Darrel

............ 7/11 comply to the alcohol laws strictly ........

They certainly do for the election and Buddha day closures. The one I use doesnt seem to bother much about the daily afternoon closure, or maybe it's because I'm having a nap then and never see it?

Surely last Sunday was an election closure?

And most people stay here because of the rules.....the rules we don't have and this ...falang likes.

Indeed.

Hehe. I was thinking of "Cantbebothered Towers".

Some people use relatives address and some people maintain an address address in the UK to circumnavigate the rules, but, IMHO, they are playing with fire, and if caught could find themselves in trouble "BIG TIME"

Indeed. Worth bearing in mind that the UK border agency already know exactly who leaves/enters the UK, and when, and how, and for how long: they scan every passport when you leave/enter on any commercial flight or commercial boat or train.

How long before they communicate this data automatically to the tax and pensions people? Not long at all, I suspect. If the previous Labour government hadn't wasted so much money on IT systems that didnt work it would surely be in place already.

Yes, on the paella, they don't do a size for one person. Only two. I suppose if you were three or four you could order 2 orders of the for 2 size, or if alone, they'd probably sell you the for 2 size if you insist, but won't scale it down.

This is fairly common, even in Europe, unless the paella happens to be the dish of the day and so has been made in quantity. It's simply because it's a total pain to make a small paella and as a rule it doesnt come out very well. Rather like making just one pancake.

It looks like CIMB have a 6 month account paying 3.8% (AER) that may be suitable for visa money.

http://www.bloomberg...-12-months.html

DBS's Wee Forecasts Thai Baht to Rise 8.8 Percent in 12 Months

For every expert that says 'up' there is another that says 'down" and one more that says "no change". And they are probably all wrong.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-11/baht-falls-on-concern-central-bank-will-intervene-to-curb-gains.html

When I looked into it (for someone else) the advantage in having the state pension paid directly was that you dont pay the bank transfer fees. If you were intending to transfer the money yourself it could cost you GBP15-GBP30 every time, so the potential saving is quite large.

As far as I know "natural" just means a real person and not an entity like a company or juristic person.

This product has small print that makes it less interesting. Some other banks seem to offer better accounts with less restrictions.

"What are your favourites?"

I love it all, except the (thankfully rare) things that are sweet but which aren't desserts.

A very herby and fragrant Laab made with grilled catfish.

I think that this is what the woman in the night food market in Soi Buakow (Pattaya) does. It's certainly grilled catfish and it's certainly salad.

One poster on the other thread stated that Thai food was spicy and bland. Spicy and bland at the same time?

Sums up the whole of that thread. They're just nuts.

I don't understand why some people can't get it through their heads that some guys actually have healthy and loving relationships with their partners and so this is not an issue.

Some do, some don't. So it could be an issue. I dont think there are any reliable statistics available about what percentage of farang/Thai relationships fail amidst acrimonious financial wrangling.

Also, the prospect of loosing a couple million baht on a home, especially after a long-term relationship goes south for whatever reason, is not a big deal for many..........

Again, it depends. There was a plaintive thread on here just a few weeks ago from some young farang who had sunk all his savings (1 million Baht or so) into a house in the sticks for some girl who then ditched him.

I think the main points about moving from Pattaya to the sticks are:

1) you may get bored out of your skull, unless you really are able to keep yourself amused

2) you may miss the farang food/imports/distractions that are available here but often arent in the sticks

3) your property in the sticks may be impossible to sell, unlike one in Pattaya that might just be difficult to sell

4) you may find that you have become a walking ATM not just for your wife/GF but also for all sorts of family members that you never knew existed when you lived 1000K away from them

5) your wife/GF may just kick you out and keep the property for herself and her gik

You dont have to look very hard in here to find threads describing all those situations, first hand. And some people are really unhappy about it.

That said, for some it all goes very well and suits them fine. Quite a gamble though.

Hmm.

I suppose that must be a six-pack talking.

I won't name the company but whether they subcontract or not surely there are not people stupid enough to accept quotes of this ridiculousness?

Of course there are. The guy you are talking about probably used to do the same thing to little old ladies back in the UK, before getting featured on Rogue Traders.

Miserable SOB restaurant owners come in all nationalities: Brit, US, German, Thai, Chinese, you name it. Makes me wonder why some of them are in that business.

This doesnt put me off if the price and quality of the food is correct: I dont go to restaurants to make friends, I go to eat and a miserable owner wont spoil my appetite at all. In fact he may just give me something to laugh about whilst waiting for my meal.

But I admit that given the choice of two identical places serving identical food at the same prices, I will always choose the one where the owner/staff say "hello" rather than the one where the owner/staff treat me like something they just trod in.

Yes. I did the plastic chair thing many years ago as a newbie. Why should I do it forever? Can I escape from THAT now? How LONG is acceptable to you, Darrel?

......... many Thais love that synthetic laminated farang type that one probably finds in the Hilton too.

I've enjoyed eating in cheap asian restaurants with plastic chairs and tin roofs for the last 35 years. I cant see that changing much before I die. You can eat anywhere you like, of course, and at no point have I suggested you should do otherwise.

As for Thais liking the Hilton, I'm sure that they do. But many Thais like MacDonalds and KFC and Starbucks and God knows what other overpriced farang places also. So that just goes to show what poor taste some of them have.

I may well go to the Hilton seafood buffet at some point, just to try it, but I would never set foot in those other chain restaurants, and I will always prefer the ambiance of an individually owned establishment (be it cheap or not) over that of a multinational chain.

I saw two A3 printers with tanks in Tukcom earlier today. A Canon and an Epson. I think that the Canon was also a scanner.

The most popular explanation now seems to be that "we do not need the money" and can wait forever for a sucker.

A large part of the problem in Thailand is that many (most?) farang buyers have indeed spent money that they dont need, or which would otherwise be earning some tiny interest rate in a bank that might collapse at any time. Combine that with the low cost of property ownership here (no taxes, low maintenance charges) and it's no surprise that they choose to wait.

But I know a man who owns 4 units in Jomtien. One he lives in, one is rented out with a tenant of many years, and the other two are empty and for sale. He is always complaining that he has no money but wont reduce his sale or rental price to attract a buyer or tenant. I think he is an idiot.

My approach is to assume from the outset that every Baht "invested" in property in Thailand could be entirely lost, and that every single person involved with any sale is a complete crook and only out to get as much as they can from it, with no regard at all for anyone or anything else. (This includes vendors, agents, "helpful" family or friends, lawyers, builders, developers, neighbours, the government etc. etc.)

That way I am never disappointed and sometimes am pleasantly surprised.

Some people may say that this is unduly pessimistic, but a quick glance through old posts here should make them realise just how often people (not just farangs) have lost a lot of money when doing anything involving property here. And for every one who posts here there are probably a hundred more who dont.

Yes, I'm sure that there are some farangs who have done well, bought bargains from the Thai brother in law that they resold a year later for 3 times the price, or even lived in happily for decades, and have never been lied to by an agent or builder, but I dont think they outnumber the losers.

Caveat emptor is the watch phrase.

......the right place at the right price.......

Those are the magic words. Asking prices for most properties in Pattaya are hugely over the top, and that's why they hang around for months or years waiting for a buyer.

The trick is to find the rare pearl that is being sold for something near to what it is really worth. Or you just bite the bullet and pay a high price for something that you intend to live in for many years, by which time the value may have increased to near what you paid for it.

I never cease to be amazed by the number of owners here who are sitting on umpteen properties and hoping for a buyer or a tenant but who just cant see that the reason they have neither is simply because they are asking far too much. It really isnt rocket science.

For every person who wonders why some farangs live out their lives in one place without moving there will be another person who wonders why other farangs feel the need to be constantly moving around instead of just finding one place that they like. Who's to say which group is right? Not me.

It's like sport. Some cant live without it, some wonder what the hell anyone sees in it.

I suspect that there is a greater percentage of Thai property developers who have gone bust than there is of TV posters in the same situation.

check out the more reasonable 300 baht brunch in Beefeaters across from Mike shopping. It can be done.

That's double the cost of Casa Pascal (with loyalty card). As such it doesnt seem a fair comparison.

(That said I will go in and look at Beefeaters one day, just to see what it is. Cant imagine I would buy it though; I hardly ever spend more than 200B on a meal and even that I only do once a week or so. I would be absurdly fat otherwise, as opposed to just being absurd.)