PAWNEESE

I think I have read so much of these threads that Ive possibly confused myself. Sorry.

Im in a hotel that has no English TV,  isolated out in sticks, no bars near, and wifi not good enough for things like U tube.  I think Im on ThiaVisa overload. ????????????????????????????????.

Those of us from the 4 countries whose embassys are not doing income letters have to proove 65k every month comimg in from abroad. (In many many cases bleeping impossible .....)

ALL others just have to proove 65k income in their own countries (that wont neccessarily come anywhere near Thailand) as before.

Is that right ?

"If Big Joke really wanted to get rid of agents and their under the table practices, then why not simply put a sign on each office that states........."NO AGENTS". Unless they are representing an individual who for medical reasons cannot make the visit to the offices"

I think that is a tad simplistic.  A while back I had a visa related question and as an agent had an office yards from my condo and which I passed umpteen times a day ..on a whim I went in. 

His welcoming smile dropped when I requested to ask a question for free ????. Shock horror.  His answer was he did not know but I suspect he was not even listening and still in shock at the word 'free'.

But he went on to say that an Immigration Officer came by his office every lunch time .. he will be there soon he said ... to see if there was anyone needing their assistance.

He also said I dont understand your problem but he would sort a visa for 30k .. of which he got only 500. Im doing it as a favour for you. Yeah yeah. But that is beside the point. 

My point is a notice banning agents or actually banning them from Immigration Office wont do much in my opinion.  It will save agents going to them and put some kilometres on IOs vehicles thats all. 

But it would stop us having to see agents placing a dozen passports on the IOs desk.  They dont seem to feel the need for discretion. 

The money in the bank requirements after getting your "retirement" visa only make sense to me if they are the requirements needed to get your next visa 12 months later. 

I mean .. so its discovered you are 1 baht under 800k or 400k for 1 day so then what ? Are you taken to court, Dragged to the airport / fined / visa revoked / shot.  How would they ever even know. I dont wanna carry my bank book around ( joke) But hey ho .. we will soon find out. 

My point is ... If we are in trouble for going below the relevent sum .... then switching from money in the bank method to income method is gonna be errrrrrr ... complicated.

You will need 12 times 65k income AND keep lump sum up to the required amounts prior to your big switch over of methods. 

Im possibly dithering over the best way to go ... I think Im dithering .. not sure.

Im not claiming its difficult .. but 12 months advanced planning needed I think .... to change methods.

One of plus points of living in Thailand (or similar) as opposed to UK is there is no local tax here (that applies to me anyway) .. back home its based on the property you live in ( not own ).

In the UK I would be paying the equivalent of 13,500 baht a month just in "council tax".  So Im that amount up monthly. My tenent has to pay it not me. £336.09 a month in pounds. 

I know there is "free" health care etc etc. I had just not thought of that plus point till today when I researched the tax sum now for a new tenent. 

Gave me a warm glow .. mmmm how many "free" beers does that money give me.????????????

Maths not my strong point but 13,500 divided by 0.90 baht is only 15000 beers a month.

Jeez. Gonna have to try and make do I suppose. Or find cheaper beer.

On 1/18/2019 at 4:24 PM, Gillyflower said:

I thought that you couldn't take bottles, plastic or otherwise with you.  just recently I had 3 small packets of cheese taken.  Reason......they might explode in the plane!!!!!  Mind you I once saw on a Luthansa flight B'kok/Francfort aman with a huge bag of Chang cans.

Maybe your confusing the going into Airside search .. no fluids allowed etc .. and AFTER when in airside departure lounge being able to buy duty free shop alchohol.

To be more discreet onboard some buy a bottle(s) of coke or similar .. replace some or much of it with duty free rum or whisky. It still looks like coke I find .. I mean someone told me. Swigging from litre bottle of whisky or rum a bit obvious I would think.

Wow  .. I can use the Priority Lane at 70. I got something to look forward to now.  

There are some very funny clever posts on this thread and ... I can hardly believe this .. no bickering and flaming. Nah I better read it again thats not possible. 

Pattaya is gotta be more healthy for me personally anyway, than home. Dont know about rest of world though so possibly off topic. Englands 8 month grey dreary cold winters and summers that are not much better would depress me. With no work to occupy me thats is.

If I wanted a social life it would have to be bingo or something.  Or be the old "billy no mates" sat alone in corner of the pub. Im never alone long in a bar here ???? and also plenty of other coffin dodger expats about to socialise with. My retirement years would seem much much longer in England I guess.  There is that going for it.

Only female company would be near my own age. Yuk !!  Im staying here especially now its officially very healthy. 

I feel guilty on occasions about not giving anymore to beggars but will often buy trinkets or chewing gum if they actually selling not begging. And if they obviously handicapped. I always forget to wait for change. Very noble of them in a way to sort of work not beg.  There are too many stories like the dwarf lady years past who used to beg in bars nightly reportedly owning many luxury houses. One guy I have seen almost daily near Tukcom in Pattaya, daily for 7 years ... has lost an arm ... it must have been an horrendous accident. But he looks fit otherwise. He sits in the gutter .. not on nearby steps to maximise peoples pity. No shirt to show the awful injury. But I never give to him. He could easily serve in a shop or sell lottery tickets etc etc etc. But maybe I should be ashamed. I think he is probably rich.  Many from Pattaya will know him as he rarely not there.

34 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

They should also (and I'm including private pensions here), send an email confirming receipt of the 'proof of life' letter.

 

Otherwise the pension recipient doesn't know until they realise that the pension has not been paid - and, as pointed out by another poster, this could cause major problems for a few.

I always send my 'proof of life' recorded delivery. Its very cheap. I think I could check delivery, on line but it not clear to me how. So I go back to the post office about 7-10 days later .. hand her my receipt and ask them to check delivery. They always very cheerfully check in seconds and write on my receipt the date and time of delivery. I then get a warm glow of relief that its sorted .... till I start worrying about .. what if it gets lost in internal mail system.  Ha ha. Im joking .. you know its arrived. What I worry about most is the letter they write to me from the UK not arriving. That happened to me once and they had stopped paying months before. It was quite a fuss ... number busy long time  .. get wrong department etc .. and unhelpful disinterested person there. .. to get payments restarted when they had stopped 3 months before. Now I check my UK bank statement often .. monthly. I only looked before when doing my next money transfer to Thailand every 3 or 4 months.

How is "taking up residence" defined .. anyone know please ? As in "you get the full increases on taking up residence". 

Just curious .. what the situation is if you spend summers or a summer in UK and rest of time here. I mean I not heard about time limits on long trips/holidays away. 

In other words go home .. I got a house there ... not been home for 7 years .. ask for full pension to be re instated. 3 months later come back. I assume my Thai retirement visa allows me to have a holiday away for that length of time. 

Im not trying to squeeze the system .. I genuinely fancy a summer back in England and get well away (and back here) when the drab 8 month winter starts.  Dont want full pension if this is bad form but dont wanna be coy if it perfectly normal. 

Someone may genuinely think they home for good .. then later go abroad again.

 I still pay lots of tax in UK as my income derives from there. Its taxed before I get it .. so dont want to play the system just not want to be a mug and not claim legally due monies I have paid for.

Thank you Sheryl for taking the trouble to share your knowledge.  That there doctor was adamant there is no cure but its good to hear of your experience. In case my (now) mild discomfort flares up again I will take your advice and take the steps you describe. Thanks again.

My Plantar Faciitis came on literally overnight .. coincidently on holiday in Thailand about 10/12 years ago, I bought a pair of flat soled sandals after deciding the climate was too hot to keep wearing trainers during the day. A few days later .. on waking up it felt like I had been hit very very hard, many times with an iron bar on the soles of both my feet. I struggled to walk. Evening before no problem .. next morning agony. I struggled to walk because of the pain for weeks. It was agony when I placed my feet down as I walked.

My doctor in England diagnosed PF in milli seconds after me describing the pain. He said its very very common. He sees it very very often. He told me there is no cure .. but insoles in shoes might help. I was told I just had to live with it.

Sadly he was right .. it has never gone away. I tried insoles that support the arch of feet and pain lessened over the months and years. But it has never gone away.  Insoles no effect now so dont bother.  

My research on medical internet sites mostly confirmed its permanent .. in my case its now just a tolerable mild pain I can live with mostly  .. with very occasional bad days.

There is a PF speciality clinic in London advertising in UK papers .. I think you go there to the clinic and get made to measure shoes that I assume support feet arches  .. I was unsure if it a con or not as it was very expensive. But they claimed much success. 

A few people have over the years told me they have Planta Faciitis and been surprised I knew what it was.  ... I certainly do !!!!!!

I am guessing .. but I think it is the medical condition that decades ago in my teens was called fallen arches. I could never imagine what that could be but heard the expression. Thats what it feels like .... the muscle on arch painful.

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

The reason for making a transaction on the day you apply for visa is to update your bankbook to that day. the letter from the bank is only for the day before. Told to me buy my very helpful bank staff at the Ayudhya Bank.

I am no expert .. but I have always assumed the purpose of the required bank letter (not just showing your account book) is to document the money has correctly been seasoned. But it does no harm to show it was still there that renewal day I guess. I might do that .. add 100 baht to show 800k + 100 that day. No calculator to hand to do that "sum".????

I can imagine the night after a visa renewal .. when someone becomes able to start spending the 800k acquiring a name ... errrrr ummm Visa Renewed Pi$$ Up Party. Errrr not very catchy that. No good for me though .. I got no friends ????????????????????????

A few years ago .. I had a million baht on deposit with Kbank 9months in advance of my retirement extension date. Got the required bank letter .. went to Jomtien imigration to renew. I was just told briskly .. "no good".  They refused to explain. They pointed to a IO behind a counter and said speak to him. He took one look at the cover of my bank book and said "No good". Confusing as I could not tell the difference between that long term savings book and one I had for weekly withdrawals.

I asked 2 visa agents if they could explain .. they refused to give it any thought .. but could sort for big bucks.  Thai visa including Ubonjoe explained my mistake when I asked on here. Im not very bright me thinks.

I obviously know now it was because it was a no withdrwal account. Stupidly I thought the point was to just proove I not a pauper. And could afford a million lieing around and live without it. But they would not explain that just rudely waived me away. 

Luckily I had time to go the income embassy letter route.

Its back to bank deposit method now obviously. But I wont even think of trying to squeeze a few extra baht in interest.

What you get tieing it up, in interest wont even pay for a good night out .. so not gonna bother. 800,000 in a zero interest, no hassle boring account for me .. and maybe 1 extra night in a year ????????????????.

22 minutes ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Oh man WHAT A RAMPAGE!!!! that store was completely trashed.......Hope the owners have great insurance how ever will they replace..... a cup of toothpicks...Thai visa news is becoming even more FAKE then american news!!

Are you a troll ?  He was being followed and eventually arrested very professionally (bearing in mind he was acting crazy) BECAUSE HE HAD DAMAGED POLICE VEHICLES in a Police carpark AND A LIGHT FITTING which he kicked down the road.. Plus acting crazy in the street. Or is that accepted in your country ?

Toothpicks not the issue other than more proof he acting deranged. They only showed the toothpicks but he was pushing lots of things onto the floor and no doubt acting up before the camera got on him. 

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What's the fine for opening a pack of toothpicks and throwing them on the floor?

Would they treat a Chinese tourist like this?

 

Sorry, I can't see he's committed any crime that would deserve being thrown to the ground and handcuffed.

If being a bit odd was a crime most ThaiVISA posters (including me) would already be in jail.

Below is from original posting. I guess the cops were waiting for back up and/or not 100 percent certain they had the right guy from earlier reports. They would not have actually seen him themselves causing damage to vehicles etc. 

His behaviour in the shop confirmed to them they almost certainly had. Of course they would have had his description (of the perpetrator of damaging Police cars) thus keeping an eye on him.

Its odd but every Police force in every country gets a tiny bit sensitive to a foreign yob damaging their cars. They were very professional and restrained I think.

Earlier the tourist had kicked and smashed police vehicles outside the station on Beach Road. 

 

He had then smashed a decorative light on a tree and kicked it down the road. 

On 5/16/2018 at 10:31 PM, happy chappie said:

The way around this one is to rent out the property every time for a month,then when they leave charge them for how long they've stayed.thatll have them scratching their heads for a while.

I'm confused.

A possibility if the property is isolated. Errrr but the problem is short term let people seriously p-off permanent residents .. who should be allowed a quiet civilised home without noisy partys, drunken behaviour, loud TV and music and loutish ignorance around the pool and other common areas. They are on holiday to have fun .. no work next day like normal and dont care about upsetting very short term neighbours.

Neighbours will now be able to show this ruling to condo management and Police if they operate as short let so no head scratching if people come and go whatever the original bogus rental time is.

Paying mllions for a good condo in a nice complex spoilt ... if partying holiday makers occupy next door .. with more short let holiday makers replacing them. Its not just families .. its sometimes large groups of single men.

6 hours ago, Aerosolist said:

 

 

What is illegal in renting out condos on weekly or even daily base? I never heard about it. Those things are official and there is mostly always a contract.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

Short term renting of Condos a hot topic in Pattaya a year or so back. It was in the local paper .. that many hotels occupency rate at record low levels as so many were renting condos. Hotels complained to immigration. There was a crack down supposedly.

Hotels saying they pay tax and have other expenses and at an unfair disadvantage.

Some permanent residence of my 300 room complex had been complaining  (to condo manager) about short term holiday let people. They tend to not care about loud music, loud parties, drunkeness by the pool .. and much bad behaviour. So it was of interest to us. 

Immigration officers actually visited our Condo complex to spread the word .. about no short lets to Juristic manager.  Soon after a large "No Short Term Lets" sign was put up at the street entrance. Great we thought. I cant remember the minimum let but it was months. 3 I think.

A room in our complex had been seen to be advertised on a nightly basis ... 

But its made little difference to be honest.  Some owners have 6 or more condos here .. they ignore permanent residences whining as they openly welcome new guests most weeks .. One russian owner just defiantly insists he will do what he wants. I guess we too soft to let him get away with it.

Im lucky .. immediate neighbouring condos not let short term otherwise I would be contacting Immigration daily.

Sorry I so long winded ... my point is .. Its not allowed .. you need a hotel license and pay relevent tax. In theory.

4 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

There is technically nothing illegal about it.

You can legally borrow money from anyone.

An immigration officer can legally waive the seasoning period. It's at his discretion.

So......where's the illegal act?

I assume there is a reason for an IO legally being able to waive a seasoning period. If thats true. Probably needs a good reason to use this discretion in theory. Expat being sick/injured/hospitalised long term and unable to sort affairs out for a period for example or other compassionate grounds. I can think of a few not likely compassionate scenarios.

I doubt very much the discretion can be used because of bribery.  How can that be allowed legally. So its illegal. Theres the illegal act or is bribery now legal ? 

It seems quite open corruption with no attempt to hide. Adverts from visa companies etc. I spoke to 2 agents once (I was only wanting to ask a question when confused about a minor issue) .. both could sort a visa and ignored my question. One said an IO came to his shop every day at 1230 to sort issues for cash and the visa agent claimed got only 500 baht of the 20,000. 

Jeez .. its getting complicated. One of my cunning plans to be considered was to keep 800,000 baht permanently in my Thai bank just to renew my visa every year. And make a Will in Thailand to benefit my son in the UK.  But I just read some posters in this topic say its difficult for THEM to take out money .. so what chance would my son have of getting Kbank to send him 800,000 baht to the UK ... direct or via the lawyers I get to do the will ..... ? Anyone got experience of that situation ? A will just for cash to be sent overseas a waste ? Plus I would have an average of 300,000 baht in my every day account. So a million plus all told

Maybe spending it after visa renewal and top up 9 months later more betterer.  

I guess he could fly here for a few holidays with 800,000 spending money waiting that he cant get sent to him in UK.  But not easy for him me thinks. If I mention wills and me going one day he gets tearful  .. ah somebody likes me ???? .. so coming here retracing his dads steps spooky/difficult.

I am not sure this is off point or not ... but on one of 4 island visit boat trips I took from Phuket last year on a holiday .. I was shocked at the idiotic unprofessional and cavalier attitude of the crew. Once clear of the harbour the sea was extremely rough. I was a Merchant Navy Officer so not unused to rough seas.  The crew did not slow down . We were all bouncing a foot off our seat every 15 or 20 seconds for the hour it took to get to our destination. No exageration. Children were crying.

Errrrr if the ship / boat is pitching and violently smashing into swell / waves SLOW DOWN. Basic seamanship.

I protested to the tour courier that we should slow down. He said they cannot .. they have a schedule to keep. We were on the island all day and the boat returned about 6 hours later. (Not stay). I guess if they had to wait there would not be such a mad panic but guess they had things to do back in Phuket .. another boat load perhaps on a shorter excurson.

On the way back it was the same though. Presumeably no further trips that day. Just want to get home. Not bothered about passenger safety. Full speed .. bouncing passengers suffering. Injuries not happening a miracle.

Crazy.

When the British Embassy decided to stop income letters the resulting TVisa chat got to a squillion million pages. US Embassy now done same same and followed the stopping of said letters. Come on Yanks ... try beat that ..... 

2 months ago my adult son and my nephew arrived for their first holiday in Thailand. They had no money at all on them as I was treating them .... (Its not cheap funding 2 young lads on a first time ever trip to Pattaya .. jeez cost me a fortune ... and NO Im not adopting you .. been asked that by a few old codgers I told).  (And I paid for flights and hotels though not directly .. reimbursed them but thats by the way .. I need therapy me thinks)

Immigration might not totally believe that if they had been asked to show funds and had none.

They (and one other) coming again (they love Pattaya .. no idea why ) in May (but Im only funding my son then) and we not planning he has funds other than maybe a credit card.  

Do the 3 now have to have 60,000 baht or equivalent in English pounds now ?

Or is it just people on umpteenth entry. Credit cards used by many tourists I guess and they get local money on arrival.

My English bank told me 7 years ago, travellers cheques very old fashioned. Credit cards is what people use .. they wont have cash ... well perhaps they better have £500 or 20,000 baht each now ? 

23 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I like the idea of asking other commonwealth embassies to issue the income documents. But that's just a beginning. If one of them is willing, then of course that's another thing Thai immigration would need to be clear about whether they would accept it or not. Isn't there already precedent for that? Don't many nationals not have embassies here and perhaps have agreements with an allied nation to assist them? 

 

 

Another embassy supplying income letters might be a very good earner for that embassy.

But if its the Saudi Arabia embassy .. needing to go inside .. I'll give that a miss, thankyou.