notrub

I got confused as the subject of a 'visa letter' from BKK morphed into credit card use and guarantees.  I have had letters from BKK bank confirming my deposit and mostly found them to be unhelpful about this.  No matter how many smiles come with the service.  I have a Kbank debit card and a BKK card too.  Both are visa (not that union one)  and have been registered for internet use.  They seem to work OK.

I have that letter from the embassy link you sent to me and I hope that will be solution when I make the monthly deposits too.  Thanks again for that link. 

I spent the last 30 odd years living and working in France.  In that country there is no monthly credit card rollover.  You use your card for convenience and every month 100% of what you charged is paid from your account.  If there is not enough in your account to pay then you get a strong letter from the bank requiring you to come in and settle your outstanding credit card balance - within a day or two. Failure to do this results in cancellation of your cards and restrictions placed on your bank account.  This control on your account can last for years (10 last I heard) and it is something nobody wants for obvious reasons.  That also means no chequebook and withdrawing money from the branch where you have your account is the only way to get cash.  You can pay money in but cheques must clear before you can withdraw the money from those cheques.  Paycheques, for example. People are very careful there.

If you want to buy something costly then you arrange a loan but you cannot borrow more than you can pay back.  All of these loans go through the central bank of Paris and they are all added up to determine your credit limit and will or will not allow you to buy that new tv or something..  Many big shops offer a 'pay 3 times'  option as a way around these restrictions and I don't know what happens if you default on that.  I suppose it goes back to the bank default and you must pay, or else.

Having lived that way for so long I am used to it and look with amazement at countries where anybody, even the unemployed, can get credit for anything,  The 20+ odd%  charges the card companies get is criminal.  I never think about my credit limit only what I actually have when I want to buy something.  

So I am a bit mystified by all the comments about use of cards here in Thailand as a guarantee for visas etc..

What is the name of the retailer for these products please?  Buriram area preferred if poss.  Thanks

I am just going to transfer 70k on the 20th of every month and use that account for all my spending.  If they want to see a regular monthly deposit then that is what I will give them.  I don't mind going by the rules but they change so often it is difficult to keep track of.  For my 'O' visa application I got a letter from the bank stating that I had 1,500,120 on deposit and that had been there for 3 months.  My bankbook showed a balance of 1,500,210 and you will not be surprised that they made me go and get a new letter (and I missed the last ferry because of it).  I will be on tender hooks for the next few months waiting to see if what I am doing now is what they still want in 3 months time.  Thanks again for the letter link BTW.  A good service and hard to believe it is part of the UK government services.

Ubonjoe sent this link  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration and they kindly sent me a letter showing what I had declared as income from both UK and France.  Sent some documents but just photocopies and not notarised.  Buriram immigration said OK about this letter but they also want to see some money.  They  don't want to see money sat in the bank doing nothing (say, 800k).  They want an active account that shows income but also that the money is being spent.  For me this time they will accept 3 months of deposits to my Thai bank for my upcoming renewal and seem to be happy that this money will also be spent.  If I understand this correctly that means I can show 65k at the beginning of the month, every month, going down to 10k (say) due to spending and then topped up by another deposit at the beginning of the month again.  If this is true it gets over the chicken egg problem of having to put aside enough to show 800k when it is time to renew/extend the visa again and still have spending money during the year. .  I have paid out over 1.5m in the last year building a house so my Thai 'spend' is OK for that part.  The new immigration office in Buriram is very friendly, BTW.

Ubonjoe posted this link for me to get a certificate of income from the GB embassy. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-obtain-a-pensionincome-letter-for-thai-immigration.  I wrote to them and sent along copies of tax returns and a bank statement showing monthly deposits.  They sent by return of post a letter which seems to be acceptable to Thai Immigration here in Buriram.  Not enough just to extend my retirement visa, however.  They also want to see 65k deposited every month to a Thai bank account.  A new twist and interpretation of what appears on the government immigration information website.  I can manage to do that but it would be good if they could get their rules and requirements clear so a person could jump through the hoops confident of success.  I had a visa refused because the bank wrote that I had 1,500,120 Baht in my account when my bank book showed 1,500,210 as my balance.  You know that I had to get a new letter typed up and missed my ferry because of that.

On a happier note, the people who produce the letter about pension income were really helpful and even sent the letter without payment as my card did not clear in their account.  They sent a nice letter asking for payment with the confirmation letter.  What a refreshing change that was.

I am about to go for my first retirement visa renewal and will be grateful for any comments and/or advice.  (am sure this topic is covered but cannot find it).  I got a Non 'O' visa in Suratthani and coverted it to retirement in Koh Samui.  With some difficulty.  I had 1,000,000 THB in the bank at the time.  Now I have spent some of that money building a house and have only about 500,000 in the bank now.

 have a document from the British Embassy in BKK known as a Consular Letter Confirming Pension/Income for Retirement Visa.  First, does this letter work?  It seems too easy somehow.  It shows income in Euros and GBP which, combined is more than enough for the income part.  Does this letter need to be translated?  

I have moved to Buriram Province and am now registered at the immigration office in Buriram City.  I have built a house and have mail addressed to me here but no blue or yellow book.  I had registered with the local police but now my address has changed slightly.  To 186 Moo 6 from 114 Moo 6  but the rest is the same (villiage postal code etc)  Should I re register?

Any other info I should take along?  New Photos?  Anything else?

I had such a difficult time before that I am very nervous that this renewal goes through without problems that I could avoid by being prepared.

Thank you very much  

Hi,  Is (are) there TV stations that broadcast generally that can be received by some sort of simple antenna?  I see lots of different smart boxes but really I only want a couple of basic Thai tv programs.  News and maybe a soap or two.  Or is there an easy way to hook up a satellite system providing free programs?   All the pay to view systems that I have seen, seem to be similar to sky in the UK, and offer lots of programs but for a high monthly price.  I don't mind a one off purchase of some equipment but paying by the month for programs never watched is not for me.  I live in Isaan about 100 KM from Buriram in the countryside, by the way.  I have wifi through 3BB cable for 631 THB per month and that is great but don't see how to get Thai TV streaming with it.  Any ideas?  Thanks in advance for your help. 

Thanks Eyecatcher.  The equipment has been installed correctly using hole saw and boring bit the correct size.  There are 6 handles and the first one failed just at the time of installation.  The unit just froze and would not open.  The latch assembly was distorted when I finally got it out.  I bent it back into the right shape and re installed the unit.  Failed again.  Returned it to Home pro and they eventually gave me a replacement.  Second failure the key just turned in the barrel and did not engage the locking mechanism.  Third fail was same as the first.  The latch assembly just froze.  Eventually got the door open and took them back.  They replaced the latch assembly and did something to fix the lock problem.  Fortunately I had access to both sides of the doors and so could wiggle and remove the handle.  If the problem occurred in a closed room then I don't know how I could have gotten them out and replaced w/o lots of damage.  I read the guarantee too and responsibility for manufacturing is pretty limited and it could be said failure is due to wear and tear I suppose.  Even after 1 day.  I saw a Solo brand handle with  big 5 year guarantee graphics on the package.  The Yale was about 600 THB and the Solo price is similar.  They are being OK at Homepro but they did mention the 15 day limit on every occasion and also that the package was not as new.  (!)  Just to say that I am a carpenter with over 40 years of hands on experience and have had my own business for a long time too.  These units failed, either through faulty design or material not up to the job.  There is no way these should have failed after such a short time with limited residential use in my private home.  I now leave a key for the sliding door outside in the event the the front door fails to open   I will stick to products made in Thailand in the future.

Oops, bad focus.  Here is a different pic

Here are some door pics.  The shop only made them and I picked them up.  The wood they used has been stored for a long time, I think and seems very stable.  The uprights are 9x3 cm and there are 5 traverse members (including top and bottom) of the same dimension.  All the joints are mortise and tendon.  They clearly ran them through a big sanding machine after they were assembled.  I have some experience with doors and I would rate these as excellent for wood quality, construction, finish and the price at 1500 each is great too.  They were ready to collect in 4 days from order and deposit date.

The Thai contractor on site cut the hinges and installed these doors for me.  It was a team effort with me helping to figure things out and he and his son did the hard part including the heavy lifting (literally)  We are in the Buriram area but suspect the contractor would travel if asked.  He is a fair and honest man who did all our tiles and other door work too.  I expect that he will help me with a swimming pool next year.

For hardware/equipment I just bought swivel rollers and a galvanised top rail.  I would go for more substantial rollers next time, however. The ones I used seem to work OK.  We used 6 stainless butt hinges per connection and one roller set per panel.  I couldn't find a channel for the guide pin on the bottom so we cut a 1" square section to make a U for this.  Also couldn't find the pins and we made some up with a threaded plate. some bolts and a sleeves cut from a metal expansion inserts.  One per panel. 

I just gave them a light sanding and applied clear teak oil.  Simple, effective and cheap.  Just reapply as needed.

Hope this helps.  I am very happy with how they turned out.  I will provide contact details for those who want them.  Better if you can speak Thai or get somebody who knows what you want to help you.  They speak only Thai at the shop.

Drtreelove, Thank you very much for your interest and reply Here are some sick tree pics.  There is not much debris around the tree except for flowers etc. and there don't seem to be any bugs on it.  There is a big ants nest down in there someplace, however.  Have not used insecticides or other treatments.  It has been wilting and looking not good for some time and recently deteriorated a lot.  Will post this now and try to figure out how to send a note to you directly.  Thanks again,  Burton

I have bi-fold accordian type multiple folding doors  closing an opening of 4 meters by 2.80 m high.  It was hard to find a supplier but I finally found a local woodworking shop who made me 8 50cm by 280 cm door panels in good quality hardwood.  They are what I would call utility style but they look good.  The price was 12,000 THB for all 8 - 1500 each.  I had to find the rollers rail and hinges but they cost not a lot. They work a treat.  I am posting this to say that if you need some big doors I will supply you with the name of the shop here in Buriram province.. Regards

I have bought 6 lever type door catches (knobs) for my new house.  3 of the 6 have been faulty and Home pro have been kind enough to help me by replacing them.  I looked at the guarantee on the little leaflet in the package and it simply states that the item is guaranteed for faulty manufacturing.  The problems have happened after only a month or 2 of use and I wonder if anyone can comment on this guarantee and if it even exists.  Other companies like Solo have a big note on the pack stating 5 years guarantee.  Yale is a reputable name but I wonder if the guarantee is only for 'until you leave the shop.'  Thanks.

Still have not found a tree doctor.  Is there a department of agriculture or university department that would know about palm tree diseases?  They are well documented on the internet but nobody here seems interested.  Any help please?

Thanks Mr ubonjoe.  It looks the business and I wrote to them.  Will post my experience when it occurs.

Does anyone have experience with this 'administrative procedure' called declaration of income from the French embassy?   It is a self declaration and they provide a form letter stating income declared.  I have seen an example of this letter and understand that it is acceptable to the Thai immigration authorities.  I am a taxpayer and homeowner in France although I hold a UK passport.  

and citizenship.  I live in Isaan, near Buriram and imagine that I will have to go to BKK to do this in person there.  It seems straightforward enough but who knows?  Any comments or advice gratefully received.including ideas about a venue to get this done not in BKK.  Thanks Very much.

I have a palm tree with what appears to be 'Fatal yellow leaf disease'  also  called 'lethal yellow leaf'.  There are treatments for these diseases and some are available in Thailand.  I lived in a palm grove on Koh Phangan and the trees there got sick and they were treated by drilling the trunk and putting in some chemical product and they got better.  I cannot find anybody who knows about this in Isaan and also nobody seems to care.  Any ideas about how to move on with this and find the supplier of treatment for palm tree diseases?  The advice I have been given is to plant another.  Thanks very much for any help

Dentist in Buriram search.  Clinic is closed for 'renovation' and number posted on the roll down shutter does not function.

Has anybody got current contact details for  Dr.Puttaraksa in Buriram?  

Or name of other english speaking dentist in the area?  Working during the day as I am an hour + drive out of town and don't like night travel if poss.

Thanks very much.  

Notrub  (burton)

Hi Kannot,  PVA solution is great to stop ball point pen and chalk from bleeding through.  There are some who use the wall to make notes during construction using a pen.  Also red chalk bleeds if it has been used.  I have had lots of experience with this and it works every time.

Hi gain and thank you for useful comments etc..  Separating the supply of paint and labour is clearly the way to go, thanks for that.  In farang land I have used  PVA glue watered to 20 odd % to seal plaster walls and to stop bleeding through paint of ball point pen and red chalk line chalk on plasterboard (gyprock) walls.  Could it be worthwhile to consider using this solution on new 30 day old  concrete render?   Regards the thought to plaster our walls b4 painting.  We have just rendered our walls with rendering cement about 1 month ago and they did a very good job.  I would prefer not to go to the expense and delay and mess of plastering on top.  I was hoping to go for a single primer coat and a single coat of off white paint.  Comments welcome.   We are living in a bit of a shack beside our house project and cannot wait for the day when we wake up  in our new house/home.  We are getting very close (few weeks).

We got ripped off by our contractor, which is a shame and leaves a bad taste in the mouth as well as hurting the pocketbook.  I would like to find a way to let others know and warn about him, in the Buriram area, but don't know how to go about it.  Grateful for any comments on that too.

We are happily getting to the stage of our new house construction where painting is on the list.  There are so many brands and every shop, big and small, sells it.  What is the best value quality/price please and is there a supplier better than the rest?   Thanks for any information about this.

Any comments regards this company (YLT)esp consumer unit and RCBO?  Seems OK to me to look at but does it work and last?   Thanks for your comments

Hi again.  I am looking for a price per M2 to build a 20cm thick cement block wall 1.5 meters high (so no scaffolding req'd) please.  Labour & Materials  or just labour is OK thanks.  

I am about to build an in ground pool in Isaan.  Size is 4x8x1.5 and plan to use 20cm thick cement blocks for the walls with a 15 cm(?) re-enforced slab.  I am about 100km north of Buriram and have had quotes of about  800,000 from a reputable contractor there all in.  I think for a poured concrete pool, tiled with  salt chlorination.  I am currently building a new house of a standard design.  That is, footings, columns siporex blocks, metal framed roof, cementicious roof panels and PVC windows.  Nothing fancy or difficult to do and easy for the contractor to price and build too.  He is building my 100 m2 house for about 1 million all in, including floor tiles and shower/toilet equipment.  This is, I think, a good price and he is doing a very good job so far.  When I asked him to price a small pool as above he came back with 1.8 million all in.  I was a building contractor for many years in another life and so I know that this contractor simply does not know how to price a pool.  Getting bad prices is nothing new to me and so I want to help him make the correct price so he can build my pool.  By bad prices I mean that sometimes a reputable contractor does not know how to price.  Both too high and too low are bad news.  Too high is obvious but too low means the guy is not making his nut and working for free does not encourage a good job and is not fair anyway.  Also on a bigger job the low price can go bust.

So, here is what I am after.  Unit costs by M2  for

on grade concrete slab,  15cm thick (?) (soil is good)

20Cm block wall filled in the cells with concrete and re bar  

Rendering with Lanko or Webb type products,

Tiles,  (paint option?)

Equipment (pump, filter etc.)  

Exterior grade tile/flagstone on sand cement bed (?) 

Pool lighting and

any suggestions too please.

With or without material, either would be great.

Bob Manthay at Ruangsanthai builder's merchants, Buriram, 081 069 8324 has given me prices for equipment and other material but other ideas are welcome

Mr Bob is very helpful and knowledgeable and can help with all your building projects.  Big Thai outfit, very good

I am taking lots of photos and will keep this page posted on the house construction for now.  Pool later

Thanks for your help

Burton