Basil B

September 10, 2006

You could try the Penthouses own pick up services.

Penthouse Hotel (click on "TAXI" on left hand side).

Looks very intresting if you go for the champagne services...

BB

September 10, 2006

I have a friend who will arrive in Bkk soon. He'd like to know how much it will cost to take a limosine from Bkk to the Penthouse hotel in Pattaya. I think the fee is about 2500 baht, but its been some time since I've actually taken that trip
Does naybody know how much this trip is likely to cost ??

thanks in advance

Rod

2500THB sounds about right for Don Muang to Pattaya, may be able to haggle a bit, it used to be 1600THB but the price took a big hike a couple of years ago.

But things are changing soon with the new airport “Suvarnabhumi” opening in 18 days, Suvarnabhumi is on the Pattaya side of Bangkok and a lot closer and in theory should be a lot cheaper, could try booking a car to meet your friend may be cheapest option.

BB

September 10, 2006

The question is : what happen when the foreigners spend his 1x90 days ?

He won't be able to return to Thailand for... how long ?

How they going to figure out ?

More thai complexity ahead...

Thats why I say this isnt going to happen...

So they are going to go through all your multiple passports.. To find all the entry and exit dates.. Tally them up (remembering whether it was a leap year last year or Aug had 30 days) and do all of this before issueing an entry chop.. Rediculous and of course not.

No one has clarified if its 3 chops or many chops adding up to 90 days (the guys who fly in for the weekend as real tourists)..

And most visa regulations (like having an outbound ticket if not real visa etc) are checked and enforced before boarding.. Can you imagine every check in queue in the world also checking your 'previous total days in the last calender year' while weighing your bags.

Another badly thought out and impractical rule, poorly communicated..

Its not going to happen.. At least not the way already described.

They may do so when all points of entry are computerised...

Won’t even have to open your passport if it is machine readable and you have used it to visit LOS in the past other than to check your name tally’s and stamp it.

If it is a new passport they would enter all the details and cheek you against their database to establish if you have entered before and cross reference you against other passports held including dual nationality.

BB

September 2, 2006

Suppose the most important question is what’s your budget?

Then look for yourself, I was looking at the low end and after seeing a number of units at View Talay Condominium 1 & Jomtien Beach Condominium, IMHO I decided that JBC was better than VTC1 because it appeared to be well managed and there was no problem in purchasing in my name.

The things that I observed that made me think that JBC was a lot better than VTC1 was:

The security issue, At VTC1 all units had additional locks and grill fitted to most doors, this was a clear indication that security was an issue.
JBC was very clean compared to VTC1, no piles of refuse on landings or blowing around in the grounds.
Also JBC has two nice pools which look a lot better than VTC1 one and only pool.
In addition VTC has a club house with gym, table tennis, reading area, etc, (I am uncertain what VTC1 has).

Both have 24/7 Security with a manned security gate house, security person at the entrance to each building & CCTV.

For all this the service charge per month at JBC is only 300THB (3600THB P.A.) which is extremely good value.

JBC is 8 years old and I assume VTC1 is about the same vintage so this gives a good indication that the way it is being run at present is how it will be run in the future, where as a building that is fairly new or even not completed you have no way to gauge how it will be run in the future.

I have posted some pictures of JBC and my condo at >>> My Condo <<<

As for management and management committee I know nothing, I should have asked before I purchased, I sure do want to know more when I go back in November.

With regards to what you posted on “Condo Staff selling units” I conceder this to be inappropriate as they are being paid to do another job but feel there should be an commercial side to the condo management that is supplying chargeable services and making a small profit that is split between bonuses to the employees and a dividend to the owners.

These services could be:

Maid services.
Letting Services.
Maintenance, decorating and building services.
Storage facilities.
Collection and disposal of unwanted furniture, etc.
Sale of second-hand units.

With respect to staff selling condo’s, maybe 2% to 2.5% if they manage the sale as their overheads would be lower or 20% of estate agents fees for referrals, profits should be split individuals involved in the sale, bonuses to all employees and a dividend or investment of site facilities for owners.

For an individual to make 30,000THB on an 1,000,000THB sale is setting a very bad precedence, do we really want all the employees acting like timeshare sales persons.

BB

August 30, 2006

A work permit for selling timeshare???

So you really believe you are going to get a job and a work permit think again.

When you think Mr. Big says he will get you a work permit, he actually said he would help you apply for one, he knows you won’t get one. :D

Bet you only get paid commission, if you do not make a sale you get nothing, bet he even got you to put money up front to cover his expenses, I mean you are dealing with a timeshare pro…

There is nothing wrong with the principle of timeshare... The problem is the people who sell it…

BB

August 26, 2006

I find it amazing that every time anybody mentions the Australians the subject of the convict ships is raised so I have done some research and found the convictions of most of those sent over on those ships were very petty.

Most women were deported because they were just so ugly, most men who were deported had such ugly wife’s they resorted to sheep shagging.

Of coerce there was the indigenes people of Australia, a right bunch of weirdo’s who spent most of their time playing with their boomerangs and didgeridoos which is not surprising as they had spent the last few millennia gorging themselves on bush tucker.

Fortunately the men had bribed ships captains into letting them bring their girlfriends along too; they became the origins of Australia’s sheep industry.

August 26, 2006

As stated this guys position is untenable and probably will never be called upon to umpire an international match again, it is only fair he should have a golden handshake (annuity) to see his years out, the error was for him to make the first move by naming his price, had he waited a few days the ICC would have been asking him how much he wanted, now they are using him as a scapegoat.

As for ball tapering I for one still think this should be investigated further, but the actions of the Pakistani’s that followed tea last Sunday clearly breached the rules of the game and DH had only one option and that was to award the game to England.

There is a lot of money invested in test matches, fans have already paid for tickets for the last day, companies invested in hospitality packages, advertising space sold, TV & radio rites paid for and franchises awarded all needed to pay the high salaries and expenses of international cricketers, and there is no certainty that the game will run for five day with interruptions from the weather and the possibility of the game being won within three days, but to have teams throwing tantrums and locking themselves in their dressing room is totally unacceptable.

One hours lost play could change the outcome of a game so if the Pakistani’s get away with this you can expect to see a lot more of it, considering England had already won the series and it is highly unlikely that 5 runs would decide the outcome of this match, the ICC need to punish the Pakistani’s by making them pay compensation for the cost and costs involved in administering all claims for refunds further more I think as punishment Pakistan should be forced to play one of next years home series in an neutral country.

BB

August 26, 2006

[The headline should have read, thief nailed by “ladies with balls”

BB

August 23, 2006

Wonder what rank he is?

Do they have colonel’s in the Thai police force? if so maybe he is Colonel Blimp…

BB

August 23, 2006

The thing that is amasing is not that the police caught the guy but for his crime he is being " Transfered to a VERY INACTIVE POST "
What does this mean and why hasn't the policeman been sacked and prosecuted. Any comments please.

Well done the Brit

Maybe he has been made in to a sleeping policeman...

(bet that will give everybody the hump)

BB

August 23, 2006

Some local copper has gone into the airship business

TIT

Wonder how he can afford it?

Must have terrible hand cramp writing all those "Bar stay open late, Ok" permits.

TIP (This Is Pattaya).

BB

August 22, 2006

www.draytel.org A little bit different to other VOIP services.
I really think this one is going to take off in a big way. It allows for the standard free VOIP calls to other VOIP users and also the VERY cheap VOIP to Landline / Mobile Numbers.

But what is different is you can get a local UK number assigned so people can call you - You can have a local knutsford number here in BKK for example.

I realise this might be seen as advertising a product (I am not connected to the company in any way) but its pretty incredible for expats here.

Exactly the same as the Tesco internet phone, (The same Tesco as in Tesco-Lotus), the phone plugs into USB port and very simple to set up, calls cost 2p (1.4THB) to all UK except mobiles which are 10p (7THB) with the exception of 3G which are 25p (18THB) per minute.

Plus all calls to: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates & USA are also 2p (1.4THB) per minute, calls to Thailand are 6p (4.2THB) including mobiles per minute, best thing of all calls to other Tesco internet phone users are free from and to anywhere in the world.

I purchased one last week for £14.99 (1050THB), (was on special offer), this included a USB handset with working LCD display and keypad, also came with a £5 voucher for call, once set up I have chosen a local UK number (+44 121 271 ####) that allows me to receive incoming calls when the computer is on line else call go to voice messaging service, there are no charges for receiving calls and persons calling you pay the normal price for phone calls, also there are no monthly charges or set up fees.

I think you can register and use the service using any handset that is available for “Skype” and supposedly you can use this anywhere in the world with internet access, (do not know if you can use it in China because of the censoring).

More details; Tesco Internet Phone

All conversions are based on 70THB = £1GBP

BB

August 18, 2006

They also do a Limo service as well...

BB

August 17, 2006

-->

QUOTE(Basil B @ 2006-08-12 02:58:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last May I purchased a condo at Jomtien Beach Condominium, and made arrangements with real estate agent to let on my behalf on long term contract, as yet the agent has not been able to let it so I am considering the option of advertising it here in the UK as a holiday apartment.

When I viewed the condo I was not introduced to the condominiums management company so I am unaware of what services they can offer and I am very surprised to find no listing on the web for them, in particular I would like to know if they can arrange maid service, see my guests in, inspect for any breakages when they depart and arrange for any repairs and/or if there is any other company in the Pattaya area who can offer this service.

BB

Are you at the condo now? There's a little coffee shop at the bottom front corner of A1 (the first of the back buildings). It's essentially an estate agency, though it's not advertised. The owner - a

young-ish Thai woman - can probably arrange it. I'd trust her, I think - she seems quite together and professional. There are also a lot of shops in the front buildings (S1 - S2) that claim to do property sale / rental. Most of them are owned by ex-bar girls, 'set up in business' by Falangs (of whom some have since been sent packing, some kept in partnership, some replaced by second-generation donors). Personally, I wouldn't trust their business model. But other falangs obviously do trust them, so what do I know? And there's always the chance they'll rip off the other guy, and pass the savings on to you...

The condo management itself is basically good, but the middle tiers have a reputation for helping themselves to a cut, so you'd probably want to monitor things, or at least get a very clear idea of what you're paying for.

Coltrane,

Thank you for your reply, I am not there at present, wish I was but it is another 10 weeks before I get back out, the purchase was completed after I left in April, so I need to check everything out before I start to let it as a holiday apartment.

The one thing that really impressed me about JBC was it appeared to be well looked after even though it was not new, I visited other condominiums witch are a lot newer, like VTC1 not only were they not so well maintained, security appeared to be a big issue with many properties with many locks and security grills on most doors.

I am certain that I can find the right management company who do the sort of thing I am looking for, it just going to take me some time to find them.

BB

August 15, 2006

Jai Dee, thanks for the link to the Bangkok Post, most interesting.

So here are a few more assumptions;

Sold 12% (73 units) presume the usual speculators (carpetbaggers) who will sell when the project is nearly complete, only 12% if it was such a good project I would expect it to be over subscribed by now, what next, sell it as time share???

12 Rai, looking at the plot of land I estimate it to be 100 x 150 meters (15,000SqrM = 9.3Rai) so where is the other 2.7Rai?

Do Thai,s really love “high Raise”, I remember A TGF the year after the “royal Jomtien” disaster would not come into my room on the second floor of a four story building until she had inspected the fire routes, she was terrified of high rise buildings.

And if there was a fire, do you really think the local fire brigade could do anything over 10 meters above street level? When I see the local fire appliance I think of “Keystone Kop’s”, certainly not up to the standard of western fire fighters.

The architects say’s “Approved”, must have taken a lot of “greasing of palms” right the way up the greasy pole, surprised it is not to be called “Taksin Tower”.

As they say Pattaya does not wake up until after mid-day so those in View Talay Villas will not see much sun.

And if the foul water pipe to treatment plant can not handle all then outflow then it will probably emerge through the plumbing of ground floor buildings like View Talay Villas.

If you are uncertain where this is to be built I have drawn over a “Google Earth” map so you can see where it will be in relation to other buildings and Soi’s 1 to 7.

BB

August 15, 2006