petedk

Sorry about the topic title but that's the way that i and three other colleagues feel. So I am writing here to ask for some serious and constructive advice.

It's a long story but I'll try and keep it short.

I work at a government university and September last year the foreign teachers were told that we had to join the Thai Social Security plan. We are about ten teachers and two of them were excluded as they were over 60 years old. We others filled in the documents and handed in copies of passports and other relevant documents.

The following month 750 baht was deducted from our salaries. We were told that it would take about 3 months for our cards to arrive but in the meantime all we had to do was show our passport at the chosen hospital if we needed any medical help. After 3 months four of us hadn't received our cards but on asking we were told to wait. This went on for another 3 months and when I tried to go to the hospital I was rejected as there were no records of my registration. Again i complained to my boss and was told to wait.

Eventually a close friend who is Thai managed to contact the Social Security and found out that they had never received our application! I contacted HR at the university and they told me that they had "just received the papers back from Social Security because there were no copies of our work permits". Ok we gave them copies.

Two months later nothing had happened so my Thai friend again contacted Social Security. Still no applications. We four foreign teachers then contacted the dean (much to the anger of our Head of dept.) and asked for her help. A few days later we found out that all the stories they had told us were complete lies and that our HR (actually International Relations) had lost our applications and that we would have to start over again.

Nothing has happened yet and that is about 6 weeks ago.

Meanwhile 750 baht is being deducted from our salaries every month as it "is too difficult to stop the deduction". Asked when we are likely to get our money refunded we were told that that was virtually impossible.

So, I would love to receive some positive advice here.

1. How can we stop them deducting 750 baht from our salaries?

2. The most important.... Is there really nothing we can do to get our money back?

Thanks in advance.

I work around Asoke and have a stable "3G" connection> The speeds are not that fast but certainly faster than the old Edge.

I travel often by BTS from Asoke to Sanam Pao and there is virtually no signal whatsoever between Nana and Victory Monument. It has been like this for a long time and I have complained to them. Whenever I make a voice call I am disconnected between Ploenchit and Chidlom. The only reply I got from the guy at AIS was "I have the same problems".

They really need to improve their network.

I am currently in Hua Hin city center with a AIS post-paid subscription, and currently getting 3.2 Mbps down and 0.8 Mbps up.

Used an old 3G dongle from AIS, speedtest.net via notebook and the speedtest.net Android App via mobile.

I am now in Hua Hin and getting slower speeds than in Bangkok. Speedtest showed only 361 kbps as apposed to 2273 kbps in Bangkok. Staying in center of Hua Hin

Edit: Sorry, I realise now that the 2273 kbps was suing a True sim card.

The number of places that practice double-pricing is very small. The number that won't give you the local price on showing a drivers licence or work permit is positively minuscule.

Maybe but I find more and more small enterprises are adapting two price system.

For example: I often buy a bottle of water at a small mom and pop store and am usually served by the son ( a kid of about 16). The other day his mom was in the shop and she said to him "farang yisip baht". I complained that it was only 7 baht and that I have been paying that price for a long time. She was stubborn and just kept saying "Farang yisip baht". Ok I now buy water at another shop.

I've been using motorcycle taxis for years and now pay 10 baht per trip. Last week one of the guys said in a rough voice that "farangs pay 20 baht". He also shouts out loud every time I near the place "farang yisip baht" so all the other drivers know. At another soi (Asoke) I was told about 2 weeks ago that fares doubled after 6 pm. Ok I could accept that as of course the traffic is very bad. Last week I came along at 5 pm and they quoted the double price. I said it was only 5 pm. They looked at each other and one of the guys said "double price after 4 pm".

Out of the schools you mention I would recommend British Council.

I know a few people who have worked at AUA and they told me that many of the teachers working there have no education and can't teach grammar. (no offense to any of you working there now). On the other hand I have met some people who have studied at AUA and completed several levels and their English has been excellent.

Personally I wouldn't recommend ECC. One of my Thai undergraduate students works there as a part time teacher and she has told me many stories of the foreign teachers who work there. I won't repeat what she said.

Another school is EF. I don't know much about them but they seem like professional teachers.

Basically the schools are pretty much the same, in that there are both good and bad teachers.

No problem with the sound. Make sure that your TV volume is turned up as well as the True receiver sound.

Exactly I need to turn TV up to full volume and the True receiver up to full volume. If I then change channels I am blasted out of the house!!!

have u got a computer? Good sound

lMy link

Yes I have a computer. Thanks for the link. The match has finished but I'll bookmark this link for the future.

Im watching online...its fine

What do you mean by "online"? I am watching on cable tv. All other channels seem to have English commentary at a good level but True Sport 1 seems to be so low that I have to turn the volume on the TV up to full.

I am watching the Community Shield cup match from True TV and the English commentary sound is very very low. I have to turn the volume up to maximum to hear it.

Anyone else have the same problem or is it my decoder?

Is anyone who bought the phone having network issues? For example, Im using True, my network will randomly cut out and I will get a circle with line through it and a triangle with an explanation point . I will not be able to receive calls or text and not data. This will go away when I reboot the the phone. I can confirm this problem on two other galaxy s2 both on True. I checked all three phones and the APN settings are correct. All are on 2.3.3. Anyone else experiencing this problem?

I can confirm that the i9100 works out of the box with True.

So who can verify the i9100 model working on True, or the i9100T model working on AIS?

I guess I am confused. You say that you are having problems, then say it works? Are the other two SGS2 models having connectivity issues with True also i9100? Are these problems just related to GSM (voice, SMS, GPRS)?

Can you connect via 3G? What are your download and upload speeds?

Finally, can you use an AIS SIM (maybe borrow) to verify 900 Mhz 3G?

I have the i9000 and use AIS .

As mentioned earlier I did a speed test and got 362 kbps down and 208 kbps up.

Today I inserted a True sim and got 2773 kbps down and 131 kbps up.

Just did a speed test.

362 k download and 208 upload!!! ???

did a retest

362 k down and 88 k upload.

Much faster than the usual Edge

I am using AIS on Asoke at the moment and the indicator on my mobile is chaanging between 3G abd H+. The speed is fantastic. Much bettrr than my usual edge.

I will do a speedtest soon.

What is H+?

The color of your passport (nationality) Is what determines the price you pay, NOT the color of your skin (race).

If you have brown skin they try to charge the Thai price no matter what you passport says. They never ask see.

If you have white or black skin they try charge foreigner price. Never ask ID or passport.

After you can try change their mind, but initial judgment purely skin colour so RACIST.

Have you ever come Thailand?

I have lady friend from Canada (Asian born Cambodia) on holiday in Thailand keep mouth shut, always charged Thai price.

I have lady friend from Canada (Chinese descent) on holiday in Thailand keep mouth shut, always charged Thai price.

Can not speak any Thai but judge by race alone.

I have lady friend from Thailand (Hill tribe, black skin) keep mouth shut, always try charge foreigner price.

When she speak Thai, Thai person say you foreigner, where you learn speak Thai?

This is not what I experienced at the weekend.

We were a group of about 30 people. Five were white farangs and three were Thai's who have lived in USA most of their lives and have clearly forgotten some of the Thai language. We took a trip to Nong Nut Village in Pattaya and I was driving the van (privately owned don't worry). They asked how many farangs in the van. I spoke Thai and said there were 4 farangs including me but that I lived here and showed my driving license. No problem until one of the thais opened his mouth and said something. The girl asked to see his ID card to which he replied he had forgotten to bring it. Of course she didn't believe him so then she asked everyone to show their ID Cards.

Anyway two of the Thais ended up paying the full price of 500 Baht.

So the pricing there is not racial but based on residence in Thailand.

Has anyone here ever gotten into the Grand Palace for free with a Thai DL?

I tried once, was flat out refused. Anger and extreme displeasure on both sides ensued. Now I don't even attempt it. I sit outside and let everyone else go in. Did I just hit it on a bad day or is this everyone else's experience as well?

Not with driver's license but with ID card from my university (government university). Normally the person selling the tickets just accepts the ID card and I get a free pass but once it took about 30 minutes, what with copies of ID card, signatures here and there and then approval from some officer.

I love this phone.

I'm getting about 2 days of battery life by turning off the data connection when not needed. I use a fair amount of WiFi.

I have a problem in sending MMS but I guess that's just the settings. I will contact AIS later today.

I'd recommend the i9100T, maybe from a True or DTAC shop as this supports 850/1900/2100 3G, at a minimum.

Do you know where there is a DTAC or True shop that I can send me sister to??

You know if there are shops in siam paragon?

I think she is going there tomoorow.

I bought mine (i9100) at Samsung shop in Fortune on Ratchada. Right next to MRT Rama 9 station.

I've been away for four days and just returned to see this topic.

Can someone tell me when the ban on alcohol is????????

The ban is from August 1st until September 15th. After that the ban only applies to hard alcohol until October 1st. What I find amazing about this ban is that they are now saying that not only can you not buy alcohol but you cannot even consume it. It would be one thing if the cops looked away as they usually do but the government is going to be posting police in all the tourist areas with breathalizers and urine testers along with immigration vans standing by to pick up foreign violators to be immediately detained for deportation. It is one thing to crack down like this but another to target foreigners so harshly when a Thai will only get slapped with a 10,000 baht fine if caught having consumed alcohol. If you read this far then I hope you know I am pulling your leg. The sales ban is already over and was only for Friday night and Saturday.

haha Yes, I know. I was being sarcastic too.

Yes, all the bars and restaurants frequented by foreign tourists were sticking strictly to the ban. I saw many guys drinking coke and ice tea at the bars but when I went to the restaurants that are well known for Thai people they were serving all types of alcohol. I saw beer every lunch time and every evening.

It does seem a bit strange that the law is upheld in areas where tourists (who are not Buddhists) go and not in the areas where Thai people eat.

I've been away for four days and just returned to see this topic.

Can someone tell me when the ban on alcohol is????????

I have been to Pattaya with a group of about 30 people. All the restaurants we visited served alcohol quite openly and we saw several drunk Thai people.

The only places I went to that didn't serve alcohol were Family Mart and SevenEleven.

Just bought Samsung Galaxy S2 today at Samsung shop in Fortune Ratchada.

It's an i9100 so it can be used with any provider. I paid 18,900 Baht for it. A little more expensive than from True but I need to be able to use 3G in 2 or 3 European countries.

I've only had it for 2 hours and haven't had much time to play around but I can say one thing right now "It's awesome". Fantastic screen. Much better than my friend's iPhone4 and fast!

I had a Nokia E72 (still have it) and was pleased with that as I never really liked touch screen. Now I need to find out to use touchscreen and find all the features of Android.

In case I missed it in this thread.

Those who bought the official Thai version of the phone,can you please confirm if the phone has all 4 frequency's for 3G.

Yes, I am confused too. I saw one at True Big C. Ratchada and the staff there insisted that I could NOT use AIS simcard. The price 18,900 baht was with a True package. If I didn't want the package it would cost "considerably more".

I said that of course I could use AIS simcard but maybe not 3G. The staff seemed to disagree with each other and no one could actually give me an answer.

I'm off to AIS Paragon tomorrow.

I personally know two Thai girls who have fallen for this type of scam. One actually borrowed about 50,000 baht and sent it to some bank account. I managed to stop the other one from sending anything.

In another situation, which I am sure is a scam, another Thai girl I know who is a Muslim has met a young Nigerian man. She says he's polite, rich and very handsome. He wants to marry a Thai Muslim and start up a business.

I don't know what his game is but I have warned her to stay clear of him. She is madly in love with him and won't listen to me. I just hope that she wakes up at some point before being hurt.

Of course I could be wrong and he is a legitimate guy.

With a Thai Wife he can get a Marriage extension with lower requirements.

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

So 400,000 in the bank will do it?

He doesn't have an income of 40,000 baht now (teacher at a university) so it will be impossible to have that amount of income after retirement.

A good friend of mine has lived and worked in Thailand since graduating in England. Thailand is his life. He has a Thai wife and 2 children here. Now it's time for him to retire but he doesn't meet the standard requirements of 800,000 baht in the bank and 60,000 baht income a month from abroad. He's never worked in any other country.

What does he have to do to get a retirement visa?

I have searched high and low for an answer to this question.

Surely some of you guys are in the same situation.

Thanks for any advice.

Troll !!

"Some months ago" and he still doesn't know the answer.

and no alcohol because of elections???

I think alcohol can be served until midnight (or is it 6 pm?).