SportRider

Herewith lies the path to madness... 

How to properly pronounce "Pattaya". 

Like the majority of tourists and some esteemed Youtubers?  Or prententiously like the Thais, only to be looked at in confusion by said tourists. 

🤔

Money well spent? 

16 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I'm surprised they are so far down the list!

Yes raw numbers are not very informative. 

They should divide by population and give us a hookers-per-thousand-people statistic.  The league table will change. 

11 hours ago, george said:

 

How do you pay at 7-Eleven if you don't have cash and no TrueMoney app?

Revolut is great.  Multiple accounts in any currency you like.  Instant creation of electronic debit cards and link to any currency.  Make 'burner' cards for one-time online purchases. 

Add a card to Google Wallet. 

So to answer the question - tap my phone. 😄😄

28 minutes ago, 2long said:

There has to be more to this. I smell some exaggeration. 

Was it one faulty seat, or more seats that never recline? Surely the plane cant have been designed to have non-reclining business class seats and if it was, then we would have heard of it before (from others complaining).

I get the feeling there's another side to this story, and maybe the customers expected more than he deserved.

Likely an individual seat or one row not reclining, next to emergency exit. 

Last month I tried the FlyDubai service from UTP to Dubai. Paid extra for more legroom.

Only to discover the seats don't recline because it's an emergency exit row!  For a 7 hr flight 🤬

Luckily the flight wasn't full and I moved. 

Didn't bother to claim back the fee for my 'special' seat booked. 

I had painful idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in my feet about 15 yrs ago.   Lyrica was one of the things they tried. Made no difference whatsoever. 

Fortunately the PN eventually went away but it was a miserable couple of years. 

27 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Signs of mental illness? What do you base that on? If he is clean a wrongfully abused in a plot to overthrow his chances of advancement to top position, is something nobody know. However, I find it hard to understand why someone would fight as much as him to get things out in the light? Never seen that before, and it would be very stupid if he was guilty.

We all know what party won the election, but the stronghold of power easily reversed that. We have seen many situation where uncomfortable persons get pushed away by made up stories, so this can very well be one of those. I am not posting he is innocent and squeaky clean, but instead pointing out the possibilities.

 

Writing like you have done Mr Spider, is very disturbing, as you have no back-up for it whatsoever. The only thing you have done, is to spout a lot of unconfirmed garbage.

This seems like a thoughtful post.  To what extent do well-positioned crooks prefer to do battle in private rather than the public eye? 

Using media and public opinion seems like a risky strategy for a real crook.  So much to lose, and enemies knowing where the bodies are buried... 

But this is Thailand 

Top tip when travelling... 

If you are going to use a VPN, install it on your device BEFORE you go. 

In some countries the VPN sites themselves are blocked, making it difficult or impossible to install in situ. 

Nomad Insurance Question (might be relevant) 

Does anyone have any experience or opinion on Safetywing.com?

One of my kids is looking at it... 

48 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Yes

😀🙏

QUICK CHECK

So to double check my understanding, going the 65k pm route there is some likelihood of needing a pension statement to show source of funds.

But going the 800k in the bank route, there is no equivalent documentary evidence required to show the source is actually a pension.  (Either for the non-O or subsequent retirement extension.)

Do I get this right?

Cheers all,

SR

On 4/15/2024 at 4:21 PM, khunPer said:

Your non-O visa needs to be obtained abroad to use the income method first time. If you enters visa exempt – or by tourists visa – and apply for a non-O visa domestically, you'll need a bank deposit of 800k baht transferred from abroad.

Very helpful indeed, thanks very much.

On 4/15/2024 at 6:42 AM, kawikasudo said:

At Jomtien they asked me for a copy of retirement pension which I gave them a copy of monthly gross and net of my federal government pension and they accepted it. 

Very good to know, thankyou kawi. 

On 4/14/2024 at 3:58 PM, Red Phoenix said:

OP didn't provide info on which Imm Office he would be applying for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement from his Visa Exempt entry using the +65K income transfer method. 

If OP would apply at CW, CM, Jomtien, Phuket, or another very large Imm Office, some posters that recently did same at that office might provide him with an overview of the requirements at that Office.

Otherwise, it is recommended that he would visit the Imm Office where he plans to apply and to hear about the requirements as being applied at that office, this because the local interpretation/application of the requirements will greatly vary at each Imm Office.

= = =

The main requirements for his application are the financial ones. 

When using the +65K monthly income transfer method, here are the 'variations' that you can come across depending on the Imm Office where you apply.

# Some Imm Offices require that at the moment of application you can show evidence of at least 1 transfer of + 65K to your personal Thai bank-account, while others require 2 or 3 transfers in the months preceding your application.  And there are even Imm Offices that require 12 of such monthly transfers even for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa application.

# There are also variations possible when applying at the end of the 90-days for the 1-year extension based on that Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  Depending on the office they can require 2, 3 or 12 months of monthly +65 K transfers. 

# After the first 1-year extension of stay application (at the end of the 90-day period of the initial Non Imm O Visa), the requirement is 12 or 13 months of such +65K monthly income transfers to your personal Thai bank-account.

# Some Imm Offices also require that the monthly transfers are done approx at same time of the month. 

# Some Imm Offices require that on top of the +65K monthly income transfers that you  provide evidence of the SOURCE of that income.  And some Imm Offices (e.g. Jomtien) only accept an official pension statement as evidence for the source, while others do not mandate any source-requirements at all, except evidence that the +65K funds originated from abroad. 

= = =

Considering the above, it is therefore recommended to either get exact information from posters that recently used the same Imm Office as you would be applying for such a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement using the +65K income method.  Or simply visit the Imm Office and ask about the requirements that they would impose for the initial 90-day Non Imm O Visa application as well as for the first 1-year extension (after 3 months).

Thanks a lot for your comprehensive response Red 🙂🙂

Application will be at Jomtien. 

Regarding 'official pension statement' would not a statement of withdrawals/income from an investment company be considered the same? 

On 4/14/2024 at 2:06 PM, DrJack54 said:

Well in actual fact many do.

That can be from a variety of sources. 

Example rental properties, shares etc etc.

 

As I stated earlier some immigration offices are satisfied with monthly transfers of 65k+

(Best idea to transfer on consistent date) 

 

Some may want proof of source of income.

Pension etc. 

Thankyou Dr Jack. 🙏🙏

Any ideas about needing to use the 800k for *first* extension, before using 65k for subsequent?

On 4/14/2024 at 11:48 AM, KhunLA said:

Retirement is simply 50+ yrs old, and not working in TH, unless having a permit to do.   They don't care how the money is source or where, as long as it's deposited into a Thai bank account from abroad.

 

Bank will give you 'credit advice' which will state (track) the deposits.  Bank will also give you a full print out of your account, and a final balance statement .  All a bit redundant, but all 3 required by my Imm office, along with copies of every page of my bank book for past year.  Paperwork silliness. 

 

Buddha forbid they would simple accept my USA Soc Sec 1099 statement, showing more than 800k income required.

 

Do allow at least 1 week to apply, as it takes that long for the bank to issue.   My Imm office wants that filed day issued, or next day.    Statement & updated bank book balance must match.

 

Recommend apply for extension, as soon as allowed, in case paperwork isn't accepted, as will take another week to get new bank paperwork.

 

I almost had an oops.   My last deposit is done on 3 or 4th, and I waited till 10th to extend.  Missing 1 piece of bank paperwork, so had to get new, took 7 days, and my visa expired on that last day, the 17th.  Yep, cutting that one close.   Will submit on the 4th or 5th now, or maybe even change the extension date to previous month, on the 30th, so give me 26 days to prep, instead of 13.

Thanks for this reply, helpful and appreciated. 

On 4/14/2024 at 11:30 AM, QuantumQuandry said:

 

I applied for my retirement extension a few days ago, using the 65k method, at Jomtien Immigration.

 

They required me to show both the statement from the Thai bank (which, btw, took a week to get...no-one mentioned that part to me lol)...and also some proof of where the funds were coming *from*.

 

Two caveats here:  The guy next door that helped me prepare the documents for immigration asked me what they wanted and seem perplexed, indicating that he seemed to have not heard of this before.  So it could just be my immigration guy had a bug up his ass.  He seemed pleasant enough but...I don't know.

 

The other caveat is that the only thing I had available on my phone were some withdrawal alerts that matched up with the amounts and dates.  I asked if that would be ok or if I needed to go home and print off a year of statements from the originating bank.  He accepted them.  Not sure if that means my extension is likely approved or not.  We will see in a few days.

This is very helpful thankyou.  So he wanted to see the transmitting account was yours, but didn't ask about source of funds *into* that account (eg no check its a pension payment...)?

Just been searching for the answer to this, couldn't find it so am posting as new topic.

Situation would be application for non-immigrant 'O' & retirement extension to a visa exempt entry.  UK national.

I understand showing 12 x monthly transfers to a Thai bank of at least 65,000 THB is acceptable as proof of funds for retirement visa (for 12 months prior to application).

Q1: BUT I read somewhere that the *first* extension requires 800,000 in the bank, and only subsequent extensions could be 65k monthly.  Is that correct?

Q2: Also, how is 'retirement' defined or checked if at all.  Eg is source of the monthly inbound funds checked?  Could someone have various sources of income from overseas business interests and just send themselves 65k each month?

Thanks a lot for your kind guidance.

SR

On 4/11/2024 at 7:51 AM, Bday Prang said:

 Was it   The Arabian knights ?   

 Talking of TV shows anybody remember    Casey Jones,  

                                                                         Belle Sabastian and the horses

                                                                         The singing ringing tree

                                                                          Pogles Wood

                                                                          Champion the wonder horse

                                                                          Vision On

 And one more that's not been mentioned but surely not forgotten  the obviously psychedelically influenced and more than a little weird 5 minute production that delighted kids every night at around 5.45pm   I am of course referring to    "The Magic Roundabout"    Starring as far as I can remember ,amongst others  "Florence, Brian ( the snail)  Dylan ( a  spaced out  rabbit) Mr McEnery ( a hyperactive guy on a tricycle) and of course Zebedee ( a bizarre spring thing )

   I think it was a french production overdubbed into english

                                                                         

 

It could have been The Flashing Blade - http://www.thechestnut.com/flashing.htm - though this was sent on the French/Spanish border and I distinctly remember heroes riding horses across deserts.  However the transmission date is spot on, 1969, and also it was a Saturday morning kids TV show.  So it must be this and possibly there was just one desert scene that really stuck with me.  It was a transfixing show for a young Sportrider.  Thanks for mentioning French dubbed, that's how it found it.

UPDATE:  Yes it was The Flashing Blade.  Just found the theme tune and recognised it.  👍

Question, since you're reading this... Can you remember - 

There used to be a kids TV adventure show set in Arabia, dubbed I think, but they were always riding about the desert on horses and fighting in old-style forts.  

What was it called?

14 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Need to get the GF out of the habit of constantly moving the wok, or the cooker is going to scratch up to all hell.   Think I would invest in a small gas burner if she's hell bent on cooking with a wok all the time.   It's going to be a hard habit to break.  Good luck with that one.

Separate burner for the wok shaker is a good call.  Wish I'd done this. 

Distasteful post. 

This thread has travelled in time from the 19th century. 

1 hour ago, pomchop said:

 

 

it also does not seem credible that thai staff would try and scam him with his thai wife there to argue his case...seems most thai gals who pay the bills for farangs go over the bills in detail and quickly call out any overcharge.

 

 

Unfortunately, having a Thai partner with you does not prevent bill-padding or short-changing.  In fact, even Thais themselves can be victims. 

Especially in certain bars where such practices almost seem to be policy.  I won't mention the name but one of these is in Treetown. 

I am fortunate to be very numerate even when drunk. Not everyone is. 

There's really no point to dwell on it.. and I don't think it really rates as an 'enigma' 😂😂... How did the population of Easter Island die out?  Why are the bases of ancient pyramids perfectly flat?  Why are people selling gold...? Err.. nope. 

It is what it is.  Main reason for individuals selling 'safe' assets is *because they need the money*, hardly a revelation. 

Ps this is the reason why directors selling shares is much less important than directors buying shares.  The former could be for school fees. The latter indicates faith in the business. 

SR