XJSJohn

maybe the option here is to apply for a duplicate passport, then when the old one expires / chops expire you just get them transferred to teh duplicate one.

Visa application time windows are a perfectly valid reason for having duplicate (UK) passports, as i do for China and India business requests.

Folks, if you are in the north or Bangkok and think the driving is bad, try visiting the deep south sometime. Believe me, the former are the most astute, saintly drivers in comparison.

Indeed, then go further south into Malaysia, or for utmost arrogance / Kiasu'nes Singapore!!

By general SE Asian standards, thai driving is not too bad.

In any hospital there will be doctors of varying competency. It is important to choose the doctor. not the hospital.

I keep hearing this all the time, how do you know a doctor is good, is it the amount of qualifications he has, is it where he was trained, there is a certain amount of research you can do before visiting a doctor, how many people can be bothered to do this when they are ill, they just want to be seen by someone competent!!

I guess if its a procedure or something that is to be sceduled then you do your research and get recomendations from past patients, etc.

If however you rock up in bits having wrapped a moterbike around a lamp post i guess you take what you get rather than asking to review CV's!

I gather people tend to go to Sao Paolo if they have a choice .... although all medical facilities had a significant upgrade today!

Thanks for all the suggestions guy and before Ieave I'll give one myself. Try Bon Appetit Pizza on Soi 80, pretty good, nice guy, fair price.

Yes, even though I have not eaten here, I think they look good - my friend has had one from here and he loves them - we went there at about 11pm and they had just sold the last one - it looked really good.

Another one to praise Ord and his Pizza's!!!

KO Seafood in Night Market Hua Hin has always been good for me, one of the few that me and the missus keep going back to.

Hot Plate Scallops are my personal favourite.

gotcha!

Sorry, what is a PorDor?

Yup, a little over b50k

Cheers for that! Both Aberdeen and UOB just around the corner so will pick up some of the paperwork and inwardly digest ...

TimeTraveller - the comment was more a case of how many local Thai's do put their savings into physical gold, although i understand that they can borrow against this at good rates as and when needed.

Well, i at least know that i will be paying Taxes on a PAYE type system.

I have receintly moved up from Singapore which was home for a few years, so am driving on an ASEAN license at the moment but a valid point, i will need to convert to Thai soonish (think it was 1 year for Singapore, must check for Thailand! )

A good idea on the post paid mobile phone, will look at that over the weekend!

I did hear from some people that there are savings / Insurance / Endowments etc that can give tax relief, are they worth getting involved in or do the returns negate the tax benefits?

Finally, gold seems to be the unofficial currency here, is it worth while getting involved or is that very much a local thing?

Cheers for the help so far!

Just receintly secured a job in Bangkok and just got my Work Permit (chop in passport / blue book that says i am an alien etc)

I have gone out and got myself 2 bank accounts so that i can figure which is the most usefull ATM wise etc for me.

I will be sorting out getting my Thai Drivers License in the coming weeks.

But what else should the newly annointed employment pass holder be applying for / setting up / registering now that he holds that holy grail?

I did ask about credit cards, but need between 3 and 6 months pay slips for that, seems fair enough.

I am sure that this has been done before on here and i did search a little, but unfamiliarity to the forum and not sure what the correct word combo's were meant that i didn't realy get any good hits.

Cheers!

Rgds,

John