samtam

Airline: THAI (as in Thai Airways). There was a glitch. Haven't flown since I posted. Online boarding pass issuance is pretty pointless in my experience, unless you're flying Economy.

I have been trying to buy DVD R-W at several locations in recent days, but am told they are no longer available in Thailand. Is this because DVD R-W are banned (DVD R are plentiful), or is there some new-fangled technology that supersedes their use?

I used to buy TDK or Imation, but niet niet now, and only Princo DVD R.

Que pasa?

I checked-in online for both myself and my partner using the same Booking Reference. The THAI website states that we are checked-in. I then clicked on Manage My booking and then iCheck-in. It produces a page with my boarding pass (barcode etc),  but not my partner's. His name appears on the second page but it states "this is not a boarding pass" for his name. Retried this several times and using the E-Ticket method, but same result - no boarding pass for him. Anyone else have this problem - only one boarding pass with one name for two pax booked on the same Booking Reference? Is there some system glitch?

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Where you say you have "True cable/fiber through my TV aerial for my TV in my bedroom" how are you doing that? 

 

With fiber, cable, or satellite TV the signal comes from a fiber optics line, a cable line or satellite TV dish line running to your router and/or TV setup box.  No aerial involved.  When you say aerial I think of the old analog TV antenna on a pole or maybe even rabbit ears on the TV.   Or maybe the new digital TV that also uses an external or internal antenna.  But for cable or fiber the signal rides on a line.

 

Now for folks living in high-rises it common for the cable/fiber to terminate at the ground floor of the building in a junction room/box. From that room/box the signal is converted to xDSL (VDSL or ADSL...usually VDSL) on the building telephone/ethernet lines which runs to your apartment.  Or if the incoming line to the building was cable, then it just connects to the internal TV cable wiring possibly in the building.  Basically it fiber/cable to your building, but the final X-meters is via xDSL (phone line) or possibly ethernet/LAN or cable TV cable.

 

Sounds like there may be some miscommunications with True as to exactly what type wiring your currently have in your building/residence...and maybe a misunderstanding of how things hookup.

 

Sorry, perhaps I've used the incorrect term - my TV aerial (socket) is like this:

and from this I get a cable internet connection to run my TV (thai expat TV).

My home office computer runs through an ADSL line, (which looks like an ordinary telephone line). True are telling me the new fiber cable cannot go through the ADSL telphone junction/line, and that it will have to run via a cable to be affixed to the wall/ceiling/floor, which is very undesirable for the aesthetic reasons mentioned.

I have just spent 45 minutes on the phone with a True sales person, who spoke excellent English. But, although I know that their new "TRUE Super Speed FIBER" is available in my condo, (and I have True Online for ADSL in my home office and True cable/fiber through my TV aerial for my TV in my bedroom), I can't ascertain how the new offer gets installed from the location in the common area of the building to my flat, and once in the flat whether I have to run cables/wiring to get the modem connected to my home office, (where the current ADSL phone line handily sits a metre away from the modem on my desk). The guy suggested that I did. So, as I care about not having wires/cables trailing through my expensively decorated flat, I said I wouldn't bother. He told me that ADSL would be discontinued in about 12 months. 

To the initiated, this will sound like the dumbest question, but how does a fiber cable get distributed within a flat without running cables/wiring? 

1 hour ago, Fithman said:

 

Please name these Embassies you know who provide unspecified "help" to their people. 

Whether you consider being able to provide a speedy passport renewal service is considered "help", I don't know. The Japanese Embassy here provides that service within 2 days.

Once UK leaves the EU, perhaps the focus could shift to UK citizens living abroad instead of the status quo.

Whether you consider being able to provide a speedy "proof of address" letter service is considered "help", I don't know. The Japanese Embassy here provides that service by drop in, on the same day. The British Embassy requires you to book an appointment online, (usually 7 days in advance), and it costs THB2500.

Physical communication with the British Embassy on Wittayu Road through a microphone competing with the traffic noise is beyond third rate, with English language skills of the staff who man these pillboxes wholly inadequate. 

Just using the Japanese expat figure as an example, there are many more living in Thailand, than there are British.

1 hour ago, Navin said:

Thank you very much for your feedback... yes I do have the original postal receipt with me and I have also taken the print out of the

delivery notice from thai postal website.. just in case I do not hear from them within 30 days... but just curious.. does this process actually work ?  I mean have people actually been receiving the acknowledgment (notification slip) by mail from them ?    BTW.. I had sent it to the main office in chaengwattana Imm Div 1 that is...  

Mine took three weeks to be returned (from IMM Chaengwattana). I have never had a mail-in not returned.

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

For Bangkok it is mailed 15 days before the report date. Other offices will accept them up to 7 day before the report date.

The office up here accepts them as long as they are received by the report date.

Chaeng Wattana is not your only choice for the reports in person. You can also do them at Imperial World Lad Prao or Major Hollywood Suksawat. 

Thanks for the clarification; unfortunately that timing would still not work to comply with their rules. If I tried the report online 14 days before the due date and failed, I would be in breach of their 15 day mailed-in requirement. I live in Sathorn, so either of the other two IMM centres you mention are equally tiresome to get to, but needs must. I'll try and risk reporting online next time, now that you (previously) advised me what I was doing wrong with my recent attempts.

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I had the a similar situation with Khon Kaen.

Data entered successfully but after two days of waiting I cancelled the online report and sent it by postal mail.

It was returned without complaint.

Took quite long to return, but who cares.

 

As I have got a new passport I will next time likely fail at form entry already.

Will know next Monday.

 

All postal mail by EMS of course.

Return envelope with 40 Baht stamp(s), a bit more than necessary.

Strangely enough my stamped (THB9) and addressed envelope was discarded by IMM and they sent the receipt under cover of their THB3 envelope, which is why it took about 3 weeks.  Maybe that was my punishment for being "tardy".

I think I'm right in saying that you can only do the 90 day report online no more than 2 weeks in advance. If you are unsuccessful, as some of us have been, trying to follow up with a 90 day report by mail-in requires that method to be sent 15 days before the due date.

In my last report due, I was unsuccessful doing reporting online, so I mailed it in. Received the receipt back 3 weeks later with the annotation in red and highlighted in yellow and with a major asterisk: " Next time, please send 15 days before the due date".

These two timings are counterintuitive. I suppose the answer is that you have to then traipse over the Chaengwattana, (in Bangkok) and spend half a day in the process. Whilst this time IMM accepted my mailed-in less than 15 days before the due date, (according to my tracking they received it 7 days prior to the due date), there is a chance they might be less accommodating if it recurs.

Not sure what "15 days before due date means" - viz receipt by them, or mailed by me.

OK, just now I note that my "like" has registered. However, the immediate response after clicking like yesterday was the "you are not allowed to give reputation to this user" message, and obviously that is incorrect, and also not sure why it takes so long to register; a glitch to be sorted I think. Thanks.

On 20/09/2016 at 0:03 PM, samtam said:

Yes, checked back and the "like" is still unliked (!). I have only clicked the like once in all the times I get this message. I just tried to "like" your post above. One click - same result - "you are not allowed to give reputation to this user".

 

Grateful if someone can help.

Yes, checked back and the "like" is still unliked (!). I have only clicked the like once in all the times I get this message. I just tried to "like" your post above. One click - same result - "you are not allowed to give reputation to this user".

Grateful if someone can help.

Since the revamp of TV I have not been able to "like" a post by another member. Or in TV-speak "to give reputation to". What am I not doing?

22 hours ago, CaptHaddock said:

 

I have had a similar experience.  Usually an Uber ride is fine.  Several of them, however, have been unable to locate my soi to pick me up.  So, they just stop somewhere in the area, even on the next soi.  I wonder if they expect me to go find them?  It's very puzzling.

Glad, (but sad) that it's not just me. The drivers do not seem to understand GPS, and few of them have SAT NAV, or know how to use it. Added to that soi numbers are bonkers - I live between sois 1 & 3 on a major road, and my soi is brilliantly numbered 27/2. What does that mean in a sane world?! When I have my concierge explain where to soi is to a driver, it takes them several minutes...."let me tell you a story....just past the big tree on the right, before the sign which says....blah blah" 

49 minutes ago, atyclb said:

much antagonism exists from taxi drivers against uber, especially the low life ones that  refuse fares and meter. uber drivers are generally more polite and professional than many taxis. i wouldnt be surprised if this incident was setup to have cause to take action against uber. 

it does seem odd to be videoing the ride...but I haven't listened to the audio, which might shed light on that aspect.

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Best to wait for the mailed in application to go through. 

I suggest you save that address as a IE Tab bookmark. That way all you have to do is click the IE tab folder and the bookmark (you see mine on the tool bar I posted).

 

Thanks ubonjoe - have saved this link and will try it next time; I thought I had the correct link saved from my previous successful logins, but obviously not. As always, your help very much appreciated!

OMG, you are absolutely right! Having mailed it today, shall I complete online or will that just confuse the situation completely?

32 minutes ago, samtam said:

Yes, thanks. Got all of that. Accepted and started keying in my details, but they did not go through. As I mentioned, I keyed in my pp number and it took the numbers in 3+3+3. Next box did not load immediately, but when it did, I keyed in my surname; it took a while to register; then then next box did not load, but I keyed in, and I keyed in my Given Name, OK. But the cursor was jumping around all the time and then I got the "unresponsive" msg from Google Chrome with extranet tab.... and the option to "wait" or "kill". Tried  both. Tried re-entering three or four times. All of this took about 40 minutes. Went to the office downstairs in my building manager's office. Photocopied the requisite pages, went to Mailboxes in Silom Complex and sent the whole caboodle by mail. I had success the first 3-4 times with online reporting, but last time it failed, and similarly today. I'm afraid, I just lose patience, and respond as aforementioned. Costs a few hundred baht (taxis, mail etc), and takes up 1-2 hours, but that's the price to pay for me, despite wishing for a better system. It's just too unreliable, as many have experienced, and clearly IMM are not that bothered about trying to fix the glitch.

As hereunder:

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Got to https://www.ietab.net/

When you have IE tab installed you have click on the IE tab icon as soon as you click the link for online reporting. It then opens another address bar.

 

Yes, thanks. Got all of that. Accepted and started keying in my details, but they did not go through. As I mentioned, I keyed in my pp number and it took the numbers in 3+3+3. Next box did not load immediately, but when it did, I keyed in my surname; it took a while to register; then then next box did not load, but I keyed in, and I keyed in my Given Name, OK. But the cursor was jumping around all the time and then I got the "unresponsive" msg from Google Chrome with extranet tab.... and the option to "wait" or "kill". Tried  both. Tried re-entering three or four times. All of this took about 40 minutes. Went to the office downstairs in my building manager's office. Photocopied the requisite pages, went to Mailboxes in Silom Complex and sent the whole caboodle by mail. I had success the first 3-4 times with online reporting, but last time it failed, and similarly today. I'm afraid, I just lose patience, and respond as aforementioned. Costs a few hundred baht (taxis, mail etc), and takes up 1-2 hours, but that's the price to pay for me, despite wishing for a better system. It's just too unreliable, as many have experienced, and clearly IMM are not that bothered about trying to fix the glitch.

Just now, samtam said:

 

Do you have a link? I tried Googling, but nothing for "letab addon" or Let tab Add on

 

IE crashes my computer, unfortunately

 

Actually, yes letab addon is what I was using....extranet.

It opens the page and I key in the info and in takes some items, say 3+3+3 of my passport number  in dribs and drabs, then my surname then my given name, then it gives up... 

31 minutes ago, buckwhelk said:

It doesn't work in Chrome unless you have the Ietab addon installed. Try IE.

Do you have a link? I tried Googling, but nothing for "letab addon" or Let tab Add on

IE crashes my computer, unfortunately

Pages open, but then cannot load information. "Unresponsive" according to Google Chrome Extranet.

Comes and goes. Will mail in again. FI.

You can obtain an affidavit of residence from your embassy, at their prevailing rates; I'm British, and just did mine for the same purpose (to obtain a Thai DL), and it cost THB2,500 (so you have a bargain!) and I had to make an appointment online to obtain it. You can apparently go to IMM at Chaengwattana and apply for the same document, which they will then mail to you within about 2-3 weeks. I figured the THB2,500 was acceptable in those circumstances.

Here's my experience ID #19 29 June 2016. Hope this helps.

Fire under control.

Sterling contribution from The Sukhothai

Aftermath - working through the debris

I was awoken this morning by the noise of a burning house close by and next to the Sukhothai Hotel/Residences:

Luckily everything seems to be under control within 30 minutes, aided by fire hoses from the Sukhothai Hotel from the left, which could not be reached from the small soi on the right.

20160907_0729401[1].mp4

20160907_0734151[1].mp4

Whilst I have sympathy for the OP's inability to understand the huge gap between new and older properties, the response given by lkn makes a great deal of sense. Whether the differential of THB60k versus THB300k (+400%) is justified is a moot point. Personally I think that is too wide; either older properties need to rise in price, or newer ones need to fall.

On 23/08/2016 at 2:31 AM, lkn said:

In addition to freehold/leasehold the materials also affect the price.

 

I know some think that all Thai condos are just concrete blocks, but windows are not just windows (double/triple glazed), floors are not just floors (tiles, engineered wood, real wood), kitchens are not just kitchens (IKEA or a kitchen design shop in Thonglor with big induction stove instead of two small electrical rings), cabling is not just cabling (enough conduits in the walls so you have power/internet near whatever appliance need it), air condition is not just air condition (silent and hidden above the ceiling or just mounted on the wall), a bathroom is not just a bathroom (wall mounted toilets, head shower coming down from the ceiling, nicely designed fixtures, water heater that has enough power to provide warm water at a constant temperature and which is not split between the sink so when your partner washes their hands, you get a cold shower), etc.

 

Some of the things being built are definitely worth more than 60k per sqm. in materials alone then you have the cost of the land, labour, and the developer’s profit.

As worldchild has said, there is a quick and dirty way of calculating the "true" value of properties, as below. But unfortunately, until there is general public access to property transaction prices*, no proper analysis of the Bangkok property market can be made, and even the papers on the subject produced by respected property companies, such as CBRE are meaningless without this vital statistic. (*As I understand it, this information is strictly private.)

On 24/08/2016 at 3:53 PM, wordchild said:

an interesting way of considering the value of a freehold condo is to work out what the underlying land value is psm and what percentage that would be of the sale price. ie try to get a reasonable estimate of the  current market value of land in the area you are interested in, (CBRE will help if you ask nicely) work out the land area of the condo  and then you can estimate  the value of the land the condo sits on and which all the owners have a share in.  Then divide that by the total sqm of all the condo units in the condo. You can then derive what % of the condo asking price reflects the underlying value of the land. This is not by any means an exact science because of issues such as build restrictions but it is an interesting reality check.

I have done this in the past, when looking to buy, and it does also throw up some interesting results eg it clearly makes new highrise condos esp further out from central Bangkok past say Ekhami look expensive, ie the land value psm is a small percentage of the asking price.  And because older condos in central BKK, eg in the Ploenchit  area have not appreciated at anything like the price of land in that area, it makes some of these, in particular the low rise, low density projects look very good value.ie the value of the land on which the condo sits is a very high percentage of the condo value. In fact when I last  looked at this a couple of years ago I estimated that for a couple of centrally located condos the underlying land value was pretty close to 100% of the (then) asking prices for those condos.