Thaicoon

I was going to have a swimming pool built at my house, i was told by a couple of ferangs, do not do it, one built a swimming pool a few years ago, he had more hassle with it than it was worth, he also was going back and forth to UK every couple of months, the pool was never clean it use to get full of bugs and rubbish, you know what the thais are like with litter, the chemicals were so expensive and also every time he returned he had to call somebody from Bangkok to sort it out, it is not the same in esarn as by the coast, i think he has now turned it into a fishpond, he's waiting for a Thai mer"maid" to keep it clean.

Only one way of making money in Thailand, is to bring it with you.

Hi People.

Currently here on a non-o obtained from the Thai consulate in Cardiff (Wales) on the strength of my UK mariage cert. (to a Thai lady of course).

Now, when my 'o' expires can I use the UK cert. (or a translation of it) to extend my stay for support of spouse or must I get my marriage registered here in LOS ???

It's a while in the future yet, just like to get things straight in plenty of time.

Cheers DC

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Crossy,

Me the same as you, been married for 10 years to a thai lady now got two kids, but never registered the marriage in thailand we got married in Wales, my wife had a fiance visa, so i will have to do the same as you, as this year i am moving to LOS for good, the other option is get married again in Thailand and have a good party, , thats what my wife wants, as none of her relatives were at our wedding, we just had a bit of a ceromony at the village in Buriram. good post.

Thiacoon

dont suppose you have any contact details for that hotel -i tried a search on google but couldnt find it.

how far is it from the airport and how much should i be charged??

been ripped off once or twice at Bkk airport!!!

cheers for the info so far    lourens an thaicoon

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If you ask the taxi to take you to the vong thong hotel, just before you go into the carpark in the front the book and bed is about 100 yards on the left hand side, it is a corner property, i am sorry but i do not know the name of that soi, it is a very small place only has about 6 or 7 rooms, but 100%, i will try to find there e-mail for you, i will fax my mate and ask him.

Lourens, good information, i could not have done better, well done.

Hope he enjoys Buriram, one of the better places on earth, there is a good hotel, guest house, opposite the Vong tong hotel, air con rooms, very very clean, this place was gutted a couple of years back so everything is new, and it is very friendly, the one other thing it is only 250 baht a night, it is called the BOOK & BED, a ferang friend of mine, his neice and her husband own it. and not far from town.

In Buriran one night, had two many beers and quite drunk, came out of speed disco at 1 o,clock, my Phantom motorcycle was parked outside, went to start it up and fell off, two policemen came over restarted the bike for me put me on and away to go, i gave the one a 100 baht, came to the first corner in town, i came off gravel rash everywhere, one night in hospital, crazy, you learn by your mistakes, wife worried at home, it was my birthday.

I got bag 5 bags of Uncle Bens in Tesco Lutos

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I bet you paid more for it, you could of had some Uncle Ian's cheaper.

That sounds about right, about 8 or 9 bags to one rai, i always wait untill the rice reaches the highest price, then sell, it normally goes high just before replanting, as soon as the thais harvest they sell, and most of them do not think about replanting the coming year.

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Helped with the harvest for the first time this year.I noticed in all cases that a small special stack was made with the best of the crop and this was run through the machine into a marked sack for replanting.

Seemed a standard thing that was being done by all he farmers.As for harvesting levels I was told this year was down about 15% on last year

Last year in Buriram, it was not a very good harvest, this year was a lot better, and hopefully 2005 will be better still.

I am always buying land, its the old story, in my book as long as your wife and yourself are happy and in a good steady relationship, got a couple of kids, what the hel, the kids will benifit in the long run, i have been married for 10 years, and very happy, good thai family, never ripped me off, hel my sister in law has my atm card, to pay the bills when i am not in LOS, and also the land we have, gives us a small amount of money each year, we have about 70 rai and buying another 30 rai after xmas.

also, you can never lose when purchasing land, it is a good investment wherever it is. thats what i think......................good luck.

Expatgaz,

This is my pad for 3 mill,

My Thai family built my house in Buriram and a few lads out of my village with the ladys doing the labouring, i think i got a bargain, 3 million baht, that was 2000 the millenium, i treated myself, anyhow have a look at other ferrang houses around the area, if you see good workmanship and well built, knock the door, they will give you good advise, i have had ferangs come to me and my brother in law has picked up quite a bit of work, which is good.

I'm told very good in Sisaket - will be there at the weekend to check it out

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My wife is from Ban Nong Kheang, 15 min drive from Srisaket ( dir: Ubon R)

They made 170 bags out of 20 rai and Bon Bon Maak, the chilli wasn't good eighter.

The got 0.07 B perkilo rice, and 0.16 for chilli, are these OK?

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That sounds about right, about 8 or 9 bags to one rai, i always wait untill the rice reaches the highest price, then sell, it normally goes high just before replanting, as soon as the thais harvest they sell, and most of them do not think about replanting the coming year.

I saw about 50 bags to a rai where I live in Buriram. Is that good?

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Hi Lourens,

That does not sound right to me 50 bags per rai, ?, what size bags, My wife and i have about 70 rai of land, with 80% rice and also in Buriram, check it out again i would love to know, cheers mate..................

The 200 sacks i got was just my share, 85kilo a sack so pretty good for not doing anything, the rest went to my wifes family and we work on a 70 - 30 basis, so going to watch the rice prices when it goes up time to sell, thanks guys.................

Very happy this year got 200 sacks of rice of our land, quite good, just wondering how you other farmers got on. i would be interested.

I dont know anyone who's ever heard of Osmach

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Osmach is the casino i think, Its called the Osmach resort, i go in there to play roulette,when across border at chon chom. otherwise the only thing there is a market about half a kilo own the road, there is a restaurant there with superb food. stir fries etc. and get a black panther stout that will blow your mind out at 8% proof.

I met a large (huge in fact) geordie but he went by another name, Martin, he claimed to be ex Para and SAS so might be your "mate".

If he is a good friend of Chris Ryan why don't you send your contact details to him, at his publishers and ask them to pass them on.

If he is the lying b**tard I met you might find him in Pranburi, south of Hua Hin

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Martin, Sounds like the martin i know, full of Bull, and planty of mouth, use to work in the Zenith Hotel, soi 3, Bangkok, a few years ago, ex sas do not normally tell you who they are.

A chap i knew lost £1500.00, he picked up a bargirl one evening, after they had done the business he told her to come to his hotel room early evening the next day, so she turned up, they went out, he went to pay the tab at the bar, left his money in hotel safe so he told the bargirl go back to my hotel, here is my room key and the pin no for the safe, bring us some cash to pay.

Have a guess what happened next...........she did not return, he went to look for her the key was locked in the room, safe open and his passport, cards, and £1500.00 missing, i bet she had a ball, some ferangs do not have a brain, serves him right.

I would buy most of the ladyboys in Thailand,

...........Then tell Pvtdick

When building my House, i was very lucky, the workmanship was as good if not better than a english builder, i have had guys come round and they have asked me who has built it, as they were astounded that a thai had built it, it took about 8 months to complete, my thai brother in law built it with some of the guys in the village, me and the mrs well pleased, it cost us about 2.5 million 3 years ago, 2.5 million well spent, also other ferangs say i got a bargain its like a 6 million baht house, if you want to check it out, its on my website.

www.gandajones.co.uk go to ians pics, last page. i would appriciate your comments.

cheers guys.

I would love to meet Pvtdick, to give him that bottle of black label with my compliments, i'll pi.. in it first............

Kringle, hope you are ready for the drinking session in Bangkok, next month, will your friend be there then also got your bike parts.

Me the same, 2004 isuzu Dmax 4x4 Cab4 highlander 3 litre t/deisel, insurance a litle cheaper at 16,000 baht, i think most places are the same, i do the insurance through the dealer as it is a new motor, but next year going to shop around.

Sorry, Sublime, that post of mine was meant for PvtDick. about the black label........

I'll pay my "debt to society"

how is getting caught selling copy football shirts and paying a fine to the capitilists, paying a debt to society?

The fine goes to the state, not the brand owner. These laws are meant to protect the public from being sold shoddy goods that are branded to look like they come from a respected manufacturer. Let me guess who'd be the first guy here to scream like a banshee if he bought a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label at the grocery store and it turned out to be colored water? Intellectual property laws wouldn't be so much of a joke to you then, would they?

When in Thailand i will send you a bottle of J/Walkr black label with my compliments, ,.......... i'll pi.. in it first.