dean008

I have been constantly told not to bother with the banks, because anything decent will be aquired by the staff first (not sure if its true), I have often looked at the properties for sale in the banks and I have to say they usually do look run down and out of the way.

good luck

I shudder to think how much interest you will pay over the term of the mortgage.

Roughly and without compounding

If the rate was 4% on a 10mil loan then thats 400,000 baht a year interest, if you pay of 40k a month or 480,000 in a year then after 12 month you still owe 9,920,000

I would consider buying a smaller/cheaper condo, so you have no debts when you start your married life together, and no stress over servicing a substantial loan.

best of luck

I have traveled via Mumbai and to Mumbai at least 20 times. I once left my phone at security, I came back 10 mins later and it was returned to me. A fool and him money are easily parted

and make sure the agent doesnt shut it

Yes every tenant will want internet and do not forget to leave refrigerator door open, clean it and wipe dry. amazing how many moldy fridges I looked at.

I bought from a well known established SET listed developer in BKK. the Quality is terrible they normally build houses but moved into the condo market 3 or 4 years back. the Quality of the rendering is comical, the Quality of the interiors is deplorable, the Quality of customer services is next to non existant. I don't think I can tell you the name of the developer but if I wanted a Quality house I would build it myself and avoid a set listed developer

I did make enquiries about taking them to court, but an honest solicitor did suggest I would win, but said it is highly unlikely the court would order the builder to cover my legal costs.

Sorry to say but there are few developers you can trust here or elsewhere

This is a well-known, established developer that's listed on SET and I believe they are known for their quality control. So I'm doubtful it's due to amateurish mistakes like construction, approvals or funding issues, although one can't rule this out totally. It's also quite a small project (<300 units) by their standards.

The interesting thing is that the sales person initially told me that the revised prices will be lower than "before", but later backtracked and claimed not to know what's the final pricing. If indeed that's the case, I would guess that they would want to sort out transfers from existing buyers to know how many are actually "sold". No point continuing with sales and cutting prices later as those who bought now would want to back out and demand the new prices. No? Also, I recall one of their executives were quoted in the press alluding to "market problems" in CM condo market late last year. Perhaps this is all wishful thinking on my part

I used to let a condo on a daily, weekly basis, it was no end of bother. Yes the money is better than you get from a long term contract, however the people staying for a few days/weeks and then leaving are generally not as careful as someone who will be staying long term. A guy I knew paid an agent to let out his condo on an ad hoc daily weekly basis, he also paid security to confirm when the condo was occupied to prevent the agent cheating him, I sometimes wondered if the agent also paid security to keep his mouth shut.

back to your question, most condos have wifi at the lobby/pool so you won't necessarily need it, and as for the tv, I suspect you could get away without it

An interesting read and an excellent example of what Thaivisa.com should be all about, offering advice and experience to others

Crazy, some train staff commit a terrible crime and the passengers are "punished", such is life.

I made that same journey last week and didn't happen to notice, other that to say the alcohol prohibited signs were up, but saying that its non smoking also, and thats ignored.

Just to let you know, in the past you could step of the train walk to the end of the platform, pass through a gate, up a ramp and you were at the ferry. they have well and truely messed up the station. Now you climb about 50 steps, then down four flights of stairs. I actually counted the steps on the way back, there were 160+ of which 80 could be avoided with the use of a single lift.

Again, for the first time I asked the money exchanger on the train the rate for £'s, it was 4.8, I declined and used HSBC in Penang and got 5.5, the other money changers offered about 5.3.

Sorry, one last one. There is a sign at the booking office "all trains to Thailand fully booked until Feb 22", so I suggest you book in BKK, not sure whats happening but the train was half empty when I left!

just to let you and the wider community know.

They must have been given a set of options, or were encouraged one way or another, or its damn spooky 300 odd kids gave the same answer

and many Thais

Well at least she didn't have to piss in a mug roadside like many foreigners have been forced to do here lately.

Depending on where you want to live you could buy a nice but small condo in somewhere like Pinklao (near the grand palace/Banglampoo) for about 2 million, the condo would rent for about 9,000 per month or 108,000 per year, so if you stayed there for 20 years you would pay 2,160,000 in rent (assuming no increases), so buying would make sense. (I know I have not mentioned service charge/maintenance, but neither have I mentioned possible capital appreciation)

Good luck

Guilty as charged, my mistake!

and bring £50 notes which attract a better rate at superich, and is certainly worthwhile if you are changing a lot, but remember to bring your passport

Hi Dean, I think you got it the wrong way round. He wants to BUY ponds not sell them.

from recollection BKK bank automatically issue them if the transfer is over $50,000 or equivalent (it used to be $30,000), for lesser amounts you need to request them.

and bring £50 notes which attract a better rate at superich, and is certainly worthwhile if you are changing a lot, but remember to bring your passport

Are you in Bangkok?

Pop back to the UK and return with a wad of £50's go to super rich 1 or super rich 2 or mega rich (or whatever they call themselves) opposite central world and next to big C change (there are about 4 exchange shops there so its worth checking them all for the best rate) your £ and then go to a bank with your wad of Thai baht and tell them you want to open an account.

why do you think there is nothing wrong with the surcharge?

if it was insufficient there would not be enough taxis at the airport. as it is, it is overflowing withcars licensed to carryt passangers

The first taxi-related rip-off at BKK airport is the official 50B surcharge.

From there it's downhill all the way.

Nothing wrong with the surcharge IMO.

so if i steal a computer from the school that underpaid me, paid me late and charged tax which will go in their pockets could I get away with a ban from teaching in that school. answers on a postcard

Each time I have been to Chang Wattana I have to spend the best part of a day there, a friend recently extended his tourist visa, it took him 4 hours. Maybe he and I are unlucky or just timed it badly?

In contrast, my Thai Wife renewed her passport last week. She arrived at 8:15 and there were about 80 people in the queue. The doors opened at 8:30 and she had applied and left by 9:30. Two days later she went to collect her passport, she was No 20 in the Queue and had her passport back within 10 minutes.

An apparent stark contrast in efficiency.

From the BBC website

BBC3 is due to shut down this year and is watched by 16 million people a week, they tend to be people the rest of the corporation struggles to reach - the young, the less affluent and more ethnically diverse.

Its a shame the BBC produce such crap and a shame they will show the people that fund them in a bad light, when its just the minority

Some very good deals if you can plan in advance and providing you don't whine when you find you can't change the date of your 890 baht trip to Ho Chi Minh city.

Can't help, but can I add that if anyone can recommend someone who can "fit/apply" wallpaper without making a complete mess, then I am all ears.

A Thai wouldnt do that

Could it at all be possible that someone switch the real statues for these fake ones.

re-introduce the airport bus, was it the AH1 AH2 and AH3? if I remember rightly.

The taxi drivers have had as good as a monopoly since they got rid of the airport bus service, some taxi drivers have abused it, lets see some competition.