Kaoboi Bebobp

20 hours ago, Max69xl said:

  23 hours ago, tallfelllow said:

Just go log on to your page on the CRA website . There is an option there that says Proof of Income. Just click on that download or print it. Take it into the Embassy and get them to Notarize it . Very simple. 

20 hours ago, Max69xl said:

CRA is not a pension provider but a revenue agency. I have read about that document not being accepted at some immigration offices. They wanted a letter showing the source of the pension, imo from the pension provider. 

I just completed my retirement extension at Jomtien using the Canadian embassy notarized pension letter: three pension sources -- two government and one statement from my former employer.

It's the Service Canada access point that takes you to your CPP and OAS pension accounts.* Two links give you the printable official government letters for each pension, which I showed to the embassy, plus the PDF of my company pension statement. 

However, the young Immigration guy who does the vetting said the boss wanted to see a previous year's tax statement to, as far as I could make out, see if I still have enough spendable income. [Insert colourful language here.] Never been asked this before, as I've used the embassy letter for years.

I had brought copies of the government  printouts -- just in case. I revealed I had "official government documents" and showed the guy the two pension declarations and a copy of the company pension declaration. Checked, accepted and no tax report report needed.

What the heck a tax assessment will show them, I've no idea, since I have other income. Every year there's "something else" out of the blue. Anyway, it's my last extension, as I needed it to stay until I can hit the road again.

*PS. The Service Canada GCKey accounts are locked down after a cyberattack that is believed to have affected 11,200 Canadians' accounts. Story on CBC News, etc.

22 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

I live in Siem Reap and I hope it lasts - no massed Asian tour groups, ghetto blasting music and inebriated back packers! Lots of life and enjoyment in Khmer/Foreigner family run restaurants and bars in plenty of areas other than Walking Street.

Is Temple (of Doom) Club still polluting the pub area?

Anyway, as you report, it seems like there are better options for a quiet evening at the bar. Now, if I can only get there in the next 3-6 months for a look-see. 

Hun Sen is cleaning out the opposition so China's takeover will go unmolested when it declares the creation of the Cambodia SAR.

What a great future: destruction of the Tonle Sap riverside with unrestricted developments,  installation of a Chinese naval base on the south coast, water and earth pollution from more Chinese factories being used to avert trade tariffs, even more casinos, thousands of jobless Khmers who can't speak Chinese, Chinese replacing Khmer on business signs, more Chinese gangs creating havoc, and possible ejection of westerners who will be required to have a Chinese visa. Maybe this is why so many rich Khmers are moved millions of dollars offshore.

Here's the sign on the wall of the Jomtien Imm Office listing the TM28 requirements. Just photographed 2 weeks ago. No. 5 is Rental Agreement. I was not asked for Nos. 6 or 7. This is possibly because I was renting a condo apartment from a company (as opposed to a private owner) whose name is on the agreement:

Just recently saw six-month-old Tiger beer around town, beach side and Darkside, bottled in February. Twice it tasted awful and I returned it to the lady owner. She had bought leftover beer stock from a bar closing down. It was truly disgusting. Got Leos as a substitute. To be honest, never had a spoiled Leo. Of course, Leo outsells Tiger so likely fresher. 

In the recent past, i.e., pre-pandemic, I could not believe how awful the Tiger was at times. The Tigers at a selection of 7s, Lotus and bars all came with fill dates of six months past.

Here in Bangkok, haven't had a bad Tiger beer in years. I am guessing Pattaya bars get the brewery rejects at a discount since Pattaya margins are so small.

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

Another day, another plan.

 

But this one isn't new, it was mooted a few weeks ago.

 

 

Yup. Five weeks ago. 

June 30: Tourist islands may open soon

The rapacious Americans are laughing in their labs and penthouse offices.

Yo! Read the following:

 Forum Home 

Regional Forums 

Cambodia Forum 

Cambodia News 

Tourism ‘may take 7 years to recover’

------------

Nothing to do with Thailand. 

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

doesn't each passenger have to pay $3,000 upon arrival .....   

Correct, although the government dropped the requirement for Cambodian nationals as well as the $50k insurance. 

https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2020/06/cambodia-tweaks-entry-rules/

The pre-pandemic beer promotion girls have disappeared from the W District Night Market in Bangkok. But the menus still have brand photos. They will likely disappear soon though. What's next? Beer logos covered over on the draft taps. Pull-down shutters on the hard liquor shelves like the cigarette shelves?

Actually, I don't know if this is deliberate or not, but the hard liquors have been removed from the outdoor service bar related to the Cheers pub. Staff have to walk all the way to the enclosed Cheers pub to get whiskey, rum, vodka, etc., unlike past practices. Insane!

And what about all the pop-up Chang promotion locations out Phra Khanong and other spots? Oh, right, the power of monopolies. 

Don't know anyone who has had a confirmed case of SARS COV 2 nor do any of my friends here in Bangkok. However, one friend had a British relative who was a doctor or nurse (can't remember) in the UK who tested positive.

However, some of my friends and acquaintances believe they had it in the very early days, roughly November through February. I had what I described at the time (mid-November) a "really weird flu."  It was after a week long trip to Pattaya, taking a bus both ways. I had shivers and shakes, fever, then sweats over 4 days, feeling really ragged and weak. Then nothing.

Keep wondering whether it's worth getting an anti-body test. Although it may be too late to detect them.

On 7/17/2020 at 11:05 AM, superal said:

So true , go there and stock up on some of your favourite non Thai foods that are not available where I live in the north east of Issan .  I am probably the same as many guys who have done the 2 week millionaire thing at some time but my visits now are mostly to play golf on some top courses in Chon Buri  .  The odd visit to a girlie bar with mates is always fun but for sure I could not live there around the hot spots . The dark side is far more laid back , civil and some nice communities and I could settle there. 

I second your points on the Darkside.

Just spent two nights on the beach side behind Big C Extra on Klang. Used to live there and still know some guys around there. It was deadly quiet both in traffic and people, with loads of empty restaurants at prime time. You could sense an edge of stress all round.

Then spent two nights on the Darkside, on Nern Plub Waan, well east of the railway bypass road, around the PT Gas station/Pizza Hut area. Totally different vibe, busy, relaxing, happy and, dare I say it, normal. I lived in that area for near four years straight and left during the Great Sukhumvit Tunnel mess. The pub/hotel I stayed in was busy, with dozen or more customers each night and the food was very decent. Popped down to Khao Noi and Murphy's Irish Pub one night for a real ale or two.

In both pub cases, lots of decent people to chat with and have a laugh. And dare I say it, expats proud to live in the Darkside. Still miss it.

3 minutes ago, dabhand said:

I thought there was a limit on passenger numbers due to distancing restrictions. When a family member used the Ekamai bus to Pattaya a couple of weeks back capacity was limited to 50%. Is that no longer the case?

Maybe so. There are some couples in the seats. But there was absolutely no one in the waiting area when we boarded and there are a couple of empty seat pairs. But yes, they might have limited passenger numbers. 

3 hours ago, drbeach said:

More than likely countries in the region will more or less open on a similar time scale. Vietnam originally announced a possible July 1 re-opening, but that has now been tentatively moved to September, which is similar to when Thailand plans to possibly re-open for tourism bubbles.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing just recently, they will all open at a similar pace and time. Competition for the tourist dollar is a beautiful thing. And the high season, such as it might be, is beckoning.

In the same vein, how about the bars and restaurants in the area from Buakhao through New Plaza to Second Rd.? Any activity?

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can you report back after your visit to Jomtien would be helpful.

Regarding date of your application. Even if you went a week early from you current permission of stay ending, you would only be short changed 7 days for new extension.

The year after that you could attend imm even a month before and have your next policy start on the date of end of your POS. 

Reason to go few days early for this application is just in case some other item needs "fixing up".

I think now that I will do the extension in early August, just in case of needing a date rewrite/re-issue of the insurance policy, as noted above by Soisanuk reporting on a friend's experience. I will also post an update. 

Have to admit the end date of the policy/permission to stay is not so important any more as I will likely have changed country of residence before then. 

Thanks guys and thank you @Peter Denis for the tip sheet! I am registered with Jomtien so, since I have lots of time, I will journey there and ask. I have to do a change of address anyway, which will have to come first in the check list.

^^^ The July 1 Tourist visa changes and Business visa expansions came and went without a peep from the VN government. I imagine there won't be anything further to say until they announce the resumption of general visa sales.

Wish I could be more optimistic but, well, I figure I'm going to have to stay another 3 months in Thailand, waiting for either Cambodia or VN to panic and re-open their borders.

I am on O-A based retirement extension. My current extension expires Aug. 22. July 22 is coming up fast and I want to get my health care insurance certificate and extension renewal over with ASAP.

Since I want to get this renewal underway around July 22 (30 days before expiry), what will be the starting date of the policy (I'm going for the LMG cheapo package)? Will it be dated around the renewal transaction date or dated for the expiry/renewal date? I ask because I remember some problems in the early days. I suppose the ideal is having the policy date match the new extension expiry date.

Anyone have experience on this matter? Thanks.

I just deleted it from my phone. I also stepped through some of the settings and skipped many things. What's the point of getting everything photographed and (hopefully) filed (I will have notarized pension letters) and having to present it ALL OVER AGAIN at (I'm assuming) the front vetting desk and Extension desk? What a bunch of baloney!

And yes, I could not raise the Jomtien Im office service either. [Smacks head]

PS Thanks a bunch @Kerryd. 

4 hours ago, bodga said:

and  how  many  white Europeans in her  original  countries  sets?

How long before Sherlock  Holmes is a mixed  race, transgender, vegan (for some members), amputee with learning disabilities?

In answer to your first question, a lot! She was born near Ottawa. She's been acting in TV and films for a long time. She's Canadian and now a duallie, became a naturalized American citizen a couple of years ago.