alesypalsy

Some good advice,

Cheers all

I will soon be living in los and am wondering if anyone has ever driven their own car/pick up over to cambodia, if so any problems or is it just like driving from UK to France for instance, even before the EU it was easy enough, I would like to go over to bodia for a few visits but would much rather drive my own car, also what about malaysia and laos? any one got any clues on te situation with going away for a month or so with car.

Thanks in advance.

Have you thought about a round the world ticket? For £960 in the UK you can fly unlimited stops for 29,000 miles with 3 airlines who are singapore air, virgin and air new zeland, In bangkok I believe the fares are much cheaper than this so check them as the ticket is also valid for a year, you could do brazil with miles to spare at a much lower price, I usually fly to bkk or manila from UK and pay from £380-£580 for my flight, next flight i am purchasing a round the world as i dont intend comming back to the uk and I can use to visit autralia and singapore at a much cheaper price.

Good luck

Well thanks johpa, I got a straight answer from you, That is my intention for pay and play but if I make any ladies friends out there I would like to make sure they know where I stand on other matters, I suppose just to tell any from the beginning that I am only up for fun and no relasionship would be the best way, and tell them I need money for my sick papa!

Well after my last post to any one that read it!, I ended a relasionship over the phone with a girl whom tryed to get me by the short and curlys,

        I am now in need of how it actually works in their culture for if ever I meet a girl and AM NOT intending to marry her, what are the dos and donts, Well I mean if she invites me up to have a drink with the family does it mean she is intending something else?

     How do Thai's marry? I get told that the man has to get money for show, like 99,999 baht for lucky!,, I intend to enjoy my life in the LOS for quite some time before I even contimplate marrying,  Could you please explain the culture to me, I have been comming over for 3 years and had my share of this and that but am afraid I still dont understand the ladies!!

Regards

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You have been here visitng as a tourist for 3 years now so you should know by now not to get involved in a relationship with a Thai woman. Best to keep it at a business level: you pay, you play. If you actually move and live here on a permanent basis then maybe a relationship will evolve over time.

Traditionally in Thailand young people don't go out on dates by themselves but go out with large groups of friends. That group tends to get smaller as the relationship develops over time. When marriage is discussed one usuallys sends a phuu yai from the groom's side to the parents of the bride's side to discuss the bride price, sin sot, which has been discusse endlessly on other threads.

Be that as it may, and it is changing in the cities, I figure, after 25 years of observation, that the chances of a successful marriage for you are rather slim. Best just to keep paying short time and be happy.

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Well after my last post to any one that read it!, I ended a relasionship over the phone with a girl whom tryed to get me by the short and curlys,

I am now in need of how it actually works in their culture for if ever I meet a girl and AM NOT intending to marry her, what are the dos and donts, Well I mean if she invites me up to have a drink with the family does it mean she is intending something else?

How do Thai's marry? I get told that the man has to get money for show, like 99,999 baht for lucky!,, I intend to enjoy my life in the LOS for quite some time before I even contimplate marrying, Could you please explain the culture to me, I have been comming over for 3 years and had my share of this and that but am afraid I still dont understand the ladies!!

Regards

Well whatcan I say, some very good inputs here and some very unusual stuff to! I can't believe I got myself into this mess, I told the girl I have nothing but I know the crack in they think all farangs are atms so should have realised she would not have taken any notice, As for troll stuff believe what you like, I certainly am no troll and I can say Dr pat pong can vouch for me as i did send him a copy of material to prove I am no liar.

As far as thinking I am a fool, Well I can agree with you on that one but to every post there really is a story or I would not bother and this was/is really hard on my head, To those who gave advice thanks very much, to the nut cases thanks also your your nonsense comments.

Regards to all.

Thanks for your advise lovejoy. But please keep this on topic, I am not bothered by rubbish posted by siamfish.

Kind regards

I wiped this now zardoz, i understand what you mean,.

Thanks to all for their input.

Thanks for the replys chaps, I know you are right, I feel like a right git as she is really nice, But I dont think I could ever handle the family. As for siam one talking of bemused I certainly am now reading your reply. Blimey why bother posting that?

To the rest of you many thanks.

P.s she got the tattoo after I had left, I did'nt know about it untill she told me on the phone.

Hello all,

I am in a sad state of affairs as they are of the heart, I am relocating to LOS in the near future but on my last trip finalising things i bumped into my friends ex girlfriend, As it went we ended up staying together for the duration of my trip and her being such a lovely girl she really pulled my heart strings, she took me upto meet her family and they seemed to be very happy that she had a farng boyfriend. Anyway as it went she suggested we get married when i was drunk as a skunk and i like a fool agreed,, now while i was warmly welcomed by her family i found that i dont think i could live like they do, sending money to parents and stuff like that as i can just about look after myself, they were very hospitable people but it did seem like they were having a celebration that their daughter had found farang boyfriend, now i am back in uk thinking i want to be over in los single so i can taste the delights for a few years single, i am 31 and enjoy being single as i like to butterfly, problem is i dont think i could handle the family round all the time and handouts to me just are not like the western way, She also got a tattoo when i left with my name so now i find it hard to tell her its over, I am dissmayed what to do? Any advice out there?If you have a story please share with me.

one of my hobbies when I have the free time is to look at apartments. 

one place that caught my eye is on sukhumvit soi 12.  the same street where condom and cabbages restaurant is located.  the closest bts station is asoke.

the place is called bangkapi mansion.  their 4 bedroom apartment is incredible.  it is about 380 square meters in size.  hard wood floors.  many built-in features like closets, shelving, and tables.  2 of the bedrooms are so big, you can close the entrance and have your own little apartment complete with your very own mini-living room.  the kitchen is big enough for 3 people to cook at the same time without getting in each others way.

and get this, the maids room has it's own sit-down toilet.  another thing neat about the maids room is that you can enter it from another door (other than the main door) from the outside.  if you include the built-in maids room, this place has 5 bedrooms.

on the upper floors, there are only 2 units per floor.

oh. and the view. you ask?  on one side, you see the queen sirikit lake, on the other, the asoke bts station.

cost when I last checked - 50k to 60k baht a month.

I believe they also have a 2 bedroom unit in the same building that rents for about 30k baht a month.  but I didn't check that one out.

all along sukhumvit soi 12, they have nice apartments.  I remember a 3 bedroom apartment that was 250 square meters in size with hard wood floors that rented for about 28k baht a month.  name of the place was rama mansions.

another place was a 3 bedroom penthouse with 2 floors, and a veranda where you could entertain guests that rented for 40k baht a month.  can't remember the name of that place.  but it is on sukhumvit soi 12.

yes, it can be argued that for 50k to 60k a month, you could buy a place which is true.  to each their own.

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Any tips on cheap area like 10-12000 a month, sukumvit or close to mrt/bts staion, or to buy one at upto 2 million minimum 1 bedroom?

Thanks

Whats the monthly service charges there? And do they have wireless internet or ADSL internet available?

Cheers in advance.

I maybe interested in a purchase there but would not pay more than 1.4 million for a really nice place. Am realsically looking at 1 mil tops.

Thank you all very much for your help.

Time to bite the bullet!

Thank you very much totster, Excellent link, Makes it so much easier for me, Cheers!

Obtaining a 1 Year Licence

It is best if you already have an International Driving Permit,

otherwise you will have to take a written test and a driving test,

in you own vehicle.

Would a UK driving licence be sufficiant, have read so many different ways of obtaining a d.l i am somewhat confused now! If not and I have to take a test what do i do if i have no car? hire one or something?

Cheers in advance

Hello all, I searched this but alas no result so I post here now, I am looking at buying a condo in the near future, Is it possible to bring over traverllers cheques in £s sterling or do i have to do a bank transfer, I ask as i have a bkk bank account and have not used it for large amounts so do not really trust sending over a lot of money only to arrive and find it never arrived! So is there anyone whom has ever brought using exchanged travellers cheques, or even credit card cash withdrwls from the bank, would this count? Please advise if you know,

Cheers

I think Thai immagration wants to make sure you are still working at that same job and not somewhere else in Thailand doing something different.

Good man Richard but los is where UK£ and US$ is king, I am not a man to work in a coutry as this, I worked hard enough for 10 years in the UK, I am 31 years old so the only long term visa for me without getting married (which is not on the cards) is the business visa, I am looking to invest in a business in los but am in no rush and it has to be something i can do when i feel like it and for maybe a day or so a week. Life is no rehersal so enjoy it while you can!!

Best of luck to you

I used to export from thailand to UK, 20ft containers then onto 40ft high cube, stopped last year as the product was oversold here, we wiped out the market for our product in the UK, (dragons by the way) We used to buy in changmai hang dong village and it would go from changmai by truck to bkk onto ship then come to southampton via singapore. Pm me if you need shippers or anything special maybe i can help. I could do with some advice off you actually ted, I am looking at going long term in bangkok and looking for a bank account in sing, i am looking for good interest rates and atm card, do you know if this is possible with a bkk address? Maybe you could find out?

Kindest regards

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I was doing the same started about 6 years ago, Dragons and all sorts of carvings etc, benches, Guian's, cartwheels, i use to buy the cartwheels in Buriram and ship them up to Chaing Mai for packing, still got about 100 wheels in a yard up there, i want to sell, i was shipping 40 footers across to Felixstowe, also buying in Hang dong, as a mate of mine has a good Business there, i actually asked him to get Welsh dragons made for me, we designed them and they were selling well, the 6 foot ones, i was knocking out for 399.00 GBP, trouble with doing things like this and designing items, in a few weeks other thais are copying, i also have stopped doing it now, as people are flooding the market in the uk, when i started there were a handfull doing it, i use to use A & P Shipping in Hang dong, very good, but sometimes the packing was a bit untidy, so my mate use to pack the containers for me, no problems. if anybody is interested in buying some cartwheels, i have about 200 in my warehouse in Buriram and about 100 in Chaing-mai.

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How the great minds work!!! thaicoon, Yes it was a great little earner around 3 years up to last year, I always looking for new enterprises,

Ted thanks very much for the info on the banks.

Here is my 2 cents!

NOTE: Don't forget your extra pictures for your Visa application

OPTION 1 - If you only need a 60 day visa stamp

Go to the Mo Chit Bus station. Tell them you want to go to Aranyapreth in Sa Kaeo province. That should cost you around 200 baht.

When you get off the bus in Aranyapreth, take a motorcycle taxi to the border crossing at Poi Pet. Don't try to walk, its 5km away. I paid 40 baht for that.

When you get to border, follow the crowds to Poi Pet. Process out of Thailand thru the border check point. (Building on the left). Chances are you will be met by someone offering assistance with your paperwork. It's up to you if you want to let them help you. If you do, I wouldn't give them more than a 100 baht (thats being very generous) to walk you thru the process.

Then get your Cambodian visa (1000 baht) and return to Thailand getting the necessary exit stamp from Cambodia as you do.

Then process back through Thai immagration where they will stamp your visa and charge you nothing.

Then take the motorcycle taxi to the bus stop and the bus back to Bangkok. Total cost is less than 1200 baht.

OPTION 2 - Your visa expired and you need a new one.

I like going to Laos for my visa. The Thai embassy in Vientian, the capital, is right across the border from Thailand.

From Bangkok, I usually take 2nd class train with air conditioner over night to Nong Khai. Cost is about 700 baht one way.

Then you need a Laos visa to get into Laos. I think its about 1500 baht.

I usually stop at a visa service and let them walk my paperwork through the border at Lao Immagration. I also get them to negotiate a taxi from the border of Lao Immagration to Vietnaine (25km). that usually cost about 200 baht.

To apply for a Thai visa you have to get to the embassy in the morning. The afternoons are only for picking up your visa.

If you are good with reading maps, you can take your chances and rent a motorcycle in Vietnatine for about 200 baht. Then see if you can find the Thai embassy on your own.

If not, use a tuk tuk service. Or, you can ask your taxi driver who got you to the border to take you to the embassy the next day.

When you get to the embassy, there will be people out there asking you if you have your application done. Ignore these people.

Go past the guard shack and follow the sidewalk to the left. There will be some chairs and 2 embassy officials processing applications in a covered outdoor office. Ask them for the application. Fill out the application and give it back to the embassy personnel.

After a certian number of applications are processed, they will call everyone inside to pay for their visa. Give them 1000 baht and they will give you a reciept and tell you to come back the next afternoon.

Return the following afternoon to the place where you filled out the application, give them the reciept, and they will give you your passport back with your new Thai visa.

Then finish your stay in Laos, return to Thailand immagration, then continue on with your business in Thailand.

A few things to remember,

1. Thai embassy closed on the weekend. So if you go on a Friday, you still have to wait to Monday to fill out your visa application.

2. Carry pleanty of them tiny visa application photos with you. You will need them going into Laos and when you apply for your visa.

3. Book your train to Nong Khai a few days in advance because they might not have any seats avaliable the day you want to leave.

4. Food, alcohol, and such is sold on the train but at airport prices. It is ok to to take beer, juice, soft drinks, and food on the train with you.

OPTION 3 - Your not going to stay longer than 30 days more in Thailand.

Go to Bangkok immagration and get a 30 day extension for 1900 baht.

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Excellent stuff richard! Could I get a new business visa in laos if the old one is about to expire and would i need the same letters etc to apply even though i already have a business visa.

Thanks in advance

Get a new visa. If you have an extension of stay permit based on business then you can renew it.

How would one go about getting a extension of stay?

Thank you in advance, I have been told I can have a multi entry business but should i apply at the same time for the above?

I used to export from thailand to UK, 20ft containers then onto 40ft high cube, stopped last year as the product was oversold here, we wiped out the market for our product in the UK, (dragons by the way) We used to buy in changmai hang dong village and it would go from changmai by truck to bkk onto ship then come to southampton via singapore. Pm me if you need shippers or anything special maybe i can help. I could do with some advice off you actually ted, I am looking at going long term in bangkok and looking for a bank account in sing, i am looking for good interest rates and atm card, do you know if this is possible with a bkk address? Maybe you could find out?

Kindest regards

OCBC

Yes you can open an account with passport only and Bangkok address.   

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Thanks for the tip but could you please give me a little more detail on OCBC as I have dont know them and have not yet visited singapore!

Kind regards

Thank you very much for your swift replys.

kindest regards

P.s Do not want to use HSBC, Thanks.

Hello all, I am looking for advice on best place to keep money in singapore due to good exchange with baht and uk pound and pretty safe banking laws, also very easy to fly over there from bkk, I am going to be moving over to los end of this year/beg next and want to get all my angles covered. I have a bkk bank account and will deposit a small sum here but not to much as if any fraud etc was to happen i am worried that i would not be covered. Does any one have any info on banks in sing i can use to get maximum interest on my money with easy access. I will be leaving only 1 or 2 accounts in uk as i am moving full time and not really intending to come back to the uk unless an emergency is called!!, I would also like to know what i need to open account, Can i do with address in bkk and is passport enough as ID. All help will be most appreaciated.

Regards