ElephantEgo

I recently moved to a home and started a garden in Phuket but the plants keep getting holes in them. My mother in law said it was from snails but I don't see any snails around. On the other hand, I see these centipede or caterpillar things (or what is it?) all over the garden. I think they are surely the culprits. Can anyone suggest me how to safely and effectively repel these pests? We don't want to use a tooooo toxic substance because we are growing veggies etc. It is devastating the garden.

That was it guys, it solved the problem. I added the check valve and stop valve on the bypass. I also replaced the very old float valve in my tank. Now there is no more leakage of any pressure, or water. The pump does not turn on and off (in a way that seemed randomly) anymore!

That pipe which feeds the house when the pump is not working or power off, was where the problem was.

It kept feeding the reserve tank on a small trickle due to the float valve being too old and worn out. Which effected, along with pressure fluctuations from the government water, pressure in the entire system.

I am very glad it is now fixed!!

Wow, they actually keep a separate address record for 90 day reports as compared to address notifications and arrival cards! Or something like that, sounds illogical but TIT.

I wonder whose the big boss that came up with that idea! 

In other words, the various systems and processes are not talking to each other, at all.

However when I went into the drive through window here in Phuket, they were able to sort it out and approve it in 2 minutes! No questions asked!

Stuff like this, is why nobody believes an APP will make things easier. If the WEBSITE doesn't work well by integrating different systems and processes smoothly and information on different levels/jurisdictions, what makes anyone think an app will work well? For better or worse, TIT.

Thanks for "clarification" guys!

Okay thanks for the info. I will go and sort it out in person.

I had been registered at address 1 and also noted address 1 on the entry card. So I didnt see any need to go report to immigration since my address was still the same. They knew exactly where I was.

Maybe that is where I got confused, because they want us to report in person at both the airport and also the immigration office? Weird!

But I still dont see why it wasnt updated to address 2 in their system, when my landlord went it and did that... Oh well I will try to go sort it out for a few hours (when I should be working instead)!

So much for productivity.... TIT.

I came back to Thailand in address "1" which I wrote on arrival card.

Then I moved to address "2" and went with my landlord to immigration, to register my movement.

Later I went online to do my 90 day reporting and wrote in the address "2".

But the application got rejected because it said the address was wrong!

It said to: go visit the immigration office. It won't let me resubmit online (with the right or wrong address).

What? I am surprised they didn't see it registered in the system and approve my 90 day check! What to do now? I suppose I need to spend half a business day sorting this out in person due to their mistake?

The bypass does not appear to have a switch to turn it off at all. Maybe we should add it, to solve this. A one way on/off valve that we can turn off when we don't need it. That type of valve has a technical name? Or just need 2 valves? To have all bases covered (1. on/off and 2. check valve?)

Yesterday workers put the check valve on the main line from the meter/town water. Not the bypass. On second thought, I think we/they should have put it on the Bypass! Right? It looks like we followed your advise incorrectly, yes?

Does this make sense @lopburi3?

@Lopburi3 We have a Stiebel Eltron 400 Pump. It lacks a check valve from what I understood.

When I turn off the water leading to the underground reservoir, the pump shuts up. I really don't understand that.

Yes the reservoir has a feed from the town water, but on that line, there is also the bypass feed the house. Today we put the check valve before it split to the reservoir and house. Was that useless?

What should I try next, if not the float valve in the undergound tank? Add a check valve next to the pump somehow?

This is all terribly confusing for me... Could the float valve not fully closing, somehow be pulling water/pressure from the bypass? Thus inadvertently causing the house pressure to go down and the pump to prime too often?

@lopburi3

Thanks for the diagram. We tried that today and put the check valve on the bypass.

However the problem kept on. That is why, I am now thinking that the problem is in the float valve in my underground tank, perhaps? It looks old and it never seems to fully shut off the water. Even when the tank is nearly full. It is always trickling.

It seems the floating ball is not able to pull it up all the way to shut it off completely

Upon thinking about it, I guess this is the problem. Right or not?

Because if that is always trickling, the pressure in the bypass (and thus the rest of the house plumbing) could be loosing pressure perhaps? So I need to change or fix the float valve???

No not a teacher anymore, I'm in sales and marketing for tourism. Cheers @Satcommlee was that in Phuket? Lucky on the favor or did you butter them up?

Based on the replies here, we can say it is the normal requirements listed above and may (in Bangkok) or may not (Phuket) require photos at the workplace.

However, it is not very likely in Phuket to require photos of the workplace in Phuket IF based on extension for marriage/child. For extension based on business, it it more likely. I may try to give them a call to find out on Monday....

@ubonjoe Thanks that helps, it is your experience in Phuket?

@Dnyy I mention that because the regulations are silly for the economy because foreigners might have much more than the cash amount invested in Thailand, but still need to meet the 2 month requirement instead of investing more.

@Matzzon You sounded very confused.

@jaiyenyen Are you on a business visa or marriage visa?

I live in Phuket and have been on a marriage visa for many years. This year for a change, I would like to use the Work Permit method to show my Financial Status. As I have never done that before, I am a bit nervous, because I know the regulations are often changing.

I don't want any surprises, so if it looks like too difficult, then I will try to instead, to somehow find the 400,000 THB for keeping in my bank. (Normally that would be super easy for me, but the wifey and I just bought and renovated a house for 5+++ million THB, thus our cash is a bit low)!

Accordingly, I would like to clarify now, about the requirements with our Thai Visa community. Now, while I still have time to decide the best route. In my quest to do so, first I visited the immigration office and they told me the requirements are as follows:

So here are my questions:

1. If anyone has further advice or insight on additional (up-to-date or worst-case) requirements, or can suggest any "things to watch out for" please let me know?

2. For example, I just noticed that the requirements written in Thai have AT LEAST one additional item MORE than the English requirements I was given at the Immigration Office. Surprise surprise!
    2A. A quick Google Translation seemed to mention something about: photos of the worker at the workplace??

    2B. Maybe such photos are NOT an item they tend to require these days (as it is not written in the English requirements)??

3. Also please, if you can share any additional details about the certificate of income more than 40,000 THB? Is that like a pay slip or just a document from the employer or something? (Google translation said it should be from <2 months, I think).

4. As an American from the USA, I was under the impression that 50,000 THB was the minimum income for our nationality. Is it TRUE that 40,000 will suffice?

Thank you all in advance for help! I really do appreciate it your kind assistance ????

14 hours ago, Alotoftravel said:

With the free fiber router you get from 3bb infinite 100/100 program . Can you configure the router with own DNS (getting the dns from SMART proxy dns) and adding static route. Sorry I am unfamiliar with fiber routers.

 

I am thinking of subscribing to 3bb finite 100/100 613 baht plan and had the above questions cause I have SMART proxy dns service) . I am moving from Sinet ADSL. 

Cannot set your own DNS in the router they give. I have a separate router connected by LAN cable to their router/modem which I can set the DNS on properly.

So I read those two threads and thanks for sharing that!

Some say the thicker the better and some said that 2-4 inches is all that is needed. (75 MM is 3 inches). Some are using double that!

I guess if I choose the SCG or some homegrown brand, its okay either way perhaps. But I should look at the R value and maybe double up with dual layers.

One question that did not get answered is about the sound factor. I would like to block out noise carrying between rooms. Does the SCG stuff help with that? When I was at Homepro they said no, but another brand helps. Any thoughts people?

As for the installing: it now costs 200 THB per Sqm at Homepro which is a FORTUNE by Thai labor standards! Last time I checked it was only 150 per Sqm but they increased the price recently.

Therefore I have found a few contractors in Phuket who can do for about half that price or even less. But of course I need to be doing some quality control to make sure they do it right and no fires will eventually break out!

My understanding is that the insulation gets rolled out and the existing wiring should be re-positioned above that? Ideally of course, the wires will be in yellow pipes already! A problem if they are not, right?

Also holes should be made in the insulation where the light fixtures etc will be. Yes? Even for LED lights that produce less heat?

I have a suspended ceiling so installers will need to cut holes for the suspension wires or place the insulation roles between them.

If I understand correctly, the proper installation will require that they also tape up the cut insulation batts to re-seal them or am I misunderstanding something?

Thanks for your advice guys!

Yes many factors.... I was just testing my speed on the phone vs computer and the phone got 200/200 whereas the computer got 30/70 on the 3BB Thailand test. My Network card is an Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 and phone a Galaxy 9 or whatever (top model).
 

What could be causing such a discrepancy? The 3BB guy said I have too many programs on my computer lol. Another computer got 100/70 or so... The 3BB guy's phone and mine blew the computers out of the water! Also the 3bb Computer was 200/200!

Can anyone recommend what they know is a good ceiling insulation variety?

-I would like to have a price around 100-150 THB/Sqm.
-With the good R-factor to keep my house cool.
-Also hopefully some sound-dampening (so I cannot always hear everything in the other rooms).

A couple months ago the price was 150 thb/Sqm and last week I went back and saw it was 200 thb/Sqm so to lay insulation for a 120 sqm home it would be costing 24,000 THB just for a couple days of labor by a couple guys? The price sounds outrageous!!!! Any other reasonably priced laborers I can find to do this job?

On 6/26/2019 at 3:29 PM, lagavulin1 said:

Do you have a double system. I mean a line from the meter to the tank feeding the pump AND a bipass which allows you to run directly from the mains? 

If the bipass is not fully closed the pump reacts to pressure fluctuations in the bi pass line. 

Check your tank is being supplied enough. 

My next door neighbour had this problem as did we. 

We installed a valve on the pump outlet. We use bipass except when mains is very low and shutting the exit valve neutralizes pressure variations and shuts the pump up. 

@lagavulin1 Upon closer inspection, this seems to be the issue I am facing. When I turn off the supply from the meter to the reserve tank, the pump stops cycling on and off so often.

Somewhere on that pipe from the meter to the reserve tank, there must also be a supply to the house because even when I shut off the pump output valve (and shut off that valve supplying my reserve tank) the house still has water supplied to it. Albeit not hot water from my hot water tank which requires the pump to be in use.
 

Does this make sense? Any suggestion about what I should tell the plumber to fix exactly? Maybe he needs to find and shut off the bypass?

By the way, my water bill was very low, only around 175 THB for a 3 bedroom house with 4 people in it. So a leak in the pipes could not explain why the pump was coming on and off every 5 minutes. I think it must be the pressure fluctuations from the mains/bypass as @lagavulin1 suggested. This must be it, right? What to do next?

Thanks for sharing! Its good to know and consider....

Although the offer on their website is in Thai only, I see the prices/speeds guaranteed are not too competitive.

Well thanks for sharing everyone, I guess I should stay on 200/200 3bb and not bother to upgrade then.  Maybe I will test my neighbor's True 1 gigabyte connection and see if its better...

This is confusing! I Pay 750 per month which means I guess I am on the same package of you for 200/200 speeds but look how slow my connection is:

International Tests:

Thailand test fromm 3bb Website:

https://speedtest.3bb.co.th/

I also thought 3BB is a great option among ISP's here but now I am a bit confused.... I guess my best option is to upgrade my package and then test again?

Hi I am in Phuket with the 3bb Package at 700 THB. I noticed my connection is slower than when I was living in my previous house with the same package, in the same town (right next to the university).

Therefore I am hoping to upgrade and get a faster speed. However I called 3BB to ask, and they said that the speeds of upgraded packages are only guaranteed speeds for WITHIN Thailand. They NO LONGER offer higher international speed packages (they used to).

I asked if an upgrade would add to the speed globally, they said "a little" bit which basically means nothing? And 99% of the websites and servers I visit are hosted outside of Thailand. So I guess there is little point in upgrading?

Do any alternative BB providers offer good or guaranteed international speeds? Anyone have experience with comparing Fiber speeds in Phuket among providers? Or any good insights into this situation?

Thank you everyone whose chimed in on this question. I have gone through all of the suggestions and can only conclude that there is a leak somewhere deep in the house structure, likely underground below the floor or under the pavement or soil around the house.

I think we need to do as Fruit Trader mentioned and put the pressure gauge and isolation valves around to isolate where the leak is coming from.

I spoke with my contractor today and he says it's possible that it might be under the master bathroom. He said maybe the ground had slighty shifted and caused a pipe leak or something like that.

This is stressful for us to consider because it means tearing up part/s of the floor of a newly renovated house. Hopefully not much parts, but who knows?! This is not the type of house with a crawl space under the floor, where the pipes can be found.

And then, even with that, hopefully we can find the leak and fix it. But I think this idea, to use the pressure gauge and shutoff valve at various points will be helpful to isolate and determine where the leak really is. I dont see any other way to solve the issue.

Its not a new house where each bathroom has its own isolation valve, it is two or three pipes going to two or three different areas.

(In the meantime I have the pump on a Wifi adaptor plug, so I can turn off the pump with my phone when we dont need hot water in order to shut the damn thing up when it is off, we still get decent pressure from the town, but the water will not come from our hot water tank).

Seems like a big investigation and repair job coming soon. If anyone has any other ideas or thoughts or better ideas, please share!!!

On Friday, the Royal Gazette published two announcements on marijuana and hemp, effective retroactively on Aug 27.

Anyone that can read the law in the link in the article: please tell us what is going on? The BKK Post article is not very detailed...

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1740099/authorities-warn-ganja-hemp-still-illegal

Okay that sounds reasonable. Yeah I dont really see how anyone would pay for the equipment in Phuket but  in Bangkok or some other areas I'd assume it has a decent value.

Anyhow, I guess by removing the tank I will, as a result, not need to go to Surat for certifying it anymore. So I can get my road tax done here in Phuket finally.

Tangent: I wonder if the road tax thing is really worth all this trouble. If the police see my government tax is not paid, they take 500 THB only! Last I checked the road worthiness testing and certification cost about 1800+ THB!

It almost seems more economical to get caught once or twice (or even thrice) per year instead of doing the paperwork and paying the fees!