Scouse123

That is not what the policeman was suggesting. He was saying to leave the ice truck out of it completely and say it was my fault and claim on the insurance as the other guy did not have any.

More or less, take the blame myself, commit fraud and say I did it on the gate or whatever reversing out of the drive.

This was his solution to me getting it repaired as opposed to paying from my pocket.

The fact the other guy had no insurance, the policeman was NOT INTERESTED at all. He knew the guy!!

Would they have be interested if it was me with no insurance? And I was at fault? ............You guys all know the answer to that.

You cannot win with them and I knew from the responses I received I was wasting my time. Had I tried to make a report or anything, it would have been their usual answer " Why you want to make a problem ? "

Scouse123: I'd ask him if he realizes that he is suggesting insurance fraud which is not a joke.

To which he would reply, 'Well do you want your truck repaired or not?'

Exactly!!! You know the system.....?

I get your point, I just knew when he said that I was banging my head against a brick wall and up here they all seem to be somebody's cousin or family or extended family and why should I be allowed to disrupt their way of living, that is the feeling you get when you try to argue the toss with them.

They blindly do not see it when I tried to point out that I had to have insurance so why not the ice truck...The answer was " ice " would not be a profitable business if he had to do things like getting insurance, I just walked away shaking my head to myself.

Hi,

I have two friends coming over early May, one has been many times but the other is a first timer. Both guys are healthy and active and in their sixties. Both are business guys but very laid back.

One has suggested he would like to visit the islands. I have been here over 20 years and visited Phuket last year, first time in many years and wasn't impressed at all. I have been to Samui and loved it but it was many years ago.

May will be low season, I am thinking about Koh Samui and maybe Koh Chang. These guys are drinkers but not bar flies and like looking at interesting places. I though Samui would. good for a few days for the first timer, just to let him see what many talk about regards bars and beaches.

I then fancy showing them the nicer places to visit, island wise, that is please.

Anybody with first hand experience, I would love to hear from you. My friends are mid range travellers, not five star but not backpacking.

True story.......

Up here in the sticks, an ice truck delivery van hit my car as I was reversing out of my drive. I was going very slow as it is a blind spot but a very quiet road. It isn't so quiet now as it was formerly a ' red road ' but has now been treated with Tarmac. This has not helped as now everybody speeds down this once ' quiet road ' and wagons are now using it as a shortcut!

Anyway, instead of allowing me out, he came at speed and attempted to get round me but caught the side of my pick up and scraped the side as well as the foot sill was was damaged and needed replacing as did the rear wheel guard.

He admitted he was at fault. Local copper arrived from the village.he asked me if I had insurance, I said I had and it was Class 1. He then informed me the ice truck had no insurance at all and suggested he would do a report stating I was responsible and I could then claim on MY insurance.

I pointed out it was the other guys fault and my insurance premium would go up at renewal.....He said to change insurance company as there were loads of them!!! At this point, I realised I was wasting my time.....[emoji13]

Hi,

Thanks for your research and help. Yes, right at the beginning of April but it gives me ( without delays ) just one hour to get off the plane , on the bus, arrive at domestic and then clear immigration and security, so it is pushing it a bit even though it's a Sunday.

I may just change the flight as I have paid but I think with so much time they will allow me to change and fly the day before in the evening as on the day, Air Asia says I will have to buy a new portion ( one way to destination ) of the return ticket if I miss the connection.

Broad as long really, hotel+ taxi night before or take the risk and pay a one way on the day if I miss it.

It's a Roi et flight at 8am down to Don Muang arriving at 9.10am and then transferring to Air Asia for a 10.10 flight to Siem Reap.

Yeah, I thought you might think I was travelling straight after New Year. Thanks for all your help but I do not need to worry as my dates are further into the New Year although flight delay is always a concern.

I may fly down the night before as I worry if I miss the connecting flight with Air Asia from Nok air, they may make me buy new tickets!

The risks are too great to allow most of these people into Europe, many of whom are not genuine refugees but have bullied their way to the front of the queue. They are infiltrated by extremists and economic migrants.Hell, I wouldn't mind a nice life in Jersey or Monaco at taxpayers or the country's expense!!!

If help is to be given from the world it should be in the form of and to allow and establish safe refugee camps on the borders of their own countries and ensure safety, troops, sanitation, food etc.

Thus, when the conflicts end they can return to rebuild their own countries just like all countries in Europe had to do after the wars.

Europe is not there for them to come and bring THEIR brand of religion, bigotry, corruption, intolerance and backward mentality from the middle ages and ' tap into a system of social welfare and healthcare ' in countries they despise. Europe is struggling to look after itself. Let the world assist in establishing safe camps in their countries of origin. This is a global problem not only a European one.

It is a reflection on the spine of a nation and its people to show what can be accomplished by its people. You only need to look at Germany and Japan.

The do gooders in Europe are doing none of us any favours or our future generations.

They are kicking the can down the road till such time as they won't be here to see and witness the misery that will follow.

Have they not learnt from carving up countries and moving borders and people without the permission of the people of the host country that it does not work and leads to conflict and resentment???

As the old saying goes, ' Don't buy or give them fish, give them the tools and wherewithal to catch fish by themselves '

This is why Europe is being torn apart and will not work as each member country has very distinct ideas and views on migrants, hence we are seeing walls and fences being erected in many member states and the freedom of movement being restricted. So, it should be, we live in terrorist times and now more than ever is the time to be vigilant with regards to each country and its borders!!!

We forego our freedoms at airports and such and accept whatever rules are imposed to keep ourselves safe, but then to allow migrants a ' free rein ' is surely a nonsense.

Why please????

It will be a Sunday.

And also, thank you very much for this information

Hi,

I am flying into terminal two (I think), on a domestic flight with Nok air as they have now moved I believe.

I am fairly pushed on time but need to transfer to international flight with Air Asia. I have no checked luggage and will check in online.

Is it a straightforward process and would I just look for transfer signs after de-planing??

I have one hour between flights.

Is it a different terminal?

He looks like he has some serious miles on the clock for 46. And he is going to have some seriously harrowing years ahead of him now.

I think the scandinavians have a transfer agreement that allows them to do 10 years here then the remainder at home. I hope in his case thats true. 10 years here inside would equate to a lifetime elsewhere

The UK has such an deal, none of the UK prisoners apply for it.

They get pardoned by the King after 8-12 years here.

If they go back to the UK they need to serve the sentence that they were given in Thailand - 99 years for many.

It is not the same with most countries, where upon repatriation the sentence is reviewed and they are resentenced in guideline with the home nation.

I would not want to be this lad. A hell not worth imagining awaits.

You are right that the UK has a transfer agreement in place as do many countries around the world with Thailand and they all differ widely.

There is no such pardon by the King after 8-12 years as it was felt by the government and indeed the King, that this would send out completely the wrong signals to criminals.

Also, in Thailand at amnesty times such as Kings birthday, coronation day, etc those with drug offences get the absolute least in terms of amnesty, sometimes nothing at all.

Many foreigners cling to these urban myths regards King's amnesties and pardons, everybody will be released in the case of a monarch handing over power for whatever reason, as a prisoner cannot be held for a crime under two kings and various other nonsense desperate people in prison dream up. They will believe anything that is said, such is their desperation to believe good news.

With regards to a UK prisoner seeking repatriation, he is given half of the balance left to serve under the THAI/UK agreement in a British prison. For example, a 20 year sentence in Thailand, he will serve 4 years here and apply to go back. The balance is 16 years, this will be cut to 8 years in prison and 8 years in the community. A person must serve 8 years in a Thai prison if they have been given a life sentence or sentence above 25 years.

The King has been known to give amnesties/pardons for females and people suffering terminal illnesses.

There are exceptions in this treaty put in there by the UK with regards to paedophiles!! The UK regards paedophiles in a lower category than drug mules.

He still gets amnesties from Thailand when they are given and they are applied to him relative to his behavior standard class that he achieved in Thailand, which range from very bad, bad,( no amnesty ) standard, good, very good and excellent.

Re-sentencing does apply to some countries depending on their agreement with Thailand.

All very interesting. I was looking for term deposits in different places to spread around a bit, I'm not a fan of all the eggs in one basket. Cambodia rates are good, but the same is available in western term deposits with BBB credit ratings, so the hassle factor of Cambodia is a bit of a downer.

OK,

Can you please tell me which triple B banks are available in the West paying these rates as I will certainly move if it is possible and without restrictions. I am a UK national.

Hehehehehe,

I wish it was that easy!!

No, they don't allow that. Recently I wanted to add a THB account alongside the existing USD accounts and requested to do it via e mail copy and scan or online.

No to both ideas from both banks! In a nutshell, come to the bank in person!

I then inquired as to mobile banking ( which is possible ) however, they said my accounts were set up as " view only " I can withdraw outside Cambodia with an ATM but not move money around. I will be able to on my next visit where then I must also pay a fee and agree a quarterly fee for the service.

Incidentally, a lot of the information I gave are on their websites regards deposits, interest payments. I have a few Cambodian friends down there also ex-ANZ bank and now working at Maybank that also educated me on a number of points regards bank activities.

I learned other things like Acleda charging 14% tax on interest until you had been with them 6 months AFTER fulfilling all their legal requirements to open an account. Canadia is far easier to open an account and a strong bank. Acleda, you sometimes think just are not intersted whether you bank with them or not especially at branch level.

A lot of information on Acleda you can get by contacting them via their website. Wikipedia can tell you a lot about the Acleda set up and Canadia, although websites provide quite a lot of information.

You can even view Canadia head office, Canadia tower, on you tube!

The source is me and my shoe leather!!!

I hold accounts in fixed deposits at both those banks after doing a great deal of research and visiting Siem Reap on no less than 15 occasions using a Cambodian translator to make sure I was totally correct on each point,,,!.... even though many of them speak English, the level varies.

Yes, sorry, proof of residence which was signed and witnessed by the village chief and passport details in Thai which I then used to take to Immigration when applying for the extension.

Well I think the main advantage is living in a quiet backwater with few foreigners.

There were no steps to be honest. They knew me at the office from visiting yearly to collect the annul paper document to obtain the retirement extension.

I just went with my wife and asked for the yellow book. They have only recently started doing them due to nobody ever asking for them. They then came to the house and interviewed regards previous history of employment, financial status, length of time in Thailand, confirmed country of residence etc.

They then wanted to know details regards children, ex wife, mother and father ( I had to provide parents birth and death certificates, which I was forewarned about before I went on a trip and got them in the UK ) etc I do not know why, it just seemed background information as far as I could see. So, I did do some preparation beforehand regards documentation.

He then, with my other half proceeded to fill out the forms and said it was a non complicated case and could be signed off locally.We then got a call asking us to go collect the book and a few other papers to be used in conjunction with the book for any banks or Police matters ( immigration ) took a photo handing it over and that was it.

Yellow book obtained in nine days ! Very easy and non problematic. I guess luck of the draw as to where you live.

Acleda bank is the biggest bank in Cambodia followed by Canadia. Canadia has been established in banking the longest in Cambodia. Acleda mainly deals with SMEs whereas Canadia is involved with construction, road projects, shopping malls etc. These are by far the most capitalised of all the banks in Cambodia by both assets and deposits. They have both expanded into Laos and I believe Myanmar is in the pipeline.

The both pay good rates of interest on USD, THB and Riel accounts and there are various plans such as monthly interest, quarterly and term capital and interest payable together.

Cambodia makes banks have much higher deposits lodged as guarantees with the National bank than many western countries do. Acleda asks for a letter from the police which you can obtain for between $10 and $20 along with an ordinary visa as opposed to a tourist visa to open an account. You must have the account six months before they will give you the lower rate of 6% tax on interest unlike Canadia which has different rules and regulations but is much more flexible with its regulations for opening accounts.

Cambodia has been enjoying growth of 7% plus per annum for the last 10 years and appears to be getting stronger with strong interest from Malaysia, Korea, China, Thailand and others regards investing in the country. Thailand especially has opened banks recently so obviously feels there is opportunity.

From next year, regards safety in bank deposits, Thailand will be reducing any government guarantees downwards to maximum 1 million baht so that also is not particularly good to say it is presently 25 million baht.

Lastly, business visas can be for 3, 6 and 12 months. The fee for 12 months was around $295 per year. I do not know where a poster got $145 for five years from and believe that to be inaccurate as these visas must be renewed annually.

A simple message like "Mom, I am going to extend my vacation for another week, so don't worry." or "Mom, I am trying to apply for a diving instructor job here and might stay a while longer." would have seemed appropriate. But no, instead he concocts a "bad Thai man is after me and I might be dead soon" story and puts his entire family back home under indescribable stress. Selfish, immature punk.

and the above just about sums it all correctly up in a nutshell...!

Thanks to all of you for help and input and a number of things I did not know about regards yellow book.

My god, is that true as I was en route to look at two or three places down there. I must admit it's years since I was there but had a great time and have fond memories. No idea, it had turned into a dump??? Maybe explains why so many places still for sale. They normally dry up in high season and flood the market in low season.

Gents,

Quickie,

I want to get to Samui and am aware that I must get to Bangkok from Isaarn.

However, what is the situation going via Surat Thani as opposed to flying directly into Samui which is overpriced to say the least.

Is it a nightmare to get there from Surat Thani of just bite the bullet and fly direct?

Advice appreciated.

The diamond has already been given and shared between India and Pakistan.......in London!

All we need to do now is display it more where they can all get a glimpse of it, how about Bradford, Halifax, Birmingham, Rochdale, Rotherham,.....!!

It's a nonsense!