falang07

the more panic is created in media, the happier the fund recipients/pharma companies are

I suppose this might be a way to go for many at the moment :)

good to hear that, unfortunately the small selection of allowed industries is very prohibitive

I also have a feeling that doing business under these BOI promotions is rather a fiction than reality, anyway, I would also like to hear from someone who actually succeeded in getting this done.

Unfortunately, Service and Public Utilities – International trading companies are not allowed for full foreign ownership. Also, the lawyers you mention charge 150,000 for the application and another 100,000 if you are successful meaning there is no guarantee you will be successful and 150,000 is a substantial loss.

then please provide a reputable resource based on which you consider these banks weak

well, in Cyprus and USA it was the biggest banks that failed so being big is no guarantee either

Or shorten the door at the bottom a little to increase the airflow

No.

To understand why, think of all the different file formats there are. In order for the anti-virus software to open every possible file and examine it for any possible malware, the antivirus install would have to be huge. Would have to support Office, multimedia, imaging, etc. all of which would then have to be opened every time and checked.

You are wrong. Office readers. PDF readers, or image viewers can be incredibly small, much smaller than the antivirus install package is nowadays.

and I would say NSA has their backdoors long time ago implemented into antivirus programs, same as they did with TrueCrypt and I am sure with Windows, too

still you might consider changing it in SCB since I suspect you would get better exchange rate than in HSBC

Of course this testing is just pure nonsense, if you do not pass it simply means you need to learn more and pay another year. Simple as that.

perhaps a good business plan, too, to release them not so far so they can be caught all over again

you can bring it in cash but you will have to exchange to Thai Baht anyway so it makes little sense

I tried Krungsri last week with a Thai card and 30k was no longer possible, only 20k so not sure if foreign cards still allow 30k

also, no matter if the Swedish guy wanted Kroners or any other currency than THB, to buy a condo, you must convert to THB in the first place

you were lucky since if found and not declared, you would be arrested and the money would be seized by customs

This is ridiculous. Why would anyone buy so much gold in Thailand. Abu Dhabi or Dubai are the places to buy gold bars. And there is no problem getting on a flight to Korea with it.

Den

since Thailand restricts sending money abroad, it might be the only way for some

Since it is impossible to wire money out of Thailand that you have not before wired in, it is clear why he wanted to "export" these gold bars. Remember to keep those foreign exchange forms if remitting bigger amounts to Thailand and expect to take it out of Thailand in the future otherwise smuggling gold will be your only option, too.

Actually precious stones are a much better option. But you gotta know how to evaluate stones or have a completely trustworthy seller.

which most, if not all, do not have

OK, easy access is 500,000 for 5 years. At 1k per year, still quite overpriced, I can get ED visa for 20k including language courses with nice teachers which is much more fun and 80,000 to spend for trips etc. Anyway, I agree it is one of the options and might be of interest to some.

Some might be rich, but not stupid. The elite card is a big joke (and I thought if was 2M, not 500k). Remember, the more money one has, the less he/she wants to waste it on stupid and overpriced things

1) if the above resources stem from a state pension you might be able to get a Non-Immigrant "O" visa even if under 50 (not the Non-O "A", you'll have to quit the country every 90 days)

2) enough resources will definitely help you in getting a chain of ED-visa until you are 50. You might actually have to study, especially for Thai courses, but you got plenty of time on your hands anyway

3) invest some 1 million Baht and start a business with 51% of shares in the hand of Thai partners for a Non-B-Visa. Doesn't get you a working permit, two very different things, might take the right contracts to work with the right Thai employees, but would work. Would need a lot of research on how to go about this and additional costs for accountants and the like, and sure be risky.

4) feed the government 2 million Baht and 20 k Baht a year for "Thai Elite Status" for extendable 1-y-stays with no border-runs. Might be rather desperate, but if you've got the money....

5) If you got the funds, you can potentially use tourist visa. Break the chain of "back-to-back" visa by staying in Cambodia for a month or two, travel around, return to your home country periodically, where the chances of getting triple-entries are much higher than in the neighbourhood of Thailand. Costly though, accommodation, storing and hauling round stuff will be the most costly factors.

1. who would want to quit the country every 90 days, so a big NO

2. YES, this is the one we are speaking about, the one and only

3. I do not want to work, and do not want to invest in some non-performing business either so a big NO

4. NO WAY, desperate way really

5. tourist visa is out of question since I do not like to travel and leave the country every 3 months

If someone has enough resources to "enjoy the life and not have to work", they have enough to get a proper visa. If they don't get a visa appropriate for their situation, it's either because they choose not to follow the rules and make the required investment ($$$ or classroom time) into their new country of choice, or they really don't have the resources.

OK, give me your suggestion for someone who has enough money, is under 50, does not want to work in Thailand, does not want to get married, and has no Thai child. Looking forward to your answer. And please give me one that does not "abuse the system"

Paypal = the worst exchange rates! Avoid in any case!

I've just got back from class and the teacher pointed out that if I want to leave the country one has to go to Immigration as normal but also apply for a student ID card and sit a test?

Is this fact?

Fiction, all you need is a reentry permit, 1000 baht at the immigration.