Bill Miller

Just a few notes on hospital experiences.I am officially a "senior" and have a few chronic conditions, and have also had some "accidents" such as an ischemic stroke.

I went one time to a Bangkok Hospital Clinic for celulitis. I told the doc I could not afford to continue treatment and he kindly referred me to a small provincial hospital at a nearby temple. Longer waits, but about 1/5 the cost..

Later referred to Queen Sirikit Naval hospital for more advanced treatment, including when I had my stroke. Ambulance folks didn't even ask because time is critical and they were closest.

Been admitted a few times to provincials and quite satisfied with the treatment.

5 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Most of my comment, for those who can read with comprehension, was about my experiences with the TM 30 at two other IOs.

Sorry I did not fit it into the narrow box that apparently comprises your universe.

Other people MIGHT appreciate knowing that it is not always a PITA.

Not intended to be in reply to the post by Brewster, but rather to a snarky remark that the OP was about TM 30 at CW, and I guess is supposed  to be about that only, and don't dare mention experiences at other immigration offices.
Not the first thee that the post I quoted has been changed after the fact. I rather carefully check after hitting the "submit reply" button.

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Every Immigration office seems to apply this principle differently. There isn't much evidence that it is being applied by Chaengwattana. In fact, admittedly a month ago, we were told that a TM30 receipt just needed to be on record, and didn't have to be done again unless you move to a new address.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

Most of my comment, for those who can read with comprehension, was about my experiences with the TM 30 at two other IOs.

Sorry I did not fit it into the narrow box that apparently comprises your universe.

Other people MIGHT appreciate knowing that it is not always a PITA.

I got bapped at Chonburi Immigration (Jom Tien) last year because my landlady had never filed. Cost me a fine, about 2,000, plus 500 baht to the lady at the condo who sort of phonied a lease up for me and hand carried it through as my landlady lives somewhere in Europe, and IF she agreed to deal with it, it would have been pretty cumbersome.
Having (sort of) learned my lesson I went to Jom Tien IO again a few months ago after exiting and re-entering the Kingdom. The young lady at the "check your papers" desk assisted in filling out the form, had required copies made, and hand carried it through for cane propped "papa".
I think it took less time than to write about it. I know I was done by the time my wife had parked the car.

Big thumbs up. Oh, and I only had to pay 20 baht for copying.
Fast forward, we had moved to Mai La Noi, staying with relatives pending our civil marriage. Nearest Immigration is Mae Sariang What a gem!
We arrived after normal closing in the afternoon, but the officer in charge waved us on in to the AC environs of his office.. A pleasant hour of back and forth,  enabled by my (now) niece in law, who is a lovely young woman as is her sis, who is also a nurse. They both take very good care of "loong Bil". ????
On the way to the province we had stopped for several days to visit relatives in Chiang Mai, and had goofed off for a couple of days during Songkran. From my understanding this might have earned me a fine in some jurisdictions, but not only did the IO get me properly TM 30ed with no fines, he also us gave some fairly lengthy advice on our (then) upcoming marriage.

On 11/17/2015 at 6:57 PM, Faz said:

I would also go to the Police and get a report.

Tell them the farang has left Thailand, left you the bike, but no ID or logbook.

With a Police report the DLT should issue a new book, in your name.

You can then sell it legally and get the best price.

Is this true?
I have been wondering, as it is something I used to do fairly often in the States. As a part time wrecker operator I would get called for removal of abandoned vehicles. There were a couple of ways it was done, but usually post an advert in a local paper, and after a specified period with owner no show you could register a title (same as Thai Greenbook) in your own name, and then either register for road use or sell it.
I have done so in CT and AZ. The procedure is not much in evidence here in Thailand.

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I think you got very lucky the issued the visa without your bank book. Perhaps the was a enough to prove your got your visa there and they checked their records to see what you used the last time.

There should not be much difference between Amphoes but best to check to find out what they want. Some want some odd things like for a example a certified copy of your passport by your embassy and a translation of it.

 

Yes, the year before they did not even want that. I went with an affidavit and copies of supporting documents from my US bank and the SS administration, and the guy at the window asked "What this?"
In re: the best Amphoe, just wondered if anyone has gotten married out that way recently. We can for sure stop in CM on the way, but if you gave driven the 1,864 mountain curves on the way to Mae La Noi...????
Not something you want to "extras" of.

On 3/20/2019 at 2:31 PM, Jingthing said:

The fan is ALREADY being hit for some at Jomtien (and likely other offices as well) every day.

 

I will add there is a practical reason that Jomtien may be rejecting all combo applications. It is a very high volume office. Combo applications are much more complex and time consuming, well specifically combo applications without embassy letters, so even if they understand  the exact rules they are supposed to apply to them -- they simply don't have the time!

 

So it might be interesting to see if there a pattern where larger offices balk at this but perhaps smaller offices might be willing to take the time (again assuming they understand the rules concerning them). 

Yeah, we are getting married next month, probably in Chiang Mai. Been "going together" for four years now. My SS "pension"  is close on 42,000 baht, so won't have to dicker about my quarterly dividend income, I expect.
Now, due to a PITA at Jomtien I have been getting a new "visa" at Savannakhet each year, then doing ninety day in and out  holidays. Would that work for folks who don't have the ready on hand? I was asked for my bank book in Laos last time around, but was excused with a photocopy of my last "O" visa because I did not have my bankbook along. Is the proof of income only required when applying for an annual permission to stay?
On the first item is Chiang Mai the place to get hitched, or is there some advantage to going to an ampur in Mae Hong Son? Likely be living in Mae La Noi, if anyone even knows where that is. I believe Mae Sariang is the local admin office for them.

In February I was admitted to the provincial hospital in Mai La Noi with a blood glucose reading of 477. I was "rationing" my existing supply of Mixtard 30, which the good folks at Queen Sirikit had changed me over to from my previous regimen of a combo therapy of Humulin N and R. A base dose of N in the morning, and a sliding scale dose of Humulin R based on three times daily test results.
I do not know what they were charging me for the cartridges at Queen Sirikit (Sattahip) , but it was not too much. My Thai "factotum" was not able to figure the price from the invoice for me, as they are not big on itemizing, and on subsequent appointments I kept forgetting to ask her to ask for me. They gave me the refillable pen at no charge.
Fast forward to this past February and hospital admission. I had miscalculated the number of cartridges to bring, and was running low, so thought I could get away for a few days by "rationing", which had worked for me in the past. A bit high blood sugar for a few days, but nothing alarming. Well, Mixtard is new to me, I am a good bit older now, and had an ischemic stroke a year earlier. Whatever the cause, I started to feel like I would faint, nausea, etc. Checked with one of my dwindling supply of strips, and found quite high rather than what felt like hypoglycemia.
My fiancee and her older sis whistled me in to the ER of the nifty little hospital less than i kilometer away. The lovely young doctor said I was to be admitted and they would titrate a dosage routine for me based on new(more relaxed than I learned at Joslin) guidelines and the new, to me, insulin.
Four days of regular testing and dosage adjustments in a private room, with a bed for my darling, and left with nine cartridges of the Mixtard 30 and a weeks worth of some antihistamine for nasty mosquito bites. The bill was a bit under 8.000 baht, so as I say the insulin must have been pretty cheap. I will find out and report on the exact price next month, as we are moving up that way. This old f&*t if finally getting married when older sis finds a good day for the enterprise. First time for my darling, too, self described "old lady" of 51. ????

19 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Remains to be seen how many expats read the full rules.

Where does it state 3 months of income deposits is acceptable for this year.

 

It's appears clear to me that TI want proof of income for the previous 12 months, except in the case of the very first extension application.

You answered your own question. If you have gotten this far, "...except in the case of the very first extension application.", then you have already read "Where does it state 3 months of income deposits is acceptable for this year."
It does not have to be the "very first extension application", just the first one under the new rules, where people using the affidavit letter method may not have established a reporting history yet with their Thai bank, i.e. they have been taking cash as needed from an ATM.
Yes, read the full rules, follow the many, many suggestions by others who have read the rules, or failing one of these rather simple solutions, see ya later! ????

On 3/5/2019 at 12:09 PM, mercman24 said:

never ceases to amaze me when immigration is asking for 12 months proof when the new ruling was only made public last november 4 months ago, and this directive about treating cases sympathetically is load of bullshit ,i ask you how can anyone show 65,000 min, for the last 12 months, do they think we are all physic, yes i know you will be along in a minute to say me me me

 

In point of fact the rules permit showing only three months of deposits, for this one time only, for precisely the reason you complain about.
Remains to be seen how many IOs also fail to read all of the new rules. ????

On 1/30/2019 at 5:59 PM, wgdanson said:

So let's get this straight. If your Embassy will still issue a letter you must go there. If your Embassy WILL NOT issue a letter, your bank and the IO do it. 

The difference, as I understand it, is that the NO LETTER embassies cannot by the subject nation's law actually verify the individual's incomes. Many posters have waffled on about "Oh, they could." Not without changing the subject nation's laws intended to protect privacy. That is simply not done to save inconvenience for a limited number of citizens.
Some nations do permit official reporting of citizen's retirement/pension income.

20 hours ago, keith101 said:

Or just take a trip to Savanakhet where financials are not a requirement .

Last time, Sept. 2018, I was asked for my bank book.

I did not have it with me, and a copy of my previous non "O" was accepted in lieu of.

I think it would make sense for the Thai government to offer the health scheme to foreigners again, with a premium that would cover the costs and help subsidize the program for citizens. Limit service to government hospitals, perhaps, to help prevent less urgent claims. I use government hospitals as a self insured, and the wait times can be excruciating.????

Yeah, got that.

Similar history. Had  triple bypass in 2011.

That is about the time Social Security docs said "Yeah, between that and neuropathy we judge you are permanently disabled."

I walk as much as I can, but after a short time not only pain, but the leg muscles just wont until I rest.... sometimes just twenty to thirty seconds.

I hear there is a med to help, but on so many already!

I will ask at my next visit to hospital and report if available, and if so if it helps on Hong Kong holiday next month.

On 1/26/2019 at 1:13 PM, graemeaylward said:

I have a Bangkok Bank Visa debit card which would not work in ATMs in UK in 2017!

Sent from my X98 Plus II (C2D6) using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I used mine in France in 2017, but had called ahead to ensure authorization. Actually my better half did the calling. ☺️

On 10/18/2013 at 8:02 PM, hellodolly said:

If you are normal size why do you look on a thread for Big size clothing?

Perhaps start a thread for what you really want. 6 foot(185cm) tall man 85 kilos seeks clothing shop.

edit

%#$@*^%spelling

He did say normal "Farang" size.  Six foot , 205 lbs. is pretty normal in the US these days.

Okay. I got "caught" a few months ago when I learned nobody had done this for me when I, or more correctly my GF, rented a condominium. I have been doing 90 day "bumps" and always thought the TM 6 was sufficient. I wanted to get a residency certificate because I was thinking to get a driving license.
Long story short a gal from the condo Juristic office made up some paperwork, and for a nominal fee made the 30 klick trip to Jomtien and settled the fine and brought me back the stamped receipt of notification.
I since did an overnight in/out to Cambodia. Am I in trouble for not doing another TM 30 on return to my same address?
We will be going to Mae La Noi  in a few days, probably staying for a month with family. Is there an immigration office for that district? The Mae Hong Son office info site says they do NOT handle that district, and I cannot find one that says they do.  I have read somewhere about reporting to the police station. We have a friend there who is a policeman, and the station is only about one click away. Will reporting there sort of reset the clock on my failure to re-report here after my border hop? How damaging are these particular fines to your immigration record?
Thanks for any info/help on what I think all can agree is a particularly vague and confusing issue in a vague and confusing immigration system.

On 1/11/2019 at 2:57 PM, roberta said:

I move tomorrow, and have just realized that I am still not really clear about what I must do.  I have downloaded a TM.30 form.  Who must complete it?  I, or the landlord?  If the landlord must do it, can I take the form to Immigration and have it accepted?  

I wound up having to pay a fine for not having a TM 30 on file. Some of the requirements were not available as my condo owner is a Thai expat in Europe.
A lady from the Juristic Office did whatever was needed to get that done. I paid the fine plus her requested 500 baht fee to drive the 30 kilometer distance, spend whatever time it took her, and bring me back the stamped receipt. I think I gave a tip as well, as it was a valuable service for a disabled senior. ????
Going to Chiang Mai and/or Mai Hong Son soon for maybe a month or two. Have to work that bit out. In MS we have a policeman friend of the family. Hoping he can handle reporting for me there. 

Only one "problem" from Lazada, when I ordered a pulse oximeter. It was from China, and it seems they were waiting for enough orders to fill their shipping container. In the "fullness of time" it did arrive. 
I now check to see where the item is sourced from. If it is fulfilled by a domestic concern, then good. 
I have ordered a number of things, up to a 50" TV, and had mostly excellent results. Bear in mind that my US home is in an unincorporated area of AZ, and postal service does not deliver out there, and Fed Ex is like Kerry is here in somehow not being able to find me. Using Google Satellite  I have actually looked at the cars next to my house. ????
Good old UPS there has always been great, but otherwise accustomed to lackadaisical delivery service. 

On 1/16/2019 at 6:51 AM, LawrenceN said:

Actually transfers every month from two sources, which, combined, exceeded 65,000. Same difference.

Thanks. I supposed this would be the case, but happy to have it confirmed.
My (not yet) wife thinks it would be best to move to either Chiang Mai or Mae Hong Son, so doubly welcome news.

I think a little imagination might suggest transferring Thai earned funds from condos, houses, whatever, into a bank account outside of Thailand, then bringing it into your Thai retirement account to satisfy that "international transfer" notation that appears for every such transaction in my Bkk Bank savings account.
I am looking into having my SS direct deposited into that account, and bringing additional funds from my investment account as needed. My FCU does it gratis on their end, and near as I can figure Bkk Bank does not charge very much.
Income on my investment account is dispersed quarterly, so I just have to remember to keep enough funds in the credit union to bring over on the monthly basis. At least I hope that is the way it will work.
I read in one post that immigration decreed no averaging, it must be every month. I hope they do not insist on 65,000 or 40,000 as a  single lump sum, as long as we bring in the minimum in the course of the month.

On 12/20/2018 at 2:05 PM, ubonjoe said:

That desk at Jomtien are known for making up their own rules.

It might be easier to go to Vientiane or Savannakhet to get a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage.

This was more or less my solution a few years back, but got a multi entry non-O and doing 90 day bumps rather than try to deal with what appeared to me to be a case of corruption, trying to strong arm me for 16,000 baht to make a mysterious problem go away.
I have been told, also, that Jomtien sometimes has a case of the "difficults" on the family side, vs by the (known) book on the retirement side.

Look for mMilk brand lactose free. Light brown label on a square bottle..
I tried it once (not lactose intolerant) and thought it was OK.
I have seen it at Tesco Lotus and Big C.