boomerexpat

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Bangkok Bank using New York international ACH is currently the only way to direct deposit and that requires the special account with no access but visit. 

Bangkok Bank told me that I can have it deposited directly to Thailand without going through NYC and that is the approach most US customers are taking.

1 minute ago, marcusarelus said:

Leave the country and come back in and they will stamp you for another year. 

I knew of someone who was stamped for another 6 months. If it is extended do I need to show the money in the bank during that time or just the 3 months before my new exp date. the reason I'm asking is that this year I will be taxed on part of the amount in the US that I will be withdrawing from my retirement account but next year I won't so would be great to be able to wait until Jan.

9 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

 

If you are on an O-A visa you have 2 years. 

I have never heard that the O-A is two years. My has to be renewed in August.

I am on the first year of the retirement visa and need to renew by mid-August. I need to start doing the transfers of my US social security to Thailand monthly and deposit some money in a bank account here to make up for shortfall since my SS is below 800,000 year.

I currently have an account with K Bank but have heard that they aren't reliable for this process.

I would prefer to have my ss deposited in a bank here. Bangkok Bank was referred to me as the best to do business with on visas but they insist if I have the money direct deposited to Thailand or their NYC office I can't have ATM and need to go into their office to switch the money to another account once a month. I would really prefer not to do that especially given I could be traveling.

So, some questions:

1. Have you found any type of workaround with BB on the no ATM issue?

2. What bank would you recommend?

3. My other option is to wire the money each month.  If you have wired you money here what has your experience been with it being done efficiently and what bank do you use?

4. The portion of the retirement in the bank deposit. Does that need to stay in the bank at that level all year of just the three months before the next extension?

Thanks!

Learn something every day. Might not need to do the visa run then unless stay for 3 months.

I'm an American. I really love Vietnam but if I'm going to the hassle of getting their visa, I might as well make it a longer trip. I've explored a lot of the North and would like to return to check out the South.

I can imagine that HK would be efficient. The Chinese visa process in Bangkok was  horrible and smooth as could be in HK. Alas, HK is over my budget right now to stay longer but if I can get a cheap deal on a flight it  might be worth putting into the mix for one night. I'm just winding down a 2.5 month jaunt through the former Eastern block and Greece so I need to count my baht for a while to make up for it.

Seems like Vientianne is the winner since it is easy and I haven't been there yet. 

 By the way, it is nice to get all straight to the point helpful responses to my question. Usually those are mixed in with tangents and snippy comments.

Thanks for all your feedback. I didn't know that you could get a 30 day extension with a 30 day on arrival? It used to be one week extension only.

I'm in Hungary right now and they won't give non-EU residents the 2 month tourist visas. I have to fly in and get the 1 month on arrival then fly out and get the 2 month. I want to stay in Thailand this trip a total of 3 to 4 months. Cambodia looks like the easiest because of using an agent but I'm not that interested in spending a week in Phnom Penh right now. I prefer only spending 2 to 3 days since I unwisely booked a condo for two months. I can always cancel the second month but would prefer not to deal with that hassle. 

Q1: With a trade off of price, low aggravation from embassy staff, and time required for the visa, what do you think is the best place to do a short jaunt to get the visa? I see people mentioning Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia (I've done the KL before), Philippines and Cambodia. It seems like the cooperation level of the embassy staff tends to change regularly.

Q2: If I do go to Cambodia, I would rather go to Siem Reap. Is it an efficient place like Phnom Penh? I could at least see Angkor Wat that way.

thanks

On 10/6/2016 at 11:00 AM, Gary A said:

I had health insurance for a number of years here in Thailand. I chose that particular policy because it had a clause that said they would never cancel the policy because of age. What I failed to see was that they would price me out with outrageous premiums. After giving it a lot of thought and reading that their maximum payout was 1.25 million baht, I cancelled the policy. Not that I am wealthy but I could easily pay 1.25 million baht out of my nest egg. I cancelled the policy when I was 65 years old and am now 71 years old. I am well ahead of their game.

 

I had a stroke a couple of years ago. I went to a government hospital. I had an MRI and all sorts of tests that I had no idea what they were for, even a chest X Ray. I got to worrying that they were just inflating my bill because of all those tests. I had 20,000 baht in my wallet and feared that it would not be enough. I was pretty sure that I would have to find a bank. After three days I checked out and was given a bag full of drugs. On to the cashier. My total bill was 7,000 baht.

 

In the US, even with Medicare, I would have likely have had a heart attack after seeing my bill. I go to the local small hospital for a blood test and check up every three months. They supply drugs for three next months. My last bill totalled 550 baht. It does shoot almost an entire day, mostly because of waiting for the blood test results.

Your experience with the healthcare is what I found when I saw the steep increases in premiums and limits on payout. I just couldn't see how it made sense after 70. Just bank the money you would pay and keep it reserved for emergencies. I have even seen some policies get as high as 10000 USD by late 70's.

On 10/6/2016 at 7:27 AM, akentryan said:

I have several health issues but I do have health insurance from the USA that covers about 70% of my cost here including medicine. Anything major and I go to the USA where cost is zero.

What kinds of insurance do you have from the states that covers 70 percent in Thailand?

On 10/6/2016 at 3:34 AM, Kwasaki said:

 

Yeah I get what you say but don't necessary agree, many places in Thailand where all of what you post are not like that.

What are the areas that you think would be good for a very old person? 

8 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Some people are delusional and fooling themselves.   Old people require advocates, guardians to  look out for them and to speak out on their behalf when they seek medical care or need to  make a  major purchase.  The reality in Thailand is that it sucks to be old if you do not have someone to   there for you.

I would imagine that to be true. It can suck to be old old and frail anywhere but I imagine it is particularly hard in a country that old age care is based around family and you don't have the family

On 10/5/2016 at 5:36 PM, Jeffkp said:

Most importantly, living in Thailand without health insurance is a fools game.

Problem is that health insurance can be very expensive after 70 and misty plans don't cover you after 75 anyway

17 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

 

Personally without a caring Thai family I wouldn't stay in Thailand.

Quote

 

 

 

That is what I was wondering about. In developing countries family is the safety net  and assisted living support  aids. Family help seems especially important given the lack of handicapped accessible places, bad sidewalks, aggressive drivers and lack of good 911. Not sure if something like Lanna Care can compensate for that but it looks helpful.

1 minute ago, JingerBen said:

 

Without one you are nobody... farang tao-nahn eng.

'What about the expats without families? Do most end up marrying Thais? I encountered a lot in Bangkok and Chiang Mai who didn't.

I imagine there are old Thais in the villages but that wasn't my question. 

I lived in Bangkok and spent time in Chiang Mai and Phuket. As I mentioned, I can't remember seeing any very old expats.

What happens to the expats in Thailand when they are very old and/or frail?

I have seen a lot of expats who are up into their mid- 70's but can't remember seeing any who are old, old. On average people after 75 start having health problems. Most expats I know of, especially women, feel they are going to be healthy until at least 100 by eating right. Maybe but shit has a way of happening and few after 90 especially are free of major problems.

The Thais, like people in almost all developing countries, usually have family to take care of them and help them out or, if more affluent, servants to do so.

What about the expats? Many don't have family or a lot of money. Any idea what life is like for them, if they don't have a loving family in Thailand, and where they live? Especially if one has a walker or has had a stroke, how do they even get around? I can't remember ever seeing it. Does their liver just give out before then?

Teaching methods in Thailand must be reformed.Therefore, this mindset must be changed, including the 'loosing face' ideology.

Problem is you are thinking like a teacher unlike some of the "let's not be so negative" posters. Setting up a competent EFL program is not the equivalent to building the pyramids or getting a man on the moon. Other countries have done it and Thailand can learn from them. However, an attitude of "hey this is better than nothing" is not the way to do it. You have to take the task seriously and set up a system designed to develop students who can speak, read and write English.

Another example of the Thai government opting for the image of providing education rather than actually providing education. This will be a great experience for the young teachers.

However, if the government really wants students to learn English they would:

1. make life easier for English teachers by making it easier for them to work in Thailand.

2. Attract more senior educators who have experience training teachers. A smaller number of them can have a far greater impact than a greater number of kids. While it might not be the blind leading the blind, it will be a case of the visually challenged leading the blind. Experienced trainers are needed to help design a program that actually works.

3. Make the program longer. 9 weeks isn't enough given the sorry mess of English teaching in Thai schools, especially when the foreign teachers are wet behind the ears.

None of those three items are that difficult to implement. Just get over some of the paranoia over outsiders and skim a little less tax money from the education fund and they would be set to go. But who am I kidding...

What a great idea! I guess after their overwhelming success turning out a country filled with fluent English speakers, way before the ASEAN deadline, they are expanding to include simple languages like Chinese and Russian.

Cool. I imagine that after two years of diligent study, Thai's will be able to show Russian tourists how to get to the BTS station or maybe point out the nearest 711, which, of course, will be a few shops away. I can imagine Russian oligarchs flooding Thailand during the tourist season now that they will have the chance to ask Thais, in Russian no less, "what did you say?"

Of course, a chance to produce a group of tour guides that no one wants to employ or pay to show them around might pale in comparison to the missed opportunity of greatly increasing tourism among the wealthy set. But, hey we all have to have our priorities.

I'm just glad I'm not one of those cynical expats who think things like someone in the TAT must have found a way to profit off this.

The government already seems to be working diligently to make sure it doesn't turn into a medical tourist hub.

when I was in Thailand last year, I got really sick and my doctor didn't want me to travel until fully well so the hospital escorted me to immigration for an extension of my visa for the period prescribed by my doctor who practiced at one of the top hospitals. He said he had done that before and there would be no problem. There was also some kid of Indian descent in the hospitals little roadshow who grew up in Thailand and whose parents were residents there; he went to college in the US.

The doctor at immigration told both of us: "we don't need you in Thailand. Go back to your own country for care."

All he would do was extend our visas for the standard one week.

The kid's father chewed him out and told him the doc was mad because we made the mistake of not putting a big baht bill in our passport when we handed it over to pay the doc off. Live and learn.

Thanks. I had forgotten about being able to get them at other offices. Solves the problem.

Oh great. I need to be down there by the 8th for my 30 day extension of my tourist visa and will be just getting back into town then. Anyone know a good visa agent who can deal with this in my absence?

Guess it helps to know all pertinent holidays.

Thanks

Any idea? I believe it is closed Thursday and open Friday but I've read conflicting info.

Thanks

Phuket is no dream spot and Patong is a hole, but where are the statistics? For example, according to the UN, Thailand is 5th (doesn't give Phuket specific info) in Asia for homicide with Cambodia 1 and Philippines 2. Maybe Phuket is where the action is murder and crime wise in Thailand so it could be possible but I would like to see the facts.