Thailaw

1 hour ago, properperson said:

This is the guy you want - Thep and his team can do pretty much everything to a high standard without charging daft prices - Speaks good english too (also lives near mamprachan lake, which is a bonus) .....

 

He did a big (house) renovation project for me and have recommended him many times....

 

Phone - 094 413 6868 (Thep)

 

Facebook link:

 

https://www.facebook.com/suthep.harnsuek.7

 

 

Thanks very much. I will contact him immediately. Your help is very much appreciated. TL

I need to do a major renovation on my house near Maprachan Lake -- the amount of work required is pretty significant. I would greatly appreciate a recommendation (with contact information, please) for a good home repair/renovation contractor in the Pattaya area that you have used or whose work you have seen first hand -- reasonbly priced would be a real plus.  Thanks for suggestions/recommendations.  TL. 

I need a new sofa; the old one looks atrocious. I have found one that I like very much, but it is covered in "PU leather".  I have read that PU leather cracks and peels if left in the direct sun and heat.  I can avoid the direct sun, but heat in Thailand is pretty "normal" -- hard to avoid.  Does anyone have experience with PU leather furniture and how well it holds up in Thailand. Furniture that has been purchased here and not brought from another country would be preferred experience, but any real experience would be appreciated. I assume that if it is otherwise in good condition, recovering is an option when the PU leather is unsightly. If the useful life is 3 years or less, I think I am better off with real leather (at 3+ x the cost) or fabric. It is hard to find good quality sofas in Pattaya/Jomtien. Suggestions on good sofa shops would also be much appreciated.  Thanks a lot for any help/guidance.  TL

45 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You have clear pathway as outlined by uj.

FWIW...obtaining a non O retirement and extensions will be better than the non O-A path.

Just keep in mind that to exit Thailand and reenter you would need to purchase a reentry permit. Can obtain at immigration or airport.

1000 b single and 3800 multiple. 

Thanks, and noted. As I said, I have had a non-O visa (mistakenly referred to as an "O-A Visa", the requirements for which (non-O-A) are clearly more onerous (are there any benefits over a non-O visa?) for more than 10 years.  I always purchase the multiple re-entry permit along with the non-O visa renewal to avoid the need to get it every time I leave, which prior to Covid was frequently.  My visa was going to expire in about 1 month when I left Thailand, so I decided to re-apply for the retirement visa when I returned rather than get the re-entry permit. The process and requirements for the renewal and the original application are almost the same as I see it. Given that I was gone for 3+ months and my non-O visa expired in the middle of that time outside Thailand, I am not sure what I could have done to continue my non-O visa, but if this happens again, I will certainly consider trying to extend my existing non-O visa until I return. In any event, I think I now have a clear and relatively easy path to get a new non-O visa later this week or early next week. 

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

At most offices you could apply for the 30 day extension and the non-o visa during the same trip to immigration.

Requirements for the non-o  visa is here. https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf

There is no insurance required for a non-o visa or the extension of the entry from one based upon retirement.

It is only needed to apply for a Non-OA visa or the extension of the entry from one.

Apparently a mix up of the types of visas used to enter the country.

Thanks very much for the answer. As I recall (after you refreshed my memory), I did the same thing when I first applied for the non-O visa, as immigration started the 1 year for the Non-O visa 30 days after the application for the extension, applying the extension first before the 1 year for the non-O started. I will look at the requirements for the non-O visa, which if insurance is not required, I can satisfy presently, as I maintain an account with a balance of B800,000+ solely for the purpose of visa extension. My concern had been health insurance, which, at my age is an "unnecessary" waste. Thanks very much; you have been extremely helpful in clarifying these points/issues (and saving me several trips to immigration in Jomtien)????. 

59 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot apply for a OA visa while in the country.

You can apply for a non-o visa at immigration and then during the last 30 days you the 90 days the non-o visa will allow you could apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement.

To apply for the non-o visa the 800k baht only has to be in the bank on the day you apply and the for 2 months on the day you apply for the one year extension.

There is not insurance requirements to apply for the non-o visa or the extension of stay.

You will need at least 15 days remaining on the 30 day extension of your 30 day visa exempt entry to apply for the non-o visa.

Thanks very much for the quick reply. If I understand what you have said, I have about 12 days left for my current visa exempt entry, so I will need to apply for an extension of the 30 day visa exempt entry (I should have done that immediately on arrival), and then apply for the non-O visa with at least 15 days remaining for the extension. Correct? Are you sure about the lack of an insurance requirement? I have read in several places that US$50,000 insurance is now required for the retirement (non-O) visa. Before I left Thailand, I checked with immigration in Jomtien, and I was told that the retirement visa (perhaps they meant OA, not non-O) now requires health insurance. Thanks for clarifying this. 

I had an O-A Visa for more than 10 years. I left Thailand on November 2021 and, due to travel problems (testing positive to Covid) and other issues), I did not return to Thailand until late February 2022. My O-A visa expired in late December 2021. As I expected to be gone for more than 1 month, I did not purchase the re-entry permit before I left Thailand. I entered Thailand on a "visa exempt" 30 day permit. Can I now convert my visa exempt 30 day permit into an O-A visa without leaving Thailand? I have the required money (B800,000) in a Thai bank account for more than 3 months. I need the required health insurance. Any suggestions on a good value insurance provider would also be appreciated (I am 70+ yo).  My 30 day permit expires next week; I assume that it can be renewed at least once for an additional 30 days. Thanks for any help. TL 

I just had my swimming pool retiled due to the gross negligence of the last pool cleaning service. I need a new pool cleaning company that will service a pool near Horseshoe Point. Can anyone recommend a pool clearing service that is responsible and provides good service (at hopefully a reasonable price)? Contact information would be very much appreciated. Thanks for any help/recommendations/suggestions. TL

Is there any hospital or clinic in Pattaya or Bangkok (more likely Bangkok) that will give PCR test results and certificate on the same day as the test sample is taken? If yes, name and location please. If not, same question within 24 hours. Thanks a lot. 

On 9/5/2021 at 2:29 PM, FritsSikkink said:

I think you need a license to drive a jet ski.

Quite possible. How does that have anything to do with the questions asked, or the decision to buy a new or 2nd hand jet ski? I have a licence to drive my car and a licence to drive my motorbikes, and, if I need one, I will get a licence to drive my jet ski, assuming that I do, in fact, purchase one. And I expect that the licence and the licence requirements are the same regardless of whether the  jet ski is new or 2nd hand. Next..... 

I want a jet ski. They are not cheap, like all motored vehicles in Thailand. The new ones range from B300,000 to B815,000. 

I new base model, with a 900cc motors, and trailer is B320,000 and the 1600cc motor model is around B500,000. I worry that the base model is too small and slow. I have been considering a 2nd hand "large size" model -- for about B150,000 to B175,000 you can get a 1200cc to 1300cc model from 2007 to 2017. The big issue is condition and hours operated. Sources on the internet say that the "life" of a jet ski is about 300 hours ("high mileage"). The ones that I have seen have 500 hours or more on the clock. There is one Yamaha for sale, a 2007 model with 190 hours for about B180,000 -- the hours used is good, but it is kind of old. Can the hours be "rolled back"?  I like the look of this one, at least the pictures look good.. 

So, my questions are -- how important is hours used? is there a cut off point beyond which you shouldn't consider the ski? Given the risks, should I scrap the idea of a used jet ski and consider only a new one (most of the sellers are Thai, and the skis are probably off-rental)? is maintenance and repair of a jet ski expensive if I were to buy a used one and find out that it has problems? Used motorbikes are not much an issue/risk in Thailand as repair is cheap. Are jet skis the same? 

The information on the internet is worthless and mostly comes from the US, which may not be at all applicable to Thailand.  Thanks for any help/thoughts. TL. 

On 8/13/2021 at 2:38 AM, carlyai said:

Not sure why this should develop into an argument.

1. Buying a new pump recommended by people who have 'been there, done that' seems sensible.

2. Having the correct length of pipe feeding into the pump is in the manufacturers handbook. Even though many people don't seem to do it because of limited space.

So it's really an argument about the choice of English language used not the advice. ????

Thanks for the replies, some quite helpful (some not so much). This is not a new installation. And my pumphouse is rather small, but not very far from the pool. Like Saanim, I am constrained by available space, existing piping (which can be changed, if necessary/helpful with not too much cost), and the fact that there are 2 pumps in the pump room -- one for cleaning the pool and one for the Jacuzzi.  I can see how an 90' elbow almost immediately after the outflow of the pump can put added "work" on the pump and significantly reduce efficiency, but choices with an existing pump arrangement are, by definition, limited, and I am not willing to make a relatively cheap pump replacement into a major redesign/renovation of my poolhouse. The existing pump, which was said by one responder to be on of the "worst pumps you can get", provided service for 10 years, so, if I can repeat that length of service with a relatively cheap pump and the existing piping, I will be satisfied (the elbow is significantly farther from the pump in my pumphouse, but it is not a straight line to the pool).  This is for the jacuzzi which is likely to get less than 30 minutes of use each month by my teenage kids, asymptotically approaching zero (or very close to it) after a few years. Thanks for the input. I feel much more confident about what I am doing and my available choices now. Best, TL 

5 hours ago, Bagwain said:

Yep a Jacuzzi doesn't need a pool pump with a lint basket. Just a powerful circulation pump!

I can supply! 

I accept that the jacuzzi doesn't need the lint basket, but will it cause a problem if it has one? (can't I just remove the lint basket and run the pump without it?) Is there any other difference between the swimming pool pump and the jacuzzi pump? The broken pump on the jacuzzi now appears to have a lint basket (or an area where one would be located) but it is dark/black plastic and not clear like the others. But the pump is labeled as a  "self priming pool pump" (see the picture above). Can you PM me with a price. Thanks. 

5 hours ago, carlyai said:

What is the brand and size (hp) of your blown up motor?

This is the motor that is on the jacuzzi in the swimming pool now. It is 2 HP. I don't know how or why it broke. The swimming pool walla said it was broken, and said that it needed to be repaired or replaced. 

The pump for the jacuzzi in the corner of my swimming pool is kaput. There is a separate pump for the swimming pool itself that is new last year and working fine. The internet shows many swimming pool pumps. There are also a few pumps stated to be specifically for spas or jacuzzis.  Are the pumps interchangeable? The pumps stated to be for spas/jacuzzis (1st photo) are much more expensive -- a 2HP pump around B25,000. There are pumps for swimming pools for B7,000 to B16,000. One on Lazada (2nd photo), is said by the seller to be suitable for spa/jacuzzi use ("Hello, this pump can be used with Jacuzzi pool. Thank you too"). Is this correct? I don't expect that the jacuzzi will get much use; one or twice a month at most, so I would prefer not spending much to get it working. Help will be greatly appreciated. 

On 6/25/2021 at 12:17 PM, Thomas J said:

I see this was posted back in May.  How would you rate your choice now that you have been using it. 

 

I like it a lot. No problems; however, I did have to reconnect the remote almost every time I turned on the TV for a while, but that problem has gone away now (perhaps solved by an upgrade).  It is quick, responsive without lag or buffering, and does what I need. I mainly use it for Youtube, Spotify and Netflix, which all work well. Since it is the only smart box that I own and have used, it is hard/not possible to compare it with other more powerful boxes that are available. As I recall, I paid about B1450, which is reasonable I think for comparable boxes, albeit many other have more memory.  

If you are looking for a new CB500, your options are very limited. The "normal" small motorbike shops are limited to 300cc and lower. The Big Wing shops, in Pattaya owned by Mityon, sell the Honda bikes above 300cc. There may be a small overlap, not sure if both the small bike shops and Big Wing sell the Forza (the small shops do), but the separation by size surely does not reach to 500cc for the small bike shops. Big Wing is your only option.  As mentioned by Kerryd, there is one Big Wing on Sukumvit between Tai and Klang on the Pattaya city side. Service and parts are more expensive than at the small shops, but my experience is that service is generally excellent. I have a Honda CTX700n, which is always serviced at Big Wing Pattaya. When it wouldn't start, 2 mechanics came to my house and had it running in less than 1 minute -- no charge, but I tipped them B1000. They knew exactly what to check and fix. An oil change, with 100% synthetic oil is over B3200; you can buy the oil and filter on the internet and have a small independent repair shop do it for less than half that. There is also a Big Wing in Rayong, but I have never been there, and no doubt 1 in Chonburi city. I expect that there are not more than 3 or 4 within a 100km radius of Pattaya city. Don't expect much of a deal, as there is no real competition between shops.

54 minutes ago, Pib said:

Many Thaivisa posts/threads have discussed this in depth.  Transferwise works just fine...it's safe.  I personally have a Transferwise acct...so does the wife.  Many US folks use Transferwise for transfers to Thailand.

Thanks. I am sure that the topic has been discussed, but the Thai visa search engine is so bad I cannot find the relevant threads -- I have even posted in 1 such thread, as have you (probably many times). Is the transfer through BBK BK NY using ACH still available? Is Transferwise cheaper than bank-to-bank (i.e., do you get more total Baht for a given amount of Dollars)?  Is the Transferwise account relatively easy to set up? Does it require a credit card? Thanks for your help/insights.  

I need to send money from my account at BoA in the USA to my account at Bangkok Bank here in Thailand. Previously, I have sent money to Bangkok Bank's NY Branch via ACH transfer, which is then sent internally within BKK Bank to my account in Thailand. That option may no longer be available. I have read that Transfer Wise may be a good and low cost option. I have never used Transfer Wise, but I have no problem with it if it is safe and relatively easy to set up using a BoA account or credit card. Can someone tell me, based on personal experience, what options are presently available for transferring money from the USA to Thailand and which of the available options is reliable and lowest cost. Thanks a lot for help on this. 

Thanks for all of the helpful replies. I narrowed down my options to the Xiaomi Box S, the Magic See N5 Max, and the T95Z. I much preferred the much larger processing (4GB) and storage capacity (32GB or 64GB) of the Magic See and the T95Z, but it was not certain that either one could properly download and use Netflix. And while Netflix is not the major/only consideration, it is important and I would not want to get a box that cannot download and use Netflix. So, I ordered the Xiaomi Box S from Lazada this evening. I also liked the idea of going to Tukcom and getting a box with all of the apps, including Netflix, preloaded to avoid any doubt, but I am not sure what boxes are available, and with the Xiaomi the doubt is resolved. I will ultimately need at least 1 more box, so if I am not satisfied with the Xiaomi, I will transfer that to a seldom used TV and go with the Magic See or T95z box, and try to confirm that Netflix works on one of those before I purchase it. There is also a X96 Max box, which one reviewer on YouTube called the best value box on the market today. It might be worth a look....   

I have a new very good TV, but it is not a "smart" TV. I need an android "smart" TV box to be able to get Netflix, YouTube and hopefully western news, etc. I have looked on Google and Nvidia Shield TV is the top rated box, but it is very expensive (B10,000 and up), the Xiaomi Box S also gets good ratings, but it has only 2 GB of RAM, and I fear that it will be slow. There is also a T95Z which is rated in the top 5, with 3 GB of RAM, and looks appealing with a B1990 price on Lazada. Lazada has an Allwinner Tx6 box with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM, but 1 reviewer said that his died within 10 months of use. Can anyone recommend one of these or another box available in Thailand that will provide good service and reasonable quality and price? Thanks. 

19 hours ago, ianezy0 said:

Old age, alcohol and scooters do not mix.

RIP.

They do mix quite easily, especially for retired expats with little else to do; the brew can, however, be quite deadly....

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You do not need to do 90 reports if you have a multiple entry non-o visa from a embassy or consulate since you cannot stay longer than 90 days. A 90 day entry is all the visa allows. The fee is 5000 baht for one.

Only a one year extension of stay issued by immigration allows you stay longer than 90 days which requires 90 day reports. The fee for the extension is 1900 baht and the reports are free.

To make the one year "extension of stay" "multiple entry", you will need to get a multiple re-entry permit from immigration, which is good for the remaining period of the extension of stay (they do not need to be obtained on the same date) and for as many exists and re-entries as you desire, and the fees is B3,800, in addition to the B1,900 fee for the 1 year extension of stay (total = B5,700). Of course, there are also age and bank deposit (or embassy verified annual income) requirements for the "extension of stay".