jts-khorat

been to the Thai Embassy today in K.L to apply for the visa.  The story is correct they will stop issuing the visa's to farangs based solely on being a parent.  A birth certificate alone is not acceptable.  I was asked if I was married to the mother and I said no.  I was also asked about my relationship with my son.  It appears that you will not have any problems if you can prove your relationship with the mother of the child, I presented a letter form my partner stating that we had been living as husband and wife (defacto) for 7 years and we both provide equal support to the child.  I also prented a copy of her I.D card and house book along with the document stating that I have been legally recognised as the father.  You would be in a even better position if you took the wife and child along with you but this is not always possible.

To cut the story short if you applying for the visa and present just a birth certificate you will not get it, the girl at the counter stated that this will be enforced from May.

They told me that they will issue me the visa based on all the combined evidence that I provided.  So unless they changed thier minds in the next 24 hours I will collect it tomorrow afternoon.

There again, given the identity of the woman seen wearing the blue diamond in public several times following the theft, perhaps the stance of successive Thai governments is understandable and cannot be questioned too deeply.

Surely The Nation didn't just cut and paste this entire article, word for word, from the TAT website and pass it off as their own work . . . Oh, they did.  

The original Press Release is dated 9 September.

Where do all the tourists stay?  It obviously isn't in hotels as they're empty.