KBTexas

kbtexas

i am in and out of donmuang and suvana numerous times each year, the taxi fares nowadys using toll roads from downtown to airport and vice versa is around 270 baht plus toll.

sometimes a little more because of congestion, road repairs etc.

and i always use meter taxi as well.

perhaps telling the drivers to use toll roads will make some difference.

i am much bewildered reading different posts citing 400, 500 or more per trip.... from and to suvana

are some of the meters rigged?

did the tourist <b>bargain</b> for that fare?

did the tourist mistakenly hire a private party?

did the tourist choose NOT to pay the 50 baht surcharge and opt for an outside taxi instead?

--snip--

as a long time resident here, i really feel terrible hearing visitors and tourists being charged so excessively for a common taxi ride from and to suvana airport.

maybe when posting, po could provide more specificities about any irregular incidents, some readers just might be able to lend a hand one way or the other.

Thanks for the reasoned reply Naka. Since I speak pidgin Thai at best, I let my wife negotiate the prices, but to answer your questions is order:

Don't know about meters, but tolls are included in the prices I quoted.

Yes, my wife bargained for the fare. Perhaps, since she is from Udon Thani and is not used to taking taxi's, they rip her just as badly as they would me.

Not that I am aware of. They were cabs, with meters, sometimes the meters are used, sometimes not.

Yes, we pass the long line at the taxi stand and go to the street to catch a cab. In my experience in the US, this is usually cheaper. I think I may try the 'meter only' approach if it does not lead to too long of a delay. I am seriously tired when I hit Bangkok, and am in no mood to haggle over $5 or $10.

Hey, knowledge is the key. Since you sound reasonable and say the fare should be around 350 baht (with tolls), I will see what I can do next time I arrive. Should be early October if the government doesn't do anything silly about swine flu or the like.

Thanks for the education. I have been overpaying if what you say is correct. Though honestly, I still feel it is a deal at 600-800 baht if I do not have to spend 10 minutes haggling to get that price. ;-)

Heh, my wife once saved me $30 on gifts for friends here, by haggling for a half hour in 90 degree heat, 90% humidity, no air movement, smelling cooking (charred) fish, inside a night market in Bangkok. She just did not understand when I told her I would rather have paid the $30 and gotten into a 'civilized' environment. I did tell her I was proud of her haggling skills, which made her less unhappy. ;-) To her Thai sensibilities, I waste money. Probably true, but I am actually fairly frugal for an American.

Best Regards,

Ken B

700 THB for a 35-40 minute taxi ride is actauly great value

Take that long a taxi ride in London New York or Toronto and see how much it costs

By the way, with no tourists going to phuket, price is down to 450

The point is that we are in THAILAND not in new york or toronto ... a taxi ride from swampy to center bangkok should cost no more than 250-300 baht PERIOD !

when will you guys realize that comparing prices with your home countries is vain and totally off !

Even with a Thai wife who negotiates everything, I've never paid that little for a taxi to downtown. I think 500 baht once, 600 once, 700 once and 1000 once. The 1000 was to be taken to a hotel pretty far away at 1:00 AM, so it did not bother me at all. And yes, I do tip...sorry if that is unreasonable to you.

And how is comparing what you know to something else 'vain and totally off'? In most places, that is called experience.

I've also taken the taxi ride from Heathrow to downtown that the other poster spoke of, and it was NOT cheap by any sense of the word. In NYC you couldn't go 2 miles for what they charge you to go from Suv to downtown. As I said in my post, it is $70 for a taxi from my house to the airport, about 16-18 miles. So when someone charges 20 bucks to take me 18-22 miles, I am really not going to complain. If you would rather play taxi bingo until you find that mythical fare, more power to you, but I usually arrive in Bangkok after 24 hours on a plane, and all I want is to get to the hotel...even if it cost $5-10 more! It really all is relative, and if I am going to spend a vacation in Thailand, $20 bucks is not going to make much of a dent in the outlay.

Peace out,

Ken B

Is it my imagination, and I don't mean to offend here, but our USA visitors seem happier to pay "over the odds" for their taxis as well as giving hefty tips too?

If everyone just went to the correct taxi desk and took a ticket, there would be no mafia at the airport. That said, I prefer the fun and games of the negotiation at departures. It prepares you for everyday life in Thailand.

Taxi's in Thailand are a very good value compared to the US. If I took a taxi from my home to the airport (18 miles) it would cost ~$70/2400 baht. I can get a taxi in Bangkok that takes me downtown or to Don Muang (yeah, I know, no more, but for comparison purposes) from Suv for ~1000-1200 baht. I am not going to complain about this price when it would be double or more here. Maybe it is overpriced to folks who live there year round, but it is a bargain if you're used to taxis here. It is all relative as to your frame of reference.

Best Regards,

Ken B

I had assumed the bank in KBTexas's OP is in the USA.

from the above link:

Thanks jazzbo. Good information.

Indeed the bank is in the US. I had my wife sign while she visited, but our embassy refuses to allow my buddies fiance to come here to visit. You know, those subversive school teachers and all. ;-) So she needs to sign the document to be all legal like for the bank. Of course, the bank makes no adjustment for the fact that notaries are not common in other parts of the world.

Again, thanks for the info.

Best Regards,

Ken B

There's a lawyer (with english sign on house) in Udon Thani,

this is just opposite the main entrance to Thum Si-Muang, facing the chinese temple archways,

the lawyers cottage house is between a noodle shop and a furniture shop.

Think they quoted something like 3,000 bht for notary work,

... can bargain first, ... sorry, cant remember his name

Thanks jerrylee. 3000 baht is still a bit steep to notarize, but better than 5000. Do you know if Thai banks have notaries, or if it is even legal for anyone besides a lawyer to do notary work in Thailand?

Best Regards,

KBTexas

A friend of ours sent his fiance some papers that need to be notarized. Unfortunately, notary does not seem to translate to Thai, and no one there seems to understand the concept. She asked a lawyer, who wants 5000 baht to take care of it.

So, a couple of questions:

Are there such a thing as notaries in Thailand? Does anyone know the Thai word for a notary or their service?

Where would you find one in Udon Thani? It is a simple bank paper for a dual account so she can use an ATM card in Thailand. Can banks notarize there?

Any help offered would be greatly appreciated!

KBTexas

Thanks for the answers guys. I do appreciate your taking the time to provide them.

I am not too worried about my wife as we do get along well...but there is a cultural difference and ya never quite know what time will bring, so I figured I might as well ask. Good, clear information that is useful. ;-)

Best Regards,

Hi folks,

Thanks for all of the replies. It has cleared up some of the confusion, especially on the retirement vs marriage visa thing. :-)

So, another silly question...I love and trust my wife a lot, but if your wife owns the house 100%, does anything protect you from being tossed out if she gets angry?

Best Regards,

Good info folks...thanks for sharing and your comments make me feel better that I can make it on the 'retirement' I'm gonna get to in 2-4 years.

A few questions for any American ex-pats (or others if you wish to chime in):

Looking at houses for sale in Udon Thani, I get the idea of what I think of as 'normal' is not all that normal in Thailand. e.g. kitchens seldom are shown with ranges/ovens and bathrooms are seldom shown with tubs, let alone jacuzzi tubs (my wife's only real request). Is that the case, or is it just that there is something 'lost in translation' on the web pages I visit? I am neither rich nor live a luxurious lifestyle, but I think A/C is a must, and hot water is NOT a luxury, either in the bathroom or in the kitchen sink! I also do not consider running water and toilets luxuries. Maybe a silly question, but being raised on a farm I know even here it is not ALWAYS a given, but do most houses hook into a sewer system or septic tank?

What are the basic rules for buying a house as a farang with a Thai wife? Does she own the property, being Thai, and you cannot legally own it? Are bank rates for short term (10-15 year) real estate loans decent in Thailand if you have funds to back up the loan in your account? Are bank loans even available to farangs in Thailand? Since I've never lived in Thailand for extended periods and have only visited for holidays, please forgive me if I ask stupid questions. But hel_l, it IS a totally different world than Dallas, TX and Udon Thani is different from a luxury hotel in Phuket. :-D

I *THINK* I need 800k in the bank for the 'retirement' visa that basically has to be left alone, and 400k and 40k income if married to a Thai national? (I get really confused reading all the info about visas in Thailand...so anyone who wishes feel free to enlighten me) If you were giving advice (which I ask for freely), what would you tell fellow American's who were going to move to Thailand? What will be the major areas that you think all American's would have the hardest time adjusting to? I am pretty social, get along well with the Thai people I have met (mostly my wife's friends and family), and respect other peoples ideas and culture.

Yes, I know I ask a lot of questions...and I actually do read a lot of the threads on ThaiVisa, so if you roll your eyes and think 'not again', please feel free to not answer. ;-) I would appreciate any and all comments though.

Best Regards,

I've read threw most of this postings and am I am at a lost for words why

1. People complaining about ATM Fees ( if your not willing to pay the fee don't use the atm machine period ) If you feel its to much to pay that fee please dont travel anywhere period. Just stay at home.

A very helpful post sir. How about because I still live and work in the US and my wife lives and works in Thailand? See the problem?

Personally, if you work in the hotel industry, then perhaps your attitude is part of the problem. I do hope I never have to stay where you work. Not everyone fits into neat little pigeon holes. If you're not willing to listen and understand, then why blame the posters?

Best Regards,

Visa charges 1%, not 3%. The bank that issued the card is keeping the other 2%.

The 150 baht the Thai banks charge is fine, if you can take out 20,000 or 25,000 baht at a time.

Those of us with UK bank accounts can only take out about 15,000 at a time though because of the UK's shit £300 daily ATM withdrawal limit.

And the UK bank is generally (except the Nationwide) far worse than the Thai bank on this end.

The Nationwide is about to charge 1% on foreign transactions, simply because this is what visa charges them (and they've decided to stop having free foreign cash advances as a loss-leader).

One thing I am worried about - every so often, you come across a machine which has run out of 1,000 and sometimes 1,000 and 500 baht notes invariably next to a machine that isn't working on a Sunday when the banks are closed. The 150 baht is far nastier if the bank's ATM only has 100 baht notes in it, so you're limited to withdrawing 2,000 baht. (The 150 baht is per ATM withdrawal after all).

If you're taking out money a lot, get a local bank account, and so long as your home bank lets you do international transfers, you can do a monthly transfer for your regular expenses. (My bank in the UK now only charges £9.50 for international telegraphic transfers, and so long as you let the Thai bank do the FX conversion, you're better off than going to the ATM here 4 times now (twice if you include that particular banks charges on foreign ATM withdrawals along with the new Thai charges)... and you still have your regular foreign card as a backup if you find you haven't transferred enough.)

Visa here in the US used to charge 2% for foreign transactions and just upped it to 3% in March. Visa, not the bank. The bank then decided to supplement our taxpayer dollars by charging a $5 ATM fee for all ATM's not belonging to our bank. So basically, it is as I said, $5 + 3% PER TRANSACTION! If all she does is look to see what the balance is, it is $5, which I consider really rather greedy! I have looked at other banks...no go. Thai banks do not honor Certified Checks from American Banks, and it takes approximately 45 days to clear. I get Certified Checks for free, but the time it takes Thai banks to clear them makes them not a good alternative. US Banks in general charge a $40 transaction fee PER EFT TRANSFER to a foreign bank so again, an expensive alternative for getting funds to Thailand.

If anyone here is aware of a US Bank that is more amenable to foreign transactions, I certainly would like to hear of them. Wachovia used to be a good bank before they had to sell out to Wells Fargo!

Best Regards,

So the tourist arrives thinking wow what a deal and then they are charged 150 baht fee for using a ATM in Thailand. Ridiculous

Love this place -but it makes me crazy

I wish I could get away for 150 baht. I have an account for my wife that she uses to withdraw money from the ATM, and our BANK charges $5 (~175 baht) + Visa charges 3%, and that is PER TRANSACTION! (I had to tell her to stop looking to see what the balance was!) If she uses the card at a store, the charge is a straight 3% from Visa. So it is not just Thai banks that see the ATM as a profit center.

I bought one of the oil filled radiator ones from Global in Udon last year and I've seen them there this year. It works quite well. Has a built in fan and a thermostat. I got the 1500 watt one which is big enough for the bedroom but they have bigger ones too if you need it. As best I recall I paid just under 2,000 baht for it.

Thanks for the info fremmel. Yes, I told her to get an oil filled one, but she bought the ceramic one. The fan bothers her at night. ;-) The salesman at the hardware store told her they only had the one she got and the Bionaire though, so she bought the ceramic one he showed her. I think the oil filled one would work better for her needs, but I am not there to buy it for her. The one she got is not thermostatically controlled, so basically it is on and off, high or low. When it is on, the fan always runs. I assume the oil filled ones are like radiators, and do not have a fan? Ah well, it will keep the chill off on the colder nights, and perhaps keep her from having as many colds.

KB

Udon also has oil radiator models. German made. I have seen them at the hardware store across the street from SCB on Prajak road.

Thanks for the info mackayae. My wife stopped by that store and bought a heater. Good info! I appreciate it.

Udon also has oil radiator models. German made. I have seen them at the hardware store across the street from SCB on Prajak road.

Thanks! I will also pass this along to my wife and she can stop in and see what they have. I appreciate the info!

ts2000.co.th

Timsaeng 2000 Co., Ltd.

02-919-7373-5

02-518-3183-5

I have bought four electric space heaters from them. They ship via EMS. They sell Bionaire space heaters and usually have three models in stock. They are good quality, but expensive, about 7000 baht. My oldest one is about 10 years old and still going strong.

Thanks very much for the reply! I will take a look and see what they have.

Just curious because of the title, what on earth are space HATERS ?? But all clear now, goodluck in finding one.

Heh, oops. I did not notice the typo, obviously. ;-)

I tried unsuccessfully for 3 years all over Thailand and on thaivisa to buy one -- just NOT available. My solution, last month a friend brought one back from UK for me as over on the Mekhong we are a bit colder than Udon. Used it 3 times so far just before going to bed and it's just the ticket.

Heh...that is pretty amazing to me. 12-13c is a bit cool, so you would think they would be available. I guess I can see how much the Post Office would charge to send one to her. And yes, that is exactly what I thought she could use it for...to keep the chill off when she slept. Thanks for the info.

My wife catches a cold every year about this time when the temperatures fall. I asked her to go find a space heater to warm her room, but she complains that it is not cold long so she does not need one. She asked at Robinsons at the mall and at an electric store near her house, but whether she just does not know what they are, and therefore how to ask for them in Thai, or whether they do not exist in Udon Thani, I do not know. She said Robinsons tried to sell her a water heater, as did the electric store.

So, my question to the group is, do space heaters 750/1500 watts exist in Udon Thani? If so, can anyone tell me where to get them? I think I would prefer the quartz infrared heaters, but at this point, I think any would do. If you can point me to a store that sells them, I would appreciate it. I could have sworn that Robinsons would carry them.

Best Regards,

There is a lady that teaches small groups. She might give private lessons. You could ask. She helped my fiancee improve her English skills considerably, and best of all she is not very expensive compared to some others we talked to. Her name is Fon. ***please pm Tutone for information*** Tell her that Ron and Nang recommended her. Hope this helps.<br />

Thanks for the heads up tutone. I will pass this information to my wife. I am fairly surprised that it seems hard to find someone to teach conversational English in Udon, but maybe Fon can help.

Again, thanks.

KB

Sawasdeekrap,

My wife is Thai. I am looking for a teacher for her to help her with conversational English and pronunciation. She is quite competent with the written language and syntax, but understanding her, and her understanding me, does present problems at times. She also could use some help in understanding the meaning of words, since many are based on a culture she has only a little experience in. I am not a teacher, so I tend to get frustrated after 2-3 correction attempts, and then she gets upset, so a teacher is perhaps the best way for us.

And yes, I am also trying to learn Thai, but I am just starting that, and Thai ain't easy. ;-) I figure in a year or two I will be able to speak it like a Thai kindergarten student, if I am lucky! The very slight (to my ear) differences that mean different words makes me think I might not ever get it.

If anyone knows of someone in Udon Thani that gives private lessons in conversational English, I would appreciate the information.

Best Regards,

KB

AEK Udon hospital

042 342555 Ext. 1199 ( Ask for the dental department ) to make an appointment for a ( non obligatory ) consultation.

Dr.Daungporn has been my dentist for several years now and has proven to be very good.

marshbags

Thank you very much marshbags. I will pass this along to my wife. I am sure she will appreciate it a lot.

Best Regards,

My wife needs a root canal on a molar and some cosmetic filling dentistry done on her front teeth. When she went to her dentist, she was told he would need to pull the teeth, including the front ones. I am not a dentist, but this seems very severe for a cavity, and a root canal seems more in order to me on the molar. The teeth look good otherwise. Can anyone recommend a dentist in Udon Thani (or even Bangkok) that does Western style dentistry and tries to save the teeth instead of just pull them?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Best Regards,

I booked my flight for October a month ago, and chose a different airlines. AA wanted $2700 for the 1-stop flight, Korean offers a 1-stop for $300 less than I paid AA last year. Hopefully they will still be flying in October. The total cost for the Korean flight was $1466. I paid American $1780 last year.

Heh...I have worked all of my life. I am not sure I CAN retire. Of course, I would not open the cafe without looking around and seeing if it could at least pay the bills. And yes, I was planning on a tourist area, not the expat community, to provide the traffic for the business. I would gladly pay 200 baht for a pastrami sandwich when I was hungry for a pastrami sandwich. I love Thai food, but when I am there, I would often like something a bit more homey. We went to a French restaraunt in Bangkok that was excellent, but also extremely expensive. My wife thought I was nuts paying that much for one meal. And to her way of thinking and in her culture, I fully understand that. (and she really did not much care for the food...it was too rich and 'strange' for her)

Maybe I am not the norm, but I think there has to be something to focus your effort, even retired. But then, as you so eloqently point out, it may just be a pipe dream. It will be a while before I will retire, and it will be a while after that before I decide what I wish to do. Heck, according to what was written above, I may not be able to do anything if work permits for farangs are hard to get. I have some other ideas, but I will have to find out what is and is not allowed from full-time farangs. This is one of the primary reasons I read this site. It is good information from people who live there.

Thank you for explaining your thinking on this. I do appreciate it. And no, I have absolutely NO interest in opening a bar. (closing one, maybe!)

Best Regards,

KB

But I still would like to know why a small western style cafe/deli is a bad idea.

If you are planning to move and retire here (as mentioned in your original post) - make sure you have enough money and a solid retirement income (from your savings and Social Security) to support you and your wife for the rest of your life so you can enjoy your retirement, gardening, play golf, go fishing, or hunting. Why bother with opening up a business such as a Western Style cafe/deli which requires a lot of money to open and gives you very little return (if there is any). If you are going to open a western style deli, I'm assuming you will be moving to an area where there are a lot of western tourists and expats (Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, or Chiang Mai). These areas are already inundated with cafes - mind you some are quite good, and most are NOT. Also consider western style supermarket such as CarreFour, Tesco Lotus, and Villa Supermarkets are also now selling cold cuts, imported cheeze, etc. Most of the farangs living here are on a tight budget (I'm going to get a lot of heat for this comment) - and they are NOT going to pay 200 baht for a New York Style Pastrami sandwich. Commercial properties in cities such as Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket are NOT very cheap - a 100sq meter commercial space in a high traffic zone (where I would think a Western Style Deli should be located) can go anywhere from 30K baht and UP + Key Money which can start from 360K baht up front. 7 out of 10 new businesses go out of business in the first year - for a restaurant it is 9 out of 10. The above is just my opinion, but I've done a lot of homeworks on the pros and cons of opening up a small business here in Thailand. NOW if are a sadomasochist - try open up a host bar or a go go bar