212traders

 

Supposedly the visa fee is waived and they get landing visa. However, I have Taiwanese friends who just entered Thailand 2 days ago. The immigration officers charged them 200 Bahts each for "handling fee". But when my friends asked for a receipt, the officers said, "No receipts." It's kind of like extortion.

 

That's a little like being 'kind of pregnant'. We can call it whatever we want - 'tea money' is the most common phrase on TV - but how many of us would accept that response in our own countries ? Not sure how prevalent petty corruption is in Taiwan, but I'd be very surprised if this is the first time they've encountered this sort of thing in SEA. If an Immigration Officer in Australia asked my GF or someone else I was travelling with for ~7 AUD as a 'handling fee' (with zero paper trail) I would ask to see his superior : I just dont have that luxury in Thailand and they know it. Various tough talkers on TV claim they would 'create problems' for Immigration if things werent going their way - I strongly suspect that things are very different when they find themselves in the Arrivals Hall faced with a single uniformed officer with the power to send them packing. Talk is cheap - entry to Thailand a little more expensive  

 

(One of the smartest things Thailand ever did was have the Departure Tax added to airline tickets instead of being a separate fee payable before you could leave the country - perhaps this 'handling fee' needs to be added to said tickets for those in the situation your Taiwanese friends seem to have found themselves in ?)

 

If the fee is added to the airfare, then at least there's record of it being paid. Else for all we know, it could just go into the officer's pocket.

Supposedly the visa fee is waived and they get landing visa. However, I have Taiwanese friends who just entered Thailand 2 days ago. The immigration officers charged them 200 Bahts each for "handling fee". But when my friends asked for a receipt, the officers said, "No receipts." It's kind of like extortion.

Supposedly the visa fee is waived and they get landing visa. However, I have Taiwanese friends who just entered Thailand 2 days ago. The immigration officers charged them 200 Bahts each for "handling fee". But when my friends asked for a receipt, the officers said, "No receipts." It's kind of like extortion.

Supposedly the visa fee is waived and they get landing visa. However, I have Taiwanese friends who just entered Thailand 2 days ago. The immigration officers charged them 200 Bahts each for "handling fee". But when my friends asked for a receipt, the officers said, "No receipts." It's kind of like extortion.

Supposedly the visa fee is waived and they get landing visa. However, I have Taiwanese friends who just entered Thailand 2 days ago. The immigration officers charged them 200 Bahts each for "handling fee". But when my friends asked for a receipt, the officers said, "No receipts." It's kind of like extortion.

If I were to extend my stay for 1 year, will my multiple re-entry visa also be extended?

My retirement visa expires in June. I had to leave Thailand in February for medical treatment. Can I renew my retirement visa while overseas?

My visa expires in June. I have returned to US to care for my parents in March. I plan to return to Thailand in July.

Can I renew my retirement visa while I'm outside Thailand?

Does anyone know how is the annual auto tax/registration is calculated for a used 4 door truck? How much is the fee for the change of vehicle title (I'm leaving the country and giving my vehicle as a gift to my cousin)?

Excellent Silverhawk..... I'll swing by today and get some chain oil from this place. I was intending on using some CRC Tac2 in the interim. What happened re the Toolmart deal? Just curious...

The Toolmart recommendation came from someone else. I was always going to use the place at the corner. Sorry I don't know the name. I have made other purchases from them and have always been treated fairly.

I got my MS 180 Stihl chainsaw from Toolmart the other day for 8500. Also received a Thai government paper stating my chainsaw is legal. I was told the permit requirement is for chainsaw that is 1HP or more. The label on my MS 180 Stihl chainsaw says 0.8HP.

HomePro carry ABB units, since you have a 50A incomer I suggest a 63A rated 30mA trip RCD such as ABB F202 A-63/0,03 U http://www.abb.com/product/seitp329/056160f1474deb8fc1256f56004c0a66.aspx?tabKey=2&app=9AAG1827&lc=en&cc=TH&cid=9AAC100505&gid=ABB2CSF202101U1630&ev=1568 or similar.

1. To connect it turn off the main switch / incomer (duh), but remember the bottom terminals of the incomer are still live so watch where you're poking things.
2. Disconnect the two wires from the top of your incomer, mark the incomer with L and N (verify with your neon screwdriver just to be sure).
3. Clip the RCD to the DIN rail between the incomer and the breakers
4. Run two short lengths of 10mm² between the top terminals of the RCD and the top terminals of the incomer, make L the right hand side of the RCD
5. Run a new length of 10mm² from the bottom left of the RCD (N) to the neutral bar (remove the crumby bit of cable currently in use)
6. Run a short length of 10mm² between the bottom right of the RCD (L) and the bus bar along the bottom of the breakers (remove the crumby bit of cable currently in use)
7. Check your work
8. Check it again.
9. Turn on the main breaker, turn on the RCD, everything should stay on.
10. Press the Test button, the RCD should trip.

Job done.

You'll need to cut some holes in your ceiling and use bamboo poles to feed the cables through, or get a Thai guy up there, those ceilings are actually amazingly robust.

As you have suggested that it's best that I re-wired the whole house. If I were to get a larger panel (8 breakers), will this RCD work with the larger panel?

If you are from US, Bangkok Bank will be a good choice to diversify. It has a US banking routing number. So transferring money to it from US will be like transferring to another US bank. Very easy.

Thanks for all the info. Now I just need to plan my schedule of work and buying of materials.

Since you are living in the house and there appears to be little or no grounding, I would get a DIN mount RCD in that space to the right of the main breaker and feed the whole house through it as your number one priority.

What size DIN RCD should I get? Once I put it in, how do I connect the wires?

By rewiring the whole house, my ceiling is made of drywall with aluminum frame as its structure. I don't see a way to get on it without breaking it. It seems that when the house was built, the aluminum frame must have been installed first, then the wiring and then the drywall. Any suggestion on how can I do the rewiring in the attic without breaking the ceiling drywall?

Thanks for all the info. Now I just need to plan my schedule of work and buying of materials.

Being a long time customer to CM IMMI today for the first time I had the pleasure to encounter the "curley girl". (Well, she is actually a "perm girl")

As the trip to IMMI CM is a 120km (v.v.) journey for me, the motorcycle is not an option.

So I always time my arrivals shortly before the end of the lunch break. Chances are to get a parking spot immediately.

Must have been the tail winds or so today that I entered the office already at 12h30. I spotted HER behind the information counter.

Approached her and asked politely for two numbers. (I needed a re-entry permit too). Her answer: "No." [Me silently: "WHAT?"].

"Come over here I do it right now" [During the lunch break.] She moved over to the 90-days-desk, I handed my papers and when she tucked the slip in my passport is was still 12h30!

I was very suprised. Then she said: "Where are your re-entry-permit-papers?" I said here and showed them. She grapped them and said "I will give them to the thick man." ["Thick man" is of course the older officer dealing with the re-entries.]

At 12h45 the "thick man" came back to his desk and started working on my re-entry-permit.

As the re-entry is a different subject, my report ends here.

From your post, I conclude the following:

1. Best time to go is right before the lunch break

2. Their lunch break ends at 12:30pm

Am I correct?

The A/C in the living room is 25,000BTU. The one in the bedroom is 18,000BTU.

Do not put your water heaters on the same circuit as the outlets and lighting. A 32A breaker won't protect the outlets from overload when Uncle plugs his 6kW welder into one (the 4mm² would be fine, the 16A rated outlets won't).

If you're doing a rewire I would replace that consumer unit with one with an earth bar (or if on a budget add an earth bar to the one you have), add a ground rod, install 3 pin outlets and ground things properly, a front end RCD or RCBO is non-negotiable.

I would do it like this:-

1 - Water heater 1, 4mm² cable, 32A breaker

2 - Water heater 2, 4mm² cable, 32A breaker

3 - Upstairs lighting and outlets, 2.5mm² cable 16/20A breaker

4 - Downstairs lighting and outlets (including kitchen if indoors), 2.5mm² cable 16/20A breaker

(I'm assuming a 2 floor home here, if not split it sensibly between these two circuits)

5 - Outside lighting and outlets (including kitchen if outdoors), 2.5mm² cable 16/20A breaker

6 - Spare

Use 10mm² for any internal wiring in the distribution board.

Note, there's nothing to stop you having lighting and outlets on the same circuit, many local homes are wired this way. You can use 1.5mm² for the switch runs and lighting droppers to save a little cash, but be aware that someone may come along and add an outlet somewhere and hook to the convenient 1.5mm² cable.

EDIT. Looking at your more recent photo I see that your distribution board DOES have both Neutral and Ground bars (one is hidden behind the spaghetti), one should be on insulators (Neutral) the other bolted to the metalwork (Ground).

First of all, I want to thank you for all your guidance. I really appreciated.

One thing I failed to mention is that there are 2 A/C units, one in bedroom 1 and the other in the living room. Will this change your suggestion?

I plan to re-wire the whole house. But before I do, I need to plan out the new electrical wiring design. I have come out with the following 2 designs using the existing panel (see hi-res photo):

Design 1

Breaker 1 (20A) using 2.5mm wire: all lighting and outlets for the living room (service area).

Breaker 2 (32A) using 4mm wire: all lighting and outlets for 1^st bedroom and its bathroom (including 4500W water heater).

Breaker 3 (32A) using 4mm wire: all lighting and outlets for 2^nd bedroom and its bathroom (including 4500W water heater).

Breaker 4 (32A) using 4mm wire: all lighting and outlets for kitchen

Breaker 5 (20A) using 4mm wire: outside lighting and outlets (including outside bedroom)

Breaker 6 (20A): spare

Design 2

Breaker 1 (32A) using 4mm wire: all lighting and outlets for the living room (service area) AND outside lighting/outlets (including outside bedroom).

Breaker 2 (20A) using 2.5mm wire: all lighting and outlets for 1^st bedroom

Breaker 3 (20A) using 2.5mm wire: 1^st bathroom (including 4500W water heater).

Breaker 4 (20A) using 2.5mm wire: all lighting and outlets for 2^nd bedroom

Breaker 5 (20A) using 2.5mm wire: 2^nd bathroom (including 4500W water heater).

Breaker 6 (32A) using 4mm wire: all lighting and outlets for kitchen

What do you think?

OK, don't panic, yet.

Is the 2.5 going all the way back to the panel supplying the lights on the way? If it is then no worries. Leaving it as it it with the lights dimming a bit won't cause any serious issues, but do check the joints (which will probably be twist-n-tape). Re-do with wire-nuts if there are any signs of the joint getting warm. You could do the job properly by running a new length of 2.5 back to a 20A breaker at the panel.

If the 2.5 is spliced onto a run of 1.5 that supplies the lights, stop using the shower! Then run a new length of 2.5 back to a 20A breaker at the panel.

The 16A breaker is really too small for the shower but if it's not actually opening in use then that's no worry either, I wouldn't put a bigger breaker in unless you run new wires for the shower direct from the panel.

Whist you're in a DIY mood, check the heater is grounded, when you find it's not run a ground wire, either to a rod near the heater or (better) a rod connected to the ground bus in your board.

Do you have an RCD (Safe-T-Cut) if not consider installing one.

Well, since I'm in the DIY mood, please take a look at the panel and a sample photo of the wiring I had to deal with.

It seems that the panel is full and I might not have room for additional separate fuse for the water heater. If no more room for additional fuse, should I just replace the existing 2.5mm with 4mm and continue to share the water heater wiring with the lighting and the outlets in the room?

Just move into an old house. Has a 4.5kW water heater. Whenever we turn on the water heater, our bedroom's lights will go dim. Went up into the attic and discovered that the water heater is using the same wire from the panel as the bedroom's lights & outlets. The wire is 2x2.5mm. The fuse at the panel is CEO MCB-63 C16. Does that mean it's a 16A fuse? Is it too small for the water heater?

I bought a 12" TUF model at Global nearly 3 years ago for just under 3000 baht. Either that or a same size Hitachi for 8500 baht. Although none of the big stores in Udon still carry gas chain saws, several of the long-established mom-and-pop stores do. I don't see the TUF brand anywhere....but a similar model goes for about 4500 baht. No license necessary, at least that's what the people at the small stores tell me.

As for my TUF model, I've had the carb replaced (500 baht), and added 1 new bar and 2 new chains. We have 3 rai of land with lots of mature trees that need regular cutting. And when we cut, our gardener trims everything down to size so he can make charcoal from the wood. The chain saw gets a workout.

I'd dearly love to buy a larger model....my 20 year old tamarind trees are a bit much for a 12" bar.

When I was at the Toolmart yesterday, they told me that they can order 20-inch Stihl for me if I want.

Well, I went to both places recommended by Post #12 & #13. I only looked at Stihl. The only model they carry is MS 180 with 12-inch bar. Shops recommended by Post #13 quoted me prices at least 12,000. After bargaining, the price went down to 9,800. They have the chainsaw in stock. All shops have signs that say their chainsaws are under legal limit.

Later I went to Toolmart recommended by Post #12. Their price before bargaining is 9,000. But they don't have Stihl MS 180 in stock. New shipment is expected to arrive next Friday.

Guess which shop I will go to buy the chainsaw? Much thanks to all those who have contributed to this topic.

Short: You will get very big trouble.

Buy some red 245 MHz mobiles here. Cheap, Inexpensive, Legal.

I live in Chiangmai. Do you know where I can buy these "red" walkie-talkies?

Last year they were selling 12 inch Chainsaws all over town. Unfortunately I didn't purchase one at that time. I went to buy one a number of months ago and I was told it was now illegal to sell those also. I couldn't find one anywhere.

Within the last month some chainsaws have appeared at the shops on the Super Highway between Lotus and the 107, Mae Rim Rd. They are not selling them at Global. I only found two models and they were both now 9.5 inch bars (blades). One is a Bento brand, around 6,000 baht, and the other is a quality Stihl brand, priced between 10,000 and 11,600 depending on the shop. There are some videos on YouTube that show the small Stihl and it appears good enough for pruning and small tree cutting.

There is an old thread on Thai Visa that has a link to the Thai Chain Saw Act, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/272392-chain-saw-review/

If you read the link in post #9, there is no exemption to the law based on size. It states one must have a license for ANY chain saw. The only way you can get a license is if you are employed in an occupation that requires one. That obviously makes all foreigners inelligible.

If there was some revision or change that allowed selling them last year, I don't know. That said; I am purchasing one this weekend and take my chances with home usage. TIT,

@212Traders, I just re-read your initial post, I missed the part about pruning 90 trees. I think you may be getting into a grey area there both regarding the chain saw and possibly also work permit requirements if someone were to complain.

So you are going to buy one at the location you've mentioned above? If so, please let me know which model you ended up buying and let me know its performance.

For the 90 trees, they are fruit trees. I just bought the land. A friend of mine (who is an experience pruner) is visiting me and helping me to prune the trees. He requested for a chainsaw.

I need to buy a chainsaw. Can someone recommend a brand/model and where I can buy it in Chiangmai? I'm looking for medium length bar chainsaw. The main purpose of the chainsaw will be for pruning trees. I have over 90 large trees to prune.

Thanks.