Carmine6

Cnbc reporting Thailand set to allow more foreign banks and branches be allowed to open nationwide.

Anybody more info on what banks exactly ? ( info on uk based banks would be helpful )

When did they say this? HSBC has 1 branch. Citibank (US) has 1 branch. If they could add more branches it would be nice, although Citibank charges so many fees they'd find a way to be worse than domestic banks.

Edit, someone's done the homework:

Click Foreign banks link for addresses: List of foreign banks

ABN-AMRO

BNP Paribas

Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank (formerly Credit Agricole Indosuez)

Citibank Thailand

Deutsche Bank

Indian Overseas Bank

JP Morgan Chase Bank

Mizuho Corporate Bank

Oversea Chinese Banking Corp.

RHB Bank Berhad

Societe General

The Bank of America

The Bank of China

The Bank of Nova Scotia

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi

The HongKong and Shanghai Banking Company Limited HSBC

The Sumitomo Mitsui Bank

American Express Bank (representative office)

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group

Bank of Baroda (representative office)

Bank of New York (representative office)

Cathay United Bank (representative office)

ChinaTrust Commercial Bank Ltd (representative office)

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft (representative office)

Credit Industriel et Commerciel (CIC) (representative office)

Credit Suisse (representative office)

DEG-Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) (representative office)

First Commercial Bank (representative office)

ICICI Bank Ltd (representative office)

ING Bank NV (representative office)

Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) (representative office)

Merrill Lynch International Bank Ltd (representative office)

Natixis (representative office)

Resona Bank Ltd (representative office)

The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Company Ltd (representative office)

UBS AG (representative office)

Wachovia Bank NA (representative office)

The World Bank Thailand

im not sure of exactly how long it will take for the bus from hat yai but would bet on at least 8 yrs. cost would probably be about 500thb. (please someone correct me if i am wrong here). bus is the best way. phuket is an island with no train station.

patong has the biggest nightlife scene.

try jinnys guest house. they have a website.

8 years is a little slow for even these buses. But I don't know, maybe it feels like it. My Rough Guide book confirms Donna's estimate, showing 6-8 hours with 12 daily buses. But it is 3 years old.

Hi guys!!

Me again Just wondering whether it safe to go to Phuket around this month or next month?

TQ

From your other post it Looks like you're coming from Hat Yai. So I assume by safe you're referring to the political unrest and occasional violence in the south. Phuket is tourist oriented and developed. No safety precautions required that you wouldn't exercise elsewhere.

CALVARY GREETINGS, MY NAME IS MRS.RITA SMITH, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE ON A CHRISTAIN MISSION TO AFRICA AND I CAME ALONG WITH MY PUPPY (YORKIE). AFTER A WHILE I NOTICED THAT THE AFRICAN WEATHER IS NOT GOOD FOR THE PUPPY AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER THE WAY I ALWAYS DO BECAUSE OF MY JOB. I NEED SOMEONE TO ADOPT HER AND TAKE CARE OF HER THEWAY I ALWAYS DO. IF YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF HER DO SEND A REPLY AND I WILL EMAIL YOU HER PICTURES. I HOPE TO READ FROM YOU. WARM REGARDS, MRS. RITA SMITH

i replied for a laugh and was told that mrs. smith would have to book everything and get documents so could i send bank details and all the other personal details to adopt this dog ah no ,, least its a change from banking or lottery e-mails

You're a lottery winner too? I win about every other day. I'll go halves with you on the dog. Just send your banking information and I'll take care of everything.

It happens. Just their flags and tripwires. If all of your info is legit and you go through the annoying fax in process (whether it's with eBay or Paypal... similar hoops since they are the same company), it'll get cleared up. Remember that you're mostly dealing with a warehouse of computers and not actual people unless you have a problem.

Yes, I second this. Something must have fallen outside the lines so the automated stuff kicked it out. Since scammers are not going to be as persistent as legitimate people, this is a good pre screen. Unfortunately if you fall outside the lines these days, it's like dealing with a government bureacracy. Sometimes its easier than you think, sometimes harder than you've ever imagined.

As LPCustom69 says, you could coincidentally have received a phishing email as well. Although thats and odd phishing one.

BREAKING NEWS

Subsidized, but the thing really needed now is for the government to ramp spending. I hope they get some value back of course, say uniforms for government officials rather than just subsidizing this plant.

Garment factory cancels mass layoff, reopens

SAMUT PRAKAN, July 12 (TNA) – Cancelling its previous announcement closing operations and dismissing its labour force, Thai Silp South East Asia Import and Export factory agreed Thursday afternoon to resume producing garments for export Friday.

"As far as I know, the company is able to continue its business operations again thanks to financial assistance from the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association," said Labour Minister Apai Chanthanachulaka, who presided over a three-and-a-half hour negotiation session.

Attending the meeting were representatives of the dismissed workers, company executives and officials of the Ministry of Labour.

The resolution dismissed concerns of some 6,000 workers who were previously laid off en masse without prior notice. Since Wednesday, they had been blocking part of a road to Suvarnabhumi Airport to protest the company's sudden closure.

After the tripartite meeting at Samut Prakan City Hall, the minister proceeded to announce the successful negotiation before the protesting workers in Bang Pli district.

He added that the ministry would hold a special meeting to consider establishing a Thai Silp factory labour union at the request of the protesting labourers. (TNA)-E002

There was another story a few months back 17 textile factories closed and 18 opened of equivalent value. Garment firms are always going out of business. The story here is the way in which they shut up shop one day and hung a note on the fence saying sorry the factory is closed go home and refused to pay compensation, so its no wonder the workers are angry!

Probably so, but a company with a legitimate workforce of over 5000 people is quite different from the smaller, fly by night enterprises of a couple hundred staff.

I checked with my friend and this is not the company she used to work for, so they are one of the competitors that took orders away. They are not in Bangkok so I assume there may be some wage, rent, utilities advantage. One of the big customers did a quality check a few months ago, so that may be part of the reason the customers switched. But as I noted they are/were opening a factory in Vietnam as well.

Wow, member 48,731. That's a lot of folks joining this year. Anyone have a graph of the membership trend?

And hi to you too scarred.

Thanks Carmine. What I am trying to find out for estate planning purposes is whether the often quoted opinion that an alien can inherit land but must dispose of it within one year is based on codified law. What I am sure of is that section 93 of the Land Code allows an alien to inherit land up to one year with the amount of land being limited by section 87 to not more than one rai for residential purposes.

My attorney has advised that there is no time limit, but attorneys make mistakes like everyone else. Therefore, since the prevailing opinion by many (as well as B&M - thanks Bendix) is that there is a time limitation, it would be nice to know where this limitation is written. So far, nobody has been able to offer this. If it isn't in the Land code, then perhaps it is somewhere else and in the context of something else with the assumption that it covers inheritances. Perhaps it does, and I would be happy to stand corrected if someone could come up with the appropriate law covering this.

OK, I realize that it is probably academic as none of us will outlive our wives anyway, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't plan as best as possible for our future.

Yeah, I was just clarifying the 1 rai, not the time limit.

Could it be Section 19 of the Condominium Act that is the genesis of the 1 year limit? Can't paste it because the website won't allow copy, but it's the link Bendix posted. http://www.samuiforsale.com/Rights_Inheritance.htm

Given the varying opinions, it's likely there's no actual limit stated elsewhere for land . But given this limit, it's easy to make the mental jump. I'll happily cheer on anyone wishing to be the test case for land not related to a condominium.

Thanks Carmine. The one area of the Samuiforsale interpretation that appear wrong is the issue relating to the minister. I have read the actual code and it doesn't state what the link states. This was confirmed by my attorney's discussion with the Competent Authority of the Land Dept. in Bangkok. Of course, perhaps the CA that covers Samui has come up with an entirely different view from the code. Such is Thai law.

Hm, well the Bangkokbob website has the same text so they're likely pulling the info from the same mistaken source.

Thanks Carmine. What I am trying to find out for estate planning purposes is whether the often quoted opinion that an alien can inherit land but must dispose of it within one year is based on codified law. What I am sure of is that section 93 of the Land Code allows an alien to inherit land up to one year with the amount of land being limited by section 87 to not more than one rai for residential purposes.

My attorney has advised that there is no time limit, but attorneys make mistakes like everyone else. Therefore, since the prevailing opinion by many (as well as B&M - thanks Bendix) is that there is a time limitation, it would be nice to know where this limitation is written. So far, nobody has been able to offer this. If it isn't in the Land code, then perhaps it is somewhere else and in the context of something else with the assumption that it covers inheritances. Perhaps it does, and I would be happy to stand corrected if someone could come up with the appropriate law covering this.

OK, I realize that it is probably academic as none of us will outlive our wives anyway, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't plan as best as possible for our future.

Yeah, I was just clarifying the 1 rai, not the time limit.

Could it be Section 19 of the Condominium Act that is the genesis of the 1 year limit? Can't paste it because the website won't allow copy, but it's the link Bendix posted. http://www.samuiforsale.com/Rights_Inheritance.htm

Given the varying opinions, it's likely there's no actual limit stated elsewhere for land . But given this limit, it's easy to make the mental jump. I'll happily cheer on anyone wishing to be the test case for land not related to a condominium.

Even better source, bottom of the page. Looks to be actual text. http://www.bangkokbob.net/condominium.htm

Fury over factory's shock closure Jobless workers blockroad to Suvarnabhumi

PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN, SUTHIWIT CHAYUTWORAKAN & ARANEE JAIIMSIN

The shock closure of a textile factory sparked an uproar yesterday as the Garment Labour Federation accused the firm of relocating to a neighbouring country to cut costs at the expense of about 5,000 workers who were immediately made jobless.

Promma Phumpan, chairman of the Garment Labour Federation, denounced the sudden closure of the factory, owned by Thai Silp South East Asia Import Export Co, as irresponsible and opportunistic.

Story Here

The start of a trend?

Soundman.

Wow, I think I know someone who used to work for that company, because other than location it sounds like them. She worked outside Bangkok, but the customers are the same. Actually they have more, but maybe this location just was those 2 brands. She told me they were opening a factory in Vietnam, but I assumed that meant in addition to what they were doing here. Think the factory is the one I mentioned at the end of paragraph 3 of this thread:

Link to Old Topic Here

She quit that job 2 months ago, and I'm now thinking she was tipped off.

5. and to the person who felt the muslim prayer room didn't increase the airport fees, you have made probably the all time dumbest remark ever posted anywhere on the internet. congratulations. if that room costs the airport nothing, why not have a bunch of first class lounges, open to all, at no charge? puh-leese. you failed to understand the point that we ALL pay the same airport fee, yet some people are giving additional areas for their own private personal reasons.

I did not say it costs nothing. I said the airport fee would be no different. There's a big difference. To think that they would knock of some baht or satang with or without it just makes no sense. They pick a round number for the fee based on the expected passenger flow, revenue, and operating costs.

Whatever you put in the spot, including a revenue generating location, or a closet, it's not a big enough change to move the fee.

On the 1 rai, here's the English interpretation of the code from the Department of Land:

"... However, the Land Code has been amended with Section 96 bis providing that since January 19th, 2002, an alien is allowed to purchase land in Thailand for residential purpose and the land to be purchased shall be not more than one rai in area, and the following rules and conditions must be met:

1. Bringing money not less than Baht forty million into the Kingdom for investment and maintaining the investment not less that five years;

2. Permission must be obtained from the Minister of Ministry of Interior;

3. Money brought into the Kingdom shall be invested in one of the following businesses or activities; "

......

4. the land to be acquired shall be located in Bangkok Metropolis, Pattaya City, or Tessaban (Municipality), or in the area specified as residential zone according to the law on Town and Country...."

If you are granted permission, then fail to comply with requirements you have between 180 days and 1 year to sell the land. (This period is not related to the one year being discussed above.)

http://www.dol.go.th/guide/land_080745_eng.htm

http://www.dol.go.th/eng_version/menu.php

Whilst we're on the subject of the Boeing 777, can anyone tell me why it is the only modern airliner that doesn't have winglets?

One of the videos on the Boeing website explained this although I wasn't paying attention through the reason(s).

Once again, I am glad there's no international ACLU and wave of political correctness in Thailand. Frankly when I saw it myself I thought it would be nice to have something similar for other faiths. But, I've never seen anyone in one of these rooms when I've checked them out, while I bet the Muslim Prayer room is used a lot.

Whatever the situation, probably high 90's % of people don't have any problem with this room, and I'm glad there's not going to be an expensive court case over it.

I was recently at Bangkok's new airport, and I noticed the sign "Muslim Prayer Room"... I find this discriminatory. We ALL pay the same price for airport fees, regardless of what our religion is, or if we don't choose to have a religion... YET one particular religion gets their own private rooms at Bangkok airport... (yes, I'm aware other airports have similar discrimination).

I look at this kind of room like a first class lounge, where one would pay a fee or have a membership to enter. That is, it's only open to those that pay for it... yet we ALL pay the same airport fees, and ONLY one religion gets their own private room for prayer/reflection at the airports. THis is so wrong on so many levels.

I don't mean to single out the muslim faith... I have equal distain for all religions, but that's just me... if there is a demand for a particular religion to have their own room, like there is a demand for a first class lounge, by all means, PROVIDE IT, but CHARGE those that use it separately, rather than make ALL of us pay.

I don't see any "Christian only prayer room", or "Only Jewish prayer room", or "Scientologists ONLY reflection room"... why is one religion given special treatment, at the expense of EVERYONE, even NON-believers?

There should be ONE room, and ONE ROOM ONLY, that is labeled something like "Reflection Room", open to all, where all are made to feel comfortable in entering.

If you label a room "Muslim Prayer Room", it's the same thing as saying "No Christians allowed", or "No Jews need enter", or "Get Out Tom Cruise and you wacko Scientologists". It's just wrong.

And it fosters hate and intolerance.

But what I object to most is that we are ALL FORCED to pay for this room, and many of us have no possibility of using it.

There should either be an entrance fee for those that want to use the room, just like a lounge, OR it should be open and labeled for all to use, including non-believers. Yes, even heathens pay the same airport taxes.

I have seen in some airports where Muslim people will do their prayers out in the open, in the airport concourse... I'm fine with this... if you don't like it, don't look... but to single out one religion for special rights, and not others, and not non-believers, it's just wrong.

Come on, the airport fee would be no different with or without this room.

Personally I am glad that when I travel there's no ACLU or political correctness to force everything to become generic. I like that they reserve some seats for monks (although no one ever gets up) and that there are Buddhist shrines all over the place, and Muslim Prayer Rooms. It's a big part of what makes travel interesting and people interesting. There's a sizeable Muslim population in Thailand so making the accommodation seems a decent thing to do.

* "Personal bankruptcies [in UK, but also US] have reached record levels, and home repossessions are up as consumers struggle to repay their debts..." today from Reuters.

LaoPo

Not even close for the US. The US bankruptcy law was changed in 2005 so there was a huge rush to file before that resulting in 2 million non-business filings. It had been over 1 million all the way back to 1996. 2006 came in at just under 600,000 which was the lowest since 1988. This year's pace is picking up a lot, but is still far from a record.American Bankruptcy Institute Link

Yeah, right. It won't be 40 in the next few weeks or I will eat my hat. Maybe over the next several months though ...

Jingthing, a crash means just that - it plummets from 30 baht to 45 baht practically overnight (in the Asian crash 10 years ago it went from 25 to 52 to the dollar in a matter of days).

All I know is my friend has predicted many of the financial events concerning Thailand over the last few months and as he's from a very affluent family with ties to many of the top folk in Thailand who are ALL selling baht, I'm gonna go with what he's saying :-)

Was catastrophic, but it was months rather than days to hit the 50's. 3 months to 40's and 6 months to 50's. I hope your friend is wrong because I think there aren't many economic events that could flip it that fast. But there are other events that could do it. Even worse, that move could then trigger other not so nice events.

Recently I bussed into Bangkok from Bang Na on to Sukhumvit, and EVERY TIME the abysmal Third World appearance strikes me. This allegedly is multi-billion baht property-area, but you see one sad dirty dilapidated slab of black crumbling concrete after another. Sure on street level are bright glass & chromium facades, shops that you'd think ARE making enough money to buy a bucket of TOA paint occasionally?

What are they thinking?

Why doesn't the city care? Like: " If you want to have a shophouse: PAINT IT and keep it tidy or else we remove it for you! "

I'm relatively fortunate to not actually live in Bangkok, but it does seem strange to me that Bangkok is actually WORSE than other places in Thailand even though for sure more money gets made in Bangkok. Why are 10 million people (or actually, the x00,000 who own very valuable street front property) content to live in such an armpit?

GO BUY PAINT! It's not even expensive.

Rant over.

Busing in and taking a taxi in are 2 different experiences in my opinion. In a taxi on the expressway you see the shiny tops of the buildings. On the ground level you see the same as walking the street. Buses put your view into the overhangs, roofs, security bars, etc. I'm not sure paint would help all that much given how much dirt and trash sticks at that level.

Oddly, this is what I was thought of London when I went there 10 years ago. Interiors looked fantastic and then you walked outside and wanted them to brush off the dirt.

Before he passed, he was readmitted since "He had severe internal bleeding and a damaged liver." Does not sound like scorpion related symptoms. How did they miss severe interal bleeding?

A Royal Silk upgrade from economy saves over $3,000 for the route I take

You can't be serious. In the real world no one actually pays full fare for tickets do they? Kind of like manufacturers suggested price. I can find round trip business class tickets (not upgrades) for less than $3,000. So this "feature" of the card would result in a loss of money for me each go because buying a full fare economy ticket with "free" upgrade costs more than a discounted business class ticket.

Where are you looking?

My problem is I never know when I can actually go. I don't even book until about 3 weeks before if I'm lucky, but usually within that. Twice I've had 2 overlapping itineraries and then cancelled one depending on which worked. Out of LAX, Thai is the only direct flight. I've flown EVA business class for about $3,300, but you're stopping over in Taiwan and getting to your hotel about 3 or 4 AM. I've tried the Thai fare with various days in Sept, Oct, Nov and it keeps giving me $4,523 for business, vs. $1,083 for economy.

The website says full fare for the companion tickets. But there are also these benefits:

"You will receive a complimentary roundtrip upgrade on Thai Airways International Public Company Limited from Economy Class to the comfort of Royal Silk Class, or from Royal Silk Class to the luxury of Royal First Class"

"...access to all Star Alliance lounges worldwide, along with one guest..."

Lounge access runs several hundred dollars a year. A Royal Silk upgrade from economy saves over $3,000 for the route I take. Renewable visa, club access in Bangkok, free annual health exam at nice hospitals. Not sounding so bad to me. Had I signed up 3 years and 11 trips to Thailand ago, it would almost have paid for itself already.

That is only true if you actually spent several hundred dollars in lounge access, upgraded all your 11 trips, had annual health exams and used the club in Bangkok during the last 3 years. If you have not actually done that you have saved 1M Baht compared to if you had bought the TE card

Well yeah, but 11 flights at $3,000 would have saved more than 1m baht. I flew economy on 4 of my flights. I also did let my United Airlines club membership lapse. So in real comparison I'd still have a way to go, but not so far as I expected. And hopefully my lifetime is far from over.

If it's only 1 upgrade every 2 years, then all the math changes.

Is there some reason not to renew work permits early? For example, if you went early is the expiration date then based on the date of renewal rather than the original date of expiration?

With all due respect to the idea, is it really PC to be dropping garbage trucks into the ocean in hope of creating new marine habitats? There must be more eco-friendly solutions out there for recreating man-made coral reefs!

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think steel is an ecological problem in the ocean. Iron is already a common naturally occurring element and steel seems to rust really slowly underwater.

It is being done under an initiative of the Queen so my guess is they will follow through on "Parts of the trucks which can damage the marine environment will be removed before they are deposited in the seabed..."

crisis , what crisis

there's a few more points on the SET

Exports to fall 12.5% in baht terms

Sharp reduction despite expected weaker monetary unit

Wed, July 11, 2007 : Last updated 0:10 am

Thailand's export value in baht terms will be 12.49 per cent lower in the second half of the year than the first due to the continued appreciation of the currency, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) said yesterday.

The estimate is based on an exchange rate of Bt34.48 to the US dollar and an assumption that the currency will lose some value during the rest of the year.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

opps ......

If correct, and using the Jan to May figures, this would result in a 5.9% decrease in baht value of exports in 2007. Going to be some pain. But this is what it's going to take to trend the baht weaker. Although imports are declining faster than exports. 5.7% decrease Jan to May 2007 vs. 2006 same period. Exports increase 6.9% for the same period and then are projected above to do a flip.

Although on a good note, consumer imports are only down 1.4%. Fuel and lubricants are down 19.6%. And while car imports are down 37.4%, buses and trucks are up 46.5%. Motorcycles and parts are up 243%! Agricultural machinery up 98%. Cameras up 204%.