tuktuktuk

You'll never be stopped. Have entered maybe 30 times. Only forced through the x-ray machine once and by people who really didn't seem to be paying attention.

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-01-26/abrams-tanks-ukraine-russia-pentagon-8900716.html

Latest on this is the Pentagon says the US doesn't have 31 it can spare. They'll order and ship new tanks resulting in months of delay. Some speculate that could take up to a year.

My Thai wife is a big fan of the 'I Spit on Your Grave' Trilogy. I hear there's another Sequel. I may buy it for her.

Should’ve sent him to a prison in the Philippines.

Got my extension today. Had to go to Chaiyaphum. Wife changed her residence to the other house. Office was practically empty and relaxed. They told us to go online and update my current address to the Chaiyaphum address to avoid the fee. Even with their help we couldn’t figure out how to do that on an iPhone. I suppose they were talking about the 90 day reporting system, but I figure that doesn’t apply to this situation. I was a bit surprised they didn’t make me extend my COVID insurance, but no mention. Nevertheless a successful outing. 1900 baht is a small price to pay to avoid another three hour round trip to Chaiyaphum immigration. btw: Stations along the way were out of fuel. Not sure what to think of that. We’ve seen some in recent months, but not like today.

16 C in Chaiyaphum and soaking it up. It just won't last.

Run a little bleach through it periodically. Kills mold, algae and some other nasties. Works back home. Never needed it here.

Anytime except before using power tools.

It expires March 8. When is the earliest I can apply for the extension. I think I remember reading 14 days prior to expiration. Sound right?

I did enter with the non-O back in Dec. Thanks for the assistance.

I've got a Non-Immigrant O 90 day visa that expires March 8. Can I go to the immigration office in Khon Kaen (like I've done before) and get a 60 day extension like I've done in the past? Last time I did the same was in 2016 for 1900 Baht.

Just tried it this morning. They told me ATM only without even looking at my card.

She's a US Citizen. We split our time between here and the US. It wasn't blocked IP. She could manage various payments and such, there just weren't statements. We even made international long distance calls trying to solve it. She handled it. The answer was "impossible". Sometimes she's a little like that lady in the Chumpae branch.

This was probably 3 or 4 years ago, but I was shocked to realize she couldn't get monthly statements online from the US even thought she was able to manage her account. In April I had a hard time figuring out what the max balance was for the prior year and actually had no idea what if anything the account had earned. Unless we move money to that account from the US her account is small but complicated. All sorts of people that make deposits for money she's owed and payments for this, that and the other.

It may be easier to just go home and get more cash.

The SCB account is my wife's. I understand the FBAR limit of 10k is for account balance not transfer. It's just an illegible passbook never seemed sufficient to me not to mention we don't bring it back to the US so step-daughter can manage it for us.

I'd at least like to make 25k transfers with minimal fees. The Bangkok Bank deal worked that way 2 years ago. That was using stepdaughter's account. I suppose the Department of Treasury saw that as a loophole that needed to be closed. I'll probably stick with frequent ATM withdrawals.

The problem with 10k and FBAR is that SCB will never give us monthly statements. My documentation was my wife's hand written cryptic records. We just stopped exceeding 10k after that.

Automatic Clearing House for transactions under 10k. It only handles domestic transfers. Bangkok Bank receives it in USD in New York and converts it at their rate. I'll look at Wise. Might be better than Fidelity. Last time I think it was 0.3 of a Baht less than the rate Google was quoting (~1%). I saw Wise is charging around $8/$1000. Sound right?

Fidelity is the only way I've done it. That rate's close to the published numbers. ACH is a US currency transfer and would depend on Bangkok Bank's rate. Nothing's as good as carrying cash, but that has risks I just can't get used to.

ACH are free. I can make free international wire transfers from Fidelity where I have my workplace savings, but my banks only do ACH for free. Maybe it's not worth the hassle. We usually transfer about $50k/yr but in sub 10k chunks to avoid the reporting requirements. With SCB we can't actually get them to send us or give us access to monthly statements.

I figure I'm pretty much the epitome of the ugly American.

Exactly what went through my mind at the time. It's like when we went to TOT to get internet service and they told us to go to 3BB since theirs is better. They were right. Can't get internet this good in the US.

I wanted Bangkok Bank since you can make ACH transfers to their New York City branch. Maybe that's outmoded info.