billd766

I have had a LloydsTSB offshore account in Jersey for 11 years now.

One card in my name and another in my wife's name.

They have had my mobile number and email address plus home address updated for the same time.

One time I went to Papua New Guinea to work and after 3 days found that I could not withdraw any money.

It cost me over USD $100 to ring the call centre, get put on hold, transferred and put on hold again before somebody with any authority would deign to speak to a mere mortal like me and eventually change my overdraft limit (which they had cancelled without any reference to me)so that I could get some money.

3 or 4 times since then my card has been blocked and the only way to get it unblocked is to ring the call centre.

On one occasion I was unable to take money out so I rang the call center and explained the problem and they put me on hold and eventually transferred me to another department.

They said that they had blocked it as I was trying to take out money for 3 days in a row. Their excuse was that they didn't know it was me withdrawing the money so they blocked the card. I asked if they had looked at where I live and checked back into the account at the drawing records. No was the reply. Did you look at where I live. No. So why did you do it? Well it wasn't me that did it but somebody else. granted that the guy unblocked the account straight away but that was after 3 international calls to the UK.

I have never been given any contact numbers or names so that I can actually speak to a real person in the branch where my money is deposited and withdrawn from.

I tried the call centre one time in the Isle of Man from Thailand and I ended up speaking to a very pleasant lady who apologised and said that she was unable to help me as she had no access to my account details. Just before I hung up I asked where she was and it was in Mumbai, India.

Every time I use my ATM card they charge me around GBP3 plus the 150 baht I have to pay at this end.

For this "service" they charge me GBP 70 per annum.

As I live overseas and do internet banking I asked to stop paper statements but as I live overseas I have to receive them.

However before the end of this month I think I have the cure for the banking problem.

All my pensions are transferred direct to my Thai bank, thus saving 150 baht and GBP 3+ every time and I shall transfer the balance of about GBP 12 to my friends account and close the account and that will be the end of it.

Good riddance.

This is good advice, I also noticed the 3 day rule in my visit too. I seem to remember I could only withdraw £500 equivalent per day for three consecutive says, then on the four day no withdrawals were permitted. Then I could make another 3 days of withdrawals. Its all very strange. This did not stop me using MasterCard on my bank card though, that was carte blanch.

I must say using bank cards in Thailand is an expensive bit of business, open a local account and get the funds sent to it from the UK.

Already in the works today.

The problem before was that I worked offshore in a few countries, several of which I am sure had never heard of Thailand.

I play the game by Thai rules and I haven't been out of the country in nearly 2 1/2 years and I have always felt welcome in Thailand.

Perhaps it is the rose coloured spectacles I wear and the fact that I am polite and cause no hassles.

Nahhh it couldn't be that simple now, could it?

I have been living in a small Moo Ban for the last 7 years.

From 2004 until 2009 I used to work offshore anywhere from 3 to 6 months and in 2008/9 I was away for a year until I retired after 50 years of work.

I love it up here and I know a lot of the local Thais but it seems that more know me.

Every time I go to the big village of Klong Lan, a lot of shops, 2 ATM plus the 7/11 most of the kids I see wave and smile as do a lot of the adults.

I know what you mean about the chickens as I am an offender in that but to be fair this is a rural farming area.

Somebody has bypassed the loudspeakers on the lamp post outside so I never hear them.

I sort of keep country hours and Monday to Friday I am usually up at 5 am to get ready to send our son to school 45 km away just after 6. He gets home around 6 pm, he eats, does his homework, has a shower and goes to bed around 8 pm and my wife goes about that time too. I am usually in bed around 9 pm.

At the weekend I generally have a lie in until 6.30 and the wife and son rot in bed until 8 or so.

Most days I spend a couple of hours in the morning cutting down the grass and scrub, shower and eat lunch.

After that I am on line for 2 or 3 hours, have a 30 minute sleep and do any other odd jobs, then shave and shower ready to eat dinner and drink 2 or 3 Sang Soms with ice and soda and its Boinngg said Zebedee, time for bed.

Out here most people are polite and friendly and usually smile at me.

I pay the same price that Thais do in the local markets.

Several times I have walked away and left money behind only to have people chase after me and return it. Once I forgot to pay and the girl reminded me next time I was in there.

Twice I have lost money 10,000 baht but that was on market days and the money never turned up though the second time the money bag, cards and licences were returned a few days later but sadly not the money. Now I just don't take much with me any more.

In my 67 years of life I have lived and worked in 38 countries living i cities, towns and villages. I have lived in military camps, houses, caravans, hotels etc.

Back in 1999 I chose to break with the UK and make Thailand my home and now out here is where I am happiest.

Going back to live in a city! I hope you have a lot of money to pay me because I won't be going voluntarily?

I have had a LloydsTSB offshore account in Jersey for 11 years now.

One card in my name and another in my wife's name.

They have had my mobile number and email address plus home address updated for the same time.

One time I went to Papua New Guinea to work and after 3 days found that I could not withdraw any money.

It cost me over USD $100 to ring the call centre, get put on hold, transferred and put on hold again before somebody with any authority would deign to speak to a mere mortal like me and eventually change my overdraft limit (which they had cancelled without any reference to me)so that I could get some money.

3 or 4 times since then my card has been blocked and the only way to get it unblocked is to ring the call centre.

On one occasion I was unable to take money out so I rang the call center and explained the problem and they put me on hold and eventually transferred me to another department.

They said that they had blocked it as I was trying to take out money for 3 days in a row. Their excuse was that they didn't know it was me withdrawing the money so they blocked the card. I asked if they had looked at where I live and checked back into the account at the drawing records. No was the reply. Did you look at where I live. No. So why did you do it? Well it wasn't me that did it but somebody else. granted that the guy unblocked the account straight away but that was after 3 international calls to the UK.

I have never been given any contact numbers or names so that I can actually speak to a real person in the branch where my money is deposited and withdrawn from.

I tried the call centre one time in the Isle of Man from Thailand and I ended up speaking to a very pleasant lady who apologised and said that she was unable to help me as she had no access to my account details. Just before I hung up I asked where she was and it was in Mumbai, India.

Every time I use my ATM card they charge me around GBP3 plus the 150 baht I have to pay at this end.

For this "service" they charge me GBP 70 per annum.

As I live overseas and do internet banking I asked to stop paper statements but as I live overseas I have to receive them.

However before the end of this month I think I have the cure for the banking problem.

All my pensions are transferred direct to my Thai bank, thus saving 150 baht and GBP 3+ every time and I shall transfer the balance of about GBP 12 to my friends account and close the account and that will be the end of it.

Good riddance.

"Asked if it is now safe for residents of inner Bangkok to remove their flood defences, Verwey said it was up to individuals. He added, however, that since there are so many sandbags in Bangkok and surrounding areas at the moment, the selling price would be low, while holding on to them a little longer might fetch a better price."

- The Dutch guy doesn't answer the question - he determines it's a question about the value of the sandbags. What is his expertise - water management and flood prevention or sandbag marketing?

..what is the current value of a second-hand, water-logged sand bag?

About 50 satang I should think AND the buyer removes them together with the sand.

Before the floods, up in the countryside where I live they used to be 80 baht for 10, new and unused.

-snip-

Arming? You mean versus using?

Anyone out there who remembers the indiscriminate grenade attacks on any non-red-shirts? By 'peaceful protesters' under the leadership of those lovable guys like Nattawut, Dr. weng, Jatuporn and renegade general Seh Daeng. Anyone out there who remembers similar attacks by PAD on non-yellow-shirts?

The 'vicious circle' as you name it started that very day January 2006 as a law change got into effect and the Shinawatra family sold their Shinawatra Holdings stake to Temasek and through a dubious loophole in the legal framework managed to avoid paying taxes. Maybe legally so, as only the 'amply rich' manage to do. That's when things started

And don't forget that father of a yellow shirt beaten dead in Chang Mai and Abhisits driver (don't know dead or not).

Nothing similar was ever done by the yellows.

Nothing? H90 - that is too far from reality to be believed. The PAD is violent, too. They have shot people, ambushed people, and just plain beaten people to death as well as a full out attack on an entire police station.

And the PAD had/has the advantage of military leadership support. The military refused direct orders from the government to remove the PAD from the Government House as well as from the airports. On the other hand, Abhisit asked the army to use lethal force last year and the army were there with guns loaded.

I don't advocate violence. I don't advocate arson. But there are many hypocrites on this forum - and I find it disgusting - who never hesitate to call out one side for burning Central World, but never, never, never mention the 91 dead - 7 non-civilians so 84 killed by the government / army in the same conflict.

Ask me to chose between burning buildings & closing airports or killing one person, much less 91, then I say close the airports and break out your matches. There is no comparison between arson and murder.

As for this round of protests, I hope for peaceful protests.

Do you personally have any actual, factual proof that could be taken to court of what you allege?

I have 26 concrete water tanks (concrete jars or ongs) of about 40,000 litres and most of the heavy dirt settles in the bottom of the ong.

They feed a water pump and following the pump are 2 filters so most of the dirt is filtered at those points.

This is because 4 of the 7 years we have lived up here at some point in Feb/Mar/Apr the government water stopped as there was not enough water to supply everybody.

This water is only used as household supplies as we have 2 x 3,000 litre rainwater tanks for drinking.

We have never used any chemicals in either supply at all.

There is a promotion going around but it is a wireless link giving supposedly 7Mb and if you are in the right place the installation will cost 3,390 baht, a dual port modem 390 baht or a wireless modem for 890 baht.

My next door neighbour got one and for the first few days the speed (at the right time of day was great), however it has tailed off lately and has been down completely since Tuesday.

I have been sharing it and it is better than EDGE but not as reliable so far.

It is on their website www.tothispeed.com/th/ should you wish to look but it is all in Thai.

What I did was to make a small drawing of 2 batteries clearly marked + and - and showed that.

A simple alternative and one I find the easiest is to Google what I want and print a photo and also go to Google Translate and print that on the other side.

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and sometimes in Thailand it is true.

Did the handlers of the Dems and Abhisit allow them to impeach Theera the CTP minister and possibly upset flood em all except my fiefdom Banharn who the elite rely on to change sides for a bunch of lucre?

Hmm add the selected and not elected senators to the southern elected ones and you probably have close to 60%. Still if it happens lets await utter chaos as the pro democracy groups resist it. Dems guarantee they wont win the next election with yet another maneuver like this. Not that they care as they owe their allegiance to mighty ones and not the people, which is really sad considering the country needs a democratic opposition

Did you mean much as the PTP owes its allegiance to its mighty ones as well and not to the people, which is really sad considering that the country needs a democratic government and leadership?

The danger is that citizens killing generals and royalists do not respect the wish of a government that represents more than 2/3 of the Thai electorate. Anymore comprehensive cannot be possible.

Please excuse me for being somewhat slow but it is probably due to may age.

When I went to school over 50 years ago I was taught in Mathematics that 48% is smaller than 2/3 which is 66.6%

Maybe you did Maths differently to me but IIRC only 48% of the electorate voted for the PTP and not necessarily all of them voted for Thaksin.

Can you explain in simple terms how you have arrived at 2/3ds of the Thai electorate are in favour of this?

Thank you for your enlightenment.

So because the UK pays me such a niggardly State pension I personally will be allowed into the UK as would my son who has dual nationality, however my wife and my son's mother will not be allowed into the country.

And before anybody shouts off I paid all my taxes for 44 years, served my country in the military for 25, have never claimed benefits and I am still paying taxes.

Boy am I glad I left in 1999 when that "nice" new labour government were in charge.

And it is just the right amount to fill the tank on your motorbike.

If I remember correctly any PTP minister had to resign his parliamentary seat and sign a letter for Thaksin that if he lost his job or resigned he was no longer an MP.

If a PTP party list MP were to resign then an election would not be required as there are others waiting in the wings.

If Thaksin were to return how long do you think it might be before an MP "resigns" and a party list vacancy appears?

After all the current PM is only a party list MP.

I sent an EMS package from Klong Lan near Khampaeng Phet to Ayuttha on Friday lunchtime and the package was delivered on Monday after lunch.

Thanks for your thoughts but selling and buying property in Thailand is not that is easy so I guess we are stuck here! Luckily where we live in NS Tok we had no flooding within a mile and we can both swim big time, taught her that free when we met, free!

Been up into the metropolis this morning, a lot more rubbish has been cleared, things slowly returning to normal.

Fairyland has been completely retiled but Tesco is still closed they have some small posters which says "your new store is coming soon." A quick look round the barrier showed no fixtures and fittings, look at least a week away from openeing so maybe the 25th was right. Over at Vitteethep they have no tiles on the floor at all but do have a thank you sale on! The fridges have a little stock in now.

The market at the end of Kosi Road was 80% open today but footfall not like as usual. Went to the market at the other end of town on the road to Krok Phra and it was noticeable that prices had gone up dramatically.

We will open, well Nong will open, for sales in Sawanvittee 9 tomorrow, so if you want some pineapple we would be glad to see you, although I will probably have gone back to bed!

Last thing the 2 7-11 near the market one in Sawanvittee and the one in Kosi Road near Kasikorn/Ayudyha are both closed and dont look like they open soon.

Metropolis so that's what you call the smoke, traffic, diesel fumed, and now flooded ridden place, well I never. One learn's something new every day.

Yep forgot about the selling bit who the hell want's to buy anything in N/S. Now in KPP if you put anything it up for sale it's gone in a trice, and at top price.

Bill if you want to know were to get any tablet's ect in KPP just ask. And by the way what's the road between the to got to do with it. If you want dodgy road's just try the bypass at N/S it was crap before the water got at it.

Now Bill you should know about the shop closures during the flood's in KPP now let me see ALL the bank's shop's post office's 7/11 were all open. Ya Ya I know some were closed on Sunday's forgot about that.

Then there's the immigration as we only have to go once a year thank Buddha there's no problem good job we didn't have to go in the last week or two as we would have been in the sh/t big time.

And how many shop's do you want Big/C Tesco's Makro's two post office's +++ there all in KPP. Oh and open. And the price's still the same, IE no increase. I must point out I was in N/S on the 7th and you should have seen it plastic bag's rubbish crap of all sort's, if anyone try's to tell me it's a nice place to be within 20 mile's of I'll will laugh, the pit's is a word that fit's the bill more appropriately. Sorry if I offend anyone but I speak as I find.

I don't know if anyone knows but KPP has won the cleanest city in Thailand award 8 time's in 15 year's. Just a bit of trivia.

I just sent you a PM about meds.

I am keeping out of this other than saying where I live there is no pollution, no traffic jams, the roads are good as there is not much traffic.

KhamPhet is about 45 minutes one way and NakWan about 1 1/2 hours the other way.

On Saturday afternoon I was 15 minutes up the road from my house sitting in a clean fresh (and bloody cold) river with friends and the kids.

Check out the SR 500 forum ....www.sr500forum.com

I have done that, but can not find where to do a search? Can you give a link?

Try here

http://www.yamahascooterspares.co.uk/spares/vinlist.asp

or perhaps here

http://viragotechforum.com/index.php

Alternative Google for it

Check out the SR 500 forum ....www.sr500forum.com

I have done that, but can not find where to do a search? Can you give a link?

Try here

http://www.yamahascooterspares.co.uk/spares/vinlist.asp

or perhaps here

http://viragotechforum.com/index.php

Not much to tell today, a lot less pumps in operation around the flooded fields and we have just heard that the rubbish in the smaller side streets in town is starting to be collected, so we will go either tomorrow or Monday and have a look how things have changed.

Having read the daily report's for the last few week's it make's me even more certain that N/S has got to be if not the worst place to live in Thai a close second.

May I suggest that when all this mess is sorted if you have anything left to sell you do so rapid, and get out of that Buddha forsaken place. You don't have to go far about 100 km north. Very little flooding even at it's worst NO crap on the Soi's, NO heavy traffic, NO fume's, all the shop's open 24/7. Oh and please don't tell me this is the first time flooding has happened there I can remember 5 year's ago not as bad I admit as this year but the 32/1 was closed for over three week's. I know this as I couldn't get up north without a massive detour. So all you peep's have now been advised. Just wondered if anyone has noticed that ALL the Thai's that live there can swim big time, now you know the reason. There I have said my bit only a few more year's and you will have the same again. If you decide to stay on your head be it.

Nah Fredob it's not that bad and it does have a hell of a lot more shops including some that I can get me meds at whereas I can't get all of them at KhamPhet. It is only in the lasy year or so that KhamPhet has got better as it used to be a sleepy provincial town.

The Immigration people are very nice there and now I don't have to go to Mae Sot (which also floods).

The route 32/1 between the 2 places has a bad road surface and that got worse in the last couple of months and at night on a motorbike it gets to be really scary.

Most of the people here will do anything to to justify they're life in Thailand, and one way of doing it is by demonizing their old country..........that is a truism in most countries though. No one likes admitting that they left their old lives to live in a new country and made a mistake. These are the same types that when the going gets tough they slink back to their homeland and start demanding their rights because they paid some tax in 1971.

You've made your bed so lie in it......one thing that Thailand is good at that though is making sure you know you're not wanted, by ensuring that the vast majority of ex-pats need to attend immigration every 90 days.

Not really as you can always post your 90 day report to them.

Every time I have been to Immigration nobody has made me feel uncomfortable or unwanted.

Perhaps it is that I wear rose tinted glasses or perhaps it may be because I am polite and pleasant and I mostly have a good attitude and outlook on life.

But that's just me I suppose but I have no need to justify to anybody about my life in Thailand.

I chose it and I will be here until I die and I only whinge a little bit.

If you live and work here and are married to a Thai, I am sure this cannot the meaning e you

Thai have been double pricing and ripping of people forever

The do not know meaning of class and manners, most lack self respect and respect for others

Disasters are a time for them to gouge people even more

No surprise here

It really depends on where you live and what is happening around you.

I live in the country and the price I pay is the same as the locals pay and though my spoken Thai is not that good it is not that often that I am unable to make myself understood one way or another. If I cannot find what I want and my mangled Thai and Thais mangled English doesn't work I come back another time with a photo from the internet and that usually works.

Saying that many years ago I was with my wife and decided to stay in a big hotel in Hua Hin.

The going rate for a walk in off the street farang was 4,000 baht which I refused to pay. On my way out I met a Thai friend and told him what had happened.

He went to reception and said that I worked with his company so I got the company rate of 1,400 baht.

During this unfortunate time some Thais take advantage as do other nationalities in other parts of the world under similar circumstances so it is people in general and not Thais in particular.

My advice to the OP would have been to report it to the police, however it may be hard to find one and harder still to find one who cares.

Remember the Prime Minister wants to know so that action can be taken.

I managed to type that without laughing or falling off my chair.

I have no idea where this guy is getting his numbers from but taking the stated 640,000 people in Bangkok and giving each of them 5,000 baht comes to 3,200,000,000 baht and not the figure he has quoted.

His figures of 5,000 baht per person outside of Bangkok means that only 2,000,000 people were affected.

Of course the figures could be wrong and in error during translation from Thai to English, it could be the Nation was wrong in reporting or it could be that the guy has his figures completely bolloxed up.

I have no real idea and I suspect that he may not either.

I recall but have no link to say that around 9,000,000 Thais outside of Bangkok were affected but this figure may me incorrect also.

My excuse is that I am 67 and my memory is not what it once was.

However 10,000,000,000 baht wont fit 9,000,000 Thais.

Try 45,000,000,000 baht.

Edited because I was trying to get the figures right.

48% PT

52% everybody else.

I just sent you a PM.

Sorry for the delay but the power just came back 15 minutes ago after going down at 9am for maintenance.