.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Digger
-
Posts
1,047 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Digger
-
-
Depends on the wording of the Policy.
If 'Act of God' is on there, then rest assured, a trip to Court will be necessary to get the Insurance Company to pay.
Building Insurance for the World Trade Centre is still going through Appeals - Insurers don't want to pay out.
If I am not mistaken the issue revolves around the fact that the owners claim that two attacks took place and want to claim twice the cost of the insured value wheras the insurers argue it was one attack they want to pay out one times the value of the insured. In many countries, the insurance policies are written in such a way that the total paid by all insurance policies will not exceed the total value of the incident. i.e if you had 8 car insurance policies on one vehicle and the car was written off, you could not claim for the full value with all 8 companies, but rather those 8 companies would each pay 1/8th of the total value of the vehicle.
-
I really dont see the point of this thread. This is not the UK and what happens in another country is academic. Either as a foreigner you accept it for the way it is, or of course you have the option to stand on your principles and leave. Nothing is going to change as a result of this thread. Most Thai academics know the problems facing them, however the majority of the population have other more pressing concerns such as how they are going to earn enough money to support themselves.
These problems are way more deep than just this disaster.
-
The new Bangkok airport would most likely assume the city code and primary airport as it will handle by far the majority of flights. London for example which has 4 airports. LON is the CITY code, LHR for Heathrow, LGW for Gatwick, etc. Paris city code is PAR but Charles De Gaul airport in CDG, Orly is ORL from memory. New York is NYC, John F Kennedy airport is JFK, Newark is EWR etc. Cities with multiple airports rarely have one airport and the city with the same code, unless the primary airport handles something like 95%+ of flights. So for example Singapore (Changi) is SIN and Seletar is something different however 99.9% of commercial flights go into Changi (SIN).
In airline res systems booking terms, you can choose the city code (eg LON) or specify an airport - the airline res systems then show flights based on your preferences. e.g if you ask for flights from BKK (Bangkok) to LHR (London Heathrow), you will be shown only services into Heathrow. If however you selected BKK to LON (London) you will be shown flights into all London airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City. However if you selected BKK (Bangkok) to SIN (Singapore) you will only be shown flights to Changi. Its mostly based on historic precedence and is really quite simple.
-
Perhaps nobody knows Gaz - might be worth you shooting over to Soi Nern Plub Whan and others and then reporting back what you find out. I suspect Crazy Dave's busy watching Bob eat another amazing value breakfast
(I love that ad) and has no time with it being peak season. -
The lesson for the rest of us, is to ensure you adequately compensate the women so that she withdraws the charges. Regardless of the right or wrong of the situation, looking at the bigger picture would mean a payment of 10,000-20,000 baht and humble appology to the women means you keep a clean slate.
Principals of going through the Thai legal system mean a deportation and blacklist. The women would incidentally get nothing from a prosecution(so she would be keen to withdraw), particularly if you appeal to her better nature and allow her a face saving way out with her friends along the line of "that horrible farang hit me sure, but I get compensation and I not want his children to grow up without a father so I withdrew the charges" - she gets the good karma as well as the cash, but you stand to lose your home, access to wife, kids etc. Remember this is Thailand and it happens all the time. Money talks in this country and never forget it.
-
Just caught a bit on Sophon,one of the house's worth 25m on a large plot went for 4.5m
Don't believe everything you read or hear in the media. Does that sound right to you? And 25M is a large chunk of money for a house, who valued it?
Hype, hype and yet more hype!
Considering the biggest piece of land was something like 200TW (800 SQ M), there is no way that anybody would value those houses at 25,000,000 baht. Pure hype.
Incidentally, talking with another guy who went and looked at the houses who is a builder and he highlighted something pretty amazing if its true. Seemingly the terrace leading out to the pool sits on the same level as the pool and the floor of the house. No drains between the pool and the terrace leading to house patio windows. Guess what happens when it will rain and the pool floods (as they all do in heavy rain during the rainy season) - where does the water go? He was of the opinion it will go straight along the nicely tiled terrace under the wooden doors and straight into your house. He was convinced of it and said there is nothing you can do to stop that amount of water flowing into the house. Makes you wonder which architechts they used !!!!!!
your making a mountain out of a mole hill, half a dozen bags of sand up against the door during the rainy season will stop most off the flooding, also the occasional flooding will keep the maid on her toes...
Your right Dave - silly me, I had not thought of it as a selling point:-
"Environmently friendly house designs mean you save water by not needing to extract it from the city water supply (which is in short supply) when the maid wants to wash the floor." Perhaps the sand bags could be considered as part of the 'occassional seating' when not raining just in case any unexpected visitors come around
-
Just caught a bit on Sophon,one of the house's worth 25m on a large plot went for 4.5m
Don't believe everything you read or hear in the media. Does that sound right to you? And 25M is a large chunk of money for a house, who valued it?
Hype, hype and yet more hype!
Considering the biggest piece of land was something like 200TW (800 SQ M), there is no way that anybody would value those houses at 25,000,000 baht. Pure hype.
Incidentally, talking with another guy who went and looked at the houses who is a builder and he highlighted something pretty amazing if its true. Seemingly the terrace leading out to the pool sits on the same level as the pool and the floor of the house. No drains between the pool and the terrace leading to house patio windows. Guess what happens when it will rain and the pool floods (as they all do in heavy rain during the rainy season) - where does the water go? He was of the opinion it will go straight along the nicely tiled terrace under the wooden doors and straight into your house. He was convinced of it and said there is nothing you can do to stop that amount of water flowing into the house. Makes you wonder which architechts they used !!!!!!
-
Has anybody else heard anymore about the sub-dividing and building permission as 1st quoted by digger? Is that why not all of them were sold? Are they awaiting the Chanote at a later stage? There is an interesting article in the Pattaya Today on why bother with an auction to sell only a third of the units. A friend of mine has put a deposit down and is now starting to panic after seeing this website. I would appreciate any constructive info.
Perhaps we should be looking to your friend for the answers. Presume he did not do any dilligence first? Has he asked the developers? Planning permission is on a white slip of paper showing the exact sq m of the house and the blueprints that correspond will have a stamp on the back of each page (12 pages from memory) with signatures approving the design. From that planning approval will come the house book (blue in colour).
Hope this helps and that things turn out ok for him.
-
At that budget and this time of year (high season) I think you will really struggle to find anywhere in a half decent neighbourhood. Acquaintance of mines rents 2 bedroom house in an OK soi for 10,000 month in Naklua but it took a lot of searching for. Just behind Thai Military Bank if your familiar with the area.
-
I know that farangs cannot borrow money for a house /condo from banks in Thailand ,but does anyone know of any developments in pattaya that i can put a deposit down and pay it off monthly?
im after a condo in pattaya.
Farang can and do have mortages for condo's in their own name. Also farang companies owning land and houses can and do have mortages for those properties (the mortage is in the name of the company owning the land, but the credit rating is based on farangs financial situation). Its not easy but I know many people that have done it. For a condo, you need to bring in the purchase price of the condo and have the correct paperwork for the land office registration. Once you have done this, you then re-mortgage the condo with a bank or finance company who pay direct to you the value of the mortgage amount. You then repay the mortgage monthly. In either scenario you need a rock solid credit rating in Thailand, work permit and a hefty deposit (often about 50%) but if you meet the criteria its certainly possible.
Not many projects I know of in Pattaya that provide developer financing - its mostly done by banks and their criteria needs to be met by the borrower. Do not believe the salesperson in this scenario - go and establish the criteria directly with the finance company before putting down a non refundable deposit.
-
I see the bar outside is open again.
Sixty days, ah?
Well, time runs fast in Pattaya, I guess
Sunny
60 days = 24 days
Bull**** is'nt itWatch though, I don't think its over
Dave - you clearly do not understand Thai logic on this. JP bar is closed for 60 working days of 8 hours but as they open 24 hours then their closure period is 60 * 8 hr periods which is why they are open again after 24 days
-
Where abouts are you going to work? If its north of Pattaya, then probably Naklua sounds a good bet down one of the side soi's. How much is your budget for accomodation? that will also determine where you could stay.
-
just look at all the shootings and muggins from soi baukhaw back towards sukimvit, wild country, buy a tank
A saw a Hummer going down Sukhumvit road in Bangkok a couple of days ago - now thats the kind of vehicle not to argue with !!!
-
Can anyone give me a rundown of the different sections of Pattaya?I know about the north,central,south,etc,sections,but which sections are the touristy bar areas/
which are the more commercial areas,residential areas,affluent areas,etc.
Which section do most expats either live in or would want to live in?Do most people have their own cars and is an international license OK?
Most affluent Thai's and farangs live over Sukhumvit in East Pattaya. That is where you will find the 'professional' Thai's who live here full time such as Doctors, Dentists etc. Typically they own large houses in and around the resevoir (mabrapchan). Affluent farang are also in abundance in this area and also in East Jomtien, Prattamnak (the hill between Jomtien and Pattaya, where the Royal Cliff hotel is).
No Business district as such - many of the affluent farang are working in Rayong, Matrpraput, Lam Chabeng areas but live outside Pattaya for the convenience of western facilities.
Also lots of money people in Naklua between the main strip and the beach where land and property values are very high. Bascially, where there is a beach there are wealthy owners due to land values.
Most people living in East Pattaya need a car as they are about 8-10 km's outside the city proper although as the city expands eastward, the boundaries are getting very blurred. International schools such as the Regents are also located in east Pattaya and have helped grow this area certainly for expats with money and kids.
Land prices are cheaper out in east pattaya, alot of people move there because for the same cost of a house in south or central pattaya they can have twice the size plus a big garden.
I live in sth pattaya, on my village there are "affluent" thai's, farangs and non affluent thais and farangs.
I live here because of its convinence to my bar (not far to travel at night).
You also need a car here as you will probably get robbed, beaten up or worse if you travel around east pattaya on a bike in the dark.Most people living in East Pattaya need a car as they are about 8-10 km's outside the city proper although as the city expands eastward, the boundaries are getting very blurred. International schools such as the Regents are also located in east Pattaya and have helped grow this area certainly for expats with money and kids.
Not sure its so much cheaper for a village anymore - I saw a place selling land at 18000 baht TW on a village which seemed very high to me. Frequently seeing properties selling for 14,000,000 baht but they are on big plots (300-400 TW) and look very smart. Not many options for that kind of space in Pattaya proper. Buying bare land though is cheaper but then you have the additional worries of being out on your own and many foreigners do not want that.
In terms of safety, I think I'd rather be on a bike in East Pattaya than 3rd Road at night but having said that I never ride a bike anyway.
-
I have had 3 new cars in Thailand and every one I had been driving around with red plates for an average of 2 months on each car. I have often driven at night and out of my province (BKK) and NEVER been stopped. I use expressways and motorways all the time. Many many times on expressway toll booths driven straight past policeman checking tax etc and repeat never been stopped. Having said that, as expensive cars (+3,000,000 baht) - I never get stopped even in speed traps
I really would not worry about it - if the police are going to pull you over, they will find a reason or make one up.
-
Can anyone give me a rundown of the different sections of Pattaya?I know about the north,central,south,etc,sections,but which sections are the touristy bar areas/
which are the more commercial areas,residential areas,affluent areas,etc.
Which section do most expats either live in or would want to live in?Do most people have their own cars and is an international license OK?
Most affluent Thai's and farangs live over Sukhumvit in East Pattaya. That is where you will find the 'professional' Thai's who live here full time such as Doctors, Dentists etc. Typically they own large houses in and around the resevoir (mabrapchan). Affluent farang are also in abundance in this area and also in East Jomtien, Prattamnak (the hill between Jomtien and Pattaya, where the Royal Cliff hotel is).
No Business district as such - many of the affluent farang are working in Rayong, Matrpraput, Lam Chabeng areas but live outside Pattaya for the convenience of western facilities.
Also lots of money people in Naklua between the main strip and the beach where land and property values are very high. Bascially, where there is a beach there are wealthy owners due to land values.
Most people living in East Pattaya need a car as they are about 8-10 km's outside the city proper although as the city expands eastward, the boundaries are getting very blurred. International schools such as the Regents are also located in east Pattaya and have helped grow this area certainly for expats with money and kids.
-
I have a Honda Pilot which I am planning on selling this coming year and can probably get $25-30,000 for it.I would like a new small all wheel drive SUV in Thailand like a CRV or RAV4 and was wondering if the price for one would be covered by what I sell my Pilot for.
Do people buy cars in Malaysia,Singapore,etc.,and drive them into Thailand?Don't want to delve into my investment egg which I would want to use solely for business and living expenses.
Imported cars have very high taxes. Financially better to stick with something made here (as opposed to imported or assemlbed from a kit) such as the CRV. Anythign made by Toyota, Honda or Issuzu has rock solid residual value. The upside is that the residual value for any of the above is generally higher than most other markets if you sell in say 5 yrs. CRV will be worth around 60% of what you paid versus say, 40% in Europe or USA.
One note to be aware of the RAV4 is not officially imported - you need to buy from a grey importer such as SEC. They are very expensive at around 2,500,000 baht and thats before any increase that comes into effect from the end of the year when the taxes go up.
-
Having seen a large ad in the BKK Post last week, I'd reckon they have spent the best part of 4,000,000 baht just on marketing and advertising, possibly way more. Those ads in the BKK Post do not come cheap and I am not sure how many they ran. Also hoardings everywhere around Pattaya are also quite expensive. The brochure alone would have been very expensive. Seems like they are doing more advertising than Northshore which is selling about 250 apartments even though they have only 20 odd to sell. How do they re-coup that kind of cost on such few units? Then we see Dave's note about the price of the land:-
Wow that land was cheap though Dave for what is actually a pretty good location.
-
My experience of this has not been too positive. Thai's have a tendency to lose interest in things. Particularly if too much hard work is involved. You might find it easier to look at buying a small property that she can just rent out as a means for her to generate an independant income and provide some security.
Also working hours in retail are very long - what impact would that have on your relationship and would it create more problems than it solves. Finding good reliable staff is not easy.
-
so , the figure bandied about on this forum was 20 million baht houses, but these houses which most havent been built yet have sold for 8 and a half million baht each, i would love to know how to build a 20 million baht house for less than 9 million baht, any advice would be gratefully appreciated
Dave the comment about 20,000,000 baht was not what these would sell for but what my firends who went to look at them is prepared and capable of spending. Also, the View talay villas across the street are on the market for around 18,000,000 for larger houses on bigger plots. That was part of the problem - nobody seems to have a clue what their worth. I suspect that have achieved a satisfactory price but not as much as they were hoping for. Based on what I have seen, these houses should typically cost to build, around 3-4,000,000 baht including the fittings but excluding the land(dependant upon size of house). So including the land and profit, a price of an average 8,500,000 seems about right. Uncertainty still remains at what exactly the buyers have bought considering there are currently no land titles. But getting 60,000,000 in the bank (30% down payment) is a very nice position to be in.
-
Just to let you guys know, I was at the auction today and a total of 14 units were auctioned (a further 7 are subject to a private auction with reserve prices based on the other 14 units sold). A total of 118.6 million baht was raised for the 14 units and there were certainly bargains to be had. I was only there to observe not to buy, but just from my observations it appeared to be a well organised auction and may well prompt further auctions in the future. Only time will tell if this particular auction is declared a success by the organizers.
Thanks Howard - Any comment about the splitting of land etc from the organisers? Sounds like a moderate success considering that they were originally planning on auctioning 21 houses - presume the prices were not as high as they were expecting hence the last 7 were withdrawn.
-
Australia to open Visa Application Centre in Thailand
Ambassador Kupa will be gone well before 26 January 05. His replacement is HE Bill Patterson ( arrives BKK on 05 January 05 )
Ah Bill must be the brother of that other famous Aussie Diplomat Sir Les Patterson, confidant of the majestic Dame Edna Everage
. Looks like some wild parties are going to be on the agenda - perhaps they needed to clear out the visa section to make room for a pub for the diplomatic staff -
Looks like a rechargeable truncheon Dave
Or a rechargeable dildo
-
I think this visa is a mis-quote but it really does highlight a desire from many expats for a firmer footing in Thailand.
Personally, I think that Thaivisa.com should make contact with other vested interest groups such as assorted Chambers of Commerce and try and establish a roadmap for how to make a compelling case to the Thai government. The additional page hits alone would allow you to increase advertising rates considerably. This would need to involve a PR firm well connected with government officials and capable of putting across a set of clear and well reasoned why foreigners would be an asset to Thailand and how the country could benefit by amending the requirements for longer term stays. I would actually suggest that one of the key planks would be an option for an Elite card light programme - The government need a way out of this mess and this could be timely. Suggestions might include:
5 year visas - the category has already been passed and exists already. Also make this category able to apply for a work permit and to count ultimately to a residency certificate.
Easier requirement for work permit with the light elite card, particularly where investment comes into the country, but not as large as typically the BOI are involved in. Again Taksin has stated that SME's will be the growth of Thailands economy. Play up to this and highlight why foreigners can assist. By declaring the level of income tax a foreigner would pay over 5 years multiplied by number of foreigners can create a large amount of interest in a country desperate to increase its tax revenues for the benefit of the country at large. An investment of XXX or the employment of YYY people would "automatically" qualify you for a work permit in a clean business. The automatic element would be a big draw I suspect.
Ability to own land in certain areas of the country up to 1 rai for example. Certain areas are already too expensive for many Thais such as Phuket so this would not be a negative. Opening up areas in Central BKK, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin etc spring to mind. That way the poor areas remain protected. An additional carrot could be that any foreign owned property has a tax element payable every year to the local Tambon along the lines of say 20 baht per Talang Wah to pay for communal improvements - again with a positive positioning, this will benefit local areas to improve schools, infrastructure etc.
You dont need any of the other bells and whistles such as airport goldfish bowls, golf tours, transfers etc.
Notional price of say 100,000 baht as a one off entry fee for the card would add substantial revenue to administer the programme and the tax benefits alone would add millions of baht every year in incremental tax revenues.
Just my ideas but with the right positioning, I think the government would be interested in considering this.
(I love that ad) and has no time with it being peak season.
Hospital In Bangkok...?
in Health and Medicine
Posted
The doctor consultation at Bumrungrad is now 700 baht a time. Therefore it sounds like the tests are the expensive element. Bumrungrad is NOT that much more than other hospitals that have the same level of equipment. Typically about 10-20% more. Incidentally Bumrungrad is considerably cheaper than BKK Pattaya and Pattaya International Hospital for almost everything due to the high level of competition from the western orientated hospitals in BKK such as BNH, Bangkok Hospital etc. Blood tests for example are cheaper at Bumrungrad than at mediocre private hospitals in Pattaya as are in patient services such as room costs, nursing care etc. Do not assume that Bumrungrad is the most expensive for everything - its not, but then again its not as cheap of course as government hospitals.