retiredat50

thailand might not be ready, but i am, maybe soon i can get staff that actually want to work

Where from ? I live here in the Philippines and have yet to meet a Filipino that knows anything and that includes some of the most qualified.

Has anyone noticed any changes.

Some parts of the world (Tokyo) have improved very much over the last 20 years. I wonder about BKK?

I'm thinking about relocating from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai but really concerned about the burning season, air pollution, etc. Should I be??

Jim

Jim, I'm also interested in the same thing so I hope we get some replies. What's your reason for thinking to move to Chang Mai from Hua Hin?

with long term Filipina girlfriend

There is your problem right there.

What sort of visa will the g/f be on?

Have you taken into account visa runs/90 reporting, visa extensions?

Suggest you seriously consider her visa options and reconsider where you choose to live.

Why do you mention Bkk and CM?

Much better alternatives IMHO.

Didnt you mention on a previous thread you were living in Bang Kapi?

In BangNa you can rent a decent house on a moo baan for about 20-25k baht per month.

Up Fashion Island way you can rent a Thai style house for half of the above.

Please be more specific and tell us what you want.

If I were you I would head for Pattaya, thats of course assuming neither you or the g/f speak/read Thai.

My gf would hopefully be able to get an ED visa and continue with that for at least a couple of years. She would like to learn some Thai anyway and is already educated so she has no problem in doing more learning. BKK and CM were mentioned as we have already checked out Puket, Pattaya and Hua Hin. Those areas had either too many tourists or in the case of HH it was a bit too quiet for us. We did like CM outside of the main tourist area. "Living in Bang Kapi" in the sense of being there for over a month but we've not settled in any place yet. Just looking into more long-term options. What / where is "Fashion Island" ? Also are there any other areas around BKK that you could suggest. We found Bang Kapi a little bit too quiet and far out while we're not yet sure of Bang Na yet as our only trips there have been trips to the mall and around that area. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Does anyone have any ideas on the difference in house rental prices between Chang Mai and the Bangna or outskirts areas of Bangkok?

What could I expect to be able to rent in each area if I had around 50,000 a month available for rental ?

Anyone have opinions on which place is the best place to live for a retired guy with long term Filipina girlfriend who likes an easy life, cafes to visit and shopping malls.

Thanks in advance

Why would one need a Car in Bkk.?. Taxis are so cheap. If you intend to tour, fly n drive is best. I.E. rent in Chaing Mai airport and dump it back and move on to say Hua Hin, same again.

Well because I value my life more than the taxi drivers do. Yes taxis are cheap but if you stay outside of the center then you need a taxi to get anywhere. I am a very careful driver and during my last stay in Thailand some of the taxis journeys I took were very scary indeed. Ranged from old guys who seemed to be at risk of falling asleep to drivers who seemed to be practicing for some race.

I would like to rent a car on my next visit to BKK. Probably looking for a one or two month rental with full insurance. I'm okay with a smaller car and not looking for the perfect condition 2013 mondel.

Any suggestions on companies that can provide a reliable rental vehicle for a good rate? I would prefer one of the bigger companies not a small company with just a few vehicles.

Thanks,

Strange. If the heat exchanger/compressor part of the air-con system is centralised then one would expect your electric bill to be lower and your common fee to be higher, as the centralised compressors would normally be being paid for by the building. It's the outdoor part that uses the bulk of the electricity, not the fan part inside your unit.

Some posher/older buildings here have the compressors for the (normal) split air-con systems hidden on the roof or in the basement or in service areas. I wonder if yours could be like that?

Hopefully not hidden on the roof it would have to go up 12 floors and in the basement it would need to go down 12. I'm really not sure where the hot air goes but we do have cold water pipes feeding the aircon. Being in the Philippines I am guessing it's totally inefficient and I know it breaks down all the time. Just had a completely new unit fitted (again). When the old unit was taken out it looked like something that was home made. No sign of any manufacturers name. A big spinning wheel and it looked like nothing that would meet modern standards.

1,900kWh you use to cool the house is great and that's a big reason why I would like to move to Thailand. I live in a condo using an inside unit central air conditioning system. Typical electric costs for myself and neighbours ranges from $300-$500 a month.

I wonder what do you mean by "inside unit central air conditioning system"? In condos here (at least the ones under 100sqm) one rarely sees anything other than individual split-unit systems with one indoor/outdoor pair per room. Maybe your system is particularly uneconomical or very old?

Having spent a lot of time in Manila over the last 40 years I always found that whilst I can live quite happily there with just a fan much of the time there are barely a few weeks in the year here (Pattaya) when I can stand having the aircon off. It always seems to be significantly warmer and more humid here than there. I think it may be due to the water in the sea being cooler there.

Hi, It's a 12 years old building. The sides of the building are completely sealed from the ground to roof with no ventilation in sight. Our air conditioners are built into the units. I assume they get cooling water from some central point. It's one of the most expensive residential buildings in the Philippines but probably the least efficient air cons :-( When I look around at the other residents it doesn't look like money is a problem for them. However it's a big problem for me. Yes I agree with you about Thailand. Much hotter than Manila except for this time of year.

In Manila I use one air conditioner for about 12 hours a day and don't use much else that might consume much electricity. In US dollars my electric bill is around US $300.

there's obviously something totally wrong with the information you submitted. just talked to a friend who lives in Manila paying 5.96 pesos for 1kWh. assuming the consumption share of your single airconditioner is USD 200 ($100 cost for fridge, TV, lighting, computer, etc.) you are using 2,686kWh per month to cool a 75m² apartment = ~90kWh/day = 7.5kWh/hour.

compare your 2,686kWh with the 1,900kWh electricity per month i use to cool a house of ~600m² living area @26.5ºC / 24 hours a day.

My November 2013 Meralco bill shows Current Amount of 11,929.85 pesos / 1017 kWh = 11.73 pesos for 1kWh. Basic charge is 5.17 pesos but after that are 22 lines of other charges for taxes, generation (44%) of cost and others. This was not a typical month for me and it's not the hot season yet so the charges are lower than in summer.

1,900kWh you use to cool the house is great and that's a big reason why I would like to move to Thailand. I live in a condo using an inside unit central air conditioning system. Typical electric costs for myself and neighbours ranges from $300-$500 a month. I'm sure for others it's substantially more but those residents having 300m square units don't talk to foreigner like me :-)

Not counting currency changes.

What's better now than 5 years ago and what's worse ?

What do people think will be better and worse in the next five years ?

Thailand wins. It has more motorbikes, especially when comparing Bangkok with Manila, and the majority of road deaths in Thailand are motorbike related. There is a Canadian show called "Don't drive here" There was an episode for Bangkok and one for Manila. I'll let you guess which city the host had an accident in...

Now I understand. Here in the Philippines almost nobody can afford a motorbike and the few I do see seem to be wearing a helmet usually.

I'm from Manila. Not one minute goes by on the road without me hearing drivers honking. They are the most impatient drivers I have seen in my life, they change from lane to lane every 15 seconds. They seem to think God will save them from an accident. The taxi drivers as far as I can tell always work a full 24 hours on and 24 hours off.

Is it possible that Thai roads are worse or did nobody bother to check out the Philippines to compare? Thai drivers seem patient in traffic although some taxis seem to drive as possible when the roads are clear.

Recently covered here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691556-how-much-does-1-kwh-electricity-costs/

Thanks, sorry for posting without noticing. I did a quick search but did not notice that post. Please delete my post if you think it's not needed.

I'm here in the Philippines and paying 10.67 pesos which coverted to baht is 7.87 baht per Kw hour. This is the final charge including generation, distribution and taxes.

I'm considering moving to Thailand and I'm interested to find out how much it is there?

Thanks.

The nearest location to get a 3 entry tourist visa is at the consulate in Bali. Vientiane does 2 entry visas. Manila only does single entry visas.

Thanks for your help and advice. I am wondering why there's such a difference between these countries giving 1, 2 and 3 entry visas. Anyway that's kind of outside the scope of my question and for me it would need to be just one entry as I won't be going to Bali.

The other poster mentioned re-entry permits. Is there any difference between a three entry visa and a single entry visa with two re-entry permits, other than having to pay for those permits. Also if I have a 60 day visa, get a re-entry and then leave for 30 days am I correct to assume that the days away will also be counted as part of the 60 days? I know it might sound like a dumb question but I just want to be sure and learn as much as possible about the system. Thanks.

In Manila I use one air conditioner for about 12 hours a day and don't use much else that might consume much electricity. In US dollars my electric bill is around US $300. I pay US $50 for internet which is very slow and US $50 for TV including 5 High Definition channels a month. My water bill is around US $25 a month.

Can someone give me some ideas as to how much these things might cost in Thailand ? Also is there any difference in costs between Bangko and Pattaya?

I heard they are going to increase the price of electricity here in the Philippines and the costs are out of control.

You should apply for a tourist visa with more than one entry. You can get one with 3 entries that would give you almost 9 months of total stay without needing a new visa.

For your trip to Cambodia you could get a re-entry permit that would keep your 60 day entry valid. It costs 1000 baht at immigration.

Can you explain how I can get a tourist visa with 3 entries?

Also can I apply for this in Manila ( I'm not a Filipino ) but I have been living in the Philippines and renewing my tourist visa there every 2 months.

You can obtain a 30 day extension at any immigration office. Fee baht 1900 Passport Photo x 1 Tm .7 Form Photocopy of current permission to stay stamp and departure card from passport. Photocopy of picture page from passport. You can go anytime but usually around one week before current permission to stay expires works best. To obtain another 60 day tourist visa you must leave the kingdom and apply at a consulate like Vientiane. If my memory serves me well.

How many of these renewals can you apply for ?

I was a Lenovo buyer for the last 10 years but realized I can buy a Macbook Pro and boot up dual operating systems. 15" macbook pro is the best computer out there in my opinion.

Would you consider a 224 sq.m.-2 storey detached house without swimming pool. 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Parking space fits for 3-5 cars, and 20 sq.m. garden. The house only is 15000 bath/per month.

More info .. :-) ?

BTW, there are nicer rooms than the $71 per night one b/r suite you have.

Can you suggest some. I like the look of that hotel but would be even more interested if it was cheaper.

Thanks

I'm always wondering when I leave a tip just how much the amount means to the workers. Just for my interest could anyone tell me how much people in a few sample occupations get paid and how much they get to take home?

For example:

How much does a worker at Starbucks, a worker at a shop in the mall get?

How much might a newly hired policeman get paid (not counting any additional tips he might get).

She can extend her stay with paperwork from her school. How long she can study depends on the school and course, each course is certified for a number of years. One can always start a new course.

Other options are:

- find a job

- get married to you

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but she's working now doing online consulting. She is interested in learning Thai but not to officially attend a 5 day a week course. Are there courses out there that don't actually require a student to attend ?

Classed are normally only a couple of days a week for a 2 hours. Or one day a week for 4 hours.

Walen offers classes by Skype.

Attendance record is one of the documents required for the extension.

Thanks. I am sure this would be fine for her. She is not trying to get out of classes. She just does not fancy traffic jams every day and an early morning schedule.

She can extend her stay with paperwork from her school. How long she can study depends on the school and course, each course is certified for a number of years. One can always start a new course.

Other options are:

- find a job

- get married to you

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but she's working now doing online consulting. She is interested in learning Thai but not to officially attend a 5 day a week course. Are there courses out there that don't actually require a student to attend ?