OneZero

17 hours ago, Sambotte said:

Thanks for the info. A local friend told me about the DCondo. Have to check the two other too.

And according to another poster, Absolute Condo north the river.

And Condotel : will check too, the website says :

1st Month 28,000 THB
2nd Month 18,000 THB
3rd Month 10,000 THB

 

Chiang Rai look pretty nice and relax. I was for years in Chiang Mai too, and it's quite different here, more friendly/less tourist oriented, and less pollution !!! It's smaller, less traffic and diesel, and not in a small valley with no wind. Have very positive experience here... well, since two days only :)

Those condotel internet prices are insanely rediculous.  Whoever is asking that is dreaming and there is much for far less.  Why don't you send an email to John Ellis that has many very nice rooms to rent on a monthly basis.  [email protected]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The current junta revitalized the submarine plan, taking deals from six countries into consideration, and eventually chose China, which promised that services such as equipment, training and port building would be provided together with the purchase.

Making a deal with the devil & in the future the devil has you by the short hairs.

On 21/03/2017 at 1:00 AM, dcnx said:

I'm in Chiang Mai. Probably will return to Colombia within in next year or two if things work out. I enjoy Thailand and have been here for a while but the pollution, terror on the roads, and the fact that it's moving backwards and not forwards, is enough for me to not want to grow old here. I'm in my early 40s, so the thought of living here for 30 or 40 more years sounds like a nightmare. Immigration check-in every 90 days for the next couple of decades, no thanks.  

 

Expats don't leave Thailand for many reasons, geographical location of another place isn't generally one of them. Being stuck, having a limited budget, having a Thai family, or just too lazy to move, are a few. I fall into the lazy category. Such a move is a big ordeal, especially with a business here. Otherwise, I would have gone back a long time ago.

 

There is quite a large expat community in both Colombia and Ecuador. Cost of living is just like here, it depends on your lifestyle. You can do it cheap or live lavishly. Visas... there are options and work arounds for long term stays, just like here. 

 

If you're an anti-social drunk, prefer sitting in a beer bar all day, or simply enjoy the chaos of Asia, I don't recommend the move. Thailand is perfect for those types. But normal gents would find it quite nice and a change of pace after being here for a while. A better place to have a family perhaps, and for sure better schools, safer roads, and cleaner air. If that stuff is important to you. But like you said, this is just my opinion. Those things matter to me more now than ever. 

 

Speaking of Columbia:

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

 

Ever the price maker, the PM over look one thing, why would you want

any submarine at all? let alone 3 of them, they cost a fortune to run

and maintain, and Thailand doesn't have enough enemies to warrant

having subs... but hey, he's not the man to pass on a bargain....

To say nothing of making a deal with the devil trying to gain manipulative influence (spare parts, overhaul, expertise, joint training) over Thai military in the future.

The stated mission: Neighboring countries already have subs.  How rediculous.  

Where is the sense of priorities ?

1 hour ago, burners19 said:

Is the 3M store the best place for N95 masks ?

I bought some N95 at the TESCO super highway / flower market area.  Packaged noted used for painting, sanding etc.  Also a model just a bit more expensive - R95 - supposedly better yet.

Is Nimmanhaemom Road named after some distant relative?

2 hours ago, Denim said:

I an eye test or even two from opticians then take the prescription with me to Chinatown and get half a dozen sets of glasses at a time ......40 baht a pair and just as good as glasses I've paid over a thousand baht for.

 

Maybe as the OP mentions , if you are on the computer a lot and your face is too close to the screen then this could be the culprit. Give up using the computer for everything but essential work for a week and see if things improve.

Good points, thanks for posting Demin. Headaches are recent though, so it's probably time for an eye test and a new pair of glasses, preferably with anti-glare coating. I just don't want to spend a fortune on frames again, that's all.

Stubby,

Also see if you see any improvement in the headaches after the March bad air (actually possibly mid Fe4b - Mid Apr) is gone.

Hmm, registration requirement also has implications for Burmese illegally working as security guards.  Something quite common up north.

KittenKong, blackcab,

I thank both of you very much for your very helpful advice.

Thanks for reply.  I had not considered this.  I respect your experience in these matters, so have to ask if there is not some simple way to negate such a negative possibility.

I know that it is possible to change the condo fiscal year to run 01Oct - 30Sep, as long as owners have approved it at an AGM/EGM.   In order to defend such actions legitimacy at an upcoming EGM, I need the following information / specific references to condo law / regulation that I can reference to refute our condo JP claim that it is illegal to make such a fiscal year change.

Questions:

1. Can the AGM vote for change be confirmed by a simple majority show of attendees hands, or is a certain percentage of floorspace required (25%, 33%, 50%, etc).

2. What followup actions by condo representatives (JP, committee, mgr, accountant, etc) are necessary to legally register the change with government office(s).

Background:

At a recent AGM at my Chiang Rai condo we were scheduled for a vote to change the fiscal year dates.  One owner asked the JP if it was ok to make such a change.  BTW, the condo pays this JP only 5,000 thb per month, and that may have a bearing on his replies.  The JP initially replied that it was too difficult to do because it required coordination with and inspection visits by several government agencies (which he refused to name).  I replied that my condo in Jomtien had already done so without referencing any great difficulties, and I requested the JP to elaborate on what he considered such great difficulties.  The JP hummed & hawed a bit, and then pulled out a pocket phone from which he read supposed condo law stating that the condo fiscal year must run from 01Jan - 31Dec, and can not be changed.  He went on to state that my condo in Jomtien had therefore acted illegally.  Attendees at the AGM could not refute the JP,  so decided not to vote on the issue now (AGM) but to wait until such time as someone can provide proof that the JP's hasty anwear was either wrong or not the full story.  I was the one tasked with obtaing answears to the questions I am asking above.  If I can come up with specific references that justify the legitimacy of a fiscal year change, and specific actions that need to be accomplished, we could then take a vote, if still desired, at an upcoming EGM already being planned to decide other issues.  

Further Background:

My condo in Pattaya did it years ago but the new mgt there is under administrative fire from owners (for other reasons) and is not interested in being responsive to my current queries.  

Evidence that other condos have done this is shown by the following tv link / thread: 

6 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

How bad is the smog so far this year? 

Mountains in distance not clear like in January; but weather up here supposedly not as polluted this year.  However, for the past 2 weeks I've had a never ending cough & mild headaches which I'm 100% sure is related to the underlying small particles in bad air.  Same thing happens to me every March up here.

2 hours ago, cusanus said:

they definitely are not trying to screw you, and that isn't the way to go in Thailand.  Now I'm just going to ignore this thread from now on. 

Now now, calm down.  Things are going to be alright; a couple people agree with you.

3 hours ago, MadMac said:

You miss the point here, immigration is not a private company (well in CM they may be), but a government office. And they need to follow rules and laws. Don't know why it works everywhere else in the country, but not in CM. 

 I may not have been as clear as I should have been, sorry about that.  I do get your point, and I couldn't agree with you more.

Those using G4T for whatever reason, should not be criticized for doing so (Who wants to get in a line at 0500).  

But neither should those using G4T put on blinders as to CM Immigrations failure to  emulate benchmark quality procedures set up at other Immigration offices (e.g., Jomtien); and the supposed connection between CM Immigration and G4T (even if some would argue that point). 

8 hours ago, Trujillo said:

What baseless accusations? 

 

My understanding is that the owner of the agency is associated with immigration in a "higher office" position.

The poorer immigration works, the better business for the agency. 

Man the repititious debate on a couple issues in these threads goes on endlessly doesn't it.

If I had to use CM Immigration I would also use G4t to make my life easier.  So, despite disliking the reason (poor service) for feeling compelled to turn to G4T for assistance, we should respect other people's right to use G4T to make their life easier also.

But those who defend CM Immigration's drawn out failure, & apparant lack of incentive, to improve their extremely poor service, should also  respect other peoples right to call a spade a spade.   

In most organizations creating streamlined quality procedures is considered commendable and for a business increases customers & revenue.  For CM Immigration it's just reverse.  Ignoring poor quality service drives customers to G4T, thereby increasing revenue.

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I agree. If you're set up with the computer printed form already in your passport, it will usually be very rapid.

More remarkable I suppose would be completing a retirement extension in 5 minutes. 

Retirement extension never more than 30 minutes for me, usually less.  Best time was 7 minures (true), I found it hard to believe myself.

3 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Someone on the main Thai Visa  daily newsletter update today reported he did his 90 day report in person at Jomtien  today. Presented his passport and a pink receipt slip with a bar code on it.No other paper work needed.In and out in 60 seconds he reported

 

Is this  a new process, anyone knows about ?

Jomtien is a dream & always has been with or without an automated system. Here is the link:

In most organizations creating streamlined quality procedures is considered commendable and for a business increases customers & revenue.  For CM Immigration it's just reverse.  Ignoring poor quality service drives customers to G4T, thereby increasing revenue.

Not sure if I'm allowed to post the same thing to two different threads, but I think it's worth sharing:

It's a Quality management issue to design process' & procedures which maximize efficiency for both the organization & the customer. Providing quality will increase customer base & vice versa.  Customers will evaluate the cost vs service quality and decide where to conduct business.  There will of course be decisions in both directions.  Chiang Mai does not have to reinvent the wheel in order to provide it's customers with a better quality experience.  Jomtien Immigration (for the approx 10 years I observed them) provides an excellent benchmark for CM Immigration to learn from and emulate, but it seems that CM Immigration does not have sufficient incentive to do so.

My Jomtien experience with 90 day reports has never required greater than a 30 minute wait, usually far less.

My Jomtien experience with renewing retirement visa is like an assembly line, consistently as follows:

I wait approx 2 minutes to be served by one of the young female volunteer college interns to look over my paperwork, & she hands me a number.  I wait 5-10 minutes to see an official employee who verifies that my paperwork is indeed in order.  He hands me a number and tells me to return at a later time to pick up my completed passport (either later the same day or the following day depending on what time I was there).  So far this has never taken me more than 30 minutes, one time I timed it at 7 minutes total.  

When I return at the later time, with my number to pick up the completed passport, the efficiency is also evident.  Again a very short wait to see the official employee, but an extra minute or two are required because they may take a picture of you when you pick up the passport.  Again, this has never taken me more than 30 minutes, one time I timed it at 10 minutes total.

Edit: PS, there are a hell of a lot of customers flowing in & out quickly..  So there can be no valid argument that Jomtien has fewer customers or I just had a lucky day.  Also, there were only one or a few employees working at the different desks providing the different services Immigration offices provide.  It was the quality process' / procedures they  have designed making it a very tolerable experience.

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

Jomtien processing nearly three times as many retirement extensions per year as Chiang Mai and the customers of that office don't report the need to use visa agents to obtain timely services.  

 

Interesting report of your experience in working in the oil & gas industry in an arab country.  Was it with an American firm?  I think not.  I worked in the chemical industry for an American company and we were bound by U.S. gov't rules that prohibited such activity overseas.  If you follow Thai news, you'll find that many of the large Thai corruption cases, like the Bangkok International Film Festival corruption scandal just became to obvious to ignore after U.S. officials charged Americans involved under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok_International_Film_Festival

 

 

It's a Quality management issue to design process' & procedures which maximize efficiency for both the organization & the customer. Providing quality will increase customer base & vice versa.  Customers will evaluate the cost vs service quality and decide where to conduct business.  There will of course be decisions in both directions.  Chiang Mai does not have to reinvent the wheel in order to provide it's customers with a better quality experience.  Jomtien Immigration (for the approx 10 years I observed them) provides an excellent benchmark for CM Immigration to learn from and emulate, but it seems that CM Immigration does not have sufficient incentive to do so.

My Jomtien experience with 90 day reports has never required greater than a 30 minute wait, usually far less.

My Jomtien experience with renewing retirement visa is like an assembly line, consistently as follows:

I wait approx 2 minutes to be served by one of the young female volunteer college interns to look over my paperwork, & she hands me a number.  I wait 5-10 minutes to see an official employee who verifies that my paperwork is indeed in order.  He hands me a number and tells me to return at a later time to pick up my completed passport (either later the same day or the following day depending on what time I was there).  So far this has never taken me more than 30 minutes, one time I timed it at 7 minutes total.  

When I return at the later time, with my number to pick up the completed passport, the efficiency is also evident.  Again a very short wait to see the official employee, but an extra minute or two are required because they may take a picture of you when you pick up the passport.  Again, this has never taken me more than 30 minutes, one time I timed it at 10 minutes total.

Edit: PS, there are a hell of a lot of customers flowing in & out quickly..  So there can be no valid argument that Jomtien has fewer customers or I just had a lucky day.  Also, there were only one or a few employees working at the different desks providing the different services Immigration offices provide.  It was the quality process' / procedures they  have designed making it a very tolerable experience.

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

I am sorry Nancy L. I normally respect and like what you do but I, and am sure a few others,  take exception to your remarks that we must be clueless, need hand holding or are a first timer to use an agent. You and others might be quite happy getting up at stupid times of the day, wandering around shopping Malls, watching, films and eating overpriced crap at your favourite restaurant, but I do not. Nor do I wish to get up at that stupid time in the morning to go and sit on a plastic seat for God knows how long when I can get the same thing done a different way by getting up at a reasonable hour of the day (after 10AM at the earliest!) paying some money and get driven out to the ‘zoo’, when necessary, for all of a max of 20 mins and back in the local for lunch. To me that is the ‘no brainer’.  Not the act of a clueless etc person. Each to their own.

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

4 hours ago, NancyL said:

Visa agents do serve a valuable function for people who are clueless, need hand-holding, first-timers, etc.

 

scottiejohn, based upon all that Nancy has done & written about CM Immigration, I am sure that she would not regard you as clueless, etc etc.   I'm sure that what she meant to say was that visa agents should only have to be used by such folks as first timers etc etc, but unfortunately many others also feel compelled to use them to avoid the difficulties thrown up by CM Immigration.  Neither Jomtien nor CR Immigration (both of which I have used) throw up such roadblocks, and I have not heard of similar roadblocks at any other Immigration offices.

Lets give her a break for having the guts to write about the root cause of the problem:

This says it all Nancy: "..the problem wasn't one of simple incompetence or lack of manpower or resources, but documented (to the Consular Corp) what it really was and how much money it brought in each month..".

11 hours ago, NancyL said:

But, I've met my match with Chiang Mai Immigration.  Or rather, the lack of will of anyone in authority to change what's going on there.  Once I documented that the problem wasn't one of simple incompetence or lack of manpower or resources, but documented (to the Consular Corp) what it really was and how much money it brought in each month, our very own embassies and consulates lost interest in addressing the real reason the expat elderly are being exploited here.  It became a "cultural situation" that they couldn't address.  They said "we can't impose our cultural norms on Thailand"   I can't be totally blunt here, perhaps I may be when I leave

This says it all Nancy: "..the problem wasn't one of simple incompetence or lack of manpower or resources, but documented (to the Consular Corp) what it really was and how much money it brought in each month..".

Thanks for all your efforts.

5 minutes ago, EricTh said:

....many rude American retirees ....

Here we go again...those ugly Americans.

1 hour ago, OneZero said:

Perhaps I scanned this thread too quickly, but I'm wondering why Chiang Rai Condotel on Uttaradit road only a couple meters down from the old main market (the mkt with the small clock tower) hasn't gotten more mention here.

...a couple hundred meters down...

Didn't see an "edit" link.

Perhaps I scanned this thread too quickly, but I'm wondering why Chiang Rai Condotel on Uttaradit road only a couple meters down from the old main market (the mkt with the small clock tower) hasn't gotten more mention here.

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Just remember its the landlord that pays the fine,for not

reporting you,not yourself.

regards worgeordie

Landlord should be quite happy to comply.