billd766

God what a bloody nightmare....

I only want her to come for a holiday...

Seems like they are out to catch you at every opportunity. Imagine if we had this much trouble trying to go on holiday!!

Maybe I should just move there instead... England sucks anyway !!!!!!!!!

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I met my wife nearly 12 years ago and knew her for a couple of months before I went to work elsewhere. We met again after a year when I came back to work for a while. I tried to get her to the UK for a holiday (after I separated from my english wife) but I had so much trouble from the British Embassy that she went to the German Embassy where a friend of ours got a visa for her in 10 days with no problem. I had a smaller problem trying to get her a visa to get married in the UK as well but that was eventually cleared.

We have been married 5 years next month and our son is one year old in August.

My advice to you is to keep trying as there is always predujice against Thai women because they are automatically branded as prostitutes, bar girls or massage girls, certainly not true for the vast majority.

Remember it is your feelings for her and hers for you that really matter.

Have faith and tell her to pray to Buddha at King Rama V statue. It worked for me.

Billd766

I have gprs as well (ais) but over here (Jomtien) it is hardly usable.

Speed is actually faster just letting my gsm dial up to a Loxinfo prepaid package.

I only get 9600bps, but it is practically double as fast compared to when I dial the gprs connection.. I use this if I really need to check an e-mail or send one of, because at 3 Baht/minut it gets a bit expensive for surfing!

It's "only" 350 Baht/month for the gprs (120hours) but a waste of money since 7 out of 10 times I need to dial loxinfo just to get access...

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Monty

If the service from AIS is not good ring their helpline and email them and complain. I did and after a couple of complaints they sent a team to check out the cellsite and they even came to my house to check the signal there.

It has improved in the last year since I bitched to them so perhaps it may for you as well.

I live about 50 km southwest of Khampaeng Phet and about 4 1/2 km from a land line.

Last August I went to AIS as I already have a line through them and signed up for a 120 hours a month promotion for 350 baht.

I use a Nokia 6100 mobile and a cable connection to my laptop and apart from the odd times when my nearest site gets busy I have no problems with connecting to the internet and working my emails.

I use Mozilla Firefox mainly but there are some sites where a download is only possible with IE.

My mobile is on a promotion which costs me 1250 baht per month for 3000 baht worth of calls and was renewed for another 3 years in December and the GPRS promotion was renewed at the same time for another 3 years.

My normal bill is around 5000 baht a month before discounts and I normally pay less than 2000 every month.

I am more than happy with that.

I live near a small village about 50 km south west of Khampaeng Phet and use the local branch of Kasikorn bank. I have a support visa for my wife but no work permit or retirement visa.

I applied to the local branch for internet banking and downloaded the form in English from the Kasikorn website. They did the paperwork in about 20 minutes and it took about 4 days for the pin codes etc to come through.

Be aware that you can only get internet access on your own account and not on a joint account. However when you are active you should be able to access and read any accounts you have and possibly do any normal bank transfers etc but only in Thailand. It may be possible in the future to transfer money internationally but I cannot even do that on my offshore account yet.

I work in the mobile phone industry world wide and i have had a mobile for about 18 years. To me it is a tool of the trade and I am never without it, but when I am back home in Thailand it is essential as I live 4 1/2 km from the nearest land line and without a mobile I cannot talk to my wife and family. Also I use GPRS so that I can access the internet which I am doing now from Pakistan on Thai visa.com

I try not to disturb many people by talking loudly and when visiting a wat or any other place where it is not welcome I use the feature installed on all mobile phones, the " power off" button.

anna

I live in Khampaeng Phet province and we have a lot of mossies.

I use 2 repellents depending on what is available at the time.

1 mosquito repellent that I buy in Villa or big supermarkets, the front of the bottle is green and says mosquito repellent and also PURE GREEN, and the back says TOXIC FREE and it was around 85 baht. Contains Citronella grass oil.

2 is called THAM MA CHAD on a small blue label and contains extract of Lemon Grass oil at 60 baht from my local OTOP shop. Both work well for me, don't smell too bad and i rarely get bitten.

Both are 120 ml plastic bottles.

I also like the tennis raquet bug zappers but I am too slow to catch the little buggers.

There used to be a bakery at the side of Villa supermarket bt Sukhumvit 31. You have to go into the car parking area ti find it near the BIS language school.

They did some very good english style bread.

How many menbers live in the "central region" of thailand, I've seen a few of you around supan, I'm in Nakorn Sawan, billd66 and mouse are in kampengpet, spee is up in pitchit or petchbun (sorry I always get confused between the two) and Kan win in kanganaburi. So where do you live ?

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Hi RC

Well I am here and I am not as it were because I am off to Pakistan for a couple of month on Feb 1st. Honestly it is true as they have provided me a ticket, given me some money and bought my body but not my soul for a while.

See you soon.

billd

How far North of Bangkok as I live about half way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Unfortunately I cannot apply for the Moderators post as I am off to Pakistan working for a while plus I use GPRS and I only signed up for 120 hours a month with AIS for 350 baht.

I think that becoming a moderator would require me to be on line for a lot of hours per day.

Sorry

Billd766

I think if anyone deserves an award it should be Pornthip Rojanasunand who is Thailands leading forensic expert.

Unfortunately she does not fit into the mould that she should because she is outspoken, has spiky hair and above all cares for victims and their relatives. Also she never toes any political party line and this alone will prevent any official recognition from the government.

After about 4,000 victims that she has treated from day 1, the Thai police and government say that her work was not good enough and that she should stand down as soon as is practible and then the police will take over the task.

It would be good for the country if the Royal Family could do something for her as that would be non-political and a greater reward than anything Toxins government could offer.

From what I read in the papers and see on the news the majority of the Thai people think that she is a really good person.

I live in the North of Thailand and when we built our house the guy who was cutting some of our own trees only had an electric chain saw. Mind you we did have a lot of extension cables to make it reach up the land.

These are allowed but the petrol ones are either banned or the permits are strictly controlled to prevent illegal logging.

I think that this is a ###### good idea as it takes years to grow a tree and minutes to cut it down. when the illegals cut the trees they don't replace them and that is when the problems with soil erosion start and in a couple of years the land becomes useless.

No I am not a tree hugger but where I live I am surrounded by hills and forests and there is enough problems with people burning the trees for land clearance without loggers.

  Hi, I have a problem and would like some advice. I am married to a Thai woman and am up for a renewal of my 1 year non- emigrant visa next month. My wife and I left Thailand for a weekend to Maylaisa. I did not get a re-entry permit before leaving but once in the air I remembered and went directly to the Thai embasy and explained what had happened. Tey told me it would probably be OK. Upon my return I went to the Bangkok Thai emigration office and was informed that I have to leave the country and get a 90 day non-emigrant visa and then after my 90 days I have to again apply fot the 1 year visa. I this correct ?

                  Thank's

                                Gary

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Gary

If you had only sent me a PM or put it on the forum before you went I would have told you what will happen.

How do I know?

From bitter experience because I did the same as you and it took me 2 trips to Poipet (1 was for another reason) and a trip to Penang. After that I waited 2 1/2 months and applied for a support visa which I eventually got last week.

Now on my forehead written back wards so that I can read it in the mirror is written to myself.

GET A RE-ENTRY PERMIT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE COUNTRY YOU A*****LE.

Guess what, it works, at least for me.

Sign me off as Mr Stupid (one time only)

Never mind the Stilton. Is she drinking port yet?

My wife doesn't like cheese very much after we were in Portugal and against my advice she tried some goats cheese.

I have never seen a face look like that for a long time. One small piece was enough but i had to pay for the whole thing at the restaraunt and I certainly don't goats cheese.

I would rather eat Dorset Blue Vinny than goats cheese.

I think that the Thai word is Urrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I had known my wife for 7 years before we married in England nearly 5 years ago and I only met her family a couple of times. Since I came back here to work and live I see her family a lot and the only one who asks for anything is her younger brother and he is a little bit simple but OK when on his medication. While I was working and now while I am not I am giving her parents some money every month (sin sod?) even though I don't have to.

When we are at their house we drink whisky which I buy from her dad and we share that with her brothers and cousins and quite often if I have to drop stuff off I am offered a beer or something.

Her Mum and Dad have helped us out a lot when we moved house and her middle brother and his wife and son are living with us up country while he recovers afte a car crash.

Though most of her family don't speak English and my Thai is not so good we get on well together and I have no problems with them at all.

Her family are welcome at our house any time and for as long as they wish to stay.

I guess that means that I am lucky not to have any Kee Nok in the family and I don't think I would change anything except to improve my Thai.

Pasaa Thai Yaak Maak for me.

We bought a Ford Ranger 2.5 turbo diesel 4 door 4 wheel drive pick up 3 years ago while living in BKK.

The reason was that we would be living up country in a year or so and it would be ideal. (I wanted the Toyota but answered "yes dear" to the Ford).

Since then it has been used as a family car, pick up truck, dump all your rubbish truck, furniture truck, water carrier, Songkran "fighting vehicle" and has been the best car I have had for a long time.

It has been regularly serviced, 90,000 km and reasonably well looked after and has had only one minor accident, my fault at home, broken indicator light and minor damage only and did I pay for that one with the wife or what?

If I replace it it won't be with the new Toyota Vigo, not nice enough to look at, maybe another Ford or perhaps a Mitsubishi, don't really like the Isuzu but don't know why.

While we only live on a "little" farm the roads up here are not so good and the pick up copes well with them, it is nice to be in something a little bigger when in Bangkok where big wheels rule.

Big wheels means that if my car/pick up/ truck/bus is bigger than yours I am coming through.

I red this forum and there is a agant in front of swiss hotel.

but actually there are 2 agency , one is left side and another is right side

of swiss hotel gate.

so which agency is better? reliable?

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Hi Yellowfish

Try this one.

The guy I went to was at NJ books centre at 425 Chulia street penang.

Tel +60 4261 6133 fax +60 4264 1601 email [email protected]

The guy who arranges it is Manaff (Man) across the road at Maju Mehaa Singh travel at 384 Chulia Street tel +60 4261 5170 fax +60 4262 0739 email [email protected].

I stayed 1 night at the Cathay hotel for 69 MYR no breakfast, old hotel but OK then I went to the Hotel Continental on Penang road for 2 nights at 98 MYR inc breakfast.

Chulia street is less than 5 mins walk away from the hotels.

There are a lot of "agencies" on Chulia street and it is really a case of if you like the one you see, then use him

I went through Manaff and had no problems. I gave him my passport and paperwork on the Wednesday afternoon well after the closing time for applications and got it back Thursday afternoon and it saved me a day which I spent looking around.

If I have to go back again he is the guy I would go to.

Hope you have a good trip.

Bill

you won't make on time with AirAsia many people have done it before you.

what do u mean on above sentence?

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Yellowfish

The reason that it is impossible to be at the embassy at Penang in time is that Malaysia is that the time in Malaysia is 1 hour later than Thailand.

So a 10:30 take off from Bangkok means that it is already 11:30 in Penang and the Thai Embassy closes before you get out of Thai airspace.

If you look at the forums for Penang visa runs etc you will be able to find a lot of useful information on what to do, where to stay and where to go.

Enjoy yourself while you are there.

I know I did in September.

What should farangs do when they have booked a holiday?

The fact that they are here and spending money in the local economy means that at least some Thais have a job and money coming in.

Better that the farangs are lying on the beach rather than getting in the way of recovery operations or simply nosing around looking at te damage and looking for a body count.

There is no social security in Thailand and if you don't have a job the government is not going to help you.

Also by coming on holiday they are saying that they are not worried about another Tsunami and they are not pulling away from Thailand as many others are who have cancelled their holidays.

At least they are giving some hope to the Thais for the future.

I was watching TV channel 7 this evening and the TV team were interviewing farangs who are willing to come and Thais who are willing to work as they did before.

Who knows, perhaps the farangs will donate something to assist those who have lost so much.

Hello,

I'm coming to BKK for 5 months in January and have to find a room to rent.  I would like it be halfway between the United Nations  building and Phra Atit Road...(I've been told that the middle of those 2 points is about 15 minutes walking distance)...

I'm not picky--just want to be in a safe place...

Anyone have any suggestions?

I've been doing some research on renting rooms...but only hotels keeping popping up--i guess it's hard to find a place to rent from overseas...but any advice you have would be great!

thanks for the help,

vitra

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Hi Vitra

Despite what you may have read in the newspapers and seen on the TV most of Thailand is a safe place for Farangs which is what you and all the rest of us foreigners are.

Obviously in the major cities there are places that are not as safe as others, the same as in any big city anywhere in the world.

your main problem will not be how safe you are but how not to get over charged too much or spend too much in the wrong places.

I have been coming to Thailand and living here for over 11 years and I have been ripped off in my early days as most people are but I can honestly say that I have never felt unsafe anywhere with the possible exception of driving in Bangkok as the standard of driving is not what it could be.

I cannot help you with somewhere to stay as I used to live at the other end of Bangkok and I now live up country.

Come to Thailand and join in with the Thais, most of them are lovely people and from my experience, very helpful.

Enjoy yourself.

billd766

My boyhood hero from the Eagle comic of the 50s'.

I never did like the Mekon floating around on an upside down smoothing iron.

Are digital satellite TV installations available in HH area? I would like something capable of an English news channel, the odd sports and movie channels.

Information on availability, recommended retailers and satellite providers will be welcomed.

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Hi Peter

Try this company.

The website is in Thai but the main phone number is in English and they do speak English at the head office.

You may also recognise the HH area code and bypass the main office.

I am going to get their service put in sometime next year. From what I have seen of the brochure the service is very good and it is around 17,500 Bt for one 2mt dish, one decoder and the service with no monthly rentals. If you have more than one TV or you need a different dish the cost varies.

Hope that this helps.

Here is the web address

http://www.psisat.com/index.php

Yes , I belive it .

I have never lost or had one stolen . I still have the first phone I ever bought . Anyone remember the very large grey " field " phone with fixed antenna ?

However my wife did leave my phone on the seat of a taxi in Bangkok , never to be seen again . I thought she put it in her kapow

That was the old Motorola analogue one and I had one of them in BKK in the middle 90's.

My first one in UK was a Nokia that weighed about 3 kg most of which was battery and cost a lot of money then. Nobody ever stole them as there were not many mobiles around plus they were so big and clumsy it wasn't the sort of thing you could slip in your pocket unless you had a poachers jacket.

If you can find one it would be a museum piece.

If you search the forum in the last few days there was an item about a guy called Andy Wing from Farang cars down Pattaya way.

If he is the same guy I knew in BKK he used to export cars and especially pick ups to the UK and get all the paperwork done and even get heaters or full air conditioning put in as well.

I can't remember the topic but it was recent.

I hope that this is helpful to you.

If it takes over 30 years to build the new international airport which still won't be ready for KT's cut off date and there was so much corruption how can they even think of hosting the Olympic games in only 12 years.

On the other hand perhaps KT will not be around to see it fall apart and somebody else will get the blame.

Thailand "the hub of the 2016 Olympics", or another pipe dream?

I have been in the business of putting in mobile phone systems all over the world for 17 years and I have never lost a mobile or had one stolen.

It is as though the mobile is attached and won't let me go.

Either I have been lucky so far or there is something lurking around the next dark corner waiting just for me.

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17 years huh ????

Anyone else believes this ???

I had a mobile phone since the beginning in 1990, never lost one.

just my 2 satang

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I believe it!!!!

I started with Vodafone in 1987 in the UK then went over to Motorola and Cellnet in the UK in 1988 and stayed with Motorola worldwide untill 1999 including 3 stints in Thailand which came to about 4 years or so here. 1999 I quit and went conracting and worked mainly in Europe until 2001 when I came back home to Thailand (married my Thai lady in 2000). Did another 18 months on the Hutch project and now I am semi retired living upcountry with my wife and son.

After working since I was 15 I think at 60 I am not bothered if I work or not but it isgood to keep my hand in and I can always use the money.