keestha

Since about a year or so, my DSL connection I get through TOT keeps disconnecting if left idle for too long. Buying a new router and a new hub didn't change anything. After googling for software that for instance pings regularly to keep the connection alive, I downloaded and installed a program which is called stay connected. It helps a bit, but still if I don't use the connection for an hour or so, it cuts off. Does anybody have a suggestion for better software?

I own and run a hotel that has 3 internet connected computers that the guests can use for a fee per minute. Till now I always simply kept track how many minutes they used a computer, and put the appropriate amount on their bill. It would be much easier though, if I could use the system that is used in many internet shops: customers pay a certain amount beforehand, and than get a slip of paper with a password that enables them to log on and use the internet for a certain number of minutes. Does anybody know where to find the software to set up such a system? Ideally it should also be possible that I can check how many minutes a guest has left unused, so that I can give a refund when the guest leaves. Thanks for any replies.

Assuming the girlfriend is Thai.

Interesting thread. Many posters seem to think it is impossible to start a business with only 400k. I think, with wisdom/good luck or a combination of the two, it can still be done. The thing is to start at the right place at the right moment, don't buy something which is already going but rent a shophouse or an empty piece of land, and start it up yourself. Ideas could be a travel agency, a language school,or a restaurant/bar. In a place where tourism is not too developed yet ,but growing, chances would be better than in Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya and so on.

May 2007 my GF and me booked a birth package at a private hospital in Phuket, the price was 24000 Baht. But apparently this price only applies for a natural birth which is as uncomplicated as can possibly be. A few very small extra's, such as my GF being given oxygen, drove up the price to 31000 Baht. Could be worthwile whilst shopping around for a hospital, to inquire what exactly is included in the package.

Wouldn't count on it that anywhere in Thailand you just get away with the 2000 Baht fine if you are late reporting. The upcountry province where I live, after you have done your 90 days reporting, besides the TM 47 form a paper is stapled in your passport which states that besides the fine you have to pay an additional fine of 200 Baht per day that you are late, according to immigration act BE 2522, section 76. Also, but that has been stated before in this forum, going to immigration for extending your visa doesn't exempt you from the duty to do your 90 days reporting seperately.

Often when looking at business for sale ads for restaurants, guesthouses and so on, I see written: 6 year lease, with an option for another 6 years, or it might be 3 years plus 2 options to renew for another 3 years, or whatever. My question is, in how far can one rely on these options. Suppose the landlord refuses to honour the option, would it be possible to start a legal procedure to force him to sign another lease, or at least pay compensation? When I am correctly informed, a lease should always be 3 years or a multitude of this (6, 9, 30 or whatever), and a lease exceeding 3 years has to be registered at the land office and written on the landpaper in order to be valid.

Very easy (I could almost do it with my eyes closed) just keep going straight on after crossing the Sarasin bridge to the mainland, after passing through Takua Pa you will get to a T junction where you don't turn left to Ranong but go straight on to Surat Thani. Without having to take any turns you get to the 4 lane highway that runs along the eastcoast, you turn left on it to go to Chumporn. No need to buy a map, and have a good trip.

Simon

Ironically a company that operates a hotel can be 100% foreign owned.

Take care.

CP

CP,

Could you give a source for that information? If it is possible at all, I don't think it applies for small individual hotels like Simon's place, unless maybe the operator is a US citizen who can use the Amity Treaty.

Rafval,

Also if you don't get married, you can have yourself officially listed as being the child's father, and if you and your girlfriend wish so, the child can have your family name. I don't know if it is legally possible in Thailand to have yourself registered as a child's father a few years after it has been born, you should enquire about this. As stated above, it had huge consequences to name yourself as the father, and so has marriage. Apart from alimony in case of a split up, in some cases being married to you can make it more difficult for your girlfriend to get a visa to visit your home country. Don't rush into things if it is not completely necessary.

False reports about beach closures and so on definitely also found their way in the foreign press. Being a Khao Lak resident, I got a few worried phone calls from Europe.

Back in the early nineties, I had a brief career as a cold caller in Bangkok. Don't shoot me, I was only trying to sell the services of a translation institute. Before I started, my boss taught me that step number one was to get past the secretary. The trick was to speak rapidly paced English, so that she became confused, and just passed you on to the boss. Sure in the beginning I was a bit shy about it, but later it became funny hearing guys who often sounded like arrogant pricks angrily blurting out they were in the middle of a very important meeting. Probably what you guys should do is see to it that the secretary speaks English well enough and is adequately enough informed to really screen you off from these types of calls. I am a business owner myself now and sometimes I get cold calls, sure they come at inconvenient moments sometimes, but I still sympathize with these people just trying to make a living, so I tell them politely I am not interested in their services and wish them good luck.

Buying a car on installments, simply ask them about the requirements at the dealership. To let you purchase, they will need permission from the bank they are doing business with. It is the bank you will have to pay the installments to. Your financial status will be checked, and possibly they will require that a Thai person also signs for accepting liability.

Will try to come, most likely alone......since I dont trust myself driving 2 hours to go back home, after unlimited local beer, suggestions of affordable accomodation as close as possible to the Green Man would be highly appreciated. Cheers, Kees.

I always advise guests who plan on going to my resort in Khao Lak not to pay more than 1200 Baht for a taxi from Phuket Airport. (It will be a small Japanese car, the trip takes about one hour). It is the best if you make the short walk out of the airport, and negotiate with the drivers on the public road just outside the airport. In case you booked a hotel in Khao Lak, be warned the driver might try to talk you into going to another hotel, because he earns a commission doing so. Have a nice stay in beautiful Khao Lak.

Running a hotel where 3 computers can be used by guests, I stand a higher chance to contract a virus than the average moderately knowledgeable user. Lately a guest complained he could not access his email acount using one of the computers. He got through to the email provider's sign in page, but than couldn't gain access to his account. I noticed the text "hacked by godzilla" in the blue bar on top of the screen, next to the web page's name. A bit of reseach learned me that the godzilla vrus spreads through portable devices such as memory sticks, and memory cards used with cameras. Went into the registry, if there had been just one key called godzilla I would probably have deleted it after having backed up the registry, but the term godzilla was in many places in the registry. A removal tool for this virus, found after some googling, didn't do the trick. Finally I solved the problem by using the restore option. I warned another guest who had connected his camera with memory card to the same computer before I was aware of the problem, that his memory card now also might be carrying the virus. To check it out we connected his camera to the now virus free computer, had a look at some photos, disconnected the camera, and sure, the computer was infected again. A memory stick can be cleaned of the virus by reformatting it, but than all data will be lost. I read in the internet that this virus is still uncommon outside Asia, but quite a few Europeans already became infected after looking at pictures brought by a friend who just returned from Thailand.

In case of a business on leased land, everything depends on how long the lease is that the owner is willing to give you. You will need a lease on the name of your own company. When the lease expires, you will loose everything when the owner does not want to give a new lease, and pretty sure if he gives a new lease he will put the rent up. A lease can only be for 3 years or a multiple of 3 years, such as 9 or 30 years. A lease of more than 3 years has to be registered with the municipal land office, and also has to be written on the land paper. A 30 year lease is the limit as far as I know. Do not trust options to renew a lease. Beware there are different types of landpapers in Thailand, you have to verify what type of landpaper the owner has. Not every landpaper gives the same rights as far as for instance construction of buildings and selling the land are concerned. You also have to reseach the history of the landpaper, there have been instances of landpapers being given out illegally, which might spell trouble for buyers down the road. Not so nice if you shell out a lot of cash to buy this place, in order to discover later on that it has been constructed illegally on land that is officially inside a national park.

As a rule all staff in a small farang run restaurant will simply get the minimum wage which presently is 159 Baht a day in the province where I am . Sure a trained cook could command a higher salary, depending on his abilities. Health insurance for the staff is obligatory nowadays, 5 % of the salary, half is paid by the employee and half by the employer. To give an indication for electricity costs, the bill for my 15 room hotel/restaurant + private house doesnt exceed 10.000 Baht a month. For outsourced bookkeeping 3000 Baht per month is realistic, plus once a year 15.000 Baht for the accountant's signature.

From Khao Lak, it is possible to go on a snorkeling tour to Similan, optionally staying overnight, till about May 10. After that, high waves make snorkeling impossible, and Similan national park will be closed till the next high season starts. There are a few diving schools in Khao Lak that operate the whole year, diving is done at places close to the islands.

Hi Edwin,

As far as I know, it is forbidden to use another language than English in this forum. I sent you a PM (private message) in Dutch. Cheers, Kees.

I assume you are a Dutch couple......can at least one of you speak and read Thai? If not, you will encounter more problems than a Mongolian couple starting a restaurant in Holland without speaking Dutch, because at least most Dutch people speak a lot of English, which cannot be said of Thai people. I am also Dutch, but I postponed starting my first business in Thailand because I deemed it wise to learn Thai first. Simply didn't wanna be fully dependent on somebody translating/interpreting for me. In case you do master Thai please disregard this post, and good luck to you, Kees.

It's a typo! He only forgot the vowel U, to be placed in between the two consonants.

A half foreign/half Thai kid will usually be entitled to citizenship of the foreign partner's country, and might eventually decide to settle there. Therefore I think it is essential the child learns the foreign partner's native language. Wife 7 months pregnant though, I foresee that I am going to have a problem with this. After 16 years in Thailand, my Thai is pretty fluent now, and of course I always converse in Thai with my wife, who hardly speaks any English. So it might be difficult to consequently speak my native Dutch to the child. Another problem is that she will not have much chance to speak Dutch to other people than me: I own and run a resort where only very few Dutch speaking people come, the vast majority of the guests are German speakers. Will probably end up speaking my heavily accented Thai to the child, thereby corrupting its grasp of this language.

Not sure if I am posting this in the right forum, but some of those being married and possibly having one or more (half) Thai children must know the answer to this question. Getting legally married in Thailand, is it posible to draw up a prenuptial agreement? Not everybody will be familiar with this expression which is I believe American English, Brits and so on might have another term for it. It means that after marriage, both partners keep their own bank accounts and other possesions, and in case of a divorce everything is not split up fifty-fifty. The German expression is Guetertrennung, and in Dutch it is huwelijkse voorwaarden, in French maybe stipulations de marriage or something like that. Answers would be appreciated, thanks.

Consider the small beach resort Khao Lak which is about 70 KM north of Phuket. It is nice and quiet, and if you have a car you can enjoy a beer in a bangla road bar less then two hours after leaving home.