Digger

Well done, Spuds. I'll be unemployed now!

Scouse.

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Dont worry Scouse, you have a guest appearance on the honeymoon episode shot on the French Riviera when BS & Mrs BS get kidnapped by the deranged ECO who gets fired from the BKK embassy.

Well done BS - truly more entertaining than Dallas although I think this can run and run

theres an acid they sell in the hard ware stores, worked every time i have used it, its about 65 baht a bottle, its about 200mls, i believe its an orange colored bottle, its extremely strong so dont splash it on your self, pour it down the sink and leave the room for 10 minutes as it gives off noxious vapours, i have used it on about 50 blocked pipes and it has worked every time.

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Have you ever used this in toilets? I have had a couple of blockages caused by toilet paper and 4" pipes not being big enough. I am loathe to rip out the bathrooms but also dont want to shell out thousands for some dimwit with a vacuum hose who always insists on emptying my septic tank after filling it with couple hundred litres of clear water and then charging me for what he has extracted, including the couple hundred itres of clean water he just put in the tank.

I assumed everybody paid there taxes for the company to own the land, its only like 6,000baht per year or 12,000baht per year thru a accountant, ie minimum taxes for a business that isnt trading, although as soon as they take away the first farang owned house i think thailand will make it big in the newspapers.

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If I am not mistaken Thai law for companies does not allow non trading companies - hence I suspect a lot of people are going to start getting nervous. Time after time I posted on this forum that the company owning land has to generate an income or have some pretty good reasons why they are not generating an income. Actually tax and accounting/audit for a company is nearer 20-30,000 baht per annum. The easiest way is that you pay rent to the company for living in the house and then pay taxes on that income. Then you have a trading company, making a notional profit and paying taxes on the rental income (15% of rent) + small amount of corporation tax in profit or a retained loss going into the next year.

How much money do you want to spend?

Regents is certainly the most expensive at around 500,000 baht per annum.

No idea though if its really worth the money unless somebody (read employer) is paying

Good suggestions from other people as well but reason for saying Pattaya is that its relatively easy to blend in - danger could be that in Rayong or Sattahip, farang with a Cambodian GF would likely become very common knowledge, given there are not that many farang or Cambodians in either town - only takes one nurse to say to her friend, oh we have a farang and a Cambodian girl in for HIV treatment and word could easily spread and get to the wrong people. Staying in Pattaya, they could keep off the radar screen and not have any issues with immigration, wrongly saying that as the Cambodian has HIV that she cannot stay in Thailand, unless he makes a donation to the christmas party fund. Should not happen but would you want to take the risk and given the posters financial position he is not really able to demonstrate to immigration that he can easily cover the costs of medical treatment. If that was me in that position, i'd be staying in Pattaya and using hospital in BKK or Rayong.

Couldn't they just take advantage of the fact that  these reservoirs are empty and haul out some of that soil to make the reservoirs a few meters deeper?

No way... that'd be called planning for the future... and we all know how good that is here!

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I can just imagine the discussion now:

"Boss, why dont we scrape out the resevoir and make it bigger"

"Why would we want to do that"

"so that we can store more water"

"why - its not even a quarter full now - lets think about in the future when its full"

...  I would though forget Phuket - way out of your budget for everything and too far from BKK for medical emergencies...

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I would agree with the first point - Phuket is expensive - but we do have some very good hospitals here.

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Yes, not disputing that Phuket has good medical facilities but I was refering specifically to his GF's HIV condition - there are many more specialists in HIV treatment in BKK than anywhere else and at an affordable price given that she will not have any medical insurance, at least covering her HIV and most likely none at all. Might be that Phuket doctors could meet his requirement, at a price, but I'd say with the seriousness of her condition, that limiting your options is not really the smartest thing to do. Couple of air tickets every 10 days flying up to BKK to see your specialist is not really doable on his budget.

To have a fighting chance I would suggest renting somewhere in Pattaya, say a small 2 bedroom townhouse for about 10,000 baht (250 US$) month, with a view longer term to buying somewhere around the 1,000,000 baht mark and yes they do exist. However the cost of maintaining a legit company is probably around 30,000 baht + per annum. If it was me, i'd rent somewhere long term and forget the buying of the house scenario. I would though forget Phuket - way out of your budget for everything and too far from BKK for medical emergencies.

Now of course, none of that takes into account visa's which are going to be difficult for you and very difficult for your GF.

By the way healthcare costs in Pattaya are very good but more importantly there are a number of western orientated charities that provide support and sponsorship of medical expenses in some cases. Make yourself popular with these guys, perhaps via some free website work to help them raise money and take it from there. Unfortunately a Cambodian passport carries no prestige in Thailand.

It looks truly depleted these days - certainly the worst I have seen it in the 5 years I have been coming down here.

Also a mate of mine was complaining the other day over dinner that his house at Paradise Villa has had no water for ages - he's resorted to having his own tankers deliver water every week into his underground storage tanks.

The developers ran out of money after the 97 crash - They had contracted Sofitel to manage the property hence its sign on the building.

I had not heard there were any structural problems but it would not surprise me.

If they improve pricing : currently the leading airline in charging the heighst prices.

If they improve service: currently masters in delays.

If they improve the ground service: long cues in check in, slow processing.

If they improve leg space in economy: I constantly get a knee cap treatment.

If they improve the attitude of the cabin crew:(well, some of them to be honest, occasionally you run into a friendly one nowadays)

If they renovate their cabin outfitting: my god, how are the seats worn out.

If they improve their customer service in general: try to get an answer for a situation, you'll be ran around for hours on the phone.

If they improve their Frequent Flyer program.

If they improve the food doled out.

If they improve.... can go on and on like that...

currently the leading Sh#t Airline, I would say...

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Sounds like you have some problems with TG

Personally, I find them pretty good. I have gold cards with multiple airlines and whilst they are not a Singapore Airlines calibre carrier, they are also way better than most American and European carriers. Perhaps I am biased as I never check in at economy desks but from where I am standing, there is not a lot really wrong with them. Flights on time in my experience and no crashes. Baggage has always been on the same flight as myslef and I have never had a meal that I could not eat.

In terms of FF programme, I would say its actually one of the best - I got seats confirmed from London to BKK on the 18th Dec last year when booking about 4 weeks earlier - try getting that on another carrier. Also pricing is always a subjective issue. BKK is their hub and in common with other airlines, pricing into a hub is always higher than a 3rd country carrier with a way more limited service. Nothing is going to change that in my opinion. Have to say though, 140,000 baht for a first class round trip ticket to London is about 30% of what you would pay from Singapore to London or Hong Kong to London and way cheaper than flying the other way on someone like BA/QF.

Sure the product could do with updating but its not that bad and I have always found the service to be very good.

For what its worth my experience has been that the perception is very much from most brokers, we do it our way, or no way at all. Too much of a laid back approach in my experience and way too many broken promises. I cant help but think that many of these farang guys are just looking for something to do between beers at the pub.

Only positive experience I did get was from Sunbelt which was a couple of years ago but they were good at chasing me up to provide info.

If its so good, why dont the current owners just keep it all for themselves?

I have not lived in the UK for many years however its always struck me that the Green belt areas are real no no's for any development work, particularly if it means churning up a field to turn into houses. What does seem to happen is that other buildings, e.g old hospitals, military bases, bus depots and brown industrial sites are the preferred options to utilise as future housing land as opposed to actual fields. I would imagine you will be sitting on that land for a long long time before anything happens to allow something to be built on it & the UK planning laws are nothing like Thailands in terms of having a word in the right ear and hey presto, planning approval.

In 2006 Pattaya will be getting a real deli like a lower East Side's Katz's deli or a Midtowns' Carnegie or Stage delis.The menu will include bagels made from dough imported from Manhattan along with bialys,hot pastrami and corned beef in overstuffed rye bread sandwiches with sliced sweet onions and Dijon mustard,potato knishes and pancakes,cream cheese,Nova lox,whitefish salad,creamed herring,and 2 pound salamis hanging over the counter.

In the latter half of 2005 the first deli in Bangkok shall open.All are invited to the grand opening with free fried potato skins and root beer floats for all!

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This sounds like another failure waiting to happen. Importing US bagel dough - somehow I cant see that happening but I wait to be convinced. Sounds like a Subway franchise in disguise where they plead their chicken roll REALLY does cost four times the going rate in Thailand for freshly cooked chicken breast meat from a real (not processed) chicken, yet they fail to understand that real chicken tastes better than processed muck dished up in Subway soggy sandwiches. Why is it beyond somebodies commerical accumen to actually sell something made of local produce in a western style at a reasonable price. Its not rocket science really.

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I think this post is a tad off.

Again, assuming this deli is really going to happen, comparing a deli modeled after the famous New York delis and Subway is like comparing a great steak house with McDonalds. Different class and concept. I am no defender of Subway or McDonalds, but if someone can offer a deli in Thailand that is even half as good as the famous New York delis mentioned, they would have a big winner.

Of course, who can argue against using good local ingredients when possible (though for a branded chain like Subway, their fans probably expect the standard stuff they are used to), but how many Jewish deli ingredients are really available here, such as good corned beef and pastrami? Actually, the bagel dough idea sounds like a good idea to me. Many people think the reason New York bagels and Montreal bagels (my personal favorite) are the best is because of the local water, kind of like wine, where it comes from does affect the taste.

There is a good point about price though. I think a local quality deli could even support prices at or near New York prices, but not much more.

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OK so I was being a bit sarcastic when I wrote that but to your point, price of the product is key. You might do just about OK at NYC prices, but you could really clean up by offering similar products at 25% of the NYC prices. I would imagine that its all about throughput in that kind of business. They need to generate the volume to jusitfy the import of so many products and or mixing with local ingrediants as much as they can. Basically, you do not need to import chicken from the USA, but might have to import corned beef. However if your able to sell hundreds of corned beef sandwiches in a day, you can then have the product made locally and your costs tumble.

I have heard it all now.  Divert water from the industrial estates served by Pattaya's resevoirs.      So how many industrial estates are there served by Pattaya's resevoirs?   I cant think of any.    

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Visit the optician and renew your prescription then

drive down the road to Chonburi and take a look at all the industry!!

Pattaya has 5 resevoirs supplying Pattaya City and Banglamung. The road up to Chonburi, by which you probably mean Amata City, Lam Chabang, etc even before you get into Chonburi proper are all supplied by other resevoirs. Nothing wrong with my eye sight.

I currently pay BUPA International health insurance , which is costing me a small fortune, currently the equivalent of about 18,000 baht per month, which only covers major surgical treatment in Thailand.

Not sure what the charges are for major ops are in Thailand.

So am wondering wether I would be better saving the money I spend on BUPA and

just pay for treatment if/when  I need it.

Would welcome some advice

Iravis

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BUPA UK coverage on say the gold plan is expensive but its also very good. I had this for many years whilst being covered by my employer. Everything was paid quickly and with no questions. It is streets ahead of local BUPA (BlueCross) coverage in my opinion. From what I can see, the limits on that are really low - forget the headline figure of what they cover you for and look at the detail. I for one will only use Bumrungrad as hospital of choice. I am not going to use local BUPA as its costs fall outside what they cover you for from what I can understand. Doctor consultations are way higher than what they cover you for. Personally, given the low costs of medical treatment here, I have chosen to self insure. In the last 5 years, I am personally well ahead, but its also a question of feeling comfortable that if your placed with a 1,000,000 baht bill - can you instantly pay it (I could) or charge it to your credit card (also yes).

Depends how your contract is structured with the landlord.  If agreement is in company name to company yes you should be declaring with holding tax.  If its an individual to an individual then no withholding tax applies.

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What if landlord is an individual and I am a company?

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I have a related question: My landlord (a company) refuses to let me deduct the 5% on my private residence, saying they gave me a low price since they did not know my company will pay for that (and will request an invoice, deduction, etc).

That's B.S. At the first payment I did not deduct, not knowing that this is required at all, but nevertheless asked for an invoice straight away, to the name of my company (which took them some time to provide... I think they did not intend to report this income or pay vat).

Now they want to charge me extra 5% if I want to deduct it.

As far as I understand it's my responsibility as a company to deduct this sum and pay it to the revenue department. Can they refuse to deduct it?

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If your contract is between an individual (you) and a company, you do not withold tax. If your contract is between a company and a company, you do and if your contract is a company to an individual you do, however in reality you will have a hard time including it in your company accounts as a legitimate expense as its a residence, not a company expense. This then potentially opens you up to be charged as a form of benefit in kind, which is basically taxed at normal individual rates from what I understand and you are liable to pay income tax on that amount.

Depends how your contract is structured with the landlord.  If agreement is in company name to company yes you should be declaring with holding tax.  If its an individual to an individual then no withholding tax applies.

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What if landlord is an individual and I am a company?

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Do you not have an accountant? The answer is yes, you deduct witholding tax if you want to include these expenses in your accounts.

4,000,000 and you will be bust within 3 months. I was talking with a guy who's opinion I trust and he told me he had spent over 60,000,000 baht building half a dozen house which he rents out. They originally expected to spend 40,000,000 on buying land at farm prices (i.e not inflated farang prices), building and equiping the houses, landscaping, roads, electric, phones, water supply, maintenance etc and then off course they had to fit them out - Kitchens, curtains, hot water, furniture etc.

By the way, the land cost him about 4,000,000 baht - the other 56,000,000 went on the infrastructure, buildings, roads etc etc etc - all of which is easily overlooked. he told me his walls alone cost him well over 2,000,000 baht and they are not that special. He also said landscaping added about 3,000,000 baht to the cost. The place looks really good but it aint cheap to do and he has said he would never do it again.

In 2006 Pattaya will be getting a real deli like a lower East Side's Katz's deli or a Midtowns' Carnegie or Stage delis.The menu will include bagels made from dough imported from Manhattan along with bialys,hot pastrami and corned beef in overstuffed rye bread sandwiches with sliced sweet onions and Dijon mustard,potato knishes and pancakes,cream cheese,Nova lox,whitefish salad,creamed herring,and 2 pound salamis hanging over the counter.

In the latter half of 2005 the first deli in Bangkok shall open.All are invited to the grand opening with free fried potato skins and root beer floats for all!

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This sounds like another failure waiting to happen. Importing US bagel dough - somehow I cant see that happening but I wait to be convinced. Sounds like a Subway franchise in disguise where they plead their chicken roll REALLY does cost four times the going rate in Thailand for freshly cooked chicken breast meat from a real (not processed) chicken, yet they fail to understand that real chicken tastes better than processed muck dished up in Subway soggy sandwiches. Why is it beyond somebodies commerical accumen to actually sell something made of local produce in a western style at a reasonable price. Its not rocket science really.

I have heard it all now. Divert water from the industrial estates served by Pattaya's resevoirs. So how many industrial estates are there served by Pattaya's resevoirs? I cant think of any.

What a great idea and this guy is elected by local people to represent their views !!!! great, lets close down a factory(which does not exist in Pattaya), make 600 people redundant and give water to the villages which is just as well as without a job they wont be able to afford any food.

Had my first experience of Thailands drink drive laws last night after one hit my car, and I am not impressed.

At 02.15 this morning I was woken up by someone ringing my bell. Went down stairs and a neighbour was pointing to an accident that had happened across the road. I could see my car had been hit badly.

I went across to take a look and there were 2 other cars involved. One other was a victim like me and the third car was driven by the drunk. The story goes that this guy was driving down the road, no lights on, hits another car in the rear. This car stops, the other driver attempts to make a break for it, gets past this car, looses control, smashes into the side of mine. Reverses out of mine and smashes into the first car he hit, this time causing damage to the front. He can't drive his car now. Police are called and already there when I arrive. Someone points out the driver who caused the damge, I watch him and striaght away can see he's been drinking. He speak some English so I tell him what I think of him and he speaks back to me and I can smell his breathe, very strong smell of booze. I get my partner to tell the police he has been drinking and what are they going to do about it? I was told he would have to go to the police station, and was advised I needed to attend also.

So of I go to soi 8. This drunk turns up after me, nothing is done with him. I am getting more and more angry. I am informed he will be tested to see how much booze he has in him. But nothing seems to happen. The insurance people are there doing their reports, the police are writing reports and we are just hanging around and waiting. Then some action starts to take place and I am told he is going to be fined for drink driving. At last I think. He goes to a desk, gives over his licence, pulls out a 500 Baht note, gets his licence back and 100 Baht change. He then walks out of the police station, still drunk, but a free man. I ask what is happening. He has been fined for drink driving. What, thats it I say. Yes is the reply.

So, that is Thai justice for someone who was very drunk, unable to stand properly, slurring his speach, gets behind the wheel of a car and drives it, has an accident damaging two other cars and attepts to flee the scene. 400 Baht fine and allowed to go straight back out and drive himself back home potentially able to do the same again.

I am now left with a very badly damaged car (in the UK it would be an insurance write-off) which will be off the road for at least 4 weeks lossing me money as this is a rental car owned by my company that I will not be able to rent out. I have asked my insurance company if I can claim for loss of income as he was a drunk driver. You can try was the responce, but its nothing to do with us, you need to talk to his insurance company. So, that doesn't look promising.

What an experience this has been for me. When I compare what would have happened to that man if he had done the same in the UK to here, there is no comparison.

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The irony is that the drunk drivers insurance is probably invalidated now as he was charged with being drunk. Had he not been charged, they would more likely have had to pay out for the damage. Seems strange but I would not be surprised if they refuse to pay for anything let alone the loss of earnings and for that they have you to thank. Your upstanding actions may have just cost you a heap more money directly or indirectly.

Thai airways check in in London is handled by Air Canada. They are on the whole a very long serving and experienced group of check in agents that have probably been there for as long as Heathrow. Its one of the only places where my visa is checked rigourously and they actually look at the right one (unlike many check in agents in other places). They will likely follow the rules exactly, however if you are well dressed, come across well and explain your doing something that sounds plausible and expensive I think you would be OK.

maybe its a blessing in disguise ???

read stickman !

FROM STICKMAN'S EMAIL INBOXHow important is the farang hubby?

    Have a friend who married a Thai in the U.S., though he didn't bring her over.  She'd recently divorced the guy who did.  What an unmitigated disaster!  Rumours, though unsubstantiated, were rife that she had a history of working the naughty bars in Pattaya.  Knowing a good thing when she sees one, not long after the nuptials she began drinking like a fish, disappearing for days on end despite having an infant child, and gambling away a substantial amount - another rumour claimed over $100,000 - of his savings.  Though I realize this is an extreme example, I'm aware of other Thai-Farang marriages in the States that, sadly, are in comparable situations.  I've noticed the loyalties of Thai women living abroad follow this pattern: first, money, next, their Thai girlfriends living nearby, their family in Thailand, their Thai children, the King and Queen, the family dog back home, the Thai lottery, and lastly, their farang husband and family.  It's a shame to say, but 90% of the girls I've seen overseas apparently left their "Thainess" at Don Muang before boarding the plane.  So one word of advice to anyone thinking of bringing the "girl of his dreams" back to Farangland - DON'T!  And if you do, don't be surprised if she turns into the "girl of your nightmares".

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Look closely - its not Stickmans comment but an e-mail from one of his readers.

Depends how your contract is structured with the landlord. If agreement is in company name to company yes you should be declaring with holding tax. If its an individual to an individual then no withholding tax applies.