I am in the UK with my Thai wife.  I currently have significant funds in my Thai bank account and need to transfer money back to the UK.  Because of limitations in my wife's absence from the UK in order to renew her spouse visa, together with the corona virus lockdown, means we have not been In Thailand since October 2019 and clearly will be unable to do so for the foreseeable future.  My Thai SIM card and bank debit card have now both expired and although I have online banking, I cannot withdraw funds to my UK account as I cannot receive a temporary PIN sent to my phone and the bank with not change my Thai number to my UK number without attending the bank in person.   I am asking if anybody wishes to exchange British pounds for Thai baht at a fair rate on both sides.  I consider that the most secure way to do this would be to meet in person and pay pounds, in cash, while with observing money being transferred by online banking to your Thai account in baht at the agreed rate.  I would like to do this in multiples of £1000 with £1000 as minimum.  *Email and phone number removed*

My title "Paradise Lost" was adopted in Thailand where I have a beautiful home in the far North (well my wife does, anyway). Now I'm in the UK with my Thai wife, who cost me many thousand of pounds plus medicals, English language tests, Life in the UK test etc. etc. to get her here. I'm sure most of you know all the hassle it takes!  For anybody disappointed in Thailand and thinking of returning to the UK, for heaven sake read topic below! This is just the tip of a huge iceberg!-----

In Islamised UK town diversity has completely disappeared as almost all inhabitants are Muslim

Muslims pray in Savile Town

On ‎5‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 1:54 AM, ubonjoe said:

The correct name is a certificate of residency issued by a immigration office. The same certificate is needed to get a driver's license or register a car.

Whereas I humbly bow to Ubonjoe's superior knowledge on most things, when I applied for my yellow book in Wiang Chai, Chiang Rai a few years ago, I was required to provide the following:  1. A wife and accompanying a marriage certificate.  2. Wife's blue book and Thai I.D.  3. Village Chief to confirm I lived/stayed there.  4.  A second known reliable reference.  5. My passport showing visa stamp.  6.  Contribution to Buddhist money tree placed before my on the counter with a ????; to which my wife objected because she's a Christian.

No mention was made of "Certificate of Residence" for either my yellow book application or drivers licence, for which I has one for car and one for motor cycle.

7 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Right, because it’s perfectly okay for Brits to break the rules and when they rightfully get their toes stepped on its perfectly acceptable to punish the Africans! Pfff! 

So, you believe this bull <deleted> spouted by the most despicable, dangerous and corrupt country on earth that will use anything to extort money from whatever source and for whatever reason they can think of, no matter how innocent of breaking any rules?

I speak from experience having spent most of my life working in the oil business and encountering many arrogant corrupt Nigerians and never want to go near the place ever again. Nigerian corruption is endemic.

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They do not register marriages.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764288/Informative_note_recognition_of_marriage.pdf

 

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

I don't believe that this publication issued by the Embassy is entirely correct.  I'm in the UK with my Thai wife of 6 years and I looked  into this prior to our marriage in Bangkok.  It took us a full 3 days to formalise all the necessary documents including "affirmation of right to marry" from the British embassy and get all document translations approved and stamped at Chang Watana. My finding were that it was not obligatory to register the Thai marriage in the UK but it is possible if you so request, but it can only be done in the UK, not at the Embassy.  As has been previously stated, a legal Thai marriage is fully recognised in the UK (and most other countries) regardless of UK registration.

6 hours ago, Pib said:

But you physically had to visit one of their branches to show your passport to finalize setup of you DeeMoney acct.  Then a person can start doing online transfers from behind their keyboard.

Hi Pib.  Do you know if Dee money have offices in countries other than Thailand where if may be possible to sign up?

2 hours ago, DaveBKK said:

Just saying again Bitcoin. You can have your cash in hand in the U.K. or wherever in about an hour. So easy to buy bitcoin now in TH.... so easy to sell in Europe or U.S.  

2 easy methods:

 

- Signup on Bitkub to buy with Thai baht. Easy bank transfer

- Signup through a myriad of Exchanges in Europe to sell,... Kraken, Bitstamp, etc. Then a fast SEPA or whatever you Europeans use bank transfer to home bank acct.

 

or Do it all through peer to peer exchange on Localbitcoins. Only transfer with people will solid reputation score

 Thanks very much for your suggestion regarding using bitcoin.  My big problem with that is that I receive several junk mail a day telling me to deal in bitcoin but, obviously, most or all of this junk mail is from scammer and I stay well clear.  My problem with following your advice is that I know virtually nothing about how to buy and sell bitcoin and even your mention of Kraken, Bitstamp and SEPA are foreign language to me.  I'm aware that bitcoin can be a very volatile investment and I have no idea of the costs and pitfalls. Is there any chance that you can you point me in any direction where to get a crash course and knowledge on this trade without spending my few remaining day or years in doing it. 

Thanks everybody for all the advice.  I shall be checking out all the suggested options and report back with my findings. 

To Pauleddy:  My money was transferred into my account in Bangkok Bank in US$ and converted to baht by Bangkok Bank.  Prior to leaving Thailand on my last visit and in view of my prediction that the very strong baht would not last, I decided to temporarily remove most of my funds from Thailand with a view to return it when the baht again collapses. On my visit to the bank, they told me that they have records of where my funds came from (i.e. not earned within Thailand ) and there should, therefore, be no restriction by Thai Central Bank to sending my funds out, but approval may take some time.  I was also told that I could expatriate baht up to 1,500,000 immediately without Central Bank approval, which I did, there and then with no problem except for bank fees of Bht1200 and their appalling rate of exchange.  Unfortunately, I forgot to ask how often I was able to do this.

Thanks everybody for your Input concerning my recent topic concerningt immigration health insurance.  Unfortunately, I now have a further equally pressing problem. 

I'm 81 and living in the UK with my Thai wife.  We have a very nice house in Chiang Rai (well she does anyway) and I have a relatively substantial amount of Baht in my Bangkok Bank account, all of which was deposited from sources outside Thailand.  I have online banking but it does not include overseas transfers.  With all the immigration restrictions, that have been exacerbated by the corona virus, there is a strong possibility that I may never be able to return to Thailand, or at least for the foreseeable future.  Can anybody give any suggestions as to how I can persuade/instruct Bangkok Bank to transfer nearly all my money to my overseas account without personally attending the bank to complete the usual formalities.  This, of course, excludes all the generous offers I may receive from individuals offering to take care of my money for me. ????

Hi.  I'm 81 years old and in the UK with my Thai wife of 13 years, who is with me on a UK Spouse visa.  She is about to apply for her "Further Leave to Remain" visa and then immediately after apply for UK Citizenship. 

I have built my wife a very nice home in Chiang Rai, where we have often stayed for several months at a time. I have most usually entered Thailand on a 30 day visa waiver and stayed for various periods on a retirement extension using the requisite Bt800,000 bank deposit, which I've for years had for several years and still have. However, in view of my wife's upcoming visa renewal and the time she has already spent outside of the UK, we have been unable to return to Thailand for over a year. 

I am now very concerned because I've been reading disturbing reports that Thia immigration have now introduced a requirement for a recognised health insurance for all foreigners to enter the country or to be granted a visa extension, either my marriage or retirement, regardless of Thai bank financial deposits. As is commonly known, even despite being very healthy and active, it's impossible for an 81 year old to obtain health insurance, anywhere, which will make it impossible for me to ever return.

Bar stool lawyers aside, can anyone please provide serious, accurate, advise as to whether there is any way around this problem and if so, the best visa to gain entry.  Also, if visa waiver is still available.  I'm sure that there must be many other in similar situation also needing this advise.

For 3 years I had a similar problem with a similar roof and tried everything without success.  A lot of water was getting into some electrics in strangest of places, with obvious results.  Eventually, I instructed the worthless builder to remove the ridge tiles (which were just cemented in place) the cover the ridge with 250mm wide tar covered plastic, that you can buy in rolls quite cheaply from most building supplier, then replace the ridge tile seated on cement.  PROBLEM SOVLED!

Whereas I fully agree with everything said about most drivers of these busses. In possible mitigation in this instance, 8 passengers is not overloading and from looking carefully at the video, immediately before loosing control, a black mark appears on the road which is possible a tyre blowout so, in this instance, it was possibly not entirely the driver at fault.

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2020 at 4:19 AM, 4MyEgo said:

I have photos from 13 years ago, I am more hanhom now and she is more beautiful, bang bang 3 times a week is our secret, other girls in between ok, helps me keep younger, badda bing badda bang badda boooom.

 

PS eyesight getting a little worse as I age, but I think that's from too much bang bang....lol ????

 

Bang bang?  How long have you been around?.  Don't you mean boom boom?  ????

If you speak even basic Thai it means that you must have been in Thailand a long time.  She speaks good English and you met online and talk on Skype.  C'mon, this must all be a wind up!   I've been around Thailand for 20years + and married to one.  I'm  accepted by the family and most of the village, but I'm very aware that Thais, especially wealthy ones, do not like Farang. ATM card aside, they don't want their wealthy Daughters marrying one. If your story is even remotely true, I wish you the very best of luck for your future.   

I did it the easy way.

Her land.

Her house.

I paid.

I live there.

No problem.

Awesome. I've read dozens of threads and don't hear this enough. I concur poster

Yea, that's the way it was intended and has been. No problem--until irrational behavour, envy of ladies with richer farang and greed take over. Not to mention being left alone all day while she sits with her family's filthy home doing little or nothing in a small village with no other Farang for miles and me having not enough Thai to have a basic conversation with locals.

Thanks everybody. I know I've been utterly foolish, if not completely stupid. For some time, I've fully expected to walk away with nothing, but having read Morton's comment about the posibility of a 50/50 split after 5 years together, although I didn't expect a positve response, I felt it prudent to at least ask the question.

Without an usufruct or lease I think that the house can still be yours. However, you will still need permission to cross the land to get to it. Usufruct or lease is essential and it's better to get one or the other before you build.

If you are legally married, any land or building purchased after the date of the marriage is 50% yours in terms of value. I think that the same applies to unmarried couples who have been together for at least five years.

She was not a bar girl. I met her while working overseas about five and a half years ago. Now, I'm one of the poor unfortunates that trusted that everything would last for ever. I built her a beautiful farang quality home on her land in a small faming village in the North but, after just over five years together, thing have gone horribly sour and in a few days, need to walk away. Because It's a small farming community where so many of the villagers are family, I did't see the point in agreeing a lease on the land and although it was originally intended, marriage has been off the cards for some time. However, I was intrigued to read Morden's comment a few days ago that he believes that there could be a legal reason for a 50/50 split if you have been together for at least five years. At the moment, I walk away with nothing and she keeps the house, the furniture, the gold, all my tools, everything and I walk away with nothing and little money of my own remaining. Today, I spoke on the phone with a Bangkok lawyer who says that unless we're married or otherwise agree, a 50/50 split isn't possible. Is there anybody out there who can confirm or give accurate, positive guidance either way? I'm not desparate; just very sad and very envious of those who say that you can be happy with and trust Thai ladies.