moonoi

Whats a hood?

Thanks for the info so far

Just for info I've been asked to take part in a karting race (I used to race competitively when I was a tad younger) thats why I want to loose the weight fast...and I figure that it will be easier for me to do so now that I have a target (so easy to be lazy without one!).

I intend to do do a min of 1 hour sport at lease 3 times a week (football, badminton, rollerblading and running), more if I think I can manage it.....obviously don't want to overdo things I hate gyms', thats why I don't mention going to work out as it bores me to death!!!!

One thing a collegue said to me is that I may not be drinking enough water, and if this is the case its very hard to burn fat off...is that true? I'm probably drinking between a litre or 2 litres a day most of the time

Hi

Appreciate any advice you can give

I need to loose between 5-10 Kg in about 1 1/2 months.

I've already reduced the size of my meals and don't snack anymore.....so I don't get any hunger pangs now.....this has helped me loose about 2 Kg in just under a month.

Is my target possible with regular excercise and a healthy diet?

Thanks

mn

EDIT: Forgot to add that I'm current 104kg my ideal weight according to my BMI should be around 89

And when you get your credit card, you have a pittiful credit level, nearly non existant purchase protection, no fraud protection and annual fees.

Whereas a card from back home provides all the benefits with no charges, and if you choose your card right you can get several months intrest free credit.

Why any foreigner would want a second rate Thai credit card is beyond me.

To explain you :

In my country, people will look at you as a 'potentially bad person' if you live there, earn money there and use an abroad bank account. It will just mean you do not care with the country, his economic stability (send money abroad rather than to use it locally, as french bank used the deposit to do investment on the french economy). To be short, let say if one day you apply for french citizenship but did not use the banking system in the past, it will certainly be refused.

Same apply to foreigners in thailand. Those who genuily decided to move their life here simply think it's natural to use the local banking system. There is things that are considered by some of us as more important than some little money.

Alas, if the way to do is (in my 2 cents) the honorable one and the one that should be taken by a gentleman (I mean use the local banking system with amongs many things the issuing of local CC); fact is Thailand obviously is not interresting by our wishes. Well, to make short (stupid generalisation but it's also not far to be a truth) Farang must pay.

Someone who have a legal business (capital already invested in thailand), who legally live in Thailand, with eventually a thai wife and half thai kids, will not flee home because dept, or if he do so it will be easy to trace him. I do understand the Khao San Road backpacker can not have any banking here (in France he will not have also), but the OP obviously is not a backpacker. So yes , Farang must pay .... SCB need 150 000 bht/month as salary to deliver a thai CC.... What is the salary of an english teacher (A legit one with diploma and experience) 30 K 35 K maybe 40 K ...nothing related to security. Just .... like so many things here.

I have an SCB credit card and I don't earn anywhere near 150000 bht/month. Although I also notice it seems to be down to who you know here. At first I was refused, then spoke to my collegue who happened to "know" the branch manager.....I just had to transfer my salary payments to SCB after they saw it payed into my account for 3 months they then gave me the CC (and a proper CC too not like BBK who require you deposit 100k before giving you a "CC" with a 100k limit), admittedly the credit limit is woefully low but its just about enough to manage with. I also just applied for citybank CC too, still waiting to hear back on the decision from them.

Funnily enough I lived in France for a few years before moving here. It was much easier to obtain credit and open bank accounts there, although I suspect thats because I'm an EU citizen....used to need a carte de sejour (issued automatically to EU residents) until 2004 when the rules were changed to bring into line with the rest of europe....just need passport or national ID of your EU home country to open an account now.

Hiya Folks,

You may of seen my other post and gathered that im heading out to Thailand Nx april to work and live, my question what i am asking is,

Can i open a bank account from the UK and start transferring money before my arrival in Thailand, what are the restrictions/rules etc.

Kind reguards

Tom Hartshorn

If you bank with HSBC in the UK they can open an account for you at there branch in Thailand, linked to your uk account for you. Takes them about 3 months to organise. But be aware its more expensive account to operate than one opened with a local bank/branch but you have to be physically in Thailand to open an account with a local bank as other posters have previously mentioned

Moonoi, it's common practice to give the source(s) if you quote.

LaoPo

Yes sorry realised that after posting. Sourced from BBC and Reuters.

I changed some of the information as information from the BBC was created before the paper money came into circulation.....you can probably spot where as I forgot to remove a "will" after changing become to became

I actually work for one of those companies

The Euro has had an average Bhat to Euro rate of 42.827 over the last 16 years, with a high of 53.18 in Dec 2004 and a low of 37.012 in Jan 2000.

The Euro was introduced on January 1, 2002; so the information is not correct!

However there was a 'paper'-Euro conversion rate used by banks etc. prior to the official introduction in 2002.

LaoPo

No, no, he might be correct LaoPo. The official paper currency did come out when you said it did but banks and governments were keeping track of electronic Euro rates for a long time now. Not sure how long, but I know the Euro has been trading for quite some time electronically. Way before the official paper currency came out. I remember reading something about this. I dont know all the details but this might be what the person was referring to.

Well, we're both right and wrong

When I said 'paper' I didn't mean the real money but merely the interbanking rates that were handled. Sorry for that.

Here's the full history on the Euro if someone is interested.

In 1992 during the famous 'Maastricht/Netherlands' meeting the countries who were to join the Euro signed a treaty and fixed the rates from Country rate to Euro rate. (Not all EU members joined the Euro as you know).

The actual 'cash' was introduced on January 1, 2002.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro#History_.281990-2002.29

A map of the Euro-countries (and which are coming soon):

LaoPo

Well actually its a little more complicated than that. And involves the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism), ECU (European Currency Unit), EMU (Economic and monetary Union) and the Maastrict Treaty which defined EMU for Europe. So a bit of history for you

The ERM gave currencies a central exchange rate against the Ecu. That, in turn, gave them central cross-rates against one another.It was hoped that the mechanism would help stabilise exchange rates, encourage trade within Europe and control inflation. The ERM gave national currencies an upper and lower limit on either side of this central rate within which they could fluctuate. In 1992 the ERM was wrenched apart when a number of currencies could no longer keep within these limits.

On what became known as Black Wednesday, the British pound was forced to leave the system. The Italian lira also left and the Spanish peseta was devaluated. As EMU progressed, a currency's ability to stay within its margins became one of the convergence criteria deciding its suitability to join the single currency and complete monetary union.

The ECU was the first quasi-currency for Europe. Together with the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) it formed the European Monetary System which was established in 1979. It was originally an accounting unit for the community's internal budget, but later it became more like a real currency - for example it was used in travellers' cheques and bank deposits, though it was never issued as a note or coin. As economic and monetary union developed, it formed the basis for the development of the Euro, the EU's single currency.

The process of bringing the economies of the EU member states into line, with the ultimate aim of introducing a single currency, is known as economic and monetary union (EMU). Roy Jenkins launched the first step towards this goal when, as Commission President in 1979 he launched the European Monetary System. This consisted of the ECU - an artificial currency unit - and the Exchange Rate Mechanism, which tied European exchange rates together. EMU proper was initiated by the Delors Report, which became the basis for the Maastricht Treaty. This laid out three stages towards building a single European currency:

Stage 1 July 1990 - Dec 1993:

Free movement of capital

Narrowing of ERM band

Closer co-operation between central banks

Closer co-ordination of economic policies

Stage 2 Jan 1994 - Dec 1998:

Convergence of member states' economic and monetary policies

Establishment of European Central Bank

Independence of national banks

Participating countries fix their exchange rates

Stage 3 Jan 1999 onwards

Introduction of single currency as an electronic currency

Launch of euro notes and coins

In many countries, the Maastricht Treaty faced strong opposition and in the end Denmark and the UK won opt-outs from stage 3 of EMU.

But not all the countries, which wanted to join the single currency were allowed to do so - they had to meet strict rules, the so-called convergence criteria, to be eligible.

In 1998 it was decided that 11 of the 15 member states would go ahead with full monetary union - leaving Denmark, Greece, Sweden and the UK outside the eurozone.

In January 1999, financial markets within these 11 countries began operating in euros, as the single currency had come to be known. Two years later, Greece finally met the economic requirements for membership and joined the eurozone in January 2001.

EMU reached the end of its long road when, at the beginning of 2002, Euro coins and notes became legal tender and national currencies will became obsolete.

So in terms of the Euro it didn't exists until the 1st January 1999 in electronic form, and 1st Jan 2002 for paper. So there is only 8 years of available data for the real Euro. Anything before that is not the Euro as it currently stands but probably the ECU which just to make clear again isn't the same thing

One thing that I just needed to add for completeness (which I'm sure everyone here is aware of) is that BOTH the Dream and Wave are good choices for one specific reason that's so obvious we haven't mentioned it explicitly here: They both have 4-stroke engines. So much more comfortable, sensible torque/power-range, high fuel economy, low maintenance, long lasting and lower noise compared to two-stroke 'crotch-rocket' wannabe-sports-bikes.

Well the CBR150RRRRRRRRRR is also 4 stroke and it has proper gears...just as cheap and easy to maintain as dream/wave.

The old NSR was 2 stroke (and more fun ) but can't buy it new anymore. So engine wise the new machines are all 4 stroke now (from Honda anyway)

Private car ownership is ridiculously under-taxed here.

You must be kidding. Undertaxed?

Well considering the oil price hikes, and considering the fact that Thailand will not be able to afford it's oil bill... it makes sense to say that cars (and their use) are undertaxed.

40 000 pounds for a Mini. Expensive indeed. But after, 28 THB per liter of gasoline and 20-40 THB for highway toll... that's cheap. Problem of scale.

Rich thais love to buy very expensive cars (because luxury and import taxes)... so why not set the gasoline price... accordingly ?

An what about everyone else that needs to use a car to get to work (middle classes)?

For instance I'mnotf rich...far from it with the additional cost in fuel I'm only just about covering my expenses. I car share with 2 other people to reduce costs. Public transport where I live although its fine for local stuff, getting to work 35km is incredibily difficult and time consuming. Of course I'd love to live near BTS or MRT but I can't afford the price of property there.

Its unfair of anti-car people just to assume everyone who has a car is rich and therefore undertaxed.....thats complete crap.

Neither....there not motorbikes...they're scooters / mopeds / step throughs or whatever...but not motorbikes

CBR 150 is the entry level motorbike from Honda. Proper wheels, brakes but a bit small if your a tall chappy.

I don't think you'll find fuel consumption is much differant among all these machines though.

I would agree with PeaceBlondie in that the extra power, manouverability and far superior braking system of the CBR makes it a safer machine.

Chanchao being a slower bike doesn't mean its safer it just means you hit things at a slower speed after your drum brakes have overheated and no longer work whereas on your CBR you'd have pulled a stoppie looked cool and stopped safely even if you were travelling faster

That said I drive a car here not a bike...mainly coz non of the bigger machines are not officially imported. I really miss my lime green 2000 model Triumph Speed Triple 955i......that would be great to ride around BKK on and good for a blast into the countryside too

Yeah George sounds like you knackered your shock....as Maigo6 said go get it check out

Bet it sounds like a BKK taxi now

...

If you had a reasonable arguement they maybe I wouldn't dismiss everything you say as complete crap. Clearly you haven't bothered to research anything properly.....you just think that what you say is correct even when several people have pointed out glaring holes in your arguements.

....

You have no validity in your point nor solid grounds in any of your charges. You have charged me without researching properly and saying only crap...then you failed to quote any of my researched facts as false, let alone shown in anyway the flaws in my logic. Perhaps, you lack the skills to provide a legit counter-argument...Let me give you an example of how it's done.

You said

Also I'd like to point out that part of Russia is indeed part of Europe (which includes the captial Moscow).....I'll quote from the website of a american intelligence (although that is to be debated) organisation the CIA "Location: Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean" oh and from the geography section of the same site "largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak"

...

All your quote did was say exactly what I said here on page six of this thread

]…Geographically speaking, Russia is also known as Eurasia…

In case you didn't realize, Eurasia combines the two words Europe / Asia....just common sense for Americans but perhaps not so common knowledge in Europe...anyway the point is, generally speaking Russia is considered Northern Asia as your reference quote from the CIA above has reinforced...Thanks for proving my point [/b]

Anyway...you don't like me or agree with my views, that is wonderful, Thaivisa and the world at large needs more diversity. However, if you think you want to debate with me, please bring in research and facts to the thread...not blank personal statements/insults with nothing to back you up.

And as far as the America versus Europe stigma rising here...it's kind of funny. Personally, I have nothing against Europe on a whole. I've never even been there (nor have any big desires to go ). I have ethnic roots in Europe. My son even has a French name...However, I just find it hilarious how butt hurt / personal / nationlistic / and Eurocentric some of the European members can be on this thread.

You don't see the Americans getting so defensive everytime someone makes a negative/critical comment or joke about KFC, George Bush, Budweiser, or American football. But while we're having fun at hurting eachother's feelings, let's have some more look at world football...uh soccer facts

World Football rankings (April 2006)

1. Brazil (a country in South America)

2. Chec Rebulic ( can't say I know anything about Chec as EPL has bought all the football broadcasting time)

3. Netherlands (one European country that knows what they're doing...yay for legal hash!)

4. United States of America (hey, soccer is not even our national sport, maybe that's why the Europeans hate us so much !)

World Mens Football Medals, Athens 2004

Gold - Argentina (another country in South America)

Silver - Peru (certainly not a country in Europe )

Bronze - Italy (bronze is better than nothing)

World Woman's Football Medals, Athens 2004

Gold - United States of America (no comment )

Silver - Brazil (Brazil is the 5th largest country by size and population, bigger/more populated than any European country)

Bronze - Germany (bronze is better than nothing)

Speaking of Europe, they did have some of the greatest ancient philosophers...next to the Chinese of course...Anyway, all you Euro-studs currently blinded by the light....a good reading for you is Plato's Allegory of the Cave (in the Republic)

It will help you come to terms with reality

Actually I didn't prove your point at all. All of Russias' financial information etc comes under Europe same as for Sports events etc. So the previous poster was correct in stating Russia is part of Europe, not Asia.

Yes I know what Eurasia means no need to resort to petty insults because you can't accept that your wrong.

btw what makes you think I'm from a European nation? Is that because I defended them, does that automatically make me European?

And as for your comment about Americans again would have to disagree they are just as likely if not even more so jump to the defence of there own brands, sports teams etc as any european should someone criticise them.......Americans are no better than anyone else so get off your high moral ground. You ain't so great

With regards to your football results...I believe they are from the Olympics which are played by amateur not professional players so...it doesn't really say much.

I do believe that your thread title is wrong.....none of what you have stated is really exploitation....except in the sense that the companies/sports teams are exploiting the popularity of there brands in Asia.

Here is the website:

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Pe...nts/default.htm

It appears that they are willing to accomate foreigners willingly. However, I do not understand why a Thai Bank has to have it's Sigapore Branch loan me money for the purchase of a Thai property...it's seems it would be easier for them to do it locally...it's the same company (?)

I am sure somebody has taken them up on their offer...I would lik to hear about their experience.

Cheers,

thai tahi

The reason is that as a foreigner purchasing a condo your supposed to bring the money in from abroad. When you transfer the money from your foreign account you are issued a certificate which you need to prove that the money was sourced outside of thailand.

That said Land and House said that they would lend me money to buy one of there condos' and it was no problem that the deposit etc was paid from my thai account (I live and work here so don't have any offshore assets)

Greenwander, I haven't had time read all of this post, so maybe someone else has made this observation.

You comments don't really seem to be anything more than an anti-european rant. If you had a reasonable arguement they maybe I wouldn't dismiss everything you say as complete crap. Clearly you haven't bothered to research anything properly.....you just think that what you say is correct even when several people have pointed out glaring holes in your arguements.

I might add that comparing the EPL and World Cup is not a valid excercise. EPL contains players from around the world.....several top teams have hardly any english players in the 1st team. The World Cup on the other hand the players from each country have to have citizenship of that country. Hence the reason England has only won 1 world cup and Wales, Scotland and Ireland are nowhere.

Also ranting on about EPL branding is wrong....the EPL has nothing to do with branding..its the individual clubs that manage that. Man Utd for instance has its largest supporter base in Asia...not Europe. Hence they like any other business capitalise on that.

Using your arguement I could say Thais' are explioting the British with all there restaurants across the UK.

I'm just waiting for you now to pick on the FIA because they are based in France. And the majority of teams in F1 are based in England...........

Ultimately your just an anti-european with a chip on your shoulder

Also I'd like to point out that part of Russia is indeed part of Europe (which includes the captial Moscow).....I'll quote from the website of a american intelligence (although that is to be debated) organisation the CIA "Location: Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean" oh and from the geography section of the same site "largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak"

Just for the record I hate football its one of the most boring sports in the world to me (I don't like rugby either) with only cricket and golf being worse in my opinion I like a bit of ice hockey myself...but oh wait a minute wasn't that sport invented in Europe too....but taken over by the Americans when Russian, Finnish and Swedish immigrants took it to North America. My god the American and Canadians have stolen my game so they must be exploiting me coz they say the NHL is the best league .........

Thanks for the info 'moonoi'.

I think I'll stick to 95 normal.

Could I put in 91 too?

I wouldn't until you can confirm with Mazda whether it can run on 91. I suspect that it can't

Wilko, it's petrol. Actually I have a question about petrol which I'll post a new topic about.

1998, 323 Astina.

Actually I don't know what naturally aspirated means.

It might be turbo - I know nothing about cars.

Since I posted about not having power, it has been running well.

Maybe I should, but probably won't, get it seen to know.

323 Astina is natural aspirated - means that there is no forced induction ie turbo or supercharger to increase power

In my car there is a sign saying " namman santa gua", which means unleaded, I think.

I was told that it takes 95 petrol. My wife seems to think that it needs speacial stuff.

Could I put any petrol into it - 91?

What exactly is gasohol?

All the fuel available in the forecourts (91,95) are unleaded.

You maybe able to use gasohol instead (its a mix of ethanol and petrol) which also has 95 octane rating, however it doesn't contain as much energy as 95 normal so it will burn more litres per km.

Your Astina 323 is a few years old though so I would check with Mazda as to whether you can use gasohol or not......it isn't a problem with the engine working but more that in older cars the seals and gaskets even the fuel lines can be "eaten" by the ethanol content in gasohol

I drive a Mazda3 and it will run on only 95 or gasohol according to manual and the dealer. However comparing the 2 fuels I find the 95 normal works out cheaper on a long run than gasohol even though the pump price is more expensive (avg 450km tank for gasohol, almost 600 for 95 normal). But if I sit in BKK traffic its about the same.....390km ish, probably because most of the time the engine is sat idling in traffic

Thanks very much teej & co.

Re the tints, I want to get the slightly mirrored look. Does anyone know how this works? I would imagine it would assure more privacy even at 40% than the non-mirrored...and is there a limit to it so that the glare does not disturb other drivers?

Thanks

I've have the mirrored effect Lamina film...60% sides and rear and 40% front. No problem with night vision although there is a little bit of reflection of the dash though in the front window at night.....but nothing really to cause you to miss anything

and I wouldn't worry about glare to other drivers.....never noticed it being much differant to normal tinted glass ie not much glare at all

Why doesn't Thailand get the coupe version of the Accord? I think it would be a pretty big seller here... (or the Civic coupe for that matter)

I'ts a matter of what they think the market will support. I also would like to see the Civic coupe here also, but alas. When I saw the new Mazda6 I kept contacting the Mazda dealers to see if it would be offered here and they said no. That is a nice car and was my first choice. I suspect the Thai market is more family oriented in terms of vehicles and that is what sells.

I did see a Civic coupe a few weeks ago but obviously an import and no telling what that costs.

Well that depends if its the latest generation Civic then yes your right. However they did sell the Civic coupe here 2 generations ago (I think 3/4 years ago). My thai counterpart at work owns one and told me they launched as a special edition limited run as an official import at just over a million baht.

Hehehehehe.. I love Brit car reviews...

Though it completely doesn't apply to Thailand, where ALL manufacturers go overboard fitting the biggest possible engines to mundane compact saloons that are then used to get stuck at or around Siam Square.

Oh I beg to differ

I think this statement applies equally here:

the Corolla looks like a typically bland Japanese hatchback. Even the wacky front and rear lights are just a poor attempt to cover up the fact that the new car is even duller to look at than its granny-thrilling predecessor.

Ok I know the Corolla/Altis isn't a hatchback, but just substitute hatchback for sedan/saloon (depending on where in the world you originate)

Thanks for all this info guys. Its been very helpful.

I'm probably going to choose between Panasonic and Daikin for my place (nothing to do with LindsayBKK btw although I find it amusing that the decision I came to myself is the same )

My gf mum works for Trend and her dad used to be a aircon engineer so in terms of fitting I think I can find good people

Thanks again!!!!

I'd like to add this review of the Corolla, ok its not exactly the same model as the one here but many things can be applied to the Thai model

Corrolla G6 - Top Gear Magazine

I don't believe it! All month I've been waiting to launch into an impassioned and highly-charged rant about the shortcomings of the Toyota Corolla G6, only to discover that one Mr Jeremy Clarkson has beaten me to it, and worse still, in the very magazine I work for. Now I've no alternative but to vent my anger on the next work experience person who walks through the door, while the rest of this minitest remains an expletive-free zone - unless, of course, I decide to borrow a few of Clarkson's.

'It has a bobby dazzler of a radiator grille' said the big man in his September column. And he's right, although a grille alone does not a good-looking car make. Nope, flashy grille aside, the Corolla looks like a typically bland Japanese hatchback. Even the wacky front and rear lights are just a poor attempt to cover up the fact that the new car is even duller to look at than its granny-thrilling predecessor.

Sadly, there's worse to come. Despite being an apparently sporty little number, the G6 gets the smallest engine of the Corolla range. There's only 84bhp to be extracted from its 1.3 litres and the 0-60mph sprint takes a lengthy 12.5 seconds.

The engine might not have much in the way of go, but it does at least get an 'A' for effort, thanks to its creamy performance at the top of the rev range. There's no harshness or vibration and it gives all it can deliver without complaint. And it's coupled to the smoothest-changing six-speed gearbox this side of a Honda NSX. All of which makes the huge disappointment you feel, when you realise how slowly you're moving, all the more difficult to take. Again I find myself deferring to my well-versed colleague Mr Clarkson. He said that 'old people in their not-at-all-sporty 1.6-litre liftback will be able to blow you away at the lights'. He wasn't wrong.

One consolation is that those same old people won't be able to catch you round a corner unless they've got balls of steel. The Corolla's well mannered behaviour when you chuck it into a corner is enough to ensure you're an uncatchable proposition for the average old age pensioner.

On the inside, Toyota has made a rather half-hearted attempt to make you feel as if you're sitting in something sporty. There's some gratuitous side-bolstering of the seats, which does admittedly help to hold you in place reasonably well. There's also a vaguely wild, red and black pattern on the fabric too, which co-ordinates perfectly with the red on black (imitation carbon fibre) instruments. The gearstick gets a rather sweet aluminium knob. Nice enough, but it's all window dressing really.

For the final say, I'll go once again to my friend and colleague, Mr C: '[it's] the most idiotic way of blowing £14,000,' he said, and, frankly, I agree.

Focus sold here is imported from Philippines. Placed next to any other Thai car it doesn't look like the latest model - Civic and Mazda look years ahead in design.

Altis here had 1.8 vvti engine from the very beginning, though in the UK the power output is significantly higher, I suspect. Still, TRD can supercharge it, as well as modify the suspension and the rest.

.

With regards to the Ford, it is still the latest Focus design as sold in europe. Agreed that with this second generation version they were a bit conservative with the design...probably trying to steal sales from the VW Golf by emulating its boring looks. However I maintain its more of a drivers car than the Toyota....I never referred to the looks.......I myself bought a Mazda3 4 door. But I still think the ford offers better value for money

With regards to Toyota engines, I know they have always come with the 1.8 VVT-i engine here. However the engine I was talking about is the VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing and Lift) which is a similar technology to Hondas' VTEC.....when you hit 6k rpm it was as if you had a turbo the way the performance of the engine changed ahh brings back good memories

And Barry just for your info Toyota Altis, Corrolla Altis and Limo are all the same car with the same body. Limo doesn't have a rev counter as do some low end Altis models. The only real differances are the lights and trim......but theres nothing to stop you buying Altis taillights and sticking them on your Limo...then you can't tell the differance There is a previous generation of Corolla/Altis out there that Taxis also use I think this is what you mean by differant body shape...but they are getting fewer and fewer now...

We need this model in Thailand (I had the Normally Aspirated version in the UK this on has a supercharger....looks the same though)

Still didnt hear about credit cards, anyone know anything?

I got credit card for SCB no problem with less than 100k a month income. Also just applied for Citibank Gold Card, they seemed to think its no problem...but then I have a good credit history built up over the last year now and I have a work permit........

Thanks guys for all your replies. I am still stuck on the Altis. I think it's better value for your money. Ford makes good trucks, lousy cars. Toyota corolla is the number one selling car in the world.

Barry

Well I'd agree that Ford make lousy cars in the US. But the european designed models a very good. In terms of driving pleasure and smiles per miles the Focus is way better than Altis. I also think (having tried the two cars) that the fit on finish on the Ford is far superior to that of Toyota.

Now if the Altis had the 1.8 VVTL-i engine that is available in europe and TRD improved the handling then I might...just might change my mind but then probably not coz its still a taxi

I'm sure you'll be happy with it though if you just want it for A to B transportation (I on the other hand get quite bored if the car I drive isn't "fun" so I prefer something that you can chuck around bends, hustle around and get some real pleasure out of driving. Thats why I sold my Corolla T-Sport in the UK...engine was excellant, the driving dynamics were somewhat lacking)