DGS1244

No Mafia, now that is a joke. I was there a few weeks ago and the local beach masseurs where paying a third party on a daily basis and it was nothing to do with 'loans'.

6 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I would imagine the problem you describe would be a condo management issue, have you taken it to them. 

Check the wording of your lease, sometimes the tenant is responsible for repairs. 

Unfortunately it is not a condo, it is a house?? I rent a house and carry out most repairs, I then deduct, with the owners consent, the cost from the rent. Suggest you do the same, carry out a repair then deduct cost of same from rent. A no brainer if you ask me.

It was mentioned that the loan was in the wife's name, technically unless you have a work permit a farang cannot obtain credit to purchase a new car, and normally no way for a second hand one. Some 'agents' seemed to get around this problem but reputable dealers can have a problem unless you have a third party name and guarantee.

1 hour ago, stereolab said:

The only way to check if an applicant stays at a specific named address, is to visit him/her at home. However , this is unlikely to happen, as it would involve to much effort and co-ordination. Nong Khai staffing levels would easily cope with carrying out these checks. Once you square away the good guys that leaves time for the bad guys. Additionally, if you are going to add in new requirements, why not make it known to the individuals on your system, you have their e-mail addresses, a single global e-mail and everyone is made aware of the new requirements. 

Obviously you do not live in the San Sai of Chiang Mai where they have been visiting the homes of retirees in force and giving everyone a document that has to be completed, similar to the new one that Immigration offices are using.

Like Children

Rimping Supermarkets in Chiang Mai have frozen Turkeys but at 600 Baht a kilo, smallest they had as over 3500 Baht. Guess no Turkey for Christmas this year.

You should have agreed all this at the contract stage. I have arrangement with my land lord that I do/arrange most repairs and deduct the cost from the rent, he is more than pleased with this as he has less to worry about and his house is kept in good condition.

Cremation in Thailand, Max 50,000 TBhat although most places cheaper.

21 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Quick question...   How would your family know if you had bought travel insurance?  Until long after they had access to your accounts and computer and credit card statements.  By which time it's too late.

 

My family certainly wouldn't know whether I had travel insurance - for weeks after my demise.

 

And even if he did have travel insurance, they generally reimburse for expenses looong after you send in the receipts.  Which means my family would need to scrape up the up-front cash anyway.

Its called 'communication' my family would certainly know.  A reputable insurer would pay out sooner, check the conditions when you buy, or as they say 'buyer beware'

1 hour ago, harrycallahan said:

No. If you don't have the money to fly his body home in a casket then have him cremated in Thailand, at a discount developing world price, and carry him free in the overhead locker. Those with the spare change to pay for your desired extravagance can give it to an orphanage.

Think this is a sensible suggestion, guess he didn't bother to have travel insurance, normally that would have paid for the deceased to be returned to Houston. I am sure no one is going to pay for me when my time comes, why should they?

Most rented houses in Thailand are reinforced concrete and block infill not many brick and direct fire damage normally contained to a single room with the rest smoke and heat damaged. As someone else mentioned previously to insure property you have to have an 'insurable' interest, renters do not. Yes you can get cover via a 'Renters' insurance but the cover is very limited if you read the small print and only a very few Thai companies offer it.The property cover is something that should be discussed with the landlord at the very beginning of the contract not wait to you have a fire etc. In Thailand new flood damage cover is not offered to anyone from any company unless, and only on renewal, if  they already have cover from the same company but it is very limited, about 2,000 TBaht per claim.

Many Insurance companies will insure the house (Building) for you although not cheap. Suggest you approach a foreign company such as AIA for better coverage and payout. But do you really need to, contents yes, property ??

Something is a little confusing. They say that they do not know who the tourist woman was and cannot find her yet seem to 'know' that she 'found' her watch later. seems rather odd.

51 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Your plan is fine. Get a SETV (60 days), extend it by 30 days, do a border hop at Nong Khai or Mukdahan and re-enter under the Visa Exempt Scheme (30 days). A METV would be slightly more convenient, but if you're only staying 111 days it's not really worth the extra cost.

1. No. Assuming you're living in Khon Kean you will need to apply for the extension at that office. They should let you apply anytime within the last 2 weeks.
2. No. A Non 'O' (retirement) is only available (in the UK) to those receiving state pension.

I think there is some confusion here regarding an 'O' Visa, two people saying the opposite. I obtained my 'O' visa in the UK before I received a government pension and then applied for a retirement extension originally in Bangkok.

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

No in my west. I never heard of tips being pooled in any normal restaurant. I know many servers. Why would they be pooled?  Some servers make $200+ a night and another one at same restaurant might make $125. I'm from the country that is known for tipping.  No one  pays for broken glass. Sounds like a bit of cheap Charley at your restaurants. Did the staff ever stay more than a month??

Only in America, the rest of us are civilised when it comes to tipping. In US 20 % + I know is not unusual, better to pay a decent wage and forget the tips.

10 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

How in the "West" do owners rip off the staff from tips?  It goes right into the pocket of the server. In some high end restaurants the server has to give some to the bus boys.  The owners get zero of the tips.  You are wrong. 

No I think it is you that is wrong, having run a number of restaurants in the 'West' , all tips received were place in a box then any breakages losses etc. caused by waiting staff was deducted and the rest shared out to staff equally. 

I think you will find foreigners cannot get finance for secondhand cars without either a work permit or citizenship.

2 hours ago, jamesbrock said:

 

How could the Thai embassy in Switzerland grant you a visa a. without a passport; and b. while you were blacklisted?

 

You need to concoct a more believable story for your next scam attempt.

The whole sad tail seems strange, a Swiss embassy would not issue a retirement visa only a O or what ever and then you would apply for a retirement extension of stay in Thailand. Also why are you paying tax, I think you need to get your story straight before you do anything else. If you have a wife in Thailand as you mention why not apply for a marriage visa extension and then list your mother as a dependent.

2 hours ago, whatproblem said:

Yes you can ,I took one out on my friends wife ,she is a alcoholic and I did it for their children ,my ex is the beneficiary but I will give the money to the ladies children,all I needed was her ID card for a hour

Technically not legal, no recognised 'insurable interest'

An insurance policy on someone else's life is only legal if that person has an 'insurable interest'  such as a wife. If you are not married and she is not totally dependent upon your money then she would have great difficulty in getting any money if you were deceased. It is one of the twelve basic principles of insurance known internationally which Thailand has agreed to observe.

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

Actually a very long section of the track mid Thailand to CM was totally relaid with all new materials about 18 months ago.

Maybe but still narrow gauge and the tracks I saw leading out of Chiang Mai don't give much confidence in the ability to go 'faster'

 A salary of 10,000 Baht is high for a first time live in maid, maybe it should have thrown up some concerns earlier

Many of the old 'Thai' names were created, I think by Rama 5, to allow those with Chinese names to be better assimilated into Thai society.

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So the BKK Post today is quoting the NBTC chief as saying their plan is only aimed at tourists --  not expats legally living in country.

 

The article also quotes him as saying it's possible for the telco's to alter their SIMs so that location services cannot be turned off -- though that reference didn't specify whether he meant GPS or SIM tower triangulation.

 

 

SIM card triangulation, GPS can be turned off on most phones.

8 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

 

Actually, location can be much more accurate than that - even more if they have all telco's towers to triangulate.  If your phone can calculate your position fairly accurately using cell towers only, and/or cell phones and wifi... they can calculate your position in the same manner through signal strength at several towers to triangulate.  The GPS in the phone often is used for location services - but only in areas where it has clear view of several (i.e. 3 satellites) and that is not always the case.  People assume that they are relying on GPS when often it is not.

Agree, but you can turn of the GPS locator on most phones anyway.