Mike Teavee

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

go West-East or East-West (Would prefer the later as I've never gone further than New Zealand flying that way)

Could have sworn I edited this to clarify, I would prefer to fly East from Thailand/Singapore and end up in Columbia, just not sure which route/stops to take on the way (The more places I can see the better)

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why did it happen? Did I want to lose it? No. If of course not. But keeping it current with the new real ID requirements at least in my state made that almost impossible. If I could have gotten past that with some games then I would have had to sign a document stating I'm a state resident but obviously I'm not. Isn't that a felony?

Exactly the same thing with me , I lost my UK license 6 years ago when it expired, could have signed a form that says I was living at my parents house & provided proof like utility statements (I have the same name as my Father) & bank statements (I use my Parents house for my Bank correspondence) but am not comfortable with lying to a Government agency (especially as I take great pains to be non-UK Resident for Tax purposes) plus I feel like I shouldn't have to if I'm doing things right (And I didn't have to, I should have transferred my license over to a Singaporean one within 6 months of getting here).

Other than that I've not burnt any bridges with the UK... 

• Keep in touch with family & a small number of friends (I visit 2-3 times per year so not just "electronically")
• Kept my house (though it's rented out, so I couldn't return to it without notice but I wouldn't do anyway as I'd rent somewhere smaller & closer to family)
• Kept up with state pension contributions (AVCs - Additional Voluntary Contributions), though I think this year puts me on 36 years which is 1 more than I need for maximum state pension 
• Kept my bank accounts & credit cards 

Things I don't do because I don't live in the UK...

• Renew my driving license (As above)
• Add anything to my tax free saving schemes (ISAs)
• Rely on NHS when I visit (I always take out an annual travel insurance policy, I travel so much that I do this anyway, the fact it covers me when I'm in the UK is a bonus)

I could do all 3 of the above but again, I try to do things the right way if for no other reason than that way I know how things (are supposed to) work.

On 10/22/2019 at 11:18 AM, scubascuba3 said:

On 10/22/2019 at 10:51 AM, Leaver said:

This is one of the bigger online visa agents.
 
They are still offering 3 month multiple entry visa on arrival for $43 to the agent, and $50 to immigration at the airport.
 
I checked a couple of others and they are also still offering 3 month multiple entry visas. 
 
https://www.myvietnamvisa.com/

You can't just do it on arrival?

You do sort of get it on arrival, but you need to arrange an "Invitation" (IIRC it is or at least was called a "Letter of Invitation") from an online "Agent" before you arrive.

Process goes, you contact one of the online agencies, pay them the $43 and they send you the paperwork to visit Vietnam, then when you arrive in Vietnam, you pay $50 and get your 3 month Visa. 

Not too long ago you had to do this to enter the country anyway, nowadays there is limited visa exempt (As I Brit I think it's 14 days but you're only allowed to do it once within a certain number of months, 3 or 4).

My 1st trip to Vietnam (2008) never happened as me & my mate rocked up at Changi airport and with no Visa or Letter of Invitation were rejected at check-in, fortunately this was in the days where we were PPS (SIngapore AIrlines Privileged Flyer Scheme) members so a quick visit to SIA ticket desk & $10 had us on a flight to Phuket within the hour (love Changi airport). 

2 hours ago, JamesBlond said:

The truck came through Holyhead but the container arrived from Belgium at a port in Essex. The police put out wrong information. Great job, plod. And why would they arrest the driver of the truck on a murder charge? The people would have been dead long before they arrived in the UK.

 

Has it been reported anywhere why they stopped the truck & found the bodies?

I can see how they could find them on arrival if they were still alive, but it seems the container was offloaded & on it's way to its destination when it was stopped & the bodies discovered - doesn't say anywhere why the driver was stopped. 

[I appreciate this isn't the key thing here, I'm just curious as to how they knew to stop the truck & whether this will help them to not only identify the poor souls involved, but help them to get closer to catching the criminals that are running these rings] 

RIP

2 hours ago, Hugh Jarse said:

UbonJoe and others in this thread have stated that those who already hold a Non I O visa do not need this cover when applying for a further annual extension of stay.  Who is right here or should one see the Officer in charge for confirmation? My current extension of stay based on Marriage expires  towards the end of November so wondering if I should apply for the extension before the 31st October?

We'll only find out who's right once the dust has settled after 31st October, but I very much doubt you'll have any problem on a Non-O M (Non-O > 50 are much more likely to get caught up in it despite the new rules not applying to them/us).

if you do then it's a rouge Immigration office/officer rather than the law, however there's no harm in getting your extension early (you'll be extended to the same date anyway) so why not get it done before 31st, then you can happily sit back for 13 months and watch the dust settle. 

5 hours ago, Tagged said:

Still interesting how people world wide joining a club, where there is obvious benefits for the right people, and not everyone. 

 

God´s given promises to his people, do not account everyone in

Am reminded of the Dave Allen Joke... 

A man dies, and goes to heaven, when he gets there he’s overwhelmed as the place is vast, but then an angel appears, offering help. 

“Are you lost?” asks the angel. “Let me show you round.”  So, they go for a walk.

“This is the Sikh area,” the angel tells him. “And this is where the Hindus are. Over there are the Jews, and in that corner are the Anglicans.”

Finally, he lowers his voice to a whisper, and says: “And now we’ll just tip-toe past this room, which is where the Catholics are.”

The man is confused: why the need for hush?

“Well, they think they’re the only ones in here,” says the angel.

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

It is true you cannot get a policy in Thailand.

 

You CAN get an international expat policy from Cigna Global and a few other places provided you have no major pre-existing conditions (or they might give the policy but with exclusions).

If they do extend the scope of this to include renewals (Be it for a Non-OA or all long stay extensions) then hopefully they'll realize the impact this will have on people too old to get health insurance & adopt a similar policy to the MM2H scheme... 

Insurance Coverage and Medical Report for MM2H

Applicants and their dependants must possess a medical insurance coverage from any insurance company that is valid in Malaysia. This may be waived for older applicants who are denied coverage because of their age. 

1 hour ago, wreckingcountry said:

No election “due in 2020 ! Get your fixed term parliament dates right before spouting


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Correct... Last Election was 2017 so next Election is due on 5th May 2022 (Obviously Parliament can vote to cause one to happen before then but that is the next official due date under the FPA).

2 hours ago, dafniusDuckus said:

asked when someone was pulling money out of a citicorp atm they replied max 6 million dong.

me i took enough dollars and dong from exchanges in cambodia to get me thru so didnt use the atms.

exchanged dollars at banks buy/sell differential was minimal.

banks also said cant change back to dollars from dong. also said cant open an account without long term work permit, didnt ask too many as also was told cant extend my visa on most recent visit.

can change dong to dollars in cambodia at selected exchanges

 

err not exactly cant extend visa but must pay $250 to extend which is ludicrous since bus from hcmc where i was is about 10usd to phnom penh then 3 month visa when it was available was 60usd one entry, so doing the extension that way would be less than 100usd 

 

Generally speaking, ATMs only issue up to 30 bills, so if the maximum bill size is 500,000 Dong, I would expect them to be able to dispense up to 15Million (30 x 500,000) Dong, but it's been a long time since I've been in VN and don't recall using an ATM there so not sure if they only issue 50,000/100,000 which would put the maximum at 1.5/3Million Dong

NB, Citi has been rolling out ATMs that will issue 50 bills, so this would obviously increase the amount of money you could get in 1 visit.

On 10/16/2019 at 11:44 AM, Straight8 said:

and you still get f-wits here saying get an elite card, like it's chump change. Especially now with most major currencies down over 50% its just not viable for 90% + of the people wanting to live / stay in Thailand.

"F-wits" who can do maths & "Play" through the various options know that the only thing to consider about getting a Thai Elite Visa is "Do I really want to live in Thailand for the next 5 , 10 , 20 Years"

If I honestly knew today that I would want to spend the next 20 years in Thailand I would gladly hand over the 800K + another 200K to get a 20 year TE to simply rid myself off the hassles in renewing my Non-O

Let's look what this would save me... 

• 7,000 (I pay an agent 8,900 - 1,900 is the extension fee) for the extension [Obviously having the TE would mean my yearly date pushes back with every trip I take out of Thailand on holiday, couldn't imagine me not taking at least one trip O/S but wont claim the full 8,900
• 5,000 for Multi Re-entry Permit (3,500 if not use an agent but only a f-wit spends a full day at CW for the sake of 1,500 THB)
• 20,000 I pay to TLM for fast track (In & Out) at BKK
• 15,000 I pay to my credit card for lounge access (Seasoned traveller, I like to get to airports early & chillax in the lounge)

So we're at 47,000 PA - 940,000 over 20 years... If you were committed to Thailand for 20 years then you would indeed be a f-wit not to take that deal compared to jumping through the hoops on a non-O

You'll note I know the numbers above as I don't feel like I can commit to Thailand for the next 5-20 years, & I agree with your sentiments that people who are not ready to commit do need to think again.... But I wouldn't call them f-wits... It's their money... So.. Up to Them... 

Edit to add: And sorry to be blunt, but IMHO a TE should be "Chump Change" to you if you've decide to "Retire" to Thailand before you're old enough (50) to get a long stay visa...

I know it was/is to me when I 1st looked at it at 45, but I ended up taking the route of working in a neighbouring country (Singapore) & at 53 (with a Non-O in Thailand) still think the TE is a worthwhile investment IF I felt like I could commit myself to Thailand for 8+ years (Only a F-Wit doesn't do the mathS)

18 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I would imagine very soon these airlines are going to get <deleted> off with the Thai immigration the amount on a daily basis they are rejecting,

One way around this would be dont fly long haul into Thailand maybe to Malaysia at least it's a short flight and spend your money there

Flying back from Manchester last Thursday & the (Qatar) Check-in staff were a lot more thorough in checking for Visas than I remember them being in the past, both I (entering on an extension to a Non-O > 50 Visa) & my mate (Works in Thailand & has a Non-B / BOI VIsa) were asked for proof that we were entitled to stay in Thailand [I actually had to point out my extension & how it was valid to Sept 2020, so I'm not sure if the check-in staff are used to checking for these things yet].

I'm used to it when returning to Singapore (always have my Employment Pass ready to show) & it's happened to me a couple of times when travelling to the Philippines (flying back from a different airport with a different carrier) but this is only the 2nd time I've been asked for it for Thailand (1st time was Scoot Airlines at Changi, I find the budget airlines there are a lot keener on checking these things that the premium ones) 

Can the OP not get a Non-OA then he could leave the monies in Aus and if he times it correctly, be done with Visa hassles for 2 years.

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Gaia is the planet's "intelligence". Comes up with things like Climate Change to remove bad occupants ( humans ) that destroy the environment.

My mum said something very similar to me yesterday though she actually said that God is driving Climate Change as a way to slow down population growth so we don't "Kill" the planet.

It was prefixed with a "You don't believe in God but I do and I think.... "

5 hours ago, Tagged said:

I think we helped it quite a bit. 
 

 

If you look at it, there is no meaning, just randem happenings leading to evolution. People can think what they want, but there is no other purpose than right here right now! 
 

A song by fatboy slim actually if Im not wrong! 

The Jesus Jones song sprung into mind when I read your post... 

Obviously the name of the band is somewhat apt for this thread ???? 

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

Most airlines won't allow you to consume your own food onboard

Only airlines I've flown with that don't let you take your own food on board are the budget ones that sell you food (Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, Easyjet etc...) none of the airlines that provide "Free" food object to you doing it (granted bringing your own alcohol is a different matter).

I regularly used to grab a spring cheese sandwich at Manchester airport for the 1st leg of my long haul flight as I knew it would be the last time for a couple of weeks that I could get one, only "Problem" I've ever had with doing that was on Lufthansa where it turned out there was only 2 of us in Business Class & the flight attendant thought I wasn't happy with the food selection (they could have had anything on board, I was having my sandwich + a packet of Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps)

She laughed when I explained to her why I did it & ended up bringing me a bottle of Champagne from the real pointy end (1st Class) to go with it, I didn't have the heart to tell her that I actually preferred the option they had in Business class so polished the bottle off with a smile ???? 

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I liked it for the leg room which was excellent on all the flights I took. I don't expect economy meals to be great cuisine, and usually were OK, but noticed towards the last flights I took that they were becoming poorer.

The sandwiches are not very good.

 

It could be my memory, but seemed to me that there were less flight attendants in economy to give out the food than a decade earlier.

 

Airlines all annoy me greatly when they advertise exclusively for the first class passengers, which are a minority, and treat those in cattle class poorly.

Had a terrible experience with legroom once on Thai where the IFE unit took up 1/2 of the foot space in front of me, I had a word with the attendant but he said the flight was absolutely full so couldn't even move me to a middle seat (I did look around and couldn't see an empty seat), spent the whole flight with my legs stuck out in the isle. 

I once read somewhere that on a typical long haul flight it's the 1st/Business Class passengers that the airlines make their money from, economy passengers are just the sprinkles on the cherry on the icing on the cake so you can't blame an airline for trying to attract them (or should I say us, I'm flying J (Business) class MAN-DOH-BKK with Qatar tomorrow ???? )

56 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Been to the miracle lounges? Not much to eat there. Liquid dinner is the best option.

Miracle Lounges in Hall D are fine, but I agree there's nothing in the one in Hall C.

If you're going in them using a Priority Pass, try the Air France/KLM lounge in Hall F/G (right at the intersection) or the Oman Lounge in Hall E (I ended up walking to this from the Miracle Lounge in Hall C as I didn't fancy eating cheese sandwiches & crisps, about the only thing on offer I would eat). 

3 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Yep.  I often fly economy on them too and their food and service is good - in my opinion better than other regional airlines, but it's all much of a muchness really if we're being honest.  Flew 6 hours to Tokyo last year with the family and they were great - service good, food good, kids looked after.

Most of the people who make negative comments about Thai haven't been on a plane for years.

I do SIN-BKK on average 3 times every 2 months and due to timings (I go straight from the Office),  I normally use SIA but will use Thai if there's a significant (>$100) saving.

However, having not use them for a few months, I used them about 6 weeks ago and remembered why i don't use them:-

1. Seat selection is rubbish (never seems to be any seats near the front available)
2. I couldn't print my boarding pass so had to queue for 1/2 hour just to get the piece of paper
3. Food selection is rubbish, it's always fish/seafood (I'm allergic) or chicken (which I don't eat), in fact they handed me the shrimp without asking as they'd run out of chicken by the time they got to me.  I used to take the vegetarian option but nowadays I just fill up in the lounge and don't bother on the plane

Wasn't much better in Business Class (Before I got Fast Track access via TLM membership I used to fly Business as I hate queuing at Swampy) except it's easier to get a better seat.

SIA is not much better when it comes to food selection (8 times out of 10 it's also Seafood or Chicken) but better for booking seats near the front & I can print my boarding pass so straight through departure immigration (I only travel with my passport & wallet as I have everything I need in my condo in BKK)

51 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Interesting, can you share what your format looks like (I spend hours on very boring conference calls so enjoy playing with my retirement spreadsheet(s) to pass the time).

 

Sorry, was too late to edit my post... here's another view of my retirement budget (I did say that I sit on a lot of boring conference calls so "play" with these a lot :))

The 1st set of numbers are my monthly budget in Singapore except the Rent which is for my condo in Bangkok (I paid 12 months upfront for the rent for the Singapore condo to get a 10% discount).

The second set of numbers are my budget excluding any income coming from the UK which is why it's 126k not the 180k shown in my other budget)

The 3rd set of numbers is if I don't use some (GBP) assets I have in Singapore so is my minimum budget.

[You can probably guess that I'm loathed to spend any of my GBP at current rates]

The 21.05 is today's FX rate for SGD:THB (It's showing as 22.05 on XE so I simply subtract 1 THB, I can usually bank on getting no worse than current rate - 0.5) at the Money changers or Transferwise etc...)

Edit to add: Lol, It's just struck me that I plan to spend a lot more money on Entertainment (& a bit more on Groceries) in Thailand than I do in Singapore ????