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khunPer
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A night in the town
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A Thai girl once told me: »Don't think too much, khun Per. There are so much you don't understand about Thailand.«
I premuse this story comes under that! -
»Illegal taxis charge 500 to 1,000 baht per fare...«
Competion?
Believe I read in the news at TV some time ago, that the “legal taxis and tuk-tuks” where driving without meter and overcharging tourist with fares of 1000 to 2000 baht. -
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I said from the beginning of the relationship with my GF, that I did not wish to support a Thai family. If that was what she was aiming for, I was not the right partner. We agreed upon that.
However, I did help, apart from the gifts, food and little money when visiting the village.<snip>I was reading your post KhunPer and I can understand your opening statement of refusing to give anything ... "that (you) did not wish to support a Thai family"
Then an ... OK ... some gifts and a little bit of money when you visit.
So I read and read more of your generosity.
I've done the sums for you below ...
"I did help with some improvements – all together around 700k."
Now, say those improvements and appliances like washing machines have no value after 10 years, they have depreciated to $0
- that's 70,000 Baht per year.
"800k to buy a big tractor" ... because you said no interest, I presume they borrowed that money from you?
@ 8% interest (which is what they would easily pay on an unsecured loan), so reducing the Capital borrowed by 100,000 Baht each year
- that's 288,000 or 28,000 a year
"younger brother wished a farmer education"
- over ten years the 72,000 Baht is 7,200 Baht.
. 70,000
. 28,000
. 7,200
105,000
That's a 105,000 Baht a year ... a lot different from paying no money at all.
I'm not having a go at you, I contribute money to the gf's Parents Farm.
Just wished to show to you that, indeed, you are being a generous man ...
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Thanks for your calculations David.If you read my post, I also said in the beginning: »However, I did help…«And the interest I could have from the money in the bank or bonds are nothing like 8%.Furthermore, house improvements and car were as much a benefit to my GF and me, when we stay in the village – but at the same time also a benefit useful for her family. Alternative for her living some time in the family home at the village with a newborn baby – she would prefer to raise in her well known village, where she had her network – we would have to rent a house somewhere else for around two years and probably employ a nanny, which would end up at least the same cost. A house where we prefer to stay you cannot rent for less than 15k/m, and rent of a car is another 15k/m, so that is 720k for two years. On top come other expenses. Therefore it was a choice of the best for everyone. So looked from that point of view, I more likely saved some money and my GF’s family still enjoys me saving money.The OP asked a question about what other TV-members do to help out the Thai family financially – and my little story is an answer to that, and to other TV-members, who may be interested, having thoughts about how to handle their situation with a Thai family and financial support.My statement from the beginning of our relationship about, that »I did not wish to support a Thai family«, was to make clear, that I do not like to be bound for an ongoing monthly financial support, which most likely will raise over the years, rather than fall. Helping a family up, so they have a good business and can take care of themselves, may be your best long-term investment in a Thai relationship.(Edit, smileys)-
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I said from the beginning of the relationship with my GF, that I did not wish to support a Thai family. If that was what she was aiming for, I was not the right partner. We agreed upon that.However, I did help, apart from the gifts, food and little money when visiting the village. I gave 200k for house improvements – mainly an indoor kitchen and bathroom – which also benefits us, when visiting the village. Furthermore some house equipment, as my GF lived there for a time, such as laundry machine, vacuum cleaner, new TV, some furniture’s etc. I also helped with steel-plates for a new roof, but that was quite cheap. They had no car and my GF had saved up some earning from work herself, and I added up the remaining to buy a good second hand around 350k, registered in my GF’s name.The family do farming, work hard, no drinking or gambling, and seems do fine. The younger brother wished a farmer education and my GF and I decided to support with 3k a month for the time, he needed to stay (live) at the school/university, I think it was around two years. This was a kind of investment in the family future for the farm – and them being able to take care of themselves.So yes, even I did not wish to support on a regular base, I did help with some improvements – all together around 700k.Improvement in the farm business I helped with in that way, that they could borrow money without interest, for example 800k to buy a big tractor, and pay the loan back over a number of years. And that have working fine, they do pay back around 100k every year, and they have been able to improve the farm business, beginning to make quite good money, invest in more equipment, and buying more land.Sometimes they may ask my GF for some help, which is her own “business” with her own money, mainly if they run low during the growing season and need fertilizers etc. Normally it is agreed as an interest free loan, which is paid back after the harvest is sold. My GF have also bought some farmland for her own money, letting the family use it, and they pay a share of the harvest – around the normal fees in the area, which are between 500 and 1000 baht per rai.Sometimes they have borrowed up to 100k from me, as a kind of interest free cash credit, for a couple of moth, if they have invested too much that year, buying more land or equipment. They always pay back as agreed upon.The family says, that they had never been able to move up, without our help.So like the OP said, helping once with a major improvement in farm (or business) and home, may be a good “investment” for the farang-member of the family – in my opinion much better, than ending up supporting some level of money for ever monthly. However, this requires that the family is doing some work themselves. My GF and I has agreed, that the younger brother is having his future in farming and shall take over, including the farm land, but then it shall also be his responsibility to take care of the parents – and we will take care of our own family.So far this agreement has worked out fine. The small gifts or little extra money on special occasions are that more appreciated – and it goes both ways, because we also get something from them, when they visit us.More often we hear horror stories about supporting a Thai family, than the good stories. It is a little difficult subject, because we foreigners do not like to support a family the way it is a tradition to do in “old-fashioned” Thailand, where children is a kind of retiring investment. We are used to, that our children are an expense and when they finish school and education, they hopefully shall be able to take care of themselves, and we have our own retirement savings, when we grow old. So it’s like having feet in both worlds, when you get mixed into a Thai family. And what may be right in one family, may not work well in another. I my opinion, it is a major thing to agree upon with your Thai partner, before moving together or getting married.-
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Unsafe and dangerous – need both earth and ELB. A proper earth is connected to three long earth spikes, my Thai electrican told me, when installing earth in the new house I was building. The earth connection is underground, so we don't see a wire coming out from the house. Of course he also installed ELB's.
WRONG, you don't need 3 rods just one deep one will work better, the 3 rod thing comes from a different form of grounding often used in places like Russia. Joining ground rods together to make one potential rod doesn't work unless the rods ar more than 2 metres apart anyway. It's the depth that counts.....
May well be you are correct, in Europe they use one long spike, I just told how they do it in Thailand. Three times I have the standard set of three two meter long Earth spikes made by Thai electricians, from two different companies.
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It took me about 1½ year to build a new house, but I slowed down the finishing work to get a good detailed quality. You can normally do in a year, or perhabs around 10 month. Be prepared for something that may delay the process.
A good book, if you need to be involved in the project, is: “How to Buy Land and Buil a House in Thailand” by Philip Bryce, Paiboon Publishing. Available in book stores or paiboon publishingSome turnkey companies do the job, but there may still be a lot of details for your to decide, including choose of materials. Usinmg a local constructor, you may need to check more yourself, if you want a fair quality.
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Does not sound like problems tourits experience.
Would rather think obverpriced rude taxis driving without meter is a major tourist problem, giving Samui a bad reputation. However nothing like the reputation Phuket have.
Electric power supply (which is already improving a lot), garbage (not that bad, but in some places) and fixing more of the roads – including change of the wrong rainwater darin construction at some places like Bophut – may be other areas not only to look at, but do something about.
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Nanny or maid is a low status job, many – especially young girls – wish to move further up from.
We have had a number of youg girls as combined maid/nanny since 2006 – five all together, three Thais, one Cambodian and one Lao. Never too hard work and always considered as being a member of the family, much more like the original Europen au-pair idea – I think that is quite important, as it move the maid up in status. A couple of years we had two maids, as there were more work. We never had any problems, but most (four) wished to move further on for various reasons (education, high school, finding boyfriend).
Their job has primary been to take care of our one child, secondary some housework like cleaning, laundry (machine) and ironing, sometimes cooking. If there has been extra work for the in-house maid, she always got extra – then the maid look forward to guests coming or something else needing her to work more.
The last one, we have had for four years now, is outstanding good and always says, she plan to stay with us for two more years – now in her third two-year term.
Yes, I believe the good maids/nannies are out there; but I also believe that it is not only a question of money.-
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I carefully read all the posts, but I couldn't get the info I was looking for......
I am renting a little house and of course the water heater has not the "earth".
There is a switch (black colour) only dedicated to the water heater outside the bathroom.
Can someone tell me when it could be actually dangerous? I mean, what must happen to get dangerous while taking a shower? Is it dangerous if the water heater is old or malfunctioning? Or should I be careful in splashing water on the heater?
Sorry guys, I am a really idiot in electricity .......
Thank you very much in advance for you help
Installing an ELB together with the “black switch” may give you some protection.
And yes, splashing water on the heater, may not be a very good idea.
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I expect and hope to die – many year from now – in Thailand. In my will I ask for cremation and the arrangements, like a Buddhist cereomy in a Temple, can be decided by my Thai family – girlfriend, perhabs wife at that time, and our daughter.
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Unsafe and dangerous – need both earth and ELB. A proper earth is connected to three long earth spikes, my Thai electrican told me, when installing earth in the new house I was building. The earth connection is underground, so we don't see a wire coming out from the house. Of course he also installed ELB's.
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A story about papaya leaves juice as a cure against Dengue Fever has been shared for some time at the Internet.Some of the shared and often amazing cures do not last a further investigation and shows to be a hoax, for example the story about onions and flu.However, juice extracted from papaya leaves has shown remarkable scientific results against Dengue Fever.Here is an example, an article “Why pawpaw leaves juice cures dengue fever” from the Natural Health section in Nigerian Tribute.
Google Scolar shows about 35 scientific studies from 2012 to 2013:
The newest is from 2013:Carica papaya Leaves Juice Significantly Accelerates the Rate of Increase in Platelet Count among Patients with Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
And then there is this research 2012 artcle (Received July 06, 2012; Accepted August 10, 2012; Published August 16, 2012):Leaf Juice of Carica papaya L.: A Remedy of Dengue Fever»The observations made during the study were quite interesting. Papaya leaf juice was effective in curing the dengue fever... ...The dengue patients had reiterated that there was a significant improvement in their health within 24 hrs of taking papaya leaf juice.«
Just wished to mention it in this tread, as Dengue Fever seems to worry all of us living in LoS, and even the two milder variants are not at all pleasant to catch. There are in all four Dengue Fever variants, of which two may be fatal in rare cases. There are no synthesized medicines available, so any natural remedies are of interest – just like Qinghao (Sweet Annie) cured Malaria, which ended up as “Artemisinin”.Wonder if the Thai health authorities knows about papaya leaves juice?-
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Yes, I am familiar with usufruct as one option. She only advised me against this option because of the risks but really, I'm free to pursue that if I choose.
What I am thinking more about is a usufruct with a Thai friend who lives in Canada. She owns property here and is willing to consider a trade whereby she owns the Thai land and I own the Canadian land and we have a usufruct for each other. The land values are very close to each other. She said she would do this for me as she knew my circumstances with my divorce and feels I was treated unjustly and wants to help set things right.
This way we are both protected as we each own the other person's land and I have the Canadian security in place to protect me at lease renewal. The Canadian lawyer said no problem for this arrangement and about $1500 to draw up.
I have no idea about foreigners practicing law in Thailand but the firm I went to http://www.siam-legal.com/ had quite a number of non Thai staff. The lawyer I used was definitely a licensed lawyer according to her business card.
Foreign lawyers normally co-operate or partner with Thai lawyers, who can perform work in the Court. The benefit of using a foreign lawyer is, that you have one who understand the foreigner’s situation and also know the Thai law.As foreigner, you can own a house, but not the land. When you buy a second hand house, you can have the ownership registered, but when you build a new house, you have to make sure, that your name is on the drawings and building permission, and furthermore keep all bills and receipts, major construction documents of course issued with your name, as proof of ownership. If you get a yellow House Book for foreigners, you may be able to have stated something like “Master of House” with your name, which is your only documentation of ownership for a new build house.The land may be a usufruct – the suggestion you mention with the Canadian land, as security sounds as a reasonable arrangement.Another possibility is lease, where legal maximum is 30 years. Any lease over three years shall be registered at the Land Department – kind of servitude on the land deed – and a small tax paid (think it is around 1% of the total 30-year lease value), to become legal. You can make a contract of 30 years optional lease, including agreed fees, after the first 30-year period. Such a contract will be considered as a legal agreement, if later taken to Court in case of breach (according to my lawyers, partnership Foreign & Thai).The third possibility is through a limited company. Many use that model, but it may be complicated. Foreigners can maximum own 49% of a Thai company, less in some cases with landownership. You need minimum three shareholders. Before many used so-called Thai nominees, but today they have to proof their funds for the shares. Another method is preferred shared, so the foreigners holds some Class A shares with 10 votes each, whilst the Thais own Class B shares with one vote each. An important issue is, when using a limited company, that the company has (some) other activities than owing a plot of land leased out to one shareholder. Laws change (all the time, some lawyers says), which may make the limited company set up questionable, if there are no other activities in the company. However, it seems like the authorities mainly is interested in larger set-ups than small private estates.You will find many arguments for and against the different ways to organize land and house. What is good for one may not be the right set-up for another. A well-experienced lawyer in the field may be able to give you the best advise – however, some says, that many lawyers are not that experienced in usufruct agreements.You mentioned sales value in one of your posts. When selling, you can sell the house – as you own the house – and the land arrangement may be separate. A house on a leased plot may have a value compared to the remaining lease period, and/or signed agreement for prolongation. However, a usufruct agreement is for life, so I do not think, that can be transferred – meaning the house value may be questionable. When using the limited company method, the land can be sold to a Thai or another limited company – however, some sells the whole company.An important remark is, that every time you transfer money to pay the constructer, you shall have a document from your bank sent to the National Bank for approval, stating that the transfer is for building or buying a house. Each transfer must be of minimum 20.000 USD or equivalent value in other currency (check with your bank, if the amount has changed). Keep the documents, when you get them signed and stamped back. The documents allow you to transfer the same amount out of Thailand, if or when you sell the house. Some selling a house to a foreigner insist on having the payment transferred to an offshore account, which may be another possibility. You can separate house and land, when sold.Just some remarks, from another alien, who have been through the process with obtaining land and building his dream house. -
Good to to see you are doing it right – the Thai way – having blessing for the first post. Foreigners who forget that, may often have problems with their new house
Wish you good luck with your new house and life, welcome to LoS -
How come, the authorities wish millions of more tourists coming to Thai destinations, when at the same time complain: »Mass tourism market blamed for degradation of Phuket.«So they are looking for “high-end tourists” or so-called “quality tourists”. I don't think they are coming with budget airlines and packed charter flights, that's mass tourism. High-end tourists may wish other kind of service level, than Phuket offers now, and real high-end tourist wish privacy and may not mingle with the “mass tourists”. Changing that, will be a major change of Phuket and lots of people looking for another kind of business, than running overpriced 80-baht diners, jet-ski scams and rude taxi companies – probably parts of the night life may also become out of business.
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Saw this story on FaceBook today – may explain it all:
The Thai mother-in-law walks into her daughter's new house in the village and finds her farang son-in-law furious and packing his suitcase.»What happen?« she asked.Farang: »What happened? - I'll tell you what happened!I sent an e-mail to Kung saying that I was coming home from England today. I got here and guess what I found?...My wife, yes your daughter, in our bed with a Thai guy!This is the end of our marriage and I am leaving Thailand forever!«»Relax, relax !« says mother-in-law, »Mistake, sure! Something not right about this story.Kung never do something so stupid! Wait... I check to see what really happen.«Moments later she comes back with a big smile.»See, I told you there must be simple explanation... Kung never receive your email!!«-
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Some may say you are poor, when you do not have food to eat and shelter for weather (expression I heard from a government member in Asia).In Western terms, you are poor, when you half or less of the median income, i.e. if for example 10,000 baht a month is the median income in Thailand, then after Western standard, your are poor when you have 5,000 baht or less per month.Some says, that poverty in Thailand is relative, as people do have food and shelter, but may not have the latest model in Karaoke-VCD-player. Seems like mobile phones cannot count, as almost everyone has those.In a country with almost none official unemployed; migrant workers in numbers equivalent to10% or more of the workable population; and an official minimum salary, it may be hard to see poverty other than relative, as you can find work if you want.
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»We don’t want mass tourism. We need quality tourists who can come and buy our goods and services – so we can’t allow the beaches to degenerate.«Mass tourism is what you get, when you have budget airlines, charter flights and package tours at discount prices. With the new “all inclusive” trend, the tourist even don't need or wish to spend additional money.What is a “quality tourist”?From earlier media articles, it seems like the “quality tourist” TAT is talking about, is a tourist staying two-three weeks in Thailand and spending 10,000+ bath a day for accommodation, typically at 4+ star resorts. But these places often wish their guests to spend all their money “inside the walls” by their pools, private beach etc. and furthermore they arrange tours, entertainment, market day etc. so their guest do not need to go to a public beach by a 400 baht tuk-tuk or taxi and spend 200 baht for a 80 baht menu. No, they better stay inside the resort and enjoy an outstanding menu there for the same amount of money.A “quality tourist” must be something different. Perhaps just the kind of “normal tourist”, who stays at a reasonable priced place; use the public beach and the services there; dine in local restaurants; do the shopping in local stores. But that kind of tourists may easily disappear to other destinations, when considered too much like walking ATMs.“Wake-up call” (and that may not only be Phuket):Stop overpricing; get all taxis to use meters, and tuk-tuks fair fixed prices (the airport bus may even be an excellent supplement); stop jet-ski and other scams (mandatory full insurance etc.); consider tourist as valued customers, you wish to see again, and again, and again...Stop the talks about “safe zones” for tourists, which may Phuket sound like a deadly dangerous place to visit. Tourists quickly abandon unsafe destinations, especially when their embassy warns about the place. All of the area shall of course be safe for tourist.Only then the damaged reputation can be fixed. That is a process, which may take some time. Remember, it takes year to build up a good reputation, only months or weeks to destroy it.
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Plenty of them, all around the areas near the beach.
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We have two tanks, one used as a settlement tank and find that the very fine precipitate will drop out if treated with Aluminium ammonium sulphate (that's Alum rock - a nuturally occuring rock which is used water treatment and also in anti-pirspirant) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_aluminium_sulfate
It generally available at the shop selling chemicals to farmers as they use it on the rice fields. You only need a small piece to make the water colourless.
I would suggest that if the water table is contaminated then you should/would never use it for anything other than the garden - so does colour and smell matter?
Be very careful with using this chemical -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelford_water_pollution_incident
the after effects of this contamination are still being seen today with increased incidence of Alzheimers among the locals.
Alum (aluminum sulphate) is normally used by Thais to clean water and wells, and crystals can be bought locally for about 30 baht per kilo. It is also used in swimming pools as flocculating agent (makes particles big enough to be filtered), as normal part together with chlorine and copper sulphate (kills algae) in so-called multitabs. Furthermore it is used as natural deodorants (magic crystal).
Safety may depend of the amount (correct dose) used.
See more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
I have tried it in a well, but it does not clean the reddish rust color. A sand filter does a pretty good job (may not take all), possibly combines with some alum (like when keeping a pool clean with sand filter).
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Have the same problem. Bad smell is quite normal for water coming from a drill (and some wells), it needs oxygen. That's why waterworks have oxygen steps, the water is running down over.
I use a filter to take the first dirt – a ceramic filter, as it takes particles down to 0.3 and most bacteria (manufacturers claims 99.9%) – then a pressure tank sand filter (swimming pool filter will do fine, there are also fiberglass tanks available for water cleaning). Remeber regular back wash, might be weekly or monthly, depending of the amount of rust/dirt. The water is actually quite clear, when it comes out, but may still include a bit color and the bad smell, so I have another ceramic 0.3 filter after the sand filter.The benifit of the small ceramic filters is, that they are easy to clean. May be once/twice weekly or... depending of the anmount of rust/dirt in the water.
I have a storage tank under the roof, to which the water is pumped up. In the storage tank I have a normal aquarium pump running on a mechanical timer, so it runs about 30 min. each hour. The aquarium pump mix air (oxygen) into the water – the fish in an aquarium needs oxygen – and that takes out all smell, under normal conditions. Hydrogen peroxide (35% food grade) is another solution used a many waterworks since around 2008, instead of pumping oxygen into water. Hydrogen peroxide is just water with an extra oxygen atom (H2O2 = H2O + O). The oxygen also kills bacteria.
When using a water storage tank, you may also use UV-light – fx. a small circulation pump and UV-lamp. I also use that, to keep the water in the tank free of bacteria, and I have a ceramic 0.3 filter before the UV lamp, so dirt don't build up inside the glass tube.
(edit: typo)
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What happened to the mandatory full insurance, that jet-ski renters are supposed to have to be allowed operating their business?
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I can't see it being below 300 Billion myself.
There was mention of stock holding as if it is a positive. Correct me if I am wrong but if someone is in a situation where they are holding something which they bought for a higher value than they are going to be able to sell it for, you want to be holding as little as possible.
What on Earth are they going to do with around 18 million tonnes of insect ridden partially digested rice? This is a serious question I might add. Even if the government admit they were wrong and write off the whole amount or there is a coup or some such. Thailand is still going to have 18 million tonnes of rat magnet which they will have to deal with.
Can burn it and make electricity from the heat
French man 'scammed' of 276,000 Baht by Thai bride
in Isaan
Posted
276k is a cheap lesson – especially when you make 400k/m – others have paid a lot more