windas

I will be soon and have stayed at Centre Point Silom hundreds of times over the years.  They want to block my card for 1000baht a night,  so when I stay a month they try to persue a deposit of 30K baht.  Even though I'm a loyal regular customer, we have a heated discussion and no deposit is then required. Most decent hotels require some kind of deposit. 

The Shangri-la were supposed to block my card for 5k. I had pre-paid the room and the know all idiot receptionist charged my cc for the room and the deposit. What a palarva to get the money back,  had to wait a month. Overall a small deposit is reasonable. But pay cash if you are worried about the card. 

Only had one hotel rip me off, the Elegance Suites (a real carp hotel booked on the net, a mistake) wanted 500baht depo,  they said had no change of 1k note and then denied I had given them a 1k note, refused any return saying I'd made an international call. Not a nice place at, like a Victorian hospital. 

Happy days 

Dear ARGUS

The Thesis is mainly about children and dual status. The extract is just in answer to SKATEWASH.

There does not appear to be a problem with multi nationality at Thai immigration and as I stated many Thais in the right places have multi nationalities. So I don't believe it will surface as a problem until the distant future.

The site is www.seachula.com/b68.html

Thesis title: "THAI NATIONALS WITH DUAL NATIONALITY STATUS"

Also try searching the UniverSity site, may be more on the subject, I don't have the time I'm afraid.

Dear NZEXPAT

Oh, how you love to criticize others for trivial errors, have you nothing to add to the topic of any interest.

We are not all as perfect as you.

Ref: Chulalongkorn Univercity, Author Ms Patarki Khoachan.

Extract: A Thai national who holds dual status through natualization will be considered as an alien, according to the law. They will lose Thai nationality if the government Gazzette has been published.

I can only take what the boffins say as cosha.

My wife is Thai with UK Citizenship.

Books tickets and exits UK on UK passport. Enters Thailand on Thai passport with stamped previous Thai exit card.

On exit shows both passports at check-in to prove she doesn't require UK entry visa, and to get a Thai exit card. This has to be stamped by Thai immigration and kept with her Thai passport for later re-entry as she exits on the Thai passport.

Enters UK on UK passport. The officer normally asks a general question as to where she has been.

Had no problems in 11 years.

Incidentally, I believe that Thailand law legally does not recognise dual nationality for a Thai citizen, although I understand the king has dual nationality with the UK. I also understand that people in high places have many many other citizenships.

There is one behind Big C on second Road, turn left as you go into the car park. Looks professional, has a lot of expensive cars there being worked on. None of these places are cheap.

The good ones I've used that are reasonably priced seem to disappear after a few years and the site redeveloped. This happens everywhere, not only Pattaya.

I would be extremely careful in getting involved in someone else's problems, it is very likely to come back and bite you in the rear end.

I have seen over the years, in the UK, husbands being bad and adulterous as well as the Thai wife doing the same. I, and many others, have had stable marriages for many years. But it does seem that a great number get in trouble.

The culture change for the lady, the dissolution of the man, have to be overcome to turn the marriage into a long term stable relationship. I notice the women gather in groups, get envious of each other, then plot to further their ambition.

As many have said before me, initially in visiting Thailand the brain is temporarily housed in the scrotum. After settleing back in the UK with the Honey, the brain returns to the head. But it depends how long it takes for this to happen, if at all. The wonderfull love can become a burden and I believe this is where it all goes wrong for both parties.

There are two sides to the story, as mentioned previously, so its really better for the relevent authorities to get involved and only give minor advice oneself.

This topic can be discussed with different views endlessly.

OH WHY, OH WHY, do the forum subscribers insult each other. Everone has an experience to tell and an opinion to voice.

This forum is best used to inform each other and others of the ongoing events so that we can all benefit from the information.

There are good, bad and indifferent taxi drivers. But with the booking of taxis online, things are changing. In my experience so far, it is decidedly better and hopefully in the future the chance of a bad experience will slowly disappear.

Please think before you write and be tolerant of other subscribers.

My wife and I spend around 3 months of the year in Bangkok and its unbelievable how many taxis turn down a fare. Last month we got off the Skytrain at Bang Wa tried to hail a taxi on the main road, the first 14 cabs turned off their lights when we hailed them.

Then one stopped, it had a large 'GRAB TAXI' sign on the side window. The driver was happy to take us, he was polite, clean and the cab was newish.

If that is what all GRAB TAXI'S are like, there is hope that the system will change. I will definitely use them in future.

We have had problems with UBER as they use Google Maps for the driver that doesn't know the area. The route generation and destination location is quite often inaccurate.

My wife, a Thai, is ripped off by unscrupulous taxis on many occasions when she doesn't know the route.

I think the future of booked taxis is promising as many more come onstream. That will slowly rid us of the terrible situation as of now.

The various posts are correct about Thai banks ripping off. Bangkok bank charge us 200 baht per annum per account for debit card plus now charging 15 baht per withdrawl. No charge if money withdrawn by book and not have a card.

They keep taking the 200baht until the money runs out and then close the account automatically.

Our Pound Sterling account originally paid 4% interest. Now no interest and up to this year demanded 1% fee to deposit money. This year demanded 2% to deposit our money into our account, for them to use free of charge. I laughed and left issuing a UK slang expletive.

Charge 500 baht to accept baht into account from UK. Was 1% previously.

Most cars over three years old break down at some stage if not serviced properly, and in my experience thats the main cause of a breakdown. Putting off the repair of a problem leads inevitability to a breakdown.

Statistics only tell a small part of reality.

Category 'O' - visiting friends 3 months every year. Songkran = AIRPORT

I've paid the fine for two days overstay at Savanabhumi Airport recently. Officer was ok, just said go to the overstay counter and do the paper work, pay the fine. That was my second infraction.

Dont do anything stupid to attract the attention of the police before you get to the Airport. A couple of days over is no big deal.

Whilst reading the comments on the crashes, it reminded me of the time recently that I tried to inform the station staff of a cracked rail in the track at Hua Hin Station. Its at the right hand end of the platform in the rail nearest to the platform. Have a look if you are at the station some time. Its cracked across and down to the vertical middle of the rail section.

I photographed it and tried to get a station operative interested as its going to cause a derailment eventualy. But alas, I am just a farang who should mind his own business as far as they were concerned. Well I hope nobody gets hurt if there is an accident.

Used the Tourist Police about 10 years ago. The office I used was near the National Stadium somewhere.

I dont know what influence they have today, but a few phone calls from them to the agency owner produced a refund of monies after about four hours. I think the agency were slow to refund my CC out of protest.

I found TP's English language lacking, but nice helpfull guys. Different from the usual laxadasicle bobby's attitude.

Purchased Duracell AA's at Tesc* Lotu* Hua Hin last week. When I opened the pack, the packaging didn't feel right, Duracell packaging is normally high quality, this felt like recycled card.

Used the first 2 of the 4 batteries, lasted about 10% of the time I would normally get from UK purchased Duracell brand. Tried the second 2 and the result was the same.

I would pretty much recon they were fakes as comparing them with those from the UK.

Went back and had another look in T/L and wouldn't be supprised that most, if not all, the battery packs were copies.

Refering to an earlier post. I was under the impression that UAE had a reciprocal visa waiver with the UK

Hua Hin central is not over populated with tourists, going by the beach,Tesco's and the red light area. Seems to be a lack of Chinese knocking about. There maybe more in the resorts outside the city.

Drove to Cha Am on Friday. Firstly, I've never seen so many deck chairs over the whole length of the many kilometers of seafront. Secondly, they were 99% empty.

Seems to be the Chinese that are keeping Pattaya going at the moment.

Met some very nice, educated, chinese in Kho Chang, an exception to the rule I think.

I doesn't matter about the TV banter, we all know that Thailand as a European tourist destination has been declining for years. Unless the exchange rate improves, it will continue.

If I'm correct, when they marry, her debt will become his debt. The more debt she incurrs, etc etc. . .

Thai Air lost the plot when it comes to service and business class lounges years ago. Unfortunately the Airline with which I fly regularly, use Thai air lounges at Suvarnabhumi. Im sorry to say that I rate the lounges 2 out of 10, but maybe in the future after restructuring they will realise the reasons why they lost so many customers.

Hi

Have Honda City on hire from Hertz Bangkok @ 650 baht a day all in incl CDW. Have hired for three months. Its the same if you hire for 1 month.

It was hired via a UK agent online. "FAST CAR HIRE.COM" I have used them for Thai hire for over 10 years and found them to be 100% reliable. They are not so good for other countries, for Thai never found cheaper. I only use Hertz or Budget and never had a problem.

Hope this is a help.

JN