Us & Them

[nontabury]

I think experiences such as these are for the maladjusted. Ex-pats or locals. Ex-pats and locals. People not thinking about money and or sex all the time, will not have many of the experiences shared here on TV. They won't need them. They're normal, mature , comfortable with themselves, adults. All shapes. sizes, colors and countries. Moving nicely through life.

Maybe it's about keeping your eyes open and your brain working.

[USNret]

Why did you ask the bank the rate when you already knew it was published at 2.4%? You simply gave them an opportunity to give you the runaround.

You need to give THEM the runaround. Go to a different branch and proceed to open the account. Make it take as long as possible so they invest a lot of time. Then when it comes time to fund the account, if the account is not 2.4% give them a serious stink about it. They have already invested this time and did not disclose to you the terms different from what they have published. You might have some leverage to get the advertised rate. If they don't budge, you leave them with all the time they wasted & no money.

[nontabury]

I think experiences such as these are for the maladjusted. Ex-pats or locals. Ex-pats and locals. People not thinking about money and or sex all the time, will not have many of the experiences shared here on TV. They won't need them. They're normal, mature , comfortable with themselves, adults. All shapes. sizes, colors and countries. Moving nicely through life.

A real weird lot of posters on this forum who continually bash the Thais ,The elite, the rich, the governmenmt and other posters of this forum. Maladusted and sad beings. Thank god i never meet them. I must live in a different world to them. I never have any such problems as many farangs seem to have whilst living here. I have been cheated by Farangs, but no Thais.

I have been cheated on numerouse occasions by Thais,usually for small amounts, however on a few occasion for larger amounts, this being with the complicity of the Thai so-called justice system. Yet I have never been cheated by a farang,so what does this prove.

[1FinickyOne]

It always puzzles me when people move to a different country with a different culture and different way of doing things and get upset that it is not the same as home...

I am sure there must be aspects to this different culture that you enjoy also that are not typical of your home country…

As to your question, I have had far more and far crazier experiences with banks in my home country - things that go much further outside the bounds of logic than what you are describing.

As mentioned earlier - the farang allowable % is probably easier re-sold and therefore can command a higher price.

[nontabury]

On a positive note, compared to other Asian countries I stayed before, Thailand is quite open minded when it comes to foreigners.

Absolutely true. But a forum like this is not the place to come for a realistic perspective on these things.

Short answer: don't like the rules here (or can't figure out ways around them, which there always are), perhaps you'd be happier elsewhere.

There is only one set of rules here in Thailand, the Thai set of rules,if you think you can get around the rules in Thailand,in your favour then you have a lot to learn!

Seems its your function here to defend unfair thai system for us..

Anyway u wrong...There is not one set of rules but 2 sets of rules one for Thais and one for Foreigner citizens..The rules/laws we have received from Thailand are really very poorly and offer us no protection what so ever...

That is why so many farangs here have lost items like houses land businesses and court cases all to thais.......

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

Yes we know the rules,but unfortunately they change or forge the rules to discriminate against non Thais,as in the case of the Irish chap inPhuket.

[impulse]

As to your question, I have had far more and far crazier experiences with banks in my home country - things that go much further outside the bounds of logic than what you are describing.

+1. The fees at my K-Bank account in BKK are peanuts compared to the fees and rules for the privilege of allowing Bank of America to hold my money.

And don't get me started about the cost or inconvenience of exchanging foreign currency, or doing international wire transfers with them. It's a cheap treat to do banking in BKK.

[1FinickyOne]

And for those who complain about fairness - - look at the whole picture.

We as foreigners who want to retire here can do it with a pittance of money and paperwork - - and then we can live here for a small % of what it might cost to live in the West.

it would not be possible for a Thai to retire in most Western countries with such meager means, nor could they enjoy an inexpensive alternative… if you want to go into a National Park [your choice] just pay the extra 20 baht and be glad you have the chance as a similar park in my country would cost far more.

[dageurreotype]

Who the <deleted> would want to invest funds at 2 or (God forbid) 2,4 percent anyway - forget the alleged racism, think about the rational of the investment. You couldn't convince me to fart in bed for a 2 or 2.4% return.

As to buying a condo, get your Missus to buy it at the Thai price of 1.88M.

Sorted

That's all very well if you have substantial funds to enable you to invest overseas, otherwise you're stuck with the best niggardly rate a Thai bank will give you.

Also, believe it or not, many of us neither have nor want a bloody Thai wife. Next!

[dageurreotype]

2.4% interest is an average rate,you can get a fixed term where you pay no tax,but immigration dont recognise the account if using for retirement extension cos you cannot draw on it.

As far as buying a condo,its difficult to see capital appreciation cos most people want to buy new/off the plan rather than 2nd. hand....also over a number of years the building falls into disrepair unless you have a good management team.

If you buy high end,and i'm talking millions of baht worth,yes you can get capital appreciation.

Better to keep money back home and bring over when necessary,and rent here.

For all those suggesting keeping money 'back home', what if all friends/family are dead and you've not visited 'back home' for twenty years, let alone kept a bank account there.

[dageurreotype]

How about you ask this question regarding THEM and US to the Irish Gentleman who has lost his Thai estate worth of 65 Million BHT.

The Thai Wife,The Thai Court ,The Thai Loan Shark, The Thal Lawyer,The Thai land office ,The Thai police,and The Irish Genteman.

Link pls

Can't. The junta's blocked Drummond's site. The Irish guy was stupid. Keep dick in pants comes to mind. Then you'll have nothing to whine about all over the net about, using your kids in some campaign for justice when you are the one who they should be aiming their ire at.

[Tchooptip]

Question to everyone, is it possible, for a condo I mean, a price for Thais a price for falangs ?

[GOLDBUGGY]

For the Condo it is easy to understand why the price difference. For you to live and own a place their a Thai must also own a place their. To sell all the Condos you need 51% Thai or Thai Company Ownership and 49% can be Foreign Owned.

Since it is easier to sell a Condo to a Foreigner as he wants to own his own place and can't buy a house very easily, they jack the condo price up by 200 K Baht. To attract Thais they lower the price by 200 K Baht. This may seem unfair but in reality it is just a simple matter of Supply and Demand. It is the law in place that demands 51%-49% Ownership where you might be able to say their is a Us and Them.

I ever came across or encountered the problem you faced with your bank. Perhaps it is time to change banks?

[topt]

Who the <deleted> would want to invest funds at 2 or (God forbid) 2,4 percent anyway - forget the alleged racism, think about the rational of the investment. You couldn't convince me to fart in bed for a 2 or 2.4% return.

As to buying a condo, get your Missus to buy it at the Thai price of 1.88M.

Sorted

That's all very well if you have substantial funds to enable you to invest overseas, otherwise you're stuck with the best niggardly rate a Thai bank will give you.

Also, believe it or not, many of us neither have nor want a bloody Thai wife. Next!

2.4% interest is an average rate,you can get a fixed term where you pay no tax,but immigration dont recognise the account if using for retirement extension cos you cannot draw on it.

As far as buying a condo,its difficult to see capital appreciation cos most people want to buy new/off the plan rather than 2nd. hand....also over a number of years the building falls into disrepair unless you have a good management team.

If you buy high end,and i'm talking millions of baht worth,yes you can get capital appreciation.

Better to keep money back home and bring over when necessary,and rent here.

For all those suggesting keeping money 'back home', what if all friends/family are dead and you've not visited 'back home' for twenty years, let alone kept a bank account there.

If you think Thai bank rates are "niggardly" I suggest you have a check of most European and US rates - they are even lower.

If you committed to leave "home" severing all ties then why bother to worry about what other people suggest as to where you keep your money - and see above anyhow.

In fact I am not sure why you bothered to post...........

[Robert24]

For 10 years I have been sharing my time between Vietnam and Thailand and pay modest rent on both Hanoi and Bangkok. I enjoy the best of both worlds which are very different as are the people. When I initially moved to Hanoi I invested US$50k in a yearly term deposit account @14%. That has now dropped to about 8%. No trouble at all opening a bank account in Vietnam unlike Bangkok where I tried bank after bank only to be knocked back on some specious grounds. Finally after advice from an expat friend I managed to open a savings account with Bangkok Bank but use this only for funds transfers because of the low interest rate. I have never had any problems with my Vietnamese investment account and they have always paid the yearly interest on time and without fuss. This is for information only and I am not giving advice. My life's experience has taught me that buying property with my own money but with someone else's name on the title is a mugs game.

Was the term deposit account on which you invested $50k in $ or Vietnamese Dong?

[Robert24]

I think experiences such as these are for the maladjusted. Ex-pats or locals. Ex-pats and locals. People not thinking about money and or sex all the time, will not have many of the experiences shared here on TV. They won't need them. They're normal, mature , comfortable with themselves, adults. All shapes. sizes, colors and countries. Moving nicely through life.

A real weird lot of posters on this forum who continually bash the Thais ,The elite, the rich, the governmenmt and other posters of this forum. Maladusted and sad beings. Thank god i never meet them. I must live in a different world to them. I never have any such problems as many farangs seem to have whilst living here. I have been cheated by Farangs, but no Thais.

I have been cheated on numerouse occasions by Thais,usually for small amounts, however on a few occasion for larger amounts, this being with the complicity of the Thai so-called justice system. Yet I have never been cheated by a farang,so what does this prove.

It proves that many countries have lower integrity standards in Asia, incl China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines etc. If you want to move to a country with high integrity standards in Asia, then move to Japan or Korea.

Whilst I sometimes wish, Thai business people or in general would adopt some of the mentality from Japan/Korea, I also know this won't happen. So best to move on and not complain too much about it.

[IMA_FARANG]

There have been cases in the past where a fixed rate term deposit account that required a advance notice to withdraw funds (such as a 30 day notice to withdraw funds) has not been approved by immigration for the 800K funds required for a retirement extension/visa.

So if your thinking about opening a fixed rate higher interest term fund that requires a notice period before you can withdraw funds make sure immigration will approve that account before you try to use it as your "retirement" extension fund.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Who the <deleted> would want to invest funds at 2 or (God forbid) 2,4 percent anyway - forget the alleged racism, think about the rational of the investment. You couldn't convince me to fart in bed for a 2 or 2.4% return.

As to buying a condo, get your Missus to buy it at the Thai price of 1.88M.

Sorted

So how does it get signed over in his name?

Well the sad part to this as he doesn't get it turned over to his name, which you know already. But have you considered all the options?

If he is going to live here he is going to need a place to live. He has 4 Options.

He can Rent, which is the cheapest way, but doesn't have ownership and nothing after several years.

He can buy for himself and pay 20% more than a Thai.

He can buy in his Thai Wife's Name and if things stay the same he will get the property 20% Cheaper.

He can buy in his Wife's Name, get a 30 Year Lease, get the property cheaper, and still have his own place for 30 years in which he can rent out if he chooses, and if things go South.

I agree that their is a lot of circumstances surrounding buying a property in your Wife's Name. Personally I would rather pay the extra money and own my Condo anyway. I mention Condo only as technically this is all you can own in your own name. But I am not sure I would even buy until I knew my neighbours and the neighbourhood.

The one thing is for certain is if he rents for 10 years he will have zero to show for that at the end. It may end up the same if he puts it in his Thai Wife's Name. But at least he has a chance things could work out with his wife, whereas if he rents all this time he has no chance at all.

[DD13]

Why did you ask the bank the rate when you already knew it was published at 2.4%? You simply gave them an opportunity to give you the runaround.

You need to give THEM the runaround. Go to a different branch and proceed to open the account. Make it take as long as possible so they invest a lot of time. Then when it comes time to fund the account, if the account is not 2.4% give them a serious stink about it. They have already invested this time and did not disclose to you the terms different from what they have published. You might have some leverage to get the advertised rate. If they don't budge, you leave them with all the time they wasted & no money.

The reason I asked about the 2.4 rate was because it is/was written in Thai

Before anyone jumps in and tells me to learn Thai (I know a little)

Remember a favourite joke of the Spannish

Question

........What do you call someone who only speaks one language ???

Answer

An Englishman.........

YES THAT SUMS ME UP

[EnglishJohn]

I think the thais have got it right, looking after their own, shame we don't do it in England instead of looking after everyone else first!

I have to agree with this. The discrimination against foreigners is very annoying sometimes - but I can't help feeling that if the UK had done more of this, every single thing which is important would not be owned by other countries now.

In my home country, I just feel like a tax-cow whose only purpose is to be milked !.

[wowfactor10]

I think the thais have got it right, looking after their own, shame we don't do it in England instead of looking after everyone else first!

I have to agree with this. The discrimination against foreigners is very annoying sometimes - but I can't help feeling that if the UK had done more of this, every single thing which is important would not be owned by other countries now.

In my home country, I just feel like a tax-cow whose only purpose is to be milked !.

That does not justify why foreigners need to loose their invesments one way or the other..

Their laws rules needs to protect everybody...now they do not!

[wowfactor10]

Seems its your function here to defend unfair thai system for us..

Anyway u wrong...There is not one set of rules but 2 sets of rules one for Thais and one for Foreigner citizens..The rules/laws we have received from Thailand are really very poorly and offer us no protection what so ever...

That is why so many farangs here have lost items like houses land businesses and court cases all to thais.......

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

I have left Thailand already.

Have seen enough foreigners loosing their investments here cause Thailand has designed special laws / rules for THEM and for us..

I hope they will make some changes at some point cause to many foreigners are now objecting to them and have stop to invest.

First thing to change : Make it Mandatory that any changes at land office all parties have to appear in person...This will solve loads of scams.

Why there is no protection for us? in my former village 4 farangs have lots their homes and lost their court cases in order to get them back

[lostoday]

Seems its your function here to defend unfair thai system for us..

Anyway u wrong...There is not one set of rules but 2 sets of rules one for Thais and one for Foreigner citizens..The rules/laws we have received from Thailand are really very poorly and offer us no protection what so ever...

That is why so many farangs here have lost items like houses land businesses and court cases all to thais.......

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

I have left Thailand already.

Have seen enough foreigners loosing their investments here cause Thailand has designed special laws / rules for THEM and for us..

I hope they will make some changes at some point cause to many foreigners are now objecting to them and have stop to invest.

First thing to change : Make it Mandatory that any changes at land office all parties have to appear in person...This will solve loads of scams.

Why there is no protection for us? in my former village 4 farangs have lots their homes and lost their court cases in order to get them back

Why would you buy when you can't own? Seems like asking to get taken to the cleaners to me?

[wowfactor10]

The Classic land/house scam here it goes :

Your Thai wife.or Thai Maid,or Thai fake tenant will make copies of some of your home documents.Then the fake your signature on some other documents.Then they go land office,They remove you from the lease and or as a director of your company.Then they go to the local loan shark who is in on the scam.he gives a loan and he needs to be repaid within one year.If not repay he gets owns the home.One year later the loan gets not repaid so the loan shark gets the home.He kicks out the surprised farang who knows nothing at all about all of this.The Farang goes to court 2-3 years looses lots of money on the legal case and finally looses his case in court.Court will say loan shark did not know all signatures were fake? and so now case is closed.All win only farang loose his house.

They can end these scams by make it mandatory all persons need appear in person at land office for any changes?

Why Thailand not protect its foreign citizens better then?

In my former village this has happened several times to foreigners

The Irish Gentemen had somthing simular to this.he lost 65,000,000 estate!

[wowfactor10]

Seems its your function here to defend unfair thai system for us..

Anyway u wrong...There is not one set of rules but 2 sets of rules one for Thais and one for Foreigner citizens..The rules/laws we have received from Thailand are really very poorly and offer us no protection what so ever...

That is why so many farangs here have lost items like houses land businesses and court cases all to thais.......

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

I have left Thailand already.

Have seen enough foreigners loosing their investments here cause Thailand has designed special laws / rules for THEM and for us..

I hope they will make some changes at some point cause to many foreigners are now objecting to them and have stop to invest.

First thing to change : Make it Mandatory that any changes at land office all parties have to appear in person...This will solve loads of scams.

Why there is no protection for us? in my former village 4 farangs have lots their homes and lost their court cases in order to get them back

Why would you buy when you can't own? Seems like asking to get taken to the cleaners to me?

People can make 30 year leases and clearly they can get scammed of them..Why is that their own fault?

Why u have to defend this?

[hanseman]

Ĺ

[lostoday]

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

I have left Thailand already.

Have seen enough foreigners loosing their investments here cause Thailand has designed special laws / rules for THEM and for us..

I hope they will make some changes at some point cause to many foreigners are now objecting to them and have stop to invest.

First thing to change : Make it Mandatory that any changes at land office all parties have to appear in person...This will solve loads of scams.

Why there is no protection for us? in my former village 4 farangs have lots their homes and lost their court cases in order to get them back

Why would you buy when you can't own? Seems like asking to get taken to the cleaners to me?

People can make 30 year leases and clearly they can get scammed of them..Why is that their own fault?

Why u have to defend this?

Because I have brain. Anyone with brain don't buy house on land he don't own. This is not rocket science.

You want truth justice and the American way go to America.

I think the line is longer to get in to USA than the line to get into Thailand.

[GuestHouse]

Some years ago I went to look at a house for sale near Pattaya, it was a 1970s free standing property on a 0.75 Rai plot.

The published price was 1.7 million, but when the owner turned and met me the price jumped to 2.4 million.

I told him in no uncertain terms what he could do with his property, I was never going to be robbed by a greedy Thai.

The property was at the bottom of Narklua Soi 16, had I bought it I would now be sitting on an asset worth nearer Bht20 million.

I like to remind myself that I was not robbed by a Thai.

Edited June 6, 2015 by GuestHouse

[impulse]

The property was at the bottom of Narklua Soi 16, had I bought it I would now be sitting on an asset worth nearer Bht20 million.

I like to remind myself that I was not robbed by a Thai.

Sitting on, or buried under...and they dance on your unmarked grave every night.

They showed how they would treat you on that first encounter. You made the wise decision.

Edited June 6, 2015 by impulse

[wowfactor10]

wowfactor,

you keep going on about these rules being unfair,

right you know these rules are unfair,

so why would you want to come and live here? you know the rules are there, you know they arnt going to change,

so why do you keep going on and on about it?

these are the rules, they are in place, you are not going to get them changed on some thai forum,

so in the end if it dosnt suit you, then dont come and live here, SIMPLE,

I have left Thailand already.

Have seen enough foreigners loosing their investments here cause Thailand has designed special laws / rules for THEM and for us..

I hope they will make some changes at some point cause to many foreigners are now objecting to them and have stop to invest.

First thing to change : Make it Mandatory that any changes at land office all parties have to appear in person...This will solve loads of scams.

Why there is no protection for us? in my former village 4 farangs have lots their homes and lost their court cases in order to get them back

Why would you buy when you can't own? Seems like asking to get taken to the cleaners to me?

People can make 30 year leases and clearly they can get scammed of them..Why is that their own fault?

Why u have to defend this?

Because I have brain. Anyone with brain don't buy house on land he don't own. This is not rocket science.

You want truth justice and the American way go to America.

I think the line is longer to get in to USA than the line to get into Thailand.

So if you lease land and house here in Thailand with a proper 30 year contract and you get cheated out on it then it is you own fault??

You clearly must be out of your mind.

[wowfactor10]

Some years ago I went to look at a house for sale near Pattaya, it was a 1970s free standing property on a 0.75 Rai plot.

The published price was 1.7 million, but when the owner turned and met me the price jumped to 2.4 million.

I told him in no uncertain terms what he could do with his property, I was never going to be robbed by a greedy Thai.

The property was at the bottom of Narklua Soi 16, had I bought it I would now be sitting on an asset worth nearer Bht20 million.

I like to remind myself that I was not robbed by a Thai.

Usually the robbing starts after the sale...

Btw with a 30 years lease That Thai owner would have gotten back his land plot already from u.

Your amazing story its over the 30 years.

Btw i only hear stories of persons loosing stuff i never hear stories of foreigners in Thailand making 1000% profits.