moogradod

I think it is a good idea in case the money is used wisely. This is not because of the (relatively low) amount per case - unnoticeable for the usual tourist - but because of the amount as a whole. Millions x one = One x Millions. It is the number of visitors that makes this idea attractive. It is by far less than my wife spends on the lotterie.

Peace of mind. To achieve peace of mind any individual should be able to decide what is best for his specific circumstances. The topic health insurance is haunting the expat community and visitors now for years in various ways and produces the exact opposite of Peace of Mind. Skip the topic once and for all, let us alone - in peace as is the articulated intention.

If you were previously part of the newsletter mailing list - is it now required to subscribe again as there is constantly a pop-up requesting this ? Or is this for a new newsletter ? What I want to avoid is to get multiple newsletters while I am already registered (if I am) Thanks for a clarification. It would as well help to display a short notice on the pop-up that leaves no doubt.

No. This was about a THB-THB transaction of a Thai citizen between two of her own Thai accounts, only different banks involved. So no IRS, FBI and Euro. I was only surprized. The main thing here is that a Thai DL cannot be used for identification anymore. I have done that for years without any problem.

I went to my bank branch in person to pay for the rental fees as usual. My Landlord has an account at the same bank (big, reputable) but at another branch. Here is what went different this time: My Thai driving license was not accepted as legitimation anymore. I was told instead that only a passport would do. New orders they told me. I then learned as well that if you want to transfer money to another Thai Bank there is a limit of 100KTHB per transaction. Strange enough, this can be duplicated as much as you want - on the same day - so 10 times 100KTHB to the same receipient was deemed acceptable, but not 1 Mio in one single transaction. This limit does not apply if the sending and receiving bank is the same. Money transfer by withdrawing money in cash (even larger amounts more than 1 Mio) is obviously no problem (OK, this was for a Thai citizen, maybe this is different then) and then carry the envelope across the mall just to deposit the amount in cash to anonther bank of yours. No problems, no questions. This "method" was indeed recommended by the bank employee as the "easiest way of transfer" (not even a cashier check, let alone a remittance). So dont forget your passport next time you transfer money within Thailand - let alone to a forgeign country. Your Thai driving license wont do anymore (at least at my bank).

You may divide Pattaya into 3 different virtual surroundings (may be equal to its geographical location but must not be): 1. The Bar Section (that is what most people seem to know well and talk about here). Found in Soi Buakaw and similar. No need to explain here on AN. 2. The Family Section (found scattered around but mostly found where high rise buildings offer higher quality living with people who can afford that) 3. The "real Thai Life Section". (mostly found on the Darkside). All three are distinctively different. Do not confuse Pattaya with only Surrounding No. 1. nor with its geograpy locations. There are enough higher standard houses on the Darkside although it is in the virtual "real Thai Life" Section.

Very much unfortunately it is a combination of all mentioned so far plus maybe Backfabrik on Second Road because of its Black Forest Cake. The disappearence of some of our favourite items in nearly all supermarkets is indeed a reality and nuisance. What I found is that the diappearance is at times not forever - but you might need to wait many months before they restock. So I discovered the brand Waitrose which is producing sensational quality products, be it cheese, marmelade etc. across the board. When the disappearance sets in we wait until they restock. What I find as well that the personel responsible for the selection manages it to leave out the best products per category that are available in the different countries. Instead they (sometimes) seem to opt for the cheapest (buying price for them). Regardless, certainly it is not cheap for us here because of the import tax. Obviously it is as well extremely difficult to import a not so sweet Apple or Orange Juice regardless of price. A complete mystery to me is the fact that TOPS Central Festival offers quite an astounding variety of Spanish Pata Negra but not a single original Italian Parma Ham - not even in its lowest quality. Maybe different laws ?

And rightfully so. I find the idea to open the gate and let millions of infected Chinese flow into Thailand soon unchecked not a very bright perspective. Get your masks and alcohol spray again ready folks.

Around Thanksgiving the demand must be quite high given the number of cooked turkeys on display. But I do understand the hassle it takes to prepare one the traditional way. Depending on the size this takes many hours. However, I would not roast them / bake them in the oven but cook in water. Then add mayoran and with a little bit of experience you will get a super delicious sauce. To be served with potato dumplings (easy to make yourself) plus some "Preisselbeeren" (available in Friendship). No, these are not the same as cranberries.

I am aware of all that but I am not a normal user but a security paranoid. I have been working for the IT-industry for decades. And you are absolutely right - I believe especially Thais do not care that much. In fact that was the answer a bank employee gave me when I did bring up the issue of two factor authentication for transactions with my credit card. She said: No have. Thais like easy handling.

No way. We dont have electronic banking at all - mobile or not. I had electronic banking in Switzerland. Very convenient. But not to have it here eliminates at least some part of possible fraud. And branches are open for most transactions even late in the evening or on holidays - which is convenient enough.

Politics then ? I ban your turkey, you ban my tuna and then I ban your chickens in return. I do not want to talk to the turkey, its fine with me if it does come from somewhere else outside of the US. Might even be more healthy (antibiotics). I guess in Australia they must have plenty, too. Or in Sweden, South Africa, wherever....

Australian meat can be obtained at practically every butcher shop / department here. If it comes to beef I rarely eat anything else. But why is it so difficult to get a fresh turkey for which there might be quite some demand ? (It is not impossible - I know of a restaurant that sells it on special occasions, but I know only of this single one).

Depends very much of the rooms air volume. A purifier for a few thousand bath might not really be fit for larger rooms. We have 2 - a 12K Dyson for the sleeping room and a 44K LG for the living room. Both automatic, remotely controllable and keeping a history in memory. The LG is the second largest they have. Bought in the Home Electronics shop at Central Festival Pattaya. It really works well and detects even kitchen smells very quickly.

You are obviously located in the Philippines right now according to your own description. Therefore, to move in here longterm you need a proper visa. This implies again then you might have a lot to do with changing your basic data with Immigrations. You move around, you change your adress at the IO or even you move around across various provinces you change the IO itself. Dont underestimate possible headaches that this may cause. Save yourself a lot of hassle: The very best proposal is to get a bike (if you dont have a license its worth making one - done in a jiffy) and stay at one fixed adress while looking for the best place to stay longer. Even if you have for some reason decided that it is Pattaya only where you will stay, a bike (not a car) is highly recommended to get started and look around.

In any case it takes too long. Anybody "normal" would already sit in pre-trial custody given the amount, meaningfulness and available evidence. The most annoying thing here is as well the open demonstration to the world how a person of influence and wealth can severely bend the American system of justice to his own benefit. It would not even surprize me if nothing happened to the man.

Thank you for answering. The procedure you describe must be part of the (mostly unknown to myself) environment of mobile devices. The file was on an iPAD. But no website ever succeeds in installing a file in my secure desktop environment which I have not initiated or agreed to. Thats why I got confused. That is why I love this mobile world so much ???? But thinking of it twice, any even malicious download would have had no serious consequences - no mobile device of mine has any banking application on it, nor passwords, nor password manager or any other really important information. Any intruder could only take pleasure and surf through my contacts list or have a look at my latest holiday pictures. All of which I care little. And yes - you may actually be right. The chance is low but I could have accessed the homepage of my bank for informational purposes even from a mobile device which triggered this download to the file system of that mobile device. No chance for my ultra secure desktop installation.

Does anybody have an unrequested download for Bahtnet-Applications (same as a request to transfer money - a blank .pdf form) from a well reputed bank on his Android phone ? It is a blank .pdf document and in the download folder of "own files". Apart from the authentic looking document incl. regulations in Thai language there is nothing apart from an AD at the bottom of the screen which I did of course not touch. I do not have any electronic banking. But it did seem to come actually from my bank. How this is possible without my interaction is beyond my understanding. It is not possible to download something to an internal folder of my mobile phone without transfer via email or sms - right ?? Some days ago I have made an internal money transfer to another account of the same bank - in person at the counter. Of course they know my telephone number at my bank, but that's it. I did not get any SMS for any unknown transfers from my account which is always the case if there are any movements on the account. Still this seems fishy to me. Of course I will ask the bank in person but can only do so this coming Sunday. Did anybody has had the same or even worse - did anybody interact with the displayed AD and can report if something happened ?

I think it would be a good idea to ask the working force what they believe is inane or not. I am not arguing about 30 Baht hourly compensation differences. I am talking about experiences of a member of my Thai family, taken from real life. And after all I suppose neither you not me is directly touched by all this. You do not work in retail I suppose and I am retired anyway. Instead of charging each other we would better help the people that are suffering (from my point of view it is suffering) from these conditions. Why this all arises goes too far to be discussed here. There may be other threads contemplating about it. So I wish you a nice evening.

And then you have to deduct the free days (no work - no pay) - so "full time" is nearly not possible, deduct what they need to pay by themselves (working clothes, shoes) ?. This looks like the 11'000.-- THB would be a fixed salary. MAYBE as the branch manager. This I do not know. This begs the question anyway: 11K for a job with responsibility for personnel and doing night shifts ? And then did you deduct the merchandise that got "lost" during operating hours ? The staff has to pay it (may depend on the branch). No risk for the owner. How about a paid holdiday - any idea how long this one is per year? It might be there isn't any at all. Any social benefits ? A minimum if any. Do they get a working contract at all? etc. Maybe they do. Then all is good and a mutual agreement can be signed before starting to work. Otherwise stay home in bed. A job is a mutual agreementto my understanding. But maybe not all branches are the same. Paid overtime ? You think that is of course self-explanatory, but I am not so sure it is (everywhere). My stepdaughter has been explained the conditions - never seen a proposal for a working contract, either - beforehand. In any case nothing that I would sign from what I have heard. She did not start to work of course. We can easily finance a second household, but many are extradited to some employers. Then how do I know ? It is because other reputable companies which I may not name because of the laws here have similar practices implemented (some do actually what they want) and on top have even more questionable labour proctices in place. Of course no contract either. Too much of a risk that the practices are made known I am guessing (this is only a guess) You do not want to agree to all that treatment after you have started working in a contractless state ?. They will find any naive beginner anytime again without any knowledge how the documentation of a working agreement should look like and what the labour laws of Thailand actually say and mean (they do exist for sure in much detail) and what your rights as a worker should be and what is acceptable and what is not. If you would complain - there is the door. Dreamjobs abound. Judge for yourself how you would call this working condition. Today. Just google minimum salary Aldi Germany for comparable low key jobs like cashier etc. Ah and yes, they get a 13th salary as well. Yes, I know that this is not Europe here - but does this mean that youngsters without higher eduction must be treated in a way to be able to barely survive at the lowest level possible ? Even 600 Baht is a joke if you ask me.

No, you seem to have no idea. I know because a Thai (!) family member applied just for fun. And @digger70 is correct in every regard as far as I can tell - as well with his other statements concerning working law and rules for the Thai. At least that is what I have seen.

The most common expression I hear is "tang". Second in line after gin khao.

Soy bean sprouts are OK for me - used for noddle soup. Even cabbage shredded raw and then eaten with Japanese spicy roasted sesame salat sauce. Part of a dish called "Tonkatsu". Garden peas (only the small ones) - are good as well as is cauliflower. Good in a vegetable soup. Lettuce - no way and the very worst: green salad as well as beans - the ones certain nationalities are able to eat for breakfast and brussels sprouts ????

Only alcoholic alternative at breakfast time = Champagne. I remember a hotel in Germany where they acutally offered it as part of the buffet.

There are some sad songs, but what immediately comes to my mind is one of the saddest love songs. A masterpiece. Billy Joel's "And So It Goes". Here are the lyrics: