Unhappy with exchange rate used by SCB

[lannarebirth]

I live in Chiang Mai and use a Chinese lady money changer when changing Yuan. She gives much better rates than the banks. If you ask around there are probably similar, low key establishments in Chinatown, there in Bangkok.

If you change RMB to BHT I suppose you travel to China, probably Kumming in Yunnan. As I am considering possible alternatives to Thailand for my retirement, could you give me your impressions about China ?

I love travelling to China, but I wouldn't live there, ever. Thailand is antiseptic compared to the hygeine you'll experience in China(outside major hotels, that is). Kunming is very nice. If you go I suggest a side trip to Li Jiang. Gorgeous!

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

I once bought some US$ currency from HSBC in Hong Kong, then when I went to exchange it in HSBC in Jakarta, they wouldn't accept the banknotes as a cashier had put biro marks on the edges.

[lannarebirth]

I live in Chiang Mai and use a Chinese lady money changer when changing Yuan. She gives much better rates than the banks. If you ask around there are probably similar, low key establishments in Chinatown, there in Bangkok.

If you change RMB to BHT I suppose you travel to China, probably Kumming in Yunnan. As I am considering possible alternatives to Thailand for my retirement, could you give me your impressions about China ?

JR Texas to all posters: Hi...I no longer have access to internet except via internet cafes, so I can't post daily. About China:

1) Very smart people...very kind....very generous....willing to listen to new ideas (and will understand them)

2) Some girls/women are beautiful.........I was living in Zhuhai (across from Macau) and it even has a very nice "walking street."

3) Very easy to get a work permit: I came in on a tourist visa and my employer went with me to immigration and I paid US$50 and was asked two question and that was that.....they changed my visa status and gave me a work permit......no leaving the country to get a different visa........no big expense.....EASY...and no reporting to immigration every 90 days....in fact, to get it renewed all I had to do was give a representative of my employer anohter US$50 and it was taken care of...did not even have to show up (COMPARE WITH THAILAND)

4) Food is great and inexpensive

5) Housing can be found for abourt US$230 for a nice, small apartment

6) Zhuhai is on the ocean and is extremely clean and the air was wonderful........mountains in the background (expats do not know much about it).....KFC, McDonalds, etc

7) In sum: I like China and think it is a good place to live..........also the economy is booming and it is a good place to start a business (Hong Kong has some of the best banks in the world)

8) This ia about Zhuhai/Macau/Hong Kong and not other places..........Shanghai would be a good place to be, but expensive like Hong Kong.....Dalien is a very good choice up north....good luck!

Thank you for sharing your experiences.There are a few other questions I would like to ask if you happen to know the anwers:

1)Is it possible for a foregneir to buy real estate in China ?

2)Being holder of an European Union passport gives you a VISA exemption or you must apply for a VISA on arrival or for a VISA from an outside Embassy ?

3)Can you own 100% of your business in China or do you need to resort to the 49% company crap like in Thailand ?

4)Is English enough for daily communication needs like it is in Pattaya ?

5)Can a foregneir open a bank account ? Can a foreigneir open a stock brokerage account ?

Thank you in advance for whatever info you can give.

The government owns all the land in China. It is possible to get leasehold interests. Laws used to favor Chinese versus foreigners with respect to leasing, but I'm told there has been some legislation that has improved that. China also, at there discretion, sometimes tears buildings down or relocates people. Vested interests will tell you that has subsided, but I don't know if that's true or not.

[backflip]

As the previous poster noted, all land in China is owned by the government. The use of the land is transferred via 70-year leases (industrial, commercial, residential). However, the government has the right to cancel the lease with little notice, and has done so aggressively as the value of the land increases. Through 2006, it was relatively easy for a foreigner to buy a condo (through a 70-year lease). Essentially, the only criteria was to have worked legally in China for at least one year. Beginning in 2007, the government has raised the threshold to an impossibly high level. To buy a condo, a foreigner had to prove that there was no suitable rental property available, and the purchased property would be used only as a personal residence and not for investment purposes. The government has also implemented additional legislation to prevent the appreciation of housing, including mandatory legal fees, and capital gains taxes.

[JR Texas]

I live in Chiang Mai and use a Chinese lady money changer when changing Yuan. She gives much better rates than the banks. If you ask around there are probably similar, low key establishments in Chinatown, there in Bangkok.

If you change RMB to BHT I suppose you travel to China, probably Kumming in Yunnan. As I am considering possible alternatives to Thailand for my retirement, could you give me your impressions about China ?

I love travelling to China, but I wouldn't live there, ever. Thailand is antiseptic compared to the hygeine you'll experience in China(outside major hotels, that is). Kunming is very nice. If you go I suggest a side trip to Li Jiang. Gorgeous!

JR Texas: Just for the record, I found many places in China to be FAR CLEANER than Thailand........no comparison! But, that depends on where you are living. Bangkok and Pattaya and Chiang Mai are cesspools in comparison to Zhuhai.

[toptuan]

. . . a cashier had put biro marks on the edges.

biro marks?

Also, on a related note to this thread's topic: If you haven't yet traveled to Vietnam or Cambodia, don't even think about trying to exchange their currencies in Thailand once you get back. Neither at any of the the airport exchange booths, nor at any Thai bank, have I ever been able to sell those currencies at all (much less shop for a good rate). In my opinion, it doesn't help build cross-border tourism or neighborly relationships for an adjacent or close SE Asian country.

Edited January 27, 2007 by toptuan

[sleepybeau]

I live in Chiang Mai and use a Chinese lady money changer when changing Yuan. She gives much better rates than the banks. If you ask around there are probably similar, low key establishments in Chinatown, there in Bangkok.

If you change RMB to BHT I suppose you travel to China, probably Kumming in Yunnan. As I am considering possible alternatives to Thailand for my retirement, could you give me your impressions about China ?

I love travelling to China, but I wouldn't live there, ever. Thailand is antiseptic compared to the hygeine you'll experience in China(outside major hotels, that is). Kunming is very nice. If you go I suggest a side trip to Li Jiang. Gorgeous!

JR Texas: Just for the record, I found many places in China to be FAR CLEANER than Thailand........no comparison! But, that depends on where you are living. Bangkok and Pattaya and Chiang Mai are cesspools in comparison to Zhuhai.

I've been to a few places in China and it's true that a lot of places there are nice and clean. But I don't believe my country -- and my hometown, Chiang Mai in particular can be as bad as a cesspool! You should live in Singapore actually. I'm living here right now -- it's really really sanitized and absolutely clean!! But I'll choose Bangkok or Chiang Mai anytime..

[JR Texas]

I live in Chiang Mai and use a Chinese lady money changer when changing Yuan. She gives much better rates than the banks. If you ask around there are probably similar, low key establishments in Chinatown, there in Bangkok.

If you change RMB to BHT I suppose you travel to China, probably Kumming in Yunnan. As I am considering possible alternatives to Thailand for my retirement, could you give me your impressions about China ?

I love travelling to China, but I wouldn't live there, ever. Thailand is antiseptic compared to the hygeine you'll experience in China(outside major hotels, that is). Kunming is very nice. If you go I suggest a side trip to Li Jiang. Gorgeous!

JR Texas: Just for the record, I found many places in China to be FAR CLEANER than Thailand........no comparison! But, that depends on where you are living. Bangkok and Pattaya and Chiang Mai are cesspools in comparison to Zhuhai.

I've been to a few places in China and it's true that a lot of places there are nice and clean. But I don't believe my country -- and my hometown, Chiang Mai in particular can be as bad as a cesspool! You should live in Singapore actually. I'm living here right now -- it's really really sanitized and absolutely clean!! But I'll choose Bangkok or Chiang Mai anytime..

JR Texas to Chiang Mai Lover? It is easy to generalize........some places in China are very nice and clean (Zhuhai) and others are not. Singapore really is a very clean place.........yes, absolutely.

I lived in Chiang Mai and the air was horrendous....in fact, data indicate it is worse than Bangkok.....and you know why...it is like living in a bowl with no place for the wind to blow.....too many people and too many cars that pollute.

My guess is that you have never been to Zhuhai. Hong Kong is clean too....but the air can get bad during certain times of the year. Macau is also fairly clean.

Bangkok is never clean.......it is a place to live if you want to get sick and end up in the hospital. It is also extremely stressful for most people. Pattaya-Jomtien used to be nice, but now they are becoming more and more like Bangkok.......too much traffic and pollution (air, people, noise, water when you can even get it).