sniggie

Sorry to reply after such a length of time. I am currently using Swift after having happily using Wise for all previous transfers. You talk about saving a few baht. The difference quoted for a 65000 baht transfer by Wise and the eventual cost of a Swift transfer through my money-grabbing UK bank is in excess of 40 GBP. That's around 1800 - 2000 baht. That's hardly a 'few baht'. That's why people who use (or used) Wise are so disappointed at the recent changes.

This morning's sidesplitter. Now to mop up the coffee i spilt.

Falang think too much.

Must be fake news. There's no prostitution in Pattaya.

Trying to recoup his investment, more like.

I am in a similar situation partly of my own making. When our old Jazz needed replacement I paid for our new car. Couldn't get credit due to being over 70. The Jazz got sold to a family member. My wife said that she would like a small car for herself. I gave her a challenge. You use the money from the Jazz as a deposit and get credit for the rest. With much effort and some chicanery she finally got an MG3, I looked in horror at the usurious interest but then thought that her having the car on a long credit was actually a good benefit. Our main car is in my name, I made sure of that. I have heard stories of farangs having the 'Where's the car, darling' moments. With her car on credit no family members can plead for money on the basis of her selling it. So, although it is pricey, it is a useful safeguard.

How many bikes make one Ferrari?

Having used the Thai railway system I wouldn't use a Thai 'express' train as a getaway method. Perhaps the guy had been watching the 39 Steps

Happened to me in the UK. Lorry turned in front of me. Got most of the speed off but not all of it. Persuaded to get the police to pursue a case of without due care but eventually the magistrates threw the case out. The lorry driver's union provided a barrister. Infuriating. I believed then, as I do now, that any car or lorry driver who says that they didn't see a motorbike when turning should automatically be convicted and suffer a disqualification. At least the police cared. It's doubtful if the lorry driver in this case will face any consequenses. So sad for the family concerned. Yes, some posters will question the motorcycle rider's actions. Too many passengers, probably limited maintenance (brakes) etc. but the lorry driver should have damned well looked.

OK. I report everyone in our village. No licence, no up to date registration, no numberplate, no mirrors, no insurance, no lights, no helmets. That should come to a tidy sum. Please make the cheque out to Johnny No-mates but please hurry while I'm still alive.

As I said in my previous post I did a further transfer of the required sum through my UK bank. Luckily I am in a position to do this. It has duly arrived shown as FTT (as indeed it should). When I went onto my bank's website the foreign transfer page proudly stated that there was now no charge for foreign transfers. This was indeed the case though what they omitted to state was that their exchange rate was a whole baht lower that that used by operations like Wise. So using their service still 'costs' around 32 GBP more that Wise. Thanks for nothing, Natwest! This, of course, is why Wise have been so popular among our community. I did look at the Wise document relating to this month's transfer and saw that it came via Kbank. So, as suggested by other posters, all might not have been lost. But what happens if the next one comes via another bank or even Dee money? How understanding will immigration be with all the extra paperwork? Tagging an account was never foolproof before the 'Funds for long stay' category was introduced and Wise seem to be saying that there will be no absolute certainty in future. So, for the immediate future, I will bite the financial bullet and use my UK bank. As for this month my wife will be pleased with double money to spend! Reading some of the messages from Wise to other members and posted on this thread there is a whiff of 1984 about it. They are erasing history by stating that using the 'Funds for long stay' never guaranteed it would always go through Bangkok bank and show as a foreign transfer. Yes it did, that's why it was introduced. If it was not, why did it work unerringly for more than two years? They have changed something in their processes and can't or won't admit it. So it never happened!

Is this a caption competition?

I note that this thread was started at the beginning of October by a forum member who had a monthly transfer by Wise into their Bangkok bank account did not have the coveted Foreign Transfer code against it. After having successfully used Transferwise ever since us Brits stopped being able to get embassy letters like many I thought the poster may have used the wrong reason for the transfer or perhaps it was just a glitch. However I have just received my November transfer and, to my dismay, it is shown as a Smart interbank transfer. This is the first 'misfire' in well over two years. I know I used the correct reason for transfer. I also know that I can print off the Wise document showing that the funds came from abroad and the relevant page from my UK bank account but it will just add to the pressure when extending my stay next year. It would appear that whatever problem that Wise was having at the beginning of October have not yet been resolved one month later. After 100% success rate to date I suppose that one failure is perhaps forgivable and for this one month I can do a second Swift transfer direct from my bank but I hope that this is not a sign of more problems to come.

Strange reading about the number of schools still closed. My 9 year old son's school (a fee paying but certainly not international school) closed a couple of weeks after opening in August (?) but then suddenly reopened a few weeks later with just a day's notice. Has been open for several weeks now though closed for half term this week. No idea why this opening was allowed up here in deepest Isaan. Maybe the school needed the money and guessed that nobody would notice!

Are you serious? TiT

Not a professional hitman, then. Jack Reacher would only used two bullets as a 'double tap' or so the books tell me!

How could you possibly suggest such a thing?

I was in similar circumstances a few years ago. Did a couple of journeys from up north to Pattaya and back. Two lessons that I learnt. 1) You can expect to be pulled over at nearly every checkpoint and 2) filling in the book really does matter.

Really? How can you drive dangerously at a checkpoint? The vehicles are stationary (or virtually so). As has been said countless times before by multitudinous posters the way to catch dangerous drivers is for the police to get their backsides into patrol cars and watch what goes on away from a useless checkpoint. But that will never happen. Checkpoints = easy money.

I don't really understand what the problem is here. I was stuck in the UK for a year until April and complied with all the mask requirements there. Now I am back in Thailand I have a box of masks in the car and we all wear masks whenever we leave the car. It's not a massive imposition, is it? Then we don't have to worry what others do. What amazed me this year is how quickly the majority of the UK populace dispensed with their masks as soon as they were no longer mandatory. if I was still there I'd be wearing a mask in public places. Apparently there are problems getting passengers to wear masks on public transport <deleted>. I do hope that the more relaxed environment in the UK does not result in problems this winter.

Why do the authorities insist in putting the power poles in the middle of the road?

When I was living in the UK i used to say that I would be content if my body was left by the side of the road in a plastic sack as I would have no further use for it. Now plastic sacks are frowned upon outside of interrogations I am content that my will says that I am prepared to be disposed of in accordance with local customs which I imagine means going up a nearby chimney.

Just one thing for you to think about. Some several years ago I applied for an extension based on marriage (my first extension) and, although we had amassed all the paperwork, the IO directed me towards an extension based on retirement on the basis that I met the financial requirements and it was 'much easier'. I don't know if this still happens but if you are bringing over the financial requirements for a retirement extension, this is what you might be encouraged to get. On the other hand, after several years of fairly easy extensions based on retirement and reading sagas of people having to jump through hoops every year for their marriage extensions, a retirement extension might be the better option if you can afford it.

No, they are not there to serve the public. The clue is in their title.

Moving all my money into Thai baht today.