Daewoo

Thailand or CM is much safer like many other places, if you don't ask for problems you will not get one, enjoy and relax

Not sure about that. The other day, my wife slapped me and I was not asking for problems

So you say!

The correct response to "what's on the Television?" is not "dust"...

Patong is not a sex tourist destination... It is the major tourist destination/location on Phuket... (but it is a bit of a shithole)...

My wife and I found ourselves stationed there, in a very nice hotel, by a travel agent... I sure as hell wouldn't have been impressed to be sitting there beside her, on an expensive holiday, surrounded by sex tourists and their conquest for the night... If I wanted my hotel to be seen to be upmarket, and marketed through travel agencies abroad, I would most certainly have a joiner policy and enforce it... many many many more people book holidays through agents for destinations they have never been to, than return to the destination because it is a good place to chase overnight financial relationships...

I don't believe that the joiner policy prevents prostitutes specifically, but rather 'unregistered guests after 10pm' or such... now enforcement might be more specific in that they only challenge quests returning with a Thai lady...

If I was reading a hotels brochure and they felt the need to specifically state their joiner policy, (and I understood what they were referring to) I would question my decision to stay there... if they have a problem with so many people wanting to bring girls back to their room, sex tourists not being known for their high levels of taste, I would be questioning the quality of the hotel... If they state that guests are welcome, I would question the hotel for the same reasons...

Staff working at night may not enforce the policy in all cases; They may be able to identify whether a girl is or is not a prostitute by her looks, age, age relative to the purchaser, and target you for enforcement that reason... They may challenge you regardless of whether the girl is a prostitute, or a pickup in a nightclub... the policy and outcome is the same... unfortunately that often leads to embarrassment for the girl who will feel she is being accused of being a prostitute...

I am sure many hotels around the world would not allow this in their hotels at all - no joiners permitted...

It was very easy for 'your friend' to avoid this entirely by searching online for whether there was a joiner policy for that hotel... either way, he got screwed...

Well done.

Seems that the bickering over Loi Kroh has driven the OP away and now he will miss out on any useful advice that TV may have been able to provide.

On the upside, at least the Loi Kroh argument was aired - again.

When you check in alone, you check in as a single, even though it is the same double room at the same double room price... If you bring an unregistered guest back to your room, you are changing from a single registration to a double registration, and many hotels charge this bimbo fine...

If you are staying in a hotel that has a bimbo fine policy, make sure you check in with a partner, and willing partner... when you come staggering in late at night, the 'security guard' asks you your room number, their records show the room as being checked in as a double, and they wave you by... they won't check if it is the same partner that you checked in with...

On the negative side, they won't take your new partners ID, so if things go badly, you have no record of who that partner might have been...

Some better quality BKK hotels charge thousands, or simply refuse unregistered guests entry to preserve their image... rightly so if that is their policy... up to you the check their policy before booking if you think you will or may be bringing company back...

There are only two things I can't stand on this forum...

hahaha sucker...

a BiB favourite.... you know that you actually did the wrong thing, so you know that you can't argue against it... and they know that you know, so they know you will pay...

paying 5 or 10 times the fine is the scam part...

do the right thing next time, no probrem...

A stick is a cigarette. I assume you aren't paying 500 baht per cigarette.

I don't smoke - can't see why anyone does.

But in answer to the OPs original question. All the Chinese run little 7/11 type stores are selling Chinese cigarettes, so it must be cheap enough to buy them and bring them in after paying duty and GST to still make a profit.

The Duty on Cigarettes is 0.34475 per 'stick'.

Then you pay 10% GST on the duty and the purchase price converted from THB to AUD using the rate of the day.

If you send them by mail or other cargo, you also need to pay transport costs, and GST on the transport costs.

The killer here is if you get the transport company to fill in your customs declaration, as they charge heaps (maybe $80) and you then pay GST on that as well.

Knowing what a carton of cigs costs in Thailand, and what it costs in Aus, you can work out whether it is worthwhile...

Say you are paying $105 for a Carton of 6x30 in Australia, about the cheapest you will pay.

that is 180 sticks at 0.34475/stick = $62.055 Duty, + $6.06 GST = $68.026.

As long as the actual ciggs cost less than $33.40 ($33.40 + $3.34 GST = $Au36.74) you would come out in front.

$68.026+$36.74 = $105, what it would cost in Aust.

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/AlcoholandTobaccoFactSheet.pdf

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5549.asp#Example4

Example 4: An importation of low value tobacco products (for example, 200 sticks = 8 packets x 25 sticks valued at A$60

Customs value (Cval)

Customs duty (Duty)@ $0.34889 per stick

(Payable)

International transport and insurance or postage (T&I)

Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI)

(Cval+Duty+T&I)

Goods and Services Tax (GST) @ 10% of the VoTI

(Payable)

Total payable Duty + GST

'your lady?' - which one??? :hide:

or some looser farang in the local bar, next village, working on a rig in the gulf but upset that his girlfriend thinks you have a good heart, or that you are happy and he isn't, will report you...

all the looser farangs working rigs in the gulf are long gone, assume your are talking about the Thai gulf as opposed to the gulf of mexico ?....plenty of loosers working there..

Shows what you know about the GOM, which obviously is very little.

At least the rednecks from Alabama and Mississippi know the difference between lose and loose.

http://www.google.co...FxrW45QkoDmszmA

A looser is a loser who can't spell "loser". ... 2. looser. Idiotic way of spelling "loser". Most often used by teens and adults with no more than a 2nd grade grammar ...

Actually I worked the GOM for a while..

nice to see I gave the English Nazi's a chance to get a comment in and show their expertise with the language....maybe a topic for your class tomorrow ?

Thanks for jumping to my defence Soutpeel,

KeyserSoze, you are correct, I mispelled loser, English not being my native language, since I am Australian ... In my defence, I am an Engineer, and it is widely known that Engineers can't spell for shit...

As I qualified later, my dig wasn't against Oil Workers, who I generally find have lots of great stories from all around the world, and who I love drinking with, to excess, aside from the fact that typically I end up falling over before they are even starting... me being a white collar, office boy, manager...

I was having a dig at the multitude of bitter and twisted farang, (sometimes oil workers stuck in The Gulf worrying about what their lady is up to 'back home') who will push someone else down to make themself feel good...

I think you have have proven my point perfectly... thanks...

Cheers,

Daewoo

I expect there might be a bit of leniency for the first few months?

A friend of a friend used to bring in double the allowed amount. He said if they catch you , you have to pay the extra duty on the extra amount you are over. So he figured that it would cost him the same he would pay in OZ...if they asked him. He hasn't been asked for 3 times, nor I would imagine , has he declared them.

Personally I find it a bit dodgy and I just wouldn't want the hassle.

I always take more than the allowance to the UK as there is rarely anybody to check, Australia appears much stricter.

Every time I enter Oz every passengers bags are xrayed, and the dogs are always sniffing around.

Not worth the hassle in Oz, just do the right thing.

http://www.customs.g...te/page4352.asp

From 1 September 2012, the traveller tobacco concession reduces. If you are aged 18 years or over you can bring 50 cigarettes or 50 grams of cigars or tobacco products duty-free into Australia with you. All tobacco products in accompanied baggage are included in this category, regardless of how or where they were purchased.

<snip>

Be aware that if you exceed Australia's duty free concession limits you may be charged duty and tax on all items of that type (general goods, alcohol or tobacco), not just the items which exceed the limits

ripstanley beat me to it.

or some looser farang in the local bar, next village, working on a rig in the gulf but upset that his girlfriend thinks you have a good heart, or that you are happy and he isn't, will report you...

all the looser farangs working rigs in the gulf are long gone, assume your are talking about the Thai gulf as opposed to the gulf of mexico ?....plenty of loosers working there..

I meant The Gulf of Thailand - but equally, based in Thailand and working in Nigeria or elsewhere... or any other full or part time expat who will run you in just because they can... unfortunately there are quite a few who will make themself feel good just by pushing someone else down...

Hi Rik,

From that I can tell, really the only way to make this legal, would be to be employed by your girl, who also employs some Thai's to do the work, and you supervise and train.

The problem you face is that as soon as you make any money, Somchai down the road will get his nose out of joint and report you... or some looser farang in the local bar, next village, working on a rig in the gulf but upset that his girlfriend thinks you have a good heart, or that you are happy and he isn't, will report you...

You get stuffed into a detention centre, deported, and blacklisted... split up from our girlfriend...

Some guys in Chiang Mai, with legitimate visas; and I believe even work permits for other jobs were recently busted for playing music in a bar, without pay, without having a work permit...

Not telling you not to do it, but you must understand the risk and consequence...

Cheers,

Daewoo

An APEC card is an alternative to a business visa. A work permit is not a visa at all.

It allows you to enter a country to conduct business, not to work.

An APEC card is slightly more expensive than two Thai business visas.

I wouldn't enter a country for business on a tourist visa. I wouldn't undertake work on a business visa or APEC card. The company isn't the one that gets a red stamp in their passport.

Hey, if you guys didn't click on the aforementioned link, here is Sunbelt's official response.

"While Thai law does require anyone working in Thailand to have a work permit we have been told by the Labor Department that they generally do not require a work permit for those checking emails and doing some work from home remotely. However, if you are selling on Ebay and have boxes of goods in your home this would be looked at in a different light and we have been told that they would expect you to have a company and work permit for this kind of exporting."

Interesting hearing other opinions. It's good information. There's a possibility that I may not be moving to Thailand yet, my wife's contract job just got extended but the baby is due in January. I hate uncertainty. At this point, I think I'd probably get an IT or computer/art teaching job full time with a work permit and maybe do some game work on the side at night.

I am assuming that sunbelt do not mean Ausralians as Australians with an APEC card do not require a WP please see the thailand / Australian free trade aggreement 2005 quote:

• Thailand will grant a visa and work permit for up to five years' stay for all Australian citizens being transferred to work in Thailand within the same company (to be renewable annually) (previously one year).
  
• Thailand will grant a visa and work permit for up to three years' stay for all Australian citizens entering Thailand to work on the basis of a contract with an Australian or Thai company other than their employer in Australia (to be renewable annually) (previously one year).
  
• Thailand will not require a work permit for Australian citizens who are business visitors conducting business meetings in Thailand for up to 15 days, and up to 90 days for APEC Travel Card Holders.
  
• Thailand will consider applications for visas and work permits submitted by an employer on an applicant's behalf and advise in advance of approval and (with visa to be granted on arrival subject to identity verification).
  
• Thailand will permit all Australian business visitors access to the one-stop visa and work permit service (previously restricted to visitors representing or employed by major investors).
  
• Thailand will permit all Australians who hold work permits to participate in business meetings anywhere in Thailand, including locations not specified in their work permits (previous work permits had to be changed if any work was to be conducted in a location not specified in the permit).
  
• Thailand will reduce the number of documents required from Australians for work permits and renewals and work permits
  

AN APEC Business Travel Card is not as easy to obtain as it used to be.

You need to be a Director of a company turning over $Au500K/pa and or a direct report to a director authorised to sign contracts upto 5million or something along those lines... I used to have a card, and on expiry was no longer eligible... you pay to apply just like any Australian Visa, not to get the card...

I think from a purely 'moving people' measure, Song Tao's are great... frequent, cheap, go pretty close the where you want to go... they could be a bit better organised into routes etc, and obviously from an environmental and congestion point of view, they aren't the best...

Trains and busses only go in the general direction where you want to go... either they are infrequent or inefficient outside of peak times, and you still need a connecting form of transport (either private car, taxi, or song tao) to get from the station/stop to your home... especially if you are carrying anything...

Well David, I'm going to go against the flow here...

I have known many girls from Issan, from poor families, speak good English learnt at public school, and maybe after at college, move to BKK to earn decent money in 'admin' or 'entry level' jobs, and sending money home... Never had farang boyfriends before, been to a 'farang bar', or been on 'the game' in any way...

WU is an typical way for Thai's to move money around, especially if her mum is in a remote area, and doesn't have mobile phone or bank account...

None of what you say is a definitive answer on whether she has been on the game...

Even whether she is conservative isn't going to say, as she might have been witha few Thai guys, or one Thai guy for a long time, who 'opened her eyes'... (but that is what I would be looking out for - her manner)

The only strong indicator would be the amount of 'bedroom language' in English that she knows...

Have a crack, if it looks like a good thing, go with it...

Even Easier if you start off without an engine bay...

I would love to do a 240Z with an RB25/30DET coversion in a rally car... but for dam_n sure it would have to be a race car to start with, because I wouldn't want to butcher one of the few 240Zs still remaining...

I would love to have an early Mercedess SL Convertables like this one

with a Toyota V8 Turbo/transmission and upgraded suspension - classic looks with modern reliability and economy...

Thanks Nomad Joe,

You have given me the impetus to research my Travel Insurance policy a bit deeper...

I understand that the included insurance is largely worthless, but I only wanted cover for the thrid parties medical... I hoped that perhaps the TI Public Liability might cover this, but it doesn't ;

LOSSES WE DO NOT COVER UNDER

SECTION 11 <public liability section>

We will not pay for a liability

(d) arising out of your ownership' date=' possession or use (including as

a passenger) of a mechanically propelled vehicle, or any aircraft

or watercraft;[/quote']

In my experience (and I have looked) none of the rental companies (in Chiang Mai) provide insurance for their 'big bikes', only their scooters... it would be great if they did, because that in itself is a 400,000 baht risk, and I wouldn't ride uninsured in Australia, where the riding isn't as high risk...

I only buy TI to cover my own medical costs, and the policy doesn't refer to local laws...

We will not pay a claim that arises directly or indirectly because of

any of the following:

1. A member of the travelling party:

(d) rides a motor cycle in excess of 100 cc (except as a pillion passenger)

without a licence that is valid in your country of residence;

To answer your question' date=' I bought my IDP from the only recognised issuer in NSW (Australia) the NRMA (our states 'AA'), so it is legit in any country that accepts an IDP... I bought it when I have been using hire cars, as in that case, the travel insurance covers the excess, and I didn't want to give them any excuse to get out (they are insurance companies after all), and because I would have my little kids with me, and didn't want anything bad to happen with cops on the side of the road....

Everything you wrote was going great until this...

Regarding your last question, the statment that an IDP is not needed in Thailand comes from many places. All the lists you find of the UN Traffic Act will say you do nned one, and that may have been true years ago, but that does not reflect the current situation on the ground in Thailand. Police in Thailand do not enforce UN acts, they enforce Thai law as it is defined by them and the courts.

As I stated earlier, ranking police officials have puplicaly stated that a home license in English and with a photo is already an international license valid for a tourist in Thailand. This is why without exception, cops accept them, insurance company's accept them, and rental car companies accept them. Go ahead and call any Thai insurance company or rental company and see if you can get one of them to say you need an IDP. You can't. If you ask any cop if you can drive on your home license in English with a photo as a tourist, they will tell you you can.

The UN Treaty only applies if Thailand is a signatory (I couldn't find evidence that they are)... and like you said, it is what is written in the Thai Law that matters (not even what Ranking Officials have stated in the media)...

I know that Thailand isn't like Australia, where the matter is specifically addressed in law, but I would love to dig up from somewhere the actual evidence... keep it with me, and never need to worry that I didn't worry about an IDP again...

If stopped on the side of the road, I would happily give the cop 500THB, get a photo with him with my thumbs up, and ride off... it is all part of the story for when I get home... What I don't want to happen is to have to go to a police station to pay a fine, and get screwed around...

My understanding is that third party injury insurance is included in the registration of the bike (rental shops responsibility)... and it is not subject to the licence of the rider (since many Thai Nationals also don't have a licence, and to make that a criteria would disadvantage the injured party)...

There is no insurance on the bike... There is no insurance to cover damage to other vehicles... the rental shops don't buy insurance, so that is my own risk, regardless of whether I have an IDP or not...

I have travel insurance to cover my own medical expenses... It is dependent upon me being licenced to ride in Australia, not in Thailand...

When I have hired a car in Thailand, I also bought an IDP, because in that case, Travel Insurance covers the excess on the Hire Company insurance policy... Insurance for Motorbikes are not covered by travel insurance...

The financial risk of crashing whilst riding in Thailand is something that I understand and accept... and isn't impacted upon by whether or not I have an IDP...

Many on here have stated that an Photo licence in English Language is all that is required, not an IDP... I would like to know where that comes from, because personally, I think those people are applying EU Law, US Law, Australian Law to Thailand, and I have never seen evidence that it is the law in Thailand...

I would really like to know exactly what is in Thai Law, and have a copy that I could show the BiB... (as in, direct from the Act, in English and Thai)...

Here in Aus, an IDP is issued by the state based Auto Clubs... they are expensive, and what really gets up my nose is that they charge you double if you aren't a member... and I have no other need to be a member...

I wonder if there is a thread elsewhere on Thai Visa about Dual Pricing???

Just get a license and you wont have to worry about all this other stuff. Should you do it and see how easy it is you will wonder why you bogged yourself down with all this other crap.

Seems you are still hell bent on doing it 'your way' it's coming across as your itching for a fight with the authorities...there will only be one winner mate!!

So good luck.

I am not the OP...

I am not eligible for a Thai licence, as I am not a resident and wouldn't be able to provide any evidence that would say I am... I am a (frequent) tourists who enters on 30 day stamps, or tourist visa's...

I usually come to Thailand with the sole purpose of motorcycle touring, and don't want any hassles.... once I paid for an IDP, but generally, hope to just get way with an Aussie licence, and fine on the side of the road... I would need to be fined 4 times each trip to cover the cost of the IDP...

I would really like to know exactly what is in Thai Law, and have a copy that I could show the BiB... (as in, direct from the Act, in English and Thai)...

Here in Aus, an IDP is issued by the state based Auto Clubs... they are expensive, and what really gets up my nose is that they charge you double if you aren't a member... and I have no other need to be a member...

I wonder if there is a thread elsewhere on Thai Visa about Dual Pricing???

I actually ever tried to look this up - that is how bored I am at work today...

On Gt-Rider there is a sticky thread with the Land Transport Act and Motor Vehicle Act translated into English. It says you need an International Drivers Permit... a link to this...

http://www.bkkriders.com/law/landtraffic.html

The same thread also links to this;

http://www.bkkriders.com/law/motorvehicle.html

Google came up with this document, which is also a translation of the Land Traffic Act,

and another version is here... http://thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0140_5.pdf

neither Land Traffic Act version referrs to licensing or International Drivers Permit...

I couldn't find a second version of the Motor Traffic Act, and I don't know how up to date the version on BKKriders is...

It refers only to an International Drivers Permit, not to any other countries licence being valid... in fact, read as interpretted, it does not say that even an International Drivers Permit, issued overseas, is valid, but that you can apply of an International Drivers Permit...

Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle must apply for a driver's license according to following categories:

1. Temporary license for a private car, three-wheeled car, or motorcycle

2. License for a private car

3. License for a private three-wheeled car

4. License for a public car

5. License for a public three-wheeled car

6. License for a motorcycle

7. License for a roller car

8. License for a tractor

9. License for a motor vehicle not specified in 1. - 8.

10. International Driving Permit for a car or motorcycle

So I have been no help at all... you're welcome...

And I don't think that anyone can walk into 90% of the hospitals in The US without any proof of ability to pay, and expect to be treated... In Australia if you turn up in an ambulance, in an emergency, you would probably be OK...

Looks like you have never been in a US hospital and seen the homeless who turn up wanting a night in bed .... for you grasshopper --->>

Even if they know you are not a citizen/resident entitled to medicare???

I assume that at some point, you are going to be hitting the girly bars…

We aren’t allowed to get into great details here about that side of things, but the most important piece of advice I would give you, in that regards, (aside from making sure you use protection) is two fold…

I suggest you do not go with any girl you meet on the street, or pick up in a ‘normal’ bar/nightclub… If you take them from a bar where they work, they have a mamasan and a bar owner who offer some kind of support if she rips you off… the potential for getting drugged/robbed from a ‘freelancer’ are significantly higher…

And harden your heart to the stories you are going to hear… whilst they might be true, the girl use these stores to extract money, not sympathy…

Only use metered taxi’s, and get them to use the meter… especially from the airport, where they often try to scam you into a higher fare than the meter would be…