sandyf

You can hold THB in your account that has been exchanged at the Wise rate a time of your choosing so when you use the card you are spending Thai baht. With foreign cards the transaction will be converted at an exchange rate determined by the card issuer at the time, and in some cases like the UK, there is also a Non Sterling Transaction Fee on top. I have found it much more useful than my UK bank card, a real godsend when travelling. I went to Germany a few weeks back, just loaded the card with some Euros and used contactless, saves a great deal of the hassle with physical currency. You have to bear in mind however it is a debit card as opposed to a credit card.

Take it you have a link to the official announcement.

I got the senior fare several times when In BKK a couple of weeks ago. Just asked at the counter and nothing said.

When people make enquires about Wise they should clarify what they are trying to do and where. Regulations vary from country to country and can be subject to change. I had to provide photo ID to open my account in the UK, it is a card bearing account rather than just money transfer. An article I noticed recently. https://wise.com/help/articles/2932335/guide-to-thb-transfers

My wife had a good job but when her father died in 2013 she decided to retire about a year later. He had been looking after his grandaughter who was still at school and the immediate solution was that her sister who lived in Bangkok came home during the week, returning home at the weekends, She had a hair dressing business that she just shut down, she sold up and moved to the family home. With not much to do during the day the pair of them set up a voluntary refuge for unwanted cats and for the last 7 to 8 years have had about 60 inmates. No income, only outgoings, but as you say self respect and Bhudda brownie points.

"Bangkok’s cumulative risk score stood at 53.34, driven significantly by crime and health security concerns," Should have read "driven signiicantly by the views of misinformed foreigners."

I believe over 30 million people participated in the last digital wallet scheme, those that didn't have a smartphone, or didn't want to use a smartphone were given a card to show to the vendor. Not that complicated, the vast majority were more than happy to use their phone, we now pay the price of previous initiatives in supermarket queues.

You are perfectly free to believe there has never been any previous digital wallet schemes. Just because you have never participated doesn't mean they haven't existed, or been successful. I think there has been 4 previous schemes, each one being more successful than the previous. Only the ignorant falangs think this is something new.

Thai Immigration do no such thing, they refer to them as the Ban Laem and Ban Pakkard Border Check Points, because they both use the same stamp. I am sure I used to see a building near the traffic lights on the 317 that also said "Immigration". I think Pong Nam Ron is the only jurisdiction that has 2 land borders.

Struck me as being a bit like a storyline from the TV political drama series "Scandal".

You think Madoff Investments a better bet.

I can only assume you are of the opinion loan sharks are a species unique to Thailand. Time to broaden your horizons.

It is always a matter of opinion whether concept of implication is wrong or not, but certainly not up to anyone on this forum, moderator or otherwise, to pass judgement. On the basis that the majority of visas become "used" on entry with people being granted visa status, it is perfectly acceptable in the English language for the word "status" to become implied. Non native speakers may find it unacceptable but you are not going to teach old English dogs new tricks. When someone makes a post, wouldn't it be better to try and understand the context or ask for clarification, than to start picking holes in what has been said. The terminology brigade on this forum was wiped out some years ago and the last thing we need is a resurrection.

You are wrong to respond in such a manner. The poster plans to extend his visa status which will be based on the visa used to enter the country.

There never really was a replacement for the one on 2nd Road. Went in the Walking Street one a couple of times but once was enough for Pattaya Tai.

And you obviously have difficulty understanding English.

Please let us know in what countries people would do any different. Delusional to think that when people get their Winter Fuel allowance they are not straight down the pub. Appears that handouts are perfectly acceptable elsewhere, just not in Thailand.

Why do people insist on talking like there has never been a digital wallet scheme before. Wait a minute, most of the foreigners had done a runner when they were in progress.

Some countries are so paranoid they won't have a national ID card, then complain about identity manipulation and illegal workers.

Been quite involved in all the finacial initiatives since they started in Aug 2020, so more than most, particularly interfering foreigners that have never participated.

I take it you mean in the same way they supported BRICS. Naivity is thinking there is only one way to skin a cat. "According to the Government Spokesperson, BRICS has a policy to expand beyond its current members, and has invited non-member countries to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, to be held in Kazan, the Russian Federation on October 22-24, 2024. This will be an opportunity for Thailand to accelerate its accession to BRICS in a bid to enhance Thailand's role as a leader among developing countries, and increase the country’s opportunity to take part in international economic policy making." https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83640 "The main constraint on Thailand’s competitiveness, according to the OECD website, is not having enough skilled workers to meet the demands of advanced industries. The government has been actively working with Thai private sector and international partners to advance human resource development especially in advanced industries. Thailand is currently collaborating with the OECD under the second phase of the OECD-Thailand Country Programme, which focuses on the areas of doing business, investment, sustainability, transparency, good governance, competition policies, and human resource development through education, science, technology, and innovation policies." https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/content/thailand-aiming-for-oecd-membership

The government is looking for investment to increase GDP and reduce tourist dependency, and hopefully whinging expats. Coming from a country where the handouts come from the DWP budget rather than pass through parliamentary process I can understand you may find it confusing. Personal debt in Thailand is around 91% of GDP, it is about 120% of GDP in the UK and about 150% in US. The real truth is that the UK is deeper in the brown stuff than Thailand but nobody is interested, after all what would people do if they didn't have the whinging forum.

The Thai national dept to GDP is 64.5%, the UK is 104.3%, yet you think Thailand is "broke". The UK spends more on national debt interest than it does on defence.

A bit historical. Around 25 years ago it was said the Brits had South Pattaya and the Germans the North, nearly all German bars from Dolphin roundabout up Naklua road. Some years ago the Russians started arriving en masse and took over some areas such as Wongamat, spread on to Naklua road. A couple of months ago a friend of mine came down from north Thailand and stayed at Pattaya Park. We had a night nearby and I couldn't believe the Russian presence, hardly a menu with English, just Thai and Russian.

Obviously you subscribe to the belief that Rome was built in a day. A few days ago saw a major global farce in financial management, people had problems accessing bank accounts and paying bills, even the London Stock Exchange shut down. Nobody gets where they want to go unless the first step is taken. The real problem here is the foreigners come to Thailand and want things to be the same as where they left. If there is a financial farce in the world, look to the biggest economy.