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Gary

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Posts posted by Gary

  1. I have not stayed in my Jomtien condo for a year or so. My wife was very seldom with me. While at the condo, I always used Panda food delivery and was never disappointed. I found their service excellent. I think their drivers are likely poorly paid so I always gave them a fairly generous tip, nothing too generous but usually around a hundred baht. Food delivery is not a very good job and also dangerous so I don't mind tipping. Maybe in the past year the service has deteriorated, I don't know.

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  2. 3 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

    Why be irritated by what others do that has no impact on what you do? I also think you're making an incorrection assumption that those going the agent route have inadequate finances.

    While probably true for some, my take is the majority going the agent route have more than adequate finances for funding their retirement here. They choose to use an agent as a matter of convenience and because it makes good financial sense not to tie up money that could be earning a better return elsewhere.

    I'm not irritated. I give my opinion to those who use agents because I consider it a risk. It is illegal and could come back to bite them. Up to them.

  3. I have irritated some guys who are using agents. I'm convinced that this is not legal. The immigration rules very clearly state the financial requirements. I am also of the opinion that if you cannot afford to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, then you can't afford to live here. I'm by no means wealthy but I am financially comfortable and don't have to live on a tight budget. Being retired here in Thailand is great "IF" you can afford it. Living here on a tight budget is not a happy retirement.

  4. Years ago I used to get my extensions from a company called Thai Visa. Yes, the same name as the forum. It was located on the small soi  at the end of Soi Cowboy.  For several years there were no problems. I was due for an extension and went to the office. There was a big chain and padlock through the door handles. Fortunately I still had my passport. I bit the bullet and went to Bangkok immigration. The immigration officer had a big stack of passports on his desk that they had confiscated from Thai Visa. He checked over my passport and told me that the stamps were legal but had come from Australia and I had no stamps that I had been to Australia. He told me that he would take care of my extension, BUT, if my passport goes anywhere, I had better be going with it.

  5. I was wrong about the latest rule changes. I had thought those changes would put the visa agents out of business. That obviously did not happen. Using an agent is definitely illegal but it has been going on for many years. Money talks and bullshit walks. 

  6. While living in Jomtien, I had a 175cc Kawasaki and a pickup truck. If going into Pattaya, I parked the bike or the car in Jomtien and took the baht bus. I would NEVER ride the Kawasaki into Pattaya. I would take the pickup if I needed to haul something. Finding a parking place in most Pattaya areas is simply a pain in the ass. I nearly got hit on Jomtien Beach Road by a speeding pickup truck. I did drop the bike but didn't get hurt. After that, I sold the Kawasaki. It's simply not worth the risk.

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  7. 9 hours ago, VPI78 said:

    de nada buen suerte.

    Meow is a nice lady and provides a good service. She was still in business in May when I last used her and is fairly prompt responding to eMails. I hope to use her again next month. 

    I got an answer to my email within a couple hours. She did remember me and yes, she is still in business. She quoted me 1,400 baht all in. She is such a nice lady and has such good service that I am not going to quibble over a couple hundred baht. My wife will be busy cutting rice, probably in late November, so she will be happy to have me out of the way for a couple of weeks. I hope by then things will be back nearly to normal.

  8. It took me quite a while to find a condo that I was happy with and I bought it for the long term and not for investment or re-sale. My friends told me that I paid too much and would never get my money back. I patiently explained that I didn't want to live in a shoebox and I insisted on a separate bedroom. Mine is a corner unit of 60 square meters with a lot of built in storage. I intentionally avoided beach front units mainly because of the salt air corrosion problems. I also hate high rise buildings. My complex is five story buildings and open in the center. Mine is on the third floor.

    I should add that I got 41 baht to the dollar when I bought it and I had several offers to sell it for a decent profit. I still have it and it remains empty except when I want a change of scenery from upcountry. It is in my name and a big part of my plan "B" in case my wife ever decides to throw me out. I will always have a roof over my head. It is fully furnished with a washing machine and a desktop computer in the bedroom. Also, I am fortunate not to have to live on a budget so I simply don't need the money.

    My advice for anyone buying a condo is to choose carefully knowing that you may live there for a long time and selling it may present a huge problem. Years ago I was a landlord and have no intention of ever being one again.

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  9. Our condo complex (Soi Chaiyapruk) has always had water with no restrictions. I'm not sure where the water comes from but it is amazingly soft. That makes me think that they draw water from the huge swamp behind the complex. Compared to our village upcountry, the water is so hard that the shower head clogs up with minerals on a regular basis.

  10. 2 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

    Have you looked into a fixed income account? Not much better than zero, but at around 1.25% at least it's a few thousand baht at the end of the year you wouldn't have had otherwise.

    I have a long irritating story. I had my money in a local Thai farmers bank that paid good interest. It was approved by immigration before I moved the money. It was fine for years until immigration got a new boss. She wouldn't accept that account even though I could get the money out anytime I wanted. I finally agreed to put the money back in a SCB savings account. That wasn't good enough because she said it had to be in my savings account for three months. What a miserable bitch she was. She said I had to leave the country. To make a long story short, I went to the US Embassy and got an income letter. She didn't like that but she finally did accept it. I ended up paying a 1,000 baht for a two day overstay fine as well as the expense and hassle of going to Bangkok for the letter. The bitch is now gone but I now hesitate to change accounts in case they get another new boss.

    I did complain about the bitch to higher immigration but that was no help. The told me it was up to the bitch. When I found out she was gone, I asked one of the cheeky (friendly) girls where she went. The girl grinned at me and asked if I missed her. I told the girl I missed her the same as a migraine headache.  All the office staff all got a good laugh out of that. They knew what a nightmare the bitch created for me. I learned that the immigration boss is always right even when they are wrong.

  11. My bedroom balcony is quite large. I have a table and chairs and still have plenty of room for the drying rack. That balcony overlooks the swimming pool and I like to have my morning coffee out there. There is a rule that you cannot hang clothes on the balcony rail. The living room balcony is small and it too has a drying rack but it is too small for sheets or blankets. I do use it to dry small floor rugs and to store mops, mop buckets and cleaning supplies. Only the 60 square meter corner units have two balconies. Most other units are 40 square meters and their balconies are the full width of the units, so not that small either.

  12. 7 hours ago, jacko said:

    Usually you would need a dryer too as there is little space to hang up your bedsheets to dry in a 60m2 condo..... and they require an exhaust to outside unless they can condense too.  I recall travelling around Thailand using laundries where I could, it  was a problem as some places would not accept the wife's smalls..... kinda odd. 

    I have a drying rack that I unfold and put on my larger bedroom balcony. It is no hassle to hang my wet clothes on that rack. My condo also has a small balcony off the living room where I have my washing machine. With the living room curtains closed, you wouldn't know it was there. The condo complex has a laundry service but I find that more hassle than doing it myself.

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  13. I'm always surprised that the condo developers are for the most part building shoe boxes. Maybe it's only me but no way could I live in a 26 square meter room.  Most hotel rooms are bigger than that. My condo is 60 square meters and is barely livable. Living in a studio is maybe OK for guys on holiday but living like that full time would make me stir crazy.

    I did find a corner unit on Soi 7 Jomtien that was 52 square meters. It at least had a sliding door hiding the bed. The day I had to make up my mind, the electricity was off. I asked the owner when the emergency generator would come on. There was no generator and I refused to walk up 17 floors. I kept looking.

    If you end up having a live in girlfriend, she will want to watch Thai TV and you will want English TV. Having a separate bedroom eliminates that problem as well as being able to have your computer in the bedroom. Having room for a washing machine with plenty of storage is also a big plus.

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  14. Most condo complexes have a condo office. The staff, normally ladies, usually know which units are for sale and have a close estimate of the prices. Some owners are way behind on their maintenance dues and they know that too. That's how I found my unit. I found a complex that I liked, found the office and got my information from the office ladies. Be polite and tell them that you like the complex and are interested in living there. Make sure that they know you are not an agent looking for listings.

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