Phanganguy

Update from someone on OA visa at Samui ....

Thai medical insurance requested when applying for 1 year extension (following previous extensions where no insurance was required) .... ????

And ... still no requirement for an O extension based on retirement???

Doesn't really matter ... with the changes being made to visas ... all the retired expats will be gone ... problem solved ... fewer people anyway ...

So, its good logic .. type O based on retirement ... no need

Type OA retirement ... 60k baht insurance

Errrr

OA extensions ... who knows!!!

A secondary follwing question ...in surat thani I think 90 day reports can be done online ... for samui can do??????

This accurately details my experience recently at samui ....

I note it differs significantly from surat thani immigration previously ... no stm2 form there, no medical form, no bank letter, (statement and book copy ok), passport was stamped with extension and re entry permit and returned within an hour ... no 3 day wait ....

Ummmm enough said.

Well, looks like Simoh1490 is about the one with multiple functioning neurones and any appreciation of a real Thailand, other than the tourist vacation spots.... As my thai family all say... Are for farang, is not Thailand...

Many of these responses apall me and just show ignorance... If you know Phangan... You will know that the majority of beach cleans, and numbers of people involved, are actually local thai and thai environmental groups, alongside the thai recycling and eco groups. Shame on you! The fact that farang and thai are both working together, to common objectives is all to the good

Www.ecothailand.org

Sadly much of the beach trash is washed up from the sea, only a proportion being litter as such. This is a national issue, or even global, not just a local one.

Congratulations to the foreigners helping keep the Phangan beaches clean, including several voluntary organisations, Trash Hero, Green Cross and Ecothailand. Please also remember that there are several very active and major thai community initiatives on the island including weekly beach cleanups.

Update... Charge was 6200 baht... 4600 for the meter and 1600 baht 'service charge'

Whilst I am fully aware of what is going on... And have receipts and operatives name... I have agreed to pay... Simply for expediency... And for excellent future service (as opposed to bad) should there be problems in the future.

I will retain the receipts and names for future discussion with PEA head office should there be any such issues... 

The islands are still a little 'wild west'... One of the frustrations but also one of the delights.  ;-)

Thanks for the inputs guys... 

I have just completed my new house and went to the local PEA office (Koh Phangan, Surat Thani) to get the temporary builders meter swapped to a 15/45 supply in my name.

Firstly I got... Farang can not... Has to be in a thai name or company name. After alot of discussion, and pointing out thebrequirements on the PEA webpage of planning permit in my name, passport, blabla) the application was accepted and a house inspection arranged.

Next came the cost...  4600 baht... For thai... Double (9200) 'for farang'

Looking on their costings board on the wall... No mention of a farang price of course, and only a single quoted price onbthe PEA website.

Question... Anyone else jad this situation?

Should I insist... No farang price only single 4600 price?

If they refuse...  Is itbworth contacting Customer Support at their head office bkk?

If I have to pay to get a supply... Will, but this strikes me as another of those farang rip offs, but wanted to know others experiences.

Thanks

I'm sure its been pisted but cant find... And Im an idiot haha

I have a 12 month oa retirement visa obtained in uk and intend spending 8 months a year in thailand.

90 day repirting... No problem.

When I come to extend the visa for a further 12 months.... Can it then be re-extended every 12 months or is the extension a one off?

If Ibhave to renew my passport during an extension period... Can the extension, or future extensions be carried to the new passport?

With the oa visa I can stay in thailand 12 months... Does this also apply to an extension or do I have to do any 3 month border running?

Thank you for your patience and hopefully, simple and helpful feedback.  ;-)

Having just been thru the process of getting a new oa visa..... I find the requirements for thenproposed new visa quite straightforward... Just an increase in monthly income ( and not at too high a level for someone with an occupational pension) or 3m in the bank in thailand (A bit steep!)..... If there is no need for the medical and police checks... Im happy!

Tje medical insurance is a new twist.... But the proposal is at a low level of cover and insuramce companies cover this, at not unreasoanable cost, for over 65's

Avoiding the hassles of repeat oa applications is good for me.... 

Why so negative???? Its big cash in the bank OR an income of 100,000 baht a month..... Nare all of you guys on the UK state pension????... Anyone with a reasonable occupational pension will manage that.... 

Interesting point... If lease taken by potential husband before marriage then can secure leasehold for 'husband'... After marriage is common property and is divisible since marital property (ie the house... Not land of course if farang) is common property...

Maybe we misunderstand the situational detail...

Wow... Replies range from the bizarre (and wont work) to the positively lethal (for all life in the vacinity.... And, via water courses, to the municipality)!

For a relatively safe, relatively enviro friendly, product.... Google Bora Care... Based on boric acid and obtainable by an importer in bkk.... For a slightly lower tech solution (and somewhat less penetrative and effective) try Timbor....

Both are good to protect wood and also stop mud tunnels on external walls.

For soil treatments baited Termidor (Fipronil) is highly effective....

Forget pumping gallons of toxics under your house every year.... Really not enviromentally sound...

Agree on the not selling quickly.. Sales can easily take 3-5 years on the island

Also bear in mind that selling and repatriating the money back to your home country can be difficult or impossible.... Is possible for house build costs using a fetf form when bringing in the money... Not the land purchase money because, of course, you never own the land... You wife will....

Ignore all the rubbish and incorrect comments... As I am sure you will

I am in exactly the same position as you but without the big pockets hahaha... I have spent the last 3 years looking at lands on the island. If the beach aspect is as you say... Buy it... Poor beach land on Phangan can fetch 8-10m

Forget the lawer bit... Get the wifes family to make local enquiries and look over the chanote very very well... All dire information will be recorded on the chanote.

We have purchased sea view... A quick trip to the land office by wife and seller... Hand over money and taxes... Done in half an hour.... Or you could pay 50k baht to a lawyer to do the same thing....

Do it (and invite me for a drink when the house is complete!)

Good luck

Hahaha... Good tip about the monk in chaloklum.... We bought the land off his wife... Part of the deal was a free selection of bamboo plants.

For anyone wanting bamboo on the islands... His 'nursery' is well worth a visit!!!

As a lifetime gardener in the UK, and living in the back of beyond in a national park... I developed the 'natural' sryle of gardening... Minimal lawn, wild area, trees and shrubs... Looks very good in context... And is a lazy mans gardening style requiring minimal maintenance.

Now living over half my time on Phangan and building a house... It is my intention to take the same approach.... Look around at what grows well, look at what the thai grow, and having a thai partner who is also keen on gardening and ks an environmental government officer will help enormously!!!

So for me... Banana, palms, papaya, mango, tamarind, cassava, dragon fruit, chilli, some of the flowering shrubs and trees that grow here, close cropped green weeds... But definitely no UK style borders or green swards of lawn... Too old to fight against nature!!! My philosophy is... Go with the flow... Time will tell how it all works out!

I believe leased land plus my name on the building permit will give adequate cover... 30 years use of land and house ownership as specified on the building permit

....nothing is totally secure and so long as it all holds together longer than I do 5555

Thanks kamalabob and chanjay... You are the only 2 guys to date who have responded in the positive!!! (must be more out there but maybe they are just living their lives 555)

Will pm you K...

Am about to try the next level up the foodchain... Head of planning... Failing that Ill try the lawyer approach.... Refuse to be beaten on this one....

Generally I agree with the brown envelope approach... In this case it was still a no can do... The brown envelope being proffered by the Lessor.... A thai government official herself.

Maybe the officers are getting more dilligent recently due to the government crackdowns on graft

I appreciate the comments.... Im not a novice in thailand but have never come across such an apparently Un errrr pesuadable set of officials... 3 separate officers all independently said.... No can do...

Next approach is... Get a thai with links higher up the food chain....

Not wishing to cross post... But maybe someone can advise with the issue I posted in the samui forum.... The local tessaban says... Can not issue building permit to farang... Farang can not lwn house!!!!

Help!!!

See my posting query under the samui forum....

I am getting a lease on land which specifically says I can build...the land office is happy with this.... . The local tessaban planning guys say farang can not be name on building permit or have building permit transferred to farang... Essentially saying... Farang can not own house.... They would be happy for me to have a house owned by a dubious thai farng company tho!!!!

I have been unable to resolve this as yet.... Any suggestions or examples of a lease and building permit issued to farang appreciated!!!

Hmmm... Some confusion of issues....

I am in the process of obtaining a 30 year lease on the Land.. The lease specifically allows me to build a house... The land office (after many revisions of the lease, countersigned, witnessed, in thai blabla) seem happy with this and should issue the lease in a month or so...

The problem lies with the municipality planning department... Different department completely from the land office.... They are happy to draw up plans for me (paid for of course)... But say that a building permit can not be issued in a farang name.... It is the name on the building permit which shows ownership of a house not a blue or yellow book... This just signifies residency

According to Thai law.. Farang can not own land. Farang can lease land, farang should be able to own a house on leased land (thai civil code)... But not according to the interpretation of the local land officers!!! I asked the planning officers if it was possible for the constructor to obtain building permission... Yes.... And then transfer to me during construction (there is a garuda topped transfer form available from the planning officers)... Answer... No... Can not transfer to farang

In spite of what is fairly clear in thai land law and civil code.... Farang can not own land, but can lease land and own a house built on the Land.... This is NOT the interpretation of my local planning department!!!

Khunper and bigfun are the only persons to date that appears to have direct experience of land lease and build permissions.... Do the majority of farang go down the thai wife route or quasi legal thai limited company route?