gerryBScot

On 1/2/2024 at 12:28 PM, ding said:

 

 

1) It would cause severe disunity. There would be conflict between religions, obviously. Even if everyone agreed to allow Christian doctrine only, we just have to look at Northern Ireland to see what might happen.

 

On the subject of the  recent history of Northern Ireland, it is to AA's eternal credit that at the height of The Troubles AA provided one of the few interfaces between the conflicted communities. I believe this was instrumental in lowering the sectarian kill and easing tensions. I am an AA and have little truck with its critics - it is clearly not for all, and there are other ways to get sober, but AA is authentic and works.

Rest assured I won't do it: I have driven legally for almost 50 years, I have never had a single violation anywhere or anytime. I fully understand from past experience of living in LOS and in Asia that sometimes the laws can be loosely interpreted/applied. It is quite explicit thanks to MIke Lister's post that it is expressly prohibited to drive without a valid license. I won't do it and am grateful for members' inputs.

No worries JB I am just really checking if it is an absolute no-no and of course, it is! I am not sure I can renew my THai drivers license as I no longer have a resident visa.

3 minutes ago, McTavish said:

Best I've found and will return again and again - Suvarnabhumi Ville Airport Hotel

 

They have several shuttles for pick up and return available 24hrs.  Rooms are spacious and clean plus 24hr restaurant and adjacent mini-mart.  Inexpensive too!

Thanks I like the sound of this, especially if they have a 24 hour pick up service. 

5 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Budgeted price range?

between 2-3,000. Thanks.

10 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

It's against the law for ANYONE to drive without a valid license here and there's a very good chance you will get stopped at some point and asked to produce it.

Thanks for this, Mike, flashbacks of getting stopped everytime I joined the motorway at Klong Toey/Lumphini, every time even with a license, I had to pay the same cop 200 THB due to some imaginary infringement, and it certainly helped in those cirucmstances that I could produce a valid Thai licence.

Hello again very much looking forward to returning to Thailand in June for a family holiday. Two adults and two teenage kids, 15 and 12 respectively .... how they grow. We are on the ground just after midnight and wonder if any folks here could recommend a decent hotel with a  family room for us, possibly in the Lat Krabang area, somewhere we can crash into so to speak. We are not undULy interested in facilities as we will travel onwards to the the provinces the next day, just an easy to access place with 24 hour reception as we might not be checking in until after 1:00 am.

Hello everybody, it's been a wee while. The great news is we survived COVID and are heading to LOS for a family holiday in June. The bad news is my drivers licences have expired. I had both a British and a Thai license. I wonder what the position would be if I drive in Thaoland wthout a valid license? I recall reading a few years back something about the Mayor of Bangkok expressing surprise that as many as 60% of the bus drivers in BKK had driving licenses. Just wondering if it is an absolute no-no for me, Johnny Faraing, or if it is generally ok. I should add that I have had any endorsements, points, penalties or bans in either license or in the history of my driving 'career'. Currently resident in The Philippines and not sure there is adequate time for the powers that be here to issue a license. Many thanks.

Just an update .... you may have noticed that Sarasas is now the subject of an investigation by OPEC, that part of the Thai education ministry which regulates the private education sector. Check out the news  if you want to know more.

Can anyone guide me to a school supplies store in Chiang Rai. I'm looking to purchase typical classroom stuff like mini whiteboards, graph paper, protractors, compasses, etc. Many thanks.

Over the last few days I have been unsuccessfully trying to organise the shipping of personal effects from Thailand to The Philippines. My consignment needs no more than 3 cubic metres. I also wanted to deliver my consignment for consolidation in person by flinging my various boxes and golf club sets into the back of my truck and driving to the port in Bangkok.

It's a great mystery to me why I have been unable to deal with anyone in any company who can say to me something like: for consignments from A ( small city west central Thailand) to B  ( small city central Philippines) that require from 1 to 10 cubic metres of space, there is a charge of XXXX baht per cubic metre; additional costs such as repacking, consolidation, customs clearance and collection will cost approximately xxxx, xxxx, xxxx and xxxx respectively; there will be additional costs at your destination end and we recommend you to use this particular agent to process clearance at your destination and you will have to meet his/her costs.

Two  companies insist that they need to pack my personal effects to ensure customs clearance in Thailand; so additional costs there in sending packers/drivers to A and then to drive the load to the departure port. I would be happy to leave the boxes open so that they can be checked. I'd be happy to drive the unopened boxes to their offices in BKK for checking. But no, if you don't do it our way, you don't do it and in any event we can't give you a price. So what these companies are in effect saying is we will take your consignment and then use them  as security to extract as much money from you as possible ... because if you don't pay we have your property as collateral.

Another company quoted $2,000.00 US for collection from A and delivery to Manila. I asked for some break down of how they reached such a figure, like a quotation, they came back with a  reduced price of 55,000 THB with delivery to A. Again no breakdown simply a figure and when I suggested a figure of 50,000 THB might be acceptable they replied that they were already taking a huge risk. Duh!

Then a consolidator in Thailand offered 4,750 THB for a super box measuring 75 x 55 x 55 cm; he said he could fit five super boxes onto a pallet.  I don't understand how you can make 5 boxes fit on a 1 cubic metre pallet : maybe four, possibly six, but but five doesn't make sense.

I compare this experience with shipping personal effects inside China last year. I understand it is not exactly comparable as there is the matter of border crossing and duty. However I used Google translate to send a message to China's leading freight company. Within two hours a guy came to my house on a motorbike expecting to collect a letter and when he saw I had five boxes he said he would need to come back the following evening. This guy arrived on time with a mate as agreed, gave me his WeChat contact details and they took my boxes off, down three floors of stairs. I remember saying to my wife that we might never see our stuff again. An hour letter he sent me price details: 5 boxes weighing 156 kg in total for shipment from C to D by road express would cost the equivalent of about 17,500 THB. I transferred the money to his WeChat account and he sent back the bill of lading and reference numbers. I got a phone call 36 hours  later from my people in D to say my boxes had arrived. Knock me down with a feather! I was floored.

Meanwhile back in Thailand. A friend has kindly agreed to store my personal effects as we return to China tomorrow. I am not going to be rushed and make a decision that might prove to be very expensive.

The world of alcohol dosing really exposes as a  nonsense any attempt to describe norms. At best so called safe limits are a bench mark or yard stick but there are huge variables and variations. A friend tells me he gambles on a pokey every day for an hour and limits himself to a certain, affordable amount. He's self-evidently deluding himself in the same way that I'd be deluding myself if I thought I was drinking 14 or 21 units of alcohol a week and thus was drinking within safe limits, whatever that latter term may actually mean. I am so glad to be out of the debate other than in this context....

Just returned from two week family holiday in Philippines. Mrs Portnoy is a Filipino so that helps. Been a fair few times before. I really rate Cebu City very highly despite a worsening traffic situation. Excellent shopping malls - SM Seaside and City, Ayala; reasonably priced food and lots of options in the mall. Filipino food is far from my favourite but I have to say I ate some delicious local food during this trip. Try the House of Lechon in Cebu, where we had a really pleasant feed on local food including blood soup. We spent a few days on Bohol which were disappointing - very touristy and commercial; Alona beach is cool but quite crowded. Then to Dumaguete in Visayas, a very popular destination for Americans and onwards to Bacolod City, which appears to be on an upward curve. One thing that made a huge difference was being able to use the Grab taxi app - only once did a driver up the price and my complaint to the company produced an immediate response. Yes it is dirty and can be dangerous but a lot of the risks can be minimised by not putting yourself on offer. I think next time we're going to tour, fly into Cebu and see where we end up - hopefully on some glorious white sand beach and clear blue ocean! Mabuhay!

Also you'll need to go the embassy in BKK to collect the ETD; though I think you can apply on line. You may have to book an appointment to collect the ETD so I would suggest you act now. You may also need to attend an immigration office to get a replacement entry stamp put in your EDT. The whole  process can be quite a rigmarole.

57 minutes ago, Baht Simpson said:

I wasn't suggesting everyone should use spreadsheets.

Part of my journey into alcoholism was the drink diary. It didn't work for me. I was getting so drunk I couldn't fill it in and couldn't even remember what I had drunk.

9 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

The whole gist of my post is that you need to measure your  own drinking habits. If you don't it becomes a steady slide.

 I disagree - IMHO this is completely unnecessary for normal drinkers who enjoy a drink regardless of how much they drink. The essential point for normal drinkers is that having a few drinks does not affect any aspect of their lives. I'm glad to say that after almost 30 years of trying to drink normally  I now completely recognise that my relationship with alcohol was abnormal and for me the solution was to quit. This means no spreadsheet either, a mighty relief!

11 hours ago, dfdgfdfdgs said:

To the drinkers, and the bar-goers, I'm not trying to preach, and you can do whatever you like, it's none of my business, but I'm just curious what you actually get out of it.  I know having a drink or two can make you loosen up and have more fun, and that's great once a week when you're in good company, but there's a difference between that and sitting slouched over a bar every day, with a bunch of other 'like-minded' expats, all of whom are almost immune to the effects of alcohol.  All that is doing is slowly killing you.

 

Why don't you try not drinking completely for a month.  Find something more beneficial to do.  Fruit juice, smoothies, lots of other flavoured drinks all taste as nice/nicer than alcohol, really they do.  I hear a lot of people say after a hard day there's nothing better than having a cold beer.  Well there are, alternatives are just as refreshing.  Society is overexposed to alcohol in general and thus it is normalised and almost used as a substitute to water, when it should be seen as a occasional treat.  I think people associate beer with happy times from their past, and thus it remains their go-to drink.

 

I bet after a month, you will wonder why you drank so much beer before.

So logical, but there is nothing logical in either becoming an alcoholic or in recovering from that state. Plus for many people alcohol means great fun and does not involve any form of harm. As a recovering alcoholic I have no right to spoil other people's party because I can't handle booze myself. As Voltaire said: il faut cultiver votre jardin: you have to take care of your own garden, meaning I shouldn't be concerned about yours.

I moved to China after 8 years in Thailand. Been here for over a year now and just back from a Christmas/NY break to LOS. I have to say I love living in China even though right now it's freezing cold and there are snow remnants on the ground with more forecast. The visa thing is far easier here - there's a significant paper chase at the beginning but if successful it results in a residence permit, valid for 12 months, and with this in the holder's passport, s/he can come and go in and out of China as often as they wish during its validity; no 90 days reporting. Relatively straightforward bringing in dependents so long as you have the documentation. I doubt retirees, non-investors or those seeking long term residence would be eligible for official resident status but they should be able to get tourist visas quite simply. It's impossible to compare the two countries because they are so different. I really miss Thai food. However this is a really smart place and it is really astonishing what you can do here with a mobile phone linked to a bank account. Pollution is a palpable issue but it is relatively easy to avoid the worst places - information about levels is readily available. If I can keep going the plan is to flake out in the Philippines about age 70 but that is some time away ...

How does my wife get one which would enable her to sell our truck whose documentation is all in her name? She's a Filipino, worked here on Non B and Work Permit for 11 + years. We moved to China last year and she's now a foreign resident there, my dependent. I'm thinking she could apply to Thai embassy in Shanghai for Non-immigrant Visa and then return to Thailand, get certificate of residence and flog truck. As always any help gratefully received.

Alternatively try here:-

https://www.a-plusservice.com

There is a process by which you can get this done apparently but the links to the relevant pages are down at present. You can check out this website: http://www.pcscenter.sb.police.go.th/eng/# .

The best option might be to contact a translator in Bangkok. I have never used one myself for this purpose but in the last twelve months used one to get all manner of documents - wedding and birth certificates etc - translated into English, legalised by the MFA and then certificated by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. This was to enable me to bring my family into China when I started working there after being in Thailand for several years

I got my police clearance in person in Bangkok. The problem for you might lie in the fact that the Royal Thai Police take your finger prints as part of this process of clearing you. I am sure, however, that there must be some way around this and that you can get prints taken in your country and then have them sent to Thailand.

I suggest you find a translation service. If you want a personal recommendation please send me a personal message.

Wilson you need to get your Thai missus to stick the boot in!  She should be looking after you and making sure you don't get taken to the cleaners!

During the eight years I lived and worked in Thailand I hated visiting the big resorts in Thailand especially those in the south. It didn't matter that I could speak Thai, read menus, etc, I was always overcharged. So I stopped visiting these places. I remember buying a day package to Murder Island from a resort in Chumphon. I was charged at the local rate but when we showed up at the pier the hydrofoil people attempted to extort the difference. I said very loudly in Thai that I am not paying a special price which led to stand off; eventually they relented as my two kids started piping up: what's the matter dad they started asking. On the coach on they way back to Chumphon the bus stopped a little bit shy of the railway station, like 400 metres and the guide announced that my fellow passengers could use the facilities in the hotel/restaurant outside - internet, shower, food etc - and that they would then take folk to the railway station to connect with trains northwards later in the evening . She went ballistic when I told the bus load of foreigners that the railway station was four hundred metres down the road, turn left and your there and suggested to them they would encounter very special prices in the hotel/restaurant.

But of course this is not just happening in Thailand. Tourist are fair game all over the world. What about London's 'smudge' men way back when. Put on a suit and shirt and tie, get a camera, and hang out at London's well known tourist attractions. Snap tourists and get them to pay up front on a promise of delivering the pictures to their hotels. A nice scam especially as there wasn't any film in the camera in the first place! 

Similarly don't expect people who are promoting sex shows to exercise discretion. You're the target and they have a job to do. It always amazed me that anybody ever considered being led away to such shows.

Funnily enough I have never felt I have been overcharged in China where I now live, even though I don't speak a word of the lingo and most of the locals don't speak English. But it never appears to be an obstacle. I had to get some documents printed before signing them, then get the signed copies scanned and then email them. Eleven pages in total, cost for everything 13 CNY, about 65 THB; then some ID photos, four standard size at 25 CNY; then send original documents etc by EMS at a cost of 8 CNY; lunch in the local Indian canteen today: chicken curry, dal tarka, potato and vegetable curry with rice and four scrumptious freshly cooked chapatis -  33 CNY, just south of 200 THB.

Here's the thing - if you think something is expensive then don't buy it.!

Hey thanks for the help. I think the problem will be with the airlines. No worries. We'll see how we can work around it if at all possible.

24 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 

 

Edit: You can enter your info here to check if you can enter the country. https://skyteam.traveldoc.aero/#input

Thanks Joe a great link.

Can anyone confirm if it is a requirement to hold a passport with more than six months' validity in order to enter Thailand as a tourist on a 30 day waiver? Just trying to juggle dates and  my daughter's passport expires in October. So wold like to come for holiday in July, return to our home in China and then apply for new passport. Any help greatly appreciated. G

Thanks Tim that's a relief.