orientalist

2 hours ago, dinga said:

I'm the same as you with PR and Blue TB.  It took me 5 visits to the Klaeng Branch of SCB to open an EZ Account (bl**dy frustrating, but keep at it and you'll be successful)

 

How did you manage to do it in the end? My local branch was adamant that if blue tabien baan wasn't on their list and I hadn't previously had an account with them, I couldn't apply.

21 minutes ago, walailak said:

I opened EZ account with my yellow book and pink id recently so I m very suprised hearing you were not successful. 

Yes you can request a statement via email pllus the email you one evert month if you have successfully verified your email through the app. Hope this helps 

Yes, I was surprised too. The yellow tabien baan was on their list, but not the blue one. So few of us have PR that at times it seems like a curse. Anyway, I now have my old SCB passbooks so I'll go back and try again.

1 hour ago, skatewash said:

SCB's EZ Savings account (not a fixed rate account) is paying 1.5%.

I tried to sign up a few months ago but they refused me because a foreigner with blue tabien baan and PR is not on their list of allowable applicants. <deleted>. Also they couldn't find my previous SCB account in their system. However, I just found my 1990s SCB pass book so I might go back and spit in their eye. Or maybe try a different branch.

My former Thai colleagues told me they don't feel comfortable having an account with no passbook but there is usually a way to print your own records. Does an EZ account allow you to request a statement via email?

LH Bank currently has a special interest rate of 12 months at 1.20% until the quota is filled.

16 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

They are not lovebirds.  They are 100 percent these ..

 

Pacific parrotlets

 

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/pacificparrotlets.html

 

I used to breed these as a hobby. The wild coloured ones are light green.  You have the blue morph.  

 

They are domesticated captive bred pet birds.  

 

You were lied too.  

 

If they caused the death of other pet parakeets due to neglect then you should either take care of the poor bird yourself or re home it...otherwise it's just animal abuse and cruelty.

 

Also please get it a much larger cage if you plan to let them keep it....and have a quick look at their care on the net ...they need more than a seed diet to stay healthy.  

I have no say in what the gf does. If I withhold money she just borrows it or spends what she has and then tells me the granddaughter has nothing to eat! 

I have tried to stay away from the birds to show my disapproval but a previous parakeet bit off all its tail feathers out of frustration, a small cage and lack of attention. I got a big cage and toys for it but by then it was biting everyone, hard, and died soon after. Then again after i said "no more" they bought a ring-necked parakeet which wasn't affectionate or active (as is normal for the species), rarely uttered any sound, became afraid of humans and then died. The gf just does not get that a bird is not a toy to pull out of the box when the kid has free time. They need a LOT of attention and proper care. Anyway, I told her the ghosts of all these dead birds will come back to haunt her... 

On 8/11/2022 at 1:24 PM, Kenny202 said:

That's gold hahaha, nearly fell on me chair laughing lol. Reminds me of my first missus here. Saying no was like a red rag to a bull. I remember after two years her saying..."so when you say no, you mean no right?" like she had just understood the concept. They all seem to be a little (or a lot) contrary. Sometimes seem to go out of their way to do the wrong or illogical thing. 

 

By the way you can't just give them seed but they are pretty hardy and easy to look after. Sweet little guys too. Can buy a special seed mix and pet shop....and as well as that fruit and veg....they are a tropical bird so anything fruit / sweet like mango, longan, corn, broccoli, Cauli, ....try them on most things you'll soon know what they like. Other than that clean freshwater every day and try nd keep their cage nice and clean. 

Right. I believe the last bird was a green-cheeked parakeet. I don't live with the gf since she's such a witch, and she eventually bought it the wrong food (for a bigger parrot) and it died clearly in great pain. 

On 8/9/2022 at 9:02 PM, Kenny202 said:

They look like lovebirds (peach faces) to me, and theyre not native to Thailand. They also look to developed to be nesting. Are you sure they fell out of a nest? Looks like someones pets escaped

It seems the gf may have been lying to me and they fell out of a shop at Chatuchak market rather than out of a tree. All the previous pet parakeets bought for the granddaughter have died due to lack of proper care, so I said "No more." But as usual the gf just does whatever she wants...

Anyway, thanks for the info, everyone.

Anyone know what these birds are? Their nest fell out of a tree. 

Our 9-year-old got Covid 5 days after her first shot of Pfizer. In  Western countries she could get her next shot 4-6 weeks after recovering but I'm told it is 3 months in Thailand.

Does anyone know the rule here? I can't find the info in English.

7 hours ago, 2long said:

Had my Jazz for 15 years and was shocked when the first one died after just 2 years. I'm used to it now and as others have mentioned, get one at a battery shop, ad make sure you have the radio code BEFORE you change.

 

These batteries are tiny and can't last more than 2-3 years. I turn off the air con before I park, but my wife does 90% of the miles in it and she hasn't grasped this concept yet. We replaced our last battery 2-3 weeks ago. 2,000B is average price.

I last owned a car 40 years ago but I still remember turning the aircon off when the battery was dying. Years before that I remember push-starting my 60s-era manual gear car, often on my own. Life was simpler then!

7 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Agree with the above post.

Trivial job for one of the countless battery shops in the country.

It's a bit daring to suggest one in your area (Bangna).

This would be one (on Sukhumvit 105. "Lasalle rd"):

https://goo.gl/maps/KW5bKAo7f9oa6KRE6

Ma Dee Battery. Perfect, thanks.

Against my advice the gf bought a Honda Jazz 2019 on the never never and hasn't a clue how to maintain it. It now has a battery that keeps going flat. Is it best to get a new battery from a Honda dealer? Presumably that's the most expensive option. Otherwise is there a particular spec to look for or shop to buy from? This is in the Bangna or Bangkok areas.

Meanwhile, the cannabis oil I get from a famous hospital contains 2.7% THC and is technically illegal. But this is Thailand, after all.

6 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

I'm hoping he'll write a book. Something along the lines of "The Great Escape".

Yes, there is actually a long backstory to this and there have been multiple Great Escapes over the years. I don't actually live with The Witch and I endure her ranting only because we are raising her abandoned granddaughter, who fears being without a family. 

Usually the escapes involve me getting out of my condo in a hurry if I know the gf is on the warpath and likely to show up. The neighbours have complained about the shrieking late at night. So I have safe-houses (guest house, Airbnb, etc) around Hualampong and MorChit for quick getaways upcountry. Loy Krathong was different as the extended family travelled to Jomtien with us in several cars. The Witch probably has Borderline Personality Disorder and anything can set her off. The shouting started around 1am in the hotel room so I grabbed my small shoulder bag and walked out. I keep a survival kit in the bag with masks, tablet, earphones and various medicines.

Normally I keep the phone well-charged for such emergencies but taking photos had left me with only 20%. I used Google Maps to locate some cheap hotels along the beach road and had no trouble walking into the first one and using my driving licence as ID. Since the family's plan was to spend Saturday at the beach I was a bit worried I'd be spotted if I walked around too much - and I'd forgotten my hat.

Anyway, I got away OK and The Witch lost face with the family. However, it's a lesson that won't be learnt...

After a bust-up with the gf I find myself needing to get back to Bangkok or Suvarnabhumi by bus or minivan and my phone battery is almost flat. I am in the Jomtien beach area around Soi 12. Where is the best place to catch a bus?

Google shows a place marked "airport - pattaya bus 389 office" on Thappraya Road. Is that still in operation?

4 hours ago, orientalist said:

Has anyone managed to open a Krung Thai Next savings account?

I tried today. "For Thai citizens only..." And I had to fill in a Covid self-declaration before they would let me enter the office. <deleted>.

Has anyone managed to open a Krung Thai Next savings account? I have a regular savings account and applied via the app but at the end of the process it said I should go to a branch for further verification. Sounds like the runaround I got with the Kasikorn and LH e-savings accounts. The NEXT account offers 1.50% at present.

I just spent an hour at SCB trying to open an EZ account (or any account) but could not. As often happens, their regulations for documentation don't include the case of PR. Migrant workers, retirees, etc, yes, PR holders, no. Two months ago I opened an account at Krungsri no problem.

So, in 40 years in Thailand, SCB is the first bank to completely refuse me an account. Ironically, I did have an account with them 30 years ago, but they couldn't find it in their system.

Krungsri offers 1.00% interest but I'd still like to put some funds in a 1.5% account.

On 9/16/2021 at 10:54 PM, gamb00ler said:

I was planning on making the effort to get a pink ID card anyway.  Then with that ID, I'll test their explanation.

I have a pink card and have had LH accounts for years but I couldn't get the Pro-fit account. When you try to apply via the app it says "new account opening function available for Thai citizens only."

But where is this elusive CBD oil? I've been waiting for 2 years and all the clinics can give me is 1.7% THC oil - not what I need.

They have already ruined the natural look and feel of Railway Park by planting beds of lotuses where there used to be a meadow. Good for selfies I guess.

3 hours ago, Wandr said:

How is LH when it comes to documents for immigration? Bank statement for a year and stuff like that.

And what about the Big C Maehia branch...any comments on it?

No idea really as I have PR and am not living in CM. As for applying for the account, I don't think they were any more difficult than other banks. All banks seem to be difficult if we don't have a work permit!

Has anyone managed to sign up for the LH Pro-Fit no-book savings account (1.50%) at a branch yet? The app doesn't allow non-Thai citizens to apply for new accounts.

The pound actually rose above 45 baht last week. Whoopee!

Meanwhile... The new TTB (Thai Military Bank + Thanachart) sent me an SMS saying that the old Thanachart interest rates would only apply until August 1 and that my PromptPay was cancelled. When I opened the Thanachart app there was a notice about a smooth transition and an activation code for TTB Touch App. But I couldn't even get started because it claimed my personal info was incorrect. I called the call centre (answered immediately and very efficient) only to be told they have no record of my ID and I must go into a branch to get it sorted. I pointed out that nearly all branches of Thanachart are now closed because they are in malls...

I still have the old (pre-Thanachart) Siam City ATM (not debit) card, so I am pretty certain that would just be eaten by an ATM machine.

This caused me to check interest rates for special savings accounts at other banks, especially since Thanachart eSavings is only 0.9% now. It turned out that expat favourite Krungsri Mee Tae Dai account is now 1.10% for amounts up to 100K and 1.00% for amounts up to 1 million.

So off I went to Krungsri head office and spent an hour there applying for the new account, but I was able to register with my Pink Card + tabien baan and use my English name as per my passport. Also, since I have a Thai tax number they will not withhold tax. I liked Thanachart but if interest rates go down on August 1 they probably won't see me again.