in2fridge

Got a phone call Monday from the "boss lady"( Mrs ?) Yoseph to say my marriage visa papers were back..

..We called in thursday and were dealt with very pleasantly and efficiently by her,all sorted for next 12 months !

Compared to the "horrors" of the first visit,very relaxed atmosphere,even Miss Bangkok was smiling.

Looks like the boss lady has got things sorted !!

Would anyone out there like my old copies of : -

Motor Sport (prestige UK monthly covering classic & current Motor Sport).

November 2007 - November 2009

ALSO

SFX magazine (all things SF & Fantasy - no! not the naughty sort!)

Most of 2008 / Jan 2009 - February 2010

I am in Phu Wiang but would be happy to meet up in KK.

Interested ? please send me message

[) .....sushi restaraunt - the one where things wizz around on a conveyor belt,mind you a bit cilly !

.....Err,make that "a bit chilly" .. in fact bring something warm !!

Further to my post, elsewhere, about my "tribulations" at this office,all the bad attitude came from the "Bangkok" officer....just before Xmas my wife got a phone call from the "boss" lady to ask how we were treated on our second visit,so obviously has concerns about "Ms Bangkok" .. she also said she would let us know when our marriage visa arrives..

All in all I think she is fair but strict.

On a slighty different tack,I am astonished at how disrespectfully many people dress when going there,some look like they have come straight from the beach (which is a long way from KK !) ..If YOU do not show respect why should you get it ?

Thought for today .. Does Thai Immigration read this ? ..

Had a good visit,lots of (ok expensive) farang stuff in the Tops s'market,cheese counter,apple pie marmite,proper cheese bicuits,housmous dip,cumberland sausages etc,etc they sell waitrose branded goods tho' jelly babie seemed an odd selection.Better than Carrefour in Udon in my humble opinion.

There are alot of different restaraunts on(I think) the 3rd floor including a v tasty (of 2) sushi restaraunt - the one where things wizz around on a conveyor belt,mind you a bit cilly !

An Asia Books shop = english books & magazines.

They show english language films at the cinema (obviously!),took my wife along to see Avatar -lucky girl - tho' in 2D .. they had all the 3D signage up including a "collect your 3D glasses " desk ,on enguiry I was told they "might" be getting a projector! .. still v much enjoyed the movie and ,to my surprise,so did my wife.....

Recomend a visit !!!

I would give anything coming from DHL a miss unless in Bangkok..They have no distribution network and every item magically attracts customs charges and add on fees.from bitter experience you get a phone call " your package has arrived and the customs duty is "ABOUT" 2,000 Bhart (whatever) please send us the money" this will bear no relationship to the actual duty and they will not provide a customs reciept - surprise.....back to the books ,unless you want well thumbed pot boilers I would suggest a troll thru ebay UK and Oz,I buy a fair bit of nearly new paperbacks for circa 600 bhart inc'l airmail.

As said you can only "go with the flow" or more of a trickle in this case..

Suggest anyone planning anything other than a 90 dayer @ KK should take along a packed lunch and a good book .

Incidently my first Thai immigration "initiation" was in Bangkok when I had the misfortune of meeting a dynamic duo of the rudest women I have ever met (ever) followed by the most unhelpful one..after that everything is UP ! ...

Went last Tuesday to the KK office, with my wife,to apply (1st time) for a marriage visa instead of my usual "retired" one.

The place was in chaos,lots of peole trying to get visa extententions and only one officer to process them,she nit picked over every one,average time per application 40 mins +many being sent away.All other staff sat around chatting and doing 90 dayer's.Nobody offered any help to their colleague in fact there was an atmosphere as thick as (clear!) soup hanging about the place..She told alot of irate Thai's she had been sent ftom Bangkok and she was the only one who knew how to do it properly !!

We were second last,sat around whilst she painstakingly checked every thing, only at the end to be presented with a declaration form (which I have never seen before) to sign stating I would comply to all (unspecified) conditions laid on me or I would be told to leave at any time.Also all the forms/photo's etc had to be in duplicate and to come back tomorrow - she was sitting next to a photo copier - My wife knows,slightly, the KK boss lady and although she had to leave early that day told my wife to ring her if any problems,so my wife did and was asked to take the forms back into the office for copying,which my wife did only to be told by the "expert" that she would not copy them because "she was too tired"..!

Back the next day early'ish morning..much better atmosphere..the same (and only) expert but now clearly being observed by a senior officer..again sat around whilst everything checked..all ok..THEN we were presented 2 forms ( 1 each) in Thai only to go away and complete and return again..The forms concerned relationship /personal details which I can understand the need for BUT why wait until everything was checked before handing out ?

Eventualy everything done/ok..I was told by immigration officials at Nong Khai that it takes approx 3 weeks to process the application,my visa expires Jan 8, my passport has been stamped " under consideration" until Feb 8th when I have to return for my new visa - or indeed know if it has been granted.......

.....What a Palaver..!!!!!!!.....Now very much wish I had stuck with the "retired...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to the Khon Kaen office @ approx 80 days and was told (very politely) to return between 30 to 20 days............

(...)

There is a eBay shop "stickybooks" that only sells in Thailand...

Can you provide a way to see their stuff on ebay? I just tried and it gets 0 results when I search, even for seller's name.

To find any shop go to advanced search.

I have bought some new books from Waterstones (.com) in the UK...

....Also used from eBay,have to be watch postage charges some are reasonable - some are not.

There is a eBay shop "stickybooks" that only sells in Thailand...

A great deal of questions here are asking where to find supplies for your pool. Post your sources for supplies, equipment, and services here and I will re-organize them into a little directory that can be pinned.

TRS POOL SALT

Khon Kaen Area

1 X 25kg

170 Bhat Delivered

150 Bhat Collect fom Phu Wiang.

PWP

083-329-4811 (English)

085-754-4343 (Thai)

Popped round last week,all fully functional..

It's not very welcoming with most "business" conducted via outside facing closed windows with openings - bit like buying a railway ticket !!

It's TRS branded Pool Salt.

25 Kgs bags

Collect 150 Bhat

Deliver 170 Bhat (Minimum order depeding on location)

Having given up trying to buy reasonably priced swimming pool salt locally I have "dipped in" and bought wholesale ......

SO ! Anyone interested in buying some at a fair price please contact me....

.I am out at Phu Wiang but can deliver,or pop over and have a beer ...

Err no ... the marriage idea was/is mine !

What happened is due to the KK office sort of working 20% ( 90 Day reporting ),we rang the "boss lady" @ KK to find out when they would be fully operational or wether she would advise going back to Nong Khai .. It was her suggestion that we " come on down" and she would check/advise us on the nessacary paperwork.. all n' all very helpful attitude !!

When she said it was a GOOD IDEA to come 3 weeks early - I take it to be A VERY GOOD IDEA !!..

I visited the KK office 7th October to meet the boss lady and have her check my paperwork for upcoming change from retirement to marriage designation (her suggestion).

In our conversation she strongly recomended that all paperwork for the switch + 1 year extension be submitted 3 weeks before the new visa is due as the marriage paperwork has to be sent to their head office in Korat for verification..

..Also that the the application visit must be made by myself & my wife ( logical I know but I bet someone out there will "try & go it alone ! ).

Lastly the office is still NOT ready,when there the offices were empty to allow decorating / air con installation ,they are also very short of furniture.The estimate for full completion was 2 weeks.

Message endeth .

PS anyone wants to know how my paperwork was made up let just contact me.

23rd September .. Did my 90 day reporting there no problems .. I printed out an old NK (blanking out the NK "written at" stamp top r/hand corner) TM 47 .. filled it out before going there .. job done !

The policeman on the gate knew where the office was .. thru the gate 50m to car park on the left/building on the right .. It looks closed but there is a "reception" office on the ground floor directly under the large concrete staircase .. it was staffed by one out of uniform/very pleasant lady officer,she "clocked" me in,it took a maximum of 5mins.

She was very uncertain about when they would be fully open "hoping for October" , her boss,who was the ground floor office manager in NK - a slim stern looking lady, was away at a meeting in to discuss progress.

There was no sign of any work/decorating going on.?!

Have had a look around .. Makro look a good bet with 5kg bags that multiply up to 350 bhart for 50 kgs .. However have researched buying direct ( you said be creative ) and maybe selling on what I don't need = 280 bhart per 50 kgs .. any takers ?

iWater should be able to supply it for you. They are a pump, filter and pool supplier.

iWater is located on the left side of the super highway heading towards KK when coming from north driving south about 1 km after the KK by-pass intersection just befor SR furniture.

The owner's name is Chalermchai Vongnarkpetch and their telephone number is 043-394 252.

thanks .. but .. they charged me 570 bhart per 50kg bag !! .. I notice in Hua Hin the GDL poolshop charges 260 bhart for 50kg .. bit far for me though !

Hi ,

Can anyone out there recomend a good supplier of Pool salt in the KK area ?

I am near Khon Kaen and the large pool company here was charging 560bhart for 50Kg class 1 TRS Salt !!

OK class 2 is all that's required for pool salt ,on a google round found Poolrite/GDL shop in Hua Hin selling TRS class 2 25kg bags for 130bhart , now they have a branch in Phuket so maybe the same there ?

Makro prices in Khon Kaen check out - can't think why I didn't try there before ! Any one in Khon Kaen know of a better deal ?