Pilotman

14 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Thai hospitals never invent vaccinations.  Thai hospitals exist to cure and prevent illness.  Tell us what turned you against Thailand? 

Ha, good one.  I'm not against Thailand, I live here quite happily,  it's the overall appalling health care provision, especially for its citizens.  Vaccinations of anti bionics to young children who have a cold, unnecessary procedures like MRIs and CT scans, that are clearly not needed but foisted on unaware people.  The widespread giving of pain killers and anti bionics without thought or reason, such as for clearly virus based problems. The acceptance of a Temporary Provisional Licence to practice medicine for 'doctors' who have failed their final exams.  My wife went for a test procedure in one hospital a while back and was asked by the doctor what medication she wanted to be prescribed !  When we queried that remark, we were told, 'well I will give you want you want'.  Need I say more?    

bit naive to ask a Thai hospital if you need additional vaccinations.  They will almost always invent some, even if you don't need them. They are medical based, profit generating businesses, not really facilities for curing aliments and preventing others.  Actually, they can be, provided they can charge you over the odds to do it. 

5 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I'm sure if you were 'wiser' you would have bought it before turning 60?

I did and then the premiums got excessive and uneconomic.  The premiums asked for exceeded the cost of a triple heart bypass ever 3 years, a nonsense situation. 

In my past career,  I worked for two Asian airlines, both privately owned from the off and both very successful. It has nothing to do with Asian culture, it's to do with the gross inefficiency and poor strategic/business planning in Thai and the antiquated management and ownership structure.  They have first class examples on their Asian doorstep, so it should be a simple thing to understand and address. 

6 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

I am in agreement with you.  I hike, run, cycle, and walk my own dog and I have never had a real problem.  There can be some noise but I have always found being friendly and not being afraid works.  I enjoy watching the interaction between human and dog as well as dog and dog.

 

We have an older dog who makes scary noises but never bites.  Other dogs are intimidated at first but they soon learn how to deal with the grumpy old man.  I have noticed that dogs where I live don't appreciate aggressive humans and they do remember.  Better to play nice and make friends in my opinion.

If you take that as normal, it will not be long before you are in trouble.  In a land filed with soi dogs and with rabies present, as well as many other transmittable diseases, to your dog if not to you, absolute caution and discretion is a must.  Thai dogs, as we all know,  are much more territorial than domesticated pets and if you invade what they see as their space they can very easily attack you without warning. Even dogs on the beach can be just as bad. I carry a large stick when I walk my little dog and never let them get close to me or to him. 

looks like an android to me.  Cyborgs in Thailand, interesting. 

16 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think they have the same people here trying to divert tourists from Pattaya to another location.  I lived there for 3 years and found it stimulating every day.  The only reason I left was business and didn't like the daily commute from Pattaya to Maptaphut.  I can see why born again televangelists would not like it but other than them everyone else I know likes the place.   

As with all these things it comes down to personal taste and choice.  I must admit that in the past I did like Pattaya. I found it an exciting place to holiday and when my family and I lived in Hong Kong, and latterly in  Taiwan,  we looked forward to breaks in both Phuket and Patts.  But that was many many years ago and I have watched the decline of both places (from what attracted me to them)  over those years.  Now it is not to my taste at all and I avoid it when I can. in regard to your last comment, all of my friends loath the place; interesting.  Horses for courses as they say. 

3 hours ago, Gumballl said:

It is my understanding that this is the low season for tourists (across all of Thailand). Wait until after November.

ever the optimist eh? Hopefully, it will remain at this level and then slowly die off,  like a diseased rotting animal.  

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

You bring back fond memories.  The first time I read a post like that it was 2007.  Almost word for word.

that's maybe because it's true and the place is as big a rip off dump now as it ever was ? 

5 minutes ago, champers said:

Alas Smith. What happened to Jones?

That was a great series.  Both of us showing our age now. 

you must be resident somewhere, even as a crew member on a ship. the default should be where you are domiciled.  

Definition:

You are domiciled in the country in which you have your permanent home, or in which you consider to be your 'real' home. For UK purposes,domicile is not the same as residence or nationality, although both may be important in determining domicile. Under UK law, an individual cannot have more than one current domicile.

10 minutes ago, Bruce G said:

Never going to Thailand’s again, here in Phuket today police take my passport and demand 1000thb for riding motorcycle, the country is corrupt, you lose thailand 

why did they fine you, no helmet, no licence or insurance, doing something against the traffic laws.  They always have a reason to stop you.  If you were in the wrong, whatever happened with the cops, it was your fault that you got caught in the first place.  

6 minutes ago, newatthis said:

You're assuming that they'll be refused. Kickbacks have been paid for yonks all over the world. Although they'll deny it, banks employ people to calculate and negotiate the best payment so that their client's business venture will be successful in certain countries.

We may find this deplorable but that is the fact of doing business. Now if the upper echelons of society here thrive in getting "gifts" to do business, why would you deprive other levels of the public service from getting the same? 

Shock horror! Corruption, bribery, criminal, graft etc etc! Yes, it is! But this is not our country. We are aliens here!

And if this is the method they use to do business, then this is the way business is done. 69 million Thais in this country and if they're not jumping up and down about it, why should you?

Even more, if it is acceptable for Thais, then the alien [or his/her agent] is perfectly entitled to do business the same way. If it is good for the goose, it is good for the gander.

Many may find this abhorrent, however, as we are often reminded by some posters on TV, this is not our country. 

We will fit into the Thai way of doing things....OR.......

You use the title 'public service' and therein should lie the difference.  Yes, in the commercial world there are all kind of kickbacks, bribes, legal and illegal activity and shady dealing,  but "Public Servants" should be held by us all to a higher standard of conduct and propriety. if that is not so, then the whole of society is negatively impacted, weakened and development slowed or stopped altogether. In my country, the UK, but for a very few bad apples, this higher standard is generally accepted and followed. In many parts of the so called 'developing World', public service means very little  and is indistinguishable from the shady parts of the commercial World.  Those countries and societies will never amount to anything unless that is tackled and largely eradicated.  Here in LOS, this lack of proper public service is amply demonstrated by allowing the Military and the Police to officially engage in commercial activity and to own and run businesses, an utterly ludicrous idea and a blue print for all many of shady dealing and pocket lining.  The Thais have the solutions staring them in the face, they just don't care enough to get on with stamping it out.   

59 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

Perhaps my brain is befuddled, but I think the whole reason behind this whole 800/400K, requirement and the 90-day checking, was to stop people depositing 800K and then withdrawing after visa was issued. Most who did that, were working through Visa agents.

 

If immigration are not issue the 90-day check letters to those that use Visa companies, it makes no sense and implies corruption. Another case where "Good Guy" that follow the requirement, get punished by more paperwork and time, because of the "Bad Guys", who walk away laughing.

 

Am I wrong??????????????

No , not wrong.  But it is what it is. 

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

God SO good to be Canadian.

I wouldn't go that far. 

1 hour ago, Pumpuynarak said:

HSBC fee = 4GBP, SCB fee = max 500bht, i don't call that expensive, but thats me.....

 

The only downside is SCB's crap exchange rate but i can live with that to ensure foreign transactions showing on my SCB statement.

RBS fee £24 for standard international transfer, up to 5 days, can take 7;  £34 for their 'fast track' transfer, which takes 3 days, so hardly fast.  That's why I use Transferwise.  

very selective hearing and not too much deep thinking on your part, about the views and motives of others, especially Thai families, or even your TGF, is a definite must here. Go play golf and forget you ever heard anything. 

My problem with the income method, as I understand the rule, is that although the amount deposited in my UK bank in pensions etc , is a more than the 65,000 required, in comes in three tranches and is not deposited on the say day of each month. So its the 800K locked up for me.  

On 7/27/2019 at 8:37 AM, Suradit69 said:

Thanks. I just recalled some people getting into a debate over the meaning of pension."

I use SWIFT transfer and they always appear as foreign exchange deposits.

But in comparison to Tranferwise, at least with my UK bank, a swift transfer is a very expensive way to transfer money. 

8 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

No - at best all they can report on is what the agent has said they'll do next time. Since part of the new rules pertain to post-seasoning checks, no one can report back definitively on what will happen until that bridge is crossed. The new rules came in from 1st January 2019 so the earliest we might start getting solid feedback on this is around December this year (allowing for the 30/45 days advance application for retirement extensions). 

Quite right; some here will need to book their flights out of Thailand now to get the best deals for when their next extensions are refused.   

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

But there is no requirement in the rules to prove the money is still in the bank for 3 months or further checks that the 400k baht is in the bank. Some offices are telling people it will be checked when they apply for their next extension.

In reality if a person failed to do the check after 90 days they are requiring and their bank book showed the 800k/400k baht had stayed in the bank there is no punishment that could be imposed for not doing it.

Although that is of course true, Pattaya have specifically issued us with a letter stating when the bankbook must be presented for the 90 day verification after granting of the extension.  It would be a brave person who disregarded that and then went back to do their new extension, to be told they had not complied with the IO instructions contained within that letter.  As this is the first year of this new requirement, I would suggest that not reporting may turn out to be a risky move. 

My advice is don't be too worried about taking a girl back to your room. Normal sensible precautions in dealing with someone you don't know will see you okay.  Talk to her before hand, find out about her.  Check her ID yourself at some point, if possible take a pic of it on your phone, that will warn her that you are on top of your personal security.  Make sure, if it's a bar fine, that you pay the Mamasan directly (so she may remember you) and that you know which bar it is.  Don't go out for the evening with any credit /debit cards, or with your wallet.  Just take what cash you think you will need for that night. As to hiding your valuables, that can be a bit of an issue, as safes are not always the safest places.   A well locked case is the best bet as its difficult to pick in a short time.   I had a small lockable case that I placed within the larger lockable case.   Never drink a drink she gives you, or has access to.  if you leave the room, take your drink with you or pour another one. Never but never accept pills or drugs from the girl. Never leave any phone, iPad or laptop around. And as others have said, if Ladyboys are your thing, then be very careful, as they can be mental cases, stronger than you, and often armed with a knife, or worse. if they are not your thing, then make damn sure you don't pick one up by mistake. Finally, make a note on your phone of the number for the Police, Tourist Police, Tourist Helpline and your Embassy.  Also take a pic of your passport pages. Guard your phone well and keep your passport safe in the room at all times. 

Good luck and have a great time and don't let any nervousness spoil the holiday.