TheCruncher

The unit in question is definitely manufactured in China and was shipped with a tariff code of 84834090 (gearbox) which according to the Thai customs website I linked to has a basic duty of 30%.

Probably you had your reasons to ship it with DHL and use official clearing documents, but depending on the size of the item which I assume is small, in my opinion with EMS it had arrived below the radar.

I know what you mean I wanted to order a computer steering wheel for the kids and in America they sell for

about 8500 baht but here they go for at least 20,000 to 30.000 baht no way I will pay that much.

Let me know if you're interested in a hardly used Microsoft Sidewinder wheel.

you don't have to spend over 20k baht to live well. you just have bad deal and bad technic. probably you pay farang price. by example I can get a kick a$s house with swimming pool for less than 10k. I can eat the best food on earth for less 3k, and still have enough money left to travel. I bet most of guys here are just coming from a nanny country and Pay what they are asked without bargaining.

A house with a pool?

I bet you mean your bridge with a puddle under it.

Is it even an offence here?

There are (were anyway) signs and a median fence along lower Sukhumvit in BKK indicating a fine for jaywalking.

Pretty sure it's not an offence generally.

Think it is an offence in any country that has pedestrian crossings, since you are supposed to cross the road only at pedestrian crossings.

I voted for everyone!! This is fun. I may undoe my vote and vote for everyone again, including myself!!

That sounds like those nearly 200 votes are actually casted by only 20 members.

Since in final only 1 vote is allowed I take it that every finalist will receive 1 vote then.

LEADERBOARD POTY SEMIFINALS 2015 (sizzlin' hot)

Top 5:

NancyL 28

Transam 28

villagefarang 11

Naam 8 votes

Fletchsmile 8

Wow, this year's poll is really hot with almost 100 votes casted among 20.000 members. I wonder why that is.

Or you can call the EMS department, and yes they speak decent English and are very helpful.

Complaint handling and customer service.
Phone: 02-831-3600 or 1545
E-mail: [email protected]

Lao is financially underdeveloped, so country risk remains high. Capital control such as capping foreign currency outward remittance is NOT put in place as of now, but you never know. Lao PDR's sovereign rating is BBB+ by TRIS, Thai rating agency.

http://www.trisrating.com/news/press-release/3688-mbk050615.html

Besides, Lao banks are poorly regulated and some may be imprudently managed. Higher return, higher risk.

So what is your personal take on depositing a significant amount of foreign currency for an extended period.

If you deposit US$ in a Laos bank, how do you get them out of the country at the end of the term?

Do they pay you in US$ or in Lao Kip? Same for Thai baht, do they pay you out in Thai Baht or in Lao Kip?

In the same currency, you can withdraw and remit back to Thailand or elsewhere. No forex risk as far as USD and THB are concerned.

Thanks and how much liquidity risk is there with Lao banks, because I'm old enough to realize that a free lunch doesn't exist anywhere, so if someone is paying those premiums for foreign currencies there must be a snake in the grass somewhere.

If you deposit US$ in a Laos bank, how do you get them out of the country at the end of the term?

Do they pay you in US$ or in Lao Kip? Same for Thai baht, do they pay you out in Thai Baht or in Lao Kip?

It's little bit late for this package....but always have international packages sent with the first line being the name of your Thai wife / Thai girlfriend / Thai friend. There is the law and then there is what happens. If they think the package is for a Thai national, it's amazing how much more accommodating Customs are, even when the package contains items that are way in excess of the official allowances.

For the current package, unfortunately you're going to have to accept that the only way you're getting it is with an inflated payment to those who are holding it. You will not be able to arrange this over the phone, it needs to be done in person. Send a Thai person with some cash.... you'll have it within a few minutes.

Thai customs must be so stupid letting the majority of packages sent to thai nationals pay less the the minority of packages addressed to foreigners. I am sure they have a special sorter and all packages with a foreign looking name go to the vip line for special tax.

And I suggest you both above have yourselves treated for paranoia.

I don't have a blue book. I thought foreigners cannot get it?

Since you have a yellow book I assume you own a property, either in your wife's name or through company route, so either of them will have a blue book.

Also for the records, the yellow housebook is not accepted. Needed to go to the immigration to get this residence certificate. To get this, you can present the yellow housebook. Makes perfect sense once you live here for a while....

When I renewed my license in December last year yellow book was accepted, but I needed copy of yellow and blue book, and they wanted to see the original books as well.

I knew a person (now deceased) who was taking his dispute with a developer to court and was shot point blank by a thug hired by the developer who, by-the-way, was a wanted criminal in the UK but enjoyed protection here.

This is Thailand ... be careful. Consumer protection doesn't deal a bullet through the spine.

I wasn't raised as a sheep, so will never behave as one.

Is there an OCPB office in Chiang Mai? Not that I complain much, but would be handy to know........

There is an OCPB office in every city hall in Thailand, and they do a tremendous job.

Have needed them several times in the past, sure you will not be surprised about that, and each time it took them nothing more than a single call to solve a dispute that was sometimes running for months already.

I now also note that if I have an issue with a reputable company, many times just mentioning the name of OCPB will end the issue there and then.

So on top of all the other crap you guys have to deal with in Pattaya, the weather sucks too? I can never understand why anyone would choose to live in that place.

May be because in Pattaya we don't get smoked out 6 months a year?

That must be a disability creator.

Kannot

How about another photo end of December?

But, you're right, have seen 1,000s of such road patches, not worth much, especially during the wet.

Mac

I could have taken pictures today from the new top layer they installed on Highway #36 less than 4 weeks ago.

They scraped it off then installed a new top layer.

Today there were many big holes in it.

You should have recorded that phone conversation, then filed a claim for full refund with OCPB, on the base that Thaiwatsadu scammed you knowing that they were selling a bad product.

They sell Asgatec for many years already, as they do also on their other Hardware store Homeworks.

I know your housekeeper.....she has developed 104 apps. One was angry birds. she makes 11,000,000 baht a week from apps.....so is her phone now more important!!!! plus she gets texts from CEO's of major companies!!!

or she's checking facebook for new picture of watermelon, twitter for picture of hollywood stars, and email from overseas farang to send money.....

her job is just for physical conditioning!!!

people laughed when i said i needed to wear my casio all day.....then i told them my last name was casio!!!

Mate, you really need to have a look at this thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/869631-change-in-sense-of-humour-a-sign-of-impending-dementia/

Some (including me) need to have landline in order to have True wireless at home

Landline yes but there is no need to have the landline phone or pay the 109 baht per month... I have True + wireless + NO house phone for over 2 years, simply ask True to cancel the phone.......... I do find I have to ask them every 6 months or the re connect it.. my reason cannot hear on the phone, much easier on the net + of course cost nothing.

there is a need for a landline when sending or receiving a fax. some,albeit few, communications require the use of a fax.

We are in the 21st Century Naam.

http://www.howtogeek.com/168841/how-to-send-and-receive-faxes-online-without-a-fax-machine-or-phone-line/

Sorry, but I do not see any 'price hike'.

Although the basic rates have increased the Ft charge has decreased.

Taking one of my bills as an example the Ft charge for October was 0.4638 Baht/unit whereas for November it is -0.0323 Baht/unit (yes, minus).

For October my average rate/unit was 4.5459/unit and for November 4.5364 baht/unit using slightly more units. Therefore Novembers overall rate has actually decreased slightly.

+1

I'm sure you both have noticed that the OP says. Starting from 16 November ?

Yes, I noticed.

I also quoted from my latest PEA bill which includes the rate changes. By coincidence the 16th of the month is the normal read date for this particular property.

So we are getting to the point now.

This thread is about MEA price increase starting from 16 November.

Did PEA announce any price increase at all yet?

Sorry, but I do not see any 'price hike'.

Although the basic rates have increased the Ft charge has decreased.

Taking one of my bills as an example the Ft charge for October was 0.4638 Baht/unit whereas for November it is -0.0323 Baht/unit (yes, minus).

For October my average rate/unit was 4.5459/unit and for November 4.5364 baht/unit using slightly more units. Therefore Novembers overall rate has actually decreased slightly.

+1

I'm sure you both have noticed that the OP says. Starting from 16 November ?

I just realised there are a few self made rich Thais recently.

There are the guys from Ufun, that bloke fro Klongchan credit union, Prah Dammakaya, and not to forget the louis vuitton monk.

Do I win a prize?