sua yai

Cor,

You seem to have your listener stats well sorted out?

Good luck to you.

From someone who used to do it all, years ago.

In 7 years here, I've never had a mobile phone.

Long may that remain.

Yeah,

The DNA should be conclusive.

HH's still developing quickly. There are housing developments springing up all over the place and knowing some of the people involved with the projects, they don't seem to be doing too badly.

People are still buying like mad - there was one chap who posted on another forum that he'd bought a house and had never been to Thailand. He was asking about the area.

However, there are plenty of people who are only looking to rent. I would agree with appleman's comments about the risk.

As far as a rent of 15-20,000 a month is concerned, you would have to have something really special. I pay 7,000 pmth for a two bedroom place a 15 walk out of the town centre. A friend recently moved into a 3 bedroom, detached place, with carport, 3 bathrooms etc etc. It was partly furnished, but only 8,000 a mth. The Thai owners are finally catching on to the fact that if they invest in their property and bring it up to a good Western standard, they can actually make money.

The rent you're talking about would really be for a fully furnished place very close to the beach and to be honest with you, 2-2.5 million dosn't buy very much here now.

I don't mean to put you off, but if you're prepared to get by with say 6 months rental a year, then it's still a goer. Hope that helps.

Thinking about it for a minute, most of the ex-pats I know here are renting for about 12,000 a month. Prices are going up though.

Firstly you'll need to find out what your Embassy will supply you with vis-a-vis an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry - this is what the Brit Emb give.

Get it translated into Thai by a recognised translation office and take it to The Ministry of Forign Affairs where it will be certified. All this can be done by yourself. Then you're ready.

Go with the missus to any Amphur office in Thailand and get your marriage certificates.

It's all straightforward, but check with the Aussie embassy first. I can't help you there.

There's both parasailing and jetsking here. Don't know how much.

Jellyfish are year round, but only come into shore during the rainy season. A couple of parasailers I met in March had been badly stung. They were a way out though.

Reckon you could wade out 200 meters or so at HH beach and not be out of your depth - maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

As B&S has said, Sai Noi beach is great for swimming and quiet times. And I don't ever recall seeing a paraglider, jetskier or jellyfish. Heaven!!

If this girl's so good for you, then why the ###### are you breaking up with her?

Possibly you just need a reason to finish with her. In other words you're not man enough to tell her straight about the way you feel. "Let her make the decision etc".

All you're doing is messing with her head.

Pussy!!!

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Because too young for relationship. Acualy she is messing with her own head

like fooling herself. She knows everything

I like to see her go for the break up, that makes me feel better about myself.

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I can't believe it. You're digging yourself in deeper.

You're just not big enough to "do the deed" yourself. You've got to wait for her to do it, so it makes you feel better.

I do not envy any woman, anywhere that may have the misfortune to meet you in the future.

Pussy.

I always thought it was illegal anywhere in the world for your passport to cross an international boundary without the holder being in control of it.

There would be exceptions - ie new Brit passports go The Embassy, but aren't activated until the holder turns up etc.

As far as a "virgin" passport in this country is concerned, it surely must have an entry stamp - ie, you've arrived with it, or has been issued by an Embassy, UKPA etc in which case your previous travel documents will support your stay here.

It seems to me that the crux of the situation is that your visa has been issued in the UK, but obviously you've not done it yourself.

If this girl's so good for you, then why the ###### are you breaking up with her?

Possibly you just need a reason to finish with her. In other words you're not man enough to tell her straight about the way you feel. "Let her make the decision etc".

All you're doing is messing with her head.

Pussy!!!

I'd agree with a lot of posters here and say give Phuket a go. If you can, don't burn any bridges and if it dosn't work out then there's hopefully Khon Kaen to return to. You obviously seem to be enjoying it up there.

I've never lived in Issan, but have spent quite a bit of time in Buriram province. 2 weeks was the maximum I could endure. Great people, cheap etc etc but I don't half enjoy an odd round of golf and the seaside.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Another possible problem would be that if you went, say, to Malaysia and came back into Thailand to activate your visa in passport A, the authorities there are going to see that the visa was issued in the UK, so where's your entry stamp into Malaysia?

50%.

No one better come near me with a scalpel or hormone tablets.

That's interesting Drummer. When my wife came with me last year, she paid either 30 or 50 Baht to the Thai side for photo and travel document. Nothing on the Burmese side.

That was a cheap fine. Happened to me in London once some 10 years ago and cost 50 pounds. Now it'll be more like 100. And I had to wait with the car for 2 hours.

You're OK leaving on the date stamped in your passport.

I've been here for 7 years, speak a bit of Thai but have never made a real effort.

However, the best thing is the encouragement I occasionally get from Thais who don't know me. "You speak Thai very well" etc.

That actually makes me want to learn more.

I know they're just being polite, but it does make a difference.

I would agree with most of what Dara said. There has been virtually no development plan for HH - at least from what I've seen over the years. It's always been a case of "oh, here's a plot of land. Let's build a housing estate". It's still going on, but mainly towards the hills now as there's no land left towards the beach.

In my experience, the type of people who are buying condos/houses etc are not sex tourists. They're retirees, in the main. I hope they fully understand the law here and have taken good legal advice.

As an example, someone popped up elsewhere on the net and I couldn't believe it when they were asking for others' opinions of the area in which he'd just bought a house. The chap hadn't even ever visited Thailand. Was being guided by a friend who lives here. Incredible.

131 and complex intellectual.

Sure. Go back years and tell that to my school.

Bang Krut near Bangsaphan Yai is a great place.

I know a few ex pats in HH who've bought land down there and reckon it's like HH 15 years ago.

First I knew of CA or HH was at about that time - 1989 - and I wouldn't disagree with the their sentiments.

BTW B&S, I thought property/land prices in HH were appreciating pretty much quicker than anywhere in Thailand. Could be wrong, but I don't think so.

So much for the "untalked about" aspect.

As long as it can retain some of its original charm?

My wife just got 35 and again I think the scoring must be wrong as I have a meat cleaver inbedded in my head.

Excuse me while I go to the hospital.

25 for me. That can't be right.

There are plenty of taxis in both Cha Am and HH. They're just not BKK metered taxis. In fact, HH's getting so full of them, it's difficult to park as they all seem to reserve their own spaces.

Cha Am's 25 km from HH. Taxi should cost you about 250-300.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. It is as I thought it to be.

The certified English translation of the marriage cert sounds a good idea.

Having read about Vulture's trials and tribulations with the visa for his wife - congratulations by the way - I have this by way of a follow up question.

I'm legally married to a Thai national. If, in the future, we want to go back to the UK for a holiday - not settlement - and we're intending to get married whilst back there, do we have to tell The Embassy about our intentions?

That also begs the question as to whether our legal marriage in Thailand is recognised in the UK? I didn't think it was and the registration at The Embassy seems to serve no other purpose than to give them money and a piece of paper is lodged at the relevent office in the UK.

Can anyone advise, please?

I was married last month and the only mention anywhere of income was on the short form that you fill in at The Ministry of Forign Affairs.

Seemed statistical to me, rather like the same question on the TM card.

As far as witnesses are concerned, I suppose that the two girls who did our certificates acted in that capacity. I asked how much the Amphur cost was and was told it was up to me - "maybe 100 baht?" I gave 200. Hadn't occurred to me until now that that was possibly a witness fee.