SamuiRes

Have used AVG Free for years with no problems.

Prompted to upgrade to the latest version and having done so none of my programs were accesible despite numerous restarts. Eventually started in Safe Mode and went to the AVG Forum and this appears too be a serious problem.

http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-forums?sec=thread&act=show&id=217263

The only solution was to download the AVG Removal Tool and once AVG was gone, my programs came back - at least those I have checked so far. I have now installed AVIRA and will not go near AVG ever again.

For anyone interested in tracking ships try http://shipfinder.co/ but it only seems to work around major ports such as Singapore, HK etc,

There is another flight tracking program - http://planefinder.net/ but interestingly does not have the same info as Flightradar24 and does not include Bangkok Airways in its coverage.

Samui aiport does not have radar so once the aircraft get below a certain level you will not be able to see them on the display.

I have been using this programme for years but I did not know you could get cockpit views, how do you do this?

The site does not use radar but signals from the transponders in the aircraft - provided they are fitted which they are not in all aircraft. Go to the Forum and there is an explanation of how it works. I suspect Samui does not have a ground station to receive and report the signal which is why they disappear off the map.

For cockpit view - click on the plane you want - a panel appears on the left giving flight details - at the bottom is a "Cockpit View" button. Does not work well in IE but quite well with Chrome.

Google Earth have just updated the NW corner of Samui

http://www.flightradar24.com/

Just discovered this site.

You can watch in real time virtually any commercial aircraft anywhere in the world including simulated cockpit views.

Best using Chrome.

They are using Google Earth flight simulator I believe for the cockpit views with real time info from the aircraft.

Just watched PG 180 come into land at Swampy.

Does seem a problem with flights to Samui in that they seem to disappear off the map about two thirds of the way down.

Watched a flight whilst having breakfast this morning and then saw it land as I drove through Bangrak 20 minutes later.

Just has a shallow well dug - Baht 1,000 per ring. Needed 8 rings. All the work done by a slight Thai lady with male supervision!!

I have 3BB at home in Plai Laem so I use it mostly at the weekands and in the evening. Have been using it for about 12 months now and it suffers from the usual up and down in streaming but generally I find it OK. I have the 6MB package at 631 Baht per month. I have the same package from TOT in Bangrak (3BB do not serve the Fishermans Village end of Bangrak) which is on all day serving 4 PC's and is definitely slower but then I suppose there is a lot of bandwidth usage during the day.

Just received the following email -

"Four years ago, the board to consider draft laws had already decided that Ko Samui municipality (เทศบาลเมืองเกาะสมุย) - which covers the whole Samui island - should be upgraded from subdistrict municipality status to city municipality status. However surprisingly, the actual upgrade published in the Royal Gazette then just upgraded it to a town municipality, just one step higher in municipal status and not directly at the highest status.

Since I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the recent board meeting transcripts, it was now again a surprise when Khun Wisarut in the 2bangkok forum posted the link to the NathonCity website, which has the fax with the upgrade order in their news section. According to that scan, signed and send on August 12, the upgrade become effective September 14, the day after the term of the current council and mayor ends. Thus normally there should be a new election for both council and mayor within 45 days, but this depends on whether the Election Commission will be able to draw new constituency boundaries within that time - with the upgrade there are now 24 councilors election elected in four constituencies instead of 18 councilors in three constituencies.

It is somewhat strange that four years ago Samui was denied the city status, not it received it even though there was now also a change to a special administrative area like Pattaya in the discussion. I don't know any of the internals - maybe those who blocked the full upgrade last time are not in power anymore? Or drafting a law for a special administrative area couldn't be done quickly enough to be able to use the end of the terms for the status change? Or the city status was now granted to stop the request of becoming a special administrative area, which would mean even less of the tax income of Samui would go to the other parts of the province and country."

This is the best copy of the fax I was sent - not sure it is very legible

DHL, maximum 4 days but usually two or three, a letter (couple of pages) costs about Baht 1,000.

Seeing that this was the same as EMS (950 baht) and it's going to take 5 or 6 days by EMS then this seems a much better bet.

Where is there a DHL office on Samui?

Cheers

R

There is no DHL office on Samui....

Agent maybe 500m south of Tecso Chaweng. Cost me (just under a year ago) 5,000 Baht to sent two shirts (hand embroidered) to the UK on a 3 day service and got there in 2.

That office appears closed now. Try UPS right hand side going towards Lamai just past the Laem Din turn on the Ring Road. Always had good service from them.

Rolling power cuts for the next few months -

http://www.thephuket...power-32631.php

I assume I don't live in the affected area that will be cut. This is typical of Samui lack of a plan and now they say it might be done by March 2013. What a crock of <deleted>.

A few years ago when they had the problem with the under sea cable, they introduced rolling power cuts and they managed it extremely well. They gave a table of what areas would be affected and the times and they were very accurate. At least you knew in advance when you would be off and when you would come back on and they were punctual to the minute. Can only hope for the same this time round.

So much for wishful thinking that they might be efficient again.

20.30 last night, Plai Laem - out go the lights.

22.30 still no power and wanted to go to bed but had not had desert - nice apple sponge, but cold in the fridge.

That to me was the perfect answer. Wanted to heat in the microwave, but of course cannot.

Need power.

Easy.

Eat the apple sponge cold and the power will come back as soon as we finish.

22.40 back comes the power.

I just knew that would work!

Rolling power cuts for the next few months -

http://www.thephuket...power-32631.php

I assume I don't live in the affected area that will be cut. This is typical of Samui lack of a plan and now they say it might be done by March 2013. What a crock of <deleted>.

A few years ago when they had the problem with the under sea cable, they introduced rolling power cuts and they managed it extremely well. They gave a table of what areas would be affected and the times and they were very accurate. At least you knew in advance when you would be off and when you would come back on and they were punctual to the minute. Can only hope for the same this time round.

Rolling power cuts for the next few months -

http://www.thephuketnews.com/samui-running-out-of-power-32631.php

I have to say, that in all the years I have visited Thailand and lived here, (five years), I have only heard once of someone actually having Dengue fever.... and that was "hear say", of someone having the year before I first came (2004)

So my question is where are these out breaks....?? Or is this a bit of a "wind up", saying it is so common ?

I have just got over Dengue Fever and know personally at least six other people who have had it here on Samui in the last three months. Very prevalent at the moment for some reason. The hospital confirmed they had seen quite a few cases recently.

Have a speedy recovery

Thank you. Appreciate the thought.

get well soon. I shall try to keep you entertained with my stupid posts

Get well soon SamuiRes, don't let Big C annoy you.

Thanks I won't.

Have a speedy recovery

Thank you. Appreciate the thought.

get well soon. I shall try to keep you entertained with my stupid posts

Feeling like s*** but not lost my sense of humour - yet - so keep them coming. Thanks for the thought.

Have a speedy recovery

Thank you. Appreciate the thought.

Just back from SIH - positive for Dengue.

Doctor 300

Hospital 100

Blood test 2,600

Medication 775

Nurse 100

TOTAL 3,875 Baht

Have lots of the powder drinks, Para Codeine for pain and some vitamins.

Platlette count 75,000 - way below normal.

Just staying at home unless it gets really bad.

I am looking into buying a 1bed room condo in Maenam and need to transfer money from here in Aus, will I get better rate in A$ or US$?

I do have an account with Kasikornbank in samui,

Does anyone know a link to check the rate or know the current rate for A4 Us$ with Kasikornbank?

Thanks for any info in advance!

Cheers.

http://www.kasikornbank.com/EN/RatesAndFees/ForeignExchange/Pages/ForeignExchange.aspx

This is the link you need. Use the Bank Buying Rate Telex Transfer Column.

Remember the rates constantly change and it can take a couple of days for funds transferred to reach here and they are converted on arrival.

Anything over USD 20,000 (or equivalent) will get you a Foreign Exchange Transaction Form. You need to ask your receiving bank for this.

Keep this form safe as it allows you at a later date to transfer the same amount out of Thailand without question.

Anything under USD 20,000 kssp all the transfer paperwork.

If you are buying a Condo you MUST transfer in foreign currency to get the FETF. Also in ten years of doing this I have always got a better rate in Thailand than I could have got overseas.

The bank will ask you for the reason for transfer and you simply state buying a Condominium.

Cheers for clearing that

They ate toughning up on share holders that do not have enough capital. In the bank to support the share value

I cannot understand why someone what is the managing director of a company put the house in their name

I have herd that some forans have a thai company purchase the land and the forang not even a share holder but he forang owning the house

What is to stop the company knockoff your house down and giving you the bricks back

Also what is to stop the company putting another building on the land as it is the companies land or blocking electric etc

That is why you need a lawyer to set the company up correctly, a shareholders agreement, Articles of Association stating what can and cannot be done, and the shareholders do not need to be Directors who actually control the company. There are a few other things that you would do to protect your interests that I am not going to go into here.

I need to know what I said that was wrong it is the only way I learn cheers

49% is not a controlling interest and you cannot have a Thai company owning land with majority foreign shareholders. Yes you only need three shareholders now not seven as previously. The "trick" as you put it is not about having the signatures on share transfer forms (although that is advisable) but making sure the Thai shareholders are legitimate and not nominees. It is also sensible that the Thai company ONLY owns the land and not the house. A foreigner can legally own a house here in their own name and as such would get a Yellow Tabien Baan. Any decent lawyer will guide a buyer through this and there are some here on the island.

Sitta the advice you are getting on this web board is simply wrong. Go and talk to a good lawyer. Big C you cannot as a foreigner own the controlling shares in a Thai Land owning company.

Be sure to thoroughly investigate water supply. All to often this is overlooked & many condos etc run dry.

and check the electricity rate (govt is 3.5 ish) as well as the annual/monthly maintenance charges. Some condos go into disrepair because people get ripped off on the charges.

A good q to ask is "Who decides fees/and what work gets done? Owners or developers?

Electric rate has just gone up. Now about 4.5/unit inc vat.

Do they have good dentists there or can you recommend other place instead?

Thank you in advance

I asked about that and they did not seem keen to treat foreigners for dental work. I was told I would have to come very early (6am) and take a chance they could see me. Totally different approach to the excellent treatment I mentioned above. However there are so may private dentists here on the island and for most work not that expensive. Baht 1000 for a filling and Baht 500 to replace an old one that fell out.

I have 3BB on Soi 4 in Plai Laem and that has been very good (touch wood as they say) but TOT at the office at the far end of Bangrak and that is appalling. Out most of last Friday and from midday to day.

I can only add to the positive comments about Nathon Hospital. A while ago I had some heart issues and BSH wanted to put me in Intensive Care overnight for Baht 48,000 - it was already 2am! I asked if I was having a heart attack and they said no so I checked out Baht 4,500 later for what little they had done and first thing in the morning went to Nathon. After about an hour saw a very pleasant lady Doctor who looked at the paperwork from BSH and decided she would like to keep me in overnight just as a check up although she did not think there was anything serious. Took the Baht 1,000/night single room - sea view and as large as anything in BSH. multi channel tv. Downside (but being picky here) nothing in the bathroom, not even towels and the food was not good. However, Dr came to see me before she went home, had another ECG then and again in the morning. She came back about 9am and said there was nothing seriously wrong with me and discharged me with a bag full of pills - mostly vitamin and some blood thinners. Cost Baht 1,000 for the room. Nothing else. Yes I have a Social Security Card.

However I must add that the Heart Specialist at BSH Dr Ravi is excellent and is there Monday and Tuesday only. Even after the above a few months later I still thought I had a problem and he arranged a full stress test analysis at Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok - they do not have the equipment here. Only discovered a very minor problem and that cost around Baht 6-7,000 if I recall. So BSH is not all bad if you get the right Doctor.