sumrit

I rent a two bedroom/two bathroom detached house in Chonburi for 6500 baht per month. I believe a two bedroom town/terraced house is about 3000/3500 baht per month on average.

When my girlfriend applied for a visitors visa last year somebody from the embassy phoned me, not her, to clarify a couple of things (I live in Thailand). She got her visa without any problems. Talking to other people it seems the embassy phone people in this way quite often instead of arranging a time consuming formal interview.

Good luck.

They won't issue Thai licences to tourist visa holders as of 1 Oct 06.

Driving licences have never been available to holders of Tourist Visas. ....and that's the truth.

I went to get my Thai licence last month at the Bang Lamung office and had no problems but while I was there I'm sure I read a notice saying that people with a tourist visa can renew their Thai licence but it will only be renewed for one year and not the five years we get with a one year non imm visa.

Thanks folks,

I figured it would be a confusing issue once they get to Thailand, I think the main problems is the fact they would only be shipped from my office in the UK to the docks in Bangkok, I chose this option because it's dirt cheap.

Maybe I would be better off taking the door to door option, but then it gets a lot more expensive, most of this kit depreciates fully within the next 12 months and if it costs me a small fortune to have it sent over I may as well just dump the stuff in the UK.

I'm not really too bothered if anything gets damaged, if it isn't here in Thailand it's useless to me anyway so it's a small risk.

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/ looks interesting though, cheers.

Shipping door to door may look expensive but its still a lot cheaper than paying tea money to get your belongings out from the port this end. Before I was told about seven seas I shipped a large box containing my PC etc. and other personal items from the UK to Thailand. I paid £150 to send everything to the port in Bangkok and over 11000 baht (about £160) in tea money to get the box out of the port and delivered to my home in Chonburi about 60 km away. Providing the quote is not exccessive I would definately go 'door to door' to garrantee the price and give somebody else the problem of dealing with Thai customs etc.

Try getting a quote from this company, they collect and deliver door to door so they should advise you and include all costs in their quote. I've been told they are also very competitive pricewise.

http://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/

I don't think she has to change her surname but her visa application and TB certificate etc must be in the same name as the one shown in her passport.

I went past the wrecked bus yesterday just after it had been hoisted back up on to the road and it's a wonder more people were'nt dead when we saw how far down the ravine it fell. We were traveling towards Korat when we came to a queue of very slow moving traffic (which turned out to be about 1 km long) and we couldn't see why. To start with everybody stayed in the queue then after a couple of minutes somebody decided he wasn't going to wait and overtook everybody. Loads of other cars followed and the road was quickly jammed 3 abreast totally blocking the road to oncoming vehicles. When we finally got to the reason for the holdup (the wrecked bus) there were 3 lanes of traffic trying to force their way into 1 lane while the cars from the other direction were trying to force their way into our now totaly bocked part of the road and a large crane (I presume used to get the bus out) trying to reverse back onto the road, total chaos, yet the local BIB were just standing at the side of the road watching, not attempting to do anything to control the traffic flow. My wife and I drive along this route regularly between Chonburi and Korat and we share the driving but she won't drive this section, she says it scares her because of the lunatic way some of the people drive, with a sheer drop at the side of some parts of the road. And I have to agee, even for Thailand, some of the drivers are absolutely mental.

And my point is to get a new passport, as I said, before your entry expires. You should never let a passport run down below six months as you can not travel on it to many places and living here on one year visas you should have a new one before that last year unless you have an entry that expires during that time - in which case you get new passport before expiration of entry or passport - but before you have to apply for a new visa.

Are you unable to obtain a passport while in Bangkok?

Sorry Lopburi,I don't know if I explain myself incorrectly or if I don't understand your posts but my case is as follows.My visa expires end of this month.So normaly I can have one more entry on that day which gives me another 3 months stay.At this time my passport is valid for another 11 months.I planned to go europe at the end of the month and apply for another one year multiple entry which normaly is no problem.I can not get a new passport at this time as my current one is still valid.So will the thai embassy refuse me a one year visa because my passport expires before the visa does or will they just issue one and I transfer it to a new passport on a later date.

I believe you can renew your passport when there is up one year to run before it expires. I think mine (UK) had about 10 months to run when I renewed it. I didn't loose that 10 months either, they just added it to the length of my new passport. As Lopburi 3 says you can't use a passport with less than 6 months to run so everybody must renew their passport after 9 1/2 years (UK passport holders) and it's wise to do it a month or two before that.

Hi, I have spoken to the British Embassy representative in Pattaya ad he told me he would do the letter for me so if there's somebody in Phuket would imagine they wuld do the same.

I'm back to the same situation as this morning where I can get the forum home page and can go to "view new posts" but if I try to go to any other sub forum I get this message;

IPB WARNING [2] mysqli_query() [function.mysqli-query]: (HY000/1194): Table 's' is marked as crashed and should be repaired (Line: 545 of /ips_kernel/class_db_mysqli_client.php)

IPS Driver Error

There appears to be an error with the database.

You can try to refresh the page by clicking here

There was a post running on this problem this morning but the last message I saw there said the problem had been fixed. Is anybody else still having problems? By the way when I first turned my PC on 15 minutes earlier I could access some web sites ok (from both Thailand and theUK) but others, including Thai Visa, were not accessable. then when I tried again I could get to the site, but with this problem again.

Just gone back on to the "view new posts" page and see that other people are also reporting the problem again. I couldn't find the original post when I started this one.

IPB WARNING [2]mysqli_query() [function.mysqli-query]: (HY000/1194): Table 's' is marked as crashed and should be repaired (Line: 545 of /ips_kernel/class_db_mysqli_client.php)

IPS Driver Error

There appears to be an error with the database.

You can try to refresh the page by clicking here

I can open individual threads when clicking from View New Posts, but I get the error message above when clicking on the Forum Support title.

/Edit - amend that to clicking on any subforum heading.

Same here in Chonburi, I've been getting the same message on and off for a few days now.

Add 543 years to the year you was born.

I transfered £10500 from my Lloydstsb account in the uk to my SCB account here just over a week ago, sent GBP sterling, and got an exchange rate of 68.30 baht. I checked with the SC Bank first and they confirmed I would get the "on shore" rate shown on their web site, which I did, so it seems that your Thai bank have made a mistake with the rate. I'd start there. Good luck.

This has nothing much to do with the normal stuff that appears on this site but I think it’s nevertheless worth mentioning.

I went to Jomtien Immigration this afternoon for a residency letter, duly handed over the appropriate documentation and money, and was told to come back in an hour.

I did and my letter was waiting for me. As the lady official handed it over there was a loud rumble of thunder – it had been dark and overcast outside.

“There is going to be rain.” she said, “Do you have a car?”

“No” I said, “I am getting a car tomorrow which is why I need this letter. But I have a bicycle and I don’t have too far to go.”

“But you will get wet” she said. “Wait one minute and I will get you a something to keep things dry!”

She went out and appeared back with a plastic bag into which she carefully put the letter, my wallet and phone.

OK – no big deal – but lots of folk, myself included, can be critical of the Immigration staff – and maybe with good reason sometimes.

But that little gesture today, something that she didn't have to do, showed me that they can human and considerate too. I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

I also went to Jomtien Immigration the same day as you for a residency letter so I probably saw the same person and like you cae away thinking how helpful and considerate she was. I was told to come back in an hour but as I returned she was going outside, about to take a child somewhere, but when she saw me she went back in, called me into the office to give me the letter then gave me another copy in case I needed it to get a Thai driving licence, she'd forgotten to ask me if I needed one when I first went in. We have all heard bad comments about immigration before so its nice to be able to comment about somebody who went out of her way to be helpful and considerate when she didn't have to. Like you I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

Interesting how upto now, no Man United fans have replied. They probably won't admit to even recognising that another team is good!!

That should get a response from Red, nev and Muckypups!!

I've been a Man Utd fan since the Munich air disaster in 1958..................and you took the words right out of my mouth!! But if you really twisted my arm my dad was born in West Ham so it would have to be them.

I know that Thailand and the UK both have PAL, but is it a compatible PAL. Also what about the electricity differences.

Is it true there is no tax on televisions?

Thanks

TV's in Thailand work on a PAL G system while UK sets use PAL I. The difference is in the sound frequencies and this is usually just a software change that can be done by any competent television engineer, the picture is the same system. The other big difference though is that Thai TV is transmitted on both the VHF and UHF frequencies (dual band) while the UK only uses UHF. A few sets sold in the UK are dual band sets and if yours is one of them it will work in Thailand with just the software change. If it's just a 'UHF' set however the cost of converting it would probably be too much to make it viable. If you intend having satellite here in Thailand your set will work connecting it to the satellite receiver via the scart socket. Electricity voltages are the same in Thailand and the UK. The cost of a TV set in Thailand is similar to UK prices. (but I haven't looked at UK prices for about a year now)

I’m trying to sort out the best price to bring a small shipment of personal possessions from the UK to Pattaya.

Seven seas seems one of the best prices quoting 320 pounds for door to door or 180 pounds for door to depot for 7 boxes 30x40x50. on their website they state as follows

The 'Door-to-Door' Service is covered by all 7 Steps, of the 'Step By Step Guide'. This covers taking a consignment from the door of the originating address, transporting it to the destination country, clearing it through Customs and delivering the consignment to the door of the destination address.

The 'Door-to-Depot' service is covered by Steps 1 to 5, the remaining Steps (6 & 7) are your responsibility. This covers taking a consignment from the door of the originating address and transporting it to a depot at, or in the vicinity of the destination port or airport. Seven Seas involvement ends at this point, it is your responsibility to clear your consignment through Customs and to arrange the collection of your goods

The door to depot is nearly half the price but does anyone know the procedure and costs to clear my things through customs and how to do it, or alternatively does anyone know where I can find a local agent who can do this and can quote me the definite (guaranteed) costs for doing so? Obviously I can rent a pickup and collect the things myself easy enough.

Any help would be appreciated

Cheers

Phil

I recently sent a 1 cubic meter box from the UK to Thailand. door to depot was the only option offered to me. It cost me just over £150 to send to Thailand and just over 11,000 baht (approx £170) to get it from the port, through customs and delivered to my house here. There was an agent handling things this end and he needed my passport for customs, and paying first, so there was a lot of messing around and it took several days to actually get the box from the port to me. It looks like the price you've been quoted is slightly cheaper and if I'd had the option you've been offered I'd have chosen door to door just to save on all the hassle I had getting the box at this end.

I go to the Cambodian border from Pattaya and get a 90 day entry every time with a 1 year multi entry non O visa.

How are you guys watching DVDs on the PC?

I used to use PowerDVD or something like that but have since lost the program. I assumed I could just use a newer Media Player and it would do it, but.. nooooo! Media Player 10 instead has a helpful link to a website where I can buy DVD player plug-ins. So, OK, I have a laptop with a DVD drive but can't watch DVDs??

I tried VLC media player but that was also unable to play my DVD. It would kinda load the starting menu, then when I selected "play all" it would quit. On previous occasions VLC would play a DVD but it would stutter and hang and use 100% CPU even though I have a 2GHz Core Duo laptop.

I ended up pulling out my ancient (2001 model) Powerbook where the DVD played just fine. 667MHz are enough! The Powerbook is truly amazing - it looks like it has been through a war 'cause the paint is coming off all the non-Titanium parts. But it still works as on day 1 and thanks to a new-ish battery it has 5 hours battery life. And is thinner and lighter than most new 15" laptops.

How is everybody watching DVDs? Any recommended programs to do that? I try to avoid carrying around 2 laptops, that's why...

Media Player plays my DVD's fine. I've now got Media Player 11 but they played fine on Media Player 10 as well. Are you sure it's not your DVD drive that's faulty?

ps No....no Sky Digital here...at least not on satellite. Only a Jodrell Bank sized dish could pick up the signal !

Not even a 'Jodrell Bank' sized dish could pick up Sky Digital from here....the satelite is over the horizon from here in Thailand.

Oh no...not again !! No it is NOT over the horizon ! You can watch Bloomberg on Panamsat 2 at 169 degrees East easily here with a ten foot dish and with the dish elevation of around 14 degrees..

Bangkok is 100 degrees East.

It follows therefore that if you can with ease watch a channel seventy degrees to the East you can in theory watch a channel seventy degrees to the West.

Sky Digital is 28 degrees East on Astra 2

This is theory. As the beam is not directed towards Thailand only the faintest of signal is possible which only a Jodrell Bank size dish could possibly pick up .

Topfield,

A year or two ago when things were quiet in our workshop I sat down with a work colleague (who originates from India) to calculate what size dishes we would need to watch Sky when we retired to India and Thailand respectively. We worked out that the dish in India would have to be massive and that Thailand was just over the horizon. Now this was a year or two ago and we might have been using the co-ordinates for the astra satllites at 19.2degrees east but I don't think so. Of course the other point is that the astra satellites send the signals down in a 'directional beam' to create a footprint on the earths surface where signals can be picked up. The signal is not transmitted in all directions. The very edge of the footprint for astra at 28.2degrees east goes across north Africa to eastern Turkey. No signals are transmitted further east than that so theory or otherwise it doesn't matter what dish you have here in Thailand you won't pick up a signal from astra.

Phil Collins - Face Value

ps No....no Sky Digital here...at least not on satellite. Only a Jodrell Bank sized dish could pick up the signal !

Not even a 'Jodrell Bank' sized dish could pick up Sky Digital from here....the satelite is over the horizon from here in Thailand.

Chris Rea - The Blue Cafe

Joe Cocker - Night Calls

Friends ...you all missed the point.

32 inch lcd tv : But what model ..as they usually have this size with models from pure crap to top quality.

Therefore you MUST get the model no. if you want to check it out.

NB did you not notice on the Amazon site the model was an HDTV set..the one in Lotus wasn't

The set in Lotus is HDTV ready. I'm a TV engineer but I haven't come across this make before, but I did have a quick look at it in Lotus. The picture quality seemed pretty good and the sound seemed ok although it's hard to judge in that sort of shop environment. I've no idea what the reliability would be like but giving it a 3 year garantee would seem to suggest the manufacturers/Lotus are fairly confident. Ithought it was pretty good value for money. By the way you've missed the boat on the special offer price, I noticed yesterday it was back up to 30,000 baht. There latest offer is on a Samsung LCD set which IMO is one of the best makes on the market.

I am big fan of samsung products also did you see what it sells for ? I get confused between lcd and plasma what is the difference between them thank you Ronnie

I'm not sure but I think it was 45000 baht. LCD and plasma are totaly different systems. Very basicly plasma has 1000's of individual gas filled 'cells' trapped between the layers of the screen. When voltages are applied to the cells it causes the gas to change state and become volatile and illuminate a coloured phosphur coating in the cell to illuminate the screen. LCD screens are made up of 1000's of tiny transistors which are opaque when they are turned off but become transparent when turned on allowing light through to illuminate the screen. Plasma can only be made in larger screen sizes (over 32") and they consume far more power. LCD can be made in smaller sizes although above about 36" is more difficult to make so they're more expensive, costs are coming down though. Plasma panels also have a life span of about 7-10 years where as LCD in theory could last a lifetime although in 10 years time they would be so out of date we'd probably be throwing them away anyway. I personally think LCD is the better system but it's all down to personal opinions.