orientalist

Their explanation was that any new clasp would have to make up the original weight of the necklace but I still don't see why they can't make a custom clasp that makes up the weight. And what do they do with a beautiful and unique necklace that is traded in - melt it down and start again?

I have a gold necklace (sentimental value) that the gf wears. The big clasp for pendants has broken and a bit of it is missing. The gold shop we went to today said nobody sells those clasps and they can't make one. Doesn't sound right to me. They wanted us to trade our necklace in for a new necklace with clasp and pay 1,500 baht.

Anyone know of a Bangkok shop where I could just change the clasp or have one made?

I have astigmatism and have read there are special - more expensive - "toric" cataract implants for this. Anyone had these inserted?

On 9/25/2022 at 10:22 AM, nigelforbes said:

I was recently very impressed with all aspects of the Runtin and with Dr Roy. Especially after reading reviews here that said the place was so difficult to navigate and that the lack of English speaking staff was a such a problem, neither of which was true.

My own experience of Rutnin over 20 years has been excellent with the exception of a basic vision test which (a few yeatrs ago) I found too perfunctory and nowhere near the standard you find at Boots or Specsavers in the UK or at Bumrungrad. All the specialists I have seen have been excellent.  

Anyone had a cataract op done on social security here? I am told i would qualify at least for one eye but my 20-year experience with prakan sangkom has left me unimpressed with the quality of service. Although I live in Bangkok I am registered with a small hospital in Samut Prakarn that does not have an opthalmology dept, so I assume I'd be referred somewhere else in that province and have no say in the matter.

Second option would be a reasonably priced op in Bangkok. Rutnin quoted me 80k+ so that is out. I could have waited another year or two but a recent bout of uveitis treated with steroid drops has made the cataracts much worse in both eyes.

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

It's pretty difficult for a foreigner to open a CIMB bank account back then. 

 

So now it's only 0.7? Just slightly more than the 0.5% for 12 months fixed deposit.

 

Yeah, I pointed out this was pretty pathetic for a Seniors account but they replied that is is tax-free - as if saving the 15% tax made it a winner. I claim back all tax from fixed deposits anyway, so it's not an advantage for me.

My biggest concern these days is not to get caught with all my money stuck in fixed deposits, which once happened to me. The Thanachart no-book account (my first no-book a/c) was great but it disappeared in the takeover by TMB. Then I opened a no-tax savings account with Krungsri, which works well and has a book but is now down to 0.90%. So I am happy I could eventually get the no-book account with SCB.

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

How did you manage to open a bank account with CIMB? The last time they required me to have a Thai guarantor just to open up an account there.

I didn't have too much trouble getting approved since they accepted my PR status, but initially they registered the accounts with my pink card, then changed it to passport 2 weeks later, then changed it again to pink card when I was unable to move the app to a new phone. Shambolic,  really.

But CIMB was only useful for decent interest rates a few years ago. They didn't have many branches and they now have no ATM or other machines at all. They told me to use other banks' ATMs. Lol.

On 8/24/2022 at 6:52 PM, EricTh said:

I did bring my tax id card to show to them but they won't even look at it saying that the tax will NOT be deducted for SCB eazy account. 

I forced my card on them and they did enter it into their computer system during the one hour it took to set up my savings and EZ accounts. Two sets of copies of every page in my passport and alien's book, all signed. So much for Thailand 4.0!

The app isn't so well-behaved on my Android 8.0 phone but I can usually get it to load on the second attempt.

I regret now that I renewed my Senior account at CIMB. 2-3 years ago the interest was good and no tax is withheld, but now it is down to 0.7%. However, if I withdraw the funds I lose my Preferred status and don't get to deal with the hotties in the VIP area. Also, I'd like to keep my money spread around as many banks as possible.

3 hours ago, dinga said:

Persistence....  started off with the same "reason" you were rejected [yes, our circumstances have clearly been omitted in error and it really is astounding that the Branch staff are seemingly unable to recognise that, and act logically ....  I had the same problem when I wanted to open a joint K-Bank Account with my wife - despite being a long term customer with a couple of current accounts, my request was initially declined by Ban Phe Branch even though both of us had accounts there.  It's absolute madness that was only corrected after I directly emailed KBank HQ].

 

As for the SCB EZ Account, after they checked a couple of times with their HQ, they finally agreed to let me open two Accounts (Savings Account and the EZ  -my 1st ones with SCB)  -  after approval, I had a few more wasted visits due to administrative deficiencies at the Branch (a suspicious person might think these impediments were deliberate...).  For this pig-head,  it was a matter of principle to eventually succeed.

 

Chok Dee 

 

 

Well, I went to the Terminal 21 branch and after a bit of confusion ("Do you have an address in Thailand? Do you have a Thai phone number?") they just photocopied everything I had and sent it to HQ for approval. They will call me in 3 business days. All fairly painless and I am in no particular hurry. This time I spoke only English and was dressed pretty much like a tourist, so I guess that's why they were confused initially.

Regarding the waiving of withholding tax for these "tax-free" accounts, it seems foreigners must prove they pay or are liable for tax in Thailand. For us that means showing them a Thai tax card.

My particular problem is that I got my first tax ID 40 years ago when they were only 10 digits. I still have that Tax card. When they changed the IDs to be the same as the Thai ID card 13-digit number, they allocated me a new 13-digit ID but didn't send me a new card. Meanwhile, I got PR and a new Thai ID which is different from the tax ID. Nothing matches. Krungsri accepted my annual tax receipt as proof of Tax ID with 13-digit number, but I really need to get the tax ID changed to my tabien baan ID.

2 hours ago, dinga said:

I'm the same as you with PR and Blue TB.  It took me 5 visits to the Klaeng Branch of SCB to open an EZ Account (bl**dy frustrating, but keep at it and you'll be successful)

 

How did you manage to do it in the end? My local branch was adamant that if blue tabien baan wasn't on their list and I hadn't previously had an account with them, I couldn't apply.

21 minutes ago, walailak said:

I opened EZ account with my yellow book and pink id recently so I m very suprised hearing you were not successful. 

Yes you can request a statement via email pllus the email you one evert month if you have successfully verified your email through the app. Hope this helps 

Yes, I was surprised too. The yellow tabien baan was on their list, but not the blue one. So few of us have PR that at times it seems like a curse. Anyway, I now have my old SCB passbooks so I'll go back and try again.

1 hour ago, skatewash said:

SCB's EZ Savings account (not a fixed rate account) is paying 1.5%.

I tried to sign up a few months ago but they refused me because a foreigner with blue tabien baan and PR is not on their list of allowable applicants. <deleted>. Also they couldn't find my previous SCB account in their system. However, I just found my 1990s SCB pass book so I might go back and spit in their eye. Or maybe try a different branch.

My former Thai colleagues told me they don't feel comfortable having an account with no passbook but there is usually a way to print your own records. Does an EZ account allow you to request a statement via email?

LH Bank currently has a special interest rate of 12 months at 1.20% until the quota is filled.

On 8/18/2022 at 6:52 AM, rimmae2 said:

I have been using attached for years and complete them in advance. No need to make appointment and it takes about 5 minutes for IO to check forms, documents, receive money, take fingerprints. Never more than 2 people in front of me in the queue.

tm13.pdf 86.81 kB · 8 downloads tm22.pdf 82.19 kB · 8 downloads

Excellent! I knew someone had posted these before. Many thanks.

Time for my first overseas trip in 3 years. Can anyone point me to the TM13 and TM22 forms online? I believe someone posted them here a few months ago but I can't find them.

Also, do we need to make an appointment at CW or is it back to walk-in business again?

16 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

They are not lovebirds.  They are 100 percent these ..

 

Pacific parrotlets

 

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/pacificparrotlets.html

 

I used to breed these as a hobby. The wild coloured ones are light green.  You have the blue morph.  

 

They are domesticated captive bred pet birds.  

 

You were lied too.  

 

If they caused the death of other pet parakeets due to neglect then you should either take care of the poor bird yourself or re home it...otherwise it's just animal abuse and cruelty.

 

Also please get it a much larger cage if you plan to let them keep it....and have a quick look at their care on the net ...they need more than a seed diet to stay healthy.  

I have no say in what the gf does. If I withhold money she just borrows it or spends what she has and then tells me the granddaughter has nothing to eat! 

I have tried to stay away from the birds to show my disapproval but a previous parakeet bit off all its tail feathers out of frustration, a small cage and lack of attention. I got a big cage and toys for it but by then it was biting everyone, hard, and died soon after. Then again after i said "no more" they bought a ring-necked parakeet which wasn't affectionate or active (as is normal for the species), rarely uttered any sound, became afraid of humans and then died. The gf just does not get that a bird is not a toy to pull out of the box when the kid has free time. They need a LOT of attention and proper care. Anyway, I told her the ghosts of all these dead birds will come back to haunt her... 

On 8/11/2022 at 1:24 PM, Kenny202 said:

That's gold hahaha, nearly fell on me chair laughing lol. Reminds me of my first missus here. Saying no was like a red rag to a bull. I remember after two years her saying..."so when you say no, you mean no right?" like she had just understood the concept. They all seem to be a little (or a lot) contrary. Sometimes seem to go out of their way to do the wrong or illogical thing. 

 

By the way you can't just give them seed but they are pretty hardy and easy to look after. Sweet little guys too. Can buy a special seed mix and pet shop....and as well as that fruit and veg....they are a tropical bird so anything fruit / sweet like mango, longan, corn, broccoli, Cauli, ....try them on most things you'll soon know what they like. Other than that clean freshwater every day and try nd keep their cage nice and clean. 

Right. I believe the last bird was a green-cheeked parakeet. I don't live with the gf since she's such a witch, and she eventually bought it the wrong food (for a bigger parrot) and it died clearly in great pain. 

On 8/9/2022 at 9:02 PM, Kenny202 said:

They look like lovebirds (peach faces) to me, and theyre not native to Thailand. They also look to developed to be nesting. Are you sure they fell out of a nest? Looks like someones pets escaped

It seems the gf may have been lying to me and they fell out of a shop at Chatuchak market rather than out of a tree. All the previous pet parakeets bought for the granddaughter have died due to lack of proper care, so I said "No more." But as usual the gf just does whatever she wants...

Anyway, thanks for the info, everyone.

Anyone know what these birds are? Their nest fell out of a tree. 

5 minutes ago, stbkk said:

If I remember correctly I needed to take the tabian baan when I had filled my blue PR book and needed to get a replacement

Yes, I remember they asked for the blue book when my first PR book was full.

Do we need to take the actual blue tabien baan or can it be a current one-page extract from the District Office?

Seen at Suvarnabhumi September 2019. At last!

Our 9-year-old got Covid 5 days after her first shot of Pfizer. In  Western countries she could get her next shot 4-6 weeks after recovering but I'm told it is 3 months in Thailand.

Does anyone know the rule here? I can't find the info in English.

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Snr now quickly commands the gang of cops that have gathered to stand back and salute and he waves us on our way. 

Excellent! Seems like I go through this type of BS every time I open a bank account. SCB absolutely refused to open one for me even though I have been here legally for decades. PR simply wasn't on their list of requirements. No problem if I had had a yellow tabien baan though.