JimboJ

Have a look at the condos on soi 15 of soi buakhow.  I have one myself for around 3 million, 45 m2 foreign name, but it's just been rented out for a year.

The Abraham Accords?

If you use an agent to get a retirement visa, for about 20,000 baht, they will deal with all complications.

The police tried to shake me down a few years ago with a taxi driver claiming criminal damage to her car - total 4,000 baht.  First appeared a nasty midget who I ignored. Then two large police in a shiny pickup to take me to the station.  Where the uniformed police seemed more embarrassed than anything, but there was a scumbag in plain cloths who kept telling me it would be better to pay.  The tourist police kept out of the way.

I remained calm and polite and after a few hours everyone got bored and let me go.

I now carry the number of a lawyer with me.

With hindsight, I wish I had refused to go to the station to see what would have happened.

All this was at the beginning of the covid, so I didn't follow it up.

Probably a routine scam, which would work on anyone on their way to the airport. 

They have been using 3rd Rd. down to the overpass as a night time racetrack for years, and making as much noise as possible.  Strange that the local constabulary has not spotted the opportunity.  But there again....

Arabs without silencers have been using 3rd Rd  going down to Trapprara Rd as a race track for years, in the early hours of the morning.

All hired vehicles should clearly display an official ID.  A few years ago a Grab taxi driver tried to rip me off, with the aid of the police, by claiming I had caused criminal damage to her taxi.  I had photos of the driver and taxi, but there was no way of identifying her.  And of course Grab were completely unhelpful.  

On 3/15/2022 at 7:10 PM, RedArmy said:

Why would you need an agent for a 30 day extension to a TV ???

 

Very simple & straightforward process - Cost 1900 baht.

To avoid having to queue all day at Jomtien immigration and catching covid.

I recently got a 30 day extension to a 60 day tourist visa through an agent for 4,000 baht, and was told I could have a 60 day extension for 6,000.

23 hours ago, danferguson said:

Good point - had not thought of that

Visa exempt is 30 days plus 30 extension, right?

Tourist visa is 60 plus 30 extension I believe?

I recently got a 30 day extension to a 60 day tourist visa for 4,000 baht via an agent.  (To avoid going to Jomtien immigration and queuing for hours to get covid.) She told me I could have 60 days extension for 6,000 baht.  So that would make 4 months from an online tourist visa.

She also told me it would be 25,000 for a retirement visa, even with the 800,000 in the bank.

A problem not mentioned with the agent but no money in bank method is that if you annoy someone important, like the police trying to rip you off, all they have to do is check your bank records and file criminal charges.

Anyone know where a Moderna jab can be obtained in Pattaya?  Bangkok Hospital site is only offering Pfizer or AZ, and that is booked up.

7 hours ago, thequietman said:

Check the bottom of the pool for a toaster!

 

Seriously, maybe electrical fault in pool lighting for example, and both electrocuted.

 

There better be an autopsy. ????

Pool lights run on 12 volts.  Try putting each hand on the terminals of your car battery, and see if you die.

According to the Irish government website the passport issuing service has been suspended because of covid. https://www.dfa.ie/passportonline/onlinefaqs/

Another problem, if you have Irish parents, is that you need their wedding certificate as well as one birth certificate.

On 10/17/2020 at 6:34 PM, DavisH said:

Yong has over 1000 pulblications in virology International journals. How about you? I don't see any racism in his articles. Perhaps take of your beer glasses occasionally and you will see that. 

Where do you get this information from?

On 10/16/2020 at 12:07 PM, Flying Saucage said:

Poster ukrules just posted this interesting paper in another thread: 

 

https://jvi.asm.org/content/88/14/7692

 

This is a scientific article which unravels quite well some of the mechanisms why other countries with other climatic conditions have different numbers of seasonal flu infections, and it seems quite viable to extend these insights also to the Corona virus. It gives some hints why Thailand regionally might be in a more lucky situation as well.

 

I have some doubts if this "expert" Yong ever reads somehing like this, otherwise he would debate on higher standards and should feel quite embarrassed himselve by his dumb weekly gossip. Reading his gossip between the lines shows again his strong and hardly hidden anti-western racism and his aim to boost xenobhobia against caucasians in Thailand. 

 

For a similar study specifically on Covid do a search for SSRN-id3550308.

16 hours ago, treetops said:

What does the sticker in your passport have under the heading "Category"?

Can't find a sticker.  The only mention of category is on the re-entry permit, which says 'non-imm'.  But looking back through the visa stamps on my passport, the original one says 'NON "O" RETIREMENT', and I've just been renewing that every year.  Also, there's been no requirement to have health insurance.

So presumably the requirement for an OA now is because it comes with health insurance.  

Does anyone know whether it's possible to convert an O to an OA in London?  

Novana Pattaya. This year 11,328 for a 25 sq m studio, works out to 37.76/sq m/month.

About 280 units. With management company, gym, sauna, pool, security guard at night.

But the sinking fund keeps disappearing and we have to make extra payments to replenish it.

The Avenue Pattaya, about 40 baht/sq. m/month.  In house management.  

O or OA?

A friend has just returned to Thailand from London on an OA retirement visa, plus lots of certificates and two weeks quarantine in an expensive hotel.  He thinks that O visas are still not accepted.

My visa simply says retirement, so I am not sure whether it is O or OA.  From the information on the London consulate web page, it seems that the difference is that O only allow a stay of 90 days.  If this is correct, I have an OA.  Anyone know more on this topic?

3 hours ago, Trillian said:

There are two types of bank account in Thailand, Resident accounts and Non Resident accounts. Foreigners can open non-resident accounts and transfer funds into and out of it at will, without needing any additional paper work or authorsiation, those accounts do not allow deposits in Thai Baht. When a foreigner opens an account here it is typically a resident account, unless a non-resident account is requested specifically. Foriegn currency deposited into a Foriegn Currency Non-Resident account can be converted to THB for use in country. Foriegn Currency that is transfered out of Thailand once again is subject to a commission in lieu of the foreign currency exchange commission.

How can you tell if a foreign currency account is resident or non-resident?

Please explain the last sentence.  How much is the commission?  And is there any limit on how much can be transferred out, if it was already transferred in?

3 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Would a non-resident account holding the equivalent in foreign currency of the required 800K/400K money-in-bank be accepted by your local IO as proof that you meet the financial requirements when applying for the 1-year extension of your Non Imm O Visa?

Yes, I have used foreign currency accounts twice at Jomtien immigration for the 800,000 baht requirement.

On 6/4/2020 at 9:09 AM, Trillian said:

Thai Baht is a controlled currency, it cannot be freely exported and is subject to rules that are different for Thai nationals, foreigners in Thailand and financial institutions outsiode Thailand, the BOT rules are here: https://www.bot.or.th/English/FinancialMarkets/ForeignExchangeRegulations/FXRegulation/Pages/default.aspx

I found the attached somewhere on the internet last night - I forget where.

A thai friend assures me that it says nothing about swimming pools.  Perhaps others would like to check.

Its also worth looking at https://www.troublefreepool.com/wiki/index.php?title=Swimming_Pools_and_COVID-19_Coronavirus.

It seems that chlorine is very effective against the virus.

Chonburi communicable diseases committee COVID-19.pdf

I have similar problems with my condo, although not so complicated.  If you look back through Thaivisa forums they crop up regularly, when an owner gets angry enough to bother writing about it.  Basically, no one enforces the condo laws, so there is every motivation for gangs of thieves to take over the management committees.

It is interesting to know that legal action would cost 30,000, with no guarantee of success.

Another possibility is just to make everything public on a forum, complete with names.  Care should be taken not to make accusations which cannot be proved, because there are always threats that any criticisms will be treated as defamation and the police will be called.  It should be enough just to state the facts and let readers draw their own conclusions.  Naming individuals might make them think twice about continuing to break the law.  It will also get the condo a bad name, which might motivate owners to take effective action.  Perhaps, if it becomes a matter of common knowledge that condo owners do not have the protection of the law, even Land Officees might be persuaded to take action.  But that is probably too much to hope for.

One problem about posts about condo mismanagement is that they are difficult to find and easily forgotten.  I know that this thread is in the Real Estate etc. forum, which is under the Thailand Real Estate forum.  But it would help to have a sub section specifically to report illegal behavior by committees, with a separate forum for each condo, which would have to be identified by name and location.  Condo owners could then be referred to it, as the only way of finding out what is going on in their own condos, since crooked committees will be the last to tell them.  From what I can see, only the admins. can set up a new section under the Real Estate Forum. 

Thaivisa might be worried about being charged with defamation if names are named.  Could this problem be solved if contributors give their real names?  If not, would it be feasible to start a new site, perhaps based outside Thailand?

The first problem with the Mediterranean is that it is cool and often wet in winter.  The second is that it is very boring.  Older expats are mainly couples grimly slogging on, waiting for their grandchildren to visit them.  Lone males on the lookout for cheap pussy are not appreciated.

The location is Pattaya.

The point about a public interest defence is encouraging, but I do have to be prepared to go to court, and would like to find a lawyer I have some confidence in first.  It's strange that lawyers are not lining up to make a bit of money out of what must be a common form of litigation.

I know about the laws governing meetings.  The problem is that the management keeps just enough owners on their side by doing them favours, and hires proxies off the street to represent them when they hold meetings.  The only way of contacting owners would be through a public forum, since there are few in residence.