Chriso12

If it is really just 1 Million THB then I would take some with you on your flight home and withdraw the remaining cash on your atm in your home country. You wouldnt even have to worry about tax issues in your country. (as long as you stay below the amount that you need to declare at customs at the airport) I did this myself 2 times already.

You should have set up an international transfer option in your internet banking while you were on your WP.

Walking into a bank here in Thailand is always a gamble. ALWAYS have someone with you who can speak Thai. From my personal experience this has significantly increased my chance to get what I wanted.

I live on Pratumnak Hill and there are a couple of condos sort of in your price class for sale. The buildings names are: Thepthip Condo, Kieng Talay, Pattaya Hill resort, Sombat Condo, Sweet condo and many more. I live in Pattaya Hill Resort which is clearly the best of the low budget pack...but not quiet the stunner itself.

For 1 million do not expect anything. This is roughly the standard you will get: (Sweet condo)

https://www.bluevisionagency.com/en/condos-for-sale/7582.html

Or shoebox style: (art on the hill)

http://www.thaiproperty.com/for_sale/condos/pattaya/Pratumnak-Hill/Art-on-the-Hill_6080.html

I know many people are VERY desperate to sell in this building. Maybe you can get it down further. (Kieng Talay)

http://www.thaiproperty.com/for_sale/condos/pattaya/Pratumnak-Hill/Kieng-Talay_6767.html

I would try to upgrade your budget to 1.3 mil as most of those condos are virtually unsellable.

Rather weak month for the SET as it always struggles with the 1600 level. It hit that barrier 2 times already and then retreated clearly from it. If that resistance can be broken 1800 might be an option. This earnings season was as expected horrendously terrible and it will be a number game for the next two quarters. If the numbers from TAT and AOT (Airports of Thailand) are correct then tourism could be a driver for this year. However where those hordes of tourists are supposed to be is still questionable...pretty quiet where I am.

As shocking as it sounds condo sales from major developers are picking up very nicely after a poor year. Many brokers recommend picking up stocks from Sansiri and Quality Houses. Personally residential property is one sector I would rather stay away from...as opposed to retail property in Bangkok which I am rather bullish.

If 1500 and especially 1476 will break it looks fairly grim.

My personal picks since many years already: BTS, AOT, BECL, CPN, MAJOR and CPNRF Only invest in Thailand as a mean to diversify...I know a couple of expats that use thai equities as their prime strategy, which I would rather be careful with.

It is difficult to elaborate on you case specifically...however I bought my condo here in Thailand with money I held with a broker in America and was issued a FET. (as you pointed out correctly the TT3 is no more) Some FX brokers can be a little picky when it comes to sending money not to your reference account. (the bank account from which you funded your FX account in first place) I am not sure how the policy of fxcompared is.

Hence I would strongly recommend to make a trasfer from your bank in the UK to a bank account in Thailand. As pointed out already you will need to keep the certificate to send the money back to UK. Walking into a bank in Thailand and wanting something is sometimes a gamble (like sending money out of Thailand with the FET)...if you do it the regular way then your chances will increase that you get what you want. Mabybe the FX broker transaction might make them vary...I really dont know. So to sum it up: Use a regular UK bank to send money and a regular bank in Thailand to receive funds, if you wanna be on the safe side.

Kasikornbank and Siam Commercial Bank have been the most expat friendly banks in my 13 years of exprience. I also use their broker services and never had a problem so far.

I went to Immigration today at 8:00 and there was a huge line. I was told to come back at 12:30. I dont understand why we cant just drop our documents there and then come back to get them.

how did you get on at 12:30?

Took very long again but everything went fine. There is a lot of confusion going on...especially since they are issuing same waiting numbers. Some people have for example the queue number 123..however one of those numbers counts in a different "round" as they call it. Then two folks show up at the immigration officer with the same number on their ticket when their number gets called. The immigration officer then has to explain one of the guys that its not his turn yet...then people argue withe officer for minutes because they dont understand. There is a number on your ticket that indicates how many people are de facto in front of you.

People are fighting because they accuse each other of getting in front of them in the waiting queue. Russians just stand there clueless while the staff tries to frantically explain them what to do in sign language.

Then people from the tour agencies or visa bureaus come. You can pay them 500 THB to do the reporting for you...they get all priorised somehow. I observed 2 conversations where those visa experts recommend their customers to just overstay for a couple of weeks which I find remarkably irresponsible.

Go there in the morning so your documents get stamped. They will write 12:30 on your form then...then you better come at 12:00 again and you will get your visa done surely. I recommend to come on your last day of your visa, as chances are high they will tell you to come again if you have more days left.

I went to Immigration today at 8:00 and there was a huge line. I was told to come back at 12:30. I dont understand why we cant just drop our documents there and then come back to get them.

Can confirm: Immigration very busy today. I got moved to Monday for my TV extension. My Visa expires on Sunday and I was told by all the staff at immigration that its no problem. I dearly hope that this is correct?!

Please let the Waterfront in Pattaya be next.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

No sin sod is required. If your wife to be doesn't yet have a car buy her one. If you can't afford a car, buy her a new motorbike. Sin sod is all about face. Give her some. You can even buy her a big gold chain and then sell it back to the goldsmith after the wedding. Give her something to show.

May your marriage be a long and happy one!

note: you can drive the motorbike or car you bought for her after the wedding. :-)

'That marriage visa is the only option for me'

Doing it for love then?

Nice, so it seems we switching now from questioning the intentions from my fiancee (that rips my heart out, eat it and then will take all my assets - dirty Thai lady!!!) to the evil farang that only marries because of his opportunistic intentions. That is an improvement!

I do things the legal way. If I want to stay in a country without abusing its visa laws by doing those visa runs bazillion times a year, the marriage visa option is the proper way of doing it. I want to stay with my love and as Thailand is now commencing a visa crack down they basically have given me the option: Marry your girl friend or else face troubles staying here. It would be the same thing in Austria. (just in case the guys now join the party that cry their hearts out because Thailand is so mean to them visa wise) If you don´t have a proper reason to stay in a country, eventually you cant stay there forever.

So really: Shove those comments up your ass dude!

Check out Bulldozer man from Buriram for details, that dammed near killed him emotionally and financially.

The guy resigned in shame and headed back to farangistan, he had lost all face and respect he ever had, once its gone, you NEVER get it back in the eyes of the Thais and your work colleagues.

I tried to find that member and hence the OP.

I searched 'Bulldozer' ... and there is only member with that name in it, and he is a re-listing of the member FatDrunkandStupid.

A link to the OP if there is one?

Thanks

I would like to see that link! That story does not ring a bell!

The guests at your wedding will likely bring envelopes that will help to defray the costs significantly. Don't forget to bring your own envelope to any future events! Money (and I think this is true throughout Thailand and in a great many other cultures) carries emotional as well as economic capital. Giving money, then is a way of showing affection, respect, etc. (so when a girl asks for money it may be something beyond pure greed). The money cycles around so that in the end nothing is lost--but the effect is some income redistribution toward the poorer members of the community.

I believe it when I see it! As far as I heard there wont be in much for me except a couple of wais and smiles! Thanks for sharing the insight thou!

One question for the OP, Chriso12, did you make your GF the part owner of the condo you mentioned?

I bought a condo 2 years ago. Now, I would like to make my girl friend (thai) as a joint owner of my condo. Is it possible to have 2 names (1 foreigner and 1 thai) on the chanote? If so: What would the costs be and what documents would be needed?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/718474-making-my-girl-friend-as-a-joint-owner-of-my-condo/

.

Nah...it devalued the condo so heavily as it would no longer be in foreign name if I understood it correctly...I would not have minded the fees and the hassle of going to land office. The place in this topic was a condo in Pattaya which is pretty nice. This great (not) investment is for sale as we speak! Getting rid of condos in Pattaya is not easy...and when you cant offer it in a foreign quota its even worse. That is why I stuck with falang name.

However as I am getting married I don´t have to worry about my assets after my death in Thailand anymore which was a slight worry for me. I hardly believe that any family member of mine can be arsed to search for my stuff across Thailand and battle with officials to get hands on all my assets. Now with the marriage coming up all assets will probably be taken from me anyway in a couple of years when wifey gets mad or classy suicide/ accidental falls from balcony! Take your bets!

As I see it if asked for Sin Sod agree but also say I understand that Sinsod goes to her parents. So what you do is write a check for say 50,000,000 Baht the payees being both her parents photocopy it place in an envelope go to her parents grave dig hole place in hole . If anything is said say I paid her parents 50,000,000.00 baht. Up to them to cash it. Future wife saves face you save cash. One your not lying two they can't cash it Three relative can F- off.

I fear my future wife might not find it that amusing.

My fiancee is not that rich unfortunately...she has condo and car...but I think beside the ring and a new smartphone she will not be getting anything else! The marriage party will cost enough on its own and will roughly have 80 % of her guests.

> Sibergan

Thanks for the comparison. I was expecting a similar plan for our wedding to give a dowry as "show" however it got turned down from my fiancee....maybe I consider some minor presents for the family kids. They are adorable and I am sure I might find out what is on their wish list. (not gonna have to find out... probably tablets and more smartphones) And you are of course right that there are a couple fools and excessive Thai haters on TV. However you just gotta skip those posts and read the once that are worthwhile. If you open a marriage thread then this is the nature of the business to attract the sharks! I got a good insight nevertheless on where to stand! Thanks to you and everyone else!

Cool stuff! Thanks for all the info and stories! By the looks of it, I will also be the only donor for the wedding ceremony in Thailand! I havent expected anyone raising their hand to share the costs!

I raised the sin sod topic with my girl and she said that she would be happy, if her parents were still alive, that I would give a "symbolic" sin sod, which would be then returned again after the wedding. However since they both past away there is no need for it. She said if I am fancy I can make a donation at the Father Ray Foundation for Karma points and good luck for our marriage. (gonna need shat loads of those points anyway!!!)

Money topics are unfortunately a bit weird with us. Her family works in banking/ stock exchange of Thailand and my family is a full blood stock trader family including me. The prenuptial agreement was mutual and I felt comfortable discussing it....on the other hand about the sin sod I simply had no idea what the family would expect.

Since the parents passed away may they rest in piece You may sent me the money glad i can be of service

I am sure that is what her parents would have wished for!

More comments from people that obviously got ripped off by their Thai gf/wife are appreciated. Plenty of those in this thread alone from what I can tell!

Damn you guys sound frustrated and perma negative!

Lets see how I will sound like in a couple of years!

Thanks for all the input!

After 6 years together you would know if she expects sinsod.

I highly doubt that she expects it...but I thought that this is not her decision but rather the decision of the family.

Very nice! Thanks for the input!

Why do you want to give money away...?

I dont like the sin sod as well...that is why I am asking on whether there is any need for it.

After 6 years of relationship I will take my girl as my wife. That marriage visa simply is the only option for me.

The parents of her have passed away before I even knew her...and her family has so far not approached me with regards of making any payment. Is it normal to pay the family a dowry when the parents don´t live anymore?

whats the point of a tourist visa if after 29 Aug you can get 30 days on arrival and then extend for 30 days ..?

You can make 60 days on a TV and then another 30 days with extension

To pretty much sum up eveything:

You make holliday in Thailand.

You work in your home country.