The bureaucratic runaround
And all for the love of a good woman
With just over a month left in Thailand, having sold my motorbike and soon to be leaving my apartment, I met the new love of my life, which suddenly threw a spanner into the works. On our last day, we went to all our favourite places before sharing a tearful goodbye at the airport.
The visa runaround
Postbox letter from Jay
The process for getting a teacher's visa in Thailand (non-B) is anything but simple (as of my experiences with Jomtien immigration when I was last there).
Kicking out the undesirables!
Postbox letter from Doctor Evil
Thais are seeking disciplined, neat, clean, organised, mentally stable and responsible foreign people to actually "live" here in Thailand.
A rewarding visa run
How to get a double-entry tourist visa in Savannakhet, Laos
I won't claim to be any kind of expert on the matter, but from everything I've heard from the many people and agencies I've talked to, Laos is the only country you can easily (relatively and without flying) get to from Bangkok that will grant you a double entry tourist visa.
Let's wait and see what happens
Postbox letter from John
It is very interesting to read all the gossip and drama surrounding the new visa rules. I think 'apparently' is the correct word to use during this debate because I think people need to look at this situation realistically.
Thailand teaching stuff - May 2014
Another picnic basket of tasty blog links
Hi everyone, it's Peter Clarke again, with a selection of my favourite internet blogs and articles that I hope will appeal to teachers in Thailand. Well, actually you don't need to be a teacher, I think anyone who has an interest in all things Thailand will enjoy them.
What makes a good international school?
What are the the things a teacher should know beforehand?
Everyone always says 'research' is the number one thing for teachers hopping off to a far away teaching nirvana and they would be right, but it isn't until you are deep inside the doors of an international school that you suddenly have a plethora of questions you probably should have asked.
Summertime blues
Major changes that will affect many teachers
Next year it's going to be a very long summer. Schools will be finishing in early March as usual but the new school year won't begin until mid-June. That's a 3-month holiday we're looking at. Great news for our students but it may be a little worrying for teachers that don't get holiday pay
New visa rule is ridiculous
Postbox letter from Dr John Smith
In my opinion I find it very difficult to understand the mentality or blatant stupidity of the Thai immigration section in Bangkok. Not only do they rip you off at every turn but now they have found a new way to get money from visitors.
Getting a 30-day tourist visa extension
A trip to the remarkably efficient Thai immigration office
I must say, I'm highly impressed with the efficiency of the whole process. It's not something I would expect from a Thai government office, and the process is far more efficient than getting a passport or similar document in the States!