Tammi

More condo questions for co-owners:

Is your condo's Management Committee (MC) Meetings open to co-owners where they can, in the first half hour or so, express their concerns to the MC?

Can co-owners stay and listen to MC deliberations? If not, why not? What reasons have MC given for not allowing co-owners to be present.

Do you receive Minutes of Meeting?

How often does MC meet?

Are any MC meetings closed to co-owners because it is discussing "internal matters"?

Is it necessary to speak Thai to get on MC?

Does MC meet in Pattaya/Jomthien or in Bangkok?

If MC meets in Bangkok do members travelling from Pattaya/Jomthien get travel and meal reimbursed?

If you, as a co-owner, are not allowed to attend MC meetings how do you communicate with your MC to express any concerns you have regarding upkeep and running of the condo?

If one is really interested in the common good and would like to be a MC member how does one go about it? Is it 'kosher' here in Thailand to send curriculum vitae to all the other co-owners?

Will look forward to your replies. Many thanks.

I was a guest at my friend's condo at View Talay in Pattaya.

One day, a letter more formal, in fact, very formal, was slipped under the door, airing the same concerns. If not more. From a farang resident in the building.

The letter said - the building committee has been mismanaging the money from the levies, had no accountability and prevents anyone to come close to any decision making.

The building is, according to the letter, mainly occupied and owned (now appears through illegal ownership - my comment) by farangs. And they have no say.

I have heard - and it could be wrong information - that the View Talays keep control for 5 years. That is: VT collects the management fees from the co-owners and does what VT thinks needs to be done for 5 years before handing over to a committee made up of co-owners.

I know of condos where the developer has apparently not handed over various infrastructures, e.g. the roads. Why would the developer want to keep them? Would developer do repairs if co-owners asked him to?

More condo questions for co-owners:

Is your condo's Management Committee (MC) Meetings open to co-owners where they can, in the first half hour or so, express their concerns to the MC?

Can co-owners stay and listen to MC deliberations? If not, why not? What reasons have MC given for not allowing co-owners to be present.

Do you receive Minutes of Meeting?

How often does MC meet?

Are any MC meetings closed to co-owners because it is discussing "internal matters"?

Is it necessary to speak Thai to get on MC?

Does MC meet in Pattaya/Jomthien or in Bangkok?

If MC meets in Bangkok do members travelling from Pattaya/Jomthien get travel and meal reimbursed?

If you, as a co-owner, are not allowed to attend MC meetings how do you communicate with your MC to express any concerns you have regarding upkeep and running of the condo?

If one is really interested in the common good and would like to be a MC member how does one go about it? Is it 'kosher' here in Thailand to send curriculum vitae to all the other co-owners?

Will look forward to your replies. Many thanks.

Most baht bus drivers are rather pleasant and amicable sort.

I agree. And I like when I get to sit in front and collect the fares.

Tarqin Posted Today, 2007-02-02 17:31:15

Normally I ignore Tammiflu's nonsense but in this case she has a point.

JR Texas to Tammi:

I also stayed a month in Sihanoukville and found it a bit isolated and boring, but the ocean was far more beautiful than in places like Pattaya. It really has potential............I wish the govt. would allow it to become the next Pattaya. It would really be popular......in fact, it is like Pattaya was in the early 70s.

The growth/profit potential in Sihanoukville is enormous, especially given the strange/destructive/xenophobic behavior that Thailand's government is expressing towards foreigners.

The Cambodians have aleady been here to Pattaya to learn tourist lessons. Maybe they came here to learn how not to do it. Sihanoukville is to get a Casino on an offshore island connected to the mainland by a bridge. So what with oil and casino that coastline might go downhill fast if Mr & Mrs Hun Sen can't keep a grip.

A friend lives in Sihanoukville area and loves it. Also have friends who live a lot of the time in Kep which is where the French had their seaside villas. Very pretty. Phnom Penh used to be OK but the traffic is awful now. What impact will the discovery of oil have on Cambodia?

Am told the Philippines welcome retirees - all sorts of perks. But Manila is dreadfully polluted - but fun. I once happened to be in Manila on Valentines Day and was staggered when the news reader on TV wished "all you fornicators a very Happy Valentine's".

Vietnam is a possibility. But I've only ever been to Hanoi and found the locals not very friendly.

Know somebody retired to South India and he loves it.

Sri Lankans are nice.

Nepal has its problems and the valley is so polluted now.

What to do? Move to Isan? Guys up there are always saying how happy they are.

Somewhere on the banks of the Mekong could be nice.

Yeah do agree gf loves to squeeze any spots she sees on me - I think its rather disgusting.

Be careful. Squeezing can sometimes cause little cysts that you might have to have surgically removed. I got one on my nose but thank goodness it disappeared shortly before I was to have it cut out!

Thais are amateur nose pickers when compared to the Saudis. My best experience was on an internal flight from Abha to Riyadh. I was sitting next to a wizened Bedouin. First out came the pen- that he duly uses to empty both nostrils, the output was suitably eaten. Then he started on his ears.

That's sickening! Did he eat the ear stuff too? I was on a plane once sitting between my partner and the President of The Company who had a long green one hanging out of one nostril! I didn't know what to do so didn't do anything, just averted my eyes and didn't eat.

Forgot to mention that have heard that Grand Condotel has a Residents Interest Group presumably do their complaining as a group.

anyone had experience in legally taking on the condominium committee

Our committee is so entrenched after 15 years of eating from the trough that they no longer listen to any suggestions of co owners

the maintenance fees are spent in a manner that is first decided on how much can i skim off the top and so nothing gets done

In short we want to boot out the committee and make it more transparent and legal so that people (may) be willing to pay their fees to get the place looking good.

Can anyone offer advise on the sinking fund? should it appear anywhere on the books? should there be some accumulated interest declared on it? can we borrow against it to do the work and then pay it back via monthly maintence fees?

Anyone know a reputable lawyer?

thanks

regards

Please see topic "Legally taking on a Condo Committee" All the best.

anyone had experience in legally taking on the condominium committee

Our committee is so entrenched after 15 years of eating from the trough that they no longer listen to any suggestions of co owners

the maintenance fees are spent in a manner that is first decided on how much can i skim off the top and so nothing gets done

In short we want to boot out the committee and make it more transparent and legal so that people (may) be willing to pay their fees to get the place looking good.

Can anyone offer advise on the sinking fund? should it appear anywhere on the books? should there be some accumulated interest declared on it? can we borrow against it to do the work and then pay it back via monthly maintence fees?

Anyone know a reputable lawyer?

thanks

regards

I have taken the liberty of moving the above to "New Topic" as I think it deserves it's own space. It was posted by "Blackjack" this morning at 9.58 am. under "Lawyer" topic.

I think you may have to change the committee at the AGM and that means getting together with all the other co-owners who are complaining and getting nowhere and voting the present committee off.

There's a guy who used to advertse in the Pattaya Mail supplying English translation of the Condo Law and could maybe give you pointers. Tel. 087 149 4364. B399, if I remember right.

Also, you might need to get (if you don't already have) an English translation of the Juristic Persons Articles of Association. Your condo office should have. The condo I am in only had in Thai so I had to get translated for B10,000!!

I think most condos also have 'bylaws' such as no pets. In our condo these bylaws is called "Preservation of Amenities".

I only know of one condo who went to court and got rid of the committee and that was Jomthien Condotel maybe 4 years ago. But the complainers had a good case because there hadn't been an AGM for 2 or more years, if I remember right.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on. Condo management is a subject many farangs are interested in. Its awful seeing one's investment managed by a group of nincompoops.

Please remember:-

You can pick your friends

You can pick your nose

BUT

Never pick your friend's nose!

My wife does. She is always looking for grotty little crannies on my person, even spots get a good sqeeze, along with my wallet

(What happened to the highlight button??????????)

Your wife pick's YOUR nose. You must be joking!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully she puts it in a tissue and washes her hands.

You know the old song we used to sing as kids. "Everybody's doing it, picking their nose and chewing it".

Not only Thais do it. Scots do it too. I was fascinated once in Aberdeen when I was hiring a campervan. The young man arranging it, picked his nose the whole time and then put it in his mouth and swallowed! Yuck.

But, maybe something is missing from the diet of people who eat snot? We should ask Dr Corness to write an article in the Pattaya Mail on why some people eat and drink waste from their bodies.

And Indian men are always readjusting their crotches. I've always wondered if they wear ill fitting underwear or if it is something to do with me!

There is a company that provide security guards that I believe they are mostly off duty police.

Might be KCS or KSC, they wear light brown uniforms a bit like UPS staff.

No direct experiance but I was talking to someone that used them last year.

Thank you all for your info. Yes, I think I've seen the ones in light brown. Interesting that they could be off duty police. Should be good to have a policeman as a guard.

Still need more info on names of condos employing own security staff.

IMO it's a stupid idea to put the news clippings in a seperate room. There's already far too many rooms on this forum.

What's next? A Pattaya restaurant forum?

Iagree

I agree too. If it can't be good news, bad news, turn about, then best to keep it on Pattaya Forum where it soon disappears from view unless its sensational and then why shouldn't it be on the front page!

Brrrrr. It is cold but at least up one degree from yesterday morning. And what's happened to the horizon. Haven't seen Bum Island for weeks, maybe months. Is this pollution, or what?

Wondered what had happened. Thought Pattaya had gone good all of a sudden. Please can we have an uplifting story after every depressing story? Let readers know that Pattaya isn't all bad.

Center Condo (south Pattaya rd) employ their own

Thank you Tufty!

Please somebody tell me a couple more who employ own guards. I know there's more out there but have lost the info I had.

A while ago when I was looking for a translation service, a guy on this forum mentioned that he had used Niti Jinda International Law & Account Co. Ltd., 183/45 Soi Post Office for his will.

Pensit has much better lookng offices.

Another friend uses Swiss Siam, 143/47-48 Moo 12 Soi 10 Thepprasit. Christian folks. www.swisssiam.com. Nice office too.

A lot of folks use Pensit & Laws down Jomthien Beach.

www.pensitandlaws.com

They have offices in Bangkok too.

Thanks, but they don't even list wills as one of the services they offer.

Strange but TIT. I know 4 people who have wills with them.

i eat for b120 a day no problem. this is one of the major reasons i love thailand.

How can anyone eat for 120 a day? You must have an extremely basic diet. One decent Thai dish with rice averages at at least 80/90 baht at most decent restaurants.

I also love Thailand for it's good, cheap food, but 120 a day?????????

I discovered MacDonalds when I had to live in North America for 10 long years. Macdonalds IS good, once a week.

I, too, would like to know where I can eat out, 3 square meals a day, for 120 baht.

I don’t know the exact name of the security guard company we have.

But I think its called sleepy guards are at your service 24 /7

I am well acquainted with sleepy guard service. And add to that lazy and rude, unkempt. BUT they take their cue from condo management.

C'mon guys, I really need this information. Pleeeease! Which condos employ their own people as security guards? What's the best security firm?

A lot of folks use Pensit & Laws down Jomthien Beach.

www.pensitandlaws.com

They have offices in Bangkok too.

Would sure appreciate hearing from you all about if your condo employs its own guards or do you use a company.

Can you give me names of condos that employ own guards?

What do you think is best, own guards or company guards?

What security companies are good?

Would really appreciate info.

Best regards,

Tammi

- It is VERY time consuming - it took a good 15 minutes for her to go through my passport and annoyed the people waiting behind me in the line.

Mike

I bet you were popular............

Multiple queues is a nonsense anyway.

A single queue and multiple outlets is much more efficient,and practiced by immigration in many countries now.

Don Muang had this the last couple of times I came in. It was great.