persimmon

Walked back from Big C last night with a load of shopping and Soi 6 was one huge water fight . Soi Buakow not too bad but certain bars were throwing water . As usual it is the Farangs who get aggressive and soak anybody and everybody . I was trying to stay out of it and just walk home with bags of shopping but got soaked anyway by some idiot Farang guy . The Thais usually know who is a participant and legitimate target , and who is just a passer by .

when comparing rates , I suppose if you checked several within one hour , that would be ok , but if you left it until the next day , then the comparisons would not be valid because rates are changing all the time .

I use their services in Udon , but do they have a branch in Patts ? TIA .

Some caution is needed when considering using short ETFs - most are only suitable for day trading or very short holding periods . Maybe compare the performance against the actual x rate and see if it matches . Personally , I can`t see the $ rate changing by such a huge amount , but if I really thought that would happen , I would sell all my $ assets and buy ROTW stuff ( UK , EU etc ) .

I see several posters have mentioned taking a copy of the TM 30 form along when applying . Is this really necessary now ? I have done quite a few extensions and never been asked for this .

Rising inflation and interest rates means many folks now have less disposable income . Eating out ( in particular the fancy , expensive end of the market ) is discretionary and easy to cut back on . Maybe those with low overheads will still be ok , such as the food cart vendors on the pavement selling 20 bt stuff . There`s a couple of good veg restaurants here in Udon where a good lunch can be had for around 40 bt . - they always sell out of food in the afternoon . I`m due a brief visit to Patts soon . the only decent veg place ( not Indian ) cost me over 200 bt last time , so I think I`ll make my own food and save a small fortune .

I have negotiated a discount ????

Anyone coming to Thailand looking for romance is in for a shock - IME it`s money , money , money . " Ordinary " or " good " girls are really no different to bar ladies , whether it be outrageous Sin Sot demands or support payments ....they are all looking for that Bt 20 k + per month . BTW this applies to Thai guys also , it`s not just a Farang thing .

I`ve come to the conclusion that the more foreigners a Thai has to deal with , the less friendly they become . Thais instinctively know how to act and show respect , contrast this with some ( not all ) foreigners who , for whatever reason ( cultural ? ) behave in a rude and aggressive way - spoils it for the rest of us .

I always admire the Thai ability to keep smiling despite adversity . We have a lady who works for us , still laughing and joking with the gf , even after a full day in the baking heat ( 39 degrees here ) . Sometimes I watch Thai Rat News Show where the police re-enact a crime with the culprit , both parties seem cheerful , despite the crim facing a long stretch behind bars . Last week on the Muay Thai channel ( 27 ) there was a match between a huge , mean looking Farang and a Thai fighter who seemed happy and smiling . The Farang guy only lasted a couple of rounds before before retiring with a smashed face . So , the Thai smile , can be so deceptive ...

I have Norton VPN ( free with Norton 360 ) . Tried it a month ago and it was ok , now it doesn`t work - I get the message " Your network provider is blocking VPN access " . Is this common in Thailand ?

We are often told to avoid eating too much salt , but how much is too much ? Here , I probably drink 2-3 times the amount of water that I do when back in the UK - does that mean I need 2-3 X the amount of salt ? A few years back I spent one very hot afternoon by the river in Kanchanaburi . I must have drunk 2 or 3 bottles of water , and remember feeling slightly odd ( more than usual ????) which I put down to too little salt ( and too much water ) . So , salt , is it something you worry about ?

Some very small shops and traders find it difficult when faced with a 1000 note . I usually go to a 7-11 to break a new 1000 - never a problem there .

Even the smaller hotels now ask for pp when checking in , and also when booking a long distance bus trip . I let them have a photo , not the real thing - always been accepted .

In " Who has to file " - no. 4 " A deceased " ....that could be difficult to enforce ????

Yes , I went straight to the office / building sliding window and said " Visa on arrival " . I didn`t see anyone sitting at a desk outside , but I was there quite early , around 08.30 .

Yes , AFAICR , I asked at the window for " Visa on arrival " and was given the 2 forms , one of which was kept and used when exiting . I filled in the forms , handed them back at the window and paid the $ , then was told to wait round the side . 5 mins later , they gave me back my pp with the visa inside . Then , I just walked through and there was a guy who finally checked my pp , then I was in . I recently had to extend my VEE at Udon . There they charge an extra 100 bt for filling in the TM 7 form for you ( the forms used to be available at the entrance to fill in yourself ) , so maybe the Laos immig. people are now doing something similar .

Well , my old Samsung phone has now slowed down so much it`s almost useless ( Am I being cynical , or is this a way manufacturers are building in obsolescence to make us buy new phones ? ) . I checked out a few options and the Galaxy A 04 s and A13 / 14 fit the bill and seem quite a bit cheaper here than in the UK . So , is there any down side to buying here - I need an english keyboard and use it in the UK linked to the laptop as a modem , or should I wait `till i`m back in the UK ?

One advantage of having a SIPP is that it can be passed on free of UK IHT . If the beneficiary is UK resident , they pay tax on any withdrawals at their personal rate . But , if the beneficiary is Thai , in theory , they could inherit the lump sum tax free . In practice though , the situation seems very unclear as to whether the UK pension provider will decide to take off the max amount of tax due ( 40 % ) just to be on the safe side and not annoy HMRC . I`ve done a bit of research , but can`t find a clear answer to this .

I did the trip across the bridge 3 weeks ago - just filled in the 2 forms and paid the $ 40 , no B 100 fee .

I think you might need the Laos visa before you get on the bus . Maybe easier to get the minibus from in front of Central , Udon to the bridge and apply for the Laos visa on arrival at the counter .

Maybe , but who is exploiting who ?????

Frustrating that Krungthai no longer allow web access . I`m thinking of opening an account with another bank . Which is the best one to go for ?

Cheaper to pay in $ than Baht . Just check that the $ bills are in good condition - they sometimes reject damaged or marked notes .

If you tick the box for pre-existing medical condition , it cuts down the choice and makes the quotes much more expensive . It might make insurance impossible to get if the condition is not fully diagnosed .