The news was announced yesterday in an online report by National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT).

According to the report , among the countries which had already revoked the alert include China, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Greece and Israel.

The report also listed the nine countries that still had yet to revoke the alert at the time of going to press, which include the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Austria, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Romania.
The terror alert was initially issued on January, Friday the 13th, and then subsequently issued by at least 18 more countries.

Hours after the initial alert, Thai authorities had arrested a Swedish national of Lebanese origin, who was suspected to have links with the Iranian ‘terror group’ known as Hezbollah.

Also for more details about the arrest, in addition to the link above, also see this report on the BBC.

Four days after the arrest, authorities had raided the suspects rented room outside Bangkok, and confiscated some 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) of material allegedly used for making bombs.

Some fractions in the Thai government, as well as various tourism related groups within the country, had resented and denied the US’s alert, claiming it was unnecessary, harmful to Thailand’s image and costing vital tourism income.

Meanwhile, some groups had also expressed criticism and warnings about the handling of the suspect and overall situation on the Thai side.

In a report released earlier this week by the State-run news agency, MCOT, General Yuthasak Sasiprap, Thailand’s Defense Minister denied allegations that Thailand had declined an offer by the United States for flood aid.

The General was referring to allegations in a Bangkok Post report that the US had been receiving “mixed messages” from Thailand about the former’s offer for aid, sparking suspicions and speculation that the US ships may have pulled out of Thailand due to the lack of cooperation by Thai authorities.

A three aircraft carrier group led by the USS George Washington had left Singapore and head towards Thailand on October 16 as to be in position to aid Thai authorities, pending any official request for need. A fourth ship, USS Kidd which was reported to have been partaking in a training exercise in Cambodia, was also dispatched to joined the small fleet near Bangkok.

The ships were briefly on stand by, however, no official request for a serious need of evacuation was made by Thailand. The ships left by October 21 and the George Washington was reported to have continued to Japan to partake in a scheduled joint exercise up there.

Meanwhile, a US Destroyer, the USS Mustin, docked at Laem Chabang port in Sri Racha, Chonburi – just to the south east of Bangkok, along the Eastern Seaboard. Reported to be on a routine visit, the USS Mustin had initially planned a week-long stay to offer light assistance in the form of community relations and humanitarian aid inclusive of donating clothes and money to the Thai Red Cross.

According to other reports, the Thai government has since requested the USS Mustin to extend its stay for up to a month or more. Other than basic aid, the USS Mustin’s two seahawk helicopters will assist Thailand by conducting areal reconnaissance surveying of the affected areas.

The 2011 floods are being called Thailand’s worst floods this century, due to the prolonged effect. Major floods similar in magnitude struck the country in 2010, 1995, 1983, 1963 and 1942. As this year’s floods enter into the fourth month, so far paralyzing the country’s industrial, automobile and electronic manufacturing based economy, while killing about 400 who’ve perished by drowning and/or electrocution, the crisis is expected to last at least another month.

I am a US citizen living in Phuket, Thailand on a retirement visa for 3 1/2
years. Can I apply for a Thai Passport?
If so, where and what are the required documents?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

-Robert

Thailand-USA ANSWER:

Thanks for writing, Robert. While I’m not a certified lawyer, I’ll try to do my best to guide you in the right direction based on my knowledge and resources. To apply for a Thai passport, you would have to had become a Thai citizen, which first requires your name to be entered into a House Registration Form (in Thai, “Ta-bien Baan” ทะเบียนบ้าน”) which is a precursor to being issued a Thai ID card (In Thai, Butt Pra-cha-chon “บัตรปราชาชน”). Once you have taken these two preliminary steps, then and only then can you apply for a Thai passport (in Thai, “Samut Dern Taang” สมุดเดินทาง).

As a US citizen presumably with no claim to Thai citizenship by way of birth or descent, you would have to become a Thai citizen via naturalization. To naturalize as a Thai (in Thai, “Bplang Sun-chaat bpen Thai” แปลงสัญญาติเป็นไทย), the residency requirements published on the internet vary:

This link, citing the Nationality Act of 1965, says you would have to have lived here five continuous years,

While this law firm website, which even offers a money back guarantee assuming you meet all the other requirements, publishes that you have to had lived in Thailand for only three consecutive years.

Unfortunately, residency is not the sole requirement. All sources I read state that before applying, you also have had to be working in Thailand (holding a work permit) and paying income taxes to the Thai government during that time.  Having a Thai family — wife and child/children seems appears to be another requirement.

Aside from residency, family, and income tax record, it is also required that you are able to read, write, and speak the Thai language in addition to being able to sing the Thai National Anthem — “Pleng Chaat Thai” เพลงสัญชาติไทย

Holding a retirement visa, it is assumed you are not employed on a work permit and thus not paying Income Tax (on the basis of being employed in Thailand) to the Thai government.  However, I advise you to consult with a specialist lawyer like the one linked above, or else the many others available who deal with such cases and questions regularly.

If your sole aim of acquiring Permanent Residency, Thai citizenship and a Thai passport  is to be able to own land without having to jump through all the other loop holes required of non-Thai citizens who own property in Thailand, I think you will find your quest for Thai nationality difficult, but not impossible, as nothing is impossible, especially true in Thailand.

Good luck.

P.S. Don’t be discouraged from the hurdles and barriers. Read this article for proof and references that there are many foreign born persons, e.g. farang who naturalized as Thai citizens, some taking decades.

Also, Be sure to check some of the resourceful links below:

No Records Found

This post is to report a service review. On Saturday, December 11, 2010, I,  [name omitted] an American citizen engaged the online services of the the following website: http://criminalbackgroundrecords.com  whose parent company is identified as INFORMATION ENTERPRISES, INC. I  purchased a Colorado instant background check on myself  for $24.95 USD using Paypal to pay them.

Being that I definitely do have a misdemeanor record, I suspected some clause in the Terms Contract which would leave me to some disadvantage for the inaccurate results I received. According to the above website’s Terms of Use, they will typically not provide refunds when No Records are Found:

…VI. REFUND POLICY

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com does not give credits or refunds for any of its furnished reports even when no records are found. We incur costs for every search we conduct on behalf of our clients and therefore offer no refunds for any of our completed reports (orders providing search results with or without criminal/public record data are considered completed transactions).

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com will not issue a refund for the following:

• Customer made a data entry error
• Customer made a mistake placing an order
• Record sought was not retrieved because it fell outside of the search coverage outlined in our product descriptions
• Criminal record was sealed (in case of juveniles etc.) or record was expunged
• No Criminal Convictions were found (we do not return arrest records)

Refund or Credit Availability
If you place an order with CBR and you do not get back the record results that should have been returned to you based on the coverage stated in our search descriptions, you are eligible for a full refund for your order.  Before you place an order, it is imperative that you read the search description of the state or states you are performing the background check in; to ensure you understand what you are purchasing.  If the description does not include coverage of the area you want searched, OR records pulled do not go back as far as you want, OR certain conviction types that you are looking for are not pulled (like misdemeanor or infraction offenses) do not place the order, as you will not get the search results you are looking for.

Again, the search results I received (didn’t receive) are  incorrect as I know for a fact that I have a court/case record for two misdemeanor charges from 2003 which are still part of Denver County Court Records as I have verified on the Denver County Website (free) Courts Record search.

According to criminalbackgroundrecords.com search description for Colorado:

Colorado Courts Record Background Check:
This criminal courts record check includes felony and misdemeanor records from all Colorado counties, with the exception of Denver County misdemeanors. Search results show the defendant’s name, alias names, date of birth, state identification number, physical description, county case number, county, disposition date, verdict, verdict date, fine, status type and probation time. The beginning data dates for the courts vary between 1977 and 1995. Broomfield County was added in 2001. The data is updated daily.

Denver County Court Search:
The Denver County Search includes misdemeanor records and some felony records. Search results show the defendant’s name, date of birth, state identification number, physical description, county case number, county, disposition date, verdict, verdict date, fine, status type and probation time. Criminal records date back to October 1975 and General Sessions records date back to May, 2001. Last updated February 2008.

Colorado Sex Offender Report Check Description:
This sex offender report includes high-risk offenders. Results may show offender’s name, physical description, address, crime and crime location. This data is updated monthly. Persons convicted of certain sex offenses on or after July 1, 1994 must register. Depending on the severity of the original offense, registrants are required to be registered for 5, 10 or 20 years. Free National Sex Offender Check Included.

According to the above service coverage outline -description, the search results for the website in question’s search services should have provided the two misdemeanor charges of 2003 which happened in Denver County.  Again the only results the service provided me was ‘No Results Found.’

I have a case number provided from the Denver County Website to verify the record does exist.

No, the charges have not been expunged as I was not a minor, and being misdemeanors in Denver County from 2003, Yes,  they clearly fall under the Search Coverage terms outlined above.  I’ve overlooked the data I submitted to the website has no data entry errors for my name, birthday and social security. Therefore, technically, I believe I am due a refund for inaccurate results provided. I will notify the website of my case and expect them to provide some excuse not to provide a refund as is their clear policy.  That is the reason why I have created this post: To notify and warn others of the inaccuracy of results for the mentioned service/company, so others will be aware of the potential inaccuracy if planning to use the website’s services.

I advise anyone seeking to do a background check on themselves or anyone else to not use a service that requires you to pay first before verifying whether or not they can locate a record. I should have verified that they could locate a record, then paid.  The website in question here was unable to locate a record (even though one exists) and have already been paid with a No Refund Policy, having the advantage over customers.

In any case, I will update this page with any reply/response I receive from the company. In the event that the website in question gives me a refund, or not as I expect, I will rightfully update this post.

Stay Tuned

Is self more important than society? In regards to intercultural studies amidst the age of globalization, this is perhaps the most commonly addressed question. Last summer, I traveled to the United States, having the opportunity to work at a popular amusement park in Vallejo, just outside of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in Northern California. The pace and style of life over there was all new to me, much different to what I was used to in Bangkok. During this brief yet enlightening experience living and working overseas, I gained valuable insights about not only American culture, but my own Thai background in comparison. Here I present a narrative of my experience, highlighting the manifestation of the cultural values of individualism apparent in the US, contrasted with collectivism in Thailand, respectfully.

The first week working overseas was terrifying and full of culture shock. As an employee at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom assigned to operate rides, I was bestowed the important task to greet park guests with a welcoming spech. It was hard enough adapting and orientating myself as it was, now I was ever nervous to have all eyes and ears on me right from the start.  Considering the fact that English is my second language, I was quite intimidated and insecure about public speaking to a bunch of strangers. Despite expressing doubts and concerns to my co-workers and supervisor, I received no encouragement or support. “Just don’t complain and do it!” they would say. Everyone was so occupied with their own individual tasks, they couldn’t be bothered assisting me.

If anything, my American co-workers were openly critical of me. On the job and at day’s end meeting, I received negative feedback from my supervisor. These comments were often overt, humiliating, and embarrassing as they were said to me in front of other co-workers and even guests waiting in line. “Miss Pornpetcharee, could you speed up your pace and be more energetic while you are working? Even little kids can work faster than you!” my superior would scold as frowning and giggling faces looked on.

As time moved on, adapting to American society didn’t get easier. USA was not all I expected it to be. I found myself making false assumptions about people and situations, which led to frequent missed expectations and constant frustration. One night after work, for example, I joined some colleagues to go downtown for ice cream. At the ice cream parlor, I was hesitant to order when my friends asked me what I wanted. My friends were all eager to order, but I suddenly had an incoming call from Thailand. I deferred my choice, excusing myself so I could briefly catch up with my mother.

By the time I got off the phone, everyone was seated, enjoying their ice cream. Sitting next to one of my friends, I grabbed a spoon and helped myself to a bite of her strawberry sherbet delight. Suddenly, my friend became enraged, yelling at me in front of everyone, “I already asked you if you wanted anything, which you chose not to order, and now you’re eating my ice cream!” Again, I was embarrassed and ever frustrated; I slowly exited the silenced parlor, nostalgic and homesick.

The shock, embarrassment and humiliation I felt that tough summer coerced me to reflect and contrast my previous experiences in my own culture. Particularly, an internship I did for an advertising firm in Thailand comes to mind. Similar to the US, everyone in the company had specific tasks they were individually responsible for. However, in Thailand, team work and collective cooperation was emphasized more as the status quo. If by the end of the day, for example, an individual struggled to complete his/her tasks, coworkers were more willing to assist and contribute, collectively supportive so that work was always finished as a team. If one of us ever lagged, the whole group was affected and thus was apt to pick up slack when/where needed. No matter what their individual responsibilities, co workers were approachable and willing to assist even if it wasn’t convenient for them.

During my internship at the Thai advertising firm, I observed that management style also differed from the explicit standard I experienced in the US. For instance, there was one time which I made a mistake by sending the wrong document to a client. Rather than call me out in the open like the American boss, my Thai supervisor pulled me aside to address the issue in private. Any time there was an issue, the Thai boss and colleagues preferred to handle it covertly, avoiding open confrontations which might lead to loss of face.

Finally, in Thailand sharing food with friends and family is the norm, compared to the US where I had to learn the hard way. Whether eating out or at home, eating from another’s plate or bowl would not raise any frowns in Thailand—in fact is more common to order communal dishes where everyone shares, as opposed to US where everyone typically orders only for themselves. I have observed this phenomenon one recent occasion in Thailand in which two American friends joined my Thai friends and I for dinner.

As is the norm when eating out in Thailand, we ordered several dishes to share, but noticed our American friends were reluctant to eat communally, instead ordering separate dishes. When it was time to pay the check, we were surprised that they’d been keeping exact count of the bottles of beer they’d each drunken, requesting two separate bills, which confused matters with the waiter who’d been keeping everything on one bill. The matter complicated even further when the Americans refused to let my Thai friend treat and settle a single bill, insisting that the waiter bring three bills. Eventually, the bills were separated and settled with my Thai friends and waiter left scratching their heads.

Arising from these experiences, observations, and reflections are several questions. First, why were my American colleagues and supervisor unsympathetic to my language disparity, unwilling to offer assistance or support, considering any adverse consequences of an inefficient job would ultimately affect the entire firm? Second, why was I so sensitive to the criticism I received from my American supervisor, colleagues and friends, even though I had received criticism many times in the past. Finally, why did my American friend become so angry when I took a bite of her ice cream?

Being that the United States is considered the most individualistic county, we can broadly assume that the cultural values there give strong preference to “self goals” over that of “group goals.” This assumption would explain particular behavior I observed in my American colleges and peers at the amusement park, ice cream parlor and restaurant. While Americans are concerned with ‘standing out,’ being ‘self sufficient,’ and ‘independent, Thais like myself raised in a predominately collectivist culture are taught to ‘blend in,’ live in ‘social harmony,’ and be ‘interdependent.’

The frustration I experienced when my colleagues wouldn’t assist me in my struggling first week can be traced to my own missed expectations. According to Hall (1976, p. 98), “…people in high-context systems expect more of others than do the participants in low-context systems.” From my background of high-context Thai culture, indeed my orientation was/is of a collectivist nature, giving recipe for culture shock upon interaction with the individualistic orientation of Americans. I initially assumed and expected that my American colleagues should and would assist me for the sake of the entire staff and firm, while their expectations of me were that I should be able to adapt on my own, reflecting the individualistic orientation towards independence and self-sufficiency.

When my American supervisor overtly criticized me in front of others, it is clear that he was coming from an individualist, low-context orientation, where it is not acceptable to ‘beat around the bush,’ (Levine 1985 p 28) but rather ‘get to the point,’ being direct and clear as possible, whatever the consequences e.g. my humility. In comparison, my Thai supervisor, from a collective, high-context orientation was covert and discrete in approaching me, sensitive to humility and thus avoiding an open confrontation and maintaining social harmony.

Finally, keeping in mind orientation of the individual versus the group, it is now easier to make sense of my observations of Americans in regards to the ice cream incident in the US and dining out in Thailand. Reasoning that individualists strive towards self awareness (e.g. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) through self-serving behavior, we must assume that there is less concern for communal worth as is valued by collectivists. Perhaps ecological factors play role. With the US being overall more an affluent and industrial society than predominately agricultural Thailand, communal behavior patterns are more common in the latter, less the norm in the former.

In conclusion, let us refer back to the opening question in the first paragraph: Is self more important than society? Obviously, for collectivist cultures, society is more important while for individualist cultures, it is self. As we have seen, however, there is no clear cut line to divide all individuals, groups, cultures, and societies absolutely one way or the other. As society becomes more and more global, the boundaries of culture continue to blur, blending various values and norms into a dynamic bowl of diversity. It is essential to study and internalize the various ingredients of the intercultural recipe so we can eliminate ignorance and avoid unnecessary miscommunications and misunderstandings. And thus, both self and society are equally important. Depending on the context, the challenge then lies in finding and maintaining an appropriate equilibrium.

As local unemployment rates continue to surge, a window of opportunity is glowing just beyond the horizon. What next, how to get there and grasp it? First, you’ll have to decide which country is right for you. Unless you’re equipped with all the legitimate credentials (continue reading for specifics), you will likely be required to travel on your own expenses before you can guarantee employment, meaning you’ll need an initial savings base to cover your plane ticket and living until you receive that first salary. Depending where you’ll venture to, the initial necessary sum will vary. In Thailand, for example, 1000 USD is more than enough to live like a king-queen for a month, or like a local for six months.

The most demanding choices for ESL/EFL teachers are part-time and full-time gigs at public & private schools and institutes across Asia & the Middle East, Eastern & Southern Europe, and Central America, e.g. Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Dubai, Vietnam, Mexico, and Spain will be where the mass of ESL-EFL jobs are.

If you haven’t got a clue where you’d like to go, the best starting point would be to browse global job announcements on one of the links below to get an idea of what the current demand entails. Personalized research of the preferred countries should accompany this preliminary stage. You shouldn’t focus on the raw salaries alone, but take into account other critical lifestyle and quality of life factors.

Do you want to earn more in a cold or desolate country like Korea or Dubai, only to spend all your savings on frequent sanity seeking Southeast Asian holidays? Some of the second and third world options in China, Thailand and Vietnam for example, may pay less, but offer more in terms of living standard.

Once you’ve narrowed your choice to a particular country, it would be wise to establish a practical plan to obtain legit credentials that will satisfy employers and officials abroad. Aside from the basic secondary level diploma, most employment opportunities for language teachers require a standard minimal of a university degree and teaching certificate, particularly for legal paperwork & processes.

Basically, this means that if you can’t provide both a verifiable legit degree and teaching certificate, you won’t likely work legally (at least not without extraordinary perseverance), bringing those that apply into an under-the-table world of visa runs and border hopping. As the demand for your teaching hand is grand, it is possible to get a sufficing teaching job abroad without one or the other fundamental credentials. Short term is seemingly not so bad, but the long haul is something one must consider if they plan on being a permanent teacher.

Previous relevant experience proves advantageous, but not necessarily an impermeable barrier initially. For newcomers, it is recommended that you consider fundamental teaching accreditation, e.g. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) TOESL (Teaching others English as a Second Language) TOEFL (Teaching Others English as Foreign Language), and CELTA (Certification of English Language Teaching to Adults).

The differences in variations of these legitimate English language transferor credentials are marginal at best. If anything, they will give you ample preparation of what you will be doing once you land a paid gig. In choosing the course, one has to use personal discretion taking into account their personal short and long term goals. The typical routes are either to save up enough to do a course locally, before traveling abroad e.g. at the local community college or university, or to choose a more affordable alternative course in their target destination. If it’s the latter, be sure to check whether the destination country’s respective ministry of education accepts and approves of the certifiers’ accreditation.

The good news is this field of specialization offers many channels and alternatives, allowing one to obtain teaching certification intensively i.e. two weeks to a month, or spread out over evenings and weekends, allowing diligent subjects to work and gain experience all the while advancing their future career prospects. The benefit of being abroad is having access to first world services e.g. medical, leisure, and education at third world costs. With the manifestation of ICT globally, remotely obtaining accreditation is yet another convenient route, making a Post Secondary Degree abroad definitely a viable option for many.

Once you’ve sorted out your strategy and plan, it’s finally time to get working on your Cover Email-Introduction complete with CRV and professional-presentable picture, which should aim at establishing the initial interview with several potential employees. Simply, you’ve got to do your homework before you can give it.

Perhaps this applies directly to you? Don’t reserve your copy of ‘Slangin’ Rocks for Beginners’ guide just yet, there is still light in more prestigious fields of work. In fact there is more than enough demand and necessity for white collared workers regardless of any economic crisis the news was babbling about. This Crisis’ Cure has come!

If you don’t like your prospects as an independent writer, how about becoming a teacher? After all, it is a career considered immune to defunct economies. Whatever the state of a slumping and staggering economy, the fact is humans still got to speak, read, learn, and learn how to speak and read. In any post-modern society, there will always exist an affluent foundation supporting the demand for language transferors.

The idea of becoming a language teacher turns off most blue-non collared or even supposed ‘realistic’ folks at first. Aside from having to gain post-secondary qualifications, such authority and prestige that comes with teaching our birth earned skill of communication can be frightening for many: Putting up with and managing discipline lacking kids, comprehending and conducting complex curriculums, and organizing the respective lesson plans can seem like quite daunting tasks at first thought.

Depending on how bad you’re itching to earn, ‘teaching’ is not such an unfeasible reality to entertain. Okay, so homeroom teacher at your childhood elementary school is definitely going to require time (and ultimately money) before you’d even get your foot in the door. If one could actually afford first-world-higher-learning tuitions, they wouldn’t likely be as needy as the one who’s gotten this far in this article.

What? (Some of) You don’t have a University Degree or any pertinent post-secondary credential for that matter—don’t relinquish hope just yet. First consider these questions:

1. Did you at least complete your high school education?
2. Are you a respectable and moral adult (at least 18, ideally post 20) who maintains some form of an ethical code?
3. Are you a native speaking English speaker from US, UK, EU, CA, AU, NZ, or SA?
4. Do you excel in and/or enjoy interpersonal communications, particularly public speaking?
5. Do you value intercultural sensitivity, possessing some language aptitude?
6. Do you seek to stimulate and stretch your physical, emotional, intellectual and social quotients?
7. Are you willing to be an unstably mobile visitor in a foreign, exotic second or third world country for at least a year and then some, knowing that at the end of it all, you may be back to square one with only the addition of hard earned experience behind you?

If your answer was yes to most if not all such questions, then you are an ideal candidate to consider becoming an ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher abroad. Continue to the next part