kloghead

Zippy, from the famous Zippy the Pinhead comix series, useta put taco sauce on his Ding Dongs...

it's un-American to put anything but ketchup on yer french fries...

Zippy, Zerbina, little Zippy and all the other residents of Dingburg put taco sauce on dam_n near everything. Even on Wheat-Thins...

There is only one dentist on the island but he's quite good. Call him an make an appointment.

086 320 0702

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Huh? Drug-laced food in school cafeterias? Now that's a stretch...

Ummm... no it's not kloghead. The private school where my kids went to (Thai private school) in the north for 4 years, had independent chemists come in and spot test the food, soft drinks, and snacks. There were traces of ya baa in the food and snacks. The catering staff got pulled into the cop shop and nothing / nobody was ever charged. That was during Thaksin's regime. These days it's not done I've heard.

Huh? Drug-laced food in school cafeterias? Now that's a stretch...

Huh? Drug-laced food in school cafeterias? Now that's a stretch...

Any facts to backup that allegation scot? Or is it just your opinion?

It's definitely a 240 V (heavy-duty use), 15 amp, 60 Hz, old-fashioned mechanical design. No battery back-up for the clock in case of a mains power failure (I'm using one of those right now).

I can live with the clock being a bit slow as I can re-set it each day because this timer would be turning on security lights outside. I just wanted to know if the different cycle would cause other problems...

Thanks

Since there seems to be some knowledgeable sparkies on this forum I'll ask what might be a dumb question:

A friend brought a 240 V / 60 Hz timer back from the states and I'm a bit reluctant to use it here since we're on 50 Hz. Will it even work or will the different cycles affect the clock/burn it up?

Plenty of buses from airport to the ferries. Check here for the latest schedules:

http://iamkohchang.com/getting-to-koh-chan...s-and-schedules

Can anyone provide me a ball park figure how much I'd have to pay at the Land office for transfer in my personal ( foreign ) name for a condo at a new development in Pattaya. The value of the condo being ... say 1.6 Million THB.

Well, this doesn't provide all of the info required for the calculation, nevertheless from the info already provided above you should be able to figure it out. However, in order to provide a further example to aid understanding, I'll proceed with the illustration, and for the purpose of the exercise let's assume a few things...

Condo is less than 5 years old

Assessed Value : 1.6 million baht

Sale Price : 1.6 million baht

Transfer by March 26th 2010 :

Transfer fee of 0.01% : 160 baht (based on the Assessed Value)

Stamp Duty of 0.5% : not applicable (based on the Sale Price)

Special Business Tax of 0.11% : 1760 baht (based on the Sale Price)

Withholding Tax of 1% : 16,000 baht (based on the Assessed Value or Sale Price, whichever is the greater)

Total = 17,920 baht (1.12% of the condo's value)

Transfer after March 26th 2010 :

Transfer fee of 2% : 32,000 baht

Stamp Duty of 0.5% : not applicable

Special Business Tax of 3.33% : 53,280 baht

Withholding Tax of 1% : 16,000 baht

Total = 101,280 baht (6.33% of the condo's value)

Don't forget also that if you wish to register a lease then this will cost another 1% (16,000 baht).

Also remember that if the lease is for more than 3 years then it MUST be registered at the land office, otherwise it is not worth the paper it's written on since Thai law demands this, and not to comply with the law in this respect makes the lease invalid/unenforceable.

I am still not sure what I am going to do. I don't plan on selling for a long time...but who knows what the future holds? One good thing about the company route is making it easier to sell to a farang. I know when I bought this it was a only a few days to close the deal. Really nice. Another is that I have never heard of anybody losing their house due to company/nominee issues. I know there is an ill wind blowing, but nothing so far...and us homeowners are just a drop in the bucket compared to the international companies and their holdings....

But remember that you need to keep the company records up to date; company returns every six months and annually, tax and audit returns also to be submitted along with the annual company report, etc.

I pay about 13,XXXBaht a year. It all adds up.

Further, Thailand cancels the registration of companies quite quickly if the annual returns etc are not submitted.

I asked my lawyer a long time ago "What happens to the ownership of the house and/or land is the company is de-registered".

He answered that the house / land ownership is now in 'total limbo' / 'no mans land', and it's possible that it will stay like this for many years. He also mentioned that there is a long history of property in this category mysteriously / quietly being transferred to land oficials.

robinhill

The more I read on this topic the more confused I become. Can you explain what taxes and percentages would be involved for the following situation:

1) I'm a company buying a bare plot of land from a Thai individual (not company) who has owned the said plot for less than a year. For simplicity let's say the sale price is one million baht. The transaction will take place before 26th March 2010.

2) Same circumstances regarding the sale but the transaction takes place after 26th March.

Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to explain all this in your previous posts. The WT/SBT as it applies to my situation have me baffled...

I was few times in the neighbour resort Grand Lagoona with guard and and is quiet and safe. I guess the risk is minimal because at the end of Koh Chang, a thief to escape shall take whole road back, to risky for him Koh Chang as I know was always safe

You must not have been here for a while. Motorcycle thefts are on the increase (I know of 3 last week alone) and getting a vehicle off the island is NOT a problem.

This is more a question regarding soil density and load-bearing capacity than about concrete. I've already looked through the forums and searched also but found no help.

Here's my situation: I'm in Thailand and preparing to build a ~120mt2 elevated 2 bedroom home. The soil where I intend to locate the foundation is soft and silty--at least as far as the 1.5 meters I've dug down so far. I had intended on using a conventional footing & column foundation. Yesterday I met the owner of the house next door. He recommended I drill holes and install preformed concrete piles instead of footings/columns. He had his soil tested and said it was "14 Newton Meters (Nm)" and I'm not familiar with this term. A conversion calculator equates 14 Newton meters to 1.43 kilograms-force meter (Kgf*m)and 10.3 pound-force foot (lbf*ft).

So my question...is anyone able to comment on whether soil of this density is better suited to a standard footing/column foundation or should I consider the pre-drilled hole and pile installation method? Thanks

Before everyone jumps on the guilty bandwagon, please keep in mind that the court system to which he may be delivered does not have a good reputation for due process. Allegations and accusations can be leveled, but no evidence presented. One is basically guilty until proven not guilty and it seems that the odds are usually stacked against the foreigner. Maybe the fellow is a thief, but it would be nice if it was certaqin that he will be given a fair trial.

We westerners are spoiled because for the most part we can get a fair hearing in our homelands. In most of the world, such respect for basic human rights is lacking. We can thank the English for the concept of fairness, first with King Henry I and then with King John and the Magna Carta that got the ball rolling. 900+ years of progress for the west, while some countries are still pretty close to the bronze age when it comes to the administration of justice. (Just thought I'd toss that in case anyone wants to offer up a slur about the accused being English. )

Just a guess, but might you be English?

Years ago I needed a commercial-divers medical and was referred to this hosp. The physical part of the exam was so thorough it nearly killed me but I passed. (I pity the Thai navy diver who isn't in top shape and takes the same exam).

When I went to pay the cashier she said only ~250 baht for the lab fees--no doctor charge at all. But the doctors would appreciate me giving a short talk about saturation diving to the Navy divers that were at the hospital at the time. I said sure, no problem...

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Hey Kanyalanee

Are you shlttlng me?

Sorry Harcourt, I missed your question completely. Yes, pollen can be stored for up to 3 months if frozen but it must be used immediately after removing from the freezer because it will 'defrost' rapidly. Moisture and light are the enemies of pollen.

A few grains of uncooked rice or a bit of silical gel will act as a desiccant to keep the pollen dry.

That's ^^^ the way I used to pollinate my ladies and it certainly works. But...I've found a bit easier method. The only catch is it involves using paper bags again. The ONLY place I can find them is Burger King, MacDonalds, etc. The purpose of paper bags is they "breathe" which keeps the plant healthy.

1) Cut the male flower stalks off just below the secondary stems when a few pods are open and dropping pollen. The pollen clusters will live long enough to continue producing love-dust for a few days.

2) Put the cut males in the paper bags and secure the bags over the female buds with a rubber band or twist-tie and gently shake the bags a few times each day. This will ensure the pistils get pollinated fully and evenly.

The advantage of this method is no worries about pollen flying everywhere and less manual labor.

Both techniques work equally well--I'm just a lazy bastard

Water crystals (polymers) will help with keeping the soil moist between waterings. Just make sure you apply them after they've expanded.

Some crystals will expand so much they can displace small plants that haven't developed a good root system.

Didn't hear anything from my 'spies' about the incident you mention...

This incident happened about a month ago. The berserk-er was a German who by all accounts was at least 6' 5" tall and 300 lbs. It took a dozen or so cops to subdue him then off to the monkey house.

Witnesses said the cops beat the living crap out of him after he totally demolished the bar...

It's too bad the Thai Met Dept hasn't turned on their Sattahip radar since Sept 27th. That was a useful tool in the rainy season.

http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/sattahip.php

I'm watching the Dolphins v Pats game right now (at the pub). What's with the 'echo chamber' sound from the broadcast booth? Is it always like this? Glad I didn't shell out the extra 500 baht for the platinum package...

I just received a quote from Siam East (who claim to be the Grundfos distributor) for the MQ3-45. Baht 17,700 delivered to Trat. Anyone know of a better price from a store in Chantaburi, Rayong or Chonburi? If so, where and how much? Thanks

It appears True will show two live games early Mondays the 14th & 21st on Sport 3 channel with repeats later in the day--like last year.

I wonder what they'll show on the 7th? Maybe a repeat of today's "Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Tribute on Ice 08"...