ProThaiExpat

He Pepe: My soluna loaded was 600,000 Baht bought when the baht was 44 to the dollar or $13,536 including all taxes. Insurance was an additional 15k for the year.

Having just arrived in Thailand, it seemed a very reasonable price to me.

Your in the most competitive car market in the world, how does it compare with your prices. Perhaps a Soluna is not available in your market. It is a four door sedan with ABS brakes, loaded with extras and due to Japanese price controls, unavailabe for anything less than a 3% discount off sticker. It is smaller than a Corolla, probably considered a standard sized car, it is not a compact.

It is foolhardy to make any conclusions when double hearsay is involved.

Questions can certainly be raised by inquiring minds.

My questions are:

1) Where was the wife at the time of the intrusion.

2) What time of day was it?

3) How did the police determine the number of intruders?

4) Was there a "breakin" involved?

5) Does the location, ie "Golden Triangle" have anything to do with it?

Hopefully, there will be follow up information provided, so we remaining expats can review our "security", and I use that term in the broadest sense.

Yes, there was a large tour group of people from somewhere in the middle east who clearly hadn't washed their bodies for at least a week as their collective body odor was very disagreeable to most of the other passengers. To spell it out for those who haven't flown AirAsia yet, since there are no reserved seats, all passengers gang up at the departure point trying to get first in line for their seat selection, and with little or no crowd control, boading is a virtual stampede. Choosing not to join the throng and trying to distance myself from the stench emanating from the group tour mentioned above, I awaited others to board and thus had no seat selection opportunity. Perhaps you don't mind such things, but I do and as I stated in my post, convenience, in this instance, was controlling, not price.

The purpose of my post was to make the point that my tickets cost 500 baht more per trip and that I didn't feel the inconvienience of limited flight availability, the cost of dirinks and snacks on the flight, the lack of seat reservations and the long wait with a uncontrolled mob boarding in the boarding area made the Thai Airways price so unreasonable or the Air Asia price such a bargain.

To say it another way, Thanksin Shinawatra didn't get to be the richest man in Thailand by giving anything away!

Cutethaigirl: Rest assured, I think with a rational mind before I post, please do the same and keep your degogatory remarks regarding my post to yourself.

I just logged off AirAsia and the fare for Sat 22 May is 1200 baht for one person one way for the only daylight flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok for a very early morining flight. For two persons round trip, per my post, would be 4800 Baht, fees not included.

As I stated in my post, I would take AirAsia, dispite the inconviences mentioned in my post if it was possible to fly to Bangkok from Chiang Mai for 300 baht.

It is wonderful you can fly for 300 to wherever you are going, but it is not possible for me. I meet my daughter's flight from Australia in the very late evening, and so a 7pm flight from Chiang Mai allows for time to book a rent-a-car and meet her when she arrives.

While I am sure that I could invent activities in Bangkok to occupy my day from the AirAsia flights arrival at 9 am until my daughters flight arrives at 11:45 pm, prefer to remain in my comfortable home and begin my trip in the evening to coordinate with her arrival.

Went back for the fees and they are 489 per ticket, so 5700 for two roundtrip is the quoted price for their one daylight flight. Checked into avaiable flights for the return and for the whole following week, the 7:50 morining flight is the only one available to return during daylight hours.

As I stated in my post, I look forward to NokAir begining to operate as I think it will meet a happy medium between comfort, convenience and price.

Huski: What you say about the propnderance of non-immigrant 0 visas being issued outside of Thailand may be true since it is not widely known that one can change from a tourist visa to a non-immigrant 0 on the 4th floor of the main immigration office.

Speaking only to non-immigrant 0 and one year extentions for retirees, there is far less hassle to get your non-immigrant 0 here in Thailand once you enter on a tourist visa that going to consulates outside of Thailand who apply different requirements and sometimes make it even impossible. I know, I tried two countries before changing here in Thailand.

Here retirees don't need a criminal clearance or a letter from an embassy, in most cases. Keeping in mind that its all up to the immigration officer in question.

Going to the intent of the regulation regarding proof of financial solvency during retirment and the meeting of day to day living expenses through sources outside of Thailand, it would seem a lease is an insufficient guaranteed source of retirement income for immigration purposes. If the lessee doesn't pay rent, moves out, house is vacant, your funds stop, ie. not guaranteed income.

Pension income is a tough one to qualify under with Thai Immigration because of the guaranteed nature of the pension. Proving that the pension is "guaranteed" for the comming year is what the Emabassy letter is all about. Even Social Security recipients are given a tough time qualifying if the pension is the sole qualifier. Many glitches are possible in receiving your pension in Thailand. If the pension plus perhaps 400k baht in the bank can be done, its a lot easier.

Thus, most get the 800,000 baht together and place it in a Thai bank, then all goes smoothly.

Once again, you are faced with the discretion of the Thai Immiegraion Officail and what he is willing to do in your case. The longer you are in Thailand, the more flexible they become. Even the official website speak of persons who have a sensitivity to cold and are long time reidents being given leeway.

A year ago when I referred to my non-immigrant 0 visa as an OA, I was advised by the gurus in the forum that O-A is the non-immigrant 0 visa issued outside of Thailand and the non-immigrant 0 visa issued inside of Thaialand, as mine was, was a simple 0, without the A. We speculated at the time whether the "A" stood for "abroad".

I checked my passport at the time and sure enough, there was no "A" following the "O", witten in hand just above the visa stamp.

As a newcomer two year ago, I went and bought a Toyota Soluna with ABS brakes. The size was right for my "other half" and with the seat back, easily driveable by this "big farang". I don't drive all that much.

Car has never had a rattle, a repair except for body scrapes, and the dealer services it rarely, but perfectly. Haven't been happier with a vehicle in my long life.

Went for the Toyota reputation. P.S. it was the last model year for that body style, the next one is the Vios, which I don't particulary like "stylewise".

Really enjoyed driving my neighbors Isuzu p/u as it has a high seat, easy to get in and out of for a tall gent. Also like riding high. If I had it to do over again, would probably go for a SUV, what I drove for twenty years back home, but it would have to be a high seat and what they call a "hybrid". Since I only get in and out of the car twice or three times a week, practicallity dictates keeping this car that has performed so well and will continue to do so and no one has tinkered under the hood.

I flew CM to BKK and back last month on AirAsia and found a number of surprises that caused be to go back to Thai Airways.\

Must check in more that 40 minutes prior to departure.

No reserved seats so you get to join the herd of the unwashed.

No changes in reservations without a 500 baht fee and no purchase of another ticket within three hours of a nearly emply flight.

My cost for the trip CM to BKK roundtrip booked at least a week in advance with all fees, etc. was 7700 Baht.

Just booked next weeks flight for two CM to BKK roundtrip, leaving on Saturday, I was advised there was a promotion, total cost with all fees 7700 Baht.

An hours time sitting in a boarding lounge, a reserved seat and free snack and drinks means something to me, especially when I can fly for the same rate.

I did read in AirAsia's information that they raise the cost of the tickets for any given flight as the plane gets fuller. So the first bookers probably do get a good rate, but if you book later in the fill up, not later in time, the rate will be higher.

Sure, if I could fly CM-Bkk for 300 Baht, I would endure a great deal, but that hasn't proved to be the case.

I have read that once NokAir starts operating in June, the level of service will be greater than on Thai Airways and certainly greater than AirAsia and at the discount fare.

PS: For those guys with Issan g/f's, Phuket Air now flys there every morning from CM roundtrip for 2500 Baht. Mine has done it twice and they give free snacks and drinks.

JimGant: Right on!, once in a while posters should be reminded of their "fixations".

Division 3's new website under "General Information" states emphatically that the way to get a non-immigrant 0 visa is only from outside Thailand.

Since this raises a conflict in my mind from advice we have given here, I sent a question to Division 3 regarding this "general information" and whether they are dicouraging change of status while in Thailand or a suggetion they change the information in "general information".

Will post the reply when and if it is received.

This may be entirely too logical for Thailand, but the organization chart on Division 3s webpage states that Division 3 is responsible for border check points and Division 1 is responsible for Airports.

Thus, when flying into Thailand, you may have a multiple entry problem while border checkpoints are controlled by Division 3's "no problem information" as stated in george's news article.

Your check with the U.S. Department of State webpage with particular attention to the section on why people are turned down for visa's will help you the most.

As Dr. Pat said, it is a judgment call.

Keep in mind that the visa will only be granted after an interview, and the consular interviewer is MANDATED by law to begin the interview with a mind set or an assumption that the purpose of the visit to the U.S. if for purposes of STAYING OVER after the visa expires. The "burden of proof" to the contrary rests with the applicant for the visa. Thus anything you can do to convince an interviewer that indeed your girl friend/wife has no intention of staying over her visa and "has a compelling reason" to return to Thailand you should do.

Since you are returnig to the U.S. with a new "wife". if you don't return to Thailand, will the wife? What "compelling reason" does your wife/gf have to return to Thailand.

If you go the g/f route, her property, job, bank account, school, etc. and all of them will be the compelling reason for a tourist to return to her home country.

However, going the wife route, you must establish that you are committed to living in Thailand, with a job, home, car, children, or whatever, so that you have a compelling reason to return to Thailand after your home visit to take up your life here and that your loving wife will likewise want to return here to be with her husband and the easy life you have provided for her.

It is a tough one, either way you go. It has been done, and continues to be done, however, lawyers are not going to help in the interview, and probably will hurt. Since the intervierwers decision is not appealable, going over his/her head will do absolutely no good, in fact that effort should be placed on convincing the interviewer of the compelling reason to return through overwhelming documentation, family photos, deeds, joint everything, etc. I will ge going through it in a few months and am always thinking of ways to add doucmentation and "compelling reasons" for return.

No formal dowry, but after two years, moma is reportedly not getting on well with any of the other children (7) all with families to support, so child married to a rich farang is looked to to help out. Move in with us, no way.

Solution, buy her a house in her home village that has electricity and plumbing, ancestral home has neither. Some baht for furnishings and the whole thing including a samll remodel costs less that 400,000 ,undertood to be the last baht contributed to family. The same money was loaned to a sister previously to buy a truck, it was repaid in one month rather than the six months allowed.

Comming from a family that abandoned me at age four, I admittedly have few family values and so may err in the direction of overcompensating. That said, I feel that if I can afford to provide to a 77 year old mom of seven children who has been dirt poor her whole life, with a few golden years in her own home where she is the "boss" of all she surveys, then why not? The property is one of the best in the village and was bought at a very low price due to the hardship of the owners, the size of the land and house make it a very good investment.

Likewise, it is in gf/s name. so it will be her additional security if I kick the bucket and make getting her a visa for travel abroad a lot easier.

One poster hit it right when they spoke of pressure put on the gf by the family. Mine resisted all family entreaties until a breakdown was imminent. Part of my reliquishment was over a period of time and with the clear understanding that this was it, that I didn't have enough retirement funds to help out any more.

Call this delayed dowry, that has been mentioned, or the richest relative helping the poorest, or whatever, the result is that my love is now very happy that this "problem" has been resolved and that future son-in-law has done more than his duty in helping the "family" in a generous way that gives them all "much face" in the village. Moma is now the toast of the village with "much face" as her future son-in-law cares so much for gf's family that he bought mother-in-law a house of her own.

It is my nature to give a lot of rope before hanging one out to dry, and this I have done, so any NO required in the future will come easily with a litany of reasons why there can't be more, including the agreement at the time of the purchase of the house.

No sooner than I withdrew the money from the bank and the house was bought, that I received an e-mail from a lawyer announcing that money due me from a bankruptcy 14 years ago had come through to everyones amazement and the amount on its way to me represents a multiple of nine times the money I gave to mom. My pen rai.

Hopefully George's action will reduce the number of mindless one liners and drivel that goes on for pages in some threads that start out of interest.

There is property tax due at time of transfer to the purchaser to be paid at the land office when the deed is recorded.

Property values in such instances are notoriously undervalued. In residential estate situations where a house is built on the property, the developer has no problem understating the value of the land or what you paid for it to minimize the tax.

If you lease back the property or house, you will pay additional tax on the value of the rent to be paid so clearly, that wants to be stated at a miinimum.

If you question is: "Is the property tax rate higher for a company buying land and leasing back to an individual as opposed to an individual?" I just don't know that answer, perhaps someone who has done it that way will weigh in.

It would seem to me that a simple "surrender" of your leasehold rights filed with the land office and enscribed on the back of the deed would clear the tenancy issue and allow for a sale of the property.

lopburi 3, you have quite rightly posted before that the entry must be on a "visa" not a entry permit, inorder to get an "in country" change to non-immigrant 0.

Aussifella's age bias attitude is in the minority around the world and is almost extinct in Thailand, a good status for him to be in.

You will want to go to an AIS office and obtain another sim card and enroll in a GPRS plan, hopefully at the max 850 plan I have.

You will need a wireless card for your PC, I have a Sierra, but a Thailand made product may be cheaper. Load the software on your computer, insert the sim card into the wireless card that fits into your PC and it should connect.

I had the Fujitsu dealer that I bought the wireless card set it all up and he went with me to AIS so the whole thing would work, a condition I made as part of my purchase agreement.

You should first determine if you PC has a slot for a wireless card, ie. a port. If not, there is probably a external hub that can take a wireless card and connect with your PC through one of your available ports.

As I said, I would have the guy who sells you the wireless card, I paid 15k for mine, make it all work as part of your deal. It is not complicated if you underestand what your doing, but maddening if you don't.

The sierra allows incoming and outgoing calls while you are online through your sim card and does have software features for dialing, recording missed calls, etc.

Why bother with the varying requirements found at different consulates in the U.S. when a simple tourist visa will get you to Thailand and then you can apply here at the 4th floor office of main immigration for change of status to non-immigrant O(reitmrement) and one year extention.

No embassy letter is required unless you are trying to get by on a pension payment rather than money in the bank and certainly no police clearance is required in Thailand.

PM me if you have any further questions.

The Thai who has title to your land will pay a tax upon transfer of the property from the previous owner and will have to pay tax on any rental income you recite if you lease the land from him upon which you will build your house.

If your income from internet consultancy is deposited into a off-shore or foreign account, you most likely won't have to pay tax on it, although, technically it is payable.

Working for money while on a retirement visa is strictly prohibited.

Please clarify. They wouldn't have known you didn't have your passport when they stopped you in the first instance. What was the reason for the original stop?

Were you walking, motorbike, car? Are you sure they were bona fide policemen?

Where was it that this happened? Time of day?

How can it be cheaper? As they increase users, they degrade what is already 4kb download speed.

While I am reading posts in Thaivisa, I am connected to GPRS, so will I be billed for the time it takes me to read my downloads?

My fixed rate plan with almost unlimited access and KBPS doesn't look like it can be cheaper by charging by the minute.

The point being made by immigration is that farang cannot use a fixed interest deposit account to qualify for an extention for which money in the bank is required.

They want to see you using your account, usually savings account, on a regular basis for your living expenses. As they have explained in one of their replies, they are after farang who are working in Thailand when they shouldn't be. Thus, if you cannot show the source of your living expenses, ie. leaving money in a fixed deposit account, they will investigate further.

Money coming into your savings account must indicate a transfer from abroad for the same reason.

If the Tawan Court Hotel is the one I am thinking of, it is in a good farang area location for starters and certainly any accomodation that is decent for that price is good for a starter.

Location to rent is primarily a matter of personal choice. If you will have a car, your choices are a great more varied. Certainly you don't want to rent near the airport or in the area south of Chiang Mai affected by the airport expansion.

Your need to meet other farang, socialize or eat in farang restaurants is an important consideration regarding location.

If you are an athlete, the sports stadium complex north of Chiang Mai would be a consideration.

If you are an academic, perhaps near Chiang Mai University would be important.

Finding a good house to rent is only part of the problem. Finding a decent landlord is another. There are as many "horror stories" about Thai landlords as their are rentals available. My condo owner (dutch) was one of the worst landlords in the world, a real scammer.

Kuhn Linda, of Linda Real Estate, number in all farang magazines, has the best reputation as an agent to find you a rental and treating her like gold will get you the farthest in protection from landlord in lease and all the little things like electricity, water, cable, telephone, garbage collection and the like.

Good luck.