far-east

  • What do readers think of today’s episode of Behind the Bamboo Curtain. We’d all like to know your views in the comment box below. Today, Sunantaa told me that Kitaloo, her one year old puppy, had been killed in a road accident. He had escaped from their fenced garden. Unusually for a Thai, she was…

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  • Beyond the Bamboo Curtain: Quality and Cheating in Thailand. All these posts are true and verified. Collected my brush cutter from the repairer today. I’d returned it for an oil leak and starting issues three weeks ago. One week later, same problem. Today, they said they’d finally sorted out the issue. Still wouldn’t start. I…

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  • Thai Immigration

    Beyond The Bamboo CurtainThe curtain is lifted on Thai Immigration Busy day at Chiangmai Immigration. Not easy to find a parking spot and even more difficult to get a seat. Rules and regulations are not standardised in Thailand. Each government official interprets them differently. Requirements for documentation at Immigration vary from office to office. Applies…

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  • Behind the Bamboo Curtain – Part 8 : You Are In My Country Now From honeymoon haze to household budgets, Derek’s escape to Thailand takes a turn. He’s no longer a visitor. He’s a resident—having to report to Immigration every 90 days, remembering to re-apply to stay in the kingdom every year, and dealing with…

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