ChrisKC

You are right! No way will I enter into Mal-practice. Even Immigration Officers have superiors. They could be lenient but that means bending the rules and as far as I can tell, their point is valid and if anybody is to take responsibility for our position it is ourselves we have to look to. We needed to safeguard against others failing us.

And I am talking of the banks. One Bank should be able to work cohesively between branches all within Chiang Mai with the same Customer. There should be no complication with this - all the accounts were ordinary savings accounts.

I am going on about this because I don't want others to suffer misfortune as we are now doing

I would like to thank all of you for your useful input and ideas about how we process forward.

If you are a UK citizen and accustomed to dealing with the Consulate in Chiang Mai, you will know that operations have ceased there and and are now dealt with in Bangkok. The Chiang Mai Office used to provide a pension letter confirming entitlement in 24 hours. The Bangkok Office say that they only deal with Postal requests and that it takes 10 working days. As a matter of Interest, we visited the Consulate in Chiang Mai 10 days before it officially closed to be told they couldn't give us a letter and we have to do it through Bangkok.

On the issue of Banks and accounts.

Our application failed ONLY because we couldn't PROVE that funds of B1m had been in the account(s) for three months (which they had). OUR paperwork was at fault. Two of the branches where accounts were held both told us independently (yesterday) they couldn't access accounts at other branches. Two separate letters stating our case (one in Thai and an improvement on the first letter to facilitate what Immigration needed) was not considered satisfactory when we returned to their Office.

For the previous ten years we always applied for our extension with money in the bank and pension entitlement combined This year we decided to use bank only money as we had enough to do so.

There can be plenty of thoughts by us and all of you based on hindsight.

Thank you again

Regards from Chris

I am beginning to get confused.

The Immigration Officer told us we could get a pension letter in a few days but he was wrong. He anticipated us arriving back with money and time period resolved before the current extension expires. He gave us back all our papers and said we could use the same application and forms and even gave us our queue tickets back so we would be first in line. Therefore we left without pursuing the issue of overstay. Only upon asking the Bangkok Office were we told 10 working days - no urgent cases accepted for reducing this time.

Its an interesting point about the non-immigrant visa having "expired long ago". I am sure this cannot be right as both my wife and I have been using the same one for at least eight years. She got hers in UK and I got mine in Penang. Every year since then, Immigration Officers have examined our passports and nobody ever raised the issue. Does a non-immigrant 'O' visa have a limited life?

I have read that we can leave Thailand and get a 30 day tourist (visa) or 60 day tourist visa from Laos. Surely this would compromise our non-immigrant 'O' visa already in passports?

You are right, i didn't make it clear that that my wife is English. Also, that we were making joint application as a married couple but, as it relates to problems WE had, has little relevance - the money and the three month rule involved is the same

I am aware of the futility of being greedy as I have already mentioned it.

My wife and I spent a total of ten and a half hours (from 3.30 am to 2 pm) at Chiang Mai Immigration yesterday to apply for an eleventh consecutive retirement extension that eventually failed.

Why? Because we could not show with irrefutable proof that over B1million had been with the same bank for three months, only two months. Because of a few transfers and a closed account between three different branches, no single branch was prepared to provide documentray evidence to allow a total picture to emerge. This was in spite of of having all bank books being available.

Our situation now is this: we have to wait another month before the B1m is considered valid for three months. This will involve us in a 27 day overstay which is not difficult to calculate but is B27,000, not to mention endorsements in our passports.

Another option we have is to use half the required B800,000 required from another branch where proof is available for three months and to use my pension to top up. Unfortunately, The UK Consulate in Chiang Mai is now closed and the Bangkok Office has told us it takes 10 working days to provide a pension letter that proves entitlement. And it isnt easy from a distance: They will only accept a money order as payment. If things go according to plan we are in for about 14 days of overstay

Every year a letter of pension entitlement is required but surely they know at Immigration that pensions are for ever until you die!

I want to say that the two Officers involved at Chiang Mai Immigration were very nice and remained calm (so did we) and were very sorry for us.

How can I now deal with a 90 day report I have to file on 18th May? I have until the 24th to do that, right?

Three comments:

I guess this is a bullet we have to bite.

That a lesson has to be learned about being 100% vigilant regarding, not only for the B800,000 or more being shown and, to avoid problems like ours that it is in ONE account - and don't mess with it.

Why did we close accounts and set up different ones in different branches? Because the interest rates were slightly more attractive. Interest rates are so low it is difficult to justify moving money about.

Its an interesting question.

Firstly, I am not offered an option to remove it - quite why I dont know. Maybe because it wasnt me that put it there in the first place. My new phone does have a remove option

I was recently in the Philippines and I did have a phone stolen similar to the one syncing into my account. It had a Philippine SIM and in the cover was my Thai SIM. I have checked the model number shown on my Google page but when I check it out, that model wasnt launched until a year after I bought it, so unless there is a mistake somewhere it isnt my stolen phone.

After sending my first message in this forum, that phone is shown again (at about 2pm ) to have synced with my email account and not showing an error so it seems to me that the syncing was successful. All this in spite of me changing my password and my new phone number yesterday.

I discovered yesterday that someone in the Philippines has been synchronising their phone into my gmail account. I think I know who is responsible but I am not sure.

I then changed all my account details, including a different phone number, and my password and had verification from Google that all the changes had been made.

However, this morning I see that the account has still been synced by the same device

Does the notification I receive from Google indicate that the syncing was successful or merely attempted?

The system just keeps telling me to go through the same procedure again to change everything.

Thank you in advance for any advice

I bought a new phone last week and I knew in advance about the requirement to register so I took my passport along with me. The shop In Big C Chiang Mai, registered mine and it was done in less than 5 minutes. Yes, you do need your passport. No charges involved

I have debit cards, one of which is linked to PayPal, In the last four weeks I have successfully booked hotels, flights and able to make International purchases online. As long as there is enough money in my account, the transactions take about 5 seconds and I receive in my email a receipt from both the Supplier and from PayPal. This does not entail any card having to be shown at airports or hotels.

I have been a user of PayPal for more than eight years and not had anything to be concerned about

My UK passport expires 16 April, 2016 and my retirement extension application is due 14 May 2015

Do I need to do anything this year regarding the expiry of my passport?

Thank you for the reply,

I was not aware of the inherent problem of Filipinas leaving Philippines but if she applies for a visa and is granted one, she won't be turned back will she?

Would it make any difference if I went there and brought her back with me?

My Filipina girlfriend is visiting me in Thailand from mid-April until mid-September - at least that is the plan.

I believe she can apply in the Philippines for a 90 day tourist visa that in practice would allow her automatic 60 days stay then requiring her to apply for an extension for the additional 30 days. I understand there is an option for a double or triple entry visa that would allow her to leave the country and re-enter thus enabling the full five months. Is this possible? If not, what are the alternatives?

In addition, she has no income of her own and it is my intention to sponsor her for the duration. I am prepared to get what paperwork would be necessary to show that I am her sponsor, even if that means getting a lawyer to draft me an appropriate letter. Would this be acceptable to Immigration on her arrival?

Thank you to those who give me time and effort.

In answering this question we first have define the differences between Thai/farang culture and Thai/farang bad attitude!

Chiang Mai, Rimping have it at a fiver a jar. Not for me at that price. I haven't had for ten years. That will change next week when my friend from England is bringing me some. Yehoooooooo!!!

I would like to thank all of those who have replied to my question and took the time, in some cases to be very helpful. I have already advised my friend to bring the cash and exchange here in Thailand. And as a back-up to bring his Cards as well.

One Correspondent seems to think it is a waste of holiday time to be worrying about trying to save a few Baht on currency exchange. So I say,

I am sure this topic is covered but I can't find it.

I haven't used the currency exchange mechanism for ten years so I am out of date

What is the best way to obtain Thai Baht in Thailand that avoids excessive fees?

I have a friend from UK visiting Chiang Mai next month. I have already advised him to consult with his Bank and Credit Card Company to establish their fees if he chooses to use his cards.

Thank you for your time and attention

Thailand is way over-due for large scale UFO sightings.

Doesn't happen here because Thai people know these are just ghosts and spirits and just pile more food on the spirit houses.

Only people in "developed" nations see UFOs.

Why?

UFO"s exist!! What doesn't exist is what people think they are!

You are entitled to a correct explanation of why you are required to "report" to the Bank. Ask them to send you a letter in English the precise reason this is necessary and exactly what they need from you.

As a matter of interest: Although I have made seven consecutive "retirement" visa applications, only in the last two years has the word "retirement" been an official stamp in my passport 2013 and 2014.

The need for teachers who can teach some basic English is huge, special in the rural areas. Those areas do not have the funds to pay for a qualified teacher, some schools do not have the funds at all. So they depend on those non-qualified teachers who come to teach for less. Or as I do, for free. Most of the teachers simply like to stay in Thailand and get some pocket money, which is hardly enough to cover the costs.

 

Thailand assumed that non-qualified teachers are not good enough to teach, this is nonsense of course. Native teachers are qualified, but there are over 200 English dialects. Often I hear better English with non-native speakers, than with native ones. It's about the pronouncement and not about the grammar, Thai teachers are good at grammar, they do not need any farang to teach this.

 

It will be a huge set back for the Thai educational system, when they forbid those good non-qualified teachers to teach poor Thai students.

It's about the pronouncement

People who teach English for free or for payment, qualified or unqualified should know and understand the completely different meaning of the words: pronouncement and pronunciation

This item is not about football. This wretched man has died because he lost his money (gambled) on a bet. If it wasn't a football bet it would have been something else!

It's no good calling him an idiot now - have some sympathy for his family and friends.

Whilst I am not talking about money transfers per se, I would like to say if it helps anyone that I have money in the form of Government pension and two private pensions paid direct when they are due every month to my account here in Thailand and have done so for quite a few years. They are always on time. If the due date falls on Saturday or Sunday they pay early on the Friday. usually at about 3 or 4am Thai time.

My government pension is paid without charge from UK or at the receiving Bank in Thailand and when checking the exchange rate for the day it shows that I am enjoying a very favourable rate. E.G If the rate is B55.55 for each GBP then I am receiving B55.25.

With my Private pensions they charge equal to B150 to send and no charge at the receiving bank and the rate is slightly less favourable but is nothing I wish to complain about.

You are up against it I think!

You have extra consumption or there is an increase in rate or combination of both. It does seem that Electric and Water have been "hiked" at the same time. Utilities in Thailand do not normally work together in rate increases and therefore suggests to me that consumption rather than rate increase is the issue here.

Ask your g/f to check what the tariff you were on months ago and what you are on now. Check that the meters are working correctly.

And as an exercise, check the meter readings yourself every day for the next month keeping in mind the number of guests you have.

At my rented house that I don't live in yet my electric bill is B0 every month for last six months. While working in the house, (every day seven days a week) I have the fan on all day and my computer on about 7 or 8 hours. The Electric Company say I don't use enough units for a bill needing to be paid. I think they are saying, up to 50 units is free. No standing charge - where I am at least.

I don't use air-con myself ever. But I think it is the main electric-consuming item. It would be an idea to monitor it's usage more vigilantly. One thing you could do is check air-con is switched off when the rooms are not occupied i.e. when guests go out. You really do need to check what is ACTUALLY happening. It's all part of running a business.

Record all readings and if something is amiss when receiving new bills in the future you have some evidence with which to "file a grievance"