General Reports

[EihTooms]

As of January 1, 2019, the U.K., USA and perhaps a couple of other Embassies will no longer issue Notarized Income Verification forms to be given to Thai Immigration when we are renewing our annual NON-IMM/Retirement visas. According to the latest I have heard or read (Stickman Weekly's January 6, 2019 column, last third of the article), those of us who rely on a monthly income stream to qualify for that visa rather than an extended 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank will be asked at the time of the visa renewal to produce written evidence from our Thai bank account showing a minimum of 65,000 baht per month from a Foreign Transfer (the deposits MUST come from outside of Thailand) for the previous 12 months. No clarification yet what will actually happen this time around when many people will be hit with this news for the first time when they show up to renew or have not even established a Thai bank account.

But I wanted to pass along that, on an unrelated matter about a month ago, I happened to need Bangkok Bank to provide me with a print out of all transfers to and from my account over the past 6 years. So I went to the branch nearest to my apartment (not my original account branch), filled out a form to make the request starting on such and such date and ending on such and such date, paid 500 baht and the full printout was there for me to pick up in about 3 business days. Maybe the cost for just 12 months prior rather than 6 years prior would have been less than 500 baht, no idea. Could be more or less, even free with Thai banks other than Bangkok Bank.

Anyway, you can request the printout to be in English or in Thai. The "Foreign Transfers" are clearly marked as such. I have not heard but I imagine if one month shows less than 65,000 baht in a Foreign Transfer but the next one shows a larger than 65,000 baht transfer, the immigration officer will average it out and let it pass. However, I don't imagine one could get away with dumping 780,000 baht (12 X 65,000) into an account just one month before requesting a renewal in hopes that the immigration officer will average that out for you and let it pass. Just guessing, though.

[Mr Enternational]

For example I rent a room on a monthly basis in Pattaya which costs on average 200 baht per day. So that is 5 Pounds daily rent in 2019. Back in 2006 it would have cost 3 Pounds. Can you afford 5 Pounds per day rent? If not then you may have to stay in London where rents are much cheaper, right?

And the longer you rent it for the cheaper it is. I think the rooms at my place rent for 500 baht per day. Cheaper than that if you rent for 1 month. Even cheaper if you rent 6 months. I always do a 1 year contract so it is even cheaper. Mine averages out to 150 baht per day.

[Mr Enternational]

I recently tried to explain to a gogo girl that one of the reasons guys aren't spending as much is because the Thai baht is going up against other foreign currencies. Never seen anyone more confused than she was. She told me 100 Thai baht is still worth 100 Thai baht in Thailand, Europe, and Korea. "It no go up".

Exactly the reason you don't drive prices up when your home currency is doing well, because when that shit falls back down the girls don't know the difference. They are going to still want the 5000 baht. And that could be double what it was when your currency was doing well.

[Kumbu]

Today I had a fuck in Pattaya for 1000 baht. Back in 2006 that would have cost 13 Pounds. Now in 2019 it costs 25 Pounds. It must be a lot cheaper for a fuck in London then if you think thai prices are too high?

That settles it. I'm off to Leicester Square for that sub-25-pound shag.

[Banana Boi]

I recently tried to explain to a gogo girl that one of the reasons guys aren't spending as much is because the Thai baht is going up against other foreign currencies. Never seen anyone more confused than she was. She told me 100 Thai baht is still worth 100 Thai baht in Thailand, Europe, and Korea. "It no go up".

[Franga]

Perhaps my dream of living in Thailand was just that, a dream. Taking a look at the chart makes sobering reading as the Baht continues to strengthen against the UK Pound.

It depends on how you want to live. If you need all the bells and whistles then you may be screwed.

If not, then you may be okay. For example I rent a room on a monthly basis in Pattaya which costs on average 200 baht per day. So that is 5 Pounds daily rent in 2019. Back in 2006 it would have cost 3 Pounds. Can you afford 5 Pounds per day rent? If not then you may have to stay in London where rents are much cheaper, right?

Today I had a fuck in Pattaya for 1000 baht. Back in 2006 that would have cost 13 Pounds. Now in 2019 it costs 25 Pounds. It must be a lot cheaper for a fuck in London then if you think thai prices are too high?

Brits complaining about the weakness in the Pound are probably a contrarian indicator and the Pound may strengthen from hereon in. Or not!

[AfAsia]

Perhaps my dream of living in Thailand was just that, a dream. Taking a look at the chart makes sobering reading as the Baht continues to strengthen against the UK Pound. The graph does not lie, since 2005 the Baht has been on a relentless climb against the UK Pound. Many of you British expats will be very concerned as am I. There is no indication according to this graph of the £ gaining back any lost ground at all in the future. Oh dear.

[EihTooms]

-snip-

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.

Correction to my earlier post about that. I checked last night and the claim is 3,000 MG per tablet, not 5,000 MG. It is a product called Gold Vigra. The misspelling is apparently intended, although the word Viagra spelled correctly is also on the package. It comes in a pouch of ten tablets, each supposedly containing 3,000 MG of Sildenafil Citrate. Quoted price for the pouch of ten tablets was 300 baht. So, 30 baht for each tablet.

Here is what the U.S. FDA had to say about the product of that name in 2014:

Public Notification: Gold Vigra Contains Hidden Drug Ingredient.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesf.../ucm401540.htm

FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Gold Vigra contains sildenafil, the active ingredient in the FDA approved prescription drug Viagra, used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). This undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.

Sildenafil Citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra, seems to be the only "hidden" drug ingredient they are referencing and found in it. But the package on the vendor tables in Bangkok clearly states that it contains Sildenafil Citrate and that it is the active ingredient in Viagra. There is nothing "hidden" about it on these packages.

I am not recommending anyone take it or any other boner drug found in or out of a pharmacy. But I might give this one a try just to see if it offers something of a faster or longer lasting nature than what I have been taking lately. I will report on the results if I ever do give it a try. Assuming I survive long enough to reply, that is. LOL.

I am not taking any of the nitrates or high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. drugs mentioned above nor do I need to take them according to my most recent thorough medical check up just a few months ago. Well, I have seen this product on the tables for years now and have not heard or read of a bad reaction to it. Has anyone else?

[Pointy Stick]

I don't see an obvious Arab guy near Soi Isis as being some poor schnook who deserves respect. He is just a lowlife rip off artist.

I feel bad that you are an ATM. Perhaps you will get to know the right people in the future.

You're right. I need to know the right people. Not people who go around threatening people who are poorer and are just trying to make a living to make themselves feel better. I guess Thailand attracts all sorts of personalities. I will find out how to work the ignore function to limit my exposure to these people.

[EihTooms]

Sheer madness. 100 MG is already over dose in many cases. Why try a bullshit product?

As the man on the mountain said, "Because it's there." LOL. They have been selling the claimed "5000 MG" stuff for a while and nobody has turned up dead. It is only a boner pill, not an emergency stint to prevent or subdue an approaching heart attack. I doubt there is 5000 MG of anything in it. But there might be some value in it in terms of longer lasting results. Not for a boner that doesn't subside. I mean for it remaining in your system longer for repeated intended response. I have found that is what Black Ant King does for me that none of the other boner pills, both "original" and "copies", have done. It seems to stay in my system and working to produce the results I want for at least 36 hours where others are long gone within 24 hours.

If it turns out the claimed 5000 MG pill, taken once for, as I vaguely recall, less than 100 baht, produces the same result as a 100 MG Viagra but for 48 hours instead of less than 24 hours, why not try it and find out? I didn't know Black Ant King would do for me what it does until I tried it.

Again, I don't see the boner pills sold over and over again in or out of the pharmacies to be potential poison or dangerous unless you already have a serious heart condition or some other serious ailment. Which I don't.

[Nyezhov]

Yeah well TIT and farangs don't count for anything except as walking ATMs so good luck with that. It would be good if you treated poorer people with respect in future.

I don't see an obvious Arab guy near Soi Isis as being some poor schnook who deserves respect. He is just a lowlife rip off artist.

I feel bad that you are an ATM. Perhaps you will get to know the right people in the future.

[Syzygies]

I have tried Sidegra but the copy Viagra I am taking now worked better for me. However, I did not try the 100 MG version so I am interested in sampling that one to see if it is worth switching to it.

I never count on the claimed dosage of active ingredient in these copies being accurate. But I do tend to assume the ones from the same source claiming to have, say, 200 MG instead of 100 MG will have more of the active ingredient in them. I agree that the claim of one having 500 MG in it had to be a joke but had no qualms about trying one or two to see if it had something closer to perhaps actual 100 MG in it. But it felt to me like it had nothing in it. No big deal.

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.

Sheer madness. 100 MG is already over dose in many cases. Why try a bullshit product?

[Pointy Stick]

I don't have to worry about stuff like that. My roof is bigger than his.

Yeah well TIT and farangs don't count for anything except as walking ATMs so good luck with that. It would be good if you treated poorer people with respect in future.

[EihTooms]

If it were really 500 MG, you wouldn't be able to put your dick down for a week. Recommended dosage of Tadalafil / Cialis is 20 MG.

There is a Thai-made generic Sildenafil Citrate called Sidegra, it costs 100 baht for 4 x50 MG or 200 baht for 4 x100 MG pills. Since it's so cheap, and domestically produced, it doesn't pay to make fakes, and the product seems consistent. Since I discovered that one, I don't mess with other generic or "real" Viagra pills any longer.

I have tried Sidegra but the copy Viagra I am taking now worked better for me. However, I did not try the 100 MG version so I am interested in sampling that one to see if it is worth switching to it.

I never count on the claimed dosage of active ingredient in these copies being accurate. But I do tend to assume the ones from the same source claiming to have, say, 200 MG instead of 100 MG will have more of the active ingredient in them. I agree that the claim of one having 500 MG in it had to be a joke but had no qualms about trying one or two to see if it had something closer to perhaps actual 100 MG in it. But it felt to me like it had nothing in it. No big deal.

There is a Viagra-category product on the vendor tables now claiming to have 5000 MG of the active ingredient in it! LOL. I have not tried it but I might some day.

[Crocodilexp]

Some have not worked at all for me. For the hell of it I once sampled a few tablets of Tadalifil (spelling?), Cialis' active ingredient, claiming to contain 500 MG of the stuff in it.

If it were really 500 MG, you wouldn't be able to put your dick down for a week. Recommended dosage of Tadalafil / Cialis is 20 MG.

There is a Thai-made generic Sildenafil Citrate called Sidegra, it costs 100 baht for 4 x50 MG or 200 baht for 4 x100 MG pills. Since it's so cheap, and domestically produced, it doesn't pay to make fakes, and the product seems consistent. Since I discovered that one, I don't mess with other generic or "real" Viagra pills any longer.