A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[johnny333]

I believe there is one at Royal Garden Plaza.

Yes I remember seeing the PEA office there but at that time I didn't know what services PEA offered.

Had a meal at the food court at the top floor which I think was previously a cinema. The food court has Indian, Russian, Chinese, Thai, ...etc food. Surprisingly I found the food tasty.

Foodland has a new outlet at the ground floor. Like all Foodlands the place is open 24 hours.

 

[chonburifc]

Yes I remember seeing the PEA office there but at that time I didn't know what services PEA offered.

Had a meal at the food court at the top floor which I think was previously a cinema. The food court has Indian, Russian, Chinese, Thai, ...etc food. Surprisingly I found the food tasty.

Foodland has a new outlet at the ground floor. Like all Foodlands the place is open 24 hours.

Yup. Foodland just open a new branch there@Royal. Big threat to Villa Market@Avenue and Friendship Supermarket@Pattaya South. BTW, seems that Foodland also have a plans to open one in Thepprasit. Saw the big sign foodland on an empty plot of land at Thepprasit Road. Will be good news for me of there is a branch at Theprasit as I prefer to shop at Foodland than BigC or Tesco.

 

[Bonut]

Yes I remember seeing the PEA office there but at that time I didn't know what services PEA offered.

Had a meal at the food court at the top floor which I think was previously a cinema. The food court has Indian, Russian, Chinese, Thai, ...etc food. Surprisingly I found the food tasty.

Foodland has a new outlet at the ground floor. Like all Foodlands the place is open 24 hours.

Not ground floor, but basement. The environment is pretty good. But price on the high side, just like stupid S&P restaurant.

 

[Bonut]

Yup. Foodland just open a new branch there@Royal. Big threat to Villa Market@Avenue and Friendship Supermarket@Pattaya South. BTW, seems that Foodland also have a plans to open one in Thepprasit. Saw the big sign foodland on an empty plot of land at Thepprasit Road. Will be good news for me of there is a branch at Theprasit as I prefer to shop at Foodland than BigC or Tesco.

You wait long long. The sign board has been there since don't know how many donkey years ago.

 

[Froggy]

Good morning @chonburifc. I'm off to the airport now. One thing good about our neighbourhood is that 6am can makan liao

 

[yinyang]

Welcome, pay here
Govt set to charge foreign drivers for using Thai roads

Bangkok Post Published: 28/11/2017 at 07:08 AM

Thailand plans to collect so-called "Asean road tolls" from foreign motorists entering the country via border checkpoints from the end of next year.

Increasing travel on the Southeast Asian mainland has led to more road maintenance and safety concerns, the government says.

A study into toll collection, being conducted by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, is expected to be completed in the next month and it will take less than a year to gain state approval and amend laws to allow the new charges, the office's deputy chief Wilairat Sirisophonsin said Monday.

In January next year, the Transport Ministry will be asked to look at the study results before forwarding the findings to the cabinet for a final say, she said.

According to a preliminary study, toll collections would be introduced in three phases. In the first three years, the tolls will be applied only to foreign four-wheel vehicles passing through 28 border checkpoints, from Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

Motorists would have to pay a 100-baht fee for an electronic tag which would be valid for five years, as well as a toll of 42 baht per trip, Ms Wilairat said.

In the first phase, her office plans to use a Radio Frequency Identification System to monitor cars at the 28 checkpoints.

From the fourth to seventh years, a Global Positioning System will be used to allow officials to precisely track the whereabouts of cars.

The technology will be good for a plan to start collecting tolls based on distance motorists travel, Ms Wilairat said. Officials are considering charging them 1.5 baht a kilometre, starting from the fourth year.

In the last phase, which will last from the eighth to the tenth years, other types of cars will be subject to toll collection. New border checkpoints will also be added.

Ms Wirairat said her office plans to have private companies invest in installing the toll collection system. She expected the whole project to cost 525 million baht and employ up to 260 officials.

Private companies will be given a share of the toll revenue, she said.

The office's deputy chief insisted the tolls are needed since the establishment of the Asean Economic Community has resulted in more vehicles entering Thailand. The result is Thailand is having to bear higher costs in road maintenance and encountering more road accidents.

Last year, there were 2.1 million trips made by car through 28 checkpoints, according to her office. Most came from Laos (755,000), followed by Malaysia (596,000), Myanmar (495,000) and Cambodia (322,000).

According to Ms Wilairat, the government every year spends on average 15 billion baht on repairing and maintaining roads. Most damage to roads result from heavy goods transportation.

It also spends 2.4 billion baht a year as a result of road accidents.

Malaysia has collected a 20 Malaysian ringgit, or 160-baht toll from Thai vehicles, which include private cars, vans and buses since June.

 

[yinyang]

Ask for your salary review, or boss tells you to take a hike o_O

Thai salaries set to rise 5-6% annually in short term

• Bangkok Post Published: 28/11/2017 at 07:43 AM

Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory firm, has forecast salaries in Thailand to rise by 5-6% annually in the short term, saying the country's economy and inflation are stable. However, there are no major positive factors to support sharp pay increases at the moment.

The survey projects overall salaries in Thailand to increase by 5.5% in 2018, slightly higher than the actual salary hike of 5.2% in 2017. The survey had more than 4,000 respondents in Asia-Pacific, with 132 firms participating in the Thai market.

The salary rise in Thailand ranks in the middle of the pack regionally. India was the regional leader for 2018 pay rises with a 10% increase, while Sri Lanka was at 8.6% and Indonesia 8.5%.

Pichpajee Saichuae, managing director of Willis Towers Watson's local unit, said salaries in Thailand reflect the overall economic sentiment, which is now stable, with inflation staying at 1.1%.

"Thailand's economic outlook has grown slowly, unlike the three leading countries whose projection is robust," she said. Although the government has issued many projects to drive GDP, there has not yet been much impact on salaries, said Ms Pichpajee.

"The stable rise of salaries in Thailand is similar to that of Hong Kong and Singapore, where the growth rates have not been significant."

Moreover, the majority of sectors see similar trends, except construction which saw the smallest rise of 4% in 2017 and it is projected to continue with the lowest rise rate at 5% in 2018.

The insurance sector is expected to see a rise of 5.5% in 2018, down from 5.9% this year, she said.

The other survey titled "2017 general industry total compensation" showed Thailand's overall turnover rate in 2017 reached 12%, unchanged from the previous year, and was also lower than the overall voluntary attrition rate in Asia-Pacific at 15%.

Electronics manufacturing reported the highest turnover at 18% and life insurance followed with 16%. The asset management sector had the lowest turnover at 10%.

In terms of variable bonuses in 2017, the average bonus was 2.4 months of base salary, but electronics manufacturing and general insurance have the lowest variable bonus at 1.8 months.

The asset management sector offers the highest bonus at 5.5 months this year.

In addition, fresh graduates with a bachelor's degree can command starting salaries of 15,000 baht, while those with a master's degree can request for 20,500 baht at minimum.

Top entry-level salaries for new graduates can be found in engineering, information technology, law, human resources and accounting & finance, according to the survey.

 

[Froggy]

@yinyang thanks for the post, I’ll have a word with my boss this week.

 

[chonburifc]

Good morning @chonburifc. I'm off to the airport now. One thing good about our neighbourhood is that 6am can makan liao

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555 Thats right. Actually Roti Prata kopitiam open at 5am laew.

 

[chonburifc]

You wait long long. The sign board has been there since don't know how many donkey years ago.

Yeah. This big sign was not there when I left Pattaya end 2014 but when I returned in early 2016, saw this big sign and was so happy. Have been almost 2 years and nothing happen to that plot of land. Its a perfect location as Foodmart@Airport bus terminal is the only slightly bigger supermarket serving the needs of residents in Thappraya, Pratamnak and Jomtien area.

Myself prefer to shop at Foodland and Max Value@Harbour.

 

[chonburifc]

Welcome, pay here
Govt set to charge foreign drivers for using Thai roads

View attachment 34054
Bangkok Post Published: 28/11/2017 at 07:08 AM

Thailand plans to collect so-called "Asean road tolls" from foreign motorists entering the country via border checkpoints from the end of next year.

Increasing travel on the Southeast Asian mainland has led to more road maintenance and safety concerns, the government says.

A study into toll collection, being conducted by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, is expected to be completed in the next month and it will take less than a year to gain state approval and amend laws to allow the new charges, the office's deputy chief Wilairat Sirisophonsin said Monday.

In January next year, the Transport Ministry will be asked to look at the study results before forwarding the findings to the cabinet for a final say, she said.

According to a preliminary study, toll collections would be introduced in three phases. In the first three years, the tolls will be applied only to foreign four-wheel vehicles passing through 28 border checkpoints, from Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

Motorists would have to pay a 100-baht fee for an electronic tag which would be valid for five years, as well as a toll of 42 baht per trip, Ms Wilairat said.

In the first phase, her office plans to use a Radio Frequency Identification System to monitor cars at the 28 checkpoints.

From the fourth to seventh years, a Global Positioning System will be used to allow officials to precisely track the whereabouts of cars.

The technology will be good for a plan to start collecting tolls based on distance motorists travel, Ms Wilairat said. Officials are considering charging them 1.5 baht a kilometre, starting from the fourth year.

In the last phase, which will last from the eighth to the tenth years, other types of cars will be subject to toll collection. New border checkpoints will also be added.

Ms Wirairat said her office plans to have private companies invest in installing the toll collection system. She expected the whole project to cost 525 million baht and employ up to 260 officials.

Private companies will be given a share of the toll revenue, she said.

The office's deputy chief insisted the tolls are needed since the establishment of the Asean Economic Community has resulted in more vehicles entering Thailand. The result is Thailand is having to bear higher costs in road maintenance and encountering more road accidents.

Last year, there were 2.1 million trips made by car through 28 checkpoints, according to her office. Most came from Laos (755,000), followed by Malaysia (596,000), Myanmar (495,000) and Cambodia (322,000).

According to Ms Wilairat, the government every year spends on average 15 billion baht on repairing and maintaining roads. Most damage to roads result from heavy goods transportation.

It also spends 2.4 billion baht a year as a result of road accidents.

Malaysia has collected a 20 Malaysian ringgit, or 160-baht toll from Thai vehicles, which include private cars, vans and buses since June.

What a relief. Initially thought "foreign drivers" refering to people like me. Turn out to be foreign drivers driving foreign registered vehicles entering the country.

 

[johnny333]

What a relief. Initially thought "foreign drivers" refering to people like me. Turn out to be foreign drivers driving foreign registered vehicles entering the country.

Will probably have an impact on Hatyai, Danok,....which is close to Malaysia.

The troubles in the south must have hit tourist numbers. Now with the additional tax on road use I expect fewer Malaysians will drive up to LOS.

 

[chonburifc]

'Bua Khao' joins 'Toon' in the charity run.

'Bua Khao' is one of the most successful Muay Thai in Thai history. Almost no other Muay Thai boxers have achieve such celebrity status and success.

Famous for maintaining a frugal country lifestyle despite all the weath he have now. Has his own plot of land and plant his own rice.



Bua Khao recently just "Pai Buat" means become a monk for short period of time.

 

[Bonut]

Yeah. This big sign was not there when I left Pattaya end 2014 but when I returned in early 2016, saw this big sign and was so happy. Have been almost 2 years and nothing happen to that plot of land. Its a perfect location as Foodmart@Airport bus terminal is the only slightly bigger supermarket serving the needs of residents in Thappraya, Pratamnak and Jomtien area.

Myself prefer to shop at Foodland and Max Value@Harbour.

Bro, is it true that if you wear flip flops riding a bike, you will be stopped by mata @ Pattaya ?

Is it a traffic offence to do a U-turn at the traffic lights ?

 

[chonburifc]

Bro, is it true that if you wear flip flops riding a bike, you will be stopped by mata @ Pattaya ?

Is it a traffic offence to do a U-turn at the traffic lights ?

555 No such thing lah and definitely not true. Even barefoot also can. The only way it is an offense is if the rider is naked. But that will be charge under other act. Me virtually no wear shoes unless I am visiting government agencies. Flip flops is my everyday footwear.

As for U turns at traffic lights. Its only an offense if there is a sign prohibiting U-turn aka "No U-Turn sign".

My daily footwear. Even go hi so joints also wear this. The only place that turn me down for wearing flip flops is Differ Pub which I refuse to go for 8 years already.

 

[chonburifc]

Hosay liao! New fridge from my landlord. Few weeks ago, requested for 2 doors fridge and landlord told me after new year as now very busy. So surprised to get a message this morning about new fridge. Most apartments only provide single door fridge. Old fridge still working but only 2 temperature, either too cold or not cold. Not good for my beers.

Time to go Foodland laew.

 

[Bonut]

Hosay liao! New fridge from my landlord.

Time to go Foodland laew.

Looks like a Hitachi.

 

[chonburifc]

Flip flops or sandals or barefoot ride motorsai confirm no salah.

 

[chonburifc]

Kuay Tiow Ped (Duck noodle) at Thepprasit Road (Opposite Outlet Mall entrance). Like this shop alot as they provide a seperate plate for customer to discard the bones.



Here can sit cross leg on the bench sabai sabai cos' very common sight in Pattaya.

 

[chonburifc]

Looks like a Hitachi.

Yes. It is. Just went to check raka at BigC. Very Jai Dee Landlord. 555.