parallaxtech

49 minutes ago, newnative said:

      Spouse and I love our pool.  Having our own private pool was one of the reasons we moved from a condo to a house--that and more room for the money.  We usually swim at least once and sometimes twice a day--and love that we can year-round.

I think it's better for resale plus I may rent out the guesthouse with pool in the future.

I know this question has been asked several different ways over the years. but I am still researching it after seventeen years and don't want to give up.  I'm trying to add a 2/2 Bali-style with a 4x8m pool to my present house.  It took three builders (fired the other two) to partially complete my present house (the original design was with a guest house and pool).  After that, I swore I'd never build even a doghouse again on Samui, and here I am still hoping to one day complete the project.  I've met with approximately five Thai and five British builders.  I'm sorry to generalize, but I feel the same confidence in a Thai builder that I would with someone on death row.  I apologize again, but the British builders seem to just pick high numbers out of the sky.  I'm aiming for around 20kbaht/sqm.  It's on one rai of land with a thirty-degree slope and the roads are concrete.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks everybody for all the great suggestions!  I just ordered a portable off-grid system from Lazada and will see how it goes for a few months.  If that doesn't solve the problem, I will add batteries or switch to a complete on-grid solar system.

Thanks TM and KhunLA!

250w for the desktop and 1000w for the water pump.  I can survive w/o the water pump but need the computer running at all times.  I have solar indoor/outdoor lights.

Thanks for the suggestions!  I will probably go for the portable solar system offered by Lazada (suggested by Crossy).  My UPS keeps the computer running for 10-20 minutes so I need one that can support me up for 2-4 hours.  If anyone has a particular portable system that they currently use or knows someone using it, please comment.

We are getting blackouts on Chaweng Mountain every week for up to four hours.  My electric bill is only 1500 baht/month for two people, no pool, and not using a/c, so I don't really need to save money.  It just bothers me as far as using the computer and getting water via electrical pump.  My neighbor uses a generator which is very noisy and smelly.  Any recommendation on installing a solar system?  I have just basic electrical skills.

I live in Koh Samui.  Can anyone recommend a solar company to install the entire system?  My electric bill is never over 2k baht, 2 people, and never use a/c.

Update on my one-year extension:  Success, after the bank manager called Samui Immigration and explained the fixed account (already knew for sure).  They told me to come back in one week and pick up my stamped passport.  I could have made a video of the screaming foreigners at SIO this morning.  They change the rules all the time so it's up to you to find out what is required each year for the extension.  Next year, on my last 90-day report I will ask for a list of the requirements.  

Guys, thanks for all that wonderful information.  Reading Sydbolle's comments, it sounds like this is a bigger task than I thought.  My accountant asked me to please clarify the information of purpose in minutes of meeting.  I don't want to jump through a lot of hoops just to recheck the pegs.  The neighbor's land is 5m wide sloped jungle full of boulders and old trees.  I don't see how it's useful for anything.  He said he couldn't build a house on it, but perhaps they are thinking of a road.  Shouldn't the onus be on them to make sure they are not overlapping titled land?  I gave them (farang and Thai wife) a copy of my Chanot and asked that they respect the boundaries.  The guy owns several high-end houses and plenty of land, so you would think he would be careful.  His wife is the type who would rent out her granddaughter if she could.  I'm thinking now to just leave the matter alone and see if they encroach on my land later.

BC, thanks for that helpful information!  My accountant is writing up the minutes now.  I would think that anyone buying land would check with the LO beforehand to make sure their land is unencumbered and doesn't overlap titled land.  I remember years ago about bribes being paid to the LO but haven't heard anything like that lately.

In Samui the plump girl would typically ask 5000 same day or 1900 next week for my retirement extension.  She must have marked my passport as each year she says to come back next week.  I pay her 1900 up front and just pick it up the following week.  She also charged me 1500 to transfer stamps to the new passport.  I've never seen anyone get a receipt.  Things have actually gotten much better there over the years.

On 6/11/2021 at 4:12 AM, Ventenio said:

Boca is nice.   Miami is whatever.   Orlando is ridiculous.   Most of America is cold, so a Floridian climate is attractive...

 

THEN i see a headline, "Crazy guy attacks family with poisonous pizza..."   and I think....

 

Don't let it be.....................................but, 90% of the time....................Florida.

 

it's a fact.  lol

 

I lived in Boca for eighteen years in a house I owned outright on the intercoastal.  It was nice most of the time, but I was almost killed twice, once in Deerfield and then in Pompano.  I never went anywhere without a pistol and pepper spray.  My family moved to La Jolla and eventually settled in Lake Arrowhead.  I travelled around the world looking for a place I could live in peace and ended up in Thailand.  If you offered me a million dollars per year to live anywhere in the US, I wouldn't take it.

5 hours ago, lom said:

and I needed one late November.

Hey parallaxtech, did you need a copy of your rental agreement (or a yellow book) and a hand draw map of the way to your place of stay?

Those docs are not mentioned in the general requirements you quoted but still required by Samui Immigration.

No, I have the house in my name and show a Thai document stating that I am the owner (Notification of Housemaster).  I did draw the map and follow all the other rules.  I will let you know in August.  I would appreciate it if someone doing an extension before then would ask the plump lady if it's required.  Who knows, they may require a Covid-free medical certificate now.

23 hours ago, khunPer said:

Medical certificate has been required for years for extension of stay. If you have a newer version of required documents than shown in this thread, please upload it.

I got mine last August w/o one and will go again this August w/o one.  If they say anything, I will let everyone know.

From the Thailand Immigration site: Visa Extension – สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง – Immigration Bureau

Criteria for Consideration

1. Must have been granted a non-immigrant visa (NON-IM).
2. Must be 50 years of age or over.
3. Must have evidence of having income of no less than Baht 65,000 per month; or
4. On the filing date, the applicant must have account  deposited  (saving / fixed account) in a bank in Thailand of no less than
   Baht 800,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a
   deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 60 days prior to
   the filing date; or
5. Must have an annual earning and funds deposited with a bank totaling no less than Baht
   800,000 as of the filing date.
6. An alien who entered the Kingdom before October 21, 1998 and has been consecutively
   permitted to stay in the Kingdom for retirement shall be subject to the following criteria:(a) Must be 60 years of age or over and have an annual fixed income with funds maintained in
   a bank account for the past three months of no less than Baht 200,000 or have a monthly income of
   no less than Baht 20,000.(b) If less than 60 years of age but not less than 55 years of age, must have an annual fixed
   income with funds maintained in a bank account for the past three months of no less than Baht
   500,000 or have a monthly income of no less than Baht 50,000.

Documents to be submitted

1. Application form
2. Copy of applicant’s passport
3. Evidence of income such as a retirement pension, interest or dividends; and/or
4. Account  deposited  (saving / fixed account) certificate issued by a bank in Thailand and a copy of a bankbook
5. Only in the case of Criterion (6), the applicant must submit documents equivalent to Clauses 1-4
   stated above.

I believe that #8 medical certificate is no longer required for extension in Samui.

Try reversing it on them.  I always say that I'm only looking for rich women.  One asked me the other day if I liked young, slim, and pretty women.  I said that I don't care if they are old, fat, and ugly, as long as they can support me in my luxurious lifestyle.  I lived in a rich area of Florida and did the same there.  Men always bragged about their ferrari in the shop or their yacht being repaired.  I told them I was homeless and my bike had a flat tire, so could I get a lift to the shelter.  They had never heard that line before, and it worked like a charm.  At the very least, you will enjoy the look on their face, plus show them what it feels like to be a sucker!

14 hours ago, Chill27 said:

I've spent a lot of time in Samui over the past year, mainly at Silent Beach in Maenam.

My family home is near the beach in Queensland, and I have spent a lot of time in Pattaya mainly, also Krabi and Phuket.

Silent beach is right up there on a sunny clear day. 

I'm seriously considering building a home in Maenam. Once you head inland from the ring road, the scenery is stunning.

The things that concern me are, smoke pollution, and a lack of things to do.

I think I'd need to get involved in boating, jetskiing, or something.

An easy place to eat too much, drink too much and generally become very lazy.

I built my home on Samui in 2007 and have been extremely happy with my investment (41 baht/$ back then).  I was thinking of adding a guesthouse with pool.  Please let me know what you hear about Building Permits.  Someone told me he paid 300k baht for one before building his house.

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

 

Sorry, my Thai reading skills are rusty.  Can someone read this and see if walking/running/beach strolling are permitted without a mask?

I am still confused.  This is a direct quote from the Phuket law:  People are exempt from wearing a face mask while eating, drinking or exercising, the order noted.  I am happy to walk/run on the beach.

My girlfriend just read on Facebook that farangs will be fined 30k baht for not wearing a mask when outside.  She said they were encouraging Thais to photograph them and report it to the police.  Does anyone know if this is true???  I run every afternoon and in this heat I would probably have a heart attack wearing a mask.  It's hard enough to breathe without one.

I went on the Diamond Princess all the way around Japan in 2018 with my girlfriend and, out of ten cruises I have taken, it was the best!  I love cruises.

We have two deep wells that I heard are 200m but not sure.  The Homeowner's Association is asking 35k baht to clean one of them, not the pump, just the well.  I have heard estimates of 4-8k.  Has anyone ever paid to do this and how much was it?