curtklay

Just looking for the latest information on when you should apply for the 5 year Thai Driver License. I have the 1 year license that is due to expire on July 13. To renew and get the 5 year license, do I have to wait until after it expires? That seems to be the information I see on other posts, but a lot of them are several years old. Is there more current information or is this still the rule?

Geez . . who edits this stuff?

Dead or alive? We don't know

Reading comprehension. A skill not all of us have mastered yet.

Maybe...but this was very poorly written.

When i build my house they sprayed to whole roof from the inside with a special sort of expanding foam.

It is delivered in two separate barrels and mixed via a spray gun when they apply it.

They cover the whole roof including the hangers, boarding etc etc.

The foam expand to about 10 cm and it came with a 10 year guarantee against any roof leakage and no danger any more of roof tiles blowing of in high winds as the foam acts as a glue to the roof tiles and seals everything in.

This stuff works great and is easily done even when the house is already finished as they only an access hatch to the roof.

The temperature dropped about 10 oC under the roof after the foam was installed.

Not cheap but perfect stuff.

Thanks for the input.

So far, the score is 2-0 in favor of the spray foam.

Price of KFC in Bangkok about 130 baht

Price is KFC in New Zealand 140 Baht

Wages for staff in New Zealand $13 hour = 290 baht an hour

Wages for staff in Bangkok 27 baht an hour

KFC, restaurant brands in New Zealand still make a profit when they pay 10 times more in wages than thailand and charge the same price

Also the chicken is no doubt sourced cheaper here too

I am a capitalist but when I see the disgusting super profits these businessmen make while paying their staff nothing so they can buy their latest merc to show their friends

it makes me want to be a socialist

Same goes for McD.

As long as their is cheap supply of labour in Thailand the chinese will continue to make massive profits

NZ gets $13 per hour? I remember in Aus they employed people for around $5-6 per hour and these are mostly teenagers 16yrs and above. This was there pocket money, yes they were unskilled and just wanted some extra money but they also work very hard, and having customers constantly complain = no fun.

I assume nearly all major food chains are doing exactly the same thing. They probably all do cheap labor practices.

For those of you who think 27baht per hour is enough to survive then I suggest for them to try it and see how far they get while having to pay bills in this economy

Yeah, I don't believe KFC in NZ is paying $13 per hour.

This is strictly a minimum wage job in the US that pays $7.25 an hour in most states.

At least you guys have builders to come and back up their work!

As a renter, I regularly complain to management about literally liters of water which pour into my office and bedroom during each rain. Manager/owner's response: "Live with it. ALL Thai houses leak." Indeed six families all around me (living in duplexes built by the same builder) all hang out their bedding and floor mats to dry after each rain inundates their homes. Small comfort.

It is dumbfounding how crappy the building techniques are considering how much rain falls here. In the US, before they put on the tiles or shingles, there is plywood sheeting with felt, tar paper, or a membrane on top of that. Here you're lucky if they put a sheet of foil over the framework. (I don't even have that). Guess that's one benefit of permits and inspections being required.

Pib's roof looks exceptionally well done, and I'm using his pictures to show my builder how to correct the valleys.

Thanks again, Pib!

The valleys could very well be the problem. Heck, even as a kid I remember my Dad always smearing some more tar in the valleys because of leaks. Seemed most leaks on our metal tile roof always occurred in the valleys.

The side metal strips of my valleys (I live in Bangkok) extend approx 8-12 inches "under the tile" on each side. Also, the trough of my valleys are real close to being as wide as yours, however, I only have approx 2-3 inch gap between the tiles for the water to drop down into the valleys. Yours look like there is a 6 to 8 inch gap between the tiles. A person shouldn't need concrete/patch material on the side of the valleys/tiles like yours appear to have....this is probably done for appearance and to help keep water out since the gap between the tiles is so wide.

Thanks Pib.

I think we're on the way to solving this. I met with the builder, and he admits he made the valleys extra wide because he thought it would drain more water that way. Well intentioned, but unfortunately incorrect. We are negotiating on the cost to fix it. He really is a good builder, and did a beautiful job of building my house from just pictures and international phone calls, so I can't be too hard on him. Hopefully we will get this resolved.

Here's a couple pictures of my home's valleys....and I looked around at my neighbors' houses on my soi and the next soi over, and they are all the same way....only a small gap. I never hear anyone complaining about leaks. Actually there appears to be only a 1 to 2" gap between the tiles. Or said another way, there is about a two finger width gap.

Thanks again!

You've helped me pinpoint the problem. Your valleys are obviously done the correct way, and are a world apart from mine.

PLEEEEASE...Ban all the soaps!!

The valleys could very well be the problem. Heck, even as a kid I remember my Dad always smearing some more tar in the valleys because of leaks. Seemed most leaks on our metal tile roof always occurred in the valleys.

The side metal strips of my valleys (I live in Bangkok) extend approx 8-12 inches "under the tile" on each side. Also, the trough of my valleys are real close to being as wide as yours, however, I only have approx 2-3 inch gap between the tiles for the water to drop down into the valleys. Yours look like there is a 6 to 8 inch gap between the tiles. A person shouldn't need concrete/patch material on the side of the valleys/tiles like yours appear to have....this is probably done for appearance and to help keep water out since the gap between the tiles is so wide.

Thanks Pib.

I think we're on the way to solving this. I met with the builder, and he admits he made the valleys extra wide because he thought it would drain more water that way. Well intentioned, but unfortunately incorrect. We are negotiating on the cost to fix it. He really is a good builder, and did a beautiful job of building my house from just pictures and international phone calls, so I can't be too hard on him. Hopefully we will get this resolved.

Thanks Gents for the input!

While the jury is still out on the foam spray, I had a "roofing specialist" come out and inspect. His explanation is that the roof gullies are installed incorrectly. A photo is attached showing that the metal strip does not extend far enough under the tiles to keep water from seeping in (most obvious on the left side of the photo). Once the water gets in, it will run in various paths causing the drips onto the ceiling in various places. In addition, he says the tiles should have been brought further in over the gully forming an overhang, and exposing less of the gully.

It seems to make sense, and would explain why I hear the drops hitting the ceiling in different areas depending on the wind and how hard it's raining. The gully issue was also brought up in a previous post by "Rimmer" who said 90% of roof leaks are related to the gullies or where roof sections join. (Thanks to Rimmer for pointing that out).

So, I'm convinced enough to confront my builder about how he wants to handle the 5 year warranty he gave on the roof. I'm sure I'll be met with some resistance, but I'm not going to let it slide. The expert said in 2 years, the ceilings will be ruined and I believe it. Since my first post, it rained again and water did actually drip through the ceiling in one spot, so it is a worsening situation.

A photo of one gully is attached. Any further comments are appreciated.

I just renewed with Viriyah. Got both stickers. Maybe I don't need them, but like the OP says the local cops seem to like them and never stop me at road checks.

I think I've read all the posts about leaking roofs, but am more confused than ever on how to fix them.

My house is less than 2 years old with tile roofing, but they did not install foil under the tiles. When it rains, I can hear drops hitting the gypsum ceiling in various places, but have only seen small water spots appear in 2 locations. The water has yet to actually leak through the ceiling, and the spots dry up very quickly when the rain stops so it seems minor, but it's making me nervous and the dripping sound is very annoying. The builder has been out twice, patched, siliconed, and painted several locations, but to no avail. He even took a hose up on the roof and sprayed while a worker sat in the loft area. They said they found it, but nothing has changed. During the recent rains, I went up into the loft area myself, but could not see any sign of a leak from the tiles even when it was pouring. Everything was bone dry, which amazed me since I could still hear it and the water spots again formed on the ceiling. I have another "repairman" coming out to inspect, but am expecting more of the same, so I'm seeking feedback from TV members on the process of spraying foam on the undersides of the tiles, particularly the SPRAYME PURFOAM company. I've read a lot of previous posts, but it seems to be a very mixed bag. Some say it's great, others say it's horrid. IMHO, it looks like it could be a viable solution to a minor dripping problem. I do have ventilation areas in the roof so I don't think the heat build up that others have warned about would be a problem as long as the foam was not sprayed over them. I also don't think that puddling would be an issue since the leak is minor, and it seems to me the water would just get pushed back out from wherever it's coming in since the foam dries hard and thick. But I'm no expert on this. Actually, I thought the ideal solution would be to seal the tiles from the outside with a clearcoat spray, but whenever I get into that, all I get are blank stares.

So, I'm seeking some current advice from anyone who has recent experience with the spray foam on the inside, or anyone who has succesfully sealed the outside by another method. I am amazed that roof leaks are such a common problem in a country that receives so much rain. I'm also amazed that the most common fix is to put a bucket on the floor!

I'd put my money on that 'sharp object' being a knife. Ever tried cutting the arms and legs off your grannie using a feather? You'd be the laughing stock of the Serial Killers Club.

How they decided the time of death was six hours earlier from only a torso I don't know. Thai torso, it seems, is ' waist to upper legs'. Interesting. That throws into disarray the whole 150 year development of Anatomy. We've been led to believe a torso involved a headless, armless, leg less set of remains. Now the Thais starighten otu the entire world. It's arse and thighs only!

I expect from the rigour mortis, the 'torso' having an erection, they got the six hours. Maybe even tested the blood for viagra. Then conferred how long each of them manages to stay stiff for and settled on a collective of 6 hours. Then the Chief of Police through a spanner in the works by informing his underlings ' I take two.'

Police now adjust the time of death to anywhere between 6 and 12 hours.

I wonder if having found a single piece of the victim they bothered to look in the other Four City Corners? A bit too obvious that one. Probably missed it.

Word of advice. Get rid of any cardboard boxes you may have been saving. Thai logic; as used by butchering murderers. Also, no more shopping at Watsons - white plastic bags are for blood and not shampoo and aspirin.

Still, there's nothing to worry about as the Police have narowed it down, based on all the forensics available to ' a man in his 30s'. That puts me and the wife in the clear then.

How about you?

Would be quite a funny post, if it wasn't so serious?

RIP poor chap.

Oh <deleted>> it, still a funny post.

Really? I didn't find it funny at all.

Count me out next year too. It's gotten totally out of control and dangerous.

Yeah it's another 'happy new years'.....that makes three this year....ours, Chinese and then Thai new years, which is way over the top. I enjoyed my first one 12 yrs ago and then from then on it became an 'inconvenient nusance'.

And yeah, let the natives have fun at the expense of safety for their kids and themselves.....not to mention others harmed by their stupid over the top drinking habits.

I say the above after just having participating in a local village 3 day party that I had to attend to save face for the wife.....make my apearance throw some water, fake drink some lousy beer chiang and exit quietly. What I witnessed out in our small moobaan in the ricefields was total insanity......parents drunk while their kids ran into traffic, throwing full 5 gallon buckets of water on older folks that were just trying to get home dry, teenagers [age 12 and 13 drunk like their parents] then weaving off drunk on their motocycs. And to answer the OP's question.....it will last until Monday [and then some more].

Thais are wonderful people, but they just take 'sanook' way over the top. I love them when they are sober.

Next year, I'm out of the country for songkran!!

me too but I couldn't get a flight this year enjoyment is one thing but it's just an orgy without the sex - a million miles from the respectful mild splashing of water

Thanks for pointing out that post. I did not see it previously, and it answers all my questions.

This whole FBAR business is something I was not aware of until now, and hopefully my post will bring it to the attention of others who don't know about it.

Did you miss this recent topic on the subject?

I did misread that. Thanks to all. Glad I'm still under the deadline. Thanks again!

...and filing the FBAR, satisfies the account holder's reporting obligation."

Believe you misread the quoted text - it says you must file.

As said - this has nothing to do with your tax return - it is separate reporting requirement and anyone with the 10k or more must file.

I need a little clarity regarding filing a FBAR form with the US IRS. I read lots of info here that says you have to file this form if you have Thai bank accounts that total over $10,000.

However, on the FBAR instructions, it says if the accounts didn't earn any income, you can satisfy the reporting requirement by checking the box on part 3 of schedule B when filing your 1040:

"Reporting and Filing Information

A person who holds a foreign financial account may have a reporting obligation even though the account produces no taxable income. Checking the appropriate block on FBAR-related federal tax return or information return questions (e.g., on Schedule B of Form 1040, the "Other Information" section of Form 1041, Schedule B of Form 1065, and Schedule N of Form 1120) and filing the FBAR, satisfies the account holder's reporting obligation."

So, I filed my 1040 even though I owed no tax for 2010, and I checked the box on Schedule B. Does this mean I do not have to send in a FBAR even though I do have Thai bank accounts with a total of over $10,000? I have one regular savings account in my name only, with a balance of 800,000 baht ($26,000) to satisfy my retirement visa extension, and a joint account with my wife (US citizen) that varies in balance, but has had over $10,000 in it during 2010. I don't think either accrues any interest to speak of. I am wondering if I still need to send in a FBAR before the June deadline, or have I satisfied the requirement by informing IRS of my foreign bank accounts on my 1040 B.

In the interest of covering my butt, I am considering sending in the dam_n form anyway, but just wonder if this is overkill.

Yes, I'm pretty sure an endorsement is still required. Thanks.

My U.S. banks have always required my signature on a check being deposited (which I think is a stupid policy).

This is why I just had an old tax return check mailed to me in Thailand, so I could deposit it in SCB, rather then signing and mailing back to the U.S.

My current banks in the States are Chase and Bank of America.

A few years ago my uncle was going to deposit a check for me but Washington Mutual required my signature and he was unable to duplicate my chicken scratch.

So might want to check with your bank first.

You aren't funny, Dude. Keep your day job.

The bad news is that last night the city of Chiang Mai was completely submerged by the river.

The good news is that now Chiang Mai has become a river resort.

In Chiang Mai, the Yacht Club and the Beach Club Resorts are both located a short walk from the flooded areas. Many consider the pool area (Chiang Mai), with its shipwreck theming, the Taepae road which is now a huge water slide and muddy bottom pool to be the best of any Northern Thailand resort. Boat services now travel directly from Bangkok and Chiang Mai`s theme parks (water taxis are available for transportation to the other parks). Restaurants and entertainment at the Boardwalk are also conveniently close.

Hi All,

An insurance company in the US owes me a fairly large sum of money. They say they can't wire transfer the funds to my US bank account as I requested, and will only mail me a check to my Thai address. My question is how long does it typically take for a US check to clear after deposited in Kasikorn Bank. I don't need the money immediately, but don't want to wait months before accessing the funds. Any current experience with this will be appreciated.

The teller has the ability to make an entry regardless of last transaction which will be current balance with current date. But as I stated am not sure all banks can do this.

Kasikorn Bank updated my passbook the same day I got the letter. I went to the bank 3 days prior to Immigration. They simply entered a zero amount deposit with the date and current balance. My letter and passbook then agreed on date and balance, and I had no problem at Immigration.

Anyone know where I could buy new or used, a reel to reel tape deck?

I see them on Ebay, but most won't ship to Thailand.

Thanx.

We sent a shipment to Thailand earlier this year in my wifes name, who qualified for duty free status based on being a returning resident. Customs just laughed at her and said "Impossible.... everyone must pay". 3 days later we had tried about 5 different logistics companies and the best we could negotiate was down from the original 65000B to about 30000B. We were getting nowhere trying to explain it should be duty free, even with the web page printed out for them. They make the police look like amateurs when it comes to extortion. The majority of the fees they wanted to charge were handling and clearance fees so even if you somehow manage to get "Duty Free" you will still pay over 15000B in other charges. We shipped our dog over with us on the plane as excess baggage and had an official stamped import certificate from the Thai Ministry granting approval. It had taken 3 months and about $500 to get the approval. Customs refused to acknowledge it, told me it was impossible to bring a Rottweiler into thailand, despite having written approval to import " One Live Rottweiler Male" unless I paid a bribe of 30000B to the Head Veterinarian of the Dept of Livestock to "change" the paperwork. I managed to get it down to 15000B. So in all I paid 45000B for what should have cost nothing. Good Luck.

I think Rottweilers are considered a dangerous breed in Thailand.

RE: recommending a shipper. I highly recommend SIAM INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT based in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, I shipped 33 large boxes from Sacramento, CA to our home in Northern Thailand. Door to door cost was $2500 including all customs and other fees. Check their website or call Frank for a quote.

www.siaminternational.com

At Nan apply on reasons for retirement. For extensions based on marriage to a Thai they will require you to pay for the cost of the visit to your home. You will not get a receipt for this.

Nan is one of the few offices that still requires a medical certificate from the doctor, just go to a local government hospital. Will cost something like 50 baht.

Nan might also indeed want to see the report by the homeowner. You can download the form from internet and have the homeowner report you at the local police office. Take a copy of the proof of reporting with you, just in case.

Thanks to you too, Mario. I will get the medical report, and take care of the address reporting.

Don't know what I'd do without you guys!

June 20 or later visit Nan immigration office with the above plus TM.7 with photos taken within last six months (4x6cm) (you can download/print on one A4 or do at office). You will need probably two copies of everything. You should have proof of address (if wife house her blue book) and by law you must have been reported as staying at that location by home owner so could be small fine for her if no report was made (most Thai take a very casual view of such items). You should also make arrangements for making 90 day reports (address to mail/TM.47 forms).

Address verification letter will probably bring out the fine for homeowner not reporting your presence, if not mentioned before, but that may not even be an issue. Yes it would be a good time to take care of it. Can't answer DL requirements as mine was obtained some 40 years ago (they had lifetime option then).

Thanks, Lop! As always, you are extremely helpful. When you say "blue book", I assume this is the same as the "house registration"? We will immediately report my staying at this address.

Hi All,

I need a little clarification on my next step to retirement in Thailand. I am an American and have been in Thailand since 01/21/2010.

I have a Type O multi entry visa which will expire on 07/19 unless I do another border run. I want to apply for the one year extension based on retirement. I am 60 years old, and have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for more than 90 days.

My questions are:

1. When applying, will I need to bring anything other than my passport, visa, bankbook, and verification letter from the bank. (and of course, the fee) Previous information talks about photographs and a TM-7 form, but recent info seems to indicate these are no longer required, or will be provided at the office.

2. I am a resident of Phrae province. Am I correct that I should apply at the NAN Immigration Office?

3. I will be applying for a one year Thai driver's license shortly after in Den Chai. Should I get the required address letter of verification while at the Nan office, or should this be obtained from the local office in Phrae? I have a current US and International driver's license. What else will be required when applying for the Thai license?

BTW, I am married to a Thai citizen, but decided this would be the easier route for the visa extension since I have the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank and can leave it there.

Thanks in advance for your help!