AmericanSafety

2 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

There is obviously something amiss with this death. I read this morning that the mother had confirmed to Thai police that her daughter had tried to commit suicide before yet in the same same article the mother was claiming that her daughter had no reason to commit suicide. There was no mention as whether or not there was any molestation just the hanging. Looking at Elise's picture above she looks rather thin or at least, lean but nonetheless comfortable. How was the picture taken? Timed 'selfie' or did someone take the picture and who was the person, male or female?

The cult on Koh Phangan are vegetarians. Often the gaunt look in the tropics on that type of diet is not uncommon.

Other than the British couple, I believe all of the recent deaths were solo travelers.

Solo travelers are potential targets.

Serial killers do not prey on those that travel in groups, for obvious reasons.

It is interesting to note that there have been a series of untimely deaths by relatively young people. While suicide is not to be discarded in any of these events, it is not a logical conclusion for all. People don't often go on holiday and contemplate suicide, rather, they are often escaping from the perceived angst in their home countries. Suicide is more common in terminal illness cases or when drugs/alcohol is involved, or when people run out of money and contemplate dramatic lifestyle changes (repatriation).

This woman, in particular, had previously spent a few months on neighboring Koh Phanagan, with a guru Raaman. No mention of interview with the cult following.

The russian man, who years ago was found hung with his hands bound behind himself, VERY uncommon for suicides.

They simply don't add up.

The "fake" suicide by hanging or pitching off balconies is quite common in Thailand of a means of disposing of people.

Someone (or someones) is behind all this.

3 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

The exchange programs would be treated by the police who do them would be just a great holiday in America  Thais are never serious about nothing

True. In addition, the FBI has come to different cities countless times to provide basic and advanced coursework. I have a bit of firsthand knowledge of this. Unfortunately, it was easily discarded.

Having working in the field of Forensics and numerous types of cases of injury/death. I can tell you that this case along with many cases in Thailand, the police work is woefully  awful. The training for crime scene investigation is horrible to nonexistent. Trained investigators barely exist. The US (FBI) over the years have conducted numerous exchange programs and seminars with the various Thai police forces, with little to no benefit. Add a health dose of organized corruption and the accurate timeline of events will not be determined. "Bagged with accompanied excuses" becomes the norm. 

Truly awful. I have a 3 and a 4 year old. Unimaginable.

Soppy mess.

One of the good things about being an American expat in Thailand is we do not have to show income for a retirement visa. We just have to go to the embassy and "swear or attest" that we have enough income to support ourselves for a year at a time.

Regardless of the argument, the assault is completely out of order and unacceptable.

Mentioned an ex-wife.

At least he got to die in peace.

As they say, "bad news sells," well, Trump is a fairly easy target in the PC rich world we live in today.

The media is horrible biased in favor of the left wingers.

Case in point, the other day in the media they were addressing the issue of the UC Berkley riots because of the public speaker Milos Y. The headlines everywhere stated a similar narrative to this, "Milos Y., Alt-right provocateur incited heated protests at UC Berkely."  Now honestly, how disingenuous is that? A public speaker was coming to the university on a lecture tour snd the media is painting a narrative that he stated a riot, which he didn't. People who oppose his view points incited a riot. The true has little relevance though.

This is not all that uncommon from where I come from in the States.

Usually a case of know who you are dealing with.

And if one is to scam others, be seriously damn sure you know who they are.

So? Change the law. It is antiquated. Thailand needs to promote local commerce and not continue to bang on with these restrictive, out-dated social laws. In case they hadn't been watching, the world is becoming a more liberal state and those that want to restrict personal freedoms and responsibility are living in the dark ages.

VT1 A/B is a shambles. Prices are dropping but you can always buy a cheap studio there because pensioners are always dying. Thai management has such every baht out of the sinking fund for personal use.

VT 2 A is in similar fashion but not as bad.

VT2B is different. It is the only 1 out of the 4 that stays the same or increases. Foreign Ex-pat oversee all decisions and hired their own management and strayed away from the builder management. Good value.

Your "friend" is full of it.

What dribble, all the View Talays 1 and 2, replaced the developer's management team years ago. It was the developer that depleted the sinking funds, but new foreign management righted the ship and made capital improvements such as painting all the buildings. Better get the story straight before posting inaccuracies. The View Talays mentioned are popular buildings especially for the rental market.

I lived in VT2B up until last year.

The last I had heard, the other 3 were still being managed by the developer.

What that, in actuality, shows then is even worse.

Foreign oversight and the other 3 in the conditions they are in is comical then. They look awful.

Of my friends which live in these 3 buildings, it has always been because of their location and they are cheap to rent.

Would I buy in them? No. I wouldn't even pay the 700,000 for a studio in VT1.

You obviously heard wrong or was not listening carefully. The 2b building was built before the 2a building and the 2a building has been under foreign management for 8 years and View Talay 1 before that. Like 1a and 1b, 2a and 2b are twins so you can't knock 2a without critiquing 2b as they were both redecorated just a few years ago.

Like all View Talays they are aesthetically and architecturally lacking but unlike the new projects in Jomtien they are built like a brick shithouse. I will take substance over fluff anytime. Even View Talay 1 is livable as they are larger than the hotel size rooms being sold today. True they lack the fluff of the new projects but their home owner maintenance fees are much less and in my opinion more livable, rentable and a better value.

VT1 A/B is a great place to die in, if that is what you are looking for. I think like most people, when considering purchasing real estate, look for reasonable accommodations and a potential ROI upon placing the condo on the market. VT1 A/B are decreasing in value and are a shambles.

VT 2A is a bit better. Having to shop in any of them, VT2B is far better and ROI is solid or increasing. I suppose to each their own though.

I tried contacting RJ Cleaning Solutions in Pattaya area but the phone was disconnected.

Does anyone know of any other Soda Blasting companies in the area?

VT1 A/B is a shambles. Prices are dropping but you can always buy a cheap studio there because pensioners are always dying. Thai management has such every baht out of the sinking fund for personal use.

VT 2 A is in similar fashion but not as bad.

VT2B is different. It is the only 1 out of the 4 that stays the same or increases. Foreign Ex-pat oversee all decisions and hired their own management and strayed away from the builder management. Good value.

Your "friend" is full of it.

What dribble, all the View Talays 1 and 2, replaced the developer's management team years ago. It was the developer that depleted the sinking funds, but new foreign management righted the ship and made capital improvements such as painting all the buildings. Better get the story straight before posting inaccuracies. The View Talays mentioned are popular buildings especially for the rental market.

I lived in VT2B up until last year.

The last I had heard, the other 3 were still being managed by the developer.

What that, in actuality, shows then is even worse.

Foreign oversight and the other 3 in the conditions they are in is comical then. They look awful.

Of my friends which live in these 3 buildings, it has always been because of their location and they are cheap to rent.

Would I buy in them? No. I wouldn't even pay the 700,000 for a studio in VT1.

VT1 A/B is a shambles. Prices are dropping but you can always buy a cheap studio there because pensioners are always dying. Thai management has such every baht out of the sinking fund for personal use.

VT 2 A is in similar fashion but not as bad.

VT2B is different. It is the only 1 out of the 4 that stays the same or increases. Foreign Ex-pat oversee all decisions and hired their own management and strayed away from the builder management. Good value.

Your "friend" is full of it.

• I kept my AMEX from the States. Had the option to change it over and didn't. Glad I hadn't. All the bill paying is online, so the regional distinction isn't important & with the Gold Preferred Rewards there is no international transaction fee. A lot of places don't take the AMEX, but for the big purchases (i.e HomePro & HomeWorks) they have taken it without problem. For US members, there is a new promotional offer of 50,000 air miles transferrable to any airlines if you sign on and spend $1000 in the 1st 3 months. The money may sound like a bit much but if you use it in place of normally spending of bills and pay it off each month, you naturally accrue no interest and get the 50,000 for normal spending. 1st year card fee waived and $85 each additional year.

Hey Gents-

Thanks for your help again with my previous water filtration questions.

Well, it appears that one of my concrete walls is leaking (cinderblock wall with stucco).

I am currently out of the country, but I hope it isn't coming from the attic/roof (although it probably is).

There is some cracking to the bottom of the exterior paint which is exactly opposite of the bubbling and blistering to the paint on the interior.

Well, assuming there roof isn't leaking or I fix it, I will still have to make repairs. I am planning on rough sanding the base exterior of the house to the cinder block, spraying 10%Bleach solution to kill fungal growth, drying and applying a basal elastomeric waterproofing (Shell Flintkote), primer coat and then exterior paint.

Does this sound right?

Has anyone used the Shell Flintkote before?

http://www.shell.co.th/en/products-services/solutions-for-businesses/mr-flintkote.html

I can't imagine how you could possibly use 5,000 baht worth of bottled water per month. If you are buying the big 20 liter bottles at15 baht a pop, you'd be talking 6,666 liters a month! It must be a typo. If t is not, even taking baths in it would not account for that volume. You must be using it to water the lawn as well.

In any event, I put in a filtration system. Not the one you want; my needs were different, so I won't go into what I did. But I did do A LOT of research and looked high and low. What I determined is that ALL Thai "water experts" are uneducated cretins. If you really get into questioning them, you will find that everything they profess to know comes from 100% rote memory and zero understanding. They know absolutely nothing about water chemistry. So, as with most things here, never trust ANYTHING they say. Do your own homework. It's all on the Internet if you just make the time.

Finally, after examining the equipment available here I concluded it's all a bunch of very expensive junk. I decided that if I wanted trouble free equipment that would give me years and years of problem free service, I would have to bite the bullet, purchase from a reputable Western company and import it. That's what I did and I have not regretted it.

There will be an ample number of people on this forum that will jump up and say I am a fool. My only answer is that after over eight years here, I have grown very disenchanted with what they get away with selling in this country. I like high quality equipment. To each his own.

Thanks PattayaClub-

From my online research, knowledge of water and speaking with our water experts here at the job site I am on, I have been leaning heavily in the direction of importing as well. I am just hoping to find something in Thailand that is truly reputable. I got 2 young daughters who have to drink it and if its crap, I'll never forgive myself.

I installed this system in Bangkok several months ago when water was starting to taste like the sea. Have been very happy with it and testing with TDS meter shows PPM of tap water in 150-155 range down to 12-14 range. This does not have UV - RO is the key filter system.

http://www.lazada.co.th/colandas-ro-50g-459200.html

Lopburi3,

Thanks for the imput. I researched this particular unit a year ago and although there is an American flag on it is manufactured by a Chinese company in China. Made me cringe.

I consider the prices absurd high at the moment and refuse to buy at these prices.

My real estate agent tried to sell me a unit at Southpoint, with the free 20 year visa (which is actually 5 years if I understood it correctly), I checked the prices and condos start at 3 million for approx 30 square meter, omb, that's 100k baht per m2. I'm no expert but sounds like a pretty poor deal to me.

Went to view another condo today, 1,6 mill at Jomtien soi 12, Beach 7 Condominium I think it's called, 7 storeys high, the unit is 46m2 so sound good when the guy told me in a bar. However when I went there the outside of the building has a huge amount of plastered cracks in the walls. Guess that says enough about the quality of the whole building, it's only 5 year old according to the guy that wants to sell it but I doubt it will last for dozens of years. According to images from Google Maps they sold it back then for 795,000 baht starting price per unit. Guess can't expect much for such price?

If I were buying condos.

A) I think it is called Novanna (near the flyover going into Jomtien). 2 year old building and furnished are going for about 1.4/1.5MB. 3 minutes from Walking Street. Resale potential.

View Talay 2B (can't stress B enough; next to TMB Bank Jomtien). 5 years ago the coop was taken over by expats from developers. Sinking fund actually goes to maintenance, management and security. Studio goes for roughly 1.8MB but the prices stay stead or rise. Individual metered and an all around good development. Shopettes downstairs.

C) Mentioned before, new developments along Thappraya going off to Chayapruek.

D) Hyde Park 2 (in Jomtien in back street opposite Residence Garden). Well maintained, 4 minutes from Walking Street, resale potential, 2.3MB

Just visit the expat condo site for View Talay 2B, studio for 2,2mill and they claim expected rent price of 15k-24k/mo dependent on length of stay etc. I find that kind of hard to believe, do you agree?

Hyde Park 2 sounds interesting, thanks for those mentions!

I lived 1st in VT2B in a studio. 1 year averages between 9,000-14,000/month.

I later lived there in a double unit made into 1 bedroom. That went for 20,000/month for a year.

Short term leases can go for a studio for around 15/18,000/ a month depending on season and how well furnished.

2.2MB seems a little high. Used to routinely see units posted on the convenience store downstairs for 1.6/1.8MB (studio).

I would give them a lowball offer and see if they take it.

7 years ago, studio were going for 1.4MB routinely.

Like I said, good value for money and the prices are steady or going up.

For Hyde Park 2, opposite The Residence Garden is a restaurant called Alto's, the owner, Damian Lynch is a friend of mine and sells HP2 units. Ask for him and he can show you those or the Novanna one around the corner. Good guy.

5000 baht on bottled water wow.

Do you bath in it ?

I have 2 kids and a wife also my bill for drinking water is under a 1000 baht.

I use the white bottles for cooking,have a water cooler which I fill with the Nestle pure life 6 litre bottles and have a fridge upstairs with nestle small bottles 50 odd baht a pack.

I can not for the love of me understand why your bill is so high.

Ha ha, no. No bathing.

The 2 kids are still on the bottle and go through a lot of formula. I drink the tall bottles of Singha water, which is our main usage. We got the big 6 liter for cooking.

There might be a case or 2 of Tiger in that bill estimation as well.

Looking into purchasing and installing a 5 stage reverse osmosis water filter with UV into my 3BR, 2Bath House. Wife, me and 2 young children. Currently going through 5,000B a month on bottled water which is crazy.

Does anyone have any experience installing and which are the best for in Thailand?

Does anyone know of a water study done on the source for Pattaya?

Trying to primarily eliminate the flagellates, giardia and other bio-nuisances found.

Also trying to see if pre-chlorination is done at the source.

I consider the prices absurd high at the moment and refuse to buy at these prices.

My real estate agent tried to sell me a unit at Southpoint, with the free 20 year visa (which is actually 5 years if I understood it correctly), I checked the prices and condos start at 3 million for approx 30 square meter, omb, that's 100k baht per m2. I'm no expert but sounds like a pretty poor deal to me.

Went to view another condo today, 1,6 mill at Jomtien soi 12, Beach 7 Condominium I think it's called, 7 storeys high, the unit is 46m2 so sound good when the guy told me in a bar. However when I went there the outside of the building has a huge amount of plastered cracks in the walls. Guess that says enough about the quality of the whole building, it's only 5 year old according to the guy that wants to sell it but I doubt it will last for dozens of years. According to images from Google Maps they sold it back then for 795,000 baht starting price per unit. Guess can't expect much for such price?

If I were buying condos.

A) I think it is called Novanna (near the flyover going into Jomtien). 2 year old building and furnished are going for about 1.4/1.5MB. 3 minutes from Walking Street. Resale potential.

View Talay 2B (can't stress B enough; next to TMB Bank Jomtien). 5 years ago the coop was taken over by expats from developers. Sinking fund actually goes to maintenance, management and security. Studio goes for roughly 1.8MB but the prices stay stead or rise. Individual metered and an all around good development. Shopettes downstairs.

C) Mentioned before, new developments along Thappraya going off to Chayapruek.

D) Hyde Park 2 (in Jomtien in back street opposite Residence Garden). Well maintained, 4 minutes from Walking Street, resale potential, 2.3MB