edwardflory

That's called, at the least, fraud, possibility forgery, and a reason to stop your pension payments. You risk YOUR pension cause you don't want to spend a couple hundred bt?

AMERICANS ..NEED.. a clearance letter from the US Embassy that you are "free to marry". Costs $50USD, it's a sworn document before a embassy officer. Then it must be translated to THAI ( by a certified translator )

What visa / extension is he on? If you can't afford a 1000bt purchase - time to go home. The exchange rate is affecting all expats, I would think most of us have a "piggy bank (aka stashed cash)" to raid if needed.

$50 is the usual "SWIFT" transfer flat fee MOST banks charge ( from USA at least ), AND, you normally get a lousy exchange rate. Did you transfer via SWIFT

If you need a USA number, a APK is available and I use it for US banking. The APK, calls and service are FREE. ( On some phones and tablets it will not work ) You MUST USE the service or you LOOSE the service. www.textnow.com

PINK ID CARD, and a YELOW HOUSE BOOK, make life MUCH easier in Thailand. They help to open bank accounts, travel, and other things by showing you are a """resident""" A driver license is not that powerful but is very useful.

NAVY HOSPITAL in BKK, Google it

Name brand drugs, ( imports ), as well as generic drugs not available in general, are usually available at THAI MILITARY HOSPITALS. To use a MILITARY hospital you MUST get a hospital ID Card. ( free) 1st. You pay the same cost as Thai civilians using the military hospital.

90 day reporting is required when you STAY in Thailand 90 days WITHOUT leaving. Day 1 of 90 days starts on the date uou ENTER, no matter what time. Also remember the TM-30, USUALLY filed by a landlord or hotel within 24 hours of laying your head down, BUT you can also file. Who, how, when filed is DEPENDING on your LOCAL IO policy if you return to same address.

I have a small bank issued card, not a major. As I said, I use XE to find THEIR exchange rate, and, my total bank charges were SLIGHTLY over $3.00 for the last transfer this month - based on the XE exchange rate. ( I have US phone service here and check bank account after my transfers ) . The $3.00+ range has been constant on 30,000bt for EVERY transfer this past year. I usually transfer 30,000bt each time I need spare change 😁.

My Thai bank TELLER swipes my US Card, I sign 2 slips of paper, check my bankbook for correct deposit as I head to ATM, withdraw THB at ATM as I leave bank. ONE trip, one place, done in about 5 minutes. Total cost of transactiom of a 30,000bt transfer last week, $3.12 ( usually 3 to 5 mins wait time for teller not included )

I rented a scooter for 2,000bt a month ( gas was all I paid for - maintenance & insurance included ) who would pay 10,000bt a month? Even in tourist areas, renting is not THAT expensive.

I do it the simple way. I use my US BANK MC DEBIT to make deposits into my Thai bank account, ONE trip to the bank, make deposit from US card, withdraw THB at Thai bank ATM. On 30,000THB, my TOTAL CHARGES from US Bank last week was $3.12, exchange included ( based on XE exchange rate )

DEPENDING on your LOCAL IO POLICY, You might need a NEW TM-30 upon re-entry even to the same address. Korat DOES require. YOU can do a TM-30 YOURSELF as I have done several times - easy if returning to SAME address. Can do as: House Master, Possessor or renter.

I pay via my APK. Receipt saved to mobile.

Entry for free: 2 main reasons to deny entry lack of funds Lack of onward / return ticket

Take your OLD and NEW PP to the bank, should take around 5 minutes, give or take. Correct PP number prevents future problems with the bank. If joint account, the other person might need to go also. EDIT: I updated at KRUNGSRI, no problems with apk

TM-30's and TM-47 ARE required

Read the RTP regulations to increase your NOT so vast knowledge of Royal Thai Police Regulation's. Use Google to translate if you can't find the English version. Under limited circumstances a FTPA """civilian""" as well as a Thai police volunteer """civilian""" can make a legal arrest

It irks me that I see most posters have NO idea what a foreign volunteer (FTPA ) does or can do. Most foreign volunteer's can speak more than one language, many have been police officers in their home country. I know of one FTPA person that speaks English, Italian, German and French, another person who speaks English, Japanese and Chinese. Many ""real"" police officers do not speak more than 2 languages, Thai and English. There are visitors / tourest in Thailand that speak over 100 languages and variations. All FTPA have police clearance from their home country, pass background checks and interviews BEFORE starting training. I can tell stories of how FTPA volunteer's have kept MANY people out of being charged or out of jail because of the ability to communicate with that person and translate to the command police officer. If you have a problem, usually a FTPA can be found that speaks your native language. As part of the training I was working the HQ desk when a taxi driver brought a confused scared lost older Albanian man to HQ. In about 5 minutes he was talking on the phone to a ""walty mitty idiot volunteer"" that could speak his language, was able to sort things out and contact his family to come get him. Translation and compassion is a BIG part of FTPA service. On the rare occasion, a FTPA volunteer will be involved in making a arrest - READ / RESEARCH the RTP regulations how this IS LEGAL. I made 1 arrest in 4 years, a violent drunk tourist.

If you did not know, YOU can doa TM-30 YOURSELF, as I have done several times at my LOCAL IO ( 10 minutes from my door ) ....Again it depends on LOCAL office POLICY what paperwork YOU can do..... I have done TM-30's for visitors to my house - my name is the only one on rental agreement / lease, It makes things easier for my friends to get visa extensions and more having this paperwork.

The very basic. Once you lay your head down ""on a pillow"", a TM-30 MUST be done within 24 hours by: a Property Owner / Landlord - most common, or House Master, or Possessor, or renter ( least common ) Your wife can be ANY of the above.

Additional: called my US BANK.... My ATM LIMIT using MY US bank card is $300 1X a day. At a TELLER inside the bank it is $2,000 ( 2X's daily ) with the same card. Since I ALWAYS deposit straight to my Thai bank account, ( then withdraw bt at the banks ATM ) I do NOT know the charges for receiving cash. I would ...GUESS..., if you want cash, the bank would give you the banks internal posted exchange rate. ( and a service charge? )

I do NOT use a ATM to get monies from my US MC. I go inside my Thai bank to a TELLER ( NOT the service desk ) have the teller swipe my card for the amount I want transfered and DEPOSITED STRAIGHT to my account. I have found TOTAL charges for the $1000USD deposit average $1.76 to $1.82USD ( past 4 months ) on top of the international MC exchange rate. ( $1001.76 TO $1001.82 USD ) As I leave the bank I usually make a 20 to 30,000bt withdraw from the banks ATM. I have NOT made 2 X's 20 to 30,000bt in a single day at any bank ATM.