scoutman360

I am not disputing you, my friend. I clearly stated in my paragraph "Back then..., etc." Everyone's input is helpful. If you need to, please revisit to my post last year where (yours truely) gave me old information that caused me grief during my attempt at my first Non-O at CW. After that experience, I went to Vientianne. Sorry I must correct myself. My Non-O was done last year. Not a few years ago. 🙂 Per the Vientiane consular website (today): 4. O VISA PROCESSING TIME Usually 3-10 working days, depending on the completeness of documents, type of visa, and nationality of the applicants. This is in line with my paragraph above. The rules have changed and they no longer issue Visas the next day, as I was able to do. Cheers.

I recommend sending them an email with your questions. When I did my LTR application, I emailed them every time I didn't understand something. They were always very helpful and replied within a few hours. Good luck.

It is in the Line user setting if you can find them or not.

I worked 19 years in Thailand and when I retired after my 60th birthday, I wrote a resignation letter that clearly stated "I am resigning with the intension to retire." I did that because there was something in the Thai law writing that said severance pay is entitled if the person has the intension to retire. I checked that box. I sent it along with a few articles that talk about the severence pay law. I was paid out with no discussion. Unfortunately for you, I understand that schools get around severence pay by issuing new employment contracts to teachers every year. That means you will never accumulate years of employment (legally). My GF is an international school teacher and the things they do to cheat teachers is sad. Take a visit to the Thai labor department and see what they say.

I got my first 90-day non-O at Vientiane a few years ago. You definitely must be on "visa exempt" or "tourist" visa. Get your DTV canceled first. Back then, one could book an appointment online, submit docs on arrival, and get your visa the next day. I read reports that they no longer do that. You must wait 1-2 weeks to receive it. Check the embassy website.

Requirements change frequently at CW. Reading advice online frequently turned out to be old advice, as rules have since changed. I also question how much one can trust the "document check" person from my own experience where she sent me on my way, only for the IO to request a copy of the chanote from my condo owner, which the document check lady didn't ask for. Good luck at CW. It has never been a pleasant experience. I suggest next time you continue on to the IO and see what happens there.

I don't know Thai law, but I can tell you, working here 20+ years at an electronics factory, that all the staff (above operator level) are expected to have their own phone and laptop to do the job. No company phones, even for the senior director staff.

Lived here 21 years. I also have never had a taxi try to take the long route. I had one driver pour his distress onto me once, telling me he is constantly complained to by tourists because they don't understand many roads are one-way streets and he must go around the block. (Take Sukhumvit, for example. U-turn spots are rare so they must go the long way around to circle back to a place not far).

I was surprised when Bangkok Bank today rejected my request to open a new account because I was on an LTR Visa. They said I must have Work Permit or be on Non-O retirement visa. How did Thailand get into this type of logic? I would think any bank with common sense would make wealthy pensioners their first choice of banking customers. This makes the LTR Visa less attractive. Has anyone has similar experiences from other banks?

If you have transportation to venture to the edges of the city, there are many beautiful garden cafes. "Plantnery Green Cafe", "Mellow Garden", "Park Sathorn", "B-Story", "Foreste Cafe by Anna", Flow Garden", etc. My friend and I visit a new one every week.

For special birthdays and anniversaries, maybe. For an everday meal, not a chance. I usually order the appetizer in a restaurant. That is enough to fill me up.

Basic tax returns are cheap, but Form 8621 costs extra, and each investment account needs a separate form. You pay for each form separately, so if you have multiple PFIC's that can add up. I looked around once for other firms and they were more expensive than Taxes for Expats. I met a U.S. tax accountant here in Bangkok and he told me he charges 2x what I was paying for the same forms. Good luck.

If you are an American citizen and have foreign investments (stocks, bonds, etc.), they are treated as PFIC accounts by the IRS and Form 8621 is very complicated for an individual to try it themselves. Since I worked in Thailand 20 year, much of my retirement savings were in Provident funds. I had to hire expert U.S. tax accountants that specialize in this field. Otherwise, I would have done my own taxes. For over 10 years, I have used "Taxes for Expats", who is based in New York and I give them a high recommendation. Fear not that it is over the internet. They respond almost immediately and have high standards for their staff. Canada taxes I don't know. I doubt you will find one firm to do all 3 countries. Thailand tax returns...for the average expat, it is so simple a child can do it. All you need is a Thailand tax ID number (TIN), access to the Revenue Department website, and Chrome with Google Translate. My employer's admin did mine every year, and she was 22 years old. In my last year, I did it myself with the help of Google and got my Thai refund on time.

I had similar experience. Go online to Homepro or Ikea's website, register, and switch store locations until you find a store that has it. Then, go to the store yourself and buy it or order delivery from that store. Crazy. Compare that to the U.S. where I would walk into any clothing chain store, and if they didn't have what I want, they do a search in their system, and say it will be delivered to this store tomorrow.

I have had international transfer problems before and the bank (Kasikorn) called me and everything got sorted out. Why didn't Bangkok Bank call you? Not sure. They should have.