toryboy1979

I would be very grateful if anyone with factual knowledge could advise me as to when it is possible to make an appointment for my Thai lady with VFS for the purpose of submitting the application for a UK tourist/visitors visa.

Looking at the web site it appears that it is only possible to book an appointment about 10 to 15 days prior to the required date of the actual day of appointment. I say this because when clicking on the particular date - which is still some 43 days hence -

there is no response.

I appreciate the fact that the date is some way off, but I just wanted to get it done and out of the way plus I was concerned that if I left it too late we would not get the date we wanted.

Many thanks

You can apply for your new extension of stay based upon retirement (it is not a visa) up to 30 days early or 45 at some offices.

In respect of Chiang Mai is it 30 or 45 days. I would appreciate the information because I am leaving the country on 16 January 2016 and returning 2 February 2016 and my retirement date is 1 February 2016. I understand Chiang Mai currently has a problem with retirement i.e very long waits and no queue system and I am concerned that if I cannot try to obtain the extension before 4 January 2016 - 1 Jan is a holiday and 2/3 Jan weekend - that I might run it very close. If however Chiang Mai will allow me to start 45 days before due date it will give that little bit of extra time.

Many thanks in advance.

When a Thai National moves from one city to another within Thailand is there a requirement to notify the respective authorities of the change of address. Thank you

I have lost the telephone number of a Thai computer repair man whose name was 'nic'. I need to call him as the new hard disk he installed has failed. Can anyone in Chiangmai help please. thanks

No loss there then ! I too had the misfortune to visit CM UK Consulate apalling,rude & arrogant Thai lady ran the place under the Hon Consuler who was never to be seen.or contacted as always"too busy". Disgrace of a place. Pattaya had some fat,ugly gay guy & gay team including a formidable looking lady man working next to immigration a few years ago but although making themselves a few quid were at least efficient.

The only decent UK Consulate I met was an ex-Army man on Koh Samui about 6 yrs ago but I think he packed it in as just got grief...all very sad.

The Thai lady you refer to was the most helpful, pleasant lady you could ever wish to meet. You are an utter disgrace to talk about her like this. I imagine with your attitude you have problems wherever you go.

I second your comment. Whenever I have been to the Consulate I have found them extremely helpful and polite. I shall miss their helpful ways.

My thanks to everyone who contributed.

Has anyone experience of postal times from UK to Thailand for airmail letter. Grateful anyone with personal experience to comment.

Many thanks

Thank you ubonjoe

I am going to the UK shortly and whilst there will be getting a new passport. Can I go to the Thai Embassy in Kensington London to have my Visa/ retirement stamp/exit stamp transferred to the new passport.

I am told that Ubonjoe will know the answer.

Many thanks

Today my computer crashed and not be clever enough to repair it I took it to a shop in Meechoke Plaza called 'BE FIXED' which is located on the first floor above the book shop and it opens at 10:30. I had to leave it there until 17:00 when I received a text telling me that I could collect.

He was not expensive at all and using him saved me a trip into town. A really nice guy who speaks reasonable English.

So I thought I would give him a bit of PR and let folks in the San Sai area know about him. The computer is now working fine.

Can anyone please tell me the name/type of the building block in the picture attached. I am in the planning stage of house building and proposing to have a two skin exterior wall - the inside will be red brick and the outside this particular block which I am being told is a better quality than the block used for building a perimeter fence wall.

Attachment

Thank you one and all for your individual input. I'll have to keep on looking.

Hi

I have been told about a Massage shop in Maejo on R1001 that might be able to relieve my hip and leg pain, but have been unable to find it. Since looking I am told the lady owner - Marisa - no longer has the business but that it might be that two or three ladies - Nok plus one or two others - have resumed the business elsewhere on this same road.

Is anyone aware of this masage shop and if so how I might find it and whether they are as good as I have been told.

Many thanks

I have just returned from the British Consulate Chiang Mai after collecting my 'proof of income' letter. I was informed that next year I would have to apply to The British Embassy Bangkok and that I should check the website of the Embassy for furthr information. Additionally the extremely pleasant member of staff said that this procedure would be effective from 1st February 2015.

I have used a firm called Currency Fair to transfer money from UK to Thailand on several occasions in the past. A couple of months ago they contacted me and said that they were concered that the transfers might be in contravention of their compliancy unit rules. When asked to clarify they said that as I was living in Thailand I would not be able to use their services again.

Can anyone explain please. Have I understood them correctly.

I currently have CTH providing TV for my house in Chiang Mai, however I am finding it very unsatisfactory, with the picture constantly 'freezing' or the remote not responding. So I would like to change my provider but I am told that the only alternative I have is to change to a satellite driven PSI system, which presumably would suffer the same problems as CTH or to go to TrueVision of who I am not a great fan.

I have heard of Ex-Pat tv but have no knowledge, so does anyone have such knowledge.

Other than that I guess I will need to buy a good supply of books!!!

I would welcome other posters experiences with TV providers in Chiang Mai if there are other suppliers.

Thank you very much to all particularly the Fat Controller. Your post re SWIFT very helpful. Just to check, were you buying Thai baht or transferring sterling to a Bangkok Bank Foreign currency account?

I should add that I am fully aware that things are not looking good for the pound sterling on the exchange rates with Barckays International forecasting that ti will slip to as low as 1.44 to the dollar in 2015 due to the boyuant US economy, the global uncertainty and the probability that the US will raise interest rates sometime after April 2015 plus the political uncertainty in the UK.

Hello All I want to move 30,000 pounds sterling to Thailand to finance a house yet to be started. I believe I will get a better rate if the conversion is done in Thailand but I remain open to sggestions (polite ones that is!)

I bank with Nationwide and this means I will have to do it in three transaction of 10,000 pounds each (Nationwide limit is 10,000 anyone time) - although I am told they will permit a one time transfer by special arrangement - to be transferred to Bangkok Bank London for onward processing. BBL will charge 20 pounds each transaction.

Looking to avoid the 60 pounds sterling charge if done in three transaction, I enquired from Currency Fair who will hold money in an account until I am ready to transfer and which would incur a one time charge of 7 pounds sterling. This is good because I can then purchase the Thai Baht at a time when the exchange is a little better than at present. Because the transfer between Nationwide and Currency Fair is within the UK, Nationwide will not make any charge and the transfer is done same day.

However because I am already living in Thailand, Currency Fair will not assist without proof of bill of sale for stated purpose, which of course I cannot get because I can only get that once the house has been built and I have paid the various instalments and to do that I need the money here. A case of 'Chicken and Egg'.

So to the many 'money' orientated posters, can you recommend an FX company that will do the transfer at a reasonable charge and has a rate as good as the Bangkok Bank Thailand's daily TT rate and of course can be trusted.

Many thanks

I would like to thank the 4 people who took time to answer my enquiry. A happy Christmas and a good New Year to all of you.

In the New Year I am thinking of moving to Pattaya and would like to rent a house somewhere between North and South Pattaya Roads and preferably within a Moobaan complex. I do not want to be on the darkside because of transport difficulties as I only have sight in my left eye due to an injury, so nearby bus routes will be an advantage. I will be living alone and I have no interest in renting a condominium.

Can anyone advise me if there are moobaans in this area and are they predominantly Thai or do some have English speaking residents.

A single story house with 2 bedrooms and bathrooms is the minimum requirement as I will be having visitors from the UK and the US from time to time.

Helpful and useful advice would be most welcomed.

Many thanks

I thought martial law meant no gatherings of more than 5? There were 5 of them.

What Prayuth really means by martial law is that not a single person may criticise me or challenge me. If you do, you'll be locked up!

If you read the rules that they endorsed under this martial law then you can see that protesting against the junta is forbidden under this martial law...

Try this stunt in any other country, for example have 5 protesters run up to the stage where Barack Obama is holding a speech and count how many of them are shot by secret service as potential threats.

Anyone trying to pull this kind of stunt in the US would never got anywhere near Obama. Just goes to show the competency level of the Thai security services. If the army can't guarantee the security of their junta leader, what hope is there for them running the country?

How wrong you are! The Head of the US Secret Service had to resign a few months ago because and I copy the news report:

'Yesterday it emerged that her agents had allowed the armed private security guard with convictions for assault to share a lift with Mr Obama at an appearance in Atlanta just three days previous to the resignation'.

Plus a couple of months ago, a 'jogger' in London was able to get up close to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, in a Northern City of the UK. Just shows were all human and can make mistakes.

They don't fill the space with solid concrete, it will either be a void or filled with sand (ours is sand)

Unless you want storage space 30-50cm above final ground level would be reasonable, even though you don't flood you do not want heavy rain to enter your home.

Just decide how many steps you want to go up to enter and tell the man.

Thank you very much for your reply, you have been very helpful with your straightforward reply. I am now better informed.

The architect drawing the plans for the house we wish to build North of Khon Kaen has asked how high from ground level we want the ground floor. In my total ignorance I imagined that having built up the land by 1m above road level, that the ground floor would be laid directly onto that with say a 4 to 6 cm layer of cement with appropriate rebar. Now I am confused by this question because he has said that a height of 50/60 cms from actual ground level would be approprate. Is this normal?

Additionally if I follow this advice then I wonder what the cost of the cement for the ground floor would be. It will be a single story house measuring 13 x 11m (143 sq m). So if my maths are correct the cubic metres of cement required would be 13 x 11 x .5 or .6 which I believe results as 71.5 or 86.8 cubic metres based on infilling the total area with only cement and the appropriate number of rebar.

I should also say that the building land is not prone to flooding and for interest sake the architect has no connection with builders as we are yet to decide/find a builder.

Thank you

Yup it's me again back for some more advice from those in the know. I need to raise 1 rai of land by 1 metre. I do not currently live in that area and neither I or partner have any contacts/connections, Can those in the know please supply details of 'dirt' suppliers in that general area and the likely cost, which I am told could be about 600 baht per 6 wheeler truck. At that cost I will be spending 300,000 baht. House when eventually built will occupy roughly half of the land.

Thank you