scatalyst

I used the Left Baggage service at DMK (for just a few hours) when I had early morning business at the US Embassy in January. It was well-organized and legit. No worries, in my opinion.

Quite a few rates around above 2.25% - particularly on TDs and promotion accounts

Excellent. I have a fixed deposit coming due later this month. Would you be so kind as to provide some specifics and/or links? The main reason I check this thread is so that I don't have to go click-searching all over the web looking for the higher rates and good account options. TIA

How in the world did you find this important bit of info? Thanks for getting the word out by posting it here.

Oh, good grief. The Red Cross Fair doesn't even start in Yala until May 26 this year. Preparations have recently begun, but all of the vendors' stalls aren't even up yet. And I personally haven't seen any evidence that extra military are being used to protect those valuable workers who are assembling all that fair infrastructure either. So, any other "loopholes" you think we should know about?

It's not blocked in Thailand. I've been using it every day.

Sometimes the speed is too slow, so that's annoying. But that's always been a temporary issue (while my computer is downloading updates, I think).

Sounds to me like you're doing well if you're being understood, and you're only using "slight" head and hand movements. But since you asked for suggestions . . .

Have you spent much time reading Thai text while listening to a native speaker read through it at the same time? That might help you retrain your mind to associate the tones with the Thai script without thinking about the hand gestures.

I found a website with a short Christian devotional for each day and an audio file so I can listen to it while following along with the Thai script. You can find it at thaiodb (Our Daily Bread). It's available in several other languages, too.

Have any of you tried the thai2english website?

I use it regularly to get Thai words translated into English (or vice versa). But a few days ago I clicked on the "typing in Thai" section to give it a try.

It gives you three sentences to type each time. That first effort took me a whopping 842.7 seconds. The next two times were even worse. But then I started improving. And today, the fifteenth time I did it (new sentences each time), I completed them all in 112.0 seconds. I know that's still slow compared to some of you all, but it's a huge improvement for me. And I've only just begun, so I think there's still hope!

I also like it because it uses real Thai sentences. I read them all in Thai first and try to figure out the meaning before looking at the English translation. I'm getting better at this part too.

Were you aware that http://thai-notes.com/typing/typingtrainers.shtml also uses real sentences in its "Speed Trainer"? And that you can also cut and paste your own text for practice in the "Custom Trainer"? With the latter you can choose text appropriate to your own level of understanding of Thai.

No, I wasn't aware of that. Thanks!

Have any of you tried the thai2english website?

I use it regularly to get Thai words translated into English (or vice versa). But a few days ago I clicked on the "typing in Thai" section to give it a try.

It gives you three sentences to type each time. That first effort took me a whopping 842.7 seconds. The next two times were even worse. But then I started improving. And today, the fifteenth time I did it (new sentences each time), I completed them all in 112.0 seconds. I know that's still slow compared to some of you all, but it's a huge improvement for me. And I've only just begun, so I think there's still hope!

I also like it because it uses real Thai sentences. I read them all in Thai first and try to figure out the meaning before looking at the English translation. I'm getting better at this part too.

A few years back, I crossed the Sadao border often. At that time, there were signs everywhere (especially on the windows of the immigration kiosks) saying that you should be sure to get a receipt for any money paid to the immigration officials. In my opinion, the best way to handle it in the future would be to act surprised, and then with a big smile, pleasantly say something like, "Oh, okay. I'll need a receipt for that." Then wait for them to balk and send you on your way.

But the van drivers are another story. I hate bribes, but I did pay it a few times. Interestingly (and thankfully), it wasn't requested (required) every time. I feel your pain, bantatnin.

For what it's worth, after reading your post here, I went and checked my recent electric bills. They all have the .6900 rate.

In my homecountry i allready pay for the tv-channels and for the internet as well so that slingbox sounds like a good option. But then i have to go there first to install that slingbox. hmm it's not that simple as i hoped.

Do you have a relative or friend in your homecountry who could get the Slingbox and set it up over there for you? My brother did it for me and it has worked great for several years now. After purchasing the Slingbox machine that's now hooked up to a TV in his home, it hasn't cost either of us anything more.

How do you handle the time differences when watching via the Slingbox? I have been considering it, and would like to use it at my US home with my DVR to sling shows to our home when we are in Thailand, but while my US cable company allows me to set up recordings remotely, it does not allow me to delete recorded shows remotely. This means that periodically I guess I would need a family member to come over and clear out the DVR.

My brother has U-Verse, but I don't think the cable company makes any difference. As someone else mentioned, basically, it is remote viewing of one of the TV's in his home. When I open Slingbox, there is a simulation of his remote on my screen and, as far as I can tell, I can do anything he can do. Slingbox gives me control of that TV in his home. I honestly don't think that the fact your cable company doesn't allow you to delete shows remotely is a problem. That's the beauty of Slingbox. It's as if you're watching your TV in your living room, but you're watching it on your computer from wherever.

Regarding on-demand viewing, if my brother's U-Verse contract allows him to watch on-demand shows, then I could do it too (but, to be honest, I've never tried).

You're right about the time difference. For example, if I just turn it on in the evening and flip through the channels, I'll be watching the live morning shows being broadcast at that time in the US. But both he and I can record and delete shows with no problem. So if there's going to be something showing in the middle of the day there (middle of the night here), I set it up to record it and then watch it whenever I want to.

Two recommendations I'd make to anyone planning to set up a Slingbox:

First, connect it to an "extra" TV in your friend/relative's home because if you're using Slingbox to watch a show, and your f/r turns on that particular TV set that the Slingbox is connected to in his home, and starts turning the channels, you've lost your show. You can still control it and turn the channel back to your show, but you understand what I'm saying? A hassle. And potentially super frustrating.

Secondly, find and download (for free) a Slingbox player for your computer. The Slingbox software provides a player that can be viewed via the internet, but a downloaded Slingbox player is much more user-friendly and much better for watching and recording shows on the Slingbox, in my opinion.

In my homecountry i allready pay for the tv-channels and for the internet as well so that slingbox sounds like a good option. But then i have to go there first to install that slingbox. hmm it's not that simple as i hoped.

Do you have a relative or friend in your homecountry who could get the Slingbox and set it up over there for you? My brother did it for me and it has worked great for several years now. After purchasing the Slingbox machine that's now hooked up to a TV in his home, it hasn't cost either of us anything more.

No, actually on this particular Bangkok Bangkok Bank 2.8% promotion they are looking for "new money" not transferred from any other Bangkok Bank account (like a rollover from one mature account to a new account)....they specially say regarding the 2.8%, 11 month promotion and to quote:

The minimum opening amount and the minimum amount for any subsequent deposit for the 11-Month Fixed Deposit Account is 100,000Bt. The funds for opening the account must not have been transferred or withdrawn from an existing Bangkok Bank account.

Full details are this Bangkok Bank webpage...look under Conditions at the second bullet.

I've done a half dozen or so fixed accounts at Bangkok Bank and when one matured I just rolled it over into a new promotion. I guess what Bangkok Bank puts in writing regarding the promotion and what they actually do is two different things. The OP's post is the second one I've seen where a person basically just rolled over funds/moved the funds from another Bangkok Bank account to open this 11 month, 2.8% fixed account promotion. Maybe the branch just ignored the condition, a clerk just messed up, or Bangkok Bank is not really enforcing the condition. TIT.

This week, I rolled my money from a matured fixed account into the 11-month 2.8% account at my Bangkok Bank branch. I actually could have done it three months ago, but I had read the conditions on the website and assumed the 11-month account required new money. Silly me, I didn't even try. Kudos and thanks to all you folks who have mentioned here on the forum that you were able to do it without bringing in new money.

I think Bangkok Bank is hurting themselves with that wording. I wonder what they're really trying to say.

UOB Thai seems to be offering 5%, for limited duration and up to 105k ceiling, if my Thai reading is correct.

http://www.definebyuob.com/file/Flyer-DEFINE.pdf

http://www.definebyuob.com/

I'm not an expert on Thai language either, but it looks to me like the offer is for an account that pays (has been paying) 5% from May 9, 2014 through August 31, 2014 and then the interest rate will drop to 2% for September 1, 2014 through January 4, 2015.

You are not allowed to work as a volunteer English teacher on a retirement extension

That is no exactly correct. If you could get a work permit there is no rule or regulation that says you could not do it.

There are some work permit offices that would do the work permit which according to the regulations is allowed. It is only local policy at many work permit offices not to do any work permit for a non-o or extension based upon retirement.

I hope I'm understanding your comment correctly. Could you provide a link to the pertinent section of the regulations that shows that a work permit is allowed for someone on a long-stay (for purposes of retirement) extension of stay? Preferably in Thai, but an English translation would also be very helpful. I think my local work permit office might be open to this arrangement. Thanks in advance for the link(s).

Very helpful answer, LK. Thank you so much. And thanks for including the website for calculating compound interest, too. I've bookmarked it and will try using it in the future.

Interest will be 11/12 * 28000. Witholding tax will be 15%. You can claim witholding tax back from the tax people.

Thanks , never heard of tax back . Even though I paid tax on interest over ten years . No chance to claim all that back. I wish . 5555 . How do I go about to claim the tax back ? Thanks again.

Yep, this year I got all the tax that had been withheld on my fixed accounts last year. There are lots of threads about it. I think I read this one and got all the info I needed:

www.thaivisa.com/.../610294-obtaining-refund-of-tax-withheld-on-thai-bank -fixed-savings-account/

Also, many of the folks posting about it had gone in January with no lines or waiting. I, on the other hand, went in early March and had to wait about an hour at the revenue office. Next year I'll be going in January too.It was easy, kinda fun to have done something new, and great to get the money back. Good luck!

p.s. Of course, if you're working, your income might be too high so that you wouldn't qualify for the refund.

I also wonder how many people understand the difference between simple and compound interest.

Didn't want to clutter this topic, so I just started a new thread asking for an explanation and example to better understand the differences. Would appreciate your input there.

In the "Bank Savings Interest Rates" thread, the following comment was made, "I also wonder how many people understand the difference between simple and compound interest."

I guess I don't. Could someone explain it to me?

I mean I understand that compound interest is better than simple interest, but I don't really get how much of a difference it could make. Could someone explain and demonstrate the differences? Using a real life example of bank account interest rates would be helpful.

I just now see that Bangkok Bank has added a 7-month Fixed Deposit account paying 2.5%. So now they are advertising three Fixed Deposit options:

4-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.00%, Minimum Deposit 200,000 Baht

7-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.50%, Minimum Deposit 200,00 Baht

11-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.80%, Minimum Deposit 100,000 Baht (but the funds used to open the 11-month account cannot be withdrawn or transferred from an existing Bangkok Bank account)

So the 11 month deal needs new money, that's becoming fairly common these days.

Also, something to watch out for is a nasty little trick that's written into the fine print whereby they pay you all the interest on the day the account is opened, that seems like a good idea because you can then reinvest that interest and get double dip. BUT, you can't withdraw the principle for the duration of the fix, it makes the account useless for Immigration visa purposes.

Hey, CM, thanks for the heads-up about the interest trick that would invalidate the money for immigration (retirement). That's the purpose of my accounts, so I'll definitely be watching out for it.

I just checked for these three Bangkok Bank fixed accounts and it specifically says, "the bank will pay interest upon maturity" and then under the conditions, it lists specific penalties for early withdrawal. So it looks to me like any of these are okay for my "immigration" money. I just have to get the timing right as far as the seasoning period is concerned.

And thanks for starting this thread, by the way. I just found it recently but now I check it regularly.

I just now see that Bangkok Bank has added a 7-month Fixed Deposit account paying 2.5%. So now they are advertising three Fixed Deposit options:

4-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.00%, Minimum Deposit 200,000 Baht

7-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.50%, Minimum Deposit 200,00 Baht

11-month Fixed Deposit, Interest Rate 2.80%, Minimum Deposit 100,000 Baht (but the funds used to open the 11-month account cannot be withdrawn or transferred from an existing Bangkok Bank account)

No, I didn't actually try. Apparently, I misunderstood. And I apologize for my "podunk" refence. I didn't intend to be offensive or inappropriate. I was actually trying to be witty. Fail noted.

I'm glad to hear that I can make the conversion at my local immigration office. I had clearly misunderstood about that. I'll make the trek over the mountain and get everything taken care of soon.

Thank you for your help, Lopburi3, and for saving me a trip to Bangkok.

@happynthailand

Wow! You're not kidding - REALLY small print !!! Didn't know that was there. Thanks.

But I see it's still a problem for me because I don't live at that address now. Actually, I'm not sure I can read it all correctly (50-yr-old eyes don't read really small print like they used to), but I'm sure it's not my current address.

@lopburi3

Not married, so that won't work. Utilities are not in my name. But I get a hand-written receipt for the rent I pay each month. It has the address on it but not my name (just "house rental" in thai). I could probably get them to write my name on one or two of the receipts if you think that would work. What do you think?

Also, I don't know if it matters, but I don't live in Bangkok. I'm only going there because I've read here on the forum that the "podunk" immigration offices can't do the conversion.

I'm in almost the same situation as the OP, but I'll be going to Bangkok to convert my extension of stay to retirement.

But my address is not on my Thai driver's license. (Yours is, really? Weird that mine isn't? Hmmm.) Utilities are not in my name. But I just received my car insurance bill in the mail. Will that work for proof of residence?