pitrevie

A very important item in above post - the branch bank(s) at the new location appear to be authorized to issue acceptable letters of account balance for those who bank elsewhere.

Can you advise which bank you used for reference?

Actually the Banks are at ground level - you drive up to 1st (or 2nd) floor to main entrance doors.

I used the Bangkok Bank and they even put the time as well as the date on the letter cost 100 baht.

Curious what you guys think of Lewis Black? If you are unfamiliar with him, he is on youtube, and his bit titled queers is quite good. It was done during Bush's tenure as president so that is what he is referring to in there, if you don't figure out.

I agree I discovered Lewis Black on YouTube now I have two of his CDs. I would also recommend Dylan Moran bought two of his CDs after watching him on Youtube a wonderful Irish comedian lots of clips on YouTube and also a new Welsh commedian Rhod Gilbert with his luggage problems and his Command Performance in front of the Prince of Wales both on Youtube.

I went to the new offices in Bangkok on Thursday, arrived just after 9 and was in the office with my documents a few moments later. I made the mistake of not getting a letter from the Bank stating my current balance. I had updated my bank book and provided copies of it but they would not accept this and required a letter from the bank stating my balance.

I had provided a letter stating that the 800K plus had been transferred in August but still required a letter re the current balance. Luckily for me the supervisor pointed out that my bank had a branch on the next floor down along with several other banks. I would not have known this as you enter the building on the ground floor. Obtained the letter from the bank and back in the office where the procedure was completed very quickly.

One thing you need is to write your phone number on form TM7. So copy of all the entries in my bank passbook, two letters from the bank one showing the original transfer from the UK the other stating the current balance, and copied every page of my passport including the departure card plus form TM7 and 1900 baht fee.

The multiple entry application form TM8 was completed also very efficiently fee 3800 baht.

Altogether a very pleasant experience and a lot better than the old office apart from the location. I took a taxi from Morchit cost 120 baht with tip and took about 20 minutes.

Ditto - 15 baht charge in bank of Ayuddah 2 days ago. Confirmed by Nationwide (15,015 baht withdrawn)

But no charge in Airport plaza, Chiang Mai, 5 days ago. That machine was inside their branch, the other charging machine was in Tesco.

Also told to contact bank on a number of occasions, but then the card works again next day. I assume they are having problems and just put up that message.

I have withdrawn 15,000 and 16,000 baht this week so no special restrictions

I have the same problem, my card does not work after being told that I am going to be charged 150 baht it then says transaction cancelled. However an hour or so later same ATM, it works so the whole thing is hit and miss these days.

check out premium bonds maximum of 30k but each month u have a chance to win a million an shed loads of other smaller cash prizes! i know some ppl who have won 10k off just a mere 5k investment. good thing is ur money is always safe as houses!

I invested the maximum amount several years ago and the highest prize I have ever won is 100 pounds. These days I get the occasional 25 pounds, I actually won two of them this month.

I think your reply is very informative and had I read that last week then I would not have gone to the Hunstman. Quite apart from allowing smoking in their restaurant why on earth they seated me in an area reserved for smoking is beyond me. I had no idea when I was led to the table that the area was thus designated. Now if I was in some place in Patpong or Khaosan road then having being a visitor here for some 20 years I could understand, but this is 5 star international hotel which boasts first class service.

Same exact thing happened to me when I went for their buffet the first time at the Huntsman a month or two back...

Wasnt aware of their smoking set-up, was shown to a table on the right, got thru most of my meal before smokers descended nearby...

Since that day the pub at that time was also nearly empty, I got up and just moved to another empty table a ways away from the smokers, and politely asked a waitress about their policy on smoking, which she explained to me.

Next time, if I go back, I'll sit on the left and see if they really enforce their supposed policy.

As a smoker who has fallen foul of their rules I can confirm they are quite strict on the smoking areas.

Fair enough really.

I would have thought that it would have been nice of this hotel management if they told people before they entered their restaurant that smoking was allowed and in addition the table that you are going to be given is in the smoking area. I have written to complain to the Landmark but given the fact that they do not I am not surprised that they have chosen not to reply.

Yes, I have previously reviewed the food, and the so-called smoking policy, of the Huntsman and their Sunday roast buffet here... The food there is pretty good and quite varied, for the price.

But their smoking policy, if you can call it that, is to say the right half of the pub/dining room as you walk in in is for smokers, and the left side (from the main center bar) supposedly is for non-smokers. Of course, there's nothing except air and a bit of space that divides the two areas. But at least, supposedly, if you sit on the correct side (for non-smoking), it would prevent smokers from sitting right next to you.

All of this, of course, is not in compliance with Bangkok's smoking law for air conditioned pubs.

It was not something I was informed of when I arrived. Had I been told that then I would have turned around and left. I was offered a table on the right hand side and at that stage no smokers were in evidence.

Following the positive comments about the Hunstman at the Landmark hotel I too thought I would give it a try. Almost deserted when I sat down just after noon but two guys then arrived at a table to my immediate right and started smoking with ashtrays kindly provided. The guy on a table in front of me observing this then also lit up. Another table arrived and sure enough one of them also lit up. So this maybe a place with the most wonderful food but I will not be back. Amazed that in this standard of hotel they allow this sort of thing. If you enjoy your food in a smoke filled atmosphere then go ahead, the Huntsman is the pub for you.

I have recently purchased a condo which requires some renovation work. As part of this process I intend to have a hard wood floor installed

Would appreciate any advice on Bangkok suppliers of teak (or similar hard wood) floor timber and a good contractor to lay the floor

Thanks

I understand that if you purchase the material in Home Pro they have companies that will do the work. I should think the shops in Central World etc have similar arrangements. However my advice would be to have a tiled floor, having wood floors in my condo is my biggest regret.

A Thai friend of mine has just purchased a Dell 1440 Inspiron laptop but has no telephone line in his room and is out of range of Wi Fi. What options does he have such as an aircard to enable an internet connection? What type would anyone recommend and what is he likely to pay for the service and with what service provider? He is located in Bangkok Ratchada area.

I am looking for the true coffee coffee shop at Sukhumvit MRT.

The address on the true coffee site is:

MTR Sukhumvit Station Unit 11, 12 Klongtoey Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110

I asked for directions from the MRT station's staff and he told me to go up 1 level and turn right... walk 100m. Total nonsense! He should have said he didn't know and asked someone else who knew. I even showed him the true coffee card to let him know I wanted to go to true coffee... Tough luck..

Enough of my ranting.. Anyone knows how to get there? Is it in the Sukhumvit MRT station or outside it? Is it in that "Metro Mall"?

I think what you are referring to is in EXCHANGE TOWER-SUKHUMVIT/ASOKE. If you come off the BTS and use the walk way to cross the Asoke/Sukhumvit junction there is a large building on the right hand side called EXCHANGE TOWER-SUKHUMVIT/ASOKE. In that you will find a True coffee shop etc. It is accessed directly off the walkway and the coffee shop is at ground level.

http://www.thaipropertysource.com/all%20co...roperty602.html

I'll paraphrase an article from the International Express 9-15 July where it says:

Amendments are being prepared for approval by UK MP's that will require everyone, citizens and visitors alike, to report change of name or address within ninety days, failure to do that will result in a fine of up to GBP 1,000. Interestingly the article does not suggest this is a new bill but more an amendment to existing legislation so I guess it's a done deal.

It makes me wonder how some Thai based expats will manage with this new law, especially those that "live" in Thailand but also "live" in the UK for reasons of the UK benefits they wish to maintain. And by benefits I refer initially to medical benefits although the scope could include other items as well.

I am surprised at the date of this article April 1st would have been more appropriate.

This is part of the ID card/National database that the Labour government is trying to push through. The Home Secretary recently said that ID cards will now be voluntary. He didn't mention anything about the national database which is the scary part of the story. Both the Tories and the Lib Dems have said they'll throw it all out if/when they get into power so there's no point in getting too excited about it yet as a general election looms in the not too distant future.

Yes but its already on the statute books, and is only being "amended"

God knows how long its been there, whatever it might be (no one seems to know right now)

Typical of ALL parties - they tinker with things and the other parties soon forget they exist, until they (the legislations) come back to haunt.

As for the databse..........well, heres just ONE reference to one of them:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5683677.ece

Penkoprod

They've got to get it up and running first. If the NHS database is anything to go by we'll all be dead and buried before that happens.

You arnt wrong there ,anything this govt touches never works and as for tracking you ,when we moved we informed the relevent dept that we no longer required child allowence ,to cut a long story short they kept sending cheques which i sent back ,they also gave us a new no and paid money into my wifes account , in the end i gave up and threw the cheques away uncashed ,what a load of numptys the govt ,track you? they couldnt find you if they had a map.

Yes you are quite right I completed my tax return on line on a Tuesday night and by the following Monday less than a week later the rebate was in my bank account. This is an absolute disgrace and time the government sorted this mess out. The NHS database will mean that anywhere in the country if you require treatment they will have your latest medical history notwithstanding public holidays and someone being called out to open up a filing cabinet to search for your records by which time you might well be dead. Of course such a huge database takes time to get right but why bother we really don’t need this sort of intrusion into our lives. Also the next time I am in a bank queue waiting behind some clown who wants to withdraw a large sum of money and every request for ID is met with, "No I do not have that" I will be able to rejoice that we haven’t gone down the road to 1984 like many European countries that have adopted an ID card. When I withdraw money from my local Bangkok Bank which I have done many many times and they request my passport I can tell them to shove off. National Database now that would be an innovation I hope the Inland Revenue does not have one or the DVLC or the NHS or the DWP or continue with list. I think it is time we got rid of computers they are obviously one of the reasons for this mess.

Many years ago some astute civil servant realized the British Royal Navy had more admirals than ships. I think at that point they decided to prune the tree.

I will use it to go to swampy, as the guesthouse I stay in when I'm in Bangkok is fairly close to Thonglor station.... and I hate the morning trafic.

Don't forget that whilst your guest house may be near Thonglor BTS station, the airport link is a totally separate line and you cannot access it from Thonglor. You will either need to get a taxi to the Airport Link station, rather defeating the object, or travel downtown on the BTS and then walk over a footbridge to connect to the Airport Link - not sure which BTS station has the link.

I live in Thonglor and will continue to take a taxi door to door, really don't fancy lugging cases to the BTS and over a footbridge, but everyone to their own.

I would have thought at Thonglor your easiest connection would be Makesan which is linked in with Petchburi MRT. However Makesan is direct to the airport. The only BTS station that will link up with the airport link at this stage is Phyathai. IT does make more sense in your case to take a taxi the whole way.

Today i tried to get money from different Atms in Bangkok...the machine told me the amount is too high...so i tried a lower amount,but no chance!so i checked my bank account online if there is anything wrong,but everything ok.i live in bagkok 1,5 years now and never had any problems...

somebody had the same problem today or before and knows this about what?

thanks in advance.

regards

I had the same problem with Nationwide UK Bank yesterday, tried several banks and each time everything went okay until the last moment and then informed transaction cancelled. Tried again this morning no problem first time.

Hi,

I'm coming again next July. I was wondering if the skytrain to the airport has opened yet or not, two years ago it seemed almost finished.

Many thanks !

it has no link to the BTS skytrain and is completely different, good luck dragging yer bags up and down those (higher than skytrain) stairs.

It has a connection to the BTS at Phyathai where you will be able to change trains and use the BTS network. I believe there is also a link at Makesan to the MRT network.

Hi,

Does anyone have a link for a map with the latest BTS routes. I was wondering if the Silom line now goes over the Shapan Taksin bridge?

Thanks,

WS

After Saphan Taksin it goes just two stops Krung Thon Buri and Wongwian Yai where it terminates. The line continues much further but that part is not yet operational.

This is where you find the map

http://www.bts.co.th/en/Image%20Event/Route_BTS.html

Expect peanuts .....

The used book biz here always seems like a bit of a scam to me but I do buy books from Dasa's and they have an outstanding selection and they are easy to get to from the Skytrain.

I'd avoid Khao San Road.

I agree, I took a load to that one on Sukhumvit opposite Emporium and they consisted of good quality hardbacks non fiction and the sum I was offered prompted me to give them to the British Council who were holding some fare at the time. I hope they will hold another in the near future as I want to get rid of some more books.

Does anyone know of any organization in Bangkok that runs courses in XML, ASP and PSP leading to some formal certification? This enquiry is on behalf of a Thai who works full time but is interested in the obtaining training and certification in the above.

I once worked with a guy who spoke numerous languages, trained for SAS, had flown everything but we could always tell when he was lying, when his lips were moving.

I am not sure of the cost as I was the birthday boy, but for 5 people, and one person had the all-you-can-drink wine (for 595 baht), I overheard the total bill being 9,000+ baht.

I have a couple, friends, who are big wine drinkers... How's that special on wine work there??? You only can choose one variety, or you can choose among a selection they offer... or ???

And, is that only in connection with the buffet, or you can do the wine special solo???

They offer an Italian white which is not so good, an Italian Merlot which is reasonable and some brand of beer which I cannot think of. However you can mix any of these during the night but that is the wine buffet choice.

how much did this buffet cost? i might be interested...

thanks! =)

When I was there in January the cost was 1490 ++ Service 10% Vat 7%

I bought a Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop in England. Here they could not supply me with a new keyboard for that model. My partner and I had two laptops and a desktop between us all Dell. Several attempts to get spare parts from them all with the same negative result although I did once manage to purchase a new battery for my laptop. Now I am rid of all my Dells and I would not consider one again. The service here in Thailand for the personal user is non existant.