tangoll

Hello, I'm from Hong Kong, and thinking of getting a new 2008 Honda Civic, 1.8 L, manual transmission model. Cost here is about HK$170,000 which is about M$80,000 ringgits. I'd like to hear the opinions of any of your members who drive a similar model, M/T, and whether they have had any problems with this model? Thank you.

I have sectioned off my 2 bedroom apartment into 2 parts; one is a studio unit with en suite toilet/shower, own entrance, can use washing machine, refrigerator, microwave, ceramic cooker. Studio unit furnished with A/C, double bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, telephone, etc. Can include one carpark space. Price is baht 18,000 per month all in, inclusive electricity, water, etc. UBC is extra baht 1,000 per month, internet extra baht 1,000 per month.

New project called Baan Klang Krung Siam Patumwan, near intersection of Petchburi and Phayathai Road, 2 minute walk to BTS Ratchathewi station. Complex has swimming pool, fitness, squash courts, keycard entry, guards, etc.

If you wish to view, let me know and I will give telephone number of an agent who can show you the premises.

This studio unit is ideal for single male/female, or for couple to use. No short term rental, only 6 months to one year or more rental. Not a full service apartment; furnished but no daily maid or laundry service. Main front door is shared with owner of premises, but entry way then has two doors going into this studio unit, and one door to the other unit. Mail box is shared, as is W/M, frig, microwave, ceramic cooker.

If your local bank is Bangkok Bank, best to go to their Silom Road Headquarters branch, go up the escalators on the left side, up one flight, then go into the large room with the long sitdown counters, punch #4 (if I remember correctly) on the queue number machine, and wait for your number to be called. This is the section for inward remittance. They'll give you a form certifying your inward remittances, then you ask them where to go to get the FECF (still referred as tor tor sahm in Thai) , and they will point you to go to the end of the long room, around the corner to another smaller room with counter. There, you present your inward remittance forms, and the staff in this room will prepare the FECF's for you; one original stamped with the Bank's blue coloured ink, and one copy. Whole process will take less than 45 minutes. Be sure to bring your bank book, account number, and whatever ID you used when setting up the account.

It seems your options are (1) talk to your wife and work out some kind of settlement over the house and have an amicable divorce protecting your other assets or (2) have a contested divorce and subject all assets to a court imposed split. Working out some kind of settlement may mean you giving up the house entirely and walking away. Based on what you've told us, staying together doesn't seem like a viable option.

Not knowing all the facts of your and your wife's situation plus how she might react to your actions, I don't see how anyone here can really tell you what you should do. Just do what your gut feeling is, prepare for the worst and hope for the best or something acceptable.

Good luck to you. Life does go on after something as traumatic and bitter as this, and in fact, life can turn out much better after sorting out such problems and ridding yourself of a troublesome person.

I never thought that I would post my situation on this forum, because others here would say, "what a chump, som nam na, you're a mug, etc." But my situation was almost identical to yours -- met a Thai girl at the White House, a hi-so nightclub then on Soi Ekkamai, was in process of difficult divorce from my then current wife, and thought that this Thai girl would be my mental salvation. After my divorce finalized, and she divorced her Thai husband, took her kid with her, I bought a house with land on Sukhaphiban 3, in an exclusive community. Let everything registered in her name, land, house, car, etc. Thought of marriage, but held off. Things went well for about two years, and then the passion faded, and there just wasn't any spark in the relationship anymore. One time, she went to a buddhist retreat in the mountains, and after she returned, her mind seemed elsewhere, and one time, she left the house (when I was away), and went wandering barefoot, no handbag or ID, on the main road. She got picked up by the police, and with no ID, and she being incoherent, they sent her to the mental asylum, where they shaved her hair and basically put her in the looney bin.

When I called the house, and no answer for hours, I got hold of the neighbors, who went into a completely dark house in the middle of the night, and told me no one was there, the door was open, etc. Now, I don't remember where the kid was, maybe was away with the grandparents. Anyway, I flew back the next day, and with the help of some of her Thai friends, we were able to locate which mental asylum she was in, and we went to extract her.

After that, her mother had to come stay with her, and at that point, I realized there was no future for us together. Luckily for me, we were not married, and though I had put quite a bit of money buying the property, furnishing it, car, etc., I thought about what I could do to get some of my money out of this. But then that would mean prolonging my relationship with her, and at that time, the baht went from 25 to the dollar to 40+ to the dollar, and the real estate market was really bad. So, I basically just cut my loss, told her that we were done, the house and everything in it was hers. And I left. Later in the last message from her, she was able to rent out the house and she would move out and live off the rental. That was over 10 years ago.

I stayed in Hong Kong these past 10 years, and rebuilt my life. In 2005 I returned to Bangkok and purchased a freehold condo in my own name, and am holding a purchase contract on a second condo. I now spend half my time in Hong Kong, and half in Bangkok, a city in the Thailand that I love.

If I told you how much I had put into that house, you people would really laugh and think I was absolutely nuts. That amount would have been enough to get me a PR visa under the special plan put in during the Asian financial crisis.

But I got my life back. From the Thai girl, she helped me recover from a difficult time of my life during my divorce, and she gave me the tools on how to enjoy living in Thailand. She taught me phrases that Thai people find amazing that a non-Thai knows, she taught me how to sing several Thai songs (by Nantida and Maleewan, for example), that in parties and other events, that when I sing those songs, it warms the hearts of the Thai people that a non-Thai could sing such songs, and she showed me how to feel comfortable living in Bangkok.

For her, she got the material things -- house, car, etc, rental income to live one, and possibly an independent life.

Who got the better part of the deal? Who knows? And I don't want to know, and I basically don't care. I'm living the life I want now, wiser certainly, but infinitely happier.

As to the OP's situation, take from the above whatever might be of useful advice to you. All I would say is, look at what options you have now, and try to project under each option what your life would be like 2, 5, and 10 years out. Then let your gut feeling tell you what you should do.

Telling my story here has been a great release for me.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the reaction to my post. I expected a lot of blasphemous and damning replies, but so far not so bad. Maybe my observation rang true.

Meemiathai, your comments are a bit obtuse for me to comprehend. Your comment about the HK, Thai, and Japan "expert" is a bit of a dig, as you know nothing about me beyond what was said in my post. But I think my experience from having lived 15 years in Japan, 11 years in the US, 25 years in HK, and now partly in HK and partly in Bangkok, plus fluency in English, Japanese, Cantonese, and a decent understanding of Thai made me feel comfortable enough to be able to say and back up what was said in my post. I'm HK Chinese.

Here is a phenomenon that I have noticed in several Asian countries that I have lived in -- Hong Kong, Japan, and now Thailand. In all these countries, I have come across a fair number of Westerners (Caucasians mainly) who have lived in these countries for quite a number of years (say more than 10), maybe have a local woman as a wife, and only speak just a smattering of words of the local language; such words as hello, thank you, check please, you're crazy or nuts, good luck, and the word for foreigner (farang, gaijin, gwailo, etc.)

And because many of these foreigners don't want others to wonder why after so many years, they still can't really speak the language, they tend to inject into their speech when talking to other foreigners, visitors, and even locals, as many and as often as possible, the few local words that they do know. Like the Thais, this action may have something to do with "face", that they give the impression that they are, whether rightly or not, well imbued with the local culture and customs.

Consequently, in Thailand, you will hear from the Westerners, frequent use of terms like farang, mai pen rai, sawasdee, krap khun kop (or ka), jai yen yen, chok dee, and the few other terms that represent the limit of their knowledge of the local language. The same comment can be made about foreigners using Japanese and Cantonese.

I'm guessing that this observation will result in a barrage of vituperative comments from farangs who have made the effort to learn the local language, or from others who contend that their living in the local community doesn't require them to learn the local language, and that they get along just fine in English or some other Western language.

Whatever, this is just my observation, as one possible reason why you often hear foreigners using the term farang. It's what and possibly all they know of the Thai language.

I have a ganglion, also called a mucous cyst, on the top of lower joint of my little finger. Hasn't removed itself, and isn't liquid so can't be drained. Anyone have a good solution as to how to remove this cyst? Doesn't hurt, and doesn't affect finger movement or anything; just unsightly to me.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

I don't really understand your description of what the sales executive is telling you about the payment options and the relationship to the FETP's. You should treat them as two distinct and different events.

1. As for the payment, your obligation as buyer is to pay 15% upfront and 85% balance when the title transfer is done.

2. As for the FETP's, your obligation as buyer is to ensure that you have remitted into Thailand foreign funds equivalent to or greater than 100% of cost of the condo. There can be one, two, three, or more remittances at different times to satisfy your payment obligations. Each remittance will result in one original FETP, which your receiving bank issues to you after they have received your foreign funds, converted to thai baht, and deposited into your account with the receiving bank.

3. When the project developer says it's time to do the title transfer, you prepare the baht amount necessary to pay him the 85% still owing, and you bring all the originals of the one, two, three, or more FETPs showing the remittances totalling more the 100% of the cost of the condo.

Then you go with the developer to the land office, and with other documents, these are presented to the Lands Department, and they return back to you the title deed showing the transfer of the title to you.

You do not get back the originals of the FETP's.

I think the sales executive is making this out to be more complicated than needs be; either that, or he/she doesn't really understand the process all that well.

This thread below addresses this procedure and has answers to the questions you asked:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1592519

or click here

There is also an image of an actual FETP in that thread. Other bits of info that came out:

In a couple of title transfers, the Lands Department accepted just a letter from the receiving bank that the foreign funds were received, and not just the FETP. This might have been the case if the inward remittance had been less than the equivalent of USD 20,000.

If the stated purpose made in the message for receiving bank is "for purchase of condo", then the 30% foreign remittance withholding is not applicable, and 100% of your transmitted funds is converted to baht and made available to you. Be sure you transmit foreign funds, and not offshore purchased baht.

In your question about the difference of responses from the sales office of your project and your lawyer, your lawyer is correct. Your inward remittances can come in several different amounts (subject to each satisfying the bank's requirement of minimally USD 20,000), and at time of title transfer at the Lands Department, the total amounts of all the FETPs must equal or exceed 100% of the cost of the condo. The payment you make to the project developer at that time would be the 85% being the balance payment due, assuming you have paid the 15% deposit earlier.

The inward remittance can come in from any source, be it your own foreign account or your mom's account or the funds given to the sending bank in cash. The receiving bank just needs to know which is the receiving account holder, who the FETP will be issued to.

This whole process is straightforward and not that difficult.

I can't answer the question of whether your Samsung TV will receive Thailand tv programs, but if you wish to bring the TV with you, you could always use it to watch DVD's and other recorded programs. If you don't speak/understand Thai language, then you won't much appreciate Thai tv programs, and the UBC cable programs from what I've heard and read here, is not that great. But that's hearsay; I don't know myself. Bring the tv and even if the tv itself will not directly receive the tv channels here, you might find a tv tuner that you can hook up to do that for you.

Actually, I'm thinking that the next time I have to buy something from Homepro which includes installation, to book two different days for installation. One day for the actual installation, and the second day (maybe one or two days after the actual installation day) for taking care of any problems after the first day. This way, if there's no problem, it's a lot easier to cancel the second day's appointment, than to try and get the installation people to return to fix the problems of the first day's installation (if you don't have an appointment already).

I don't think Homepro will understand this logic, but I'm going to try.

hegralow, may I ask how you were able to become a condo owner without having had a thai bank account? Did you deal in cash? And how did you get around condition that non-thais must show funds came from overseas?

The last two months, I've purchased from Homepro about baht 150,000 worth of stuff including installation to outfit a condo in Bangkok. Mostly I've bought from Homepro store on Prachachuen Road -- stuff like 3 A/C's, two water heaters, refrigerator, curtain rods, custom made tables and cabinets/shelves from their Wood Centre, shower door -- and generally, my experience has been positive. Items delivered and installation done on day specified, though delayed on actual timing (though I think this is normal Thai habit). Response to problems reasonably quick and reasonable. It helps to know the name and tel no of someone in Customer Service who becomes familiar with your problems, so that you don't have to constantly re-explain everything.

Like everything else, buying something electrical or mechanical or where you have to assemble yourself, before leaving the store, you need to have the item opened and check for completeness, instruction booklet included, lights up when plugged in, etc.

Perhaps if the OP gave us a specific example of the shelves that fall down, we might get a better idea of what the real source of his problem is.

The two cream/light brown/mauve coloured towers project is called Baan Klang Krung Siam Patumwan built by developer Asian Property Development Co Ltd. Their website is <http://www.ap-thai.com>.

You can get a lot of owners/buyers/sellers opinion and comments on the <http://www.prakard.com> site in the Phayathai/Patumwan/Rajaprarob section. Helps if you can read Thai, but there's a lot of English threads/posts there as well. Depending on floor, view, perspective, price will run baht 80,000 per sq metre and up. Common facilities like lobby, swimming pool, security, etc are very nice, if not spectacular. Inside, some problems but manageable and fixable.

There are a lot of other new developments in that general area -- The Address@Siam, Villa Ratchethewi, new hotel. With its proximity to MBK, Siam Paragon, Chulalongkorn and other universities, that area should rival other desirable living areas for both farang and Thai locals, such as Thonglor and upper stretches of Sukhumvit.

Like everything else, depends on what you are looking for...

Anyone here have any experience entering Thailand using the APEC Business Travel Card? Do you go thru a special lane or thru the Thai Passport lane at Suvanna airport? And do you get the 90 days period of stay? Any special questions asked or any difficulties/problems?

Thanks.

lopburi3, thx for your quick reply and advice. I'll find out more about this non immigrant O visa. But why do you mention Singagpore; why not the Hong Kong consulate? Does the non immigrant O visa provide for multi entry, and if so, over what period of validity is this visa, or is there a limit on the number of entries?

Thanks.

Just wish to seek any advice from any reader here having similar experience or status as my situation: I travel with a US passport and thus can enter Thailand without visa and permitted to stay each time up to 30 days. For the past year, I've been coming to BKK once every 2 months or so, and staying 3 - 5 days each time. I've now purchased a condo in Bangkok and expect that I will be coming to BKK more frequently, perhaps once a month and staying 7 - 10 days each month. Just recently, at Suvanna airport, the immigration officer is checking my passport more closely and asking each time, "How many days you stay in Thailand this trip?" When I answer 7 days, they then just stamp my passport and I'm on my way.

I don't expect I will be staying more than the 90 days per 6 months (or 180 days) counting from any month considered as the time of first arrival. My question is: will this no visa entry method work for me without problems for the foreseeable future, or should I consider getting some form of visa?

I am 65 years old, single, have a Bangkok Bank account, and can meet the retirement visa funds requirement of baht 800,000 for 3 months. I also don't expect that I will get married to a Thai national any time soon. I just like living in Bangkok.

I have my regular home in Hong Kong, and at this time, don't see my wanting to live permanently in Thailand. Should I just continue doing what I'm doing or should I consider some other form of visa? If visa, which one is most suitable? I don't want to do anything illegal or to use a loophole in the law; just want to do what is suitable for my situation. Thanks for any advice or comments, especially about any potential problems. I've gone thru the arguments about whether buying a condo in Bangkok is a wise or stupid move already, and that's not the point of this post.

Here's what an FEC looks like:

Foreign Exchange Transaction Form

Care to post what your bank letter looks like? I don't know what Land Office you used, but if you are non-Thai, for sure the Land Office would not issue the title deed without the FEC's showing sufficient funds were imported from abroad. Want to see what a title deed looks like?

Maybe your lawyer is a miracle worker. If you did use a lawyer, why did you even post your questions here in the first place, and then question the validity of my response when I was merely trying to be helpful in answering your questions?

I suggest you try the Home Pro store on Prachachuen Road. It's far bigger than the Home Pro store on Ploenchit Road, and for example, has a Wood Centre where you can get lumber supplies (raw or stained) and can have custom wood furniture made. I believe they will have doors and moldings supplies available. If you are not driving, take skytrain or MRT to Mo Chit station and take a taxi from there.

If you have a lawyer and your bank, might you want to direct your questions to them? Why ask here?

For Bangkok Bank, they will issue the FEC for amounts transferred in of at least US$20,000 or equivalent foreign currency (not offshore purchased baht) and with the stated purpose of condo purchase. The FEC has to be issued after the funds have been received by the bank, and I don't know if there's a time limit after the transfer for when the FEC must be issued. I'm not sure what issuing the FEC retroactively means, because the FEC can only be issued after the transfer of funds.

Best bet is to get your lawyer to do his job.

I just completed title transfer on a condo unit in a new development in Bangkok. While I signed a power of attorney to the developer to do the paperwork at the Land Office, the paperwork consisted of the following:

1. Sufficient foreign funds transferred in documented in Foreign Exchange Certificates issued by receiving bank (in my case Bangkok Bank) showing foreign funds brought in for condo purchase. Your incoming funds transfer document should state that purpose of funds is for "purchase of condo". You need to find out from your receiving bank whether they will issue this FEC to you with that stated purpose.

2. Your developer or the juristic body of the condominium (not just the manager, but the legal body of the condominium) has to prepare a letter certifying that the foreign ownership of the condominium is less than 49% by area.

3. Copy of your passport showing your visa or residence in Thailand status. If you have a work permit for Thailand, the above two conditions are probably modified but I'm not sure.

4. For some reason, the developer also needed some document showing the names of my parents. So I gave them a copy of my birth certificate. If you already have a Thai language version of your name, then you should give them that. What goes on the title document is your foreign name transliterated in Thai language, and who knows who made that up?

5. A bank certified cheque for the amount of the purchase, plus other funds for the sinking fund, management fees for first year, electric meter fee, etc.

If this is a private sale, you might wish to get a Thai lawyer to help you through this. If there are tax payments due (withholding tax, specific business tax, transfer fees) and you are responsible for some of these payments, you certainly should engage a lawyer to help you.

Bumrungrad Hospital doctors were able to diagnose my cough/throat problems when the best doctors in HK and USA were not able to cure the problem, just mostly gave medicines to suppress the symptoms. The main doctors I saw at Bumrungrad were Dr. Khemchart for ENT and Dr. Wuthichai for respiratory. I also saw another doctor for voice box, but don't recall his name.

Doctor consultation fees would run about baht 1,000 per doctor-visit and the camera down the nose would be about 1,800. The bronchial challenge test is about baht 3,600. You probably should do the general checkup package for baht 2,500 which includes x-ray, urine, stool, blood tests to get an overall picture of your general health, then add on the specialists.

As for prescribed medicines, Bumrungrad charges quite a bit more than you can get from pharmacies/drug stores in Bangkok, and in some cases quite a bit more than pharmacies in Hong Kong. It really differs according to what medicine. You probably should just have them give you a modest amount of the differing items you are prescribed, and then go out and check prices and get them where it's most economic for you.

But I would certainly go back to Bumrungrad if ever my throat/cough/asthma condition worsens.

A possibility would be Asia Hotel Bangkok which is right by BTS Ratchathewi station. Booking thru internet or agent would get you a rate for about that price, including tax, service charge, and breakfast buffet and maybe even a one day BTS ticket card. Be careful not to book Asia Hotel Airport which is near old Don Muang airport.

The hotel is OK, though furnishings are a bit tired and need freshening, but you can't beat the convenience, as it's close to Siam Square, Paragon, MBK, National Stadium and anything else on the BTS.

I have had better luck buying DVD's from amazon.co.uk, especially from their z-shoppes section, which deals with ordering from independent sellers who set their own prices for their offerings, but where the shipping costs have been set in advance by amazon. And with amazon's rating/feedback system, the service from these sellers is. very good, with quick response and direct to the person handling the sale or shipment.

Sometimes there are good deals on good quality used DVD's there as well. Shipping is expensive, costing pound sterling 3.58 per single DVD to ship from UK/US to Hong Kong, and probably same to Thailand. DVD region coding don't seem to bother these z-shoppe sellers as much as it does amazon US or even amazon UK.