Konini

Haven't been able to find any up to date info on this one.

I've had our marriage certificate certified by both Foreign Office and the Thai Embassy in UK, but need to have it verified by the ministry of foreign affairs to be able to use it here legally in Thailand. Do I have to go in person, or is this something done by mail? Also, if I can do it by mail, what forms would I need and where would I find them (presumably they would indicate the fee)?

Hope someone will be able to help.

EDIT: We're both British citizens if it matters.

MLTS - we must have been typing at the same time. EDIT: TWICE! Also I haven't used Thaivisa for ages and can't figure out how to quote your message - a heavy cold is not helping my dimness, but in my defence I haven't use the site much since it was upgraded (last year?) and google isn't helping me (I did try).

I'm in Thailand and have pre-paid DTAC for my phone, so however many baht they charge is the figure I would pay, and that's fine. I really only send messages to my husband who also lives in Thailand; I always manage to forget to ask him to get milk or bread when he goes out ;) As for what I am trying to achieve - I prefer sending SMS by computer (fat fingers) and know I can currently use VOIPDiscount to type them, but then my message app gets a one-sided conversation on it as there is no way to sync what I typed/sent. I've tried many solutions in the 9 years I've been using VOIPDiscount, and this finally seems to be achievable in a way I like with Android Messages. I was just unsure of if/how the messages would be billed; I could see that they are free within US but with no mention of international that I could see. Google Voice page is clearer and lays out the charge to Thai number (at a much higher rate than VOIPDiscount, so have already discounted using it).

I'm happy to do the messaging through Google as it will keep things cleaner, to be honest I haven't looked at the cost of sending an SMS to Thailand in VOIPDiscount for years, I only know the price of the calls to mobiles because I noticed it coming up with a cost instead of free a couple of weeks ago and checked it out.

I think you've answered my only other question too, which was do I have to leave wifi on (on the phone) for this to work. If it automatically bills the DTAC account, the answer should be no, just sync them up every now and again.

Can anyone help on quoting a reply here?

Edit - this reply is for 2008Bangkok

Thanks - I didn't think it could be free.

Also didn't know I could configure messages to use VOIPDiscount either, will have to look at the settings, although that might get a bit too hard because I receive messages via Telco (DTAC) and doubt I would be able to send from one provider and receive from another. Also, I would need to be able to change it quickly for when I have no wifi access, so it's prolly going to be left in the too hard basket (again).

At least I can have the good message interface with all messages available on laptop, which is a definite bonus to what I had yesterday.

Maybe I'm just being dim, I'm not 100% sure.

I've just got Android Messages installed and working on my laptop, but can't figure out if I actually pay to send one. I currently use VOIPDiscount for calls and most SMS, calls to Thai numbers are deffo cheaper than Google Voice (although mobiles are no longer free) and from what I can see I don't pay for SMS but as I said I'm not 100% sure. Would rather use this than VOIPDiscount because I get the sent and received messages synced and don't have to go on a phone hunt when I get a new message notification.

Also, another quick question I've just thought of - I don't usually have my phone connected to wifi whilst at home, I don't use the phone much and forget to charge it so the longer the battery lasts the better. I have no need for immediate syncing, once a week when I update the currency converter would do me, but will it work or do I need to be online on both phone and computer?

Needed a quick in and out so going economy to Durham/Teeside for May return June, very surprised at KLM price of 20,140 baht so I snatched it. Other regional airports in UK or even Europe should be pretty much the same, and the price justifies buying a premium lounge pass on the way home.

Out of curiosity I searched after buying, and the only London to Teeside flights coming up on Skyscanner was KLM for 7,800 baht return so going direct with them seems the best option. The only drawback as far as I can see is the luggage limit of one case each maximum 23kg, so I'll have to be a bit selective on my stocking up.

I know from others that they aren't the best airline, but to get to Smoggyland with a 2 hour connection on the way there and 5 hours in Schiphol on the way back, it's a bargain in saved time, petrol, and driving stress, and we can go over the Boro to pick up a hire car a couple of days after we land, which is even more money saved; several days less car hire and cheaper from town compared to airport.

Next time we go back I'll have more time to look and compare and get notifications of sales etc so I'll hunt for business class.

Mum's taxi from the airport and 15 minutes ride home, I'll take that any day!

We've moved into a house today - the agent has forwarded a screenshot of our names/passport number entered onto an online form that appears to be a TM30, but she is asking us to go to immigration with passports etc - can anyone confirm that we have to do this? My understanding was that the owner of the property reports to immigration but the tenant doesn't have to do it as well as it's just doubling up. If it matters, visa type is non-o (retirement).

I've got conflicting info, so would really appreciate anyone putting us straight on this.

(I know that the owner is supposed to notify our return if we are out of the province for more than 48 hours, but I don't think this has been done for us so far in the years we have been here in condo's. We don't do 90 day reports as we are never in the country for that long and just fill out the arrival card with our address when we fly in.)

Thanks, but Mr K would rather drive himself though, also means we can get more trips in.

No more takers??

I swear I posted this earlier.

We've found a house and are getting ready to move. We want to hire on a daily basis or 2 days at a time, but are not having any luck finding anything online or around the moat. Does anyone have any recommendations or pointers please?

Thanks Ricardo - good to know, although I didn't think that there were so many flights going north. I think the noise thing is going to be a deal-breaker for us, although if they're high enough it won't be an issue.

I kept trying and found I was able to get historical on the flight radar site and can go back at least a week one day at a time (in fast forward), so it's possible to see all the flights of any given day and track where they are going.

This whole looking for somewhere to live thing is very hard and really tiring. Mr K is out at the moment riding in Saraphi direction and writing down phone numbers of anything that looks OK from the outside. Rather him than me is all I can say. I'd really forgotten how difficult it is as well as how exhausting, very easy to hit overload.

Thank you both. The site has changed, I don't know how to reply/quote but will look later when I have more time. I got the flight radar site last night but it only shows live ones unless I'm missing something. There's one just taken off as I type and I can see it, but I wondered if there were something with more than just the current time; I went into the historical tab but either it wasn't what I needed or I missed it. Would be easier than sitting in front of laptop all day and making notes if there is a map with regular flight routes highlighted.

The House and Land mooban is a bit north of the outer ring road on the 1001. I hadn't even considered that the planes would wait that long before turning until on the way back I noticed a couple of planes around the Meechock Plaza area. I wondered if this is the same issue as them going over Rimping Condo, recent and perhaps short-lived or if it is usual. For the South/arrivals, I can pretty much trust my insincts based on how the runway is situated.

'Morning all. Looking for a new place and noticed that planes were going pretty much over the top of Meechock Plaza whilst turning. That got me to thinking about the regular flight paths - I've noticed in Rimping Condo that where we used to get an occasional one flying over the top of us that we now get many a day. This could be a short-lived thing, I don't really know when they will go back to 'normal'. A lot of nice places out that way but the noise really annoys me and I'd obviously prefer to avoid it. One place was in House and Land mooban on the 1001 - anybody out that way know if the planes regularly go that far north before turning? I don't care about the odd one going to China, it's just what is the norm.

I've searched google but perhaps I'm putting in the wrong words to get a map of regular flight paths to give us an idea of where to avoid.

I think it has been already mentioned, but the injection gives only temporary relief.  It's more than 17 years since I had a vertibrea removed; I refused to have surgery until the time that I actually couldn't lift right my leg to climb stairs - I had to go to the toilet in the cafe next door to my office because ours was on the first floor.  Orthopaedic surgeon was amazing, he understood that I didn't want surgery and we went through exercises then the cortisone injection about 6 months after the first consultation.  It worked for about 3 months with the pain, but my leg was still dragging, I was walking a bit like Quazimodo for months before accepting the inevitable. We also had a very long discussion about fusion, I just didn't want it so the disc and bone was removed and I was stitched up.  When you run you finger down my back its bone, bone, bone, hole. My problem now is the nerve damage, probably because I left it so long before addressing the problem.  I have electric shocks constantly running down my thighs, hundreds of tiny nerves tormenting me, constantly buzzing, predominantly on the right leg where the sciatic nerve is damaged and have no sensation on the skin from buttock to little toe and the one next to it.  Fortunately there is now medication to stop the nerve pain, I can still feel it but it's kind of dull and more annoying than painful.

The motto of my tale of woe is address the problem.  Try the exercises mentioned above; really try them, not halfheartedly, and of course you have to give them time to see if they are helping - if I'd known about this 18 years ago I might have a complete back.  Being sat on a computer for up to 18 hours at a stretch was the cause of my problem, I even knew at the time that I should get up and move but it was always 'just after I've got this right' and I stayed put (it gave me excellent bladder control). Maybe it wouldn't have worked for me, but maybe it would. 

If the exercises truly don't help, address the problem.

We've been using world Nomads for years, an annual travel insurance with medivac back to Australia if necessary.  We still legally live in Australia as we're not in any one country long enough to be classed as resident and by international convention you have to be a resident of a country because of tax evasion, so our price is based on that, not sure what the premiums would be if you live in Thailand, but there again it doesn't seem to cover the country you live in.  If you 'live' in UK it would be suitable. 12 month policy, everywhere in world except USA, includes motorbikes (you have to be very careful with that one, most policies from UK specifically exclude riding or being a passenger on a motorbike, not so with Australian policies). 

I think we pay about AU$1300/year but we get a very good discount because we've been with them for so long. Seems like a lot, but covers you for all sorts of things.  We used to have a basic backpacker policy for medical/medivac only with another company but it expired while we were out of the country - you had to be physically in Australia when you applied for the policy, never figured out why. World Nomads was the only one I found at the time where you could be outside the country, but that was about 6 years ago and it may have changed.  Watch out for that motorbike exclusion though.

32 minutes ago, elektrified said:

As far as flooding goes, many parts of Saraphi are prone to flooding. Same with Nong Hoi. Sansai even flooded about 5 years ago but that was unusual.

 

Have you considered using Uber instead of a songtaew? It is much more comfortable and very inexpensive.

Thanks - I suppose anywhere near the river is a risk.  Not sure about the availability of Uber and Grab out in the wilds, I know that they're great in town, but going a way out of town might be an issue - anyone have any experiences with either of them?

23 minutes ago, Genericnic said:

@Konini This is not a map but it does list the songtaeow routes. Might be of some help.

 

Thank you - I didn't realise that the yellows went to so many places.  I think maybe we'll have to put aside a couple of days next week and go for rides.  There are also the buses that go to Chiang Dao, Fang and other such places, I assume that they go along the 1001.

Thank you, I didn't know they went that far.  So I can add Doi Saket to the list of places, as long as it's within walking distance of the yellow route.

Open - wide open.  Most of the ones we have been looking at online have been Saraphi (want close to the CM-Lampang road because we know white(?) trucks use that road), San Sai, Mae Rim and Mae Jo.  Haven't looked at Sankanpeng because we don't know which direction the (blue) trucks go, and I don't know what goes where to Doi Saket if anything so haven't looked there. Just want something a bit run down that we can make into a nice home on a secure lease. Hang Dong seems to be very busy.

We're really open to anywhere as long as we don't get airport/plane noise and we can get transport.  We have a motorbike, but I'm unable to drive (medically), and I don't really want to be dependant on Mr K every time I want to go somewhere.  If he wants a good night out, as he often does at weekends during the football season, he can ride into town and check into a cheap guesthouse and come back the following day.

If asking fails, we're going to have to follow one (or go for a ride) to check them out. Asking is more attractive.......

Breaking my self imposed exile here, 'cos I need a bit of advice.

Lease is almost up and we want to move to a house, preferably a basic one where we can get a long term lease and get it the way we want it to be, the money spent will be the money we save on rent in a not so perfect house.  Six months first of course to make sure we don't have the neighbours from hell or the local dog squad appearing every night. I've been doing a bit of hunting on the internet and there are plenty of such houses, 10,000 baht and under which could be ideal if I can get the owner to agree to a 10+ year lease, but the thing is we would like to be within walking distance, say 1km, of one of the coloured songtoew routes.  I've searched and google hasn't come up with anything.

Does such a map exist?  Also, a couple of years ago someone posted a map here of areas that are prone to flooding - have searched and can't find that either.

Will much appreciate any help. And would it be a good idea to approach a real estate agent and pay them to find and negotiate on our behalf?

On 6/29/2017 at 5:01 PM, EricTh said:

 

That is not an English word so it is basically just a 'Thai mini-bus' by using only English words.

 

Song is Thai for two

Thaew* is Thai for row.

Songthaew is a transportation vehicle with 2 rows of seats in the back compartment.  In addition, there are the very different (from songthaews and from each other) minibuses and minivans.

*Many variations on spelling.

Would suggest you use Uber or Grab, ask driver to wait while you pop your head into immigration and assess how long you'll be, go back and tell the driver who may choose to wait or give his/her phone number. For the driver's safety, as mentioned above, sit in the front seat as though you are a friend not a customer.  There is a distinct threat of physical harm to them from the local taxi/tuktuk mafia.

18 hours ago, Ricardo said:

 

IME they have a good Sale every mid-January, for far-ahead (I booked my September trip) this year Etihad & Emirates also joined-in the bun-fight with similar Sales.

Sri Lankan also, but this year it was economy only.  The business (also 30% as usual) didn't come until March or April this year, by which time we'd already booked.  

For anyone interested Sri Lankan announced that it is now flying to Melbourne, so if the timing is right we'll get business to see both friends and family at a good discounted price.

Thanks for the reply.

We're both with DTAC at the moment.  Very unsatisfied with their service, but have been too lazy to do anything about it for several years.  I can literally be sitting on the sofa with 5 bars of service and my husband sitting next to me has no service.  Totally crazy.

It's just really with the arrival of Uber and Grabtaxi that has spurred me on to do something about it.

I suppose unlimited minutes doesn't matter, I just got that from back home where it's almost always automatic with a data plan.

I remember buying my first and only Apple product when iPhones first came out, but in all the Androids that I've had since, I've only ever connected to the internet via wifi because of costs.

Does anyone know of a plan I can get (unfortunately they won't let me have post-paid so it has to be prepaid) that will give me unlimited calls/texts (99% to the same number) and a little bit of data so I can use Uber and Grabtaxi and maybe manually check email if I'm waiting for something important? I don't use Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or any of those Look At Me sites.

I'm sure someone told me once that she paid 100 baht a month for something similar, but I could be wrong.

The websites here are generally horrible to navigate, just hoping someone has something similar or knows of something similar.  My internet is with Sinet (very happy with them) so I can't get it added on to my existing account - I tried to do that with TOT when we were with them.

Any help, which means I don't have to trawl through those awful sites will be appreciated.

Partly off topic here, but a few years ago Thais were buying new cars or utes because they were getting a big rebate from the government.  The balance I presume was on HP.

Now, I could be wrong, but my thinking is that a lot of people who really couldn't afford to buy a new vehicle did and a couple of years down the track are unable to make repayments and would be pretty keen to rid themselves of this money trap, therefore leaving nice bargains to be picked up.

Am I correct in this assumption?  If I am, where would be the best place to look for such a bargain?

I came across one quite by accident whilst out on one of my meanders.

Superhighway, pass Big C and Macro, about half way between Macro and the traffic lights where you turn to go to the railway station.  No English, but the work he was doing looked good.

On 3/11/2017 at 5:54 PM, Dipterocarp said:

Just remember if you happen to travel to the States.Where the Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr depending on the state tipped employees can legally be paid $2.13.

and tips are taxable. The servers who get pockets picked by cheap diners  don't know about the shame half a century ago when 'Guvner threw  a half-farthing.

 

 

That's fine, I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of people in Thailand who are unaware of and rather uncomfortable with the whole tipping thing.  It seems to be just a north American thing, we're just not used to it.