onera1961

10 hours ago, billd766 said:

Go back to the CC company and explain it to them. They should be able to sort it out.

The post says it has already been sorted out and the bank refunded his money. It is always better to use a credit card and then a debit card. US debit cards have the same protection of credit card against fraudulent charges. It must be the same for UK debit card also. However, for debit card, they will take your cash first and it can take up to two weeks for the refund available to you in your account. 

10 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

The obligation is on the customer to prove the error and so far there is no written evidence, just  verbal allegations of wrongdoing.

In the US, a customer obligation is only $50 for fraudulent charges. Banks always honor 100% for online transaction. You don't need to prove any thing. Only sign a document that you're telling the truth. 

On 1/17/2019 at 11:11 PM, mshs said:

Isn't it ironic that we let tens of thousands people into the most prosperous nation on earth for nothing and a 3rd world country requires that you have $25,000 to live there.

May be the irony is that after winning a genetic lottery, we still want to live in a 3rd world country. 

8 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Not asked for passport or any ID when completing signup on Android. 

They may ask yo after 6-months when they will do their account audit. I signed up when Transferwise was in beta and for three/four years they did not ask me for any id. But one day I tried to log in and they blocked me and asked for id.  

On 1/18/2019 at 6:36 AM, wgdanson said:

YES. It is their Borderless Account, where you can put almost ANY currency onto it. Don't know if they will give you one if you have Thai address, I use UK address.

Debit card not available for US addresses. I can put any currency (e.g. Baht) after converting from USD and hold into their account for future transfer. It just guarantees the rate for future transfer. Not sure I will like to do it for a large amount though.

Getting a tourist visa without a return flight ticket.

This is hit and miss. It all depends on the embassy and consular office where you apply. I have obtained TV without flight ticket also. But things are getting more difficult now. The best option is to buy a ticket from USA to BKK and a separate ticket from BKK/DMK to Penang or Siam Rep by Air Asia. Send both tickets when you apply for Tourists visa. This will also cover Air lines requirements if they insist on a ticket out of the country. 

2 hours ago, oskar55 said:

If I did indeed overstay 1-2 days would it effect me?

If you're caught (not surrender), you will be taken to IDC. That's even worse. Why overstay? It just requires little planing, effort, and money to avoid overstaying. From 2011-2013 I stayed in Thailand with visa runs but never overstayed. 

On 1/16/2019 at 12:33 AM, JackThompson said:

Thanks for this.  Many were under the false-impression that a Bangkok Bank account would always show Transferwise-transfers as international.  Clearly, this is not the case.

Last year (2018) out of 50 or so transfer (I transfer every week 15K Baht even when I am not in Thailand) using Transferwise to Bangkok Bank, only three are coded non FTT.  This year so far all codings are FTT. Listing in my mobile app shows International Transfer (no code)

On 1/16/2019 at 2:30 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Shame Immigration dropped the ball immediately

I will shame to embassies who dropped the ball and kudos to TI to accommodate panicked people without pushing them to 400K/800K method or agents. 

On 1/16/2019 at 5:50 AM, Thaidream said:

I hope I am wrong but I really don't see  Thailand being a preferred destination for retirees in the future unless they are very wealthy

Thailand has a goal to become like today's Malaysia in terms of per capita GDP by 2034. So by 2034, immigration will also be like MM2H - at least 85K USD in liquid cash and 2,5K in income. 

1 hour ago, NamKangMan said:

but doesn't that require a police report? Wouldn't the police verify identity with immigration?

From my own experience, They only require a police report. No verification with immigration. I lost my passport in a Sisaket hotel (five years ago. Technically it was not lost. I had an heated argument  with my gf and she took my passport and ran away to Bangkok). I immediately reported to the police station and they wrote a letter in Thai that the passport was lost. I took the letter to the US embassy and gave my old passport number (not sure if they checked in the computer or not) and told me to apply for a new passport. I think it took two weeks. Then to CW to transfer my Ed Visa, new departure card, and permitted to stamp in the passport. I still use the passport and it has a stamp in the back "It is a replacement passport for passport no. xxxxx"

Home country really does not care if you're overstayer, working illegally, or whatever. It is your freedom to do whatever you want. They are obligated to give you a passport in a foreign land no question asked. 

19 minutes ago, lucky2008 said:

Seems like Transferwise is a good option for many. I'm sure it been posted before, but can someone please outline how to make reoccurring monthly transfers into a Thai Bangkok Bank personal saving account?  I assume this deposit will show as an international transfer? I still need to be able to prove the money is coming from overseas to meet immigration requirements. 

Transferwise does not have recurring feature. Transfer from transferwise to Bangkok Bank account will be coded as FTT (International transfer). People have reported it is not coded as FTT for other banks. 

3 hours ago, bcarrawa said:

As of recent I was denied entry into Thailand (30 day exemption) because I have a ton of tourist visas over the last year. I want to come back to marry my gf and now cannot inside Thailand. Im curious if we could get married somewhere close like Singapore. She isnt able to come to America to do so for some time, so looking for a way to marry her outside of thailand and the US, my home country. Anyone heard of doing this?

Go to a neighboring country (Penang is recommended because you can fly to Kuala Lumpur if coming from the USA) and then enter through Malaysia/Thai border crossing by train. Have 20K baht (or equivalent in foreign currency). Once inside Thailand, you can marry her in Thailand to avoid complication and paperworks required for marriage-based Non-O processing. If you want to take her to the USA, you can apply for fiance visa. Fiance visa is comparatively easy to obtain. But she must marry you once in the USA. If she does not, she will have US entry problem in the future. 

26 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

The banks don't know about verifying monthly income, just standing balance.

I read in TVF that banks are working with immigration to standardize the letter. We have to wait and see what it turns out. may be the same as 800K letter. 

56 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

It turns out that several financial institutions in the US offer free SWIFT wire transfers.   Check with your institution.

Can you please list a few (if not credit unions)? I have accounts in almost all US banks and I will open an account if needed. I use transferwise every week to transfer to Bangkok bank and they are coded as FTT.  If SWIFT is free, I may give it a go to check out the exchange rates. Thanks

5 hours ago, Psimbo said:

Is having the 800k in the bank no longer valid?

People keep asking the same question thousand times? If it's not clear by now, it will never be clear. 

46 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I thought I'd read that it was nearer 7%.

2017 stats: 9.4% direct. 21% including indirect.

9 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

They won't open one now without the residence letter, even at the Silom head office. 

In January 2018, I opened an account in Sukumvit (near so 10) without residence letter. However, the manager wanted to verify my US address. So I had to go to US embassy to get a sworn statement verifying my US address. They accepted my lease for Thai address. 

After that I changed address multiple times and updated my address and phone number each time with the same branch without showing my lease.

Recently (last month) I opened an account in Jomtien (near Rompho market) and they opened it with only the passbook. And updated my Pattaya address in both the account. 

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Erich Wilhelm Franz Pauer, 89, and his wife Ratchanok Pauer, 47, reported the theft of 5,900 Euros (worth 216,000 baht) sometime between the 3rd and the 11th. 

GIve it break people. This guy is close to 90 year old. Married to somebody 40 years younger. Only in Thailand. 

55 minutes ago, farangx said:

If the bank says otherwise, it would be quite safe to have your money laundered with them .... ????

Analysis paralysis

19 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

you would have to prove the income earned here with a Thai tax return from the investment. 

For example rental income from a condo you own. Or from owning part of business or company here.

Repeated questions on the same subject indicate some people are terrified because they were tax cheaters and "income letter cheaters" If somebody has already paid Thai taxes, there is nothing to worry if the money is earned in Thailand and taxes paid.

This post is absolutely nonsense. Not sure what point the OP wants to make. Yes some young people have 10 million in many countries. What that got to do with this forum. I think OP just woke up from a dream in which he was treated badly and posted whatever came to his mind. This is called diarrhea, I think

90-day reporting done without any issue. Most of the time was spent in obtaining a queue number only and I had to do it twice because the first time I did not have a filled up form and she won't give me a queue number. 

I had my TM30 done by the rental agent in October. After that I spent a few nights multiple times in Bangkok and in Sisaket (my gf's home town). In all the places they had my passport copied. Never filed new TM 30 after I returned from those visits. So, apparently immigration does not care. or don't have access to that information. 

Now my question is do the IO take TM30 and 90-day report when I leave the country? If not, I can use the same TM30 when I return from abroad without filing a new TM 30. Of course, by looking at my entry stamp, they would know that I have exited Thailand, if a new one is expected.