DrPhibes

8 hours ago, internationalism said:

but samui in december is still rainy season, even well into january. There is no point going there, unless for cheap hotels.

Also getting to samui is expensive. There use to be seasonal russian charter flights to phuket and utapao, but I don't think I have heard about those to samui.

I think this article is just part of TAT advertising campaign 

We just returned where 4 of us flew non-stop from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, then take the coordinated bus/ferry to Samui.  Cost about 9,400 baht total for 4 people one way.  My son was able to get out of KMUTT university in Bangkok for a week to join us and it was over 8,000 baht on Bangkok Airways round trip.  Basically 18,800/4 = 4,700 baht per person round trip from CM to Samui vs 8,000 baht rt from BKK!  Monopolies are nice for those who own them ????

On 10/23/2022 at 10:01 AM, BritManToo said:

I moved my dishwasher into the home in 2016.

She's a bit old and worn now, but still manages to do the job.

It's important that the seals stay tight so not much sloppy leakage, they tend to wear out with age.  But hey, it's Thailand, I have found no matter the repair job, it can be done for a cheap price ????

2 hours ago, smedly said:

agogo boat

I'd say the article was more a-boat agogo a no go.

Anybody know if any roads closed due to flooding?  Have to get the daughter to the airport from Raumchok Plaza taking the 2nd ring road to the road to the airport near Promenada in a few hrs.

Anybody know if any roads closed due to flooding?  Have to get the daughter to the airport from Raumchok Plaza taking the 2nd ring road to the road to the airport at Promenada intersection.  Thanks in advance!

Anybody doing measured edibles in CM?  Had candies/brownies/etc... in the US and you could dose based just how "adjusted" you wanted to be.  Not a fan of smoking.  Thanks ahead of time.

Looks like the Sunday when I woke up wondering where the heck I was after my first frat house/sorority house get together party I went to and somehow forgot to leave, including the appearance of a few intimate utensils scattered here and there.  Just needs more comatose bodies strewn about.

On 9/14/2022 at 5:03 PM, ubonjoe said:

If your extension is not approved on the 16th you ask them to cancel your extension and apply for 60 day extension to visit your wife if you you have not gotten one since your last entry with a visa.

If they did 60 day the extension it would start from the day your current extension ended and you would need a re-entry permit to enter the country.

Hi Joe, thanks for all of the great advice in the past.  Question is, if I'm on an extension of a non-O visa by virtue of marriage (obtained years ago and extended each year).  Can I get a 60 day visa extension to visit my Thai wife just before the current yearly extension expires?  Thanks in advance!

23 hours ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Same question if you want a plot in CNX, would the land office be of more of help?

The land office is for registering and transferring of land, not really a place to look for land for sale.

On 9/17/2022 at 4:14 PM, smutcakes said:

You will of course be aware Toyota manufacture a lot of their own parts through Denso, a company they partially own, and these parts are manufactured in Thailand......

 

And of course all auto companies can buy parts from whichever supplier they want, local or abroad.... Funny as reading this thread you would think Thailand is awful for manufacturers which makes it strange that off the top of my head i can think of the following auto companies with large facilities here:

 

Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Suzuki, BMW, Ducati, MG, GWP, Hino, Mazda, Harley D, Triumph, Yamaha,

Apologies to all.  My mistake to take my past experience with Thai manufactured home goods and project that.

Wife says quickest way is to go to the head of the village.  Have not seen any way to see the info from the land office online such as a map you can zoom in on, get the Chanote number, the use that to find the owner.

On 9/16/2022 at 12:51 PM, Tiuangmoh said:

Until the wheels fall off, if you’ll pardon the pun ????

Due to being forced to buy Thai substandard parts instead of well made ones.

Ya, there is some kind of tower structure going in over the last couple of months also.  Shaping up to be a nice park and just within walking distance for us and the wee one (digs rock hopping around the pond).  Agree on 7/11 cleaning up it's act and ya, that BKK bank AMT there is grody (accumulated grease from the guys cooking near it?).

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Hotels are an amazing value here. They have skyrocketed in price in the US, due to Covid related gouging. Not here. When I travel here I stay in nice four star hotels in Bangkok. 1200-2000 baht. In the US? $150 for a crappy hotel. $200 to $500, and up for a nice room in a hotel. 

 

Restaurants can be a great value here. Also, Foodpanda. Had some friends over recently. We all selected from the menu. 7 dishes for 460 baht and 10 baht to deliver. Of course, I am in a smaller town. In big cities the prices are alot higher. Tried the same thing when I was recently in the US, on a similar app. 2 dishes were $44, plus the fees were $19. No thanks. Passed. 

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 200-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip.

And I get attitude for leaving a $15 or $20 tip. Here, I get nothing but gratitude for a 20-40 baht tip. 

 

Rent. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2500-3800 a month. That is 138,000 baht!

 

Anything labor related here is reasonable.

I had my motorbike seat recently redone on my scooter. 400 baht. A friend of mine had similar work done in the US. $275.

 

I recently had a guy come over and insulate my ceiling. I bought the insulation and paid him 2000 baht for labor. In the US? $800 and up.

I recently had an electrician do some work on the house. Nearly a full day of work. Paid him 1000 baht. In the US? $800 and up.

 

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

 

I visit the emergency room here to visit a specialist, and with x-rays I am out the door for 2000 baht, at a private hospital. In the US? $300-2000.

 

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 1500 to 2500 baht. In the US? $800 an hour now for a pretty gal, with alot of attitude.

 

A quote from a friend recently:

 

My neighbor told me she got a quote for a wood fence around her house.

 

It was around $8,800 ($2800 for the materials, labor (2 days), $6,000. 2 days at 8 hours a day = 16 hours of labor)

 

For $6,000 labor/16 hours that works out to be around $375 an hour labor.

 

Another neighbor got some quotes to get the outside of his house painted.

 

Average quote was around $5,000. He bought all the paint and supplies for $1500. Labor $3,500 and the house would have been finished in 1 day.

 

$3,500 divided by 8 hours of labor = $437 an hour to paint a one story ranch house.

 

He painted it himself.

 

It seems like all of the trades collude to keep the prices sky high. Tradesmen make more than most professionals here.

 

There is so much new construction going on in this area it is sick. People moving to Florida from everywhere.

 

I had a leaky faucet on the outside of the house. Called about 6 plumbers. None available for days. Average estimate was $375.

 

I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada. Things are more expensive than they used to be. But, it is very relative.

Have a seasonal financial business in the US.  Been in CM for 6yrs going back the the US for 4mo while my family gets to live here for 12.  Been going on now for 6 years.  Have queried my clients recently about coming back to live in the US and their resounding opinion is, why!?

Ya, I saw the other park heading East on the other side of the road. Awful lot of park development just to make it look used.  Most people I have seen have just planted a ton of coconut trees and took care of them just enough to sell the land.  Wife chimed in that those guys also owned a good chunk of second ring road properties and that they were just paying back the community for their good fortunes.

Are you speaking of ways to increase it's value in the future?  Tough to project.  We had offers of 3 million baht per rai on some pretty damn nice land outside of Chiang Mai about 6 years ago but wife thought it too cheap.  Now, I would take 2.5/rai...

There is quite the nice park at about 2/3rds development at that location.  Anyone know anything about it?

Might I point you to...:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Thailand

I deal with about 600 people a year in my business and a few have confessed they have never had the flu in their long life despite not ever having a flu shot.  There are documented cases of people naturally immune to HIV.  That is the thing about large populations.  There is enough genetic variety that if some serious disease came through there would probably be enough naturally immune to repopulate after it burned through.

There is a rather large pond not far from the house and when it really pours, the wife goes out in the street with a net.  She rarely comes up empty.  Then, when the rain stops, she goes out to the remaining puddles and gets some more.  While I don't eat the fish, she uses it in cooking for her and her relatives.  Free food, they love it.

Lots to consider everyone, thanks again for all your time and effort!

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I forgot to mention getting a 60 day extension to visit you wife that another member posted about. 

You could get the 60 day extension if you have not applied for one since your last entry with a new visa.

Perfect, Thanks!

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Apparently the office where he does his application is one of many that starts the under consideration period from the end of his current extension. Applying earlier would not change the report back date.

Yup, Chiang Mai office.

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not possible to have the date that your extension ends unless you start all over again by getting a new non-o visa and extending the entry from it.

 

 

I was afraid of that.  I do return to the US every year about mid Jan for 4 months to work so is it possible to step across the border towards the end of Nov without a re-entry permit and obtain a tourist Visa, come back in for the remainder of my time and then start the process of a multiple entry Non-O based on marriage once I come back from work and time the extension application better.  Sound about right?

4 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Assuming your current marriage extension ends on November 28, can't you file for your extension on October 28?  Most immigration offices allow you to file 30 days in advance of due date, some even up to 45 days early.  Then wouldn't you go under consideration and your report back date be around November 28?  If you apply as early as possible don't you get your final approval before December?

While it's true that you can't alter your extension end date without starting over, can't you move the date of your application forward by 30-45 days and therefore effectively determine when you need to return to immigration to get your final approval (roughly 30 days later when you return to immigration for final approval)?

Does not make a difference how early you apply, they always want you to come in for the extension stamp 30 days after the expiration date.