northernjohn

Not sure what difference it makes as your credit card will be eventually charged at your home currency rate

It happened to me at lanna hospital once, I got a receipt out of the machine advising the rate in £

...which is helpful if you are a tourist having to claim insurance back.

It really isn't even worth worrying about.

Sounds like you still have the attitude that everyone is out to rip you off.

Because visa offers very tight rates on FX conversion and the local conversion is a secondary profit center.

Have you never looked at the rates ??

I have two different visa cards from two different Canadian banks. They charge different rates. I use the one as it is the cheapest of the two.

On a side note I took it into the AEON machine at the airport and got 10,000 baht. No 150 baht charge. I immediately went to the K bank and had to pay 150 baht. My withdrawal on the Aeon ATM showed a $5 on my visa card statement. It worked out to I saved .29 cents with the Aeon. If it had been American it would have cost me more to use the AEON as their dollar is worth much more than the Canadian.

You might try the Rimping at the Promenada. It is the largest Rimping in town.

The airport was a ZOO today. I've never seen it as busy as it was today. Total chaos. Chinese people EVERYWHERE, awkwardly making their way around the place, bumping into each other, kids running about.

Traffic on the way back was insane too.

Pesky flowers.

I had no problem there. Picked up my boy at 3:30 and grabbed a cab. No problem the driver was smart enough to stay away from the flower festival even though it would have been the fastest way. Found it quite interesting as he used streets I had never been on before.

With the problems associated with the tablet already recieved you would think the MOE would cancel this scheme and use that money more wisely to improve their education system. Children will not be using these tablets for the purpose of learning.

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Since this government took over ther scam has been a suspect both in corruption and usefulness of

the pad.

I myself am an advocate of introducing them at late grade two and grade three. Prior to that get

teachers who can teach let the kids learn the use of reasoning and logic before you give them a

tool to do it for them. Sell the rice for animal fodder and invest it in decent pads rather than the

cheapest inefficient junk they can find.

I find it strange that they insist the pad is a good idea and the last two ministers of education said

the system need's improving a whole new approach to it. The one they rotated out to replace him

with another who also says the system is no good. All of which gets swept under the rug when the

PM closes the government down. so in the mean time the intern government wants to continue with

the continuation of the plan of the man in Dubai rather than listen to their education ministers.

I think Wirat is correct, a general election was held, there were no candidates,the poll has closed , so the whole shebang has to be done again.

Agreed I will drink to that probably a Pepsi Max or soda water.

I wonder what brand of ear medicine Chalerm will drink to drown his woes in.

the best way to handle the whole situation is to set up a non partisan commission to go over the constitution and make some needed changes. Then an election pretty much like Suthep wants.

I for one think the king is a good choice to pick the chairperson and maybe look over the choices not to ok them but if he sees some thing he thinks the chair is unaware of mention it to him or her.

This will never fly as Thailand as a whole is not that interested in getting an honest election. The worse it gets with the rice scam the more Thailand is willing to give it a try. But not at this time. It will take another fiasco before they are that willing.

What will probably happen or should happen if that fails is a new election with all parties involved regardless if they voted in the last election or not people should be allowed to run. Take what the results are and do not allow a dissolution of the house if the heat gets to hot for the Prime Minister they may resign and the house will elect a new one. The four year term must be served before a new election.

The EC should be allocated twice the amount of money they spent on the Feb.2 election in order to hire out side impersonal observers with the power to step in when they see irregularities. Any one caught buying a vote or accepting a bribe should be fined double the bribe make this well known. All ballot boxes should be handled in such a way as there is no chance of them being tampered with and when counting the votes it should be done in teams consisting of a PTP supporter and an anti government protestor.

And the government sells the stockpiled rice at a price undercutting the international rice prices, and 10 - 1 on, the dems would complain and file a court case for malfeasance or similar............

Typical idiotic post from fabio, change your bait if you want to get some real good bites, your bait is getting old and stale.

Well I asked him earlier and have not heard back from him on the same post

"simple question

Would they be right or wrong.

Yes or No."

Typical of him drop his load and run.

Yes you are biased. Can't blame you blood is thicker than water.

Sorry, but I think the government has bright enough brains to figure out this at their own. They are not totally embissiles.

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Well if they do what is the problem. After all they are not embissiles

200 million bt from the sale of rice is nowhere near enough for the government to pay the farmers the 130 million bt they are owed.They need their cut.

jb1

Billion not Million Baht!

Are you sober :-)

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Speaking of being sober what is an embissiles?

I know what imbecile's are.

But the big boss said we will set the market price. What went wrong???

If Thai farmers are only 45% efficient as there Vietnamese opposition in the rice trade, then A Government neefs to look at that problem.

Maybe adopting farlang farming methods may help!!!!

5555555 but we know that will happen !!!!! Soon !!!!!!!

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Fariang farming methods can only be used on large corporate farms. Planting rice with a machine would put the average rice farmer into a cost they can not afford. The ROI would not justify the expense. Spreading fertilizer pesticides and herbicides with an air plane, how much does that cost.

The present rice pledging could cause the average farmer to lose his land because of non performing loans. There by corrupt politicians could take the land and set up large corporate farms. They would need some help from their friends in the UAE.

Plenty of mechanical rice planters and harvesters here in deepest darkest Isaan. Farmers aren't idiots regardless of what the expat barstool brigade like to think. They know efficiencies more than most. Some have the money to advance, some don't.

And a lot of money is being owed by the farmers who can't pay the harvester because they aren't being paid by the Government. Everyone has notes stating the value of them. They take them to the bank and, guess what, no money forthcoming.

Read a sad story about a farmer who took his own life.

His wife borrowed money for his funeral but couldn't pay it back. She also committed suicide. The daughter has her motorbike for sale to pay for Mum's funeral. And still no money coming in.

Yingluck has assured us that all the problems will be taken care of.

The poor daughter will be lucky to see the money for the rice much less the money for a funeral. the worst part is she is with out parents now. How does Yingluck plan on handling that. Maybe she should charge her self with murder.

But the big boss said we will set the market price. What went wrong???

If Thai farmers are only 45% efficient as there Vietnamese opposition in the rice trade, then A Government neefs to look at that problem.

Maybe adopting farlang farming methods may help!!!!

5555555 but we know that will happen !!!!! Soon !!!!!!!

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Fariang farming methods can only be used on large corporate farms. Planting rice with a machine would put the average rice farmer into a cost they can not afford. The ROI would not justify the expense. Spreading fertilizer pesticides and herbicides with an air plane, how much does that cost.

The present rice pledging could cause the average farmer to lose his land because of non performing loans. There by corrupt politicians could take the land and set up large corporate farms. They would need some help from their friends in the UAE.

Some farmers where I live have recently started using rice planting machines on just a few rai of paddy. If it weren't profitable they wouldn't be doing it.

I have actually asked some family farmers about that. They would hire in machines together with others for their rice fields, since each parts lands were to small to carry the machines. The problem is everybody needs it at the same time so the price goes up.

I asked them how much they spent a year/per harvest for machines from outside, fertilizer, outside hands working per day, electricity for water pumps etc.

The whole family (quite big) had no idea. Nobody ever made the math to see if rice was the right thing to grow. They had done it for generations, so they still did it and as they said, they ate their own rice as well and then had rice for all the dogs running around also.

When I did the math with the prices I got from them, they worked for free and probably lost money, and would be better off, growing something else with some cash flow like vegetables.

This happened in Ubon area and they only have one harvest a year, so other places the numbers might add up better.

My point however is more, they just do as they always did, but didn't do the math, so about what they do is being profitable or not, I am not so sure, that is clear to all of them.

When I tried to bring it up in a gentle and humble way, nobody really cared. This was 4 years ago and they still grow rice once every year.

Well doing the math tells me that if they lose money every year they must have had a fortune to start with and continue for generations to lose money.

Actually common sense told me that.

Went there this evening on the basis that it should have had time to settle down by now.

The menu was fairly limited and poorly arranged in that you couldn't see if items like burgers (not that I was about to order one) came with anything. No alcoholic drinks on the menu and irritated to find that the only large bottles were Chang or Heineken. No menu so no price information - Heineken turned out to be a little bit steep at 125 baht. The food came quickly and overall rated OK but nothing special for the prices which are a bit above average. A little on the mean side in terms of the main ingredient I thought - only three gung in the Tom Yam Gung for example, and at almost 200 baht I'd expect better and more. The Salmon Lasagna was certainly a generous portion but rather too salty for my taste. The place is big and my guess is they are going to go for the coachloads of Chinese tourists we're all hearing about, given that the car park is about the size of Cambodia.

Dinner for two and a half including the beer came to 1020 baht - my wife over ordered a bit so 800 would be more representative. Leaving was a particular pleasure for me as it meant getting out of earshot of the worst three piece band I've ever heard.... Don't think we'll be giving it another chance.

Doesn't surprise me. A new business opening up with a staff that has never worked together is bound to have some initial problems. Give them some time and then see if they are still the same.

Will there in the debate be an option like, " can I call a relative " ?

I hope so because she ain't got any friends left to phone

I think that with her college degree she would not be afraid to take on a poor Thai farmer.

The one cavity I would have is that she be inspected for any ear pieces that would

allow her to receive orders advice.

Cavity?

Does that qualify as Freudian?

My local Villa has a sign asking customers if they prefer a bag or a box. Its above the Durex tray at the checkout.

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Freudian meant to say caveat.

Will there in the debate be an option like, " can I call a relative " ?

I hope so because she ain't got any friends left to phone

I think that with her college degree she would not be afraid to take on a poor Thai farmer.

The one cavity I would have is that she be inspected for any ear pieces that would

allow her to receive orders advice.

Cavity?

Does that qualify as Freudian?

My local Villa has a sign asking customers if they prefer a bag or a box. Its above the Durex tray at the checkout.

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Freudian I just saw it myself meant to say caveat.

Pure garbage.

Ms Yingluck gave assurances that the government would be responsible for overdue payments to farmers, saying that no government would ignore the problems and the people’s grievances but there are legal obstacles in assisting farmers.

There are legal obstacles barring the government from paying their bills. That being the case maybe they should not have taken them on.

saying that no government would ignore the problems and the people’s grievance.

Does that mean they are going to buy back all the land and equipment some of them had to sell to keep from starving. What about the suicides?

She would not commit on when farmers would be paid but called on the public to sympathise with the farmers and avoid escalating the rice subsidies difficulties into a political issue which could disrupt payments to farmers.

In other words if you make are screw up a political issue we won't pay them.

Pretty sad government.

Throughout this fiasco it has been maintained that Thai rice, being of higher quality will attract buyers at a higher price than other countries' rice.

This didn't happen.

If Thai rice is such high quality, why not sell some of it on the domestic market.

Despite rice being double the price that it was 5 or 6 years ago, the rice that i buy is getting lower and lower, quality wise.

This is a great idea for the government. They will be able to claim that selling the stockpile at lower than market price is the only option left to them as all other avenues to raise the money to pay the farmers have been blocked. Ie We were forced to sell at a loss because it was the only way to raise the money and it was important that we pay the farmers what they were owed.

They will conveniently overlook the fact that they should have had the funding in place before paying the farmers became a problem!

As I see it the ones who do want to pay it only want to pay it to get the farmers of their back.

The government should be looking for ways to pay the rice farmers off. Not for ways for the tax payers to be paying the bills.

I am not clear on what the law says but if the democrats did not vote is that not just cutting off any possibility for them to run in the next election. Of course they could serve in other positions. At least that is my understanding of the present law.

Govt told to urgently sell stockpiled rice

That's the way.

Just totally wreck the next 10 years of the industry to the point the paddy will be worth less than what it costs to grow.

Great ideas coming from so called clever people.

They release all 18 million tonnes at once and they may as well just shoot every rice family in Thailand.

Well that is one way.

Or they can continue to fool people while the rice farmers starve to death and commit suicide. How ever the fools are becoming a dying breed.

And the government sells the stockpiled rice at a price undercutting the international rice prices, and 10 - 1 on, the dems would complain and file a court case for malfeasance or similar............

simple question

Would they be right or wrong.

Yes or No.

Even if this can be done, how would such a policy be viewed by the World Trade Organization (never mind Vietnam and India)? Wouldn't it be classified as "dumping"? And if it was dumping, how would this affect the Thai government under international law?

Good question.

Also would Thailand care?

They told the international court on the Cambodian issuwe they didn't care they were going to do their own thing no matter what it said. They told their own constitutional court they would not ciomply with their ruling.

What do they care about any thing that is not Thaksin approved.

On another note could they not sell it as fodder for animal's?

Wow, someone came up with an idea....

Do you think Chalerm

Will there in the debate be an option like, " can I call a relative " ?

I hope so because she ain't got any friends left to phone

I think that with her college degree she would not be afraid to take on a poor Thai farmer.

The one cavity I would have is that she be inspected for any ear pieces that would

allow her to receive orders advice.

Took my passport yesterday morning to Assistthaivisa in Chiang Mai Land. Signed multiple photocopies, was relieved of 1000baht (which includes their reminder, so avoiding 500baht a day over runs!); walked to ButterisBetter in Chang Klan for a late breakfast of excellent Eggs Benedict, excellent coffee and a pretty serving wench. Stopped off to see some friends, then returned to get my passport at 3pm.

Go to immigration to save 1000 baht, and miss all that-Nah!

I know slightly off the OP's question, but if he phones Assistthaivisa maybe he can courier his passport back and forth and sleep more easily than mailing it to immigration. Just a thought.

But if I lived an hour out, I would love the excuse to come into Chiang mai for the day, not much of which needs to be spent at immigration (none if you are relaxed about paying a competent agent)

Well I am happy you are happy but I did not enjoy it when I walked into Butter is Better for a late breakfast and the place was full. Rather you had been elsewhere as I enjoy there tuna, egg and chicken salad sandwiches which are made with mayonnaise that has no sugar in it and are just the right size for me. I get the sugar in the Peanut butter shake.

Hi Nigel. You mentioned intimidation, lawsuits & indifference. Could you kindly elaborate?

I've been thinking about this- if it's a case of corruption/ stealing the fees, then they are in a shaker position.

- if doesn't make sense they want the building to rot and them all loose value investments - unless the management are not owners.

- Aren't a majorly vote of owners able to change management company; allocate funds for renovation and such?

Also does any body know who owns the commercial spaces on the lower level front and pool side?

Cheers

Indifference seems to be a common problem. I know here where I live the management recently changed and what a world of difference. Not only are things being repaired but they are being done with an eye to lasting. No longer just a good enough today.

As for intimidation and lawsuits that would be a real concern to me. Your location is good. Don't listen to the nay Sayers about the advantages of having a home in a remote area. Chances are you would be lucky to make a 2% return on your investment there.

The one thing I have noticed about Thais is as a rule they do not require isolation. They seem to enjoy people around them.

Sorry to burst your bubble OP:

To run a business in Chiang Mai and the whole of Thailand, even Online, your company should be registered, a work permit is required and tax to be paid on profits, providing whatever type of business it is does not fall under the prohibited employment acts for foreigners.

All the activities you mentioned, beautiful women, squash courts, language and cooking schools, Gyms and Internet, sorry, but you won`t be able to afford any of that stuff. On $300 per month at today`s exchange rate, that`s under 10000 baht a month, and these rates are considered good at the moment, will just about cover your food and some ultra cheap minus 5 star accommodation if you are extremely careful with your budget, but it will be a huge struggle, probably impossible once your savings run dry, and regarding all the plans you have, I guess that would not be long.

My advice is, do some more research, a lot more in fact, before even making the slightest consideration of plonking yourself in Chiang Mai.

Any bubble you would burst is of your own imagining. Nowhere in his op does he mention a company.

His income would be sourced online, his savings making up the shortfall with a budget of 30-50k per month which he can happily sustain for a few months. If his online business grows - entirely feasible if hes already pulling down cash -- then he will be able to sustain the lifestyle longer before going home, who knows, he may be able to stay indefinitely.

Get over this whole work permit bugbear of yours, it is nonsense. Besides, if he does decide to go the company route simply for visa benefits it will cost him a few baht a year to do so and taxes on a pittance. the work permit is a side issue either way.

Why not admit that the modern world has moved on from your heyday and the salary man letter of the law ethic you have embraced all your life in no longer a desirable, or even viable model to live by?

there are people who make their livings online all over the world, out there, doing it, trying, failing and moving on.

next time before you you get the urge to scream thats impossible, give the poster the respect of READING the thread and perhaps even try to put yourself in his shoes..

Everything thing he has stipulated he wants is possible. Quit telling people not to live their lives the way they want to.

we watched your ilk growing up. you are exactly who we don't want to become.

How many other laws to you advocate breaking.

Yes it is done regularly here but that does not make it right or progressive.

People have been known to be deported for it.

small chance of that happening but it is still wrong to break a law just

because it is convent to you.

The PDRC prevented a lot of people from voting. Isn't it a bit premature for people to say less than half of the people voted? This was part of the strategy, right? As with all poll, you need to see the way in which the question was asked and the demographics of those polled for it to claim that it has some legitimacy.

Very true. That's why countries have this thing called Democracy. If you don't know what the people want, it's impossible to get a clear picture. If the big majority of the country are really against Yingluck and Puea Thai, then the best way for Suthep to get rid of them would be allowing elections to take place, no? Or is he afraid that allowing everyone to vote will paint a different picture than blocked and incomplete elections?

You must be new to Thailand.

In the last election it was made perfectly clear that a lot of people want Thaksin Shinawatra and what he supposedly can do for them. Did they get it?

quote from Thaksin Shinawatra

"give me 6 months and I will make you all rich"

You really don't understand the facts of democracy. It is just a word with many different ways to apply it.

Here in Thailand it is used to put people into positions where they may steal the countries treasury blind. The people do not want that but they are not informed on what they are voting for. But that is what they get.

Well it isn't chips but you sure got directions on baking potatoes.