chilly07

On 7/9/2023 at 12:31 PM, doctormann said:

Me too.  I've used an agent for the last three years with no issues whatsoever.  OK, it costs a few Baht but it's worth it to avoid visiting Soi 5!

I extended my permission to stay just three weeks ago, using the 65k per month method.  Nice new stamp in the passport and, as you say, the signature is just the same as it always has been.

How did you confirm your 65k pm to your agent?

I think DWP doesn't bother  to send Life Certificates to expats  anymore- they just stop the payments and wait for us to squawk!

Been told by several  agents that Jomtien are now insisting on 800k in your bank for a retirement  extension?

Last year they only wanted  to see my Bank book which shows 65k pm for the previous  year!

So now  have to do the in/out top up to 800k.

The reason I went for a no show retirement extension last year (changing from marriage) was to avoid 2 bank visits a visit to the ampho and a visit to  immigration to have my photo taken as I have to  use a wheelchair.

Now it seems  even using an agent I have to do the footwork/wheelchairwork anyway?

Is Jomtien discouraging the use of agents now?

On 6/16/2023 at 1:48 PM, anchadian said:

Have you returned your complete Life Certificate or didn't you receive one?

 

I would give the IPC a call on : +44 (0) 191 218 7777.
 

I could  never get through  on this number but the DWP has a message facility under their  Pensions Abroad section  to which they respond  in 3days

Had my state pension  stopped  without notice on 16 May. Chased DWP and they said they hadn't  received a Life Certificate. I said I  hadn't been notified  so they emailed  the form and I sent it back by EMS.  Finally my pension  was reinstated on 17 June with 2 payments. I think DWP has 'outsourced' the Life Certificate function to an EU country (Belgium?) which has failed.

Have kept a copy of the blank form and will send it in in April next year even if they don't ask for it! Costs 2000bht to get notarised and EMSd.

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I know, but I will respond and that's my choice.

 

It took all of 10 minutes to have my photo taken in my local Krungsri branch.

Did they show you how it works on your app. My branch had no idea what I was talking about and they take a photo for card and bank book renewals anyway 

Got messages from Bangkok and Krungsri banks saying go in with passport and bankbook. BB knew why I was there, took a photo and showed me how it works on my mobile. Krungsri said they already had my photo (they take it every time I get a new bankbook) and didn't know why I wanted it on my mobile app??? Said I could do it myself. Checked app and only thing I can see is on introduction page and that won't let me use my camera?

10/10 Bangkok Bank! 0/10 Krungsri! Incidentally tried to do facial recognition on NatWest as they are encouraging it but can't get it to accept my photo.

All very hit and miss!   

5 hours ago, sirineou said:

In Thailand, it is generally the landlord's responsibility to take care of any pest control issues, including rats. This would be outlined in the rental agreement between the tenant and the landlord, Have you spoken to the landlord? He/She sounds like a reasonable person I am sure you can both come to a reasonable solution.

Not if the tenants behaviour  causes the infestation. Landlord probably responsible to carry out building alterations to prevent rats getting in with  tenant responsible for extermination  

1000bht!

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

They are known to make up their own rules.

One example was the requirement for extensions retirement to return to immigration at the 90 day mark to check funds in bank.

(Now defunct)

 

Currently the dragon lady requiring funds in bank for 2 months prior to non O retirement when it is actually only on day of application. 

 

How does the appointment system work there a tick or X.

 

Jomtien is junk immigration office.

 

From the OP...same day approval  for 90 report.

What else would be done

 

Dragon Lady is on the family desk. She gets grumpy because she has to check mounds of unnecessary paperwork for sending to HQ whereas the retirement desk just rubber stamps handfuls of retirement extension's without paperwork presented by numerous Pattaya agents raking in satisfyingly large fees. No wonder the Dragon Lady breathes fire! 

Just  been for my 3 month blood test. Annoying to have to  wait for result and then wait for doctor  to come back from lunch. Doctor  also wanted me to see another  doctor  for second opinion which would have incolved  another long wait so I refused and he made me sign a disclaimer! Every hospital  visit  makes me feel unwell. Spending the whole day  for a blood test and follow up makes it  even  worse. Referral to a second doctor doubles the fee and uncertainty and is part of the guessing game  consisting of 'now try this and see if it works' that doctors  pursue

Did mine at Bangkok Bank Theprasit Rd .  Quite  fiddly needing 2 staff to  make work.  Still have to do  Krungsri which I  anticipate  will be even more  fiddly.  Problem is  getting  saved image to line up on their system and on my phone

What is the problem?

Thais have always worn masks in public  areas and long may it stay that way. 

Farangs should follow suit opting for the higher hygiene standard. 

That is why Thailand fared better during the pandemic.

On 6/8/2023 at 9:13 PM, Social Media said:

Just remember they no longer carry over unused time on existing.

 

You can apply yourself at Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

If you use an agent you may have to part with your passport for several weeks.Hope you don't need it during that time.

Watch the 90 day reports in that time.No issue though if you report online.

 

Your passport can be returned to  you by your agent after VPS has seen it and then you can  wait   until  your new one is ready before  giving  your old passport  to your agent to collect  your new one so in all although the  entire  process  takes 7-11 weeks you will only be without  your passport  for a few days.  Don't leave your passport  with your agent except for the  trip to Trendy. UK passports are  actually made in India. 

Our neighbour is unfit to drive. He has hit our truck twice and just hit the wall in front of his house. He has a health impediment of some sort. Wife่ has told him not to drive or she will call the police as he is a danger to himself and others.

What would you do?

Garbage  truck  just arrived.  Once a week collection. (Dark side) Garbage always  stinks. Didn't  have collection  for a couple of weeks  because  neighbour  parked awkwardly as battery flat. Now parked properly  but hit our truck twice doing it.  Garbage truck  driver  negotiates his large vehicle without  problem. We just can't  win!  

19 hours ago, john donson said:

I complained to her boss, a few years ago, till, so was been told, they were about to throw me out of the office, while I insisted they help me sort this out as I was the only care giver for my children at that time, but did not bother them at all.

 

so for complaining to the boss, they are part of this big ... let's not get sued and use names that could be libel...

 

for the replies: I had all the documents as I always do, what is not clear? everything needed for a retirement visa and even more like documents of children's id card, tabien baan, birth certificate, pictures of them in school uniform in front of school logo (they tried to pull that one a few years ago, but had one on my phone but where is that listed on any immigration website), proof of payment of school, ...    where does it state you need all that info on a retirement visa ??? NOWHERE is for sure.... tricks to force you to use on of them connected agents.

 

While I was waiting for ZERO people waiting before me for 75 minutes , there were some agents with no documentation and a stack of passports going in and out in a few minutes...

 

13 counters to help but only a few really working... doing nothing at all... nice job...

 

most of them over there HARDLY speak any UNDERSTANDABLE English... the times I went there with my kids, they spoke to them instead of me, the adult parent...

 

suggesting I change province because of some corrupted evil IO ?

 

someone saying I have no kids?  what ? they are on holiday ... but I explained to them they will not be back before my extension expire...

 

you did read the title ...  almost ...

 

Only after I threaten to call the higher up, evil IO disappeared for some time, made me wait another 90 minutes before I got my extension... wanting to see my bankbook again, while I made copies and for the bank letters, stating 800k for 3 months and another 6 month statement from the bank

 

so with all documents, the magical in and out in 30 min as some other posters write, did not happen and spend 3 hours to what was supposed to be an easier option then parent of thai child, which initially was denied by same evil woman years ago, with all needed documentation presented...

 

to end the story... she told me, next year you leave thailand...

 

which I replied with... no I will be back, as I will have a few remaining months left before my child turns 20...

 

but let me guess, there will be a problem that I don't have a 12 month rental contract left, once again...  

 

the arrogance and incompetence and abuse of these people given little power...

 

 

 

Take note of the agents bringing in piles of passports and use that agent

On 4/23/2023 at 6:40 PM, NE1 said:

I just received a letter from UK Pensions , it arrived yesterday , the date on the letter head is the 13th March the post mark on the envelope is the 16th March.

In the first paragraph of the letter it states " I must return the document within 25 days ".

 

Yeh okay.

Still waiting for my life certificate letter from DWP. My frozen  pension got cancelled  this mth despite me not moving  for 10yrs. My other pensions allow  emailed responses.  DWP say they mailed to  my address  in their  records but despite  doing this twice before nothing  has come.  Their contact Nos is always  busy so I used their query email to get a blank form but they won't accept an email  back so after 7days still waiting for my EMS to get to their mailing address. Next year I will send them a Life Cert in Feb even if they don't ask for it! Chronic  maladministration! Too busy  paying out inflated 2000gbp to expats in the Phillipines to bother with my frozen 800gbp

On 5/3/2023 at 4:41 PM, Gaccha said:

What I find strange about this is that both my Apps for Kasikorn and TTB both announced around 3 weeks ago they would need facial scanning recognition to proceed, but then a couple of days later both announced on the Apps that I had waived the requirement. I had not done anything except pressed "agreed" to using facial scanning.

 

After that, both Apps then blocked me from using the Apps until I disabled the "accessibility" function on my phone. This function on the Samsung S20, allows Apps to "watch" other Apps. In my case, I use it among other things for an antivirus App and a YouTube ad skipper App as well as around 5 other Apps. I did this a couple of times and the banking Apps worked fine as long as the accessibility function was off. There was no sign of any facial scanning.

 

Around a week ago, the Kasikorn app started working again without any demand to switch off "accessibility". The TTB App continues to demand that I remove the accessibility function (this would take around 5 to 10 minutes each and every time I switch on the TTB app, making it functionally useless should I for example want to buy a coffee by scanning through the App). 

 

I find this pretty bizarre since nobody has seemed to mention these extra demands of the Apps on Thaivisa, as well as the odd way the banks are working in lockstep.

Yes I have to  switch  Norton off to access my BB account!

Had my meagre frozen  pension stopped  this month because I have not sent my Life Cert to the DWP! Have responded  twice before in previous years at some cost but this time I haven't received  anything from the DWP. Tried ringing  them but phone  always  busy.  Used their query email and they did email  blank forms.  Completed them and emailed them back and got a shouty reply accusing me of trying to  jump the queue. Have EMSd the forms back but as I have not moved  for 10yrs this is clear maladministration! My other pension providers managed to mail me and accepted emailed replies. 

Particularly  galling when UK (and Phillipine and USA expats) have just had their base pension increased  to 2000gbp per mth  compared to my frozen 800k

Just  been to Bangkok Bank and had my photo taken apparently  for transfers over 50k. Now have to go to Krungsri to do the same. My Thai wife has 4 accounts with  Thai banks and hasn't been  notified by any of them.  My UK bank has also suggested I use facial recognition.

Krungsri says I need to  do this before next mth.

Does anyone know why they are doing this and if we will still receive OTPs or SMSs  as before? 

And of course  why Thai's  are exempt?

Just  been to Bangkok Bank and had my photo taken apparently  for transfers over 50k. Now have to go to Krungsri to do the same. My Thai wife has 4 accounts with  Thai banks and hasn't been  notified by any of them.  My UK bank has also suggested I use facial recognition.

Krungsri says I need to  do this before next mth.

Does anyone know why they are doing this and if we will still receive OTPs or SMSs  as before? 

And of course  why Thai's  are exempt?

1 hour ago, CM Dad said:

My solution to loud music is to fight fire with fire.  I play Wagner operas at high volume with speakers facing the late night revelers, only I do it early in the morning when they are usually hungover.  I never have had to do it more than once - ohh, and my other Thai neighbors thanked me for ending the late at night racket.

Held back on the napalm this time? Good  for you!