tim77

Also, for western food the Royal Cliff has some excellent restaurants.

If you want Thai food, the Sugar Hut is really a nice romantic place with great Thai food.

This doesn't affect me BUT that doesn't mean I am not concerned. I have a Thai wife and enough money that I don't need to use the support visa. HOWEVER, it wasn't always this way. Before my pensions started I was living off my savings with everything timed to the point when my pensions did start. I doubt I would be in Thailand today if things would have been like this back then. With this new development and the bogus company crack down I feel like the farangs have been taken advantage of and all that is important is our money.

The BIG question is what is next?

You hit it right on the head. "The BIG question is what is next?" You said it it seven words. It took me many paragraphs.

LaoPo . . .

I think your topic is most appropriate. For some people there will be no adverse impact due to the new rules and the intense confusion as to what they mean. For others there will be adverse impact. And this adverse impact will not just be to the "bad" people who are working illegally in Thailand. It might be wise to get an understanding of the adverse impact. I think this is the intent of your post.

For myself, I am married to a foreign wife. We own a condominium with a present value of about THB 5,000,000, and with the furnishings and art the total value is in the order of 7,000,000 Baht. I do not work in Thailand. I work on projects outside of Thailand, but use Thailand as my base to stay and search for jobs. It's a great country with wonderful people. I love the life style here. I have been here for many years, and have worked (with a work permit) many years for Thai companies. Thailand has become my home.

But, I worry about what will happen in the future. People who bought houses using a company (a practice which has been prevalent for many years) may now have difficulty reselling those homes (since company ownership is now suspect). People who used to be able to get an investment visa for a 3,000,000 Baht condo have seen two restrictions on this visa over the last few years. Now, it is a 10,000,000 Baht condo. People who used to go on multiple border visa runs can no longer do so. Tourist visas seem to be getting harder to get, and multiple entry ones seem to have become unobtainable, unless you are back in the U.S. or U.K. Confusion seems to exist as to whether a dependent wife may have a more difficult time in getting a visa.

Yes, a country may change its visa rules at any time. This is the right of any country.

But, where long established practices of property ownership/control are being changed and challenged . . . .and where long established visa customs change or become deeply unclear . . .it is time to be concerned about the future. The requirement for investment visa was raised from 3 million to 10 million. What if the requirement for a retirement visa changes by the same magnitude? What if the dependent visa for the wife is changed to require the same showing of funds as is required for the husband?

These forces driving these recent changes are a real concern and hardship for me. In the immediate future nothing will change for me. However, the hardship preceived by me, rightly or wrongly, is that I no longer feel that I can count on visa privileges in the future. And, I feel that I can no longer count on visa privileges for my wife in the future.

With sadness, I fear that as a prudent person I should start making relocation plans.

Is it now too late to apply for the 3m investment visa? I realize there are only 15 days left this month.

I

If a person aged 42 bought a condo last year for 3.5 million baht; does this mean that now he can't live there full time?

Worse if you bought a house using a company . . .with the new attidude about making sure it is Thai shareholders, . . .now you might have a tougher time trying to find a possible buyer . . .so not only could younot live in your newly bought home, you might not be able to sell it.

Oh . . sorry . . .you asked about Kho Samet, and not Kho Samui.

Take the bus . . .the train is too slow. You will have no problem geting from the bus station to the ferry

Train to ferry is the best and safest. The Thai train services offers a package with a combination train/ferry ticket. Not all travel agents like to sell these, as their commission is low. A few times I just went to Hualampong (sorry about the spelling, but it is close enough). Hualampong is at one end of the subway. If budget is a bit tight, get the 2nd class air-con seats on the train.

On the train, for yourself and your children: DO NOT TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS. Once in awhile some fool tries to spike water, cigarettes, candy, etc with sleeping powder so as to rob the victim. Worse, the fool sometimes uses an overdose and this may kill the victim.

On the ferry, you have the option of paying for air-con. I always take it. Just my choice. It sure beats the hot deck.

As for beaches, there are two main beaches, Lamai and Chawang (again sorry for the bad spelling). Lamai is cheaper, but the water gets deep very quickly. Chawang is now quite touristy, but the water stays shallow for a long ways out.

I prefer Chawang.

The Dynasty Grand has a fine swimming pool.

The Majestic does not have a swimming pool.

I stayed at the A-1 once, and will not again. It is not the most comfortable hotel. Worse, it is not close to either the sky train or the subway. It is not that easy to get cabs to/from there.

If you want a great comfortable hotel at reasonable prices try

(1) Dynasty Grand on Sukumvite Soi 6, at about Baht 2,500 per night. It has very new, very clean rooms. and free access to the web in your room (if you bring your own computer). It is close to the sky train, and very very clean. The phone number through August is +66 2 255 1333. On Sep 1, Thailand will be adding an "8" to all of its phone numbers, so starting Sep 1 the phone number will be +66 82 255 1333. I have stayed at the Dynasty Grand about 7 times. The staff are very nice.

(2) Majestic which is direct on Sukumvite, near the corner of Soi 4. The rooms are very clean, but smaller than the Dynasty Grand. It is very close to the sky train. As I recall the rooms are in the range of Baht 2,000 per night. Their phone number through August 2006 is +66 2 656 8213. Starting on 1 Sep 2006, their phone number will be +66 82 656 8213. The staff are very nice.

In 1st class, you get a private room for two people. It is a bit cleaner than 2nd class air-con. More importantly, the bunks are perpendicular to the aisles, and this lets the person in the top bunk sleep a bit better.

In 2nd class air-con, the bunks are parallel to the aisles. This means that every time the train stops at a rail station, the person in the top bunk gets the lights from the rail station shining in on him.

You might also want to be aware that the train staff tends to wake you up - so they can readjust the bunks - about an hour before you get to Chaing Mai. So you might want to catch the later train out of Bangkok.

It looks to me like the Ministry is targeting foreigners who are in the business of real estate development and not foreigners who are buy a house for their residence.

If the Ministry's actions were interpreted as preventing the sale of homes as residences to foreigners, this would be a real blow to the Thai construction industry. And such an interpretation would be contrary to Thai goal of promting Thailand as a vacation and retirement retreat.

Gazette News: Land crackdown targets Thai shareholders

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Interior has ordered a crackdown on property companies attempting to circumvent Section 74 of the Land Act in order to allow foreigners to control land ownership.

Section 74 states (unofficial translation): “In the process of registering [land] possession rights and contracts between parties … officers have the power to investigate both parties and call them for questioning or have them send relevant documentary evidence as is necessary. Officers will proceed as is appropriate to the case.

“In cases where there is reason to believe that the request to register possession rights will evade the law or where there is reason to believe that land is being bought for the benefit of foreigners a request for an order from the Minister will be made. The Minister’s order will be final.”

The crackdown will target Thai partners in Thai-foreign ventures, examining their inco me, their professional qualifications or experience, and their credit history.

In an order dated May 15 and issued to all provincial governors, the Deputy Permanent Director of the Ministry, Sura-art Thongniramol, notes, “The Ministry of Interior has received reports that there are foreigners working with Thais or [engaging] Thais to register a company with the aim of buying and selling immovable property as a business venture.

“At the initial stage a house and land are purchased for residence or [for use as] an office and later [the aims are changed] to selling and subdividing for sale to foreigners … which is illegal.”

Provincial officials are ordered, “as protection against bypassing the law”, to examine limited companies, limited partnerships and general partnerships “having the aim of carrying out business in immovable property.”

The order continues, “If it appears that an alien holds shares or is a director, or if it is reasonable to believe that a Thai holds shares as a representative of an alien, the officers shall investigate the income of Thais holding shares, delving into the number of years [they have been] in [their] current profession, and their income. The provision of necessary evidence is required.

“If a loan was taken [by the Thai] for the purchase [of shares] evidence of the loan is required.”

The order does not specify which officials will be responsible for investigating suspect companies, nor does it set out, except in the vaguest of terms, what will happen after the “investigation”.

All it says is, “If after due investigation it can conceivably be believed that the request for registration … is to bypass the law or [it can be believed] that [those involved are buying] land for the benefit of an alien as defined in Section 74 … the officers who undertook the investigation shall forward the findings to the Land Department to a wait the order of the Minister.”

No deadlines are set for how long an investigation will take, or how fast the Minister will be required to deliver a judgment.

Local reaction was hard to come by. The Phuket Provincial Land Office was not aware of the new order. However, one Thai involved in the property industry, who did not wish to be named, remarked that it seemed “like a good thing, as long as the application is fair”. He added that he worried that it might be used by some “for their [own] benefit”.

-- Phuket Gazette 2006-05-31

This topic originated from here.

I have used Bangkok Dental Hospital on Soi 49 for over ten years. I have recommended it to dozens of friends, who in turn were all impressed for the great professional care given. As for cost, one friend found it cheaper to fly her 22 years old son here from the East Cost to have 4 wisdon teath removed, than to do the same procedure in her home town.

The Dental Hospital is a 4 story modern building that is always full of expats and well to do Thai people who want great care.

Its phone number is 02-260-5000.

I have tried other detal facilities here and in Singapore, and they did not come close to the quality of the Bangkok Dental Hospital.

You might try this web site . . .

http://www.siampinoy.com/

My wife is a filipna.

It might be wise to remember that the Mt St Helens volcano's was a magnitude 5.2, which occurred only seconds before the massive explosion. It might also be wise to remember that about 50 earthquakes having magnitudes larger that 4.5 were located in the Mt St Helens area preceding the main event.

The present warning is properly made.

The USGC states:

Seismologists have observed that for every magnitude 6 earthquake there are 10 of magnitude 5, 100 of magnitude 4, 1,000 of magnitude 3, and so forth as the events get smaller and smaller. This sounds like a lot of small earthquakes, but there are never enough small ones to eliminate the occasional large event. It would take 32 magnitude 5's, 1000 magnitude 4's, 32,000 magnitude 3's to equal the energy of one magnitude 6 event. So, even though we always record many more small events than large ones, there are never enough to eliminate the need for the occasional large earthquake.

Go to the new Big C opposite the old World Trade centre in Bangkok, up on I think the 3rd floor are all the hifi shops that used to be in Ploenchitt Plaza. There is a tech working in one, I think its Audio Design Centre or similar in name, he speaks reasonable english and is switched on.

Thanks for the Big C tip. I went there two days ago (7 Mar 06), but the 'hi-fi' shops have relocated. They are now in a 8 story building called the "Hi-Fi Center". The Hi-Fi Center building is located just to the left of the Big C building. When you get to the Big C building, just go to its left side (as you look at it) and walk down that side for about 100 meters.

I'm trying to convince my folks to retire in LOS where I spend most of my time. Both of them are over 70, reasonably healthy, and financially secure. I would most likely rent/buy a place on the beach and have them stay with me with a staff to take care of the house chores, driving, and cooking. At some point, they would need homecare, nurse, etc., and I thought this would be a good way to keep an eye on them. They'd be coming from the US.

I was wondering how many of you TV members are over 70 and living here in LOS. What are the ups and downs of living here? Any tips at all? Thanks.

Be careful about medical insurance. If your folks are relying on medicare it is of no value in Thailand. It will not cover medicine or hospital or doctor. Once you reach the age of 70, it is difficult (not impossible, but difficult) to get medical insurance.

Health care in general is excellent in Thailand, but certain procedures are not performed often in Thailand, and a reasonable person might be well advised to have these procedures (e.g., prostrate surgery) performed when the surgeon performs them frequently.

If your folks have many friends in Hawaii, they may miss their friends.

I might suggest they give it a try for say, three months.

Does anyone have a recommendation as to where to go to have a high end stereo amplifier repaired, either in Pattaya or Bangkok?

I already have a UK Will but now have Thai property, do I need to have a Thai Will also ?

If so, can anyone suggest an English speaking lawyer in Pattaya who can execute the Will if required?

Thanks to all !

Yes. . . even if you have a will in the UK you must have a will in Thailand to deal with property here. I used Public Law & Accounting Office - Khun Narongrit at 06-387-6860.

Is there any self storage units in Pattaya? I don't mean big whare houses just possibly 1 cubic metre or such like to store a few items i.e cds, clothes, computer bits and bobs etc prior to making a move to sanuk city.

Yes there is. Safe Independent on the ground floor of Jomtien Complex Condotel. Their phone/fax is 038-303-863