Firefan

The "clean police report" in home country makes me think: will anything on the report automatically stop the process or will there be an evaluation of the actual incident? I can think up a lot of cases where one of us could end up with something on the report. Knocking down an attacker in self defense can even do that sometimes but could be many other cases.

Just wondering....

Cheers!

Simcity; yes this is Thailand so they can come up with all kinds of "ideas" depending on the day/person/mood...

Drivers license you can see the official requirements on the housing/transport board here (pinned thread). Pretty straight forward actually. Just not tourist visa.

True/tel/electricity I went there myself; and after the "work permit?" question they confirmed that a copy of my foreign drivers license (and passport w. tourist visa) was fine.

Bank account+bank cash card was no problem (Bangkok Bank - head office Silom) but I have not applied for internet banking and believe they mentioned one needed a work permit(as does their homepage). I will now try to get their 1st premier debit card and hope they will not cause me any head ache.

Cheers!

Simcity; drivers license you can get on any visa besides tourist visa.

Bank account I opened (Bank Bank) without a visa at all (just 30 day stam in)

My uilities are all in my name with True/Electric company(TOT) Etc.

In short; all wrong (but I am sure that some front staff somewhere in an office will think up some of their own requirements - that is normally the magic "work permit?" though. . Cheers!

if i am not wrong ? you like to add :

with retirement you can apply for a driving license / bank account and have utilities ( mobile phone / internet / electricity ecetera ) on your own name !

firfan , i am in Thailand for over 8-9 years just on a 1 year visa O or sometime 3*3 month O ( no work , not the age to retired )

True did not want me to open a account with me on my visa basic ! Never try for driving license , i have my bank account for the last ten year , no possible to do online banking with them as i do not have the retirement visa ...

4 years ago i try to have utilities & UBC in my name, not possible!

Close friend did put me on his name and open a bank account with automatic draw from these companies!

in short ! all not possible for me !

There are cards out there where one can chose not to have a name on.

Not saying this guy is legit (or not) though (but if really a fake - would onr then not ensure a name got put on it...?). Cheers!

Expected nothing less from you Ice Maiden!

Another friend also just signed up and we haven't even decided on a place yet!

I will in a week or 2 post a new topic with a date in early Sept. Reverting. Cheers!

January!? October!? Argh... Can not wait that long.... I guess I will post here for something in September (un-official TV drinks meet-up) and people can PM me if they want to join up. Any good suggestions for a place would be appreciated. Cheers!

So when is the next TV party? I missed the last one (still kicking myself...) so please let us know. I heard somebody say September? Cheers!

Get well soon - somy good spicy soup works for me!

I also react sharply to Thai mossie bites (not to European ones - so must be a question of immunity).

Antihistamine tabs and cortisone gel normally does the trick.

Cheers!

I don't let it worry me (although my mates do ask for my next destinations before booking their own holidays).

He,he - Coffee through the nose funny!

Cheers!

What are we watching here? All the different visa run service bus owners fighting it out?

Try compeeding on service and price instead!

Cheers!

Interesting situation where a salary increase might save the company money!

All happy!

Cheers!

He, he - I will have to check as I rarely update my bank book but I have not seen any interest on it. I guess you get the 0.75% then - still better than nothing (keeping up a bit with inflation) and also a matter of principle. Heren is the BKK Bank homepage with the rates:

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Pe...erest+Rates.htm

I guess it depends how one interpretate the "non-resident".

Cheers!

Simcity; drivers license you can get on any visa besides tourist visa.

Bank account I opened (Bank Bank) without a visa at all (just 30 day stam in)

My uilities are all in my name with True/Electric company(TOT) Etc.

In short; all wrong (but I am sure that some front staff somewhere in an office will think up some of their own requirements - that is normally the magic "work permit?" though. . Cheers!

if i am not wrong ? you like to add :

with retirement you can apply for a driving license / bank account and have utilities ( mobile phone / internet / electricity ecetera ) on your own name !

Britmav; we are talking his Thai visa extension.

Anyway; as long as they are legally married and she is a Thai national it does not matter if she has been sending ping pong balls to the sky all her life. (not that I imply that).

Cheers!

nev; yes diversification across asset classes and currencies is key.

simcity; yes a broker or fund manager churning your account sucks too, which is why one should buy the funds ONESELF and preferably no-load INDEX funds with very little trading needed inside the fund.

9 out of 10 managed funds underperform the indey they are in.

Any load just makes that even worse.

Cheers!

Eric! Pull them out NOW and I will pay an additional 2 Baht to you and you will have enough for 4 hours of happy hour drinking at Cathouse!

According to their homepage we still get ZERO while others get 0.75% on their savings account. Mr. Happy must be lucky that his account is listed as a Thai national I guess.

I will check out Ayudhya Bank and Asia Bank. Cheers!

He,he - no problem Haha - we are just having a good discussion here. If not they would call it "agreement-boards" and how fun would THAT be?

Unlike most here I actually believe that global trade will lead to a strengthening of the Baht in the longer run. I have been wrong before!

Cheers!

Sorry but there is NO proof that any fund with a front-end load (or an entry charge, a bid/offer spread or whatever they decide to call it) perform better than funds that do NOT have that. And since there are TONS of funds without any charge... why pay it? At Ameritrade, Etrade, lowtrades.com Etc. you can pick your fund either at no carge (no transaction fee = NTF) or at say 10-25$ in commission nomatter what the buying amount is.

Front loads STINKS.

Cheers!

A management who charge at start under 5 % is very fare to me; they are running your account for you.

In the pass to go to see a broker and buy share from him, will cost you 2 % and when your sell 2 % again, not anymore with online trading.

when i was working full time i did not have time to trade and anyway my mortgage was taking most of my income, i did supplement with some blue chip shares and some funds ( all very conservative ) , after 10 years i find myself with a plus plus profit !

When I stop working I change my strategies and trade on line!

Some of the links were comparing prices in Korat Etc. where expecially rent is much cheaper. I will give it a shot (1 person) based on lower level expat (not talking bank GM but more a lower level manager which should fit your description):

Monthly

Rent = 20000 (1-2 bedrooms. Pool. Gym. Security)

Food = 10000 (besides groceries includes fast food/order food+happy hour beer)

Utilities = 5000 (1 aircon on 24/7 is about half of it+fridges Etc. Internet+cable)

Clothing = 500 (cheap here)

Eating out twice a week at a nice restaurant = 4000/mth

Insurance = health: 20000/year

Cost of owning a car = 25000/year (Include insurance+tax. not incl. gas/repairs)

So in USD that gets to about $1100/mth. Add in gas/cash buffer for insurance deductables/holidays and visa runs(+a few more nights out? ) and $1500/mth will give you a nice middle class lifestyle in Bangkok. Additional money for partying a lot at fancy clubs are hard to estimate.

Cheers!

Some of the links were comparing prices in Korat Etc. where expecially rent is much cheaper. I will give it a shot (1 person) based on lower level expat (not talking bank GM but more a lower level manager which should fit your description):

Monthly

Rent = 20000 (1-2 bedrooms. Pool. Gym. Security)

Food = 10000 (besides groceries includes fast food/order food+happy hour beer)

Utilities = 5000 (1 aircon on 24/7 is about half of it+fridges Etc. Internet+cable)

Clothing = 500 (cheap here)

Eating out twice a week at a nice restaurant = 4000/mth

Insurance = health: 20000/year

Cost of owning a car = 25000/year (Include insurance+tax. not incl. gas/repairs)

So in USD that gets to about $1100/mth. Add in gas/cash buffer for insurance deductables/holidays and visa runs(+a few more nights out? ) and $1500/mth will give you a nice middle class lifestyle in Bangkok. Additional money for partying a lot at fancy clubs are hard to estimate.

Cheers!

Haha; ehh... I don't really get your arguments in your last post - but bottom line is that having ones nest egg in one currency (whichever!) only is a bad financial strategy, especially for international people like us, who will have more exposure to currency swings than most.

The reasons why so many people believe that the USD will weaken, are right in our face (the triple deficits/war Etc. cost MONEY). Many people much smarter than be (Buffett, Bill Gross Etc.) believes the same.

One COULD argue that the risk is then already priced into the USD. I.e. there might be more upside than downside from here.

Time will show...

Cheers!

Well here is a guy saying she should surely do it if it makes her feel better with herself. Several friends of mine have done it and the way they seem to grow their confidence (besides the breasts ) has been worth it for every one of them!

Cheers!

Does foreigners get interest at all at the different banks? I do not recall seeing any on my BKK Bank savings account. I believe somebody mentioned other banks that DO pay interest to foreigners?

How do they handle taxes on interest then (especially if no work permit and therefore no tax registration).

Does anybody have experience with the various time deposits? Can Foreigners (without w. Permit) buy those?

Any other ideas to get cash to work for a foreigner here (money market account/short bond funds?) that you know of are appreciated.

Cheers!

Barry; yeah for Thailand cover I agree the emerald cover will be just fine. I travel a lot and need that higher cover. Cheers!

Barry; but what if you or a family member get seriously sick while visiting your origin country or travelling in Western world? Heart transplant, a month in hospital after accident, brain surgery or whatever? This can easily cost USD 100k in the US or EU. How much will the Emerald (Thai) cover of that?

Insurance for me is not to get a $500 bill covered, it is for avoiding a financial blow in an already difficult situation of illness/accident.

Cheers!

Fire,

The Emerald service has world wide coverage. I'm from the US, but really n ot concerned about coverage outside of Thailand. I've lived in Thailand for two years now, and don't plan to visit the US for another three. Our coverage will cover just about anything inside Thailand, or if I wish will pay up to one million baht to evacuate to the US in case of serious illness.

Barry

Ah Taxexile (love the name!) That explains! You have gotten the brand new policy then! THat is the changes I heard about. I will ask for the latest info. Cheers!

A few things: their policy does NOT cover worldwide for an unlimited number of days. Actually only 90 days. You need to buy extra modules for more days up to max of 210 days.

i renewed my policy last week and was told that since july this year , the worldwide cover is unlimited and they have removed out patient cover.

maybe thats just the policy i chose , i cant remember the title of it.

it's also cheaper (slightly) than last year.

i think as renewals are done the policies will , as firefan suggests , be modified.