soisanuk

I have used DMED for hearing aids. They have changed their name to Dear Hearing. Their home office is in Chonburi with several branch offices around Thailand including one in Pattaya. The owner is an Audiologist and based in Chonburi. The Pattaya location has technicians running the shop - they also spend time doing the hearing tests for Bangkok Hospital Pattaya -- better to get the same test at their shop as, unlike the hospital, their test is free. Last March, I obtained my latest hearing aids from them which are much as you describe - behind the ear, charging device using USB connection. The hearing test showed more hearing loss since I obtained my last pair a little over 5 years ago. My USA based health insurance covers me up to a certain amount for the cost of new hearing aids every 5 years. They are located on Chaiyaphruek road between Jomtien Beach Road and Sukhumvit. Contact information and a map can be found here: https://www.dear.co.th/en/branchs/

Nothing is being made up. You can enter Thailand with a Visa or for many countries, Visa Exempt (no visa required). Upon arrival, Immigration places a stamp in the passport showing the permission to stay period which is based on the type of entry (Visa or Exempt). These are two separate things. To extend your stay you apply to extend your permission to stay not your visa. I entered Thailand over 20 years ago on a Non-Immigrant O Visa receiving a 90 day permission to stay. I applied to extend that stay for one year for purpose of retirement. For the past 20+ years I annually go to Immigration and file a TM.7, Application for Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom. The Pattaya City Expats Club has an extensive section re entering Thailand, extending one's stay, and other Thai Immigration requirements at https://pcec.club/Thai-Immigration. The difference is also noted on this Thai Embassy's website - https://helsinki.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/information-about-visa-and-validity-of-stay-permit?page=5f49f4a199a85e260f4278de&menu=5d80876d15e39c3354007bb1

You apparently do not do your retirement extensions at Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration. As most of us should know, each Immigration Office can have requirements that differ from other Offices. My first renewal of my extension at Pattaya Immigration after the US Embassy quit providing "income affidavits/letters", I had bank certified statements for the preceding 12 months - even so, they wanted a letter from my bank listing all the foreign transfers and even gave me an example to show my bank. This has continued to be their requirement.

As mentioned by others since my post that has been questioned, the Application says Extension. The initial extension of stay is for having a Non-Immigrant Visa generally without regard to the category - in most cases for retirement or married to a Thai national it is category "O", for business category "B", etc. When applying for the "extension" of your "Permission to Stay" in Thailand, you must state the purpose for the application. This can change with no need to change the original Visa category upon which prior extensions were based. So if going from married to a Thai to retirement or vice versa, you only need to change the purpose of the request on the Application for extension.

It is an extension. Using a Non-Immigrant Visa to enter Thailand (or obtained in Thailand), you get a "permission to stay" in the Kingdom of 90 days. Before the 90 days are up, you apply to extend that time period for one year (retirement, married to a Thai, etc.). You then apply annually to renew that extension of your permission to stay date.

I use Chase Bank, but refuse to use their international global transfer system. When they first introduced it, the fee was US$5 but it had to be in Thai baht converted by Chase at an extremely lousy exchange rate. I use Wise to do my transfers. I did a comparison at the time of transferring US$2,000 by Chase and by Wise - the amount of baht that would be deposited in my account was at the then exchange rate about US$50 less using Chase vs Wise. As to the original post, I use the 65k method and do my renewals at Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration Office on Jomtien Beach soi 5. After the US Embassy quit issuing monthly income letters, Immigration has always required I get a letter from my Thai bank showing all foreign transfers into my account AND bank statements certified by the bank for the previous 12 months. I renewed my extension on the 3rd of July 2025 and this was still the requirement. Taking funds from an ATM and depositing it into a Thai bank account does not verify that the baht being deposited came from outside of Thailand. Thus the Thai bank would be unable to provide such a letter.

A few weeks ago a friend told me her son, who uses a Pattaya Agent for renewing his extensions at Jomtien Immigration as he does not have the 800k in the bank, was told by his agent that he needed to switch from Bangkok Bank to another bank as Jomtien Immigration was no longer accepting agent renewals using Bangkok Bank. I renewed my extension on the 3 July at Jomtien Immigration. I use the 65k monthly income method and do not use an agent. I use Bangkok Bank and no question was raised. So, it is apparently that Jomtien Immigration is not accepting Bangkok Bank accounts if the extension is being done by an agent.

I contacted the person in the PCEC who handles their webpages on Immigration issues. He noted that although not specifically mentioned in their checklists for Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration, their main webpage for Extending a stay showed He said he has seen this thread and as a result has moved the above into a more prominate posirion on that page and has now included similar notation on other pages including their checklists. Jingthing also wrote: I have only seen one report by someone that said he was told to expect such a visit and have not seen any follow-up confirming such a visit actually took place. I will be renewing my own retirement extension next week and if a new requirement, will, I am sure, also be told to expect it.

This has also been my experience for several years now. I usually go early morning when they open - even so, it has always been to come back after 2pm the next day to pick up the passport. As to visit to residence, I will find out this coming week as I will be going to Jomtien Immigration to renew my retirement extension.

From some articles and reports I saw a few years ago, Bangkok Bank staff were pushing for the purchase of an accident insurance policy when opening an account. The annual fee was around 3,000 baht as I recall. Someone I know that pays for an annual accident policy pays his insurance broker a fee of around 2,400 baht for the policy.

The Pattaya City Expats Club has a webpage on obtaining a Residency Certificate from Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration office - Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5 - https://pcec.club/ResidencyCertificate

I get it regularly from a Pattaya pharmacy.

Agree - Immigration has now for several years required only sufficient time on the passport to cover the period of stay for entry. Thus there should be should be no problem in the airline allowing boarding. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if applying at a Thai Embassy/Consulate for a Visa still requires the passport to have 6 months validity.

The Pattaya City Expats Club has a checklist which is usually up to date. https://pcec.club/CHECKLISTS-Extensions-of-Stay

The Pattaya City Expats Club has the following on their website which has a link and instructions for doing the report - https://pcec.club/online-90-day/ It also notes that it may not always work even when it should:

Correct for reporting in person. For online reporting, it is 15 day up to due date (I usually do before the due date, but once let it almost slip by me and did it on the due date - it was accepted.

That would be the case. If you leave Thailand and return, the next 90 day report cannot be made using the online system. When I received my new passport in March 2024, I did the report at Immigration when I had the stamps transferred from my old passport. I did my next and subsequent online 90 day reports with no problems. I received my latest approval just before Songkran.

That may be Bangkok Bank's (or that particular location) policy, but that doesn't make it the policy of all Thai banks, or even other Bangkok Bank branches. The advice often given to foreigners, even those visa exempt or tourist visa, is to keep trying the different branches until you find one that will open an account. Likewise, several agencies offer assistance in opening a Thai bank account. The Pattaya City Expats Club has this comment on their webpages about banking in Thailand: bravo19 To obtain an OA visa, you must apply at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your country of residence, it is not available from Thai Immigration. To obtain a Non-O from Thai Immigration, you need to show you have 800k baht in a Thai bank OR, if using monthly income, a Monthly Income verification from your Embassy (such verification is not available for holders of passports from Australia, UK, USA, & now Canada). Once you have a Non-O Visa, you can use Thai bank passbook/statements to show monthly deposits from a foreign source of at least 65k baht to get an annual extension of the permission to stay.

That may depend on location and the agent. Currently an agent in Pattaya that assists in opening bank accounts notes the following on their website:

If in Pattaya, MOTS is an agent that many use to assist in opening bank accounts as well a getting a Thai driving license. oldcpu A Non-Immigrant O Visa for purpose of retirement may be available at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighboring country by showing one meets the financial requirements, i.e. equivalent of 800k baht (in a foreign bank is usually acceptable) or evidence of a monthly income equivalent to or greater than 65k baht. Probably less expensive than returning to their home country. JoseThailand To get a Non-Immigrant O Visa for retirement at Thai Immigration, you need to have already opened a Thai Bank account to deposit the required 800k baht.

That is what I do. Stock up with bottled water (I wouldn't dare drink tap water and neither do my Thai friends) and food. I manage to stay occupied with book reading and watching movies and shows on the TV. My Thai companions, of course, go out usually each day to Enjoy! Delivery services are generally available except on the 18th & 19th in Pattaya - especially the 19th - bumper to bumper traffic on all the main roads - and lots of splashing.

Applurinol and Colchocin are the two tablet medications I take and have done so now for many years (originally prescribed by a Dr at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya recommended them as a preventative). And yes, the Dr also recommended eating less chicken - but that was and is my main staple. I also eat beef fairly often. I haven't had gout since taking these medications.

If money transferred was in savings for income or pension earned before Jan 1 2024, then it is not assessable income and no tax filing is required. Another thing you may want to consider is, if your son is of age and has a bank account of his own, you could transfer the money as a "gift" - the threshold is quite high - Gifts to Parents or Children: Gifts valued under THB 20 million per tax year to parents or children are generally exempt from tax. Source: https://www.expattaxthailand.com/gift-tax-2024/

The Pattaya City Expats Club has the following on their Expat Recommended Health Providers web page:

Agree, Pupen's is very good. I do believe they take bookings, but not for weekends including Friday. Also, agree with post regarding Bang Saray - you will need transport, but better atmosphere. The one I have gone to (forget the name) is on a pier out over the water, so a nice view.