jackyseymour

Matisse.

I know several who have canceled their trips here.

Was just checking out the pictures on Time magazine site. Lots of people beating each other with sticks, blood on the streets. Definitely going to scale back visitors...

Look at the bright side. Visa's will be easier to get, prices should go down a bit with a more pronounced recession and a better exchange rate. The US$ is flirting with 35 baht now and might gain some more steam despite lots of BOT intervention.

That's well worth people dying for.

Don't ask me. Ask PAD etc why they are waging war in the streets.

The PAD are not 'waging war' in the streets!!! Some friends arrived here in Phuket via Bangkok and saw and heard absolutely nothing of the half hour skirmish outside Government House, an area not more than half a kilometer, on the day the ridiculous sensationalist world press reported 'Armagedon In Bangkok' Anyone remember Phuket being 'under water'? Oh and then of course we were all going to perish from being infected by bloody poultry. Idiot. What are you, a bloody Sun Reader? Some of you really need to gain some perspective and think for yourselves rather than continually touting, sheeplike, what the money grabbing press tells you is the truth. Baaaaa!

Just had 'surprise' visit from friends from the uk who would like a trip up to cm from phuket, and time, not to mention budget, being of the essence am looking for best flight deals. Just went on to Thai Airways website, but find 12k plus per passenger a tad up from the 10k at New Year. Okay, fuel hikes and all that, but would've thought they could've been able to come up with something better than that for weekday dep/return?

Went up with AsiaAir New Year and never want to spend stopoff of upwards of 6 hours in Swampy, both outward and return, ever again.

Any info gratefully received as always

Just a nice holiday might have been less expensive anyway.

The Lessor now sees an opportunity, so be it. The Lessees put themselves over the barrel - i mean, what could possibly happen during the next 30 years?

A more fully drafted lease would perhaps have helped but regardless the offshore company lessee route would have solved a lot of problems.

A new purchaser for the whole 10 rai or their 1 rai is their only hope but will involve the lessor taking his renewed cut (and why not?).

Thanks for your input. Their problem, monumental in my view, is that the Lessor must be present to countersign the transfer of the existing 30 year lease at the Land Registry. And on at least two previous occasions he's been 'unavailable'. At one stage he told them he was out of the country and had serious doubts about ever returning to Thailand?! And that was all before this 10% and 'potential buyer paying in instalments' malarky.

I think it quite possible he's hoping they'll have to go home, and how will they ever be able to enforce payment of the balance due? Court cases here take years, but from someone potless in the UK?

The wife told me she worked for a large insurance company in the Uk for several years and learned always to read the fine print. Hmmmm

All smoke and mirrors, Behind the scenes the deal has probably already been struck with TS, for him to come back, like a knight in shining armour, and negotiate the saving of Thai, and pick up the kudos plus the land he wants to build a new casino city in Cambodia. Definitely sounds like a political timed operation to me. Thaidrew

+1

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the situation. T.V. has had people talking about what situation Thaksin will use to return, seeming victorious. This could well be it.

If it goes down this way people, none of you can claim that it wasn't previously orchestrated. Now hopefully some Thai people have seen this and will think about it while Thaksin is paraded back in to Thailand.

You've been reading too many Boys' Own comics. This will never ever happen. The sheer hatred for the man who has caused so much damage and division in Thailand runs much too deep.

My thoughts:-

1. Presumably their lease did not include provision for assignment/transfer otherwise they would not be looking to hang their hat on the verbal agreement to buy back.

2. The 'verbal agreement' is not enforceable. Even if a receipt had been given it would need to have been quite an extensive document so as to have any possibility of being theoretically valid. Thereafter litigation costs would likely be prohibitive (especially to them as they now are relying on the return of the money). As an aside, how were they going to be able to afford to live and build their house if they are so strapped for cash now?

3. I doubt it was necessarily a long con (other than being a lease!!!) as they are only in need of the buy back because they have subsequently split up. However from the Lessor's point of view an opportunity has now arisen as they have split up (regardless of whether there is a potential buyer for the collective plots).

4. Whilst it does not help them now, I do not understand why (especially since they are retirees) they did not register the lease in the name of an offshore company (passing the lease on would then not rely on any action by the lessor, can assist with inheritance and either way is 'tax efficient').

5. I assume they did not take decent legal advice and then form their own opinion on the risks involved and how best to mitigate them. They are in this position because they did not consider possible eventualities before parting with their money.

6. They should certainly not sign the lease back to make negotiations 'less complicated'.

Yes, your aside 'how were they going to be able to afford to live and build their house', does raise other issues, he's a retired teacher and she's rather partial to shopping. Some people are simply useless with money, I doubt they would have been able to afford to pay for the completion of any construction anyway, so was probably for the best they split.

As to the 30 year lease, I can understand why a Thai would offer that, after all Thai life expectancy, coupled with the fact that the Thais were used to simply dismantling their houses every few years, and erecting new ones, 30 years seemed a long time to them. The old Thai style was, after all, simply a baan ruean, something made of wood on stilts, and these 30 year leases don't take into account that most farang want to build something more stable, preferably in a European style, and therefore much more expensive.

But they took very bad advice from a local farang lawyer, and didn't consider at all the ramifications of anything going pearshaped and needing to sell the land. I mean really, who in their right mind would sign something requiring the already cashed up seller's presence at the Land Office? The words 'barrel' and 'over' spring to mind. After the split they had tried to dispose of the land and on a couple of occasions had had some other sucker interested, but the Lessor was always 'out of the country' at the time.

I thought that the 'long con' might have started not at the initial drawing up of a 30 year lease, (which as you imply, is a long con in itself) but that the Lessor, seeing an opportunity, and knowing their situation very well, may well have devised a confidence trick to part with an undocumented and unasked for 10% deposit, and then call them for a meeting stating he had a buyer, who I understand, was supposed to be buying the entire 10 rai and house, in instalments over a period of three years! So why it was so important to have the one rai plot returned to the Lessor's full ownership straight away raises a few doubts as to the truth of the situation. I thought it possible the Lessor, knowing the Lessees for the ingenus (to put it politely) they are, would very well have agreed to sign the land back at the Land Office, for a fraction of it's original asking price, and they would never have heard from the Lessor again!

As it stands, the wife's run out of money and is completely dependant on the balance of re-purchase price being paid. If she were to have to return to her home country, penniless, how could she possibly ensure reimbursement? Come to that, how could she anyway, if the Lessor decides he's nothing to lose by hanging on to his money for another year or several, particularly if the 'potential buyer' disappears?

Some people should just come here for a nice holiday.

A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on.......

My thoughts exactly. My thinking is the owner/lessor, believing the Lessees 'just off the boat' (and from what I know of these people I too would find it difficult to assume otherwise, by the by), would've attempted to gain the Lessees' confidence by virtue of initiating the offer of an unasked for deposit (after all, he had nothing to lose by simply promising to buy back, what is, in effect, his own land anyway), and having gained their confidence, assumed they would simply reassign the land back to himself, but came unstuck when the wife refused to do so.

If the Landowner/Lessor refuses to accompany the Tenants/Lessees to the Land Office to countersign any transfer of the Lease to a Third Party, what can one do? Nothing but wait out one's 30 year tenure.

Why not ask an existing stall-holder what to do?

Far faster than an internet forum and probably more accurate.

After the initial helpful response to my post, decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and with my limited Thai, tripped up to the local OBJ, and am now in receipt of list of telephone numbers and names of various landowners. And yes of course you're quite right, SB, much faster and more accurate than internet forums, this one in particular

I posted this in the SME forum, but not too much traffic there and so hoping someone can assist in General.

I don't have enough to keep my housekeeper fully occupied and she tells me her other employer's had to relocate. She and her husband are a bit strapped for cash for college fees for the kids etc, so suggested she might try a stall at a local market, there's one at different locations every evening here in Phuket. She seemed not to know how to apply for a slot. I'm assuming an application to the local OrBorJor? Anyone have any experience/can ask a Thai spouse/friend the potential timespan between application and setup, also what kind of fee would be expected to be paid here on Phuket? Any info gratefully received.

if she cant do the basic research, how will the business succeed?

Why are there so many of your type on this forum. Sneering remarks, nothing practical to contribute. Now. Back to your beer Chang.

Anyone with some constructive advice please?

I met a couple who had taken out a 30 year lease on a one rai plot of land here on Phuket. The couple parted company shortly after, and so any plans for building their retirement home had to be shelved.

Since then the the owner of the land, a farang, had offered to buy the plot back, at a reduced price, just a couple of k less than the original purchase price, and after all, what could the Lessees do but accept anyway, all the Lessor had to do was refuse to show up at the Land Office with the Lessees and sign over an agreement to a new purchaser /'Lessee' of the land plot.

After some months the Lessor paid, on his own insistence, the Lessees a 10% deposit, saying he had cash flow problems (even though it's widely known this gentleman has many overseas business interests) and would pay the remainder of the re-purchase price, once said cash flow problems were resolved, but within a year.

At the time of paying the 10% deposit, the owner/Lessor, insisted there was no need for any kind or 'receipt' for the payment of the deposit, he said, of course he trusted them. So no proof on either side that any contract or payment of deposit was made.

Since then, the Lessor called a meeting of the Lessees to inform them he was in contact with a potential buyer for the entire plot of land, consisting of around 10 rai, with his own expensive house in a very desirable spot on Phuket quite close to the beach, and would the Lessees sign over their parcel of land to make negotiations with the potential buyer of the entirety, less 'complicated'.

The separated couple, (the Lessees) refused, quite rightly in my view, on the basis that if something were to happen to the Lessor (not suggesting they didn't trust him of course ) they would have no proof of 'tenancy'. Whereupon the Owner/Lessor became very irate and told them he would leave it until the last possible moment to pay them the remaining 90% purchase price.

Without paperwork of any kind showing any contract between the Lessor and Lessee, would the Lessees be able to enforce a verbal agreement to pay the remainder of the re-purchase price? After all, what could they do if the Lessor reneges on his agreement to buy the land back? There is always of course, the scuppering of any plans to resell the Lessor's entire 10 rai plus house, but this buyer may indeed not exist.

The couple albeit separated, are finding themselves very strapped for cash and are relying on the Owner/Lessor paying the balance due, and with the verbal time limit.

I'm feeling 'long con'. Any thoughts?

Just curious, how many cars on the market at the moment are E85 ready?

There's the rub, most modern cars do NOT like this fuel.

And mods will not be cheap.

Lots of older ones do up to a point, can't imagine diesels like it much.

The market is not prepared.

I know my bike HATES the alcohol fuels

and it's an old Honda pretty tolerant to much abuse.

Give a year or two local makers can provide cars that will thrive on this fuel.

Between now and then?

Exactly so. I would have to give up my Willys and my older Honda Steed, and .... have to buy brand new vehicles, thus further fuelling the motor industry, (I too abhor the SUV roadhogs by the way). Why don't they invest in the railways? Would do away with the regular motorway carnage. Beeching did away with the railways in the Uk years ago, since when was found to be a huge mistake.

But society everywhere has become more selfish. Everyone wants to travel at will in their own little metal bubble. Even the 'car sharing' idea in the Uk fell flat on it's face.

Just think! To be able to board a high speed train in Phuket and be in Bangkok in a matter of a three or four hours, rather than the same time wasted driving to the airport and hanging around for the inevitably delayed takeoff. Bliss

I'd been working on a couple of images in Photoshop CS3, went to review them the next day to find one of them reduced to a simple small icon - white square with top right dogear, containing blue box with three even tinier images in blue red and green (so small couldn't even read with a jewellery spec!). Clicked on them and they wouldn't budge, no txt explaining why. Eventually got to open one in 'reveal in explorer' to find a larger blue bounded box on the CS3 workspace, containing the words 'unable to open, not right kind of document?!!!'

Been into the Adobe 'Help' section to find no mention of how to go about resolving this particular problem. Anyone here can assist please?

I posted this in the SME forum, but not too much traffic there and so hoping someone can assist in General.

I don't have enough to keep my housekeeper fully occupied and she tells me her other employer's had to relocate. She and her husband are a bit strapped for cash for college fees for the kids etc, so suggested she might try a stall at a local market, there's one at different locations every evening here in Phuket. She seemed not to know how to apply for a slot. I'm assuming an application to the local OrBorJor? Anyone have any experience/can ask a Thai spouse/friend the potential timespan between application and setup, also what kind of fee would be expected to be paid here on Phuket? Any info gratefully received.

I suggest that YOUR ethics are not the ultimate guide to other people, cmsally

Oh, some people still trying all means to defend the indefensible, I see .

This lesson in history serves mainly to show how brainwash-able humans are, I think. Which colour T-shirt will you be wearing tomorrow ?

China went through all this decades ago, and has genuinely moved on; not perfect of course, but finding better ways to live in the modern world. Other Asian countries have found their own solutions.

Thailand seems to need quite a revolution in thought before it can get on a better road.

When was the last time you were in China? And if you've never been there, which I strongly suspect unless it were an escorted whizbang next stop Shanghai shopping mall tour, Do you ever pay any attention at all to current sino politics? Are you familiar with Chinese foreign policy? How could you possibly compare like for like? How about the very recent Olympics where many ordinary Chinese were being thrown out of their homes to make way for pretty ponds and flower gardens? How about the mass forced relocation of the rural poor to make way for new mass development, unafordable to aforesaid rural poor by the way, who have had to give up their land to go live in a box to make Nike shoes and the like? Some of the posters' arrogance/ignorance on this forum truly takes my breath away.

And do please enlighten us as to which particular Asian countries 'have found their own solutions', and to what end? Go on, I dare you.

I don't have enough to keep my housekeeper fully occupied and she tells me her other employer's had to relocate. She and her husband are a bit strapped for cash for college fees for the kids etc, so suggested she might try a stall at a local market, there's one at different locations every evening here in Phuket. She seemed not to know how to apply for a slot. I'm assuming an application to the local OrBorJor? Anyone have any experience/can ask a Thai spouse/friend the potential timespan between application and setup, also what kind of fee would be expected to be paid here on Phuket? Any info gratefully received.

I find that the greatest source for free photoshop tips is in iTunes podcasts. I have downloaded over a thousand podcasts, mostly photoshop video tips lasting from 1 minute for a PHOTOSHOP KILLER TIPS to TV shows like PHOTOSHOP TV. which lasts over a half hour. Also they have extensive selections of videos on LIGHTROOM and many other Adobe products. Some podcasts are sound only, but most are video.

My big problem is that I love to watch the tutorials and often don't get to practice what I just learned. Sometimes, something sinks in and I use the collection as a big reference library to search.

I assume that iTunes for the PC is the same as for the Mac and includes so much more than downloading songs. The iTunes program is a free download from apple...A guess a simple search for Photoshop podcasts would work great too.

Got to Youtube - search 'You Suck At Photoshop'. Hilarious tutorials from which you will actually learn something instead of dozing off.

Install planters shutters 'baan shut'. You won't need ugly security bars, mosquito ridden curtaining, and you'll have natural air flow. And NO, insects won't get in.

Had yet another nice long chat with Call Centre lady with a brain - my mo is to wear the blighters down - who told me they have so many problems with Phuket and she's getting tired of being shouted at by irate farang simply because the Phuket branch is so damned inept Well you have to feel for them don't you?

Anyway. Seems the only engineer up and about on a Saturday (apparently there are just the two for the entire island ) has managed to flick the appropriate switch and it's working now, for how long, who knows?

And no, not paying the bill would lead to an immediate flick of the off switch

Can I change the provider? Would they be any better?

I'm sure I'm not alone in being driven to distraction, particularly over the past month, by the TOT 'service'. Crashing up to at least a half dozen times a day, each and every day. Calling their Call Centre and them telling me to go through the re configuration process again and again, sometimes works, now definitely doesn't.

Last night had a nice call centre person, after the umpteenth call, tell me they would put in a report to the local engineer here on Phuket 'in the morning'. Still no bloody ppp light, so called again to get told they think 'maybe engineer not work weekends'?! and 'maybe must wait until Monday morning', 'not sure'. hmmm.

I seem to remember having myriad problems with TOT and it being fixed on a Sunday? Anyone can confirm?

Oh and by the way, TOT put in their line last year, but is it possible to change the provider? And any recommendations here on Phuket please?

I was having lunch at a favourite local restaurant today, when the owners asked me if I knew anyone might be interested in renting their two houses.

There are just the two houses at Laemka Noi, on the top of a rise overlooking a fantastic view of the bay looking out on an unfettered view of the islands opposite. To my mind, possibly the best location in the Rawai area, if not Phuket island.

The Thai owners seem to have a problem advertising as both houses are at the end of a long private lane immediately off the main Rawai road - Vichit Road, just before Siam Real Estate, and not much passing traffic.

They told me that both houses would be available as the present tenant of just one of the houses will be vacating next month. So if anyone's interested. They told me they would be asking 40k for one house and 45k for the other, and for the location, an extremely good deal! I told them I'd ask around.

If anyone's interested, just turn left at the wooden Laemka Noi restaurant, just by the big yellow Fuang Fa Restaurant sign on the left hand side of Vichit Road, around 100 metres after Rawai Hardware and about 50 metres before Siam Real Estate's office. Go down the lane, park up and descend a set of steps to Laemka Noi Restaurant and have a word with the owners.

Sooner or later something was bound to give as the current situation cannot continue infinitum.

While i have sympathy for the PAD and their supporters I don't believe they have the moral right on their side.

WHat they should be doing is organising themselves to win the next election.

If it requires buying votes in rural areas so be it.

Thailand has its own unique version of democracy and the PAD need to work with the system they have and fgure how best to gain control of the powers of government.

You may not have noticed ... but PAD is not a political party

It really depends on your definition of political party. If you are taking the more technical, institutional definitions then maybe not. But there are also definitions based on ideology and perceptions of national interest and these definitions would definitely class the the PAD as a political movement or party.

again ...... PAD is not a political Party, they are not registered as such, you cannot vote for PAD in elections etc. That does not take genius to understand. Yes, PAD is a political movement, attempting to oust a corrupt illegal government and the system that allows it to continue.

You (Tolley) are supporting vote buying etc ... so you are not supporting any form of democracy, so why pretend?

You really make me laugh.

First off i never said that PAD was a political party.

Secondly re vote buying what do think happens in the US elections campaigns albeit a more sophisticated type of vote buying with vested interests and key lobby groups distributing

money to candidates and parties.

They don't donate money without expecting some sort of return.

To my mind PAD are not offering any alternative to the regime that exists now and they don't have a replacment because they are not a political party so what are they really going to achieve?

Not much IMHO because they are not really offering anything. In fact you could argue that they are contributing to a further destablisation of the country.

Unfortunately the problems of Thailand are so deeply rooted in their institutions and culture that it really would take a seismic shift in the education, political institutions, the way business is done etc

It ain't gonna happen in our life time that is for sure.

And that's what the PAD are proposing. The journey of a thousand miles starts with just one small step. Old Russian saying.

Because. The alternative is?

The PAD was peaceful the policemen violent. Of course like always the superiors sit in the aircon and eat dinner while the normal people/policemen/soldier are dieing. After it, the put medals on their chests or if they complete fail they retire earlier at full salary. The guy without leg is forgotten in 2 weeks. The superiors will serve many more governments no matter if PPP or Democrats, new politic or old politic...

This is where I never understands, you call blocking the road to parliament and disabling the whole government from working peaceful?

You call blocking the airport, attacking the office in the airport and stopping Airplanes from landing peaceful?

You call disabling the major road in Bangkok peaceful?

You call stopping shipment industry from moving peaceful?

Lastly, you call the cursing and all hel_l in ASTV as peaceful?

If the PAD are really 'pure', why are the neutral people like us hates you?

The PAD are no different than Thaksin who uses power and illegal acts to gain more power.

You are ignorant. Go educate yourself.

You are another good example of a PAD Supporter who fails to open up to the opinion of other people and forces your opinion on others.

You really don't have a clue do you? Okay. Tell me everything you think you know about the PAD's proposals for a corruption free Thailand. Don't leave anything out now. I'm assuming you are conversant enough with the Thai language to be able to articulate an informed response?

The PAD was peaceful the policemen violent. Of course like always the superiors sit in the aircon and eat dinner while the normal people/policemen/soldier are dieing. After it, the put medals on their chests or if they complete fail they retire earlier at full salary. The guy without leg is forgotten in 2 weeks. The superiors will serve many more governments no matter if PPP or Democrats, new politic or old politic...

This is where I never understands, you call blocking the road to parliament and disabling the whole government from working peaceful?

You call blocking the airport, attacking the office in the airport and stopping Airplanes from landing peaceful?

You call disabling the major road in Bangkok peaceful?

You call stopping shipment industry from moving peaceful?

Lastly, you call the cursing and all hel_l in ASTV as peaceful?

If the PAD are really 'pure', why are the neutral people like us hates you?

The PAD are no different than Thaksin who uses power and illegal acts to gain more power.

You are ignorant. Go educate yourself.

Any injuries, let alone deaths, on either side, are lamentable. But were they totally unexpected, when the orders were given, to go in with force to clear the PAD ?

Ricardo, let me tell you some little stories which did really happen.

In 1995, a member of my family who was doing his job as policeman and was guarding entrance to the National Bank in Madrid got blowed up by the ETA. He didn't want to fight with the ETA. He didn't want to be pulled in the mess the EAT was creating. He only want to do his job and earn some money to feed his family.

A decade later, a member of my family who was waiting for a commuter to bring him to work got blowed-up with thousand of other citizens. He didn't want to fight with the ETA. He didn't want to be pulled in the mess the EAT was creating. He only want to do his job and earn some money to feed his family.

Those "peaceful protesters" from the PAD have done actions which are against the Thai law and order and policeman who did not want to get involved in the mess the PAD created where dropped into an action by their superior.

IF you want to blame somebody for this mess. start to blame the PAD for having called everybody to create civil unrest and started to hostage a complete parliament.

The source of the problem might be on Thaksin, but the problem is on the PAD.

They fail to respect majority, and demands their wishes to happen. They couldnt care less on what happen on the lesser citizens on the front line.

So in other word, PAD claims that the government is an illegal government, thus the PAD themselves uses illegal acts to subdue the illegal? There's no way for those to be legal.

Most of Thais is far too uncivilized, failure to respect the majority and law, claiming that the present 'law' are stupid. When you dont respect law, how can there be a proper country?

Well you really can't have it both ways. First you say that 'most of the Thais are far too uncivilized' and that they fail to respect the 'majority and law'! Majority of whom then? Liberians? Irish? Peruvians? (who are also so sick to the backteeth with their particular thieves posing as politicians that they too have taken to the streets aka PAD style, shortly after the Mexicans by the way) Vulcans? And the rule of law of Thailand was devised by whom ... ? Think they were those damned uncivilised Thais ...

Really. The ignorance/lack of intelligence/lazy thinking shown by some of the posters on this forum makes one's head spin. Oh and Incredibly rascist rant by the way.

Well I know many people that would like to or have and urge to run over crooked cops with a pickup or atleast stabbed them.

I mean hey if some rich kid driving a benz could run over a crowd and not get charged why not use a pickup truck to defend yourself?

.

OK; while I think I understand your point, any claims that the PAD supporters are unarmed & defenceless seem quite untenable. This is not a peaceful protest and I fail to see how any of this violence can be helpful to anyone's cause. The whole situation looks more farcical by the day.

The Asian stock market is crashing but who'd know -- people are too preoccupied with their street fighting. Perhaps that's the idea.

Do you actually take the time to look at ASTV and their rolling coverage of their protest rally, do you? Take a look. What do you see?! Urban guerillas, AK47s at the ready? Really. For shame.