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BB1955

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Posts posted by BB1955

    Building a house, want a foreman/supervisor

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted · Edited by BB1955

    I did it myself was not that difficult if you have a copy of the plans . I checked everything going in the house watched and photographed everything . I was lucky I had an honest builder . Only screw up I missed was the location of the house on the lot . But was no big deal ....

    I guess it was easy because you dont have a building background; therefore you dont know what to look for; don't know whats likely to go wrong and technical details such as the adequate falls on drainage, how to make safe electrical connections.

    Only summising you dont have a building background but would you have also done the same in your homeland or even represent yourself in a court case.

    Personally I find it a bit rich that farangs here think they have more building knowledge than Thai builders here. unless they have a construction background then they dont!

    As for the OP needing a project manager, yes its a great link between builder and client especially if they are English speaking. most reputable builders able to take on projects over 2/3 million would normally have someone in a similar capacity. the local builder, no, forget it and I suspect its not going to be easy to find a freelancer.

    you might be assuming too much .... all I can say is my house was built by the specs of the plans , 3 years no cracks no issues . If you pick a good builder you ll get a good house . Sometimes cheeper is not better ...

    Can a bank sue a pensioner

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    I can only speak about the in the USA . If you max out a card and fail to pay , they must serve you and take you to court to get a judgement . Then once they get the judgement and you fail to pay that , they must get an attachment of earnings through the courts . Then if you have money in the bank or a pension not attached to social security they can attach that . But you must be served . More to do all that then to just write it all off which most credit card companies will do .

    Thai course

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    I took about 6 courses at the ymca enjoyed it. 3 of my class mates took private lesson at Easy Study was good too . But I prefered the YMCA. Books are the same almost .

    I meant 3 of my classmates and I ...

    Yesterdays experience at immigration

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    I was in the line behind you.....I arrived at 5.30 after being laughed away at 9am the previous day. I was pretty disappointed that all the chairs were taken. I was 12th in line, and by the time I arrived the teacher/student queue was 30 long.

    I think I remember the OP, lucky enough to be able to have a kip in the car, was it you who made the slip up as you were about to get your number ?...that was at 6.50 as I remember, when they give the numbers. I wasnt impressed getting number 425 I knew it was going to be a long day.

    That was the longest day of my life. I too was there for the marriage stuff, I thought I was first in line as I was first up for the document check. I had 3 things to obtain, a hand drawn map, instead of the excellent one printed via the internet, and the letter from the bank to say the statement printed off was more upto date than the previous afternoon and an original wifes name change certificate.

    With that I was told to come back at about 10am.

    So having pissed about for 3hrs, going back home, back to the bank, more drawings, more photocopies, we arrived back just 2 numbers before ours.

    they take 30 minutes to process each couple it seemed. I wondered why?? but at 11am we were called,

    When it was our turn, it was a case of watching her shuffle papers around the desk, to make 2 neat piles. the 20 of the 30 minutes was me signing every damn photocopy and printing my name. 5 minutes of the time was interrupted by the adjacent couple whos' officer was insisting they had the red stamped translated divorce document and ours was the example to show them.....followed by the wifes advice on how to get there.

    Then with ours, and by this time it was 11.30 ish she found something else to query. the bank account thats not been touched since early october, now needs some money putting in it to show its correct as of now. f.f.s. So we were dismissed and told to come back at 1.30, no problem just wave and I will see you.

    Two hours wandering around central, went to the bank and was laughed at for putting 50bt into the account but job done. Came back early, 1.20 and was beaten in to the chair by a korean couple, so another 45 minutes waiting, stressing, wife needs to be at work, I am well pissed off by now.

    Agents, coming in and out, on a regular basis, having the run of the place, the priority, just darting to the next available desk, whereas we have to wait for "our" officer......got me thinking, the agents have the priority,probably because they are getting 2k extra.....and next time I dont want to be fannying about like this all day.

    Finally we were up....5 minute job to look at the photocopied new bank account, yellow highlighter and then a conversation with the wife about what I am getting...not with me...

    So during the whole of this process, not one word of English was spoken, a few questions to the wife I understood about where we met, where she works, how much she earns,.............then right at the end, this must be in their plan.....she spoke perfect English to me, about her extending my current visa for an extra month whilst they do checks on me, and probably to check my deceased fathers name was correct?? and that I have to come back in 2 months, just walk in and ask if all ok; then 90 day reporting, blah blah, she acted like dumbarse the whole process.

    Oh I forgot to add, we had to do the TM38 form, reporting, well the missus did; I was so desperately trying to remember LivinLos tale about how to confuse them should a fine be mentioned; however it wasnt.

    Not finished yet..........after all that we were advised photos required from the back so went to sit down. This was pathetic, it took 5 minutes of talking to the wife, that they would call us when required in the meantime I am trying to hold the longest smile in history.

    I mean i was sat in the chair, all she has to do is put her finger on the camera and done....no....they want to be in control, they want to make everyone wait....well fkt off by now, wife also, she asked if she needed photo, when they said no, i didnt see her for dust, no goodbye, nothing she was off!!

    Muggins here, had to sit down again for 30 minutes waiting to be called for the photo, why??

    I know what your thinking, when is Eyecatcher going to finish his tale, yes agree boring isnt it, as I was, to death..... Finally photograph done, go and wait, another 10 minutes, passport returned.

    3.30 I walked out of that door. 5am the alarm was set, 5.30 I joined the Q.

    WHATS THE ANSWER? i don't know.

    This 5/6am queuing; we; farangs, tourists have created a rod for our own back. immig dont say wait at that time, but we know that they only see say 10 marriage/10 retirement/30 others visas a day.

    there are only 12 or so officers, demand is exceeding supply (an economics principle to raise the price)

    so because of this we have to be selfish and make sure we get our visa sorted before anyone else.

    This is hows wars start!

    yup that was me had to return to the car to get my passport , lucky for me she held the number I was to have gotten , I wasnt quite expecting things to go that fast . The girl infront of me was a visa agent had about 20 files I though for sure I was doomed . Still had to make three trips to the copy machine after I was sure I had everything covered ...... it over now thank god for another year .... we asked if retirement visa would be easier , she said no the times were much longer to wait .. oh well ....

    Yesterdays experience at immigration

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    Well again it would be nice to be able to walk up to the door at 8 am get a number see the office have her stamp my passport and be home by 10 am. But that aint happening anytime soon , and it appears from all the posts in the past bitching about it doesnt do any good . Kind of like being in the army . It helps me to remember im a guest here in someone elses country .. Thailand owes me nothing .....

    Yesterdays experience at immigration

    in Chiang Mai

    Posted

    4 am? seriously?

    yes 4 am I was lucky there was a visa agent in front of me with a stack of files. I thought I was doomed . But was the first one called for extention based on marrage. The line for student and others at 4 am was about 20 deep at 4 am . I also got the last parking space . Great thing is the new 711 across the road ......
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