bellagrego

We are buying a house from a developer and may get a mortgage from a bank. I've read all of the posts that I can find on usufructs but cannot find anything definitive on having a usufruct with a bank mortgage. Some posts state that <a> banks won't loan money with a usufruct in place and others state that <b> once the bank has a lien on the property that you cannot get a usufruct. Catch 22. Meanwhile there are posts saying that to fully protect yourself that you should get a mortgage and have a usufruct. Obviously these posts seem contradictory.

Could it be that <a> or <b> above is not true?

Or is there some way to do both? I.e. can the usufruct be in second position so that it is only valid once the mortgage is paid off?

I have an appointment with a lawyer next week so I would like to be as prepared as I can before the meeting.

Any suggestions on how this might work would be much appreciated.

Grin

Edit: tried to fix problem with parens and emoticons

I think you are way off the mark on the usufruct as a method of personal protection. I would opt for a Thai company formation or a lease back from spouse for that purpose. You are domed to lose all your investment should you spit with the gal, which you have a 50-50 chance to do, at best.

What ever you do, get a translation in English, and an English speaking lawyer.

be careful with your money, money number 1, you about number 5

bella

year 5 in Thailand

year 4 with ione gal

year 1 on house building

We are buying a house from a developer and may get a mortgage from a bank. I've read all of the posts that I can find on usufructs but cannot find anything definitive on having a usufruct with a bank mortgage. Some posts state that <a> banks won't loan money with a usufruct in place and others state that <b> once the bank has a lien on the property that you cannot get a usufruct. Catch 22. Meanwhile there are posts saying that to fully protect yourself that you should get a mortgage and have a usufruct. Obviously these posts seem contradictory.

Could it be that <a> or <b> above is not true?

Or is there some way to do both? I.e. can the usufruct be in second position so that it is only valid once the mortgage is paid off?

I have an appointment with a lawyer next week so I would like to be as prepared as I can before the meeting.

Any suggestions on how this might work would be much appreciated.

Grin

Edit: tried to fix problem with parens and emoticons

Ah, Grassshoper.

There are endless opportunities for living in Thailand. All I have explored took me eventually to Esaan in the end. It's all about your likes and dislikes. Pollution in Bangkok or Chaing Mai is horrible if you have breathing problems. Phuket is the star for me, but a little pricey. Love the ocean, need some amenities, that is the place.

Girls. Pattaya has the best selection and everything else. Lived there four years. Cost is same a s Phuket in general for everything. For low budget, Go Udon Thani. Lots of expats, gals, and esaan prices. I live 150 K from there where there is little for entertainment, western food or falangs, but where you can build a 4br house for $30K US or less.

Good luck and enjoy it all

bella

I visited this place last week and my observations are as follows:

Clean place and nice people

Offerings not up to my standards and I drove 350 km to buy his meats. No American , Australian, or Argentine beef. Just some frozen Thai-French beef from Sakon Nakhon. Tried that all ready to my disappointment.

Wanted to buy a ham, a whole ham, a real ham, Virginia, Tennessee, Honey, Smoked, or salted. Sorry, no have, just some very old freezer burned stuff from god knows where that had passed it's expiration date long ago.

In am afraid the guy is doomed in this market due to limited stock and limited turn over.

The pastries were less than appealing and grossly overpriced.

A big letdown for me as I crave a good steak and some quality corn fed pork for my clan.

Guess I will soon be inn the meat business.

I am looking for somewhere that sells Viagra in Udon Thani and how much ? Any ideas ?

Every clinic can supply an assortment of products from Viagra to Cialis. There are dozens of clinics, just ask anyone of them. the price varies based on Legit, copied, or generic. Kamaga is the current common name and is as potent at Viagra in 50-100 doses. Be careful with 100, it's too much and will give you one hel_l of a headache. I would pass on the viagra and kamaga and opt instead for cialis or it's generic version. 10-20 mg. Pill form and get some gells for five minute response. Watch that stuff, it's potent. safest is the cialis at 10 mg. Last for 36 hours and not bad side effects .. Stay away from the street offerings if possible. It's all copies from here , there, and everywhere. Varible consistency in dosage and some is just colored asprin.

Another busted adventure into the specialty field. I rode those monsters as well as near everything produced on two wheels over the last 50 + years, ? This thing was domed from day 1 when Harley bought him out. It was just a weird attempt at customization of the old bucket Harleys. The thing handled goofy and unstable in every department. A lot of torque for sure but why bother on the poor old dated engine design. I sold my Harley stock the day after they pissed away some scratch on this loser. As to Harley in general. you just have to love em, ride em , to understand it. It is one ponderous pachyderm but a wonderful treasure to cruise the boulevard.

bella

Just a suggestion from a potential attendee. One might consider pertinent facts, the basis of communication.

Where, Exactly,

When

Why

bella

Just a note to my fellow contributors on this forum.

The information I have gleaned here has been a great help in over coming the limited communication available via any other means.

Falangs are indispensable to each other in that regard. From building a house to buying a car and everything in between, you can find it here.

I have tried to repay that help with any opportunity to share my expertise in my areas of study and experience.

thanks again

I need to buy a new all-in-one printer and looked around in Panthip yesterday.

4 models caught my eye:

HP Photosmart Premium. 11,700 THB (A4 - Full duplex - Bigger print dpi colors - higher cost ink)

HP Officejet Pro 8500. 12,900 THB (A4 - Duplex {print only} - Cheaper ink)

Brother MFC-5890CN. 8,490 THB (A3 - No duplex - small paper tray)

Brother MFC-6890CDW. 18,990 THB (A3 + {Full?} duplex and bigger paper tray)

Apart from that I know that some models support bluetooth, wireless, and print-on-cd but I'm not much interested in that.

The main thing that interests me

1) Is the ink waterproof? I heard from a vendor that the ink was waterproof but I've seen so many printers that I don't remember which one it was about.

2) I like the 2Y warranty on the Brother (as opposed to HP's 1y). How are your experiences with HP printers beyond their 1 year warranty?

3) What is your experience with these machines?

I'm still considering if I should buy the A3 brother as it is quite a premium and it might be cheaper to have things printed out in a print shop (see my other post).

I will order a printer on Wednesday.... Gosh.. that means today....

The last poster summed up the pros and cons. I will add my two-cents worth.

I have an Epson, Hp. Brother, and lexmark and Canon.

For photo reproduction "canon or Hp only, 6 color, photo quality archive ink cartriges EXPENSIVE but worth it to me.

For mass printing, Lexmark with ink feeders

4in ones are not the best choice for anything but general non photo work

Brother I agree is at the bottom of the food chain

bella

Any experiences, suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks

[

Correct me if I am wrong, the "AK-47's" availible in the US are not real AK's....the US "version" is a 5.56mm cal, while a "pukka" Russian/Chinese AK-47 is a 7.62mm Cal. And also believe they are all semi-auto, and it is illegal to modify these assault rifles to fully automatic, license or not....

All versions are available & legal in the US

Crappy firearms though & you can do much better.

The only good thing about a crappy AK is the tolerances are so sloppy they fire

in all conditions.

Just to correct some statements by this contributor.

I live in the USA

Hold a federal transfer permit

Hold a concealed weapon permit

Teach gun safety and laws that apply

Assault rifes, ie. full auto, of any kind are not legal in the USA but thier sporterized verisions are,as simi-auto single trigger pull fire one shot.

Exceptions apply as in law enforcement, etc

Federal lic to own is not $100 for an auto and near impossible to obtain

As for crap AK47, He is full of it. Maybe the best killing machine ever. Kicked our ass in Nam.

Russian version a fine piece

China, poland, others, quality sucks but still does the job.

Go to a range, rent one, put in a 50 round clip and get out of the way. hang on.

bella

I read mentioned in other threads that one should not expect Western standards in building quality in Thailand. Is it possible at all though to obtain in Thailand (or only possible by using Western builders at Western prices, if at all)?

In many respects Thais build a better house than we in the west using their own standards and designs. Consider my home, now under construction in Sakon Nakhon. Reinforced,rebar concrete, with steel superstructure topped with concrete tile and solid hardwood frames. Compare that to my US built stick house made from the cheapest pine 2x4s, thin slab, and shingles on top, with sheetrock walls, and thinset tile. Get my point. My Thai house will last centuries, my house in Louisiana may last 50. On workmanship, the key is not to use contract labor but daily wage craftsmen emphasizing time is not an issue but quality is paramount. Everything will not be perfect and it never was in America. here. I have no contractor and watch the work daily and my wife translates my designs and instructions. This is my first total house build but have done renovations and smaller projects before. Best of all, I can do it all. Carpentry, plumbing, tile, electric and the rest. Some things I just take over when necessary.

The

Thais come around the village and ask a lot of questions about the crazy falang they see in Thai pants busting his ass with the crew.

good luck and think positive over here. Give the workers respect and a beer too.

russ

I am sure someone has tried all this before so give me the scoop.

I live in Esaan and want to go into lao and Vietnam on my wheels.

Is this possible, and if yes, how to proceed ?

I would cross at Mukdahan.

thanks

russ

Hi, Fellow car seekers.

This new sleek cool car is another attempt to hijack your cash on an inferior product with little or no zip. Mitzi is notorious for building crap 4 bangers the world over. The prices are grossly inflated as well due to the heavy 35% excise plus some add ons if less than 60% Thai content.

I am looking at everything out there and my conclusion is buy a honda or a toyota and forget the rest.

I have been in the business for a lifetime at every juncture and see this basically as a no brainer.

Now,if I can just find some dealership with an English speaking salesman.

russ

It's time for some new tyres for the truck, just in time for the rainy season...

The standard tyre size is 245 x 16 x 70's.

However the shop has some bigger ones, 265 x 16 x 70's - should I go for these, or stick with the standard size?

The bigger ones are BF Goodrich. Are these a decent brand? Do I spend a few hundred baht more, or save my money?

Any advice is appreciated!

Matt.

Matt, here is my advice based on 35 years in the auto business, sales, service tba. plus size will accomplish zero results in the positive.

The negatives are: speedometer gear will be incorrect giving you a plus 6% or so error. larger diameter., possible turning interference in the well. 1-2 degree offset in the wheel camber that will cause uneven tire wear and shorten tire life if not realigned. Additional cost of replacement with no benefits.

All suspension is pre-selected to match a specific tire size.

russ

IN A FEW WEEKS TIME WILL REQUIRE WORKERS FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, SHOP AND RESTAURANT WORK

ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED

The pay rates in sakon nakhon are : laborer 120-150, skilled labor 180-250. Tile , steel, concrete, wood.

Be careful with contract rates for full job as the cost will well exceed those day rates and the quality will be very poor in comparison.

I am 70% complete on 1500 sf using the above rates. My total labor cost stands at 150,000 baht.

watch the work in progress as communication is nearlky impossible even using a thai translator

russ

Newbie, I call you that as you are in denial on this one. First, you are giving away way to much money for the pleasure of your wifes company. Second, She and or her family is taking you for a ride. Cancel the card, save your money and watch your ass. Thirdly, and last. Only they have the pin number and only they are getting your cash, not some phantom thief.

welcome to Thailand

rtuss

Ok upset thai wife and sleepless mother in law situation and that is not good for me!

UK Nationwide flex account card, in wife's name, sent to Amnat Charoen.

For over 3 years, wife puts money in everry month, Mother-in-law takes it out.

Last weekend, M-I-L tried to withdraw 15,000 baht....says...trying to withdraw too much....pressed cancel...no cash, no receipt.

Checked account online from UK. Statement shows 15,000 withdrawn on that date.

Siam commercial say cannot check records as UK card.

Nationwide say nothing they can do unless wife fills out transaction dispute form, which she is reluctant to do as they want her to confirm it was her using the card (she has already told them she will be using the card regularly in thailand).

Police in Amnat say only wife can issue complaint. We are not going home until April.

Somrthing very fishy about all this, anyone else experienced anything similar, any advice on way to persue issue in the face of such incalcitrance and obfusctaion?

Someone , somewhere is taking the proverbial and it just can't be that we just take this as a fact of life.

M-I-L has always been told to check ATM looks kosher, have had experience of tampered ATMs before but this seems different and stinks to high heaven. Can you trust what the ATM tells you and do you have any comeback when you've been stolen from?

thanks for listening,

Phee Nick

Hi, Guys, I was the first customer at the new office. No problem and nice people. 1 young lady and an police officer most of the time. Speak English, Deutche or French ? Nah. Bring your girl. Did a residentcy certificate and 90 day report. Nice folks.

Thanks to the serious responders on my inquiry. All of us don't have the luxury of unlimited funds. The data supplied by you guys is helpful to me and maybe others as well. I guess 30 years in business is responsible for my attention to details and cost. As I use to tell my buyers "Hold em down to what they ask for ".

GENTLEMEN FARMING, seems to be out of the question here as all of the posters have stated. There is just no way,to get a return on your money equal to the bank at any percent. We all have ideas of giving our Thai gals self-substinance, but it just Ain't gonna happen here. I have done my research, have some experience in farming, agriculture, and business and the bottom line is, no way hosse" it you could steal the land, get free labor, and be a great straw boss, your chances of making a profit are slim at best.

Production land cost here is 4X that of America. Production per rai if dismal. My area, Louisiana, produces nearly 3X times per rai. My Thai wife has rice land, a little, wants more, surprise. I am going to buy instead, 2 pigs, 2 chickens, a milk cow, and a bad dog to watch them.

russ

It would be helpful to determine some real data from owners out there, It's all bs from the manufacturers, Posted 12-20 on the new city, same on the vios. a lot of variables for sure but overall real use should be around 15. What is your opinion ? Same on the trucks. Can't get facts , just guesses.

If one factors in am 18% added cost for petrol due to government subsidies and price fixing, as well as the nearly 20% efficientcy of diesel engines over petrol, it appears it is a wash between the two in operating cost per km. In addition, the gross excise tax differiental of 28% to own an auto (35 cars, 7 trucks), seems to rule out cars completely. Your thoughts ? Insanity seems to dictate buyers choices by the manipulation of free market principals, and the control of pricing of fuels to achieve some advantage in a market for the trucks. An application of fairness balanced against enviromental issues would facilitate over all lower emissions by using autos to carry people with less weight and efficient turbo'diesel auto engines.

russ

Another in my series of irreverent reviews of the culinary offerings in this fair city.

Eddies Place on the NaKae road. Thai name, don't have a clue.

Evening started out Ok. Nice looking place with a karoke set-up and a pretty garden. Only one other customer. Two,well on their way to blind-stupid drunk, Thai guys

Three attentive waitresses , one of which was simply to say, stunningly beautiful.

We ordered two dishes, shrimp with vegetables, and shrimp with garlic. They arrived wearing a orchid. Nice touch. Shrimp were tiny, I mean really small. Taste about on a level of 3 or 4 due to the diminutive size and the slight over-cooking of the garlic ones. The portions were small as well and required another order of food. we are small eaters but those dishes, even with rice,m left an empty stomach. We ordered beef with vegetables. The meat that arrived had did not resemble beef nor anything else I ever saw. The vegetables were omitted as well. A bite into the mystery meat near broke my teeth as it was beyond chewable. You couldn't cut that stuff with a hack saw. We asked for checkbin. Before the check arrived , a waitress opened another coke and filled my glass without my knowledge nor consent. That padded my bill for another 35 baht bringing the total to 335 baht., I blew off any protesty as that is a waste of time and energy as you all know. I just paid for the bad beef and the unordered coke and we took our leave.

Eddie has been there a while, I was told. Maybe it's the cute place, the cute waitresses, or the short time rooms, it isn't the cuisine, I assure you.

bella

Just gotta step back and laugh at these baby Iron Butts.

Did a double on a wideglide from New orleans to los angeles non-stop. That's 2000 real miles. A lot of coffee, a few other stimulates, and hammer down with two other guys. Stopped only to eat, pee, and stretch. 31 hours. Returned via portland, sturgis, four corners. One hel_l of a ride.

So, watch yourself out there and those head-on buses and goofy Thai lunitics.

russ

Cheers Russ,

I've done a few thousand plus mile rides in the States as well- piece of cake with wide American roads and not a soi dog, water buffalo, head on bus or goofy Somchai maniac driver in site. Riding after dark in the US- no worries (unless you're in deer country). Thai roads are a lot more dangerous and challenging so I think starting with a metric Iron Butt is a good start. Do you have a bike here in Thailand? Going to join us?

Happy Trails!

As with so many of us, we tend to live in the past and wish our bodies could be as hard as our di**s. I envy those who still can and still do. At 71 , my best miles are behind me . I still ride everyday as I have for over 50 years. I wish you guys all the best and did not in any way, challenge the feat nor the diminish the accomplishment. Ride on, ride safe, and may the Iron gods watch over you.

russ

Tony.

Just gotta step back and laugh at these baby Iron Butts.

Did a double on a wideglide from New orleans to los angeles non-stop. That's 2000 real miles. A lot of coffee, a few other stimulates, and hammer down with two other guys. Stopped only to eat, pee, and stretch. 31 hours. Returned via portland, sturgis, four corners. One hel_l of a ride.

So, watch yourself out there and those head-on buses and goofy Thai lunitics.

russ

Cheers Russ,

I've done a few thousand plus mile rides in the States as well- piece of cake with wide American roads and not a soi dog, water buffalo, head on bus or goofy Somchai maniac driver in site. Riding after dark in the US- no worries (unless you're in deer country). Thai roads are a lot more dangerous and challenging so I think starting with a metric Iron Butt is a good start. Do you have a bike here in Thailand? Going to join us?

Happy Trails!

Tony

Who's up for a Metric Iron Butt?

1000+ kilometers in a day.

How's this for a route:

Caltex Asoke, Bangkok-Petchabun-Lom Sak-Phitsanulok-Den Chai-Lampang-Chiang Rai-Mae Sai and you get 1018 km When are we going?

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?doflg=ptk&a...234589&z=10

Dates and details to be announced once we figure them out!

Comments, suggestions and advice welcome.

Ride On!

Just gotta step back and laugh at these baby Iron Butts.

Did a double on a wideglide from New orleans to los angeles non-stop. That's 2000 real miles. A lot of coffee, a few other stimulates, and hammer down with two other guys. Stopped only to eat, pee, and stretch. 31 hours. Returned via portland, sturgis, four corners. One hel_l of a ride.

So, watch yourself out there and those head-on buses and goofy Thai lunitics.

russ

Who's up for a Metric Iron Butt?

1000+ kilometers in a day.

How's this for a route:

Caltex Asoke, Bangkok-Petchabun-Lom Sak-Phitsanulok-Den Chai-Lampang-Chiang Rai-Mae Sai and you get 1018 km When are we going?

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?doflg=ptk&a...234589&z=10

Dates and details to be announced once we figure them out!

Comments, suggestions and advice welcome.

Ride On!