ericg1953

I will be heading to Krabi next week for 2 days and need some good advice some fun things to do during the day.....some good local retaurants and some good nitelife spots.I live here in Pattaya and am going with my girlfriend and another couple. We dont want expensive farang food and maybe some fun places to hang out at nite.

I live here in thailand and am going to Krabi for the first time.I am looking for a good hotel that is on or near the beach in an area with restaurants,nitelife etc....Bungalow,hotel are fine...my budget is around 1500-2000 bht if possible.....I plan to explore the island but I don't want to stay in a remote area.If there are any good ideas as to how to spend my days and nites I would surely welcome the advice.

thanks,

eric

There is a 5 day rock music festival in Jomtien on the beach around soi 8. There is a huge stage set up as well as many vendor booths. I can't find a schedule or anything around here. Anybody have any info?

I need some help finding good deal for 5 days on the beach in Samui.Any board recommendations would be great.I would like nice a/c room/bungalow and with swimmimg pool on the beach. I have searched a few threads and can't seem to get the reviews to come up. anybody know of sand sea resort or chaweng gardens hotel/resort? Thanks..............................Eric

I will be coming to Samui on tuesday for the 1st time and would appreciate any good advice on a hotel around 1000bht or less.I would like to be near the chewang beach area.I live in Pattaya and need a good vacation.If you have any good ideas of activities while on my 1 week holiday I would really appreciate it. I am just looking for a decent room with a nice swimming pool.I have read about the Chewang Gardens Resort from some board members.....but can't seem to find a website.....

Thanks........................................Eric

I am going to Phuket for 1 week to take a holiday from life here in Pattaya.I would like to be near the beach..with a nice pool..not far from the nightlife and would like to spend 1000bht a day or less if possible.Any help is welcomed....................Thanks

You could try Yanui Resort (do a Google search for contact details, altho the website is in German) - near Rawai - just a short stroll to beautiful Yanui beach and a short drive to some good waves at Nai Harn beach, also some excellent restaurants and bars nearby and, depending on your transport, not too far from clubs in Phuket Town and Patong for a big night out - but far enough away that you feel like you are in a serene tropical paradise by day!!

I am going to Phuket for 1 week to take a holiday from life here in Pattaya.I would like to be near the beach..with a nice pool..not far from the nightlife and would like to spend 1000bht a day or less if possible.Any help is welcomed....................Thanks

I want to thank all the board members for great advice.My retirement visa is due for my 1st 1 year renewal on 1 Nov. Am I able to renew my visa before the 1 year due date? I have the 800k in the bank now but won't have it when 1 Nov. comes around

Eric

Hi, how far is your condo from the police hut on the corner of jontiem, south pattaya rd ? Do you require a deposit ? what other charges are on top ie water electric etc etc ? what do you consider long term ? shortest, many thank's Roy

The condo is between soi 10-11 on jomtien beach rd. It is about 3 minutes by car fom the police box in Jomtien. There is a 2 month deposit required and the tenant pays water and electric. All these terms are very standard here.We can discuss the term.

What about internet in the condo? Nowadays that's a pretty popular feature as you must already know...

Internet is available.....sorry I forgot to mention it

I have a studio condo for rent in Jomtien Beach Condominium. It is located right on jomtien beach road near soi 10.There is baht bus service and taxis available 24 hrs a day. The building has excellent maintenance and many ammenities. There are 2 huge swimming pools,fitness center,many restaurants,laundry service,maid service etc....The condo for rent has been totally renovated and has a full teakwood kitchen with haogen down lighting. The bathroom has granite countertops and western style stall shower. There is brand new Index furniture...LG TV....I have also installed halogen lighting with dimmer switch. All top grade linens and bedding and microwave,fridge,dishes,glasses,cooking appliances. Everything is brand new and has not been lived in. I am looking for a long term tenant and have priced it at 8,000 baht per month. You will not find a nicer studio in this whole complex and it is better located and a better building than View Talay. The unit is located on a high floor (9th) and is in building A-2. Please call for a viewing

Eric

06-111-4136

I have a studio for rent in Jomtien Beach. The condo is brand new inside and has everything. The condo has a brand new tiled bathroom with a big western style stall shower. New full teakwood kitchen and halogen lighting w/dimmer switch in the room. Ceiling fan,new Index furniture,29" flat screen tv,microwave,fridge. It is on the 14th floor with sea views from the room/balcony. This is a great building with 2 huge swimming pools,laundry, maid service,restaurants,internet,stores and excellent maintainance. It is a few minute walk to the beach and is very quiet yet close to everything. It is on the baht bus route and also has a big car park garage. The rent for this unit is

8000 baht a month and I am loking for a long term tenant. This complex in my opinion is far better than view talay and I don't think you can find a better condo with this type of location anywhere here in Jomtien for this price. Please feel free to call me to see the condo.

Eric

06-111-4136

Reading the AVS Forum, it seems the Sharp & Sony are the choice for LCDs.

Panasonic and Pioneer for Plasma.

Im curious about picture quality when using my computer on the Plasma?

Anyone compared?

I have a Panasonic 42" plasma. I specifically wanted a model with a VGA port on it to connect a media center PC. I first tried it with the S-video cable from the video card and was disappointed with the quality, noisy and not clear, text smeared. So I hooked up the PC to the VGA port and wow! The fonts, graphics are crystal clear.

You have separate video settings for the VGA port versus the composite video allowing customizing the video and audio settings. Sitting back with a wireless mouse and browsing the Internet or watching a video file with whatever video software you like is very good.

I saw a Samsung 40" LCD TV on sale for 99k baht...the other stores have it for 120k baht. The TV looks to be ok and got a good review on Cnet Asia. The new Sony Bravia LCD 40" is beautiful but at 150k baht a bit too pricey for my budget. Any opinions out there on the Samsung?

42" is VERY big...depends on the distance from your viewing point. Don't buy too big though!

LaoPo[/color]

Nice unit you have LaoPo. I have a 42" Panasonic Plasma and you are right about selecting your size. Was thinking 50" but after getting the 42" knew that 50 would be too much. Quite happy with mine especially since it has a VGA port to connect my media center PC to. Quality is excellant. Got it for 99,990 marked down from 279,990 due to end of year stock clearance making room for new models, last one available. Last installment payment is next month.

Thanks....did go to Numchai and they were very helpful....I am now looking to spend no more than 100k maximum and the choices seem few. The 37-40 inch LCD are all above that. I am not seeing any name brand plasma for 100k.........any suggestions ? I have looked at Sharp Aquos 37" LCD and the Sony Bravia 40" LCD....the ones that offer HD connection for the future are all above 100k

I don't know if I need HD or not.

I am about to buy a flat screen television, probably 42" and was wondering who has the best selection and prices here in Pattaya. Still not sure if Plasma or LCD is the way to go.

I know of an excellent firm in Bangkok that will also work in the Pattaya area. They are about 15-20% more expensive than Pattaya firms but I can attest first hand that their work is the best I have seen. In my opinion well worth paying the extra.

I will have the number for you in the morning.

Thanks........Chopper.....I appreciate the help

I am renovating a condo here in Jomtien and the 6 yr. old grey marble flooring has been neglected.

Does anyone know a reputable company that knows how to clean, polish and fix small scratches

and has experience with marble flooring..

Thanks

Maikauzai............Your topic was very timely fro me. I am 52 yrs.old and wear glasses for seeing distances. I was diagnosed in the US with a small cataract that doesn't bother me at all. I was told by my eye doctor that i was not a candidate for Lasik beacause of the cataract. The think the IOL replacement would fit my needs as I will be able to get rid of my glasses (#1 priority) and also get rid of the cataract. I am also very concerned about the procedure,doctor experence,up to date lenses etc.... I sent an email to Rutnin Eye Clinic today before I read your post. There is also the big Lasik Center that all the board members seem to like. I think it is NTSC. I also wrote them today. Please let me know what you find out as I am very interested. I live in Pattaya and have seen the ads for the supersight surgery. I am just not sure if the Dr. is up to my standards and they want 180,000 bht. Although money should never be an issue I thought it was bit high, his backround didn't impress me. Maik, feel free to PM me with any of your discovery.

Eric

If he has the age and proofs just go to immigration and convert to a non immigrate visa at a cost of 2,000 baht using retirement and the proof you have as the reasons. You then can extend the non immigrant with another form and 1,900 baht. Believe if you have the paperwork ready they are more than willing to do this but it is a fairly new system. The old method would be to go outside of the country and come back with a non immigrant O visa (Penang best for that).

DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR VISA STATUS ALTERATION. (NON-O) FOR RETITEMENT PURPOSES.

Application for Visa Status Alteration. (TM.86)

Copy of passport entries.

4 X 6 cm. Photograph.

Application fee of 2,000 baht.

A bank statement from a bank in Thailand showing that the applicant has an account of not less than 800,000 bath. Or

A guarantor-letter from The Embassy or Consulate, proving the monthly pension of the applicant not less than 65,000 baht per month.Or

The total amount of money from the pension and bank account as stated above.(800,000 baht)

Remarks

The Applicant must sign every page of application.

The visa Applicant must arrange the documents in proper order and must prepare the originals as proof.

Call 02-2873101-10 ext.2237 for details.

Application for further stay to spend the remainder of life in the

Kingdom of Thailand

Required Documents

Immigration form 7 (Tor mor 7)

Copy of passport

4 cm. X 6 cm. Photograph

1,900 baht application fee

Financial Evidence:

Bank account pass-book, bank statement

Evidence showing reception of pension accompanied with Thai translation certified by the embassy or consulate of the country paying the pension

Evidence presenting other sources of income or evidence of money transferred from overseas

In cases of having dependents (husband / wife, children), the applicant must provide evidence indicating their relationship. Evidence must be translated into Thai and be certified by the embassy or consulate of the aliens.

Health Certificate for those who apply for further stay after Nov. 14, 2002.

The officials reserve the rights to examine or ask for additional documents, if necessary

The Health Certificate must indicate that the applicant does not have the following serious diseases:

Leprosy

Turberculosis, TB

Elaphantiasis, Filariesis

Addiction, drug

Alcoholism

Syphilis

.

I currently live in Jomtien Do these applications need to be processed in Bangkok or can it be done locally here in the Jomtien Immigration Office

My friend is currently living in thailand and has a 60 day tourist visa.He has been making visa runs for some time now. He is a US citizen and wants to acquire a retirement visa. What is the process for him to convert the tourist visa to a retirement visa here in Thailand

Thank You for all your help as this board is an invaluable resource.

Agencies always overprice. You can find plenty of accomodation at price 20-40% under agency prices by going to Foodland or Carrefours noticeboards. Finding a studio in Pattaya/Jomtien for 5-8000 is not that difficult but of course quality varies. From the description of these condos 8000 seems an ok price. ROI of .5% of real estate is quite common. I've rented a couple of houses here over the years and generally paid around .5-.6% of the sales price.

The OP still hasn't clarified if the condos are in the first buildings or in one of the 3 buildings "behind". I think there is a huge difference in price. Go behind and look up, a few months ago I counted at least 20 "for sale" signs on each block, and the few checked quoted 5-600.000.

I rarely see anything for sale in the front building but I know recently a couple of shops on the ground floor of that building were sold for around a million each. Keep in mind the shops are about double size of the condoes, going all the way through to the back.

Those prices don't exist here any more and there are a few places for sale...nothing near 20. If you know of rooms for sale here on high floors in the back buildings for 500-600k for 2 rooms side by side ...please let me know as i will buy them immediately....Nothing here for less than 700k for a desireable location.

In 2004 I listed, on behalf of the owner, with Fair Properties, a condo for rent. The owner wanted B12000 per month, less agency charges, a fair market price. But when I looked in the window a couple of weeks later it was advertised at B16000. Naturally I asked why my instruction had been ignored, and the reply was to the effect of it gives us something to negotiate with. That may be the case, but no one in their right mind would have ever gone to the trouble of enquiring about a room with such a high price label on it.

So, if you are planning to do business with Fair Properties, be prepared to negotiate.

Rather, it gives them something extra to line their greedy pockets with. Why don't these agencies realise that upping the rent to such a ridiculous level discourages people from even entering their offices.

Yes, fair point. But listing rooms at such high prices allows them to make the punters who do pluck up the courage and walk through the door think that they have got the proverbial something for nothing.

Both condos are rented to greta long term tenants. Thank You Thai Visa and to everyone who gave a positive remark.

Eric

Guy, It's very interesting to listen to all the broad comments on my condos. 1st of all, I am very happy with the return at 8,000 a month and although none of us has a crystal ball to forecast where property prices will go, I am very happy getting a good long term tenant and riding out this market for a number of years to see where it goes. If the market tanks, I still don't see the rents dropping substantially in the future which is fine with me. I could have easily tried to get 10,000 a month but I ddidn't want to compete w/agents and if I was able to attract many potential tenants ,I would be able to pick and choose who I felt would be a good choice for the long term.Although Jomtien Beach Condo has always been extremely well maintained and has a great beach location as well as 2 huge beautiful pools...1 yr. ago there was not baht bus service available to the door 24/7 like there is now and did not have ADSL like the do now and those are big factors to many people. There are some vey nice retirees here living on fixed pensions and the 8,000 is very affordable to them. Most of these guys have thai wives/girlfriends and don't run around to the bar scene and that was what I was wanting to attract and my plan has worked very well.

Eric

To address another poster....your numbers are way off....There are no condos like mine for rent here at my price. The days of the 5000-6000bht prices are long gone. I have many friends here and yes some pay 6500-7500 but there condos are all 10 yr old, very original, with no kithens inside..basically a box w/tv and microwave. I have fitted out my condos with nothing spared, even expensive furniture from Index. I have put in American style big stall showers, new aircon,custom made teakwood kitchen w/glass cupboards w/recessed lighting in the cupboards and recessed halogen lites in the room. Ceiling fan,phone line, new screen doors, new custom made blinds,new tv,fridge microwave. So , if you want a nice home this is it, if you want the cheapest box in town ,it's not for you

Are you saying the rent is too cheap? I was able to buy these units without an agent and my thai family has built many luxury custom houses here for many years and they supplied all the material resources as well as good skilled subcontractors at very reasonble prices. The reason the rent is below market is that I am looking for a tenant who lives here forever. I have a lot of working people in my condo bldg and they will make good tenants too. I am more interested in getting a good quality person than I am the few thousand extra baht,

I have just finished a complete renovation on 2 studios ,side by side in jomtien beach. These units have never been lived in and evrything is done to very high standards. Full teakwood custom made kitchen,recessed halogen lighting,american style bathroom w/big shower and everything else you would need to be comfortable.They are right on jomtien beach on the 14th floor. There are 2 huge swimming pools, a 3 minute walk to the beach and many restaurants,laundry,maid service, fitness center etc... These buildings are maintained spotlessly and the maintenance staff here is second to none. The condos are in Jomtien Beach Condominium and there is baht bus service 24 hrs and security is everywhere and very good.There are stores here,barber,massage,pubs and all the amenities needed. The units have balconies, are in a foreign name and will rent for a long term at 8,000 bht a month or sale at 1.25 million. These condos are far better than view talay in my opinion as the swimming pools and grounds are much nicer, the beach location is better and the prices here are much less and you get a much better value for your money.Feel free to call me

Eric

06-111-4136