bamboozled

The teak wood tops, that 's just an added touch. I bought some used tables welded up from steel bar and topped with reclaimed teak some years ago and thought to match them. It adds a nice bit of pizzazz, just enough.

Thanks electrified. I didn't realize they would cut them to size for you. That's an interesting prospective. I was thinking more a welded unit such as in the photo but this is probably more economical. What were your sizes and prices, approximately? I was going to go with wood shelves, those fairly cheap ones you can get at the local markets with the white "formica" tops but I wanted a custom size and I thought I was getting a bit price gouged.

...Any recommendations preferably on the north side of the city near Kamthieng market, if possible? Looking to have made up 10 steel-bar shelving units with teak wood tops, if possible.

Thank you.

In the end, I got a policy with Roojai, 1st class with a 3k deductible, for a bit over 9k. That's with a few extra perks thrown in like roadside assistance. All done online.

Well if I have things correct, which I might not, we will be paying our 3000 baht deductible and the MSIG insurance is paying the rest. We went to the office, got the claim form filled out, and then went to the indicated repair shop. They've ordered the parts and when they're in we'll bring the car back for....5 to 7 days! for them to fix it. They didn't seem to skimp on anything even if some pieces were just scraped a tiny bit; I was impressed. But we'll see what finally arrives. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole friendliness and ease of the service. Before we left the repair shop, one of the mechanics fiddled around with the damaged front parts to align them and shore them up so we could drive safely and in some modicum of decency. I will say, just with his 10 minutes of work, the car looked pretty good. He pulled out the dented metal and straightened the plastic parts. In hind site, I would have left it at this and not done the whole claim thing as I'm sure there will be more scrapes and gouges soon enough. Anyway....done is done.

Now again, if I have things correct, which I might not, if I want to renew my insurance with them (which expires in 3 days), I can no longer get 1st class insurance but only 3rd class which basically means I'm paying for any damage I do to the car myself. They will only answer to 3rd party claims otherwise known as collision insurance in the US. And if I understood correctly, I cannot get 1st class insurance from them at any price. If I had wanted to continue with 1st class with them I could not file a claim but I would still be required to repair the car before they would insure it again. Apparently, they take pictures of the cars at the beginning of the insurance period so as to not get stuck with old repairs...which makes sense but not sure why you could not have duly noted damage and a waiver for that.

Tomorrow, we'll call some other agencies and see what we can come up with. If I have to show a perfect car to get 1st class insurance, I'm going to be in a weird limbo while waiting for the car to be fixed since this current insurance expires on the 4th yet the car certainly won't be tip-top by then.

Time will shortly tell how close to "correct" my understanding was/is.

Thanks all. I think we'll have them come take a look at it, at the very least. And take it from there....

We're paying just under 12k I think. It's a 2010 car, however.

We have a 3000 baht deductible. Yes, I almost don't want to have it fixed because I'm sure she will do it again. It's not the easiest driving in the world, in Chiang Mai city. Especially just starting out. The insurance actually runs out in 5 days so we gotta get them on it NOW or never. JWRC, did you subsequently pay more for your insurance after making claims? In 35 years of driving, I have never made one myself so I'm ignorant.

Thank you, Pilotman. That's what I assumed, too, that it would have to go up. My wife claims that changing insurance companies will allow us to "start fresh." I find this difficult to believe as an insurance company could never effectively raise a rate after an accident as the customer would just move on to a different company. In the US, your driving record follows you. Any input on that, please?

Is that a yes?

Hi folks. My newly licensed wife took the car out first time and guess what happened.... The damage is pretty minor, scraped a wall on a small soi, but if we make a claim will the cost of the insurance then go up as is the case in the US, for example? I would imagine it does and if so, I am not sure I want to claim it. Perhaps just paying out of pocket might end up cheaper. Anyone with experience on this?

Ah, let me add this question: Do new drivers (wife) pay more for insurance then experienced drivers, as in the States, for example? I bought the car used and have been on the first class insurance from the previous owner so I am not super informed about the details though we are imminently due for renewal next month.

thanks all!

...Just wondering how all these cars will arrive and depart from the airport. All-call for George Jetson. Can you hear me, George Jetson?

Thank you, Peter Denis! Yes, in some places this is called a "cluster #uck!" So, in my humble opinion, the rules never really made any sense since it is difficult, next to impossible to open a bank account as a tourist. How about this: you show up to immigration with the cash in hand OR your bank info from your home country? I'm saying this would be make sense. Again, in my humble opinion.

As far as moving to another province that is friendlier, as you mention, it seems like a big risk to take with less and less probability of a positive result. A big investment in time and money, too.

"Note: There is one exception > and that is when you apply using the 400K funds-in-bank method for a 1-year extension of your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage, then only 2 months of having the funds on your personal thai bank-account is required at moment of application (so that effectively means that after successful application for the 1-year marriage extension you are free to use the 400K as you please, but only need to top up again to 400K two months before applying for your next extension)."

...Are you saying that once getting the visa extension based on marriage this 400k can be used up until 60 days prior to getting a subsequent extension at which point you must again show 400K? I was under the impression the account always had to show at least 400k for the whole 12 months.

I'll ask this question again as I still don't know but I'm truly curious: how can one have 12 months of transfers (or even two months) to get a visa since one would need a valid year-long visa in the first place to be here to receive 12 months of transfers? What am I missing in this equation? I guess I will have to transfer 400k now, using the extension to get it seasoned for 2 months. But honestly, I don't have faith that the criteria won't change, such as you need a year of seasoning of the 400k (just like they changed the monthly transfer from 2 months to 12 months all of a sudden) and that they'll stop granting 60 day extensions to visit wife. It now seems impossible to predict anything.

RIght, I saw that, thanks. ...Just turns my crank. The number of us on here that have been planning on using this method for the last few months, that is, seasoning of two months, I think is not a small number based on the threads. This ball was batted around on here since the amnesty started with the understanding that the rules were such. So one day you have all your ducks in a line and the next day you don't based on who knows what. Unfortunately, I'm sure this happens the world over.

 On one good note, if exchanging from USD, that's been getting better the last 48 hours.

Peter, I'm in CM so....no shirt, no shoes, no dice. Of course, tomorrow who knows what the news will bring?

Thank you Joe and Peter. I have not yet used my extension so I'm lucky there. I have indeed been transferring 40k plus for the last 4 or 5 months planning to use the 2 months of monthly transfers for first time applicants. But....as seen by this thread, that is suddenly not possible. This certainly seems a premeditated cruel turn of events. I appear to still have options and we'll see if it works out in the end. But since the 2-month rule suddenly is no longer valid, I don't have faith that the other rules won't suddenly be changed. Such as extension not given.

One thing I don't understand and I'm probably missing something but how would someone have 12 months of transfers to fulfill the visa requirement if you need a visa to be able to stay 12 months? Even for 2 months/60 days to transfer the 400k...well, I guess you could do that on a tourist visa but is it not quite difficult to obtain a bank account on a tourist visa? It seems the cart is before the horse. What don't I get?

Thanks!

This is pretty crappy news sprung up all of a sudden. Lots of people have been planing on using the two months of transfers, I think, based on the threads here on TV. I was one of those. Why do some folks keep barking about people "misusing" the O-visa by going to HCMC or Savannakhet to get a new visa instead of an extension? It was a viable, legal option that people used and immigration accepted. Seems to me a perfectly legitimate use of one of the options...if not, the visa would not be granted nor the visa holder let in the country, in my opinion. If it was a frowned upon misuse, why did it exist?

Anyway, for the 400k route (married to Thai), 2 months of seasoning for the first time can mean deposited any day in August and any day in September, for example? Or does 2 months have to be 60 days?

Ah, last thing, the 400k doesn't have to be a transfer, correct? We do not need to show provenance...? Or am I wrong?

Thank you

3 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

HI,

It's not a 60-day Non-O extension, it's a 60-day extension for reason of visiting your thai wife / thai dependant child.  It does not matter on which Visa (or extension) you currently are to apply for that 60-day extension but you can only do it once per entry in Thailand.

To apply for that 60-day extension you need to meet the following requirements:

When you apply for the 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your Thai wife, she will have to be with you when you apply and has to bring her ID-card and a copy of it.  You will also need to bring the house-book (as well as a copy of it) from the place where you and your Thai wife are staying.

 

To prove you are still married, you need to bring the original Kor Ror 3 (Thai marriage certificate) as well as a copy of it. And most offices will also want a recent printout (not older than 1 week) of your Kor Ror 2 (certificate of Thai marriage registration), which can be requested at any Amphoe and will be issued on the spot (cost between 5 and 20 THB).

 

You will also need a completed TM7 form with a 4 X 6 cm photo attached, as well as copies of your passport photo page, Visa sticker, entry stamp (with permission to stay date) and your TM6 departure card.

As we were discussing 'relocation' to a more accomodating IO that would handle your application for the 60-day extensions, a 'rental contract' was mentioned as an example of proof that you are living in a place in that province.  If you or your wife owns a place in the province where you want to apply you can obviously use your own house-book. 

It's just a matter that you have a formal place where you are staying in that province, so that a TM30 (or TM27) can be done at the local IO, confirming that you live there.  And that will open the possibility to apply for the 60-day extension of stay. 

So I need to bother my landlady for her house-book? And not a copy of the house-book where my wife officially resides? I imagine the landlady will be reluctant to give her original house-book to someone to go off with, whatever the reason. I know I would be hesitant. Certainly if you reside in a rented condo or apartment, what house book are you bringing? I'm ignorant, for sure, but is a condo manager going to give you the house-book of a 100 room building so you can run down to immigration with it or do they have a different method? thanks!

So we need a valid and current rental contract to get the 60 day extension (to visit Thai wife)? I ask because my contract has expired yet we remain in the rental house per verbal agreement with the landlady. Will I need to renew this contact before getting the extension? And should I expect a visit from immigration after getting the extension? Thank you.

I ended up cleaning it myself. I bought 5 bottles of turpentine, a gas mask, gloves, and a lot of paper towels and rags. I had to pull off all 4 tires to dig out the asphalt stuck up under the body and frame. It was a bit like a horror movie mopping up blood where it gets far worse before it gets better. That is, the turpentine dissolves it and then you smear it all over the car. It's still stuck on a lot of places but I've got the body and wheels cleaned up. In the light right now, the paint job looks pretty ok. Luckily, it's a 10 year old car and not fresh off the lot. If it happened in a new car, as I'm sure it does, that would really put one in a foul mood. Hopefully, it falls off the tires with a good drive. Thanks for all the help.

I will need to buy more motorbikes and a new wardrobe. There's so much tar!

I assume somewhere around CM there is a place that does indeed deal with this kind of cleaning but yeah, it would be an industrial type of cleaning. There might be a line of cars there....owing to the road work. It was a road off in the country so prob not a lot of traffic but will have mucked up any car or motorbike to drive on it. Damn near took down the motorbike in front of me. He, too, prob. assumed it was water at first.

Ha! RIght! The car now is all set for a New England, salty road, winter. Great undercoating got for free! Ooops wrong state, wrong country, wrong continent. Well, who knows, could snow here...someday.