paulnuek

I opened Krung Thai and Kasikorn accounts with ATM cards and online banking with just a tourist visa, if one branch says no, try another. Maybe there are official set requirements but each branch is a little empire and make the rules as they go along...TIT

The online banking would be an advantage as well as ATM card.

Will take your advice and try another branch if I get refused....

Paul

I already have a place in Chiang Mai(or should I say the wife has as I can`t own land).

Owning a condo outright does have an appeal...

But like so many people have said in the forums,why are most of these condos empty/for sale?

There are bargains to be had but what happens if I was to buy and the condo building could not sell /rent the majority of its units???

Its not like owning your own house/land....

Still an option,if the right place was found.

But I think I will rent in the short term and see how things pan out.....

Thanks for the quick reply Sophon.

I hoped that this was the case but thought it best to make sure.

My wife is Thai so I will take her along when I open an account.

Having to deposit 400,000 in a Thai Bank was my concern as you rightly say I will need this to get the extension.

You have put my mind at rest.....for now anyway.

Paul

Britons avoid Surat Thani after killing.....

Maybe they are.But they are certainly not avoiding Thailand!!!!

Try booking a flight from the Uk!!!!

Limited seats as most planes are almost full and no reduced fares because people are avoiding LOS...

I have never been to Surat Thani and don`t plan to.I spend my time between Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

Murders and rapes happen everywhere in the world not just LOS.

In most countries the rapists are not charged as quickly as LOS.........

"OPENING A BANGKOK BANK ACCOUNT

We realize that life for foreigners in a new country can sometimes be difficult so we

aim to take away the hassle, help you set up an account and make banking easier.

If you are working or living in Thailand or just moving here, we can help to set up a

new bank account for you quickly and easily. With a long-term visa and a work permit

or a Certificate of Residence, you can apply for access to our additional banking

services like phone banking and internet banking.

Please note that if you are a national from another country you will need a copy of

your passport, visa and valid work permit, when you open an account."

Quote from Bangkok Bank Website....

If I was moving here to "support" my Thai wife and did not have a work permit,would I still be able to open a Bank Account?

I would be on a "O" visa at first until the "Extension" is granted.

So would I have to wait until I have the "Extension",before opening a Bank Account?

They don`t make it easy to move here.......

I thought all I would have to do would be turn up at the Bank,show passport,hand over an opening balance and that would be it.

Sankampaeng to Chaing Mai

I pay 10 Baht only

White taxi to Sahakorn is also 10 Baht

Don't fall for the misconception that all Thai women are beautiful. Just most of them.

I heard a man talking in a bar once.

He said he saw ugly Thai women.

When I asked him where he saw her he said in Taiwan......

Must remember to be quite when watching football when in thailand......

Once again the British football fan is stereotyped.....

That could be true as there are foreigners who have become Thai citizens. But it is not a fill in the blanks type process. Every case would be unique and it is not something that happens on a whim.

You just have to have a look at all the different Visas.

They don`t make it easy.

But if they did i suppose most of the UK would be living here now.........

I would agree that I would not be a "fill in the blanks type process" but if someone wanted to go down this route it should not be a hardship to try and learn the language.

Was speaking to a man from Sweden (i think) who had stayed in Thailand for over 3 years and claimed to be "Thai".

He did show me a Thai ID card but of course I have no way of knowing if it was real....

His name was Stig Olsen and he claimed to run a travel agents with his thai wife....

According to the wife,he spoke Thai with no accent whatsoever...

Have tried to add the file attachment but it won`t can`t seem to add.

Any ideas??????

It`s a cracker if I can find out how to add as an attachment....

1259

Bored now need something to shoot.............................

Football is 90 minutes of excitement (unless you like Sunderland )

American football = night of boredom

Must be the worlds favorite sport.

Uk

The Sun

Thailand

Pattaya Mail/Bangkok Post

Love Thai gold and and bought and sold many times over the years.

I have noticed that in some shops when I have sold that the owner has passed a flame over the gold.

Was told that if the gold went black it was not considered pure.

Taking this advice on board I ask the shop owners to do the same when I buy.

If they refuse I go to another shop.

Not the best time to buy gold in Thailand.

I have been going for 19 years and it is the dearest I have ever know,in fact when I was there last week I even considered selling some of mine.....

It`s a long time since the wife came to the Uk.

When I submitted the paperwork I submitted 3 months payslips and as much evidence that I could think of.

3 months payslip were fine,they were more interested in the letter from my employer.

So hopefully you should be ok.

Good luck.......

I really cannot understand why the freak seems unable to grasp your point, Maestro.

He could be British and might be hesitant to deal with his embassy after reading, in this forum, all the horror stories about that embassy

--------------

Maestro

If that is the case, he obviously did not read my posts in another thread on the subject explaining what a breeze it was, all effortlessly done by mail.

If he is a Brit and his attention span is sufficient to read and absorb this post (not holding my breath either way...), all he need do is click on British Embassy Bangkok: Passports, with or without the help of an adult of course...

Amazing....Even I found that link easy to understand...

Mars bars have another good use Paulnuek - roll one around on the ground for a minute, and then throw it in a swimming pool. Looks just like the real thing!

(We won't go into Marrianne Faithfuls novel application)

Pattaya Park here I come

Renting is cheaper and condos for sale are overpriced when comparing the quality (most are B-grade in Pattaya I believe), with other countries.

Also if you ever want to leave and sell..you could be waiting along time to get what you think is a reasonable price given what you'd paid earlier.

Houses on the other hand seem to be fair value (even good value sometimes), but of course we can't buy in our names..and the company registration game is risky if the govt ever clamps down.

I've mulled this over many times, and here's my conclusion for what it's worth:

If you are rich enough to buy one for cash, and aren't bothered by walking away with nothing in a few years then buy either - a condo in your name - or another house in your wife's name, with the house owned by you (but not the land).

If money is an issue (i.e. the purchase would represent most or all of your finanial net worth) then just forget it....and rent. You'll have peace of mind...and money in the bank - never khow what you might need it for in the future!

Wise words.....

I (or should I say the wife) already own a bungalow in the Chiang Mai area.

But as you rightly said I can not own land.

If anything ever happens to the wife I will be left with all sorts of problems.....

Having said that Chaing Mai is not the place that I would want to live "full time"....

Maybe I will look at 6 months there and 6 months in Pattaya....

I even thought about buying a condo and renting out,but this is not a good option as so many other people seem to already have this idea.

There are so many condos for rent in the Pattaya/Jomtien area that I think it would be very difficult to rent on a regular basis...

Conclusion.......

I think that renting would be the best option for me,at least in the short term..

I am a "chocoholic" and have a sweet tooth.

Seems strange that I never eat chocalate/cakes etc when in Thailand........

Must be the heat or something...

Once a bought a Mars bar from a 7/11 put it in my pocket for later....you can probably guess what happened to the Mars bar (and my pants)......

Buy or get for free...

Definately recommend McAfee.

I`m currently using their 2006 suite.

£24.99(half price at the moment here in the UK) or in my previous post free on Azureus....

Usually get updates ao a daily basis.

Never had any problems.

I have been using for 2 years now.

Was using Norton but had to reformat as it didn`t stop all the viruses getting through.......

Not sure of monthly rates but why not check out hotels on Soi P72 just off walking street.

I have stayed at most of these P72,PN Inn Cherry Lodge etc.

I stayed at PN Inn very recently and from 400 Baht per night in this location was a bargain.

I sure you would get a good monthly rate if you asked....

A bit more oil on the fire,

I got a nice little stamp in my p/port that reads "admitted until (date....)"

Sure, this must be a visa, as on top of the page is printed VISA.

OK, before you flame me, I am joking, but wonder if this could be a reason why people mix up visa and immigration permits.

So once again, a visa for Thailand is issued by a RT Embassy or Consulate outside of Thailand. This is nothing more than a recommendation to let you into the country and suggest that you arrive as tourist, for business (non-imm 'B) or other reasons (non-imm O or OA etc.).

The embassy or consulate has no power to instruct the immigration officer to let you in, that's why I say a visa is a recommendation, nothing more.

The decision is with the immigration officer (and his/her superiors)

a) if you may enter the country

'b) how long you may stay

That's when you get your little stamp "admitted until (date....)" and that's when your visa is voided, if it is a single entry. Your multiple visa will not be voided but is useless as long as you are in the country. Once you leave and return, as long as the visa is still valid, a) and 'b) above starts again.

Finally, we read so often in here, that somebody comes to get a 30-days visa on arrival. No such thing exists. Here we are talking about a visa-exempted entry which is granted to tourists, only, and to people from 40 countries, only.

Everybody else, either non-tourist or from other countries cannot enter Thailand without having first obtained a visa before reaching the immigration counter.

As long as you stay inside the country, the guys from immigration are in charge, if you want to EXTEND your stay it is immigration that can extend the little stamp "admitted until (date....)".

The 90-days-reporting has nothing to do with visa or permit to stay. As long as you are in Thailand you have to tell immigration every 90 days that you are still here. If you leave before having been in LoS for 90 days, no need to report, even if you leave and come back same day, as than the 90-days-period starts again.

But if you are permitted to stay longer than 90 days, that's the extention to be granted by immigration, you report.

Sorry, if this is too long, and I am sure, soon somebody will come claiming to get a 30-days visa on arrival. We all know what he means.

And, yes, I am sure lopburi3, with always good advise, Dr. PP and George can often read between the lines what a poster might mean.

Certainly cleared up a few issues that I had.

You seem to know your stuff .......

Immigration making things easier for us falangs