SamuiRes

My apologies SamuiRes. I didn't notice you had come up with tha Bratislava answer before me.

No probs Cobber! Just a game after all!

Difficult one this.

Palm trees suggest tropical.

Building styles could be anywhere.

Obviously coastal but not a container port.

Going to need some clues here!

We are looking to rent an apartment (palm view apartments by the airport) and are wondering if beach access is readily available to people not staying on the beach otherwise we will rent on the beach. We would like access to lounge chairs with umbrellas and access to vendors selling drinks etc. By the way, has anyone stayed at these apartments before as I could not find any recommendations or reviews on this.

Regards

BD

All beaches in Thailand are Crown Property and you are entitled to use them. Bophut Beach is easily accessible from many points. Chaweng Beach is accessible but generally through hotel grounds although you can get there through the Night Plaza and there is a Public Access opposite the turn to Laem Din Market.

Loungers and Umbrellas are generally reserved for hotel guests only and they would certainly not look kindly to you using their facilities and then buying drinks etc from Beach vendors. You may be able to approach them on the basis of renting on a daily basis, but much will depend I suspect on how busy they are. There are spots on Chaweng Beach around the Ark Bar and Barracuda at the north end which are pretty welcoming and have a more relaxed attitude to casual users but you should buy your drinks from them at least. Malibu Beach Resort next to the Night Plaza is a nice spot and if you are patronising their restaurant and bar are generally a little more relaxed on this.

I just wanted to say that I really love Samui, the island and the people.

While I feel so terribly sorry for the Horton Family and can't even begin to imagine their loss,

these tragedies can happen anywhere.

Please don't cancel holidays or run from such a beautiful place. I have only been to Samui three times

and I plan on returning in three months. Of course as a girl travelling I am now going to be extra careful of where I go and what I do but I would do the same anywhere, even here in Australia.

Don't let these despicable animals that committed this crime win and don't blame Samui......

I won't let them make me live in fear.

xx

Well said and quite right.

Welcome back to Samui.

Vilna

Nope sorry! !

Ok another clue - it's a fairly new Easyjet destination.

prob not any good to those in LOS right now but seriously any other clues would give the game away!!

Bratislava

I can only speak for Samui of which I have first hand knowledge.

The market here is almost exclusively foreign driven - there are a few Thais investing but mostly it is foreigners. They are investing for a variety of reasons. We have seen many expats living in the Far East - Hong Kong, Japan, Korea etc who are on good salaries with good annual bonuses. They do not want to repatriate their money to their homeland and see the ownership of a property on Samui as somewhere they can visit easily for a vacation - even a weekend with direct Hong Kong flights but also rent out to cover their costs.

We are seeing retirees who are looking for an alternative to Spain and Portugal, which has a cheap cost of living and available health care. Samui now has four International Hospitals plus the Government Hospital.

From an investment point of view Samui has a very strong rental market and not just from Europeans. More and more Koreans, Chinese and Japanese are coming here on vacation now.

Land prices have increased dramatically and it is difficult to see how that is sustainable. However, I thought that three years ago and it still continues. One reason is that there are some poeple who have come here and found a piece of land they like and paid whatever is necessary to get it, even if it flies in the face of the local market. Comparisons are made with what can be bought in their home country which is not the correct way to do it, but it happens all the time.

I believe that in the short term, supply now exceeds demand here - especially with all the off-plan developments and I am not sure all of those will be built. Longer term I think everything will sell, but the developer has to have sufficient weight to last out.

Hi

So I understand that in Thailand, the wedding ceremony and the legal registration of the marriage are usually separate. And that the registration is usually done after the ceremony.

Is this your understanding too? What was your experience? How long was it until you went to the amphoe office?

Also, excuse my naivety here, but is there any advantage in registering the marriage back home (the UK, in my case) instead of, or in addition to, in Thailand? (Advantage in terms of greater freedom of movement for my spouse and any children we may produce, for example?)

Any light you can shed on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

The two are unrelated. The ceremony is a private matter. My wife and I were married officially a good twelve months before we got round to going to her home for the ceremony.

I am not sure how you would go about registering your marriage back in the UK except by getting married again and I do not think that holds any sway with the Embassy re issuing a visa.

With regard to keeping the property in your family, make one or more other family members, brother etc (age 20+) board directors. There must be a way they can take over after you croak. Maybe just make your brother the Managing Director when you are old but you have the right to rent the house from the company until you pop off.

The company you form to buy the house MUST NOT be more than 39% falang-owned. The Land Office investigates land-owning companies that have 40+% falang ownership. No worries, structure the articles of association with preferred shares so you have all control.

Not any more. 49% is now accepted without further investigation. You are right that that used to be the case though.

Talking over movies is a bit annoying. I find back seat driving when she can't drive to be a little irritating!

But they're women... it's only to be expected.. no point getting irritated..

totster

Since she passed her driving test (God knows how!) the only time she wants to drive is when she is drunk at 2 in the morning on the way home from the Club. I usually tell her to wait until we are out of town by which time the seat has gone back and she's fast asleep.

Is it legal for a company to buy a house as an investment not related to its chartered purpose and then give the Managing Director the right to live in it as part of his compensation package?

I guess this is going to open up a can of worms!

My first inclination is that it probably can - but you would need to look closely at the Articles of Association of the Company. Whilst they would probably be related to the principal activity of the Company, most Articles of Association are so broadly written that they allow the shareholders to agree to anything that promotes the business of the company. Most would also allow the acquisition of property for the purpose of the business. If the shareholders are in agreement and the requisite Memorandum of Shareholders Meeting is filed, from a company point of view I would see that as valid.

The implication of the question is that this is a trading company and therefore legitimate in its own right and not formed in itself for the purpose of owning land so I do not see that it is circumventing any laws in doing so.

There has been enough discussion on these boards as to the rights and wrongs of owning land through a Thai Company and at the end of the day everyone must make up their own mind how to go about it.

There seem to be a few options on what to do ... my issue is that I am a single guy, and plan to remain so (Naive????). I have no wife / partner. My primary interest is to be able to ensure that the house eventually purchased remains in my name/company and reverts to my relations when I die). What I want to avoid is any claim on the property by anyone else.

Reverting to the original question - the important issue is to make a will, valid under Thai Law, and as you have no relations here, suggest this is deposited with your Lawyer who should be the executor. Your estate will therefore be dealt with in accordance with your wishes.

I am not convinced that the company would have to be wound up in the event of your death as the shares would, IMHO, pass to whoever you left them to but if someone has better information on that please say so.

uh, Lisbon?

Got it in one!

Your go.

if you have a 30 year land lease agreement with a 30 year lease extension option written into the contract, as is normal for land lease agreements, what do you think your chances are of getting the land owner to extend the lease if your relationship with the land owner goes belly up? (jeeze that's a long sentense!)

i understand that Thai courts are will up uphold that lease extensions are a contractual matter between the parties involved, but does this mean the court will favor the leasee (farang) over the leasor (thai)? even if the leasee wins in court. is the leasor compelled to sign up for another 30 years?

any experience or info? thanks.

The Option should also be registered and then in theory at least, should the landowner not be willing to attend at the Land Office, the courts should grant the new lease and direct the Land Office to register it. With options I believe the terms under which the option is being granted should be clear at the outset and not left to negotiation later. By that I mean the term of the lease and any further money to be paid and who pays the registration costs.

As far as I am aware none of this has passed through the courts so there is no precedent to work from - not that Thai judges appear to be bound by precedent anyway.

I have always had doubts about the Leasehold system for precisely this reason unless you are leasing from a management company in which you are a shareholder which is becoming quite common with new developments now.

Next up

Here's a new capital city.

OK - a wild guess before I go home

Tehran

OK. It's Abu Dhabi.

I don't feel it is the same general part of the world as Shekou, as you said in one of your clues.

I meant the Middle East generally by that comment - sorry if it threw you off track. Not intentional.

The Gold Coast ?

Dubai ? didi-didi-dam-didi-doo

I see the leader (Emir) of Dubai dropped dead at the Gold Coast yesterday.

My guess Bahrain.

Heading off in the wrong direction.

The Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum did indeed pass away in Oz and his home was a lot nearer to the city we are looking for than Bahrain.

I use the Siam Commercial Bank here on Samui for both personal and company purposes. Never had a problem opening a personal account - in fact I have two at the same branch - one I hide from the wife! (just joking!). Have also opened Savings Accounts for Clients with no problem.

The 20 Baht charge when withdrawing from an ATM from your own Bank appears to apply when you use an ATM out of the province in which your home bank is located and of course if you use an ATM from a differrent bank. Total nonsense but that's the way it seems to work.

A word of caution generally though. Confidentiality in banks in Thailand is almost none existant. If you know an account number and name you can phone the bank and ask for the balance and nine times out of ten they will give it without checking who is calling.

Dubai ? didi-didi-dam-didi-doo

Oh so close!

Murder In Paradise

Updated: 14:06, Tuesday January 03, 2006

Your point being..........?

Seven tragic deaths over five years, but I suggest if you trawl the newspapers in your home country over the last five years you will find far more incidents of foreigners being murdered on visits than here in Thailand.

As much as I feel for the people involved, and they have my deepest sympathy, these awful events are being blown totally out of proportion against similar events in virtually every other country in the world.

looks asian , could be singapore or shainghai, hong kong possibly.

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I was thinking maybe Japan.

Way to far East all of you!

Think Sun and Sand.

Shekou ..?

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Right area of the world generally - but not anywhere near enough!

(Have to sign off now - so further responses in the morning)

Indeed And a beautiful city it is...

OK, your turn...

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Another continent

Neah, air is too clear for that

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Got it - I think!

L'vov

Correct country! Sorry about a previous clue, it's not its second-largest city in terms of population, but it is a pretty big, very old, culturally-significant city. If you google-image it, the pic I posted is one of the first to show up

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Sevastopol?

Hey, that's an insult to Polish people They were never part of the CCCP.

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Whoops! Sorry

OK - how about Odessa then?

Or am I going to far away now?