thaieagle67

I will be picking up a new SUV this Monday and i do not seem to be able to get a straight answer on whether i can drive my car out of the Chonburi provence or not on red plates. i have searhed the forum for any previous posts,but with no luck.

If anyone could guide me on this, i would be very grateful.

thanks,

When my wife got her car a couple of years back she asked this very question to Toyota. To get out of Chonburi on Red plates, she had to pay a little bit extra to the garage and they supplied her with Red plates that allowed her to travel wherever. We had a look around and many new cars waiting to be picked up were wearing a similiar numbered Red plate but the one issued to my wife had a completely different set of numbers (if that makes any difference ). We drove to Hua Hin and Chiang Rai and never had an issue. I am not sure how you would approach this question without being Thai but worth a go!

I would like to see the taxation drop to allow the average man to at least have a chance to drive something else than what is the norm in Thailand, with BMW, Mini, Audi, VW, Volvo and the higher level Japanese models coming to mind.

For the higher level Japanese models taxation drop already and will drop mort in next 5 years due the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement:

By 2011, Thailand will immediately reduce the tariffs on Japanese automobiles with an engine displacement of 3000 cc or larger to 60 percent from 80 percent. The two countries will hold talks again in 2009 on total tariff elimination for those vehicles in mid-2010s.

Great news, lets hope they see sense and drop the over the top tariffs completely. My MX-5 could become a reality soon!!!

It seems from all the response that this is a split line of thinking.

I would like to see the taxation drop to allow the average man to at least have a chance to drive something else than what is the norm in Thailand, with BMW, Mini, Audi, VW, Volvo and the higher level Japanese models coming to mind.

Only time will tell but as some of you have mentioned, some of the major manufacturers are pursuing this bone of contention, as its the majority of their models that are being affected. I think it is also clear that some of the high cast members of Thai society would prefer it stays the way it is to ensure their "them and us" status

Thanks for the response, it has been good to get different perspectives.

First of all: We are not in the UK! Second: They protect theis own market overhere. They want peaple buying cars made in Thailand. Who would buy a car made in Thailand if they would allowed to import cars taxfree? Use common senses. This would heart the local carindustry dramaticly, jobs get lost, etc.

I think you have missed my point! I realise we are not in the UK , as i have lived in LOS for over 14 years (the reason I have no common sense!). My point is, why can't the vehicles imported into Thailand be a bit more sensibly priced by reducing the amount of import tax, not cutting it completely. I appreciate that jobs must be protected but why should everyone (Thais included) have to pay 2, 3 or even (in some extreme cases) 4 times over the prices seen in most other parts of the world.

As i mentioned, the price of large capacity motorbikes have come down and with a Green book, so why not a bit of a re-think about cars, as the roads are boring enough as it is with the Japenes only monoply (although i personally like the japanese produced vehicles).

I was recently in the local Mazda showroom looking at the Mazda 3, when i happened to see the brochure for the MX-5. I asked the salesman what was the current price and he was over the moon to tell me that the price will remain the same this year even though exchange rates against the Japanese Yen haven't been good, a quote i saw repeated on their web site!

When I laughed the salesman was most upset until i explained that MX-5's in their most kitted out form will not sell for more than 20 grand in the UK, let alone mainland Europe and the USA. He was shocked once he calculated that Thailand prices and exhange rates pump this up to the equivalent of almost 50 grand (2,549,000.00 Baht at 51 to the GBP), complete madness. He wasn't so keen to talk about a sale after that!

When, with all the current economic problems, will Thailand drop these taxation rates, as they seem to be doing with the larger engine motorbikes that are coming on the market?

Oh and i forgot to mention it's a textile jacket not leather

I have just purchased one of these from Alpinestar. It comes with a removeable winter liner for when you maybe up North. Good padding for the elbows and shoulders and very comfortable. I have yet to wear it in anger as i'm still away on work but a mate of mine in KL has one and he rates it for hot climates given the protection it provides.

You want a method OTHER than telephone?

No customer email address that I can find, so the only other method I know is show up in person:

Suvarnabhumi International Airport

A1-062 Ground Floor, Concourse A, Bangna-Trad Rd.,

Rachathewa Subdistrict, Bangpli District, Samutprakarn Province 10540

I am out of the country at the mo, so i really need to get through to them by other means than in person or by phone but thanks anyhow.

I am sure many other have tried to contact Air Asia over all this crap at the airport but has anyone been successful?

EC: Reelection date on Dec 11

Election Commission (EC) chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said the reelection date will be on December 11 after the Constitution Court on Tuesday ruled to dissolve the People Power, Matchimathipataya and Chart Thai parties for vote-buying.

Mr Apichart said the reelection will take place in 26 constituencies in 22 provinces after the court banned MPs, who were executives from the three disbanded parties, from running elections.

More from the Bangkok Post here.

We can all only hope this doesn't result in upsetting either side and end up with all rescheduled/re-routed flights being rescheduled/re-routed again because someone takes it upon themselves to take over the airports to get their way!!!

good to see reports on the Nation that the thai stock market has opened up today. it closed lower in Australia today, and we have fully functioning transportation system.

Amazing Thailand

Even the Thai Bath is up against the EURO (70 Satang) since closing time friday

Amazing country indeed

Expectable since euro/$ rate went down on friday . If you keep a very close eye on euro/$ then you can see when you can change money ( if there are major changes that is ) . THB and $ are more or less coupled , so if the $ get's stronger , so does THB .

And what the f*** has any of this got to do with what is happening at the airports. Please update with relevent information on the current status at Suvarnabhumi not drivel like this

Can anyone tell me if there are any International Schools within Buriram, or even state schools where English maybe tought to a decent standard?

I would like to use an FM transmitter from my Ipod to my car music system but the airwaves around town are just bombarded with c**p local chat shows, so if anyone has had a direct link (USB) Ipod compatible system installed i would be interested to know what make and where they got it done. Thanks.

Just brought a D Tracker myself and more than happy. It's been a while since i have ridden a proper bike, so this is a good introduction back into it. Easy to ride, great vision due to its ride height and just puts a smile on your face being on it. Of course i would love a bigger machine but this is as much fun as i want from a bike for now, especially with the lunacy on Thai roads!

Thanks guys, it seems that the bus is the way to go. Can't wait to go now, off to the MotoGP to see those loonies on two wheels!

Has anyone been through the LCC Terminal at KL International Airport? I will be heading that way mid October and have never used this terminal, so wanted to know whether a transit bus was available to get across to the Express Rail Station or are there Taxi's/buses direct to KL?

I have seen that Ford will be making the new Fiesta in their new Rayong Plant for the Asia market but does anyone know if it will be available in Thailand anytime soon and what prices we could expect pay?

Thanks for that. I have been into the Kawa showroom on the South Pattaya and 3rd Road Interchange and they have about 5 machines in Kawa Green and Black. Very nice looking bikes. The staff seemed to be setting everything out, so I didn't bother to hang around to ask prices but I can imagine they won't be cheap

I have noticed a few Motorbike dealers around the place that now have 250cc machines in their Showrooms, with Kawasaki being the make that I have seen the most.

I was led to believe that 250cc machines were not permitted to be imported into the country, which always seemed daft to me when you have 400, 600, 900, etc, all around the tourist resorts. Does anyone know what the score is with bikes above 150cc and how you can purchase one ligit' in LOS?

My Mum is planning to come over to LOS later in the year and wanted know what would be her best visa option. She normally stays for 1 month but this time she wants to stay for 3 months. She will be travelling from the UK but i don't believe her age will be of any significance. What is the current longest visa available to her? I don't really want her to travel into London to get a visa but i don't think she will have much choice. Any info will be most appreciated.

Thaieagle: To stay on a property, after the death of the Thai owner, let's imagine your wife or girlfriend, I believe the best 'protection' is a USUFRUCT agreement. With this, you can stay on a property for the rest of your life...

I already wrote an article called "Everything you always wanted to know about usufruct agreements in Thailand" on this forum.

Make a search, I believe it was in 2 months ago, in February 2008. If you can find it, go on our website and you will have a copy.

We often combine usufruct and will(s). Or a lease agreement and will(s)

Isaanlawyers,

I found the previous article but still need some clarity. One member asked the points below but it appears that he was not answered, so could you clarify these for us?

1. What is the normal law of succession for her land and our house in case my Thai wife passes away (no will, no children)?

2. How do things change in 1. if there are children?

3. How do things change in 1. if I am an usufructary of the land?

Quote from Pattaya Mail article on Pattaya's traffic problems; -

"officials would collect parking fees from anyone parking along Beach Road. Parking areas would be marked with painted lines, and cars, motorcycles, baht buses and taxis will all have to pay to use these areas. The fee for the first hour for vehicles will be 10 baht, rising to 20 baht for each extra hour. For motorcycles the fee would be 10 baht for the first hour and 10 baht for each additional hour.

The police have been asked to strictly enforce the parking regulations and fines will be imposed for anyone disregarding the law."

They have got to be having a laugh? Even in Thailand where salaries are low, this amount of fine is going to achieve what exactly? And if the person(s) refuse to pay up, you think that the local BIB will drag somebody to court for 10baht.

Again they are skirting around the issues, as there should be no parking (except motorbikes & delivery vehicles) period, no hire firms plying their trade on beach road, reduce the amount of baht buses and no bl**dy tour coaches dropping/picking up hoards of tourists.

If most of the forum members see these as the major problems with beach road then why can't a government on-site survey see it............................beyond belief!

Lately, we received many questions about "Wills" in Thailand. The following text tries to answer some of these questions. Not everybody needs a will and this text aims only to give you general information. Don't hesitate to communicate with us should you have any other questions or inquiries.

__________________________________

WILLS IN THAILAND

By Sebastian H. Brousseau, LLB, B.Sc., Canadian Attorney-at-Law

and Alan G. McAdam, LL.B. (Hons.), British Solicitor

From Isaan Lawyers

April 2008.

_____________________________________

No matter how little or how much property you may own, you want to be sure that it is distributed to the right people after your death. In Thailand and in most countries, "When a person dies, his estate devolves on the heirs." (Section 1599 of the Civil and Commercial Code, "CCC")

In Thailand, if a person dies without a will, it is down to the state to decide who will benefit from the estate of the deceased. (Statutory heirs) (Section 1603 CCC).

There are six classes of statutory heirs in Thailand, each class is entitled to inherit in the following order: (section 1629 of the Civil and Commercial Code "CCC")

1) Descendants

2) Parents

3) Brothers and sisters of full blood

4) Brothers and sisters of half blood

5) Grandfathers and grandmothers

6) Uncles and aunts

The surviving spouse is also a statutory heir (Section 1635 CCC). It must be a legal and registered marriage.

It would be very comforting to know that at the time your loved ones are mourning your death, you will have done everything in your power to avoid problems. A will lets you choose your heirs ("legatees") and clearly outlines your last wishes. If you do not make a will, the law in Thailand will instead determine who inherits your property. A proper will is a guarantee that your wishes will be respected. It will also make settling your succession that much easier.

A will can do many things for you:

· Gives you peace of mind and protection

· Divides the estate (specifically) or gives all your asset to someone (general)

· Appoints Administrator of your estate (Executors)

· Elects Guardians for underage Children (Section 1586 CCC)

· Makes gifts of money (pecuniary legacies) or items (chattels)

· Includes specific people (i.e. step children)

· Excludes specific people (ex spouse/partner, family members)

· Protects loved ones inheritance

There are three types of wills** in Thailand:

A ) An holograph will (section 1657 CCC)

B ) A will made in presence of witnesses. (Section 1656 CCC)

C ) A will made before public officials (section 1658 CCC)

(** "Secret will" (Section 1660) and an "oral will" (Section 1663) are other possibilities)

A holograph will is entirely handwritten by the testator and signed by him, dated, without the use of any mechanical process. It does not require the presence of a witness. No erasure, addition or other alteration in such will is valid unless made by the testator's own hand and signed by him.

A will made in the presence of witnesses must be signed by the testator, dated, before at least two other persons as witnesses and meet certain requirements. The two witnesses must also sign the will in presence of the testator. Some people can't be witnesses at the making of a will.

A will made before public officials is normally made at the Amphur.

SEVERAL GOOD REASONS FOR CHOOSING A THAI LAWYER TO MAKE A WILL

A will is an important legal document; the settlement of your succession is based on it. It is therefore essential that the will is well drafted, complete and free of ambiguity. In Thailand, you must be at least 15 years old to make a will. (Clause 1703 CCC)

When you have recourse to the services of a lawyer with expertise in the planning of successions and drafting of legal documents, you can be sure that there will be no problems in the interpretation of your will. Your lawyer knows how important it is to choose the right words and he will formulate your last wishes in legal terms according to your instructions. He will also help you remember everything that should be included to make the settlement of your succession an easy task. If you are director of a Thai limited company, the control of the share won't be automatically transferred to your heirs.

Another advantage to choose a lawyer to make a will is that he will keep the original in a safe place, where it cannot be lost or destroyed. You will have a copy and you can also give another copy to a person that you trust. The content will remain confidential until your death (unless you tell someone or there is a Court order to disclose it) and you can always change or modify your will if you wish.

All countries have different laws. In some of them your ex-wife/husband can still make a claim on your estate in Thailand if you don't take legal steps to exclude them. This can be done in a Thai Will.

Section 1667 states that "In the event of a Thai subject making his will in a foreign territory, such will may be made either according to the form prescribed by the law of the country where it is made or according to the form prescribed by Thai law."

A legal foreign will could be acceptable in Thai Courts. However, they have to be translated and authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. A Thai will should make it easier but it is not essential.

If you have assets in another country, the will dealing with your foreign assets MUST normally be valid under the laws of the county in which you are domiciled. Domicile is extremely complex and is most definitely should NOT be confused with residence. It is possible to be resident in one country and domiciled in another. If you were born in a foreign country, to change your domicile to Thai obviously involves you moving to Thailand.

If you are updating either of your wills, be very careful that you don't inadvertently revoke one of your other wills. If you do a new will in Thailand, send a translation of it to whoever holds your foreign will and ask them to confirm that your old will in your foreign country is still valid if this is what you wish.

If you make a will in Thailand, it should be in Thai language. Otherwise, many people in Thailand won't understand when your heirs will use it. A good law firm should be able to provide you a bilingual will so that you can understand the content of it. A translation Thai to English will cost you between 300 to 500 baht per page. Some other languages could be more expensive (Scandinavian, Japanese, etc.).

Foreigners are normally not allowed to own land in Thailand. However, a foreigner who acquires land by inheritance will have a delay of one year to transfer the land to a Thai national.

You may appoint a person or the administrator of your estate to arrange your funeral. Some wish their ashes to be scattered in the sea, some chose to be buried in a Chinese cemetery, some prefer not to mention anything.

One other point to bear in mind is that your foreign estate may be liable to Inheritance Tax in your country. So far, there is no inheritance or death tax in Thailand. But the Thai government has been thinking about changing the law for many years:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/02/28/national/national_30028100.php

To avoid paying too much inheritance tax in some cases, it is common in western countries to have a clause avoiding the transfer of ownership to a heir unless this person survives the testator by 30 days.

Many rules in Thailand are not exactly the same as in your country. This is why you must be careful if you don't want your will to be void. Do you know a witness to a will can't be a beneficiary? (Clause 1653 CCC) Do you know that the name of the writer of a will (if it is not the testator) must sign his name and add the statement that he is the writer? (Clause 1671 CCC) Do you know that you can appoint a "controller of property" if you desire to dispose your property in favour of a minor, but if you don't want the parents, guardians or custodians to manage this property? (Sections 1686 and following CCC).

A Thai lawyer can explain this to you and advise you what you can do or not do in this country. It is normally inexpensive to make a will in Thailand and it can be done quickly. It will protect you and give you peace of mind.

Isaanlawyers, some very good information.

I am not sure if you can help but i am interested to know what kind of protection can a Thai wife/husband give for their farang spouse with regards to being able to remain in the family home if they passed away?

As you have quoted; if a Thai dies and does not have a will then their assests will go to the state, so leaving a farang spouse with a problem. If a Thai states in her/his will that the spouse can remain in the family home to take care of children, etc, what does the law state on this? Would the farang be able to stay with the children in the family home? In addition to this, if it was permitted for the farang to stay, would the Thai family have the right to take over the family home if the children were still at a young age?

Given the way many people drive here, the outrageous prices and the fact that some jealous person may deicide to "customize" your paint job makes owning one of these pricey cars a real hassle. Plus, how many shops would be qualified to perform work on a car like this? Not many I would imagine.

I wonder how many kit cars/buggies are built here. Materials are cheap and a competent welder could put one together easily.

I know that Westfield Sports Cars from the UK have a set up here and you can arrange for a test drive at the Bira Circuit near Pattaya if you fancy owning one for racing/track days or for the road. I believe that having one built for public road use means getting wacked with the same draconian import and licencing taxes

They have a web site which i will try and get the address for if anyone is interested but the going price for a track prepared car is about 1.3M Baht. I am led to believe that they have just recieved permission to enter these cars in some of the Thai racing series, so if your another Kimi, Lewis, etc, and have a spare million to part with, heres a chance to live the dream.........well almost

A few days ago I got a new car, the Ford Focus TDCi, here are my experience so far with the car:

I got the car in Bangkok last friday and went to Jomtien that afternoon. Before I left Bangkok I filled the diesel tank and after that I reset the fuel gauge display. I drove towards Chon Buri under the elevated highway, and for the first approx. 70 km ( until I came to a place where there was a lot of road construction going on) the fuel gauge displayed 4,2 litre per 100 km, which is the same as 23,81 km/l. Driving speed was at that time mostly around 80 km/h, but varied between 60-90 km/h.

It is very pleasant to drive, comfortable seats, road handling is excellent ( as GaryA already has pointed out) and this diesel engine has a lot of torque, which means that even you have a 6-speed manual gearbox you don´t have to change gears a lot, - if you don´t want !

The noise level in the cabin is pleasant and moderate, in some driving conditions you can hear, that it has a diesel engine and not a petrol ( typically during acceleration) but most of the time I really do not notice the sound of the engine.

Overtaking other cars is easy, always abundant power when needed. ( and I will point out that I am not speeding)

Last sunday we went back to Khon Kaen, we were driving from Rayong towards Klaeng, and shortly before Klaeng I filled the tank and reset the fuel gauge meter.

Sunday evening we drove from Klaeng on road 344 towards Chon Buri, turned right at the intersection 344/331 and continued on 331 and later 304 towards Kabin Buri, through Kabin Buri still on 304 towards Nakhon Ratchasima (NR), on the way we passed an area with mountains ( some 40-50 km distance).

From NR. we took highway no. 2 towards Khon Kaen.

Arrived in Khon Kaen the distance was 538 km. the fuel gauge meter indicated 5,7 l/ 100 km ( 17.54 km/l. ). I filled the tank again, 27.04 litre diesel which equals 19.9 km/l or 5.03 l/ 100 km. I am quite happy with that result, since this trip included mountain areas, and on the road from Klaeng towards Chon Buri you have a lot of small hills, which will take more fuel. Furthermore we drove in the evening, I don´t know how much the lights on the car influences the fuel consumption, but they consume energy and therefore the fuel consumption must be higher. The driving speed was mostly 80- 90 km./h. occasionally lower( in the mountains) and higher when overtaking cars driving slowly.

Well, I can surely write a lot more about this car, and I feel sure most of my comments will be positive.

North

Hi North,

Glad you like it mate. I got the Focus 2.0 Sport (gasohol) just before Christmas and oddly enough drove to jomtien the very next day. I am over the moon with the car handling, performance and economy so i think that it's money well spent. Keep us posted.

Cheers, Rick.

Rick,

Where did you purchase the Sport from and if you don't mind me asking what was the price?

Did you have to ask for many extras or was the complete package enough?

Hi Thaieagle.

Sorry for the late reply but i am not getting the topic e mail notifications.

I bought the car from Ford on Sukhumvit soi 62 Bangkok. The price was 936000 Baht and i took credit with Ford leasing over 48 months interest free. The complete package was fine so i did not need to ask for extras, but the guy did throw in the tinted windows for free.

I am very happy with the performance and the fuel economy of the car as it runs on gasahol which is cheaper the the usual price of petrol.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Rick

Thanks Rick,

I have now been on the Ford Thailand web site and was suprised to see that the Sport only comes with auto box. I would like to get back to a manual, so it might have to be the TDCi instead but i will try and get to look around them first, as the sport does looks good. On my rare returns to the UK i have always hired a Focus and they have always been a pleasure to drive.