orchidfan

I think you need to study the history of Hong Kong and especially the lease which was granted to Britain which expired in 1997. HK was handed back ,by Agreement, peacefully and graciously in 1997. As was Macau... Totally different scenarios to Taiwan. I lived and worked in HK for 20 years and still retain permanent Residence status here (I'm currently in HK as I write).

slightly off topic but where did you get the spinal stenosis surgery done and what was the cost and long.k term outcome.? Where I get medical Treatment in Hong Kong (although LIVING in TH 20+ years......married ) they refuse to do this kind of spinal surgery (too dangerous ) and so only take Pregabalin At 73, expat health insurance is far too expensive. .

As I've previously posted, I did the "transfer of stamps" FREE and quickly at Pathum Thani IO. Just handeR in completed "request" form and both passports to "triage " station. Sit outside to wait, then both PPs returned.

If you read it all.....his name is Arabic/Muslim. Very common in Singapore Not Indian.

It's always been a bit of a mystery to as why every app (including BBL) works every time I go to Hong Kong, where, on arrival I whip out the Thai AIS sim, insert a HK CSL sim and Bingo, I'm up and running. Can use the CSL data if out on the street....or ANY WIFI which pops up. Do transfers and pay bills etc via BBL app ~ no different to my being in Thailand . Only thing that's the same is the actual phone !!!! Some younger whizz kid out there can enlighten me !

This appears to be 100% correct...in my case. The "original" tiny branch in this mall,where my account was opened many years ago, I'm sure will not be around in another 10 years(I may not also !!!) ....with a large, well staffed, newish branch just a few hundred metres away. I can only assume that when that happens, they will transfer all the records to the "new " branch. But anyway, I've been able to do everything I need, like new passbook, letter for Immigration and bank statements without any problems. Only this new.passport and photo ID thing required me to go to the original branch !!

Just a quick addendum.... Back at original branch, they submitted the new PP details and was told 5 working days before transfers over 50K. I told the "lady" that this was no good because I HAD to make 3 transfers, each over 100K to landlords by that Friday....or our 15 year lease could /would be terminated ! She then smiled and told me to come back on the Friday and it'll be all fixed. Which I did and they took the required photos for the face recognition..."you can do the transfers this afternoon" She also thought to ask me what my daily transfer limit was! My real beef about this is, that the BBL app facial recognition is (for me) difficult to use getting the right picture including smiling showing teeth. So just a stupid grin (no teeth visible) worked. But all this took over an hour compared to 10 minutes previously.

The Ongoing Saga................. Appreciate the above comments BUT, as I have mentioned earlier, the BBL branch which I went to ( and who previously issued me with a new bankbook, and provided the mandatory "letter" for extension renewal at Immigration etc) were insistent that I go a few hundred metres down the mall to the original bank branch where I had opened the account years ago! (why they have two sub-branches a few hundred metres apart on the same level, in the same shopping mall is anybody's guess???). So it's back tomorrow for the "facial ID" photo. The BBL App I have on my phone appears not to have any face recognition facility but I'll see what happens tomorrow! And, to sum things up, I tried to send someone 50K yesterday....but NO ....wouldn't work. But B49,999 did !! Incidentally, I am pretty sure you can raise your mobile/internet transfer limit using the phone app. I did it years ago (for a Dee Money overseas transfer), but at a branch, which involved the usual 44 pages, signatures and mobile phone number. I would have known nothing of this New Passport/Fae ID/ 50K+ limit business if it weren't for other members on this Forum posting this advice. Much appreciated........unlike some members here, BBL gave me NO warning of this new BOT instruction and limitations it imposed.

I would think so. In my case, I went to Immigration last week and got stamps "transferred ", but don't have to do extension until December l. Btw, bank photocopied extension stamp on OLD passport and new stamp in NEW passport. Can't be TOO careful.

Correct. I should have just done it on the phone app as normal and left my new passport registration until after. They think my old passport is still valid until December 2023. I just wasnt aware of these implications.

I am Aussie....so yes, everyone. You can do the transfer at the bank (I think) but 50K limit on mobile.app or online banking.

As recently posted, I received my new passport and, as others here have advised, I needed to inform the bank (BBL). Well I went along to the largest branch in the local (Large) Shopping Centre and ( as usual looked pretty under staffed) , but finally my number came up. They were very polite but told me to "register" this new Passport, I had to go to the Branch where I had initially opened the account. Luckily, this small and obscure branch office ( closed for all of COVID etc) was on the same level at the other end of the mall. So walked down there, and got attended to quite quickly by a pretty ( not looking) officious woman who knew what I needed, but nonetheless got an underling to go and make the obligatory photocopies of the various pages of both Old and New passports.... (NOTE: if you are doing this, Bring both passports , plus new and recently old Bank passbooks....................both appeared to be needed. Now ,the Cruncher, I told her that I needed to do a Transfer of some 300K by next Friday and that I normally do this on the BBL App on my phone. NO,NO,NO....cannot until your new passport is registered at the HEAD Office on Bangkok - 5 days. Maximum 50K. I have never been advised or notified of this by BBL, but thanks to reading the various posts by members here I was aware of this BOT ruling. So, SHE says come back and see ME on Friday ( deadline for my payment) and we will sort it out. But I have to take your photo for face ID next Friday and submit that to HQ !!! Now, yes, I KNOW that this probably ONLY applies to mobile and internet banking and that I could do ti at the branch in person, but I just thought this was worth mentioning for those that might be thinking that "just advising the Bank of your new Passport was a quick and simple/painless exercise!! 6 or 8 signatures and mobile phone number on various forms!!!!

Agreed . My thai wife and I lived (me working) in Hong Kong for 20 years, but after only 7 years, got Permanent Residence /ID. No visits to /from Immigration, no scrutiny of money in the bank, or reporting! Can own property and.live there forever.....if we wish

I guess you're referring to Pathum Thani Imm office. I've been going to them for many years and they NEVER once enquired about the 400K after the "under consideration " period. in fact during the covid years, and thereafter, everything is done while customers wait outside under a marquee. Just hand in the passport to the lady at "reception/triage " on appointed day and wait outside for someone to bring it out with stamp inside ! Exactly the same procedure for getting stamps transferred to a new PP.. Yes, they always do a home visit in the nice BMW. I recall the late ubonJoe answering this old chesnutt many times and stating that there is NO written requirement or rule regarding the 400K other than the 2 months seasoning before the renewal application..

All correct, but WHY take it in personally ?? Just send in by EMS . You don't have to send in your old passport, which is still valid until 30 days after new PP approval. A no brainer ????

Worth noting that the new PP is dated from the day they receive your application. 10yrs from late May (in my case) not 10yrs from expiry of old passport ! So, lost a few months.....but probably won't make a difference by 2033!

Posting in includes a debit authority so that was simple (albeit painful to pay B10,500). But the last time I attended to get the notorised copy of my PP for the bank I has to use my BBL Debit card.....BUT the ha.d held POS device they use doesn't fit under the glass in the tray where you deposit everything. So, the lady swiped my card a.d I had to tell her the PIN number to access the account! Might be different with a credit card? What do they always tell us? NEVER disclose your PIN number to anyone (especially wife ????????????)

Well, to apply in person would have meant making an appointment months in advance (as another member has stated here). This was impractical with future travel this year. Also, it was never suggested in emails from Oz Embassy that I needed to come in person or use any "suggested" photo shop. I can't imagine anything nearby to Fort Oz !! Only suggestion was to just email them the jpeg photo file. But I got new photos done...only B100. Can't imagine the Embassy can/could get much cut out of that???

Yes "frozen" in a sense that it restricted me to ONLY depositing. Not able to withdraw or transfer out. My Oz pension is paid into this (Westpac) account (they won't pay it into any overseas account ) so I needed to settle this quickly to be able to use WISE As I said, a quick phone call to your bank's tax residency section (their number is usually provided.on the letter you get )should fix it. Worked for me....less than a 5 minute call.

Good advice. I think doing it at the airport with pre~filled form and photo is by far the easiest ......especially into a new passport as you noted. Ps. Due to the brief PP photos interruption I had getting this new PP, I now have over a dozen pp photos. All perfectly acceptable to Thai Immigration ????

My real full Thai address is soooooo long that I use an abbreviated one showing house number, moo baan name and local district (Rangsit, Not Thanyaburi ) . Most (99%) mail gets to my house, plus I tip the EMS delivery guy(s) well. Also, I changed most of my bills to Ebills, received by email. Much easier!

Yes, the EMS method is quick, cheap (B45 I recall) and by tracking number you Know it has been delivered (Thai Post App on your phone) . Ozy banks.....yes I went through the "Proof of Identity " and "are you a tax resident of another country " crap a little while ago. Needed a notorised copy of my passport done by the Embassy in Bangkok (B1700) and sent EMS to them. All finally accepted and my account "unfrozen" The "Tax residency " query answered in a quick phone call to their Overseas Tax team. Asked "are you a tax resident of a country outside of Australia ?" Answer NO. Thank you sir, that's all we need to know!!!

I filled in the printed off application and attached the 2 OP photos and sent it be EMS the the Oz Embassy (Includind a self addressed big envelope ). From memory, this is the preferred (and only???) method at the Oz Embassy. My new passport came back home to me by EMS also. So has to stay around waiting for the EMS posture to arrive.....who luckily called me on my mobile to say " I am EMS postman, come your house now". I gave him a nice tip for his efforts.

I need one too for travel next month but will use the new PP and get it at Swampy prior to Immigration. There was an American guy just ahead of me at IO submitting papers for a reentry permit and he was still waiting outside when I left Earlier and quicker at the airport !

I did mark "Very Satisfied" on the TM47 post submission survey.... maybe that helps????