ahddub

Can I enter on a visa-exempt 30-day (U.S. citizen) and apply for marriage visa (married 30+ years) in-country?

If this is a topic in another thread, please advise.  Thanks.

My wife doesn't have private insurance in Thailand, only the 30 baht public scheme.  I want to get her private health insurance that will be covered in a private hospital should the need arise, and access to superior quality drugs if the need arises.  Also, check-ups, etc.  I'm OK with higher deductibles, but more interested in quality of care and reducing/eliminating the costs of possible extended hospitalization/care.

According to the New York City Thai Consulate website, one of the document requirements for an O-A long-stay Visa are... "An original bank statement showing deposit amount equal to and no less than 800,000 Thai baht and an original letter of guarantee from the bank". I've not heard of a "letter of guarantee" from a bank regarding a savings deposit account. Can anyone share any experience with this?

On 8/14/2019 at 5:44 PM, garyk said:

You are going to bored out of your mind after the honeymoon period.

You're absolutely right!  I'm already getting bored just thinking about it.  Actually retiring is going to be traumatic, but at 68 and with the children fully grown and on their own, it's time to get back to the wife.  I guess all new Empty-Nesters go through the same trauma.  They say they'll visit, but that's what they all say.  At least with modern-day social media, they're only a text message away.  Still, we're gonna miss them.

Has anyone had experience with OFX.  While it has a minimum transfer of US$500, it seems to be the least expensive.

On 7/9/2019 at 1:59 PM, geisha said:

Hi, m surprised no one has mentioned Khanom . Never been there, but might go having heard nice things about it. Looks like the beach is clean and inviting. I’m sure there’s a small expat corner with a decent bar or two for sundowners. Also, if you are thinking of building a home there, maybe the prices could be reasonable. Or is it  too close to Thungsong. ? Further afield I could only say Koh Chang, but that’s not a 2 hr drive. Enjoy !!!

 

Thanks, Geisha.  My wife tells me that Tungsong has improved (modernization) a lot since I left 10 years ago, and that it's quite a livable place now although quite a bit more expensive as well.  A single order of Kow Man Gai has gone from 25 baht to 60 baht!

And she says that Khanom is a great beach for any weekend getaway - places to stay and places to eat, drink.

So it looks like I'll refresh our house in Tungsong and get ready for all of the visiting relatives (a HUGE family).

Serious question - what's the benefit of the Marriage Visa vs the Retirement Visa?

I'll be retiring soon (6 months - a year).  My Thai wife and I have been married for 30 years but the last 10 years she's lived in Thailand (can't live with the cold weather in NYC) and I've lived in NYC (need to work).  We have 4 children (Thai and U.S. citizens, living/working in U.S.; btw, my wife is also Thai and U.S. citizen).  I've been through the Imm-O and Wife Visa before but that was 10 years ago and I don't really recall all the steps that we went through.

Anyway, I'm looking for a step-by-step procedure and documentation requirements for either a Retirement Visa or Wife Visa (whichever is better)...

1.  I'm currently living in NYC; my wife is living in Thailand.  The children are all working in the States and have no desire to move back to Thailand (hopefully, they'll visit their empty-nesters).

2.  My monthly Social Security will be $2,500+;  I have $125K+ in my IRAs;  about $50K cash-in-bank.

3.  We (she) own a 2BR house in Tungsong, Nakhonsrithammarat.  She (we) has a large family there - I (and the 4 children) have lived there before for about 8 years.  Great caring, helpful, loving family.

So, I'm looking for a fairly smooth procedure, without a lot of in-out travelling.

19 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

 

I might as well do it now since it is coming:

 

So, you want to spend your time at some overcrowded, smelly, filthy, dirty polluted beach and swim in the bacteria feces contaminated water.

Then, have a drink in the evening at an over priced bar with rude staff who will cheat you on the bill.  All the while, a bunch of drunk Falangs and obnoxious Thais around you making noise and spitting in your face!

And do not forget the Chinese.

Is that what you want?....

 

Sorry, could not resist. ????

 

I would check out Krabi area.

Good luck

Wow.  This seems way off base, especially from a "Titanium Member".

@Old Croc:  Krabi and Koh Lanta sound interesting.  I'll pay them an exploratory visit.  Mind you, I'm not a tourist, but will be buying a home and living there.

@Andy:  I'll do some Googling on Koh Lak.  Thanks for the suggestion.

I've posted this in the Southern Thailand Forum but will add it here...

Background:  I'm 68, plan to retire at 70 and still quite fit (jogging, weights, basketball).  Thai wife of 30 years with 4 children (31, 28, 27 and 20).  Oldest born in Thungsong, Nakhonsrithammarat, next 2 born in Phuket, youngest born in New York.  All 4 children are fluent in Thai (speaking, reading, writing) but live now in New York - "no way" they want to move back to Thailand, but are happy to visit.  We (entire family) moved to NYC in 1994 (work for me) then moved back to Thungsong in 2002 (wife could no longer put up with the cold weather) then I and the 4 children moved back to NYC in 2011 (I needed to work and the kids needed a better education), wife stayed in Thungsong but visits NYC every other Summer.

So, when I retire I would like to move closer to my wife but not in Thungsong - I'd like to be by a beach, take a morning swim, spend late afternoons in a beach bar having a cocktail or a beer or a glass of wine watching the Sun set.  I'm trying to get a feel for beach-living (retirement) opportunities within a 2-hour drive from Thungsong.  But I could probably convince the wife to move to Krabi (she has some family there).

Thanks for any help/suggestions.  BTW, I don't speak Thai (the family was always a crutch for communicating).

On 5/20/2019 at 9:45 PM, JimHuaHin said:

 

My apologies dotpoom - we had just returned late yesterday from a few days in Bangkok when I received the message from my step daughter via her mother.  It was late, I was very tired and not thinking clearly.

 

The apparent purpose of the interviews is to "obtain an idea of farang tourist behaviour in NST".  To which I replied, "what does the lecturer mean by 'farang tourist behaviour'?." Response - no idea, she (the Thai lecturer) did not explain.  TIT.

Wow, seems like quite a loaded question.

Background:  I'm 68, plan to retire at 70 and still quite fit (jogging, weights, basketball).  Thai wife of 30 years with 4 children (31, 28, 27 and 20).  Oldest born in Thungsong, Nakhonsrithammarat, next 2 born in Phuket, youngest born in New York.  All 4 children are fluent in Thai (speaking, reading, writing) but live now in New York - "no way" they want to move back to Thailand, but are happy to visit.  We (entire family) moved to NYC in 1994 (work for me) then moved back to Thungsong in 2002 (wife could no longer put up with the cold weather) then I and the 4 children moved back to NYC in 2011 (I needed to work and the kids needed a better education), wife stayed in Thungsong but visits NYC every other Summer.

So, when I retire I would like to move closer to my wife but not in Thungsong - I'd like to be by a beach, take a morning swim, spend late afternoons in a beach bar having a cocktail or a beer or a glass of wine watching the Sun set.  I'm trying to get a feel for beach-living (retirement) opportunities within a 2-hour drive from Thungsong.

Thanks for any help/suggestions.  BTW, I don't speak Thai (the family was always a crutch for communicating).

The only problem is: there is absolutely ZERO demand for international flights to and from NST.....

reality check please

The plan, apparently, is to make it a cheaper and less restricted alternative to Samui airport. They already have a transfer service to Samui through Sichon which is being expanded. Surat airport, being a military airport, has to many restrictions hence the expansion of Nakhon Si airport. The planned/proposed airport for Donsak has been dropped. Now some of the budget and charter airlines are planning a Samui service through Nakhon. Extending the runway is going to allow much larger planes.

Hey Sean,

What's new in NST?

Cheers,

Ajarn Ron

The only problem is: there is absolutely ZERO demand for international flights to and from NST.....

reality check please

The plan, apparently, is to make it a cheaper and less restricted alternative to Samui airport. They already have a transfer service to Samui through Sichon which is being expanded. Surat airport, being a military airport, has to many restrictions hence the expansion of Nakhon Si airport. The planned/proposed airport for Donsak has been dropped. Now some of the budget and charter airlines are planning a Samui service through Nakhon. Extending the runway is going to allow much larger planes.

Cheers!!

If you have a non-imm O visa (not dependent upon an employer's sponsorship for the visa), can you apply for a Work Permit to teach English indpendently (self-employed)?

If you get a Work Permit to work for an employer, can you modify the Work Permit to moonlight (without objection from your employer) as a tutor?

Is this safe for teachers? Safe for students?

I have a Work Permit, working as a teacher for a government secondary school (3 years now). I'm also married, with children, to a Thai national. All documents, credentials valid and verified.

I'd like to know how (documents, procedures) to apply to have my Work Permit modified to legally allow myself to provide tutoring, self-employed, as a native-English speaker.

Need to ask some questions to give you the best answer...

What nationality are you? Are you married to a Thai? Did you pay 25K in taxes last year? How bout 50K in taxes?

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

I'm an American. My wife is Thai. My taxes paid were based upon my monthly teacher's salary of 30,000 baht per month - quite a bit less than 25K in taxes, I think.

Why does this matter?

I have a Work Permit, working as a teacher for a government secondary school (3 years now). I'm also married, with children, to a Thai national. All documents, credentials valid and verified.

I'd like to know how (documents, procedures) to apply to have my Work Permit modified to legally allow myself to provide tutoring, self-employed, as a native-English speaker.

I've been disappointed with the sound of the "off the shelf" stereo systems (Sony, Panasonic, etc.), and I'm strictly a "user", not a hi-fi engineer. Back home, I could look at the "User Reviews" magazines, but here in Thailand I'm at a loss as to how to go about putting together a decent sounding system from locally (outside BKK) available components. I've seen the name "Magnet" mentioned, but that's as far as I've gotten. Clues to "white box", as well as brand names, would be appreciated.

dr_Pat_Pong,

Certainly the vast majority of these threads are emotional venting without deliberation of the letter of the proposals.  But would you agree that a possible cause of this venting may be, prior to PM Thaksin's government cleanup, due to past experiences of "stringency" of immigration rules by local immigration administrators?

Upon deliberation, one might have the opinion that the proposed rules might indeed be reasonable.  But who's to say that these might not be strictly enforced to local advantage?

For example, what constitutes Income?  Besides actual employment or a retirement program, would a fixed income portfolio (foreign based) suffice?  Or how about a personal "annuity", i.e., bringing in 40,000 baht per month from overseas savings?  How would you prove/document this?  I may have missed it but I didn't read that one could maintain 400,000 in the bank plus an additional 480,000 baht (40,000 per month of the duration of the visa).  The specificity of the terms of the proposal doesn't seem to allow for more flexible interpretation of the spirit of the rules.  The latitude for strict interpretation of the letter of the rules can lead to a deprivation of the freedom to manage one's own finances.

Might this lead to some former practices of a small minority of administrators' expectations of "greasing the wheels"?

I would hope that the Thai authorities might interpret the wild ravings of these replies as a need to more clearly communicate the spirit of the proposed rules.

Isn't it a valid function of a club or association to lobby for the benefit of its members?

http://forum.thaivisa.com/cgi-bin/ikonboar...t=ST;f=1;t=2407

Fugetabowdit.  Can't you hear the big sucking sound?

http://forum.thaivisa.com/cgi-bin/ikonboar...t=ST;f=1;t=2407

Once the precedence is established the minimum balances and income levels can (and will?) be ratcheted up - can you hear the sucking noise?  Might the prognosis be "thank you very much, now go home"?

How can we get this issue covered (reported, editorialized) in the media, both English (Nation, Post) and Thai?  Any contact info where I can send a 'Letter from Readers'?  Specifically, vis a vis the cessation of our flow of personal funds as well as direct investment into the country.  Working expats (an issue for expat clubs?) might raise this issue with their foreign employers if there are direct investments in the pipeline.

Any feedback from Stick, Trink, other boards?

I read a recent article in the Nation that Thailand was expecting multi-billion dollar direct investment from the U.S. this year.  I think I'll drop a note to my congressman asking if this is prudent in light of Thailand's new isolationism.

Thaksin did a great job with free trade with China.  Isn't he also addressing the western countries?  This is bad policy in the face of Globalization.

???

If I don't meet their income standards, will I be able to take my money (over a million baht) home with me?

Who can authoritatively answer this question?  I can't bring any more money into the country with this kind of risk.

Or maybe they're just looking to earn more on visa fees from 90-day visas.  If this were the case then they could facilitate it by drastically raising the 90-day visa fee but save us on travel costs by allowing in-country renewals.

Thanks, Expat Club.  This is really helpful.  Would anyone have any ballpark ranges for compensation?

By the way, I should be in BKK the week of 9/22.  Any meetings?