Sambotte

13-18 april look like Songkran hollidays (short search online yesterday) nop ?

And 6 april i don't remember for what.

For my "process" i will check in Phuket anyway have to go there a day. Looks like, if i understand, O visa are anyway more to do outside, like tourist visa btw. But you never know :) And except for those with adress in Bangkok.

On 09/11/2016 at 9:58 PM, kenk24 said:

 

Hi Jimmy -- sorry, I don't have the time to read a long thread... there is a smoky season... and it effects most of Northern Thailand. The season can run as long as about 2 months, with much of it being not that bad... it can get really bad for a couple of weeks... with the yellow air and decreased visibility and you feel like you can almost see the particles in the air... but, most of the year, for a city that size, it is fine.

 

when the air gets bad, it makes a nice opportunity for a beach vacation... 

I must desagreee with that :)

Fire pollution is a big 2-3 month problem. Time to go to the south or somewhere else, espacially if you have kids imo. Witch could pose a problem for school.

And Chiang Mai, well i love this town, but honnestly i will consider to find a place 20-50 kms away.

It's a big and bigger city, with vehicules polluating (you can see anytime big clouds coming from a bad truck or diesel or old motorcycle, no regulation ?). Traffic congestion are more and more adding as a issue. And most importantly it's in a valley ! And imo, that's bad for air, especially with few wind, opposite to near the sea. Pollution stay in the valley, most of the time.

That said, you can live to die another day :) And i plan to return to or near (preferably) Chiang Mai. But definitely NOT right now.

But for sure, if i had kids, i would not live in Chiang Mai or any big polluated town.

Pollution kills way more than cigarettes (don't argue, it's a scientific fact). And the main issue is not exactly about visibility to take pictures for FB (not saying that for kenk24 but read somewhere else)... Time to wake up :)

On 21/03/2017 at 8:00 AM, dcnx said:

I'm in Chiang Mai. Probably will return to Colombia within in next year or two if things work out. I enjoy Thailand and have been here for a while but the pollution, terror on the roads, and the fact that it's moving backwards and not forwards, is enough for me to not want to grow old here. I'm in my early 40s, so the thought of living here for 30 or 40 more years sounds like a nightmare. Immigration check-in every 90 days for the next couple of decades, no thanks.  

 

Expats don't leave Thailand for many reasons, geographical location of another place isn't generally one of them. Being stuck, having a limited budget, having a Thai family, or just too lazy to move, are a few. I fall into the lazy category. Such a move is a big ordeal, especially with a business here. Otherwise, I would have gone back a long time ago.

 

There is quite a large expat community in both Colombia and Ecuador. Cost of living is just like here, it depends on your lifestyle. You can do it cheap or live lavishly. Visas... there are options and work arounds for long term stays, just like here. 

 

If you're an anti-social drunk, prefer sitting in a beer bar all day, or simply enjoy the chaos of Asia, I don't recommend the move. Thailand is perfect for those types. But normal gents would find it quite nice and a change of pace after being here for a while. A better place to have a family perhaps, and for sure better schools, safer roads, and cleaner air. If that stuff is important to you. But like you said, this is just my opinion. Those things matter to me more now than ever. 

 

I must give my 2 cents here :)

I"m just back from Colombia, spend 8 months there. Wanted to check this country for retirement (was tired of Thai karaoke pop maybe :)), and well a peace process being in... process, i've been there.

Every country has it's plus and minus, well not every country, but Thailand and Colombia...

Over there : amazing music and dance, easy talking people (you have a talk anytime with unknown people everywhere, very friendly), spanish may be more easy to learn, and... the chicas are damn HOT :) Even the eye contact is hot :) And they have boobs, oops :)

But... To find a monthly rental is a nightmare ! I've tried everything, even via local people i knew, it's just a nightmare, they don't trust each other, so good luck as a foreigner, you will need a garant, to pay 6 month in advance, and even so, hard to find. So no monthly rates, kind of nowhere, hotel AirBnB, they don't do that yet. Even at crazy gringo prices... That's a big issue ! And hotels are more expensive than in Thailand, way more for a equivalent quality. Same for motorcycle.

And, a terrible noise, they tend to klaxon but like a moto-taxi will klaxon 20 times a minute !!! And so on, car, trucks. Noise everywhere, sometime you have 4 different sono/music in your ears when eating in the street. It goes with a fiesta attitude too, witch is very fun, and they are damn good. But it's too much. Hotel lack of quiet and privacy too. And no massage, or pricy, and not good.

Last point, security, well it's ok in town, daytime or area with people. But not the confort of Thailand where you don't even think about it at night. Latin america : guards everywhere, secure grid/gates, etc. And politically, well the farc have sign a peace, but the paramilitaries still do a lot of killings. A lot. Does not concern tourist or expats, yet... But sure you don't want to go anywhere, you check first.

A interesting source of info :

http://colombiareports.com/

I like this country, love the people, but it's not easy ! And it's a euphémism to not say : damn difficult... Monthly or long term Rental being the terrible issue (i knew it before because you can find that issue online by searching).

Not to mention the long term visa, after 6 month a year, doesn't look easy.

So i enjoy my return in Easy Thailand :) Good hotel, condos monthly, motorcycle same-same, massage (the real one, i'm adicted seriously to a good foot massage, oil, or Thaï -soft for me thanks-) ! Safety, politness. Visa, théorically :). I can deal with the worst driving in the world maybe (so easy to fix by some education they make 4-5 big mistakes all the time... but well, not the topic), and the arg... still karaoke level really ? :):):)

And you can go everywhere in Thailand, choose your place.

It's very different though, impossible to compare somehow, quite opposite in many ways. But i'm back, there are some big reasons.

To stick vaguely with the topic :) : Pollution in Chiang Mai bother me (i'm not there right now partly for that issue), but take Medellin for example, so called eternal spring, well it's over polluated all year...

Il y a des avantages et des inconvénients partout :) (learn French guys :)).

Yes...

I had read a more recent update, here :

http://www.profitconfidential.com/bitcoin/top-countries-bitcoin-legal-illegal/

But the page dosen't work anymore or today, but you can have it with google cache.

No precision for Thailand except : "

Most other countries have implicitly accepted the reality of Bitcoin, and have finally raised their white flags.

Take, for instance, the two countries that had previously banned Bitcoin. Russia and Thailand, both banned Bitcoin back in 2014, but finally started opening up to the idea of cryptocurrencies in 2016."

And i know Thailand want to be on top for new technologies like the one behind bitcoin, so it looks ok... Will ask to my bank anyway.

A very interesting article on the bangkok post :

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1217429/bitten-by-the-bitcoin-bug

19 march, so very fresh. But again not clear on how it's legal. But actually not illegal :) Just not regulated i guess...

So... no one want to answer the basic for potential beginners ? :)

- Legal ? Or if non determined, no problem possible ? For selling, you can put your gains in your Thai bank account with no stress ?

I think Ubonjoe makes more sense :) The O 3 months would be the standard one, like the student visa i think, you get 3 months and then a extension. The O one year would be for special cases of kind of intermitents, foreigners who are sure they have to spend not more than 3 months in Thailand, but many times a year, and maybe with no extension (witch extension would makes no sense before one year).

What do you think of my option Ubon ? Too tight ? Whith a possible (or not possible) second extension of 7 days after the 30 days extent ? (for the exemption)

I just would have to come back in BKK after initial process, so i could stay in Chiang Mai or Phuket waiting for the O 3 months, insteed of having to wait for it in Laos with the stress of the  "missing document"...

Would make the 800K in bank for almost 2 months, a few days only near, at the time of the initial process (around 10 may).

Other option : try to initiate the O 3 month process with my actual passport, the 26 april, and "somehow" having the stamp and reference to my new passport two weeks after. But i think it's not administrative well oriented or ? :)

Since the subject is hot, and experts here are very good :)

I could think about :

- New passport 26 april+2 weeks (i think)... 10 may, i run immediately at immigration BKK to ask for the non-O

- Must have it before the 21 may (end of extension of exemption previous passport) but that's a short 11 days. Or second extension of 7 days possible maybe if necessary.

Would save me a travel, and most importantly the risk of having a document missing like bank related, outside Thailand...

Good idea or bad ? :)

Thanks for patience,

Looks finally good to me the O 3 months, with extension 1 year combined with re-entry.

Could be good for you too Straydog nop ?

Easy Thailand, believe me, i have been travelling in many countries :)

Hé hé... was sure it was not the end :)

But the last one, the O 1 year would require to go out and come back every 3 months or less so ?

So, for me, better the O 3 month, but no exit, and what you call "to applying for a 1-year permission-of-stay based on marriage or retirement. ", to be sure, is the extension of 1 year right ? But then again, no exit ? Or you lose it ?? Since it's a extension of a single entry O...

Must be a way to get one year based on retirement with re-entry, not from your original country though no ?

Must be A for Alien... Go home E.-T. (Extra-Thaï) :)

Maybe there is a difference for re-entrys ? Maybe a need of re-entry permit with Non-O, and no need for the non-OA ? Juste speculating here, will have to do the research for this re-entry thing too.

Ha ! Ok i get it now !

Thanks a lot, that's good infos.

I will weight my options with those.

Considering i need a new passport, and the delay for it, i will probably go in Laos or Malaisia after that and indeeed, ask for a non-O visa, on the new passport, and when back for a extension 1 year.

And that will fit better for the adress and the 800K in bank since 2 month, required for the non-O or the extension i forget this but well, looks ok this way.

Thanks again :)

Only desagrement : the delay to get the non-O in Laos (i'm not a big fan of Penang :)), and to be sure in advance every document is ok... Hmm... Well, i have time to think about it.

No actually i'm lost :)

The retirement visa so can be done only in Bangkok inside Thailand ???

Because anyway it's a transformation, in Thailand, you have a visa or exemption anyway...

Thanks,

Is it to say that the retirement visa (witch if i did understand require a non-O 3 months and then a 1 year non-OA) can be done only in Bangkok if you don't want to spend weeks outside Thailand ? Get a little confuse here, sorry for that, damn

cold or flu...

And Chiang Mai same as Phuket ?

Or is it indeed the transformation process that can be done only in Bangkok ?

Or it may be simplier for me to :

- get extension until 20 may

- make my new passport (only 1 year left and 5 blank pages) 26 april

- go out 20 may with the old passport, and ask a tourist 2 month visa on the new one, witch is quick

- come back and ask, with no transformation, a retired visa, since i will have the 800K since many months as required...

So no problem i guess to ask a non-tranformation :) but full retired visa (in one or two process) anywhere in Thailand then ?

Last : i do not have yet a very standard adress, being in a hotel on weekly/monthly rate. Could be a issue too.

Thanks in advane for your advice, Thailand is easy, but this could require some precise planning obviously.

Thanks for all the infos.

Still a little lost but having a cold no wonder :)

Not so sure after all for the 1 year and half validity, could be a info picked up on a site for applying in your country of origin... Not sure, didn't find it today.

For me the points still are, for the first step 90 days non-immigrant O, from a exemption visa 30 days :

- Possible in Phuket or not (can't really see why not) ?

- And if delay too tight (exemption ending 21 april), possible to get first a extension of the exemption, witch would give me 30 days ?

And well i have a appointment at the french ambassy for a new passport the 26 april but they could refuse to do it if actually 1 year validity (that's what i have left) is not required for the retirement visa... Will try to contact them.

But well, should be easy though, once i will get the official infos, so i will simply go first to the immigration in Phuket to ask, i think (have to go one day in Phuket anyway).

On 14/03/2017 at 1:11 AM, thailiban2 said:

 

Appreciate if you can share experiences of opening the account, depositing funds, any issues, pit falls etc. Any other helpful input... Thank you!!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

I am interested too by those questions.

Since it looks to be in the middle of legal/illegal, any information ? I have read about BANK account closed for that reason, but not in Thailand i think. But this is a very needed information. In short is it more on the side of legal transaction, or the other ?

And by the way, since bitcoin is in the middle of a crisis (versus coin unlimited) right now, what about Etherum?

Hi everyone,

I am about to ask for a... let's say long visa type :)

I am 50+, French, have more than 800.000 bahts in a Thai bank but only since a week.

I arrived on visa exemption the 23 march.

First question is, if i did understand correctly, i can transform the exemption 30 days to a 90 days kind of visa right ? I did not know about this... Sure ?

And then apply for the one year ; all without having to leave the country ?

Is this possible anywhere in Thailand ? I am not in Bangkok. Phuket would be the nearest place with immigration for me.

Most importantly : i have read here or there that the passport must be valid for 1 year and half to ask for a long terme visa. Mine has only one year left, and 5 blank pages. Could be a problem, or not ?

Because if i have to renew my passport fisrt, it's two long trip to bangkok, 2 weeks to process, and last time i checked i had to make a appointment 40 days in advance ! French service

So between the delay for passport if validity of more than one year is required, my short exemption visa (extendable for 30 more days witch brings me to may 20) / or transform first to a 90 days visa ?, the process, and Songkran... I would appreciate your valuable information / confirmation, to plan this correctly.

Kind regards.

I know Thailand since quite a while, and definitely, long before i read about "attacks" (witch i don't read all the time), let's say since 2-3 years, i experiment more "attitude" or verbal violence, or disrespect to be precise. From mini-van drivers, from owner of small shop, from owner of condo, from any level so.

I am definitely not the kind of guy loocking for confrontation, but i respond to direspect, verbally. It never went further. And well i'm use to travel and to not have physical fight.

But seriously before let's say 2013 around, i could not remember more than let's say 2 incidents ! In 10 years ! Since then, and i did not change my ways, well i can count almost 10 incidents.

Somehow same same but different with the driving. It doesn't improve, on the contrary, imo, more and more disrespect, or attitude, or kind of violent misconduct...

I just had a incident today. I went to a beach, by a small path, not private, i used since 3 months. It's on the side of a small bar. A guy came to me, speaking Thaï, when i was just going to the beach , not trespassing the bar in any way. After he called a another guy speaking english, telling me the first was the owner of the land, and that i had to go since i was not a customer. Again, it was on a side of a bar, at the end of a not private path. I say a few "sorry what ?" expressing my surprise, and, leaving, i told the second guy to tell the first how nice he was, being sarcastic of course, but all the way polite. Then what the f.. ?! The first guy came to me when i went on my motorcycle, filming with his phone obviously, staying in front of me. I got pissed off there. I asked him what he was doing, and to stop. Then i talk with the english-speaking guy, about calling the touristic police, and asking the name of the owner. And period...

The owner was very, very disrepectfull, and i could uncerstand he was talking with disrespect about me to the other guy, in Thaï.

No big deal, just pissed me off by his attitude. First i think he was wrong, since i was not on the properties of the bar. And what the problem anyway he had with me going to the beach ? Just rude. And all his attitude.

It's in Khao Lak, Bang Sak, and the owner is (according to the other guy) the owner of the Manathai resort too. NICE GUY Seriously...

Well 99% of the people i met are really nice, polite, but this kind of incident happens more and more, for no reason. Thailand is changing i would say, taking a wrong way With more Thais not even making any smile, witch has always been just a apparence, but at least polite, nice, and respectfull.

Where will it goes ? Well, not sure i want to stay the next years to see. Times looks like not the best in Thailand i would say.

Maybe... I'm not so sure...

In my opinion, it would take a 10mn spot, TV/Internet, to focus on the 6-8 enormous mistake i see every minute on the road (i'm not in a modern area). Doesn't require months of planning, organization, and big money ! And it would reduce i think by half at least the number of accident. Considering they just don't know...

If actually they don't care, and show a different "picture" of Thailand, something they could be very sensitive... i don't know, but then maybe it takes police enforcement indeed, but via controls of a real driving licence, for everyone ! You can not check everywhere drivers making dangerous mistake, they do it everywhere, all the time...

I insist on accident, because wearing the light helmet required will not change much i think, and in many case with a very good helmet well you still get severely injured, permanently sometimes.

I'm not really oriented "dead is the only thing to avoid". Injured is not that good i think. And driving in safer and relaxing condition would be really good too And would correspond to the image Thailand want to have : respect, confort, and safety. This will not happen with helmet, check-point, and that sort of thing, i think. They make very big and dangerous (and disrespectfull) driving mistake, all the time, this is the point, imo.

try driving from bangkok to chonburi. drive less than 100km/h and you'll be sandwiched by trucks, less than 120km/h and you'll be driving with them crazy van drivers. 125km/h is the sweet spot. "known" speed limits for light vehicles are 80km/h (inside bangkok), 90km/h (to other provinces from bangkok), and 80km/h to 120km/h (tollways)

I totally agree. When you drive slow you are indeed in more danger.

That said, a drunk driver or a bad driver speeding increase the risk of accident, on the other hand.

I really don't think the number of accident will decrease any time soon, since so many people are arguing about helmet (witch does not reduce the number of accident), checkpoint, and so on...

The source of so many accident is drivers have no clue about what to not do on a road, like the big mistake they make all the time.

And the money is spend in check-point, radar, nothing in driving education...

Do nothing about that, and nothing will change.

Total nonsense in most of what you can read about all that... In the medias.

All that because Thailand is the second worst country for driving accident, it's not juste about songkran.

I'm a very experienced driver, cars, big bikes, motorcycle small... Since more than 30 years. Zero accident.

I must say i'm speeding, because i like it, because it makes you focus, and i'm serious about that : because you avoid being hit from behind !

Not to mention, by the way, drivers who make a big mistake, very, very, slowly

I'm not right here, i know, but speeding is not the big problem.

But most importantly, i'm driving since years in Thailand : the only and biggest problem is that there is so many people who have no idea on how to drive here, or they just don't care, i don't know but that's something... I see a average of 1 driver making a big and dangerous mistake every minute here !!! Especially against motorcycle, cars think they can pass on the other way/direction, for example. Or motorcycle engaging in a way without looking, changing direction same not looking, drivers of motorcycle using only one hand, having a baby or a ombrella in the other, etc. Driving wrong way like they think it's normal... Crazy...

So... keep on going, medias and others, it's the speeding, the lack of helmet, alccol... partially true, but the N° ONE problem is obviously Thais drivers don't know how to drive, most of them !!!

Takes a few common sense, talks, and some spots on TV or internet, not to mention a serious driving licence for every one, to fix that. I mean it's just unreal, nobody care ?

24.000 deads, not to mention the thousands injured, sons, wifes, babys, every year, nobody care ??? I don't get it.

Some source says it's more than 25.000 injured during songkran, 4.500 being the severe one only.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/health-safety/the-statistics-that-should-shock-the-world/news-story/4583c8cae35ebc3f51a25ac7d972f6a2

Sad. And stupid. And what about people trowing loads of water on motorcycle driving ? Nobody to explain them it's not funny this way, but deadly dangerous ?

The driving in Thailand, i just don't understand. Very easy to fix those problem (learning not to make the 6-8 big mistakes they make all the time, seriously it's very easy), so i don't get this.

Thanks a lot.

Happy to hear the little monsters should not be there

Thanks for the infos, i'm trying to contact the Mountain View, looks great and quiet.

Hi,
(I'm French, so sorry for my english)

1- First and very important :
-> Is there SANDFLIES in the Khao Lak area ?
I’m allergic, and i do not put oil or repulsive, for a walk, a bath, or a sunbath, activities i love... But i hate those little flies, hurts me for weeks (or days even with cortison pommad), so i just avoid place where they are.
I hope answers, i don’t want to go there and find out i can not go near the beach, thanks in advance !

2- I’ve read here and there about Khao Lak, looks pretty quiet, 20kms beach, i’m looking for that ; plus or minus friendly locals, many germans and Scandinavian, well i’ll see ; but expensive... i’m not looking for that
I’ve plan to stop at Takua Pa (north of Khao Lak), for finding a place and a motorcycle on monthly basis. But i have too few info : if someone could give me some adress/advice ?
Starting from soon (i know it’s still high season), 10K bahts per month max for small house / bungalow / condo? / room (i know this is the difficult part), really not noisy (not near the main road so), furnished (at least a good bed). Could stay a few months, but don’t want to engage myself for more than one by one.
And motorcycle (semi-auto), no passport deposit (i’m a traveller, not a tourist, so i can’t let the passport). Around 3K.
Thanks if some people have infos, could help a lot in this area

3- Beside this, i’m still trying to find THE good place for me in Thailand. Have appreciate Chiang Mai for long (nice people, cheap prices, lots of possibilities), but it’s a big town now, polluated, air is dry, no sea, not to mention the big smoking season (farmer burnings).
Have been to Chumpon, Pratchuap, Kanom : very nice places but... full of sandflies !
Hua Hin looks overpopulated ?... And i’ve been reading the little itchers are there too.
Songkhla : has changed. Hat Yai : no very friendly imo.
So on the west coast then ? :
Ranong : very wrong... Thai Muang : too small.
Krabi... : i could return there, very nice lanscape, nice beach sandflies-free further north than Ao Nang (witch is overpriced, crowded, and the beach is mediocre, imo), found one condo (not really good though)... Maybe too muslim for me, no offense to anyone, but i just like freedom

So i’m still looking... Khao Lak looks good. I like it quiet, but with everything basic available (like real coffee, rolling tabacco, choice of rental, motorcycle, massages) ; Phuket been not too far maybe to pick up some missing things in Khao Lak ?...
Never been near Pattaya or in Phuket, i think it’s too touristic for me. Although i do not mind having some possibilities to find a new girlfriend (and since i’m not speaking Thai it could be difficult in non touristic areas) . But well those places have just no quiet i think.
So... on a coast (not a island), for air, and nice beach. Mediumly touristic, if i may say so (like Pratchuap, Chumpon or Krabi for example, but elsewhere). And possibly, did i mention those little monsters ? No fg sandflies !

Any idea ?

I will make it send by post from someone in France by the way...

Does someone knows how much the taxes are ? And if i will have to pay the taxes myself on arrival ?

Thanks. But really overpriced at B2s, and i guess same price in their shop than in their website.

I'll ask in a Chiang Mai topic, but it looks almost impossible to find a eReader (at correct price) in Thailand...

Hi !

I want to buy a Kindle Paperwhite or a Kobo Glo HD.

Normal price is around 120$ internationaly, but... much more expensive on the very few website selling them in Thailand, almost twice the normal price !

At the same time you can find in Thailand any computer or ipad or anything at a better price than in France for example... So i don't get it.

Is there a way to get one of those eReader in Thailand at a fair price ?

Preferably a shop, in Chiang Mai.

Or via Amazon.com ? Any idea of the taxes ?