Wanderer555

On 9/10/2016 at 8:16 AM, Arjen said:

A chainsaw is even more dangerous...

How about a Chain Saw Angle Grinder?
Having worked in the woods of Northern California as a logger and using chain saws with bars up to 60" in my younger days, I will admit this little bad boy does require some serious concentration when using it on my sculptures...

Good fun though!

14 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

Not a shortage in postage, but a standard delivery charge.  You always have to pay it on delivery for this sort of package.

This seems to be variable and possibly location dependent as my iHerb package was delivered to our doorstep by the postal worker. Other packages from Lazada etc have been held at the post office for pickup but with no additional charges. 

Cheers!

Hello GarryP,

You might give' iHerb' a look. I recently made my first purchase from them for a medicinal herb and was very pleased with the prices, customer service and shipping to Thailand was only $4.00 US. The package, which was shipped via USPS AirMail, took about 2 weeks to arrive at my door in Kalasin Province. 

Cheers!

Hello Jim,

It might be that the difference in terminology 'UK pension/income' vs 'US receive USD' may be the result of the differences used in describing various forms of monetary gain. 

While I am not sure of how various forms of monetary gain are described in the UK, the US tax code describes 'Income' as the money one receives in exchange for goods and services, including pensions as the pension is derived from previous work for pay. On the other hand, 'Capital Gain' is the money received from the sale or exchange of a capital asset such as property or stocks. Both are forms of money being received that could be used to fund a retirement.

It also seems to me that the US description is more inclusive as it does not limit one to claiming money just earned from a periodic exchange of services ( ie: working for salary), but can include money from many sources. The US method would seem to include many sources of funds such as pensions, capital gains, trust funds, savings draw down or similar, as long as that 'money or its monthly average' is 'at or above' what is attested to on the form

As the OP of this thread, I was also a bit confused with the terminology as my income comes from a mix of sources including both a pension and short-term capital gains. While my question was for different reasons, in the end I do believe one should only answer these questions in a manner that is both ethical and verifiable.

Cheers!

According to the local 'Coconut Telegraph', the son only promised the assailants the money, with payment due upon the successful completion of the job. It has also been reported that while the son was being interviewed at the local police station, the alleged assailants called the son demanding payment.

There is much more background to this event, and as horrible as the assault was, actions of this type are not exclusive to Thailand and could of occurred anywhere in world.

Locally the father is well-known for his fighting roosters, and the 'Coconut Telegraph' agrees that the cuts are a form of karmic debt as they closely resemble the cuts left on the roosters after a fight...

Even Obama's half brother is voting for Trump

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-malik-obama-president-obama-half-brot...

The link is broken/page not found. Hmmmmm.

The story is widely covered by many news agencies, the CBS story is at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-malik-obama-president-obama-half-brother-endorses-trump/.

Cheers!

Hi chaps. I just had some top nosh. I am not too much into noodles but this I think is worth a mention.

The big c in kalasin right next to it aprox 60 metres down the rd is a big looking restaurant it serves boat noodles? Old style noodles I'm told.

Been past it a lot and was dismissive of it as I always think prices by large malls etc are inflated due to the convenience of being close to BIG c.

How wrong was I and how good is the stock they using in the noodles.

It's a big joint had a band playing soft music. They serve 1 dish: noodles with pork and livers. Really tasty stuff and just 10 (ten) baht a bowl. I had 6 bowls they are small portions hence 6 bowls. Pretty normal it seems to have 5+.

All spices are on side the stock is very good I highly recommend. They got loads of little stores within joint selling other stuff like water and beer one luck seller sells to all. Pork scratching seller etc.

Highly recommended.

R

Sounds like the 'Rice Mill' complex, as remarked, it has a nice selection of local street food type dishes and more. It is located on the same side of the street before Big C.

Cheers!

Hello,

Yes, I would agree that the use of expansion joints to limit the spread of cracks due to the base material settling or similar is not common here in many areas.

I am not sure if the asphalt impregnated fiberboard is available in Thailand, but do know that 'Sika' has a large line of good quality concrete joint products made with polyurethane or similar. Sika products are widely available here, and they should be able to point you in the correct direction...

Cheers!

If the number of arrests being reported in accurate, it is apparent that the increased scrutiny many of us have felt while conducting business with immigration, may in fact be due to what may be characterized as a largely underreported problem--mass illegal immigration to Thailand from non-European and North American nations.

For most of us here on TV, these types of individuals will be largely unnoticed by us in our daily lives, but their presence in Thailand does appear to have a direct impact on the much smaller numbers of those who are attempting to legally stay here while meeting the requirements of the law. Taking aside the issues of system efficiency and similar, this report does give one better idea of the challenges facing Thai immigration in regards to illegal immigration, and how this crosses over into and impacts my own much smaller world...

Cheers!

Also know the the US Embassy has there Outreach programs that travel to various cities so you can skip having to go to Bkk just to get the affadavit.

Thanks NickJ,

The next Consular visit to a city close to me is August 19, and I need to take care of this before then, but maybe next time...

cheers!

You could put a lower amount that what is needed. But be sure you put an amount above the 65k baht requirement that would cover any exchange rate fluctuations.

I honestly cannot cannot think of a good reason to put a lower amount though.

Thanks UbonJoe!

As a followup, I think I will put 2500.00 as this will give sufficient room for normal currency fluctuations.

Additionally, the local Amphoe is also requiring to see a translated copy of the form for our marriage registration. My wife, who is a government worker and familiar with the office, has recommended I do not show the full amount as the amount I receive monthly far exceeds the 65,000 Baht requirement. As a private type and one who prefers a simple quiet lifestyle, I do agree with her, thus my question.

Thank again for the good advice.

Good day,

I will soon be applying for a non-O Visa for the purposes of retirement using the monthly income method.

When filling out the US Embassy Income Affidavit form, it asks me to affirm that "I receive USD $ _XXXX___ every month from the United States Government and/or other sources".

I do understand the 65,000 minimum requirement from Thai immigration, and have verifiable monthly income that exceeds this requirement.

My question is, that for the purposes of this form and to meet the requirement, do I need to state the entire amount or just state an amount that will satisfy the requirement?

Thank you in advance

theWanderer

We have a Teka Linea (all black) with one standard burner and one infrared burner (6 small clustered around one larger one), and pleased with the performance & quality for the price. I cannot remember the price, but it was at Global House and just a bit more expensive than the other comparable models.

The Infrared side is very hot and easily heats a large vat of oil for deep fried foods, and both sides do a good job with all sorts of other duties and have good contriol over the flame. It also features a sealed cabinet below the burners which prevents insects and vermin from entering and destroying things, with glass top making clean up very quick and easy

Cheers!

ps: the infrared burner took a couple of minutes to light the center burner on the first use but once it lit once, we have had no issues...

Thanks Ubonjoe,

This is as suspected, I was hoping to save the trip to Bangkok until right before it is time to apply for the 'Extension of Stay'.

Cheers!

Good day,

I am planning to obtain a Non-O Visa 'for the purposes of retirement' from Vientiane, and would like to know, does the consulate require an embassy certification letter or will they accept other financial documentation for the Visa?

I am 54 years old, a United States Citizen and can provide proof of retirement income that exceeds the Thailand requirement of 65,000 Baht per month.

Thanks!

Been a topic that's kicked about more than a few times.

My view is there's good and bad drivers what ever country you go to.

You would only use public transport where I live if you wanted to be bored.

And like in any country , women are worse drivers ....especially the parking ones.

Maybe she is an exception, but my wife is actually quite a good driver, can parallel park, enjoys accelerating out of a curve, and can back a car or truck into a parking space quite efficiently...

Like others have said, it depends on the driver, their training and experience.

Cheers!

What a load of .....

Solution: Reduce speed, post an extra lookout or two and proceed with caution!

The boats crashed into each other due to poor seamanship, and likely excessive speed for the current conditions. We just arrived back from Krabi and while out on a private boat, I saw a few of these speedboats at a popular island beach stop with all three being overloaded, and more than likely insufficient safety gear.

It is very sad that these tourists got sucked into taking a trip on these 'Cattle Boats' and ended up being slaughtered...

"Those are the life jackets from the boat that rescued them from the water.

Have you seen the boats that were involved in this accident?"

Actually that is a really good observation, and no I have not seen any 'Lifejackets' that clearly belong to the vessels that were involved in the collision. It would seem strange to me that the rescue vessel would need to provide PFD's to the collision victims if the crew of the vessels involved had already provided their passengers with the proper safety equipment.

Perhaps you have evidence of these 'Lifejackets' being provided by the vessel crew? If so, I would appreciate seeing this as it would help calm my feelings that the vessels were overloaded and under-equipped for the trip.

Cheers!

Wow, that is a really impossible request.

But boats here can not depart without having sufficient life jackets on board, and in many departure points it is checked that everybody wears them.

I do see some other life jackets on the photos as well, so yes, life jackets were provided by the vessel crew.

@ stevenl,

In reading both of your following statements, I find myself somewhat confused.

"Those are the life jackets from the boat that rescued them from the water.

But boats here can not depart without having sufficient life jackets on board, and in many departure points it is checked that

everybody wears them.

My question is, "If the passengers were wearing the Personal Flotation Devices or 'lifejackets' as required, then why would the rescue crews need to provide them to the collision victims?"

While I cannot say with certainty the conditions aboard both vessels were at the time of the collision, I will admit to making a few assumptions based on seeing similar boats at the destination islands with the vessels being both overloaded and poorly equipped.

Could you also inform me as to what classification of PFD, (Lifejacket) they typically provide their passengers?

Additionally, has anyone reported what the deceased victims died of, such as blunt force trauma, drowning or ???

Cheers!

What a load of .....

Solution: Reduce speed, post an extra lookout or two and proceed with caution!

The boats crashed into each other due to poor seamanship, and likely excessive speed for the current conditions. We just arrived back from Krabi and while out on a private boat, I saw a few of these speedboats at a popular island beach stop with all three being overloaded, and more than likely insufficient safety gear.

It is very sad that these tourists got sucked into taking a trip on these 'Cattle Boats' and ended up being slaughtered...

"Those are the life jackets from the boat that rescued them from the water.

Have you seen the boats that were involved in this accident?"

Actually that is a really good observation, and no I have not seen any 'Lifejackets' that clearly belong to the vessels that were involved in the collision. It would seem strange to me that the rescue vessel would need to provide PFD's to the collision victims if the crew of the vessels involved had already provided their passengers with the proper safety equipment.

Perhaps you have evidence of these 'Lifejackets' being provided by the vessel crew? If so, I would appreciate seeing this as it would help calm my feelings that the vessels were overloaded and under-equipped for the trip.

Cheers!

“It was raining heavily,” Col. Lt. Prasert Srikhunrat said by telephone. “The sky was dark, so the two boats crashed into each other.”"

What a load of .....

Solution: Reduce speed, post an extra lookout or two and proceed with caution!

The boats crashed into each other due to poor seamanship, and likely excessive speed for the current conditions. We just arrived back from Krabi and while out on a private boat, I saw a few of these speedboats at a popular island beach stop with all three being overloaded, and more than likely insufficient safety gear.

It is very sad that these tourists got sucked into taking a trip on these 'Cattle Boats' and ended up being slaughtered...

As a former USCG Licensed Master and Marine Safety & Security Instructor, (USCG & MCA of the UK), I know that these types of accidents are largely preventable and almost always the result of operator error.

Hopefully this event will get the international attention it deserves, and some of the necessary changes will be made.

Unlikely there was not enough safety equipment and/or the boats were overloaded. All are checked very regularly, in certain places even daily.

I'm sorry, but what fantasy wonderland are you living in ??. I have been here 35 years and have internationally recognised certification for both Fast rescue Craft and small powered vessels, I can safely say that there is little to no inspection on any marine vessels that I have seen

I see it every day. No overloading possible and life jackets for everybody compulsory.

Seems like you don't know the daily ins and outs of these boats.

Not disputing your report of inspections, and as one who has under gone multiple commercial vessels inspections around the globe, I can say that the quality of the inspection and the standards being applied are vital to the overall success of the safety inspections.

In looking at some of the pictures of incident, many of the passengers being treated appear to be wearing light blue or grey 'Flotation Aids' or what the United States Coast Guard (USCG) classifies as a Type III Personal Flotation Device (PFD). These vests are primarily designed to aid the wearer to stay afloat while engaged in a sport activity such as snorkeling or water skiing. Designed for comfort, these vests are only intended for use in calm waters where fast rescue is possible, and most importantly they are not designed to self-right (turn-over) an unconscious victim to the face-up position.

Given the trip to Phi Phi is across open water, it would seem reasonable that vessel operators would be required to carry at minimum TYPE II PFD's, (Near Shore Buoyant Vests) for each passenger and others safety devices such as AIS, (Type , in addition to the standard running lights, Lifebuoy with light, signal flares and similar. I also question the stability of these speedboats when carrying over thirty (30) passengers, crew, fuel and provisions. This is a very large number for the type of vessel (10m?) and the intended area of operation, and cannot imagine how such a heavily loaded vessel safely operates in a heavy sea. In my past experience a vessel of this type would have at maximum maybe 16 passengers for protected waters, but more than likely be certified to carry a maximum of 12 for a day excursion, or less if carrying divers & their equipment when on a similar route.

Cheers

Congratulations to Jon on his project, and adapting to a very different environment than his native Thailand.

As others have noted, this looks to be in South Park, (made famous by the South Park cartoon), and yes the valley floor is above 10,000 ft, with the mountains to the West & North reaching over 14,000 ft.

I used to live close there, deeper in the mountains to the west maybe 30-40 miles and can attest long cold winters such as ice climbing 10 minutes by snowshoes from my house in early June. Though the temperatures can drop to -30F or less and be subzero F for weeks on end, the skies are generally sunny so it makes things bearable. Also, while it can snow almost any day of the year, South Park does not get a lot of snowfall, and the low moisture content makes it very easy to deal with.

The Earthships are a really good concept, and I have stayed in a couple around the Taos New Mexico area, but have concerns with the use of the rubber tires and long term effects from the rubber outgassing.

Cheers!

“It was raining heavily,” Col. Lt. Prasert Srikhunrat said by telephone. “The sky was dark, so the two boats crashed into each other.”"

What a load of .....

Solution: Reduce speed, post an extra lookout or two and proceed with caution!

The boats crashed into each other due to poor seamanship, and likely excessive speed for the current conditions. We just arrived back from Krabi and while out on a private boat, I saw a few of these speedboats at a popular island beach stop with all three being overloaded, and more than likely insufficient safety gear.

It is very sad that these tourists got sucked into taking a trip on these 'Cattle Boats' and ended up being slaughtered...

As a former USCG Licensed Master and Marine Safety & Security Instructor, (USCG & MCA of the UK), I know that these types of accidents are largely preventable and almost always the result of operator error.

Hopefully this event will get the international attention it deserves, and some of the necessary changes will be made.

@ CGW,

As I am sure you are aware, experiences can vary as dependent on the time one visits a hotel...

"If budget is not an issue Centara is a better hotel, which is obviously reflected in price and "stars" and a better pool area."

The Pannarai and Centara UT have very similar pricing, and as with most hotels, key factors in the price being the time of booking and percentage of occupancy. We have stayed at both in Udon Thani, and the Pannarai was a bit more expensive than the Centara when we booked.

"the pool is ok, though the area is smaller than it looks on photographs."
Most if not all pictures of hotel properties are taken with wide angle lenses that inherently increase the perceived size of the given subject, and yes the pool area is smaller than the professional pictures of the same.

"If you enjoy a typical 3 star Thai breakfast consisting off processed foods and cold eggs breakfast will be ok for you"

Our breakfast at the Pannarai included freshly prepared offerings and we felt it was generally good for the type of venue. Timing is often key here, and I typically have low expectations for a Western style breakfast as it is not really part of the Thai culture. That being said, on occasion, I have had a few exceptional hotel breakfasts.

It does seem that the smaller venues often have a much better breakfast than the larger corporate type hotels. For me, I often have a mixture of both Western and Thai foods for breakfast (omelet, boiled rice, bread, stir-fried vegetables/seafood, etc...), with my Thai wife also enjoying the same.

No 'slating' you here, just relating our experience, and let the OP decide.

The wife and I stayed at the Pannarai a few weeks back while on a two day shopping trip to Udon Thani and both feel it is one of the better hotels in town. As mentioned, it is very clean, and the staff is both polite and professional. We did not have time for the pool, but it did look clean and comfortable. Excellent location next to Central Plaza, very good breakfast buffet and close to many good restaurants.

Cheers!

We will be married on the 28th of May, and have a budget of 150,000 Bhat for a simple but very nice wedding celebration for 100 people in Kalasin Province. This amount covers for most all of the expenses , including custom clothes for both of us, an organizer, musician, photographer, catered food and ample libations.

Food: 20,000 - Liquor/Beer/Wine: 17,000 - Organizer with staff & materials: 27,000 (includes the hand-made decorations used in the ceremony) and many misc expenses...

Hope this helps, and congratulations!