crazygreg44

let me add my five cents to all these backwater mathematicans and kindergarden physicists. All their marvellous calculations miss the most important factor ! This is, that all the waters of the Chao Phraya river are a massive,strong KINETIC MASS at RESISTANCE, almost standstill minus the actual flow, which acts like a wall of thick concrete you try to bring down by throwing Elephants doodoo against it. The waters being forced downstream by thousands of propellers will LOOSE THEIR MOMENTUM after few yards distance. The sheer mass and the volume of the water against which they are thrown, will zap kill dead any kinetic energy created by the propellers. Spit against the full moon and tell me how much of the force arrives there, that's what you're trying to "proove" . . . .

what a lovely madhouse, I am beginning to like it. Makes my day, every day since the discussion started . . . . . !!!

There has been a lot of very good advise posted on this thread, in saying that sometimes it is just as good to let your heart rule your head. In the end we all will die and being the richest man in the graveyard won't matter much. Maybe just go for it and let tomorrow take care of it's self.

Seen people come with money and lose and others come with little and make a life. One thing is for certain, if you don't try you will never know. It's not just a health thing, how long you live that counts. It's a fitness thing, how many years do you have to enjoy life, before you become that old guy sitting in the corner,living in the past. Jim

I'd rather end up the richest man in the graveyard, than the poorest man on the plane home.

What kind of philosophy is that, can you spend your money after you have hit the bucket ?

I'd rather say, I do not want to die as a rich man ! When I die , I want to have spent all the money I had ! Only then, you have truly lived up to your budget !

This so-called Science minister and his stupid idea of the 1000 boats - laughing stock for everybody who's been through elementary school - reminds me of a quotation the city mayor of Hua Hin made in a local newspaper. Speaking about the waste-management for Hua Hin, he said that they now have a way to recycle all plastic waste and REVERSE IT BACK INTO CRUDE OIL ! I could not believe this came from the brain and mouth of a higly ranking official. It gives me an idea of what these carrierists have actually learned during their school and university years. Since people like them ALWAYS pass university tests, no wonder such brilliant ideas are on the rise. I just hope that the world media don t leave such a nonsense uncommented and proove their ideas worthless.

born on a mountain , raised in a cave, biking and f..ing is all I crave !

I sincerely hope the aforementioned leads to our all enlightment on how PRIVILEGED we all are , lucky to have been born on the "right" side of the big water, wild west trapper times long past, we have been "ductile & servient" in a degree that has earned us a pension or the ability and knowledge on how to hustle on your neighbours. I understand gaancha very well in what he refers to. And to the original poster, the shock he woke up to after he had to leave the land of milk and honey , plus his health insufficiencies, must have been horrible. I include my best wishes for his wellgoing and may he be able to return to the paradise of the Privileged Few. To know what one has lost is to know the real value of a thing. Not from a materialistic view, but from knowing your privileges. I am thanking it on my knees every day . . .

Wow! There's some seriously subjugated people on here? It makes me wonder about what sort of life you made for yourselves before coming over here, you reap what sow. It seems most didn't choose the right life nor right place to live in their home country but there is green grass on both sides it just depends on how you fertilize and maintain your own spot in life.. The only one putting pressure on you to keep up with the Jones's is you. I suspect that many here couldn't do that back home but have just enough to put them ahead here so they get their ego's stroked more and that is more where their happiness comes from,sad really..

Personally I feel it's far more courageous and the mark of strong character of someone who can move in either direction without a major breakdown. Life is all about experiences or so it should be and if one doesn't suit you you try something else but too often people fall into a rut and forego the effort it takes as I do recognize, based on what is posted often times, that many here are very sheltered on life's experiences and then when someone who hasn't limited themselves posts up they get the hair standing up the back of their neck about that experience they lack and someone else has, saying they can't have experienced so much just because they haven't..

I see the same thing happening here, this is not the paradise some have deluded themselves into thinking it is but that all depends on what you came from and what you made of it..

Personally I can go anywhere and mostly be happy but some things eventually grate on me and it's time to move on and experiencing new things, locations and challenges as I'm not at all impressed with bars or the girls that inhabit them so that leaves very little to do here that is of interest with a family to consider or even just by myself, back home no problems the clean entertainment is endless if one chooses..

My Mom used to say, if you can't make a fortune in your home country, then chances are low that you make it elsewhere.

It takes a certain breed of men to reach the inevitable .. to become successful in a place called Thailand.

.. what I said is that everyone, the failed, the desillusioned, the dreamers and the drinkers, can all come to Thailand. . . they have the money and will survive. . at least for a certain spell.

If you was a failure at home, and dreaming to change it to being a success in Thailand . . I wish ya good luck . . and please don 't cheat others...

If you was a successor , and come to Thailand to reap your harvests.. welcome . . ain 't no better place to go . .keep your profile low . .

remember this song :

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution,

Take a bow for the new revolution,

Smile and grin at the change all around,

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday.

Then I'll get on my knees and pray,

We don't get fooled again!

Yeaaah ...

Meet the new boss,

Same as the old boss!

just don't come here and think it is your right to drool along . . keep a high profile is accepted by most Thais . . .

I am not what Warpspeed thinks .. i have been successful in my country, and came to Thailand for holiday and fell in love with it.

I have a master in dental technics, i worked as a laborer heavy, a deckhand, i bowed my back as a beer trujck driver, I founded my own company and going into the 29 th year I am happy it is prospering and enables me to live like semi-retired.

This small business keeps dripping some dough, I was wise enough not to sell out and split. I have worked HARD for all . My base is in Europe AND in Thailand.

I do not work in Thailand as I do not have to . .up to now. Why bother with work permits and such? But I will not hesitate to pop up my business concept

if I ever have to. I got the brains for it and will use them. To be privileged , as mentioned in my post, means I am totally aware that

I got educated in the Farang World,, better MOM-i-fied , nurtured , plainly I got more white matter than a common Thai.

My Mom's comment - if you can t make it at home, how do you think it will work for you in a foreign world - implies that you can return home,

desillusioned but rich of adventure and experience. Yes, there are so many freeboothers here. Live and let live !

Living in Thailand, I have given up some stereotypes I used to live up in the west. Also, I have become more humble, and more

pragmatic. The country shapes the mind. I am a foreign matter transplanted to the sticks, and will always be, no matter how well i master the language

and succumb to the culture.

Take it as a chance to change. Don t try to copy your past life , paste yourself into this environment. And better start to love it. Don 't dream of

"home" . . .

all poster are right on the details, however, due to the OP's question on the 90-day rule, I might add , the 90-day reports are being done timely only while you are staying in Thailand. If you have , for example, 40 days left to your next 90-day report and you leave Thailand for , let's say, 6 months, your next 90-day report will be void and a new 90-day report duty becomes valid again at the date of re-entry. To not to have reported within the 90-day spell when you stayed in the USA does not invalidate your Retirement Visa. The departure and re-entry stamps in your passport will be the proof that you had been abroad.

I sincerely hope the aforementioned leads to our all enlightment on how PRIVILEGED we all are , lucky to have been born on the "right" side of the big water, wild west trapper times long past, we have been "ductile & servient" in a degree that has earned us a pension or the ability and knowledge on how to hustle on your neighbours. I understand gaancha very well in what he refers to. And to the original poster, the shock he woke up to after he had to leave the land of milk and honey , plus his health insufficiencies, must have been horrible. I include my best wishes for his wellgoing and may he be able to return to the paradise of the Privileged Few. To know what one has lost is to know the real value of a thing. Not from a materialistic view, but from knowing your privileges. I am thanking it on my knees every day . . .

. . and every day when school's out, the internet speed slows irrevocably down to snail speed, due to the fact several millions of kids crowd the internet cafes and start playing games. I can set my watch to it. Also, on sunday afternoon, the speed is slower than on workdays, indicating the Thai League of Internet warriors is online !

why did thai houses ever stop being built up on sticks ? seems like they built them that way for hundreds of years because they knew they lived in a flood plain and would get flooded every so often

did thai people just forget what their ancestors have known for hundreds of years ?

an interesting point indeed. Not only the prevalent construction style in the floodplains of Sukothai, Ayutthaya , Angthong and later Bangkok because of the ever happening flooding. Yet another reason plays a large part in the stilt-architecture - the protection from scorpions, venomenous snakes and other critters that haven't yet learned to use steps or ladders . . . . or would you sleep on a mattress spread out on the floor ?

As Thailand dont want long term tourists i managed to get a Business Visa (non-immigrant) by opening a business in europe and stating myself that i send myself to thailand and will feed myself as well.

As soon as they stop this as well i move to Cambodia. In Phnom Penh i found everything i need for my live and the city is pretty relaxing.

In the last years it became a real alternative to Thailand - i also have seen nice girls :-)

How's that, next time you return to your home country, they will be waiting for you at the entry gates with handcuffs because you forgot to pay taxes for your business !!??

In my European home country, I cannot just open up a business and then fly out to Thailand. If I miss out the yearly tax declaration, they will estimate (taxate) any income that

will be normal for such a kind of business and I will be owing this to the state and everybody's grandmother until I 've paid it up ! With a business in your home country you

will be a taxpayer , won't you ?

As far as I know (and I could be wrong), the Thais have never invaded another country and/or committed genocide.

Perhaps that is part of the reason why they don't understand how horrifying it is to countries that have experienced it?

I don't think it makes much difference anyway.... Europe and America have learned little from the World Wars and still have a sizable minority (if not majority) that have a grudge against any minority in their country.

I must - sorry, disagree with your first sentence. You are in fact wrong. If you allow me to spell "genocide" what includes atrocities towards minorities or refugees of countries surrounding Thailand , then it has happened in the not so far past.

Ever considered opening a Credit Card account with a UK bank , onto which the state pension gets transferred ? It would be worth while finding out how high the UK bank charges for withdrawing from the credit card at a Thai ATM compared to a monthly bank-to-bank transfer. The daily withdrawal limit can be set according to your wishes upon opening the credit card account , i.e. that would mean you can draw up to 60.000 (or even 80.000 Baht ) at any ATM in Thailand and the Thai bank charges 150 Baht each time - maximum draw 20,000 Baht (so it adds up to 450 BHT for 60,000), and then the UK bank fee. You will not need a Thai Bank account ( plus it's yearly fees, however a basic credit card - not gold - is around 100 Euros / 75 PSterl a year)

I am german so excuse if my knowledge of UK bank's conditions is rudimental. In Germany I use the DKB Bank Berlins VISACARD account. They charge NO FEE for withdrawals at a foreign ATM, and the 150 Baht fee from the ATM will get fully refunded by them , all I have to do is collect and send in the ATM receipts. When I pay using the card, they charge 1.75% , and I have never bought anything using the card in the last two years, so this is neglectible. The exchange rates I receive for the ATM withdrawals are always equal to those available on the same day at the exchange booth of the bank that operates the ATM.

Maybe there are UK banks that offer a similar service Combined bank account / credit card account at a fixed yearly fee, allowing free withdrawals at ATM's ?

They great advantage is, all the money you did not need for a living would still be in your UK bank account, making it a small savings depot. Whenever you fly back to the UK you would be greeted by a small fortune waiting to be spent or brought back to Thailand in cash.

Are you sure this email was not generated in Nigeria ? I would ignore it . Too much is too much.

Consider learning to read Thai (it takes about a week) ...

Dang, took me a couple of loooooooooooong years!

I can learn it in one week, too, and forget it the next day !

As far as why do I live here then, I'm retired and didn't come here to change the way I have eaten for 65 years.

This is the way I see it too. I'm from England and I eat the same kind of food I've always eaten. Strangely enough this means I eat Indian food most weeks as it's so popular back in the UK.

I've eaten a couple of Thai red curry's over the years in Thai restaurants in Europe which were quite nice but that would be a rare exception for me. I didn't choose the restaurant on that occasion.

I ate a 'Chicken Penang' which was pretty nice a few years back, that's the only Thai food I've eaten in Thailand, that was quite nice and I'll probably order it again at some point. Strangely enough 'Penang' isn't in Thailand, it tasted similar to an Indian curry to me.

I'm not so adventurous when it comes to food. I ate some sushi on Tuesday and had a three/four day outbreak of what looked like major Acne all over my face and neck, it only really started to disappear yesterday and today it's completely gone. Maybe I'm allergic to something - I literally had hundreds of 'spots' all over my face, they went as quickly as they came, very strange ! I blame the sushi but of course I guess it could have been anything else that caused this. I've never seen anything like it before.

It's called "chicken Pa-Naeng" and has nothing to do with Pe-nang , Malaysia ! It's a red chicken curry with coconut milk, some cook it up very mild without many chillies, absolutely adorable yummy food !

the 4.6 square kilometers in dispute are actually a pile of rocks and dirts inside a jungle.

The only way to solve the ongoing scuffle for land, is to give Cambodia SOME dirt tracks which will allow them access to the temple site itself, which Thailand has undisputed declared territory of Cambodia. As long as Cambodians need PARTS of the disputed 4.6 sqm of land in order to ACCESS the temple, which the Thai side refuses to grant them, the conflict can ' t be settled.

It 's like a kiddie game : I own the street that leads to your temple. The Temple belongs to you, I know and I have long agreed on this. But you cannot access the tmeple, because all the rodas that lead to it, belong to me.

How childish and how false the play is.

I cannot understand why the UN does not call for a halt to the unbearable situation , regarding the rights over 200 meters of DIRT and SCRUBLAND

when do we understand that this is not a border dispute, but a THEATER & DRAMA piece set up by Thai nationalists. A piece where THAI propaganda

directly inflicts and manipulates votes, elections and national interests.

I have long ago warned - speaking talked to my buddies- about the apparent conflict arising about the sea border between Thailand and Cambodia. THIS ONE is not 4.6 square kilometers of useless dirt and rocks. This one means much more to both participants. How do you want to resolve a dispute over 1500 Square kilometers of sea boundaries that possibly hold millions of barrels of oil if you cannot resolve a dispute over some 4 hectars of ant pits ????

It will certainly end in a war, if nobody in Thai government is willing to stop this nonsense and begin to talk strictly diplomacy. I hope I - an expat living in the southeast of the Eesarn - that we will be able to dance with cambodian and thai soldiers on this 2011 New Years evening. I sincerely hope the blockheads on both sides are gonna have an awakening for the benefit of us all.

Is it really only a matter of " FACE LOSS" ???

What has happened here ? Famous question , last scene in the movie "Cannonboats on the Yangtze Kiang" Steve Mc Queen , bullet struck and dying, last words : "what the hell has happened?"

I bear the same question on my lips. Still fail to understand reason.

Be happy we can still get pages added. Most other countries cannot and have to apply for a new passport when full. I always find the Embassy very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. $82 is a small price to pay.

They may be helpful and a pleasure to deal with, but their fees are high.

The germans canot add new pages to a passport. You will have to apply for a new passport, wait for 6 weeks to get it done and pay 80.- Euros ( 130 US $) !

Your embassy's service adding a few new pages . . .wish the germans would offer this to me !

to the OP

Little Concerned for you

A) how much have you already spent on the venture of a ' Pig Farm '

Over 3 yeas to build up, was this to buy the land and how much did it cost you? , also the stucture, as it looks no more then 50,000 THB worth

C) Wht is the other 500,000 THB for ? , not for stuctures or pigs.............

From a buiness view,

you aint going to get alot of pigs in that shed, and have you thought about breeding? , there isnt also alot of money in pigs, unless you sell in mass amounts... have you a plan for your farm ?

sorry for side tracking this subject, but i have seen a fw people duped into the same thing and lost AND SPENT most of there life savings, and from the OP statment he hasnt got alot of money on him

I agree with this. And there is another question, what will you feed to your pigs ? If you do not own land and grow your own pig food ( maniok ), it's gonna be a non profit business for you , , , ,

Hi there, I am bearing with the same question as the OP, wishing to take 10,000 Euros to Thailand by October. I do not need to exchange right away, and can wait until January/ February 2012. I am unsure if I should exchange upon arrival, bearing in mind the Euro could further be loosing against the Thai Baht, so any exchange rate upon arrival in October would be better than all other rates following. I have then but come upon a forecast - recommended by a friend- who said that in the past 4 years their forecast has always hit the nail on the head. However, he said, no guarantee that it always will work out fine !! The risk is on you ! this link , you go check for yourself

http://www.forecasts.org/euro.htm

In July , I have exchanged 10167 Euros, receiving 14,000 US Dollars for it. By end of August, I still had a loss of 25,000 Baht / against the Euro if I had Euros exchanged in Thailand for Thai Baht / . Yesterday, at the current rates, my win/ loss rate was only by 800 Baht short !!!! So if the Dollar keeps getting stronger against the Euro, there's a fat chance it results in a 20,000 - 40000 Baht better exchange rate !

Trust me my friend, all my advice NO WARRANTY NO PROMISE . . Ok ? Life is a bit of a gamble, who wouldn t like it ?

To the poster, Thahisa , you want to spend a first-of holiday in Thailand, I presume. Let me say , I would first try to check out on Thomas Cook and other relevant sites, how much a two week holiday is. Try to think yourself away from the "usual" UK holiday makers sites and try those of other Europena countries, You will find you can book a 12 day holiday in Thailand for two persons, for something like 2 x 850 Euros per person, including flight and accomodation. This is something like 1400 pounds Sterling for two , giving you much more value.

Most of these offers are for Hua HIn and/or Phuket or Jomtien Beach. As you apparently are a newbie, for a "first", you are welcomed in these places.

agreed....thailand is the most expensive cheap place i have ever lived.....and its getting worse !!!

VISA Plus (Debit) cards are perfect to use at ATM.

Exchange rate can be checked beforehand here:

http://corporate.vis...er_ex_rates.jsp

The "bank fee" is the uncertainty here (determined by the issuing bank).

Mine is 0%

Do not use remote ATMs but prefer the ones in the shopping mall bank branches e.g.

That's what I got, a VISA CARD from my foreign ( german) bank. If I need cash, I use the nearest

ATM. I do not inform myself about the exchange rates before, because I know they are within the

normal range I would also be getting over a Thai banks counter, so I don t give it any thought, and I

am not pulling large amounts.

My german bank takes ZERO % interest for the ATM withdrawal, the

Thai ATM will keep 150 Baht transaction fee each time. I collect the receipts, and my german bank

will PAY BACK THE FEES to my account ! I did 28 ATM withdrawals during my recent holiday, thus

collecting 4200 BAHT in fees. My bank returned all of it - 104 Euros.

If I pay the hotel or a shop bill with the VISA CARD, it is 2.5% interest, so I always avoid this and pick

up the amount I need for the bills in cash from an ATM !

You just must take some care in some areas , check the ATM's if they have been pampered with

( normally not the case out of the tourist areas and in shopping mals ) , don t reveal your PIN's

to anyone watching, if somebody steps up to close, I suggest frowning at them and wave them away,

if this does not help, let them step ahead of you ( and open your middle finger wide inside your pocket)

I have not come onto a better method, yet ! Plus all this at a possible withdrawal of up to 60,000 BAHT

at any Thai ATM every 24 hours, if anyone here knows a better option, please let me know.

My issueing bank is the DKB Berlin. I bet there are similar offerings from other European banks, it is

worth checking the internet for this.

A VISA CARD is 100 Euros of yearly fee, it is worth all of it !

I just don t get the idea why anyone would want to order books by amazon or Ebay, and have them shipped to Thailand, risking import tax fees and paying for shipping costs.

EVER HEARD OF AMAZON KINDLE READER ?????

Ya can download books SALES-TAX-FREE, SHIPPING-FREE and IMPORT-TAX-FREE in an instant from the internet in about any location in Thailand !

The same goes with movies. If you happen to enjoy a 6 MB broadband internet connection ( doable in cities like chiang Mai, Bangkok , Hua Hin or Pattaya) you can download just

ANY movie from the internet. You must have a paid-per-year membership in a file-download-server ( mostly at 25 USD per year ! ) and the links are easy to find. I would not give you any details on

it right here, as in most countries including UK, USA and Europe, this method is illegal, but it is widespreadetly used in Thailand , being no offence here at all !

I know of one farang with a Thai family, he downloads ONE movie EVERY DAY from the internet , onto an USB stick, plays it on his flatscreen giant TV set at home , with kids or

without - depending what kind of a plot - and after having watched it, will delete the file from the USB stick because he does not think the movies worth while to keep or copy

into a library.

So what's all the whining about, go get informed, know your computer and your tools. Be a New World man, not an Old World bum !!!

I've ordered two consignments of books from amazon.com in the past four or five weeks. The first one contained 4 books and came to about about $133, the other had 3 books and came to around $137.

They were shipped directly from amazon, not one of their resellers - was your package in official amazon packaging and mailed to you directly from amazon or one of their resellers ?

They converted the amounts into UK Pounds as I originally setup my amazon account from the UK, here's what it says on the Amazon invoices at the website, the interesting thing is - there is already a charge in the form of a deposit for import duty on the invoice :

It's quite possible that have a different customs duty charge to DVD's.

Order 1

Total Before Tax: GBP 84.40

Sales Tax: GBP 0.00

Import Fees Deposit GBP 5.68

-----

Total for This Shipment: GBP 84.40

Order 2

Total Before Tax: GBP 89.82

Sales Tax: GBP 0.00

Import Fees Deposit GBP 5.88

-----

Total for This Shipment: GBP 89.82

So it appears that when you order directly from amazon they do already charge some import duty in the form of a deposit which is included in the total you pay to them, I'm not sure how it works exactly but on these two packages I didn't have to pay anything when they arrived, they were just dropped off at the security office at the front of the apartment and I collected them from there.

I wonder, did they also charge you import tax on your original invoice ?

I live near Kantharalak , too. If it was my Dad, I would pick him up. I would firstly try to hire a diver/minibus/taxi in Kantharalak, and bargain for a good price to take you to SUV and then back to Kantharalak with the you and Pops. Only if negative result in finding someone, take the VIP night bus, pick up your Dad, then use the Bangkokairporttaxi - link above sounds good to me . .the price for one way should be something like the on their price list from Bangkok to Khon Kaen ( 7000 BHT) . Good luck and enjoy it !

If you require large amounts, and wire in different diameters, I would suggest you buy a rolling machine and a drawing die , as this will enable you to make your own 925 wire. There are jewelry equipment shops across the river at the Thaksin bridge, I forgot the exact locations but there is one larger street lined with shops. You can also visit the Gems Show in September and find a supploier who would be willing to make rod & wire for you. However, to make it by yourself is the far better option !