jacko

Buy a couple of condos and rent them out.

Yes, especially if you go via a farang managed agency. I pay 15k for a 2br bungalow (furnished).... many farangs tell me I pay too much. Thais gasp in disbelief!

If you cross over the railway track on Soi Siam Country Club, now there is a 15m wide leveled track on both sides. There was certainly evidence of it in February, it has become the preferred route to the market! I don't expect it to be motorway standard...who said it was? Now does anybody recall the original question???????

I was looking at a house for sale just up SoI Nermplubwan (soi Muslim). As usual I took a stroll up and down the street to see if I was attacked by dogs, or the local pig farmer/slaughterer was set up in a neighbouring house. I saw a lot of houses advertised as for sale.... and from the look of them I sensed farang owners. At first I thought maybe recent 'poltical' changes had prompted a selling spree, or the fear that the house ownership via a shell company loophole may be closed. Then another thought, the new highway by the railway track, due to open in October. This will really cut off East Pattaya from the real part of town, Sukhumvit alone is a nightmare......imagine 2 parallel roads only 50-100 metres apart. Talking to my GF she seemed to think tunnels (or bridges) would be built both for cars and the railway line. Now those aren't going to be ready in October. Is East Pattaya due to become isolated by a horrible amount of road construction for a few years. Nothing gets done quickly here, and ensuing chaos is expected to be tolerated. I think of the motorway flyover at Chonburi, where for a long time all the traffic had to come off the motorway, go a kilometer in the wrong direction and then U-Turn and drive back to get back onto the motorway towards Bangkok. That was a mess. Anybody know what is to become of the 'dark side', as kolobos refers to it?

Good grief man......can't you put the toilet seat down. Great report on Secrets......

I got a bike so please don't waste any effort. Thx

What is the point of moving to Pattaya then?

The GF's brother wants his back, and I don't really want the other one being parked infront of where she goes to school. So anybody got one they want to sell off? About 120cc...15-20kbaht. You know the line, good runner, full service history, one lazy owner... sorry one lady owner! It's you or the auctions. Well the auctions were fun... although a bit hot and sweaty. They gave free water and food. I was outbid on the 5 I was interested in. Having since visited a few second hand dealers I should have bid higher!

Nope....and I regularly check my 'BULK' folder perchance my SPAM filter blocks it!

It would be an interesting thread continuation if people commented on whether the bank they are with is good, OK or crap. I would say good for my Bangkok bank.... Others here mention SCB, but for me I heard someone rant negatively about them so went elsewhere.....also the abbreviation for my UK bank is also SCB and I am a simple minded fellow who confuses easily!

And isn't that rather refreshing in the Pattaya environment!

Of course they do, they are in the business to make money, so why should they give away seats when there is a high demand. They also reduce the cheaper discounted economy class seats. Even if the airline 'claims' not to have blackout dates, they likely offer much reduced proportions of 'points' or 'mileage' seats. The booking software would automatically take care of this whenever a high demand for paying customers is seen. As you have enough mileage points for a return (nearly)....try booking a one way seat over the Christmas period. Try 2007, then 2008..etc etc. This will give you an idea. I have found it a struggle to utilize my airmiles when I wanted to....you have to await times of struggle or strife....namely threats of strike action. These cause cancellations and open up availability. My free seat last year came after a disasterous period for a particular airline....I got one for this month too...can anyone guess the airline?

As you say the taxes are a part of it, the airlines can't discount those. For one the new BKK airport now incorporates the 700 baht departure charge into the ticket price. Also I think LHR must be one of the most expensive places to fly out of for charges and taxes. My one way mileage ticket MAN-LHR-BKK had charges and taxes of £150.

Well I picked up their flyer at the Expats club meeting thinking this would be useful if I got involved in a traffic accident. (The card I got with my insurance has loads of telephone numbers, but everything is writen in Thai???). They seem to get promoted at the Expats club a lot. I sent off an Email, 6 days later no reply...not so FAST so far. Would they respond quickly to a problem if they are so lapse with their mails?

You have a point, plenty of fresh fruit available (cold pineapple on the beach..lovely). Fresh vegetables, flash cooked, are common...I would say Thailand is the best place to get all your vitamins without pills and supplements.

I got a free wallclock and scrounged a couple of placemats! Transfers from my UK Jersey account are fast.(total of £30 charge)..money there next working day. THe exchange rate is comparable to cash exchange in LOS. Sadly the £ is down recently.

That insurance does sound like a good deal, but make sure what you have got is as stated, it does sound like the obligatory, government 3rd party insurance. This covers little. Either the insurance is good and you paid for it in the price of the bike, or it is not what you believe. I recently bought a Nouvo for 50,000 baht. They only included the government insurance.This does not cover the bail bond you will need if you are involved in an accident. So I went off and got better insurance, but, the extra to cover theft was over 4000 baht. The Yamaha dealer offered me theft insurance at about 2200 baht/ 2 years. Pays back 85% first year and 45 % second year. I know of someone who has claimed and got his 85%. Yes, there is a lot of motorcycle theft in Pattaya, gangs come from surounding towns, but falangs on holiday make it easy for them! Mine gets locked.

I have an account with the Bangkok Bank, they just wanted my passport....but I believe you need to have a Non Imm visa in there rather than tourist or no visa. Quite pleased with the service and English abilities there, second Rd oposite Soi 6. Registering a motorcycle may be a little more complex than stated, not sure if you need a 'residence letter' I did for the driving license. Off to immigration with copies of all sorts of stuff....loads of photos..my house rental contract the most surprising one. This is a useful site.... Pattaya Expats Club

That's the word I was trying to remember Usufruct!

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 leaned me towards even more caution..... I am sure a lot of guys out there have been 'burned'. Thanks for the meaningful input 'pappy' (from the film).

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......