bangmai

Chiang Rai is another place, where the old shop houses in prime locations are more liquid than custom homes outside of town.

http://www.banggood.com/search/digital-scale.html here's more than 50.....many under 300 thb.

There is a kitchen supply store on Suthep, in the Mcdonald's vicinity (other side of street)...I don't have the specifics, but I've seen it mentioned here before...they do have smaller diet scales, which are similar to postal scales. Lazada would be a crapshoot on that kind of thing...they can take a long time to give you a refund on something your credit card company will give you a refund in 2 hours. I got mine at Wal-Mart....it's possible Tesco would have them....

Cant see why your blaming the housing market for not being able to sell. Its pretty easy really, if your house is priced to sell it will sell very quickly.

This seems like a silly comment ! Everyone agrees that the housing market is in a slump. Priced to sell !! It does not matter what the price is if NO ONE IS LOOKING !

correct. it's liquidity that's the problem in the property market here. Hence my comment previously to keep it at the current asking price but advertise yourself and give it some time, you may well have to wait a few years.

Understand, but I am not desperate for the money. I just don't want to keep the house clean, grass cut etc.etc. for a few years, so I will sell it for whatever I can get. Money is not the problem. I am really surprised that such a nice house with wonderful views over rice paddies to temple on Doi Saket in distance is of no interest to anyone !

Ditch the yellow paint...with the wrought iron it looks like a tortilla shop. Neutral sells...anything else is too personalized.

I would go with a digital postal scale, at an office supply store...well within .5% for accuracy, more like .1%. Likely will be Chinese made. You can use various coins to check them at lower weights. The ones with the 9 volt battery seem to work better for me.

I was puzzled why they added on 12 thb to each of my three trades....then when I did 2 sells, they added on 22 thb...so it is the 50 thb minimum per day rule...another small detail they forgot to tell me. Of course, the only reason I was selling is because I didn't check the NVDR box, when I bought, which makes me ineligible for the dividends...except for REITS. They did send me a reminder, after markets closed on the day before ex-dividend. Learning the hard way.....but it will be ok. Is there such a thing as a "Good until cancelled order"?

I had a bank debit card forwarded to me from the Eastern US, and it arrived in 9 days, last month. Going the other way....my election ballot took 14 days (via US Consulate), and a letter to a friend took 18 days.

I know its another market.. But this, from the mouth of an agent, is fairly damning..

http://lovepattayaproperty.com/en-gb/news/2015/11/28/pattaya-property-market-update

Another agent was similarly honest on the stickman interviews a couple of months ago.

The article is actually a promotion of one developer, who gets quite a lot of press on Drummond....or just google his name. Notice they don't give one specific example of price discounts?

Get proper appraisals: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

http://www.rics.org/th/

http://www.thaiappraisal.org/english/the2001/default.php

You can actually apply certain aspects of western real estate logic to Chiang Mai. It's all about location, of course, but specifically, when the downturn (or actual crash in American markets) comes or came, the "infill" areas, where the lot is often worth more without the house on it, are the last to decline and decline by the least, and they are also the first to retrace their previous highs. The farther out locations, with a relatively unlimited supply of land decline the most, and take the longest to come back, if ever. This is even more applicable here, where the Thais aren't into second hand houses....unless it is in a prime location, which doesn't mean close to the overgrown tennis court or pool, whatever it is under that mess. The inexperienced/uneducated buyers focus on things that can be changed; paint, fixtures, trim, when they would be better off to buy solely on location. Budget constraints often push people to the exurbs, especially, when they need the bedrooms. It's called "drive to you qualify," and these folks are often the first sacrificed at the slaughter.

I'm now within the 45 day window to do my first retirement extension, after getting close to 2 years out of my "O" from DC. I live in Chiang Mai, so it's gonna suck, and I will likely be willing to get there at 4-5am. I posted in this forum, because I know some of you all have been making trips to Immigration for years, and might have good insight on "slow times." Of course, Chiang Mai specific contributions will likely be the most helpful, but all will be appreciated. Last year I did a "90" on Christmas Day, and got out of there in three minutes....Next week, there are two Holidays...that may impact the other three days, as well. Is there a lull in the action in December at Immigration? Right before Christmas, or right after, perhaps? I know there are a lot of airport arrivals right after Christmas, but that is a bit different than Immigration. Thanks in advance.

There is no value in a TEFL. Standard bog job will hire you for same crap wage.

TEFL is for people without university education.

If you are serious, at least don't do it in Thailand lol.

If you're really serious do a c/Delta, pgce, etc. TEFL is just so lol.

Amortized over a two year period, that TEFL will cost you about 1500b a month for 20mos. That's a ten percent pay cut of the top. If you only survive a year, 50k. That's 5k a month for some.

If you're making sadly 30k, plus initial visa costs, misc costs for school, clothes, moving and rental, etc...if you're even making 35k and only last a year, you are in the hole sure. That's not even counting a ow plane ticket.

I'll fated teaching foray, TEFL, one year here...you could be seriously oop.

Nothing will prepare you for unmanageable classes. They are to just be avoided, leave them to the degree-less edumacation wizards.

Valid points. But without even adding airfare; add a mere 30K that you could have earned doing the exact same job you are paying money to get. Also ad 30K for 4 weeks living expenses...say 12K for all housing expenses and 600 thb for all weekend travel, beer, food, etc....not a real loose budget. Now your at 90K.....and say you immediately find a job...you just have to go to Vientiane...so let's say the cost of TEFL to prepare to work is actually closer to 100K....and that doesn't buy you your first purple polyester sports coat or the three months rent you need to move into a place. That's real money.....so basically, if you have a degree, they can and will hire you anyway, for the same salary...if you don't have a degree, your asking for trouble.

I haven't seen the Hell-fire preachers in front of Nana in years. I suppose the Boiler Room guys even turned them off. I did witness a guy on a skateboard, practicing with two sets of numb-chucks at Tha Phae Gate one afternoon. Probably the last person I've seen around here, not behind the wheel of a car/truck, who deserved a swift execution. No wonder they take the semi-rotten produce over there to sell to the farang....it's justifiable.

Buddhists... Here? Spend five minutes on the road in this town and you will soon realize Buddhism is not in the soul of much of the population.

give them a dog or a car, and it's a lot more like MadMax, Beyond Jungledome.

maybe they had Stanford over Notre Shame.

I looked last night...190 thb from CNX to UTP..but it wouldn't let me do the Pattaya City Option...this is for Nov 16. Also noticed the weeday returns are at some ungodly time...might be cool to go to UTP and return from DMK. which seems to be 490 for far in advance...but great selection.

How much extra for the van?

government rate on electric and actual water usage is worth 700-1000 thb per month. Facing north is also a saver, as is, avoiding the top floor. The difference in a freshly painted vs. needing a paint job might mean 1000 thb per month...paint is 120 per gallon...you could repaint for 500...paying more to live in a prime location will likely save you money; not to mention a motobike "xzdan" and a trip to RAM.

Amorn, and if not; they will be able to tell you where, but in the vicinity of ICON.

Four guys coming to a city with cheaper rent than anywhere in America, and they want to share? I would recommend "re-education." And are we to assume that your visa gives you permission to stay as long as the lease you are willing to sign? I'm sure your credit reports would be interesting reading, also. We've got 32 sm condos with balconies for 4000 thb, with government rate on electric. I think there are probably too many beautiful 20+ yo girls for your liking, though.

actually 4000 thb for a condo?

Might as well get an apartment for each person. Can get a decent studio for 2000 baht a month if you look but it probably won't have aircon. 3500 a month will get you a luxury studio with aircon.

also Im canadian

I just checked..."NO VACANCY."

Four guys coming to a city with cheaper rent than anywhere in America, and they want to share? I would recommend "re-education." And are we to assume that your visa gives you permission to stay as long as the lease you are willing to sign? I'm sure your credit reports would be interesting reading, also. We've got 32 sm condos with balconies for 4000 thb, with government rate on electric. I think there are probably too many beautiful 20+ yo girls for your liking, though.

$500 isn't very cheap. I can find $300/month studios in my hometown. So I think you should do a LOT better in a 3rd world country price wise. I try to search for apartments in the $50-$100 range.

That was the low end of their price range for a 4 br house.

Four guys coming to a city with cheaper rent than anywhere in America, and they want to share? I would recommend "re-education." And are we to assume that your visa gives you permission to stay as long as the lease you are willing to sign? I'm sure your credit reports would be interesting reading, also. We've got 32 sm condos with balconies for 4000 thb, with government rate on electric. I think there are probably too many beautiful 20+ yo girls for your liking, though.

Waste of money ! Nothing prepares you like a 120 hour TEFL course from a reputable provider. Even then you are short on classroom management which can be an absolutely nightmare if you have rowdy students.

Actually, a four year degree prepares you to work legally, and that should have even higher priority. A 120 TEFL course would equal 3-6 semester credits of a 128 credit degree. Everyone should brush up on their grammar skills, and there are plenty of free resources out there. I like Hypergrammar out of the U of Ottawa. The only thing you will miss doing the online TEFL courses will be the 4-8 hours of teaching practice. All the rest of it is just some old PowerPoint slide show of stuff that's been beaten to death; Maslow comes to mind. On a scale of 1-10 for shadiness, with the rigged scale at the produce market being a "1," and a bona-fide pirate ship getting a "10;" Thailand's TEFL Training sector gets an 8.5. One of the kingpins has been banned by a number of forums, and I'm surprised that he just doesn't commit himself to the boiler room business. Some swindlers have a need for the personal touch, I suppose.

What do the girls do ? Stand there . Drink leo. eat some food, talk to their friends, dance a bit, that kind of thing.

Yeah, pretty much. And serve you stuff. If you're lucky you get one pretty much dedicated to your table and you can chat and flirt a bit.

Personally I think it's okay when you're with a group of guys. But by yourself (or even you and a buddy) I think there's more fun to be had around Loy Kroh.

Worth mentioning (for the wanna-be monger) that the beer promotion girls are not allowed to sit with customers, so it is not Loy Kroh-style beer bars where the purpose of the girls is to sit or go with customers.

5555...they only tell that to farang with tattoos. I've had several join me for some food and/or chat before....in nice short Tiger or Heineken dresses, too.

I was paying my condo bill online with BKKBANK and in the margin were some tips on avoiding viruses/scams. #3 was "Do not make financial transactions with jail-broken (IOS) or rooted (Android) devices." I hadn't heard this before. Is "jail-broken" a funny translation for "unlocked" or something else? Something new everyday!