davhend25

Wow...a lot of information and mis-information on this subject.

The U.S. Embassy has stated categorically that an "income affidavit" obtained before the end of the year (2018), will be honored by Thai immigration for a period of not less than 6 months from the date of execution.

My concern regarding the income amount stated on the document is that if I declare my actual received monthly income for December 2018, it will not match my documented income amount next May or June when I apply for my annual Retirement extension. The amount stated on the affidavit will be slightly less than what I will be actually receiving in 2019. I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but since coming to Thailand, I've stopped assuming things, especially when it come to matters of policy or immigration.

When I applied for my current extension last June, my immigration office in Chanthaburi province accepted my online U.S. bank statements and pension letters as proof of my 65,000 baht monthly income. This, of course, was along with my income affidavit from the U.S. Embassy. I did not have to show deposits being made into a Thai bank account (which I currently don't have). There is still nothing on the Thai immigration Bureau's website (https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_22) that clearly states that the monthly income must be deposited into a Thai bank account, just that you are receiving it from some external source (i.e., U.S. bank account). 

I may go ahead and get an income affidavit from the U.S. embassy while still available this month, although I'm still not decided this is a worthwhile endeavor. My current extension runs through early June 2019. 

My question/concern revolves around the amount of income that I state on the affidavit. U.S. Social Security pension checks will be increasing in January 2019. I just got my notice online of my personal increase for my January 3rd SSA direct deposit in my U.S. bank. 

So should my affidavit state my current monthly income (I'm swearing to it) or should it state my 2019 (effective Jan. 3, 2019) income which will be a slightly higher amount. 

Since I've already received my last deposit from Soc. Sec. for 2018, and I have a dated letter from SSA stating the exact amount of my new deposit on Jan 3, 2019, I think it would be okay to use the new amount on the income affidavit.

What do those on the forum think about this.

Thanks,

DH

1 hour ago, LawrenceN said:

Nonsense. Since when does "such as" exclude all other options? He just mentioned it as one option without giving a complete list of all options. Giving an exhaustive list clearly wasn't the intent of the statement. That said, I sure wish they would say publicly that bank statements showing regular monthly deposits will be accepted. They do keep saying over and over that 800,000 in the bank will do it. Yeah, we get that already.  Can't someone in authority publish a list of acceptable documentation?

I fully agree, "such as" means stating an example of what will work, not necessarily excluding other options, "such as" the monthly income method.  But this option is already clearly stated on the Thai Immigration Bureau's website, https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_22. And no mention that it has to be deposited into a Thai bank account.

Hello all,

I know this topic has been beat to death, but here is my thinking. I've read all the "hand-outs" and "fact sheets" and have visited the Thai Immigration website.

My retirement extension expires in early June of 2019. When I extended it last June 2018 at the IO in Chanthaburi City, I presented them with the standard U.S. Embassy monthly income verification affidavit. They seemed okay with it, but asked for supporting documentation to the amount stated on the affidavit. This was my first extension without an agent, so to be cautious, I brought with me online bank statement from my U.S. bank where all of my retirement payments are direct deposited. It was easy to see that the monthly pension and Social Security deposits added up to the total monthly amount stated on the affidavit. 

I was all set to make the arduous four hour bus ride to Bangkok to get an affidavit for my June 2019 extension (which I could do in May) as the affidavit would only be 5 months old and still valid.  But if the U.S. Embassy and Thai Immigration are categorically stating that this affidavit will no longer be required in 2019 going forward, what is the point in getting one now for next year's renewal?

I have seen nothing from the U.S. Embassy or Thai Immigration to indicate the demise of the monthly income method as one of the two principal ways of meeting the Thai income requirements. In which case I will need to provide documentation to support my claim of 65,000 Thai baht or more of monthly income. I can do this easily with bank statements and 1099's from my U.S. pensions. I also have seen nothing to indicate that this monthly income has to be deposited into a Thai bank, just proof that I am receiving it. 

Since the income affidavits will no longer be required next year, why go to the extreme inconvenience of obtaining one now. Just be sure you have as much supporting documentation as is practical when you apply for your 2019 annual Retirement Extension. Immigration won't need (or want) the income affidavit. 

I can still go get one, here in December, but again, at great inconvenience. I don't see the point. Any thoughts or advice would be welcome.   

12 hours ago, brianp0803 said:

Many Thai people earn less than 15,000 baht a month. If someone make three to four times their salary would be considered rich enough  to have enough money to share with them.

 

Many expat over 50 living in Thailand very likely have assets in their home country in excess of a million dollars.

 

 

If I were over 50 and had assets in excess of a million dollars in my home country, I certainly wouldn't be living here....

3 hours ago, Blue bruce said:

I have a roku box I purchased in the U.S. and registered in the U.S. All last year it worked perfectly on NFL game pass. 2 days ago the NFL app disappeared from my roku. I called Roku and they said it had something to do with I am living in Thailand and my box is registered in the U.S. I just paid a 1 year subscription for the NFL game pass for the 2018 season. Must I now buy a roku box in Thailand to make the connection work ???? any suggestions ????

Please excuse my ignorance, not sure what a "Roku" box is, but if you paid for the game pass subscription, can't you just stream the games via your internet connection on your computer?

16 minutes ago, malathione said:

Nope, no dish needed. Works via internet. I'm on True, out in the boonies so not a great connection but it works just fine.

Do I sign up for NFL game pass using my VPN?  I've had some problems when accessing certain websites using my VPN. Many can apparently detect when someone is using a proxy service. I still can't access or purchase anything from the "iherb" site because they say my access is fraudulent. Netflix also can detect VPN access.

1 hour ago, malathione said:

NFL Game Pass. League Pass is the NBA equivalent. But, yes, both work perfectly.

Do you need a dish for this service. I have regular internet service through TOT at present. I also have a VPN provider. I am able to stream movies from Amazon and Netflix. Will NFL Game pass work for me???

On 7/31/2018 at 2:13 PM, Nicolas01 said:

Thanks, but any advice on more physical stuff? Lol

Pre-moistened medicated hemorrhoidal pads/wipes...as best I've been able to determine, this product does not exist in Thailand. I've looked everywhere since I've been here, including "Lazada."  Also, "stick" type deodorant.    

53 minutes ago, mike324 said:

anyone here used transferwise for bank transfers?

Yes.  I used them to transfer about $17,000 USD to my Thai fiancee for wedding and housing expenses prior to my actually traveling here. If I recall correctly, there was a $4k or 8k transaction limit per transfer, but their rates seemed reasonable (not great) and I was able to do everything online with plenty of verification steps. Very satisfied with their service as my local U.S. bank would not transfer outside the U.S. 

On 6/22/2017 at 5:09 AM, SEEDGER said:

There is an income requirement if you do the K1 US gov requires you to make Minimum 40K a year. That is regardless of how much money you have in the Bank. I went through this with an immigration attorney about 8 years ago.

 

Good Luck

Not true! The minimum annual income for a U.S. citizen applying for a K-1 visa is only 125% of the current poverty level. For 2018 and a household of 2 (U.S citizen and Thai wife) the requirement would be approx $20K.

2 hours ago, SheungWan said:

Not an issue as original problem eliminated.

The "FE" has been out since last July (2017) with no reported battery issues. I don't think Samsung wants to travel down that road again. I picked one up on Lazada three  weeks ago for 14,990 baht. Best phone I've ever owned. Has all the features of the current flagships for half the price! Currently selling by Lazada for 13,490 baht. A virtual steal. 

2 minutes ago, malathione said:

I'm very tempted to get one myself. My only concern was the reduced battery capacity; I travel extensively in areas where I often don't get the chance to charge my devices from before dawn until well after dusk and carrying power banks mean one more thing to charge at night.

The battery was only reduced from 3500 mah to 3200 mah. I'm not a heavy user, but I am getting nearly two days on a full charge. The battery doesn't seem prone to fast draining, but again, your mileage could be a lot different. I particularly wanted the IP68 rating because of all the rain here in Thailand. It's amazing how many high end phones still don't have that feature. And a lot still don't have "wireless charging" a feature that I have fallen in love with. I also prefer the 16:9 aspect ratio, as many of the newer phones have gone to the 18:9 which seems too tall and skinny for me. I also like that you can write notes on the screen without turning the phone on. Just pull out the stylus and start writing. Very handy feature!  I know the "FE" is a 2017 phone model based on a 2016 model (note 7), but its features can match up with many of newer flagships. The price now on Lazada is unbelievable!  

32 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Living an hour away from the nearest hospital without a car is in any case a bad idea, especially for someone with known heart condition.

Emergency services in Thailand are basic at best. Nothing at all like in the west. Often what will respond is a pick up truck. Even if an actual ambulance it will not be equipped and staffed for the level of emergency care normal in the West.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

100% agreed, Sheryl.

It is, and has been, my biggest concern since coming here.

My Thai wife and I are currently looking for a place in or close to Pattaya. They seem to have some decent hospitals there, and it would also be much closer to Bangkok.

But your point is well taken.

Thank you.

DH

16 minutes ago, NickJ said:

What about finding out if it is available in Malaysia or Singapore. Fly there and buy a large supply.

Not a bad idea...I hadn't really thought about that.  Certainly better than flying back to the U.S. lol. 

Thanks for the suggestion!

DH

1 hour ago, bert bloggs said:

Hi ,i myself had a heart attack in my 30s and a by pass almost 30 years ago ,luckily my doctor in the UK still supplies me with nitroglycarin spray ,and my familly send it or i pick it up when i go over ,but i am suprised that you dont find isorem quick acting , after i "discovered" it here in Thailand i find it very quick ,luckily i seem to still not have much of a problem with angina ,so perhaps i am just one of the lucky ones.

Hello, yes, my 2nd bypass was 22 years ago. It left me with a small artery that subsequently couldn't be stented because of its small size, but basically it was a good operation. I have angina with a certain amount of exercise. It's very predictable and mild if I pop a nitro tab under my tongue. I can then continue my treadmill walk pain free. I rarely need the nitro in everyday life, but always carry it to be safe. 

My health plan (Medicare and a retirement supplement plan) in the U.S. doesn't cover prescription medication if I am outside the U.S. So there is no way my family can get this medication to send to me. Fortunately, I had built up a stockpile of this before I came here and still have a pretty good supply, but since I exercise everyday I use one tablet every day and eventually I will run out.

I have never tried Isorem or Hartsorb which I believe is the same generic medicine, Isosorbide Dinitrate, but it is not quite the same as straight up sublingual nitroglycerin in terms of speed of action. However, the sublingual forms of this drug apparently are quicker acting than the oral forms or the nitro patches that are available here in Thailand.

I am going to try and get some Hartsorb sublingual and try it before exercise. It might do the trick and let me preserve my regular nitro to carry for emergencies.

Thank you for your reply. I think you may be right with regard to Isorem/Hartsorb as an effective alternative for my situation.

DH

1 hour ago, moontang said:

here is the site specifically for HCP to figure out and cross reference pharmacy matters:  https://www.mims.com  It is specific to Thailand.

Thanks again. I am also familiar with this site, which, by the way, shows "Nitromint" as an available medicine in Thailand.

Thanks,

DH

3 hours ago, moontang said:

I found WWW.DRUGS.COM to be a helpful tool in figuring out the pharmacy maze...it is country specific.

Yes, this is a great website for drug related information. I have used it many times. Thanks for mentioning it.

DH

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Oh, there is plenty of heart disease here.

 

Thai doctors just do not tend to use ntg.

 

I really don't know why,

Thanks as always, Sheryl, for the answers to my questions regarding the general availability of fast acting nitroglycerin here in Thailand. And what "no importation" actually means. And why local pharmacies here will not (can not) order it.

Especially in a country where so much of the population are distanced from quality emergency care, the lack of this self-treatment (potentially life saving) option is incomprehensible. 

Also, thanks for the "heads up" on my ordering it online and having it mailed to me here. 

I'll keep that in mind if I am able to eventually do this.

And here I thought getting my insulins was going to be my major problem retiring here. I could never have imagined that nitro tabs wouldn't be available.

Unfortunately, if I can't source this medicine here, I will have to finish my retirement back in the U.S. I can't continue to live here without it.  Especially when the nearest hospital is nearly an hour away and we don't own a car. 

Thanks again for the wonderful advice you supply, to the forum members here, on medical issues. I can assure you that it is much appreciated!

DH

3 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

The sprays have not been available for years ,like nitralingual but you can get isorem 5 or 10mg to put under your tongue ,they are fast acting and cheap ,you can get them at Farcino in Pattaya no problem .

Thanks for your kind reply to my question. "Isorem," however, is not a fastest acting form of nitroglycerin. I took this drug many years ago after my first heart attack at the age of 34.

My present research indicates a sublingual form that you mention, which does work more quickly than the extended release version, but is still not the immediate action of the nitro spray or tablet. The available transdermal patch would have the same limitations as the Isorem.

I'm still scratching my head as to why this quick acting medication is not available here. Heart disease, and its associated pain manifestations, must not be the problem in Thailand that it is in the U.S. and other more affluent countries. Which, by the way, is a good thing.

Thanks again for your helpful reply. 

DH

Hello all,

I am currently trying to find a fast acting nitroglycerin product, either tablets or spray.  What I am being told by my local pharmacy and a large pharmacy in Bangkok, is that these particular products, i.e. Nitrostat, Nitroject, Nitromint, are no longer being imported into Thailand. 

What exactly does this mean? Does it mean that these products are no longer legal in Thailand, or just that there are no companies willing to import them for general distribution. Why couldn't a local pharmacy order the product for me from another country where they are available? 

Sorry if these are dumb questions.

The longer acting forms of this drug are something totally different. They seem to be readily available here, i.e., Nitroderm TTS transdermal patches, Hartsorb (Isosorbide Dinitrate) but these take 30 minutes to several hours to work, and are not practical for regular exercise (on demand) or emergency applications. I don't leave my house without a small bottle of nitroglycerin tablets in my pocket. 

Any information about the importation question would be helpful. They are prescription medications in most parts of the world, so ordering online will probably not be possible, unless I can get a prescription locally here in Thailand. But would my ordering online even be legal?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

DH

Another vote for Mitsubishi. 13,000 btu unit for 3rd level master bedroom. Keeps the room cold even on the hottest of Thai days. I have the "Mr. Slim-Econo Air" model. You do need to manually clean the filters every 3 or 4 months, but that's a 10 minute job of running them under some water. 

21 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Sorry, I missed the Chantaburi part of this.

 

try pharmacies located near the main government hospital (Phrapokklao).

 

As you need thsi at predicatble times using the patch may be an option. the usual dosage is to wear it for 8-16 hours then remove but I think it can be used for shorter peiriods. You would need to apply further in advance than oy udo with sublingual tabs. Would still be best to get a cardiologist's guidance o nthat and equivalence to what yo uhave been using.

 

I don't know why, but doctors in Thailand very eldom use ntg.

Thanks, again Sheryl.

I am familiar with that hospital and I do make frequent trips to Chanthaburi as my immigration office is located not far from the hospital.  There is also a large pharmacy in Chanthaburi that I use on occasion as they seem to have stuff my local pharmacy doesn't stock. However, when I was there a few weeks ago, I asked them about nitro tabs and they showed me something that I think was a long acting form of nitro, but they had nothing sublingual. 

I my case, I doubt if the patches would be practical, both from a use and/or expense application.  Each day I jump on my treadmill and walk for about an hour at a moderate pace.  About 10 to 15 minutes in I start to feel some mild angina and I pop a nitro. It allows me to go ahead and finish the last 45 minutes or so, pain free. Additionally, the nitro tabs are very inexpensive and easy to carry and self administer when necessary.

I'm shocked that cardio docs don't see the usefulness of sublingual nitro tabs. When someone with heart disease has a sudden onset of angina or chest pain, a patch isn't going to be of much use.  You need the speed and efficacy of a sublingual tablet.

I've been in Thailand for a little over a year. I'm diabetic on insulin and have had no problem obtaining my two types of insulin here. I also take a lot of prescription medications and those have all been available. But this may be the deal breaker for me continuing my marriage and retirement here.

Thanks, again for your kind and helpful suggestions, Sheryl.

Best,

DH