foreign tourists is to come up with ways people can do most immigration chores online, at banks, even at ATMs and convenience stores, to prevent the massive, horrendous lines and hours long waits at immigration that occur all too often around holidays. It's bad enough already even without holidays. Jun has said this very often and he's right. There really is no excuse for the way things are currently done. I remember when, many years ago now, immigration was on Soi 5 in the city (it was soi 5, wasn't it? That's how I remember it) and the longest I ever had to wait was 5 to 10 minutes, when I had to wait at all. Most of the time it was walk right in.

The current immigration office became necessary when more and more people began going to Thailand and that office could no longer accommodate the numbers. When it first opened, I don't remember anything resembling the long waits that happen now. Now the people numbers are just too much to efficiently handle and it's the same problem all over again, except now involving hundreds, perhaps thousands, more people. And the problem is only going to get worse if nothing is done. I've seen for myself that even with the new construction and new offices opening at immigration, it already is overcrowded most of the time.

If I were a tourist and found myself stuck in one of those long lines that ruins my holiday, especially to accomplish something frivolous, I'd be thinking about going elsewhere for my next holiday.

I could just as easily and legitimately complain about getting Thai driving licenses, but that's another story for another topic . . .

[2lz2p]

I remember when immigration was on Soi 5 in the city (it was soi 5, wasn't it? That's how I remember it) and the longest I ever had to wait was 5 to 10 minutes, when I had to wait at all. Most of the time it was walk right in.

It was in Soi 8, not too far in from Beach Road. There was a place you could park with entry from soi 7. It was not part of Immigration and sometimes there was someone there collecting a fee, 20 baht as I recall. The place was much smaller as it also held the Immigration jail (I think the jail is still there).

The current facility on Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5, was according to news reports at the time provided as a "gift" to Immigration by the owners of the adjoining condominium (maybe they thought that would be an attraction to get foreigners to buy their condos, of course they were still under the no more than 49% foreign owned units).

My only business with Immigration is the 90 day address report and annual retirement extension. I have been using the online system for the address report, so only the annual visit has been necessary. My renewal is due in July, which I do about mid-June. Since it is not the busy season, I haven't experienced any wait time - usually next or only 1 or 2 ahead of me in the queue, so in and out in 10-15 minutes.

[Jun]

I could just as easily and legitimately complain about getting Thai driving licenses, but that's another story for another topic . . .

Obviously I have never tried getting a Thai driving license. However, from your description, it sounds like another area where they have inefficient processes which do absolutely nothing useful. Such as improving road safety. We can see that from the death statistics. So what's the point of it ?

Obviously all the immigration checks don't work either, if they have problems with criminal gangs from China. It might just be sensible to profile the kind of people who are causing trouble and increase the checks on people fitting that profile.