Petruchio

About 6 years ago Makro came out carrying a 3 in 1 coffee by the name of "Super Coffee".  I tried it (the "regular" in the red packet of 25, 50 or 100 sachets) and have been drinking it ever since.  It is the only coffee I have ever been able to drink consistently day after day. 

Give it a shot!!!

Yes I can send my passport off to the Thai Embassy in Washington and hope all would be processed in a timely manner and I would get my passport back on time - but I have gotten tickets leaving on Feb 4th and that doesn't give much time for things to go right if at all if I don't get my Passport back in time.  I know the folks at Mae Sai and Chiang Rai Immigration and I think they would be inclined to help me find a way to stay 9 or 10 months if they can.  At least I hope so.  Time was when one could just get back to back ongoing 30 day visas and stay for years.  Looks like they've put a stop to that.

P

So then it looks like I am utterly screwed, I think.  First, the Honorary Consul informed me unequivocally straight out last time, that Thai Immigration has stopped them form issuing non-imm O's or anything but a 60 day tourist visa.  Since I basically cannot get around without a wheelchair and someone helping me, I cannot navigate around in BKK, go to their Embassy and get a non-imm visa - or go to a neighboring country to theirs and all that would entail, ...all that is out.  Indeed I will be lucky just to get back to my home in my village.  So it seems I cannot stay longer than 60 days, if that - and there is no other way, would that be correct?.  If so I will just let Thai Immigration decide what to do with me when the time comes....

Petruchio

Dear All,

I am returning to my home near Chiang Rai after a year of cancer treatments in the U. S.  My Retirement visa has expired and I must get the automatic 30 day visa on arrival.   I could get a 60 day tourist visa from a Thai Honorary Consulate which is not that far from me here in the states, but the cost (and time/travel) would be more than just getting a cheap throw-away ticket so as to insure that I will be boarded in the U. S., ...so I guess I'll go that route.    My question is how best to get renewable visas to get me through about a 6 month to 9 or 10 month stay before going back to the States (assuming I live that long, hehehe.)?  I can go out of Thailand at Mae Sai and then back in, and get a 15 day visa I think, but after that 15 days what then?  Can I get a longer term visa at the Thai Immigration Office in Chiang Rai?  And what would it be and how long would that be for??  And would it be renewable to finish out my stay??? Your help would be appreciated.

Petruchio

There are other uses for the actual Wasp Spray than just getting rid of wasps. I would appreciate any advise as to

where the actual Wasp Spray can be found in the Chiang Rai area?

There are other uses for Wasp Spray. The post asked for that and not how else to get rid of wasps.

I would appreciate any advise as to where the actual Wasp Spray can be found?

Being in Thailand I have not been able to get a prescription that is usually needed to order ED treatment meds such as Carverject or Trimix.

There is one pharmacy (on Vanuatu) that will ship without a prescription but their new Visa processor will not process the charge if the ship to

address is different from the Visa card address. I have earlier found that medicines shipped via a courier such as UPS or Fedex will not get

through to me (won't make it past customs and/or their FDA), but simple mailing post office to post office will get throug to me every time.

Past that, since I will eventally get back to the States and be able to get a prescription, what is the best pharmacy to use, and

how do they ship? Your experience in these matters would be greatly appreciated.

Petruchio

Thanks to all repliers. Looks to me like I am not alone in my problem and there are no easy solutions.

My village "friends" are seriously helping deplete my curret stocks, and my liver is getting desperate.

Please continue thinking about this problem. Perhaps we should petition Thaksin's sister. (Rotsa ruck).

It is times such as these that make me reconsider and turn into a wine snob. (Gasp, cough, upchuck).

Actually I am a wine snob of sorts. I have always made my own, but it is difficult here - no access to good wine yeasts, and bread yeasts are way too problematical.

Petruchio

For a long time I have been going to the Liquor Store on the east side of Jedyod Rd not far from the red light at the Boulevard. As far as I have found they are about the only place with any sort of decent selection of Western spirits at fairly reasonable prices. Six items in particular, I have been buying there, and multiple bottles of each, about every 2 weeks for me and certain Thais in my village for our little get togethers. But last time I went in, these six had all gone up over 15%, and it seemed nothing but those particular ones had gone up - making me wonder what the price would have been to a Farang other than me. I took it as a personal gyp and walked out without buying anything, saying to myself, I'll just go to MaeSia, cross into Myanmar and go to the Duty Free shop on the left just across the river where they have a far larger selection at far cheaper prices, and in larger bottlesas well, if I wanted those.

The last time I went there, one could bring 5 bottles back across, and if I took 3 or 4 Thais from the village with me I could bring back about as many bottles as I wanted. So yesterday I went to Mae Sai, but when I walked into the Duty Free shop I was foored to see that they had vastly reduced their whiskey offerings. Their wines looked about the same - they always seemed to have a good selection, but I don't drink wine generally. Even more disheartening, they had absolutely none of the stuff I had always bought there before, and the other Western whiskey (other than the usual Thai whiskies) was either discontinued or in the process of being, since several varieties only had a bottle or two in stock. It strongly appeared they were basically getting out of the whiskey business, though they claimed otherwise.

I have heard that farther back into Tachelik there are two or three other whiskey shops with good selections and fairly reasonable, but those I have asked who seemed to know, say the selection is very limited as to the Western stuff. Nonetheless I had decided t go back and look for these other shops, but a neighbor gal who has a non-resident Korean husband who had been to these other shops with him, also said the selection was very limited, but she crushed me with the news that now the Thai Immigrqation will only allow one bottle per person to be brought back into Mae Sai. This being true, there would be no justification in going up there at all, other than as necessary to Thai Immigration.

On the way out of Mae Sai I stopped at Tesco Lotus who has somewhat of a selection of stuff I like, but they too, appeared to have greatly reduced their stock.

So unless any of you out there know specifically that more bottles can be brought back from Tachelik - or of another place either in Chiang Rai or this area, I am as they say, S _ _ t out of Luck for my favorite stuff, and Chiang Mai is the next best bet. I could justify a trip there when next I must get an Income Affadavit for a Retirement Extension, but I don't know much about Chiang Mai or where a good shop is located. So otherwise I will just have to make do with the Barton's Vodka and Gin from Makro at 399b per bottle.

Would appreciate any help or suggestions....

Petruchio

P. S. - Some of the things I usually get are stuff like Captain Morgains' Original Rum, Captain Morgains' Spiced Gold Rum, Southern Comfort Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Calanes Orange Liquer, Hiram Walker's Triple Sec and especially their Creme de Cassis, and other whiskies.

Harry, what you say is so very true, but amazingly the last time I had this done I must have gotten a genuine copy because it went to searching for and installing windows updates when I started it, and continued to do so.

Did you read Thomaspaul's reply as to his good shop in CR?? I think some of it was cut off somehow, and I could not get the name or location. I have replied and asked him for name, directions, address, etc. but have not heard back. He mentioned "F. O. C." - Do you know what that means??

P

Thomas, I tried to reply to your post - maybe I did something wrong?? But anyway, PLEASE reply again with the address, directions, and/or the name of your good computer repair store in CR!!

Thanks,

P

Thank you all for the input. I had just backed up my files to a USB Portable Drive the day before, so I don't think I have lost the truly important stuff but downloading and getting back all my programs and little tweaks I use a lot will take at least two weeks at my usual pace. In this case I only have myself to blame - I had things all set up to my liking and was tweaking the startup list in msconfig and accidentally deleted something needed to boot up.

There is much to what you say about just springing for a new setup. It is about time I guess. Compuers for most Expats are so important to one's overall equilibrium that too much frugality can actually be harmful.

ChokDee

I did some CR forum searches for computer repair / service in the CR area and came up with nothing. Would like to see some input on this subject. I have tried the shops around Chiang Rai Rajabhat University and all they can really do for any computer problem is reload your version of Windows. None I went to spoke any English and all they will do for any problem is to do just that -reinstall the operating system. My Thai contacts say that is about all any of them can do and they just automatically do it regardless of anything and without asking. I took my computer to the "best" of them, and took my landlady with me to be sure they only repaired my front earphone connections, and sure enough they reloaded windows and failed to fix the connections. The truly sad part is that C Drive was the only one with enough space on it to put my USA computer files on for use here, and of course those all went POOF! - and it cost me 300 baht as well.

There is a large computer assembly / repair shop in the city named "KVC" computers and most of their people can speak English fairly well. They have a big thriving business, but when I took my computer there the other day to actually have Windows reloaded, they said they could not make a repair boot disk afterwards, as I wanted. This is not so, it can be done, the simple instructions to do it is there in Control Panel. I can do it myself and have done it before, but after their "main man" said it could not be done I lost confidence in them, took my computer and left. Now I am wondering if there are any other computer shops in this area that are thought to be reliable???? .

Thanks to all who have given helpful responses regarding transfer of funds.

Reply to Ajarnpot:

I still have one small condo for sale, in an adjacent building. It is on the ground floor, a big room that has a front rollup door and a door to the back hall with a secure iron door to the outside. I had it rented to a Thai woman for her minute mart / laundry but she had some problems with her husband or something, and he (they?) moved out and left it in bad shape. They took out the kitchinette and wall cabinets and left it also needing some repainting and a lot of cleaning.

It is held my me on a marketable long term lease (I can sell the lease) 30 years plus another 30 at option, and owned by a Thai woman in BKK who I have never seen. I have had it for 4 or five years and will sell my lease as is for 500,000 baht net to me (buyer pays all expenses of the sale which is primarily the tax due at sale - the bldg maint. fees and utilities are paid up to date at present). It is in a complex of 5 buildings (one a hotel), all belonging to the Condotel corporation - office in the hotel. All of the buildings are more than 50% owned by Thais and therefore many of the units in each building are in freehold by farangs, but the one I sold was the only one available. Since they are in a fairly high demand area, are small and affordable by a lot of Thais as well as Farangs, and in walking distance to everything needed - banks, bars, eateries, Rawai beach (more of a bay but very nice with eateries along it) motosai repair shops, supermarkets, etc. etc, and are in some demand. Therefore given the fact that Farangs are flocking to that area there are hardly ever any units that come available. I have a sa-ling (motorsai with sidecar and fabric roof cover) stored in the unit and will negotiat the sale of it as well. I have planned to keep the unit to use when I come back to Phuket to see friends and "do the town", but if i can sell quickly for that price I will, because I am building a place in Chiang Rai and could use the proceeds on it.

If you are interested you can get back to me and I will put you in touch with someone who can show it to you.

Best Regards to all.....

Koolbreeze, that is something I had not thought of. I got paid off for the condo with a bank check (Cashier's check, Bank Draft, etc.,), in fact.

I think you are saying that my Thai bank will give me a check on their bank against my account, which I can then take to my bank in the USA for deposit, and therefore only suffer the difference in rate/fees applied to me. Is this correct? The amount would be under 20,000 USD in my case, but I suppose if it were above a certain greater amount (?) it would not be allowed.

On acquiring tools, I also have been slowly gathering them up. It has been my happy experience to have found what I think is the very best place to get tools of any and all kinds in the CR area. The shop is on the right going towards the main 4 lane from the Bus Station - about 3 blocks away as we would think of it, and owned by a young Thai of direct Chinese descent named "Ae". He speaks good English, is absolutely knowledgeable about tools of all kinds, will give you a deep discount off the marked prices that is a fair price for the item, and he will absolutely honor and even go beyond the warranty he states. He will remember you and no need to bring proof of purchase. If he does not have it in stock he will get if for you in 2 or 3 days if it is available anywhere in Thailand. He will steer you away from the trash Chinese or other stuff and give his opinion of the best made item for the money and he has never let me down. He also has a staff of mechanics and repairs all he sells in warranty or at fair prices otherwise. His father also has a large place on a corner downtown, but finding a place to park is very hard.

The other place I go a lot is the tool place on the right just past Makro coming from CR. The Thai couple have a wide range of tools ranging from cheap quality to the best, prices are low to very reasonable, but warranty is problematical. They have a lot of good used tools too, if one knows how to tell what is good or not.

To the OP, the beekeeping supply place is in a curve of the street on the right coming from the Sri Sai Mun 4 lane intersection (this is the way to the Government Hospital farther on). Expensive but some necessary stuff at least available, and they will order from CM if necessary. Understand your wanting a good table saw (to make your own hives I presume). You can by the way, make your own table saw - Ae will sell you all you need. I had three hives but the wax moths got to them while on a visit back home. Ae ordered a very good table saw for me, which I am very happy with, and plan to make some porch swings for gifts to some in my village. I have never seen "porch swings" as such here, and I think Thais would like them. We'll see. Also you can get all the bees, frames, wax foundations and queens you want from a beekeeper whose place is on the right going towards Thoeng. He will sell you whole hives complete with bees, or whatever you want that he has, and will buy them back from you if you decide to quit the effort. Sorry I cannot give good directions - you will just have to watch close and to the right, I would guess about 10 Km from Thoeng. Would help to have your Thai gal with you to read the sign on the place.

Hope this helps all....

Prediction: The "offended" Thai murderer (self defense only according to him in spite of what the other Japanese says) will walk for the murder, be given a pass on unjustifiably carrying a firearm, likely acquired without permit - we will never know for sure, on a tourist trip, jungle or not, be lauded as macho by the police - and be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his miserable life. As a general thing, I like and admire most Thai people but I will not be an apologizer for them. An argument never justifies murder, not even if the Thai knows that in Thailand he will likely get away with it if there is a Farang involved. P. S. I like guns a lot. God made all men different. Sam Colt made them all equal. In a country with universal access without harrassment (such as Switzerland) we see a country of gentlemen and little crime.

Kandahar, thanks for your info on the wheelchair.

Scorpio, you must overlook the Yank slangers. They mistakenly heard it was National Dump on Americans week, not realizing that next week may step on their own toes.

Kimomax, you are right on, and I wholly concurr. I am very pleased and thankful for the new Plaza, and all that is in it, however like you, I have the right to my opinions without ugliness, and one is that the Thai store managers universally seem to miss the proper way to decide what to sell and when to restock - or not. I quit going to Northern Farms because they never replaced the most popular items (the ones that sold out quickly), and replaced them with things that just sit there, and begging them to restock something gets only the promise to do so but it never happens. Ringping (sp) is the same way on some things. Thai or farang customers has nothing to do with basic business principles - if something sells, no matter who buys it, it should be kept in stock and not to do so runs against reason and good profits. Look at the store manager. If he/she is Thai, you can expect nonsensical business practices, but if they are Chinese, then you can bet they will be on top of things. It is those Thais of Chinese descent who run most of the successful businesses in Thailand.

.

Thanks to all for your help. I seem to have some good options. The tax receipt thing would be nice except that I sold specifying that the buyer would pay the taxes, so he has the receipt, not me, and getting it from him would be problematical - and, he is down in Phuket as well.

The amount (as stated for the sale) is "only" 500,000b (it was a very small condo in a Condotel), so taking it out in cash would seem to be the best, since this amount would be under 20,000 USD. The penalty would seem to be limited to the difference in the exchange rate whatever that is (does anyone know, and where should it be exchanged?). Whatever it is would probably be significant for me since I am far from well off and live here on a very small monthly SS check.

I could roil the waters here by giving all my reasons for taking it out (mainly that after 9 years here i have become rather disillusioned, and am seriously considiring a move to the Philippines), but I'll try to get that going on another thread. I would love to hear some thoughts on this subject from long time Expats.

Petruchio

Since I have mostly stopped using it, I have sold a small condo in Phuket for what I had in it and would like to get the money back to my home country where it came from in the first place. Since Thais want your money and don't want to part with it, I am wondering if there is any good practical way to reclaim it?

Thanks for any helpful replies,

Petruchio

Seeing some village women trimming up the small Nang Lai pinapples for shipment to supermarkets in the south, I decided to revive a rather intense hobby I had some years ago; winemaking. After some initial trimming they were also trimming off a lot that in my mind would make into excellent wine. Therefore I am wondering if anyone knows where in the CR area one could find such as Campden tablets, pectin enzyme, tannin, or either Champagne or Montrachet yeast? A vinometer would also be nice to have. Our local village Lao Khao "bootlegger" has one that I have seen her use, and I will ask her where she got it.

There are so many nice things here that would make into some nice wine, and I would like to try some of them. If there are others here who make wine, I would also like to have some helpful replies as to what you use for primary and secondary fermenters. I suppose the plastic pails for the primary and the big plastic water bottles will have to do, and I have some air locks that i brought over if I can find stoppers to fit. In the States I used the 5 gallon glass Carboys they used back in the railroading days to ship various acids in, but none are available here.

Helpful comments appreciated,

Petruchio

Apparently this move will take effect October 1 according to their website, and they say that they are "currently working with Airports of Thailand to provide free shuttle service to Suvarnaphumi Airport". I wonder if anyone has heard any more than this and just how "free" this shuttle would be moneywise, timewise, and especially if it is reliable and "trouble" free.... Being 45Km apart, cost of a Taxi would be significant, and the hassle of using one distasteful.

Since most of their business is Thai, and not many of them have need of International flights (from the new airport only), I cannot fault them for moving and leaving us Expats in the lurch if it is cheaper for them and would not cost them significant business otherwise. But it looks to put a kink in coordinating/connecting to International flights.

Also, I wonder if anyone has good info on any other airline going Chaing Rai to BKK and back.

Petr.

To Woralak: Thanks for the response. I am kicking myself because I now remember a store fixture with a lot of tobacco products in it at the shop you mention - the place where I go to get Southern Comfort Whiskey. They used to have it across the street too, but that place has apparently closed or moved. I will go back and check them out on the tobacco products.

To Villagefarang: Thanks for your response. I think other than the black powder shotguns which so many average Thais have, you are exactly right. I have one such police contact, a retired policeman from Chiang Mai who now lives here and who used to work all around in this area as well, who I can ask about this. Actually he is my brother-in-law who lives near me, but who has been off in Chiang Mai for some weeks. I think he shoots a lot - he carries his 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol around in his bag with him every day.

Best Regards to both............

Agree about the wheelchair facilities except for one thing... or maybe two. There is currently no dedicated wheelchair parking and they told me that is because they did not think there were many people in CR with wheelchairs. I need it as I have tho be able to ener my vehicle with a wheelchair so needs space on the right hand side and space at the back for my lift/ Also the security had no idea where to go and took me to 5 non accessible doors before I got to one I could use. I now know where to go but a little signage and training would help.

Of course it takes time for people to realise that people in wheelchairs can drive and manage by themselves without having to be driven everywhere or left at home as it is too dificult. I was a little disapointedas i know how good Central is in regard to access generally ans is Tesco and in its newer stores BigC.

I am sure you wrote before you thought, saying that people in wheelchairs "can manage by themselves.........". I am also sure you know that many have to be driven to places and pushed around there, because they are paralyzed from the neck down. The reason I am replying to your post is not to fault you sir, but to ask your help. I have a good Thai friend, a young man in his early twenties with a wife and baby, who was paralyzed about 3 months ago, and the doctors say that he will never walk again. I have seen his X-Rays and know this to be a fact, since I myself early in life had a similar injury from which I eventually recovered. They say as well that he will be lucky if he will ever be able to do much more than talk, move his head, and shrug his shoulders. He must wear a diaper and use a catheter - a truly sad situation. He is getting a little extremely weak elbow movement now, and I am hoping he will eventually get most of the use of his full arm and wrist (extremely doubtful his hands and fingers). If he could ever be able to move his whole arm, he could be rigged up to manipulate the switch on a motorized wheelchair.

Therefore my question is, do you or any of you others in wheelchairs, know if there is a place in this area where a new or used motorized wheelchair might be found, and about what they cost?