Wanderer555

21 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Any official bookies running odds of assassination?

I have been thinking of this possibility (assassination not placing a bet! LOL), but then that would give us Mike Pence, and then Paul Ryan. Not sure any of the above would satisfy the hunger for power that some seem to have.

Then again if it were to happen prior to the Electoral College vote, I understand the Electors would then vote for a new team. This would certainly present the opportunity to inject a new Potus/VPotus - elect that is more acceptable to the establishment!

Can we say Constitutional Crisis and possible full-on Civil War anyone?

To expand on Soidog2's comment:  

Coconuts are slow germinators, so like many slow germinators, it is recommended to grow a number of seedlings that exceeds the total you expect to plant with the expectation some will not successfully geminate and grow into seedlings.

If you have a source of seedlings, I would recommend using them, or using fresh coconuts (with water inside), go ahead and germinate them yourself. Time is short for me to describe the process, (planting banana today), but I think there should be plenty of internet sources on proper techniques and which should guide you on your path.

If you have further questions, please feel free to ask.

cheers!

22 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

I asked the missus what she thought of Trump and her reply was "who?".

 

I explained the whole deal to her and her reply was "why would I care?".

 

 

First time in a long while that we are both on the same page !!

@DonMega, 

While my personal situation is different than yours, I would like to say that your missus' reply is also completely valid as many people of Thailand have far greater and immediate concerns than who will be the next president of the United States. 
On a more personal note, it is always a good feeling when we and our Thai partners are on the proverbial 'Same Page'! 
Cheers!

4 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

To add to the credibility of 'Shot's' comment, my Isaan born and raised, Bangkok private university educated wife is also very aware of the US election, and while not a supporter of Donald Trump, she is very opposed to H. Clinton as one who she views as corrupt and seeks to use her position for personal enrichment. Additionally, she has expressed her concern to me that the United States has a very difficult choice, and is aware that the results of the election will have a direct impact on not only Thailand but the entire world. 

The generalization that all the people of Thailand have no awareness of the world beyond Thailand is patently wrong and does an injustice to the many intelligent and thoughtful Thai people that we share our lives with. 

Cheers!

To call US based 1-800 numbers on Skype, I believe you need to set your location in the 'Dial Pad' to the United States. See the attached screen shot, and select the country from the drop-down menu on the upper left corner. I had the same problem and this worked for me...

Cheers!

We both share the duties, and compared to most, her skills on the road are very sharp. Having a Honda City that she had when I arrived, a new truck and a couple of scooters, we generally just let however wants to drive take the wheel. 

At barely 5' (152cm) she catches more than a few stares when she takes the PCX150 to town, as her feet barely reach the ground when stopped, but absolutely fearless & very safe when moving...

My wife, who works in human resources for a municipality, wore all black & no jewelry to work today. As others have indicated, being respectful and doing ones best to act in an appropriate manner will be accepted and greatly appreciated.

Check the local Big C's as the often have in-store sales that match Lazada or Big C online. After doing extensive comparative shopping in the Kalasin area & online, we recently purchased a LG UHD Smart TV that was the same price as Big C online and about 1000 Baht more than the Lazada offerings from unknown third party vendors. The Big C staff did a very good job of explaining the many features on the TV and offered to set up the menus etc, but I opted to do this at home. 

Overall a very solid shopping experience.

Cheers!

13 hours ago, Lamkyong said:

 

i agree the direct route  good idea  sort of situation don't rock the boat comes to mind

hence my informal enquiry here  bit more subtle i think 

My wife, (Thai) called the office a few days prior to our visit, and she said they were very helpful in providing the information she requested. I did give her a short list that she used to confirm the current documents list and any other local requirements.

Cheers!

I went to Sakon Nakhon about 3 weeks ago to do my Retirement Extension and the 'Income Verification' as supplied by the U.S. Embassy was all they required to meet the Thai income requirements. 
 

The process was painless and professional, with the only extra forms required being an emergency contact form, and a form stating I understood the new overstay rules. Both of these forms were supplied by the Thai Immigration officer.
 

Additionally, at the time I applied for the extension,  they did not require me to complete the new information form that many have reported on being required elsewhere.
 

Cheers!

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!