acepredator

I've been using VPNs for about twenty years, and to my knowledge I've never been detected. I've used them for bank transfers and for selling investments and never had a problem. I don't use the free VPNs, which are completely useless. I pay a fair amount of money for good quality and reliability, which these days means the Avast VPN.

Sad to say, but no I don't have a bod these days that could even remotely be described as rockin'. Forty years ago I was an avid weightlifter and was advised to try male modeling. Those days are but a distant, albeit happy memory. Anything I do online is strictly with the webcam deactivated.

Very true. I hadn't thought about that. These days, even people in the world's most impoverished countries have computers or at least smart phones. 5$ might be more than they could make doing hours of intense physical labor, so why not use the computer or phone instead? The problem is that the majority of websites are in English, and those impoverished people likely would not have the English language skills to utilize them.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which allows me to connect to the internet via one or more of the countries that you mentioned, so that's not a problem.

Recently, I suffered a significant financial setback. I’ve been retired for a number of years, but now I must try to start making money again. For eighteen years I was an English teacher in South Korea and here in Thailand, but at sixty-six years of age, no school would hire me as a teacher. In addition, I suffer from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which makes speaking increasingly difficult. So even teaching online is not an option. I wonder if any readers know of a legitimate way to make a meaningful amount of money online that does not involve speaking. My extensive research has revealed that there are two kinds of websites: those that appear to be legitimate but pay a miniscule amount of money (watching advertising videos for one cent each, for example), or those that promise thousands of dollars a month, like affiliate marketing (whatever that is). In exchange for such a large monthly income, however, one must pay thousands of dollars up front for training or software. After you’ve paid the money, the promised monthly income doesn’t materialize, and the money back guarantee is not honored. Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect a significant monthly income without some specialized skill or knowledge, but I’m wondering if something even as small as, for example, five dollars an hour might be possible without such skill or knowledge. Perhaps that’s even too much to ask for. So any information that anyone can provide pertaining to a legitimate way to make a meaningful amount of money online would be greatly appreciated, not only by me, but also by those readers who might find themselves in a similar unfortunate financial situation.

Yes, that's true. I have a joint savings account with my companion, but the fixed account with 800,000 for my retirement visa is, of course, in my name alone. This is the most valuable asset I have in my Thai will, of which my companion is the executor. I hope that the court process you mentioned won't be too complicated or lengthy so that she can get access to my assets without any undue delay.

I went to Bangkok Bank and specifically asked them to make my companion the beneficiary of my bank accounts with them, and they told me unequivocally that they could not do so. The branch manager told me that my assets on deposit with the bank would be distributed according to my last will and testament, and by no other means. I assume every other bank in Thailand has the same policy, so your statement, quoted above, is inaccurate. The original poster would be well advised to ignore it.

Thanks for the information. I will consider if that is a better option for me if I don't have my new passport in time.

Very much so. Thanks again.

From what I have read on this forum and other sources, there are many problems trying to do the 90 day report online. The system just doesn't seem to be very efficient. The mail-in system, on the other hand, seems to work much better. Someone I know has been doing the mail-in reports for many years and has never had any problems. Ordinarily I would go in person, but I need to get a new U.S. passport, and I am worried that if something goes wrong, I won't have the new passport by the time my 90 day report is due. I hope to send my passport to Bangkok within the next week. My due date is August 13th, so with two full months, I should be okay. But one never knows, especially when dealing with the United States Government, an entity not known for its efficiency or concern for its citizens living abroad.

Thanks very much for taking the time to give such a detailed and helpful response to my question.

Thanks very much for the information.

Thanks very much for your help.

Hello. I've always done my 90 day reports in person at Chiang Mai Immigration. I may need to do the next one by mail, however. I know there is a post here that provides the necessary steps to take to successfully do the report by mail, but I do not know how to locate that post. Could someone please direct me to the post that will explain exactly what I must do? Thanks very much in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Thanks for your reply. I assume if the certificate is required in Pattaya it would also be for Chiang Mai. Also, I doubt that there would be any major changes in the last three weeks. The braking test, I assume, is with the feet, like in a car. Is that test given for people applying only for the motorcycle license? It seems pointless to do so.

Thanks for the information. I hadn't thought about the other tests we have to take at the DLT. Do you know if a medical certificate is required to renew a five year license rather than a two year license? Thanks again for any further information you can povide.

Thanks very much for your sage advice. The only problem with taking "that plane home" is that home is the Evil Empire, commonly referred to as the United States. Rather than being the victim of xenophobia and racism, I'd very likely be the victim of a random shooting when I visited my local McDonald's or supermarket. Fortunately, being childless I never had to see my son or daughter being murdered in his or her classroom. But, of course, we have to endure such tragedies to protect the sanctity of the 2nd Amendment (apologies to non-Americans who don't know what that is). This will be my 17th year living in Thailand. It's certainly a very nice looking country, but I think beautiful is a bit overzealous of a description. During these 17 years, the only Thais I have disliked (not hated) are those who have shown me rudeness, disrespect or threatening behavior. Such Thais constitute a small minority, admittedly, but they still exist. Your perception of the saintliness of all Thais seems to me to be, again, overzealous. The vast majority of Thais have treated me with either politeness or indifference, which is exactly as I would like to be treated. Currently, I support my companion and contribute to the support of her adult daughter and her two grandchildren, ages 12 and 3. I put the adult daughter through school and am helping to put the two grandchildren through school also. Your contention that every Thai would be delighted if I got on a plane tomorrow, or better today, could not be more misguided. You wouldn't want to meet my companion if she knew that it was your advice that put me on that flight to the Evil Empire. I will continue to treat those I meet with decency, civility and respect, regardless of their race or nationality. All I've ever asked, wherever I've lived, is to be treated in the same way.

I think with the online reservation system as well as online testing it won't be nearly as bad as it was in years past, with hundreds of people waiting all day to renew their licenses. I'll find out on March 16th.

Wrong. It is a problem. It happens to me every time I am with my Thai companion, and it has nothing to do with language. Do you have to speak the same language as a customer to hand that customer his change from a purchase? Of course not. What an idiotic concept. The reason Thai clerks completely ignore foreign customers who are accompanied by a Thai is that they hate us. Thais are appallingly xenophobic and racist. The people of Thailand would be delighted if every single foreigner here got on an airplane and left tomorrow. Maybe they wouldn't be so happy later when they realized that we had stopped spending the billions of baht a year we spend to help support their economy.

No. It would still expire on your birthday, but it would be the birthday five years after your expiration date rather than the birthday six years after. If you renewed your license after the expiration date you would only get four years and some months to use it before the next expiration date.

Now we have two versions of the story. I'll just have to wait until later this month to see if I get the five or six year renewal. It seems likely to me that Mr J is right -- that it would only be five years. I doubt that the DLT would give people an incentive to wait and deliberately let their driving licenses expire in order to get an extra year until their next renewal. That would be rewarding irresponsible behavior, which I don't think any branch of the Thai government would do.

That's very good to know. I hadn't realized that there's actually an advantage to waiting until after your license has expired to renew it in order to get an extra year. I just didn't pay attention to the expiration date until a friendly and helpful police officer pulled me over for a traffic violation and pointed out that my license had already expired. He informed me that there is a one year grace period during which you can renew your license without any penalty. Thanks very much for the information.

That makes it crystal clear, in that yours is the voice of experience. I'll look forward to getting an extra year on my license this time.

Sorry, but that's a bit confusing. My license expired in November of 2022. If I'm able to successfully renew it next month, will the new license expire in November of 2027 or 2028?

My browser is Google Chrome, which has the right-click option to translate to English. The problem wasn't the nature of the text, all of which is in English. The problem, instead, was that the video featured an instructor who was speaking Thai. It wasn't until I checked the third video of three that I found the one that had English subtitles. Unfortunately, the DLT authorities didn't indicate which video was intended for foreigners. If they had, I would have saved a great deal of time and effort. Thanks very much for the information and for taking the time to reply to my post.