Thaiquila

If the economy is slowing, why does the baht keep getting stronger?

I can only comment on the dollar.

The more important Asian currencies have strengthened against the dollar, and Thailand is following those Asian currencies.

That said, if Thailand starts looking alot more like the Philippines than Singapore, those poor fundamentals could cause a weakening. I am thinking more about a worsening political crisis.

The consequences of "downsizing" ...

I think that I am a bit more optimistic than you profess to be, in that I have faith that there is still a human heart, and mind, and conscience in the 'shark' of a timeshare salesman and he should be encouraged to, and then maybe will, repent.

You got that right, bub. Very white of you.

Have you ever sat through one of their "presentations"?

Who can really know if it would ever come to bite you? Sounds unlikely, but if it was a SWIFT transfer, the government probably knows about it as they are watching all SWIFT transfers.

You can file an amended FMAR form, "giving the reasons why the form was not filed timely." The FMAR form is totally separate from the IRS tax return filing. More info here:

http://www.retireaway.com/forum/t155.htm

Yes.

Some travel agents can arrange to send your passport to Bangkok for you.

I went to Vietnam awhile back and they demanded the exact date of entry and exit including the city of entry and exit. For a one week visit.

Amazing they have as big as tourist industry as they do.

I think they usually stamp you in. They must scan them of course. None of that would tell them what countries you travelled to. But we are required to list the countries on the last trip on the written entry form.

If mailing a small letter of importance from the US, is there any other service that would be comparably safe to Fedex?

Things are changing, thats for sure. I feel the US is turning into a police state. Anything for security though. Its worth it! (Uh huh)

Not just the US. Jackboots are back in fashion world-wide.

That makes me feel a lot better.

Granted they are not in the most popular profession!

But we really shouldn't judge them.

Do we judge the SHARKS that maul their prey?

They are only acting according to their nature.

Things are changing, thats for sure. I feel the US is turning into a police state. Anything for security though. Its worth it! (Uh huh)

It is definitely true that if you are a single male traveller, they do access your previous travel destinations. Sometimes I get searched, and the last time, the officer was reading off a screen all the countries I have been to for the last 10 years, NOT from my passport, but from a screen.

This guy was a comical. He was totally focused on some BOOKS I have in my luggage. He actually started reading the content. I wish I had brought in 1984.

Probably random, but after that one thorough search and no results, have been left alone lately, so I wonder if wasting their time in the past factors in their decision process.

Over the years, I have also encountered the most unpleasant scowling and sarcasm from officers when they say the word Thailand. I think they were jealous.

Our tax dollars at work!

How is that possible?

How is what possible?

NOT from my passport, but from a screen.

How is THIS possible ?

OK, that is what I thought you meant.

The answer is I don't know how it is possible, but I can testify that this happened to me because I was there. You can believe me or not.

This is what happened. I entered the US and passed the passport stamping station, and I the officer looked at me funny and marked some kind of code on my form. Then later I was ordered to have a full luggage screening. At this point before the officer even opened my luggage, he started reading from a screen and called out different countries, expecting me to acknowledge that yes, I had indeed travelled to that country, for each country. Frankly, I don't remember if he mentioned the YEAR of the visits or the NUMBER of visits for some countries I had been to multiple times, but I clearly remember he was looking at a screen. Then he proceeded to open my luggage and read the arcane novels he found.

You know when you enter the country you are asked to list the countries you travelled to on that trip. So perhaps all of that information is entered into a database. Not exactly rocket science, huh?

Anyway, I am positive that is how it happened. From a screen, not my passport.

It is definitely true that if you are a single male traveller, they do access your previous travel destinations. Sometimes I get searched, and the last time, the officer was reading off a screen all the countries I have been to for the last 10 years, NOT from my passport, but from a screen.

This guy was a comical. He was totally focused on some BOOKS I have in my luggage. He actually started reading the content. I wish I had brought in 1984.

Probably random, but after that one thorough search and no results, have been left alone lately, so I wonder if wasting their time in the past factors in their decision process.

Over the years, I have also encountered the most unpleasant scowling and sarcasm from officers when they say the word Thailand. I think they were jealous.

Our tax dollars at work!

How is that possible?

How is what possible?

Nope ....Doubt it.. Shuttle bus jobbi to and from the TRAVEL CENTRE

According to the article in Bangkok Post today(Aug.31) they will have a place at the airport for taxis and call them in from the parking area as they are needed.

This I find funny. Aren't they pretty much ALWAYS needed at a busy airport?

The size of your individual unit is irrelevant. The percentage of foreign ownership in the building is the issue. 49 percent OK for foreign ownership. Obviously, you are not in the 49 percent. Your condo company also sounds like it is giving you a snow job. BAIL!

Thaksin is now saying the election will not occur on 15 October.

It seems there is some connection between the airport opening and the election (Thaksin wants it to open successfully to get a last minute jolt) so I am wondering if people think the hidden message is the airport opening will ALSO be delayed?

The main advanatage of a condo in Thailand is the option to buy it in your foreign name. Condos owned in foreign names are worth more than condos owned through dodgy loopholes. I would back out, and if you want to buy a condo, buy one in your own name.

It is definitely true that if you are a single male traveller, they do access your previous travel destinations. Sometimes I get searched, and the last time, the officer was reading off a screen all the countries I have been to for the last 10 years, NOT from my passport, but from a screen.

This guy was a comical. He was totally focused on some BOOKS I have in my luggage. He actually started reading the content. I wish I had brought in 1984.

Probably random, but after that one thorough search and no results, have been left alone lately, so I wonder if wasting their time in the past factors in their decision process.

Over the years, I have also encountered the most unpleasant scowling and sarcasm from officers when they say the word Thailand. I think they were jealous.

Our tax dollars at work!

40, 50 bucks is reasonable to do a SWIFT transfer, especially on a large amount. The issue I have with US banks is how difficult they make it to establish and change wire agreements if you are abroad. I would understand this for third party wires. But we are talking about wiring from an account to an account with the SAME NAME!

They even make English teachers who can't teach themselves out of a paper bag and have fake degrees look good. They make sexpats look like the upper crust.

You see, time share sleazeballs are doing a public service!

I agree that just because he's three bricks short of a two brick load doesn't merit hanging him. But I suspect if he does any jail or prison time, it'll be in isolation. I'm sure there are a number of prisoners who would be more than happy to introduce him to 'prison justice'.

Prison Justice for what? Being an American nutter?

In US prisons, being in for a pedo charge is the lowest status among the crims, and the murder rate for the "short eyes" is high. A child porn charge would be considered a pedo charge, so he would be at high risk for murder. The murder rate in US prisons is quite high, and we imprison one of the highest percentage of our citizens in the world. Cheers.

You are right-

The officer at my Bank of America also told me about doing the same as you suggest, making a phone call having a code number etc. Frankly I am not comfortable having to try and make a call to my bank and the try to explain what I want . Each time you call you get a new person and have to re-tell the story

I am in the process of setting up wire agreements with banks in the US. They all have their own policies and you have to ask alot of questions about their policies.

I am keeping a US address on the accounts. The wire agreements also contain US address and phone, sometimes fax numbers. Trouble is it is common that it is impossible to change the contact info on the wire agreement without going into a US branch. You can change the account part online or by a signed letter, but not the wire agreement. (At least two major banks told me this.)

So if your faux US address or contact info changes, you are screwed, especially if your wire agreement involves calling you, faxing you, or writing you for confirm. At one bank, I made sure to ask for no confirmation of any kind on the wire. All I have to do is call the 800 number and tell them the amount, my wire room PIN, and a repetitive code number. However, if my address changes and they ever send me anything important, and the mail gets returned, I suspect they would freeze the wire agreement. They also might freeze it if they can see the info is different from my bank account.

One solution that looks promising? Etrade bank! Looking for more experiences about them, but pretty much everything looks to be online there. You can wire from etrade bank with a faxed form, or from their brokerage account online, and a repetitive wire can be established with your email confirmation. They do require hefty minimums to avoid rather hefty service charges, another case of increasing your budget as an American expat.

There is another issue that I is related worth mentioning. US STATE DRIVER'S LICENSING.

A US citizen can't OPEN a US bank account with a valid one (if you know an exception, let me know) or one of those non driving state ID cards.

There is a law in congress to make these licenses even more like national passports. There is an excellent chance this will come into play in the next years.

If you are an expat and you come back to the US to deal with some business at your US banks, I fear that in some cases now, and certainly in the future, it might be a serious problem to effect any kind of action on your accounts without a current US driver's license.

For example, you come back to the US to change the details of your wiring agreement in person as required by the bank. They ask you for ID to prove you are this person. Your ID is a passport. They don't accept passports, only state IDs. Then what?????

Not a passport, a license. I would be interested in peoples comments about this issue.

I have concluded the wisest option is to do all you can to retain a valid US state license. Not always easy, and sometimes depending on the state requiring unwanted travel and expense.

Very recently I had a good friend who also lives here in Thailand go to his local ATM machine to get some much needed cash. The machine refused him for whatever reason. As he know that he had plenty of money in the bank he tried to use his wife’s ATM card and that too had been shut off. He called the band back in the states and was advised that it was “just a temporary glitch” and wood be OK soon. Soon never came. The man had to borrow money to return the states and straighten out the problem with his bank in person.

Just to avoid the same pitfall I have some traveler’s checks that I keep in a safe, just in case.

Jim

Interesting.

A while back I read an account from an US embassy embassy worker who enters the homes of deceased US expats in Thailand. What he said is that he always finds a serious stash of CASH in these homes. Perhaps insurance against fickle and paranoid American banks? I hope Thai thieves don't read this board.

When was the last time you just had a certain URGE to buy a timeshare?

How about NEVER. That never happens. Customers never seek out the sales people, rather the customers are hunted like prey for sharks.

These guys make used car salesmen look GOOD.

BTW, I am selling a used car.

I have a taste for Greek Taramasalata, but you need either salted and cured carp eggs or salted and cured cod eggs to make it. Otherwise, it is quite easy to make in a blender. Makes a nice brekkie spread on some crusty bread or pita, and topped with tomatoes.

Anyone know of a source for these eggies in Pattaya?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taramasalata

Ooops, posting error.