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  1. #676
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    Mendip's Avatar
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    I've always been 'Papa'... I don't know why, I've never pushed anything, that's just the way it turned out.

    I don't think it's anything to do with the Thai 'Pa...', my daughter's not particularly 'Thai' and my wife has certainly never been 'Mehr...', always mum... or more specifically 'mom' these days, which annoys me intensely.

  2. #677
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    always mum... or more specifically 'mom' these days, which annoys me intensely.
    I go with the flow on that one. Annoys my Aussie family, but whatever.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I called my daughter today from the office and the first thing she said was, 'Papa, are you at the airport?'

    She'd mistaken the glass office walls for the windows at an airport... when I told her I was still at work her disappointment was palpable. Nearly had me making an entry in Bogon's thread to be honest.
    I know the feeling, that hurts.

  3. #678
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post

    I called my daughter today from the office and the first thing she said was, 'Papa, are you at the airport?'

    She'd mistaken the glass office walls for the windows at an airport... when I told her I was still at work her disappointment was palpable. Nearly had me making an entry in Bogon's thread to be honest.

    This is a really strange situation... I'm into my tenth week of 12 hour shifts (well... only 11 hours in the office)... and I can feel the signs. I've been there before... but when you can't just jump on a flight home it changes everything.

    Mendip
    I think you need to start doing some work toward getting home, re what Thai Dhupp did. If you start doing that then the feeling of melancholy and hopelessness will dissipate a little.
    Doing nothing and thinking that this bad situation will continue indefinitely only multiplies the feeling of helplessness.
    Have you been exercising that also helps you feel better.

    On Friday I managed to visit the dentist and escaped unscathed. She may be "cute" but that didn't lessen the pain she put me through.
    I also had a look at the place you told me about re getting some hens.
    Do you know how to tell how old they are as some in one pen looked younger than the ones in the other pen. I would really like to get some that are going to lay ASAP but don't want to pay B200 for ones that will stop laying too soon.

    Keep the chin up time will take care of everything and will work out in your favour as long as you are doing all you can to help it happen the way you want it to.
    Approach it the same you did regarding recession proofing your chances of work i.e. be a "smart" geo.

    All the best

  4. #679
    CCBW Stumpy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ootai View Post
    Mendip
    I think you need to start doing some work toward getting home, re what Thai Dhupp did. If you start doing that then the feeling of melancholy and hopelessness will dissipate a little.
    Mendip,
    I agree with Ootai, get the process started now. There will likely be delays but you can build some momentum and then see light at the end of the tunnel. I know without question your daughter misses her Pop but do not forget about your Gardener. He hasn't "caught you" in awhile and he is probably feeling a bit left out. And of course your dogs and the drinking table. All good reasons to get crackin to return back.

  5. #680
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    Today I initiated proceedings... only by sending an email to the Thai Consulate in Gothenburg, but as they say the longest journey starts with the first step.

    And I guess it does kind of eel better to make that first step!

    Ootai, those hens in the pens will be about 5 months old and usually start to lay within a few weeks, and have their entire egg laying career ahead. They will have come from the rearing station, mostly enroute to a battery farm. I guess the ones you see are the lucky ones if they go to a good home. The Thai battery farms are horrendous.

    Whenever I go to pick up animal feed my daughter always wants to 'rescue' a couple of hens, which is why we now have about 40 of the bloody things and my cholesterol level has gone through the roof.

    And another 'gardener' comment... I guess I should be grateful it wasn't another comment about my weight...

  6. #681
    CCBW Stumpy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    And another 'gardener' comment... I guess I should be grateful it wasn't another comment about my weight...
    Well your gardener needs love to ya know...

    Best of luck on your trek back.

  7. #682
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    And another 'gardener' comment... I guess I should be grateful it wasn't another comment about my weight...
    You might find that the extra weight you;ve put on might turn the gardener off... or not



    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I called my daughter today from the office and the first thing she said was, 'Papa, are you at the airport?'

    She'd mistaken the glass office walls for the windows at an airport... when I told her I was still at work her disappointment was palpable. Nearly had me making an entry in Bogon's thread to be honest.
    Just coming back to this comment, remember that kids are resilient. (often more so than adults, she'll be right as rain.)

  8. #683
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    ^ Yeah... she's a tough kid and will be fine... it's me who has the problem!

    Her mum loves her - maybe spoils here too much for my liking but I can bring that back in line very quickly.

    And now my turn to come back to a comment... I haven't put on weight... lost weight if anything.

    And... my relationship with the gardener is purely professional... I pay him and he gardens, end of.

    Well, not quite end of... he keeps my 17 soi dogs fed and watered while I'm away and is absolutely key to my daughter's welfare, allowing me to work away - that's the real reason I employ him.

    And that's it!!!

  9. #684
    Making people dance. :-)
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    ^ You're fooling no one Bendy-Mendy.


    Men Dip.

    Now the name's starting to make sense.

  10. #685
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    My dad worked away a lot when I was a kid and I worked out just fine..


  11. #686
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    ^ Think I saw you at the Londoner this afternoon. Was gonna say hello, but didn't want to make it awkward for both of us, so left it and enjoyed my roast and pints.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I pay him and he gardens, end of.
    You spelt 'slowly wanks me off to sleep' wrong.

    Hope you make it back sooner rather than later. Them peas 'aint gonna boil themselves.
    Black diamonds? I shit 'em.

  12. #687
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    ^ Think I saw you at the Londoner this afternoon. Was gonna say hello, but didn't want to make it awkward for both of us, so left it and enjoyed my roast and pints.




    You spelt 'slowly wanks me off to sleep' wrong.

    Hope you make it back sooner rather than later. Them peas 'aint gonna boil themselves.
    I was there!

  13. #688
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    Quote Originally Posted by JPPR2 View Post
    Well your gardener needs love to ya know...

    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealKW View Post
    You might find that the extra weight you;ve put on might turn the gardener off... or not

    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    ^ You're fooling no one Bendy-Mendy.

    Men Dip.

    Now the name's starting to make sense.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    You spelt 'slowly wanks me off to sleep' wrong.

    Ya know guys... one day in the future I'm planning on introducing my lovely daughter to this thread to show her what a fantastic, devoted dad she has!

    These ain't the kind of comments I'm hoping for...

    The gardener walked in on me during a very rare moment of weakness... end of.

    I, for one, have been trying to forget about it.
    Last edited by Mendip; 04-10-2020 at 11:06 PM.

  14. #689
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I boiled some eggs tonight for this week's lunches... it's all pretty shite really.
    No wonder you're losing weight

    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    The whole set up is pretty shite to be honest... normally for this type of work you'd be put up in a hotel with breakfast provided and a lunch at work. That would leave the per diem for a couple of beers in the evening. But... I'm compromising a lot due to Covid...
    Could it be that the company you're working for is also affected by covid and have to cut down on their expenses?
    I don't get why you are working 11-12 hours a day when you instead could make the job last a bit longer and not have to stay at a Stockholm hotel for a couple of weeks waiting for travel clearance to Thailand.

  15. #690
    Thailand Expat
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    The problem is Lom...

    ... this Swedish outfit is trying to break in to the Norwegian market and tbh it's a big step up for them. The Norwegians pay better, have very unionised staff contracts and have been doing the offshore stuff for years. This outfit cut their teeth doing nearshore surveys and archaeological stuff... a different ball game.

    Covid is a huge problem for them, and all offshore contractors (and oil companies)... offshore workers are exempt from quarantine rules but that's only if you're heading directly to/from a boat... for any office work the rules are applied in full force. But, of course, many people just don't want to travel if they don't have to... staff guys are getting paid anyway and companies are on dodgy ground forcing them to travel... workers rights, safety and all that good stuff.

    But all said and done it could be a good opportunity for me so I'm trying to keep an open mind. Student digs instead of a hotel is no deal breaker... though I never thought I'd find a country with worse telly than Norway... Sweden has then beat.

    And as a contractor, 10 hour days, 7 days a week are expected for office work. I generally do 11 to 12 hours, partly because that has kept me busily employed as a freelance living the wrong part of the world for 3 decades, but mainly because tonight, I have the choice of a Swedish quiz show or a documentary about a Swedish female weight lifter to watch on tv... all in Swedish... work is the better option.

    But I know what you're saying... spinning it out isn't an option but once I get into an office I can generally manipulate things to get a lot more work thrown at me...

  16. #691
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    tonight, I have the choice of a Swedish quiz show or a documentary about a Swedish female weight lifter to watch on tv... all in Swedish...
    How things changes, eh? Norwegians in the border areas usually had their antennas pointing towards Sweden in the nineties.
    You should anyway have more to select from than two channels, there are at least five free channels in the terrestrial digital tv network (and some 30++ pay channels). Who needs TV btw when you have high-speed internet..

  17. #692
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by lom View Post
    How things changes, eh? Norwegians in the border areas usually had their antennas pointing towards Sweden in the nineties.
    That was for your porn Lom!

    I remember when I first started working in Norway in the early 90s... was it Filmnet or Canal Plus that put up hard core porn on Friday and Saturday night?

    The strange thing was, after a few seconds the Norwegian censor would slap a box across the tv screen, but you still got a couple of inches around the edges to see... and if you watched long enough you could get enough glimpses of the good bits to sort yerself out. Frustrating of course, but no gardener to worry about back then!

  18. #693
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    sounds like you need to get back onto a boat.

  19. #694
    Thailand Expat
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    ^ That's starting to look like an option sadly...


    Well, I took my first step yesterday and had a reply from the Thai Consulate in Gothenburg today... with a pdf attached...





    Much as I don't like to give up at the first hurdle... this seems pretty impossible for me to do from Sweden, although I do qualify as being eligible for a flight and I have the insurance in place.

    But... the last thing I want is to end up stuck in Gothenburg (no offense Lom) waiting for weeks on end for an available flight to come up.... for 1 to 4 months! I have no accommodation once this work has finished, and board and lodging ain't cheap in Sweden. I've also no long term relationship with these contractors who won't take kindly to me asking them to cover flights maybe weeks after my work is done... they generally stick personnel on reduced cost tickets anyway.

    I'm gonna have a rethink...

    I'm also going to locate The Red Lion tonight to find a bar stool from which to do my thinking...

  20. #695
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I'm also going to locate The Red Lion tonight to find a bar stool from which to do my thinking...
    Always a good for seeing things from a different perspective.
    You could always fly back to Blighty then do the repatriation waiting there.
    Cheaper and more chances of a sooner flight.
    Don't reckon there will be a second full lockdown here, just continuing restrictions .

  21. #696
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I'm gonna have a rethink...
    Do not despair. A ray of sunshine has just peeked through the Bangkok clouds.

    I'm currently on day 6 in my Bangkok AQS.

    The UK Thai Embassy issues initially similarly re "repatriation" flights.

    However, the UK Thai embassy, who surprisingly were very helpful and responded quickly, pointed out themselves:

    1. That due to their flight backlog, that they would issue to COE for an Emirates Airlines flight and possibly other ME airlines.
    2. EA would accept the paperwork from the Thai Embassy for transit through Dubai and flight/entry into Thailand. Presumably due to a Dubai transit, means you are flying into Thailand from Dubai.

    I would suggest a polite inquiry back to the embassy querying if a flight with EA, from Oslo via Dubai, to Bangkok, would be acceptable. Worth a try.

    If you need to fly back to UK the London Thai embassy accepts the necessary documents via email and issues the documents, once your application has been approved, back to you via email.

    If you choose returning via UK, or the same I suspect in Oslo, timing of your virus test is very important. Test are readily available in London. But the 76 hour from departure, window of the virus test is critical. EA has their own time limits, 96 hours from date and time of test.

    All other embassy requirements can be accomplished again via email and a well stocked credit/debit card. Flights, virus tests, AQS hotels etc.

    When I applied I also sent copies of my wife's passport details, marriage certificate, Thai ID and Thai house blue book entries. Mine is a Thai Spouse visa.

    EA flights from Oslo to Bangkok are also cheaper. The downside with EA is it's flight from Dubai to Bangkok was 100% full. Flying back to the UK, via Frankfurt (Lufnansa) and returning, London to Dubai (EA), the flights were 30% full.

    1. Confirm EA is acceptable - Embassy
    2. Confirm virus tests are available available. In Oslo?

    In London try this site. Today, 5,10,2020, they have about 12 sites in London open Monday to Saturday and plenty of booking slots.

    https://www.doctap.co.uk/services/coronavirus-test/

    Book GP Appointment Online Today | PS34 Doctor appointments | DocTap

    3. Confirm EA can get you from departing Oslo to Bangkok in 72 hours and 96 hours from virus test

    4. London has more flights to Dubai than Oslo but are more expensive

    5. Have another beer.

    Good luck

    It is achievable.

    PS. The UK and presumably Oslo embassy, will not issue your COE until you have a booking confirmation from your chosen AQS hotel, enquire and book with them directly, and a confirmed flight booked. Timing of ordering/paying for these and your virus test is the key to a stress free journey. The AQS will issue you with a confirmed quarantine booking, EA flights similarly.
    Last edited by OhOh; 05-10-2020 at 07:03 PM.
    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

  22. #697
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    If you choose returning via UK, or the same I suspect in Oslo, timing of your virus test is very important. Test are readily available in London. But the 76 hour from departure, window of the virus test is critical. EA has their own time limits, 96 hours from date and time of test.
    Many thanks OhOh... food for thought...

    An immediate question... I followed your link about Covid swab testing in London and it states an almost guaranteed 70 hour turn around time. The test and Fit to Fly cert have to be taken/issued 72 hours before departure. That seems very tight and I could see a scenario where you're waiting at the airport for the test results to come through by email... or am I missing something here?

    The whole things seems very strange... I hear of full flights returning to Thailand and a huge backlog, yet a quick search on Skyscanner (for a month from now) shows loads of flights and not expensive either. That doesn't seem to add up.

    But I'm not despairing quite so much now... so thanks for that... I'll enjoy my pint at The Red Lion tonight a bit more now!

    Hope your next eight days pass quickly for you.

  23. #698
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I followed your link about Covid swab testing in London and it states an almost guaranteed 70 hour turn around time
    You must check the Thai and Dubai virus requirements daily, as the EA site changed.

    When I booked the test they were suggesting a 48 hour turnaround from test taking to test issue date. They suggested the test to be taken, at the pharmacy, 70 prior to flight departure. Two days before my test they suggested that the turnaround time had lengthened to 70 hours.

    I moved my test by one day. After I took my test, it was then issued in 48 hours of being taken at the pharmacy, this meant I just squeezed in all definitions, EA @ LHR and DXB, and Thai immigration.

    However, questions were raised at Heathrow but the flight supervisor at Heathrow, one of the 20% occupancy flights, decided to let me on the flight and they issued my boarding passes for LHR> DXB and DXB>BKK.

    Thai immigration at BKK, all three checks, passed OK and I'm in.

    Regarding testing times I suggest late afternoon. One can deliver the test to the test centre in London oneself. EA looks at the virus test date and time (when the test was taken, usually at a pharmacy). Thai IO's look at the date/time of flight departure. Not specifically from LHR, possibly from DXB.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    Skyscanner (for a month from now) shows loads of flights
    Only book via the airline site. Most of the others will gladly take your money, but delivery/refund is another thing. The airlines, at least EA, offered free changes. But again the EA site sates all conditions and is pretty clear on their virus protection assistance.

    I would suggest applying to the UK Embassy. All communication is via email. Sending your docs and receiving their COE and other paperwork in return, is via email.

    Visit the UK for enough time to obtain a test and fly to Bangkok with EA via Dubai. The airline posts it's requirements, at least EA does and checks them. Thailand posts it's requirements.

    I would also take at least 4 sets of documents, in colour, when you travel. Each set clipped together separately. Efficient and impressive when handed over and stress relieving. The Thai medical set up at BKK although quick, does not always return all the docs you hand over to them. The immigration booths, where passports/visas and all entry docs are checked again, are manned and no queuing at all.

    Last edited by OhOh; 05-10-2020 at 08:47 PM.

  24. #699
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    ^ Many thanks again OhOh... good advice and very much appreciated.

    I hope Day 7 has been OK for you!

    But all said and done... I've been doing some thinking and this is all pretty shit for me.

    Approaching this from Sweden is a non starter, so I'll be heading back to the UK after this work stint. I could initiate the travel to Thailand from there, but I have to be realistic...

    I'm not heading back to Thailand for an indefinite stay, my lifestyle depends on regular rotations... 4 week or 6 week usually. Even at the best case, if I arrived back before Christmas I'd still be looking at leaving again by Feb for work... that is just not sustainable. Maybe at a cost of 5k Sterling (which is hopeful maybe?) per trip back to Thailand and spending most of my time off in quarantine! Not to mention the reason I'm leaving in the first place is to make money, and then to spend that money to get home again is a nonsense! This Covid has started to make e rethink my entire life style and how feasible it is... what will the new normal be, or will it all be back to 'normal this time next year?

    I take my hat off to yourself and Thai Dhupp for going through this entry palaver... but for me is it really realistic if I'm wanting to leave again 2 or 3 months later...?

    I don't normally tend towards the depressive, but I've had a shite day at work today and finally realised that I'm working with a bunch of complete muppets. They got me here because of my experience with this contract, yet every time I suggest something to help, they say, 'but we do it like this...'. I've had that almost every day now since the end of July, and the only 2 days I didn't hear that I was almost killed by cows. The money's not great either.

    But it's not all bad... I found another of Lom's entrances to the underground Gothenburg harbour defence systems yesterday...



    And I've found a decent cider... yes it's Swedish and not like a proper Thatchers of course, but not bad for the continent...



    But, to balance those positives, I decided to actually cook something tonight, and who can go wrong with a carbonara?

    My bladdy saucepan is so small that the bottom of the spaghetti had gone soggy while the top was still dry.



    So anyway, with the dawning that I'm not really gonna get back home until next year I'm trying to take the positives... the cons are obvious with my lovely young daughter on the opposite side of the world...

    1) My mum is 84 and my sisters are pretty useless... so it will be a great opportunity to make up for lost time (for the first 3 days... and she wants the loft clearing out)
    2) It will probably be the last opportunity to see Bristol City playing in the Championship League seeing as they're a dead cert of the Premier next year.
    3) If more work comes up this winter I can look as this as an opportunity... not a disaster If. I can't get home then maybe I should take the freedom to earn more money and stash some extra (there's always work about at Christmas). It's not a nice feeling now, but it'll be next summer soon enough...

    So anyway, a morose feeling after 10 weeks of 12 hour shifts, a shite day at work and a shit meal.

    Did I mention the trainee's off home tomorrow as well.


  25. #700
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    yet every time I suggest something to help, they say, 'but we do it like this.
    you just need to either shut up or accept their attitude - either way , just take the money

    I have been very unimpressed at the last couple of sites I have been to - they all think they are worlds best practice - , but I am only there for the money , so I try to keep my mouth shut

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