nokia

Just about anywherte in thailand ,you can live fairly cheap,or quite expensive.It'as all on the luxuries.You don't get something for nothing

That's true, i am looking for a place reasonably cheap, suitable for 2 adults + a 2 yr old toddler.. If it's too cheap, it's only suitable for 1 person. Minus any luxuries.

As advised by our southern pals here, i guess that i will have to make a trip down south,and if possible, i may also visit Khanom, Trang & Patthalung as well.

Fresh & cheap seafood, i am coming...

Cheers, folks!

Hi folks,

I am thinking of staying in South Thailand, but would like to consider the costs first.

Namely cities like Chumphon, Ranong, Surat or Hatyai, but avoiding the islands because they are rather expensive.

Maybe apartment on a monthly rental would be preferable initially because houses usually come with a one year contract.

Any info/comments, just shoot. If the budget is not feasible, please advise too.

Cheers!

I am doing 1200 km on a tank whit my Vigo also . But i have a 4X2 vigo 2.5 ic sure this use much less than a prerunner . ( Prerunners are 3.0 L )

Chiang Rai - Bangkok Still 30 % fuel left .

CR-BKK 800KM, sounds good with 30% left. Any particular driving habits(speed) to share with the folks here?

btw, do you support Toyota's advertisement claim of 1500KM from Chiang Mai to Phuket using your Vigo 2.5? Do you think whether is it realistically possible?

Cheers!

snip

Farma, 1300km sounds very economical for a PreRunner. Does your bro-in-law has any particular driving habit?

Cheers!

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I’ve been looking at my map to see if my figures were right. I was a bit optimistic when I first posted but not too far out.

Just working off the map distances, I refueled 898 kms which was about right for me. My fuel gauge was showing empty but the fuel warning light wasn’t on. The BiL refueled at 1,220 kms. We made a couple of small side trips but not far enough to count.

It was a slow drive not exceeding 80 kmph. I found it hard to keep to his slow speed. At times it felt like I was just idling along. He isn’t a confident driver at night time and doesn’t accelerate fast. We just plodded along on the trip.

Economically, the figures are very efficient for a 3.0 Fortuna & also the 2.5 PreRunner. I think most people are not able to beat your figures.

On the other hand, it's certainly a test on the patience driving below 80kmh on the highway. Even driving below 100-120kmh(actual speed limits) is unbearable for most drivers who are heavy-footed.

To each his own, i guess... Thanks for sharing.

they are assuming you coast the first 200km in neutral comiing down hill...lol and taking a ferry the last 300 km

hey tb86 you must be a fan of the Toyota advertisement too where you see the vehicle coasting down the hill.... btw, is there a hill there is 200km long in Thailand? maybe they use a special hybrid Vigo which converts kinetic energy into potential energy?

ANd then ship the Vigo on a ferry from Ranong to Phuket? hahaha

Max posted and official speed in Thailand is 90 KPH for any road but nobody worries about it tell a cop gets you. Oh your route is OK.

My thai friend told me the max speed limit varies from 90-120kmh on the highway and 60kmh for suburban areas.

Of course most pp dont obey the speed limits right?

nakachalet, thanks for the offer, i will say hello if i come over to trang but for this trip, i am testing Toyota's advertisement claim of 1 full tank to Phuket. Just kidding.

" farang will be targets as well?"

I hope we never find out.....

well, i guess farangs landowners out in the sticks & farangs in the urban areas are perceived to be in the same class because firstly they dont have to eke out a living as farmers who are always in debts. And secondly, foreigners are banned from being farmers as occupation.

As for alternatives, most countries are pro-citizens of their own countries, and furthermore, there are new languages to learn. As for rural Philippines, is it still a cow-boy country where the gun rules esp in Mindanao?

In my 60+ yrs, I've learned to always have a plan 'B' to fall back on if needed and have been glad to have it at times in the past. Better than having to make rush [and costly] decisions and mistakes that you have to live with.

And I've always considered myself lucky [intuitive] in knowing when to move on. In retrospect, I've enjoyed the best of times in the best of places [Australia, Hawaii, Philippines, and maybe now Thailand], and thank my 'inner voice' for knowing when and where to move to when the time was ripe.

That has changed since I moved to Thailand 10+ yrs ago @ 50 yrs old and married, bought a house and finally settled down. I told myself that 'this is the last move....I'll be burried [burned] here' and planted deeper roots. Now, 10+ yrs later and after the events of the last few months and the last couple of weeks, I'm beginning to think that I should start thinking about a plan 'B' should things continue to deteriorate.

What has shaken my faith in LOS are a couple of 'trends' that seem to be emerging......

1] A few stupid falangs getting involved in the Thai political shows and witnessed on film and commented on by the authorities.......scary new turn.

2] and the most alarming cause for concern are the [threatening] statements by the black [red] shirts that they are going underground [southern Thai style] and not only are they going to target government and the 'ruling elite', and strike tourist venues. Good move on their part if they want to strike where it hurts the most. [Oh, in case you don't know it......we are 'elite' just by having computers, UBC and all the gadgets that the 'rural poor' can only have on credit if they are lucky.

I do love and respect the good honest friendly people of this country, but after many years here, I can see that Thais can have many faces and the 'friendly' smiles can turn into angry hatefull resentment. And we are all wondering what will happen when our beloved King departs........

Unfortunately I have broken the 'golden rule of expats' and have invested a large part of my savings so any quick move would hurt me financially, but I will survive........

Has anyone else given any thought to a 'Plan B'??? Where to go from here??

"why do you feel that "after you know who passes on" things may take a turn for the worse?"

What other direction could it take?? This is a chaotic country in normal times and that could be the worst case scenario, as total chaos would rule. But wonder how that would affect us falangs out in the sticks?? For sure, I wouldn't want to be in any urban areas.

"i know it will be time to implement plan B which would be getting my wife, son, and self on the next plane out of here "

agree that it is best to be prepared for the worst and if it doesn't happen, then we're all lucky.

If IT does happen, then you're ahead of the other falang rats leaving the sinking ship.

jaideeguy,

Are you trying to say after what had happened in BKK,

and if the situation in LOS turned chaotic after who passes on,

besides the establishment elites, farang will be targets as well?

Hey folks,

What's the fastest route from North to South?

Highway 1, 32, 9, 35 and then 4? What are the current road conditions?

Is 340, 321 and then 4 a shorter but slower alternative bypassing BKK?

Any suggestions for a rest & stopover?

Is the speed limit 120kmh for the above highways?

Many thanks!

Cheers!

60 kmh in fifth gear nonstop (no red lights or yielding please), 205 tyres with 50 psi tyrepressure, no aircon, closed windows, 45 kg driver, covered bed (canopy), no lights, strong wind from the north, homesick, sure, no problem

in the real world, expect 30% more fuel to drive normally.

At 60kmh, it will take an awful 25 hours to reach Phuket, and that will require at least 3 shifts of different driver. Who can drive continously for that long?

Actually, in a very economical world of slow acceleration & no quick braking, i already use 40% more fuel than what Vigo claimed.

So one full tank of 75L will probably last me 1000 km, so i will end up high & dry somewhere in Prachuap Khiri Khan with an empty tank on my 3L Vigo.

Can i ask Toyota for a refund since in their advertisement, they didn't specify driving at 40-60kmh, without aircon, without cargo, or maybe even without any driver at all. Robot?

1500km, fact or fiction?

Farma, 1300km sounds very economical for a PreRunner. Does your bro-in-law has any particular driving habit?

Cheers!

From Vigo advertisement on tv, Chiang Mai to Phuket on One Full Tank, more than 1500km, fact or fiction?

Anyone know if Kad Suan Keaw or Central Airport are opening today?

Kad Suan Keaw is open.

That's gd. How about the cineplexes at Kad Suan Keaw or Central Airport? Are they open?

Thinking of catching a movie this coming week & hope that they dont suddenly dim the lights and evacuate all the patrons out of the mall in panic...

Cheers!

It seems no more late night shopping for some time as curfew is on today and extended on a day-by-day basis.

Is this a tit for tat to strangle the local economies for the 23 odd provinces that is supposedly pro-opposition

or to eradicate rogue elements as they claimed? Your guess is as good as mine...

Just to make it clear for me, if I have my yellow house book I do not need a residence cert. for my drivers license renewal (from 1 year to a 5 year)? If true this saves me a trip to immigration, I just need my Yellow book and 2 copies of it and my passport

That is what the yellow book is for. Works about 95%. There is always the stubborn one. I use mine in stead of a CR.

How come the house book "thabian ban" given by my condominium is blue??

Does it mean i have to go to CM immigration to get a residency cert with the blue house book?

My 1 yr licence expires next tuesday. Is there any fine for late renewal?

Many thanks.

Cheers!

They should be open during the day. They just have to close early. I got back from there an hour ago. I was so mad... cause KFC closed really early like before 6 pm . That was gonna be my dinner. lol

But yeah, all the shops at Carrefour were closed or starting to close by 7pm when I left. Still tons of people buying items though in the store itself.

It may be better to buy your takeaway dinner earlier & heat up(microwave) at home, or better still, cook at home.

Hopefully the curfew ends this weekend if nothing major happens in CM or the other provinces.

Cheers!

Thank God for ATMs, otherwise today, i will be looking high & low for loose change in baht around the house.

Carrefour on superhighway was bustling with people during lunchtime. Not sure will it be open tomorrow though.

I think most 7-11s are still open, so its no problem for most people looking for a quick bite.

Cheeers!

dear CM folks,

Since most bank branches are closed 20-21 May, how about the supermarkets Carrerfour, Tesco, BIg-C, Rimping or essential shops?

Are they open during the daytime? Thanks.

Are you interested in the short courses or the one year course? I've sat in on three different classes for the one year course taught by three different teachers with three different teaching styles and three different books. The only honest, though unsatisfying, answer is that it all depends on the teacher you get and what kind of student you are. If you are interested in the expensive one year course ask if they can tell you who will teach and if you can sit in on a class currently taught by that teacher. Of course there's a chance that they won't decide on the teacher until shortly before the class begins.

I am interested in the 1 yr course.

From the opinions given, it seems that the quality of teaching will depend on the teacher, and also on the pace of the students.

For a 1 yr duration, it does sound like a gamble, doesn't it?

Cheers!

dear CM folks,

Has anyone taken CMU Language Institute's Thai Course?

Cheers!

Normally, if your gold is bought in Thailand, there is a small label attached to it, so there should be no problem selling it.

Maybe your gold is from overseas?

What kind of 'small label' are you talking about?

The only thing I know some large sellers add is a stamp from them.

Not all sellers, but the ones who make/manufacture their items.

This is supposed to be a guarantee, but only for that store where the

stamp is from..

It's basically a card embossed with the shop name and over the reverse side are the details of the purchase: date, type, weight etc...

I suppose all registered gold shops accept gold from each other?

Normally, if your gold is bought in Thailand, there is a small label attached to it, so there should be no problem selling it.

Maybe your gold is from overseas?

nakhonchai air, 785 baht to rayong. 8 buses daily.

if you're connecting with other buses, the nakhonchai terminal is several km from

the main bus terminal in rayong.

nakhonchai terminal is on sukhumvit road at nakhornrayong 10, the main station

is just north of sukhumvit road at nakhornrayong 39.

Cool, is there any beach in Rayong?

or do i have to take a 30 min boat trip to Ko Samet and how much is the boat trip?

Thanks...

Dear CM folks,

CM is a fabulous place except for the smog which currently stands at 179.

Anyway, i believe the smog will eventually be blown away, maybe in a couple of weeks time when there is regular rainfall.

In the meantime, i need sone fresh sea breeze. Anyone second this opinion?

Songkran is coming, and airfares are rather expensive. So CM-Phuket by AirAsia is out.

I heard that there is a direct night coach to Hua Hin or Rayong and it cost about 800 baht?

Any other alternatives?

Fresh air, please.

Cheers!

They will provide the paperwork and probably even have someone go with you if you need to get the extension. They are very helpful overall.

All schools provide this though. I would look at the price and compare price and curriculum with the other places that offer these courses.

The language Institutes Thai classes are relatively new, but they are a professional outfit.

I don't know what the heck Kurushekta is talking about. The Director of the Language Institute is Kuhn Sansanee. Dr. Mathew Kay is the Vice Director and was in charge of the TEFL program that they have.

I have never heard about a Dr. Ian. He must be new.

Actually i am curious whether TEFLCMU is a private language institute like Walen/Pro or actually part of the CM university?

If it's a private language school, then it is only able to provide students 3 months extensions each time compared to 1 yr extension from universities.

Am i correct?

Cheers!

the oriental (just off 1317) has a small fitness room and pool for 30baht a time, no membership required

Is it the Mandarin Oriental hotel?