Mar 3, 2014 |
Aeon ATM Receipt
Well I enjoyed saving 150THB while it lasted. I guess for some paying $5USD for taking money out of an ATM is not a big problem. But I suppose for many others it’s a pain in the ass.
I have to add that not all Thai banks charge 150THB fees. Some charge 180THB. Yup, an extra $1 and change. So I guess Aeon still has benefits.
Another Thai bank that charges 150THB is TMB (Thai Military Bank) and one other but I can’t remember off hand. So will get back on that mine.
A good friend of mine told me I could open up a Thai bank account, even with a tourist’s visa. Didn’t know that. So I’m going to get that set up. But you’d have to go to a big bank branch like the ones over in Silom. Seems like that’s the best option.
Feb 12, 2014 |
Aeon branch at Market Village in Hua Hin
Last year on this exact month I wrote a post about Aeon’s fee free ATMs in Thailand. Among all the ATMs in Bangkok, Aeon was the only one where you can withdraw cash without being hit with fees. It’s been that way since they’ve first opened a branch in Thailand years ago.
Today while at the Market Village in Hua Hin I spotted an Aeon branch on the top floor. After entering my PIN number a message came up saying there is a 150THB fee for the transaction.
It was a big surprise to me. And really inconvenient too as I needed to withdraw a lot of Baht soon. But I was wondering, does this fee only apply to Aeon’s ATMs out of Bangkok?
Probably not but it’s wishful thinking. But I’d still rather go back to Bangkok and try one of the ATMs there.
There’s a big probability that Aeon has started charging fees for withdrawing cash from their machines. As of writing I know all the other banks are charging 180THB fees. 150THB is still expensive though and I figure that one of the eggheads at Aeon’s accounting department figured it’s about time to start charging fees since everyone else is doing it.
Sep 19, 2013 |
Whenever I’m on the lookout for new places to eat I always try and find out where the locals go. So I figured why not find out where Thais go to get the best currency exchange rates. Thais love to travel especially to other parts of Asia, Europe and of course the good ol’ USA.
So where do Thais go to get the exchange rates that are way better than what Thai banks have to offer?
They head to Super Rich money exchange. What a funky name right?
The best place to exchange for Thai Baht…
Super Rich is not a bank but they are still one of the most recognized businesses in Thailand for getting the best rates.
Just recently $1US dollar was around 32THB which is really good. When I arrived into Thailand a few months ago it was around 29THB. Before that it was around 27THB. I know a few THB here and there doesn’t seem like a whole lot but the difference is certainly noticeable if you’re changing a lot of big bills.
Of course they are able to exchange major currencies from all the world from Yen to Euros.
There’s a Super Rich close to me at Central Ladprao Mall but they do have branches in Silom and Chidlom which are all convenient locations for tourists.
Just to remember to bring along your passport which is a new requirement for foreigners.
Sep 9, 2013 |
Not too many people in the office at the time…
Is a pulse and a measly 20THB. As you all may know by now the wifey and I opened up a small cafe. We got our lease/contract from our landlord so we made our merry way to the local Thai government business registry office. It’s a big office building but totally nondescript because it’s down a soi. Taxi drivers seem to not have a problem locating it because it’s such a well known government office.
Anyways getting our cafe registered took less than 10 minutes. And it only cost 20THB, less than a $1US. Well if you count the photo copies I had to make of the contract and my wife’s Thai ID card the cost is actually a little over $1US.
I remember about 5 years ago it cost me $200US just to register and incorporate a business. And I had to wait about a week.
Not that I was rushing at the time.
But it’s a bit amazing to me on how fast we could open up shop. Hell, we didn’t even have our legal papers the day we opened up until now. Back in the good ol’ USA that just wouldn’t fly with the authorities including Mr. Taxman.
Speaking of taxes, since we’re a small business we don’t even have to pay any taxes. I’m not knocking the US. I love my country. But sometimes the rules and regulations for the little guys can be overwhelming.
I remember a good buddy of mine who opened a bakery forgot to renew his business registration. The penalty for that tiny mistake was a little over a $1000US. That’s just plain nuts. And business was a little slow at the time for him so it was a big hefty chunk of change to hand over.
So far business for us is picking up slowly. We have our up and down days.
Part of my big challenge here in Bangkok is the bakery. I’m experimenting on a lot of different recipes and learning along the way that Thai people like their desserts to be soft.
What does that mean? Well, they don’t like chewy foods especially chewy desserts. So I’m looking into recipes for soft cakes and breads. Maybe they’ll like puddings too?
I’ll put up a pic of my shop after I pick up the painting we paid a painter to paint. I also want to buy some paper mach cats. But it cost about $35US for a big one and the smaller ones cost about $10US each. They’ll look good in my shop but man paying that much for paper art is not easy.
Apr 1, 2013 |
It can be cheap as chips ordering a meal out on the streets of Bangkok. That’s what most locals do too because most apartments or even condos don’t have full kitchens. But you’re still going to need groceries to stock your fridge and keep some non perishable foods tucked away in the cupboards.
Good news is that supermarkets in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, is that I can find a lot of my favorite brand name food items, like Doritos and Spam, yummmm… not eaten together of course.
Yummy Doritos imported from the US, cost $4 bucks which is not a bad price…
Bad news is prices can be more expensive and even though there are sales and discounts you don’t really save that much at all. There are of course substitutes but if you’ve eaten a lot of Spam in your lifetime you will know that Hormel, the original maker of Spam is king and all other brands are just cheap imitations.
And being and Asian dude finding my favorite Asian groceries is not a problem at all either. But again, some of the Asian grocery items I can’t live without are Nissin Ramen Noodles. I can’t live without my favorite packaged ramen and as much as I like it, I’m not going to spend a little over $1USD for one pack in Thailand. While a pack back in NYC cost .50¢ at a Chinese supermarket. So when I’m back in NYC I usually stuff around a dozen before my flight to Thailand.
Almost $1 for a pack…
Again, there are of course a lot of other different brands of ramen that are much cheaper in price. Not sure about taste though since I haven’t tasted them all. But I’m not going to risk going over an MSG overload just to find a new and cheaper ramen in Thailand. And old habits die hard so I prefer Nissan brands because I’ve been eating it since I was a kid.
Now in a past post I eluded that it if you are searching for an apartment in Bangkok it is a smart move to choose one near a supermarket. One that is ideally in easy walking distance or easily reached by local cheap transport like a bus or a motorbike taxi. Taxis are plenty and cheap in Bangkok too and I suppose you can use one every time you go grocery shopping. Personally I don’t mind taking a short stroll while carrying my newly bought goodies because that’s what I have always done in NYC.
All Central branded malls have a Tops Supermarket inside…
So there are quite a few large supermarkets in Bangkok. The ones I live in walking distance to are called Villa Market, Tesco Lotus and Tops Market.
Of the three mentioned Villa Market carries the most brand name products that would be familiar with Americans. Most of them are frozen foods though like TV dinners and such and even though the prices are higher they are reasonable given that most of the products traveled all the way from the US.
Even though I like Villa Market, I do about 90% of my grocery shopping in Tesco Lotus and Tops Market. The reason why is the latter 2 markets are in a busier location and closer to each other. I enjoy eating at the Ichiban Ramen Restaurant inside the same building as the Tesco Lotus. And Tops Market has an awesome food court in the basement level of the Central Ladprao Mall.
By the way, you should sign up with Tesco Lotus and Tops Market member cards. It’s free and if you’re going to be shopping at those two places, why not earn some points for future discounts. You should certainly sign up for the Tops One Spot Card. Those are great because you can earn points in any Central branded mall, Robinson’s Mall, Zen shopping centers and Power Sports. Believe me, those points add up fast. I always use up my points whenever there’s a big sale on clothes inside Central Malls. It’s way worth it and should be on your check list so remember, sign up for Tops One Spot Card.
A market I always go to in Central Ladprao Mall…
Since both are larger supermarkets I can find more choices and options plus since I have so much spare time I don’t mind strolling around the aisles and discovering new goodies much to the detriment of my diet.
Almost $3 bucks for little over half a gallon of milk…
One thing that I have noticed is that in Thailand, dairy products are expensive. Particularly milk and cheese. Half a gallon of milk in Thailand cost $2.88USD in today’s current exchange rate. Now in NYC I can buy a gallon for $3.50USD plus tax. I use a lot of milk for cereals and smoothies in NYC and I will never complain about prices here again. Though not quite sure why yogurt is more reasonably priced in Thailand, however it is still cheaper in the States. A small container cost me about .50¢ and the serving size is smaller than what I am used to in NYC.
Bologne and ham section in Tesco Lotus…
Sliced cheese is ridiculously expensive. Not sure what the current price is now because I stopped checking until someone at a Thai cheese factory comes to their senses and bring the prices down. Ham is equally just as expensive. This is bad news for a guy like me who loves and enjoy sandwiches way more than he should. I guess it would make sense though for ham and cheese to be a bit pricier since it’s not something you would find in an average ordinary Thai household.
About $35USD for 32ozs of steak, kinda pricey…
I miss cooking a lot while in Bangkok. Aside from cooking my ramen noodles with Spam and eggs with one of those induction stove tops. But I only make that meal as a treat. What I really miss is cooking a full on meal like grilling a steak. I love big juicy steaks especially those 160z USDA prime rib eyes I used to buy in BJs where a 5 pack cost $35USD. Here in Bangkok a 32 oz will set me back the same price. I also miss cooking up a pot of beef stew.
But as I mentioned elsewhere, residential buildings are not equipped with gas pipes so no gas stoves. And propane tanks no matter what size in general are not allowed in apartments and condos. So I picked up a induction stove top and an oven for baking, both running on electricity.
So you can bet when I get a home in the next few years I’m going to make sure I build up a nice big outdoor kitchen and getting myself one of those really nice Webster grills for cooking up some Flintstones sized steaks.
Mar 22, 2013 |
It cost 1900THB to get a 30 Visa extension…
On an older post I wrote about the Thai tourist visa I mentioned that you can extend each entry to 30 days for a total of 90 days. To get the 30 day extension you have to make your way to your nearest Thai immigration office. In Bangkok I head to the Chaeng Wattana office, which is about a 20 minute taxi ride if you’re coming from the Chatuchak area.
It’s a pretty straightforward process, as long as you have everything ready. You’ll need:
- 1 Passport sized photo
- A copy of your passport photo page, tourist visa page, departure card and entry date page.
- Tourist visa extension from which you can get at the office
- 1900THB which is the fee for extension. Kind of pricey don’t you think?
The Thai immigration building is huge and there are many government complexes nearby. You’re goal is to make it to Building B which is the immigration office. There are free buses withing the grounds that take you to building B or you can take one of the motobike taxis. They only charge 20THB which isn’t a bad deal at all.
As I said it’s a big building but there are many information kiosk all over the area so people can point you to the right way easily. There are photo copy and passport photo services on the floor below, just use the escalators. Photo copies cost 1 Baht each, don’t remember how much the passport photos cost but it I believe it’s around 200THB for 8 or 10 photos. Lots of coffee shops, stores and a big decent food court can be found there too.
The immigration office opens at 8:30am and closes from 12pm to 1pm for lunch. I believe the office closes at 4pm – 4:30pm. But as long as you have a numbered ticket on your hand they have to service you, even when the office officially closes.
So how long does it take to get the tourist visa extended? From my experience it takes about 2 hours, which is from the time I finish filling out the visa extension form, get my ticket number, get my application reviewed by the immigration officer and finally getting my passport back with a 30 day extension stamp.
But here are a few tips to avoid getting delayed and waiting longer at the immigration office.
Make sure you put down the address you are staying in Thailand clearly. And include your mobile telephone number. Avoid visiting the Thai immigration office before and after a major Thai national holiday where government offices are closed.
I once made made a visit to the immigration office after a big holiday and man, I had to wait like 4 to 5 hours. What made it even worse is that traffic is really bad in the area when 5pm rolls around.
