griffon2011

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Trying to be helpful here.....

 

another facet: IF the departure date is the same your GF ‘may’ be ok...  After all, if she is just taking an extra 24 hrs in transit she already has her CoE - Thailand is not going to reject a Thai Citizen from entering the country with a CoE which is 24 hrs out on arrival, so as long as she can get on a plane she should be ok (if no other options work). 

The departure date is the same, however, the arrival is a day later than indicated on the COE but still on the same airline same flight and arrival time.  If I was fairly certain she would be allowed on the plane I would let them sort it out in Thailand.

I did call the Dept of Consular Affairs as indicated on the COE site and mildly abuse them after they said that the embassy had to fix the problem and not them.  I just told them again that the embassy was not responding and if they could not address a simple issue like this for one of their own citizens perhaps foreign visitors should think carefully before risking time and money to visit Thailand.  Thanks for your help Richard.

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

How long have you got before your GF travels ?

 

Some embassies are a lot more forthcoming with their communication than others.

 

Simply the e-mail - Just send the updated flight ticket along with the CoE and say arrival date has changed - thats all. 

 

ALSO, ensure you are sending to the correct e-mail. When I travelled last year I was getting no reply from the Thai Embassy London until I started trying a different e-mail address. 

As you suggested, I sent another more detailed email to the address indicated on the COE form for Lima, Peru in addition to the one for basic embassy business.  Hopefully they will reply.  

6 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

Yes, try editing the details on the site and emailing the relevant embassy/consulate to update.

I have been at this for 3 days and tried to edit the details but was not successful. I also tried to start a new one but it would not allow it.  I sent 3 detailed emails to the embassy and no reply. No one answers the phone and actually never did any number of times I tried to call before this about legalizing my Thai police report. If they can't even help a Thai citizen to fix a simple problem I would seriously think about visiting there as a tourist.  

On 3/30/2021 at 7:10 AM, bolt said:

from my COE

I had to reroute my Thai GF from Ecuador around the US and through Spain as she could not get a US transit visa.  The BKK arrival is off exactly one day, same airline and flight number.  Do I have to get another COE? 

9 hours ago, DaLa said:

I trade here, that is I import and then sell whatever my Thai partner orders. I've had nightmares transfering money back home to re-purchase stock.  I now split my invoices into sums less than 1M baht otherwise its the Spanish Thai inquisition. I once presented an invoice for £18k that reconciled 50 pence out and they wouldn't accept it.

I have all my BKK bankbooks showing about $500K USD of transfers in, not to mention ATM withdrawals from my US account and credit card use for medical.  Maybe I will take the books to the bank and see what happens if I tell them I want to transfer $50k USD.  Before I leave here I want to terminate all financial ties and leave with just some US dollars. 

9 hours ago, Tapster said:

A comment about Dee Money:

 

I looked into them for moving money internationally, and my impression was that the fees for moving money might end up being significantly higher than a one-off international bank transfer. There were limits to the amount one could transfer.

 

I'm a bit short on detail, as you can see, but take a hard look at Dee Money.

 

Bon voyage!

You are right, it is more expensive.  I made a test transfer of only $3000 USD at BKK bank and then checked Dee and the fee was 3000 baht higher.  

1 hour ago, Jen65 said:

If you wish to transfer monies out of Thailand ( above a certain amount - not sure if this is 20,000USD ) then for any large amounts you have to show the money was brought in ( we're talking about foreign money transferred to Thailand to buy property or even a vehicle ) . Up to about 2010 the Bank of Thailand issued something called an FET ( foreign exchange transaction document ) but since then after change of government it was scrapped and the bank just issues a normal letter/statement . However , to repatriate funds from sale of property or other large amounts you need this document and also the document from the land office / tax receipt to show you sold the property and paid the tax due .For anything else - car/boat then I would expect just a Bill of Sale would do and maybe a copy of the transfer document .

   

All the money I am trying to get out passed through the BKK bank and came from mystical security, pensions and my Vanguard mutual fund account.  These were after tax dollars. I have all the bankbooks for 10 years.  The amount I transferred in far exceeds what I am trying to take out.  I  have the 800K+ deposit for my retirement visa and I am selling some precious metals, furniture etc. I sort of expected that there might be some issues which is why I asked for your help.   Maybe I will start to move some smaller amounts first and see what happens.  Thank you everyone for your help.  

I just checked the Thai Embassy and the regulation is to declare anything over $20,000 USD or its equivalent in other foreign currencies into or out of Thailand.  I have a stack of old bankbooks from the 10 years that I have been here and the amount of foreign transfers in far exceed what I want to take out but I don't want any last minute surprises.  I will look into Dee money. Thanks

I will be leaving Thailand soon and presently liquidating my assets.  I plan to deposit the cash into my Bangkok bank account and then wire transfer some to the US and the remainder to Ecuador.  Is there anything I should be aware of before I attempt to do this or will this be a straight forward transfer?  It seems that there is always a requirement for this or that document etc.  Also, any issues carrying out cash.  It will be in US dollars and I know about declaring over $20,000 and I will avoid transiting the US due to the asset forfeiture scam.  

41 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

I agree on all your points. It is easy to understand why gold has been downplayed by the United States government for years; fiat currency is always threatened an international standard. 

 

Jewelry is the only way I would attempt to buy or sell gold or silver in Thailand. Their are simply too many shops here and they are controlled far worse than the traffic laws are enforced here. As far as I can tell the vast majority of gold shops here quote virtually the same prices and do business honestly. The last time I bought I ask for a receipt. The shop owner took his business card, wrote the date and details of the transaction on the back, and handed it to me. He would have done business the same way with me regardless if I has two heads and four legs I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure any shops here that didn't deal fairly would quickly be identified and pretty soon be out of business.

I have been buying gold bullion and jewelry here in Thailand for 10 years and its only within the last two years or so that they occasionally ask for an ID.  I never had a problem but only use Hua Seng Heng on Yaowarat in Chinatown or their other shop in Seacon Square. They have a very good reputation.  This shop has been around for 90-100 years and most Thais know about it.  It will be packed with people and nearby shops are empty.  I don't buy gold as an investment but as an insurance against the fiat banking system and have done well over the years.  If you want to speculate in gold buy some of the mining companies which are undervalued now.  Everyone understands gold in Asia but almost no one in the US.  I probably would not own any in the US.

17 minutes ago, Sighto said:

Ohh ! Why is that ?

Is there finally a special " affirmative action " in favor of White male carrying gold ?

Are White women more at risk to be searched than a man ?

Save your social justice warrior BS for another forum, but since you mentioned it maybe I want to use up some of that "white privilege" all you SJWs are always yakking about. 

Home will be in South America not the US and I don't even want to transit the US when I leave Thailand. I had intended to leave them with my niece in LA but the risk seems too great as I no longer have any receipts.  I will sell the bracelets as suggested and take the hit on the Eagles as I bought them 20 years ago so its not like I am taking a loss. Anyone interested can PM me here.  

12 hours ago, oznomad said:

Assuming the 1 baht bracelets are 96.5, I would sell them before departure. The colour of Thai gold, and the lower fineness may well cause issues later.

I may be interested in the eagles, if you are in the vicinity of the world famous family resort.

 

Private message me regarding the Eagles.  I live within a 3 minute walk of the Ari bts.  I don't understand your reference to the "world famous family resort. 

53 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

If you are entering or leaving America beware that even if you declare the monetary instruments, regardless of the value, they can be seized by DHS as suspected in drug trade. They will give you a receipt and you may or may not ever see your assets again. If you do it may require an attorney costing more than the assets are worth. 

 

Asset seizure has become a popular way for federal /state/local authorities to supplement their funding 'legally'. 

 

It probably won't happen if you're white male but can. 

I was aware of that BS tactic and would never enter/leave the US with any assets but was curious about the Thai laws.  Probably best to try and sell here but it is difficult to sell the American Eagles in Thailand for a decent price.  I was quoted a price about $400 US below spot!  

I have a couple of American Eagle 1 oz gold coins that I would like to take with me when I leave Thailand along with a few 1 baht gold bracelets.  I understand that there are some restrictions but they are not clear and I want to do this legally.  

On 11/4/2020 at 6:55 PM, Peter Denis said:

You are mixing up 2 completely different issues.

1 - Everybody currently applying to re-enter Thailand must meet the CoE requirement of having an insurance policy with 100.000 US $ coverage for medical treatment in Thailand (including treatment of covid-19).  Such insurance is NOT required when already in Thailand  and applying for an extension of stay.

2 - The OP is in the specific case that his 1-year extension based on his Non Imm O-A Visa is due for renewal.  When applying for such 1-year extension for reason of retirement, this requires a Non Imm O-A compliant IO-approved health-insurance policy provided by a Thai insurer.  However at age 76 none of those Thai insurers will accept him for such a policy, and hence it is simply impossible for him to meet that requirement.  In similar cases IO did void that impossible to meet health-insurance requirement.

So essentially the ability to extend your visa depends on ever changing or randomly enforced immigration regulations and the mood of the IO,  in addition to being forced to purchase an expensive, substandard insurance policy (pay to stay) that if cancelled voids your visa.  I think it is safe to assume that these companies will get few if any claims or complaints.  At 72 that is not a position I want to be in.  Hope, common sense, IOs making exceptions and agents passing along the brown envelopes should not be a part of the visa process.  

Since the virus is present in feces, perhaps there is a possibility to become infected due to the design of the sewage vent systems here compared to those in the US or Europe. Sewer gas odors are common here, even in new buildings, and if you can smell that you can probably be exposed to the virus even if you have no direct contact with the individual.  

Here are a couple of data points I recently came across.  Can anyone explain?  These two organizations have a profound effect on the lives of millions.  Something is obviously amiss here. 

1.  World Health Organization-Influenza Laboratory Surveillance Information, Oct. 25, 2020. Graph entitled "Global Circulation of Influenza Viruses".   Graph indicates that as of April 2020 the flu completely disappeared worldwide, unlike ever before.  

2.  Center for Disease Control CDC-US, Sept 2020.  Projected US Deaths-All Causes are 2,838,000 for 2020, less than that of 2018 and 2019.  

4 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Because they probably only count the gold value of the coin here, I assume it would be best in a gold shop. 1 oz gold per coin. It will with today´s value give you about 1300 usd, which means you will lose about 50 usd from the real value.

The spot price is bouncing around $1973 as of 5:55 Bkk time.  

50% of cabin air is normally recirculated and may or may not be filtered through a HEPA filter as there is no requirement for this on some aircraft.  Also as efficient as these filter are unless the are inspected and changed regularly they are not effective.  Social distance means nothing in this context.  If one person is infected chances are that everyone on the aircraft could be infected no matter where they sit.   

19 hours ago, actonion said:

The rest of us  gets fined or a prison sentence, this lot  get "asked" to report to authorities or have your name printed..

Sounds like the treatment the well connected and wealthy get here. Meanwhile set up a police sting to bust someone "overcharging" on masks. 

4 hours ago, Canuck1966 said:

Why it's basic supply and demand.

I don't see anybody from the govt arresting the folks from a certain hospital charging 25,000 for a wu flu test.

Have you seen how prices change in the UK when there is half term or summer holidays?

The hospital I think you are referring to charged me 49,000 baht for a med that normally sells for 2000 baht but I guess that is OK.  

1 hour ago, Tagaa said:

Biggest question is how will they repair the Gulfstream. It certainly can not be flown to a maintenance hub and, I am not sure, but I doubt seriously if there are any heavy maintenance facilities at Vientiane.

 

Probably a total loss after factoring in the expense of sending parts, personnel and necessary equipment to the site, add in salvage value (complete fuselage, engines, wings, landing gear, electronics, etc.) and it's a write off.

A Gulfstream representative will be sent out to evaluate the damage.  Gulfstream engineers will analyze the damage report and determine what parts and tooling are necessary to do a basic repair. Once the owner or insurance company pays the estimated cost in full, a repair team will be sent out to do the repair.  Looks like a 3-4 month job to me if they have all the parts and repair crew available.  These accidents are fairly common.  Could also be a big repair job for the Thai aircraft if the spars, flight controls etc. are damaged.   

On 3/5/2020 at 4:29 PM, aussienam said:

Yes, if there was ever a run on the banks similar to what has occurred in other developing nations and the government blocked withdrawals then we would all be screwed.  And complain you'll be deported LOL.

If the banking system in Thailand is based on Western banks and I am fairly certain that it is, when you deposit money in a checking or savings account you are essentially making a loan to the bank. You then become an unsecured creditor that the bank promises to pay back.  However, in the event of a banking crisis "your" money can be used to try and save the bank (bail-in) and stock of dubious value issued to you as compensation.  Each country is a bit different but the process is basically the same and it all started with Cyprus a few years ago.  Also the amount insured by the Thai version of deposit insurance will drop to 1 million baht this June or July and has been steadily dropping for years.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yhiKtN4dRw

On 2/21/2020 at 2:27 PM, allanos said:

If one wants to own physical gold, but not have the problems associated with physical storage, then gold etf's are the possible answer.  

 

Your investment into the etf is backed by an equal amount of physical gold, held in secure storage.  Check it out online.

 

As you say, physical gold has been on an uptrend, and is presently making 7 year highs. However, the downside is that your gold will never be worth more than the spot price at any time.  Holding paper stocks in a decent gold mine gives you the advantage of leverage, which physical gold doesn't give you. 

 

Miners are somewhat undervalued at the moment, but they will gain traction soon, I feel.  An investment there will probably deliver 2X or 3X over the next 18 months.

If you have shares in the etf GLD then the custodian is HSBC which is currently having serious financial problems to put it mildly.  If you want to own gold buy bullion, preferably 999.9% and keep it in your possession.  If you want to speculate in gold buy some of the mining stocks which are underpriced right now, however, most are worthless.