onlooker

Simply buy on the upper floors and you'll be fine in the Venice of the East

The thread has been open for three days and no one has yet suggested going to one of the forum sponsors for legal advise on buying in on 'Living the Dream'

Or does MUG have it's own in house law firm to help take care of annoying paperwork such as contracts, which detract buyers from the full enjoyment of perusing laminated brochures of images all with the accompanying '*Photograph not taken on site' and '*Artist's impression' or the ever popular '*Subject to change' disclaimers in small print beneath them.

The success of any project (in extracting deposits form clients) is directly related to the money spent on designing their logo and brochure.

Bear in mind PPP did win 70 seats more than the Democrats and this was with the military leaders and the establishment trying to stop them - so hardly a level playing field. The Democrats were supposed to win but, as usual, managed to screw it up.

Maybe this chap, Apichart Sankary, can talk to TAT and ask them WHY the TAT doesn't supply the official statistics anymore !

It's a shame and I'll bet they're hiding the truth...

It's IMPOSSIBLE to find the 2008 statistics, not even for January 2008.

"Thailand Tourism Statistics 2008----------------There is not Thailand Tourism Statistics of this year."

http://www2.tat.or.th/stat/web/static_tts.php?Year=2008

Why not Mr. TAT - something to hide ?

LaoPo

Or maybe there are no 2008 stats as 2008 hasn't finished yet? The full stats always some out around March / April the following year. So expect to see 2008 stats, for the full year, in 6-7 months time.

Usually the customer buys the ticket from the tour agency for the, in this example, ATV tour. So the tour agent receives the ticket price from the customer.

Every month, or 2 weeks, depending on how many tickets re being sold, the owner of the ATV company will usually do the rounds of the tour agents and hotels who have sold tickets to get the money from them. The tour agent keeps their commission and pays the money to the ATV Tour boss.

So the tour agent gets their commission immediately and before the ATV Tour gets paid.

It's an easy to work system, no risk for the tour agent of not being paid, that also ensures that employees of the ATV Tour don't handle any money, only paper tickets, so no chance of money going missing anywhere. ( If customers were handing cash over to ATV Tour employees you can imagine a few of the ATV trips not making it onto the company books.

Also a project called "The Urban" in that soi behind the new Avenue Mall complex. I think they have units in your price range.

I contacted the Urban last week - only got larger units left now and they weren't interested in a nice discount for Thai ownership. The Pride is from Prinsiri - http://www.prinsiri.com/new/thepride_pattaya/index.shtml . So worth taking a look i think

You mean like this black one at the Kawasaki showroom on Rama 9 Road

More pics at the GT Rider forum

Click on a link on their site and you get:

Reported Attack Site!

This web site at www.phuketgazette.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.

Attack sites try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system.

Some attack sites intentionally distribute harmful software, but many are compromised without the knowledge or permission of their owners

Thanks for the info. I realised Avenue hadn't been built but the Nova Group seem to have a good reputation as a developer so I dont see this as an issue.

Garden City is a bit more expensive, can get something there for around 2.5m but no need / desire to spend that much.

My missus is looking at getting a condo in Pattaya. It would be used for friends and family, late 20s / early 30s age group, as a weekend getaway from Bangkok. They are the type of Thais that enjoy some shopping and a bit of bar hopping and a good night out in Pattaya. So the condo would be bought in a Thai name and using money that hasn't been brought in from abroad. She also wants something that could be rented out easily in maybe a decade's time if the novelty of visiting Pattaya wears off as people get older. So a location & development that appeals to foreigners is also important.

Been thinking about Avenue Residence by Nova Group. Location looks pretty good, easy to walk to Royal Garden and the new Avenue mall, plus not far from Walking Street. Nova also seem to have a good reputation and if buying ina Thai name the price for many units is about a third cheaper than buying in a Farang name. A unit is under 1.5 mill. Info - http://www.novagroupthailand.com/avenue-residence.php

( I've also see the Park which is a bit cheaper but is over in Jomtien, also looking for a smaller development rather than one in a huge complex.)

Anyone else bought here, any obvious downside to the place?

My missus is looking at getting a condo in Pattaya. It would be used for friends and family, late 20s / early 30s age group, as a weekend getaway from Bangkok. They are the type of Thais that enjoy some shopping and a bit of bar hopping and a good night out in Pattaya. So the condo would be bought in a Thai name and using money that hasn't been brought in from abroad. She also wants something that could be rented out easily in maybe a decade's time if the novelty of visiting Pattaya wears off as people get older. So a location & development that appeals to foreigners is also important.

Been thinking about Avenue Residence by Nova Group. Location looks pretty good, easy to walk to Royal Garden and the new Avenue mall, plus not far from Walking Street. Nova also seem to have a good reputation and if buying ina Thai name the price for many units is about a third cheaper than buying in a Farang name. A unit is under 1.5 mill. Info - http://www.novagroupthailand.com/avenue-residence.php

( I've also see the Park which is a bit cheaper but is over in Jomtien, also looking for a smaller development rather than one in a huge complex.)

Anyone else bought here, any obvious downside to the place?

The attractions of Trat are similar to thoese of Korat or some other desolate out of the way contry town - ie nothing of interest unless you have family there. As very few bargirls come from Trat, there are very few expats living there.

Cant help with the wifi, but I've used AIS on my mobile to check emails when I've visited the island. Ian had a house for rent by the river in Klong Prao. It's on the real estate section of the iamkohchang.com site. Not on the estuary but near the entrance to the waterfall. I think it has a phone line so you should be able to get broadband

Alan Partridge may go down well with Thai audiences if the "Knowing me, Knowing you, Ah Ha" is replaced with a simple "Oh Ho"

Fave ad - from a few years ago. A baby turtle is on the beach shouting out 'Mare' (Mum), you watch it going a long the beach trying to find it's Mum with a sad look on it's face. Then it's eyes light up and a smile comes across it's face. Cut to a happy baby turtle snuggling next to what you guess will be it's mother. Camera zooms out to show baby turtle nestling in the armpit of a fat girl.

( Joke is the Thai word for turtle = same word for armpit. turtle thinks the fat girl's armpit smells like it's Mum)

Cant remember what deodorant the ad was for though - so as an advert it fails, but succeeds as humour.

Looks like the North East is an archaeologists and meditators paradise. Now what can it offer the other 99.5% of tourists? A barren landscape and somtam. Let's be honest, there's a reason why people don't do go Isaan. It's simple, it's crap, and unless you married a bargirl and her family lives there there is no reason for you to go near the place. ( But Phimai is worth a look if you're passing through).

Koh Kai

?? If you mean Koh Wai, then hard to see how that would be more exciting than Koh Mak as there are only 3 ( if memory serves correct ) places to stay/eat/drink on the island.

If you are upcountry, simply go to your local TOT or CAT office and say " I would like to apply for an ADSL connection, please" ( preferably say it in Thai )

For the whining OP - you werent overcharged, see http://airasia.com/site/my/en/page.jsp?ref...e=FeeScheduleFD for details of excess baggage rates on AirAsia.

Guess it's much easier to jump to an incorrect assumption and say 'Farang surcharge' than it is to blame yourself. Plus on this board you'll get more sympathy if you blame Thais for your own mistakes.

A little forward planning always works wonders. If I think I'll be over the 15kg limit I simply stick heavy items into a carry on bag. Can easily take 10kg or more in a small backpack. Never any problems with excess baggage on AA.

Sad thing is how many posters here think this story is actually true and cant spot tabloid nonsense when they read it.

You'd think that if it was true then the City fans posting on Bluemoon Forum would be up in arms. As it is, they are sensible enough to dismiss the story as a lame attempt to sell papers.

A friend told me thare was a low rise condo block planned for the area near Nopparat Thara beach. But I havent been able to find any info about these online and there doesnt seem to be anything on the Krabi real estate agents websites.

Anyone on the ground in the area know anything?

Being asked if you have been working in Thailand is hardly the Spanish Inquistion and hardly classes as a grilling or interrogation by Immigration officials. Some people here behave as though the next time you pass through Phuket Airport you're likely to be pulled to onside, taken into a dark room and waterboarded until you admit that you have been working.

Why worry about it - so long as your visas are legit you have nothing to worry about.

Far more people have far more hassles at British & American airports these days - for no good reason too.

I always book through their mobile site - http://mobile.airasia.com - far quicker and less hassle than the main site. Used this method about 10 times. No hassles at all.

The culprit is the guy in brown - photo taken seconds before he made off with it

Nice profit selling 1000 baht tissue boxes that require a few satangs worth of hyacinth fiber to make.

You see ATVs for rent on Samui and being driven on all the main roads - despite them not being street legal on Samui or anywhere in Thailand