dave111223

Sure you can do that. If you want you can even buy devices like this, which are specifically designed to do what you want: http://wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=320

Of course the advantage of buying a "smart TV" is that you don't need any extra devices/computers/remotes that you have to turn on every time you want to watch a network video.

Personally I have a computer hooked up to my TV and run Windows Media Center on startup, which is useful; but the computer is bulky and takes time to boot up.

I would not trust any of them,

Agreed. I wouldn't use any online service (especially free service) to store important backups.

I would only use these for a 3rd backup copy, or for transferring large files to others.

And I'd certainly never put anything sensitive on there (such bank account details etc...)

I always have the shop put together my builds as I'm lazy and hardware-wise they seem to be proficient.

But with software all the shops will just use a pre-configured ghost backup and copy it to your harddrive, complete with all kinds of junk and viruses; so I always just install the OS and all sofware myself. Anyone can install a copy of Windows these days, put in the disc and keep clicking next.

You may want to consider resale of the property. I despise bathtubs and wouldn't consider buying a place with a bathtub unless the price was cheap enough that I could afford to tear it out and put in a shower.

Our bathroom also has a stand alone shower

high ticket rat on a string you might want to keep it in your bed/room for a while.

Well here is a strange twist to this story.

As per my previous post I ordered this bath tub over a month ago (paid in full) with the stipulation that they would come to install it in 3-4 months when the bathroom was ready.

We get a call yesterday telling us: "There is only one bathtub left and we will not be getting any more, if you want it you have to take it now". Something about "moving warehouse...no where to keep it.."? Now despite the fact they are reneging on the sales conditions. This brings up a couple of worries:

1) Why are they not getting more? Possible faulty product?

2) Why have they "nowhere to keep it"; maybe the supplier is going out of business, it which case the warranty is basically worthless?

Either way I told when in no uncertain terms that they better find somewhere to keep it, as my building site is no suitable place to have a 50K jacuzzi tub sitting around for months.

But considering points #1 and 2 I'm thinking maybe this was a bad choice and I should just push for a refund instead?

In my view he is using standard Thai negotiating tactics -i.e. they apply pain -then offer to remove the pain in exchange for what they want.

I figure he wants to lease the land to us -on his terms .We are happy to lease the land -but not on his terms.

Doesn't sound likely. He should know such tactics would be pointless against a Condo, as no one there has the authority to lease his land, it would require majority approval at a general meeting vote, and there would quite probably be enough people that thought the money would be better spent elsewhere, that the vote wouldn't pass.

We are happy to lease the land -but not on his terms.

Who's "we", you have already discussed the issue at a general meeting?

Seems to me that you are angling for some kind of government intervention, where they show and say "remove your ugly fence"...this just aint gonna happen.

At best you spend months lobby people at the land department and paying bribes, finally an officer shows and tell the guy to move the fence...he'll probably ignore this the first 2 or 3 times (more bribes and lobbying required)...eventually he will move his fence over 6inches (assuming that it's even over the boundry line)...and then what?

Also seems pretty odd that your condo is not walled off anyways? Never been to a condo where the pool just kind sat out next to a neighboring field? Just bring the topic of building a wall on your side to the next meeting.

I've only requested info. on planning regulations . Where did the 'money' come into the conversation ?

Everything costs money; enforcing the regulations will cost money, erecting your own wall will cost money, tiding up their wall will cost money; unless you plan to pay this all out of your own pocket, you'll need committee approval.

I decided to get 9mm laminated double glazed windows instead of ugly metal bars, as I figure it would take just as long to break a hole through that glass as it would to pry the bars off with a crowbar.

But unfortunately unless you want to replace all the windows this is probably not any option.

note to self:

Leave at least 50 meter between the border of the land and the house.

Better save a few hundred million if you plan to live in Bangkok then.

As I mentioned in a previous post, just get a Thai friend to start up the company in their name, cheap, quick, simple. Then you can register for the .co.th domain.

It does not appear to be cheap, quick, or simple for a Thai person to setup a limit company (we are not talking about sole proprietorship or standard partnership here). They require 3 shareholders, annual audit by authorized 3rd party auditor, detailed bookkeeping, likely tax audits etc...

I was hoping there would be a "cheap/quick/simple" way to do this (having a Thai person own the company is no problem), but during my research in the last few days I have not found any "easy/cheap" option.

One more thing . . . a .com domain is always going to be easier to remember than any other, so in your example widgets.com is what 99.9% of people would look for when searching for your company called "widgets" if they didn't know the url.

In my example I am assuming that "widgets.com" is not available. You would have to pay a huge amount of money for a 3-5 letter dictionary word .com, but there are still 3&4 letter .co.th readily available.

To protect from competition if someone was later to register the .co.th version of the domain name?

Yes

To rank higher within Thailand search results?

No

To make customers "feel better" because they are dealing with a "local" company because they use .co.th?

Yes

And also in order to have a easy to remember word-of-mouth domain; a Thai person would easily be able to remember "widgets.co.th"...whereas "widgetsthailand.com" maybe not.

I think many people are missing the point that for a .co.th you need a "Thor-kor0401/Por-kor0401" which seems to mean you need a Limited Company or Limited Partnership.

Just having a "Thai Business" (such as sole proprietorship or partnership) does not quality you for a .co.th domain.

So if you want to run a small business (without going the corporate route of seemingly lots of paper work, audits, monthly GAP accounting, etc...) then there is no way to get a .co.th

Imagine that you own a small business selling "widgets" to Thai people. It would be ideal to purchase the still available "widgets.co.th" instead of something like "widgetsforthailand.com"

Of course you can purchase "widgets.in.th" but if someone later came along and did get "widgets.co.th" it would make you look like the imitator.

Ok found some more details from 101domain. In order to use their "trustee" service to purchase a .co.th domain they require that you already have a Thai Trademark registered for the name....Hmmm...which makes their service pretty much pointless because if you already have Thai trademark you can register the domain yourself anyway...

Shame about the "no father present" policy in Thailand. Today I saw my baby for the first time on the ultrasonograph (Bangna Hospital). What a feeling! And the nurses didn't want to let me in - it was the doctor who asked my GF halfway through the examination if I wanted to take a look too.

There is no "no father present" policy in Thailand; I was in the delivery room for both my kids, and went to all the prenatal doctors visits; you have been misinformed.

Sounds like a nurse just blowing smoke up your arse; in the unlikely event that your hospital does have some kind of rules preventing fathers from being around I'd suggest you switch to a different hospital.

I take it no one knows the costs involved in obtaining a "Thor-kor0401/Por-kor0401" then? Or if using a trustee to hold a local domain is practical?

Requirements for .co.th (according to dotarai):

First, consider domain naming from company name

• Domain naming must same as the administrative contact's company name or its abbreviation.
  
• A company can register only one .co.th domain name.
  

1. company was registed within Thailand
   Required Document :
   
   • business license, Thor-kor0401/Por-kor0401 or Por-por20 (you will got Por-por20 if your company has been put to VAT system)
     

Does anyone know what type of company you are required to setup in order to obtain a "Thor-kor0401/Por-kor0401"? And what are the costs associated with this?

I found that this website: http://www.101domain.com/co_th.htm offers a trustee service where they hold the domain in a Thai company for you, but costs $115 per year, on top of the $77 per year that they charge for the domain (domain only costs 650 THB per year). Is this a worthwhile route to consider, or it is cheaper/more secure to setup your own company?

Let's weigh the teachings of each:

Buddhism:

- Respect your elders

- Feed the less fortunate

Christianity

- Buy a shotgun

- Vote for a Mormon

I guess one of the upsides to building a house, as opposed to buying a completed moobaan house, is that you know exactly what is under the final coat of paint.

For example last week on our house they decided to run an electrical pipe directly between the hot/cold shower outlets. Might be a pretty nasty situation if you didn't spot that one then screwed your shower head through the wires.

What happens if you put some ridiculous number in the "non-mandatory donation" box, are accepted, and then decide to donate nothing? They reverse the acceptance?

In our case the donation was required PRIOR to enrolment. I think perhaps they have that one worked out.

So they send you a letter saying that "you have been accepted on condition that the donation is paid prior to enrollment" type of thing?

I don't like condoms so i'm not going

They taste a bit rubbery to me.

You're supposed to turn them inside out, they taste much better that way.

What happens if you put some ridiculous number in the "non-mandatory donation" box, are accepted, and then decide to donate nothing? They reverse the acceptance?

Try kiddy kicks. Sorry just realized they only do up to 6 years old.