Peter60

Transferring to another bank is straightforward but time consuming.  Open a new account with your new bank, you will need to open a current account. The Fixed deposit savings account only lasts for a certain period, perhaps 6 months then reverts to lower savings rate, which means opening new accounts every year!

You need money in your account showing for 3 months before, so in your case 800,000 bht.  After renewal you can keep 400,000, but no one checks this, you can use the money in a short-term savings or invest for 9 months, lend to others or spend on your beloved. 

The system was introduced to prevent Visa agents loaning large amounts for the sake of 1 day, but in this area, a Visa agent can still renew for the cost of 19,000 bht and you get to use your money as you wish.   

As others have suggested better to keep your 800,000 in a pot of money with small interest but there as a "rainy day account" if you need it.

If you are in the Provinces, best advice is to phone your local hospital and ask for the current vaccination programme. For example Maha Sarakham has 2 vaccination clinics, based at the university campuses and you can walk in, register and have vaccination on the same day. Currently it is Sinovac for first injection and I was promised Astra Zeneca for the second injection.

No alcohol for 3 days after the jab, so you might want to avoid Friday clinic days.

He or she is just doing their job and following the instructions from the screen often.  I have this a lot when I changed branches for Krungsri.  While I use Google translate for the conversation, it did not resolve the situation. I was asked for my passport, to write down my home address and to write my telephone number, even though all that information is held on the bank computer. I refused to give the information a supervisor was called, I think they went through to Bangkok and after another 10 minutes, the matter was resolved and payment made.

Thais dont like a confrontation, so I would say stand your ground, ask politely but firmly and stay at the counter till it is resolved.  This is not discrimination,  just left hand not knowing what is happening with right hand.... Forgive and be flexible !!

plenty of toilet rolls and Soya oil in Big C   Maha Sarakham, Keep calm  !!!

Do online teaching to suit your hours, I use Cambly which you can be online for random or regular students. I also use Preply which has more regular students and I can charge a higher rate with more regular lessons, you should get the right equipment and gather your students now before the end of the term.

You can always message me if you are stuck.

There are many english speaking farangs who would be willing to assist in schools in their neighbourhood but they are not recruited.   This is partly because schools cannot afford to pay them or have no one to be able to assist them in the classroom.

The attitude of some, but not all Thais who teach english is that they do not want a native speaker to raise the standards for "village kids". Lets hope this new initiative will get off the ground. 

Thank you for taking the time and effort to do this.   Things will change if people of courage are willing to make the effort.   Life could be made much easier for long term expats like ourselves. The ability to use an online system and just have an annual office visit is the obvious answer.  Terrorists and criminals are hardly likely to fill in TM 30 to explain their location.

One question that occurred to me is how hotels and landlords complete their paperwork. I have never seen a hotel worker at immigration office, what system do they use to record and notify the authorities.