timendres

Thankfully this happened during a time it was not bustling with patrons.

Years ago I was able to receive payments to my company's Bangkok Bank account from US clients using ACH transfers to the NY Bangkok Bank branch. However, at some point BBL required those ACH transfers be made using the newer ACH format, which most US banks still do not support. After that, I was never able to get the ACH transfers to work again.

You need to be certain that your work permit and Non-B visa are properly terminated. If you do not take these important steps, it can cause problems in the future. If they are properly canceled, you should have no issues with the reentry visa exempt. Otherwise, get a reentry permit for the extension you currently have.

Or... it is a small price to pay to hand everyone a digital wallet -- Step 1. Digital currency would allow the government to collect taxes they would otherwise have no hope of ever collecting.

We are. Until you consider the Amity Treaty, which provides some privileges that other foreigners do not enjoy.

I do not believe my agent is lying, nor are they incompetent. They have been handling my work permit and extensions for nine years without a single mistake. They know their business. When I pressed my agent about precisely the posts you reference, which I read previously, they stated that "sure, we can do that", but that would then require a small processing fee, which would then be required every year until I switched to the proper Non-O. I do not want that. On the other hand, I know coming in on visa-exempt and converting to Non-O is entirely legitimate, because there are forms specifically for it. If my agent is wrong, then I am making a flight out and back in for no reason, and I can accept that. ---- [edit] Called my agent to clarify. It appears that my case is not normal. I believe there was an issue with the company paperwork regarding the work permit, and that somehow affects the whole process. So it may be that what my agent is really saying is that I need to reset the original Non-B specifically because of this issue.

I am in the process of doing the exact same thing through my agent. There is documentation required to terminate your Non-B properly (not sure if it is the extension what is canceled, which I think it is, but she keeps saying visa, so I am not sure). Then your work permit needs to be properly terminated. In my case, my agent states that I must leave the country and return to transition to the Non-O required for the retirement extension. Someone here once suggested that they accomplished this without leaving the country, but my agent suggested that it was likely done by "cutting corners", which I do not want. Once I return on Visa Exempt, my agent will process a change to the Non-O visa. Once that is complete, on to the extension.

Will never happen.

Nice.

And, yet, you will be secretly checking the forum late at night, and trying your best to not post... ^_^

Did Prayut offer this? Any prior PM? It may be a "drop in the ocean" for him, but it is still real money for the recipients. Decent gesture.

Lived on Suk 81 for 4 years. Went to the Big-C too many times to count. Not once, ever, did I see police anywhere near Big-C, Century, or BTS station asking anyone for ID.

It sums up pretty much every scheme of the Thai government.

All good then... Oh.

I have heard of people making money driving ChatGPT on an hourly or project basis. As far as I know, you only need to type. A quick Google search show show the possibilities.

Sam Spade addressed this brilliantly in an episode from the 1940's, while speaking with his secretary Effy. Effy: "Sam, why is the world so cruel?" Sam: "Because people live in it Effy."

Agreed. Means testing is not necessarily a bad thing. But, in my opinion, they should put every baht saved by means testing into the subsidies of those who still qualify, raising their benefits.

Such fantastic insight. You are right. I registered dumb-methods-to-prove-your-point.com and plan a website.

Jesus. I am sure we have all seen the movie clips where someone is held outside a window like this in order to make a point. But in reality, holding 50+ kilos by the ankles is to take on a battle with gravity few could win - especially when the weight is squirming and screaming. I doubt he had any intention of actually dropping her. But... like @Thailand says, with the video they appear to have, murder charges are inevitable. I cannot imagine sitting in a Thai prison for endless years with the thought of that moment rattling around in my head.

This story plays out many many times every day across Thailand. But it is nice to see the occasional news article reminding us that there are still good people in this world, despite the impression you will get from the more shocking news that steadily competes for eyeballs. Good on Ploy for stepping up, and I hope things go well for her and her family.

I would so absolutely pay this fine.

I actually see many more smiles than violence. Orders of magnitude more.

As @StayinThailand2much states, a part of the answer is just a weaker USD. But I also suspect that there were a number of significant investments and purchases that were tied to the election not going pear shaped. It is clear on the chart that the THB (at least against the USD) started to strengthen in the days leading up to the election, then made a large move up shortly after the election.

Did mine in March 2022 - two and a half weeks.

I had this exact problem. The bank actually needs a signed photocopy of your passport. So I copied the passport before sending it off with the agent, and the bank was willing to accept that, if I signed it in front of them. Of course, this will depend on your branch.