davevi

Um, did anybody read the section on DEATH PENALTY for selling or distributing?  The dark web is not your friend and neither are these hallucinogens and psychedelics.  Why do so many westerners come here thinking it's easy and has no down side?  Have you met anyone that's been into the court system over drugs?  Do you think you're exempt because you are special, or magical or clever not to get caught?  You will eventually get caught up in this and let me tell you that the other side of this, the court and legal side, is a very very serious place that you never, never want to be.  To all of those formulating their blithe response as you read this -- check yourself -- why do you need drugs in the first place?  Why do you think this country is the place to do it?  These are rhetorical questions.  Check yourself.  And if everyone you're hanging out with does them then ask yourself are these really friends or people who make me feel normal about f*ing with my brain and life.  Responses to this message will not be read.  

Dr. Apichard Sukonthasarn

Anyone with knowledge of this Dr?

I heard there was a small shop in the Niman area that sold a high end tequila called Tres Ochos ("3 888").

I found this tequila at Rimping at Nim Plaza, but I was told that this Niman shop, whatever it's name, sells it much cheaper.

Does anyone know the small shop that sells this high-end tequila? I heard it was on one of the side roads, and I confirmed this part by checking all the small shops on the main road. They do not carry it.

Thanks!

Wow, I never thought anyone could surpass the complete ineptitude of 3BB's fibre installation debacle at my location, but AIS has surpassed them by miles.

It all started a 1 1/2 months ago when I saw the ad for AIS Fibre. I checked the website. All looked good. I called to confirm they had service to my house. They did. Checked their website for the same information. Check, service to my door. I then filled out the online application and was given an installation date two days later on Monday. Well, Monday came and went and no one called or showed up. I began to call the AIS Fibre help line and spent nearly three hours over the next week trying to find out when the installation would happen. No one could answer the question -- it was always the same -- I'll send an email to the installation team and they'll call you back within 1 hour, or 3 hours. 30% of the time the AIS installation and customer reps were surly, right on the edge of sarcastic, as I tried to find out if they could do the installation and when. I was even blamed for the problem since I didn't correct the service rep when he asked for my passport number to look up my account. Later he said it was my fault for the delay because I should have ignored his question and given him my installation number, or some odd BS. After almost two weeks of calls and near-genuine sounding apologies, I gave up. I moved on.

Almost a month later the AIS team started calling my phone multiple times a day. I called to ask them to stop, to cancel the installation officially since they never came out. I was told "I can't do that, you have to talk to the installation team first". So I said fine, have them call me. The next day I got a call and told them to cancel, she said "why we can come out tomorrow" I asked why the delay and she said "we had no cable in that area, but no worry it is there now". Oh, they were never telling the truth the whole time. Is AIS owned by 3BB? Since she said she could come out the next day I say, if you're sure, yes come out tomorrow. Well, you can see where this is going. No show. No installation. Called the support line to cancel again. Same story. Then a lady called me from the installation team who said she needed me to email some paperwork to her (passport and such) and the installation would happen the next day. Phone call the next day. Delayed one day. Triple checked the new install date and time with two people at AIS. New install day and time came and went. Called the support number to find out what happened. They cannot tell me and she says the installation team will call me in one hour. Two hours later the same lady who asked for the docs called and said "oh, no installation, you never send documents to me, maybe you send again and I will work on them later". A lie. The email she gave me was copy and pasted directly from her SMS to me asking for the docs. The email never bounced back to me either. I had enough. Said a few choice words that I do not regret about their company and her work, and said never call me again. I then blocked all their phone numbers since they don't seem to follow any request.

So, now it's likely back to trying SiNet. I see one of their boxes 100 yards from my house, but one year ago I had a bad experience with one of their managers and gave up on them.

So, that's my AIS Fibre story.

I will say that of all the companies I've dealt with AIS has trained their customer service reps to sound the most "honest" when apologizing, but then it never amounts to anything and nothing is ever fixed or corrected.

Please no negative comments towards me please. I'm sharing this story so that others can be aware of what - might - happen if they try to use AIS Fibre. Your mileage may vary.

Can anyone recommend a place in CM that buys jewelry for cash?

I want to sell a gold ring with diamonds that I do not want.

I want a fair price and I have no idea where I can go to sell it.

I see gold shops many places in the city but 1) I am not sure if they offer a service where they would buy a ring from an individual for cash, 2) which shop is recommended.

Thank you everyone for your help.

A word of warning about Sinet. Check the details of your agreement and full cost of installation (if any) carefully and be sure you are getting factual answers.

The office at Maya failed to tell us what Central Festival's Sinet kiosk would, that westerners are required to pay 100% of the fees up front for a one year period prior to any installation commencing.

We were ready to sign the agreement but that day the manager at Maya was out, and later that day we inquired about our installation at Central Festival and were told it was being held until we paid all the fees up front. The manager held this information from us and from my Thai assistant who was coordinating the installation. No excuses here for miscommunication or language.

I had high hopes for Sinet, but it was never to be.

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Of all the dogs already in Thailand why on Earth bring more ? Plus very traumatic for the animals.

There are many assumptions in your judgement "circusman" -- all incorrect or unfounded. But this a free forum, and like all of us you can join the thread and comment at will.

I want to thank everyone for their positive comments, feedback and factual assistance with my post. This is an awesome place to turn for information and help and I am thankful that Thai Visa has such a forum. My dog will arrive just fine and with the information I learned from all of you she will have the best possible, least stressed entry into Thailand that I can plan.

There is a difference in import duties when the dog comes as cargo or as accompanied luggage. For cargo the fee is 40% of the airfare+value of the dog.

If accompanied luggage, the fee for a mix should be between 100 and 300 baht per dog. It's a bit hard to tell, as this fee so often differs. For a full-bred dog it's more, but I forgot how that calculation goes.

For clearing a pet in Chiang Mai you can get the import permit at the Animal Quarantine Station on the Huay Keaw Road, next to the police station. They are friendly, helpful and do speak English there.

Tel: 053 - 892 453

It's the whitish building right next to the police station on the left, see red arrow:

Animal Quarantine Station.jpg

If the dog comes as accompanied luggage it should be okay to clear the dog/pet after working hours. But in case the dog/pet comes in as cargo, the animal has to be cleared at the cargo terminal during working hours only.

At the cargo terminal they will leave the animal in the travel crate until the animal is cleared. There is no special area for the animals.

Thank you. The last part about the dog coming in after hours, as accompanied luggage, and requiring no special staffing... Is this confirmed by your own experience in Chiang Mai or was the story related to you? Sorry to sound like I am splitting hairs, but I need to be sure and I don't have an official Chiang Mai government source to confirm this. The dog will arrive as checked/accompanied luggage and not as cargo and the difference in fees is substantial as well as if the dog will stay overnight or be released.

Thank you.

I brought my dog from the usa , first you must have a usda certificate from the vet stating the dog has had rabies and distempeper vacination no soomer than 21 days before departure . This needs to be filled out and sent to the usda office in your state within ten days of departure and returned to you . That was $35.00 I sent it ups overnight and included and pre paid overnight envelope to return to me. Usda ia aware that it must get back to you in that time and will process ot fast . Most vets in the us know and have the forms . We send an email to aggriculture in bangkok with our flight details and a picture of the dog. All the airline required was the usda form and we paid to have the dog ride in an approved case in the cabin. When we got to bangkok we checked in at aggrriculture paid 250 baht they check the documents and from there we stopped at customs and paid another 1000 baht . Thats all there was to it . When we booked oir tickets we informed them we were bringing a dog , we used Delta diring lay overs there were no issues . If you have any other questions in box me and I ll try to answer them ....

Thank you for the response. What was the 1000 baht fee assessed for? You say it was at customs, but what was the calculation that got to 1000 baht?

We imported our dog from the UK a bit of bum information is on the dept of livestock control website,You must get an import certificate from Chiang Mai live stock control NOT THE BANGKOK OFFICE as the port of entry is Chiang Mai. Depending on the value of the dog be prepared to pay duty etc .

Thank you sappersrest. How did they assess the value of your dog? My dog is a mixed-breed mutt from the animal shelter with no "value" in her breed or pedigree. May I also ask about the process of obtaining the live stock control certificate in Chiang Mai? Should I bring a translator or are they prepared for westerners in their office?

My friend is coming on holiday to Chiang Mai next month and will be bringing my dog via a flight on Korean Air with the route of: Atlanta, Icheon South Korea, Chiang Mai.

What is the latest information/facts on what I need to do in the US and here in Chiang Mai before and after the dog arrives?

My sole experience was a chance meeting with a lady in Bangkok a while back who told me that she imported her dog from New York to Bangkok and that it was a matter of getting her dog certified for export by a vet in New York, and when the dog arrived by air a representative at the airport checked the vet certification documents, and the dog, and released her pet to her with no quarantine.

I've looked at older posts on Thai Visa, and at various websites that talk about bringing a dog in from the US to Thailand, but there doesn't seem to be any posts from someone who has done this recently, or done this directly into Chiang Mai.

If you, or someone you know first-hand, have imported a dog from the US recently into Chiang Mai can you help me by sharing your/their experience.

Thank you everyone for your help.

I would like to ask the TV forum members for a recommendation for an accounting company.

My company is small, and I need an accountant that is reliable and speaks some English.

I've had two accounting companies. Both lasted one month. The first increased her prices by 500% even though we had a written pricing agreement. I guess after she saw my office the prices went way up. The second was rude, acted quite entitled, and was incompetent -- but presented a good case at their initial meeting.

It has been a very frustrating experience trying to locate someone to do our accounting work. The few I spoke with, but didn't engage, were either zeros or they played games right from the first meeting.

I have an accounting firm I can use in Bangkok, but they want Bangkok prices which are about 400% more than the prices other people are quoting in Chiang Mai. My backup plan is to use the Bangkok company, but I would rather be able to sit down with someone local and also keep my business local to Chiang Mai.

Any suggestions for accounting companies?

A follow up of findings to my post asking for a source to purchase the Galaxy S 8.4 below the ever-present posted price of 16,900 baht.

Several posts recommended a shop in Bangkok in MBK. I checked the shop out, and several nearby shops. After asking for pricing from the recommended shop via their Line account all seemed good, including a statement that I could get warranty service at any Samsung repair shop.

However, when I arrived at the shop the games began. The prices for the exact same tablet ranged from 11,700 to 13,500 with the price difference correlated to "how long warranty remained" on the product. This made no sense. The cheapest tablet had five month of warranty, while the 13,500 baht tablet had fifteen months warranty. Samsung does not offer a fifteen month warranty on this device. It all seemed odd. Also, none of the boxes included warranty cards - but I was told in Thai that "no one at this place (MBK) sell tablet with warranty card". Two of the shops selling this tablet explained that the reason the warranty length varied is that "Thailand warranty starts from import date, not purchase date". I could find nothing to confirm this online with Samsung or any Samsung reseller.

I walked away from MBK, frustrated and reminded that often times dealing with discounted vendors in Thailand requires full-guard, wide-open eyes, and suspicion of every part of a transaction. And when in doubt, walk away.

In the end I'll likely pay a bit more to get one from a Samsung shop. I discovered just this week that if you ask the right way Samsung will discount the product in the Samsung shop, very quietly (by typing the discount into the phone's display -- it's never said out loud). This discount might be enough to make the comfort of having a real product with a real warranty.

I hope this information helps others on the hunt for similar products.

A follow up of findings to my post asking for a source to purchase the Galaxy S 8.4 below the ever-present posted price of 16,900 baht.

Several posts recommended a shop in Bangkok in MBK. I checked the shop out, and several nearby shops. After asking for pricing from the recommended shop via their Line account all seemed good, including a statement that I could get warranty service at any Samsung repair shop.

However, when I arrived at the shop the games began. The prices for the exact same tablet ranged from 11,700 to 13,500 with the price difference correlated to "how long warranty remained" on the product. This made no sense. The cheapest tablet had five month of warranty, while the 13,500 baht tablet had fifteen months warranty -- and Samsung does not offer a fifteen month warranty on this device. It all seemed odd. Also, none of the boxes included warranty cards - but I was told in Thai that "no one at this place (MBK) sell tablet with warranty card". Two of the shops selling this tablet explained that the reason the warranty length varied is that "Thailand warranty starts from import date, not purchase date". I could find nothing to confirm this online with Samsung or any Samsung reseller.

I walked away from MBK, frustrated and reminded that often times dealing with discounted vendors in Thailand requires full-guard, wide-open eyes, and suspicion of every part of a transaction. And when in doubt, walk away.

In the end I'll likely pay a bit more to get one from a Samsung shop. I discovered just this week that if you ask the right way Samsung will discount the product in the Samsung shop, very quietly (by typing the discount into the phone's display -- it's never said out loud). This discount might be enough to make the comfort of having a real product with a real warranty.

I hope this information helps others on the hunt for similar products.

You probably know this but the cost of quinoa has skyrocketed in the past few years. Just a matter of supply and demand.

Here are GPS coordinates of Bakersmart: 18.755456, 99.008202

Excellent. Thank you. I remember now that I've passed this shop and it looks fully stocked and a great place for what I need.

Thank you to everyone who helped me out on this.

+1

had for sale at Bakers Mart today

Thank you.

I found references to Bakers Mart on the internet, and a website, but the website is dead and the last entry on their twitter page is from 2009.

Can you tell me where they are located, or a nearby searchable landmark or place -- and then I can narrow it down from there?

Thanks!

I am looking for a source where I can purchase the grain quinoa.

I found small and expensive packages of quinoa at Tops, but I am hoping there are other sources where I can buy larger amounts for lesser cost.

Any suggestions?

Thank you everyone.

I want to change accountants for my company located in Chiang Mai.

I would like recommendations from those forum readers of Thai Visa who own businesses and want to recommend the accounting company they currently use.

My company is not large. My needs are simple (VAT filings, social fund payments, end of year reports).

I need an accountant who can communicate with me in English, though Thai staff could handle complex communication interactions as necessary.

I am looking for an accounting company, preferably more than a one-person shop, and this accounting company must be able to register themselves with the government as my official accounting representative.

Thanks everyone and happy new year!

THE RESULTS

Here are the results from my trip to the DMV this morning.

My motorbike and car driving licenses expire tomorrow 16DEC14.

Medical Certificate

I stopped at the small clinic about 1 kilometer before the DMV on the same side of the street. Go directly to the Medical Certificate desk at the back (usually staffed by two nurses). Some questions about your address, take your blood pressure, ask you if you have any chronic illnesses, and then you're finished. 150 baht fee per certificate. Note: You will need one original certificate PER license - so if you have motorbike and car you need two originals. Total fee 300 baht.

At The DMV

At the DMV I go the second floor, see the always helpful lady that works at that desk. She gives me two renewal forms to complete and asks me to get two copies of my Work Permit photo page, two of my Work Permit address of employment page, two of the photo page of my passport, and two of the visa and entry stamp page. I get this copied at the nearby shop (total price 10 baht), present these documents to her with the completed forms, and am given a queue number.

There is no test or video required to renew a 1-year driving license to a 5-year driving license. Just forms and queue time.

I wait in the queue to pay, then a brief queue for photos, and my license is ready.

The lady at the photo desk cautions me that my new licenses are valid only starting the day after my current licenses expire.

Total time about two hours start to finish.

Total fee for two license renewals, and two address changes, is 1,060 baht.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my request for information on how to get this done.

I'm in the market to purchase a new Samsung Galaxy S 8.4 tablet.

No matter where I look, online vendor or physical store, Samsung branded shop or just a generic electronics shop, this tablet is always exactly the same price 16,900 baht.

There has to be a place to buy this tablet below this suggested retail price of 16,900. I am not open to importing the tablet and opening myself to potential customs duty.

Can anyone suggest a Chiang Mai or Bangkok source that will sell a Galaxy S 8.4 below the MSRP?

I'm in the market to purchase a Samsung Galaxy S 8.4 tablet.

No matter where I look, online vendor or physical store, Samsung branded shop or just a generic electronics shop, this tablet is always exactly the same price 16,900 baht.

There has to be a place to buy this tablet below this suggested retail price of 16,900. I am not open to importing the tablet and opening myself to potential customs duty.

Can anyone suggest a Chiang Mai source that will sell a Galaxy S 8.4 below the MSRP?

I forgot to ask the price. What is the price to renew a 1 year license and move to 5 years? I have a motorbike and a car driving license.

Also, do I need to redo the pictures or will they take them from the existing license?

Thanks everyone.