Titan1962

Wifey informed me that Lana hospital was were taking registration for the Moderna vaccine. She applied and got accepted,paid the fee by logging into the app and selecting card details. She filled out the same application for me straight after doing hers. Got the notification to pay,but wouldn’t let me select a card to pay with.

So today she noticed another hospital taking registrations for Moderna,tried to register me on that app,no success. So she used her details and got registered straight away. Something a bit fishy going on here,any other expats experiencing the same issues. Maybe I should find out how to spell and write my name in Thai.

1 hour ago, ramrod711 said:

I am allegedly on a list to get a Moderna vaccine at Lanna Hospital in October. I paid with my Visa card, 2,400 baht for the vaccine and will have to pay a 500 baht service charge for each of the two jabs.

I am also registered online.

Got the notification,went to pay but it won’t open the card detail section and allow me to pay. Been trying for 3 days,wife got the same notification and pain instantly using the same app.

Basically,deals were done and they ended up with a vaccine that seems to be the worst one out of the bunch. I personally have no problems with getting or taking a vaccine,but I want one that’s going to give me the best chance if I do contract covid. 
I don’t really want to take a chance on sinovac if the tests are showing 50%. I would rather wait and get one that’s up in the 80 to 90% range. But I suppose they forked out a lot of money and there was a non refund policy on the purchase so they are stuck with it. I also contacted a private hospital wanting to get on a waiting list for one of the top two vaccines. Typical Thailand can’t do anything at the moment,have to wait for the government to get their <deleted> together. 
from the very beginning I knew it was going to be a <deleted> fight being a foreigner here in Thailand,Thais first,then us. No problem it’s part of life here,but let the private hospitals get the vaccine they want and let us farang pay for it if we choose. The faster this stuff gets rolled out the better of the country will be. To many chiefs and not enough Indians the old man used to say.

The thing I love about crypto.

One minute your walking down the street like Connor Mcgregor entering the ring,arms flapping from side to side like you own the world.

Next minute your flat on your back like Ben Askren wondering what the <deleted> just happened.

Gotta love this space.

When I used to smoke I lived in a condo/ high rise building that had a no smoking policy.

No smoking in the apartment or on the balcony,I used to have to go down to the parking area for a fag. Sure it was a pain in the <deleted>,but I eventually smoked less and less.

When your a smoker you really don’t smell just how bad it is. My opinion,get your partner to smoke somewhere where it won’t bother other neighbors,things could get difficult if it escalates.

Good neighbour’s are hard to find,so is it worth the hassle for a fag.

But smoking in a condo or on a condo balcony should not be allowed. 
if I was going to rent again,I would ask that question,wouldn’rent the place if it was allowed.

Anyway best of luck and hope you find a solution to your problem.

7 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

You need to go to the homeaffairs.gov.au to get the latest. It is explicit but takes a lot of clicks to get there.

Part of what you will find:

 

(Subclasses 309 and 100)

Partner visa (apply overseas)

Allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.

You apply for the temporary and the permanent partner visas together.

You must be outside Australia when you apply

The temporary Partner provisional visa leads directly to the permanent Partner visa

Stay

The Partner provisional visa allows you to stay temporarily, while we process your permanent Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100) application.

Cost

From AUD7,715

Processing Time

Partner provisional visa (subclass 309)

We process:

75% of applications in 22 months

90% of applications in 24 months

Partner (Migrant) visa (subclass 100)

We process:

75% of applications in 17 months

90% of applications in 21 months

Thanks for that information,very helpful.

11 minutes ago, chainarong said:

Best to contact the Australian Embassy as getting back to Oz is no easy matter whether you are a citizen or not. . You'll have to do 14 days quarantine on arrival and be reminded there's still 30 thousand still trying to get home from last year as entry into OZ is restricted.  Good luck. 

Yes traveling overseas at the moment is very difficult with restricted flights,quarantine and what not. But we are hoping for things to improve in the near future. So maybe starting the visa application would be a start as I have heard it takes anything from 6 months to a year. 

Due to unexpected circumstances it looks like a move back to Australia might be on the cards in the near future.

I am married to a Thai so I was hoping to get some updated information on what type of visa would be required for her to be able to move there with me.

Anyone gone trough this procedure and able to help out with advice.

Cost involved as we would be using an agent,time taken to obtain the visa,apply here or use an agent in Australia.

With all this covid going on things might not be as straight forward as they used to be.

Anyway thanks in advance for any helpful information,much appreciated.

I think they are looking for wealthy farang to take care of the momas and poppas in the villages.

Oh,I am not wealthy but already doing that. Just get rid of that 90 day report,make it the visas holders responsibility to report permanent change of address. Adjust the monthly income requirements,eg if you already own a condo or home with partner,drop 20 K a month of that. 
If you have lived in Thailand for more than 5 years and been a good boy,make 5 year visas available after your probation period. Fix the online reporting system so it works like it should.

It’s a numbers game and always has been.

Its out and about now but we all had a good run while it lasted.

I feel sorry for the local business that will be affected once again,they were just getting back to some sort of normality. The big department stores and malls are still struggling,this could end up being the nail in the coffin for some. The airlines will be in panic mode once more,but until there’s a vaccine I think this will be the norm.

Maybe a lockdown after the new year until things get back under control. But people who break the law,crossing boarders without quarantine,companies bringing in workers illegally without proper paperwork and quarantine should be held accountable. But it seems the bigger you are here the less you fall.

Fresh air,doughnuts with fresh cream and jam,a nice piece of rump steak that won’t cost an arm and a leg,chicken Kiev from the local butcher,some nice ravioli,Cadbury snack and caramello. Popping down to the tavern and having a nice meal and chat with close friends. Walking along the Broadwater in the evening,nice parks and decent footpaths. I could also name some great things I like about living here. So my dream would be to live here for about 6 months,( avoid the Smokey season). Then spend the other 6 months on the Gold Coast.

Don’t know  about being hero’s to the tourists sector,but my misses,her nephew,her brother and father sure are happy I am around at the moment.LOL.

As for building attractions,sort out the transport situation in phuket so tourists don’t get ripped of left right and Center.

Make it easier for expats that have been here a long time to obtain their visa.

After say 5 years living here trouble free do-away with the 90 day reporting, ( I think we have done our probation period).

Abolish the dual pricing,or at least make it if you hold a pink Thai ID card,you can’t be charged extra.

A few small changes will make a big difference.

When the vaccine arrives,I am assuming that the the big boys and girls will be first in line.

followed by hospital staff,defence force personnel,public servants. Then maybe the vulnerable and elderly,then the average Thai people. Then I can see the government insisting on a vaccine certificate for people wanting to renew their visas. This vaccination will come with that wonderful dual pricing tag attached to it,remember we are supposed to be living here on a certain monthly income that is way above the average Thai income.

So it ain’t going to be free. As for your embassies supplying the vaccine for you,I think they are more concerned about their citizens that are on home soil. 
 

On 11/28/2020 at 10:10 AM, bluebird729 said:

Thanks again for all the info  ????

I actually joined up with both  BitKup and Satang and have been approved with both...  But I will go with BitKup as I have been getting good reviews about them,  ???? (including your nice review)

Bank account added.

Will start trading soon  ????

Thanks again  ????

Best of luck and hope you make enough to enjoy the rest of your life.

Still early birds we are.

3 hours ago, bluebird729 said:

Thank you  ????

By the way, have you any idea what happened to Bx?  They were good.. and then all of a sudden, they announced closure, which was a pity.

Not 100% sure,but I think it had something to do with the cost of renewing the license for the exchange and the tax involved. I think the exchange was owned by a foreigner and he made heaps of money. Maybe he called it a day and bought a Lambo.

Yes it was a good exchange,easy to use and navigate. But now I am used to Bitkub,it’s on par with BX. Plus they are always adding new coins. They hold a survey every now and then to see what coins customers want added to the exchange. Since I have been on there,they have added about 10. They added polkadot,cardano,Band to name a few. They have most of the top traded coins. You have to go through the normal process to join,KYC and you need a Thai bank account. But it’s straight forward and once your done it’s easy.

Best of luck.

If your looking for a crypto exchange in Thailand,I highly recommend Bitkub.

I have been using them since BX closed up shop and I have never had any problems with them.

They have plenty of crypto currencies to choose from and no issues removing them from their exchange to your hardware wallet. 
Since BX closed up shop they seem to be the go to exchange here in Thailand,their users have increased dramatically. They also have a telegram chat to assist you in any questions you may have. The platform is easy to understand and use,transferring  money is. Straight forward process,their bank is Kashikorn and transfers are instant. Other banks take a bit longer.

hope this helps.

On 11/13/2020 at 7:38 AM, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Years ago on Soi Nana I remember several "Bitcoin accepted here" places. I went there for the pubs. I swear. One "crypto shop" was right next to Chequers Pub. They made it sound like you could walk in and buy some. I assumed it wasn't that easy. Years since, and haven't noticed any more of such places anywhere.

I agree 100% that they are few and far between,I used a stable coin to purchase a subscription a few months ago. It was a straight forward process. I see that crypto debit cards seem to be the way people actually spend their crypto at the moment. Easy for the shop owner as they don’t actually have to handle crypto. 
Now PayPal are involved in crypto it will open up a lot of other options. Who knows what the future holds,but it seems that digital is the way we are heading. Lots of countries now looking at the digital dollar. It just means people will gradually get pushed towards using this type of money. I enjoy being a part of the crypto community,learning about new platforms and opportunities to make a few dollars. It’s not for everyone and can be a bit confusing,especially addresses and word phrases or keys. I had a lot of time on my hands and I am glad I got into it. 

If I had that sort of money to invest every month I would be putting about 50% of it into Bitcoin or ETH.

Not sure what returns you got on your last investments,but if your into holding for a long period of time it might be worth a look. Bitcoin was about $9 back then,it’s currently sitting at just over $16,000. So that’s not a bad return on your initial investment in anyone’s terms. 
Crypto currency’s are becoming more and more accepted as an investment or a opportunity to make money. Companies like Fidelity,grayscale,PayPal ,JP Morgan are now all involved in the space. 
Eventually you will be able to spend crypto like you do cash at most shops,using your mobile or tap and go card. It’s not for everyone as you need to do some research on how to buy and store your crypto in a hardware wallet like a ledger nano s. It’s a very volatile market and can have huge price swings. 
But in your case these price movements would not affect you if your in it for the long haul. Most people lose money day trading and trying to make a few dollars on the swings. A lot of people I assume buy in and then see a crash,thinking it’s going to zero the bail out. Lose money,then the price rebounds and buy back in at a higher price than they initially bought in at. 
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok,some prefer precious metals and stocks etc. 

But it might be worth a look.

Happy investing.

Well I suppose the tourists aren’t here,so they have to get some money from somewhere. 

21 hours ago, AbeNormal said:

totally agree with everything you said

 

also simple things like overtaking only on the right on all roads will stop lunatics weaving all over the lanes to get past, also slow vehicles stay out of the right hand lane 

 

introduce roundabouts and block all u-turns, they are just too dangerous

 

many simple things would make a huge difference 

 

But, ultimately laws only work if they are properly enforced

Totally agree on the roundabout situation,they have no concept of how it’s supposed to work. Or what that big white line means as you approach the roundabout. I am not sure whether it’s lack of training or understanding or they just don’t give a rats ass. I think it’s the later as you do need to sit the test to get your license and it is in the rule book. But once they get that throbbing 125cc \ Thai Harley motorcycle between their legs,common sense goes out the window. My journey is more important than yours ,get outta my way.

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

[Can you imagine the change in attitude if they applied these simple adjustments, yes I know it’s Thailand.]

 

The [Thai’s] were capable of a block cultural shift to wearing facemarks in a matter of a week or so....  so a change in attitude is possible, provide education and enforcement remains a key factor. 

 

As always the failings come from the top. 

 

 

Yes agree 100%.

20 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

You have the right idea BUT I think before they can do that they need to upgrade the police force.

 

1.  Pay a wage that is not only minimal but that gives them incentive to want to keep their jobs.

2 Upgrade the requirements to become a police person  (if you pay more you will get better people)

3. Educate them 

4. establish a highway patrol 

5.  Make corruption a criminal offense.  The person that is caught and their supervisor get thrown in jail and automatically are suspended without pay while it is investigated.  Again if a beat cop is making 25,00 a month they are not going to care about a 1000 baht envelope. and if they do they deserve what they get.

 

The problem though is not just a Thai problem talk to people in most southern Asian countries.  I lived in Pakistan and it was just as bad.

 

Great reply and I fully agree 100% on what your proposal.

We all know it happens,but luckily never to me yet as I do have all the correct documentation. 
I don’t know the police officer’s salary,but I can imagine it is not on the high side. Maybe they could start on a quota system,so the more people the actually catch and issue ticket too,will increase their salary,rather than the way it works now. That way it would be a legitimate form of payment,but if caught taking so called tea money and found guilty. Instant dismissal with loss of all benefits.

But they are all good talking points and you never know,maybe someone in the position to implement them might read through some of these comments. As most on here are concerned about the death toll on the roads . The old saying goes,we always did it this way. But sometimes you don’t relize there are better options out there,but don’t know any better.

19 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Teah them defensive driving instead of :how to steer" a vehicle or stay upright

 

What hurts Thai people the most is money.

Take their money or confiscate their transport.

But like I said if you enforce the law to a tee people’s attitudes change. The new law regarding big bikes is a good start but needs to go further. But then again,if you don’t have a license to begin with it doesn’t really matter. Plus if your going to get pulled over and you know your going to get a big fine or worse,a bigger CC or more powerful bike gives you a better chance to flee.Things will never change and I think we all know that,but it does give us something to talk about. 

17 hours ago, Artisi said:

Can you imagine the  increased amount of money finding its way into the pockets of the police  charged with reducing the death toll? 

Well that’s another issue that’s entrenched in Thai society according to many reports I read.