monitorlizard

The 43 km sounds about right. Well worth the trip. I live in Bangkok and if I want a quiet, peaceful, and relaxing vacation then this place would fit the bill. You are not far to check the sites out in Nong Khai and do a little exploring of small Issarn villages.

I think it is nice to look across the MeiKong and view Laos and the mighty river. There is even a paved walk way along the river.

I keep meaning on going up there. Just talking about it makes me miss the place!

Peterexpat who has just joined today. Can you please tell us the dates of your meetings for the past 2 or 3 months? I can immediately verify the dates as geniune or not by calling several members that have joined. I assume you have a mailing list and you contact the members when meetings are held.

I will be the first person to apologize if you give me this information. Yes, I will attend the next meeting, so please give us the date.

You didn't answer the questions about the dues being paid by the organzier who prefers to remain behind the scenes. Why were there no receipts given? Why doesn't anyone have the organizer's phone number? Or where he lives?

I am curious if this is a membership drive for new members. And new dues issued without receipts.

Please answer these questions.

THE BEC (Bangkok Expats Club) has committee and members from Thailand, Uk, Denmark, USA, Malaysia etc

This is so funny. I can name the people and their girlfriends and the behind the scenes European man. Bangok is a small town and word travels fast. I believe the total count is 4 possibly 5 people. Come on. Why has this club been silent for so many months and now they are active again? I smell something funny.

My main question remains unanswered. What has been done with the money?

Anyway, I will not respond to this thread anymore. I am not going to repeat "what is being done with the money?" over and over again. There are many other questions that remain unanswered. I am sure there will be lots of new members to Thai visa in the next few hours or days to respond to this thread. TIT. I can't bother. You can spin your story to your hearts content.

Thanks SBK I will look. I checked Thai airways and yes they had a few economy seats or 2-3 grand. Yicks. I want tp pay around 22,000 -26,000 baht for a flight to SFO. JAL has me on a wait list for 3 days but the fare is 38,000 plus US taxes (50US).

So, I may postpone my trip until February. I noticed that there are a lot more flights in the 40,000 baht range but I want it cheaper. I will check out that website. I noticed that in LOS that the agencies give you better deals. Of course you have to pay cash or 3% credit card transaction fee.

I have yet to find a good deal on the internet when purchasing tickets.

Been thinking of changing my flight to US to attend the Nagaland New Year festival in Burma. Just curious if anyone has attended previous 2 years. If I am not mistaken, this is the 3rd year the government allows foreigners to visit this restricted area.

Thanks.

Big Snake GuestHouse is fantastic. I highly recommend anyone in the area to head on down. John is a great and friendly guy and keeps his pool in tip top shape. The views are great. I would rank it a 5 star guesthouse at 2 star prices.

I will make it back up there again sometime in the future. I would highly recommend to people that if you want a quiet holiday in a beautiful area overlooking the MeiKong then take a train up to Nong Khai then a bus to Big Snake. Call John, he will give you all the details how to get there. You won't be disappointed!

There are 2 expat clubs. One is actually set up with board members, guidelines, scheduled meetings, guest speakers, etc. They are called the Expat Association of

Thailand. The person is charge (no names) is doing is best to outreach other members and in my opinon is a very nice person. I cant say that I am close to him but I have met him on 3-4 occassions. He is working very hard to get the club going and is certainly using his own funds to get it off the ground. The members in this club have lived in LOS for a long time and are eager to share their experiences with newbies.

I do not want to go into the history of how the 2 clubs divided but the Bangkok Expats Club by another person (European) started a club which met at Subways a few times. He collected membership fees of 500 baht and issued no receipts! Members were only given an email address to contact the person.

There were a couple of meetings then the founder disappered! He did not answer any ones email and no one had his address or phone number! I showed up for one meeting and there were 4 people that recently arrived to LOS (3 months to 9 months). Nothing was said and the concensus was to give the founder another chance. Well, I suggested that they contact the police and the very next day the founder replied and said that he was taking a backseat in order for new members to run the club. He was to remain behind the scene.BS!!!Well, I am no idiot but if someone says he will collect money and and be a silent president of an organization smacks to me of a con.

How are you providing support to newbies? Who are the members that are offering advice and giving support. Please tell us who this commitee is? Future meetings? When was the last meeting?

Give me a break! I find it strange that a geroreilly poses a question about the club and the next response is from atiga 17 MINUTES LATER!. There were no responses or activity on this forum for months.

I would be more than happy to meet with you to discuss this in person. I am NOT slandering the club but I DO DETEST foreigners ripping off newbies. I have advised some members to report this to the police bit they have declined to do so because of the small fee of 500 baht. In fact tell me the next meeting and I will attend. Will you be there?

I think the admins. should investigate this club and ask hard hitting quesions. If they cannot prove they are legitimate then they should be banned from posting on your site. Do you really want con men on this site ripping off newbies?

Ask for the membership list and email them directly. You can keep it confidential. Ask who are the committee members. Ask for the dates that they met. Ask how much membership fees they collected and ask to see the accounting. What are they doing with the money? I have my theories and the names and number of persons involved but I will keep my mouth shut.

I will offer an apology on this website if I get confirmation from one of the adms. that all questions were answered and they are above board.

I hope I have not violated any rules. I do know the names who are involved in the respected clubs but I have kept to the spirit of the forum rules and have not mentioned names. I apolgize for coming on strong. I met a few newbies that joined who wanted their money back and were felt they were cheated! This is not fiction.

J. please don't say that I am jealous and I want organizations to fail. I would love to see legitimate and legal clubs for expats. I rarely get angry but when I come across a con it gets my blood boiling.

I just opened another account at Bank of Asia. They want you to have a work permit or house resident card to open an account. I called HSBC and they charge a 500 baht fee for balances under a certain amount.

Don't listen to rumors. Bangkok Bank seems to be letting people open accounts. The interest now is .75% for passbooks and 1% for mailed statements. You are charged a 15% tax rate for the interest you earn.

So, you are not going to make any real money on interest in banks in Thailand. Bank officials at banks are saying that you need to have a work permit. I have heard Bangkok Bank only requires a passport.

Just go to the banks. Don't listen to me or anyone else. I get the impression it is a hit or miss.

Is this the one that met at Subway? I don't know what is going on but some members who have signed up never received their cards and no accounting of dues was given. A number have asked for refunds but cant reach the person in question.

I don't want to mention names but I find it highly questionable for a person to start a club, collect the dues, then leave and say that the new members are running the club.

Yes, I attended 1 meeting and found 3 members but no founder. He was missing for 3 weeks. Maybe the club has found him. I wish the club good luck but if it is run by some long time resident who sets it up, collects the dues, and fades away saying that he wants the new members to run it and he is going to be in the background then I would urge caution here.

This IS NOT to be confused with the The Expats' Association of Thailand. My understanding is that they have a board of directors, held weekly meetings, had guest speakers, and have legally registered the club as a non-profit. I only attended a couple of meeetings but the club is geniune. And the founder is actively involved! I would recommend people to contact this club if you are interested.

I need to leave after the 8th. I will look up Thai Airways. Thanks.

Amazing, I have been trying to purchase a ticket to fly to SFO January 7-12 and all the airlines tell me everything is booked until January 29th. This is even for business class! I was quoted one seat left for 76,000 baht. So, I am still looking.

So far I have tried NW and Eva. I have frequent flyer miles on NW and EVA. I guess I will have to try Korean, China Airlines, etc.

What is going on? Perhaps the airlines are flying fewer planes? Or is tourism really up? Are plane loads of Bay Area residents flying to Thailand? I don't think the Chinese from SF are flying to Thailand for the New Year. I just can't figure it out.

I was thinking about trying to go standby at the airport. Does anyone have experience with this? DO they charge you full fare? And if there is a stopover in another country, do you have to standby there as well?

Any useful advice appreciated. Also, what is your favorite airline?

Good luck Tax. I hope things go smoothly and your house is up in record time! You certainly can't go wrong on Samui. Beautiful place I hear. Funny, I have been here nearly 6 years and never made it there. I fell in love with Krabi.

I think you should make a documentary of your experiences there. You can sell it to the TV stations. In any case, I wish you all the best. Maybe you can ask one of the tech experts on this site to help you build a website where you can keep a running commentary on your experiences of building in LOS. It would certainly be a great service and help to those who might follow your footsteps.

Good luck to you and the wife!

All the best.

I don't know what is going on down in Phuket but I got a phone call from a friend who bought a 30 year renewable lease on a 160 m2 ocean view apartment. Price? He paid $250,000 USD. And he uh, bought the last one?

Personally, I think he is nuts to pay this. He was told that he could rent it out for 200 USD per night in the high season. Again, I find this difficult to believe. Who knows? I could be wrong as I reside in Bangkok.

I really don't know about this property boom but I think it may continue while Thaksin is in power. Of course if interest rates start skyrocketing then this will effect a lot of people. Anway, the most important piece of advice I got was from my wife......"look at the buildings that are sold out and then look how many people are living in them.......just a couple". I think a bubble is forming but who knows how many years it will take before it pops?

Anyway, I am a little confused about the situation in the States as well. Walmart has a disappointing Xmas sales season while Neiman Marcus had sales through the roof. Is the divide between rich and poor growing wider?

I am no economics or money genius but I do know one thing......it is impossible to predict what is really happening in the world unless you are on the inside of the group making policy!

Thank for the info regarding phone card. I buy the cards from any Thai restaurants in $10 or $20 increments. The cost per minute is about 8 cents per minute for calls to Bangkok only. Land phone only. They seem to have a special deal for the Thais there wishing to call home.

Found out that Rent a Wreck is on the web but they did not answer my email so I was curious what is up. I will try again.

I heard that phone companies are now deregulated in the US. I am not sure but I heard that you can use any carrier now for local and long distance. Curious if anyone researched the cheapest.

Anyway, thanks. I will hit the google search bar for more info.

I have to return to the States for a couple of weeks for business. I am in need of phone service. I will need to call Thailand (using phone card) but I am unsure if a cell phone will allow this. Is my only option a land phone? I am returning to SF, does anyone have any recommendations for local carrier and cheapest service? No plans as service will only be used less than 30 days. Also is Rent a Wreck still in business?

Thanks.

I don't know which subject to reply to .....

First the Aussie wine. I have found that they are producing great wines. I prefer the reds and I was wondering if anyone could recommend some labels that are sold at the stores in Thailand. I am a big fan of some of the South African and Chilean and I am really disappointed with the French. It seems they are dumping the the stuff worldwide without any concern for quality. I also like the small wineries from Napa, Sonoma, etc. areas of Northern California but alas the crap that is sold here is overpriced and generally is what the street winos drink. So, I gather Aussie wines are closer to transport so would love to hear some moderately price wine recommendations that are sold here in LOS.

Back to the monk business. You should pick up the handbook on wats in Thailand. You can buy one everywhere. I got mine in Bangkok. However, I noticed that foreigners have to jump through a few hoops. If I remember correctly one is a letter from your embassy, maybe a medical check, and most importantly permission from the abbot. Most of the wats in Issarn seem to be very strict and the international run wats require men to be an apprentice for up to one year! Afterwards they can become a monk.

The biggest obstacle is to find a wat that has monks that speak English. There are a few but you will need to contact them as many seem to be on trips from time to time. I really like the Wat Umong (the one near the forest not downtown)in Chiang Mai because it is not strict. You cannot become a monk but they will allow you to go on a retreat. The time is up to you and you can stay at a kuti and meditate to your hearts desire. There is an Australian monk there but he is very introverted and quite busy. The place is more of a place to reflect on your own.

Anyway, good luck. Personally, I don't think you will get much experience out of becoming a monk for 1 week if an abbot allows you. Most Thais do it for at least 3 months. And keep in mind they have been versed and taught about Buddist teaching all of their lives. So I think it would be much better to study a bit first. Go on a few retreats, do daily meditations, visit wats, read up on behavior, and study the precepts.

Oh, regarding the being married. Your wife has to give you permission to become a monk. The abbot will ask you if you have her permission. I would be more than happy to point you in the direction of good reading material if you are really interested. I must point out that it is very difficult for people brought up in western cultures to adapt! Not impossible but difficult.

I met someone who works at a big name international hospital as a psychologist. Although he has a Ph.D., he is not aloud to be called a doctor. Anyway, the point is that he is now working at a lot of the international schools through the hospital.

I don't know what your qualifications are but you may want to contact the international hospitals. Another option is to contact the international schools but I was under the impression that the services were extra and offered by hospitals at various schools.

Good luck.

Yeah, I tried this but hotmail will not allow me to insert 50 addresses. Do I need a special program to send out? I really do not want to add each one to list as this takes a long time. Is there a similiar waay?

I am using Hotmail and I have lets say 70 email addresses in a folder. I want to send a group email. However, I do not want the adressee to see the names in the cc list. How can I do this?

Also, do I have to manually input all email addresses into my contact list before making a group list?

Thanks

what I mean by the McDonalds and Starbucks mentality is that like backpackers they are creating franchises all over the world. You go to one McDonalds anywhere in tthe world and it is the same. It is the same for a backpacker place....you can be in Katmandu, Koh Sand Road, etc, etc, and you will find the packaged franchise of cheap lodging, restaurants serving muslei and yohurt, burgers, etc, and a group of 30-40 backpackers watching a video. I sometimes wonder if the videos shown are on a schedule. Monday in Calcutta is "The Beach", Tuesday in Katmandu is "MIssion Impossible", etc.

I find that when I go to an island in the south, I like most other people like peace and quiet. Why bother to come in the first place if you want to get wasted and listen to "Hotel California" on the highest volume possible? I was just pointing out that PPDOn seems to be less populated by Swedes who are bent on getting drunk out of their minds. I use to live in Sverige and the booze at systembolget is very expensive! Just a fact.

Anyway, I am just pointing out that I rather like the islands quiet and without the hum of overworked generators. Yes, I agree that the backpackers are looking for a more exotic place to ruin. The expansion continues. Our only hope is for more countries to adopt the policy of Bhutan and bar backpackers looking for cheap places to get drunk, stoned, and munch out. And take lots of pictures at the exotic culture to show to your friends back home.

Note that I do make a distinction between travelers and backpackers. It has nothing to do with how much money is in your pocket. Its about taking a bath, respecting other people's culture, and not frying your brains out on booze and drugs.

I know it is a very hard concept to accept that McDonalds and middle class backpackers (experiencing the novelty of self-imposed poverty) are the same destructive force that are hellbent on making everywhere bland with "sameness".

Anyway, I prefer Burger King.

Enjoy life, its not how much you have in your wallet but in your heart!

I was just in the South and I noticed that the tourist population was very mixed at different locations. My friends and I sailed to Raliegh Beach (expensive rooms all full 1200-2000 baht per night and cheap rooms with fan, no mos net, 700 baht had vacancies). Later we spent a night at PPDon and I noticed a much smaller crowd of Swedes. The island was quite pleasant for a change. I did notice that Ao Nang and Krabi Town was empty. I saw a few people with island info hitting the downtown streets (not the pier area) which is a bit unusual.

Personally, I hope the cheap bamboo resorts (150 -400 baht a night) go out of business. My favorite island (sorry no name given) grew from 3 resorts to over 10 these last 4 years. I think this causes great environmental damage. I pray that my island will return to the good 'ol days of being an island of fishing villages. Sorry to say but I think the backpackers cause more damage than good. There is an excellant book written about the harm and damage by backpackers to cultures all over the world.....I wish I could remember the title and author. Anyway, the author made the point that backpackers are killing local culture with their McDonalds or Starbucks franchise mentality of cheap places and cheap eats. The point is that backpacker areas in Nepal, India, Thailand, Africa, Latin America all serve the same western menus and all look/feel the same. So sad.............

I am so happy that Bhutan put up the no entry sign for backpackers! I wish Laos and other places start before the damage becomes too great.

I will be happy to see less drunk people at night crowding bars with music blaring and hordes of people watching a video during the day on beautiful islands in the south.

Most of these affordable countries have reasonable ways to stay long term:

Panama (excellent infrastructure)

Nicaragua

Mexico (requires an actual pension, not savings based)

Malta

Peru (visa runs needed)

Equador

Dominican Republic

Belize

There are a few countries on this list that in my opinion are a bit dangerous. I would point out that Peru and Equador are very dangerous places to be right now. In fact I knew a lot of Brits that lived there for years running a business got out of the country. Things may have changed a lot but in Latin America you will see a lot of gun carrying in public. Personally, it made me feel uncomfortable.

I doubt Nicaragua is set up to handle retirees. My best bet would be Mexico or Costa Rica. Don't know about Panama or Belize. But I always felt Latin America was much more expensive to live than Southeast Asia. Of course this depends if you eat rice and beans everyday and avoid all and any western standards.

I think the A/C cannot be powered by solar. I could be wrong but a google search on solar in Israel would produce some worthy results. I remember stopping at a solar display place outside Chaing Mai? a few years ago. The cost was really high. I suppose the cost has dropped somewhat. I am under the impression that the solar will only power hot water, lights, and small energy items. The people who live "off the grid" in Northern California use solar and storage batteries for hot water and lights. There is no need for A/C but one for heat. They insulate like mad and have a lot of wood for the fireplace.And lots of sweaters and blankets. The radios are specially designed solar radios. I have never met anyone living this way having an entertainment system. Some were very clever and had their fridge outside (the front door would be facing inside of course). Keep in mind it is very cold up there. The biggest chanllange was bear-proofing it.

I would love to cut the electrical cords and use the free energy from the sun. I thought an interesting discussion would be alternative housing.

Are there any people out there that have built homes out of rice or straw bale? I was wondering if an underground home would solve the cooling problem. I know there is a Thai man who is using mud +straw construction to build a village in Issarn somewhere. Sounds really intriguing. I think this would solve the problems of farangs getting their house sold out from under them. The cost is really cheap and you can get the whole family involved in making bricks. Hey, you can be generous and build a house for each extended family member.

I gave it a lot of thought if I should post this thread or not. What the heck! I am desperate. First of all, I want to point out that the web designer that I am using is doing his job and NO BLAME should be directed at him. I wrote the content and suggested how the site should work. I accept full responsibility.

Now, everyone is going to know me so I will have to either get a new user name or make sure I don't make any outlandish comments. Oh well.....

Anyway, I am hoping that there are a few kind souls out there who would consider emailing me for the website address and could make a few comments on how to make the site more interesting. The site will not have a forum (can't be bothered with the headache!).

I wrote to Penny asking for her input. I really like her straight to the point attitude. I am asking for other volunteers if they would be so kind to offer some suggestions. I will not post the site here as it violates the forums TOA. However, if you email me I will send you the site's link.

Please do not make any comments about the web designer. Any and all comments should be directed to me.

Thanks.

[email protected]

If you have done nothing wrong, please accept this as serious, go to the Police Regional Office in your new Changwat, and ask to see the most senior officer in the building. Don't say anything to anyone with less than 3 stars on his shoulders.

Report what has happened and ask for an explanation. If it is not forthcoming, come back to CM, go to Region 5 headquarters and report it there.

There is absolutely no law or regulation requiring that, except if you are on bail.

Take this as sound advice. I agree that there is more to the story. You certainly do not have write about it on this forum. But there is no way that this is a policy or a law in Thailand. And people should not believe this to be so. One needs to use common sense. Can you imagine ALL foreigners living in Thailand reporting to police when they leave town? An interesting concept but I doubt any country in the world is up to this task.

Also, you are saying that you are NOW spending all of your money on your wife and family. In a few years it will be gone and you expect your wife to take care of you? I am a little confused about this statement. I assume your wife relies on you for support. So the logical question is how is she going to support you in the future? Doesn't make sense.

No similar experiences but I know you will have to declare bankruptcy in order for the 7 years rule to apply. Don't apply the bad credit stays on forever! This is a common misunderstanding by people. The credit card companies do not close your account but merely freeze any activity and will send your monthly statements to pay bill. Later they will sell the bad debt to a collection company. They may hassle your business if they have the information that you supplied to the credit card company.

Credit cards are unsecured lines thus not guaranteed by real property, income, and so on. I know for sure your credit history will be ruined until you file for bankruptcy. You will need to hire a bankruptsy lawyer to start the process.

I don't know for sure if it happened or not but Congress was in the process of changing the bankruptsy laws thus making it more difficult to file and wipe out debts. There are many sorts of filings Chapter 7, 11, and 13. I don't think if it is prudent to take any advice on this forum or any person. You need to contact a bankruptsy lawyer. Quite often the first hour or intial consultation is free. You can go online to the many free newspapers and get one that specializes in this field. They are really competitve. Check LA WEEKLY and so on. Don't know where your business is located.

The credit cards will need a judgment to garnish wages and so on. They will need to file court papers and serve you with a subponea. It could be very complicated if your are living here.

Additionally, since you own a business, things will be a little messy hence the advice to contact an expert. You better act quickly as I do not know if Congress passed the new bill or not. FYI you will need to make a court appearance (this gives the creditors a change to challange your claim of bankruptsey).

Another option is to contact the consumer credit card agency and make arrangements to pay back. Do a google search. It is a consumer agency funded by the credit card companies but are a non-profit and are run independently of the credit card companies. They can suspend the interest and set up monthly re-payments.

In any case, if you do not file bankruptsy then there is no staute of limitatons. The debt and late payments will be recorded to all the reporting agencies (Equifax, TRW and so on) forever.

There is no debtors prison in the US. No one can do anything do you for owing debt unless your actions were fradulant. However, you may have trouble opening up bank accounts in the US and certainly opening up credit cards in the future. Also, forget about car rentals, renting apartments, and so on when ever someone runs a credit check.

Hope this helps.