too true

Hello fine Thaivisa business folk

I'm wondering about tax claims on mortgage interest. My husband (Thai) and I bought a house last year. Is it possible for me to claim the mortgage interest on my taxes even though the mortgage is in his name? We are legally married. He is informally self-employed and does not file taxes at the moment.

Thanks!

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Thanks, ubonjoe! The fact that they will already have been on a tourist visa for 90 days will not affect them getting the border crossing visa exempt stamp, will it?

Having searched the internet for an answer, I've only ended up more confused than I was to start with.

My parents arrived here with 60 day tourist visas in November. Those visas will expire mid- January and they will extend them for 30 more days at a local immigration office. Problem is, the extension will expire 9 days before their tickets have them homeward bound from Thailand. Can we take them to the Cambodian border, have them walk across and then return to get a stamped entry into Thailand that will cover the remaining time? Or do they need to change the return date of their flight and leave when their extension expires in February?

Can anyone advise?

Thanks and Happy New Year to all!

Thanks for confirming. Easy to see how it would take a while to be found there, also since he wasn't actually on the road.

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Guess not. Maybe it never happened. Hmmmm...

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Did anyone hear about a farang guy having a motorcycle accident and dying by the bridge near the Bella Vista restaurant? My neighbours are all talking about it and rumours are flying. They said that someone carried his body to the police box on the corner, among other things. Would like to put rumours to rest if anyone knows the truth.

Thanks.

TT

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Thanks for the info. In the end he decided to go up through Chachoengsao - left this morning around 6. Spoke to some people at work who have family in the central region and they seemed to think that it would be slow through some parts.

Couldn't fly, though, as he plans to bring back a couple of sacks of new rice, some pumpkin, bamboo, and other various village staples.

Hi all.

Have just done forum searches and Google searches, have called the hotline (no answer), but still just doing a last minute check...

My husband is driving from Rayong to Chiang Mai early Sunday morning. Normally we would take the big turn onto the tollway after the airport and exit at Bang Pa-in, continue on through Ayuthaya and Nakorn Sawan and up through Tak. I know that most of the roads are open, but his concern is getting from Bangkok through Nakorn Sawan. Is that section of highway open? Is is manageable? His grandfather is deathly ill and really needs to get home, so we're looking for a sure way that doesn't involve a whole load of backtracking.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

TT

I just got my 9th extension based on marriage to a Thai man and never once have we been asked to show any proof of income. We've offered it a couple of times with our pile of documents, but the immigration officers always pull it out of the pile and give it back to us without even looking at it.

*140, dial out, then follow the instructions

I don't know how my reply ended up as part of mkawish's post... that's what I get for trying to multitask!

This was actually my post:

I've heard this about money as well. Both my kids were born C-section. First one emergency and 5 weeks early - doctor would not accept a money gift afterwards, though he eventually agreed on a bottle of whisky. Second was after a very long a difficult labour that just wouldn't progress - different doctor, but she also would not accept money from us. We gave her flowers and a basket thingy full of treats from Rimping or somewhere like that. My husband was the one trying to give them something but they just wouldn't take.

Do Thai/Thai couples normally pay that much to a doctor?

I'm not a supporter of the c-section as the only option route many thai docs try to force but I do beleive in a mothers choice & in this instance it may be a viable option for you. You want to stay in Thailand, control the cost, not have any nasty suprises during labour & you have a family history of complicated vaginal births.

Obviously, things can always go out of control even when doing your best to keep control of them, nothing much you can do about that & something you will just deal with if it happens but you can try to minimise the risk of complications etc so a c-section may be a solution to all issues.

If you decide to go the C route, try to negotiate the personal service fee to be paid to the ob-gyn which should normally be around 8,000 THB for a Thai mom to be.

And he/she desires cash right after the end of the procedure.

I told the ob that it was kind of unprofessional to demand such huge sum.

she smiled and struck her tongue out at me.

I've heard this about money as well. Both my kids were born C-section. First one emergency and 5 weeks early - doctor would not accept a money gift afterwards, though he eventually agreed on a bottle of whisky. Second was after a very long a difficult labour that just wouldn't progress - different doctor, but she also would not accept money from us. We gave her flowers and a basket thingy full of treats from Rimping or somewhere like that. My husband was the one trying to give them something but they just wouldn't take.

Do Thai/Thai couples normally pay that much to a doctor?

Do you have health insurance through your job? And if so, what type/ Thai social security, private insurance or what? This is very pertinent re the possible expenses related to complications should they arise.

Another important issue: do you speak Thai? Because if not, being in a government hospital for the birth might be difficult for you...especially as they won't let your husband into the delivery room. Even in private hospital, the nurses will speak very little English, but depending on where you go they may speak some, the doctor will spend more time with you as well and can pre-arrange to have your husband along so language issues would be much less.

Even if you speak Thai pretty well, under the stress of labor you may do better in your native tongue

See this thread, which includes some specific doctor recommendatuons in CM http://www.thaivisa...._1#entry2811551 (note that I most definitely do not encourage the idea of a home birth -- especially in Thailand -- but while that is the thread title it also includes useful info on hospital deliveries and docs supportive of a mother's choice in delivery method)

I'd also suggest you PM this TV member: thailanddoula

She is an Austrlian doula (lay birthing assistant/coach) living in Chiang mai, knows a lot about maternity services there.

Thanks,

I have BUPA but doesn't cover a lot. Just stay in hospital for surgery etc. Ver basic, so my guess is not great for pregnancy. I don't speak any Thai. My husband is brilliant at English so this is our way of communicating.

I am so unsure what to do, as need him to interpret for me. Our hospital is the Rajavej hospital and the doctor has been great with me. Up until last Thursday we were def going to UK to have the baby. Money is a major factor in our thought process.

Thanks everyone for help me with your advice.

Rajavej Hospital, Chiang Mai, isn't it? Had both my kids at hospitals in Chiang Mai. Hubby was allowed in for both births. Have some VERY interesting pictures from the first! Understand your hesitation over having a baby here but to put things in perspective, it's giving birth, not rocket science. If you are actually in Chiang Mai, you might consider checking out the private clinic at Suandok hospital. Have heard some very good things from other farang female friends who've given birth there.

If you're not in Chiang Mai and it's a coincidence in hospital names, the actual experience of giving birth here is totally fine at most private hospitals. If you're nervous about it and are likely to panic or sweat the small stuff, you might be better off at home.

good luck

tt

I travelled to Canada over the summer with my kids. I had a letter from my husband saying he knew we were there, blah blah blah. didn't bother to get it notarised. But he put his ID number and passport number and all that on it.

I was asked for it when we reached immigration in Canada. I showed it to him, just in a little notebook I had with me. The immigration guy looked skeptical at first but we had a chat about why their father wasn't travelling with us and he talked to the boys and then he let us continue on our merry way.

Also, 7 years ago I travelled with my son from NZ to Canada and we just about weren't even let out of NZ for not having that letter.

Probably worth it to have that letter notarized.

Cheers,

tt

Check if you have a Samsung service centre in your area.

They will be your best bet for a repair.

Thanks, Astral.

Guess that'd be the easiest way. I was just thinking that sometimes the big companies will tell you it can't be fixed and you have to buy a new product - that happened with a mobile phone a few years ago and then my neighbour asked if she could have the broken phone that was supposedly unfixable. Two days later she was using the phone. So I'm always a little skeptical when they say it's truly broken.

Cheers,

tt

I'm gutted!

An unfortunate log tripping camping accident resulted in my Samsung ST550 camera hitting the ground (in its case) and now the touchscreen is all cracked! The camera still takes pictures (can see them when I put the memory card into the computer, but I can't see what I'm taking when I'm taking them - it's really just point and shoot and hope for the best.

Anyone know if the screen is replaceable? And where I can either take the camera to have the work done or order the part?

Ever grateful,

tt

At Kad Boon Yu, the 'reggae' area at the corner of Ratwithee and Ratchapakinai Roads.

Is that a female mouse?

LMAO!!! Not often I read TV and laugh out loud. Good one

Does Payoon mini stock sour cream? And Nana sauces?

no. nor do they stock cheese, other than plastic square cheese. they're good in a pinch for basics, but not even close to being on the same level as kitch.

Many speak well of Dr.Panya and he is indeed an exellent surgeon.

So Scott, do you have any solution for knee cartilage replacement in Bumrungrad?

For younger persons, total kneereplacement is not an option.

There are many therapies such as growing stemcells, inject hyaluronic acid etc.

What kind of treatment is available at Bumrungrad?

Thanks in advance, any help would be very much appreciated.

Take care

Comehome

Interesting question. I smashed my kneecap into a whole bunch of little pieces when I was a teenager (20 years ago) and was assured that eventually I'd need a knee replacement, but would have to wait until I was much older. Since then, have had 8 or 9 operations on my knee to clean up cartilage and am now feeling it grind again whenever I flex my leg at the knee more than about 60 degrees. Am curious to know what can be done and what the cost is...

I have the 3 litre Vigo Prerunner model. cnx-bkk uses 2000 bahts worth of fuel. so i guess its roughly 3baht per kilometre. I do step on it though and I reckon it would do it on 1500baht if i cruised at a lower speed say 120km/h or something like that. I reckon 800-900kms isnt unachieveable if you keep it steady.

just did rayong-cnx in the same truck. 1700 baht (or thereabouts), but we never drove faster than 120km/h.

Well, just got back from the village last night, after spending 10 days there.

Every year there's a new complaint. This year my skin was too dark and my shoulders too big (have spent the past few months swimming every day - trying lose weight to avoid being called fat in the village).

Asked my husband how I should answer their fat comments. His response was that I should say that my husband takes very good care of me. That seemed to work and they would just laugh and hug me. But there's one girl I've never got on well with - she's the sister of a very good friend of mine. When I walked into her house she said "oh, are you pregnant again?" really bitchy-like. I pretended to be surprised and said "oh, pii, I didn't recognize you with your short hair. I thought you were your mom! No, I'm not pregnant. I'm just happier than I was last time." The men sitting around the table started chuckling. I gave her a sweet smile and walked in the door. She came about 5 minutes after and offered me some coconut juice. Touche.

Thai people don't seem to have the filters that we develop or are taught when we're 4 or 5 years old. Sometimes younger girls make mean-spirited comments, particularly if you're taking some of their spotlight away. But I've found in general that Thai people comment on our bodies the same way they comment on hair colour or height. They weigh themselves anytime they see a scale, you can't even get medicine from a doctor without being weighed.

They're not likely to change, so you have to put up with it or get your rubber skin out and let everything bounce off.

Some people I work with take their toddlers to a baby play group. It's at St. Andrews. I think it's on Wednesday afternoons, but not entirely sure.

You could try giving the school a call, or if you like I can ask at work on Monday and PM you...

Cheers,

tt

I thought the tax deduction for children was only good for school age children. I don't think I was able to claim either of my kids until they were 3.

forget it.... they just came back

got up at 5.45am and turned on the news. nothing! the screen is just black. checked my inbox on the menu and there are no messages saying i didn't pay or that they're cancelling the service. no channels at all on my tv.