AD3Andy

On 11/9/2018 at 11:24 AM, Pilotman said:

Vaping is as irritating to me as smoking.  

I have smoked on & off for 30 years & last year I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Thankfully the tumour was removed & I am well but my surgeon was adamant that nicotine accumulates in the bladder & it is the nicotine that causes this kind of cancer whether it from cigarettes or from vamping it is no different.

I live in Thailand 6 months of the year (3 months at a time) & the 2 things I miss back in the UK are not having to wear shoes & socks every day & not having to get out of the truck every time I go to fill up?!

3 hours ago, Kohsamida said:

No, I am certain it is either 3 months or 6 months, if you are here on a tourist visa.  If you are here with any other type of visa I think the Thai license is mandatory with no grace period.  I'm sure somebody on TVF stated this from an official or very reliable source.  Do a search; I'm sure I ran across it here on TVF.

 

Getting a ticket isn't a big deal in itself since the fine is so small (500 baht, I think).  The real concern has to do with insurance, and not just your own traveler's insurance but liability coverage as well.  If someone else was hurt in the accident, that could be a real unhappy day for the "improperly" licensed person ?

 

While your International License is valid for 1 year, Thai law states that you can only drive on one here for 3 months after which you need a Thai license (although I can't imagine it ever being enforced).

Because of the perils of driving in these parts, I've put the truck & bike in my name, the insurances in my name & I've got the Thai licenses. Not an easy task on a tourist visa but far from impossible. Originally I bougt the truck & bike in the Thai G/friends name but I admit that was just laziness on my part. As a westerner I can't see what more you can do to protect yourself.

I come from the U.K. & spend 6 months of the year in Thailand on a multi-entry tourist visa. Decided to get my Thai bike & car licenses as a belt & braces approach to driving in Thailand.

As has been said, all you need is a letter from immigration ( one for each license ), & a medical certificate. It took  me 2 days at the local DLT to take the tests & get the licenses. Again, as has been said, initially they are valid for 2 years after which you upgrade to a 5 year by just doing the sight/reaction tests again.

I can't help thinking that the way we bank at the moment is outdated & we allow our governments to manipulate what we have by raising/lowering interest rates, devaluing a currency, printing more money, propping up currencies etc. etc. For example, my funds in use here in Thailand have dropped 20% because the U.K. voted to leave the EU....how is that right? I had the value of my pension drop by a third ten years ago due to greedy Wall Street Traders....how is that right? The value of my UK home is heavily dependent on what the government sets the interest rates at....how is that right?

Im not suggesting that crypto currency has all the answers but surely it's time to do things slightly differently & maybe a global currency such as crypto might be the way forward?

The easy answer is yes. I believe there are 3 banks who will do this, one of which is Kasikorn Bank. I'm from the U.K. on a 6 month tourist visa & last month Kasikorn Bank opened my savings account giving me a bank book, internet banking & ATM card. You need a signed copy of your passport & visa, together with a letter of residency from Immigration.....along with some funds to deposit. No embassy certification required although the branch had me wait a half hour while they confirmed with Bangkok Head Office that everything they were doing was correct.

Isn't all this just another discussion about insurance....or the lack of it? Usually on TV its about  travel or medical, this time it's vehicle. As a westerner you know to take out GAP insurance if you finance a  car. In the event of a total loss, the car insurance policy pays the current value of the car & the GAP policy pays the difference between that & what you are actually liable for (finance repayment with interest). In this case the write-off is due to flooding, but it could have been fire, accident, theft, etc. This story, as sad as it is, is another example of people coming to Thailand & failing to insurance themselves the same way they would back home?!

Another one you might want to consider is Koh Kood (Ko Kut). The fourth largest Thai island, It was billed by the Sunday Times in 2016 as the last unspoiled island in Thailand. Two islands further South than Koh Chang, it is an hour ferry trip from the mainland at Trat. I first went 8 years ago on an old fishing boat, loved it & bought a holiday home there. As you could imagine, the beaches are pristine . I wouldn't want to comment on where to stay as everyone is different but accommodation ranges from back packing bungalows to the prestigious Six Senses luxury resort. Development has been slow so there are virtually no cars (& no 7/11's) but I'm happy to report we finally got an ATM last year along with a row of street lamps.

...yes, change your bank. I'm a 46 yr old Brit on a 6 month tourist visit & managed to open an account with Kasikorn Bank which I believe is 1 of only 3 banks who will open a bank account for a farang without a work permit or yellow Tabien Bahn.