roath

Although Western military hardware is covered by official secrets acts etc. there is widespread knowledge of the reliability and safety of Western hardware. China is notoriously secretive (like the Russians). Safety has not historically been their first concern, nor longevity. Equally, you are spot on when you talk about buying military hardware from the one country that is causing geo-political instability in the area. There has been enormous controversy about Western governments buying even civilian hardware in sensitive situations (e.g. for government departments). Buying military hardware would be unthinkable. I am ex-Navy myself, and I cannot see the logic of a country like Thailand having submarines, given their geography and local issues. They need patrol boats and small frigates and for the cost of the subs, the Thai Navy could pay for quite a useful number of them along with top quality training.

What an embarrassing article. It demonstrates the incompetence of the Royal Thai Navy leadership. Wearing lots of gold piping and medals doesn't make one a competent naval officer.

The submarines could be used for at least 30 years, the Navy stated.

Seriously? I mean, seriously? What industrial market products manufactured by China last more than 10 years? The submarines will be obsolete in 10 years as they are not cutting edge or state of the art now.. Why make a claim of a 30 year life expectancy?

The Navy said although there was no war looming, maritime conflicts between countries existed and no one could guarantee that the conflicts would not descend into wars. Having the submarines would be a defensive strategy against wars and a balance of power mechanism.
The only country that presents a military threat is China. Why then would one purchase submarines from a potential enemy? The Chinese will be able to track the Thai submarines and will be able to easily sink them.

In terms of its marine capability, the country is lagging 10 years behind neighbouring countries like Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Then deal with the training and education gap first. Purchase sufficient numbers of coastal defense vessels first.

In response to claims the Yuan Class S26T would not be useful because it can only dive in shallow water and are easy targets for enemies, the Navy argued that the Gulf of Thailand is about 50 metres deep and some operations need to be done near the shore. Planes cannot see submarines which dive down 20 metres, it said.

Seriously? Is he for real? It's 2015 not 1945. A quick look at the internet will provide a quick listing of common methods to track/hunt submarines.

It is reported that the best depth for a submarine to avoid detection by a hull-mounted sonar (conventionally regarded as the Sonic Layer Depth) is 100 meters+ Modern aircraft can use buoy systems, magnetic anomaly detection, and probes. Maybe he needs to watch the Discovery Channel? How is the admiral going to defend his gulf if his chinese submarines stick out like a Bangla lady boy and become an easy target?

Helicopters and airplanes can detect submarines at depths greater than 50m. Maybe the Thai navy should ask for a demonstration at the next US/Australia/Canada training exercise.

The Chinese subs are also equipped with weapons, including torpedoes and sea mines, the Navy said, adding that their safety is on par with European submarines with a double-hull body.
How does he know about the safety? What's a safer vehicle. a German designed and manufactured car or a knockoff from China? How then could the Chinese build a safe submarine? Are the Chinese known for safety or quality?

Former Democrat Party MP Watchara Petthong disapproved of the purchase. "I wonder if the move to push for the sub purchase has something to do with the commission fee,'' he said.
Wow. Integrity and honesty is still alive in Thailand.

I am trying to get PEA to transfer the electric account from the previous owner to my name. They seem reluctant to do so and I wonder if there is any reason why a farang cannot have the electric account in their name or whether the office just isnt used to dealing with foreigners. My GF is on the blue tabien baan but I hold a yellow tabien baan. They were happy to set up the direct debit in my name. Has anyone else managed? I have an appointment tomorrow with the local supervisor so a heads up would be helpful.

My friend has an unusual situation.

He and his wife owned land and a house (all in her name).

She found out she was terminally ill some months ago.

Despite that, they sold their current home and purchased new from a developer (land and house).

Sadly she passed away 2 months after they took possession.

She left a Will, bequeathing everything to her husband, but he knows he cannot own the land.

The land apparently will be placed in the hands of 4 of her sisters with a 30 year lease in my friends name.

His name alone will be on the property.

He is still continuing to pay the mortgage.

Is there anything else he should do?

Sell the property, the four sisters can borrow money from a bank with the land as surety,they don't pay the money back the bank reclaims the land and you friends thirty year lease don't mean a thing, he is out on his ass , advice from my lawyer who told me this thirty year lease deal is so insecure she refused to do it forme ,bless her.

I was under the impression that you could inherit land in which case the guy woukdnt need to sell to sisters but in any event could get an uaufruct rather than lease. Once a lease is registered it is valid regardless of whether the ownership changes hands. Your friend would appear to be misinformed

Anyone ever hear of someone getting ED Visa from one of the Indian embassies? Not just academic interest for me: I was planning to go to India at the end of the year when my current ED Visa expires and renew there (Chennai or Kolkata)

There is only the embassy in New Deli. There are several consulates. You could contact them to find out about the visa.

See here for website links for the embassy and the consulates. http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/

Yes, sorry... I did mean Consulates rather than the actual Embassy in ND. I got a tourist visa from Kolkata some years ago no problems at all, but obviously ED Visas are a different thing. I will email, but it is always useful to see if anyone has had practical experience within India.

Anyone ever hear of someone getting ED Visa from one of the Indian embassies? Not just academic interest for me: I was planning to go to India at the end of the year when my current ED Visa expires and renew there (Chennai or Kolkata)

Why has she got hair? I've never seen a nun with hair. Oh, wait...I know...because it's just a typical superficial HiSo gesture that makes everything better. Is she going to shell out 3 million baht to the victim's family like the Red Bull punk's daddy did?

Because when becoming a nun for a short time, you don't need to cut your hair.

Thats not correct. She would need to lose the hair to become an actual nun. All she is doing is staying in a temple for a week and wearing white. If you are a real monk or nun even if you only ordain for 1 day you need to have your head shaved

Liptons is the tea equivalent of Carlsberg Special Brew (or Siam Sato for Thai afficianados). It is correctly called beer, but hardly approaching anything one could call a quality product. I think someone mentioned that it is so popular as it is good for making iced tea (i.e. it's far too bland to make a "proper" cup of (milk) tea. Dilmahs Ceylon is a much better alternative

There isnt actually a rule against driving in the Vinaya (monks code of conduct) but it is actively discouraged for a number of reasons (including the one here of monk driving without tax or licence which are illegal acts) as it can bring the sangha into (more) disrepute

Tescos has an appaling range of tea. The worst. They generally don't even stock Thai tea brands which I don't really understand. Big C is much better for some reason. Tops/Rimping and the like are much much better, although you still can't get Tetley tea anywhere in Thailand for some reason. For those that don't know, the two main competitors in the UK are Tetleys and PG Tips. Most people would choose one over the other. I choose Tetleys although I have to confess that I have grown rather accustomed to Thai Number 1 Brand Tea - the Gold version is quite decent as a quaffable daily cuppa.

PG Tips - can be bought at TOPS but expensive. Normally get friends to bring box loads with them when they come over.

Liptons - shocking if you want an English cup of tea. However, it was originally produced for the English abroad when they wouldn't use the local milk. So it is quite weak thus being ok for a cup of black tea or to make iced tea.

I am always offended when offered Liptons...it is awful awful stuff. Bland and makes you want to cry at the lack of a decent tea!!

I can highly recommend Pa Auk monastery, which is a true forest monastery, and have instruction in English although this is in Burma which isn't so helpful. I am hoping that with ASEAN on the horizon, they will open the borders and let you drive over which wouldn't be that far then.

In Thailand, a friend of mine has recommended Wat Tham Doi Tohn http://vimuttidhamma.org/.

There is also Wat Umong and Wat Ram Poeng both in CM which are highly regarded in terms of the seriousness of their practice as well as Chom Tong which you have already mentioned

You can also check out the Dhammathai,org website which lists a number of temples and some background information about each one which is very helpful

In order to use the ATM card as a debit card you need to have had it registered as a Debit card as well as an ATM card. i didnt realise the difference as in the UK if you get an ATM card which cant be used as a debit card it doesnt have the "Visa" log. All I had to was go to the bank and get it registered as debit AND ATM card which took 5 mins to sort out once I knew why my card was being rejected. This is what might have happened with you.

I did recently in Hang Dong. I used a local lawyer who were OK (although I would say that I was a solicitor in the UK so I have a good understanding of legal documentation and processes so I could make appropriate amendments myself). You can PM me if you need to ask anything

Corruption has to be the biggest problem as it underpins almost everything done here

For a western orientated experience, you can try pophouse near Wat Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani. It teaches the Dhammakaya method which is the same method taught at Wat Pak Nam in Bangkok. They run 3 day courses as an introduction and is geared towards Westerners. http://pophouse.info/home/index.php In BKK itself, there is Little Bang Sangha run by an English Monk which often runs retreats.http://www.littlebang.org/ For a more Thai experience, there is Wat Amphavan in Singburi which is well known and teaches Vipassana. It is a couple of hours out of BKK. You can get a bus there from Mo Chit which drops you at the Temple gates. There is usually an English speaking nun there, but if you need instruction in English, it is best to check first. 0-3659-9381. I would mention that the Vipassana (Goenka-style) courses are very full on, and may be off-putting for newcomers or those looking to ease into meditation. There is also very little instruction on Dhamma as it is a secular-run organisation. Further afield, there are more options including Suan Mokh in Surat Thani and also retreat centres on Koh Phangan and Koh Samui that run regular retreats for foreigners (and Thais).

I would say that having lived on KPG, you pay a premium for everything there, even at 7/11 and Tesco/Big C, and for furniture, you would realistically have to go to Samui or Surat Thani, (the latter having prices to match its island and tourist status, and Surat Thani not being geared up to foreigners at all unlike somewhere like CM) so if you already have all your stuff, it is unlikely that the costs of transporting it down there would be more than buying it all again, ignoring all the hassle e.g. if you needed to take something back to Tesco Samui for example, its a full day trip, not just a quick jaunt out to the inner ring road.

I transported all my stuff from BKK to CM with Boonma Moving. They have an office in CM near the airport. They charged me 21,000B for a lorry from BKK to CM if that is any help. http://www.boonma.com/contact/

Something that also applies to only a very few (not me for one)...but I believe that you also require a yellow book as part of application for Thai citizenship.

why do you want one?. It serves no purpose except to get a confirmation of your address. This can be done with a bill with your name and address on!

That isn't correct. You can use it for a lot of things if you are a long-term resident in Thailand, including bank accounts, phone cards (post-paid) and of course driving licences and car/motorcycle ownership documents (although I appreciate that not all offices accept them, and still require certificate of residence from Immigration, but there we are). It is not a necessity, and a lot of people don't bother to do (for which read "most") but can make life easier if living here long-term as I said.

I do feel sorry for you OP and hope things work out. My Mrs and I did it tough when settling back in the west too. We both had second jobs. I was cleaning cinemas and she did home delivery jobs to make ends meet. Been there done that.

It shouldnt be a case of her money or your money. You're married. Spending so much money on a bouse in isaan when you're short of a quid is madness. In a normal balanced relationship you would sit down, work out where the money is going and make compromises if need be. If she isnt willing to do that then shes in it for herself and it's never going to work.

Maybe she ia making the most of her time in the UK by sending money home on the basis that that is where she sees her future i.e. not in the UK. Read into that what you will

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An update. She is not allowed back in to my parents house as their are really upset that she did even say goodbye to them. The front door locks have been changed today because did not give the front door key back.

I did send her a message this morning on Line to meet up for lunch, she read the message and has not replied. I have had enough of her now with this behavior and may consider informing the Home Office about her current situation as she is legally not allowed to stay in the UK any longer.

All she has to do to secure her stay in the UK is to mention the words "abuse and threats" evidenced by changed door locks!

Much free legal advise is available to to abused and mistreated women who are locked out of their homes.

Bet she will have fun taking you to the cleaners !

That isnt correct mate. you need a lot more than that including police report etc

after she says "he slapped me around" its all over for him, she has him by the short hairs & is about to jump to the first floor. police report ? have you been under a rock the last few years? momma should of locked him out also, :-)

Actually mate, the last couple of years I was practising law including dealing with DV cases involving immigration issues. So I suspect my knowledge of the law is a little better than other rock dwellers...

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An update. She is not allowed back in to my parents house as their are really upset that she did even say goodbye to them. The front door locks have been changed today because did not give the front door key back.

I did send her a message this morning on Line to meet up for lunch, she read the message and has not replied. I have had enough of her now with this behavior and may consider informing the Home Office about her current situation as she is legally not allowed to stay in the UK any longer.

All she has to do to secure her stay in the UK is to mention the words "abuse and threats" evidenced by changed door locks!

Much free legal advise is available to to abused and mistreated women who are locked out of their homes.

Bet she will have fun taking you to the cleaners !

That isnt correct mate. you need a lot more than that including police report etc

If you were married already when the lease was given you may be mistaken there.

Usufruct is better in those circumstances I believe

DON'T WORRY - YOUR PROTECTED LEASE IS STILL SAVE AND VALID

"It may be true that Phuket courts reclassified a validly secured and duly registered lease into a void transfer of legal ownership. Reportedly this has been done without any reference to the anti-nominee rules of the foreigner laws (Land Code, Foreign Business Act), but just by interpreting the Civil and Commercial Code, which does not differentiate between Thai and foreign persons. The fictitious ownership transfer was not declared void, because the investor was a foreigner, but due to the reason this "ownership transfer by mistake" had not been registered as (hidden) sale. It is currently unclear whether the facts in such cases really justify such reclassification, which would be antipodal to civil law legislation and jurisdiction - and whether the courts arguments have been unbiased described reported. Sometimes the wish seems to be father to the thought. It should be clearly noted that it is the general concept of Thailand's lease legislation that any overstepping of legal limitations is carefully reduced by law to a size and scope which is still legal and valid. If a lease agreement is concluded for 31, 90 or 500 years, it would not be deemed to be void from the beginning. Under Section 540, second sentence CCC its enforceability is just limited to the first thirty years. And it will certainly not be reclassified as a (hidden) sale."

Source: http://linkd.in/1JKQ32W

... AND IT IS NO CASE OF SECTION 155 CCC

It is a serious misinterpretation of Section 155 CCC to base a verdict on that piece of legislation. Section 155 CCC refers to circumstances, where the parties create only the wrong impression, a certain contract has been concluded, but in reality they do not agree on such contract. They do not want the contract to have any legal effect, just a apparent legal effect. [A typical example is the sale of estate by an over indebted debtor to his wife, so that the creditor gets discouraged to start legal actions against the apparent penniless debtor. For such scenario the law rules that the sale is void.] However, in our case the parties of the lease agreement did not at all want to create just the appearance of the lease. They wanted and still want a valid lease agreement. Therefore Section 155 CCC is simply not applicable to such case. Source: http://linkd.in/1JKQ32W

Apart from this hype, each and any agreement can be void if the terms of the contract are not seriously agreed. If the lease contains clauses which could obviously not be enforced under Thai laws (above all a duration of 90 years) then its validity might be denied due to lack of graveness. This is just a general legal concept which should not give reason to trumpet about a general crackdown on secured lease structures. To repair such objected investment structure, the lease agreements has to be adjusted, leaving the protection mechanism untouched.

There is a legal difference between "void" and "unenforceable". If a contract is inchoate then it may be unenforceable rather than void which leads to a different effect in law and equity. Likewise a contract may contain illegal clauses which are capable of being struck out but leaving the remainder of the contract valid and enforceable. If the purpose of the contract has an illegal intent then the contract may well be regarded as void ab initio which means it cannot be resusciatated and is basically thrown to the wind with no compensation to the parties. The article is very unclear as to what applies here and there isnt enough detail of the terms of the agreements to establish the possibility of severability. In any event I understand that equitable principles and reliefs are very underdeveloped in Thai law