gomangosteen

These lampposts didn't even get posts ... loosely attached to buildings along a Chanthaburi riverside road, only a few function as lights, several have fallen off and sit propped up on the pavement as ornaments.

I wasn't aware of this fraud business ... there's also a stretch of rural road, no houses,  that strangely has about 150m of fancy lights for no apparent reason. I don't know if they're connected, or purely decorative. 

Money well spent?

Did consider taking one home for the garden, but that would be akin to a crime against humanity and the "ha ha" full force of the law would apply

A visit wouldn't bother me; as it seems I may now the only westerner (pop. 7000) in town since Covid appears to have cleared out the seniors I'd feel special???? if an IO delegation turns up from the city. 

I used to be in a cycling group with one of the city IOs unsure if he's still there, in our 12th year here I've never never had any bother with the Chanthaburi office.

Police obviously know I'm here, only interactions are smiles and waves, though I  was once pulled over by highway patrol and told off for cycling on Sukhumvit Rd as it was "too dangerous".

It's a quiet life.

My partner is an accountant for a civil engineering company. Roads and bridges. Contracts mostly 600 million upwards, the standard cut for 'officials' is factored into their contract tenders at 11%. 

That's the way it is. Without those payoffs, no contracts. 

Every time a progress payment is due from local government, so too a progress payment is due to the local government inspectors who sign off on work completed.

58 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

 

 

Hope NZ you get smashed in the World Cup.

 

Bizarre comment, yet you are so bold as to refer to others as 'retards'.

NZ does not feature in the FIFA World Cup. As if that is relevant to anything.

NZ has incredible native biodiversity borne out of its geographic isolation, no common land borders.

People make huge efforts to support, retain and boost near-extinct species and no need for introduced pests.

On 11/8/2022 at 9:42 PM, DaveCW said:

Are these real weapons or BB guns? - I see in one of the pics a CM.355 gun box - this is a bb gun - how many others airsoft type guns? 

Winner!

Hyped up for the press pictures apparently. A lot of false or exaggerated claims from Kathu police fed to the media.

According to the latest news report in Phuket states he is facing two firearms charges for illegal weapons.

The rest were replica (Airsoft?) He was involved in a Line group trading them.

No mention from Kathu police on the grenades so it would seem they too may be replicas.

He was released after one night in custody, he has a reporting-in every 12 days condition on his release, and no date has been set for a court hearing.

And he had a nail gun which police stated is not a problem, he has been using it to put up shelves in the house.

Still, two illegal firearms is two too many.

6 minutes ago, Seppius said:

Going to be awkward for tourists to watch the 2am games with the bars being told to close

Ideally those tourists can afford to stay in hotels with televisions.

Short hiking trip in the Khung Krabaen Non-Hunting area, Chanthaburi coast.

Over a hill then down to sea level to the pink rocks at end of the peninsula

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Did you read the OP.

"Show 20k in cash on arrival "

At a guess he is planning to enter visa exempt. 

I stated my own experience.

And was responding to an earlier statement "For a tourist visa it is the same." 

but thanks all the same

????

I've flown in well over 40x and never been asked re funds; however - for Tourist Visa in 2022 - appears it may differ by country of origin.

We currently have a guest staying from New Zealand; they were required to provide a bank letter for their Tourist Visa application confirming they had over NZ$2000 (equates to 44,000 baht at today's rates), as per below from the cover sheet to accompany the application, bank provided while they waited (no cost):

9. A copy of the most recent bank statement providing evidence of sufficient funds for staying in Thailand (credit card and home loan accounts not accepted).

Name, bank account balance, account transactions must be clearly indicated.

The statement MUST be signed, stamped and dated by the bank.

o Tourist Visa (single entry) - at least NZ$ 2,000 per person;

o Tourist Visa (multiple entries) - at least NZ$ 9,000 per person, showing the transactions for the past 6 months;

NZ houses #2.

Wellington again, friends sold their property to a developer @ $1.15m, bank withdrew developer's finance the day before settlement end of June.

A chain of events as they had a conditional offer on another property, as did those vendors and so on. 

Now unsold @$950k. It's a 'development opportunity' for demolition / build apartments but finance for developers apparently no longer an option. 

NZ houses. And it does vary by region/city in terms of how much the prices have dropped.

I worked in NZ on contract over April-August this year and stayed with a friend in Wellington.

She had received her new govt property valuation which impacts on annual rates payable.

The rateable value was $1.48m up from the previous $1.1m and reflective of the insane prices of late 2021.

She's freehold and not looking to sell.

A reality check from the house two doors along with almost identical house, property size, and valuation. Marketed by a real estate company at $1.4m, reduced after a month to $1.2m and eventually sold at $980k.

The downside in all this of course is for the next three years her rates are based on the now unrealistic $1.48m.

On 11/18/2022 at 11:48 AM, sscc said:

 

Pattaya to Chanthaburi and transfer to Ban Pakkard is OK. 

How is the procedure in using public transport and do all on my own  

 

May be you can help us on the pros and cons doing on our own using public transport c/w tuk-tuk on the short trip  ? . 

Hi. Just some notes on Chanthaburi. Get your Google maps ready 

The bus terminal is just outside the central city area, near the lake and the main Lotus shopping complex.

Minivans for eg Ban Pakkard are from Chantanamit, across the river down an alley opposite Robinson's. Maybe 10 minutes+ drive depending on traffic.

There are no tuk-tuks in Chanthaburi it's all Mazda pickups with a bench seat and commonly a leaking noisy exhaust that seems to vent its fumes through holes in the floor. They queue at the bus station. 

English speaking is extremely rare for a pickup driver (11 years, it's 'never' in my exp).

Though they should know "Robinson". 

The minivan. I only used it once all those years ago, that was enough.

It was for locals, stopping constantly to drop-off and pick-up and carrying crates of produce for the market. An experience, but certainly not luxury travel.

Hope it goes well for you and look forward to a positive result!

19 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

Yes, that is certainly a key factor in the decision. NZ Passport renewal from abroad is quick and easy. I did it a couple of times from the UK.  

My NZ passport renewal - completed online on a Thursday, following morning a call from NZ Dept Internal Affairs wanting to confirm why I required a new one, ie it hadn't been lost or stolen as hadn't expired, explained full of visa and entry/exit stamps, all ok. Processed by Monday and arrived for collection at DHL agent in Chanthaburi on Wednesday afternoon.

Six days, as good as it gets.

9 hours ago, Hellfire said:

And what about Ban Laem checkpoint?

I haven't been to Ban Laem/Daung since November 2012, it's a little further north from Ban Pakkard. At that time the markets were bigger than Ban Pakkard, and overall a lot busier, can't comment on 2022.

From the archives - Ban Laem/Daung November 2012.

2-part epoxy for bare concrete; ThaiWatsadu, Global, HomePro will all have a range available.

55 minutes ago, bernard75 said:

I maintain that Hat Lek is faster.

From central Chan city - 140km to Hat Lek, 76 to Ban Pakkard.

Done the trip often enough over the years, Highway 317 to Pong Nam Ron then east/right to Ban Pakkard.

As mentioned above, it's the location of choice for visa run companies.

^ doesn't look at all safe!

But in the news 8 November. The expat mechanical engineer in Kathu, Phuket,was one of those arrested:.

Regarding the firearms-related cases, the police chief singled out the case of “Veerayuth” (surname withheld), owner of the Charoen Airsoft 4289, who allegedly sold BB guns as well as modified BB guns, which can be used to fire real bullets, online.

He said that police have raided 209 workshops, allegedly involved in the modification of BB guns, and arrested 54 suspects, seized 110 modified BB guns, 11 explosive items and a large haul of ammunition.

20 minutes ago, Ginner said:

This kind of overstayer is the ones the police want to get out the country at last begging to get rid of the BAD guys. Not picking on 65 year old pensioners because they are on overstay because the Bhat is performing well and reduce the exchange rate for the visa application.

Strange attitude.

What other country can you simply move to and live illegally?

Advanced age and reduced income are hardly Thailand's problem.

No. Haven't even witnessed a fight.

Closest would be when I was living in Phuket, so pre-2010, attending a Muay Thai event, saw a bar owner I knew cornered by three Thai males near the entrance.

Gordon a scrawny little Englishman, drunk and abusive arguing about the admission fee. 

Calmed things and dragged him away, he even got stroppy with me. 

He'd have got a good hiding if left to himself, afterwards there were times I thought maybe I should have left him there.

Never felt threatened in sleepy Chanthaburi. 

The vessel is MV Arvin, a 46-year-old dry-bulk carrier, sank 17 January 2021. It was at anchor when it started breaking up amidships in heavy swells.

In 2020 port officials from Georgia found that the Arvin was structurally unsound, with deck corrosion and poorly maintained weather hatches supporting calls at the time to condemn the ship.

But the owners continued to sail.

21 minutes ago, Mark mark said:

He Must just be a Collector, a Loony one but a Collector ? Right or Crimes already committed with these sort of Weapons should have been traced back to him already ??? .

Collector?

He was arrested for selling modified firearms through social media.