Mahdrek

Interpol has a list of stolen or lost (i.e. cancelled) passports - which probably does not include suspended.... so until you use it in Canada (or the US) you are not likely to have problems (guess).

BUT, there may be other legal issues in play since the passport is Canadian property - so technically by not giving it back to the Canadian government (and continuing to use it which records a history that you still have it) as required - you could probably be charged for something like theft..... (just thinking outside the box). If they ever decide to throw the kitchen sink at you legally, this could affect future applications where criminal checks are required.

Yes they dont play nice.... just got this sent from my relative via messenger pic...i need to start getting my mail sent here...

Interpol has a list of stolen or lost (i.e. cancelled) passports - which probably does not include suspended.... so until you use it in Canada (or the US) you are not likely to have problems (guess).

BUT, there may be other legal issues in play since the passport is Canadian property - so technically by not giving it back to the Canadian government (and continuing to use it which records a history that you still have it) as required - you could probably be charged for something like theft..... (just thinking outside the box). If they ever decide to throw the kitchen sink at you legally, this could affect future applications where criminal checks are required.

You could take proof of child support payments to the embassy and MAYBE that would work. Otherwise you will have to shell-out a few thousand dollars for a lawyer and court appearance to prove you are current in child support. It's a lawyer thing ... good for business.

I stopped paying in august of 2014 as that is when child support payments for previous yesrs income stops and the cs based on next year income should begin.

My income dropped to a low CPP amount that is too low for cp

FRO is family responsibilty office

So the problem is because my family didnt put a stamp on envelope i had sent to canada to mail, the agency never got my updated income statements... tax assesement ect

The only proof ill have is that my income was and is too low to pay after the august 2014 date based on previous tax return

FRO is going to apply to Federal governmet to have my pp returned march 13th

Obv i need someone to give me my mail sooner

Another question....

When being a full time expat, should i do CDN tax returns... my only income is CPP

Im canadian expat in thailand.

My passport expires 2024

got a letter from cdn agency saying my pp will me suspended in march due to child support reasons.i do not owe money and will get all this sorted out but not soon enough i think

How soon will/ can this affect me ?

- affect me when renew visa

- Affect me if fly

- Affect me right away somehow

Also if pp suspended, is it basically just in a datatbase where the suspension is lifted when i get support issues fixed ? or will i actually need to get a new pp ???

ugh ugh ugh

ok so not liquids above 100 ml on board. what about my luggage not carried on, can i have bigger mouthwash and shampoos, moisturizer etc with that luggage, or better safe to not bring...

also any electronics on board

i have a power pack for travelling for iphone and tablet etc .. an eloop large capacity lithium battery pwer pack is that ok to bring on board ?

http://www.eloopthailand.com/collections/e14-20000-mah

An awful lot would have to wrong to miss a connection of 2:40h.

If you break your leg on the escalator, maybe

And personally I would not try to do any check-through of baggage.

(even without checking I would expect that it will not work, ThaiSmile is a low cost carrier)

Pick it up, use the elevator to the 4th floor and check it in at P. Air.

Then be bored for 2h.

Which airline are you using to fly to Bangkok?

ThaiSmile I understood.

change airlines from thai smile to philippine air

ps if anybody can direct me to a link concerning rules with luggage id appreciate it, thank you

I can only tell you that ThaiSmile has 20 kg included, is not too fussy about some excess baggage and (more) excess baggage is fairly cheap.

thank you

The airline you use at Surat Thani should be able to take care of luggage transfer and even assign seat on the Phillipines flight and give a boarding pass. All you should have to do is find the right boarding gate.That's how it always works for me.every time I fly.

that would be nice...but i was reading another thread on here yesterday about someones luggage not passing inspection due to electronics and how it ruined their vacation as they had to fly back. so that's why im wondering about luggage rules too. thank you

ps if anybody can direct me to a link concerning rules with luggage id appreciate it, thank you

Can't believe the number of people suggesting to exchange Thai baht to US$ then change that Php. Exactly what the OP was seeking to avoid!

2) what is best way to not get double hit exchanging money ?

OP for flights i would look at the websites of the airlines helpfully named above. Cebu Pacific can be cheaper but some of their flight times are at very anti social hours. I usually fly with Kuwait or Phlippine Air as I will not take the anti social hours flights.

For money I would suggest if you have funds available in your Canadian account to use your ATM card once in country or carry Thb exchange as you need it once there (not at the airport). [perhaps change just a small amount of Thb in Thailand for peace of mind].

Personally I try to avoid carrying large amounts of cash, its just too risky.

I've often arrived in countries without a single cent of local currency. I either use an ATM at the airport upon arrival, or ask the taxi driver to stop at an exchange booth where I will get a good rate.

Thank you soooo much

Why not exchange Thb at airport there ? bad exchange rates at airports ?

I went through an agency to book the flights and get a ride to the Surat Thani airport as im about hour and half away.

my only concern is i arrive at bkk suvarnabhumi intl at 11:10 am

and leave same airport at 13:50 ( 1:50 pm ) which gives me an hour and 40 minutes in an airport ive never been to

to do all this :

get luggage

change airlines from thai smile to philippine air

get airline ticket printed or whatever

immigration

check in luggage

actually im not sure all what i have to do or how hard it all is as im figuring the airport is HUGE.

any advice here on what order i do stuff would be welcome

i can get the plane agency man to give me detailed instructions in thai ( if needed, im used to thai not knowing good english or any in this rural town, obv most should know english well at airport )

should i be concerned about only 2 hours and 40 mins getting onto on intl flight and switching airlines etc ?

thank you everyone for responding

2) Im now under the belief i can use my thai bank card just like i do my CDN bank card while im in the philippines, i contacted my banks ( SCB bank ) head office to let them know i will be travelling, they said i can use it there.......but im used to thai people saying stuff and then finding out later .... ?

and i have no idea on limits either of card usage ?

visa is a pain in the butt here unless i pay tips ???

so plan on becoming expat there

i guess im asking how to go about finding deals and booking flights, do i call the airlines, who do i call, how do i find out names lol

oh i should mention in a small town near Surat Thani airport.

would i still go Bkk or would flight go direct to Manila

visa runs out Jan 9th

made up my mind to go Philippines

have 2 questions

1) what is best, easiest way to book a flight but at same time save money...yes i know it's about 2 weeks away

2) what is best way to not get double hit exchanging money ? i have 400K baut in my thai bank account and now ill need Philippine money. my country and bank of origin is Canadian. am i stuck putting the money into my canadian account and then converting to Philppine money later ?

can i just travel with 400K thai bt and convert in Philippines as i need it lol ?

thank you

Thank you so much Goldbear

Wat suanMokkh sounds perfect.

They teach a less common form called Anapanasati, which from what I've researched is similar to Samatha meditation

I also like what I've read about the founding monk

I can find Lots of 10 or 7 day Vipassana courses, but can't seem to find any Samatha meditation courses.

I live on mainland near Ko Samui

Even if the courses are combined but they start off with Samatha meditation to build a foundation i will be happy.

thank you

English speaking is a must

hi I'm on mainland near Surat Thani.

Where can I buy nutri bullet 900 ?

Any links to shopping online would be wonderful.'

I'm really missing Amazon com

Thank you

It very well could be the chip is not working...the chip itself may be good but your bank does not have it properly activated. Happened to me a just a few months ago with the replacement PenFed "credit" card I got (a U.S. card)...the old one was magnetic stripe only...the replacement had a chip and magnetic stripe. When trying to pay for an item at Lotus, Big C, Foodland, PTT fuel station, etc., when the clerk saw the card had a chip they would insert the chipped end of the card into their Point of Service (POS) machine. It wouldn't work even after reinserting a few times and pushing a variety of buttons. Then they would try swiping the card's magnetic stripe and it would work. The card arrived activated and I even called before using it for the first time to confirm activation.

After this occurred around a half dozen times (i.e., only the magnetic stripe was working; not the chip also) I called PenFed. They felt it was probably a bad chip but I pressed the customer service rep hard about "are you sure it just not setup properly on your end?" They spent about 5 minutes doing this and that....and then said they was mailing me a replacement card since the chip may be bad. Next day I tried the card again...the chip worked fine....continued to use it at Lotus, Big C, PTT fuel station, anywhere I used it...and even worked fine for a cash advance counter withdrawal at the bank (the card is a no foreign transaction fee and no cash advance fee card) with no problems using the chip portion...the bank clerk inserts the card, receipt for signature prints out, I sign it, done.

Stores in Thailand have no problem processing chipped cards for purchases...in fact the great majority of Thai "credit" cards already have chips although the majority Thai "debit" cards do not....pretty much only the Bangkok Bank Be1st Smart debit card has a chip. Summary: Thai POS checkout machines work with chip and/or magnetic stripe.

Anyway, the chip was magically working after the call to PenFed customer service. The replacement card did arrive about 10 days later but I never used it since the first card they sent me was now working fine after the phone call to PenFed....that 2nd card they sent me now lives in the darkness of my safe as a spare card. What this told me is the apparently the chip portion and the magnetic stripe portion can be activated/setup separately on the card-issuing bank end. Since the card is setup to default to Chip & Signature as first choice assuming the seller/bank has their device setup to accept Chip & Signature (some may want Chip & PIN like common in Europe), the receipt of signature prints out in about 2 seconds after the card is inserted, whether I"m doing a purchase like at Lotus, Foodland, etc., or doing a cash advance counter withdrawal at Bangkok Bank or Krungsri Bank....sign the receipt....transaction done.

Have you tried using the card for a purchase where the check clerk just swipes the card? If your card works that way then it's just a chip issue...or chip activation/setup issue. But since you said you have called your bank to have the block taken off, the problem was just an issue with you using the card outside of Canada and your bank block all or most foreign use....some banks do that automatically and you must call them in advance to inform them of your travel plans to other countries.

Now if you are talking a "debit" card which I think you are talking about quite a few Than bank branches will not accomplish a counter withdrawal for a debit card, but no problem for a credit card. For debit cards some banks will just point you to their ATMs where they get that Bt180 fee.

And depending on how your "card-issuing" bank has authorizations setup for use of the chip and magnetic stripe, it could be setup to only authorize cash withdrawals with use of the Chip (like how the Bangkok Bank Be1st Smart/chipped debit card is setup)...and use of the Chip could be either Chip & PIN or Chip & Signature.

All the Thai bank can tell you the message that returned on their POS/terminal when trying to process the card...that message is just a short few words of like "OverLimit" if trying to ask for more money that the card allows per day/transaction, Authorization Declined, Invalid Transaction, Contact Visa/Mastercard, etc., which means there is something wrong with the card or the account it's linked to....all the Thai bank can tell you is to contact your card-issuing bank. They can only tell you the card is not working for the transaction they are trying to do....they can't tell you whether the chip is good or bad, if the card is activated, etc.

Your card problem is not Thai bank, Thai ATM, or Thai POS machine related; your problem is all related to authorizations and use limits established by your "card-issuing" bank in Canada so don't waste anytime on bad-mouthing folks on the Thailand end...save those words for your Canadian bank end.

Now if you are talking a "debit" card which I think you are talking about quite a few Than bank branches will not accomplish a counter withdrawal for a debit card, but no problem for a credit card. For debit cards some banks will just point you to their ATMs where they get that Bt180 fee.

im not trying to bad mouth but i am frustrated ^^^

im aware of limits and had them raised on my bank "debit" card which is the card in mention.

i did not have a block prior to yesterday.

i want to know why i was able to do large sums via counter withdrawal in the past but now since ive been pointed to the ATM for smaller amounts, why i cant seem to go back to large amounts via teller

It very well could be the chip is not working...the chip itself may be good but your bank does not have it properly activated. Happened to me a just a few months ago with the replacement PenFed "credit" card I got (a U.S. card)...the old one was magnetic stripe only...the replacement had a chip and magnetic stripe. When trying to pay for an item at Lotus, Big C, Foodland, PTT fuel station, etc., when the clerk saw the card had a chip they would insert the chipped end of the card into their Point of Service (POS) machine. It wouldn't work even after reinserting a few times and pushing a variety of buttons. Then they would try swiping the card's magnetic stripe and it would work. The card arrived activated and I even called before using it for the first time to confirm activation.

After this occurred around a half dozen times (i.e., only the magnetic stripe was working; not the chip also) I called PenFed. They felt it was probably a bad chip but I pressed the customer service rep hard about "are you sure it just not setup properly on your end?" They spent about 5 minutes doing this and that....and then said they was mailing me a replacement card since the chip may be bad. Next day I tried the card again...the chip worked fine....continued to use it at Lotus, Big C, PTT fuel station, anywhere I used it...and even worked fine for a cash advance counter withdrawal at the bank (the card is a no foreign transaction fee and no cash advance fee card) with no problems using the chip portion...the bank clerk inserts the card, receipt for signature prints out, I sign it, done.

Stores in Thailand have no problem processing chipped cards for purchases...in fact the great majority of Thai "credit" cards already have chips although the majority Thai "debit" cards do not....pretty much only the Bangkok Bank Be1st Smart debit card has a chip. Summary: Thai POS checkout machines work with chip and/or magnetic stripe.

Anyway, the chip was magically working after the call to PenFed customer service. The replacement card did arrive about 10 days later but I never used it since the first card they sent me was now working fine after the phone call to PenFed....that 2nd card they sent me now lives in the darkness of my safe as a spare card. What this told me is the apparently the chip portion and the magnetic stripe portion can be activated/setup separately on the card-issuing bank end. Since the card is setup to default to Chip & Signature as first choice assuming the seller/bank has their device setup to accept Chip & Signature (some may want Chip & PIN like common in Europe), the receipt of signature prints out in about 2 seconds after the card is inserted, whether I"m doing a purchase like at Lotus, Foodland, etc., or doing a cash advance counter withdrawal at Bangkok Bank or Krungsri Bank....sign the receipt....transaction done.

Have you tried using the card for a purchase where the check clerk just swipes the card? If your card works that way then it's just a chip issue...or chip activation/setup issue. But since you said you have called your bank to have the block taken off, the problem was just an issue with you using the card outside of Canada and your bank block all or most foreign use....some banks do that automatically and you must call them in advance to inform them of your travel plans to other countries.

Now if you are talking a "debit" card which I think you are talking about quite a few Than bank branches will not accomplish a counter withdrawal for a debit card, but no problem for a credit card. For debit cards some banks will just point you to their ATMs where they get that Bt180 fee.

And depending on how your "card-issuing" bank has authorizations setup for use of the chip and magnetic stripe, it could be setup to only authorize cash withdrawals with use of the Chip (like how the Bangkok Bank Be1st Smart/chipped debit card is setup)...and use of the Chip could be either Chip & PIN or Chip & Signature.

All the Thai bank can tell you the message that returned on their POS/terminal when trying to process the card...that message is just a short few words of like "OverLimit" if trying to ask for more money that the card allows per day/transaction, Authorization Declined, Invalid Transaction, Contact Visa/Mastercard, etc., which means there is something wrong with the card or the account it's linked to....all the Thai bank can tell you is to contact your card-issuing bank. They can only tell you the card is not working for the transaction they are trying to do....they can't tell you whether the chip is good or bad, if the card is activated, etc.

Your card problem is not Thai bank, Thai ATM, or Thai POS machine related; your problem is all related to authorizations and use limits established by your "card-issuing" bank in Canada so don't waste anytime on bad-mouthing folks on the Thailand end...save those words for your Canadian bank end.

Now if you are talking a "debit" card which I think you are talking about quite a few Than bank branches will not accomplish a counter withdrawal for a debit card, but no problem for a credit card. For debit cards some banks will just point you to their ATMs where they get that Bt180 fee.

im not trying to bad mouth but i am frustrated ^^^

im aware of limits and had them raised on my bank "debit" card which is the card in mention.

i did not have a block prior to yesterday.

i want to know why i was able to do large sums via counter withdrawal in the past but now since ive been pointed to the ATM for smaller amounts, why i cant seem to go back to large amounts via teller

I have a Bangkok Bank debit card that has a chip. I was told the chip only worked at Bangkok Bank ATMs. There's also a magnetic strip on the card. I presume the magnetic strip is used by card readers that don't have the capability to read the chip (i.e. other banks ATMs, stores, and restaurants).

I can't see how anyone could tell if a chip was working without a reader that connects via the contacts on the chip!

Thanks.

That's what I thought too is chip needs contact with a scanner but wasn't sure.

My CDN debit card has both magnetic and chip

Thai bank teller used to let me take money out using it.. Now I'm not sure if it's a new uneducated confused teller who thinks its a credit card or ???

My card still works in ATM, that uses the magnetic strip though ?

Reason I go in bank is because I can only do 20,000 baut via ATM at a time, and sometimes I want large amounts. Like when I had to deposit 400,000 bt in my own thai bank account. If I need to use ATM, I'm going to have to do 20k x 20 transactions

My bank told me the chip on my debit card is working .

So you are trying to get it to stop working?

No

I'm trying to figure out if in everything we discussed over phone

If something was miscommunicated as thai bank says they can't use my debit card

hi I have a canadian bank card which the man at thai bank says chip doesn't work. I'm not sure if he is just lazy or confused as it says visa on it although it's a debit card.

I had to take a block off my card today which involved talking to my CDN bank, I was told the chip works.

Is my CDN bank able to tell if a chip works via their pc ?

If so why is Thai bank ....

Thank you

My bank told me the chip on my debit card is working . Are they able to check from their end?

I thought chips need to be scanned, and that it's not something that can be checked remotely ?

I'm a little confused if the bank teller in thailand is just lazy or useless and or thinks my bank debit card is a credit card as it says visa on it.

I use Skype for calling the bank in Canada. It works very well and you can use their 800 number.

I do the same for all free phone numbers in NZ. Ours are 0800 numbers. I have a subscription that allows me to call all landlines for about $10 per month and I'm always using it to call banks, insurance companies, anybody that has an 0800 number, as well as family of course.

Sometimes Telecom in NZ rejects the call - I suspect that are able to detect Skype calls somehow. But I just redial and after a few attempts it invariably goes through.

Thank you,

You mean a Skype subscription ?