GiantFan

Stay away. Also, you would be responsible for a bunch of IRS filings, since you would be the majority shareholder.

Company is registered first. Then apply for Amity status. Must be majority US owned and if you have a non-US Director (non Thai), must have at least one Thai Director. I did it several years ago and needed a certificate from the US Embassy stating that I was bona fide citizen.

Not exactly sure if you are asking about being a 51% nominee shareholder? That's totally illegal and against the spirit of the treaty. Don't abuse it!

I started this to let everybody know of my feelings of the new(ish) Montclair single / blended varietals vs. the original boxes that were barely drinkable. It has morphed into a very interesting thread. Many thanks to Xylo for that.

The Montclair box comments were very fair (i.e. crap), and I would agree, but obviously I pointed this out in my original post. I don't think anybody mentioned if they had tasted the 750 ml bottled wines (not 3 liter). For THB 270, it's worth a go.

As everyone's palates are different, a great way to find out what you like and what you don't like is to go to a wine tasting event.

A certain large wine company on the island has them every month, their last one in Kata I discovered a very nice Pinot Grigio at 449thb.

Next one is in Chalong, June 6.

I went to the one in Fisherman's Way a month or so ago. I am on their mailing list, so they sent me a notification. Didn't get anything on the Kata event? Website mentions nada.

The Chalong event was well attended. Say 50 pax or so. Maybe a bit more. Entrance fee was THB 500 and you got some finger food. The food was good and you could have as much as you wanted as the waitress's came around.

They had about 20 different wines (red, white, sparkly, desert, rose). I probably had about a dozen glasses (tasting portions). Several I spit out immediately (spittoons available). I found 3 - 4 that I liked and focused on these.

At my event, you could use the THB 500 entrance fee as a discount if you purchased over THB 1,000 in wine, which I did.

My friend sent up MR to purchase a villa. The MR / THB rate was rubbish. The best rate he was able to get was to convert to US$ in Malaysia and send that up to his Thai bank. The Thai bank convert to THB at a reasonable rate.

Bring your W/P. I gave Jim my old PP, my new PP (i.e. PP must have 18 months validity) and my W/P. W/P needs to have 7 months validity.

Great prices for FF.

Yes, just did a wiki on Passenger Pigeon. 3 - 5 billion before the arrival of settlers in the US. Extinct about 300 years later. Never knew about this. Cheap meat for settlers and eventually, slaves. Over hunting and deforestation did them in. Seems odd that they didn't notice the shear loss of numbers???

Place is owned by Exotic Travel, a Russian-Thai owned high end tour company. Their staff do not eat there. And if they HAVE to eat there, they do so unwillingly. Food not up to "authentic" standards.

And of other Russians I know, they also say it is not "the same".

It is passable. Folks who want Russian food can go and eat there, but difficult to compare if you have not eaten that food in Russia itself.

Well put. I don't think I have ever tried it, so it might be worth a visit. Nothing to compare to.

It's like pizza in Phuket. I'm sure hundreds if not thousands of pizza "pies" are sold here every day. But compared to what I grew up with in Tony Soprano-land (i.e. New Jersey), it pales in comparison. Mozz cheese is crap and lightly applied. Pepperoni just not the same., etc... So, if you want great pizza, go to NJ. If you want great Russian food, go to Russia.

Saw a BBC doco the other day that said that wild fish stocks will be depleted by 2050. That's scarey.

555, Better make sure to mail my IRS tax return soon or I'll be on the blacklist.

phuketrichard,

My company was established around 7 years ago and I have had a WP ever since. Cap is 5 mill. I always thought it was 2 mill for a WP, but I think I saw 3 mill last year. It was on the internet, so it cannot be 100% trusted.

I used Firefly and the flight was BT 6,500 RT. Cititel on Agoda was BT 4,000 for 2 nights w/o breakfast. Taxi from a/p to Cititel is fixed at 42 MR (TB 420) for 2 pax. Takes about 30 minutes.

Airport has been prettied up, but is not 100% finished. 80 - 90% complete, but still nice. Currency exchange only available upstairs after you arrive. Rate was 10 TB / 1 MR, which is OK. Rate at PIA was 10.3, which is worse. They didn't have any MR anyway.

Update. HELILUCK is the name of the company working out of the Absolute Sea Pearl on Patong hill. They have a U tube video that shows a takeoff, tour of Patong, Kamala, Laguna, and then landing. I can even see my villa.

Website is OK, but doesn't show prices. Not sure who did the English translation, but it needs work. Also, no mention of TAT license (or any other government licenses that may be required). Not sure if these are required for a website.

They seem to be doing OK. Afternoon flights overhead start around 3PM, but sometimes noon. On average, they fly over about every 15 - 20 minutes. Website says that Patong tour is 10 minutes long, so this makes sense. Estimate 8 - 12 flights / day. Happy to say that I haven't heard it when weather has been sketchy.

The helipad that you see on landing looks a bit small. I'm no expert, but having those trees that close would make me worry. Especially with the winds that blow through that cutout through the Nakkerd Hills. I live on the hill in N. Patong and it is usually breezy. I surely would not like to live in those condos directly under the flightpath. It's loud enough from my place.

Finally, I couldn't sign off without commenting on the name. I want no luck to be associated with any helicopter that I fly in!

I have used Taxplan in the past. Used them for years in Singapore and later in Bangkok.

I've also heard good things about Spice House.

Well done on getting one there, I though they had stopped doing them in Penang, which agent did you use?

Google Jim's Place Penang and you will find it. He's been doing it for a long time and knows the ropes. He's on Chulia St., just down on the right from the Odeon Cinema and nearby Banana Boutique Hotel. His website is pretty much rubbish, but he will reply to email. He charged me an extra RM60 for a fee and another RM60 to get my PP back early. Visa fee was standard RM550 for 1 year multi entry.

Just got back from Penang on my 15 month renewal. All my docs were in order and it all went smoothly. I used Jim (Jim's Place) to submit the docs. You need to have an agent, since the Firefly flight back to Phuket departs at 1405. Picked up my PP w/ new visa at 1130, so no worries.

Stayed at the Cititel, which I booked on Agoda and was OK. Easy walking distance to Jim's and many Nasi Kandar shops around. Very tasty.

LIK

Can you give some more info on the difference between single / 3 phase charges.

Last time I checked, I was paying around THB 3.6 / unit (i.e. kWh). This is directly from the PEA. I have heard renters being charged 5 or 6 baht, but never 8. Rip off.

Once the general masses start paying taxes, they will want their government to do something for them. Slippery slope.

Quickest way for me last month from Phuket was Korean Air. Direct to Incheon. About 2+ hour layover and then direct to JFK. I'm sure the BKK route connects about the same time. Korean Air uses the A380 to JFK. Not sure about the seats? I fly Econ.

The mud behind Jungceylon may be from the new project all around DD Swiss. All the way down toward Soi Banzaan, muddy water comes out of the drains after it rains. I have a feeling that the drain line may turn down towards Jungceylon once it arrives at the intersection.

What about in the old days when they sent prisoners down the drains with ropes around their waists? Saw it down in front of the Two Black Sheep years ago. Those guys came out black with muck.

Flying Business Class does not get you through passport control any faster, buying entry to these lounges gets you taken on a red carpet dirtectly to Immingration.

JD, where do you buy them? I just rec'd a new PP and will probably run into confusion at the imm Q on the way out next month. I have the old PP and a letter from the Embassy, but VIP red carpet treatment might be better. And a few glasses of wine couldn't hurt either.

I don't use that many eggs, but when I do, I'll buy a 6 pack from the Family Mart down the road. I'm sure they are not the freshest in the world, but they do the trick. I notice that the shells are thickish and the liquid somewhat thickish as well.

When my friend and wife came to stay last week, they purchased from Big-C. I made some eggs yesterday with the leftovers and was surprised at just how thin the shell was. Gave it the standard whack on the side of the frying pan and it broke in my hand. Insides were very liquidy as well. As such, they were scrambled!

Sorry for all the technical terms.

I have had Astro through Jaksat for 6 years and it works fine. Haven't really needed any service, but on the odd occasion I do (usually yearly renewal), they are responsive.

Initial fee to set up the dish / box / smartcard was about THB 15K when I first got it set up, but then around THB 15K / year for SD. No movie / cartoon channels for me. Add'l 2,500 baht / year for HD.

I noticed you are a Giants fan. me too. Does Astro show NFL games? Does it have ASN?

As I learned from True ASN is the only network around here with American sports. Now I am issing the NCAA final 4 because I am not going to spend the money on True Gold.

They stopped showing last year. They carried ASN for years. Lots of Giants games. Not exactly sure if the recent changes with Fox Sports will improve our opportunities.

Astro Supersports 2 is showing NCAA Tourny. Unfortunately, not live.

Looks like Foxsports are advertising MLB games as well, which starts in a few days.