MooKwai

I'm not sure if it does show an outstanding balance on the second bill.

What happened to me was I didn't get around to paying for one month and they reduced the times that I could pay (9-5, Mon-Fri or similar). I took one of my old bills into 7/11 coincidentally on the day that a new bill was produced so when I went to pay at lunch time it was twice what I thought it was going to be, managed to work out that it was covering two balances from talking to the staff and checking the receipt. When I got home sure enough there's the new bill in my mailbox, I can't remember for certain whether it had the old balance on there though.

Another thing is maybe to ask your neighbours or anyone you're on nodding terms with whether they're getting hit up for the same thing, maybe you can band together and tell the management to get forked, does mean likely raising the stakes though, it's possible that everyone else has told them to sod off and they've backed down.

If the new bill comes direct from the electricity authority then it should be the sort you can pay at 7/11, if that's the case then the barcode on the bill relates to your account rather than the specific bill. You can take the bill to 7/11 and pay it, if the amount magically jumps to the amount on the bill plus the last one then I would clear it there and then, cutting out any potentially dishonest activity by the building managers.

Everyone saves face (which means this doesn't escalate) and if they are puling a fast one then they know that you're not a soft touch for next time.

Hi guys,

Does anyone do this as a hobby in Bangkok, restoration or building furniture from scratch?

I realised I spend all my time chained to a desk and actually making something and learning a nice relaxing skill like this would be handy. If anyone has a workshop and would like a hand with stuff at the weekends in exchange for teaching a bit send me a message or post up on here.

Cheers,

MooKwai.

Did he have a wonky eye? I had the same thing happen to me in a 7/11 opposite Paragon, kept an eye on everything in my pockets, figured he was asking to either distract me or so his mates would know whether I had enough money in my wallet for it to be worth robbing me.

Definitely going to Vader, cheers for letting us know about it.

Thank you! That's all a big relief, I'd managed to get myself into quite a state over this. I'll book an out-and-back flight then.

Thank you again!

Hi guys,

I've gotten myself into what I think is a complete mess with my new British passport and some overstay:

I've received my new passport back, slightly delayed (basically VFS didn't notify me of the passport coming back, I have the DHL envelope as my only proof of this), went to get my letter from my embassy, they cut my old passport and gave me the transfer letter. I knew I had overstay but wanted to get it all sorted out so trotted off to immigration only for them to tell me because of the amount of overstay they can't transfer the visa or take any payment, they've told me I need to go to the border.

So this weekend I'm going to the border with my old (now cancelled) passport which contains my 1 year non-immigrant B visa, my new passport and a growing sense of dread that I'm pretty much screwed. I don't have my passport with me now but I'm pretty sure I'm over the 90 days that immigration have decreed to be a 1 year ban from entering Thailand. I've got a work permit and everything, I would have been under the 90 days if VFS had told me my passport was back in Thailand.

Can anyone offer any advice on what I should do? I was planning on going with a visa run company the company that runs from Ekkamai, not sure what Cambodian border it is, not Poi Pet though, but now I'm pretty scared of ending up stranded in Cambodia with no way to get back into Thailand.

Any help you guys can give would be much appreciated, I'm pretty worried about this!

Additional: I have my work permit and everything is legal and above board on that front.

Edit: Just seen the effective date for the new overstay rules, which is a big relief!

I don't use the MRT often enough for it to really irritate me but I very rarely slow down enough for them to get a proper look inside, I just keep up my normal pace while opening the bag, show them a little and carry on my way.

I am often tempted to make a cartoon bundle of dynamite to see what would happen when they see it, almost definitely not worth it though.

The food I've had at that night market has been utterly grim, I lived opposite it for a year so gave it a fair few chances but there is nothing I would go back there for.

I recently received a package which showed as an "international letter" on their site, it arrived in Bangkok 7 days after leaving LAX but there were no updates between LAX and the slip arriving in my mailbox.

Shouldn't the navy be hosting, they really know how to treat refugees! Allegedly.

There's a company on Suk soi 26 that takes people down to the port and across the river to Bang Krachao, once you're over the river it's all green and jungle but I don't know how they get there, presumably there's pier and a ferry but I go there from the Bang Na when I go there. I don't go for cycling though so not sure of routes.

Strava might be a good resource for you, I don't know if you can look at other peoples' rides without paying the $6/month or $59/year but there'll be rides on there that other people do.

Did I miss something? You told her you were going to be at the school for 12 months but not in the apartment for all of that time, you gave a specific timeframe for being in the apartment, she wrote a 12 month contract and you signed it, then you're surprised when she turns out to be dishonest?

Trying to make a stand and stop her from doing this sort of thing, either for your benefit or the benefit of future tenants won't work, her behaviour won't change. The second you're out her sight she'll just do whatever she thinks she can get away with, which is exactly what she's doing now. You'll have a heart attack long before you change the behaviour of people like that here man, you've got more important things to focus on, take care of your lady and the best of luck with the kid.

Cheers kuma, although that little one looks like it would bearly touch the sides

If I was doing something that would cause offence to the people of the country I was visiting and an expat told me about it I'd be grateful, provided it was done with some tact, a confrontational "OI YOU, PUT A FACKING SHIRT ON!" is unlikely to go down well but a quiet word about the norms of a country would be welcomed. But then I'm probably not the same sort of person who would go wandering around shirtless.

Edited out, posting before coffee not a good idea.

The Baan Rai coffee shop next to Ekamai BTS station is 24-hour if you've got a laptop and just need the internet, I haven't seen a printer or computers in there.

There's an internet cafe (don't serve any coffee, mind) on soi 93 near Bang Chak BTS as well. Only open normal hours but they have computers and a printer, it's on the right hand side, just before you get to AR Services Apartments which is on the left, the little coffee stall just opposite the internet "cafe" is great though. They speak some English in here as backpackers sometimes use AR as a base.

There's one under Udom Suk BTS station on the odd side of the road, looks like it's more for gaming but I'm pretty sure they would have a printer in there.

Mega Bang Na might be an option, there's a free shuttle bus to Udom Suk BTS.

The Villa Market at Phrom Phong BTS is the default answer for "where do I buy X?" questions, for good reason too. You can also try the Gourmet Market in the top of Emporium, assuming you've been to the BigC and Tesco at On Nut.

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Aussie owned Bradman's on soi 23, Sukhumvit. They have what appears to me to be an English breakfast, according to the pix on a food delivery site. I eat other breakfast items there, not being a fan of English breakfast The bacon is just about the best I've had in Thailand. It's custom ordered from a farang butcher and is lean, thick and very tasty.

Will give it a go next weekend, cheers for the tip!

I went past there a little while ago, the sign posted on the shutters looks like the lease is up on those places, presumably the landlord has decided not to renew it with those shops.

Which particular shops? The shops in the BTS station itself or ones in the vicinity?

Have pulled these of a website, got no idea if they're any good, maybe others can help with that:

There are a lot of groups on meetup.com for pretty much anything from sports to scientific interests/debates, just checked and there's definitely a group for badminton. Maybe try a new sport or activity as well, there are a fair few rock climbers or you can do sailing and a wide variety of other water sports up at Nong Bon near Seacon Square.

Last time I was there a couple of years ago, it was just a nice pond. No boats allowed, no fishing allowed. Has it changed?

I haven't been personally but their Facebook page is full of pictures of people on a variety of boats, all at the same location, even some sculling which I didn't think we got in Bangkok at all. I'm looking forward to getting back into sculling when this blasted summer is over. I don't know about the rules re posting links to Facebook pages but searching for "NongBon Water Sports center" will show what they do there.

Edit: Another one for the OP (although a little specific I'm afraid), there's a guy at the Robin Hood pub quiz on Monday nights who enters a team made up of whoever's sitting about at the bottom bar, Rich, nice bloke, could be worth a go as well.

There are a lot of groups on meetup.com for pretty much anything from sports to scientific interests/debates, just checked and there's definitely a group for badminton. Maybe try a new sport or activity as well, there are a fair few rock climbers or you can do sailing and a wide variety of other water sports up at Nong Bon near Seacon Square.