jitagon

Can anyone please recommend a good builder on Phuket, insofar as price, quality of workmanship and keeping deadlines? Preferably one with whom you have had personal experience. All advice gratefully received.

Well. Once again have had to sift through pages of drivel ('who would want one', 'off the nearest cliff' 'good gust of wind to get it going' etc. Sidesplitting stuff) to get a mere two answers, albeit not particularly helpful, but thanks anyway, to get no answer to my question. Do any of you, particularly Dr P****, sorry Pat Pong (Pat Pong ... God), have anything else - anyone else, better to do in LOS than sit and make snide and boorish comments on 'ex-pat' boards?

Thanks everyone. But managed to secure one through a grown up in Bangkok.

Does anyone know where I can get hold of a citreon 2cv? I've never seen them here, but heard somewhere maybe over the border in Vietnam?

Can someone please advise as to how do I go about renewing my not expired but stamp overflowing uk passport from Thailand?

The problem with the 30 year lease is that, if you want to renew (bearing in mind you're still alive, for some of the older folk), the Thai landlord will certainly want a good deal more than the initial lease. I have also been advised that another major problem could arise when/if the landlord dies. You may be told by a lawyer that he/she can cover this with 'agreements to lease' signed by the landlord's beneficiaries, but, do you really think as a farang you would have a chance of challenging this if the beneficiary/ies want more money or the land back in a Thai court as a farang?

Thankyou both for your replies. Just as I was about to trade it in for a nice little Vitara up the road, was put on to a garage by a Thai friend and they actually know what they're talking about, fixed it up enough to get me over the holiday period and will be returning next week to have the steering re modelled (installed inside) next week. I'd had it greased by yet another 'engineer' in town after having shelled out for a tow truck, and that was only three days before it seized up again. Really I think some of them see us coming and I think the fact I was put on to it by a Thai helped a lot. Thanks again.

Can anyone PLEASE recommend an engineer on Phuket who deals solely with army style jeeps, wyllis, J4s. My jeep's currently parked outside my house, the steering deciding to stall when trying to go in any direction but straight on (not helpful), after having been towed off to a basic auto engineer and pronouced it 'only needed some jarabee'(grease). All and any suggestions would be heartfeltfully welcome.

Thankyou George. That was very comprehensive. Back to the lien process then.

Do you know, I've been just been through the whole of the responses to my enquiry regarding land having ever been granted to foreigners up to 1 rai, and I have seen not one reply even mentioning this particular point. It started off with yet more waffling about the 'Elite Card' and ended up talking about golf bags? Well, this is the forum to go to if you want some intelligent information.

Thanks everyone. Oh, by the way 'butterfly', was talking to a lawyer (Thai) recently, friend of a friend, who'd just been staying at the Thai PM's house in London. Bit double standard there I think. It would also save a lot of problems with dubious 'company ownerships', 30 year leases if the landlord dies, and being screwed over by some Thai woman who wants you to buy her an Isuzu pickup to park outside her nice new property also.

I read in a piece regarding the 'Elite Card' in the Nation, which mentioned that Taksin had been a fierce critic of Chuan Leekpai's revising Thailand's land regulations by allowing foreigners to buy and own up to one rai. Dare I ask if this was, or actually is still possible?