dutch

I can collect my papers (BP and Nation) after 13.00 hrs at the local shop.

As they never had any english language paper before they had to order it specially.

They even call me if the delivery is late, so I not drive my 2 1/2 km for nothing.

Of course price is 2x20 baht.

Very friendly people.

Missed one time in 4 months.

I am living about 20 km south of Korat.

Dangerous way of cost saving IMO

My wife had her d/l on arriving in my homecountry but no experience.

She start to study the language.Did theoretical examination in that language to get her national d/l,followed by practical examination.

She has her own car(s) since ( now about 27 years) and never had an accident.

Think about "others" who can be involved in an accident.

and make sure you have full insurance too (in Finland).

Unless you live in the no where, you cannot let somebody with that kind of experience on the european roads.(it is already bad enough that it is happening in Thailand that way)

Got mine,petrol,version, about 3 weeks ago.

I insist of obtaining an english manual,that arrived last monday.

Cost would be THB 700,but I got for free thanks to good relations between my wife and the local manager (old college friends).

Agree with the facts as described by you concerning petrol usage/noice.After my 1000 km service I need to return at 10.000 km.

Great car.

Land/house ownership forbidden for farang.

90 days reporting

Corruption

Rooks Korat about 20 km direction of Pak Thon Chai ( Can you buy some good solk too !)

Tiger club(army 9 holes course) 1 km direcction of Pak Thon Chai

Suranaree (army 9 holes course) in the centre of the town

Both army courses quit tricky and difficult.

Voyage in Sikiu 30 km south of Korat, absolutely nice

They also told me that it is for maximum 2 hours per day!!!

As I am not that frequent on line any more,I cannot confirm.

sorry.

Lost connection

Go to the TOT office.

You will get a username and a password.

Also instructions in Thai/English for Windows98/Me and WindowsXP.

Everytime you hook on it will cost you 3 thb.

If I can install,you can for sure

difficult to get connection (between 2 minutes and 15 minutes)

many times last connection (difficultif you are in the middle of download or communication)

Over all not too bad

Main entrance hotel Sima Thani anf than to the right.

Yesterday two ladies in the office so obviously operational.

Booked last year inland flight there.No problem and professional assistance.

Next door to the hotel is the TOT office.

Good luck

bought 2 months ago the Vios for my wife.

Not much difference with the honda city to be honest.

For me the point is the service.Our Toyota dealer in Korat is the top when it comes to service.

If you wait for your (expresse) maintenance,you have a airco room at your disposal with TV,coffee,tea,water,papers (nu english!).

Last 5000 km service lasted 55 minutes (incl car wash for free) and the costs were total Thb 670,-

Look at the service level to make up your mind is my advice

Sorry please read ; surprise

Will go to Bkk this week only to play 2 rounds of golf and back again

No surpise. Korat

Visiting here for more than 25 years and now living here.

I like to read something about "Trouble in Korat ".

Mostly I see personal opinions about the looks of that lady

Anybody who can say something about this case?

May be this sounds a little bit stupid, but I give it a try.

What if everybody in the world avoids tax paying?

You spent 50% of the year in Thailand,using its infrastructure and other benefits.

Who is gonna pay for that?

I know you most probably follow the rules that are there but ......

I lived in Holland-Germany-France-Indonesia and now Thailand.

I paid my taxes (although I try to pay less within the law) in all of these countries.

Please don't consider this as an attack, but more as an opening to the question;who is paying for all?

My installer did not have a clue that the Siemens burner needed adapted nozzles.

I found it out myself after they continued to claim that the gaz was not good

The burner produced half meter high flames!

The siemens was build fot the low pressure eart/city gaz.

After 6 weeks delay I could start using the (european) kitchen with gaz bottle.

Used the same for the past 6 years in Indonesia

30 years ago.

Had no idea it would become my retiring place

In Holland ALL pension paying institutes ( including social welfare) are NOT paying gross, but nett. That is the law.They will pay your tax and at the end of the tax year you can try to get a refund or if the expected refund is quite big,you can ask for monthly less tax paying.That request is mostly granted.

You will need to communicate with the Dutch Tax Office in Heerlen, who is dealing with the abroad living dutch citizens.That office will give you permission to pay tax in Thailand and will inform the pension fund, that they should not substract tax. HOWEVER this is only valid for a year ( or a couple of years as stated on the tax office statement) and they request to sent the proof of the Thai tax payment together with the renewal request. If not sent they will order the pensionfund to pay all the tax over the "freedom "years. The pension fund will NOT transmit any money till that is paid all.

You can calculate both taxes by visiting the dutch and Thai websites, and than make up your mind.

Above mentioned is not a" hear- say "story but I do have all related paperwork in my possession.

Hey Stuart , had a few drinks too much???

Chat with you only a few days ago (although it was short)

contact already with Jay-Pnu and Blonco.

May be the old days are coming back again.

Had a lot of things to do lately,because of my move.

See all of you later

Just lets stick to the golf.

I ABSOLUTELY agree with chaamjamal.

Groundrules of golf like ;Don't play slow or let a quicker flight pass.Don't make too many practice swings on the course.

They ( the Koreans) are terrible.

BTW , I do have korean golf friends ,however they show the same attitude. It's hopeless.

Last month I went to Soi Suan Plu, to get some TM 47 forms

They also handed me written information in Thai and English about what to copy and mail every 90 days.

It is stated clearly (u.o.):

1 copy of the photo page of your passport

1 copy of the page containing your most recent entry visa

That is not ALL passport pages (in my case it would be 32 pages already.)

IHowever I was not aware of making copies of both sides of the arrival vard (tm 6).

If you receive a pension from abroad that is higher or egual to 800K and it is certified by the Embassy,that should do it too. Isn't it?

Harpman88,

Not yet and I am a little bit confused now.

The embassy esspecially warned me to apply for extension 1 month before issuing date + one year.(14 October 2005). My entry stamp is on 30 December 2004 and + one year.

During this year I surely will be able to visit immigration in BKK and simply ask them.

If I am planning to leave the Kingdom on a trip,I also will get information before my departure.( I don't take any risk).

Whichever occur first,I will surely share my experience with the board members.

When I went for my O-A retirement(long stay as the officials call it) at the Royal Thai embassy in Jakarta,I was the first ever to apply for that type of visa over there.

They want to go absolutely according to the book in order not to be embarrazed by the Thai immigration later on.

So I waited for them to collect their info from the Ministry of F.A.

Those intructions arrived in Thai and English language, very much the same as from the immigration web site on this forum.

After providing them with ALL the requested info in duplo or triple or whatever,they were sending this file to Immigration office in BKK in order to get the approval. After that they put the visa in my passport ( the same day) .

Although I knew all the officials involved in the procedure personally very well,they still and corrctly went according to the book.

I used a high professional moving group (Asian Tigers) to get our personal belongings moved from Jakarta to Korat. They preferred to use the returning Thai procedure and do the move om my wifes name,although my name was also mentioned and could be used as a backup ;incase...),

My agreement with them was a fully paid amount with door to door action.All the pre checking from them (special the passport of my wife) was done at both offices in Jakarta as well as in Bangkok.

The move went perfect.

The one year stamp at the immigration at Don Muang was seconds work without even asking for it.

I had copies of the(Thai) rules and regulations with me.You can visit the websites of immigration and Min. of F.A. quite easaly.

I also got a lot of help from the forum members during the last year.

Very Iimportant: Take your time for preparation.Don't try to get everything done within a month (impossible).

My first question on this forum was somewhere in November 2003 with the requst: retirement or spouse visa?

Do some investigation by yourself too.Not all answers on the forum are ,although well ment, correct.

I do have my visa in front of me and I read:

Kingdom of Thailand

Type of visa:non-immigrant

Category:O-A

No.of entry:Multiple !!!!!!

Fee; usd 125,-

and so on and so on.Looks clear to me