jacko

Index (on Sukhumvt) has good furniture but expensive, there is also a place across the road nearly opposite.

I think I have heard of this before...under a different name! Usurp or something similar. Well I need to think this over, but to be honest I have little faith in the Thai justice system supporting me in any dispute with a Thai....ie an ex gone sour. The 'company ownership' has always struck me as complex, and blatantly obvious circumvention of the land ownership law. The lease, well for the above reasons may also prove risky. But 30 years would suffice despite not being 75! If your option is so 'good' why do we not hear of it more often? A recent argument with the lady has

And by moving a few letters around we reach the more applicable phrase..... I don't think Thais do refunds.

A Thai lawyer will likely draw up any contract you like, whether it is legal and binding is another matter. For example I would wonder how a lease contract could include an option allowing you transfering the lease to full ownership to yourself , when as a foreigner, and as the law stands now, one cannot own the land. That said, in 30 years I will likely be under the land not on it!

They won't have that much for very long if going into business in LOS!

Well we have got the trailer park white trash running around already......

Well I have heard it has, and it hasn't, so am posting to get some clarity. Confusing place Thailand. I guess he is talking of the land being in a Thai name (the GF) and then getting her to sign a 30 year lease over to the mug who actually pays for the house and land. Although I suspect you know that Papillon. I would myself prefer this approach as the concept of 'putting it in a comany name' with 51% Thai majority shareholders etc seems complicated and probably an illegal way to own property, if the company is actually only set up to own the house and does no business. As a lot of wi

I am renting a house at the moment, and the temporary governments ineptidude has created a house buyers market. I live here full time and regard condos as blocks of flats better suited to frequent visitors. I also have a morbid fear of falling off a 112th floor balcony! A garden and a barbecue would be nice too! These big monstrosities are going up all over Pattaya and Jomtiem, sometimes right in the path of the sea view you bought 4-5 years ago. They are also being marketed at very high prices. Next year might just be too late to get a good house at a good price..... IF the rules change

Thinking of buying a house here......now on top of all the concerns relating to company ownership, leases and loans and farangs cannot own land ... how about bringing in the money? Anything over $20,000 will have 30% retained for a year unless it is for condo (not house?) purchase or investment in a company! Now I don't like the idea of giving the (unelected) Thai government an interest free load of a few million baht for a year in the hope they might give it back to me when they choose to! Any knowledgeable feedback on how this works, or better, how NOT TO give over the money wou

Hope Casper doesn't mind me jumping in..... Price 2,400 baht, includes breakfast, late lunch on return, a bottle of water and a discount booklet and loyalty program. Yes a good deal and service. You can find runs at about 2000 but the difference in price is small, difference in comfort great. Tax free at the border, well beware, some things cost more than in Thailand (eg Thai liquor) so check local prices and haggle. Plenty to be saved on 'Viagra' and simlar medications. A cold can of Chang at 20baht at the border isn't a bad refresher!

It's a good price but highlights the excessive taxes......35% of the cost! I hope to fly Qatar back to UK in March.

Wise words Gary....I might only add that a Thai partner is obligatory rather than necessary....

Given that whatever ails you permits a trip back to the USA. A friend recently suffered a stroke here and paid a bill of 1.3 million baht at the hospital. Now at an annual insurance premium of 50k baht it would take 26 years of premuims before self assurance became financially advantageous.....but that said the guy had insurance and they weaseled out of 75% of the cost liability. At 65 you would obviously have to shop around for someone to even offer cover......hate that word cover, as if paying the insurance company 'protects' you against any bad fortune!

Sad tale, take note all. On the web site notice how many Thai employees he had and how many he had to fire for stealing. This is a high percentage. A friend of mine who owned a bar had similar results with the sweet girls he employed as cashiers. It's an ugly thing to condemn a whole nationality based on the actions of 'few', but a healthy dose of distrust might be a good thing!

Not sure I would go along with this 100%! The immigration at the airport (Bangkok) will be supporterd by a computerized system that will be able to show your days etc immediately. Some land borders might get this, others not. The land border I crossed recently did not even have an entry date stamp saying 2006...it said 2001 and he crossed the 1 out, wrote 6 and initialled it!

My head is getting a bit old but that looks like less than 90 days total, obviously depending whether you mean later this year or that year.... ... but I think you are OK. This rule is going to be hell for the check in staff to figure out..

Not much experience of this, we bought our last one from Carrefour off the shelf. Generally though, I think they will have a go at making one if you supply a photo, although they seem to use gelatin rather than icing ..yeuch. The best looking cakes I see are in the Berlin Cafe on South Pattaya Rd/ beach junction.

There are no bloody droughts in Thailand at the moment......there are floods....currently pipes are being replaced around Pattaya causing loss of water in central areas. I get monthly water bills, my water is metered. My water comes from a big lake about 5km away which is full at the moment. They had rowing races on it last weekend. I have been retired here for a couple of years and never filled in a tax form, perhaps others can expand....do you have a company for home ownership which will require a tax submittal maybe?

My belief is the new rules were implemented as of Oct 1st. After that date people arriving without a visa and being issued with a 30 day permission to stay were having numbers written on their card/ entry stamp (1 or 2 or 3). I suspect you would not have had this done...hence are "free". Are you just asking curious questions or do you plan to stay in Thailand for 3 out of the next 6 months? If yes, I would say get a tourist visa anyhow!

My GF just went back and says the place is still open......I stayed in Pattaya! The wife lady was apparently hard to work for, and even her husband told me she 'shouted at him' My GF says the Thai food is poor there, and getting her to eat falang food is hard, so I will have to drag her in! I need to chat to someone in English every now and again.

Get real, 530 will be rounded up to 600, and LT rounded up to 1500. The 'taxi' will be 60 baht not 50 now.

Not Pattaya related, but couldn't decide on a forum to post in. Anyone familiar with this place may wish to know... Grapevine....TGF, via friend in Korat who used to work there, tells me that the owner of The Pizza Shop in Korat,( Amphoe Muang) died a few days ago. I recall he was a Swedish National, about 59 years old and I believe his name was Christopher. I always visited there when in Korat and he always chatted and offered me free books from his library. He introduced me to Archa beer when I said Heinekin was too expensive and Chang messed me up. I am not sure if his wife wi