noni99

Sorry, Bangkok it too far ... but if someone wants to play in Pattaya, contact me.

https://web.facebook.com/pattaya.squash/

Anyone interested to play squash in Pattaya ?

We are playing every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, starting around 5 p.m. at the 'Ambassador City Jomtien' Hotel at Na-Jomtien.

It's one of the largest hotels in the world and has 8 Squash-Courts. It's about 10 km south of Pattaya directly on the Sukhumwith-Road.

Our Facebook-page - https://www.facebook.com/pattaya.squash

Hi all,

I've recently moved to Pattaya. I love close to Wong Amat. I'm looking for partners to play squash. I would rate myself at 7 on a scale of 10 for skills in squash

drop me msg if anyone else is interested.

https://www.facebook.com/pattaya.squash

Do I need to have a right to vote in order to have a problem with a politician?

I am neither an Italian nor a Thai, but I dislike persons like Berlusconi as much as Mr. T. (his sister is not as bad, as she has no clue what is going on anyway).

Why do you have a problem with Farangs who have a problem with a totally inacceptable person like Thaksin.

why do so many Farangs with no right to vote here have a problem with the Shinawatra political dynasty?

there was no better in history.....so far. That was the time when Thailand moved forward

Dear Sawadee1947!

I do really hope, that your statement is meant ironically - otherwise I feel sorry for you.

I hope you can sleep tonight.....I was very honest. But I respect your opinion.

I also respect your opinion, even if it's hard for me to understand.

Will try to find my afternoon-sleep now ...

why do so many Farangs with no right to vote here have a problem with the Shinawatra political dynasty?

Do I need to have a right to vote in order to have a problem with a politician?

I am neither an Italian nor a Thai, but I dislike persons like Berlusconi as much as Mr. T. (his sister is not as bad, as she has no clue what is going on anyway).

Why do you have a problem with Farangs who have a problem with a totally inacceptable person like Thaksin.

why do so many Farangs with no right to vote here have a problem with the Shinawatra political dynasty?

there was no better in history.....so far. That was the time when Thailand moved forward

Dear Sawadee1947!

I do really hope, that your statement is meant ironically - otherwise I feel sorry for you.

why do so many Farangs with no right to vote here have a problem with the Shinawatra political dynasty?

Do I need to have a right to vote in order to have a problem with a politician?

I am neither an Italian nor a Thai, but I dislike persons like Berlusconi as much as Mr. T. (his sister is not as bad, as she has no clue what is going on anyway).

Why do you have a problem with Farangs who have a problem with a totally inacceptable person like Thaksin.

I'm sure Andrew Drummond will report it, just Google his site.

@dennis123 - Thanks for reply !

Do you know, why there is no reporting here on TV?

I think it's important to know about the local 'problems' here in Pattaya?

Drummond says 2 years, with other cases to be read.

Thanks for your answer "boldface"!

Hi everyone!

In case there is a topic about this already (didn't find anything here), please post the link for me.

I heard about Brian Goudie (Gouldie) being sentenced to 3 years recently and want to know further details ...

Thanks!

Somewhere along the line they ding you mostly in the exchange rate.

You are right for many of this money-transfer providers.

But Xendpay gives you the shown rate from the moment you initiate the transfer, no matter what is happening to the exchage-rate in the following 4-5 days (until the money arrives). This can be good or not so good - depends on the changes in the exchange-rate until arrival. But at least the amount is guaranteed and the exchange-rate (incl. fees from the competitors) is the best I got so far.

Used it 3 or 4 time that year.

Not the fastest transfer (needed about 4-5 working days), but the best rate I got so far.

I save about 14 Euros which my home-bank would charge me and the Xendpay Exchange-rate is also better.
Now I make a local transfer to a Xendpay-Account and they send it to my Thai-account.

You get the Baht-amount they show you when you start the transfer, maybe less 200 Baht (maximum fee) the Thai-bank charges you

(the last time Bangkok-Bank didn't deduct anything ???).

One time i initiated a transfer to Thailand and sent the Euros to them, but the next day I saw a much better transfer-rate.
I started a second Xendpay-transfer with the same Euro-amount but didn't send the money this time, instead called them to cancel the first transfer and use the money (which was still on the way to them) for the second one with the better rate. The guy from the helpline cancelled the first transfer without any problem and I received more Thai-Baht.

Will use them again and therefore can recommend Xendpay - if you can wait about 1 week (including weekend) for the money to arrive.

You wrote: "Utoken is the easiest way to make money in Thailand"

Are you still sure about your statement?

Hi

You and your friend are confused regarding the 3.043 unit price. As trigger571 points out, the current unit price is $0.142.

Utoken is priced in dollars but you buy in based on Baht. However, I think you friend is confusing the 3.043 price with the baht valuation per unit, which is somewhere over 4 Baht depending on varying circumstances - thus your calculations are way out.

Tradable Utokens are those that you are able to sell based on the price rise of a unit of UToken. You friend purchased at a lower price per unit and now the price is $0.142, so the difference between these two prices are what you are able to sell now (in units). She's got 36290 units and she can sell 4600 units if she want's to.

She actually purchased a 3 star package and the purchase price would have been 175,000B.

As trigger mentions there is a 10% withdrawal fee but there is more to it than that. There are various ways to sell your Utokens offering varying advantages or disadvantages. The exchange price (from dollars) back to baht can be anywhere from 28-35B per unit so the money you get will vary depending on your withdrawal method and circumstances.

Initially, she would have 4600 tradable units times a unit price of $0.142 = $653.2

e.g $653.2 times 28B (per unit) = 18,289.6 B

- $653.2 times 35B (per unit) = 22,862 B

However, first the 10% withdrawal charge comes off the calculated price and then all withdrawals are handled on a 70/30 basis, where 70% of the remainder can be withdrawn as cash and the other 30% is reinvested in more Utokens.

e.g Therefore, 22,862 - 10% = 20,575 B.

30% of 20,575 B = 6,172.5 B (reinvested into more Utokens)

70% of 20,575 B = 14,402.5 B (can withdraw as cash) (She's almost right on this figure, somehow)

There are ways to get around this but it requires help. All of your money cannot usually just be withdrawn as you always have the 10% charge and 30% reinvestment applied. This is not just a quick in/out affair.

Utoken has set conditions in place to avoid speculation and create a steady, reliable, upward growth for the currency.

However, Utokens growth is massive and most people don't want to sell all their Utokens. You can just periodically sell your tradable Utokens for a regular income and/or hold them for a huge long term gain.

Based upon her holding though of 36290 Utokens she has:

36290 Utokens times $0.142 times 35B (maximum amount possible) = 180,361.3B. So before the withdrawal process she has effectively recovered her initial charge.

With Utokens huge rate of increase most people will do the same and recover the initial charge to invest in the first month.

With a good sized investment such as this, she just needs to hold on to it for a huge gain.

Utoken is the easiest way to make money in Thailand. Just sit back and watch the money rack up.

Anyone who's interested can pm me.

Update to 'same day service in Savannakhet':

Just found this info about 'no more same day service from 1st Febr. 2015':

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/794602-savannakhet-thai-consulate-stop-same-day-service-1st-feb-2015/

It seems to be over with this useful service ...

Now, this is perplexing:

Pattaya-Mukdahan-bus-skj.01.png

If the 2130 bus from Pattaya leaves Yasothon at 0900 and Umnatcharoen (Amnat Charoen?) at 0955, what time does it really arrive Mukdahan? Does it go to Mukdahan first?

As a follow-up, I just did the Pattaya-Mukdahan-Savannahket round-trip on 22-25October. That online schedule for the Yellow Bus is mainly a work of fiction: There are not two daily buses, only one, at 1900. We arrived at Mukdahan at 1010, which is clearly too late to make it to the consulate in Savannakhet the same day before 1100. There did not seem to be enroute delays -- the bus trundled along at a healthy speed the entire way, except for two stops for gas and the short stops at a few bus stations near the beginning and end of the route.

I had downloaded the Lao Visa-on-Arrival application form linked earlier in this thread, and it was accepted. However, there is a second form, very similar to the Thai TM.6 form, that also needs to be completed. Like the TM.6 you must keep the departure half of the form with you and submit it when you depart Laos.

In case your passport is getting full, be aware that the Lao Visa-on-Arrival takes a full passport page, as does the visa issued by the Thai Consulate in Savannahket.

The Thai-Lao "International Bus" which takes you across the bridge for B45, did not wait for the non-Thai/non-Lao travelers. We shared a taxi into Savannakhet. It was either that, or wait an hour for the next bus. I estimate it took us about 15 minutes to complete Lao Immigrations formalities. It wasn't *that* long to wait, was it?

At least as of 23-October-2014, the first "International Bus" from the Mukdahan bus station is now 0700, and the next one is at 0745:

intl_bus.jpg

Did the trip from Pattaya to Mukdahan last week - there are 8 buses daily.

There are 2 routes from Pattaya to Mukdahan - over Yasothon and over Roi-Et

According to the staff at the counter the standard bus needs about 14 hours via both routes. The VIP-bus is faster, but starts too late to get to the Consulate before 11 am.

Departures to Mukdahan from North-Pattaya station (Yellow bus) - only the last bus is a VIP:

Pattaya-Yasotorn-Mukdahan: 8:00 / 18:15 / 20:15 / 21:30 (VIP)

Pattaya-Roiet-Mukdahan: 9:00 / 18:00 / 20:00 / 21:00 (VIP)

I took the 18:00 bus and arrived in Mukdahan at 9:30 - 2 minutes later the border-bus to Savannakhet started. If I would have missed this one, it would have been to late for the consulate (next bus at 10:30).

Hi Somnamb.

I returned last week from Savannakhet without any problem at the border back to Thailand (no test/questions).

I had 3 years Thai-course already and attended most of the time. I am not so bad with understanding and reading, but not everyone understands me (because of my bad/wrong low/falling/mid/rising/high tones) and correct writing is also very difficult for me. For instance: i never know which of the 8 T's or 4 S's I have to write but can read them all.

Because I also feared possible tests after that long time of studying I asked the school to give me papers for an English course (am a native German speaker). You can study every language except your native language.

I still learn Thai at my school but don't have to fear to be tested at the Embassy/Consulate or Immigration anymore. Now they can test my English if they want.

Because it's not written on the visa which language you are studying, I copied the documents from the school in order to show them to the immigration in case they want to test my Thai skills.

Here is my report for the ED-Visa from Savannakhet last week.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/770595-ed-visa-in-laossavannakhet-same-day-service/

Why you don't go to the Consulate in Savannakhet (also in Laos)? I applied for ED-Visa this Monday morning and got it 5 hours later!

Not so crowded (I arrived there close to 11 a.m.) like at the Embassy in Vientiane and they offer same-day service without any extra fee (just the 2.000 Baht for the visa).

Here you can find my report: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/770595-ed-visa-in-laossavannakhet-same-day-service/

Thanks for the information noni99. I might travel to this area when the need arises for a look around a part of Laos I have not visited. Imho, you give good information for the next visitors to bear in mind when dealing with some unscrupulous locals. Thanks again.

... beside the taxi-drivers I spoke to (hopefully not all are like that), I didn't see unscrupulous locals there - for a 5 mins. drive they wanted 200 Baht (1 night in a small, clean hotel with air, fridge, hot-water costs 400 baht).

It was my 2nd trip to Savannakhet in 8 years, so I don't know it really - but the locals I met were 'sabaai sabaai'.

Absolutely stress-free there - it's a nice change to my usual life-style (which I would probably miss after a couple of days).

On my first trip I took a bicycle to explore all the small streets and temples in the (quite big) center along the waterfront - enjoyed it a lot.

The surroundings should also be very nice for trekking, cycling-tours ... http://www.ecotourismlaos.com/activities/act_trekking.htm#Savannakhet

Thanks for the report. Still it is a big waste of time, money and energy, not to mention the risks of these longish bus travels. I hope they bring back the old system without having to leave the country every year and undergo all this hassle.

For sure a big waste - I also would be happy, if the old system comes back.

Specially the return trip in the bus was hard, still felt the 15 hours from the previous night in the bones and had to sit that long again...

I am not sure how it would have been if I would have taken the standard bus for both journeys?

If you travel from far away, It's better to stay in Savannakhet for 1-2 nights to relax the body from the torture of the 1st trip before heading back 'home'. In that case you also don't have to worry to make it to the consulate before 11 a.m. on the first day.

The guest houses and smaller hotels offer rooms for about 250 (fan) to 400 Baht (aircon, fridge, hot-water, private toilet).

And to avoid the taxi-mafia you can rent a bicycle for 60 Baht a day (saw some places to rent in the center, but not near the consulate).

Don't worry about the traffic - it's very relaxed there.

The same-day service from the consulate is nice, and very useful for someone who lives closer to Mukdahan and can also be good for someone who arrives too late for the application.

Hello!

Thanks for the great report!

How was the VIP Bus ?

Was it like on these pictures: http://www.iloveyellowbus.com/services.html ?

Unfortunately the seats weren't that comfortable like these on the pictures, but far better than the standard seats which are smaller and don't have a leg rest.

Maybe the pictures are from a VIP 24 bus (24 seats, 3 in a row) which are used on the route to Koh Samui, I traveled in a VIP bus with 32 seats (4 per row).

Hi topt!

Yes, we (between 5 and 10 players show up each time) are still playing every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - starting around 5 p.m., for some 2-3 hours at the Ambassador Jomtien.

There are 8 courts available, if you play with us it's just 80 Baht for the whole evening. You can also apply for a yearly membership (incl. swimming-pool, squash, tennis, badminton, snooker, table-tennis ...) for about 5.000 baht.

You can also use the shower-facilities, but maybe have to pay 10 baht per towel you use from them (with membership it's free).

There is no organiser for booking - normally all (or most) of the courts are free. Just show up and tell the staff that you play with us, otherwise they charge you per hour.

cu there

Hilarious first show of total lack understaning of how things work. Wonder if they need a PR guy to steer the coup through the rest of the day.

Government were busy all day with Reuters, BBC, CNN, US, EU and every Ambassador in Thailand. Check out the reports. Also busy drafting a totally legal draft for elections on 3rd August.

Be difficult now for EC not to comply with election date request now their friends have ensures safety with martial law.

So, whilst the army were posturing, taking selfies and meeting with Suthep and their backers, the Government backed them into a corner with an election date. Hilarious first day in power.

Pity the Army thought to concentrate on his smug allies!!!

You seem to be one of those pathetic individuals who is crying out loud right now, just because someone stepped in in the nick of time to stop psychotic red hordes from starting a civil war. He was right - what government? They lost the control of country some time ago. And might I refresh your memory, we got to this point only because UDD/Red shirts terrorists accelerated smuggling automatic weapons to Bangkok/Thailand. Get some perspective.

Wrong again.

They didn't lose control, they had it stripped from then by a small elite mob. A mob that was dwindling so much that the Army could no longer protect them on the streets.

Thanks for the lovely flames. I am sorry that the glory of your much prayed for coup was short lived and only in small areas of Elite society at that.

You really need to be reading more before you post. Note I spent all day reading real news before I posted. Flame on by all means, but please, do so with more info. backing you.

I won't reply anymore to you. Much more important things to read and write. I'll just see how many likes you get for your poor respnse

There is still some hope on this forum.

Red supporter 'jennywren' (who spent all day reading 'real' news !!!) got 3 likes for his initial post and 4 for his reply to 'Mackie's' answer. That's 7 likes for 2 posts.

'Mackie' got 21 likes for his (according to a red-supporter 'poor') response.

21:7 for the opponents of the reds, Which doens't mean that they are all yellow or pro-Suthep - they are just against the worst case scenario which is TS and his reds.

This is the plan.

Just give power to Suthep and the PDRC because they are poo dee and will do the right thing?

Has anyone ever heard anything quite so stupid in all their life?

Yes, I did see much more stupid things than that - your post above for instance ...

No matter who will be the next PM - as long as it's nobody from Thaksins's clan or on of the red zombies.

Everyone would do a better job than the current government of Mr. T., his smiling sister and the red terrorists.

"The 2007 constitution was wanted by the majority"

where you get that ??? who was the majority ? please the yellows/dems had never a majority , only within the post coup (non elected) government, so please stop posting if you don't know the facts.

Here are the facts so why don't you shut up

Referendum for 2007 Constitution was held on 19 August 2007 and 57.81% voted yes,and 42.19% voted no, so the majority of Thai voters wanted it.

Unless of course you don't understand maths

Choice Votes %

For 14,727,30657.81- 57.81%

Against 10,747,44142.19 42.19%

Invalid/blank votes 504,207–

Total 25,978,954100

Registered voters/turnout 45,092,95557.61Source: Direct Democracy

Dear Ikke - who is right - you or Gunna?

You ask: who was the majority?

I can't tell you who voted for it - but nearly 58% is a stable majority. I think that also some red's accidently voted for it. The cause may be that in the referendum are no (or less ?) bribes involved (unlike the elections), so they were confused.

If Gunna is right, then you should stop posting red bs (like your post above) !