The purpose of the exercise is to find ways of helping improve the working conditions of Filipino teachers in Thailand, in light of statements that many of them are receiving less benefit than what their educational experience and work background could demand under fairer circumstances.

If you work or have previously worked as a teacher in Thailand, kindly accomplish the survey questionnaire, found in this link http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=HJNJFJ_76660e5f , on or before 23 September 2010.

The Embassy would also like to take this opportunity to invite Filipino teachers to a seminar on pertinent laws, rules and regulations affecting foreign teachers in Thailand to be held at the Embassy Conference Hall on October 9, from 9 to 12. Featured speakers include officials from the Teachers’ Council of Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Institutes of Higher Learning.

Your usual cooperation on matters of mutual concern would be highly appreciated.

EDGAR B. BADAJOS

Consul General

AMBASSADOR

OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

IN BANGKOK

FAREWELL LETTER OF

HIS EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR ANTONIO V. RODRIGUEZ

TO THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN THAILAND

I would like to take this one last opportunity to thank all of you for the friendship that we have so fondly shared and for the support and cooperation that you have extended to me and the Embassy.

It really saddens me to finally leave Thailand after almost seven years. But what depresses me most is the thought of leaving behind friends with whom my family and I have spent wonderful moments in both official and non-official events, within and outside the Filipino community in Thailand.

The Filipino cclmmunity in Thailand is one of the most vibrant, dynamic and close-knit Filipino community in all the foreign diplomatic postings I have been to. I attribute this to your unparalleled dedication and fierce loyalty to the dreams and aspirations of our community, and also to your professionalism and world-class talent that have made you and our community in general the envy of other expatriate groups in Thailand.

My family and I, as well as the entire embassy staff, will always fondly remember our many c:ommunity undertakings, how we transformed the embassy grounds into a full-blown Filipino fiesta every Independence Day, and how we ensured both a lively and solemn celebration of our traditional simbang gabi and noche buena every December from 2003 to 2009.

But of the many wonderful memories I share with you, what I will treasure most is how you helped us transform the Embassy from a cold, stone and wooden structure into a warm and welcoming house where everybody felt at home. We flung open the Embassy’s doors for you because we felt that you deserved it more than anyone else. In recognition of your tireless, if not heroic, efforts to help yourselves, your families backs home, and our motherland, we made sure that the Embassy was always ready to service your consular needs, to offer legal advice whenever you needed one, to provide shelter to our kababayans with no place to go, and to help repatriate our brothers and sisters who needed to go home.

I look forward to going back to the Philippines after an absence of almost seven long years. But 1 leave with a heavy heart knowing that I am also about to leave behind friends who have, in so many ways, enriched my life.

ANTONIO V. RODRIGUEZ

Ambassador

Dear Kabayan,

Greetings!

Our Philippine Independence day celebration is fast approaching, and is but fitting to find time to honor and celebrate our democracy.

This coming June 12, 2010 (Saturday), we will have a get-together/swimming party where you can share your favorite meals (pot luck) with our fellow Kabayans.

The venue is at Vdara Resort and Spa, from 9:30 AM until – 4:00PM. There will be NO FEES to be collected, so just come with your food and swim suits.

On this occasion, we will also be electing the new sets of officers.  I encourage all of you to participate in this vey important event, and make yourself available for any position that you prefer, or nominate someone whom you think is fitting for the positions to be elected.

Please come with your loved ones and let’s have fun, swim, and fellowship together.

Let’s thank God for a peaceful and civil election in our country.

Be proud to be a Filipino. Mabuhay tayong lahat!

See you all there!

Arthur G. Elbinias

AFT-NRC Outgoing President

Dear Kabayan,

The Philippine National Election is near. We have the privilege to have a longer voting period from April 10 until  6:00PM Philippine time on May 10, 2010.

Based on our initial discussion with our Philippine Embassy official, they will be coordinating with our association as to the manner of distributing our ballots.

All those who have been registered (old and new) whether you have voted in the past or not will be qualified to vote.

Please await for further notice to be circulated as to how AFT-NRC can assist the Comelec in order  to make it convenient for voters here in the Northern Region.

Please read the next post for the Philippine Embassy Election guidelines.

Let us exercise our right of suffrage.

Regards to all.

Sincerely,

ARTHUR G. ELBINIAS

President

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY ADVISORY

22 February 2010

To : The Filipino community in Thailand

Re : 2010 National Elections Guidelines

The Philippine Embassy would like to reiterate to the Filipino community in Thailand that Postal Voting will be implemented in the upcoming National Elections in May.

Period for casting of votes. - Casting of votes shall be for a period of thirty (30) calendar days beginning at 8:00 o’clock in the morning of 10 April 2010, local time in Thailand, until 6:00 o’clock in the evening of 10 May 2010, Philippine time. The period shall include all established holidays in the Philippines and such other holidays in Thailand.

The Embassy will distributelreceive election ballots from 8 am to 12 noon and from 1 to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, within the voting period of one (1) month.

All overseas absentee voters in Thailand may vote for President, Vice-President, Senators and accredited political partieslorganizations participating under the party-list system of representation.

Please be informed that the Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting (COAV) of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) will be sending to duly registered voters in Thailand mailing packets containing the following items:

I) Official Ballot (OAVF No. 6);

2) List of Candidates;

3) Instructions to Voters;

4) Official Ballot Envelope (OAVF No. 45); and

5) Paper Seals (OAVF No. 12).

Otherwise, the Philippine Embassy will Inform the voter that his mailed ballot is available for pick-up and post in conspicuous places in the Consular Section or through email blast, the names of voters with instructions as to when, where and how they can claim their mailed ballots;

Procedures for postal voting - The voter shall: . .

1) Accomplish personally the ballot by writing the names of the candidates and sectoral partylorganization or coalition participating in the party-list system of representation;

2) Affix his right thumb mark on the ballot coupon which is located on the lower portion of the official ballot;

3) Detach the ballot coupon and place it inside the Ballot Envelope;

4) Fold the official ballot in such a way that its contents will not be seen and seal it with a paper seal;

5) Place the accomplished ballot inside the Ballot Envelope and seal the same;

6) Write his name and affix his signature on the upper left-hand corner of the

Ballot Envelope;

Failure to affix his signature shall invalidate his ballot.

7) Return the sealed Ballot Envelope personally or by mail to the Embassy on or before 10 May 2010. If mailed or delivered personally on 10 May 2010, it should be received by the Embassy on or before 6:00 o’clock in the evening, Philippine time on the same date.

Please be guided accordingly.

ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ

Ambassador

Dear Kabayan,

The Embassy is in receipt of an e-mail from the Philippines dated 26 January 2010 from a Ms. Cherrie Omega, 38 years old, requesting for assistance in locating the whereabouts of her mother, Ms. MALINEE PRAMORATAT, who has been missing for 30 years.

According to Ms. Omega and her siblings, they are convinced that Ms. Pramoratat is still alive and her last known address they provided is as follows:

RAOAMORNKIT APARTMENT

ROOM 512   596/6 SOI CHUMNONG SCHOOL

PRACHASONGKORI ROAD, DINDAENG, BANGKOK

The Embassy is also considering the possibility that Ms. Pramoratat may have moved to another part of Thailand.

If any one can provide any information about her whereabouts, kindly inform our Secretary Ms. Gigi Narrido by responding to this email or at telephone number 087-184-7618 or any of our AFT-NRC officers.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely yours,

ARTHUR G. ELBINIAS

AFT-NRC President

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY ADVISORY

To : The Filipino community in Thailand

Re : Denial of Petition for Extension of OAV Registration and OAV Information drive

This is to inform the Filipino community in Thailand of the following:

Denial of Petition for Extension of OAV Registration

The petition for extension of the OAV Registration period has been denied by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in an en banc resolution promulgated on 19 January 2010. With this development, only those who were able to register as absentee voters before the deadline of 31 August last year and those who have been previously registered and did not fail to vote for two (2) consecutive times are eligible to vote in the May 2010 national elections.

OAV information drive

To promote awareness of the May 2010 elections and the candidates running for various elective posts, the Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat (OAVS) has made available an internet website/portal (www.politicalarena.com) for the general public.

The new website is an online interactive platform which provides election-related information and materials and through which the prospective candidates are given a medium to post information about themselves, their platform of government and ideological views.

Comments and feedback from the general public are welcome in the website.

For information and reference.

EDGAR B. BADAJOS

Consul General

25 January 201 0

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY ADVISORY

To : The Filipino community in Thailand

Re : Status of Petition for Extension of OAV Registration

In connection with the upcoming May 2010 Philippine national elections,  the Embassy would like to inform the Filipino community in Thailand that the petition for extension of the OAV Registration period has now been submitted for resolution by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

The Embassy shall inform the community once the COMELEC promulgates its decision.

The registration for Overseas Absentee Voting ended on 31 August 2009.

If the COMELEC grants the above petition, Filipinos in Thailand who were unable to register as Overseas Absentee Voters will have a chance to register and be able to cast their votes come election time.

For information and reference.