dia1

On 12/10/2020 at 9:06 PM, moontang said:

Work spaces are kind of a joke, even amongst the digital nomad liars... Broadband is dirt cheap, here, and rent is pretty reasonable.  It is widely acknowledged that the people making real money remotely don't go near those places, let alone were doing it decades before the phrase was used to describe a trash packer or visa runner with a laptop. BTW, WHOTF actually still uses a laptop?  Do you use a pocket protector, too? 

 

What is a "digital nomad liar"?

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I have no answer but if you don't mind me asking:

For what do you need more than 100 or 200 Mbps?

 

It's less of a need and more of a want. For example. I can have the GF in one room streaming 4k Netflix while I'm downloading away in the other room without a hiccup. If I want to download a new 40gb game, it's done in a matter of minutes rather than hours, and things like 60fps VR videos are a breeze. I find that the way I use the internet is different with a true 1gbs connection... I literally do everything in 4k, and if there is anything I want to download, regardless of size, I 'give it a try' rather than figure out in my head if it's a waste of time. It's also pretty nifty to get a 1gb film copied from the net to your computer in just a couple of seconds.

 

I would be fine with a 200MBps connection, but real fiber is totally worth the few hundred baht per month. Also, the sheer stability of my connection since having real fiber has been great. I have ToT <deleted> DSL and the cable "fake fiber" connections True and AIS offer and they would suffer random downtimes constantly. Sometimes for more than a day. I've had zero outages since having real fiber and the stability and consistency is much greater. I don't expect the exact same stability with 5G, but if I could even get 1/2 the bandwith I get with a 1gbps fiber connection, I would be a happy camper.

 

 

3 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

It's a massive waste of money... I'm assuming the data package will be very expensive! The router has to convert any 5G signals so your computer/laptop etc. can use the frequency.

This cuts your transmission down to a peak of around 800Mbps - assuming you have the best possible 5G signal anyway.

You could attain higher speeds - and a more solid connection - with a true fibre 1Gbps wifi router anyway.

 

Most condos - especially newer ones have since upgraded to fibre and you shouldn't have any problems getting a top end package. Have a look at this thread: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1160738-are-there-bangkok-condos-with-high-speed-fiber-optic-200-mbpsinternet-connections/page/1/

 

You would definitely get higher speeds using a wifi router with your computer.

 

I would be interested to know how much they are charging for data, and how much data you would receive p/m

 

I actually read that topic before posting this one, and I don't think a lot of posters in there know what they are talking about. A lot of 'fiber' packages that are advertised aren't real fiber. They are high speed cable connections that go up to about 200mbps that connect to existing copper. I've had those fake fiber connections before and it's not great. I don't know why they call those packages fiber other than for marketing. If it is real fiber, they will offer up to 1gbps, which most condos, even most newer ones don't offer. I know because I have been condo shopping... and there was actually only one I viewed that was already wired for fiber that I found, and I didn't see a fiber outlet in the room, so they agents might have not known what they were talking about. I'm actually moving into a brand new condo never lived in before with no fiber outlet. I could theoretically run around and waste my time trying to figure out if True or another company will wire to my condo and figure out how many thousands of baht I'll have to pay for an upgrade if they will even do it... Or I could save time and just get a 5g router that should theoretically get better with time as 5g has a theoretical max bandwith of 2gbps or so. No wires, and no worry about switching accounts when I move. With 5G and beyond, it's inevitable that wired connections will eventually become obsolete.

 

800mbps should be fine. Actually, I'd consider it a major upgrade over fiber since there are no wires running into the wall, the router can sit anywhere, and no installation to deal with. In real use scenarios, I found that I only get about 500mbs from fiber connections due to daily use servers not being able to deliver that much data... you really only see those 1gbps+ numbers from speed test servers. So anything over 500mbps is icing on the cake, and there are videos of people on youtube getting over 500mbps with a 5G router so I know it's possible.

 

The packages are cheap... around a 1000 baht or so. I'm happy to pay that. I'm happy to pay whatever for the router too. My main concern is the throttling and such, and that's why I mainly want to hear people's experience. I obviously wouldn't want to get throttled after I reach 80GB or whatever... and we all know the "unlimited" stuff they say can sometimes be misleading.

 

 

 

 

I’m getting ready to move from a house to a condo, and after having 1gbs fiber for a while, I dread going back to the 100 or 200mbs maximum that most condos are capped at.

 

Now that 5G coverage is becoming pretty widespread in central BKK, I’m wondering if anyone has switched to using a 5G modem in their home for a completely wireless high speed (theoretical 1gbps) connection?

 

I know this is pretty cutting edge tech still, so I might only get 200mbs or whatever sometimes, but I’m okay with that. I know the speeds will only get better in time as the network improves. 
 

I see both AIS and True are offering this as an option with an expensive Hwawei 5G modem now. I don’t mind the high cost if it works well. It even saves me having to make a new account and close an old one if I happen to move again.

 

Anyone using this setup and experiences?

38 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You needed to leave your passport with them for a week ?????  No !!!! 

 

I’ve purchased numerous cars in Thailand and never had to leave my passport - this is definitely unnecessary, someone is making up their own rules or doesn’t understand the existing rules. 

 

You do need Proof of Address (from Immigration) or Affirmation of Residence (from your Embassy) or a Yellow Tabien Baan House Book to have the car registered in your name. This is presented when applying for the Blue Registration Book. 

 

IF you have white plates without the Blue Book it seems as though you either have ‘fake plates’ (i.e. white plates which are not yet registered to you or the car) OR Toyota have some sort of deal with the DLT where they can issue the White Plates and then Register the Plates to your car and you, but this would be doing things in reverse order. 

 

It's a very strange situation.

 

 

A long wait for the plates is not uncommon - Dealerships are lazy and seem to only go to the DLT to obtain registration when they have about 50 cars to register (i.e. do it in bulk). 

I have always just gone to the DLT myself, chosen my own number etc because I don’t want to wait for the dealers delays etc (it takes between 1 and 2 weeks !!!) i.e. Go to DLT with brown book and proof of Ownership of car (payment receipt), ID and Affirmation of Residence, choose your number (from a list), you get a receipt. Give the receipt to the dealer, it should then take them about 1 week to get the white plates and blue book. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I rent so I gave them proof of address from the embassy when buying the car, and they made copies of my passport. It was only until I started harassing them about the the plates that they asked me to bring me them my passport again, and when I brought it they said they needed it for 3 days which turned into a week.

 

I don’t understand any of it myself but again one of the biggest—maybe the biggest Toyota dealer in Thailand.  Whole thing has been a big waste of time and kind of wish I had went to another dealer. Honestly, I think it’s al due to staff incompetence, because they seemed surprised that I still didn’t have white plates when I called and promised them in 3 days. I think someone misplaced the paperwork and are trying to fix their mistakes without actually letting me know they made a mistake... ????

52 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You ‘should’ get the Blue Book immediately with your white plates. 

 

At the same time you returned the red plates and associated brown book you should have received your ‘red plate’ deposit back. 

 

 

It does seem the 3xxx baht was for the Red Plate deposit - get a Thai to read if for you and double check and don’t forget to claim your deposit. 

 

There is no reason for the dealer not to give you the blue book immediately this is rather strange. 

 

 

Also - if you are not sure what receipt is what, it’ll be a good idea to get organised. 

You should check for 

- Payment receipt (which includes extras such as mats, film etc).

- Receipt for red plates

- Proof of Warranty 

- Warranty handbook (where the service stamps are stamped)

- Tax (blue square) - display in windshield

- Por Ror Bor - (compulsury insurance - usually about 800 baht or there about)

- 1st Class insurance (if it comes with the new car, or organise this yourself) 

- Blue Book 

 

 

 

Thank you for this!

 

I will make sure I get all of that. I bought the car from one of the biggest Toyota dealerships in BKK, so I would be surprised if they are scamming me, so I'll wait out the 2 weeks...

 

Everything about the transaction has been weird... from the nearly 3 months wait to get the red plates taken off, to needing to bring my passport to them and leave it for a week, to this now 2 week delay on getting the blue book. I'll cough it up to TiT <deleted>, but if I don't get everything on your list, I'll have a word with them. I know I got the stamps and insurance information but haven't checked everything else.

 

 

1 hour ago, JAS21 said:

You will have paid a deposit for the red plates quite often 3000Baht. 
 

Look at your invoice for the car, that deposit should be showing. They should return it to you when you return the red plates, or a week or two after, don’t forget.

Thank you... there were several receipts all in Thai, but I did notice one of them was for 3xxx baht. They didn’t give me anything back.

 

I paid cash, so I guess maybe they will give it back to me when I get the blue book? From the poster before you, seems I will be getting a blue book in two weeks instead of the brown one.

I bought a new car and they gave me a stack of books/papers which I just slammed in the glove compartment.

 

After a couple months of having a red plate, I started harassing the dealer as I knew the process to get a regular plate should’ve been sooner and I’m about to move. Finally, after a lot of annoying them, they gave me white plates but asked for a book when they did so. Turns out it was a brown book of some sort that I had shoved in my glove compartment with the other stuff. Had some stuff written in it not no idea what.

 

They went in the office and did some things when I waited, put the plates on, and were about to send me on my way without giving the book back. I asked them about the book and they said they will call me in a couple weeks to give it back. At least that’s all I could make out as nobody could speak any English and explain what was going on ????

 

Now that I have white plates, do I still need that book? Is it important? Why do they need to keep it for 2 weeks... ? so confused 

If he came back after four years and the only thing wrong is damaged fittings and air cons, he is lucky. A fire, burst water pipe, or any other number of things could've totally destroyed the home. He should consider himself lucky that all he got was squatters who were willing to leave when he returned.

I would shop around and if I found something comparable or better, I'd send a written notice 30 or 60 days before lease ends (whatever timeframe your lease says) and say you're moving because someone is offering you similar product for cheaper. If the landlord is open to a discount, they'll offer you the chance to stay at a lower price.

 

If you just say "Hey the economy is bad. Can I have a discount?" it comes across as if you're taking advantage of the situation. I think many people wouldn't feel good about it, and like you say... might try to cheat you a bit on the deposit due to hard feelings.

On 10/2/2020 at 3:51 PM, Cod Face said:

"...I bought two 2L tank humidifiers..."

Maybe you should have bought dehumidifiers?

That was a typo... I bought two dehumidifiers. I didn't bother to correct, since everyone else seemed to know what I meant.

Well after days of constant dehumidifying and being unsure why the RH was not dropping down to reasonable levels, the problem finally showed itself. Last night during a heavy rain, the small invisible leak finally sprang into a massive leak. Looks like both a leak in the ceiling and a leak on a wall effecting three floors. I was about to throw my hands up and cough it up to "Thai humidity" but the data simply didn't add up.

 

RH should always drop when running the AC at a setting lower than the current temperature, unless there is a source of moisture entering the room and if a 2L electric dehumidifier or a AC running for hours on its lowest setting cannot bring humidity down below 50, there is almost always something weird going on.

 

I suspect there are other issues like ventilation or dirty coils on the ACs as well, but the 80+ humidity was water intrusion.

 

IMO, your home should never have a RH much higher than outside, especially if you're running an AC. Maybe temporarily after taking a shower or cooking, but otherwise there is no reason for that much moisture to enter the room. Yes, RH will rise as the temperature drops, but if the temperature is dropping due to AC cooling, the AC is removing moisture to achieve that effect, so RH should be at outside levels or lower. Once you are hitting constant RH above outside level, something in the house is broken. Or rising damp...

 

I really wish this had been all for nothing, but looks like I have a much bigger problem on my hands.????

46 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

wrong country if you don't like humidity ?  my meter says 80 percent or more, all the time

 

80% all the time? That's nuts and again far greater than the outside humidity. I suspect you have a moisture issue as well or a faulty AC. RH at that level aint healthy.

15 hours ago, farang51 said:

Please be aware that when you cool down, the humidity rises. So, if you have 32 degrees and a humidity of 62 percent outside, and you cool down to 25 degrees indoor, the indoor humidity will rise to 96 percent!

 

You will find a humidity calculator here:

https://www.lenntech.com/calculators/humidity/relative-humidity.htm

 

Usually, fungus and mold spores shouldn't be a problem if you keep the humidity below 60 percent. It may be better to open all the windows to create airflow, as @pikao wrote. A closed room with a high temperature and humidity works as a petri dish; if you have airflow, you can have higher temperature and humidity without problems. If you must use aircon, try setting it on a higher temperature.

 

Temperature doesn't change the amount of humidity in the air... only the relatively humidity. When using an AC, the RH should go down as it is pulling in moisture during the cooling process and venting it outside as condensation... at least it should when working properly. This is why your nose will get dry when running the AC too much in some places.

 

 

4 hours ago, moe666 said:

You did not mention on what setting you set your coolers but you need to set them on the lowest temp. they have to number one cool the place and to evacuate the moisture. and yes you need to shut the doors.

check the drain pipe off the evaporators and see how much water is draing out. It should start drying out soon with the end of rainy season, that should help. Also where is your house built maybe on an area where they get a lot of ground water.

 

I'm right around Thong Lor area. I'm setting the AC to 16 degrees with the highest fan speed when trying to dehumidify. That's the lowest it goes.

 

 

4 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

 

 

You don’t have the correct dehumidifiers and you are not running them the correct way.

 

you need this kind.

 

with a discharge hose

running most of the time.

 

it’s not cheap but will drop the humidity in my workshop by 20% running for about 10 hours. That is a space that is very significantly larger than it’s designed for, about 300 cubic metres 

 

Both of the humidifiers have discharge hoses. They are large, standing dehumidifers, but they are not industrial ones like the ones pictured. The radiators of the two I have now are already quite noisy, generate a lot of head, and are probably running my electric bill through the roof. If something bigger is required to get to a normal humidity, I think there is some bigger issue at play.

 

 

3 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

It makes complete sense. Humidity is a measure of the ability to hold water vapour in the air. The higher the air temperature the greater the amount of water it can hold.

 

 So for a given amount of water in the air, the lower the air temperature the higher the humidity.

 

You should not have taken the dehumidifier out when you turned on the AC.

 

 

It doesn't make sense because the dehumidifier does not lower temperature. In fact, it actually increases the temperature ever so slightly as the radiator discharges heat in the room.

 

When I removed the dehumidifier and there was still far above 50% RH in the air, turning on the AC to it's lowest setting should have only further decreased the humidity. The AC has to do de humidification to work... It's passing air over cooled coils and creating evaporation that is supposed to be piped outside. All of the cold air sent in by the AC should be dehumidified, so if the RH is rising while the AC is cooling the room, then it's not doing its job properly.

 

 

2 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

The wet season will wind up over the next few weeks and the relative humidity will be well below 50% by the end of October. Maybe you can hang on a few more weeks and see if things improve then.

 

Of course, you will have the same problems in the next wet season, but maybe you will have enough time to research and work out a solution. At the very least you will be able to see if there re some rectifiable design or maintenance issues that keep the house above the outside humidity.

I'm hoping so...

 

 

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

If your aircon if working correctly & the cold pipes through your condensor unit are clear of gunk you are automatically dehumidifying 

& the drain should be trickling constantly until room is recycling already dehumidified air at which time the trickle will become less.

Try with one aircon in a closed room for 4 hours with thermostat set at 23 D. If an independent trermometer says temperature reached after this time & still humidity showing more than 55 % then you have other problems (maybe major air leakage)

If the whole house has rising damp it will take aircons weeks to dry it out (Do you have a sour smell in the house ?

 

I agree with you. Although I haven't conducted this test with the thermostat set at 23, this morning I did it with the thermostat set to 16. After about 4 hours, RH went down from 77 to 60, however temperature only reached 24.5. The AC has a bonus of a tower fan helping it circulate the air and still did not achieve near target temperature or humidity. I'll repeat the test tomorrow at 23, but I suspect it will be even less effective when I do that setting.

 

 

1 hour ago, CGW said:

Perfectly normal levels! 

 

I have a humidity meter in my office and have been watching it for many years!

A lot depends on outside humidity, in the wet season, your always going to have high readings inside, unless the room is sealed, I have double glazing, house is reasonably sealed, the reading right now, with AC on 26° is 77% as it is raining out side (Finally! ???? )

 

You have to run the AC at a lower temperature than ambient for the air to be dehumidified, it wont do anything if the compressor isn't running, also I would guess you have sliding windows? they will not help, as no seal whatsoever.

 

Yes, the room in question has sliding windows that lead to the balcony.

 

I'm glad someone else is showing high readings like that indoors, and maybe that is what I was looking for... If other people are showing above 70 humidity all the time at room temperature, maybe I will just be stuck at abnormal level unless I run dehumidifiers and run the AC cold as ice all the time.

 

What gets me though is that it doesn't seem to effect everyone here. Some people are getting normal readings without any extra effort.

 

Also, the one thing I don't understand is how exactly the humidity is reaching levels far above outside level with the AC running. For example, I went to sleep last night with humidity in my room at around 60ish... after running the AC at it's lowest setting. I turned the AC to 27 before bed and woke up to humidity of nearly 80. The AC maintained my 27 temp fine but

 

Outside RH was only 62 and temperature 32, so the compressor must have kicked in several times throughout the night.

 

I get the compressor would stop dehumidifying when it reaches target temperature but...why the moisture build up? The only source of moisture would be my body sweat and maybe the water in the toilet of the adjacent bathroom (door closed). At worst case scenerio, I would think the RH would be identical to that outside, but with some work from the compressor, shouldn't it be a bit lower? How is it getting higher with AC cooled air?

 

Also 77 humidity is deep within mold growth territory and nobody wants to sleep with their AC set to its lowest setting all throughout the night. How is it that dehumidifiers are relatively uncommon here if indoor humidity is that hard to control? It may be that people here simply do not care about mold and moisture or that there is not enough English language resources regarding humidity control in Bangkok. I'm not sure.

5 hours ago, johng said:

Maybe rising damp ?  they often build with no damp proof course or vapour barriers...

is the house  free standing or have shared walls with neighbours ?  maybe they have a leak.

 

Yes shut off the room from other rooms and from the outside...how cold does the room actually get  ?

never mind what the remote control setting says.

It's a townhouse sharing walls on both sides. You might be right about the rising damp, but I suspect a leak from rain.

 

If I shut off any given room to other rooms and the outside, it depends on the room and time of day. The worst offending room on the top floor struggles to get to 25 degrees on a hot day, but once the sun goes down, it can get to around 20. I rarely if ever turn on the a/c there because the humidity will cause condensation to form on the ac's vent. Today, after running the dehumidifer in that room sealed off and getting it down to around 55 humidity temporarily, I removed the humidifier and turned the AC on to its lowest setting. It managed to get the room to 20 degrees after an hour or so by running alone, but the humidity jumped up to over 70. I think in that particular room there might actually a ventilation problem or problem with the AC coils, because it makes no sense how the humidity rose as the AC cooled the room.

 

The other rooms manage to cool down to anywhere between 20-24.... Some better than others and some faster than others.

 

I'm totally happy to keep things at a temperature around 26-27... but if I allow temperatures at that level the humidity is always over 60 and usually closer to 70.

 

 

1 hour ago, pikao said:

My suggestion, which will not bring the humidity down but keeps away the mold/fungus is:

open all the windows to create airflow. If you really need the aircon in one room, shut the door and windows when in use and open if not. I have a friend who has a similar problem in the bungalows of his resort. Bathroom is also a factor.

Otherwise you would have to shut everything and run aircon permanently

My previous attitude was to keep everything sealed off and run AC constantly with off days running fan only mode or opening windows to vent in fresh air.. This worked fine in most every condo that I lived in before.

 

Now I am thinking in this house I will have to open the windows on the top floor during daytime to help air vent things out and then close them up and run AC everywhere at night. The house is several floors, so fans alone cannot keep it cool... But I actually don't mind being hot. I don't even like the AC. But the humidity above 60 is unbearable sometimes... Even if you don't feel hot, you'll wake up sweating, and since I can't keep everything opened all the time, there's the mold fear when I have to close things back up too.

 

 

1 hour ago, johng said:

For the aircon to remove humidity you need to shut the windows and doors and seal the room up from the outside hot humid air  if you leave the door open then you will either be trying to  air condition the whole world or an infeasibly large volume that the aircon unit cannot cope with.

 

Do you mean shut the room off to all other rooms or to the outside (outdoors)? I definitely don't open any outside doors/windows when the AC is in use, but will often run the AC with that particular bedroom's door open to the rest of the house. I usually keep all bedroom doors open to the rest of the house to promote air circulation and not allow any one room to get stuffy. This house has many AC units. Yesterday, I turned all of them on at once (total of 8)... Dry mode a couple hours and then the coldest possible setting for a while... Yet the humidity hoovered around 65 all throughout the house.

 

To give you an example of how weird it is... The current outside humidity in BKK is 62 and the temperature is 32... Yet inside one room in my house, I am reading humidity of 63.... a little higher than outside, despite the AC being on and sending in cool air. With all doors and windows in that room shut, you would think that if the outside humidity is 62, an AC unit could easily bring the humidity below 50 within just a couple hours. I mean.. doesn't the AC evaporate the air and vent out the moisture in order to send in cool air. Something definitely seems wrong if the ACs alone cannot accomplish this task alone.

 

Electronic Dehumidifiers aren't even a popular thing in BKK, so I can't imagine this issue I'm having is something common here. Otherwise how is everyone else handling it? I can't imagine everyone else would leave their house above mold/fungus growth levels.

 

Also for context... Only one bathroom is is used for showers in this house, and I don't cook or boil water, or hang wet clothes or anything like that. There's no logical reason I can think of excess moisture getting inside other than a leak of some sort. That is of course, unless there is some weird thing in BKK I don't understand or something about concrete houses I don't understand. I'm definately no expert on Thai weather or humidity, and this is the first house in Thailand I've lived in.

I recently moved into a large house and have been having allergy problems. After some testing, it turns out I am allergic to fungus and mold spores. Thai doctor recommended using a dehumidifier if the humidity in the house is above 50%.

 

All of the ACs in the house are new (new house) and have a DRY function, but it seems they only bring the humidity of any given room to maybe 65%-70 briefly... I never get anywhere near the below 50% that I'm supposed to reach.

 

Since the AC's couldn't cope I bought two 2L tank humidifiers and started running them nonstop in the most humid rooms (sometimes reaching over 80% humidity) and have been emptying tons of water that has been sucked out of the air. Liters and liters of moisture...

 

The humidity is dropping in those rooms, but I'm still struggling to keep the humidity below 60... still no where near below 50. This is baffling to me.

 

 

 

With this data in mind, should I assume that there is an undetected water leak or compromise somewhere? If the AC isn't capable of drying the air below 50, even with a DRY function and two humidifiers on the same floor isn't getting me there, it seems that there is a serious amount of moisture leaking in from somewhere. Or perhaps a ventilation problem that is causing the ACs to send in moisture rather than send it out.

 

There were some water leaks in the house that seemed not so serious that have been fixed... When I had an technician try to fix condensation on the top floor AC, he offered no solution other than keep the bedroom door shut when using the AC... I didn't have time to argue, even though that seemed like *not* a solution to condensation, caused by too much humidity or faulty ac.

 

 

Even with the doctor telling me to get below 50%, I am starting to second guess myself and wonder if my house humidity actually can't be brought down to that level. Even though outdoor humidity is 70+ on many days, seems unlikely that indoor humidity would be this difficult to control without a compromise somewhere... no matter what the outdoor level is.

 

Are you other other people in BKK experiencing uncontrollable indoor humidity or do I have a water issue somewhere?

Pretty sure you have to to return to your country.

 

You cannot travel with an expired passport or stay in another country legally without a valid passport. Regardless of your visa type or the end date of its membership, you will need a valid passport.

Just an update:

 

I went to look a several houses today, and wow, what a wake up call. Upon going in and exploring the houses, I was pretty excited. The houses were big, spacious, and quiet... even in busy areas like Thong Lor and Ekkamai. I could totally see myself living in one of them...

 

Maybe it's just because I've only seen a few of the houses, but the one major factor that I noticed is that privacy seems minimal... at least near the city center. Even in the most expensive houses, it feels like the neighbors are on top of you. Everyone's buildings are tall and close, so everyone can see into everyone's backyard and pool. If the house has big windows, everyone can see into your house as well. I'm not sure how big of a deal that is yet, but it wasn't something I was expecting.

 

After living in condos for such a long time, it was a little weird seeing that the neighbors were interested in who I was. In a condo, it's very impersonal.... almost like a hotel. Most people don't talk to each other and you just mind your own business. In a house, your neighbors are like your extended family--especially in Thailand. Seeing old people sitting outside and kids bikes and such was a bit of a surprise. Yeah, duh.... I should've known. But just it's something I forgot. Even though I may be a tenant, my neighbors may have been living there for years, maybe even decades. Something you don't see in condos.

 

Now I'm torn a bit. I was expecting more privacy, quietness and nature but I got two of the three it seems. Part of me tells me to get further out from the city center into an area like Bang Na, (so I can have larger land and a people not loooking at everything I do) but another part of me tells me to just stay in a condo and rather rent a larger size. Another part tells me to hold out and wait for the "perfect house" to come around because I've only viewed a few.

 

Every negative seems to have a positive. I like the fact that some places had security guards, but at the same time the security guards seemed a bit too personal/nosey at compounds at first impression. Places without security seemed much more private but also a bit dangerous at the same time.

 

Hard decision now... Do I go further out to other areas to get a quiet house without being on top of neighbors, hold out for a house with more outdoor space and privacy for a few motnhs, or just stay in a condo for another unknown amount of years? Sheesh.. Rough decision.

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

If your biggest concern is how they will deliver the stuff/food you order online,then you better stay in your condo. You seem like a worrier.

 

Are you against ordering stuff online or do you just have an unlimited amount of time in your day to do nothing, so these type of issues don't bother you? Every minute that I spend on the phone with Kerry or UPS, because I wasn't home or awake when a delivery arrives is a pain the in @ss. Missing packages are a pain. If food delivery can't find the address, and I'm on the phone trying to navigate him in Thai, then that's more time lost for me-- and for the driver who needs to get to his next delivery. I want to support local businesses, but I also don't want to pay for stuff that I never actually receive. I also don't want to drive to a store every time I need something insignificant.

 

Time is money. Time is precious. I have a busy life, and I don't want to be a "worrier" as your snooty, misspelled comment suggests. I want an optimal life, and I'm assessing the perks and pitfalls of houses.

 

If getting deliveries shouldn't be a concern, why don't you tell us what the concerns should be so that you're adding to the discussion?

So I've been in BKK for several years and maybe it's covid-19 has made me stir crazy, but I'm starting to feel like I need to get out of living in small condos. Tired of being limited to a balcony for outdoor space. Tired of taking an elevator every time I need to leave. Annoying car parks and parking. Tired of being quiet to avoid disturbing adjacent wall. Tired of fingerprint readers, keycards, and just in general not having a lot of space to move around. Really annoyed that I can't exercise at the gym or swim in the condo due to virus also... Rather just have all my own sh**.

 

So now I'm thinking about moving into a big house with a private pool in a nice, upscale area.... Yes, this will cost triple or quadruple what I'd pay for a condo, and I might have to drive a bit further when I want to go out, but if I'm going to stay in BKK for many more years, I think it might be worth it.

 

Has anyone here made the jump from long-term condo living into living in a house in BKK? What was your experience?

 

My 3 main concerns are security, power outages, and package delivery.

 

I can get a security system, and like I said... I will pay to live in an upscale, quiet area. But is BKK house living notably more dangerous than a condo? I mean... not much defense you got if a guy busts through your window with a crowbar. Maybe an unfounded fear, but still worries me a bit.

 

In every condo I've lived in in BKK (several) there have been random power outages--some notably worse than others. They've always resolved on their own, but are these kind outages common at houses too?

 

And lastly, I like to order stuff on Lazada. Generally, I'll order 5-6 items and then they all get mailed individually... leaving a ton of small packages at the Front Office at my condo. If there is a gate in front of your house, will the drivers throw the packages over the gate? Or will they just not deliver the package if you don't answer your phone? Are food delivery drivers pretty accurate with deliveries? I guess I might have to be a lot more alert/available for any sort of delivery that may come my way? Also, I generally just write my condo address in English with no problems for packages, perhaps because condo deliveries are so common. Will I need to write the house address in Thai for future deliveries in order to avoid delivery failure?

 

 

 

I have other odd questions too, and forgive me if they sound stupid. If a gate separates your house from the street, there is usually a buzzer or something that connects you to the house, right? I loathe the idea that people will come bang on my door for something. Do most neighbors respect each other's privacy? How does trash pickup work at houses?

 

Anything else I should worry about? Wandering soi dogs? Difficulty cooling a house? Structural problems? Nosey landlords coming to the house and peeking in windows? In general... Is this move a good idea? Those of you who have made the leap from condo to house-- how do you feel about the decision? I'm excited to get out of a condo, but I'd like some reassurance (or not) that I'm making a wise choice. Thanks in advance.

On 12/5/2019 at 12:22 PM, unblocktheplanet said:

As i see it, there are several factors in play here. Firstly, when it comes to medical treatment with cannabis derivatives, the science is just not deep enough yet to determine the right preparations and correct dosages for each condition. Cannabis has been illegal for so long, medicine is playing almost a century of catch-up research since cannabis was removed from the pharmacopoeae in the 1930s.

 

It will take time before such research bears fruit. Meanwhile, we are all just human guinea pigs, albeit with a product that is not so dangerous and which side effects can be mitigated by reduction in dose or dropping it completely.

 

The prices for both CBD & THC oils are outrageous overseas. On Thailand's scale, they're still very costly, no affordable by an average working-class patient unless they can be covered by govt health plans. The eagerness with which cannabis is being embraced gives the lie to any altruistic motive. It's about money.

 

Lastly, in Canada & the US states where medical cannabis became legal, the patient database was available to law enforcement, making it easy to target users. As foreigners, we're already skating on thin ice here. Being a registered drug user makes us the easiest of targets. There's little medical 'privacy' anywhere but I opine there's even less here.

 

Be prudent, folks, in trying to feel better.

 

I'm not sure if you've never used cannabis but there is no "correct dosage" that can be applied to it. Unlike traditional medicine, one person will experience strong affects with a small dose while someone else may need ten times as much for less effect. It has nothing to do with weight, male or female, or what the condition is. And in most cases, the dosage needs to be increased over time as our bodies get used to it. In pretty much every case and every condition, a person should start at the lowest dose possible and work their way up until they receive the desired effect. In almost every case, the dosage will change, and only the patient will know what dosage is right for them. The good news is that you can't overdose on cannabis or die from cannabis even if you take too much... making it one of the safest drugs on the plant. Safer than Tylenol.

 

Also, remember that people have been smoking cannabis for ages, and people have been processing cannabis into edibles and tinctures for decades since medical legalization in other countries. It's well known how to produce it properly, so I don't know where you get the idea that there is some sort of science experiment being run.

 

Patient data being available in the US never caused patients to be targeted. I was there, and I'm not sure what they would be targeted for. How can you be targeted for doing something legal? All that happened was shops offering the product popped up on literally every corner almost overnight. Also, keep in mind that cannabis is still illegal at the federal level in the US, medical or otherwise... It is only progressive states wising up who are legalizing it at the local level. On the other hand, medical cannabis is actually legal now everywhere in Thailand. So technically, medical cannabis is more legal in Thailand than the US.

 

 

 

7 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

For Thais, 30,000.

 

For foreigners, up to 120,000.

 

Plenty of first-hand reports out there.

 

People taking oils other than GPO-packaged are nuts.

 

 

 

I don't get why anyone is focused on the packaging. It's pretty common in Thailand to replicate legitimate packaging. They do it for all sort of fake junk sold at street stalls. If these clinics were fake, they would just throw a fake GPO label on the oils. Also, this is Thailand, so it doesn't seem at all probable that there would be consistency in the packaging in something that is relatively new where they are running out of stock continually. Literally nothing is consistent here.

 

While I'm not clear as to why things seem so muddy, we do know that there are real doctors in these clinics, at least according to the medical certificates on the wall. And this is happening in the middle of the day, in the middle of the city without even a hint of secrecy. In multiple cities all over Thailand. I can't imagine that all these doctors and nurses would risk their careers to peddle illegal oil [not impossible.... just very unlikely], and I can't imagine they'd be allowed to run so openly for so long. The police in every province where it's available would be jumping on these places right away and fighting over who gets to take credit for busting them.