59 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I use Thai ATM's cause my bank is in Thailand.  I got 50 baht on the dollar.  How much does your Master card give you?

50 baht on the dollar? LoL!

On 6/19/2019 at 8:46 PM, CGW said:

Personally I would rather prepay, quicker and easier than having to sort out cash and pay COD.

+1.

That way, I can use my credit card, enjoy the Master Card rate and avoid getting gouged by Thai ATMs.

On 6/18/2019 at 9:22 AM, champers said:

Looks like intimidation and bullying to me. 5 officers onto 1 OAP. How proud they look.

Yep.

They're definitely compensating for something.

The TE liaison did my 90 day report for me at CW at the end of last month. I had no TM30 receipt (I've never been asked for a TM30 and I have never submitted one in all the years I've lived in Thailand) and the TE rep was still able to do the the 90 day report on my behalf sans TM30.

What happens next time I need to do the 90 day report is anyone's guess, I suppose.

I'm not sure if this was just a "one-time deal" or whether I can expect the same result every time.

Registered with the online TM30 reporting site on 5/23 - still waiting for approval.

As a side note, it's ironic that a background check by TI is required for the TE visa - yet, apparently, the successful completion of this check still isn't enough to assure the powers that be that I'm a "good guy."

On 6/13/2019 at 9:57 AM, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that no one mentioned illegal street racing that has been a huge problem in Thailand for decades.

Hmmm...why is that, I wonder?

Oh yeah...

Quote

It will bring in 340 million baht that will benefit Thailand and the local film industry, reported Naew Na. 

Quote

Why Was Thailand Never Colonised?

The TM30 requirements were too off-putting.

16 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Falangs like light skinned Thai women better.  Check out the rental prices.  

I've lived here long enough that I believe I've "gone native" with regard to that particular preference.

Like many expats, my initial encounters with Thai females took place as a tourist - primarily in those "entertainment" venues which cater to falangs. Hence, my "sample group" was more or less restricted to Isaan girls.

Fast forward five years, and I've developed a preference for the lighter-skinned specimens.

Not the girl with the fake headlights and the cut-rate plastic surgery who looks like she sleeps in a wheelbarrow full of whitening cream with only a straw to breathe through, mind you, but the Thai-Chinese looking girl. In other words, the same type of girl well-heeled Thai men generally prefer.

Can't say with any absolute certainty how or why this happened to me.

Perhaps there's some sort of partial acculturation falangs undergo over time without even realizing it?

As mentioned, the applicant's nationality is a factor in the wait time.

The staffing and workload at TI on any given day/week/month is also a big factor.

13 hours ago, Artisi said:

A reasonable comment in some ways however it's not that simple in many cases, it's more about education and understanding and affordability in a great number of cases, bear in mind Thailand in some areas is lucky to rate as 3rd world with many surviving day to day with only a few Baht to their name. 

What's the cure to the problem - I don't know - maybe the government supplies free helmets for kids in lieu of submarine purchases (the graft is probably enough to buy the helmets). 

 

To your last statement/s - I can only assume your home country doesn't have or need a police force as everyone obeys the laws without question. 

Yep.

Policing "Somchai and Samorn Six Pack" isn't as lucrative a business as, say, popping foreigners for missed TM30s and 90 day reports. That's all the good doctor and other interested parties looking to explain the lack of enforcement need to know.

On 6/13/2019 at 10:26 AM, Gecko123 said:

Greedy control freaks. Very very little to do with effective law enforcement, and everything to do with revenue. The only power you have here is spending power. Stop spending money until they start treating you like a human being.

Never gonna happen.

In Thailand, a foreigner is always a persona non grata.

On 6/9/2019 at 1:44 PM, ianezy0 said:

Check Forbes top 10 countries to retire in 2019.

Thailand is number 9.

link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2019/01/04/the-top-10-places-in-the-world-to-retire-2-new-lists/#2b79437756bc

 

 

LOL! ????

Get a load of this:

Quote

No. 9 Thailand, Prescher noted, “is amazingly affordable,” “a beautiful country” and stable, quiet and exotic.” International Living says a modern studio apartment there can rent for as little as $400 a month. Growing numbers of expats are retiring to Thailand, according to International Living. “A lot of those are Australians,” said Prescher, which means English is “not an unfamiliar language.”

15 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I always thought that part of the Elite service was they would do your 90-day reports for you.  Presumably they will also do TM30 reporting?

TE will do the 90 day report for you, but not the TM30.

That said, after I was blindsided by the news that CW had suddenly decided to require the TM30, TE was still able to do my 90 day report for me last week even though I had yet to obtain a TM30 receipt.

18 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

A marriage visa does not require a medical certificate.

As always, it depends on where you apply, the side of the bed from which the IO arose on a given day, etc., etc.

On 5/29/2019 at 7:28 AM, Kadilo said:

Unfortunately the guys above have already summed it up. 

They are never wrong, stick together no matter what, and will lie through their back teeth rather than lose face. 

 

Its one of the most frustrating aspects of being here imo but no matter how much you may want to fight it all you will do is piss yourself off. 

 

Two choices I’m sorry to say, put up with it, or if you feel you cannot then walk. 

 

Possibly why a lot of them “grow up” into irresponsible childish adults. 

This valuation of "face" above all else (except maybe money) would also explain why the educational system in this country is such a farce.

"Thai" + "accountability" = oxymoron.

On 5/28/2019 at 3:17 PM, how241 said:

Check again and you will find Transferwise is MANY times more expensive for large transfer amounts .  They will charge $100-$200 or more as the transfer amount go into the thousands.  Bangkok bank has fixed fees  $10-$20  up to 50K...BUT  Transferwise will give you a Much better exchange rate.   Moot point as Bangkok Bank will stop on June 30.

That’s correct.

I’ve found the “break even” point for me is ~$2500USD.

"Meet the new boss - same as the old boss..."

19 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

Excellent, thanks for the info. They kinda said that via email that its landlords responsibility...guess it is true.

They just can't rip us off if we aren't there in person, but i am a bit worried they might just "visit" us instead? 

That particular worry still lingers in the back of my mind as well.

Furthermore, TE can't protect its members from police shakedowns.

We just have to play heads-up football at all times, I guess.

Just a follow-up to my last post:

Thailand Elite came through for me today.

As I mentioned, I got caught flat footed without either a TM30 or a TM24, and TE was still able to do my 90 day report for me at CW today.

Very pleased with the service and with today's outcome.

1 hour ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

I never went anywhere in person and if u politely ask them to pick up your passport at your condo they do that, however i don't bother them and send them a courier instead.

 

You are wrong about the consumer research too, they send out surveys regularly, in general they care about what their customers want but are dealing with a hardline fraction in the gov who doesn't give a damn i guess.

 

If you ask them about Tm30 requirements, and they say to contact them if there are problems and not to pay a fine in any case as it's landlords responsibility - i don't know if that works in reality. 

1) They don't pick up your passport. At least not in BKK, anyway. I asked about this yesterday when I was at the TE office, and I was told "we don't provide that service."

2) I don't recall saying anything about consumer research.

3) When it comes to TM30s, you're on your own.

On 3/23/2019 at 12:42 PM, Sheryl said:

 

But you have to travel to their office and drop off your passport, then travel back again to pick it up. How is this better than making a single trip to immigration to do it yourself? To me, it is more work, not less. 2 trips instead of one.

 

If they truly want to offer a service for 90 day reports they should pick up the passport from you and drop it back off. Including for those not living in the few places where TE has an office.  Easy enough to do nowadays with services like Kerry.

 

AND also do the TM30s.

 

I recently looked over the TE. I have a retirement extension so it is not necessary but I was curious to see what it offered, had it be any significant benefit beyond a 5 year visa I might have considered it. I was struck by the  absence of any meaningful benefits other than the visa which is worth the money only for those without other options i.e. under 50 and not married to a Thai.

 

They could do much better and attract more people but it would need some consumer research which, from the current design, they don't seem to have done.

 

Still, it is the only really reliable option for those not eligible for retirement or marriage extension wishing to live here.

Exactly.

If I were the head honcho at TE, and if I were sitting down with the liaison person at immigration, I'd ask something like this:

"How are we supposed to pitch our program to prospective customers when you people still require them to jump through innumerable, ridiculous TM30/TM24 hoops and generally treat them like crooks on probation?"

The value of the visa for those whose top (or only) priority is simply to be left alone by immigration just took a big hit with the latest changes at CW, IMO.

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

I agree.

On more than one occasion I've witnessed IO's refuse extension applications, because the applicant has presented documentation with an address different to the one they have registered on their system.

Even though the new landlord filed a TM30, the applicant failed to notify their change to a new dwelling place.

They were given a TM28 to complete, fined and until both had been complied with the extension would not be granted. The irony though, as Peterw42 points out, is that having complied, they discard the TM28 (you don't need that) and just staple a receipt of the TM30 in the passport (that's all you need).

How much is that fine?

Re: TM28:

There's the home my wife owns and the condo (both in BKK.) We divide our time between the two. I've been using the former address for all of my extensions and reports hitherto, for the sake of convenience, but I used the condo address when I applied for the (newly minted) TE visa as we're spending more time there nowadays.

I guess I've probably left myself open for TI to have a whole lot of "fun" at my expense.

Note to self: Stock up on KY before next visit to CW.

I was able to register (currently awaiting approval) but a strange hiccup occurred during the process: The "register at" field defaulted to "Division 2" (I report to Division 1 @CW.)

I tried, but found no way to change this entry.

Anyone else experience this?