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Hi all,

Anyone know of any English language radio stations available nationally.

I'm actually located in Saraburi but travel frequently to both Bangkok and Korat.

Cheers,

Hi AmeriThai

We are on the south side of the city. About a mile up from the start of the west side bypass. School is probably less than 10-minutes away and on to the Bangkok road in a couple of minutes.

Looks like we ate almost neighbours! When do you think you will be next back?

First impressions of Saraburi on our first quick visit was 'oh no' but now we are finding our way around I'm actually quite liking it. Quite a sleepy little place but has pretty much all you need. May have a different view if I was younger. Notso good if you are looking for nightclubs and bars.

Cheers

All the above is based on my personal recent experience. Our daughter is 9-years old and will start at SJMIS at the beginning of the next semester which is 17th January.

We have only been in Thailand about 5-weeks or so and originally wanted to settle in/around Korat. However, with schools with a proper 'English Program' being next to impossible to find outside of Bangkok we decided to settle in Saraburi purely because of this school.

Glad to hear you've decided on where to send your daughter for school. Your post above is very descriptive and helpful.

Hi AmeriThai,

Hope you are well.

As you can gather we are now well and truly on the ground here in Thailand. We've been here 5 or 6-weeks now most of which has been spent travelling around to get a feel for Central Thailand and as you know, find a school.

Thanks to information from TV and from your good self we were able to put a plan together in preparation for our search. We looked around Korat and visited a few schools but wasn't overly impressed. Next stop was Saraburi and once we visited SJMIS we made a decision and the rest of the plan went out of the window.

Found a house on the Saraburi bu-pass which is about 10 - 15-minutes from school and now just waiting on the arrival of our container so we can get moved in and settled.

Many thanks for your advice previously, it made a world of difference.

Cheers.

Hi Pib,

Thanks very much for the info, very informative and had a bit of a chuckle about the Satellite TV options that are available.

However, I may just go with True Vision instead

Cheers.

Hi mca

I'm not familiar with the International A level for M5 & M6 but what I can tell you is that school follows the Californian Curriculum and graduates from the school have the correct certification to enter any university globally. Only English is spoken at the school unless during the couple of hours per week of compulsary Thai lessons.

There is a student interview and screening test as part of the admission process. There are boarding facilities on-site with several of the foreign teachers living at the school in separate housing, who also help with boarder supervision.

Kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school are in separate buildings. Each building has like an indoor basketball/sports hall with the classrooms, computer labs etc. around them.

The school has a huge Auditorium equipped with professional sound systems etc. There is also a large swimming pool.

The school master plan includes the inclusion of a University on the same site at some future point, the site is extensive.

The school is equipped with modern teaching aids like interactive white boards, there's an extensive library.

There is also a full student canteen which a full range of international foods are available. It's operated with a cash card system which is topped up periodically at the cashier. This discourages students from carrying cash at school.

There is a whole host of extra curricular activities and regular school outings.

The admin staff in the 'white house' (admin office/reception) on the left just inside the school gates are extremely helpful and a quick telephone call is all that is needed to arrange a visit.

There is transportation laid on for students. This ranges from those large modern coaches to a fleet of mini buses. Coaches pick up from various location as far as Bangkok and up to Pak Chong, not sure how far east/west. The mini buses make the more local pick-ups and is literally a door to door service. Cost varies but minibus for the local area starts at around Baht 8,000 per term.

All the above is based on my personal recent experience. Our daughter is 9-years old and will start at SJMIS at the beginning of the next semester which is 17th January.

We have only been in Thailand about 5-weeks or so and originally wanted to settle in/around Korat. However, with schools with a proper 'English Program' being next to impossible to find outside of Bangkok we decided to settle in Saraburi purely because of this school.

Hope you find this helpful.

Cheers.

Thanks for the info Jim,

Where are you located.

Cheers

Thanks for the replies guys and the advice.

Looks like a bit of door knocking is the order of the day.

I'll see what others in the area are using and how they get on with it.

Cheers.

Hi,

Appreciate your opinions regarding which internet provider.

I've only been in Thailand about 5-weeks so still getting a feel for the place. Just about to sign a contract on a house in Saraburi and now looking for an ISP.

With True not available here it looks like the main players in Saraburi are ToT or 3BB. With current promotions both work out very similar in terms of installation and monthly cost.

Question is, in your experience which ISP would you say provides the best service. I'm thinking actual Vs advertised connection speed and reliability.

I have read a few posts here on TV and both ToT and 3BB both have horror stories, but then forums tend to highlight the bad points and overlook the good. At the moment I'm leaning towards ToT.

Regarding Satelite/Cable TV options I've only come across True Vision here. There may well be others but I haven't found an office/dealer for them yet.

I'm looking for something with good English language program selection. Not interested in the Sports Channels but like to keep up to date with Global News and watch a few movies. I have a 9-year old daughter so kids channels also relevant.

True Vision seem to have a good selection on their Gold package but they seem a bit pricey. Advice/opinions on this very welcome.

Thanks.

I've always used the Thai side, even when I used to come in on a Tourist Visa.

Came back in just over a week ago on a multi-O and used Thai side again.

No problems so far.

Use the Advanced Search feature... The little cog icon to the right of the search box.

Stick your forum name in the 'author' field and you will find all your posts and topics.

Edit: There are 29-pages referring to dmax

If you can't buy a master socket because of restrictions on their sale (remember only BT should install them) have a look at the slave sockets on sale in B&Q etc, many of them have the positions for the components to be installed, it's a simple job to convert them.

EDIT or you can get one from RS thailand http://thailand.rs-o...duct&R=2622848# not cheap but available.

Seems master sockets are easily available on ebay over here. Best grab a couple before we relocate to Thailand next month.

Thanks again for the advice.

UK phones use a 3-wire system, the 3rd wire is what's known as 'anti-tinkle' it is a hangover from the days of pulse dialling and stopped the extension phone 'tinkling' when someone dialled out on the main phone.

It is possible to use a UK phone in Thailand, you'll need to buy a UK Master Socket which creates the AT line (it's just a 470k resistor and 1.8uF capacitor so you could actually make one yourself). I'm not sure about availability of master sockets because only BT is actually allowed to install them.

You can also just connect the A & B lines, the phone will work just fine, but it won't ring on incoming calls.

If your phone is an import it may be two-wire in which case a simple change of plug or use of an adaptor will work fine. If your phone has a detachable line cord have a look in the clear plastic plug, if you see only two wires you're in business.

Thanks Crossy,

Good info there. I should have a 2-wire extension kicking around somewhere, I'll try attaching that and see if the phone still works. Its a Panasonic DECT phone on a base station that I was hoping I could still use.

Failing than I bring a Master socket to Thailand with me and give it a try.

Many thanks.

Hi, Could anyone tell me if UK telephones work in Thailand or is the system used different. Thanks.

Hi,

I was previously looking into setting up an Export company in Thailand in order to export Thai products to the UK.

My focus has since changed a little. My business Plan has evolved somewhat and I am now looking at more of an entrepreneurial company set up which would involve Export, Import, Wholesale Supply and Retail. I would like to develop the company in these areas over time without having to make continual changes to the company structure and legal standing.

Is it possible to structure a company in such a way without having to have multiple companies?

Advice very much appreciated.

Thanks for the input guys.

I was thinking of something around 2 or 3-years old. Maybe a Honda Accord or similar.

Thanks again.

I guess by the lack of responses that most of you who buy 'used' don't bother with the Main Dealer offerings.

How about the generic used car dealer, do they tend to have enough of a margin so as to get a much better deal or do they tend to stay close to asking price?

Thanks.

Hi all,

Just wanted to share my experience of visiting the Royal Thai Consulate in Hull to obtaining a Multi Non-O Visa.

Downloaded form Ab STANDARD VISA APPLICATION PACK (MS Word Document) and duly filled in the form on page 2/7, 4/7 and 5/7. On the first form, 'purpose of visit' - Visit Thai Wife. Very easy.

Downloaded form Ac ADDITIONAL PACK FOR NON-IMMIGRANT "B" VISA (MS Word Document) and duly filled in the form on page 1/4. Simple.

Documents required: Passport and marriage Certificate.

The Fee was £100 plus an additional £10 for the visit in Person. I paid with cash.

My appointment was at 10:30 am today. I arrived 40-minutes early. Parking immediately in front of the main entrance which is on the side of the building. Go into the lobby, take the door on the left. There was no-one else there.

I press the bell ring on the door of the adjacent office and was greeted by a lady who took my passport, marriage certificate and the fee, and off she went.

15-minutes later another lady came through and returned the Marriage Certificate and my Passport now containing my Multi Non-O visa, which was in the form of a Red Inked full page stamp.

The bizarre thing to me was that our UK Marriage Certificate makes no mention of nationality for either of us. They didn't ask for further ID of my wife.

All in all a pleasant trip and a speedy polite service at the Consulate.

Well done Royal Thai Consulate in Hull.

A point to note:

This notice Aj VISA RULES FOR ONE-WAY FLIGHT (MS Word Document) would be a handy form to carry should you have a one-way air ticket. It clearly states:

One-way flight ticket to Thailand

Please note that under Thailand's immigration rules it is allowed for a foreigner to fly to Thailand on a one-way ticket only if they are in

possession of a valid visa which they can present when they check-in

for their flight to Thailand.

Without such a visa the traveller will not be allowed to board their flight

to Thailand with a one-way ticket.

Please also note that some flight operators may be reluctant to accept

a traveller to Thailand with a one-way ticket even if they are in

possession of a valid visa. This may be something to do with rules

or regulations imposed by the flight operator. Accordingly, we advise

all travellers to check this with their airway carrier (not travel agent) well

in advance of travelling to avoid last minute complications.

Hope someone will find this post of interest.

Hi,

I see on many threads regarding purchasing a 'new' car all the discounts and freebies that can be had.

What's the situation when buying an 'approve' used car from a main dealer. Are the dealers open to doing deals in the same way?

Thanks.

Hi,

I am British and my wife is Thai. We have a 9-year old daughter who has a British Passport.

Just last week we went down to the Royal Thai Embassy in London and applied for her Thai Birth Registration and a Thai Passport.

The Certificate and Passport will be with us in 4-6 weeks. Both parents had to be at the appointment.

The process was very easy but we had a 3-month wait for the appointment at the Embassy.

I see no reason why this same process can't apply to yourself. Once you have your Thai Passport the same would apply to your children. You may even be able to it all at the same time but you would have to check on that.

All the relevant application forms, along with example forms were available for download from the Embassy's website.

Good luck.

Not strictly on topic but I have cigarettes sent from Thailand to me here the UK quite often. At least every other month.

Mother-in-law sends me 400 via standard snail mail (Not EMS or anything) and they are usually here in 7-days or so. In fact expecting some any day now.

Only one time did they not get through. It was either bad luck or customs may have recognised the address as I had had some the week before.

Needless to say I didn't bother trying to claim them as by the time you have paid the duty and VAT it's cheaper to have them keep the things.

A very interesting and informative post.

Had your daughter been born in Thailand and you had been applying for a British Passport and Birth Certificate here, the total cost at today's exchange rate would have been an eye watering £270 - and that's before paying postage and courier charges.

Indeed. Yet another mitigating factor to wanting to get off this sinking ship.

Good to hear it wasn't anything more serious.

Lets hope this new battery serves you just as well.

I think your own post contains the answer. As unlikely as it seems if I had to guess I would say the battery is knackered.

I had a very similar problem, albeit not on a Toyota. The engine management light would come on, the car (Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD) would be as sluggish as hel_l and it wouldn't even change gear (auto box). After pulling over and turning the ignition off for a few minutes, it would start and would be as sweet as a nut.

At the time I dismissed the battery as it was less than a year old. Just in case I had it checked at an autoelectrical place and they confirmed the battery was good. The problem persisted and I just couldn't figure out the problem. I eventually had the battery checked out again at another place. They did a load test on the battery and said it was knackered and replaced it.

That was about 3-years ago and the problem has never raised it's ugly head again since.

Interesting and informative post tod. Thank you.

Your acquaintance is lucky to know someone like yourself. I hope he at least bought you Dinner and a cold Beer to show his thanks.