sandyf

Better to do it yourself. There are webapps around where you can create your floorplan, insert the furniture and move it about.

Each to their own. I wouldn't dream of doing transactions on a smartphone, touch screen technology and my fingers do not get along. I don't think I have opened my Thai bank app since it was installed, and only use Wise and HSBC apps to verify webapp transactions.

Good deflection. Remind me, who tried to say tuition fees were not based on nationality. As usual, you would think that 3 years is ok in the UK but the Thais should recognise 3 minutes of residency. Nothing like a bit of dualing.

No, I know the difference. Some years ago, pre brexit vote, I used to get my pension direct from the DWP and there was some debate on the topic. I saw at the time something on the bahnet website about all inward remittances being processed by the BOT at beneficial rates and distributed to banks via bahtnet. I can no longer find that page and would accept that things may have changed and Thai banks themselves may be doing the conversion which would as you say be the telegraphic transfer rate.

I am not interested in your calculations, only my own. As far as I am concerned it is more advantageous for me to use HSBC than Wise and you can dispute that as much as you want, makes no difference. I said before, each to their own, and you even disputed that.

You are being ridiculous. Exactly the same could be said about dual pricing in Thailand, it is residency based. Very few on this forum could claim to be resident for more than 12 months at a time. If you have to continually renew your permission to stay, it would be considered consecutive, not continuous. Like many others the argument is always about why foreigners are hard done by. Why come to Thailand and complain about how the Thais do things. At the end of the day the good outweighs the bad so live with it.

And we are all aware of your idea of uniformity. Does your country pay any attention to whinging expats, thought not.

You would only get away with that on a direct flight, otherwise would be denied boarding.

The statement was from the UK government but you are perfectly free to dispute what they say.

As already said. "The "cost" is not less with Wise, it may be or it may not, too close to call."

Foreign remittances are converted by BOT and THB is credited to your Thai bank.

Exactly. Their country, their rules.

Almost anywhere along the coast, oyster beds everywhere. Would depend on how you want to eat them, many restaurants serve them as a sizzler, bit of a sticky mess.

Again you were wrong, getting away with something doesn't make it right. You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes. https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult

Again you are wrong. A passport remains a form of identification, you can travel with some airlines on an expired passport. Of course you are perfectly free try and cross an international border with a passport undergoing renewal. I however would follow the information from the British Embassy and get an ETD.

Thanks, I have only ever seen up to 30 days, must be looking in the wrong place. I was with 3BB and had an issue with them. I changed to a sim router and went for the DTAC 12 month. Hasn't worked out well and now it has paid for itself will be looking to go back to fiber.

You are wrong on 2 counts, the £5 is not deducted from the transfer, it is a separate charge that can be paid by either payer or payee. TT rates are not the same as BOT buying on Forex.

TT exchange is not the same as the BOT would get on Forex.

You are wrong. The old passport becomes invalid for international travel as soon as the passport office register the application for renewal. Once an application is registered the existing passport can only be used for identification.

You would convert some of your GBP holding into Thai baht, or any currency they handle. The only real benefit is you can do it at a time of your choosing when the rate may be beneficial. Last year I booked a holiday for this year in Turkey and converted some GBP to Turkish lira thinking the rate may not get any better or possibly deteriorate later, never anticipated the earthquake. As far as purchasing is concerned it is not necessary to have other currencies as irrespective of where you are they will take funds from any currency to make the payment. On my last return trip I bought a beer in Vienna airport and the sms said I had paid in USD, my EUR balance had run out.

From the heading - "an elderly technology averse"

Quite. A friend of mine bought a condo off plan in Wongamat back in 2009. When it was built he thought he had moved into the soviet bloc.

If it takes 4 months for renewal, it will be 4 months whenever you apply. Once you make the application you cannot use the passport internationally.

If you have an AIS sim there are a selection of data packages that can be added to that sim, and I should think the same for DTAC. AIS do not do the fixed 12 month as add-on but you can get 30 day auto renew which may be an option if you want to use the same sim. https://www.ais.th/package/en/package_net_non_stop.html

The "cost" is not less with Wise, it may be or it may not, too close to call. From HSBC to Thailand you pay a fixed fee of £5 and you get the forex rate when the funds are converted by the BOT, forex is better than the Wise rate. There is a small handling fee by the Thai bank, altogether very little in it and the overall cost using Wise is related to the amount you send. I have only ever cross checked the amounts I send, other amounts may give a different result. At the end of the day it is whatever you think suits best. I have seen the HSBC card but will stick with Wise, know that suits.