jacko

Jack, thanks for a good laugh early in the morning. (I too get onto the internet at silly times to get a useable speed).

It depends if you can 'maintain' a UK address. Most UK bank accounts are not open to 'non-residents'. But if you do not tell them, you can have the statements mailed to a sister, brother or parents home, they are only useless paper. Do everything online. Another alternative might be to go offshore. Hold an 'International Access Account', which will not pay much interest but you can easily transfer funds from to Thailand. Then keep the bulk of your money in fixed term deposits or National Savings Income Bonds. (Only about 5% or 5.5% paid gross respectively). Interest proceeds are automatically put into your International Access Account. After you qualify as a UK non-resident, that would be tax-free. I use Standard Chartered in Jersey, the Isle of Man is also popular.

Sometimes written as Roi-Et, central Issan? Just south of Kalasin, or about 150 KM south-east of Khon Kaen. Yes I expect it could be 'rural' there Far from the city?

Agreed, I joke with the workmen when they complete a repair.....'see you tomorrow'.... I took a look down the 'new road' last night, it is no longer flat and ready for surfacing. No sign of approaching tarmac as you look North down its length. I have to wonder how easy it will be to get from the 'dark side' to West Pattaya with 2 large roads and a railway line to cross.

I use a bolt on package with AIS... 750 baht/ month for 100 hours use. They claim 460kbps but I am sure that is the maximum, dreamers speed, mine varies from slow to stopped. You have to do your internet messing about at 5am. It slows down at 7.30 am.... crawls by 4pm and near stops after 6pm. What I save on a cheap service I might lose one day when the laptop flies through the window. (Speedtest 99/24 at the 'good' time. pre-7am)

Darn, I'll stick with my my Edge/GPRS then. It's slow and crap, but it is cheap.

Thanks, glad I read UR post before clicking...

I have been in my house for nearly 15 months now, and up to recently I had always been pleased that utilities seemed reliable. Banglamung Cable was useless so I switched to Sophon. That goes off for short spells fairly often, but is more reliable than its predecessor. My water supply had low pressure, but it filled the tank and my pump boosts it for the house. Electricity seemed to survive some spectacular storms! The last month or 2 has been not so good. Electricity off a couple of times.... for long periods... not good for the fridge contents. But the water... I think they are trying to improve the pressure and that is when the problems started. We have had 12 pipe bursts in the last month near the house, and I would say the water has been turned off for some time every day for the last 25. If it is not off due to a burst line in my street, there is something going on elsewhere requiring the isolation. They dig now in front of my house, slow arduous work with a pick and shovel. The other night we lent them a light and extension cord, and gave them a few bottles of beer as we found them more entertaining than Sophon at 2am! I haven't been inconvenienced much, I don't use that much water. The storage tank has saved me, although I topped it with rain water a couple of times to get the pump to switch on. Flush the bog every other pee! We get the mains water on for a few hours each day. Can't complain about the workmen either, they are along pretty quick when I call to inform about the river flowing down the street. They seem to lack equipment, and putting small repair lengths into what is an old crumbling network seems to be ineffective. Their methodology of re-filling the hole before putting the water back on also confuses me. The street is beginning to look like a Beirut suburb near the Israel border! Tonight my Sophon went off as I was about to watch the summary of condo jumpers, of course the water is still off. Cable is back on later, water, well who cares? You have to wonder if they will ever get to grips with the infrastructure requirements of this rapidly expanding city.

Worrying about your neighbours doesn't seem to be a priority over here Pap!

No, there is Banglamung Cable.... it's crap and unreliable. I see Sophon have just started advertising a new cable service that will include telephone and internet. Perhaps a matter of 'watch this space'.

I think they make the rules to make up the money. Having only 24 hours to report an address change is OTT and obviously being used as an earner. How about when I go stay up north for a few weeks, am I to report this address change? I believe they also try and fine you on this when you renew your driving licence and incorporate an address change.

A small 'juice to go bar'. Sell passion fruit juice, I love that stuff. All those guys who decided to walk all the way down second rd in the heat to walk off the hangover have a real thirst by then. In the cooler evenings sell alka-seltzer to go for those with heartburn from Pizza Hut or KFC, or too many beers in the beer bars.

Sell baseball caps with a penis emblem on them.

You could fly her down to Malaysia and see if they will issue her a tourist visa there. That is how the 'farangs' are getting around the 90 day limitation. Same visa run outfits are offering the trips.

Very brave, such a major change in career direction late in life....

Both the interpretation and comment appear to contradict what they put on the actual visas themselves and in the instruction package. Single entry Tourist Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue and allows a single entry for a stay of up to 60 days from date of entry. Double, triple or quadruple entry Tourist Visa is valid for 6 months from date of issue and allows 2, 3 or 4 entries each for a stay of up to 60 days from date of entry. Single entry Non-Immigrant Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue and allows a single entry into Thailand for a stay of up to 90 days from date of entry. Multiple entry Non-Immigrant Visa is valid for 12 months from date of issue and allows any number of entries into Thailand each for a stay of up to 90 days from date of entry. I have again checked the stamped visas in my passport and neither my triple entry tourist, or multiple entry Non-Imm-O state they must be utilized, for the first visit, within 90 days ,or less than the visa validity. The Tourist visa even states 'Entry Before'....giving me 6 months to utilize. Telephone conversations with consulate staff may not be accurate, it would depend who you get to talk to.

Well I suppose what they stamped into my passport must be irrelevant then. I re-read the Thai visa application package and did not determine any criteria specifying that a Non-Imm-O multiple must be utilized within 90 days of issue. Nor any restriction on how 'early' you can apply before travel. They do ask for 'Date of Departure from UK' and 'Date of Arrival in Thailand' as seperate questions. Perhaps they need to cater to someone who is going elswhere for several months prior to Thailand!

Well, at least you suggested my possible error politely. I did check the website, and have also taken a look at my current Non-Imm-O, Multiple, and the statements seem clear. 'This visa must be utilized before....' and the date stamped is a year from the issue date stamp. It may well be illogical to obtain a visa, and not utilize it for 11.5 months, but it seems permissible.

I am assuming that you will get a multiple visa... then the answers are. Q1...You are wrong, perhaps you are confusing with a single entry. Q2..Yes. Dowload the visa application pack... it reveals all

If your computer has an S-Video output socket yes you can. Then you will need to get cables to match whatever is available on your TVs, normally an AV female socket, but sometimes they have S-Video too. You also need a seperate cable for the sound, from your computer (small stereo jack male plug)... to 2 AV plugs, like the ones you find on audio systems. I found all this quite cumbersome, and was not particularly happy with the picture quality. Getting the computer to output to the TV also has to be figured out... you sometimes end up with no screen to operate your computer by.. most confusing.

I had to go back and check you were talking about PIH and not BPH. I have been misled into thinking the PIH was more about providing health service than turning the money making handle. I saw a Dr Jaew at the 'Art of Smile' dental clinic for a crown fitting and was quite pleased. (2nd Rd, nearly opposite Bangkok Bank/ Greggs Kitchen). In retrospect I could have saved a few thousand by saying 'let's skip a step or two' but one can get led along by the nose by attractive women.

I have eaten there a couple of times. Food and service both quite good.These English style pubs all seem to have the same menu. It is cosy inside unless it is flooded! As you eat in the bar area you have people smoking nearby. I think the Pig and Whistle is better. Or if you like Indian food, Oliver's on Pattaya Klang, opposite TOPs. They get it from next door, Ali Babas I think.

Funnily enough I was just on Qatar Airlines webpage pricing a roundtrip business class flight for late April. If I originate in Thailand, 67,000 baht + taxes. If I originate in Manchester £3900..... Some pricing differential that!

Fair point of view Gary, but I got 1500 baht interest from my bank account last month... pleased me . As I learned today, proving income, although only necessary the first time, can be a bit of effort from October, and a bit of expense. Visits to your embassy, their charges, then the letters have to be verified (stamped) by some Thai chamber...again a fee required. Perhaps I have more money than patience. Anybody out there who has previously proven their income, as a means of obtaining their retirement visa, may want to consider renewing it early! You can renew up to 3 months before expiry, and the more stringent income proof only comes into effect October 1st. Hence postpone the onerous effort for a year!