Visa and Silom Road

Today's song is: Work from Home  .. Fifth Harmony

The Canadian Embassy sits on Ram IV between Lumpini and Silom Road MRT stations. I use 'International Translations' on Silom Road as it is a 10 minute walk from the Embassy and one of the recommended translation services. Today I went there to pick the translations of our marriage certificate and Jaidan's birth. These are required to be submitted for Thavorn's visitor's visa to prove she is actually married to me and is Jaidan's mom.

I also found out yesterday that I can no longer drop the visa application off at the Embassy.  This was a decision made after the shrine bombing in 2015 which was relatively close to the Embassy. Instead, you can either fill out an online application if you are computer savvy, read English well, and have the use of a scanner. This rules out most Thais IMHO.

The Canadian government has contracted out visa application services to the  Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Bangkok - http://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/thailand/ . Apparently they have these Visa Application Centres in most countries throughout the world. Apparently the center is staffed with Thai people who will help Thai's fill out the application. Perhaps the blind leading the blind. Of course there are charges for all the services they provide. When the application is complete they deliver the application to the embassy for processing.

Needless to say, we decided to forgo the VAC and we are filling out the forms and submitting them online direct to the visa processing center. The main reason we decided to do it online is that the VAC only permits the applicant to enter their offices. I found that somewhat strange as one of the forms you fill out is the naming of a representative to help you through the process. Go figure!

The translation office is on the second floor of a building. On the first floor is a restaurant that features dining with cats. I have to pass through it on my way to the translation offices. It is quite popular. I personally do not get it, but hi-so Thais and farangs are lining up to get in. Boggles the mind :-)

Cats have a short working day

Not too busy at 2 pm on a working day  .. very busy over lunch and supper

Nothing like eating among the kitty litters

Also on Silom Road is the White Rabbit. Be careful in this bar or like Alice, you have find yourself down a strange hole. It is a gay bar :-)

Thavorn and I like to take Jaidan to Queens Park just up from where we live on Sukhumvit. The weather is ideal for playing in the park. Many farangs make use of the park.

TTYL

Visa to Canada

Today's song is: Perfect Illusion  .. Lady gaga

Thavorn and I are starting the process of applying for a visitor's visa to Canada for this summer. There are 2 types, the TRV which is a single entry visitor's visa for 6 months and a MEV, a multiple entry visa that permits multiple entries over a span of 5 years.

Why do we want a visa? I travel to Canada every summer for 40-50 days to work with my Canadian software company as well as visit friends and family. I would like Thavorn and Jaidan to accompany me and Jaidan is not a problem as he is a Canadian citizen and has a Canadian passport. Jaidan will be 3 years old this summer and my family would love to meet Jaidan as well as Thavorn, his mother and my wife. We feel he is now old enough for the 25 hour trip. However, I would not get much work done in Canada if Jaidan and I are by ourselves.

Thavorn stays at home as a homemaker and having her with us would make the journey and visit much easier. You would think it would be very easy for Thavorn to get a visitor's visa  but, in truth, it is not. There are many forms to fill out and lots of documentation to include. The overriding reason for all the paper work is to ensure the applicant is not applying for a visitor's visa with the intent of never leaving Canada and eventually getting 'Permanent Resident' status.

We have absolutely no plans to live in Canada full-time :-) The Great White North lost its appeal quite some time ago. I live in Thailand on a retirement visa and will continue to do so for as long as I can. I have documented my reasons many time in this blog but the 2 main reasons are; my pension goes much farther and Thailand is just a lot more fun :-)

The key seems to be convincing the person who reviews your application that you are visiting and have no plans to stay on in Canada. I am hoping the fact that we have established a pattern that is clearly indicative of what we plan. Thavorn has roots (family) in Thailand that she would not abandon and she owns land and a vehicle, plus life insurance that shows she plans to return.

So, what could go wrong?  I hope nothing, but if you are refused, the embassy does not give a reason why, which is something I find troublesome.  You are basically at the whim of the person who reviews your file and have no avenue for recourse.

TTYL

Observations

Today's song is: I Don't Want to Live Forever .. Zayn and Swift

It is Chinese New Year and a walk about town did result in my seeing a larger number than Chinese tourists than normal. The other interesting observation was these Chinese tourists were not on tours, but were travelling on their own. They also appeared more world savvy and hi-so.

On another note, we had a call from Thavorn's mom that Tai, Thavorn's oldest daughter was beat up by her classroom teacher and had a bruise on her head, bruises on her back, and a bloody nose. Thai teachers (female in this case) do not fool around. Matter of fact, many Thais have very short fuses and go ballistic when something sets them off. In this case, Tai's teacher thought she called another classmate a 'buffalo' and that was enough to set her off.

This is an interesting article on a non Thai teacher's experience in a normal Thai school. A good read.

https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/so-you-want-me-to-hit-you-corporal-punishment-in-thai-schools/

and this web article explains the lawfulness and accountability of corporal punishment in Thai schools:

https://thaiteachers.wordpress.com/the-law/

At first we were ready to jump on the bus and go get the teacher fired, but after some thought we just sent Thavorn's mom in to talk to the principal and teacher. There is only one grade 4 class so transfer into another class was not possible and getting good teachers in rural Thai schools is not easy. It turns out the devil you know may be better than the devil you get, especially if their is a letter of reprimand and concern on file (my suggestion).

There is a new web site in Bangkok that is very similar to Grab Taxi or Uber. The diference in this case, is you request a 'working' girl after previewing who is available in the next 4 hours, and then you get to track her position online and anticipate her arrival.  You also get to rate the experience which the web site suggests should guarantee a good performance.  Could this be the end of 'bricks and mortar' beer and gogo bars?        

www.smooci.com

I also noticed that there appears to be two type of tourists. Those out to accumulate (buying stuff) things and those out to experience things. However, experiencing things may be accumulating memories so maybe there is only one type of tourist. So much for that observation.

The weather in Bangkok these days is absolutely wonderful. High 20's with blues skies and no humidity. January and February are definitely the best months to visit Bangkok!

The family is finally over the cough and cold that has been hanging around us for the past 3 weeks. I don't know if it is making the rounds in Canada but many people have caught it in Bangkok.

TTYL

Monopoly on Money

Today's song is: Side to Side  .. Ariana Grande

For the past 50 years the United States has been proselytizing that the world should embrace democracy and the capitalism and countries that did not were bad and evil. Fast forward to the present and the enemy of free and open markets is monopolies. The US and Canada both have agencies in place to prevent monopolies from forming and bending the free market to their profit line. However a new monopoly has emerged, the 'Monopoly of Money'.

'The rich are still getting richer in the U.S., with the wealthiest 10% controlling three-quarters of all family wealth in the country.' http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/18/pf/wealth-inequality/

The top 10 richest people in the US can influence the US markets as they wish. It is no longer a free market and one could make the argument (Bernie Sanders) that the free market and capitalism as we know it is failing the US and Canada.

I would argue that it is time to limit the amount of wealth that an individual can accumulate. How many billions are really required to make a person happy? Here in Bangkok, wealthy people buy condominiums when they come on the market, sit on them for 10 years and then sell them for a handsome profit. Unlike normal folk, the owners do not even bother to rent them out for the intervening 10 years as they do not need to and don't want the hassle.  It takes money to make money and when you have lots of money, it is incredibly easy to make more!

The middle classes are disappearing as the income gap between the have's and not have's is growing. Here in Thailand we refer to the 2 classes as lo-so and hi-so Thais.  Thailand is no different than many countries, just less politically correct  :-)

BTW, I don't have any answers, but I would think it would take a major disruptive force to make change happen. The establishment really does not want it to change.  Reflect back to the French revolution, the rise of communism in Tsarists Russia ...

Back in another life, (before I saw the light), I tried to accumulate as much wealth as possible. I had 3 cars and 2 motorcycles in the garage and driveway. I had a lovely half million dollar house. I had resort points and took ocean cruises. Many of my friends did and still do the same.

Fast forward to today and everything I own (except for my 55 inch TV) fits in 2 suitcases. However, I am not poor. This website will comape a person's income (US dollars) with other countries in the world.

http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/economy/davos/global-wage-calculator/

Here are my results:

Living in Thailand means my income goes about 3 time farther than it does in Canada.  When I lived in downtown Vancouver my rent was $3,000 CDN and here in downtown Bangkok, my rent is about $800 CDN a month.  Food cost are much lower in Bangkok, as is the cost of a beer.

The happiness index is also interesting. An expat on a Canadian income reflects both charts. Perhaps that is why I am a happy person:

It all comes back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

I thinks most of the billionaires are stuck at level 2, along with many of my friends,

including Uncle Scrooge  ..

I am not sure my method of obtaining happiness would apply to most folks, but it works for me  :-)

TTYL

New Beginnings ...

Today's song is: Girl, You Know it's True  .. Milli Vanilli

Today is inauguration day for when president-elect Donald Trump becomes President Trump. It should be an interesting ride for the next 4 years, especially watching how the extremely pro liberal/democratic news network reacts to Trumps disdain of said network.

It was interesting to watch CNN's 'End of Obama ...' special that documents the last months of Obama's presidency. The one thing that stood out to me was the time spent on the main speech writer and his team of 6 speech writers. One of the few things I admired about Obama was his ability to come up with good speeches. Now, I only admire his team of speech writers and perhaps his teleprompter. A US friend of mine calls him the 'empty suit' president because he is all a manufactured image that spews forth democrat ideology and does not have an original thought of his own and makes decisions based on 'team 'input'.

It's kind of like discovering that your favorite singer lip syncs (hence the song of the day choice).

In contrast, Trump is writing his own inauguration speech and there is no doubt in mind that will lead to much criticism but I respect his decision to present his own thoughts on the state of the nation. Some of my favorite quotes on the usefulness of committees:

Perhaps, the Trump approach  ...

The reason I quote CNN frequently is because it is the only major new source in English that I get on my cable TV channels. I used to get Fox news which gave me the opposite (right wing) news source to balance things out, but it got dropped because someone objected to it ..

However, I do remember when Obama was elected, almost everyone wanted him to succeed. In contrast, everyone seems to want to see Trump fail. You would think that 4 year's of failure would be a hollow triumph ..  but then again, democrats have still to accept they lost a done deal due to stupidity and a flawed candidate. They tried to sell an agenda that was not palatable to middle class rural America, called the heartland of America for a reason.

TTYL

Jar of Beer

Today's song is: Starving  .. Hailee

Derry Byrne, ex director of the Ottawa Catholic School Board, was one of the smartest men I have known. He was a great Catholic Educator and passed away with cancer at the height of his career. Not much can be found in memory of him on the web. One memory I have of Derry is his love of a good time while enjoying a jar of beer. I never really understood the 'jar' reference and chalked it up to his Irish roots.  However, I am now a proud owner of 4 jars, and whenever I pour a pint into one of them my mind remembers Derry and a smile crosses my face.

I have also adopted the Thai habit of adding ice to a beer. You have to update your fluid intake in Thailand and it also cuts down on your alcohol consumption.

Thavorn likes to get out with her Thai friends, Here she is, out for a few beers with Whacky Tacky and Fon enjoying a few beers. This is in great contrast to a recent pic I took of Thavorn while back in the village.

This head gear is used to keep the sun off their head and face while working in the fields during a 12 hour day. 

Meanwhile, back at the apartment jaidan has taken to emulating his poppa while using a smart phone.

It is really quite interesting to see how children copy the behavior of their parents. I am so happy that neither Thavorn or myself, or any of my friends smoke. I doubt if he can see much with my glasses on :-)

My business partner (Brent) and his wife (Jeanine) arrive early in February and it should be interesting to get their take on Bangkok since they were here 6 years ago. They will also have the benefit of an experienced guide to answer there questions and show them around. Thavorn is looking forward to meeting them.

All three of us our getting over a really bad cold with fever that seems to hang around for a couple weeks so we are keeping a low profile and staying put in the apartment. Our 55 inch TV is paying great dividends in keeping us entertained. Our new fire 200/50 internet connection make viewing any online content effortless. Unlike Canada, we can get just about any food ordered online and delivered to our door in 20 minutes (McD's, KFC, etc.)  by motorbike for 40 baht. It gets easier and easier to live in a 3rd world country  :-)

TTYL

Buddy Heads Back Tomorrow

Today's song is: Sweet Child of Mine  .. Fergie n Slash

My buddy Shaun heads back to Malaysia tomorrow and it has been fun having him around. He really enjoys Thai cooking and Thavorn has risen to the occasion and cooked up a variety of meals for him. I myself stuck to my tried and true spaghetti, albeit with a few more red peppers.

Shaun has also enjoyed the night life, but that is not something you can partake of every day as you will simply burn out or pickle your liver, not to mention putting on weight. Speaking of putting on weight, we did get to the gym but the morning afterwards cut into our gym time.

The trip to the village was a highlight for Shaun because he had never ventured upcountry before and he was interested in meeting some rural Thais and seeing how they lived.

Jaidan and I have been weathering a fever, cough and cold and that has taken its toll on partying. Thavorn seems to not catch the various bugs that Jaidan and I succumb to. Must be a built in resistance to the many germs and assorted bacteria Thais are exposed to when growing up.

From time to time Thavorn has friends over. Here Shaun is getting to know Whacky Tacky, Pui, Poi, and Fon.  Thais usually party on the floor.

Tonight, Shaun and I will head out for one last bar hop around the City of Angels.

TTYL

Village and Back to Bangkok

Today's song is: Tears by Clean Bandit

Wow, my last blog entry was December 26th 2016 and today is January 6th 2017. Eleven days without a post. Well, I have excuses, I have been busy and I have been sick, and just got back into the gym after 8 days.

Thavorn departed to the village with Jaidan on the 29th. She wanted to be there on the 30th for her older children's school party and dance to celebrate the new year. I spent the 29th completing some programming and but I did get out on the 30th with by Bangkok buddy Arthur. The good news is Nana Plaza has 3 awesome new bars. Bunnies, Billboard, and Butterflies. The bad news is that Crazy House was charging an entry fee of 100 baht. Not wanting to encourage that behavior I declined to enter.

The next morning I was very hung over so I decided I would sit out new year's eve and wait for my buddy Shaun from Malaysia to arrive on New Year's day. Shaun and I did have a busy night at the 3 bars mentioned above. We arrived home around 4 am after closing out the Corner Bar on Soi Cowboy. I declined sleeping as we had to be awake by 6 am to catch the bus to the village to meet up with Thavorn and Jaidan. Shaun had expressed a desire to experience village life.

The bus trip was painful and in due course we arrived in the village and immediately headed to my man cave and its bed to catch some much needed zzzzz's. Shaun enjoyed his village stay and even got to learn how to ride a motorbike and managed to get his first case of road rash.

We were supposed to catch the bus to Pattaya for 2 days in sin city on the 5th but it turns out it was fully booked by ladies travelling back to work until January 7th.  Instead, we joined Thavorn and Jaidan on the 5th and traveled back to Bangkok.  Jaidan has come down with a bad cold and fever so we are laying low for a few days.  I myself am coming off a cold and infection of some kind that forced me out of the gym for over a week. Seems like a combination mumps, mild case of shingles, cough, and stuffed up nose, plus headache. Thavorn went to the local Thai pharmacist and got me some amoxicillin to take before she left for the village.  It seems to have cleared me up somewhat but I fear I am now catching whatever Jaidan picked up from the village kids.

Here are some pics for the past 10 days:

A local lad joins the monks and parades to the village temple  much drinking, partying and dancing well into the night  ...

Shaun makes a Thai friend in the village

Shaun and I dine on Talapia fish in the town of Wichian Buri

Thavorn serves up some spicy Thai food for Shaun

The local school yard in the village

Local school

Our outdoor village gym

Thavorn makes a great kabob BBQ in the village

Jaidan at the school New Year's event

Village kids with makeup, getting ready for school event

Dun, Thavorn's second child

Tai, Thavorn's first child

My friend Arthur and I eat out at a great Lebanese Restaurant in Bangkok near Soi Nana.

Fuel for the night ahead  :-)

TTYL