soi3eddie

3 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

Ive always thought the Thai are good at road building and pretty prompt here in Phuket. Ive seen contractors watch QC core samples taken of the  laid ashphalt for depth and mix quality by gov investigators and they said they get fined if under spec.

Agreed on the roads. If only the Thais could surface airport runways to the same standard. Shocking bouncing and uneven surfaces; Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat are three that I have had scary landings on numerous times. I heard particulary that NST was done on the cheap as the contractor had to pay kick-backs to secure contract (my ex was from Nakhon Si Thammarat).

7 years is fair. Change it now. Any competant place using the correct spec fluid should be able to do it in 30-60 minutes. 

51 minutes ago, Malawi said:

Why?

Dell and Lenovo are better quality although maybe more money than Asus and Acer

5 hours ago, ajarnmarc said:

90 days upon entry, and single page application for renewal. No stupid photo required, no proof of where you stay, and no reporting every 90 days either. In the Philippines they even have a separate section within Immigration to assist with filling out the single page application. No worries that if you get some document wrong, in the stack that you must submit within Thailand, that the Immigration will throw the paper work and your passport back at you. I have seen this happen several times in various location throughout Thailand, or even worse is when the Immigration asks you to leave the office to have a private chat in another building. I have been lucky to not have that situation happen to me personally, but witnessed it on multiple occasions, again at various offices. The boarders can not open fast enough for me to depart this insanely backwards country, which has shown all it's glory in my past 21 years here, and I conclude I'm bored to see much more of it, nor worse still, to hear others try to justify the officials actions. My guess is they have not seen as much interactions as I, so they are still left with some sort of positivity. As the saying goes, "Thailand is great, until it's not, then you best have your plane ticket, and bag ready for a quick departure, or the officials will look for every way to get into your pockets and take all you have". I even had the tourist police take me to the atm machine in Phuket to take out money. Did I do something illegal? No, I wanted to buy a car, I was here for just a month at the time, and I had to put the car into a ladies name. So when I finally figured out how to get a non b visa, and got my work permit sorted out, I thought it was time after my forth month here, to get my car in my own name. The Thai lady was fine to transfer the auto back into my name, but the transport office stated we needed to go to the tourist police at that time "2000" to get the residency document. Once the tourist police found out what I was needing and why? They decided to take my thai lady friend outside for a chat. Upon her return the tourist police explained to me that I needed to pay the lady 80,000 bht to have the book taken from her name into mine, since it was technically illegal to have an auto put into some else's name who was not the actual owner of the auto, as stated to the transport office at the time of registration; is how they explained it to me. 

You've surely had a tough time in Thailand. Hopefully it's better for you in your next destination. The borders are open now. Surely you'll keep TVF updated.

7 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

after they open the schools, maybe airports will follow ?

airports have been open for some time. Just no international flights for tourists or visitors

Lack of foreign tourists having devastating impact on Chiang Mai tourism

Ditto: Samui, Phuket, Koh Lanta, Krabi, Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Bangkok.... et al.

3 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

There are repatriation flights into Thailand from the UK all the time.

Contact the Thai Embassy in London for details and requirements for your wife to re-enter Thailand.

 

She'd need a 'fit to fly' certificate and would be subject to 14 day quarantine at a Bangkok hotel which has to be booked and paid in advance. The requirements on re-entry are made by the Thai government and again nothing to do with the UKVI.

 

Do you know what dates of the repatriation flights "into Thailand from the UK all the time"? Only 3 in August and all long since fully booked. Are there any in September, October or November that can be booked as part of a roundtrip ticket without paying a fortune and needing fit to fly, CoE and quarantine? There are no scheduled passenger flights into Thailand currently until 1st October and there are unlikey to be any, based on authority comments, until 2021.

41 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

No, why would the UKVI 're-date' the Visas.

You've never been prevented from entering the UK.

Yes of course you are correct. We can go to the UK today. But can you please explain how my GF will get back to Thailand once her UK visit visa expires if there are still no commercial flights into Thailand? She does not want to overstay her UK visa. Maybe the UK would not want her to overstay too but use the visa at another when she can be certain of being able leave the UK and return home?

On 8/8/2020 at 4:35 PM, asiacurious said:

American tourists go nuts for stuff like this, and I would wager they are more likely to recognize the style of the vehicle as being a London taxi than many Chinese.  And I bet quite a few British tourists would let out a sigh for home and perhaps a slight giggle at seeing these too, and want to take a ride in one and have a photo.

American toursits do like London Black Cabs in London. Not sure about in Thailand though.

Most British would avoid London Taxis in Thailand due to fear of higher fares and simply book a Grab car instead (like many do and book Uber in London).

On 8/8/2020 at 4:04 PM, KhunBENQ said:

There still seem to be DLT offices that insist on residence cert.

I am lucky that my office accepts yellow book (pink card).

Which office is yours?

 

I am not aware about a proper method to align the renewal dates.

 

Morchit, Bangkok.

On 8/8/2020 at 12:02 PM, fredob43 said:

First bit I cant answer suggest you ask at your local DLT. But if you have a yellow book that's conformation of address so no need to get anything else. Just need passport and old licence. Some require a doctors note some don't. Oh + the usual forms. N/B My wife requires a new licence by the 12th, she has had to make an appointment to get it. All things seem to be delayed due to this Rat Flue 19.  

Thanks. I always get the doctor's letter on the day as he has an office right by the gates to DLT. I'll ask DLT on next renewal regarding alignment of licence expirys. 

On 8/7/2020 at 11:10 AM, squire1 said:

Everyone knows that marking up electricity is now illegal for 5 units or more, but why has nothing changed. As far as I can see Thais and Felangs are still getting ripped off. Just recently i was charged 11 bart per unit for electicity.

11 Baht per unit (KWH) is extreme and about 200+% of PEA rate. In most Thai style room apartments the Thais are charged 6-8 Baht per KWH by landlord and is usually added to monthly bill (rent, electricity and water) with number of units and price but they never show the unit price although it's easy to divide. Also, many of these Thai room buildings either have no AC or very old and chaep installations that are inefficient and power hungry.

On 8/8/2020 at 9:23 AM, colinneil said:

Not just the elderly drivers need to under go fitness to drive tests, every driver here should have to do the same, as a very large percentage of drivers are not fit to be on the road.

Some years ago I was renewing my Thai licence at DLT and there were quite a number of older drivers who failed the reaction time, depth perception and eyesight tests. They got told to go to another area. Later after watching the safety video I saw them also being issued new licences. I was amazed how their eyesight and reaction times had improved dramatically in one hour! 

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are doing a 90 day report you will have to go to the temporary office in Muang Thong Thai.

See this announcement on immigration website. http://bangkokimmigration.com/2020/07/03/ประชาสัมพันธ์ย้ายเคาน์/

I did my 90 day report at the Muang Thong Thani office a couple of weeks ago. In and out within 20 minutes. Very well organised. 

It can be tricky to find as Google Maps Navigation (and Grab) directed us to go down an impassable lane on a building site. See here for Google Streetview: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@13.9187078,100.5456671,3a,75y,30.74h,70.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sk7k9jK90TKqTvSPQv5vWAw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

and there are now some signs to "Immigration". Turn right from this view and go under the Tollway bridge and keep going straight. 90 day reporting is a building on the left. You'll probably see taxis waiting opposite.

I have Thai driving licences for both car and motorcycle. When I obtained the car licence in 2005 I had no need to get the motorcycle licence. I obtained the motorcycle licence a few years ago and both are now on 5 year renewals. My issue and question is related to the fact that each expires 2/3 years apart meaning that I have to go to DLT (and also must obtain residence certificate from immigration) twice every 5 years to renew the licences. Is it possible to align the licences so that they both expire on the same date/year every 5 years? 

Also; I now have yellow book and pink ID card. Will that negate the need to get residence certificates from immigration?

47 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Sounds like he has told both countries he is a resident of both countries, all the while he is living in Thailand, and a resident of neither.  I can't see this system lasting too long.  

He clarified that is the case. He gets both UK & OZ pensions they are then consolidated and paid by Oz.

On 7/26/2020 at 1:33 AM, BritManToo said:

Odd that, as you're not legally entitled to both.

Oz government collects your Brit pension on your behalf and uses it to fund your Oz pension.

Sounds like a swindle to me, but that's the way it's supposed to work.

He clarified that is the case. He gets both UK & OZ pensions they are then consolidated and paid by Oz.

Sea salt from the salt fields in Samut Songkhram is good enough for many. 20 Baht for a single kilo bag at the road side stands and not much more in stores around Bangkok (and probably nationwide). Hard work harvesting it yourself though (damn heavy). 

I'm told that this is what is used on the salted barbequed fish. I use it at home as condiment and in cooking. Very clear and clean but obviously not Kosher. Is there a Buddhist equivalent to Kosher?

8 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

One thing i noticed while looking at studios is the sliding door\wall divider can look good and gives a separate bedroom.

 

Apparently condos can't be sold if the unit has arrears of common fees as the Juristic letter can't be issued. If true this is daft and maybe preventing thousands being sold. The debt could be paid off by the buyer to enable the sale to go through

Yes, it is true. The condo must have fully paid up "Common Jusristic Fees" and not be in debt. Only once the debt is paid will the CJP issue the "debt free" letter to effect the transfer of title. 

19 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

What would you like them to do , to show that they care about you ?

Invite you around for Sunday dinner ?

Afternoon Tea on the lawn 

If they wanted to help us Brits they would make it easier and simpler to renew our passports and apply for spouse/partner visas more easily. Making an appointment for consular help such as affadavits should be easier and cheaper too.

If they were to offer free champagne brunches for us then that would be a bonus ????

In a more helpful direction; can you contact the doctor or hospital that issued the original? But I guess you may have tried already?

TVF members will probably only know the afgore mentioned and typically blue pill or something similar, maybe birth control pills (for their Tee Rak) and almost certainly some for a headache or the morning after. Sorry, I can't help identify your meds though.

8 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

It was from a bygone era , a time before computers and when it was even difficult to telephone back to the UK ,  when people could disappear without trace and noone knowing where they are or what happened to them .

  These days , with mass communications , registering at Embassies is completely unnecessary  , just like Embassies really , before Embassies were a lifeline between you and your home Country , these days, we can contact home freely and as often as we need to 

I know, I was being flippant however many British expats here feel like the British Embassy dont give <deleted> for their citizens or is that "subjects"?.

3 hours ago, Jen65 said:

Are British subjects living/retired in Thailand required to register with the British Embassy , even on a voluntary basis ???

No. They no longer want to know we exist. Stopped years ago.