Gsxrnz

While not specifically cogent to the OP, some might find the below legal opinion regarding foreign language and Thai language contracts in Thailand of some value.  Most lease/rental agreements I've seen for casual residential accommodation are either written in Thinglish or are so basic in their terms and conditions that 95% of eventualities are not even covered or are so vague as to be largely unenforecable.

"A contract in another language in Thailand is legally binding provided that both parties understand the content of the contract and the contract is not in conflict with Thai law. They should at least be able to read, write and speak the language fluently or they could argue in a later stage that they did not understand what they signed and therefore there was no meeting of minds on details and the contract does not meet the requirements under Thai law of a valid contract. When a contract is in Thai and another language the basic principle under Thai law (section 14 of the Civil and Commercial Code) is that the Thai version of a contract shall govern if it is not possible to ascertain which language was intended to govern. Any contract that must be registered with the government must be in Thai language, when it has to go through court is must also be a certified translation when a foreign language has been used in the contract."

I doubt the Pattaya mayor would comprehend the phrase "beam me up Scottie".

A one armed tallyman could count the arrivals on his one hand and he wouldn't run out of fingers.

They have dermatologists at BPH.  I know somebody with psoriasis who consulted with them and he was reasonably impressed with their knowledge.  He himself is a bit of an expert on his condition having had it much of his life and it can be quite severe, so he knows virtually everything about treating it.

I can't give you any specific names of the doctors but as I said, he was suitably impressed and compared their knowledge favorably to his dermatologist back home.

Depending on your country, many banks now request information relating to your offshore tax status if they are aware of your non-residence in that home country.  Of course the immigration and tax arms of your government exchange information, so they assume that if you're out of the country for too long, you are on a personal mission to defraud your government of their pound of flesh in some devious manner.

In NZ for example, I had to sign a declaration stating that I was (or was not) a resident for tax purposes in any other country and if so, advise them of my registered tax number/s with supporting doc's from the relevant country. 

I strongly suspect this may be what your friend is experiencing. If he is a tax payer in Thailand then any official document with his tax number on it will probably suffice.  If he's not a tax-payer I would have thought him simply declaring himself as such would be sufficient for his home country bank.

This is what happens when you let inept bureaucrats drink too much coffee.

I have an idea. 

Isolate all children from any social contact and communal learning for at least 2 years. Lock them up and make them as scared and confused as you possibly can. 

This will definitely lead to a generation of well balanced individuals.

Be prepared for the diagnosis of PCSD (post covid stress disorder) that will affect an entire generation of young adults and their anti-social behavior worldwide.  

I used to think politicians and bureaucrats were just stupid.  As I got older I changed my views and believed they were not only stupid, bit were also incompetent.  It is now evident that as well as being stupid and incompetent, they are also malevolent. 

The last thing we need is a stupid incompetent malevolent imbecile in charge of the madhouse, but internationally, that's what we have.  I can't even listen to my PM (Commissar Jacinda Ardern) without feeling physically ill.

The rhetorical question "who put the patients in charge of the asylum" needs to be addressed. They should form an international committee of well informed government officials to look into it, but I suspect a partially trained gynecologist might do a better job.

Maybe the lemons were priced per unit and not by weight.

You should have seen the look on the face of the Tesco cashier about 10 years ago when I first tried to "tap and go". I tapped and went - and she was quick to chase me down.

Priceless.

3 hours ago, Robin said:

Puzzled, I pressed Chamrong for more details of tis loan.

It seem that he borrowed 1 MIl. with repayments over 30yrs., and this might be the problem..   Bank want him to reduce his repayment time.

I an only ask why on earth he bank would offer a loan with the repayment so long.  Chamrong will be 77 when or if he repays the loan, surely past the life expectancy of a rural Thai male?  No ban in UK would offer a loan with repayments to such an age.  Has someone in bank been overgenerous and now getting cold feet?

I have been in Thailand long enough to know that many Thais have 'unrealistic' ides of their ability to repay loans,  and I am sure the bank is well aware of this.

 

Now I know more facts, (I should have asked more before starting this post,)  I want nothing more to do with this.  I have learned not to ever lend money to a Thai, as they do not consider any reason to repay a 'rich farang'.  Up to him and the bank. If they think they will get their money back, good luck to them

It's SOP for banks to monitor their lending portfolios and they are always well aware of their poor or non-performing loans.  Loans in arrears are obviously loans to target for being at risk.  But as things change in the economy (local/national/international) or change specifically for the debtor, banks can and do take action.

For example, maybe the particular bank has exceeded their required ratio of loans <20 years and have been asked by head office to fall into line - this entails motivating some customers to restructure their loans or repay and move on.

Banks also monitor customer activity.  Maybe your friends debt servicing ability/ratio has been compromised in  the eyes of the bank due to a changed income structure, or they fear that if interest rates rise by X% that his ability to repay may be an issue.  The algorithms they use to examine their database can be quite clever.

Commercial entities usually have covenants that they must meet on a quarterly and/or annual basis to retain their loan or to have the interest rate maintained at a particular level. These covenants usually relate to equity ratios, loan servicing to income ratios, shareholder equity etc.

Usually the housing market is so stable (until of course it becomes unstable) that you never hear from your bank if you keep up the payments.  But when banks start to examine their loan portfolios with a new set of risk parameters, that's when some customers on the edge of the bank's comfort zone get a bit of a shock.

12 hours ago, bbko said:

A second vote for the place on Pattaya Tai and Khopai, I had to get a flat fix and while waiting walked around their shop, I gotta say it's packed with a lot of motorbike accessories.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Flower+Design+Pattaya/@12.9212683,100.8873716,3a,75y,231.35h,75.4t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssBMoEMdoJ0R9zwFhtsN7kw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x310295924d31d7e3:0xa97ff301a9bd10ff!2sPattaya+City,+Bang+Lamung+District,+Chon+Buri+20150!3b1!8m2!3d12.9235557!4d100.8824551!3m4!1s0x3102967514ad9e2b:0xd69e88535e7a28fd!8m2!3d12.9206588!4d100.8889978

 

A third vote from me.  They are pretty well stocked on accessories. 

I spent an enjoyable hour there once watching two of their dudes sitting at the front of the shop re-spoking some rims - it was poetry in motion to observe.

10 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Rubbish. Only ones that have worked in a bar for years are good at pool. 

In soi 4, Nana, many have been working in pool bars for 20 years+.

Um.....that was my point.

"Fluvoxamine is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It helps decrease persistent/unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urges to perform repeated tasks (compulsions such as hand-washing, counting, checking) that interfere with daily living. Fluvoxamine is known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This medication works by helping to restore the balance of a certain natural substance (serotonin) in the brain."

When they recommend taking mind altering drugs to combat a disease that more than 99% of people survive, we truly are in the Brave New World of Aldous Huxley.

Soma anyone?

This is fortuitous - I'm actually looking for an interior design company.

44 minutes ago, johng said:

Barbaric talk about chopping hands off for stealing breakfast...how about some punishment for those greedy buggers who have caused the past and present financial disasters ?

Agree totally - the Rothschilds are definitely in the frame for this.

20 hours ago, jobsworth said:

Alcohol was not invented. It was discovered. As a fruit falls from a tree if it is not consumed it will be infected by yeast which contains an enzyme that converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is a completely natural process and it is hard to understand what the fuss is all about,

That's what happens when humor is over analyzed.

Looking forward to the thread on the political correctness (or otherwise) of blonde jokes.  The mantra being that not only are they sexist and misogynistic, but also racist and exclusive towards non-blondes, both caucasian and non-caucasian.

Quote

 

This is all going the way of the gender debate.  They need to confuse and scare you with alphabet soup acronyms.

They've concluded the original idea to use the Greek alphabet for variations on the disease was (arguably) too easy to understand.

So now it's off to the races and the 33rd variation in 2024 will be described as the Covid-19/++/Sars-delta-foxtrot-oscar 2 variation, with a half-twist and a full pike.

Bureaucrats, the second most deadliest word in the English language after Equity.