digbeth

While the banks will admit that coercing insurance on people is probably not their standard procedure, that it is a problem and they'll look into it, you might even manage to get their HQ on the phone while you're at the branch and make them give you a 'normal' ATM card... 

On the other side of the coin in that the 'Corporate' side of the bank sets a target/quota for a branch to meet, I've known girls who just started working in banks and are still on their probation period that were let go because they haven't managed to sell enough insurance. 

Some debit cards from Thai banks don't work online/overseas

with Kasikorn account you can get a K-Web shopping card to use online which gives you a separate valid credit card number that you an use on sites that don't even accept debit cards, without the need to apply for an actual credit card, you get more safety with facilities to dispute charge like a real credit card which is another layer of protection compared to using a 'bare' debit card

With Bangkok Bank you have to 'activate' the debit card to use it online via the ATM or phoning the call centre I think

Krungsri debit cards just plain don't work online

Another 'scam' is that the cheapest ATM card is out of stock, and only expensive debit card with insurance is the only option

Rain between November - February is not uncommon, the Thais even has a name for it called 'Fon Cha Chor Mamuang' means the rain the washes the budding mango flowers. but normally it's a light drizzle and only comes in just a day. 

But the recent rainy spells is quite heavy and last for weeks

In the 'wild west' I suppose people can go to empty plot of land, stake their claim and defend it with force.... 

I'd only to manage to find a housing project type one in Soi Khao Noi, on the dark side 

and a couple of Navy ones down in Bang Saray, no Condos 

They're just about a level up from Government housing 

Anything as decently run to the level in OP's post is probably Lumpini condos, which has pretty good management and try to maintain a sense of community, but it's owned by individual owners, only that some rent out via the Juristic person/Management. Although most of their rooms, size and build quality is probably not up to 'western' standards here as it's geared towards working class/ lower middle class Thais/first time buyers

Had a look around and there are many projects including housing developments by a co-op

Apparently the co-op acts as the developer, building the house/condo and sells to members at cost, any profits is paid back as dividend

Maybe they get cheaper finance too

Co-op means that it'd need members right? so who are the members of these co-op? other owners in the condo? what do members have to gain by joining this co-op, usually in a co-op members get to buy at discounted price and enjoys the shared profits when they sell to outsiders... how would this work with condos?

Interesting system 

2 hours ago, Sunak said:

Sure, Thais get sick when temperatures drop to below 20 C (70 F).

Also the flu exists in Thailand too.

It's the same when in Europe during heatwave where people start dying at 28+c

12 hours ago, Basil B said:

Not very full, maybe they should reduce the ticket price... 

It's already free (for now)

They'd have to pay money for people to go on it then

With frigate and helicopter escort.... one wonder who's paying for all the fuel 

24 minutes ago, sharecropper said:

These look like the same crappy floating jetties that washed away outside the coastguard station at Pratumnak not so long ago. Don't they ever learn?

I bet they learn precisely the cost to replace these every so often, hence the miles of it stretched out on the beach

14 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Bkk and Pattaya have very different demo graphs don't try to Compare the two

as Pattaya has zero

industry other then tourism . 

But the surrounding areas are full of Industry, and people who work there do live in Pattaya or are in half an hour drive of Pattaya

To be fair, Bangkok probably has less Industry output than Chonburi

Also read that yesterday (31st December) when they took some VIPs and press out they managed to make it all the way to Huahin, but couldn't dock due to rough sea too, they were going to go to another port nearby but the engine developed some trouble so they repaired it while it sat in the water and hightail back to Pattaya

Just saw in Thai news that today's attempt to cross the bay ended in failure due to high/rough seas with the boat only circling Koh Larn and back, the news report that conditions in the bay was very high winds and 4meters wave

Some people queue since 5AM to get the free tickets, some that booked hotels in Huahin are now pissed that they now have to find alternative way of going there

Thai post has a service called logispost that can ship things like motorcycle door to door. you can drop off at any post office

Kerry is pretty good and has locations widely available now due to the most popular shopping website (Lazada) using them, mind you service can be spotty due to the holiday rush, and depending on your package size, might take longer than usual as the final deliveries around town is done using motorcycle or pickup truck, if it's something especially big they might have to roll out a big truck from their final distribution centre just for you

Another company that is good for shipping big things is Nim, they have offices all over Thailand too but are more used by companies shipping things to shops and warehouses, but they do door to door for any customers as well and always use big trucks so size isn't a problem

Just saw on Thai news website, it couldn't cross the bay due to rough seas and only circled Koh Larn and came back to dock in Pattaya

Some people that booked hotels on the other side was furious 

12 hours ago, wiko said:

 

The elevated highway doesn't connect to HW 9. Elevated Highway and HW7 are 2 different roads.

The Burapha withi does connect to the 9 south of the 7

The elevated expressway is called the Buraphawithi, not the 7

The 7 is the bit from Airport to Chonburi and now to Pattaya

10 hours ago, johng said:

 

Well, it is illegal for motorcycle to be using the right lanes unless overtaking

Every year when the thais go to the mountains, there'll always be accident involving coaches... 'brake failed'

Of course it'd fail (by fade or the fluid boiled off) if you ride it down the mountain all the way

/In this case at the intersection, although on a slight downward slope, I doubt it'd be enough for the brake to fade

I ride from to Bangkok too, On the stretch of Bangna hwy, which is the only decent way into Bangkok, it's illegal to ride motorcycle in the inside lane yet I still do anyway, same with Vibhawadhi rd in Bangkok heading north. the outside service road is too horrible. and even when you (illegally) use the main road there are trucks u-turning cutting you off

At night I managed to cheekily cut in and get on the 7 from the Airport into Bangkok a couple of time too.

When all these hwy 7 extention become fully tolled road, motorcycle to Pattaya and Rayong will become much more difficult

All the motorcycle brands now sell 'big' motorcycle, the manufacturers should get together to lobby for a change in law

There is an exit gate on the Chonburi bypass, the gates are inoperational as yet so you'll be able take a motorcycle all the way from Pattaya to Chonburi like before

Once the tolls are in operation I think motorcycle might be able to use the side roads from the 36 all the way to Chonburi

A separate large capacity/power motorcycle training/licencing is sorely needed, but the way some riders of these machines already weave in and out of between lanes and filter through cars at high speed, It'll be chaos if motorcycles are on highways and expressways en mass

5 hours ago, morrobay said:

In first paragraph you say all films in Thai,  for Thais.  Second paragraph say  middle class Thais don't watch Thai dubbed films?  So who are they trying to attract? 

People less educated than middle class obviously,

Aspiring middle class wouldn't stoop so low to watch English movies dubbed into Thai, they're all well educated and 'should' understood English just fine. in any case there'e Thai subtitles

On the other hand,

working class won't even read subtitles, it's Thai dubbed only, 

The Theater at both Central are operated by SF, they have no problem showing movies in original English at beach road 

It's all positioning / segregation, you have this in down town Bangkok too although the price for ticket is about the same for the cheap seats at around 130, but the posh one on beach road has 'premium' seats for 150 in the same theater all the way to first class

If a enough Farang enquire at the box office and walk away without ticket or came walking out 20 minutes in and complain that it's all in Thai, they'd sure put a couple showings in English

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

The Central Marina redo is pretty decent.  A new food court in the front building with Starbucks and Mc'Donald's on the sides.

The inside of the old main building has been remodeled and the entire movie area is new.  Big C is pretty much the same but they do have a small food court now and the prices are less then Central Festival.  The food court was packed the day I went.

The thing that I still don't get is all the movies are in Thai.  Maybe a few English would be nice. 

Since before the renovation the movies there are always in Thai, For movies in original English it's either at Central on Beach road or the Avenue...

Middle class Thais don't even watch Thai dubbed Hollywood movies, so that's one indicator of how the mall aims for in their clientele