jacko

You make some good points although I was originally just trying to figure out how the damned bill was calculated. The AC units are certainly not new and likely inefficient, and Thai houses are not generally built too well, poorly sealing single glazed windows for example. Another point is dark roof tiles baking all day and then ceiling tiles that probably keep the roof cavity hot, making the house pretty warm in the evenings. Even with all the windows open I seem to be several degrees hotter than outside. I need to close up the windows at night so the AC needs to be on! I can live with 3000 baht electric bills, they will reduce in the cooler seasons. If you ever see the lunatic spraying water on his roof at 6pm, you might be passing by my place! Water is cheap and plentiful at the moment.

Living in Thailand has very little to do with living in USA. Different items are expensive here relative to the overall cost of living. What you call a small amount, my electric bill, about 3000 baht is 75% of an unskilled workers monthly salary. (for example a hotel room cleaner working 6 days or 48 hours per week in Pattaya....) it might well be a lot more than a rural farm worker gets in a couple of months. What is a small amount to you is certainly not to a Thai, and also perhaps a consideration to an expatriate living here. One of the keys to living here is to adjust and stop comparing prices to home, but if you are on a limited budget consider prices relative to the locale. I would say the main reason for people to retire here is that their money goes further. Anyhow, the way energy prices are going, you may well be giving due consideration to your energy consumption soon, even if polluting Canada and South America is no consideration.

What an idiotic statement........ If one conserves expediture, one can afford to live 'there'. If one is a spendthrift, perhaps not. Perhaps you are fortunate to be very rich......and it is irrelevant to you, but not everyone is. Also as someone mentioned conservation is a good idea. Besides that is nothing to do with what the thread is about, is this 24/7 AC blowing on your head?

Or a clever way to hit the falang, who else uses aircon! My feelings aren't hurt, I only wonder whether something was going on before I moved in! In reality I have all of the consumption you mentioned, plus a few more hot showers, AC in bedroom all night long, and AC in large lounge all evening. Plus a Tilac who leaves lights on everywhere and the fridge door open...sod the money but my beer gets warm....

I do not think Thailand would change the laws to interrupt a market generating good money, but nobody knows for sure. If you buy a condo, look to be owning one of the 49% in the building that can legally be owned by a foreigner. There are companies out here that will manage the renting out of your condo, View Talay being one. Six weeks does not justify buying a condo that you will be using. As to having money to invest, well I am sure your announcement has brought the financial advisors out from beneath the lawyers who live beneath the slime under the stones. I would be a richer man today if not for financial advisors Spreading risk is the catch-phrase, so depending how much you will get, can you go to a condo and some investments? These are decisions only you can make, take advice yes, but these guys cannot predict the future either.

Yeah I know I have used a fair bit of power. I have a large living room and it gets hot in there in the evening when my tilac wheels out the spicy food! I know the rate is fair compared to the west, and of course I can divide total bill by consumption to get an idiots approximation. The 'sliding rate' is probably the reason I cannot figure it out or get a linear correlation. I was just looking to manipulate my consumption to get the best out of the way it is charged, or wondered whether there were various packages, depending on expected usage, like you get on the mobile phones. I tried for a few days not to use AC...but June is not the month for it, and I have too much insulation on my midriff! Thanks for the feedback.

Are you selling an ownership title or is it coming with one of the bogus companies? I.E. is it, and does it, remain one of the 49% that can be non-Thai owned in the building. What is the annual maintenance charge?

And thank you Mr 'Nothing Better to do trying to bump up his posts tally specialising in the bleeding obvious'. You are in the wrong forum, someone here is asking for advice and information.

Received my first electric bill for the house in the Soi Siam Country Club area. I can't figure out the math, I can only read the numbers. My Thai GF can't figure it either. It is straight from the utility. Seems straight forward in parts, bear with me.... . Meter today minus meter previous = 727 units consumed...OK A mystery charge of 1979.94 baht with a 'per' number of 0.0000 A second charge of 621.15 baht, per unit number of 0.8544, that works out correct for 727 units. A 7% tax on these to give my bill of 2783.17 baht for the month...ouch. This mystery charge of 1979.94 baht...is this 2.73/unit.....? I snuck a look at the neighbours bill, his 490 units seemed to be 2.600/unit for the mystery charge at 1274.15 baht, and a matching 0.8544/unit for the secondary......differs. I thought perhaps a fixed monthly charge plus a per unit component constituted mystery charge, so did a y=ax+b calculation, but this didn't seem to work as I got a negative fixed charge. Can't get sense over phone, don't want to traipse to the office in Banglamung....too analy retentive to just pay up and shut up...anybody looked into this?

That might have been true last year but I have been asking questions at the Bangkok Bank in Pattaya. The standard 'current' style account is like many in the UK, the interest rate is so pathetic I wonder why they bother, they could just give out a 'chiclet' every now and again at the ATM. That said, fixed term deposits are being offered with 3.5% and 3.75% for 6 or 12 months. They are also advertising 'mutual funds' at 4.75%, in English. Seems like the banks are in need of some capital.

I think renting is an easier option at the moment, there are loads of places with 'for rent' or 'for sale' signs. When I was out searching people were coming out of their homes suggesting I take a look at their place. Another obvious thing was that the prices for purchase were way down on what you see in agents windows. Places that are a several years old are becoming dilapidated and sitting empty. Purchase and refurbish would produce a nice home. I have rented on the wrong side of Sukhumvit, I do miss the proximty of the fun, riding over Sukhumvit is a drag, and the roads to get there are slow during travel to/from work times in a car. I have learned that my current place is not so idylic as it first appeared. There are businesses operating out of nearby houses that produce a lot of street traffic in your little soi! Neighbours are a factor, I have a Thai neighbour who seems to enjoy disturbing farangs and goes out of his way to shine his headlights into my bedroom at 1am as he reverses into his car port, while his 3 dogs have a good bark. They cannot get into their car in the morning without setting off the alarm. And the favourite pastime of Thai ladies married to working falangs is to keep yappy little dogs. Glad I rented not purchased.

Well if you are worried about the battery dying you could just use a USB cable to your cell phone, eliminates the need for bluetooth, although it is still an ocasional option, and your cell phone gets recharged via the USB cable! But, I am not impressed, I go through TH GSM, prepaid and it really slows down in the late afternoon and evening, and seems to cost 1 baht per minute...that 500 baht on your card soon gets used up.

All that heavy metal loud music plays havoc with one's attention span.

I do hope you are not taking the Michael for my temporary mental block and miserable attempt at spelling? Let me redeem myself, Bua khao.....or white lotus.....

Well nobody seems to know. Their website shows the numbers 05-054-6645 - or- 02-377-6970, but implicitly states 'within Thailand', but hell dial ++66 and then drop the 1st zero and so on. Or send an email.

Well I can see why this post confused a few people. We are talking about a short term hotel room here...... So does our 2000 baht safe get locked in the wardrobe, or do we put all our valuables in the safe and then take it out with us to the go-gos. A few hotels object to you drilling large holes in the walls for the rawlbolts. Probably because of the noise, err how much does a drill cost?

Don't you love those responses that really answer the original question! Grouper is common here, a bit like what UK people call cod. Red and white snapper. My favourite is a flatfish called pomfrey, also cotton fish (I think). I also go for the large mackerel. I think part of the fun is trying them..... I avoid deep frying a fish as you seem to be cancelling out the low fat benefits, but a fat lady on Koh Chang ,who ran a little food place gave me the impression that wrapping it in tin foil with some vegies, spices and garlic, and dump it on a barbecue while you drink a few beers is best. The fiddly aspect of seperating the flesh from the bones is easy, you get a girlfriend. She does it.

Didn't install any new hardware, just software. Nevertheless the same might be true.

This should not be so hard, I see this route advertised in the Bangkok Post and around Pattaya. Quite a few flights out of the Middle East, and a few from Europe, drop off in Bangkok and like to pick up some passengers. try.... Traveltech or... Charlie

I would say that there are definately some bargains in Thailand if you can shop around. I was in China Air business class (the Taiwan one with a big flower on the tail) coming back to UK and was deeply upset by the guy next to me who had got quite a bargain purchased in BKK. I use this method to 'cash in' my BA air-miles. You can rarely get convenient seats in both directions if chasing premium cabins. So I have had 3 one way trips between BKK and UK, availability was much easier and gave me flexibility as to when to travel back. Just got me a first class seat in August, normally a busy time. Beware though, no visa and strictly speaking you cannot get onto a flight to BKK without a return booking.

The hotel resaturant was pretty good. Large selection, reasonable prices. Not if you have a couple of beers with your food. It costs the same as one of the go-go's in the plaza. I have always booked a delux room and been pleased with it. The hotel has been a shaghouse shithole since the 80s and is an experience. I have found the quality of service pretty poor as well as a 'rip em off attitude', but that is Bangkok isn't it? For a first timer it is an experience, I would say go-for-it. After a few trips you will probably only ever stay in Bangkok if you have a late flight out, or need a rest on the way in.

Plenty of people can help you but a few details would help. Like do you want to be near the action or away from it. Just a basic hotel room or a bit more. Plenty of hotels offer a monthy rate during low season in your range. A studio at Nova Park is about that but not including electric, water and cleaning, 25k inclusive Nova Park I liked the nearby Inside Garden at 18k, at 4/22 Moo 6 Pattaya 3rd rd You can easily live over a small bar for this in Soi Bukao or Soi Post Office for about that. Book someplace like the Lek Hotel for 2 nights and go walkabout when you arrive to find a place you like.

Why can't you compare the two? I think it is mainly a money making thing, but you have to admit it is vastly improved service than soi 8 used to be.....and at nearly 4 times the price it should be! Next entry for me will be a border run, not my idea of fun in the hot season.

There won't be any point travelling biz class if the lounges are full of drunks whacking them back at £4.50 all in! I don't see how there is much in it for the lounge managers unless this is a temporary offer. Don't go eating all those 3cm square sandwiches now!

Thanks guys.....feedback is I got 30 days extension, and I was surprised to see that it was 30 days from when my 1st entry was due to expire, rather than 30 days from date of application. It was pretty easy in Jontiem, but not immediate. Filled in form, 1 photo, 1 copy of important passport pages. At 10.30 I went to desk to have paperwork checked, sent to next desk to pay 1900 baht. Given a number and told to return at 2pm.Did so, it was all ready to go.