FAQ in SIAM-LAND

FAQ Thailand

FAQ,s on SIAM-LAND

Q,s.
Will my property be built to a good standard?
A.
All houses, roads, pavements, perimeter walls and swimming pool are built to Thai building standards, in most cases higher than Thai building code.

Q,s
Why the rules? 
A.
Simply put, for your long term enjoyment of the development. Imagine if your neighbor decides to start repairing lawn mowers in his front garden, or one of your neighbors decide to paint his/her house lime green ?. I have seen this for myself, on a up market development in Mai Rim , (property starts at 15,000,000 baht ) one owner decided to paint his house purple, including the roof !, but there was nothing anybody else could do about it.
As for keeping your house and garden in good repair, that’s good for you and the whole development.

Q,s
Why the maintenance charge?
A.
The maintenance charge covers the cost of a gateman, street lighting, road and pavement repair, upkeep of swimming pool and the main garden and rubbish collection.

Q,s
How much is the maintenance charge?
A.
Most probably about 1000 baht a month, in keeping with most other developments.

Q,s
If I go away, who will look after my house?
A.
Siam-Land will assure the safety of your home and look after your garden for a nominal fee.

Q,s
May I have guests to stay?
A.
Of course, it is your home. Your guests may use the main garden , swimming pool and clubhouse. But please, make sure that they are respectful of the facilities. 

Q.s
Thailand is such a long way from England!
A.
With the advent of super fast jets, it is 10 to 12 hours away, and besides do you really want to go back to gloomy, wet , expensive England , or have your family come stay with you in friendly, sunny, cheap Thailand!

Q,s
What about furnishing my home ?
A.
As an owner at “ Jai Yen Village “you are entitled to many services, our English speaking Thai staff are there to help, be it from shopping for furniture, hooking up your T.V. or translating .

Q,s
What happens if I only want to use my house as a holiday home ?
A.
Siam-Land will help you to find short term renters for your property, indeed quite a lot of people are renting there house on a monthly basis as a holiday let.

Q,s
Can I Will my home to anybody ?
A.
You may Will your house to anybody you so chose, children, family, friends ( even the local dogs home ), it is your house in peperturety   

Q,s
May I sell my house?
A.
Again, it is your house, you may sell to who ever you wish .

Q,s
I know nothing about Chiang Mai or Thailand?
A.

F.A.Q.s Thailand

Money.
The Thai currency consists of 1000 baht note ( grey ), 500 baht ( purple ), 100 baht ( red ), 50 baht ( blue ) and 20 baht ( green ) .There are also 10 baht coins , 5 baht and 1 baht. For currency conversion go to www.xe.com.

Banks.
Banks open from 9.30 am to 4.pm Monday to Friday. You will have no problem in opening an account here, checking ,transfers and bill payment are the same as the U.K.
There is always some one who speaks English to help you with any problem.

ATM.s
Every bank has one or more ATMs, you can also find them at most 7/11 s , shopping malls and bigger business.

VISA
Most of the larger shops accept VISA and  Mastercard , although there sometimes may be a small charge for using your card. You may also use your card to withdraw money from any bank .

Religion.
Thailand is 90% Buddhist , but Churches, Chinese temples and Moslem places of worship co-excist  .
When entering a Wat ( Buddist temple ) , shoes may be worn in the compound but please remove them upon entering the temple itself.
Buddist images are conceded holy, but you may take photographs of them .
When entering a temple , please dress respectfully .
Women may not hand anything to a monk, the item must be given to a man to hand over.
99% of Thai become monks at some time in there life even if it is only for 6 months.

Health.
Chiang Mai has over 20 major hospitals, quite a few of them are specialist , eg: eye, orthopedic ect.
The standard of health care is high, indeed many people come to Thailand for health care because of the low cost and high standards.
You will find that the cost of dental care, operations and plastic surgery are a fraction of the cost in the U.K.

Weather.
The weather is divide in to 2 seasons, wet and dry . The monsoon starts in mid April and ends mid October, in the wet season it genially rains once a day for an hour or so, the rest of the time , bright sunshine. At the end of the monsoon it will start to become slightly chilly first thing in the morning  ( no fan or A/C at night ) , and will begin to start getting hotter about February , peaking in April .    
 
Driving.
Thais drive on the left, the same as the U.K , in major towns and city’s ,road signs,  place names , main roads and places of interest are written in Thai and English.
The road infrastructure in Thailand is excellent , but with fewer vehicles ( but lots of motorcycles ! ),
Thais are on the whole non- aggressive drivers , but beware of motorcycle pulling out on to main roads with out looking!.

Language.
Thais speak , well Thai !, but the English language is increasingly being spoken.
In Banks , Government offices, major stores and tourist areas,( and even small shops ) there is always some one who speaks English , Thais are very hospitable and quick to help , so you should encounter few problems .

T.V and Movies.
There are several cable T.V companies and 1 major satellite company , UBC.
There are several options with UBC, silver , gold and platinum sevices.
I myself have the gold package, 4 movie channels, 24 hours a day, plus Nat Geo, History channel, Animal Planet, Discovery, AXN, BBC, CNN, sports channels , cartoons and music and many more.
VCDs and DVD s are very popular, the cost of a DVD is about 80 baht ( that’s just over a quid !)  A named DVD player eg. Panasonic , Sony ect will cost you about 2000 baht , that’s about 30 pounds.
Thai cinemas show first run English movies and Thai subtitled movies. 
There is one English radio station in Chiang Mai, but Thai radio plays quite a lot of western music .

Sport.
Golf or tennis ?, swimming or hiking ?, maybe Archery or ice-skating ( yes , ice-skating), we have it all in Chiang Mai. From paintballing to elephant riding, fancy bowling?, maybe fishing or windsurfing is your thing ! The choice is yours.

Internet.
With the advent of the Internet there seems to be a computer shop on every corner!
With your own computer you have 2 choices, a pay by card system, so many days or so many hours, or you can have your telephone company (there are several here) install an ADSL system, this is what I have. For the sum of 550 baht per month I get access to the World Wide Web 24/7, that’s it !

Cell Phones.
Given the popularity of cell phones, it,s no wonder most people have them. I have a Nokia, all singing and dancing!, it has loads of features, the cost ? 1400 baht!
Cell phone coverage here is excellent; you may call any where in the world or just around the corner. You may purchase a pay as you go card or you may pay a monthly bill.

Shopping.
Where do I start ?, we have 2 large shopping malls , all the usual stuff , shops and restaurants, supermarkets and cinemas , everything you would expect to find in a shopping mall.
There are 2 Tesco,s, 2 Big C,s a Makro and a Carrfour , several Tops and 3 Rimping supermarkets. All carry from basic items to the foodstuffs from home, Marmite and Piccalilli, cheeses and bread to jelly’s and jam .Miss your beans on toast ? no problem.
From sausages to lobster, you will find it here.

Need a TV or washing machine?, a toaster or microwave ?, all brand name are sold here, it,s just like shopping in the UK  . From corner shops specializing in antiques to furniture super stores, what every you need. The only difference is the cost , about ¼ of the cost back in the UK.

Restaurants.
You can spend from as little as 30 baht for a meal , up to a 500 baht.
Mexican or Chinese, Arabic to Italian, Seafood and B.B.Q.
From all you can eat to haute cuisine, there is no end to what or where you can eat.
I am sure that the Thai national sport is eating, the vast majority of people eat out, it’s cheap and social.
My favorite restaurants are the B.B.Q all you can eat , 90 baht , you can’t beat that for value.  
  

The Royal Family.
The Monarchy is highly revered in Thailand, there are large photographs of the King displayed in public places and major stores, most businesses also display pictures of the Royal Family.
Do not joke or jest about the Royal Family, even in fun.
In parks and major stores at 6 pm, and before the film in cinemas the Royal Anthem is played, so please stand.
Customs.

The Wai is used to say hello and goodbye, both hands are placed palm to palm just under your chin in a prayer like attitude. It is also a sign of respect.
Younger people will generally wai  elders. Children may wai you but you do not wai children back.

The head is considered the highest part of the body, so, do not touch people on the head.
The feet are considered the lowest part of the body , so do not point with your foot nor place your feet facing someone nor rest them on a chair.

Sanuk.
The thai word “sanuk “ means fun .In Thailand anything worth doing, even work ,should have an element of sanuk, otherwise it automatically becomes drudgery. This doesn’t mean Thai’s don’t want to work or strive, just that they tend to approach tasks with a sense of playfulness.

Time.
Thailand,s time zone is 7 hours ahead of GMT , so, 7 pm in Thailand is 12 noon in London.

Visas.
You may enter Thailand without a visa and stay for 30 days.
You may apply for a 90 day visa in your own country.
You may apply for a retirement visa , 1 year, if you are over 50 , have proof of savings to the amount of 800,000 baht, or an income of 800,000 baht or a combination of both, ie: 400,000 savings and an income of 400,000 baht.
For more information go to   www.thaivisa.com. 

Thai Calendar.
The official year in Thailand is reckoned from 543BC, the beginning of the Buddhist era, so that 2007 AD is 2550 BE.  .

Respect.
Thais are very big on respect, if you dress and act respectably you will be treated well .
If someone wia,s you please wia back, remember to remove your shoes upon entering a Thai house. 
                                                                                                                                          
To say thank you in Thai, for a man……karpoonkap, for a woman…….karpoonkar.
The overlying principle is “Jai Yen “ (cool heart ). Chill out and relax, you are in Thailand now .

I hope that this brief missive will help you a little, if you have any other Q,s about Thailand , Chiang Mai or our development , please do not hesitate to contact us.