thecolonel

A few questions please

1. Traffic - I'd heard Jakarta traffic is a nightmare. So I'm assuming that if my goal is to play golf in Bogor, I can just 'by pass' Jakarta and stay in Bogor? Or is there nothing there? Not that I'm expecting much. I might do one or 2 nights in Jakarta(without golf) but I'm gathering that a daily commute to Bogor is just hours stuck in traffic!


2. Courses- are they generally quiet or busy? I like to play on my own or with a friend. Don't always like to be put with others, but understand why if very busy. My preference is to finish at sundown. Have you played golf in Hua hin? My q. is... are the courses the same standard in terms of design and condition as Hua Hin (or Chiang Mai for that matter)?

3. Cost - can you recall Green fees? I can look up on net but often that's the full rack rate and there are deals to be had(twilight etc)

Cheers if you can help further, but if not thanks for info supplied[emoji106]



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Anyone been? looking for feedback. One guy told me it was a good alternative to hua hin, plently of courses, but it was chance meeting on the songthaew, so i cant follow up on him, thanks in advance

 

1 minute ago, baansgr said:

I enquired once from a pop up, left my email and phone number....had over 50 calls from Spain/Gibralta pitching me...nightmare.

well yeah thats one pitfall!

Firstly apologies if this is in the wrong section!

 

I have for years relied upon UK based Travel Insurance policies but now considering a Medical insurance policy to cover me in thailand and possibly beyond ie all Asia. The problem with UK Travel insurance is its geared towards no more than 6 months cover plus most want you to have been in UK for the last 6 months prior to trip start

 

I'm from UK, 56 and have some pre existing medical conditions.

 

I'm almost always in Hua Hin when in Thailand.

 

Any recommendations/websites where I might seek some quotes...

 

And of course pitfalls to avoid!

 

Thanks all

 

 

 

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Extensions of stay run from the date of expiry

So here's my minor dilemma then.

Therefore, my renewal date will ALWAYS be 27 June

My problem with this is that I will ideally want to return to England MORE THAN 45 days before 27 June each year, hence this issue repeats itself each time.

Because I want to be here for no more than 180 days(travel insurance issues) if I 'fully complied' with the 45 day rule then that means I have to go home circa 15 May. Which in turn means I have to wait to come out to Thai until say 18 November.

And here's the kicker... I don't want to have to wait that long!! [emoji12]

Ideally I'd come 1 Nov go home 1 May

So Ideally my renewal date would be quite a bit earlier... Eg 1st June

Any suggestions how to get around this without doing the whole application nonsense again?

Immigration have said that I can come about 1 week early(45 +7 So 54 days before expiry) but that was a verbal promise/concession made at their offices, who knows a. Whether they will make good on it or b. Whether they will agree same next year?

Thanks

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Extensions of stay run from the date of expiry

Thanks Karl

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Follow up question.... when I (hopefully) renew said extension does the 1 year run from

A. when the current one is due to expire?

Or

B. the date upon it's renewed from?

May seem a daft question but I can see it both ways!

Thanks

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Well done! However, there is, of course, no guarantee that other offices - or even other officers at Hua Hin - would be quite so accommodating. If I were ever in a position to want to do a 90-day report 16 days before the due date, I would be far more inclined to mail it in from my local post office that day than risk making a trip in person to the immigration office. 

I also avoided telling her the truth which is that Im playing golf tomorrow (the first day I'm technically allowed to go) and I didn't want to have to rearrange that! [emoji23]

I also wanted it out of the way as it was my first ever report, these 'unknowns' weigh ony mind, no sweat when you have done that and got the t shirt!

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Well done! However, there is, of course, no guarantee that other offices - or even other officers at Hua Hin - would be quite so accommodating. If I were ever in a position to want to do a 90-day report 16 days before the due date, I would be far more inclined to mail it in from my local post office that day than risk making a trip in person to the immigration office. 

Ps meant to say... Bluport office

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Update... they did it!

Might of helped that I distracted her with a genuine enquiry re extending my 1 year permission early too! [emoji13]

Thanks all

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No harm trying, since you can just drive thru to do it.
 

Drive thru? Please explain thanks

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They could process it 16 days early, whether or not they will is another matter!

Yeah thought that might be the case! Was ideally looking for a precedent or two... Thanks

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How strict are they re 'no more than 15 days prior' ?

 

Eg will 16 days be ok

 

Anyone ever gone (or heard of another going) 1 day early and been successful?

 

FYI I'm talking Hua Hin here...

 

Thanks

 

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Belated feedback on this...

About 6 weeks ago I got the 6 month 1mbps data card from tru and its going great! No speed issues for me at all. Think it has a limit of 300gb but I'm nowhere near that!

Comes in handy when I go to some bars restaurants where the WiFi just won't connect. And of course when in transit which is main reason for having. And when my condo wifi occasionally goes on blink

Plus it has bonus of calls to other tru users are free(up to 1 hour... Hang up call again etc)



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Ps oops forgot to say price.... 300 baht plus 7%tax

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Nope, I will be testing 1mbps for the longer term... just seemed odd is all thanks

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Belated feedback on this...

About 6 weeks ago I got the 6 month 1mbps data card from tru and its going great! No speed issues for me at all. Think it has a limit of 300gb but I'm nowhere near that!

Comes in handy when I go to some bars restaurants where the WiFi just won't connect. And of course when in transit which is main reason for having. And when my condo wifi occasionally goes on blink

Plus it has bonus of calls to other tru users are free(up to 1 hour... Hang up call again etc)



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Belated update on 1st attempt at cash advance on a Credit card (aka Operation Avoid ATM220baht fee!)

Sorry, not done this before so please bear with me but I'm writing this in detail for others who, like me, need to learn about banking in Thailand.

-Went to my bank, Bangkok Bank in Hua Hin main branch on Petkasem Rd(but i suppose I could have gone to others, didn't have to be mine)
-Explained what I wanted and asked for the full amount of 40,000 b (as suggested by KneeDeep) he understood.
-I queried his bank charges? he never stipulated any
-I stressed no DCC(Dynamic Currency Conversion - the crappy conversion rate into your own currency as per ATM) and he explained that in his bank it just appears as 40,000 THB on the slip.
-so he then said "I don't know what your UK bank will charge you, maybe 2+%?"
-At that point I recalled the Halifax Clarity card stipulates it has no foreign transaction fees so I went ahead
-he copied my passport for ID(reassuring!)
-he popped my card into a normal card transaction machine, I punched in my code, he took 40,000 bt off it and then he handed over the cash!
-as regards what Halifax deduct from my card, Im hoping they just use the normal mastercard rate(ie as if I'd used the ATM) which in my experience is normally very reasonable compared to the inter bank rate(that day was 41.28)
Update-Looks like the deduction from my account was £971.00 giving a rate of 41.19(it was initially going to be £967.37 giving a rate of 41.35 baht but somewhere along the line it got adjusted. Still a pretty good rate, less than a quarter of 1% off of the inter Bank rate, may have even been the 'full' rate at the time of transaction.

Incidentally I also asked K bank(opposite) how much fees and they said 200 baht, but wasn't convinced by the lady I spoke to.

Now then, this post all started re getting at ones UK money in Thai as cheaply as possible. And I was exploring cheapest cost of transferring GBP into my Thai acc, to then access it without the Thai atm fee of 220b. But with this credit card model then, as good as Transferwise may well be, personally I dont think I'd bother transferring UK£ to THAI to then suck it out of a local atm acc, not unless I bought a property etc. But everyone has different needs. And not everyone has a Credit Card with no foreign transaction fees!

Wish id known this 5 years ago, I reckon I've spent well over 15,000 baht in Thai atm fees alone!

I've now done this a second time and again 'same deal'... no bank fee.... so very happy!

Thanks to all, especially KneeDeep, for the tips!


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Guess I should go down there say 3 weeks before and agree a date with them that I can some as there's a bit to organise

Is there anything else about the renew process I need to know

I propose taking

-Rental agreement of current property
Nb this will not have another 6 months to run as was required for original-a requirement of Hua hin allegedly
-House book
-Bank books
-Letter from bank pref dated that day
-No proof of income(original 800k still applies)
-passport
-some money! 1900 baht?

I assume there will be a form to be filled in and I'll bet Ubonjoe knows which one! [emoji12]

Thanks

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And May 9 to June 27 is 49 days.
And you won't come back between May 9 and June 27?
That is over the usually accepted limit.
 
 

Ok so I won't be able to kill 2 birds with 1 stone!

I will 90 day report by 9 Feb only

But as you rightly point out re my extension I'm going home 49 days before my permission expires, which from what you're inferring is a problem.

Is there any leeway when you can prove youre travelling and need to be seen 4 or 5 days early?

This is Hua Hin Immigration I'm talking about here.

Thanks.

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I have a 1 year retirement permission expiring 27 June '19

 

It will be my first renewal so... What's the earliest I can apply to renew that stay?

 

I'm leaving 9 May '19 and I have to make my first ever report by 9 Feb so I was hoping I could do it on same day, but is 3 months too early to apply?

 

Also, apart from current address info(house book) what more info will I need? If I have not touched the original 800k baht(that i used to get the original permission) then is this sufficient(with updated bank books, or do I need more 'proof of income'?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

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Many banks allow you to take cash advances over the counter with a credit card, but not a debit card. The Halifax Clarity is a credit card and perfect for the endeavour. 
So you may be able to withdraw 40k, cash limit permitting.
 

I'll give it a go tomorrow KneeDeep and report back

Clarity card daily limit is 500 squid so 20600 but if no fee I'm happy as Larry as the ATM only gives me 20000 but 220 baht fee. Even if a lesser fee I'm still quids in. Just have to go in banking hours, no biggie

As re 40k which cards allow you to take almost a grand(£) out in day?

Thanks

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[quote post="13662228" timestamp="1545211977" name="KneeDeep" userid="266453"

 Withdraw 40k over the counter in one go, with no fee and deposit it in your Thai account.

 


Please clarify thanks

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That link won't open for me well not to anything readable anyway

I also called THE AIS line and failed miserably! It said press 2 for foreign languages so I did butbthen it was all in Thai! Er sorry but why not "for English please press 3" (as per doznes of other companies)

I've read the screen shot 3 times and I simply don't understand it! I can't work out what the deal is? Whats the 9 baht bit? Do you pay 9b every day? So can you have it monthly for 270? Why the call charges?

I guess what I'm looking for is something comparable to UK if it exists here eg 500 mins a month plus 1gb of data for 500 baht a month. I'm not saying those figures are accurate or realistic but that the general idea

Can you get a mix of data and calls on AIS?

Sorry KneeDeep I would genuinely like to do this myself but cant get anywhere with AIS.... TRU I get but not AIS which she is on and will want to remain on as she's stubborn!



Thanks



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She's calling all sorts as has 3 shops. She says her monthly bill is 800 to 1000 baht. Just sounds hight to me!

She does use line to call her kids at Uni

Sounds to me like she's not on the right package

Any thoughts



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Ps to my last post..

Meant to mention yet another considering factor in weighing up this whole scanario

If I tfr money into my from UK to my thai bank(Bkk bank) they will charge a min of 300 and a max of 500 baht to receive it.

But.... my question to you foreign currency gurus is...

Will they charge me that regardless, or ONLY if they recieve it in £GBP?(ie its a conversion cost)

If I just got my UK current acc holder to send say £5000 then yes I get why that fee would apply

But when you look on Transferwise it suggests that my bank will recieve XYZ in thai baht

So I'm wondering if BKK bank get Thai baht coming in will that charge apply?

I'm sure there are people on here who would know what the form is on that point as they do this often.



Thanks

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1) What U.K. bank is giving you interest on a current account ? Even a savings acct you would be getting what 0.5% ? Let’s move on
2) Is it really worth asking for advice over a 300 baht ATM card fee ? A whole 7 quid for the convenience of not being gouged every time you use an ATM ? Moving on
3) Azimo offer the best rates I’ve seen for sometime - for a 99p fee
 
 
 

1) who said it was a current acc? Not Me. It's in an instant access savings account getting 1.42%. It's then moved to Clarity(Halifax) from where I WD it(nb no UK fee, only the 220 b atm fee) One point I was making is that there are more than one set of 'costs' in moving that £ to thai because I will get approx 1% less interest in thai than I will in UK. You're quite entitled to think these details are minutia and tiresome("let's move on'') but I was simply pointing out all the factors involved in calculating the most financially efficient way of getting at your UK £ in Thailand, which is specifically what this discussion is about. Judging by the response it seems a popular and relevant discussion
2) 300 baht card fee - yes I think it is as it's one of the several factors involved in this cost benefit analysis, up to you if you think trivial for your needs. Why pay 300 baht per year when you could chose a bank(eg K bank) where its zero? Again the discussion is not all about me, it's also for others who may be starting out( yes ok, for 300 baht I might not bother moving banks but the point is to discover my options). Also I have been 'gouged' twice(that was more about the actual ATM machine) so its a good point, but the free option(ie a local bank card) is the same as the paid option.
3) Azimo - thanks for that useful tip, not heard of them, I will check them out! Although I just did and Transferwise seem to be offering a better deal(as of now...) This prompts another discussion point ie Azimo fee is 99p(versus transferwise 58.93) but the overall deal APPEARS not as good(if I'm reading correctly?) Surely its how many baht you end up with(nett) that counts right? It's all about the rate/fee combo.
i.e who cares what their 'fee' is? Genuine question, I'm still learning here!

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