Grusa

SWMBO and I went to SCB to swap our non-chipped cards, two for her, one for me, plus my chipped card is worn out, often fails, numbers illegible, even though it has 4 years to expiry.

It turns out that one of each of our cards carries accident insurance. We did not know. It turns out that "free" insurance costs us 599 p.a. We did not know.

My card has just renewed, auto-deduction of 599 from my account last month.

Hers is due this month, not yet charged.

Neither of is eligible for the insurance, as we are both over 65!

So, it is not a straight replacement foc!  "Cannot, mai dai".

I am refunded 599 for the renewal, and charged 100 for the new downgraded card. SWBO is refunded nothing, and charged 100 for the new card. I am charged 150 for a replacement card, one of hers is actually replaced foc. Nett cost to me:- 350.

Nothing credited for the invalid insurance I have paid for for five years, albeit unknowingly.

Read the small Thai print, folks.?

BTW, that's another 1 1/2hours of my life wasted in the bank, and RSI from signing <deleted> documents!

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Led by commitee chief Tosserporn Sirisampan

Says it all, really.

4 hours ago, SymS said:

U-turns are super dangerous. Roundabouts are much safer, but I understand it's not always possible, and there are associated costs with updating the infrastructure.

Maybe so. But they are safer and more efficient than one-way-at-a-time traffic lights....if, and it's a big if, the drivers understand and follow the rules.

In Jomtien, two huge and very effective roundabouts have been replaced by stupid traffic lights. With the former, never any delays, now...wasted minutes every time. The volume of traffic concerned is miniscule!

I totally agree that u-turns are inherently deadly and should be done away with.

7 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Some also insulate the homes they build, like myself so as not to feel the heat outside at all, not even having to use the air conditioner till just before bedtime for about 15 minutes.

 

As for going out during the day, rarely after 8am, i.e. drop the kids to school at 7.45am, Tesco/Lotus shopping at 8am and home by 9am, if doing one of the big cities about an hours drive, it's a/c all the way in the car and straight into the underground car park and into the shopping centre.

 

The heat doesn't concern me as I can manage it as mentioned above, my biggest concern is the air quality as south-east Asia loves to burn their fields and garbage as they just don't have the education or lack awareness of the dangers and damage that they are causing to themselves, others, and to the environment, but so far I am maintaining it indoors with the assistance of apps, detectors and an air purifier, if ever outside and it's above a moderate level, it's the N95 mask, but I am a prisoner in my big house, no complaints, lots to do and plenty of room to do it in.

 

The above said, I am giving this new trial of mine till the end of the year which will make it 5 years retired in Thailand and will see whether it's at an acceptable level for us to stay as we manage it, or whether we all go back to greener air, not greener pastures as the old term would suggest, greener air, i.e. cleaner air. 

Bl00dy H€ll, your moniker was well chosen!

5 hours ago, SteveK said:

Just another one of those "only in Thailand" things.

 

Like trying to improve road safety by raising speed limits. Or mayonnaise on pizza.

 

You've got to wonder whether some Thai people in authority are actually sentient, or are just biological machines going about their day on reflexes and instincts alone, like insects.

That is a deadly slur on insects. 

On 12/25/2019 at 7:27 AM, bwpage3 said:

The water coming out of the well was clear enough to drink right out of the tap

I suggest you invest 200ish baht in a "TDS" meter from Ali Express. 

THB 142.11  6%OFF | Digital TDS Meter Aquarium Pool Water Quality Testing Pen Water Purity Filter Accurate Monitor TDS Temp Meter watertest meter
https://a.aliexpress.com/dnrWDCP

Anything less than 50 is reckoned ok to drink. Our well water reads 400, and rots out or precipitates calcium and rust on everything.

8 hours ago, neeray said:

In my opinion, Christmas in most Western countries is 99% commercial, the grand sales opportunity of the year. Thailand merchants play the Christmas tunes and put up some fake decorations just to cash in on this commercial event. I don't blame them; it's called marketing.

I strongly recommend this link:- 

.?

13 hours ago, BritTim said:

First, it very much depends on where you are entering Thailand. If you have little previous history of tourist visits to Thailand, you will almost certainly be able to get two back-to-back visa exempt entries by air (both extended) followed immediately by two back-to-back visa exempt entries by land (both extended) for a total of about eight months unbroken. On the other hand, if you have already spent six months unbroken in Thailand using tourist visas, you might be denied entry on a first visa exempt entry by air, and (if the first is extended) almost certainly face denial at most airports on a further back-to-back visa exempt entry by air.

 

If maxing your time on visa exempt entries, it is highly unlikely that you would be able to get six visa exempt entries by air in a 12 month period. If using frequent visa exempt entries, immigration on entry will look at your total time in country, together with other factors. The decision on whether to treat you as a tourist will vary greatly depending on the airport used, and to some extent on the individual official. There are no hard and fast rules, only relative risks.

Am I alone in thinking that the complex arithmetical calculations described here are way beyond the computational ability of your average immi officer - especially under pressure with a busy queue?

No, they just make it up as they go along!

9 hours ago, Beggar said:

I think this will be very different. If I look for instance at all these bars in Soi Buakhao where the people are sitting next to the exhaust fumes of a lot of traffic then I think many of them will enjoy this new location. I think it has a huge potential if it is done correctly. And you also can park your vehicle there. You are also not forced to walk on a busy road like in Soi Buakhao. I haven't been to a bar for very many years but this place I will check out for sure. I wish him a lot of success. 

"If it is done properly"

Aye, there's the rub.

12 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Major Cineplex Group were also involved with California Wow...

I am sure that all the original big businesses were in bed with each other to some extent.

19 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Really??

What about the Major Cineplex and the bowling alley  by example ? There wouldn't be there from the beginning if they were not doing decent business  and they will continue

Smaller business like Mc Donald, Starbuck... probably do well and will stay here to.

The Major Cineplex is my favoured cinema in Pattaya. Most times I go, the theatre is only 10% occupied. The bowling, not so sure, I never go. There is an entry from the toilets on third floor, looking in through the day rarely more than one lane in use.

There are so many McDonalds and Starbucks around, it would be interesting to rank them against each other, on a bums/square metre/day basis. I would bet the Avenues would be nowhere near the top.

Villa generally has vastly more staff than customers. California wow went tits-up, the new lot don't seem all that busy. The hairdressers just closed. The newer one is expensive and empty. 

Apart from Villa, and maybe even including it, every business going into The Avenues has been a dismal flop, including the recently closed "exclusive  night club" whose name escapes me. 

I doubt this will be any different.

Do any of you seriously believe that khun Somchai in deepest Isaan, Mae Hong Son or even Chonburi, has heard of, knows anything about, understands the issues, or cares about Global Warming, or the potential drowning of Venice (where?) or Bangkok? No. He does not.

Do any of you seriously believe that said person knows understands or cares about PM 2-250, plastics, whales, hand washing, flushing toilets, flukes or aids? No. He does not.

Does he understand that breathing smoke, be it cigarettes, tokes, burning rubber tires or rice fields, can kill? No, he does not.

Does he understand that the taxes he should, could and might pay belong to him, not the government/hisos. Ditto the brown envelopes? No.

Does he understand that crash helmets and seat belts work, and amulets do not? No.

Is there any incentive for him to learn? Quite the reverse, the anti-thought, anti-questioning conditioning is way too effective.

Poor Somchai, Poor Thailand. Vive l'aristocracie! (Forgive the spelling)

I am here on an O visa, and have, for now at least, no necessity for a medical insurance.

My neighbours, however, do! He is 88 ish, she is 81, and are here on retirement extensions to OA visas. They have plenty of money, but medical insurance is impossible, they both have long lists of medical problems including cancer, supposedly in remission.

Is it possible to convert from OA to O, and if so, how does one go about it? Is it necessary to leave the country and re-enter, or can it be done at the local (Jomtien) Immigration office?

If it is not possible, can a Visa Agent work around the problem, what would it cost, and how terminally illegal would it be? 

And if all else fails, how fat does the brown envelope need to be?

6 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.

You stole my line!

I just used the app today for the first time. It was easy and quick, except that the passport scan would not accept the picture,  so had to enter everything by hand. The system seemed to recognise me and knew my status (retirement).

Interestingly my trip out of the country and back was as aircrew - no stamp out or in, and retained the same tm6, no issues. An overnight stay in Hat Yak was required, registered with my pink card not my passport. So, I don't know whether it was really necessary to do this, but better safe than sorry.

Meanwhile my wife has been staying with Thai friends in Chiang Mai and Chianti Rai, not notified, so again not sure if necessary. Jomtien Immigration has said not, but again better safe than sorry! 

You can register at a government hospital. Could save you a lot of money, if it doesn't kill you. 

Swipe the card, all your info goes straight into their system, no messing about with spelling of name, address, etc.

1 hour ago, RBOP said:

Wow! Amazing. Almost 3 weeks to the day my online registration was successful. Now how long before they send me username and password?

If you ever get that email, can you please post the source email address, so we can all whitelist it. Otherwise, it will end up in the junk mail box!

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

did you had to pay the almost 200k fee, is it worth the trouble, I was considering the application but want to make sure it's worth all the run around

200baht, not k! In my and SWMBOs case, cost nothing for yellow book, 60 baht for each card. 5 visits, lots of hassle, but well worth it.

How easy it is, it all seems to depend on which Amphur, and who you know ;-}

OK, Just to confuse you all further.

My farang wife and I live in Jomtien IO purview. We are named on the Chanote (usufruct), we hold the blue book which has no names, yellow book with both our names, and each of us has a pink card. We also each hold Thai driving licences, which show our address and current passport numbers.

We have just returned from a trip of nearly three weeks.

We spent two nights in Sam Roi Yod, with a friend. No reports or registrations.

We spent one night in a hotel in Surat Thani: asked for passport, refused, offered pink card, declined, Thai driving licence, accepted.......but only one of us registered.

We spent 10 nights in Phuket, with Thai friends. No reports or registrations.

We spent one night in a resort in Khao Lak: asked for passport, refused, offered pink card, accepted, ......but only one of use registered.

We spent one night in a hotel in Ranong, pink card offered without prompting and accepted....but only one of us registered.

We spent 2 nights back with our friends on Sam Roi Yod, no reports or registrations.

We came home to our registered address. Agonised over TM30, decided to do it at Jomtien, just in case.

Took the TM30 form duly filled in, copies of blue book, yellow book, passport relevant pages......the usual crap.

The lady officer was polite, processed it all, confirmed I was registering two persons, tore off the slip from my form signed stamped and stapled into my passport, pronted off another stamped signed and stapled into the wifes passport, all done, 3 minutes.

I asked her, do I need to do this every time I go anywhere?

She said, where are you going, for how long, and where will you stay?

I said, maybe one night in a hotel, maybe with friends.

Her answer was as clear as mud! Well, if it's only one night, or you aren't registered by passport number, and as long as you return to your registered address, don't bother. As long as you have at least one TM30 report receipt in your passport and return to your registered address, you won't have a problem.

So maybe, there lies the answer we are all seeking???

But, she was a very young and very junior officer.