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tango
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Posts posted by tango
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Along this same line of inquiry, I will be retiring to Chiang Mai end of this year and was wondering if German TV chanels are available?
If you get a satelite dish and the receiver with a card for Agila KU sat then you can pick up Deutsche Welle(DW TV) which is about it for this neighbourhood.
cheers
Great news. Where can I obtain a card for Agila KU and at what price? Thank you. Regards, Tango
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Next month Thai wife and I land in CM. We have a 4/5 star hotel booked for the first few days. Now this hotel could be in any city, nice, but no real charm.
Plus we have the in-laws coming to visit us and I really do not want to be seen in a fansy smasy Hotel so we booked a guest house, now the question>>>>
Has anyone stayed or know about the Red Hibiscus guesthouse? We rented the Mini suite. It looks nice but no pool and love to swim, but it's ok. Also if the in-laws want to stay over a night I can book them a room there and not pay out the nose for a room for them. Plus I am sure they would feel more comfortale in a place like this then the other place.
Red Hibiscus reviews anyone. Thanks.
Hi, Red Hibiscus guesthouse is an excellent choice. Located just across the moat from Ram Hospital 100 m down a small Soi, it is walking distance to Kad Suan Kow, Computer Plaza, Chotana pool [on Chotana take the Left (West) just before Bkk Bank as you walk North, fol by the 1st Right and the 1st Left]. Quiet. I recommend the suite at the top at the front. This suite is the largest yet relatively inexpensive and beautifully designed w/ TV, music system, and separate ensuite. Nice small restaurant downstairs. Enjoy!
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Name any Thai landlord who pays taxes on the rental charged to foreigners. I suggest most do not. They are thus breaking the law.
Do not mention the foregoing; but simply suggest to them that if your deposit is not returned in full, you will ask the Tourist police to request the deposit on your behalf.
Your deposit should be immediately forthcoming. Caveat, before doing this ensure your possesions etc are all free of the accomodation, such that once deposit is in hand you walk away without a forwarding address.
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I know that any [family] land investment without protection of a Chanote title is risky, but what are the risks exactly? Just theoretical? Or are there actual cases of owners losing property or rights?
Can naw-saw-sam be converted to Chanote? And if so, what is the process, and costs?
I'd love to hear from an expert on this. We (me and Thai wife) are considering chanote-less land in Chiangmai. She is very reluctant, but acknowledges that many people do this! Are their regional differences to consider for naw-saw-sam?
Thanks!
Hi,
Not an expert, but anecdotal evidence suggests the following. Many Thais possess 5-Rai blocks of land for farming called Sor Por Kor (SPK). Initially these were given free to those who would till them. These lands are now passing from one to another for compensation, the land title being handed over upon payment. As there are no taxes paid on this activity, apparently the current Govt wishes to convert these to some higher classification such as your naw-saw-sam (NS3) and NS3-to-Chanote to reap some financial benefit. No house building is permitted on SPK, but many Thais around Cmai Province have built houses on NS3 and some on SPK. All province farm land titles are currently being surveyed and upgraded, unbeknownst to the average city dweller, except those from Bkk and the civil servants who are hurriedly buying property especially SPK in the belief that once the Govt has completed the land title conversions, prices are set to climb. Prices are indeed rising. The least expensive land now (but not for long) is in the Mae Wang area. This is about to change dramaticallyas the 4-lane Night Safari canal road is currently being surveyed for extension Southward thru to Mae Wang, going directly South from where it currently turns West to Sarapee. Five years ago, 1 rai in Mae Tang-Doi Saket was 400K-500K, now this is approaching 1 Million Baht. So depending on where your land is it may soon be upgraded.
1 rai of rice field in Mae Tang district is above 1 million. Other land is currently around 200+K per rai; 4 years ago the asking price was about 50k per rai, 2 years ago about 100K per rai. Caveat: remember the 3 rules of property ownership: 'location, location, location', plus access to a principal road, electricty and not least - water. My advice is to hop in your car and check it out yourself; first in Doi Saket, then Mae Tang, Mae Rim, Sarapee and Mae Wang. Let your Thai partner do the talking, consulting with you before committing.
BTW, 1 rai of land is currently ~7 million Baht (17500/Talang wah) near Lanna Hospital, and beside the new circular extensions near Payap land is 35K/TW.
Villages in Lamphun are nearly complete and most owners near Lumphun and Sarapee have turned their papers over to the village council to be surveyed and upgraded. Mae Tang apparently is almost complete. Ask your wife to contact the villagers or the village headman for info.
The cost of this conversion is minimal. Been in Chiangmai area nearly 10 years now, and have heard of no Thai landowner without a chanote, encountering risk. Most titles increasingly began changing hands about 5 years ago, as a result of deaths of heads of household alledgedly due to AIDS.
I too await an expert opinion.
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If somebody knows a company in Chiang May or in Lamphun where house roofs isolate my roof is of full birds where have nested
Thanks
Daeng
Hi,
Suggest you borrow a neighbourhood cat and place in the roof cavity for a few hours. There are exterminators in Cmai but IMO any pesticide-use may be detrimental to your living below.
Once the cat solves your bird-nesting problem you may wish LTD (Lanna Thai Developments) at 053 235 461 to send their construction supervisor to offer you a solution. It may be as simple as installing a mesh screen. No cat? LTD Ltd can supply that too.
PM me your tel number and your address; and photos of your house roof etc if possible. Service charge applies, depending on distance from Cmai. Photos may help assess what to bring to avoid frequent trips. Regards...
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You can build this size of a pool yourself.
1. Look for solid ground
2. 25 cm floors and walls will do, use lots of steel.
3. Casting, filling up CPAC cement in one step advisable to avoid cracks.
4. sprinkle water for 14 days
avoids cracks 5. Granite tiles are not so expensive and cleaning very easy.
6. 1 sand filter australian made with backwash and rinse.
7. 1,5 HP pump needed to apply enough pressure for backwash.
8. UV filter reduces chlorine consumption by 50 %
and provides a pleasant smell.9. Run filter 12 hours per day in steps of 4 hours reduces electricity bill. Total running costs per month about THB 1000
10. for chemical information you can look
www.poolandspa.com
www.spadepot.com
www.lenntech.com
You can also buy 4x8 m fiberglass pools in Pattaya for THB 200,000
Easy to install and repair and move to new place move your pool along.
Do not hesitate to ask, I have some hardlearned experience about pool and water preparation.
Great Advice Roiet, thank you;
Perchance, do you have any schematics for laying the plumbing and electrics as these appear to be 2 important things to get correct before laying concrete. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards
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May I recommend a good friend, Khun Phit, at 06-654-9166. He is a superb lawyer with significant influence among the Thai powers-that-be here in Chaingmai, should you ever need more than simply business advice. Honest, reliable and not too expensive. You will need your spouse to contact him in Phassa Thai. Tell him Thamarat recommended him; K Phit has just set up our new company, Lanna Thai Developments ( LTD Ltd ).
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I've been to Saigon and loved it. Went for 1 weeek the 1st time and stayed for 2 weeks. I'm interested in yor statement re rooms for 300B equivalent:
'You can get a very reasonable hotel room for 300 baht a night with air con, cable tv, fridge and get big discounts for long stay.' as I have yet to come across any such well-priced.
Apart from the high hotel rates and the pickpockets seemingly everywhere, I concur with you and will return. Pls let us know the Apt/hotel names-rates-locs- and their websites if any).Regards.
I have just spent the last 3 weeks on my first holiday in VietnamI have to say that I *really* like this place. Before coming I was told by several falangs "dont trust anyone in Vietnam", but my impression of this place is that the people are much more up-front than in Thailand.
There are a lot of scum bags on the streets at night, but I have to say that the Vietnamese seem a lot easier to read than the Thais. They seem much less arrogant, more friendly and generally interested in our cultures, backgrounds etc.
I have made some very nice friends here already! Also there are some really nice sweet ladies around, and they arent thowing themselves at you in the same way as in Thailand. I have to say I think the women here are much more attractive than in Thailand (although a lot seem to have bad acne, not sure why).
There isnt really much of a BG scene here (although its available) which is quite refreshing. Things are much cheaper - TV readers should note you can buy really nice beer (beer hoi) which tastes like Hoegaarden for 4000-6000 Dong a litre - 7p a pint, or 30c a litre, actually cheaper than bottle water! You can get a very reasonable hotel room for 300 baht a night with air con, cable tv, fridge and get big discounts for long stay. Cigarettes are cheap, food is about half the price. You can get a visa extension for up to 6 months for only $22 a month. If you are an English teacher I understand you get $15-30 per hour and usually pay no tax.
Bars in Saigon open very late, but on the downside there arent nearly so many bars, clubs and restautants, your choice is more limited than in Bangkok.
I would like to know of any TV readers who have lived in both Vietnam and Thailand, how would you compare?
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Nice work, Matt;
Congratulations on your perseverance.
I notice you are to build a pool. I would appreciate any data you might consider forwarding regarding size, cost and especially plumbing/ electical diagrams. The concrete strength is another big consideration as you mentioned.
Regards,
Prufrock in Chiangmai
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Does anybody know if there are any job vacancies open to farangs in the above field or how one would go about finding out about such vacancies.
Mainly interested in working with young people or adults in a social work/care setting.
Not sure about paid work, you could probably come here as a volunteer to work in the villages in some form but i dont think you will find paid work as there is probably a Thai that can do the same job as yourself but for less money and without the visa hassles or language barriers
Hi, An ex-UNHCR consultant and operations officer currently teaching in Thailand, I keep an eye out for short-term consultancies via the fol links- good luck:
http://www.reliefweb.int/vacancies/
regards,
prufrock
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The law changed last year, the road tax and compulsory insurance must now start on the same date.
You can no longer renew your road tax unless you have insurance .
Your car must display a current road tax and compulsory insurance sticker. The fine for no insurance is a bit steep so don't forget it.
I have given so many plugs for AIG insurance that people are beginning to think that I work for them. They have given me very good service.
When I first came to LOS I used a Thai insurance company.
They were nothing but problems, refused to accept valid claims, called me a liar, etc, etc.
I have bought various new vehicles in Chiangmai over the past decade, and I heartily recommend AIG for the best service and rates. Be sure to read the fine print on what exactly is the baht limit of your coverage; if the price is less than that of AIG then the various limits are well down, too. Do yourself a favour and check out AIG. For some reason I keep being told 1st class coverage for vehicles 5 years old or less except Honda Accord which is apparently 7 years. Be careful, even if not the fault of a farang, the police tend to ascribe the fault to the farang; so 1st class coverage is a must, IMHO. Cheers.
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As promised further to Thai Cement Classification:
http://www.aecasia.com/CSM/cement.htm
View Other Cementhai Sales & Marketing Products
Cement
Elephant brand: Ordinary Portland Cement (TYPE I), suitable for civil engineering works, building structure and all concrete products.
Tiger brand: admixed cement, suitable for plastering and brick laying.
Erawan brand: Portland Cement (TYPE III), suitable for high early strength concrete works such as concrete piles, poles, and girders.
Blue Elephant brand: Portland Cement (TYPE V), suitable for structures that require protection from sulphate, such as ship docks and buildings in or near the sea.
3 Tigers brand: especially for concrete products that require fast-setting and high early strength, such as concrete blocks and culverts.
White Elephant brand: white Portland Cement for decorative works particularly terrazzo and washed sand.
White Tiger brand: white admixed cement for fixing and grouting ceramic tiles and mosaics.
Twin Tigers brand Tile Grout: privides better bonding for ceramic tiles, marble, granite, and large tiles.
Twin Tigers Dry Mortar: available for masonry works of brick and concrete wall block construction, plastering, finishing, floor leveling, and repairs.
CPAC Ready-Mixed Concrete for fast and convenient applications that provide the same standard for small jobs such as flooring, building extension, and housing, to large constructions such as buildings, roads, and bridges. Available as standard products and special products that include: CPAC High Strength Concrete, CPAC Fast Setting Concrete, CPAC Waterproof Concrete, CPAC Flow Concrete, CPAC High Early Strength Concrete, and CPAC Low Heat Concrete.
Also: keeping cement damp is crucial as expertly pointed out by others :
Curing is the hardening of concrete over a period of time.
To cure properly, concrete must be kept damp.
Concrete strength reaches:
70 % strength in 7 days
90 % strength in28 days
My advice, 'speaking from the safe distance of imperfect knowledge' as my old political science professor once said, is to await the rainy season, otherwise your concrete walls will look like the majority of buidings in Thailand_spider-webbed with cracks.
Check out the articles on concrete and on building in general at:
http://www.concretenetwork.com/ [a favourite]
http://www.cement.org/masonry/
http://ciks.cbt.nist.gov/~bentz/mixhs0001.html [mixture proportioning]
and http://www.quikrete.com/calculator/calculator.html#concrete
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Why not try the new Raming Lodge, and until Oct 30, 2005, std rms are 900 vs 1200B, superior rms are 1100 vs 1400B, and a suite 2000 vs 3000B-all include 2xABF. The above are net inclusive of 10% svc and 7% govt tax...so says the brochure and rate handout I am quoting from now. It's at 17-19 Loi Kroh Rd, only 200-300 meters from Thapae Gate. The rooms are truly pleasant. Try an agent to compare prices, but the above prices are walk-in to establish a client base. Try 053-271777, 270042 or mobile K Chote at 01-6722219.
I found it while checking out their Lanna brick exterior as a possible exterior for a house I am planning.
Their standard room is well above any standard I have seen anywhere.
If you like it, let me know. Good Luck.
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hi all
can anyone help me? i need 20 or so 3m 8"x8" wood posts to hold up my roof. my builder knows a guy who knows a guy that can get 8" trees from the forest, no questions asked, for B1000/m (yes B1000/m, paing maak maak!)
i can buy 8"x8" square from the wood shop (special order so i can't see it first) for B880/m. The wood is "maai tdua-lang", it's reddish and medium hard and since it's cut from a bigger, older tree i assume it's god stuff.
my builder says that dtua-land will crack and split after a few years but i don't know if i trust him since he is obviously making a buck on his freinds trees.
of course the wood shop girl says dtua-lang is fine.
does anyone have any advice about choice of wood for structural supports.
thanks, steve
Checked Homepro the other day. They price a 1"x 1" x 2.5 meter slat of basic wood at ~300Baht. Hmmm? The Thai style restaurant complex behind Carrefour used concrete pillars to which were glued strips of wood....Now, you'd think they were all log pillars. Why not check it out.
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Hi...sorry no data on color of bag vs grade of cement, but I'm working on it.
However, recently been following the construction of a new "French' Restaurant near Lotus CMai and the foreman told me the best trucked mix is CPAC #210.
Important as Patan Road, on which the restaurant is situated, was recently completed and looks 20 years old not 20 months old. The city did not use CPAC and the grade was obviously inferior...even city hall officials were out in force on foot checking the cracks etal.
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I transferred a sum of money from Kasikorn to HSBC (UK) just after Easter. It took just three days to arrive (sent on a Friday and arrived the next Monday). The exchange rate did seem rather poor, but I was in a rush to transfer the money and I didn't want to transfer the money to another bank. It was way too much money to handle as cash. Kasikorn stated a single fee of 500 THB to transfer, and HSBC a fee of 6 GBP to receive. These details were checked in advance. The money arrived, less 12 GBP which I suppose could be the 500 THB and 6 GBP combined but seems far too convenient a figure to be correct. An advice note from HSBC (UK) states "Charges 0.00 Chrgs deducted GBP 12.00". Eh?
When my transfer finally went through, I also paid B500 to Kasikornbank and GBP12 to HSBC. To be honest, I wasn't as worried about the charges as the fact that our money was in limbo for 2 weeks and Kasikornbank didn't seem to be doing anything about it.
Interesting to hear that it only takes 1-2 working days normally.
It’s been my observation over several years that money transfers from and into Thai banks take an inordinate amount of time. It’s been suggested that prior to crediting your Thai account or transferring to your foreign account; your (our) money is transferred into bank officials’ private accounts for the 2 week period. Imagine if you will, placing these monies in their own accounts even for 1 to 2 weeks, given all the countless transfers each day in and out of Thailand, adds up to a sizeable chunk of interest for them. TIT!
Best bet is to get yourself an ‘electron’ visa credit card or equivalent, and use your ATM at home to withdraw freely.
BTW, 2-3 days is not the norm…more like 2-3 seconds as it’s all done electronically as the banking world, including Thai banks believe it or not, are in the 21st century.
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Ive got first class insurance. Can i use this for the tax, or does it need to be the compulsory crappy insurance?
The tax sticker is separate and has nothing to do with your insurance, but maybe your insurance agent will take pity on you and take you by the hand to the DOT to get your tax sticker.
Good luck
As I understand it, once a car enters its 6th year the insurer will not insure it under First Cass indemnity, a lesser class of insurance applies. The only exception is a Honda Accord which they will insure First Class for a total of 7 years. So I am told. Unless I have 1st Class insurance I will not drive in Thailand, so this means I have to trade up every 6th year it seems. Does anyone know whether or with whom one can purchase 1st Class Insurance for the life of a vehicle? Cheers...
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I was actually looking for a self contained unit suitable to install on a small tower. I already have a PVC 500 liter tank on a tower. That is a quick and dirty way to collect heat from the sun but it cools overnight. The self contained unit was insulated and the water temperature was quite consistent around the clock. The Thais use a black mesh cloth to protect certain plants and if you use that same black mesh cloth draped over your water tank the water will get pretty warm in the sun. Totally passive systems are better than nothing.
I was going to do something similar by just painting a water tank black but was told that germs would thrive in the heated water and cause eye infections etc, anybody know of this?
Hi fellow Thaivizians,
I just wanted to comment that I had never experienced the slightest skin or health ailment while using hot water generated by a black barrel for over 3 years, while a consultant for UNHCR in the Sudan during the 80’s Ethiopian Emergency.
I had set up 2 fuel barrels on the roof of a mud brick shower stall after carefully setting the empty barrels alight to remove residue. I painted one black but because the water became too hot I had to add a second one painted white and interconnect them. Water, when available, was trucked in from questionable sources by the local Sudanese officials. Worked like dream for my tenure.
I also wish to thank you all for your insightful comments regarding the many daily issues we face. I particularly wish to thank Ajarn for his insight, not just here but throughout the breadth of the forum. I had seen the picture of his pool and secretly wished to know the steps in his designing his own solar heater; by luck I chanced across just that here today. Thanks Ajarn - a step by step pictorial would be nice…hint hint. Thanks Ajarn for you considerate nature or ‘nam jai’. How you designed your pool, especially the construction steps, like plumbing pipes, would be a nice read. I’ve noted your recommended electrician. Again thanks.
I am in the midst of having house plans drawn up for my ‘retirement’ home. I envisage a resort-like atmosphere so every day at home will be like a vacation. Trouble is, my grandiose vision is based on a cottage-like income; thus my interest in reading your solutions. The Australian-designed solar heater ‘Solarhart’ model 302J 9 (300 L) advertised in our local house décor magazine, ’Chiangmai@Home’, by http://www.praneephan.com/ was quoted at 128,000 B plus 6000 installation. The 180 L model was less. Both too expensive I thought, especially now having seen your creative DIY solutions. As Always…Tango
By the way Ajarn: re ‘Reminds me of Mother Jones Magazine’; did you mean ‘Mother Earth’ at
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
which is simply great. And why not try this, too:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/ . Enjoy!
Hot Water Pipes
in DIY Forum
Posted
Try Syler pre-lined steel pipe at www.sylerpipe.com.
I'm planning to use this for all my hot water pipes, plus all cold and hot to the 2 inside bathrooms as I these will be imbedded in the concrete floor. All remaining bathrooms, ensuites etc are on the Southfacing walls for which I will use the normal Thai blue plastic pipe in a conduit along the edge of the wall for easy access in case of leaks.
Klik the products page for nice color pix and costs here in Thailand: http://www.sylergroup.com/producteng.html
The best to date
Regards...