Bountyhuntr

You don't even need call credit on it to be still valid. Mine was over a year old and could still be used, the number is still registered to my SIM

I don't see where the OP said he registered his number to his sim.

What are you talking about?

When you buy a SIM it will be associated with a number.... The SIM card was still attached to the same number after a year.

That is what I meant by by "still registered".

Hi PiPiFFS,

Thanks for your questions, I have had the number for years and years, In August I asked my wife to e-mail me two top up numbers for 200 Baht. I put my sim on roaming, topped it up, and had a message to say balance was 100 Baht and expired on 5th. October. due to a bereavement I had to go to England two weeks ago , and forgot about the sim. I have tried putting it on roaming here ( Saudi), but get a message it is de-activated, so I cannot use it to call the help centre.

You need to get your wife to call them ASAP. Send her the numbers on the back of the SIM card, in case they need them for the purpose of identification. For the future, it's better to buy 50 baht topups. As each gives you 30 days of validity.

That 30 days is false, mine stayed valid for over a year.

Careful of what you claim to be false. I live here, and have two phones, both with True. One I did not use for 45 days. When I went to use it, it said the SIM had been de-activated for lack of use. I had to go to the True office to get it re-activated, and my credit back.

I live here too.

Well let's just say it depends on the operator.

Hi PiPiFFS,

Thanks for your questions, I have had the number for years and years, In August I asked my wife to e-mail me two top up numbers for 200 Baht. I put my sim on roaming, topped it up, and had a message to say balance was 100 Baht and expired on 5th. October. due to a bereavement I had to go to England two weeks ago , and forgot about the sim. I have tried putting it on roaming here ( Saudi), but get a message it is de-activated, so I cannot use it to call the help centre.

You need to get your wife to call them ASAP. Send her the numbers on the back of the SIM card, in case they need them for the purpose of identification. For the future, it's better to buy 50 baht topups. As each gives you 30 days of validity.

That 30 days is false, mine stayed valid for over a year.

Mine lasted over a year with no credit on it, still has the same number registered to it.

edit: double post due to forum errors

You don't even need call credit on it to be still valid. Mine was over a year old and could still be used, the number is still registered to my SIM

Wilc, for sure theyve been affected.

I uuse to use a company to go to Cambodia, I went back in June/july after the crackdown on exempt entries and there was only three of us making the trip. Now instead of going everyday it's just twice a week.

I guess with the less people arriving at Cambodia border thats the reason why they put the visa fee up by 10 dollars?

I have a multiple entry tourist visa. I was told by the people at immigration I could get a 30 day extension. Didnt really understand the reasoning I just hope I dont get a different story next time.

There is no "multiple entry" tourist visas, you most likely have 2 or 3 entries.

If the day you need to go falls on a weekend, then Monday is fine.

World First is not good at all.

Exchange rate of 50.5 for £400 and 51 for £1400 and you're unable to make the payment with your credit card in UK.

Western Union charges £4.90 as of recently but can get an exchange rate of 52 with £1400 with no other fees. Works out a lot better with an extra 1300 baht

Just transfered cash from nationwide yesterday arrived this morning 51.65

fee?[/quote

20 pounds actually just checked got 51 84 to the pound

Yeah better of using Western Union...save yourself £15.

Has anybody got experience of getting credit card payments out here? Western Union only give 51 for using credit card, and for £1500 would lose 1500 baht, £30.

I'll look into world first

I use to send with WU with no fees and a -1.5 thb less rate, which worked out cheaper than my bank.

Just checked WU now and it seems they charge a £4.90 fee, however if you send over £1000 you get 51.95 exchange rate - pretty decent.

EDIT: WU seemed to give you different rates on the method you pay.....

Just transfered cash from nationwide yesterday arrived this morning 51.65

fee?

Obviously if the visa was for study and you are not studying (after just 2 months?) then it's void and you can't stay here.

Rudest immigration officer I've ever had was at Poi Pet border, old guy with receding hair line!

Yes I know this guy very nasty guy,thinks everyone is a naughty child,shouts at people. I threw my passport on the desk at him like I had watched him throw passports back at people. <deleted>.

But you must report these people ( after you have got what you came for) make them feel some pain for your often public humiliation.

Lol yes that's the guy, shouted at me too. Check PM for photo, has be same guy!

Rudest immigration officer I've ever had was at Poi Pet border, old guy with receding hair line!

Thanks for the report but you shouldn't expect any problems obtaining an ED visa from laos, all that scaring business has finished.

Thanks for your help, it sounds good, I was afraid about the fact of cumuling 2 tourist visa with my past history of 4 visa exemption back to back but if you say that's not a problem I don't need to worry anymore

You sound familiar.

New rules to increase the required study would be great news. Would Make it harder for the people that have no interest in studying and are just it in for visa. Awesome.

However 4x days a week should be changed to 4 hours for 2 days per week. 2 hours per day is a bit silly.

So because you are in a position to have a visa you think its ok that people under 50 who do not wish to be an ATM (marry) or have Thai children should not be allowed to stay ?

Typical of the mean spirited expats who are lucky to be able to get a visa for long stay. I hope they tighten up on retirement visas like making you apply yearly from your home country including police checks etc.

No wonder Thailand wants to get rid of long stay falangs, reading on Thaivisa shows how petty westerners who live here are. Better of with just 30 day max tourists should help clean up the sexpat scene

Are you someone that abuses the visa for study but doesn't actually study? You're the person making hard for people that genuinely want to study, thailand doesn't need people like you.

p.s I'm no on a retirement visa, your posts tells me the person you are.

Western union for me has NO fees (I'm from UK). Though they have a lesser exchange rate. However the lesser exchange rate still beats ATM withdrawals.

I suppose that depends what kind of ATM withdrawals you're doing.

My ATM withdrawals carry no foreign currency fee from the banks that issue my cards. And, the Thai ATM withdrawal fees I incur are reimbursed fully by my card issuing banks. So in effect, the net overhead cost for my ATM withdrawals is ZERO, and the exchange rates are the full VISA or MC network rates with no deductions.

If Western Union really is more economical for you compared to ATM withdrawals, perhaps it's time to consider what kind of home country bank cards you're using abroad, and what kind of fees they're charging you.

ATM machine withdrawals are 150-180 baht standard if you use your bank card from abroad. If your bank back home refunds this money I'll be very surprised. That's why everybody use to withdraw from AEON as it use to be free withdrawals.

Regarding fees charged from your actual bank back home, someone else from UK also confirmed what fees he pays, which are very high. Maybe western union is not good for your country/you, who knows. Most if not all banks abroad especially England will charge you heavy fees for using it abroad. For example, Natwest charge you using it abroad(that fee is capped at £5) and a % fee for converting the money when you withdraw(like 3%). It use to cost me around £18(excluding atm charge) in fees to withdraw about £480. So around 4%. I know moneygram you're going to have to pay a hell of a lot more. I can get the money in my thai bank in 1-2 days with no fees with WU, so the best alternative for sure.

50.7 THB per £ and you claim "no fees"?? Are you missing a part of your brain?

Simple calculation.

Transfer £100 via WU and receive 5070 baht.

Withdraw the equivalent of £100 from an AEON ATM with a fee free card(such as the Halifax Clarity) and receive 5288 baht minus 150 baht. 5138 baht.

Withdraw a larger amount and the ATM rate improves, whilst the WU rate stays the same.

Now all you need is a fee free card

Even if you cannot obtain one from N&P or Cumberland, you can look at the Halifax Clarity.

If for some reason, you cannot obtain a mainstream card, you can get yourself a Prepaid Mastercard, in the form of Kalixa Pay. Using this card for purchases, you get the full Mastercard rate(currently 52.88). For instance, shopping at Tesco Lotus. For ATM withdrawals, there is a flat fee of £2.25(119 baht). With this card, the trick would be to take the max out each time. In this case £300 (15864 baht) minus 150 for AEON and 119 for Kalixa. 15595 baht. Likely you would pull 15000 out, costing you £283.66 + £3 + £2.25. £288.91

WU gets you 15210 baht for your £300.

So you'll get better value from even a simple Prepaid Mastercard.

I just looked and the internatonal exchange rate is 52.9, so if it's 51.4 right now then yup works out cheaper. 1-1.5 baht less per £ would not leave you £20 out of pocket compared to an ATM if you withdrew £400-£500 for example. You would still save atleast £5 on that.

Think you have no brain let a lone missing a part of.

p.s paypal exchange rate would be something like 50.

@TallGuy

For example, if you withdrew 25,000 baht from ATM machine with your US debit card and US bank, you would get the international exchange rate also?

Don't know why banks would lose money for a customer

i am actually on ED visa, and i am going to the class every time, and try to lern thai. (very difficult for me , i was not very quick in scholl also in my home country)

but i think 4 days a week is a bit to much and of course they will increase the price of the course....

I think if this is going to be true, i will buy a 5 years thai elite visa, and try to improve the thai with the help of my Gf and friends.

8 hours a week is a bit much for you?

I think you fit the criteria the crackdown is aimed at.

New rules to increase the required study would be great news. Would Make it harder for the people that have no interest in studying and are just it in for visa. Awesome.

However 4x days a week should be changed to 4 hours for 2 days per week. 2 hours per day is a bit silly.

Western union for me has NO fees (I'm from UK). Though they have a lesser exchange rate. However the lesser exchange rate still beats ATM withdrawals.

I suppose that depends what kind of ATM withdrawals you're doing.

My ATM withdrawals carry no foreign currency fee from the banks that issue my cards. And, the Thai ATM withdrawal fees I incur are reimbursed fully by my card issuing banks. So in effect, the net overhead cost for my ATM withdrawals is ZERO, and the exchange rates are the full VISA or MC network rates with no deductions.

If Western Union really is more economical for you compared to ATM withdrawals, perhaps it's time to consider what kind of home country bank cards you're using abroad, and what kind of fees they're charging you.

ATM machine withdrawals are 150-180 baht standard if you use your bank card from abroad. If your bank back home refunds this money I'll be very surprised. That's why everybody use to withdraw from AEON as it use to be free withdrawals.

Regarding fees charged from your actual bank back home, someone else from UK also confirmed what fees he pays, which are very high. Maybe western union is not good for your country/you, who knows. Most if not all banks abroad especially England will charge you heavy fees for using it abroad. For example, Natwest charge you using it abroad(that fee is capped at £5) and a % fee for converting the money when you withdraw(like 3%). It use to cost me around £18(excluding atm charge) in fees to withdraw about £480. So around 4%. I know moneygram you're going to have to pay a hell of a lot more. I can get the money in my thai bank in 1-2 days with no fees with WU, so the best alternative for sure.

Western Union is the best. They charge no fees if you send from bank to bank from overseas to here. The only 'fee' is the less exchange rate. This still beats PayPal(the worst) money gram and bank transfers

My Banks western union action is certainly not free at a flat $9. dlrs and 1% plus exchange. Can't believe you regarding anything to do with western union no fees

Western union for me has NO fees (I'm from UK). Though they have a lesser exchange rate. However the lesser exchange rate still beats ATM withdrawals.

Maybe you're doing it wrong

Mostly on Thursday and Monday