SooKee

4 minutes ago, skatewash said:

The Thai Tax ID can be applied for at a Revenue Department Office.  They may ask for a reason why you need one and reclaiming bank interest withheld is a good one.  Also, try to obtain an actual Thai Tax ID card (paper card the size of a business card) rather than just the ID number as you may need it if you ever have to actually get money from filing a Thai Tax Return.  Money is reimbursed exclusively through Krung Thai bank and they require the Thai Tax ID card to get your reimbursement via eCash card.

Does that mean I need a Krung Thai account as well?  That said, if it's for a MTD account and I show the bank the card, there'll be be nothing to claim as nothing will be withheld from the bank.  I can probably take it to the other banks when I update my passport number so they will stop taxing me on interest (if I understand it right)?

1 hour ago, skatewash said:

Yes, it's a balancing act between maximizing your return and convenience.  At 1.00% APR the Mee Tae Dai (MTD) savings account is not optimal.  You can get a higher interest rate with a fixed deposit account.  I would argue that the MTD is the most convenient, though.  It's a regular savings account so that gets you two benefits immediately.  You don't have to worry about your FD maturing (finding your next FD, if you don't like the interest rate you get when your old FD rolls over) and you don't have to worry about having 15% interest withheld that you have to reclaim by filing a Thai Personal Income Tax Return (be sure that Krungsri Bank has your Thai Tax ID associated with the account or they will withhold the interest even on a MTD account).  Other than opening the MTD account the first time I've never had to do anything with the account. 

You certainly don't have to use any account for security for a credit card.  I don't have a Thai credit card because it always seems like too much work.  As I don't have a work permit I would almost certainly only qualify for a secured credit card.  My understanding is that the benefits/protections of having a Thai credit card are less than what might be available from your home country.  I have multiple credit cards from my home country that I use in Thailand.  There are no foreign transaction fees with these particular cards.

Thanks, the MTD account sounds favourite provided I don't get the account opening run around that some branches give you.  I'll also need to go and register for a tax ID, I never have before simply because I keep most of my funds outside Thailand so it's literally been the interest on monthly living expenses, pennies, for single digit baht interest per year it wasn't worth it.

On 7/24/2021 at 12:41 PM, skatewash said:

Krungsri Bank is actually one of the easier banks at which to open an account, but as you say you can find FDs at both of your current banks.  I just didn't like the responsibility of having to rollover the FD account at maturity, the mandatory interest withholding which I had to file a Thai Income Tax return to get back, nor the loss of interest earned if I ever made a withdrawal (as is allowed under the minimum balance requirements for retirement extensions).

Having looked at this more, I might go to Krungsri at some stage and look into the Mee Tae Dai account.  While opening an FD at Bangkok Bank or Kasikorn would be easier, all of the accounts I can see seem to be 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 or 36 month. What I don't want to have to do is mess about going and renewing this account at expiry if that's what's needed, I'm trying to reduce the 'things to do' list, not replace what I take off with something else.  The other thing I've noticed is that both Bangkok and Kasikorn, from memory, indicate the account may be used as security for a credit card, I don't want that either, nothing to impede access.  To be fair I haven't been round and asked at either of those banks simply because at the moment  I'm trying to avoid queues, crowded places and face to face contact with people unless it's essential and needing to open an account before November / December doesn't qualify as essential yet.  Once I visit the banks in question I may find I can opt out of 'credit card security' or even find that there's other accounts without the need to renew, with better interest rates and no access restriction other than a hit to the interest.

All I want though is an FD account, that will hopefully pay higher interest than my normal savings accounts, that is not time limited and doesn't come with any 'things to do' items, essentially I just want to put the money in and forget it.  If Krungsri make that easy and pay a higher rate than my existing banks I'll go for that.  I'll go and ask at Krungsri when Bangkok is less dangerous to be wandering around.

Two Synphaet Hospitals (Bangkok) also open for registration, links on the Intervac site.

Registration for BNH is open again (07:55 28/07/2021)

If it accepted your registration you just wait.  At some stage you will get an email with your appointment date which will be followed up with an SMS the night before your appointment.

10 hours ago, couchpotato said:

Coincidentally this afternoon I received the confirmation email from BPH for myself and family (2 x 2 doses for them, and booster for me). I called the contactcenter and they told me the government had allocated them their prescribed 10,000 doses (as they had only signed up 5,000 people).  Hopefully the vaccine will arrive in late October/November).

So there you have it.

Great to see the confirmations are starting to come through quickly, easier for that hospital since they weren't over subscribed.  Hopefully the other hospitals will quickly follow suit and get their notifications out promptly either way, I'm not particularly bothered about not getting

it, more concerned about knowing ASAP so I can take up alternative options as they come along, already declined AZ once.

Yes the Pfizer allocation infographic is interesting, and not surprising.  So pleased that Thais in other countries can get vaccinated merely on the basis of which age or high risk group they fall into, not where they come from!  It's only for the fact that I'd hate to see the countries sink to the same pitiful and pathetic level that I don't wish they would start to reciprocate Thailand's treatment of foreigners! 

I also hope we'll be notified sooner rather than later, far better to find out before the end of this month than waste 2 months only to be told we didn't make the cut.

6 hours ago, skatewash said:

Krungsri Bank is actually one of the easier banks at which to open an account, but as you say you can find FDs at both of your current banks.  I just didn't like the responsibility of having to rollover the FD account at maturity, the mandatory interest withholding which I had to file a Thai Income Tax return to get back, nor the loss of interest earned if I ever made a withdrawal (as is allowed under the minimum balance requirements for retirement extensions).

Yes, I definitely don't want a promotional account with a higher rate that I have to faff about with each year so Ill just dump the money into one of the savings accounts unless the difference it's so much that I'd loose out too much.  One thing I don't want to do is replace the hassle of paperwork at Immigration with the hassle of tax returns etc or anything else for that matter.

It'll be interesting to see when I go and change next renewal to the 800K method (and just give them the bank letter, statement and bank book showing 800K seasoned for 2 months) if they will ask for all the documents to show that I've been complying with the 65K method for the year preceding too.  I'm assuming they will, as each time you go and renew you are essentially  proving that you have complied the year previously.  

Thanks for the comments, useful.  At the moment I have accounts with Kasikorn and Bangkok Bank so prefer to stick with those, partially because I can't be bothered with the run around rigmarole of 'can I / can't I' open an account, especially at this period in time.  Even with the FD account, if the answer is anything other than "Yes, no problem" I won't go down that route either.  Hopefully, already having accounts at both banks will make at least one of them easier, Kasikorn would be the preferred option.  

On top of that I really just need to see if it's worth opening an FD.  On the savings account the interest is negligible so I'll need to check the rates on the FD accounts vs regular savings at the banks I have accounts rather than shopping around for the best.  If there's not much in it, I'll just stick with effectively moth-balling one of the savings accounts and drop 850,000 into it, likely Bankgok Bank as I only opened that when the Embassy letters stopped and the proof of overseas transfers being needed (which I find is easier using Wise and Bangkok Bank).  Even at 0.5% it's 4,250 year, peanuts in comparison but it'll cover the extension costs etc.  I'll then keep the Kasikorn account live for transfers when it suits as transfers to Kasikorn are instant with Wise whereas they can take up to 24 hours (working day) with Bangkok Bank.  

Just got tired of the hassle with monthlies, remember to do the transfer before the end of the month, make sure there's no public holiday, check the transfer is FTT, update the bank book each month, get the statements, get credit advices if the IO wants them.

Thanks for the speedy reply.

Plan on changing next time I go to renew from the 65K monthly to the 800K in the bank.  Over time I seem to recall a few posts saying that FD accounts weren't accepted at CW, is that the case currently?  I like the idea of having the funds separated from regular banking but, if the FD rates are no better than savings accounts rates, I do have a couple of almost redundant savings accounts that I could use.

Not sure if it's me but has the search function here deteriorated since the change to AN?  I never had much luck before, but now (insert roll eyes emoji that doesn't work).  I tried loads of options, with and without filters, any words, all words, the phrase etc etc but I turn up nothing.  Even went back 20 pages in the Visas forum but of course it could be under Banking or wherever.

43 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I thought that intervac was dead, and buried weeks ago.

 

I stopped checking it.

 

Now it's ALIVE. But all slots taken.

 

 

Yep, folks really need to be checking it daily.  BNH had (Registration Opening Soon) yesterday, even I think early today.  Then a link suddenly became available today, filled already.  Vimut Hospital had an announcement yesterday that they were accepting in person registrations at the hospital yesterday, full by the end of the day, last one before that was Payathai 2.  

The Bang Sue registration is still open, again, if you meet the criteria (over 60 / conditions etc).  Looks like Bumngrad and Bangrak will be the next BKK locations to open registration.

What, nobody pointing at the van?  No pictorial backdrop with Gestapo 'commandos' in full SWAT gear? Slipping?

For anyone qualifying under the criteria on the Thailand Intervac site (over 60 / underlying conditions), registrations went live this morning for the BNH Hospital (Silom).  No indication as to whether it's AZ or Sinovac.  Follow the link on the ThailandIntervac site:

https://thailandintervac.com

Friend of mine just registered, received a 'submission received' email immediately, appointment date to be notified.