DEREK-C

Has anyone else been told that their 'cards' cannot be sent here due to 'high risk of interception and theft'? I am with Abbey and although I had a Visa card sent 'recorded' delivery about 4 years ago their policy is not to allow it any more.

Unless I change to a UK address and have my card sent there so my son can forward it I am 'cardless'!

I had the problem a few years ago with my card from the Nationwide. When my card didn't arrive i called them and was told it was being processed. Two weeks later the same answer. When I rang for the 3rd time I asked them to confirm the date it was posted after a while I was informed that they couldn't send the card abroad. The friendly lady in my local branch told me the only way was to have a UK address. So now I use my sister's address. My sister sends in an envelope that looks like a birthday card. Another friend goes to the trouble of putting the card between 2 cd's so it is not picked up by scans.

For everyone's information. The Proof of Income letter from the Consular section of the British Embassy was delivered to my house at 17:30 today. The amount shown has been taken from my P60 and shows my annual pension AFTER TAX HAS BEEN DEDUCTED, not the gross amount.

I did provide them with my tax statement which shows other earnings from UK investements. I had been informed by my local Immigration Office that these earnings could be taken into account to qualify towards the 800,000 baht per year figure.

As the figure they quote in the letter is still adequate for the visa I'm OK. However, next year I will highlight all my income and total tax and ask for a letter to show the nett amount which would include investment income. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has a similar experience as I appear to be the first to not get a letter not showing gross income.

Hi, I applied by post in my usual way including my P60 and HM Revenue & Customs Tax calculation. I got a phone call from the British Embassy informing me that the letter would show nett income. They said that they had been informed by The Thai Immigration that this was what was required.

I am getting the documents together to apply again for my Non Im. O visa base on retirement. I have gone this route for the past 5 years getting a letter from the British Embassy. In the past my gross income has been shown. I have just been informed that the Immigration Dept. now need to see the nett income after tax has been deducted.

Spoke covered Nakhon Pathom and I would add that the Immigration Office that covers Ratchaburi is now in Nakhon Pathom. The stores he mentioned I also use the Macro, the only downturn is the Nakhon Pathom Macro has stopped stocking English bacon, sausage etc. The Mall Bang Kae is an excellent shopping Mall (I was there yesterday.

Ratchaburi cantre has 3 large supermarkets, Robinsons (a mall type with a Topps supermarket), Bic-C and Tescos. Nearly all the Ampurs in Ratchaburi have a small Tescos. Ban Pong which is probably the largerst amphur has a Small Tescos in the centre, with a large one on the main road and a Big-C almost opposite.

I would think that crime is a lot lower than other major expat areas. Of all my friends in the area I know of only 4 instances where it effected them personally. One had a break in where he disturbed the intruders, another had money stolen from a wallet left on a downstairs table whilst he was upstairs, and another had problems due to a jealous local Thai. I had 2 attempts to get into the grounds of my house, but with the attention of my dogs (2 Rotts) and a possee of locals all I was left with was some damage to my wall. The most common crime that has effected me is the stealing of telephone wires. I'm in a very rural area and there can be quite a lot of lines in "blind" spots. It's happened about 5 times in the last few years and a lose the phone and internet for a day or so. It last happened a week ago and the local TOT office have informed me that they have installed a new system (They spent 5 days doing it). If there is another attempt to steal cable, they are in for a shock.

There are quite a few expats in central Ratchaburi, I believe they meet on a friday in a bar opposite Tescos with others dotted about the rural areas. The same goes for Ban Pong which has quite a number of expats. The meeting place is again on a friday at 14:00 at a coffee house. By far the biggest expat population is based in and around Kanchanaburi. This is also the main area for tourists and nightlife. Look up some of KANWIN's posts for details about Kan.

It really depends on what you mean by entertainement. I occasionally meet up with people in the bars in Kan and Ban Pong. It's a fantastic area for golf with many championship standard courses. There are also many good fishing locations. Ban Pong has several swimming pools and a ten pin bowling alley and many other facilities. Days out sightseeing can be great, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs and many other attractions.

I can realy only speak for Ban Pong regarding housing, but probably the same applies for most locations. There are many houses to rent and quite a few of my expat friends are renting in Ban Pong. The price can vary, but for example one friend rents a town house with a large open plan ground floor with separate kithen and bathroom, with one large bedroom, 2 smaller ones and a bathroom upstairs, for 2,500 baht per month. Another touched lucky gand got a large ger detached house in it's own grounds for 5,000 per month. The Bangkok Bank has a property section with details of what's of available, mainly to buy, but also rental.

Hope it has given you some idea, if you have any specific questions please PM me.

Hey. I'm in my 60's and the waterfall is no problem. There is a difficult short little section that you need to navigate to get to the best areas. Now is a good time to visit with a lot of water coming down, but without the risk of flash floods. A good day out is to take in the waterfall in the morning and on the way back detour to Hua Hin vineyards. They do trips around the vineyard either in a vehicle or if you're more adventurous by elephant. The bistro does fine food and the views whilst you ate eating on the terrace are fantastic. There is also of course the wine tasting. The wines are expensive by Thai standards, but their better ones hold up to any French wine.

The best place I've found to eat is Tai-Thai. It's run by a Thai woman with her son and daughter in law. The Thai food is excellent and the western food is great. Pepper Steak is good at 120baht, cheaper if you eat between 5-7. They also do a good selection of burgers and chips.

Kan is a mecca for golf with many excellent courses nearby. There are quite a few groups that play on a regular bases. I tend to play the courses nearer Ratchaburi with 2 Swedish friends. My own course is only 9 holes and is not up to the standard of the other courses. Then it's only 80 baht a day for a visitor. One of the bars on the strip was arranging golf days every Wednesday, but I'm not sure whether they are still doing it. In recents weeks I've seen a lot of locals from the UK on the courses as well as quite a few from the US, and Australia.

I first got charged in April with the 150 baht. I was able to find banks that didn't apply the charge until June. I have Thai Bank accounts where you get charged 20baht for using another bank's ATM. My Uk account is with the Nationwide who informed me that all transactions on my card are without charge. To avoid the 150 baht charge I was advised to go into the bank and ask for a "cash advance." I have used this without any charge from the Nationwide or the Thai Bank since.

Queenbill, I'm really sorry for being insensitive. I should have shouted everything on the village loadspeaker.

I didn't really want to post here, I wanted to respect Fred's privacy. However, some people genuinely care. I was in contact with Fred yesterday and he is doing fine considering!

I have only just been able to read all these posts, although another of Fred's friends made me aware this afternoon.

For those of you that genuinely care, his phone is unobtainable. I have just sent Fred an e-mail and if he doesn't answer I'll drive out to his house.

As for the unhelpful comments...........

I am a complete novice on this. I have a Satellite receiver connected to the internet for decoding. I am constantly losing all the scrambled channels. The chap who installed it has been out several times, gets it working, but he tells me he can't change the language on some of the programmes to English. I know this can be done, so I don't think he really knows what he is doing.

PLEASE CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A GOOD SATELLITE/TV SHOP IN THE RATCHABURI/KANCHANABURI AREA WHO COULD SORT THIS OUT FOR ME

LOSER< HEEL! DROP IT! Now let's see if your as intelligent as my Rottweilers.

Neither of my dogs pull on the lead, because they have been trained. It takes a very short time to get a dog to stop pulling. I do not fit any of your labels on Rottweiler owners, neither would I think the Royalty, politicians etc who keep rottweilers. Like any other dog, if well treated and well trained they are man's best friend.

skyblustu, I totally agree with you. I must admit that at first I was sceptical, but when I went looking for a dog here I found a Rottweiler breeder. Having had large dogs before I researched the Rottweiler, I checked personally the temprement of his sire and dam and bought a pup. He is now 7 years old and the perfect family companion. Like all pack animals they need an Alpha male and that has to be the owner. We have boisterous fun, but he knows when he has to stop. The Rottweiler needs a family and once it has accepted it's position in that family (usually no 2 to it's owner} it is very loving and very protective of the family. If trained and treated properly they are no problem . I have a 5 year old son who can do anything he wants to the dog. He is in grounds that are fully walled and when visitors arrive he barks and sometimes growls, buy when he's told it's OK he's fine. My female dog follows my Mother in Law around and will always sit by her. Your sentiement about no bad dogs is absolutley true. The onlt dog I have ever been bitten by was a small yapping poodle, and the owner just laughed it off.

Hi, I wouldn't recommend the Faa Ruan Thai resort, it's showing signs of wear and their a no facilities. We were there a month ago and Le Charme Resort, next door to it, is a lot more modern with excellent facilities. It is also very close to the historical park. You have to pay to enter each section of the Historical Park and you can hire a Songthaew to take you round. we did this , but with hindsight I think we would have been better off hiring bicycles. There is an excellent Coffee House on the same road as Le Charme at the junction with the main road. As another post there is not much going on after dark. A few bars stay

open and on some days there are nightmarkets. I have put my photos on facebook and plan to put them on Thaivisa as well.

P.S. Le Charme gets booked up quickly so check it out on the web.

I don't know what the rules are, but I have just been to Royal ratchaburi to watch the Singha Royal PGA event there. Although there were no westerners they had pros from India, Pakistan, Korea and China. There was a Jeremy Paulsen playing, whose name was listed in English, but the Thai flag was shown against his nationality. I was in Chiang Rai last week, but on seeing the deatils of courses listed, decided against taking my clubs. We are spoiled for choice in Ratchaburi & Kanchanaburi with many excellent courses. In the low season they have reduced rates. I'll be playing Royal Ratchaburi (it's closed this week for the PGA tour) next Tuesday, for 750 baht which includes the caddy fee.

From what I see of "farangs" they are weell organised in Bangkok, Pattaya & Phuket and have regular competitions. Even though the courses around here are fantastic and there are a lot of "farang" golfers we do not have any organised competitions. Perhaps we should consider a Thai Visa Golf Tour.

As for joining the Thai PGA why not try filling the application form on their website and see what happens.

Depends on your priorities. Central Kanchanaburi is probably better for nightlife and good hotels. Staying out of town both places have a lot to offer. As mentioned KANWIN is the font of knowledge on Kanchanaburi. You will find a lot on the web about Kanchanaburi's attractions.

If you would like a quieter honeymoon with some wonderful scenery around Suan Phung, Ratchaburi is fantastic. Mountains, waterfalls, hot springs and some interesting rock formations.

The Scenery Resort & Farm (sceneryresort.com) is an excellent place to stay. It must please the Prince as he stays there several times a year.

Since I was last there I would expect the new bar at the entrance has been comleted, but I wouldn't know if it has turned into a lively nightspot.

The food is excellent, and I would recommend the lamb chops.

There is also a free Tourist Guide to Ratchaburi listing all the attractions, places to stay, eat etc, that is made available in many locations in and around Ratchaburi

Justin, who recently went to Vientiane to renew his visa asked we if others may be interested in his experience, as follows:

Dear Derek,

I recently went to Vientiane to get a none O single visa, I met an English

man called Paul and his Thai Wife who have the Giapo's Restaurant and Bar

with accommodation,Tel: +856-20-7425561, only 50 meters from the Thai Consulate.

As well as a bed ,food and drink they are very friendly and made me feel very welcome

they were also able to help me with getting my visa.

Wile I was at Giapo's Paul had a barbecue where I met other Europeans and locals, so I

had a great two days there and got my visa with no hassle.

Perhaps this information may be useful to others.

Regards Justin.

I was surprised when the price of Dutch Milk went up from 71 baht to 84.25, in Tescos. When I went today I put another brand in my trolley at 79 baht. A Thai assistant who knows me came over and put it back on the shelf and told me to get 2 of the Dutch Milk. My Thai is limited, but I undestood it was some sort of offer. It turned out to be buy one get one free. I couldn't see antything however on the shelves to indicate this, but appreciate the assisatants help.

I wonder just how many other bragains we miss out on.

Hi, Ratchaburi is the main city of the province of the same name. There are quite a lot of "farang" living in the area, especially in and around Ban Pong. It's a a mix of many nationalities, I'm from the UK and live about 45k from Ratchaburi 28k from Ban Pong. My friends living locally include fellow Brits, Americans, Canadians, Swedes, Australians, Danes, Norwegians. We have meets at a coffee house and several of us join up for golf. Ratchaburi itself has quite a history and there are quite a few interseting sites. I have heard recently that there are plans to craete a pedestrian walkway by closing one of the roads by the river to give an added attraction. For shopping it has a large Tescos, Big C and the smaller Robinsons. Robinsons often has some of the items you don't find ar the other 2.

As for location the popular sea side resort of Cha-Am is about 100k away with Hua Hin about 130. The road there is very good and would take around an hour in reasonable traffic. The scenic area of Ratchaburi is to the N. East of the city. Chom Bueng about 45k and Suan Pueng about 65. This is the hilly area and has water falls and hot springs. It has quite a lot of development for tourists at the moment. In fact the Prince is a frequent visitor to one of the resorts. You will find quite a lot on the web.

Kanchaburi (ridge on the R Kwai) is about 90k away and that is where our Immigration Office is loacated. Kan gets a lot of tourists and there is quite a large expat population there.

As for me I've been here 8 years and love the area. There are allsorts of attractions that it would take pages to list them all. One of my rlaxing afternoons is to drive to look at the water cave, then just before dusk visit Wat Khao Chong Phran and see millions of bats emerging from the hillside caves.

If you want any specific info please PM me.

wooohoooo - :-))))))

Is it true that some banks still don't charge now? ??

Yes, it is true. After April 17 the first 2 ATM's I tried warned I would be charged 150 baht for the transaction. On the 3rd I didn't get a warning so I continued. On checking my statement I wasn't charged for the transaction. I have used the same ATM twice since without any charges.

thanks very much

great map link too ,

If you have a programme with lat and long check out Long: 102.34154 Lat: 14.76473

If the address you are looking for is indeed in Saraburi, then the address would be more likely Amphur "Phra Phutthabat" which has its own post office.

FYI: armond was looking for T. Phutthabat, A. Chon Daen, Phetchabun. Clarified by PM. The saying "google is your friend" should be taken with care. There's more than one Buddha's Footprint (Phutthabat).

cheers

Andi

There are 2 Post Offices in Chon Daen.

THAILAND POST CO.,LTD.DONGKHUI

919 MOO 1 CHOMTHIRAVET ROAD

TAKUT RAI, CHON DAEN

PHETCHABUN 67190 Tel: (66 2) 8313271

THAILAND POST CO.,LTD.CHON DAEN

183/1 MOO 4 CHOMTHIRAVET ROAD

CHON DAEN, CHON DAEN

PHETCHABUN 67150 Tel: (66 2) 8313271

Hope this is of help.