English Spoken Here

[Wekhin]

For 2500 baht, it sounds like a pretty big sign..

One was 1 meter square the other 3/4 meter square, both now going very cheap.

I only wish there was a sound tax, too

Could not agree more how about 100 baht per decibel above a reasonable level i.e. a level thats leaves the fillings in your teeth intact.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then, tax for 1.75 sq.m. should be 1,400 baht, not 2,500.

[Ajarn]

Interesting, here they only apply the sign tax to signs on the road, or the main sign for the business, ie with the name of the business on it. Certainly it is not applied to small signs within the business, ie in the restaurant, closing times, specials etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wonder if there is more than meets the eye - perhaps some of the travelers objected to having to buy to be able to use the toilet? Although most of us would try to buy something I would also consider it rather 'over the top' to be faced with such a sign. If not probably just a jealous civil servant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ahh, the suspicious minds we share

[FreedomDude]

You could easily get around this by communicating your message with pictures rather than words. It would probably get more attention than your original sign.

Have a picture drawn or use a photo of a toilet. Next to the toilet, have a picture of someone buying something. That should do it. ((Make sure everyone in the picture(s) are Thai ))

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

In Kowloon, Hong Kong, you're not allowed to have signs for brothels in English, they have to be in Chinese lettering.

Strange but true.

[cdnvic]

You could easily get around this by communicating your message with pictures rather than words. It would probably get more attention than your original sign.

Have a picture drawn or use a photo of a toilet.  Next to the toilet, have a picture of someone buying something. That should do it. ((Make sure everyone in the picture(s) are Thai ))

If she's selling any food that could really give the wrong impression.

cv

[Ajarn]

You could easily get around this by communicating your message with pictures rather than words. It would probably get more attention than your original sign.

Have a picture drawn or use a photo of a toilet.  Next to the toilet, have a picture of someone buying something. That should do it. ((Make sure everyone in the picture(s) are Thai ))

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If she's selling any food that could really give the wrong impression.

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

/edit

(image didn't show but it's hilarious)

http://www.zu-doof.de/pix/sonstiges/bilder/getgas.jpg

/end edit

Edited March 7, 2005 by cdnvic

[cdnvic]

You could easily get around this by communicating your message with pictures rather than words. It would probably get more attention than your original sign.

Have a picture drawn or use a photo of a toilet.  Next to the toilet, have a picture of someone buying something. That should do it. ((Make sure everyone in the picture(s) are Thai ))

If she's selling any food that could really give the wrong impression.

cv

/edit

(image didn't show but it's hilarious)

http://www.zu-doof.de/pix/sonstiges/bilder/getgas.jpg

/end edit

Sure, now it shows up......

cv

[lampard10]

wow, a sign tax, its true, amazing thailand, and seems if yoy use forign script you pay more, all those chinese and japanese signs must be pulling in a small fortune, i've never seen a gold shop without a huge sign in chinese

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What about street signs,Hospital signs,Post Office signs,Hotel signs...........Icould go on forever

[maerim]

I wonder if there is more than meets the eye - perhaps some of the travelers objected to having to buy to be able to use the toilet?

.

Not so I'm afraid, for one thing who would they complain to?

Another they could always use the squat toilet provided by the market owner, they would not be lonely with about two million flies for company and be charged two baht for the privilege.

[taxexile]

sounds like some neighbouring business has lodged a complaint with a relative who works for the town hall.

have you been upsetting the neighbours maerim ??

[chanchao]

> What about street signs,Hospital signs,Post Office signs,

> Hotel signs...........Icould go on forever

All of those except of course the post office pay a fee for any signage they have.

Another way to reduce this cost if you're so inclined is to build some other kind of land-mark or obvious decoration that you can refer people to to find your business.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[lampard10]

I have heard of a business that has a massive sign in English hanging over the door,three signs in the street & 24 Samlo's around town with the same sign on them all in English.........no Thai...........Oh, and I forgot a few nailed to trees at strategic positions in town. Can't for the life of me think where it is now.............I'm sure it'll come back though. And we don't pay a penny extra. But to be perfectly honest,I wouldn't really mind if we did pay a little tax. After all I'm the interloper in their system.

Edited March 8, 2005 by lampard10

[udon]

Maerim, it sounds like someone has grassed on you.

Do you get a lot of pedestrian traffic past the shop?

[Khutan]

There is a font called something like AW_NOTHAI

IF you use that it looks like Thai, but it is actually English. If you are Thai you can't read it because its too confusing.

Its on one of the learning Thai websites.

[NarrLing]

A Thai friend owning and operating a couple of businesses in a province close to Lampards opted for signs in Thai with symbols indicating the products they sell. This has reduced their sign tax. Inspectors did come and measure the signs. My friend pays sign tax every year.

NL

[chanchao]

Cool! But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

[mbkudu]

Cool!  But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

That is really wild! You learn something new everyday.

[Jai Dee]

Cool!  But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

That is neat.

Thanks chanchao.

[Khutan]

Cool!  But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for posting the link, I knew it was somethinkg like that.

[maerim]

have you been upsetting the neighbours maerim ??

Nah, no more that I normally do, actually I get on OK with the locals.

I was never paranoid before but do you think they are really out to get me?

I read now and again how the Thai authorities rail against English becoming more and more in common usage here and in my opinion its a bit like King Canute trying to stop the tide coming in.

The French complain of their language becoming Anglised as in "le weekend" and the like.

As an aside, its great being British as if you speak more than two languages you are multi lingual two languages you are bi lingual and if you speak one you are British.

[Ajarn]

Nah, no more that I normally do, actually I get on OK with the locals.

I was never paranoid before but do you think they are really out to get me

'TiT' and all that... But I don't think you've described anything like that. Everyone who I've ever heard refer to paying sign tax has given the same scenario as you described, and none of them ever suggested anything nefarious... I think it sounds like business as usual...

Some are simply too paranoid here sometimes, I think. But, not always easy to know when for sure, either!

Why not just add a couple of Thai words to cut the tax in half?

[NarrLing]

maerim,

For peace of mind. My Thai friend was visited by the sign inspector within hours of opening a new shop in a town where they had no competition. They tell me it is normal practice and you shouldn't feel you've have been got at. They were also advised the signage tax amounts, by the sign writers, when they were selecting the signs they wanted made.

They also said it is common to see these inspectors roaming the streets looking for additional signs on established businesses. The inspectors will enter shops asking for proof the signage tax has been paid if they are unfamiliar with the signs.

NL

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Cool!   But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for posting the link, I knew it was somethinkg like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The font confused some of the Thai staff. They didn't immediately see the way ' english ' was used.

[chanchao]

> The font confused some of the Thai staff.

Yes, I like the way they mention it in the list of 'known problems" : Thais can't read it.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Diggerbasher]

If they charge by the square metre then why not have a small sign in bright pink with a flashing light or two.

[markuk]

Daft law i admit but we are in anothers country - just pay the money, easier than moaning about it..

[utapaortnab]

How about making new signs in Thai AND English???

Ken Bower

http://homepage.mac.com/mgnewman/KenLat/ Homepage

http://kenandlat.diaryland.com daily THIS AND THAT column

[utapaortnab]

My wife runs a small shop with varying degrees of profitability thanks to the large super stores.

A lot of backpackers stop near there on the way to a trek so I had a couple of signs made (in English) saying what she sold and that she had a European style toilet that they could use providing they bought some thing from the shop, all well and good.

Well it was until this morning when a woman from the local government office turned up armed with a digital camera, a bad attitude and a face as though she had been eating vinegar with a fork.

She said if my wife wanted to keep the signs up she would have to pay 2,500 baht a year tax, or have them removed by first thing tomorrow, they are down now.

If they were in Thai there would be no problem, a lot of good that would be to people who don't read Thai

I asked her why this is so?

Because it is that’s why, was the reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I probably would have done is to ask for the woman's name, the gov't agency she represented, and who the director of that agency was, name and phone number.

Then I'd check with this person (director) to ask for clarification on the law that covered having signs in English since manhy of the people who used the shop ONLY spoke English and reminded the director that doing business with farangs was btw legal in Thailand and assisted in the wife's being able to make a profit and pay the business taxes on her business.

Now, all that said, what I would expect to happen next would be one or more of the following:

The lady would quit bugging you (improbable)

Suddenly there would be a mysterious fire at your wife's shop destroying everything (more likely)

An audit of your wife's books and tax payments going back to the day she opened her store (much more likely)

A notice in the Pattaya Mail that you and your wife had suddenly leaped from a top floor balcony of a very tall building for no reason whatsoever.....lol (probability unknown)

Ken Bower

Part time resident/visitor since 1971

[gburns57au]

the Aw siam will only attract a higher tax, if they cant read it they will determine it as foreign.......think about it.

I just think it is a bit rough to say ....you can use my dunny but you have to buy something....I have been caught short in many places and the use of a toilet western or otherwise was always given without conditions attached.

[Jockstar]

Cool!  But it's called AW_SIAM and it's here:

http://www.weygandt.de/aw_siam.htm

Cheers Chanchao. Showed this to the missus and asked her what it said in Thai. She said its not Thai its Laos.555555555. Till i pointed out it was English.She didn't believe me at first. Took a bit of convincing. Nice one!