CRUNCHER

It is not covered in any of the condo laws. Immigration or labour laws might have something to say though.

However, I would have thought resposibilities for illegal staying or working would fall on individual appartment owners. To make this the responsibility of condo management would place an impossible task on their shoulders - unless of course the condo management was the employer.

Birmingham takes about 10 minutes. Never used Cardiff or Hull so I can't comment directly, but from reading TV I guess they are alll good.

I just read the 2008 condo act posted on TVF & nowhere does it say that a person who refuses to pay maintenance can be punished by:

A. Turning off of water or electrictiy (these, incidentally, are arranged by contract w/ the owner and the company)

B. Denial of use of common property

C. Denial of access to unit (padlocks, etc.)

The act does state that a defaulter may be billed a surcharge. It is also true that a condo unit must be cleared of all debts before sale or transfer.

I think you have to read the 1979 Act as well.

Yes. After 6 months the juristic person manager can cut off electric and water, suspend use of common facilities and, in the event of the condo being sold, cannot issue a letter of being debt free which is needed to transfer ownership. Voting rights are suspended and, of course, interest is charged on the amount outstanding.

I'm surprised that they didn't raise their eyebrows at promises of a 12% net annual return, guaranteed for 8 years... i.e. almost guaranteeing their money back.

Seriously, this one should fall under the "if it sounds too good to be true"....category

Absolutely! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Unfortunately it still gets Thai property market a bad reputation.

Where is Arkady's last post, the one dated today? Can't see it.

Here is link to a newspaper report from Hong Kong about buyers of Thai property being ripped off.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail....&con_type=1

It seems that it is not only people in Thailand are being ripped off by Thailands developers.

I don't know about Thais, but I saw a western couple with matching T-shirts.

Hers had music notes and the title of a famous song -" I'm for ever blowing bubbles"." On his T-shirt the words "I'm Bubbles".

I note that they have replaced the material used to wrap the legs so that it is impossible for this to happen again. If true then this material should have been used in the first place. This is a management decision and down to the farang owners.

Can someone help me please. Tried cleaning my glasses, but I still couldn't see any bycycle kicks. anything else I can do to find them.

Poor bloke. Hope he makes a full recovery!

Going to immigration yesterday, it was my frist trip to Jomtien since 3 months. Frankly speaking I wonder why people like Jomtien. It just looks messy, dirty, dusty plus it is getting more and more th crime and robbery center of the area. Think it's about time for a big cleanup.

Just my 5 cents.

When 2nd road gets finished it will be a much better place .

But when will that be?

How did we get to this? The Op only wanted to know where to go in Philippines; a subject I was interested in. We had a few informative posts and thank you to those with some common decency. After that this thread didn't hit rock bottom; it sank below it. I am getting fed up with opening hoping to get some useful information only to find find silly people squabbling. It is long ovedue for closing.

Please wait for the experts to answer.

Since I don't have a laptop I don't even know if they do require grounding, but it would make sense since everything is OK on battery power.

opalhort

Thanks for the "expert" advice. If you are not an expert I do not know who is. I ran with your idea. I am using a 2 pin adaptor. Just turned it round in the socket and now everything is fine.

Is your main power supply grounded?

opalhort

No. My condo onlyhas two pin sockets. If this is my problem what can I do?

Thanks

When using my Sony laptop on battery both mouse pad and mouse work perfectly. When I connect the power the mouse pad stops working and the mouse works erratically.

Using system restore did not work. I presume that I have a wrong setting somewhere, but can't work it out.

Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks

Hello All,

How and what do we need to do to set up our condo committee?

Thanks in advance.

Norman

They are appointed or elected at an AGM/EGM. JP should sort this out and details (Chairman at least) need to be registered at the Lands Office.

I'm surprised Ceylon Tony hasn't been used as a scapegoat.

Then again the Danish tourist scam happened in June around the time the two Brits went public.

In one report a few weeks ago the Police said something that was in effect throwing the blame towards Ceylon Tony.

He must have scarpered.

To the people who are calling all the 'victims' shoplifters and aren't innocent will you be boycotting KP or will you be taking a punt next time you're at the airport.

This is a good point, but I am not sure I would call him a scapegoat. In reality, apart from the bail money, there is no "evidence" that the police or King Power got anything at all. Of course you can make assumptions and say "we all know what goes on". The fact is in this case we don't know.

It would be nice to get some sort of statement from the authorities as to what is being done about Tony. His guilt is more clear than anyones.

Then again if he was arrested he might reveal just what did go on.

The law does not differentiate sinking fund and management fees. It is all dealt with under money for maintenance. (Sorry don’t have Condo Act with me at the moment and forget wording.) Sinking fund, management fees etc are issues that should be dealt with by the committee and voted on by AGM/EGM.

If money is not paid, in addition to interest, use of facilities can be denied and this includes disconnection electricity and water. Voting rights are suspended. Also JP cannot issue a letter of “being debt free” if a delinquent owner sells his unit. i.e. ownership cannot be transferred.

As has been said, if you own condos it is a good idea to get the amended act (original act as amended by the so called “new condo act”) and read it carefully.

As the title says. Today went to the licensing office and turned up at 10.40am Was given the number 52 at the little desk at the front.

Walked upstairs...........the screen is showing number 51. COOL !

Had my number called out 2 mins later. Handed my docs over, pictures taken. Walked out at 11.10am with two licenses in my mitts.

Docs I had were passport with two copies of ID page and Visa page with TM6. Two medical reports (100 baht each) on Soi Theprrasit.

Two letters of residence from Patts Imm. (400 baht ) and my 1 Yr licenses.

I was not asked to do any 'tests' such as perception, colour etc........basically straight in and out.

Very efficient service.

Thanks for the tip on timing Phatcharanan. Did even better than you today. Got out of my car at 10 40am. Left the building with my 5 year license (from 1 year) at 10.50. Yes only 10 minutes. Everyone friendly, polite and helpful.

Perhaps only the early birds have to take the tests.

For information I took copies of everything, but I only needed:-

Passport (Picture page, entry stamp and departure card

Certificate of Residence from Imigration

Medical Certificate.

They gave me back:-

Visa page from passport

International driving permit.

I don't understand why people wouldn't get a class 'O' Non immigrant visa from your home country before coming here, it means that you can stay here for 15 months, you just have to leave the country every 90 days. It costs £100 which is about 5600 Baht very quick and easy to apply for.

Going home every year and a quarter is no huge problem, maybe going back every now and then is actually a good idea as it will make you grateful for the life you have here. however I'm sure there are one or two people out there who are running from various things at home

Thousands of teachers are living on Thai wages and can't afford a flight home plus expenses. You don't have to be running away from home or living some scummy drunken sex tourist lifestyle to find flights and living expenses in the West too expensive.

I know some very respectable hard working primary school teachers who don't have degrees so they are working illegally and they don't earn enough money for flights to Singapore let alone London or New York.

The sad thing is is some of the decidedly slimy time share operators are given their work permits and visas easily. No questions asked.

Those of you who think that being skint and working under the radar makes you scum and a drain on Thailand who should be sent home (with a short stay in the monkeyhouse) should think again.

If you think that those with bags of money living in gated communities and eating in high end establishments are all upstanding members of the community who should be welcomed with open arms you are wrong once again.

Some people who are living here illegally on a budget are contributing to the community and some rich farangs don't have any contact with the Thai population unless they are cleaning their condo or sex workers.

It works both ways and economic status says nothing about whether your a good person or not.

I certainly do not think these people are scum - I know one or two and they are great people. The point is though, these people are breaking the laws of Thailand. If you go to a foreign country you should follow the laws and customs of that country. If they get caught they they must accept the consequences.

You did not make this claim, but many others have and that is they are pouring in money and supporting the Thai economy. In reality they contribute little. Their income is from Thailnad ( so they are to some extent taking and pay no tax), they live just above the poverty line and without degrees or good teaching qualifications they are not exactly top drawer teachers.

Do you believe that such people are an asset to Thailand. I do not think so and if I am right why should Thailand make it easy for them to stay here?

Well I know plenty of kids with degrees who aren't up to teaching and plenty of us long in the tooth worldly wise buggers with no degree who are naturals. So in answer to your question, some teachers are an asset to Thailand some are not and that applies equally to those with degrees as to those without.

The thing is the Thai authorities know that most government school teachers only have TESOL qualifications and no degree because the government sector doesn't pay the kind of wages that most graduates expect. So the Thai authorities are aware of the situation.

They have three choices.

1.crack down on the law breakers imprison and fine us then deport us and have a paucity of native English speaking teachers in gov schools. (which a lot of the financially sorted expats posting here seem to to be rubbing their hands with glee at the idea of seeing us budget wanke_rs in a cage with thirty Burmese illegals)

2.Up the wages to attract university graduates.

3.Start issuing work permits to people with TESOL certification.

or of course carry on as we are and turn a blind eye to us criminalising us in the process.

I would completely respect their wishes if they told me that I couldn't work in Thailand because I needed a teaching degree plus a TESOL. (Although I would be a tad peeved if I was hauled off to the monkey house considering the Thai authorities, the TESOL schools and the teaching agencies all unofficially know, allow and encourage TESOL graduates to work in the public sector)

So having a degree says nothing about your ability as a teacher and even though we might not be contributing financially we are not a drain on the economy and we are involved in Thai communities in a way that many of the wealthy yacht owning gated community dwelling VIP visa crew are not.

My gripe is not with the Thai authorities who are actually very accommodating, it's with the wealthy expats posting on here saying.

"Oi budget scum get legal it's easy or piss off if you can't afford it"

I take your point on the relevance of a degree to teaching. However, if I remember correctly this was required because there were too many of a third kind i.e. useless idiots with no degree teaching. A hamfisted approach maybe, but obviously the authorities were trying to set some sort of standard. Perhaps they should have cracked down on schools who employed useless teachers instead.

This is just the way that immigration issues are often dealt with. The authorities see people copmplying with the letter of the law (sometimes not even that), but not the spirit. They then try to get compliance with the spirit. In short close loopholes. That this is often done with a clumsy knee jerk cannot be denied, but you cannot blame them for trying.

I do not think that teachers who are not legal are scum per se. Like other sections of society some are, most are not. My only complaint against them, such as it is, is that they cause tightening of regulations that in turn affects people who would not otherwise have a problem. This has never affected me, but I know people who it has.

What bugs me is the people who exploit loopholes and when those loopholes are closed vehemently run down, in insulting, derogatory and racist terms the Thai Government, the Immigration Department and the people of Thailand generally. This is unecessary, unfair and unjustified. Quite frankly I wonder why some of these people stay here, but that is their choice. If you can exploit a loophole fair enough. When it is closed find another. If you can't shut up and get out. Don't stay and insult your hosts.

To your credit you are not one of these.

It is not up to a consulate to stop illegals from working here this matter should be handled by the authorities IN the country and I wish they would.

They should crack down on illegal working teachers, divers and the like..... That way people who are here as long term tourists might have less hassle obtaining a TR visa even consecutive ones.

As some have already stated but no one gives a clear answer since there isn't any, some of us are indeed financially set for life without having the right age to retire, willing to marry or operate a business.

Well for those of us there isn't an option except getting consecutive TR visas.

Personally I'll be getting married next month so will be out of the line of fire yet I have sympathies for sincere money spending long term tourists.

Do me a favour. Immigration control is most certainly one way of controlling illegal working.

Good luck with your marriage. It is the married (to Thai) men I have most sympathy for. This is one area where I certainly think Thai immigration policy could be relaxed some. (For the record my wife is not Thai.)

I don't understand why people wouldn't get a class 'O' Non immigrant visa from your home country before coming here, it means that you can stay here for 15 months, you just have to leave the country every 90 days. It costs £100 which is about 5600 Baht very quick and easy to apply for.

Going home every year and a quarter is no huge problem, maybe going back every now and then is actually a good idea as it will make you grateful for the life you have here. however I'm sure there are one or two people out there who are running from various things at home

Thousands of teachers are living on Thai wages and can't afford a flight home plus expenses. You don't have to be running away from home or living some scummy drunken sex tourist lifestyle to find flights and living expenses in the West too expensive.

I know some very respectable hard working primary school teachers who don't have degrees so they are working illegally and they don't earn enough money for flights to Singapore let alone London or New York.

The sad thing is is some of the decidedly slimy time share operators are given their work permits and visas easily. No questions asked.

Those of you who think that being skint and working under the radar makes you scum and a drain on Thailand who should be sent home (with a short stay in the monkeyhouse) should think again.

If you think that those with bags of money living in gated communities and eating in high end establishments are all upstanding members of the community who should be welcomed with open arms you are wrong once again.

Some people who are living here illegally on a budget are contributing to the community and some rich farangs don't have any contact with the Thai population unless they are cleaning their condo or sex workers.

It works both ways and economic status says nothing about whether your a good person or not.

I certainly do not think these people are scum - I know one or two and they are great people. The point is though, these people are breaking the laws of Thailand. If you go to a foreign country you should follow the laws and customs of that country. If they get caught they they must accept the consequences.

You did not make this claim, but many others have and that is they are pouring in money and supporting the Thai economy. In reality they contribute little. Their income is from Thailnad ( so they are to some extent taking and pay no tax), they live just above the poverty line and without degrees or good teaching qualifications they are not exactly top drawer teachers.

Do you believe that such people are an asset to Thailand. I do not think so and if I am right why should Thailand make it easy for them to stay here?

My Thai girlfriend has a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa for the United States, good for six months at time. Only 3,500 baht for it too.

As an American in Thailand I get...3 months double entry?

Good thing nobody wants to go to the U.S...

Would you care to share with us the simple procedure of obtaining such a visa

---snip----

Sure.

We made an appointment at the embassy using the online system, filled out and printed the forms online. All 2 pages of forms. Meanwhile, I read up on what supporting documentation to bring.

The embassy was never very specific regarding what an interviewee should bring with them, but merely indicated that it should adequately demonstrate the the visitor was there for their stated purpose and would then depart the U.S. We collected the following documents, some of which they were interested in and others not;

Deed to her property (house) in Isaan

Letter from her employer stating that she was on vacation and what day she was expected to return to work

A letter from my mother (who was paying for the trip) stating that all her expenses would be paid while in the U.S, including her return ticket to Thailand. This was notarized by a notary public in the U.S. making it a legally binding document.

At the interview they asked her a few questions about her trip, then alot of questions about me. I was summoned to the embassy to explain my part in things, and for some reason they asked to see my Thai work permit, which I did possess at the time.

They issued the visa and returned her passport. The whole thing took less than a month, but it could have been much faster if we had scheduled the interview earlier.

She was then given a single entry 6 month "partial" visa with a "OAC" restriction, meaning she could only enter the United States together with me.

We did our trip and returned to Thailand.

About a year later we decided to do another trip, applied prepared all the same documents as before.

This time they didn't care about her supporting documents, about me, my work permit, nor did they ask many questions.

They saw that she had previously visited the United States, so they issued her a full tourist visa, which in the United States is 10 year multiple entry, six months per entry.

I liked the bit about not having to provide all the documentation the second time. Thailand could sure use that.

But for the rest, my one year multiple Non-O from Birmingham is a lot less hassle. It only requires one form, which is on my computer. I just change the date each year. The whole process, printing the forms, travelling to and from my home, waiting for the visa is about one hour. (I admit it would be longer if I lived further away). I do not need to travel with my wife, I pay for my own trips and my wife does not need to own a house.

Most of the moaners here do not have a wife with a house, do not have a mother-in-law to pay for the trip and pay for their expenses whilst in Thailand. They do not want to stay here for short visits; they want to stay here full time. So even if Thailand operated such a system they would not qualify.

I could be cynical and say that since your wife has money the USA welcomes her, but the real point is, for some people it is easy for others it is more difficult. It is the same the world over. Last I heard, to stay in USA Mexicans had to enter illegally in the first place.

My Thai girlfriend has a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa for the United States, good for six months at time. Only 3,500 baht for it too.

As an American in Thailand I get...3 months double entry?

Good thing nobody wants to go to the U.S...

Would you care to share with us the simple procedure of obtaining such a visa

Most people complaining here are EU/UK/US/CAN passport holders and as such have not experienced the nightmare it is trying to get into your own, or another 1st world country.

I am not such a passport holder and as such have jumped through many hoops for the wonderful privilege of working or touring in many of your countries. While working (legally) in UK for 3 years I was unable to visit EU countries without letters of invite, hotel bookings etc. etc. I was treated like garbage in several London embassies and felt humiliated every time.

I recently investigated obtaining an Australian tourist visa (for Thai wife and I) for a 3 week visit: I have given up before even starting... No internet application available - instead a 10 page visa application requiring more info than my Thai 1 year extension, an interview to prove our 3 year marriage is "real" and lastly proof of lots of... money. Fee AUD 105 each for the privilege. We live in the South, so a 5 day trip to BKK is of course required and just adds to the cost. In fact I decided screw this when the airfare and visa cost reached parity...

Thank you for setting this out. Too many posters think that they have a god given right to come and go as they please in Thailand and that the Thai Government has no right to impose restrictions on what foreigners do in Thailand. They often justify this by siting their own countries. Utter rubbish as your post shows. It is good to see the other side of the coin.

Almost by definition immigration laws the world over a discrinatory. Some people get in easy: some have to climb a mountain. Same same Thailand, same same England, same same USA etc etc.

I see a lot of protests directed to the Thai goverment about this subject, but this seems to be the policy of the consulate in Penang, not of the Thai government.

You are right Mario. There are too many people who see anti farang conspiracies everywhere directed from on high. It was the same with King Power.