Oswulf

On the off chance that the mighty Powers That Be read this post, how about changing the policy so that users can submit links, but (like Wikipedia) they are "NOFOLLOW"?

I tried to help a total stranger with a helpful link, but my link was bastardized and rendered useless.

I wasted my time, and someone who needed advice was left helpless.

Thank you, Powers That Be.

You're not the first. See http://<URL Automatically Removed>/computer-news/21527-ne...f-thailand.html

Have you considered Malaysia as an alternative? They're much more welcoming for people in your position. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_My_Second_Home

Then, when you wanted, you could pop across the border to Thailand for visits.

It depends upon the version. Vista will gradually become less and less functional (though with SP1 this slow death will be replaced by incredibly irritating nag screens telling you that your copy isn't legit).

With XP you won't be able to use features such as Windows Update, and won't be able to install certain extras.

Your best bet is to use Linux - legal, cheap (or free), fast, stable, reliable.

Sukhumwit soi 15 is not wild. I'm pretty sure your parents won't see anything inappropriate.

The closer you get to soi Nana (soi 4, I think) the naughtier things get. And soi Cowboy (just off soi Asoke) is also pretty naughty. Avoid these and you'll be fine.

(I'm not sure how accurate this information is - I don't visit girly bars. There are probably others on this site who can give you more accurate advice.)

Anyway, I see no reason for you to change your plans.

Have a great trip!

O.

Sorry, my last reply wasn't very sympathetic.

The hotel is very close to lots of great restaurants and shopping centres. Robinson (department store) is close to the mouth of the soi. Times Square (a shopping centre) is almost opposite. Emporium (up market shopping) is one BTS stop away at Phrom Phong.

Major tourist sites are a bit further away, but taxis in Bangkok are very cheap.

(Khamtieng House is pretty close - a charming old Thai house - but it's probably not on the top 10 list of most tourists.)

From your name, I'm guessing you're Indian. On Sukhumwit Soi 11/1 there are two great Indian restaurants: Dosa King (south Indian vegetarian food), and Mrs. Balbir's (north Indian food) - that's about a 10 minute walk from the entrance to your soi.

You won't be spending much time in the hotel, so even if it isn't great your family can have a great time.

Wishing you a great trip.

O.

I don't know the hotel concerned, but there are a few websites that list the place. E.g.

http://www.roommillion.com/apartments_over...&type=short

http://hotel2thailand.com/bangkok-hotels/S...nts_contact.asp

From the address, I think it's probably a fair distance down the soi. The mouth of the soi is about 2 minutes walk from Asoke skytrain station. You'll probably need to use a taxi to get to the skytrain, given the age of your family.

The listed prices make me think it's not a top-notch establishment. Perhaps 2*.

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I've abandoned Spybot S&D and Adaware. BOClean is definitely recommended.

See http://www.comodo.com/boclean/boclean.html

Prompted by some of your comments, I emailed the manager of the hotel and quickly received an apology.

I won't be using the hotel again, but if I ever find myself in a similar situation I'll demand to speak to the manager.

Thank you all for your input.

Thanks for the comments.

I probably should have said that not only was my BF's name on the booking, I also told the reception staff that he would be arriving later. When he arrived I went down to reception to meet him and went with him when he checked in.

A few days ago I checked in to a 4* hotel on Sukhumwit (S15 to be precise). They checked my passport details, gave my passport back to me, and showed me to my room.

When my long-term boyfriend checked in a few hours later (he'd been at work), the hotel insisted on keeping his Thai ID card.

(His name was on the reservation, as well as mine.)

He was upset at the way he was treated, and I was pretty angry.

Was he being treated like a prostitute? Or am I getting things out of proportion?

Nationwide will not send your Visa card to Thailand, period.

There's no problem if you change your account address to a Thai address, but they will not send you a card there.

Your best bet is to change the account address to that of a friend/relative in the UK and ask them to forward the card to you. (Registered mail strongly recommended.)

Did that sometime ago, great trip...and the embassy does not really want an onward ticket, they ask for one, but if you don't have one they're "mai pen rai" about it.

hi Florin & Tropo , just a couple of questions on the thai embassy in Hanoi for a 60 day Thai Tourist Visa. No visa needed for overnight stay in Vietnam ?

Do you have any idea on the processing time... one overnight is ok ? because if I arrived on a monday at 1.00pm is that to late to submit & collect Tuesday afternoon ?

thanks for any help.

steven100

You'll need a visa to go to Vietnam. You can get one from the Vietnamese embassy on (I think) Wireless Road - opposite direction from the British Embassy. The time this takes depends upon how much you pay.

You'll probably won't be able to get the visa in the time scale you outline. You'll need to allow an extra day.

Hanoi-Hanlong Bay is on offer at nok air

is it possible to gat a tourist visa there??

chris

I got a non-Im B at the embassy in Hanoi. They're strict about paperwork, but if everything is in order, you shouldn't have a problem. The embassy is very close to the Temple of Literature - so a little way out of the main tourist area.

On the advice of my employers tax advisors I do not have an offshore account, I simply completed a form declaring myself off shore and my UK highstreet bank and building societies no longer deduct tax from my accounts.

Simple as that.

All UK income is subject to UK taxes. If your UK-derived income is less than the personal allowance (GBP 5,225 for 2007/8) then having an on-shore account and completing form R85 is a reasonable approach. However, you are potentially faced with having to complete a UK tax return every year, which is a pain.

The following are all "no notice" accounts:

• Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (IOM) Ltd., Platinum Offshore Access - AER 6.55%
  
• Derbyshire (IOM) Ltd., Base Rate Tracker - AER 6.52%
  
• Alliance & Leicester International, eSaver Offshore Issue 1 - AER 6.51%
  
• Bradford & Bingley International Ltd., eSaver Internet Savings Account - AER 6.5%
  
• Nationwide International, Base Rate Tracker Premium - AER 6.5%
  

I haven't checked the SWIFT charges for each of these, but almost all banks charge in the region of GBP20-25 per transfer.

As for what to do about your Barclays account - the figures above speak for themselves.

I am planning to move definitively to Thailand soon.

I am wondering what to do with my savings: echange to Baths or keep in Euros?

Additional question is where to have it? In Europe? in Thailand or somewhere else?

Thank you for your advise

I presume you're European, so your best bet is to keep the bulk of your money offshore. Then there are no Thai or European taxes to pay on the interest. It does make you vulnerable to Baht/Euro exchange rate fluctuations, but that's probably a risk worth accepting. If the amount of your savings is significant, you could hedge the risk.

Suitable offshore destinations in Europe include Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Switzerland. In Asia you might consider Singapore.

The Wikipedia entry for โรคไข้เลือดออก confirms that this is, indeed, Dengue.

http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%82%E0%...%B8%AD%E0%B8%81

Thanks for the help.

What's the correct translation of dengue or breakbone fever, please?

LEXiTRON gives ไข้เลือดออก - but I think this is more like any haemorrhagic fever.

thai-language.com gives ไข้ส่า - but blisters or sores aren't a defining characteristic of the disease.

My other dictionaries draw a blank.

Thanks

If this is a genuine DNS lookup problem, change the DNS servers you use. For example, see http://www.opendns.com

No sure about salaries in Chiang Mai, but a typical work week would be 5 1/2 days (including Saturday morning) and 6 days' holiday a year (in addition to statutory holidays).

Whatever happened to the plan to harmonise with Australia the tax on wine?

I guess you learn something every day. This 3 million baht investment visa? Never heard of it before. And all you have to do is have a CD with 3mil baht?

Wonder how come this visa isn't listed in the brochure that they hand out at immigration.

Is there anywhere I can read upon this more thoroughly?

This visa type is no longer available, but has been grandfathered for existing holders. This is probably why it's not publicised (though to be honest, even when it was available it was poorly publicised). The gist of it is that you either deposited 3 million Baht for at least one year with a government bank, or you bought a new condo for the same amount. It was introduced at the time of the Asian financial crisis to encourage inward investment. Now that Thailand's finances are in better shape the visa type has been withdrawn.

1. Talk it over with your bank what will happend upon maturity.

2. Whatever they tell you, just make sure that you have 800K sitting in your Thai account for fully 3 months prior extending your visa.

3. Who told you on reading your last paragraph that you would not qualify. You have done so far and, there are reports where people got their

extension with a savings as well as with a fixed account.

with a savaing as well with a fixed account.

1. What my bank is saying is at odds with what my friends are telling me about what happens at maturity, so I'm not sure I can believe my bank.

2. This doesn't apply to the 3 million Baht visa, as far as I know. That is for a retirement visa.

3. For the 3 million Baht visa the term deposit must be continuous, otherwise the visa is cancelled. And because this kind of visa is no longer available, I'd have a serious problem.

Any other opinions or experiences, please?

I currently have a Non-Im B visa based upon my having deposited 3 million Baht with Krung Thai bank in a 3 year fixed account. The deposit matures next month. What do I need to do to with my money to ensure that I don't lose my eligibility for this visa?

The bank tells me that when my deposit matures that the money will automatically be transferred to my savings account, in which case I presume I'd have to open a new fixed term account the day the original deposit matures.

However, Thai friends tell me that the money will remain in my fixed term deposit account, but can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. In which case, the account would appear not to meet Immigration's requirements.

Anyone got any experience of this?

Thanks.