sezzo

I was using a book called "Rough Guide to Thailand" for my travels down southern Issan and I thought that was a good book. Then a mate here showed me his older version of Lonely Planet and that book is pretty ###### good. Heaps of info.

I will be investing in that one to continue my explorations of Thailand with.

What about the id card for my wife ,  What should I do? Can anyone help me with that too?

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When my wife and I got married here in Thailand when we went to the local amphur to get the marriage registered in Thailand she also got an updated ID card for her in her married name.

Pretty sure this can only be done in Thailand.

Thanks Tukyleith

Thats exactly the info that I was after. Just couldnt figure out why there were two forms.

OK off to work with the 48R then.

Once again thanks muchly

Gday guys,

Getting things prepared for applying for a short stay tourist visa for my wife and I have come across a small hurdle. Reading the Australian Visa Service website and also the Dept of Immigration website I cant find out which of the 2 forms we need to use for applying for her visa.

I also did a search of this forum and still couldnt come up with an answer except that the 48R has a few more questions on it.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Same goes for me Cossi,

I also would like as much info as possible as I am going for a tourist visa for my wife in the next month or so. I think I should be right but I would like to be armed with as much info as possible.

Sezzo

It cost me 7500 baht last year to have UBC connected. The installation guys had to travel the 100 or so ks from Ubon to do. So your quoted price seems about right.

Head off to the Farang Connection. Its very close to the bus station in Surin. Martin will make you very welcome.

I have been having heaps of trouble trying to get a definative answer from the local electricity mob about getting power connected to my new house which is about 500 m fromthe nearest power transmission lines and about 1 km from the nearest household power supply.

Has anybody heard of solar power for remote located houses and how much am I in for. Just researching for alternatives.

Thanks

Using 1 to call, dial 009 44 etc. for UK. Works out about 7 baht per min. even when you're calling a mobile.

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Same as calling to Australia. Works out at about 7 baht per min when dialing 009 61 etc.

Cant beat that. Used it a few times this week and what a difference it makes.

Ok thanks Matt,

Just interested as I am off to Ubon on thursday and now I am fed up with waiting for the dealer to get the timber I will check out the hardwares in ubon.

Thanks for your reply and hope to see new photos when the house is finished.

Good luck to you

Carl

Just answered my own question. On the skype website it says that you need a minimum of 33.6 kbs for it to work.

Has anyone else encountered this or will it work under that speed. Lately I have been connected at 31.2 kbs.

Just wondering what speed connection you need for skype to work. I have tried to download the software many times and it has timed out when the download is about half way through. I am connected to the internet at between 28kbs and 31 kbs. Is this fast enough for skype to work or do you need broadband.

Any help appreciated

Mate,

What you are thinking of doing is exactly what I have done. I initially came over here on a 12 month ticket last Sept. I used the return part to go back to aus in feb for 3 weeks. I decided to buy a one way ticket with singapore to fly back to here. Its only a little bit cheaper than a return but you pay less tax this way.(Better in your pocket than that a***hole Howard).

I had with me a Non-immigrant visa in my passport so there was no probs at the check in at the airport and no probs at immigration at Bangkok airport.

To book a return fare from Bangkok to aus is heaps cheaper than from aus to here. If you can get one of these specials advertised on various sites then you pay almost half what the fare from aus to here is.

Definately the way to go for me in the future. I intend to stay here indefinately so I will be originating my trips from here.

Good luck to you.

I bought a new 4 door 4wd pick up in Feb. I did a fair bit of looking around and the prices do vary by about 30000 baht between the different makers. I was going to settle on a isuzu hi-lander and that was going to cost 789000 baht plus on roads. With the extras that I wanted it would have probably cost around 850 k.

Through a friend in Ubon I looked at the Chev Colorado which is exactly the same as the isuzu but with a chev badge and this came in at 809000 baht. The big thing was that I was given the 12 months rego and insurance, 6 stack cd player, window tinting, rear tray liner, bonnet stone deflector and side steps at no extra cost. If I had wanted the same from Isuzu the cost would have blown out.

Maybe this was a promotion they were having then but I would certainly recommend checking out the chev dealer close to you. There was no waiting period. I ordered the car on thursday afternoon and they had it ready for delivery by lunchtime on friday.

The after sales service is great as well.

I am sitting here looking at my stubby holder. It is a geelong cats one and says that they won the remiership in 1925,31,37,51,52 and 63 - 6 in all.

Who has won the most?

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Should have been heaps more in the late 80's and 90's but they kept on tripping up at the line. Dont get me going on coach Blight. Takes Geelong to a few grand finals and wins nothing, first 2 years at adelaide and gets 2 on the trot.

Disgruntled Cats supporter

BS apartments with Sat TV etc, price is good , you can stay for long time

this is service apartment , next to it is the IT mall Zeer and Boa bae branch

Short time booking and monthly booking also available

this is service apartment, and no hassle if u bring in :"guest"

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For 700 baht per night with securiy guarded carpark it is certainly good value for money. Ihave stayed there twice now and was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this place. All the fittings in the room eg. tv, fridge, aircon, etc were very new. Quiet rooms and clean facilities, I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a cheap room in Bangkok.

I noticed in the past week or so that there has been an increased presence of security in and around Ubon Ratchathani. I have been informed that to get to the terminal drop off area at the airport at Ubon is no longer possible. You have to park in the car park and walk there. Also there is only one entrance open now and that is controlled by armed guards and has in place walk through metal detectors and xray machines for luggage. This is a vast change from 3 months ago when I last used this airport.

In my village which is close to the Mekong there is now a twice daily checking of cars, buses, etc by the police and the army. Up until a week ago there was only the sporadic checking of buses by the police looking for illegal lao immigrants, but now every car is being checked by the police.

Has anyone else noticed any change in the attitude to security in their area?

Matt,

I will go along with the rest of the congratulations on the project so far. I am also building a similar style of house but we are only about half way there. The main problem that we have encountered is getting timber flooring. We have been trying to get some "Mai Daeng" (excuse the spelling) from Laos but after 2 months we are still getting the message "soon, soon" etc from the supplier.

I really like the finish of the floor that you have achieved. My question is what sort of wood did you use for the upstairs flooring and if possible could you let me know how much per metre you paid for it. Did you get it through a hardware or timber mill. I am getting disillusioned with waiting for our flooring, perhaps I need to look elsewhere and at some other alternative wood.

Thanks for any information you could pass on.

I bought a new car in Feb and wasnt given the option of red plates or no plates. I just was given the car with no plates at all. I believe that you are not supposed to leave the province while not displaying plates but I travelled to several neighbouring provinces with no problems at all. Only once in the many police stops that I encountered was I asked, or should I say my wife was asked, why I had no plates. The matter was quickly resolved with no money changing hands.

It wasnt until early May that I was called into the dealership to receive my white plates and rego sticker.

Thanks guys,

My mate flies in on Monday sometime so when I hear from him I shall make arrangements to come on down. Will post when I know dates/times.

Hope to meet a few of the local Koratians when I am down here.

Gday guys,

I have a mate of mine arriving in Thailand on monday to live with his girlfriend in Korat or more specifically a village just outside the town of Korat itself. I will be coming down to welcome him to Thailand but as I am not from Korat I am wondering of a couple of establishment where one can have an amber fluid and meet some of the local expats. This wil be helpful for him in the future so he can have a yarn with other farangs when the village life is too much for him.

Many thanks in advance

Have to agree with you on that one. I also live in a small village and will be moving to an even smaller one when I finish the house. I really enjoy it. I get to the big smoke every now and then but I really enjoy being back in the sticks where life is a bit slower and quieter.

There are two swimming pools I know in Warin Chamrap just on the edge of the city of Ubon one public and the other at the Ubonburi hotel & Resort which is 50 Baht a day

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Thanks mate,

I will check them out next time in Ubon.

Personally I feel that the second hand dealer that I went to (the one mentioned at the intro to this thread at Chumphae, Khon Kaen Province) was way overpriced when you compare with the new price.

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They see a farang come into the yard and up goes the prices by at least 10 percent. I let my wife go in and check out the prices first then she calls me out of the car.

I looked at a few ford/new holland tractors when I was in bangkok last week. Those prices also vary depending on if they see a farang. Sounds like all the kubota prices are fixed as I checked out the 34 hp kubota as well and the price quoted was the same as you give.

Anyway the search continues.

Having checked on the internet I see that in Australia where I am from, the same tractor that I am interested in (Kubota L3408) is nearly double the price.

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I also checked on a website selling second hand tractors in Australia and a second hand 20 hp Kubota was selling for $AUD 20000.

Over here u can buy a new 40 hp kubota for that money.