Peterw42

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

The fan runs but not the compressor. It's a Samsung.

it hasnt come back on in fan/dry or clean mode, (selectable on the remote) ? 

I have an old samsung that has done similar at least once, off at the breaker for a while and came good.

OP, is the outdoor unit starting up ? What brand is it ?

1 minute ago, BestB said:

Add Soi 7, 8 and buakhao to the list , also started yesterday 

Yes the usual offenders but fortunately, easily avoided.

21 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

An applicant would be rejected for their 2020 extension if they failed to meet the 2019 post seasoning requirements, immigration has made this very clear.

Immigration hasn't made this clear, either formally or otherwise, No written notice or even a direct quote. Most of this comes from peoples assumption of thats how its going to work.

I asked the question of an IO, "what do I need for next years 2020 extension" His answer "800k 2 months prior" My next question "what about the 800/400" His answer " that was for last years extension".

1 hour ago, lamyai3 said:

Sounds like you're not really understanding the problem. Agents in the past have always been a one stop shop - all they had to provide in return for their fee was your extension for the current year. This was accomplished via a bank transfer lasting no longer than a few hours and a waiving of seasoning requirements by special arrangement with immigration.

 

The new rules are way more dubious, and can't even be road tested until 2020 for someone using an agent now. If you spend 20k baht on an agent and obtain your 2019 extension, this doesn't mean you're good to go like you were in the past. You're now held hostage by the post seasoning requirements - the agent effectively has you over a barrel regarding your 2020 extension, and given the badly thought through rule changes, there's no clear way how they're going to be able to show 800k three months post-seasoning, plus 400k nine month residual balance. I can easily imagine a significant hike in second year fees for anyone using an agent for this year's extension. And even if they ultimately can't comply with the new immigration rules, the agents have got a better 2019 payday than in previous years. 

If you look at offices like Jomtien where they do require you to return 90 days after extension and show 800k still in bank book. An agent extension and you are not required to return after 90 days. (the seasoning doesnt apply)

There is still a chicken or egg aspect to the seasoning. its seasoning that applies to your current extension not a new extension next year. 

Although some offices say they will check at next extension, the only requirement for a new extension is 800k 2 months prior.

There is nothing in the rules that say you dont get a new extension because you blew last years seasoning.

If there was, then anyone applying for their very 1st extension would be refused as they didn't have the 800/400 last year.

Often a claim of no added sugar can be just a play on words rather than a true statement, if they use any concentrate etc, yes they didn't add any sugar, the concentrate is the fructose without the water content. Also any juice can have the water content removed so it ends up sweeter, but they still didn't add any sugar and its 100% juice. (And they get to sell the water removed as vitamin water)

All the juices in BigC, tesco in the cardboard containers like Tipco Malee etc have the ingredient listed in English. There are a couple that are mixed vegetable with only pineapple or grape juice for sweetness, no concentrate or added sugar.

There are some great coconut water/juices around with no added sugar.

10 hours ago, KittenKong said:

If the quota has been exceeded then there has been incompetence and/or fraud. The JPM is responsible for checking this.

 

Given that the management of The Base has only very recently changed I expect that the new management are now discovering things that were previously not public knowledge.

 

Three parties are involved, Condo office, land office, and often the developer. Sales and quota information needs to be exchanged in a timely manor to keep it accurate. The office can check the quota and give a "quota ok" letter etc, the sale doesn't go ahead or is delayed, the condo office needs to be informed if the sale went ahead etc. Yes JPM is responsible but only after being advised of sales from Land office or developer.

1 hour ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

The visa is not illegal. Immigration officers have the right to waive the seasoning period if they so wish.

The money paid to them to do this is illegal, so, it would be the bribe giver and the bribe taker that are at legal risk.

As for the 800k borrowed for a day, this, too is not illegal. The visa recipient is in the clear.

Obviously, all this breaks the spirit of the law, but, it does not break the letter of the law.

Yes that right, a fact lost on many, a high level Immigration officer can waive any of the requirements. And the extension you end up with is a legal extension.

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

 

You don't need to keep the US SIM on and set to roaming all the time. Just activate it when you know you need to receive an OTP.

 

But of course need to keep the account paid up.

Yes thats right, I keep an Australian sim going for $5 a month. Lots of the newer phones are dual sim nowadays, the home sim can be the 2nd sim in your phone, sitting there until you need it.

9 minutes ago, Thailand Outcast said:

Firstly, the 800k is tied up for 5 months.  400k is tied up forever.  Of course, you can withdraw any or all of it, but you will not receive next year's visa, so that's as good as 400k you will never see again, for as long as you wish to live in Thailand. 

 

You will get between 6% to 8% return if your 800k is in a diversified, non aggressive, managed fund, in your home country.  Let's just pick the average of 7% for this example.

 

You get 1.5% from a Thai bank for your 800k.

 

Here's the maths.

 

800,000 baht x 7% = 56,000 baht per year.  (return from a fund)

 

800,000 baht x 1.5% = 12,000 baht per year.  (return from a Thai bank)

 

56,000 baht - 12,000 baht = 44,000 baht.  (this is what you are forced to "lose" under the 800k method)

 

44,000 baht + 1900 baht (visa fee) = 45,900 baht.  (this is the total cost to an expat using the 800k method, and they have lost the use of their money through seasoning and have to deal with all the paperwork)

 

45,900 baht / 12 months = 3.825 baht per months to live in Thailand under the 800k method.

 

versus

 

20,000 baht / 12 = 1,666 baht a month to live in Thailand if you use an agent, ad there is no seasoning to worry about, you maintain control of your finances, and no paperwork to do.

 

3,825 baht - 1,666 baht = 2,159 baht.  This is the extra cost to people using the 800k method, or, what people using the agents save.

 

Remember, we are talking about the same "product."  No an inferior visa class.  

 

Of course, there are other issues to think about, like how your beneficiaries get the money if it's in a Thai bank etc, but the above shows the loss / savings over one method versus the other method.

 

I am lucky, I have some time to sit back and see what happens after the 90 days, with those using an agent. 

 

To sum up, the 800k runs at a continually loss for the expat, as it doesn't even keep up with inflation.  

 

You say I don't see the 20,000 baht ever again, but you don't see the 44,000 baht in losses, that you will never see each year, from being forced to lodge 800k into a Thai bank, at 1.5%, with 400k of it you can never use again.     

Great examples, exactly the reasons I dont want to tie up the 800k in Thailand. 

Also 800k at 7% compound interest will literally double in 10 years, to be 1,600,000. (47 years at 1.5%)

Maybe those figures will help some understand, its nothing to do with being a cheap Charlie etc, its a matter of not throwing money away..

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

diot here got distracted and left his SCB ATM card in a BKK Bank machine.

 

Of course the machine is far from home so no possibility of going and asking in the branch if they have recovered the card.

 

Are SCB likely to ask for a police report before issuing a new card? I need to plan around other stuff so some pre-knowledge would be handy.

 

I will be going to my "home" SCB branch to sort the issue.

The ATM usually swallows the card if its not taken in a certain amount of time. Thats presuming nobody was behind you and took it. A good chance the card may even be returned to your branch or already cancelled by SCB, and they will be aware you lost it..

Have the OTP sent to a friends mobile in the US, they can send it on to you.. Find a US friend in Thailand that has a US mobile on roaming, have the OTP sent to that phone. Longer term maybe just keep a US sim going on roaming, plus you have a working phone when you step off the plane for home visits.

8 hours ago, Just Weird said:

One person was killed jumping so did some of "those guys jumping out of high rise window to escape the flames" survive the eight storey jump?

According to the news last night, yes, one guy died and one guy jumped and did survive but in critical condition. Has probably now passed.

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

What channel? I was just looking, and didn't see any live coverage on the TV news?

 

Thairath, not live coverage, just part of the news story. Thats why I was surprised it wasnt blurred out.

Some horrible images on the Thai news of guys jumping out of high rise window to escape the flames. On the TV before the blurring guys edit.