andreww

Folks,

Need to make some prints for non-immi O extension, can I just use b/w printer or need to make proper 4x6'' prints? If so, can anyone point at a photoshop around Bangtao/Cherngtalay area? Thanks in advance.

Transferwise does not support THB (yet). Between Australia - Hong Kong - Thailand we usually use OzForex or HiFX. There're plenty of other forex-based traders in various countries, compare here for example:

http://www.fxcompared.com/

Rates are better than any bank would offer you (especially, Australian banks.. greedy bastards. Just as PayPal), and fees are negligent, and do not depend on the amount you transfer (can be waived for larger transfers though). Establishing an account with a trader takes a day or two (they will check your identity and such), and any transfer is a 2-step process: you transfer money to FX company's account (usually local, maybe even in your bank), and they finalize transfer to your THB account 2-3 days later.

Make sure you get rates directly from the transfer company of your choice, as these comparison websites usually list BEST rates available, i.e. best rate over a 24h period and for larger transfer volumes. Average customer transferring only $5-15k at a time is unlikely to get such advertised rate, but still, as I said earlier, you'll save money comparing to any bank transfer.

I dunno which FX operator is the best for US/UK markets, maybe someone else can advise.

So, new authorities did a good job on letting everybody know what land is considered public and what land is considered private. Today we even saw something that looks like a beach shower under construction! Already tops my expectations..

We really enjoyed Surin today morning, as once all massage/restaurant tables had been removed there is plenty of shade became available for children to play and for parents to relax. Ocean waves are already doing a good job on levelling sand banks and beach line.

Now, what course of action should members of public (like us) take in case sunbeds and tables are back to the beach land and encroach shady areas? Wifey mentioned some phone number like 1111, is it a real one? Anyone heard/seen any announcements from the new government?

Sorry, but my wifey (who's super-picky when it comes to massage, food and some other things , expressed strong disapproval towards blind people stuff (sounds cruel, I know...)

Really, try Thalang-Tesco so you can compare too. It's maybe the most non-farang Tesco on the island, and I have never seen a single farang (besides myself) in that particular parlour. We switched to our local magical lady however, as she's next door and does wonders. She fixed my friend's neck problem (who's a yoga instructor btw) that my friend wasn't even aware of.

Thalang Tesco ground floor on the right handside as you enter.

And in Surin-Bangtao there's a magic lady that can disassemble your body and put it back together within 2 hours, very painful, but she's a real master, most likely will fix any lasting problems in 2-3 sessions.

pm for a phone number, need to book in advance.

can't say for recent BKK prices, but from DMK we took a 2+ hrs ride in a metered cab with 3-4 stops and 30 mins waiting time ... cost us 500 baht in April.

we used to bake our own rye bread in Australia, as it is close to impossible (and very expensive) to have good fresh rye sourdough even in Sydney.

In Phuket there is no need anymore. We used to buy dark (not really rye) bread from Festival and Wine Connection. Now there's some organic shop opened opposite Wine Connection @ CherngTalay, and they offer frozen or freshly baked very tasty bread, incl. rye, bagets, focaccias etc. A bit pricey though (100-150 bath per loaf), esp. if you consider how cheap baking ingredients are here (even in Villa Market.. but there's also a "baking stuff" shop in Phuket town), but if you dont have time to mix and knead, or suddenly ran out of bread, it's a good option.

So, folks who live here, how do you organize airport transfers now?

We used to have a local taxi-driver, who'd give us a discount off the "market" rate displayed on those taxi stalls or in the airport. Now that taxi-stalls are removed, what's the market rate to use as a price anchor? WIll every taxi-driver switch his meter on starting today? Of course, 700 bath to the airport (one way) is a bit steep comparing to Bangkok's 200 baht, for example, but comparing to $60-70 I usually pay pretty much anywhere in Australia, it's a bargain.

It is expected that the price should go down now, but i cant imagine it will happen that easily. Any thoughts?

Gentlemen,

We're after a decent nanny live-out too. Her primary role will be to help my wife with а 1.5 y.o. toddler, to provide lots of indoor/outdoor activities (games, books, crafts, beachside, poolside, park etc), quality English input (I and my wife both speak fluent English, but would like to pass our mother-tongues to our son, hence talk Russian/Thai to him) and help with basic stuff like cooking, tidying up etc.

We already have cleaners taking care of our house, so nanny won't have to spend time on this chore.

Our son is well scheduled, i.e. goes to bed early, wakes up late, has a long nap in between, so living in is not necessary.

It is not possible to get a visa done in one day.

the 1st of May is not a public holiday in Thailand but it may be in Malaysia.

Edit: I just checked and the embassy is closed on May 1st. http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/images/text_editor/files/Office%20Holidays%202014.PDF

Just confirming that it is POSSIBLE to get a visa within 1 day in KL embassy. Just prove to staff that you have to leave urgently (i.e. show your return ticket), and they'll do their best to issue your visa by 4.30pm same day. Done it myself and seen many people in the line successfully requesting same kind of service (as 1st and 5th of May turned out to be non-working days, which many people were not aware of).

Overall, very smooth and quite efficient service (by Thai/Malay standards

One more question — is it required for my thai wifey to be present in KL embassy during me applying for non-immi O?

p.s. was googling same question and first result was this topic

Thanks,

How fo you think, is there any chance to get visa done within 1 day? I just realized that 1st of May is a public holiday..

Hello,

I just learned that I'd require a non-immi O visa based on marriage in order to get 1 year extension done in Phuket (where I and my Thai wife currently reside). Fortunatelly, we had already planned a trip to KL, so hopefully I can apply for this visa there.

Requirements on the website state that I'd need to show them

1. Bank Statement with a minimum deposit of 400,000 Bath

(http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/963/18997-DEPENDENT.html)

Is there another option to show my financial position? For example, put 100,000 Baht in a bank or provide a signed statutory declaration (witnessed in Austraian Embassy) about my income in Australia. I saw conflicting reports on this forum and consular stuff in KL is not very friendly over the phone so any recent info is appreciated.

Thank you!

Thanks for your input, guys.

Let me clarify some misinformed statements in this topic though. I've been renting cars for last 3+ years (since we started hopping from country to country), and be assured, know most large and small renters' policies too well. Speaking of locals, two reasons to rent from them:

- they're literally next door from my house (and not in HKT or Patong, which is 30-40 mins drive one way + 1 more hour for formalities).

- full sized SUV's (e.g. Fortuner) would cost from locals just as cheap as from Avis or Budget etc. Hertz is even cheaper option, but you have too book well in advance to get a desired car, while locals seem to be better stocked/less busy, I can book today and drive tomorrow.

How I learned about geo-limited insurance policies? Thru one very publicized case of insurance-related rip-off initiated by... AVIS. Didn't happen to me, but the story was: car rented from AVIS @ HKT, dude drove to Khao Lak, got into an accident, had to pay $8000 for bail out because the car wasn’t insured outside of Phuket according to AVIS' policy. Go figure.

And yes, these scary dodgy local renters will issue a proper rental agreement, which can be used for claims and disputes. And yes, just checked today: their agreement explicitly states no driving outside of Phuket/Phang Nga/Krabi (that means driving outside of those areas makes my own insurance invalid, as I'd be breaking the agreement). And no, they dont take passports as hostages, unless you give one to them. Just a copy and your contact details suffice.

Regardless of case, platinum CC with good insurance cover and a willful Thai wife solve most of problems you'd even encounter with renters, big or small.

To cut long story short: gotta ride myself to HKT or Phuket Town and book well in advance to get a 7-seater from Hertz to be able to drive it anywhere. I guess, it's time to become a car owner again.

We're thinking of renting a car in Phuket to go to Khao Sok NP, but all local renters' insurance won't cover such trip because it's outside of Phuket.

Is there any way to rent a car that is insured no matter where you drive (in Thailand of course)?

Cheers.

Allamanda looks promising, found some offer for 65k for 3bdr.

Maybe someone knows about non-hotel grade accom in Laguna?

Hello,

I'm sorry if this post is offtopic, but I have already broken Google trying to find an answer.

Maybe it does not even exist... I'm lookng for 2-bdr properties in Laguna village (Bang Tao) for long-term rent at reasonable prices (50-60 kBht/mo). There're hundreds of properties in the area, but surprisingly very few are available for long-term rent... I mean INSIDE Laguna with access to residents amenities, not nearby. 3-bedrooms are defo out of price range, and we dont need 3rd bedroom at this stage anyway.

The plan is to buy something there, and we wanted to rent first to get a feeling of the area, but can't find anything. Any help is appreciated, thank you!

the problem is that i've bought the laptop already, but a person who promised to send it over to Sydney failed to do that on time, so now I hope to catch the delivery in Thailand. Cant cancel the order since it's a custom config (2.3 Ghz, 4GB RAM).

for top-model macbook Air difference is about ~10k thb. Delivery and VAT will take some, but i'll claim VAT back on departure.

way cheaper in HK, compare apple.com/hk

Provide one example where the HK price is so much cheaper the shipping hassles (and 7% VAT) are worth it. I don't think you'll find one. HK used to be way cheaper - 5 years ago. Now - not so much. There is no sales tax in HK so it would be 7% cheaper from that alone, the rest...

I don't think it's worth it. At all.

Hmm... OK so you save about 3600 Baht on a MacBook Air. That's honestly more than I thought... it's 29,230 Baht in HK, and 34,900 here. With VAT 34900 - (29231 * 1.07) = 3622 Baht saved.

Not exactly worth a trip there unless you're going anyway. But I guess HK is a good tip.

Or use the Edu discount in Thailand ... http://store.apple.com/th-k12

way cheaper in HK, compare apple.com/hk

Hey people,

First of all, I did my research through the forums and found some info, but couldn't find an answer for my question.

I need to get a laptop delivered from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai (where i'll be staying as a tourist). As I understood from previous topics, i better use EMS for that and will have to pay 7% VAT on declared value.

Now, I have two options: to deliver the laptop to my hotel/accom address or to deliver it to one of my Thai friends residential address. Which option is better to decrease chances of unreasonable custom charges or any other troubles with the package?

Thank you.