MadMac

The local BiB will certainly be happy to carry some of your small money if you present him the SG card .

You can put a sign up. write your name onto it and it is yours. Just let your friend watch it closely

Rental agencies will accept it, but you need an international one if you want insurance coverage.

You can get that from the AAS at Kallang Bahru, valid for one year. Takes about 15 mins.

The form is needed nowhere (besides Phuket perhaps where this general formerly in charge of IT was transferred to as new head). Neither in Bangkok or Chiang Mai on arrival, neither on extension of stay. Reports in Bangkok are also limited to the one stop service for business in Sam Yan. It's hot air and nothing but that.

Don't even show up when your wife makes he purchase. If the government sees you sitting there, they could ask her if you gave her the the money to make the purchase (which is illegal).

Sorry, but that's complete rubbish. Nobody will question this and as I said we did the usufruct in my name the same time.

Being not a huge fan of HomePro, they do provide service usually for free and have some job education you may not get from the guy next door.

For the kitchen I'd suggest you look at some trade fairs or shop promotions, there are usually some special offers going on all the time. Do not only look at the DIY chains, there are a lot of specialized providers around. That also give you aftersales support whereas the HomePro guy just disappears.

Get a handyman recommended from the neighbours or friends to build the outside kitchen and carport. You buy the material, he will do the work. Monitor but not too closely, otherwise the guy will run away and you have nothing left but headaches.

Internet depends what is available, usually 3BB and TOT have lines for telephone, that may be working for DSL. Fiber is rolled out every here and there, we got TOT which they just put up without any subscribers. Depends on your luck.

For the land transfer, you need to bring and show the money/cashier cheque to the land office. What you can do as an emergency option is a usufruct in your name for lifetime. That would protect you in case something happens to your wife, it wont protect you if you are getting divorced.

They buy the oil and gas in advance so the rise and falls in FT can lag by quite a while.

Makes sense, so probably it's adjusted on a yearly average basis. To go up again....

FT is the fuel tariff and is adjusted regularly depending on the price of imported oil and gas.

Which is weird as the fuel price went up by 3B for 1 liter of diesel within the last 2 months. I believe power generators also run on diesel fuel or petroleum gas.

Did anyone notice that PEA rates went down this month (May)?

Ft Rate for April -0.048

Ft Rate for May -0.3329.

Yes, saw that too. But does not make much of a difference. Paid a bit more than 3000B last month with one week out of country. Aircon eats most of the money and we run it mostly night time in the bedroom.

Nephew rides our Scoopy for 2 years or so, he is now 16 and went for a driver license this week, on the Scoopy. Failed the test, next week again . They can do it as long as they need to pass with 1 day in between to reconsider.

That's the yellow house besides the LPG gas station, right? On the road to Royal Flora. That's on my list to try too.

Only thing to be careful is not to mix passports, use only one while you are in the country. Airlines do not care if you show them 2, immigration does.

Go to Yummy's if you look for farang food, just a couple of 100m down the Canal Rd. Wednesdays life music, food is good too.

From what I know it all gets burnt, but I don't know where they do it in Chiang Mai. All the recyclable things are recycled before, not much plastic goes in.

Technically your landlord...

Not required, it's just interwebz panic.

If they refuse to accept the yellow book call the government hotline and let them fix it. Not worth to get agitated. It is as good as a work permit, if not better.

If you want to do it like many locals and drive without a license. But what would make you want one then, after the 8 years?

Yellow book or work permit always work, don't need a residence certificate.

If you are that kind of person that enjoys a holiday going to a different immigration office every other day to do useless paperwork, that could become an issue .

Employ an agent and time becomes irrelevant.

What's the problem with standing up a bit early and have breakfast afterwards? You still have to come in person with or without agent. Pretty much pointless, just costly. If you want to sponsor the local economy, get a Thai Elite visa, simple as that

Been there yesterday at 6:00 and about 20 people in front of me for the marriage queue. Numbers were given out 6:45. Been the second to be processed after the lunch break ~13:30. Out at 15:00.

If you come after 6:45 you will not get a number for the day, realistically I think 6:30 is the latest to have a chance for that on a quiet day. They only give out 30 numbers per visa category each day.

It was and is the passport number. 5 years before and 5 years again. As I wrote they could have used the Thai ID number, but then only for a 2 years (temporary) license.

Short field report with the pink card, I tried to use it to renew my 5 years DL this Monday in Chiang Mai and although they would accept it after some internal discussion, they would only grant a 2 years license with the card. So used the passport instead for 5 years.

Reason I tried was to get the 13-digits ID on the Thai DL as that was the check criteria for the tourist price ripoffs.

Had that BiB in Phra Khanong once, who was happy to accept some small donation after driving on the right lane, what a bike is somehow not allowed to use. Opened the seat and put the donation inside. Cop saw the tax sticker in there and waived it through the air, put it back, took the donation and the sun was shining again .