gnatman

Urgently need a CR based hospital with strong respiratory dept to diagnose root cause and develop lifestyle plan for me.  Needs to be english speaking and preferably associated with major hospital in BKK.  Any suggestions?

Thanksgiving holiday is coming up.  Does anyone know a supermarket in Chiang Rai that sells turkeys?

I would like to get a Thai drivers license and need some info as to the requirements.  I live in Thailand with an O visa and a retirement extension.  I have a USA license but it expired in 2013.  Can I still use it to get a Thai license or do I need to apply from scratch?  If I do, what is involved.  I have no plans to return to the US anytime soon, so renewing my license there is not an option.  Thanks in advance for any info.

You should be able to have your salary deposited directly into your Bangkok Bank account via the Bangkok Bank branch in London.  See this link from the bank's webpage for instruction.  I do the same thing in the US with my retirement accounts.  There is minimal, if any, fee and the money is available immediately to you in Thailand. http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/TransferingFunds/TransferringIntoThailand/ReceivingFundsfromUK/Pages/ReceivingFundsfromUK.aspx

Good luck,

Gnatman

My passport expires in Dec. 2017 and my retirement visa is due for extension in Feb. which means I would only have 10 months of validity at the time of extension.  I would prefer not to replace my passport until next year (I won't bore you with the reasons) so would like to know if:

(1)  Is it possible to apply for a retirement visa extension 2 months early when I would have the required 12 months of validity on my current passport? or

(2)  Will they process an extension at my normal time in Feb. when I only have 10 months left on my passport? or

(3)  Can I apply for an extension of less than 1 year, say 9 months?

Thanks in advance for any help.

The requirement for a marriage extension is quite a bit more complicated.  You need your marriage certificate, your wife's papers, proof of residence (which may include a hoe visit by an immigration official), and several more documents.  It also has to be sent to Bangkok for review and approval while a retirement extension is approved locally.  I had gone through 2 extensions via marriage when the immigration official at my local office suggested that I change it to retirement as it was much simpler.  The only thing your really get with a marriage extension over retirement is the ability to qualify for a work permit.  If that is not an issue, go for the retirement.  As far as the income statement goes, it is something you fill out and have notarized by the embassy.  Your drawing down from your investment accounts should qualify as income.  

This past year, the US Congress passed a law that calls for the revocation and non renewal of a US passport if you are in arrears on your Federal income taxes. Does anyone know if the State Department has begun to implement this on passport renewals?

My wife and I have a house for sale in Mae Sai. Does anyone know of a reputable real estate agent that services this area. My estimate is that the house would be in the range of 1.5M baht.

I have a friend in Austin, Texas who would like to learn Thai. Does anyone have any contacts there with a Thai language instructor?

I have a pension document that I need to have signed by my Thai wife and has a requirement that it be notarized. I live in Mae Sai and it is not practical for my wife and me to travel to Chiang Mai or Bangkok to use the US embassy service. I spoke to a rep from the group managing the pension and they said that they would accept a local (Thai) signature verification. Has anyone used the equivalent of a Thai notary and, if so, where would I find this type of service, preferably in Mae Sai? Thanks for any help.

If your goal is to have US SS payments directly deposited to a Bangkok Bank account, it is definitely possible. I have been doing it for 3 years. Go to any Bangkok Bank branch and explain your situation. They have a specific type of account that is done in cooperation with SSA. The funds are deposited from SSA into the NY branch on the 3rd each month and are immediately available for withdrawal from any Bangkok Bank branch. The conversion rate is their posted buy/sell rate and there are no fees. The account does have some restrictions such as no ATM card and no wire transfers in or out of the account. I get around that by going to the bank every month or two and withdrawal the funds and immediately deposit it to a standard Bangkok Bank branch. BTW, I also have accounts set up for my two children and their monthly SS dependents payments are handled the same way. Hope this helps.

I do the same thing with a Paypal account tied to my US bank account and a second Paypal account tied to my Thai account (SCB) and have the same restriction. I can withdrawal to my SCB account from Paypal, but not add funds from SCB to Paypal. I queried Paypal and they replied that it was a limitation due to Thai banking law. I agree with Mike324 that Transferwise may ultimately be the answer. I also have heard very positive things about it.

From ABC http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-embassy-warns-terror-threat-bangkok-15352212

This article is from the MSNBC website. Has a little more info on the origin of the threat. http://on.msnbc.com/xC0RLj

I just checked with the Thai Consulate in Boston who in turn called their counterpart at the Thai Embassy in Washington and they have no knowledge of any visa fee waiver program.

I came up Sukhumvit from Asoke to Soi 93 late last night and there was no sign of water anywhere. Will be going out to Big C on OnNut later today and then back through the Sukhumvit - On Nut intersectionto Suk Soi 93 and will update if I see anything. Also, have friends who live off of On Nut Soi 44 and they have no water in their neighborhood that shouldn't be there.

In response to questions about Sukhumvit. Just spoke to a friend in the Soi 4 - Asoke area and it is dry. I personally just came from the airport to Sukhumvit 93 with no problem via Bang Na.

I'm traveling next Wednesday ( 9 November ) to Bangkok for 1 day and will be staying around Silom road close to Sala Deang BTS station.

Does anybody have information about the situation there ?

I don't know yet if I can take a taxi from the airport ( are the roads open ? ) or if I have to take the BTS train.

If the sh*t really hits the fan I can cancel my appointment and stay at the airport hotel and fly out again next day but I have to try to avoid this at any cost if possible.

I read all the replies but most of the districts mentioned don't really ring a bell for me about the actual location and proximity to the Silom area. ( sorry for this but I'm not really familiar with the Bangkok districts and roads.

GM Link I believe the area is dry and MIGHT stay that way through the 9th. Personally, depending on time-of-day (BTS is closed 00:00 to 06:00), fatigue factor and luggage load, I'd take the airport link to end-of-line at Phaya Thai BTS station and then BTS to Sala Daeng from there. Otherwise, there are buses. If you resort to a taxi, be sure to insist that the meter is used - not always possible, because it's a long, one-way trip. On my first (and only) taxi ride from the airport, my driver had to call the hotel for directions and it was just off Sukumvit, Soi 3. Not all taxi drivers really know Bangkok, but those that didn't, have been, in my experience, uncommon exceptions.

It's easy to use Google Maps to trace your route because the BTS rail and stations are clearly marked, as well as the airport line.

I have been using taxis from the airport for years and have never had a problem getting into the inner city. The taxi stands are on the lower level -- there are signs pointing you that way. The drivers using the official stands (not the freelancers upstairs) have to use the meter as long as it is within the Bangkok limits. Trips to Pattaya, Hua Hin, etc. can be a fixed price. To be safe, you should have the hotel's phone number for final directions -- the driver will almost surely know Sala Daeng (that is where Patpong is and every taxi driver should know Patpong). The fare on the meter should be about 400 baht and you will also be responsible for any tolls plus the 50 baht airport surcharge. Coming back to the airport, just use the hotel concierge and they will ensure you get a metered taxi and he knows where you are going. The dispatcher at the taxi stand will also give you a piece of paper with phone numbers if you have any problems. The taxi's license number is posted on the inside of the passenger doors -- if you have problems, copy it down. The other alternative, espcially if you are on business and the company is picking up the tab, is to take use the airport limo service (AOT). there will be an AOT counter just as you exit the customs area. It will run about 1000 baht, but the dispatcher will speak English and ensure the driver knows exactly where he is going.

Just came back from a trip to Big On Nut (Sukhumvit end) and the good news is that they now had drinking water on the shelves. The bad news is that it was all Evian and the price for a small bottle (maybe .5L) was 37 baht.

OHCANUCK, I have also noticed a significant drop in internet speed over the last couple of days on my TOT ADSL line. Not quite to dial up speeds, but streaming video which was ok is now unwatchable. With the number of people who have left Bangkok, the speeds should have actually increased as more bandwidth should've been available tot he remaining users. But, then, this is Thailand. BTW, I am in the Sukhumvit 93 area.

I just read the artcile in the Post about people in Don Mueang breaking down a dike causing polluted flood water to flow into Klong Prapa which is the primary source for water for Bangkok water treatment plant. Even if we are not flooded in our particular neighborhood, we all could be affected by issues with the water supply. Like many other people, I have stored a supply tap water to be used for drinking if and when I run out of my bottled water and the shelves in stores are not resupplied. I found this video

regarding water purification techniques that some of you may find helpful. It is about 11 minutes long and the real discussion of techniques starts abou 1:50 into the video. Hope that you all remain safe and that this helps a little.

Sukhumvit 93 is still high and dry at 7:38AM on Saturday.

Sukhumvit 93 high and dry at 9 AM Friday.

Just wanted to share a link to the CCTV cameras around Bangkok.

They are a good source to see if a road is passable and maybe advance warning in your area.

I cannot post a link as I am a new member but i will try to make it visible

hermes.traffy

.in.th

/i/

index.php

hope it helps

http://hermes.traffy.in.th/i/

Thanks, great link!

Just returned from lunch at the Londoner (Sukhumvit Soi 31). Nothing but dry roads up to Sukhumvit 93.