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ianf
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Posts posted by ianf
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Eh??? I too was at Hang Dong and it was supremely efficient. Have my appointment for Astra vaccine booked for 7 July at 3pm Bangkok Hospital. Loads of other people queued quietly and in an orderly manner and achieved a result. Goodness knows where you were. Certainly not at the same place. BIG C Hang Dong. It worked well.
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I live in Thailand because I am unable to sell my house right now. As soon as it sells I'll be going home to the UK.
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3 hours ago, colinneil said:The cloud cuckoo land kid strikes again.????
So Prayut says any tourist must wear a GPS wrist band, ha, ha ,ha, dream on pal.
I can see Chinese tourists complying with this nonsense but not any from Western countries
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Not such a bad idea. Except nothing works in Thailand. During the booze ban village shops were still selling alcohol. I even saw a policeman buying whisky. Too much drinking going on in general. Creates huge social problems. Just go to a shop and buy your poison. You don't need to do it online
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On 8/8/2020 at 3:01 PM, BritManToo said:
Probably HER nice house.
Pretty much no woman wants a nice or caring man. They like scumbags.
Actually some predictably low grade replies here. But happily the house is secured and not in her name.
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I'm one of those unhappy here. I feel trapped because I have an expensive house that I cannot sell. That leaves me depressed because I am ready to move on, and in my case that means back to the UK. Why?
Well as I get older here I have more health needs. Although I am quite fit and healthy, I cannot get health insurance at a price that I can afford. Secondly after a couple of false starts I met my wife 9 years ago. As time moves on it turns out that she lies and scams but presents herself as a little miss wonderful who never does anything wrong. She's currently travelling again - Covid doesn't stop anything for her - and she is in Germany staying with her friend (female) whom I know is a sexual partner though she denies it. At the same time she scams money from men - particularly one in Alesund Norway and he pays for her flights and other support. But off course I have loved her very much and at one time we had a great time together. So I'm stuck in a beautiful large house that I can't sell, in a country where I have friends but no family and unable to visit my kids and grandkids in UK because of lockdown. I have hobbies - centred around cycling - which uses my energy and half my day. I don't do bars or suchlike so that leaves me wondering and wandering for the rest of the day. Yes. Unhappy here but at least in the UK its familiar and I can get more involved in things which I can't here.
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UTTER AND COMPLETE Rubbish!
1. A colleague who has been going part way up Suthep on his own and with a mask most days since the lock down reports that he sees hardly any cyclists there these days.
2. You NEVER see large groups riding together up the Doi because of the terrain. Groups break up quite rapidly and riders rend to end up in pairs or solo.
3. I'm 71 and occasionally ride up there. I've NEVER EVER seen riders snorting, coughing, wheezing and sneezing. Not even me at my age. Ruddy nonsense
4. I understand that Masks are not compulsory for exercise but on my ride around the Ping River today I counted 0 Foreigners without masks and 37 Thais.
I wish people wouldn't publish these lies.
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Lanna Thara Moo Baan on Ratchrupruek Road. I've been here 11 years. Its a clean and well organised gated community. Handy to everywhere.
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I know a "farang" who runs a successful business. His mother-in-law insisted that the workers get paid way less than the minimum. Her justification was that they are from across the border. My friend insisted that they be paid above the minimum and receive other benefits too. He told the Thai mother in law that if the business was not making sufficient money to pay people and treat them properly then it wasn't worth being in business. He won the argument. Hey: That's an anti-Thai pro Farang story. Bet that doesn't get reported.
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I am stuck here because I cannot sell my house in Chiang Mai. Its a great property on a secure moo baan. The Price has dropped by 33% but still no buyers. Thats because the housing market is dead. If I could sell I could move back to the UK and buy a small house. But with the rental prices in the UK I have to stay here until I sell. I am stuck. Glued. Immobile. Depressed. So if you want what is in effect two houses partly furnished for a snippet let me know (lol). We can start talking at 16m. It would include some beautiful high quality furnishings etc.
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Has anyone experience of using the Thai Visa Centre, Bangkok, for their retirement visa?\
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23 minutes ago, Kerryd said:I'm actually surprised that they even let people use the "Income" letters in the first place.
After all, I have to keep my "800k" in a Thai bank account for at least 3 months prior to my Extension and Thailand expects that is the money I will need to live on for the next year.
Meanwhile, people using Income letters don't have to show any money actually coming in to Thailand at all. For all they (Immigration) knows, all that pension money (if it even exists in the first place) is going to a bank in (whatever foreign country) and the people claiming to have that income are actually trying to get by on 50 baht a day. Or less.
And for every person on here that claims they are "uber rich" and spending far in excess of "65,000" per month, there are probably a dozen that get a tenth of that amount, or nothing at all (but still get an Income letter every year that claims otherwise).
Maybe that is why Thailand now wants to see a (Thai) bank book showing regular deposits of 65,000/month. To prove all you "uber rich" people actually have the amounts you've been claiming to for so many years.Want to bet that most of them do not get anywhere near as much as they claim ?
How appalling. For those of us with GENUINE pension letters and statements...which is most of us... we are the ones getting damaged by this and yeah! I dont transfer everything to Thailand each month. a) because I visit UK and need some money there and (b) because it is easier to do in a lump and (c) because my wife earns she contributes to household expenses and I dont need 65000 here each month. Its appalling that you assume everyone except yourself is a cheat.
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1 hour ago, Thailand said:Brits and now the yanks, probably 65% or so ,just a guess, of all the expats in Thailand, should be a lot of clout or a pending exodus.
Exodus? How? My house and my family and all my possessions are here. Perhaps I could go back to the UK and sleep under a bridge. This is a nightmare.
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Off course there is a lot of astupidity involved in this. I have two pension streams. Each one of them shows that the pension is for life. But every year I have to have the same documents notarised by the British Embassy. Exactly the same docs. This is pointless. Once should be sufficient.
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17 minutes ago, Rarebear said:
If they don't steal your passport. Passport worth today? 50,000 baht? Or give you a phony stamp. Can you tell the difference? You sure you want to use an agent?
How crazy! You don't use a mugger off the street. You use a properly set up agent, a proper legal company (AssisThaiVisa in Chiang Mai for example) with a track record and proper offices. I've used these guys for 7 years with only good grace and honesty. Yikes!
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2 hours ago, Formaleins said:
It has been the hardest and meanest for farangs for years up here - to the point of camping out in the car park at the old airport office from 1 am just to get a queue number. I shudder to think how it can get any worse than it already is.... electric cattle prods maybe?
Use an agent then there is no hassle.
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Hate the stupid behaviour of people over Songkran. Up to them what they do but why involve me when I don't want it? So I'm forced to stay in the house because these stupid drunkards make the streets unsafe. Hate it with a vengeance. As for the foreigners in Chiang Mai why they think they can blast anyone with dirty water a week before or a week after is beyond me. It's the <deleted> pits. I want to be free to go about my business without this nonsense on every street corner.
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On 2/21/2018 at 12:25 PM, Gulfsailor said:
Its a mystery to me why so many people get upset with DHL and other couriers when it comes to assessing customs duties. It's standard practice around the world that shipments over a certain threshold will have duties (and VAT / sales tax) on them. These duties are based on the price of goods (before any discounts!) including shipping and insurance. If no shipping charge is specified customs assesses this themselves (normally 10-20% depending on mode of shipping). All duty rates and excise/luxury tax rates are published online.
So as a buyer from goods abroad make sure that the seller;
- Adds an invoice which is plausible. Weird low values or 'gift descriptions' won't be accepted, and results in customs assessing fair market price themselves.
- Writes the HS code and detailed description of the shipped goods on the invoice.
- Only writes the final amount after applied discounts on the invoice. There shouldn't be any mention of discount at all on the invoice.
- Notes the cost of shipping and insurance on the invoice. If the seller offers free shipping, then he should write down a plausible amount for the shipping anyway and deduct it from the goods price (without mentioning that, see point above)
- write the Incoterms on the invoice under which the goods are sold.
The seller will also need all this info on the invoice to prepare his own export statements ( no biggie in US, but is a biggie in Europe, as without adequate export formalities the seller is still liable for VAT)
With all the above in place you will not have any surprise when importing goods into Thailand or any other country regardless of the Mail or courier service you use.
(Disclaimer, as long as you don't try to import stuff that require a permit, like medicine, certain radio broadcast items, alcohol or tobacco)
Read my post again. DHL custom and practice is OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL PROCEDURES. GET IT?
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DHL are the absolute pits. If a supplier wants to send me something via DHL I ask them to use an alternative or I cancel. They have embedded customs officers and it is a moot point about how much corruption may or may not be at the heart of this. An example: I ordered a replacement bicycle frame from the UK 800 UK pounds. That's the list price. On the invoice the supplier deducted the UK 20% VAT which made it 640. They then deducted 10% which this supplier always does with me because I have been a good customer for XX years. So that's 576. Shipping was free from UK. Happy with that.
First of all the customs freaks at DHL added the 20% & 10% back on making my original purchase price 880 with shipping which was not charged to me as I was given free shipping; they then they added 30%, handling charge of I think a 1000 baht, call it 20 UK. So now we are at 1164. Then it's another 7.5%. So now we are at 1251. That is more than double the original price . I refused to accept delivery. They then came back and negotiated. Their original charge of 675UK (approx 29000 baht) was eventually reduced to 8000 baht after representations to DHL in the UK and my refusal to accept the original charge. Why people use DHL is a mystery to me. AVOID
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Too much emphasis on alcohol. I don't drink so no problem.
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I have recently been told by a competent official that although there is a requirement to fill out a TM30 it is not necessarily required in all cases. Our case is that we have a friend coming to stay for a couple of weeks. I inquired about a TM30 and was told that unless the person is here permanently don't bother. And the reason appears to be that if we all did as bid on every single occasion then the system would be so overwhelmed that it would completely crack.
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Hi: If I could possibly get some books to you, and some relevant board games, I would be happy to do so:
I have an almost complete set of Mr Men books, Charades game for young children, Harry Potter, Syory books, some non-fiction and a couple of school dictionaries.
Quite a parcel and am not sure how I can get them to you as I live in Chiang Mai and leaving for the UK for a month from 13 July. Let me know.
It may have to be next time .........
Ian
PS: My Thai wife and I have been involved in working with IDPs, and we have had Burmese refugees stay with us ......
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28 minutes ago, louse1953 said:
Your last sentence coukd be an urban myth,but we will never know.That's why the missus name goes on it,no probs so far.
Actually you may be correct. When we ordered in the wife's maiden name we did not face such punative charges.
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In my experience DHL in Thailand stinks. I've had many problems: Shipment from Taiwan of cycle clothing for my Thai wife where the DHL shipping charges, handling charges, extra charges, VAT, inmport duty ended up being more than the value of the items. I refused the shipment and it eventually got back to Taiwan and I had a refund. Condor Cycles sent me a new frame from London as a replacement for an old frame that had been damaged. I have been with Condor for years so I get a good discount. DHL added the discount back on, added the British VAT back on, charged me for handling the item, 7% VAT on all the charges including the British VAT and shipping etc, plus customs duty at 33% on the whole lot all meant in the end that I was supposed to pay them far more than I had paid Condor for the frame. Eventually they relented (I think pressure from the London DHL office) but I still ended up paying 5000 baht more than if they had applied the correct charges. This has happened a few times. In eight years it has never happened with shipments sent via EMS/Post Office.Each time I have to pay EMS charges they are fair, reasonable and acceptable. It makes me ask the question: What exactly is the relationship and deal between DHL and it's embedded customs officers. Their bat does not seem to be straight! So my advice: Avoid DHL like the plague - easier said than done because some suppliers only use DHL.
Thailand's massive vaccine rollout begins in earnest on June 7 - foreigners included
in Thailand News
Posted
Really? I've got my appointment for 7 July. I for one recognize what a difficult situation this has been for everyone. It doesn't help that supplies have to be imported and manufacturing in different countries set up with the ability to export. It's a massive logistical problem affecting every country, every person in the world. So all the critics should understand the wider issues. Personally I think Thailand has done well and I'm glad I am here and not in countries like the USA or UK where there have been countless deaths and desparately bad leadership (improving now on both cases)