wilsongbrown

Why not just advertise it in the Gazette or on TV

Because I've had an ad in TV for 18 months and sold nothing!

and Gazette is expensive.

Fair enough.There are also a couple just past Rolly Tasker heading South

The owner of the shop you're talking about told a Thai friend of mine wishing to sell some furniture, he'd had enough and didn't want to buy any more for lack of storage. On the other hand, an English friend told me the stuff in the store was very expensive?!

Another Thai shop owner who used to be at the Sai Yuan/Nai Harn junction, told me all the second hand shops were overpriced and 'crazy'. He had exceptional prices for a small shop. But closed not long after

It might be that 'second hand' has been looked down on by the Thais, and the 'farang', generally speaking, wanting a higher price for their items, forgetting how little second hand fetches in farangland?

Well I can see how people could be sad here. I find Bangkok to be the loneliest place on earth. Hard for most of you to imagine I know. If you don't like hookers and would like to make real friends it is a very sad place. The level of racism and negativity towards falangs makes it hard to meet and befriend people, the ones that are interested in befriending you land up becoming a liability and/or want money. The answer I guess is to meet Thai people that don't need money but then that goes back to the racism issue which is very real, most of them dont want to be friends with a falang. If you want to make friends with other falangs you need to be careful as it seems like everyone that lives here has some sort of psychological issue or they themselves are scared to make friends with other falangs as they think the same thing about you. I assume men that sit around pubs drinking all day and then sleeping with hookers all get along fine together but if that is not your cup of tea it is hard to find people you can relate to of any nationality in this city.

I totally agree with the above..

It's virtually impossible to have a meaningful 'friendship' with Thais..

Our ways are not their ways and WILL NEVER BE..

..hence the retreat of most farangs to small , hard-drinking cliques and woe to anyone who is left outside..

I have been here for 8 years and I have no Thai(male) friends..

My only 'friend' is the Mrs...but that's a different ball game.

I second also that we are deeply hated by the Thai male..

You can bleet all you want(...no it's not trueee etc...)

So there

(Slightly off topic but what the heck..)

Well, first off, Thais rarely have 'deep and meaningful' relationships with each other let alone someone who doesn't share the same cultural background and most of whom they can't have a conversation with.

Secondly, WHAT is it with this (basso profundo ......) 'we are deeply hated by the Thai male ...' I see this stupid line copied over and over again, suggesting The Thai Male is Jealous Of The Big White Man's Dick and Material Status and am of the belief those subscribing to this particular skewed view are paranoid upon entering a local karaoke joint containing a load of lao khao'ed up locals out on a whisky circle and the 'pull' and have never met a Thai Male in any 'conventional' setting other than the staff at the local orborjor/utility company office? There lies some research material, OP

I have a TOT landline for my computer which includes a telephone line - never thought to ask before, and google not being 'my friend' so far on this occasion - anyone know the cost of overseas and domestic calls via a TOT landline?

Throughout the low season, not very much on the shelves, but sometimes yogurt for the occasional Indian dinner available, together with buttermilk and pickled herring. Now, right at the beginning of high season, nothing, nada, not a thing on the shelves.

You closing down? What's the point of keeping two barely empty shop units open if not? Miss your 'real pasta' homemade and reasonably priced too

An apology to those who have contacted us seeking more information on a Party Shop Franchise - we have been swamped this year leading up to Halloween, and we will get back to each person individually next week once we have put Halloween behind us.

Thanks again for your enquiries - hope to speak to you soon.

Uh, yah

About 5 years ago, I transferred quite a lot of money from the UK and put it in a high interest (5%) account in a bank here. The time deposit will mature quite soon.

I am fearful of the economy due to the ongoing political instability here as well as should anything happen to a highly respected person due to health problems.

I plan to transfer my money to Singapore and open either an Offshore a/c or a Time Deposit a/c in AUD$ (4.2% tax free). I have paperwork stating that the money originated from overseas (UK). Should there be a problem in transferring the money out of the country? Do I need to give a valid reason?

Has anyone done this?

First hand experience in transferring funds out of Thailand and to Singapore (or elsewhere) would be most appreciated.

Thanks

A friend working in China simply packed his suitcase with it and boarded the plane out of the country. I mean, how many money sniffer dogs to you see here in Asia? Really, some of you think too much.

.................... My caucasian friends who have Thai citizenship never are asked to pay the foreigner price, I am rarely asked when I speak Thai humbly and show my drivers license. My Thai friends in California pay about 4 times the price I pay to attend university there. But, like here in Thailand, it is based on residency, not on race.

.................why don't you start an NGO to help poor foreigners with the entrance fees to visit the National Parks in Thailand and the Siam Aquarium with their bargirls and their upcountry families.

...are you saying: with a Thai driving licence or similar it would be possible to visit the National Parks in Thailand and the Siam Aquarium with their bargirls and their upcountry families?

How many 'caucasian friends' do you have with Thai citizenship then? And why do you feel the need to speak Thai 'humbly'? Do you think you would ever feel the need to speak German/English/Italian/French/Spanish/Hungarian/Croatian/Russian, 'humbly' and if not, why not?

I appreciate the comments so far, they help me to think about it and to make up my mind.

I'm renting a high end property now for almost 100,000 Baht / month, and looking to build just a very small basic house for not more than 500,000 Baht. So the building would cost me what I now spend on rent in just 5 months.

I want to scale down from luxury to basic lifestyle

I could find a cheap house to rent, but then I could not change and customize things for my needs, and would not have the large garden space I plan to develop into a big playground, planting some fruit veg, etc .. as most cheap houses for rent in the area have only very small gardens. I would still spend 15 - 20 k on renting a basic house.

I am also looking for the experience of building something small myself and being a bit creative.

You're renting something at 100k per month - and considering leasing a plot of land for a measly five years? (you'll be surprised how fast five years flies ...) You'll also be surprised how attached you might get to what will basically be your home and garden and how loathe you will be to have to upsticks at any given moment.

Nevertheless, I would suggest that whatever it is you're considering putting on that plot, make sure it's easy to dissemble/reassemble somewhere else.

The figures have obviously been worked on percentages and give I believe a completely wrong picture.

Most Thai men I know in my area ( not all, but definately the majority, around 90% I would say ) drink between 2.450 to 4.9 Litres of whisky per week. Many of them drink only "Thai" whiskey, for most of them it's just a top up the following day and they are drunk again.

About 50% of the wives usually over the mid 30's I would say drink about 1.5 litres of Thai whiskey a week.

Some drink from when they get out of bed to when they get in it, it may only be a nip here or there but it is continuous.

I would like to see the Thai government ban Thai whiskey, I see the effects of this daily and it is a sad sight.

Someone said why do they drink, I have my own theory on this.

Foreigners for the most part have something to look forward to, we work, of an evening most of us can go out, to the beach,, play sport or out to dinner, whatever. We have pension plans and superannuation schemes ( if they didn't go bust in the financial crisis ) we save for holidays, we look forward to our weekend, time to ourselves to do what we want to do.

For a lot of Thais especially rural Thais, their lives are mostly all work, there is no pension plan they generally work in some capacity or other until they die. Most work 7 days a week with just the odd day off here or there throughout the year or 1 day a month off. No such thing as a holiday for most of them.

So they get out of bed each day do the same thing day in day out with not much else to look forward to.

Thai whisky is relatively cheap, it numbs the brain ( as does most alcohol ) This I believe is their outlet.

I only comment on my area, I mix with all these people on a daily basis. Others will have different views living in different areas, if you are a Farang couple, you will have different exposure to this as opposed to someone married to a Thai.

Alcoholism is rampant, but none of them believe they have a problem.

I see my local 'mom and pop' stores lining up the little empty Lipo bottles every day, refilling with that truly awful lao khao. (Can't see how they manage to swallow it, smells so ghastly). I see the poorly dressed guys, young and old come in and out for a 'hit' throughout the day. You're right, that's all they have to look forward to, no money for holidays, same as the poor in the UK with their bottles of White Lightning. They all end up looking like sht and die before their time from liver/brain diseases.

Ban Thai 'whiskey' and FLOOD the market with government subsidized quality health benefitting overseas produced wine I say

Thaivisa might think it's popularity will win out over these awful distracting intrustions, but I for one won't bother logging on any more if it continues.

BBC World this morning included a report on money being transferred by mobile 'phone, being cheap, convenient, and having a beneficial impact on corruption. Government officials and the police say, get paid their salaries by mobile phones, no 'top ups'.

I couldn't find the link on BBC World's website today, but here's a link to an interesting blog Mobile Phone Banking for those who poo pooed and generally blew the idea out of the water on an earlier thread.

Can't wait for it to come to Thailand

http://lauriebaker.net/work/work/baker-on-...chitecture.html Laurie Baker Architect

Depends on which hemisphere you live in to a large extent, but Laurie Baker's principals for architecture in the tropics - designing using natural air flow for cooling is a very good start. And it's a much healthier, and much more a pleasant living environment than energy guzzling, germ infested air con units.

Imagination is what seems to be lacking and prejudice the main impediment to a healthier, more ecologically sustainable way of living.

Yah, double pricing is the main reason why I spend my winters in Thailand rather than some place like New Zealand or Australia. I can rent a nice room in a Chiang Mai hotel for $200 a month. In New Zealand it costs me $1500 a month. In Sydney it costs me closer to $2000 for a similar hotel. It's even cheaper than staying home in Canada and paying the heating bill in the home I own.

Oh, and that lovely Thai meal that costs me $14.95 in a Canadian restaurant I have to pay $1.50 for in a Thailand cafe.

Yup, I love that double pricing.

This counter argument is irrelevant.

Not really. I'm just pointing out that Thailand is still a relatively inexpensive country to live in and enjoy all that it offers. One over priced item balances out with something less expensive. It is easy to complain about everything that isn't quite fair. The small added cost of what a farang pays for a National park visit, when compared to what a Thai pays, hardly has any bearing on tourism. I don't worry too much about the price of things. If I can afford it I pay the asking price. If I think it is too expensive I don't buy. Quite simple really. It's no different than purchasing a shirt in Chiang Mai for 500 baht when I can buy the identical shirt in Pattaya for 300 baht. And, a Thai might be able to get the same shirt for 200 baht.

As a general rule, most farangs have more disposible income than Thais. Everything is taken in averages. It costs a certain amount to maintain a National park or zoo. The managers try to balance the price of admission to the demand and what it costs to maintain. It would be unfair to ask poor Thais to pay the full amount if foreigners are willing to spend money to visit the park and not worry about the added cost.

I understand that there are many foreign expats living on low wages and hate having to pay the added cost, but that is part and parcel with living in Thailand. I don't think it's fair that a foreigner can't buy land, But I understand the reason why.

We don't really have double pricing in Canada (other than Quebec) but there are many things to complain about. We have the National Parks board blocking off huge areas and then charge people to park their cars. And, that is over and above the price of stopping in the National park. It's got nothing to do with fair, and has everything to do with finances.

I don't see that the perception by THAIS of farang having more disposable income than them (not true in many instances here on Phuket for starters) has anything whatsoever to do with being charged more?!

And if your comment about zoo and park maintenance alludes to Thais paying taxes and therefore should be allowed a lower entrance fee - Well what about the zoos, parks, etc in the West? None of the tourists to these countries have contributed directly to any of these country's tax budget, so why shouldn't the UK for instance charge Thais and nationals other than British, more? Or is this yet another case of inverted racism and patronization?

I've learned to try to buy where the locals know me. This goes some way (most of the time) to ensure I will get the fair price. The price set for all, regardless of skin colour.

It creeps me out when I think of when I was first here and there you'd get the some smiling vendor handing you your purchases and thinking 'I'm smiling at you like I'm being friendly, but I'm charging you more because you're White'.

By the by, the places always brought up in these threads - Siam World, the zoos, etc, are visited by an awful lot of middle class to wealthy Thais also. You don't see many poor Thais there. They can't afford the bloody bus fare.

As to putting off tourists, I don't believe it does. It just leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. Better the vendor's more honest about ripping you off and act surly. Bit like Bali.

I actually thought both of the responses were pretty 'tongue in cheek' and without rancour. I think everywhere in Phuket has it's merits and downsides, and as ever, down to the individual and where they feel the most comfortable. Personally, I prefer away from the tourist/visitor 'hot spots', and opted to live in Chalong. Here there's a sense of having a 'normal' lifestyle, but close to any facilities that you need, be it shops/malls/beaches/restaurants etc.

Whilst agreeing with the body of your post re Chalong, I do think you're being either rather disingenuous or naive (having read some of your other posts on this forum, I'd go with the former rather than the latter).

So which one are you the neurotic or the petite bourgoise?

AND the usual posters spitting their usual spite like benzedrined Puff Adders

'Ere yoo two don' 'appen to live in sai yuan do you? Yor frequent nasty posts typical of the 'types'

here

I live in the Godawful expat enclave known as Sai Yuan with it's mix of neurotics/petite bourgoise and in the 'high season', chavs, where a simple 'good morning!' will get you a sneer or, if you're very lucky, grunt.

I lived in Chalong before for over five years. Much better.

Here's hoping the economy does pick up next year and I can sell and get the hel_l out of here. Nice house, fuc_king awful neighbourhood.

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

I've often wondered about this, the difference between a 'detached house' and a 'villa'. Being British, the difference between a 'villa' and a 'detached house' is that the 'villa' would have a pool, particularly here in Thailand.

There's an ad currently running the the Phuket Gazette advertising a 'villa' for 69k per month. The blurb contains the words 'almost perfect' villa etc and then goes on to list the amenities/furnishings of the property, I'm assuming there being no pool the reason for the words 'almost perfect'. Which although looking very nice from the photo, would be classed as a 'house' here in Thailand, it being a hot tropical country as opposed to a something set in Tuscany, for instance, and doubt it would fetch the asking.

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union. Perhaps our French/Italian/German/Scandinavian etc posters could enlighten us?

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

I know Dutch, Germans and Skandis who refer to any detached house as a villa. They also add "...with pool."

Anyway just look at it as not a condo and not a shophouse.

Left ALT + Shift

If your regional settings are set for Thai then the grave ` will be it.

To change or check on which keys go to Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages > Details > Key Settings

Thanks Tywais - just clipped to Evernote

Having spent the past half hour 'searching' for the easy combination to convert my keyboard to Thai script, having to post to ask what it is - again (s'okay, have just downloaded Evernote ...)

Please someone, what is it again CNTRL+ALT+SHFT, or ALT+SHFT+CNTRL, driving me nuts. Thanks

I think this "apology" goes beyond diplomacy and public relations and smacks of political correctness. I wonder if Ambassador Quayle has read all 10 pages of Sir Anthony's valedictory letter. He got a lot right. It is unfortunate that the remarks creating a stir were taken out of context.

Where can I read the full Sir Anthony's letter?

But no matter what it says, the things I have read by now are veeery true.

These things may be offending and/or inflammatory, but true, nevertheless.

In any case, being a private OPINION, it can't be wrong.

Publishing such an opinion IS politically incorrect. The apology should be coming from the <deleted> who made it public. No more, no less.

But all links to source of the full text have been edited here. Is Thaivisa=The Nation?

On the one hand you state the content of the letter to be 'veeeeeeeeeery true' (I wasn't aware the letter'd been removed, I downloaded it a couple of days ago), and then go on to say 'the apology should be coming from the aholes (sic) who made it public?! Well, there's no need for 'an apology' (why?) from anyone you consider to have spoken the truth, is there?

I hope your nik implies you're not already here and perhaps you should not add to the other knuckledraggers and stay exactly where you are.

And at this point in yet another pointless thread relating to the racism engendered and encouraged by the those who have vested interests in keeping the local populace ignorant of the world and it's more enlightened practices toward those from countries other than their own, I would like to sincerely thank the poster on another thread who reminded me of the 'ignore' button. La gon HooWoo. No point in attempting to educate pork

Perhaps someone would first like to explain the differences between a detached house and a villa.

No difference. Euros say "villa", we say "detached house".

I rent my house in Hua Hin on a full-time basis. Sure, I get less rent but I have a responsible renter who regards it as his home and takes excellent care of it.

Not for me the two-week drunks who destroy the place and leave the neighbours pissed off at me.

Over the 52-week year I get as much rental income as a holiday rental with much less hassle and I'm not always trying to find customers. Works for me.

BTW, my house isn't luxury but I have a pool.

I've often wondered about this, the difference between a 'detached house' and a 'villa'. Being British, the difference between a 'villa' and a 'detached house' is that the 'villa' would have a pool, particularly here in Thailand.

There's an ad currently running the the Phuket Gazette advertising a 'villa' for 69k per month. The blurb contains the words 'almost perfect' villa etc and then goes on to list the amenities/furnishings of the property, I'm assuming there being no pool the reason for the words 'almost perfect'. Which although looking very nice from the photo, would be classed as a 'house' here in Thailand, it being a hot tropical country as opposed to a something set in Tuscany, for instance, and doubt it would fetch the asking.

The 'euros' don't say 'villa' or 'house' for that matter, England being the only native English speaking country within the European Union. Perhaps our French/Italian/German/Scandinavian etc posters could enlighten us?

Also, do all these little 'cookie cutter' 'Balinese' style one storey bungalows with a pool littering the sois of Sai Yuan here on Phuket be classed as 'villas'?

Your thoughts please

If you don't believe that the largest western democracy (sic) who launched a massive campaign to persuade millions of people to invade oil producing countries, at least twice, would not resort to outright misinformation on the facts of climate change, you're incredibly naive.

I hear Taksin's name mentioned on every Thai tv broadcast almost daily. And then there he is again in the print media ad infinitum. Just look at how many posts about him there are on an expat forum who have no say whatsoever in whether he returns (he won't be allowed to). He thrives on publicity. That's the oxygen that keeps him going. The very worst thing for him would be for everyone to ignore him.

There are people who feel marginalised by the Democrat party and what people perceive they stand for, the status quo. Do you think Abhisit should adopt a more populist approach to his politics a la Taksin? Giving out 2k every now and then to win this contigent round? As far as I can tell, Abhisit's trying to introduce a more sustainable approach to bettering the lives of the disaffected - better education, clamping down on corruption and I'm seeing at at least a little more 'accountablility'.

Abhisit's hamstrung by his having to cozy up to Newin et al. I also believe that if Taksin were ignored, he'd simply go away ...