cedel

16 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

 

... 555, yes, certainly looks a lot like the double entry TV they abolished just 2015 or so ...

I'd say there are total plonkoids at work here, 4 shua ...  &  

 

Last June, I wanted to take a double entry tourist visa at the consulate here in Liège, Belgium, (usually 60€): they told me that now it was only possible single entry (30€ as usual) or MULTIPLE enties : 100 € ! So all this for greed as usual, some (many) people have probably paid 100 € (instead of 60 € before) because all they needed was 2 entries....Money Money Money... Now they see that they'r losing money bcoz less tourism...so now they make a step back ...5555 (hahahaha)????????????

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

Also beer-cheese-ham-electronics-tools and much more is so expensive in thailand. Thailand is not a holiday destination anymore for smart tourists.  Europe is so much better these days.

 

 

And maybe for the long term tourists or expats also cut the ridiculous taxes on all foreign goods like cars if not made in Thailand for example... 

1 hour ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm.... I guess at the end of the day tourists will go where their money has most value. At the moment it’s not Thailand and with the Thai’s homophobic immigration attitudes tourists and falang are looking elsewhere. Som nom na?

You meant probably "XENOPHOBIC"... 

On 8/26/2011 at 4:41 PM, BigBikeBKK said:

The fine for taking a motorcycle onto a TOLL ROAD or other motorway where motorcycles are not allowed is indeed 1000 Baht. I'm not familiar with National Highway 36...

what is the difference between "highway", "motorway", "toll way/road" ??

Is it posible that even a 1000 cc would not be allowed to ride on some of them ?

In French we use the word "autoroute" for all of them, eventually "toll" would be that you have to pay a portion of this "autoroute". 

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Although this guy was clearly in the wrong legally, for driving his bike on the tollway, the law is a ridiculous one to begin with. Nobody has any idea why you cannot drive a big bike on the tollways. Thailand might be the only nation in the world that forbids this. Most nations encourage it, as bikes clearly reduce highway congestion, and riders should be rewarded, rather than penalized for driving them. However, that requires a progressive mindset. It can be argued that Thailand is one of the LEAST progressive nations on earth, and with the current Goombahs continuing to lead the nation, more of the same is to be expected.

 

One thing I do praise this guy for, is continuing to harass the police on social media. This is a good thing. Anything that can be done to expose the franchisees is positive. They have carte blanche, and it should not be that way. And if anything, the army is there to protect the franchisees, not prosecute them. There is no fight against corruption. Zero. 

Isn't it allowed to drive a motorbike above a certain cylindry? I thought that only scooters 125-150 could not go on highway...otherwise how to do if you have a 500CC or a 1000CC ? This would be pure nonsense ! And the police itself was driving motorbike on the highway it seems...

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It is easy to blame the strong baht. And it is definitely a factor. But, there are so many other factors. The army, Prayuth, and the biggest joke spent five years sabotaging Western tourism. Now, the damage can be felt, and people are worried. Millions of jobs are at stake.

 

Same applies to ex-pats. Many are leaving, or have left. Not feeling welcome?

 

Also, the unwillingness to tackle the scams, the traffic and public safety issues, the environmental issues, and so many other causes, are all having an impact on tourism. The decision to turn away from Western tourism, and focus almost exclusively on Chinese and Indian tourism was a mistake of historically monumental proportions. The TAT is barely making any effort to lure Westerners. And in my opinion they are the big spenders. I read surveys about the average Chinese tourists, being at the top of the list of big spenders. But, this is average. And the big spending Chinese do not come to Thailand for a dozen different reasons. The wife wants to buy a luxury handbag. The same Gucci bag that she likes is $3,500 in Singapore, London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, or Dubai. In Bangkok that bag sells for $9,000. At a five star hotel, this same wealthy Chinese couple want a great bottle of wine. They see a good vintage of Domaine Coche-Dury Monthelie, which would sell for about $500 retail, at a five star in any of the above cities for $1,000 on the list. Same bottle, if it was available (highly unlikely) in Bangkok, would be 95,000 baht, or more. Wealthy people tend to be smart with their money. They simply will not pay stupid money for stuff. The luxury taxes have been discouraging high end tourism here for decades. It is policy that is so dumb, so shortsighted, so non-visionary, and it hurts the economy. If wine duty was 100%, you would have a thriving wine industry here, five to ten times the size of the current industry. So the state income would be made up on volume, and hundreds of thousands of jobs would be generated. This is simply another example of brain dead leaders, who have no vision, and are NOT leading the nation forward, are not helping the nation to progress, and are not benefitting the people of Thailand.

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have 100s of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. They can get far better service in many other nations, without the onerous taxes on luxury goods like foreign wine!

 

Hopefully, we will eventually see a correction in the Thai baht. Although I feel for those in the hotel industry, lower rates over the long haul sure works for me! It may be the one area where we do not see inflation rearing it's ugly head!

This is soooo true ! I entirely and totally agree !!!

They should also forbid to smoke in public in certain clubs and discothèques !! 

3 hours ago, pattjock said:

I have done this for years using a browser on my PC. This has been for reporting myself living in my own condo.

 

I downloaded the app and logged in using my old login name and password and everything seems to work fine, well done.

Really ? Can you provide the exact URL ? 

2 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

The Thai baht hasn't increased in value by 20% over the past 3 years against a basket of currencies, with the exception of one currency, the pound sterling.....and it is not baht strength, but pound weakness due to Brexit, that is the issue. You are confusing Britain with the world and inflating its importance in world affairs. 

The Baht has increased of 20% against the Euro, maybe not in 3 but in 5 years ! It is a general tendency 

1 hour ago, fantom said:

With regard to the thai baht, when I originally put 800,000 baht into an account for my 'visa' it cost me 25,000 Australian (real) dollars, If I had to do it today, it would cost 37,000 AUD.

A similar trend has occurred in the British pound and the Canadian dollar.

The Baht has increased.

With the Euro also, 20% maybe not in 3 years but in 5 years 

the guy with the panel in English even seems to have 2 smartphones in his pocket...Not so poor as they pretend maybe then...;-)

4 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Great so immigration is going door by door interviewing interogating anyone that opens their door? Dont they need warants for disturbing randomly people?

 

lets say u have a tenant with a year contract first day u report him at immigration than 3 months later he travels abroad for 2 weeks once he returns he doesnt report back in with immigration and then immigration rings his door bell and check him out  then they will fine the condo owner for that??

 

How is a condo owner responsible for that? Its utterly ridiculous.

 

it is even worst: I had my gf occupying my condo in Pattaya while I was a few months in Belgium. Without telling me, she harboured 2 iranian twins, friends of her for a few weeks, maybe 1 month. When I came back, I heard that immigration was looking for 1 of them (I still don't know the reason). After reporting myself (as it is now required every time you come back in your own condo from abroad..!), I presented myself as the owner and told them about immigration waiting 3 days before I arrived in front of my door to look for this iranian,I did it in order to avoid future problems (in Jomtien imm.) and was almost treated like a criminal although I was not aware of what my (ex-)gf did....I had to wait 2 hours for the chief of immigration, he threatened me..etc..It was already late on a fiday evening. On monday, I let some thai friend who speaks better English explain him that I had nothing to see, and that I came by myself honnestly to avoid eventual future problems ! The officer said that anyway, even if I was abroad and unaware, I had to come to pay a fine of 2000 baht and the case will be finished.(!!!!)

I wonder if that also applies to those "Full Love Inn" motels/short or middle time rooms ...From how many hours then ? lol????

8 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Renting per month is still legal.

yes but if you are for 6 months back in your country, and the agency who rents out for you does not report the foreigner tenant...I've heard that the agency would be responsible, but knowing the bad faith of thai immigration, I'm nearly sure you, as owner will have to  finally pay the fine (with a "criminal record" in your history)

5 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I dont need to. It was done once by someone else, years ago, and since then I have been told repeatedly by Jomtien immigration that as long as I return to my own condo I dont need to report again.

 

I would not object to doing it if I had to, but I would object a lot to being fined because someone else didn't do it. This happened to hundreds (thousands?) of people last year.

I had to pay a fine of 1600 baht last year in Jomtien immigration when asking for a visa extention of my 60 days tourist visa because I "did not report my own adress in my own condo" when I came from Belgium ! I told them that when applying for visa they have asked my adress and also on the card that you receive in the plane to pass immigration...but they said it's different...<deleted> ! In fact I had been in BKK a few days in a hotel before, what I did not mention, maybe I shoud have said it and would not have had to pay this fine ?

3 hours ago, Xaos said:

Isn't it housemaster or hotel duty to report? Not foreigner at all.

 

As well didnt they said couple months ago there's no single overstayer in TH now. 

as a foreigner condo owner NOW, every time you come back from abroad on holiday in your OWN condo, you have 24 hours to go report your own adress to the immigration..hum hum...although they know it already from the card that you have to fill in the plane before landing to pass immigration..and although if you come on a visa, they have also asked your adress on the application.... ! Last year, I had to pay a fine of 1600 baht because nobody told me that this law existing already for many years (maybe 10) was just starting to be enforced against foreigners-owner ! In 16 years in Thailand, and in 10 years as a owner, I never had any problem if I went in immigration for a visa extension...last year: fine 1600+1900 for visa extension (I needed only 1 week or 10 days...). I start to be fed up of this greed and limit rip-off, against "good guys"...no wonder that the number of "good westerners" is decreasing....

2 minutes ago, Splash210 said:

Wait a minute.... Did he piss on the taxi driver or the taxi vehicle??? ????????????????

he was just trying to hide himself a bit. But it such a crowded place, not really a good idea...probably did not want to spend 5 or 10 baht by going to toilets...

8 hours ago, BestB said:

How did they know he was French????????????? the only language he spoke was geberish with a French accent ????????????

no, it was real French and slang, bad words like "<deleted> off, go <deleted> in ur ass..." etc...

Shame on people like that. And he is real French, not Belgian or Swiss...he had French accent.

They probably behave the same way everywhere even in France. There are rude people everywhere..not too much education...

18 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

How would they value the mutual fund at the time or your extension?  Stock broker/Imm agent desk at you local immigration office?

there is always a value, even if it fluctuates like the change rate of the pound, the euro or the USD when they have to value your pension...it is the same (same-same ;-))

Anyway, I think that fixed deposit accounts are valid and offer more intetrest than "saving account (currently 0.50 %/year)...

they should at least allow to keep those funds in either mutual funds, stocks or some accounts that provide at least an interest to fight inflation. Before, I had to sell mutual funds 3 months before applying, then , after visa granted, I could transfer my money in some liquidity mutual funds or fixed term deposits that provided me maybe 1.4-1.6% (in stocks more than that) interest on a yearly basis....

I I have to keep 400,000 on my savings account in Kasikorn, I will lose more money than what I was already losing before !!

I remeber though last year to have spoken with a Belgian married friend and he showed me another kind of bankbook also accepted by immigration, if I remember well, it was a kind of fixed term deposit bankbook that provided a small interest, but higher than the normal "saving account" of Kasikornbank...

2 hours ago, Banana7 said:

Pattaya is the city of love and since Valentines Day is this week, I imagine there will be lots loving. I wonder how many sailors or airmen will fall in love ? Lots of US service men have married Thai women during the Vietnam War era.

Poor guys...I hope they will not be too gullible....

In 15 years in Thailand, I had the opportunity to travel in many places in Thailand, touristic or not, but I stay based in Pattaya.

I cannot tell now for CM as I have been only 1 time only 4 or 5 days 15 years ago.

What I can say for sure is that the cost of living in Pattaya is much cheaper than in BKK, and than in many other touristic cities in the south of Thailand like Phuket, Krabi, and (I've heard but never been in Koh Samui).

If I compare with BKK street restaurants are slightly cheaper. Although also in Pattaya minimum prices have gone already a few years ago UP +33%...from 30 baht to 40 baht...Ok, you will say, it is ONLY 10 baht...but it is +33%.e of For the rents, condos, hotels, it's also cheaper in Pattaya.

And for the nightlife, it is MUCH cheaper in PATTAYA than in BKK.

In Bkk, in many night clubs (Levels, Havana, etc..) you have to pay an entrance fee of 300 baht/p in the week or 400 baht/p in the week-end (including 1 drink). Price of a whysky or rhum/coke or wine or cocktail vary from 250 to 350 or 400 baht...

In Pattaya, every nightclub is free entrance, in the best ones (like IBar/Insomnia Club), you have a discount card and get a beer for 120 or 130 baht, a whisky-coke or vodka for 140 or 150 baht...a bottle of Benmore Scotch Whiskey or 100Pipers Scotch whiskey with ice and 4 mixers I pay 1190 baht with discount card in Ibar/Insomnia walking street...and I also get of course 10% of everything paid in points on my card to spend later in drinks or food...

Of course, it is harder to meet/find business people or non-prostitute/freelancer thai girls in Pattaya night clubs than in Bkk night clubs...but on the other hand, I would say that in Thailand night clubs, prostitutes are everywhere...Also a lot in Phuket.

In other words, to meet "good ladies" in a night club in Thailand, I would probably have much more chances in Bkk or in Chiang Mai or in Khon Kaen than in Pattaya (where all the girls from the bars or go-go bars come after their bar is closed if they still want to find customers...or just enjoy with friends) and probably the same in Phuket as I remember.

He could probably stay and retire in one of the neihgbooring countries without such strict resuirements, I think about Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, maybe Birma (Myanmar). Somebody has an idea of the long term visa resuirements for those countries ? 

They may not be taking it seriously, but I am. We have to get proactive - neither the BMA nor anyone else is going to help us. I started wearing this type of mask (image 1) when out many years ago. Now I wear one all the time when out except when eating. I've recently replaced the standard filter which comes with the basic mask with filter material cut from a 3M (alleged) PM2.5 N95 disposable respirator mask available at Big C central (image 2). The green-seal, one-way valve mask is available at Home Pro and Power Buy. It's your body and your choice. Total cost for the two 160 baht.
 
What I can't figure out is why the PM2.5 levels have been reported at the RTAQ site as being much worse in the late evening and early morning than in the daytime (image 3).