curlywatt

if your not living here full-time, i strongly advise getting it done in your home country, prices have dropped quite alote in recent years

thanks for all the help guys

These types of Insurance policies are only interesting if you are in a high tax bracket and can get a 30-40% refund on the annual premiums paid when you do your taxes. In the OP's example, he would increase his total return by 25% if he was in the 30% tax bracket.

If in 30% tax bracket....

40,000 * 0.3 = 12,000 thb per yr

12,000 * 16 = 192,000 thb (additional "payout" if you can deduct premiums from your taxes)

Otherwise the return is about the same as you would get if you just left the money in the Bank.

I also have one of these deals, but it is a bit shorter... pay 30k for 6 years get around 235k at 10yrs

you make a great point, my g/f is outside the tax bracket and therefore cannot receive additional "payout" as you put it, its for this reason i have told her the policy isn't such a great deal, she has a seperate accident insurance policy so its not these benifits that attracted her to the policy, its the 600k after 25 years + 8 payments of 20k that appeals to her, do you guys know of something that would be a better option for her, if she cancels this policy she has 120k to invest now and 40k per annum for the next 15-25 years

thanks for your input aurelius

i will give the g/f the link to this topic so if you guys and girls want to offer advice it would be greatly appreciated, if anyone is familiar with new york life your comments will be especially appreciated

honestly .. sounds quite interesting, Kasikorn offered me something semilar .. but the payout was much less ..and the Timespan ... well way longer.

do you know the name of the product ?

its called new york life and its through siam commercial bank, you'll find the website via google

thanks morden, any more info from anyone would be appreciated

just wanted some info regarding the above, the g/f has take out a policy, i just want to make sure everything is legit, this month will be her 3rd year paying 39,723 baht, from what i can gather the general outline of the policy is as follows, she will pay just under 40k a year for 15 years, years 16-25 she pays nothing and after 25 years recieves a lump sum of 600k, now with this policy they say she will get 20k interest every 3 years (year 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24) does anyone have this type of policy or know anything about it, thanks in advance

thanks for all the replies guys, thanks CharlieH but a UK company no good as i'm in the Republic of Ireland, thanks anyway

i use to send money to the thai missus by way of her using my irish atm card, got expensive with 150bth on every transaction and daily limit on card of 250euro, i.e. she could only take 10k each transaction for which there was a 150bth fee + 1% comm. at my end and also a bad exchange rate, last week i decided to transfer money direct from my irish account to her siam commercial bank account, flat fee 15euro at my end which i'm fine with, but they took 476bth from the 27k i transfered at her end, i want to do these transfers twice a month but begrudge paying over 12k per annum to siam commercial bank, does anyone know if all thai bank operate in this way, in ireland when money is transfered into my account i get the amount the person transfered provided they have paid the fee at their end, thanks in advance for any replies

some great information from you guys, thanks for all the answers so far

thanks for your answer guys, just a quick qestion as i'm not well up on thai property laws......... whats the difference between Chanote and Sor Por Gor

gf has 10 rai near kham khuan kaeo, he relatives plant the rice and work the fields, in return she gets 1/3 of the rice produced, a neighbour is selling 5 rai at 40,000 per rai, g/f wants to buy as if she gets 1/3 of rice produced on this land she won't have to buy any rice, she reckons the rice she's getting at the moment isn't enough. 2 questions i have........ (1) is that the going rate for land, seems very expensive to me (2) 1/3 of the rice from 10 rai of land, only plant once per year, how much rice would this equate to, how many people would it feed for a year (eating rice evey day)

thanks thaimite, i'll get her to call the CAT hotline and see where we go from there.

hi people, my g/f lives a few km from Kham Khuan Kaeo, she's looking to get an internet connection in her home. in her village the reception isn't great with regard to moblie phone coverage, she can never get reception with dtac but ais seems better. neither of us are very knowledgeable on this topic, she seems to think she may need to get a phone line in to her home and get an internet connection this way. what she's looking for basically is a fast reliable internet connection, anyone have any suggestions ? many thanks, alan...

p.s. mods if you can leave on issan forum rather than the computer section as everything is way to tecnical there for me and this relates to internet in issan region

i have also woundered WHERE can i rent a bike for a day. No place?

guys last time i stayed in the ibis on second road opposite big c they had bikes for rent, i remember thinking they look alright when i was paiing them, not sure what the price was, check it out

can one of the mods please move this to the bkk forum, might have a better chance of getting some information there

hi guys, my girlfriend and 2 other family members tried to book the bus from bkk to kham khun kaeo for friday 10th april but its fully booked due to songkran. they finish work about 6pm so can't travel till about 8pm, you guys got any suggestions, i think she said the bus is full sat and sun also (not sure i wasn't listening properly)

glad you liked it Cochran, sorry to hear the meat wasn't up to scratch, i think maybe you were just unlucky

Alrighty then...I owe some details on Da Tiziano.

The restaurant was easy enough to find (thanks, aussiechick, for solid directions), and parking was absolutely no problem, for a change. The interior of the restaurant was clean, not too fancy, but in good shape and a pleasant atmosphere. The interior had no customers other than us when we arrived, but there was a party of four in the outside eating area.

The service was prompt, and our drink orders were filled quickly - a Singha for me and a tequila for the lady. For appetizers, we selected the tris de apetitosi (three slices of crostini, with cheese melted on top, and one slice each topped with anchovies, mushrooms, and parma ham) for me and cream of chicken soup for her. When the appetizers arrived, I was very surprised at the portion size on the crostini. I expected small slices from an Italian loaf, but these were huge slices of bread, well toasted. The toppings were not so good. Mushrooms tasted very canned, and the ham was just okay. The anchovies were standard - good fishy flavor, salty, etc. The anchovy one I finished. The ham I took off, and used the toasted bread with my entree. Left the mushroom one alone. My gf said the chicken soup was not good - nice creamy consistency, but the flavor was just not there.

For mains, I had the penne l'arrabiata and she had fried seafood. First problem: slow prep times, and in an empty restaurant. This is not too big a deal. After eating in German restaurants for over a month last winter, I understand glacial service, so Thailand is very good by comparison in general. Where this turned into a big problem for me was when my entree came out, and my girl's food was almost 15 minutes later getting to the table. That's not okay.

The pasta was cooked right - al dente and hot when it got to the table. The sauce just wasn't good. When you order l'arrabiata, you expect a little heat, and I didn't have any. The tomato flavor was there, but not pronounced (I know that's a terribly imprecise description, sorry.). The sauce was not overly oily, and there was a sufficient amount of sauce, just not very good. Didn't finish the dish.

On the fried seafood (shrimp and calamari mostly), the aroma and presentation were nice. Not overly breaded, not greasy. Unfortunately, also not too tasty. She did not finish her food either.

Overall, not a win. I've definitely had worse food, for sure, and we have to accept the occasional setback in our investigations of new venues. I really enjoy trying out places I haven't been before, and thanks again for all the recommendations. We left unsatisfied with the food, but happy with the progress on another place checked out.

For brunch today (11:00 am-ish) we went to Beefeater's. Once again, too early for the buffet brunch that starts at noon, but not willing to wait another hour for breakfast. I ordered the English breakfast with coffee and orange juice, and my girlfriend had orange juice and spaghetti carbonara (unusual brunch choice, but who am I to judge?). The food came reasonably quickly. Hers was served with an egg on the side for mixing in at the table, and looked great. Her verdict: it was okay, not great.

My food was decent, and there was one high point to be found - the bacon (but we'll get to that in a minute). The English breakfast comes on one plate, and is kind of all heaped up together. The beans are directly on the plate instead of a separate dish (you'd think by this time I'd remember to ask for it without beans!!), then the potatoes, sausage, and bacon are piled nearby, with the eggs on top. The eggs were served sunny side up, a little too done (lacy) on the bottom and a little too loose on top. Nicky's still has the edge on cooking eggs. The sausage was not so good - Nicky's and Jameson's still tied for first on that item. The potatoes were a generous portion, a little greasy, but good flavor. But the bacon was perfect. It was the streaky variety instead of back bacon, and was done just right - not too crisp, but well cooked. Tasty!! The orange juice was very good, and the coffee was better than average. Two very large slices of toast, served in a basket with butter and jam, completed the meal. Overall rating: Better than Apex Hotel's buffet, not as good as Nicky's, Jameson's, or Shenanigan's at the Avenue, or Pig & Whistle. Looking back, I guess that puts Beefeater's breakfast at last-but-one on the scale.

We may try Beefeaters again, but only for dinner or the brunch buffet. Not a do-over for breakfast. I still want to try Caddyshack for breakfast eventually.

In the quest for the best burger, April's entry will be Henry J. Beans. Should be tackling that Tuesday night-ish.

Keep the recommendations coming - we're planning to be out of Pattaya tonight and most of tomorrow, but the list - and the search - continue.

no mate breakfast no good in beefeaters, like most places in thailand, try the dinner, trust me you will like

patklang - I have a GREAT job in Thailand, seriously. Also a great gf, beautiful scenery, good health, etc. I have much to be thankful for, and I try to take nothing for granted. I don't think I'm spending 20k every week, but it is true that much of my disposable income goes to local restaurants and bars. Its what we enjoy that matters, right?

New review - Manhattan's

A total network failure at my job yesterday allowed me to leave much earlier than planned - no point in hanging about being unproductive. The lady and I went to Manhattan's (originally we were headed for Mata Hari's, but last minute change - no issue with Mata Hari's, and its still on the list).

The decor and atmosphere in Manhattan's is great. I like the shots of NY on the walls, and the etched glass on the wall between the restaurant and the pool. Staff were well dressed, spoke good English, and seemed very professional.

The wine: Of course, expensive as usual on the vino. We had a Penfold's Private Release Shiraz / Cabernet, 2007, on the ticket for 2400 baht (OUCH!! I can buy Penfold's for less than $15 US all day long at home, but here we are....). The wine was good, but didn't have as much body as the Tripudium we had at Toscana a few weeks back. A little sweetness from the Shiraz in the blend. Overall a good bottle.

The food: The girlfriend went for the avocado and prawn appetizer and the salmon fillet as a main course. I can't try the appetizer of course, but she said it was quite good. The presentation was great - complicated glassware arrangement including crushed ice under the bowl to keep things cool, nicely decorated and etc. Her main course looked good as well - a nice skin-on fillet, served on a dill sauce, with creamed potatoes and steamed veg to keep it company. Unfortunately, I did not taste it as I was busy with my own. She said it was very good, but a little too much to finish.

I ordered the 1350 baht set menu, which includes a caesar salad prepared tableside, a 200gr Waygu filet, and choice of sauce and potato, and a dessert (key lime pie for me). The salad was a non-event. Yes, its prepared tableside, but this doesn't have the same panache as a tableside flambe, preparation of fresh fish tableside, or teppanyaki tableside. Its just salad. That being said, the flavors did not impress. The romaine was quite fresh and good, but the all-important dressing just didn't have any flavor. They were generous with the parmesan and croutons, not so much with the bacon. I took a couple bites and put it away for removal.

When the entree arrived, it was a different story altogether. I allowed the waiter to grind a little fresh pepper over the steak, and that was all it needed. The presentation was a little stark - a relatively small diameter steak in the middle of a large white plate, accompanied by a tomato rose. The gratin potato and the blue cheese sauce were served on the side. The first bite of the steak made it all worth while. I ordered it medium, and it was perfectly cooked. Just a tiny bit of char / sear on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, fantastically flavorful. The fresh pepper set it off just right. The gratin potatoes were okay, nothing to write home about, and I don't recommend the blue cheese sauce. Not very good. But the steak itself = excellent.

Dessert was great - the key lime pie was tart and sweet and delicious, but I couldn't finish it. Just too much. The bill was a little steep at almost 5100, but we don't spend like that every day, so an occasional indulgence is fine.

We liked this place, and will eventually be back.

Can anyone recommend a good Italian place, other than Toscana?

for italian try la dolce vita, soi 18 naklua, about 150 meters on the right hand side, have eaten here 3 times in the last 5 weeks and loved it each time

Believe me there is not enough demand. Working for Etihad we fly to Dublin every other day from Abu Dhabi and returning to Abu Dhabi with connections to Bangkok. I've worked some flights in and out of Dublin where there have been only 60 to 100 passengers on board. As another poster said, during the holidays the flights are full but at other times they are not. Even Emirates last year canceled their Dublin service because of low demand, but I believe this has been reinstated again.

if the dublin bangkok route is quiet for etihad why is this one of their more expensive routes ?

i've tried beefeater a couple of times in the last month, its in the arcade just opposite mikes shopping mall, give this a try cochran, i'd be suprised if you didn't give it an excellent review

one thing that annoys me every time i travel to bangkok is that i can't get a direct flight from dublin. i've flown with many airlines through most european capital cities, nearly every other capital city in europe has direct flight in to bangkok but still not dublin, i think the demand is there and can't understand why no airline has tried this venture

bought a pair of short in the addidas shop in the avenue the other day, they have no changing room there so i just held them up against me an thought large size were fine. i tried them on when i go home and realised they were too small so next day i went back and asked to change for xl, the staff were very rude and just kept pointing to a sign saying "no exchange,no refund" as there was a sale on. i tried to explain that because they had no changing room i was unable to try on the short but still they were abrupt and very very rude. my blood is boiling now just thinking about it, its certainly nothing to do with the money, its just a matter of principle. I ENCOURAGE ALL THAIVISA MEMBERS NEVER TO SHOP AT THE ADDIDAS SHOP IN THE AVENUE