Oxpilot

I went to Jomtien today 25 Jan 2021. They required a letter from my bank showing dates and amounts of foreign transfers to my account in Thailand. I had a certified copy of my last 6 months of deposits, but they wanted the full year. I have to get it today and that will put me one day overstay. She said I will have to pay 500 per day over. She also requires PROOF of PENSION which I wasn't aware was required. Everything else was standard.

Thanks,

   You're right. I left it to the end because I wanted to do my 90 day at the same time. I didn't think the bank would require more than a day to makew a letter. I went to Jomtien today and I had certified copies of my last 6 monthly Foreign transfers, but they wanted a letter from the bank stating each transfer for the entire year and the total. Six months entries didn't cut it even with the banks guarantee stamp. So back to the bank in the morning. They also wanted proof of my Pension and Social Security payments. She wants proof of international transfer from my US bank and the receiving bankbook is what I understood. I'm not clear on the need to show the transfer from the US or just the Bangkok bank reception . To be safe I will supply both. 

   Even though we submitted the TM.7 and everything else she still said it will cost me 500 per day until we get the banking cleared up.

  The proof of pension was new to me.

My visa expires today an 25th 2021 I went to the Bangklok Bank on second rd on last Thursday to get a letter proving my monthly transfers of 65,000 baht into my account and they said I hyave to wait until Wed, to retrieve it. So, I will be overstay by 2 days when I get my passport and bankbook back. Will Jomtien fine me or worse?

They should have brought in the coconut picking monkeys if they really were concerned with cocnuts falling on tourists. Much cheaper, and it would have been an attraction for tourists. To cut down the broad leaf trees is criminal in my opinion. They will hold the beach and provide real shade and beauty.

You are planting avocados from seeds? I have heard that they will not bear fruiot when planted from seeds. It didn't make sense at the time.

Thanks. I used USD rather than GBP for two reasons, firstly, I work for a US law firm in London and get paid in USD and secondly most of the articles I have read on cost of living quote USD. I'm dual-qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales and also an attorney in New York, which is why I used the term lawyer. I hope that answers your questions back to me!

I'm retired from a US airline age 77, with Thai wife and 2 children and own my condo and automobile. We don't go out drinking, but drink a little at home, go out for dinner about twice a week. I have medical insurance on my family for about 50,000 baht a year, car insurance for 25000 a year and my utilities cost around 120,000 per year becasue we run the airconditioner 24/7. Annual condo fees are another 30,000/yr Gas for car and motorbike about 10,000/yr. My son's school costs 250,000/yr.

My income from social security and pension is only $37,000 a year. I earn another $20,000 from other things. I live well, but not lavishly and my income just about covers my expenses. Hope this helps.

"But no matter what happened, Mr Somchai said ICAO has no direct authority to ban Thai carriers from foreign airspace."

Very true Mr. Somchai. However, countries who honor and respect the ICAO, and abide by their rules, have a perfect right to deny Thai carriers from their air space. So, instead of blowing the usual hot air BS, why don't you do the right thing and address the issues with deeds?

I think if ICAO puts them on their "Black List" most First World countries will ban them. Individual Thai carriers have been banned by Australia, Netherlands and Britain.

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Well there are some of the big fish (Croccidiles) we were waiting for
Well done guys

Really small fish compared to major cartels, and all the dope operations by the likes of the CIA..

So you believe the Hollywood versions of the CIA and the drug trade? Is your vast knowledge of the CIA based on Mel Gibson and the movie "Air America"? That movie did not follow the book in regards to drug trafficking. It is Hollywood hype. General Vang Pao is said to have used drug sales to arm his Hmong Army, and maybe the CIA looked the other way, but in my time at Air America (The real one) I never saw or heard of any involvement in drugs. You make it sound like it is a major source of funding for the CIA. If you think logically about it the CIA has an unlimited budget and it doesn't make sense to involve in drugs.

Your post is a timely reminder to recharge our skepticism batteries, but while I remember the report of CIA using Air America to run drugs into Vietnam, I don't remember any of the details or how credible the reports were. I accepted them at the time as being obvious. Remember, back in 1970 or so, CIA stood for "Caught In the Act." As to their supposedly unlimited budget, employees of the agency are paid based on civil service scales and I find it plausible that they might make use of company assets to line their own pockets a little.

OK, thanks for a more definitive response. Air America pilots were fighting a war and several hundred died doing it, so we get a bit defensive when we hear people talking about us as if our main mission was drug smuggling and gun running. The movie was funny and entertaining, and true we had a lot of colorful (some would say, "Crazy") people. But too many people base their "knowledge" of the company on the movie. It is offensive in its' distortion of what the company was about; mainly supplying the Hmongs with everything from ammunition to rice, pigs, goats, and whatever. The company moto "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime, Professionally", but it didn't include drugs. Is there corruption in the CIA? I suppose their is temptation and theft in any organization. Look at Aldrich Ames, the CIA mole who caused the death of many Russian assets by selling their names to the Russians. No organization is perfect. But of the CIA Customers (Field Agents) I knew, they were all fiercely loyal and honest Americans. Thanks for your expanded explanation of your meaning "dope operations by the CIA" By the way, I don't think the budget is "unlimited" anymore and even back then it was more like unchecked instead of unlimited.

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Well there are some of the big fish (Croccidiles) we were waiting for
Well done guys

Really small fish compared to major cartels, and all the dope operations by the likes of the CIA..

So you believe the Hollywood versions of the CIA and the drug trade? Is your vast knowledge of the CIA based on Mel Gibson and the movie "Air America"? That movie did not follow the book in regards to drug trafficking. It is Hollywood hype. General Vang Pao is said to have used drug sales to arm his Hmong Army, and maybe the CIA looked the other way, but in my time at Air America (The real one) I never saw or heard of any involvement in drugs. You make it sound like it is a major source of funding for the CIA. If you think logically about it the CIA has an unlimited budget and it doesn't make sense to involve in drugs.

I've noticed more hate towards Russians than Yanks, but here I'll say it straight and without BS:

Nobody likes the noisy <deleted> that don't mind their own business.

As for the French:

Nobody likes those <deleted> either.

On a serious note it's wrong to hate people for their government's actions, and you guessed it right, it's US foreign policy that is the problem.

I've worked with and met a lot of Yanks and most are good folks, sure some are a**holes, but I've also met quite a few a**holes French, Canadians, Russians, etc...

Interesting that you haven't met any a"holes from Britain. Could it be that we are a bunch of grumpy, mostly old men who are irritated by the unfamiliar? I don't find accents of the other English speaking countries aggravating, only difficult to understand. When I worked with an Aystralian company I had to make up an Aussie/American English dictionary.

By the way I can't stand "Fox" news and agree with the world that our foreign policies have been terrible in most cases and ludicrous at best.

Do you wonder why we don't live there now while people are begging to be admitted? Idiots in government and the morons who voted them in.

I said etc. right at the end so yes I did meet quite a few A* from the UK.

Thinking about that haven't met an A* from OZ or NZ all the great folks with a good sense of humour.

Sorry, I missed that. It wasn't meant to be anti-Brit because I don't feel that. Just a little prod that people in TV seem to enjoy. I agree, I haven't met any "A" from OZ or NZ either. Only a few that I couldn't understand. "My Bad" as my son would say.

I've noticed more hate towards Russians than Yanks, but here I'll say it straight and without BS:

Nobody likes the noisy <deleted> that don't mind their own business.

As for the French:

Nobody likes those <deleted> either.

On a serious note it's wrong to hate people for their government's actions, and you guessed it right, it's US foreign policy that is the problem.

I've worked with and met a lot of Yanks and most are good folks, sure some are a**holes, but I've also met quite a few a**holes French, Canadians, Russians, etc...

Interesting that you haven't met any a"holes from Britain. Could it be that we are a bunch of grumpy, mostly old men who are irritated by the unfamiliar? I don't find accents of the other English speaking countries aggravating, only difficult to understand. When I worked with an Aystralian company I had to make up an Aussie/American English dictionary.

By the way I can't stand "Fox" news and agree with the world that our foreign policies have been terrible in most cases and ludicrous at best.

Do you wonder why we don't live there now while people are begging to be admitted? Idiots in government and the morons who voted them in.

Thanks for the information. But, I am going to use it to track my teenager instead of girls. I'm not sure why guys get so possessive of these girls. I had a friend who wanted me to bug his girlfriend's apartment and phone. I asked him if it would make him feel any better if he caught her? Would he dump her if he caught her cheating? No, he would just make himself miserable and then forgive her because he was addicted to her.

From the US I do a domestic transfer from my US bank to the Bangkok Bank branch in New York (using the Bangkok Bank account number I have at my Pattaya branch). Takes a couple of days to reach my account here. $10 charge in the US and usually Baht 200 locally. I get an SMS message from Bangkok Bank when the deposit here is made, showing the rate used & the bank charges and the money is immediately available.

Always transfer in foreign denominated currency and let the Thai bank do the conversion. Rates are better than PayPal or most other options and, depending on your foreign bank and Thai bank, almost certainly cheaper than using Western Union.

If you need to demonstrate to Immigrations that you are getting money from outside of Thailand, a bank transfer to your Thai bank account will provide the type of proof they will want to see in your bank book and, if needed, via a letter from your bank manager.

It would probably have been helpful in the O/P if you had explained whether you were transferring money into or out of Thailand and to/from what country.

What is the routing from your US account to the NY branch of Bangkok Bank?

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Governments must move away from killing period. - first and foremost USA, if they ever hope to reclaim the moral high ground they once occupied. (pipe that dream)

I say it's a pity Brady and Hindley were not caught a few months earlier in the UK..

I think a killing is fair punishment for a killer. In Utah it is by firing squad.

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Pilots are always in a hurry to get to Soi Cowboy. Not so much of a hurry to get anywhere in London- especially back to the wife....

There is truth in what you say. Mach .85 going to BKK and .78 going home was my norm. But, it is primarily the prevailing southwest to northeast winds. A second consideration is altitude, since winds vary with altitude as well as geo position. The route will usually be different, longer or shorter in terms of route miles and finally the type of aircraft used and the airline flown can influence time flown. Some aircraft perform better at higher mach speeds and some at lower. For the airlines, in most cases a lower mach speed around .75 may save fuel while other airlines are worried about curfews at the arrival airport and will adjust the speed to make it in before the curfew. And then there are ATC delays you may not have been made aware.

But you got there so all went well.

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In the future, it should be mandatory for all air passage passengers to obtain mental certification, from government appointed mental institution before one is allowed to book an air-ticket and/or board the plane.

This would cut down on a lot of un-necessary disturbance for other fellow travelers.

I hope you are just joking. How much would that cost and of what value? About the same as the Thai drivers license is a guarantee that you know and will obey traffic laws!

Is there anyplace in Pattaya?

Blame the Vietnam era GI's who came to Thailand and set the foundation for what it is. Everyone in the world is a person thus has feelings.

Ignorance of the facts. GIs had R&R in Bangkok. Their girlfriends would bring them to Pattaya as a nice place to relax and keep him away from other BKK girls. The only regular GIs in Pattaya were those based at Utapao.

Are you anti-American or just repeating some incorrect conclusions you picked up somewhere?

Blame the Vietnam era GI's who came to Thailand and set the foundation for what it is. Everyone in the world is a person thus has feelings.

I doubt you were here in those days.

In the 60's there were no Go-Go bars or bath houses and most US military had regular girl friends. The main nighttime entertainment was in cabaret night clubs with Thai singers and bands. In Bangkok they were along SIlom Rd. The Oasis and Starlight were popular. Thai men paid 50 baht an hour to eat, drink and dance with the girls. They were all required to close at 11PM so that Thai men would return home to their wives I suppose

Pat Pong Rd was where all the good restaurants were located along with the airline offices. Only one bar that I can recall on Pat Pong was Max's, mostly for Air America pilots and crew.

Service men returning to bases in Germany and Japan spread the word of beautiful girls available for 100 baht a night or less in Thailand. In late 60's and early 70's the sex tour business started to boom mostly coming from those 2 countries, and the whole situation changed. The Germans wanted sex shows and the Japanese wanted bath houses. And from that time on the girls became a bit hardened doing what was unnatural to them in order to please the Germans and Japanese sex tourists. I don't mean to pick on any one or two nationalities, there were men from all over Europe, America Australia etc. who also got the word, And that in my opinion is the recent history of the sex trade in Thailand. The American servicemen discovered it, but I don't think they have any "Blame for it." They were here because of their duty assignment and many married their girlfriends. Most of those men from all countries who followed were looking for cheap unattached sex.

Thai Fund symbol TTF has taken a dramatic drop from 26 last year to about 10.75 currently based, I believe on the troubles in BKK.

By Friday Jan 31 the price had deteriorated to 17.75. On the next day of trading Mon Feb 3 it crashed to 9.75. Which had to be another fund pulling out.

Depending on your ability to take some risk, and if you think Thailand will recover some day, which I do, it seems possibility for you. For those about to say that with only one million baht he can't afford any risk, I say there is no investment without risk. Security is a myth, it does not exist in nature. There are only different degrees of risk.

By the time I saw this you said your friend recovered. I have O- blood for future reference. I called BPH and they told me they have no facilities for taking my blood and that I should call Sri Racha hospital that has a Red Cross donation program. Sri Racha said they don't do blood donations on Sundays and that the blood goes where it is needed. So I came back to the thread and saw that your buddy has recovered. Good news for all of us with O-Neg. We can donate to everyone, but we can only take another O-Neg transfusion.

This is almost an impossible scenario. The instruments on modern aircraft detect turbulence, whether it be CAT or not, and the aircraft has plenty of time to avoid it.

What we should ask is what the air crew was doing that the aircraft was prevented from detecting the danger.

You are mistaken that we have instruments to detect turbulence. The instruments we have detect wind=shear which is a source of turbulence but not the only one. I hope they are able to do that in the future. At the moment we rely on aircraft flying in front of us reporting the turbulence, but it can change dramatically in the space of a few seconds. One aircraft can make a normal approach and landing and the next is driven into the ground as was the case with our L-1011 in Dallas, killing most on board and my friends in the crew.

So many posts on this are so ridiculous I am amazed that some of you need to tell your personal tales of flights. NOBODY CARES

This is almost an impossible scenario. The instruments on modern aircraft detect turbulence, whether it be CAT or not, and the aircraft has plenty of time to avoid it.

What we should ask is what the air crew was doing that the aircraft was prevented from detecting the danger.

Ok Gentlemen,

I am a retired Captain from Delta Airlines and while we have Wind-shear warnings we do not have "Turbulence warning equipment" currently. For turbulence we still rely on reports from aircraft in front of us passing their reports. With rapidly moving and changing weather patterns even the aircraft ahead of you on the approach may have different wind and turbulence that you will have. Therefore it is less than a perfect science. I agree with the posts stating that passengers from China disregard safety procedures to their own detriment. "You can lead a horse---etc." But I have seen it with all cultures with possible exception of the Japanese who seem to follow instructions.

All the other people on this forum telling of their personal experiences and problems with certain airlines, may I say most are not of interest to anyone else.

One correction. You don't need 20 years to be eligible. It is really based on credits which you need 40 credits and this is equal to about 10 years.

So really you only need 10 years of full time work to be eligible for social Security benefits. Of course when you retire and the amount you paid in will determine the

the benefit amount.

My one friend lived in Thailand for 8 years and then moved back to the US with his Thai wife and children.

After two years being in the US he died. As stated typically a wife would need to be a US resident for 5 years to be eligible. However

in this case Social Security office did grant her benefits. They had 3 children when he died, The ages of the children was 8yrs, 6yrs, and a 3yrs old.

I don't know all the details but I assume since they had kids together this proved they had a real relationship and they allowed her to get the benefits or the benefits was just for the children. I Don't know if you have any children, if so then the child if under the age of 18 might be eligible for some benefits. I do recall his wife at the time

telling me something about needing to be in the US for 5 years but they waved that. I forget how much she got i think is was $800 per child. I know he paid in the max all his life, even when he was working in Thailand as he was living here in Thailand but working for a US company.

My son age 15 has received benefits which started at around $800 when he was born and are now over $1,000/month and he will continue receiving until 18. He has lived with me in Thailand for the last 3 years. I took SS benefits at 62 because of the added amount of income for the 3 years between 62 and 65 made up for the reduction in my benefit. That $30,000 +/- extra benefit made up for a lot of the age 62 penalty.