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KIWIBATCH

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Posts posted by KIWIBATCH

  1. Levitra...the real genuine stuff is available in Thailand. 4 tabs in a Pfizer sealed tab...along with the english writing on it ..in its box...with the "instructions" also in english enclosed. It does and does not require a prescription to obtain. It depends on which pharmacy you go to.

    I have been to several pharmacies to ask for it and been refused as I did not have a prescription.

  2. Stick in your pocket...walk on through the exit/entrance gates Canada/Thailand...forget the declaration and paperwork nonsense.....why even bother filling it out...you are only highlighting the fact that you are carrying money....arent we all on arrival Thailand. I bought 37000 NZ dollars into Thailand stuffed in several of my pockets....some in my check in luggage and carry on backpack....it wasnt deliberately hidden (it just wouldnt all fit in my pockets)...i had no problems...the limit is 10k before you have to declare it...nobody checks NZ/Thailand (I cant vouch for Canada)....in the case of the NZ exiting Customs procedures if you are carrying more than 10k you are supposed to declare it and advise the customs 2 hours before you board... all NZ Customs do is call you aside, count the money...record it in their files.....and away you go....behind the scenes they advise the NZ Police Dept so that a check can be made by them...as one previous poster has already advised...as to whether you are money laundering (dont know how they would check that out)....or whether it "could" be drug money.....if you have a clean record apart from the minor infractions us humans sometimes accrue then thats the end of the matter....I am positive this is an "international standard" amongst the Customs Depts worldwide......upto you....but if you are a nervous person, and suffer from the jitters when you know you are doing something wrong, and start reading magazines in the departure lounge with the pages upside down...declare it...!!

  3. ...and.....this has been going on for a week....trying to buy SKYPE/OZ Lotto credit....each time declined....plenty of dosh in my a/c....bought 6K worth of airasia tickets 4 hours agoo...no problems....just a thought......will the card only work if the KB bank themselves have the "supplier" entered in their system...in this case Skype and OZL..???.....again reluctant to ring the service centre....sadly not much use too me in this case

    Did the money come off your card?

    I would try again tomorrow by which time there may not be an issue, if there is still and issue, try canceling the webcard and then apply for a new one which will have a diff number and may work..

  4. Thanks...no the money did not come off the card....I am reluctant to apply for a new card as it was one hel_l of a mission getting the first one issued....unfortunately the KB bank staff were in a very unhelpful mood every time I visited the local branch...and no....I absolutely did not do any "farang style" ranting and raving but kept a pleasant demeanour throughout the whole process....making that thai gut uttering sound of "ooooooohhhhh" every time they went into great depths of explanation....which seems to get them on your side

    Did the money come off your card?

    I would try again tomorrow by which time there may not be an issue, if there is still and issue, try canceling the webcard and then apply for a new one which will have a diff number and may work..

  5. Can any member offer help/assistance on this matter.

    I have an exisiting Kasikorn Bank Savings a/c...linked to this is my KB Bank Shopping Card.....I have been attempting to purchase two items..

    1. A 3 month subscription to SKYPE for their international telephone calling plan and...

    2. (Shame on me)....Australian Lottery Tickets (have been attempting to bank some funds into my a/c with them with which to purchase the lottery tickets)

    Both amounts combined equal 80 USD.

    The process via the 2 companies proceeds well...part way through the transaction a KB link correctly interjects and asks for my KB Card verification number, security number, card number etc...once entered and submitted the original companies (Skype/OZ Lottery) website "confirms" the purchase (subject to their own in house verification)...what happens shortly thereafter is an email from both Skype/Oz Lottery advising me that my purchases have been "declined" by the issuing bank KB.

    I have telephoned the KB service line......and explained what is happening.....not one service person has provided a "fix" for me.

    In respect of the OZ Lottery purchase $40 am I being caught up in the holier than thou attitude by the Thai authorities and their recently employed 3000 "internet scouts" to stop IT gambling (as a whole)....if so so be it...but it doesnt explain the SKYPE non-purchase situation.

    The KB Shopping card is as good as a credit card...with the only thing being you cannot obtain cash with it.

    I have used the KB card on numerous occassions to purchase airline tickets....both for domestic flights within Thailand and international flights using an overseas based airline (and through the airlines overseas based web centre)

    Any "fixes" appreciated

  6. No she doesnt have a sister...sorry....my wife is a former employee of the Thai Government Education Office (Finance) Dept...so she is very good at counting the pennies....and we both sit down each month and complete the household expenditure/income/budget......seriously we are surviving on these figures comfortably...no problem at all...and having a good comfortable lifestyle

  7. My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

    1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

    Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

    Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

    (Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

    Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

    Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

    I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

    24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

    Hope this helps answer your question...

    TBMTH i find that amount hard to believe...kudos, p,s does she have a sister.?

  8. My last months expenses...nothing unusual no emergency expenditure...all written up month by month by my thai wife

    1 large single bedroom modern apartment (rented) Onnut 12000B per month

    Power averages 1100B per month ( I have 1 aircon) and it operates most of the day

    Water charges incurrred (above allowed useage) 300B per month

    (Incidentally the power and water are direct accounts with the suppliers concerned)...insist on it to avoid gouging by your landlord.

    Food (two of us regular 3 meals a day..mainly Thai food with the odd Farang meal thrown in...plus regular visitors for meals and overnights...friends/family) shopping at Carrefour... and fresh produce at the Onnut open market 6000 per month

    Clothing (replacement items)...cold beers (moderate drinker)...internet (TOT 3GB service)....restaurant meals (twice per week).....Going to the movies (once per week) 7/11 incidentals.....12Call cellphone cards 4000/5000B per month

    I dont have medical insurance...I dont own a car/motorcycle (no point with the excellent transport services available from the apartment complex)

    24400B per month x 12 months = 292800B p.a. or 5631B per week (leave it to you to convert to your currency)

    Hope this helps answer your question...

  9. I booked today Air Asia BKK to Phuket return thru a travel agent 3950 Baht....Thai Air 8500B return...(same departure/arrival time give or take 40 minutes).....Air Asia will knock Thai Air out of the air (eventually) I am prepared to wager on it...Air Asia new Airbus 380's...Thai Air still trying to negotiate a discount for their new planes..."so as not to affect their liquidity" (quoted via the BKK Post via Thai Air senior executive)...not that the quality/condition matters that much on a 1 hour 20 minute flight...but Thai Air's flight costs are so much higher than their oppositions (12Go...Nok Air, Bangkok A/L, Air Asia)...and have been for a very long time...that its about time Thai Air sacked their marketing/sales Dept heads...they must be feeling it......but come hel_l or high water the Govt will bail them out.....similar scenario as the the failure rate amongst Thai Uni/school teachers...just throw money at it MPR...!!!

  10. How sad..... how very sad...a two year old with both parents gunned down.

    My thai wife of many years hometown is Yala.

    We used to travel regularly to Yala for family get togethers etc. We now simply wont go near Yala or any of the environs including Had Yai.

    My thai wife sits in front of the TV when "yet another bomb in Yala or the immediate area" becomes news (daily lately)...and cries uncontrollably

    My thai wife runs extremely nervous of the situation "down south"...she has a brother in the army patrolling the area....she has a further two brothers that live in Yala and travel further south to Wongsai to the family farm to work.....where on occassions...trees have been felled deliberately across the highway...and the armed muslims have put them both through the third degree and demanded money from them....all this on their way to work...normal thai folk going about there business.

    Her sister commutes with two of her children daily in and around Yala on a motorcycle transporting two young ones to kindergarten/primary school.

    Only 2 weeks ago....she was only 100 yards past the Mazda dealership in Yala when it was ripped apart by a bomb....then two days later was 50 yards from yet another bomb in of all places the bloody car park of the Yala hospital.

    Remember the well loved, well liked police Superintendent in that area...ripped to shreds several months ago......I was personally very saddened by this.

    Two weeks ago a grenade was lobbed at a passing army truck in Yala...it missed......but no before shredding and killing an innocent 5 year old girl waiting to be picked up from school her parents...and injuring, some seriously...23 other folk.

    A shocking state of affairs......worse than the recent protests in Bangkok when you consider the length of time the "restiveness" has been going on down south....and its ongoing.

    I cut out a press release from the Bangkok Post issued by the current Government and I quote word for word......"we simply dont have the time or the resources to commit to resolving the acts of terrorism in southern Thailand we are far to busy with the Red Shirt issues"

    and that about says it all doesnt it.....

    I trust the current Government will provide or pay for 24/7 care for this two year old until she is as a working adult..... they dam_n well should because they were "too busy"...to address somehow, or commit more resources to the problem)...I know this is a simplistic statement.. but for gods sake and the sake of the everyday ordinary law abiding Mum and Dad Thai folk...including the children (both muslim/buddhist)....this situation must be bought under some control...somehow....it has to start at the top level of Government.....for starters call in the recently appointed head of the Muslims in this area....and spell it out in no uncertain terms.....he is the only person with the power/authority/influence to curtail or stop this shocking stae of affairs....

    RIP the parents of this wee lass

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  11. Some of these products mentioned are in fact already available.....to help those members having severe withdrawal symtoms visit Carrefour Onnut.....in the large wide aisle that houses the bulk bags of rice is a good selection of both imported USA/Australian/UK "food".....on enquiry as to the good range....the comment made by the Thai grocery manager to me was..."many many falang Onnut....good idea to make more money for us you tell me what you want and I will get for you"....(and good on him)....I asked for Vegemite...2 weeks later it was on the shelf....amazing Thailand.

  12. There are those of us in the wrong place at the wrong time and those of us who never seem to be in or visit the wrong place.

    Ripped off...yes I give Thailand (specifically Phuket anyway) an 8 our 10 score on this......

    Just a wee example to bore you......had my 3 sons, wives, grandchildren visit me recently in BKK...15 adult/young adults in our "party".

    Made a decision based on their wants...to go to Phuket....I wish we never had. I will never ever visit there again (and currently warn my many overseas friends to keep the hel_l away from the place)

    I spent most of my time in Phuket not as a very happy Grandad enjoying the grandies time with me...nor enjoying my adult children...but more as an "overseer tour guide"...making sure they werent being ripped off...darn near every step of the way.

    From the time we all left our apartment in BKK until our return to BKK 2 weeks later......it was "on guard" status...it started with the minivan from BKK to the airport....and ended up again with the minivan from the airport back to the BKK apartment....inbetween......tuk tuk drivers, street vendors, jet ski hire, boat hire, hotel rates, bar meals (food and drink), conmen with "special" offers, and on it went......for a moment we all thought we had the words" I'm easily conned try me" emblazened on our foreheads.

    We all got heartily sick and tired of it to be frank....and I am a "seasoned" alien in BKK.

    We just wanted a relaxing pleasant holiday within reason ( I dont mind the odd approach from the odd seller of goods) and I will freely tip for good/average service....food....pleasantness.....taxi.....but the Phuket episode just wore us down

    Thats my 10 bahts worth......I dont have any thoughts/ideas on how to resolve it....yes I acknowledge it happens in most places on earth....but in my travels, I am sorry but Thailand is "up there"

  13. I am in need of meeting fellow Kiwis (New Zealanders) that reside in BKK for some good old fashioned No 8 wire conversation male/female..(no this is not a personal "man wants to meet woman advert")........a few quiet beers followed by the normal snipe at the NZ Government...price of petrol in NZ, and the impending lifting of the FIFA World Cup trophy by the NZ Soccer team....etc etc

    Are there any of my fellow scibes Kiwis here in BKK....that would enjoy a quiet ale once a week and the spinning of a yarn or two.

    I am a resident of BKK.....resided in Wellington/Wairarapa for years....ran an import/export business in Wellington up until 2 years ago....and a harmless, laid back easy going 57 year old...with no hidden agendas...I will buy the first round.

  14. Has anyone had any experience, or bought in to a rubber plantation.

    The situation is this...due to death in my thai wifes family an exisiting rubber plantation of 80 rai with 8 year old producing trees (they produce until they are 30 years old) is up "for sale".

    My wifes brother has purchased 40 of the 80 rai. We have been offered the balance of 40 rai.,,,for 1.5m baht.

    Plantation workers are readily available to work it for us so we will remain in BKK. The income from the 40 rai is around 35 to 45k baht per month after all expenses have been paid which includes the plantation workers wages. My initial reaction to the amount of income versus investment capital was one of surprise but my wifes parents own a similar sized plantation and I have actually seen the paperwork/receipts/payment schedules for the finished rubber product (slabs of latex sold to a Malaysian company based in Singapore) which seems to point to a good return and confirms the income possibilities.

    The plantation is south of Yala on the Thai/Malaysian border...and I have visited it several times.

    Thoughts/views/advice...welcomed....thankyou

  15. Best advice I can provide is to get it serviced.....you can play around with the settings for hours....but if the unit has not been serviced for a long period of time then you will not get the "true" operating modes.

    Had similar problems as you with our a/c in our apartment....got it serviced 600 baht....2 guys on site 3 hours...stripped the unit right down to its nuts and bolts...cleaned filters....regassed it etc etc....also provided a demo to me on the remote controls.....works like a treat now....quieter....more effective/efficient.

    The two thai serviceman were efficient and professional... I was given an invoice/receipt.....and told if there were any problems after the service then I was to call them immediately....called them day one they were here at 10am the next day for the service....laid out blankets on the floor to catch any dirt grime.....they swept the floor and hosed down the balcony when they had finished...contact numbers are 089-7187451 0891349111 or 027354693....sorry dont have a name/s.

  16. I owned an import/export in New Zealand for 20 years before moving to Thailand, we handled imports and exports to/from Thailand....As per the previous poster.....your best option is Door to Port....it provides you with a little more "control" ie yes your wife will have to present herself personally with documentation etc and you will have to pay fee's....but once your goods are customs cleared and all the charges are settled....you can then save yourself a bucketful of money by hiring a small truck with a driver and collecting the goods yourself from the "unpack depot" here in Thailand versus consigning the goods door to door where it becomes a "licence to print money" on the Thailand end for the agent....in fact not just Thailand but anywhere in the world...in NZ we always consigned PE's (personal effects) to the overseas Port only. Commercial goods were a totally different scenario and ball game and were more often than not consigned door to door.

    As per another previous poster who mentioned utilising an FCL (Full container load) lets assume for this chat that it would be a 20fter versus despatching the items from your overseas home base as LCL (less than a container load)....then the previous poster is totally correct to a point.

    To explain......and provide a scenario/example....

    1. The shipping and clearance charges for a 20ft container are set worldwide per country....lets assume for the excercise from your door to door Thailand including land transport and loading/unloading the contents both ends...seafreight from the overseas Port to Thailand.... customs clearance on the Thailand end..... was US$5000...lets also add into this equation that you have 23 to 25cm3 (cubic metres) of PE's....then go right ahead and send it by 20ft FCL. A standard 20ft container will hold 23 to 25cm3. and less expensive than sending 23cm3 to 25cm3 via LCL (refer 2)

    2. Now if you had (say) 1cm3 to 12cm3 of PE's....then the best option is sending it LCL.......there is a breakeven point whereby upto 12cm3 its cheaper in the long run to send it as an LCL shipment rather than an FCL shipment. Obviously 12+ cm3s reverts to sending it an FCL which will only contain your freight.

    3. Either way your PE's will be "containerised" for their journey to Thailand....but the container will also contain other folks freight....each of you paying the "per cm3" rate relative to the cm3 of your freight...on receipt of the FAK (freight all kinds) container in Thailand....the goods are unpacked using a container manifest....which will have your name attached to it and the other folks...and also details on the number of pallets, boxes, crates, etc that belong to you. Once the unpacking is completed....and you receive advice from the unpack station in Thailand....your wife is free to visit and complete formalities.

    Suggestions:-

    You can decide who the customs clearance agent is in Thailand...(whether its an FCL or LCL shipment)....dont be dictated too by the unpack station folk in Thailand.....shop around.

    Must do's:-

    Your freight forwarder in your home country will forward you the shipping documents (either FCL or LCL documents) shortly after the vessel departs your overseas port....keep on his case though they can be a bit slack.( if the FCL/LCL arrives before you get the documents you could end up with a massive port storage bill/container detention charge)...what he sends you will be the "original Bills of lading"......make sure he DHL's them to you (or similar) so that are traceable......DONT LOSE THEM....they are orginals and need to be lodged immediately you receive them with your chosen customs clearance agent.......under no circumstances let your overseas freight forwarder send these documents to anyone other than yourself.

    Lodge these with your customs clearance folk here in Thailand.....give them your wifes contact details....and sit back...if the customs folk are any good they will communicate with you progressively throughout the process.

    I will mention that a customs agent is not the Thai Customs Dept itself ...an agent is an individual or company authorised and licenced by Thai Customs to perform inbound/outbound import/export (paper/paperless) entries....the Thai Customs Dept control the inspection of goods and "border control" functions....PE's are generally subject to inspection on import to any country....by the relative Customs Dept in that country.

    Finally, and something we advised all of our clients back in NZ over....get rid of the "junk" you have accumulated over the years..."junk" becomes very expensive when it is shipped overseas....the other bit of advice (simplified) was...."is that refrigerator that you have owned for 6 months in your home country worth (the freight cost) of shipping to Thailand....when I could get ? dollars for it by selling it before I arrive...and buy a brand new refrigerator in Thaland for less"....

    trust this assists your decision making

  17. Agreed.....learning the tones is so very important....to ignore them is at your peril when moving ahead and learning the language...... our Thai language learning school has a long list of words...prepared by the Thai teacher...... having upto 5 different meanings each....depending on the tone used....when speaking them.......

    The link to the hepful site is www.thai-language.com and I stand corrected by an earlier poster....one of this companies sites is for free the other is around 1500 THB...try the free one it may be just what you need

  18. You are not alone with the difficulty you are having with the tones....it is not easy....I attend a Thai language school....and have done so for 8 months...we have spent alot of time learning the tones...from the instructor/whiteboard/books at the school...but actually speaking or relaying a sentence in real life yourself to a thai shopkeeper/taxi driver etc will get you some funny looks and at the same time generally create some good hearted laughter.

    I also think you have to give your brain and face/throat muscles quite some time to "get it right" as well.....some of the thai words, tones etc, will have your face looking very contorted.

    I have found that being with or near Thai folk very helpful...(polite eavesdropping).....simply listening to them...you dont have to necessarily understand what they are saying....but just listen to them...it becomes to click after a while.

    Buried somewhere in my web address book is a site that is excellent for exactly what you require and more.... I need time to locate it but will post it up for you later today....it covers all of the thai language scenarios comprehensively, tones, reading, writing, transcript, speaking....and its free.

    Make sure you have a good set of speakers for your PC....and listen to it as it walks you through stage by stage anything you want to know or learn or hear on learning the thai language...including tones...it is partly interactive...ie you proceed at your own pace....good luck.

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