1BADDAT

Not sure but for me a non smoke I think it is a great idea can save lots of life's .

Good on the thai government if it is true should do it in the west as well .

You probably also think that stopping people from buying beer in the 7/11 between 2pm and 5pm is going to save loads of lives as well ?

It will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop smokers from buying what they want they will just go elsewhere. Something that nevers seems to occur to people like yourself or the people who make these ridiculous laws

We are not talk about drinking we are talking about smoking.

You need to look at what smoking cost the governments in the long run with what happens to long time smoking it is a dirty habit and if I had my way I would have here like back home smokers smoke in the car park not were people eat .

And back home the new laws come in next year no more smoking in mall and were people eat out side the best thing that can happen.

Because people like you that smoke don't care about non smokers like me .

We are talking about government restriction. And limiting the number of packs purchased or raising the tax has little effect on whether people smoke or not.

If the thai government cared at all about smoking or ones health, they would allow E cigarettes. But they don't allow that because they won't get their tax cut on them. That's the reality....Cough cough....

I am happy for you to smoke as long as you smoke in your home and if you are smoking for that long good on you but remember when you get sick and you will get sick not complain about it .

And one more thing do you ever seat down and think how much money you have spent on such a dirty habit.

Can't understand how people who smoke did not think about non smokers but just think about they dirty habit.

The money part I could care less about. Taxes will not discourage me. It's a drop in the bucket, but realistically if that money was in a 401k I would be much better off in the long term. Fortunately I live in thailand and work here and financial security relating to cigarettes is way down low on the things I need to worry about.

Not sure but for me a non smoke I think it is a great idea can save lots of life's .

Good on the thai government if it is true should do it in the west as well .

You probably also think that stopping people from buying beer in the 7/11 between 2pm and 5pm is going to save loads of lives as well ?

It will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop smokers from buying what they want they will just go elsewhere. Something that nevers seems to occur to people like yourself or the people who make these ridiculous laws

We are not talk about drinking we are talking about smoking.

You need to look at what smoking cost the governments in the long run with what happens to long time smoking it is a dirty habit and if I had my way I would have here like back home smokers smoke in the car park not were people eat .

And back home the new laws come in next year no more smoking in mall and were people eat out side the best thing that can happen.

Because people like you that smoke don't care about non smokers like me .

If the thai government cared at all about smoking or ones health, they would allow E cigarettes. But they don't allow that because they won't get their tax cut on them. That's the reality....Cough cough....

I have never believed Thailand's unemployment numbers. Every where I go there is some little noodle stand or something similar attached to a house even in alleys. I suppose these people are "working" but how much do they earn?

unem.jpg

So you're assuming everyone else's unemployment numbers are 100% accurate? Perhaps everyone else's numbers are off a bit, same as Thailand, which makes the comparison more reasonable than you think.

From the article:

"Thailand, in part due to unique structural issues that allow more people to count as employed, will stay as least miserable."

I don't believe for a second the US unemployment numbers are accurate. The main reason is that once someone decides to quit looking for a job (because none are available), they are no longer counted as unemployed. Additionally, there are tons of "unemployed" people who are collecting welfare and working side jobs (or illegal activity) that are considered unemployed, but are working and not paying a dime in taxes. California is the worst for this. Commonly see a family of 7 gets out of their Escalade on 24s, then uses government check to buy milk, bread, and what not.

She might have been having her period Did you think of that, and make allowances.?

Went through immigration in Hanoi today. Actually got a smile out of the beautiful Vietnamese immigration lady. And I only had an economy ticket on Thai Airway.

Did you fill in all the forms properly?

Went through immigration in Hanoi today. Actually got a smile out of the beautiful Vietnamese immigration lady. And I only had an economy ticket on Thai Airway.

Incredible how people can profess to know what the op was thinking at the time of his, well written, reported encounter.

Phenomenal, how so many unqualified experts know exactly what the shop keeper was thinking. Her business model.

My experience of an online forum is that it's a form of lighthearted entertainment. Sometimes a deliberate wind-up. A poke at the haters. The snides, the snakes.

Start a new topic yourself with something interesting and original. Instead of being a stunt all your life.

Well, I wouldnt call it "incredible"

Its quite clear that the OP feels he deserves special attention from the SK .

I wouldnt call it "phenomenal" .

No one is claiming to be an "expert"

Shops business models are quite simple :Make a profit.

No one is "hating". just giving an opinion .

You are being rather over dramatic in your assessment of this thread

I am trying to reconcile the comments in the original post - a 15% price increase with this headline and I'm asking myself what is wrong with this picture ? Sounds very much to me like another example of Thai economics.

Deflationary pressures persist in Thailand

" Thailand's headline consumer price inflation closed 2015 at -0.9% y/y, recording the 12th consecutive month of deflation. Prices are expected to continue to decline at least until the second quarter of 2016 after which inflation will likely pick up moderately to around 1.5% y/y by the end of the year. Meanwhile, core inflation remains in positive territory, at 0.7% y/y in December. "

http://www.econotimes.com/Deflationary-pressures-persist-in-Thailand-138241

as they say...what does this have to do with the price of eggs in China?

don’t you find it even a little bit inconsistent that while the media have been furiously writing about the problems of deflation in Thailand that people like the retailer in this case are asking for a 15% increase? It just seems to support the many references to the way Thais increase prices to compensate for lack of customers.

Debt-ridden Thailand being sucked into whirlpool of deflation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Debt-ridden-Thailand-being-sucked-into-whirlpool-o-30261656.html

I work for an automotive supplier. I am very aware of the world economies (mostly SEA) and how that affects pricing. Material costs can fluctuate greatly depending on where they come from. Using the Thai inflation is not a correct approach to understanding cost of an unknown product.

You people should try Saudi immigration sometime, they're not the happiest bunch!

I am trying to reconcile the comments in the original post - a 15% price increase with this headline and I'm asking myself what is wrong with this picture ? Sounds very much to me like another example of Thai economics.

Deflationary pressures persist in Thailand

" Thailand's headline consumer price inflation closed 2015 at -0.9% y/y, recording the 12th consecutive month of deflation. Prices are expected to continue to decline at least until the second quarter of 2016 after which inflation will likely pick up moderately to around 1.5% y/y by the end of the year. Meanwhile, core inflation remains in positive territory, at 0.7% y/y in December. "

http://www.econotimes.com/Deflationary-pressures-persist-in-Thailand-138241

@Asiantravel

I have been patronising one retailer in Pattaya for about the last 3 to 4 years but today she tried to impose a 15% price increase on me.

What kind of shop? How much do you spend per month? What is the item in question? What was the new price she tried to charge you?

I think she was a bit surprised when I said I didn’t agree to such increase and refused to proceed with the purchase. After that I asked her to justify such price increase because I said labour costs are not going up and some components of manufacturing such as oil are certainly not going up -so how could they justify such increases?

You know first hand the trend of labor costs are for the item in question? You know how the price of oil affects the price of the item?

I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question.

If I was the shop owner you would have to a pretty important customer for me to not tell you to just leave the store and not come back. Your questions are totally unreasonable in my opinion. The only thing that matters is what the cost of the item is to her and what the selling price is. NEITHER one of you is an expert as to why the the cost from the distributor has changed. You really expect her to discuss oil prices and labor costs with you? If you have been in Thailand for the 3-4 years (at least) that you stated, then you should know better.

Maybe she was having a bad day but give the Op some credit for telling it as it was.

There are other threads around at this time mentioning the bad attitude of Thai people who are there to "serve" the community whether ExPats, Chinese tourist or people who may be dyslexic.

Having said that the worst immigration control I ever experienced was in the States, totally belligerent and ignorant.

Like may in the world they forget what they are there for

I am an American and the place that I feel most unwelcome when I go through immigration is my own country.

That recently has changed since I have signed up for the global entry program, but before that almost all my experiences were bad, or certainly never good.

Use the U.S. Postal System for anything that isn't very delicate. Somehow the Thai Postal System isn't very picky about collecting duty. FedEx/DHL/UPS is and the customs charges will kill you, even for used household stuff.

Consider bringing items as extra checked luggage. They aren't very picky about charging duty with personal luggage that comes with you. Yes, I know there's a charge, but you should have factored that in when selecting an airline. It could have made Korean Airline look better in the long run because they have a more generous luggage allowance.

Use DHL.FedEx, UPS as a last resort.

I'd suggest you email Siam Move Management, rather than working with a company in the U.S. You want an advocate here in Chiang Mai, someone who will get your stuff out of customs: http://siammovemanagement.com/ They can contract with someone on your end to do the package and getting your goods out of the U.S.

Totally agree with checking luggage as an option. There are many benefits to this. Not having to go through the customs mess. The chance of them getting lost is low. Not having to be somewhere to pick the packages up at a later date....etc.

When I came out here for work I brought all my stuff out that I needed on a few trips. I didn't have to pay for any checked baggage because I get 3 free, but even If I paid for the checked baggage fee I would have spent a LOT less than paying for a shipper. My company would have paid for that for me, but I saved them thousands of dollars and I got the piece of mind of having y stuff arrive when I did.

Check the baggage allowance weight and maximize what you carry. If you are 2 pounds over, they will charge you the same as a whole other bag. I checked their website and it seems that one extra bag is 1000 CNY or about 150 USD. I would go this route because i highly doubt you can ship cheaper than this unless it goes by sea.

To the OP

What proof do you have that being able to speak Thai helped you at all? Are you assuming that the Thai immigration officers don't speak english? If anything, I would think that they would be less likely to help you if you were speaking Thai to them. You would come off as a self entitled person who thinks since you live here you dont have to abide by the rules.

You are quite right, I have no proof at all. I am quite sure that the Thai immigration officers could speak English, however I disagree with your contention that they would be less likely to help me if I spoke Thai to them.

In my (limited) experience in Thailand a westerner speaking polite Thai is always greeted with pleasure and a willingness to help.

For the most part this thread has remained very positive, I respect those that have done well here without the ability to speak, read and write Thai.

All I can say is that from my perspective, being able to converse in Thai has had nothing but positive outcomes for me. Each to his own!

There is a fast track for thai airway gold and platinum. I am star gold, but on United. I asked the security officer and she said I need a pass because my ticket was economy. She said to ask for one next time.

Then she grabbed one of the passes and let me around the barrier to the fast track. All of this was in English. Exact same situation as you although I didn't make up the bathroom excuse. I was polite and she let me through. Just like I suspected would happen in your scenario if you spoke in English to them.

I take it you are talking about financial woes here?

Are you a native English speaker? IF you have a degree, head to your local school or look online for a teaching job.

If you read his post it is clear he is not capable of teaching English.

You will get a call from deveres or a boiler room, dont get excited.. Similar thing happened to me at a luggage carousel, some girl insisting on collecting my details and wanted the tag off my suitcase.. she was targetting business class..

Thanks. That's what I thought....

I did this exact process last week. Feel free to PM with any questions. Like you mentioned, you will have to pay $50 up front for each signature that requires a notary. It is your responsibility to count the signatures.

My refinance company gave me a pre-paid shipping label from UPS. I went to the UPS center in the map below and dropped it off. It arrived in US before they said it would.

Note: Mail boxes ETC has a UPS emblem but they will not guarantee when the pickup is. And the office I listed below is closed from 12:00-1:00, but since I had a label already printed they accepted my package.

Maybe they are smart enough to not try and bankrupt the auto industry in Thailand? But seriously, this is a developing country, you really think they have leverage?

First you learn how to speak Thai. Second you spend some time with the family. It becomes painfully obvious. I'm speaking from personal experience. I would not suggest marriage until spending a minimum of three years with a person. Less in my opinion is crazy and not just in Thailand.

Knew my wife for 1 week before I 'barfined' her from her mother.

'Hello' was the only word we had in common.

Been married 6 years so far.

This is the one that "finished high school earlier this year, starts university next week."? So you married her at 13 years old?

You can bring up sex tourism and doubt whether I date girls that aren't involved in that trade all you want. But to suggest that "some of them might be part-time and casually in the trade" is just ridiculous. You really think that I or any halfway observant human being can't tell the difference between a prostitute or not?

The foreigners I meet all say they can tell, then claim theirs wasn't when she quite clearly was.

I don't know you, but past experience tells me you probably can't tell the difference either.

Simple rule,

If she is 10 years younger than you, she probably was.

If she is 20 years younger than you, she almost certainly was.

If she was 20 years younger than me she would just be starting high school. Not everybody on this site is an old man Looking for younger women.

Your logic is amazing. Have any other rules that I should follow?

Sure...good luck with childish motives

You are very judgmental. Why do you think this is childish? Standing up for ones rights is childish?

Your right to be an old self entitled farang with an old expensive car with something to prove to a guy who makes his yearly salary which is equivalent to his monthly salary. Does that make you feel good at night to diminish him? If so, good for you, mission accomplished.

Probably the guy's only contact with farang will be the ones in his Isarn village who met their wife in Pattaya and the school's English teachers who probably don't speak Thai well enough to chat with him. These 2 species are all he has, so start speaking to the guy to let him know there are other sorts. But make sure you give him a telling off in a light hearted way.

True, I think I'll light-heartedly give him a 5 baht tip and ask him what car he drives. If he doesn't have one, I'll offer him mine for 100,000 baht and see if he can come up with the money or not. if he dos, he aint getting it, I'll tell him that is the downpayment.

Well it's clear now you don't have your daughters best interest in mind. You think antagonizing the parking attended is going to help anything?

It will stop him doing a similar thing again to me or any other foreigner. I think it is in her best interests and not sure why you are clear it isint

Probably the guy's only contact with farang will be the ones in his Isarn village who met their wife in Pattaya and the school's English teachers who probably don't speak Thai well enough to chat with him. These 2 species are all he has, so start speaking to the guy to let him know there are other sorts. But make sure you give him a telling off in a light hearted way.

True, I think I'll light-heartedly give him a 5 baht tip and ask him what car he drives. If he doesn't have one, I'll offer him mine for 100,000 baht and see if he can come up with the money or not. if he dos, he aint getting it, I'll tell him that is the downpayment.

Well it's clear now you don't have your daughters best interest in mind. You think antagonizing the parking attended is going to help anything?

Just after she got out of the car he asked her how old I was.

As we she was getting into the car, he bent down and said to tell me that I need to buy a new car.

He is just being a tosser, my girl is 175 cm and attractive to most Thai men wherever we go.

Is it my ego? Good question. Loss of face, I have turned Thai a bit by osmosis over the years. I just spent 40,000 baht on new tyres and a bit for my air conditioning which is probably at least 5 times his salary. I don't put having a fancy new car as a priority. I have 3 older kids at university, one abroad which is far more important in my budget.

if you were concerned about your daughter, id be very much in suppor of you, the thing is you are worried about your damn car.

personally neither i nor the yam could care less about your new tires and how much they cost.

perhaps you should try screaming "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM" at him at the top of your lungs/ it seems to be that which concerns you most here.

quit talking about your money. nobody cares

Oh you know the Thai word for guard, well done.

Doesn't impress me one bit as I've lived and worked in Thailand most of my life. Maybe you keep the culture you came from I don't, well not all of it.

Where did I say I was not concerned about my daughter?

You obviously do are about money or you wouldn't have said it.

yes, put this back on me, lets battle it out over thainess. i personally cant be bothered, good luck with your problem. sigh.

Me, im off to prove to the noodle seller i could own her cart for the cost of my bicycle.

Me, im off to prove to the noodle seller i could own her cart for the cost of my bicycle.

HAHAHAHAHA! Good one

Really can not estimate cost but expect some shops might actually have - those that sell the plastic base type things perhaps. Expect to make a place that makes SS gutters would be a good place to ask. They have the material and experience welding and shaping it so should not cost too much.

There are already aluminum and stainless trays that do just that. I would not have someone fabricate one. The fabricated ones will most likely leak or have sharp edges. An Industrial supply store might have what you are looking for. Or alternataively try Hardware House.