khunano

Same with cars. The prices are really high. I do know that Thailand charges high import duties but the only other country I have information about is the US which doesn't charge any. You can automatically subtract that duty from the price at the store. Thailand also has another big tax on cars which at least the US doesn't have. I was helping a young relative look at a brand new 2016 Ford Focus hatchback the other day and the price was $16,000 - 578K baht. That's all in - out the door with license and title. This is not as small as many cars sold in Thailand although it is a small car.

Then there's volume buying by big retailers and competition for customers. In Thailand it seems more like prices are fixed than competition driven, although I don't know that's true.

We have another well known member here who is American. He travels to America every year. One thing he is sure to do is to buy a new laptop which he may get past customs as simply his laptop. I dunno. He says the savings is large.

Cheers.

Maybe the US should also charge some import or other taxes on cars so they would be able to properly maintain their road network...

So what happens then if I have say 1million B in account. Can I still make withdrawals as long as the balance doesn't go below 800k for the 3 months?

yes, that's correct.

Does my stay in a short-time hotel even it is only for an hour or two get/have to be reported as well? Just asking...

An hour or two for a meeting......No.

If you stay overnight and they need your passport details.........then, Yes.

But it's not your worry or concern if they do or they don't.

So naive, LOL i dont think you got the humour in what he was asking Paz

was just about to ask Paz what about if I fall asleep with exhaustion having "worked" so hard, will somebody knock on the door and ask for my passport details...

Does my stay in a short-time hotel even it is only for an hour or two get/have to be reported as well? Just asking...

First of all, thank you Rexpotter for raising this topic, it has indeed been very revealing to read all the many responses. After almost a quarter century in Asia (mostly in Thailand) and having spent close to half of my life abroad I probably belong here though I love to go back certainly to visit my parents and a few good friends back from my school days. I never burnt the bridges and whenever I go back it feels as if I have not been away for that long. Having a bit more spare time on my hands now, I am about to spend almost three months back in my native country and I very much look forward to the trip. Although I probably feel more at home in Thailand, I cherish the time spent in my native culture and could meanwhile even think about trying to live somewhere else on this globe.

Frankly, 74K baht/month seems about right to me for a single guy. A little while ago Hubby and I were approached by a writer from International Living magazine to disclose our retirement living budget for our "carefree life" in Chiang Mai. Now realize were deeply involved in the community, he's the president of a Rotary club and I'm the president of the CM Expats Club, but we rent a fairly modest condo and don't travel much. We do eat out frequently and like our wine (hey, who doesn't?) I also record every baht we spend and donate on Quicken and shared it with the writer from International Living magazine.

Needless to say, his editor didn't like the results. She said it just can't be possible. She thought everyone who retired in Chiang Mai was living on less than $1000 per month. Frankly, I think we put the writer between the rock and a hard place because he had a great "get" in having us disclose our budget but the results weren't what the editor was expecting.

She wrote some weasel words about how if you stripped out our charitable contributions and "over insurance" then our budget wouldn't be so high and finally published the article.

I had subscribed to the newsletter of international Living magazine for a while until I became suspicious of the numbers of places (mostly in Southern America) there were where one could live very comfortably on less or just a bit more than a US$ 1000 per month. I just didn't believe it and your experience with them shows how they compile those figures. Thanks for sharing, Nancy.

Frankly, 74K baht/month seems about right to me for a single guy. A little while ago Hubby and I were approached by a writer from International Living magazine to disclose our retirement living budget for our "carefree life" in Chiang Mai. Now realize were deeply involved in the community, he's the president of a Rotary club and I'm the president of the CM Expats Club, but we rent a fairly modest condo and don't travel much. We do eat out frequently and like our wine (hey, who doesn't?) I also record every baht we spend and donate on Quicken and shared it with the writer from International Living magazine.

Needless to say, his editor didn't like the results. She said it just can't be possible. She thought everyone who retired in Chiang Mai was living on less than $1000 per month. Frankly, I think we put the writer between the rock and a hard place because he had a great "get" in having us disclose our budget but the results weren't what the editor was expecting.

She wrote some weasel words about how if you stripped out our charitable contributions and "over insurance" then our budget wouldn't be so high and finally published the article.

I had subscribed to the newsletter of international Living magazine for a while until I became suspicious of the numbers of places (mostly in Southern America) there were where one could live very comfortably on less or just a bit more than a US$ 1000 per month. I just didn't believe it and your experience with them shows how they compile those figures. Thanks for sharing, Nancy.

I guess the big question is, does it actually work?

Its impossible to find any Thai website that perfect, but it's only actually useful if you can actually do the 90 day report online.

Yes it does work many people have done it successfully. Just look at the last few pages of this pinned topic. Online 90 day reporting available from April 1st

It didn't work for me, tried beginning of June, kept receiving message to contact immigration office. My last entry was October 2014. A friend of mine could submit report but it was never approved. When visiting immigration office to do 90 days report in person, informed officer about this problem and she replied: "online report no work".....

Look at the main topic I posted the link to for more info about the contact your local immigration office message.

Have you by chance gotten a new passport since you last entry? That is another reason for getting the message..

No, no new passport. Could it have anything to do where you reside/which immigration office is in charge? I live in Hua Hin.

I guess the big question is, does it actually work?

Its impossible to find any Thai website that perfect, but it's only actually useful if you can actually do the 90 day report online.

Yes it does work many people have done it successfully. Just look at the last few pages of this pinned topic. Online 90 day reporting available from April 1st

It didn't work for me, tried beginning of June, kept receiving message to contact immigration office. My last entry was October 2014. A friend of mine could submit report but it was never approved. When visiting immigration office to do 90 days report in person, informed officer about this problem and she replied: "online report no work".....

Like most male TV members, my gf is a HiSo Thai lady of Chinese descent, 30 years my junior. She earns all the money and gives me a large monthly allowance. In return, I have sex with her and her sister.

Didn't you forget to add that both your gf and her sister are nymphomaniacs....

Thanks for sharing your fabulous pictures with us, Assurancetourix. Keep up the good work! I myself have fond memories of my first Vietnam trips to the south of this beautiful country in the early Nineties. I have been going back there since then a couple of times both for pleasure and business and look forward to another trip to explore northern Vietnam a bit more hopefully in the not too distant future.

There's no rule that says you have to have great Thai language skills to be Thai. Mine aren't great and I'm Thai; many Thai citizens raised abroad are similarly not so fluent/literate in Thai. Looks and language don't determine citizenship. But we digress....

I agree, however having been raised (and educated) abroad you would most likely not be working as a food vendor on Bangkok's streets but have more lucrative career opportunities...

Why do people assume that a `farang-looking person is not a Thai national? There are many farang-looking Thais who have either taken citizenship or whose parents are caucasian. You do not have to be Asian to be Thai.

I thought the same, however then the guy's Thai language skills would most likely be better....

and I would suggest he implement some sort of environmental plan before the whole place becomes a plastic garbage dump. I live here and am absolutely appalled at what I see across the whole country. Visitors come to see "amazing Thailand" not polluted oceans and waterways fillled piles and piles of plastic and trash. Clean it up while your tourists are still coming and maybe they'll come back again.

and give them their beach chairs back!!

There must be a language problem here. For thirty plus years I have understood "Mu Baan" to be the smallest political division, perhaps analogous to "township" in the U.S., just as "Amphoe" is roughly equivalent to "County". The "phu yai baan" is probably comparable to the mayor or city manager. The fit of the comparison is not very good, because the moo baan is usually much smaller than a township, but I can't think of a better analogy. I've never bought a house in Thailand, but I built a house once and lived in it for a few years. I never heard of any committee having any say in the matter. After I built it the phu yai baan had nothing to do with it -- I had to go to the amphoe to register the house and tell them what address I wanted to use and get a house registration book which everybody had to transfer their registrations to. In Bangkok, for over twenty years, I rented a place in what I would call a "row house," a bunch of shophouses all in a single building next to each other. Is that what you are calling a moo baan? I dunno, I used to think Thais were weird and hard to understand, now I find it's farangs who are weird and hard to understand.

Your understanding of "moo baan" is actually correct, what is referred to in this thread is a housing estate or gated community as compared to a stand-alone house. Thais by the way, call housing estates moo baan as well. Most housing estates are administered by a juristic person and at least some of the committee members should be property owners in the estate.

Laos is a big country - where are you going?

Ventiane & Luang Prabang for starters

Was in both towns last week, no issues with air quality.

Guessing unless that guy goes through a checkpoint with attentive police that search won't go far.

Besides, the guy is probably long gone, back in rural Guilin and kicking his cattle...

I would rather visit another place than Khao Lak, maybe Ko Samui ?

Khao Lak an artificial place, created mainly for elderly German and Scandi tourists, nothing to do but some beach time on mainly service and comfort - free beaches. Scuba Diving is an ( expensive ) option.

Prices are extremely high for that what you get ( even higher than in Hua Hin ) and good food is hard to find.

Don't waste your time and money, go somewhere else and have fun

pinkpanther99 was inquiring about Khao Kalok not Khao Lak. Khao Kalok is at the southern end of the long beach from Paknampran stretching all the way to Khao Kalok. It makes for a nice excursion from Hua Hin for a day or just a few hours. The beach is quite pleasant with white sand and I think there are some caves in the Khao Kalok Rock to visit. Weekends get a bit busy with Thai travelers mostly from Bangkok, but it should not be really crowded except maybe on a long holiday weekend. There is a new colourful temple following the road on the other side of the rock, and from the next beach you will already see Dolphin bay with its beautiful small rocky islands. There are plenty of restaurants, unfortunately the one right on the beach after the temple I mentioned and facing Dolphin Bay is not as good as it used to be.

I have never extended a visa in the 17 years I have been here, always paid a visit to Australia and got a new non immigrant multi O visa based upon marriage to a Thai. In just over ninety days I must either get a new visa or get an extension, I do not wish to go to Australia again this year and therefore have the choice of getting an extension at Chiang Mai immigration or going to Savanaket and getting a new visa. Wife's parents live in Se Saket so if I go to Savanaket she could stay with them. Would be grateful for any advice or just your thoughts or anyone's thoughts on what's best. Thanks

You can get an extension of stay based upon marriage during the last 30 days of your current 90 day entry. You would need 400k baht in a Thai bank in your name only for 60 days or proof 40k baht income. With an extension there would be no need for trips out of the country ever 90 day for a new entry. Just make reports every 90 days to immigration that can be done by mail if you want to.

I have been done 7 extensions of stay based upon marriage. In my opinion it is much better to get one than making border runs every 90 day and going out for new visa every year.

It only takes one day to get a visa in Savannakhet now. Si Sa Ket is not exactly on the way to Savannakhet from Chiang Mai.

Ubonjoe, does a 40K income have to be from local activities or can it be from overseas revenues? If yes, I assume the embassy would have to confirm this with a letter of attestation. Thanks for your input.

Did this trip many years ago, took 202 off Mitrapap Highway (2) about halfway between Korat and Khon Kaen. Keep following this road all the way to Yasothon, there go straight onto 2169 and 212 all the way to Mukdahan. This was a pleasant drive, which we did in one stretch from Bangkok. 202 was/is not a dual carriage way but a local road, this may have (partially) changed and I am sure there is more traffic on that route nowadays as almost everywhere in Thailand. Perhaps somebody has driven that way more recently. Enjoy the journey!

As a rule of thumb, if the car is pre-2005 the fuel system has not been designed to cope with Ethanol. Unless you replaced all hoses, seals, pumps, filters etc with ones that can tolerate Ethanol, yes, you should use benzene.

Really IMHO you think that recently? I figured around 2000 model years. Gasahol in the world market has been around for easily over 30 years now just not as widely as now.

Before changing from benzene to Gasohol 95 I asked the mechanic at my Nissan dealer garage whether it would be OK to do so with my Nissan Sunny 2004 model, which he confirmed. I also checked with a certified car mechanic from my home country in Europe and he told me that cars manufactured from around mid nineties could be run on Gasohol. My Nissan runs without any problems and has over 220'000 KM on the clock, half of them probably done on Gasohol.

Also paid 500 Baht at Hua Hin immigration when I had to renew my drivers license in August this year.

I used to spend some time in Chanthaburi regularly until a few years ago, so I am sure things have developed in terms of housing available as there was not much to have meeting Western standards but mostly rather simple abodes only. Most things about Chanthaburi have been mentioned here already, one thing you may consider is the weather, it get's rather wet in the rainy season, this area gets much more rain than in Chonburi, Bangkok, Hua Hin etc. Some areas including Chanthaburi city get flooded regularly. The upside of this is of course that it is greener here than elsewhere, generally Chanthaburi is a very fertile province with beautiful coastlines and a hilly hinterland.

Thanks for the prompt response Wayned, much appreciated!

She probably looked strange because you had a visa but forgot to fill in the visa number on the card

Exactly, it is important to fill in the number of your 60 days visa in the space provided on the arrival card otherwise the immigration officer may not see it and stamp you in with a "visa on arrival", i.e. for a 30 days stay only. Enjoy your trip!

I suggest you wait until you get the extension stamp after the 30 days.

Some offices do check to see if it is still there during the approval process.

IMHO one should be able to go below the 400K once you have applied for the extension even though it is still under consideration for 30 days since at the time of application the funds have been in the account for 2 months, hence this requirement has been met. Though it may certainly be wise not to withdraw the whole amount at once but if you start spending some to meet your monthly expenses there should not be a problem. Besides, I have never been asked to show my bank book again when I got the extension of stay stamped into my passport after 30 days.