khunPer

On 5/5/2018 at 7:42 AM, apetryxx said:

All of a sudden box wine, especially white has disappeared or skyrocketed in price. Does anybody know why?

It's been discussed in another thread a while ago, where it was stated to be due to the government has changed the taxation.

Where I live, I saw that Mount Clair white (fruit) wine is back in 3-liter cartons (only) for 995 baht a piece in Makro; seem like new stock at new price. Both Makro and Tesco-Lotus still has quite a lot of old stock of Mount Clair red wine, whilst almost all other boxed wine has disappeared, apart from a few (very) dry red, which presumably nobody wants, as they they have been boring alone on the shelf for a couple of month...

30 minutes ago, Bob in Pakchong said:

It's also not clearly reported about police report, and which part might be of fault; i.e. if it's the lorry, and about that vehicle's insurance cover.

The driver of the truck has been detained &  The Police report we have a copy off, the money offered was from the truck drivers family. the whole case is now in the hands of a lawyer  

Thanks for your comment, are you replying to the Opening Post "Woman seriously injured in Thailand taxi crash..."?

Thais would rather buy gold and land, than placing money in the bank – and some Thais invest in mutual funds and/or stock market – those having cash deposits in banks might often split into more than one account, just in case; with the coming rules with a guarantee of 1 million baht only (per bank), numerous accounts are advisable if one has some piles of cash to store...

22 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Stories like this really piss me off. If you are in a taxi and it has an accident, his insurance should cover any medical expenses, especially if you do not have your own.

This is what I believe most folks think, when they enter a proper looking taxi – believe I also read in the news that all metered taxis shall have an extended insurance covering the passengers – however the article says "local taxi" only, which don't state if it was a Taxi-Meter or like company, or a private car driving for a fee; the latter could have only mandatory third-party insurance, which covers next-to-nothing; i.e. up to 70,000 baht in medical only.

I would expect a proper looking taxi to have an insurance covering the passengers, and me when I'm the passenger – especially important for those expats staying without a (huge) health insurance, but a typical Thai Personal Accident insurance only with fairly low medical cover – however I would never be travelling abroad as tourist without an insurance, as it's relative small money for a high value coverage compared to general travel costs. Furthermore, if offered something for "free" or as complimentary service, like a bank's MasterCard with insurance, I'll doublecheck the conditions for when I'm covered; i.e. with MC all (major check-able) travel expenses need to be paid for with the MC to be covered.

It's also not clearly reported about police report, and which part might be of fault; i.e. if it's the lorry, and about that vehicle's insurance cover.

Another sad go-fund-me story – which in the unbearably bright light of hinsigt could have been avoided – however, I sincerely wish the young couple to have a fast recovery, and that their financial troubles will be solved.

2 hours ago, chickenrunCM said:

I was married in a foreign country and at the divorce tme, my kids have been 1.5  y and 2.5 years and they traveled with me 100 times over a border and never ever I had to show anything else than ID or passport, even they traveled not with the same national passport like mine.

Was that foreign country Thailand..?

12 hours ago, grkt said:

if it's a gaz leak, is there a DIY way to find it ? I don't want to just call a guy who doesn't know more than me and just tries to refill without checking anything.

 

It's a Daikin inverter.

I also have inverter aircons. If used a lot, the indoor unit can build up dirt and dust in the cooling element, reducing the efficiency. You can open the cover, remove the filter – and clean it, now when it's out – and fairly easily see if the cooling elements are clean. Pro cleaners would use a pressure water unit, but just spraying window cleaner, or soft kitchen cleaner (better), can sometime loose the dirt (I've been successful with that method). You'll need a (plastic) cover under the unit, as numerous dirty drops might fall down. Don't use any hard tools, as you risk damaging the cooling elements; however a soft brush will work well.

If it's lack of gas, a service engineer can quite easily check the pressure and refill; after a number of years an aircon might need some refilling, but that should normally not be necessary the first 5-10 years, if no leaks. A local aircon service engineer might have a fixed affordable price for both cleaning, and check and refilling gas.

There are some threads in ThaiVisa forum about closing a company limited – try the search function, or Google search – the posters in those threads mentioned that it's a little bit complicated process, and not as easy as opening a company.

An experience business lawyer should however also know it, and he can be worth his fee to have it done the correct way.

20 hours ago, BEVUP said:

I vvould presume your daughter entered on an Aussie Passport as an Aussie

If not may become a problem if it's reported & you get caught at airport Immigration

A family emergency back in Auss may clarify things 

Get all in order before the dash

I agree with user BEVUP. If your child has entered Thailand on an Australian passport, you should probably not have any problems; however if the child has a Thai family name it might, or might not, draw an Immigration officer's attention, but a copy of Australian birth certificate – best if verified by the Australian embassy – might be a good back-up.

There's no overstay for a minor.

If your child entered on a Thai passport you might need permission from the father, i.e. an official letter issued by the Amphor, same office that issues ID-cards. Both father and mother need (to my experience and knowledge) to be present at the Amphor office.

Try to contact your Australian embassy for advice, as your child is born in Australia, they might have (much) better knowledge than us forum-posters. Wish the best for your child and you...

Ampol Lampoon at stage, Samui Bike Week 2018

Canon EOS 600D
Exposure time: 1/40 s
F-number: 3.5
ISO speed rating: 640
Focal length: 18 mm

Main entrance, Samui Bike Week 2018

Canon EOS 600D
Exposure time: 1/50 s
F-number: 4.5
ISO speed rating: 3200
Focal length: 34 mm

Didn't read all 12-pages with posts, so excuse if it's already been covered, but found shared this official information from Penang...
 

This one here (street view) advertise he do Mac repairs, so might be another option, it's almost opposite "Banana", the Apple reseller, next to Tesco-Lotus in Bophut...

16 hours ago, Craigee34 said:

I a bit confused about the dowry and how it works

There are several threads in the forums about this subject, and probably more opinions than threads.

It's a traditional custom kept well alive – however some families only use the "sin sot" dowry to show it (make face), and give it back to the new married couple – the custom reflects not only the value of the young lady, but also shows that her future husband is able to financially provide for her (and sometimes her family also).

Do yourself a favor, read the book "Good Medicine for THAILAND FEVER" by Chris Pirazzi & Vitada Vasant (Paiboon ISBN 1-887521-48-8), I presume you haven't read it, asking the question.. It covers both your question about sin sot, and money in general, but also a lot of vital matters for a successful foreign-Thai relationship, with all it's challenges from a wide cultural gap. The book is written both in Thai and English (and translated to some more languages), and also covers the "farang" part of the relationship, so it worth reading either together, or each of you, for a better understanding of the partner, and great future. There is a reading example at thailandfever.com.

On 5/7/2018 at 8:39 AM, michael2018 said:

my question is so can you tell me if i would like to live in thailand for life what should i do for my country's life which is still France and level visa application in thailand (A 1 year work visa is renewing it every time is this the best solution?

Michael2018, even you may have found a good potential for a business, it's not that easy to start up for a foreigner in Thailand. 

As moderator @PoorSucker mentioned above in post #3,you'll need to form a Thai company with employees – and for a Work Permit your 2 million baht (about 50,000€) shareholder capital might need to be paid in full – but you'll also need to find two other shareholders to form a Thai company limited, and 51% of the shares shall be held by one or more Thai nationals; i.e. you need a Thai business partner that own the majority of "your" company.

I'm not at all saying it's impossible, just that's it's difficult – however, probably impossible for a young French student, if you don't have a nice sum of savings to invest – you might be better off finishing your studies (in France?), make and save a bit of capital, and then reconsider opening a business in Thailand. In the meantime just enjoy visiting Land-of-Smiles...

To my knowledge, yes – Apple and Banana – otherwise Power Buy in Central Festival is also Apple reseller...

3 hours ago, cheeryble said:

I would love heating too......get cold every winter.......but that's extremely expensive for a 9kbtu unit.

I actually do own a Mr Slim which was larger and cheaper but highly doubt if it heats. I think u have a special model.

The Thai at the top doesn't mention heating.......does one of the icons below do so?

Yes, heating (and cooling) works till -10°C – it's similar to an air heat pump that is suggested as energi friendly heating in cold Denmark, as heat pumps generates 3-4 times more heat from same power consumption as an electric resistance heater (heat pumps can also work as aircons in the summertime) – but it's an old leaflet I have from when I build my house, now 8-years ago, so might be outdated. Take a look in the PDF that I linked to...

The normal Mr. Slim cannot heat, he's not inverted...

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

Huh?
Kh Per.......are you saying inverter aircons generally can be used as heaters? I know specialized aircons can, but have never seen the controls on a regular inverter allowing for heat.
If I’m wrong I need some!

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Yes, I'm using Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Super Inverters – just the smallest 8655 BTU unit, which when I bought it was product number MSZ-SGE09VA for 29,900 baht each (a similar normal non-inverter and thereby cheaper Mr. Slim was 18,400 baht, which I installed in livings rooms, but only use one of in rare hot cases), products numbers and prices might have changed since I bought them from HomePro – there's an English language page here, click at right on "Download" to obtain an English PDF-brochure (Klimakatalog).

Also check and compare with other manufacturers making inverter aircons, I cannot say if my choice is the best.

The smallest one that I use works however fine for cooling my partly insulated rooms up to 20-25m²...

I actually only used the heating function once by mistake when changing battery, and when resetting the remote I got the heater on. OMG it heated – I should had remembered that the night when we had a 100-year cold-record with freezing 17.9°C...

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

Very nice brick work – and great idea to erect the aerated inner walls first, and place the electric pipes in the coming space between inner and outer walls...

5 hours ago, cheeryble said:

Yes Per it can be hit or miss drilling a useful hole in a regular block!

I think for me 10cm block is ok ( I bet if you’re Danish yours are thicker). I’ve lived 14 years without aircon......no glass windows in fact....so fans and some aircon for occasional use will be luxury.
But I’d prefer 10cm to the standard 7.5cm so conduit can be chased in easier, wee bit more sound and hear insulation and easier to lay.

If I go for the separate roofer it brings the problem of responsibility and coordination but that shouldn’t be insurmountable.

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Danish blocks are available in both 10cm and 20cm – and probably other thickness as well – both today mostly used in connection with burned bricks and outher wall, mineral wool insulation, and aerated concrete inside. The Danish blocks can also be delivered in big plates, which is a wall-piece from floor to ceiling, and easilly glued together. Windows and doors are sawed out...

I used the thin QCon blocks here in Thailand, same thickness as the cheap standard blocks, but as double walls following the initial post's thickness, so I have no visible posts on the walls in my house; however I did not fill the space between the QCon blocks with "Rockwool", or any other brand of mineral wool. Using double-walls gives a much better heat-insulation. You can choose the cheap normal block for outer wall and the QCon for inner wall, saving some money in the material budget, and still gain a good insulation.

Depending of Sun the walls can get quite hot. There's a huge difference between a double QCon wall and a normal wall, and just a single QCon compared with a normal wall. I did a single normal wall on East and West side of my beachfront balconies – believing they would not be important heat-wise – but I was wrong. The balconies are facing north, and with a roof cover they never get direct Sun because of the sidewalls; but the side a wall facing the Sun got very hot. Therefore I asked my workers to build an inner wall, with a thing foil insulation between the two walls (to save balcony space), which made it Okay; however the material price for duble normal blocks, and foil insulation, equaled the QCon cost, and on top we bricked up two walls instead of one.

The second floor balconies got an extra side-wall bricked up to stop to much sun-heating.

I have a ceiling fan in all rooms – very nice with little air circulation from a fan at lowest speed, and in my opinion better than a revolving floor-stand fan, but that's a matter of taste – and aircon if necessary. I spend a little extra for the bedroom aircons, and bought inverter-type, as bedroom aircons might run more hours during all night, and inverter-type aircons can up to half the electric power consumption. So together with good heat-protection, i.e. insulation, the power used for aircons is minimal; even when I have friend on visit for a month, using aircon all night, and cool down to almost Nordic temperatures in their bedroom, it's only a few hundred baht extra on the electric bill. Another benefit from inverter-aircons is that they can actually heat the bedroom, if it gets too cold – below 20­° is way too cold when one is a Scandinavian temperature-refugee...

–but luckily it only happens extremely occasionally on a Southern Gulf-island...

3 hours ago, malt25 said:

Why do you need a Thai license to purchase a bike ? I bought a new bike last week & no mention of a license. Large dealership. Did everything by the book. Copied every page of my passport. Residence certificate from IO. So I guess you can buy with or without  license.

You don't need a Driver's License to buy a vehicle, but you need one to drive a vehicle...

On 4/30/2018 at 4:11 PM, chakki said:

I currently hold Driving license from Karnataka, India. 

Staying more than 3-month in Thailand, you by Law need to obtain a Thai driving license. It's a fairly easy process, you might find information a pinned thread in a local forum. Proof-of-address is normally a letter issued by the local Immigration office, but different areas may have little different rules, so check in a local sub-forum if there's a tread there; also what the Immigration office require of documentation.

Buying a motorbike you'll need proof of address for registration at the Land Transport Office. see above paragraph.

The mandatory vehicle insurance – which you need to get a registration, or renew a registration for another year – covers next-to-nothing. If you depend on a travel insurance, remember to read the small prints, both for how long time the insurances covers you (often only a few month), and if I covers driving a motorbike at all. Without proper insurance cover you take a risk of being held personal liable if an accident happens. both for third party damage, and your own hospital bills.

In general second-hand prices are quite high in Thailand, presumably due to low labor costs for repairs – which can be a benefit when re-selling a vehicle. However it's a question of calculation when you talk about 8-10 month, compared to just renting a bike; you might be able to negotiate a discount for a long term rent.

He, Donald Trump, should share it with Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, then it would make sense...

1 hour ago, cyberfarang said:

Where I live, recently, an American living in the area went in immigration to extend his retirement visa. Immigration refused his extension until he can show how he obtained the house that sits on the 2 rai of land where he and his Thai wife are living.

 

The police are really getting tough on this now and I suggest, before throwing loads of money into buying land and building houses, is to get some good legal advice first.

There must be more to the story, than what you explain.

A foreigner can own a house in Thailand, but not the land under the house; which however can be rented land, or land leased up to 30-years; or the house build on a superficies agreement, which can be combined with both a lease-term or right of usufruct.

Saying that you own a house, is not a proof of address.

The proof of address many Immigration offices wish to see is a rental agreement and a landlord's Blue House Book, or a foreigner's Yellow House Book. Furthermore some Immigration Offices will make a physical check to see that the foreigner actually live in the place of given address.

But I agree in that legal advise is worth it's cost, before obtaining right to use land, and build something.