Mike Teavee

21 minutes ago, roo860 said:

 It isn't a cats eye, it's a reflective road stud, these come in quite a few different forms.

The original cats eye design was invented by a guy from Halifax.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percy Shaw (apparently related to my Grandma - Or so she used to always tell us when Granddad was driving down the road)...

At least US is trying to do something for its citizens unlike the other Embassies.

As a Brit I’m not expecting our lot to do anything for us so going down the money in the Bank route + regular cash transfers

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I don't agree. Just tell them what the income is which many people have paid outside Thailand. Show a document. Especially the first time you make the income claim. Just the same as happens now with income letters when they ask for more information. Then they could have it on file, oh this guy gets a retirement pension and there would be no need to ask ever again, regardless of when the transfers come in. 

We'll see and there was good feedback from the US Embassy meeting in Chiang Mai yesterday that mentioned US officials providing Thailand Immigration with training for how to understand Official US pensions documents so it may well be that some evidence of overseas income is going to be "more equal" than others.

That's strange as they didn't say anything like that to me.

In fact I went in to ask about a Credit card that I could use for online shopping & they offered me a Mastercard debit card which does the job I wanted. They asked me at the time how much I wanted my daily limit to be (Seem to recall it went up to 200-300K).

If you haven't got the MasterCard ATM, it's worth going in and explaining to them you want a card you can use online, the Union Pay one is pretty useless except as a ATM card.

Edit: Should add that I believe you can take out even higher amounts over the counter, but you might need to arrange it in advance if it's significant cash

Looking at my Transferwise transfers from Singapore to my Bangkok Bank and they all say International Transfer AUTO DEBIT/CREDIT (In Bangkok Bank mbanking)

21 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I seriously doubt Thai immigration is ever going to allow foreign financial documents as proof. It's just too much work for them and they aren't Thai documents. It seems much more likely either income methods go away entirely or they move to full required import of claimed income. If the latter I hope they allow flexibility in timing and ALSO preserve the COMBINATION method. For example instead of requiring 65K per month allow people to transfer the full amount just once annually. 

 

I do think there is a compromise they could offer, which they probably won't. That as I said before is allow people with lifetime government pensions to get them officialized ONCE and make that document good for life at Thai immigration. There could be a separate office in Bangkok only for that process. 

"allow people to transfer the full amount just once annually."

Obvious problem with this being why would anybody seed the 800/400K if they could just transfer it in a few days before renewal time (& potentially send it straight back out afterwards).

IMHO deposits over 12 months is too much to ask for 1st extension after the rule change but you would expect them to want to see money going into the account over at least 3 months & possibly even 6 months to distinguish it from the deposit seeding route.

9 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Excuse me but the sequence was UK, USA, AUS, Denmark.  Denmark Gave NO warning.  The rest gave dates in Jan 2019 to stop issuing.  

How do those facts tie in with your false allegation above?

As this is a thread about the US Embassy I was merely commenting about the US Embassy sending a proactive email to their citizens to advise them of the change & now seems to be hosting outreach meetings with them to (hopefully) provide more information, whereas the UK hasn't been as proactive with us (Yes I am British but following the other Embassy threads to try to glean as much information as I can).

Agree Denmark's behaviour was shocking...

But as mentioned above, let's try to focus on the US meeting today, I think all nationalities are interested to find out what was said.

Does anybody have any feedback from today's US Meeting???

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Why does the U.S. embassy need to do something? They announced the end of these letters way in advance and they aren't in charge of Thai immigration. An alternative does exist, the bank method, which of course not everyone can manage, but it does exist, and the U.S. embassy is not responsible for all Americans being able to swing visas and extensions. Sounds harsh but I think true. 

In fairness the US Embassy did at least warn its citizens, from what I can tell the British Embassy did the bare minimum so there are going to be a number of disappointed people next year.

I personally don't think people have been given enough notice (especially if they're having to get together the 800K at short notice) and so would be nice to think that the Embassies could work with TI to agree a longer transition period. 

FWIW my plan was to use the cash in the Bank method for the next 7 years until my pensions kick it & I can be sure of a > 65k per month regular income (remaining income is rent & dividends which I tend to reinvest), but it doesn't mean that I can't empathise with guys who can't do this & are facing some bleak choices.

14 minutes ago, Lizard2010 said:

From my understanding the verification on any Social security can not be verified

By the Thai Immigration

I think this where it goes off track

Any letter of verification that is issued from a Embassy or Consulate

Can not be verified 100%

I believe the Thai Immigration only want people with a lot of money here

Compared to other countries

I think they want all this sorted up before February next year

Curious as to why you say February?

I do believe that come January there will be a number of people who weren't aware of the Embassy stopping issuing the letters so you may be correct & US Embassy needs to do something.

On 11/15/2018 at 3:58 PM, Mike Teavee said:

Thanks for this, that sounds awesome, have emailed them to see if I can apply via email & use the service on my next trip (22nd November) - Will update if it all pans out.

 

Quick update, been in correspondence with TLM over email (lovely lady [email protected]) and (hopefully) all sorted, they're going to meet me off my flight on Thursday to give me my membership card & take me through immigration, then same again for the return trip the following Monday.

If this all pans out like it looks on paper, I owe @jackddseveral beers as I was seriously considering getting a Thai Elite visa for the fast track immigration alone (In my defence this is a 2-3 times a month rigmarole for me).

Sorry for being Off-Topic, I will post an update after Thursday to let anybody who's interested know how it went.

Back to the Topic at hand ???? 

8 hours ago, jackdd said:

20k per year for arrival / departure fast track http://www.thailongstay.co.th/promotion.html#s1

Thanks for this, that sounds awesome, have emailed them to see if I can apply via email & use the service on my next trip (22nd November) - Will update if it all pans out.

3 minutes ago, lkv said:

90 day exempt. Similar with Malaysia, you can push it according to reports.

Thanks - Will check it out...

Don't want to derail this thread anymore so please feel free to PM me but are you looking at Taipei or 1 of the other areas in Taiwan (Believe there are some great & cheap areas to live around the cost).

Again, Don't want to derail this thread anymore but If you'd be up for starting a thread on it I'd certainly be interested.

Thanks Again... 

3 minutes ago, lkv said:

I'm considering Taipei.

I've never visited but would love to, what's the Visa situation like there?

6 minutes ago, lkv said:

Failed can be a tricky word to use in this context.

 

As far as the bias, you are right, people will always try to reassure themselves that they have made the right decision.

 

But it's not only bias. Some people like myself are mentally tired and kind of had enough, I am still young and want to live a happy and relaxed life. 

 

Completely agree, my use of the word "Failed" was wrong, what I was trying to say was it's human nature to see our previous situations in a negative light & new ones more positive (Rose Tinted spectacles) - That's what I was implying with Confirmation Bias - Find me a guy who moved to Cambodia of his own free will who will admit how his life is better there than in Thailand!?!

I don't need to tell you how I viewed living in Singapore after 6 months in Karachi (Lovely place by the way) but now I'm moving to Thailand I'm finding all the negative things about the place...

Far too many Indians for 1, I didn't have that problem in Karachi! (For the Hard of Humour, that was supposed to be a Joke!)...

16 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

They are not "failed expats" - they just don't spend their money in Thailand, any more.  To my knowledge, such persons never "had no choice but to leave" any other destinations I or they ever stayed - except maybe for a couple hours to get a new entry. 

 

They no longer live in the place where they were an Expat so have failed to be an Expat there (I'm not criticizing here, I'll be doing the same when I leave Singapore), It's not about the money, it's a simple fact that people tend to have a more negative view of a place they've left behind (simple confirmation bias)

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It's hardly a "conspiracy," since "no money" agent-facilitated extensions are advertised in public, while thousands of expats with valid/honest incomes now have no clear way to get their next extension.

Sorry for your experience & I would also tell them to fro (Fck Right Off) if I came across the same.

But 1 swallow does not a summer make... I genuinely believe most of the guys you'll ever meet are just doing their jobs & going home to their families, so feel that it's wrong to cast them all (again I believe the majority here) with the same brush.

17 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You can buy these privileges for about 1000thb per visit or about 20k per year for a flatrate

True so let's do the maths... 

• 1200 (It is 1200) x 2  (return) = 2,400
• Lounge (Departure only) = approx s$40 = 1,000
• = 3,400 * 2.5 (average) x 12 (months) = 102,000

Pretty neutral as far as the Thai Elite 5 Year costs are concerned, however:-

• TE comes with 24 transfers each year worth (say) 400 THB a pop (9,600)
• Golf, Spa, etc... benefits (Not interested so no idea what they'd be worth)
• If you go for the 1Million 20 year Visa it 1/2 the annual cost 

It's the 2-3 hour (round trip) immigration time that's making me consider this at the moment, but knowing that I'll only be doing this for another 3-6 months is making me hold fire... 

15 minutes ago, VBF said:

It is true though Mike that the London Embassy requires you to show evidence of employment, which makes the METV impractical (not impossible) for a retired tourist! Not sure I want to send my PP from UK to Oz and back! 

I thought the same at 1st, but since the crack down on "Visa Runners"  & with me flying in 2-3 times a month I can see the value in getting one.

In the end I hit 50 so got a Non-O (From Penang), I really shouldn't need it as I am a genuine tourist who just loves to visit the place & my longest stay (in over 50 visits) was 28 days, (usually it's 3-5 days) but with Immigration clamping down on "Visa Runners" I felt like I had to get something.

If I was a couple of years younger I would have got the METV from Singapore or bit the bullet & got the Thai Elite Visa (Very tempting for the Express immigration privileges alone) 

2 minutes ago, mogandave said:

If I had to guess there is a big liability involved, and there's nothing the embassies can do at least in the short term.

That would throw the cat(s) amongst the pigeons... 

14 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

Agreed.  Also announcing the "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges" from Nov 15 - Jan 15, and then saying "the two month trial start date will be determined..."  Can anyone shed some light on this?  Is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale just referring to the VAT refund part?  It sounds like they just decided to set up the new booths, so how can it start tomorrow?  And the start date to be determined?  Where did that date come from?  lol.  I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!  "The starting period will be determined by the Tourism and Sports Ministry after its study of the proper period and details."  WHat????

Lets count shall we... 

November 15 - December 15 (1)

December 15 - January 15 (1)

1 + 1 = 2 

6 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The job requirement for the METV does not exist in Germany, so this was most likely an invention of the embassies in other countries, whatever their reason for this was

And I (As a Brit working here) can get one in Singapore, hardly flying 1/2 way around the world... 

Seem to recall that Brits (Whether they work there or not) could also get them from Perth (Or 1 of the Australian Embassies) but hey, why spoil a conspiracy theory with actual facts.

3 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Well, I'm just going by what I'm reading. at least a couple embassies gave a little notice and will continue issuing letter until the end of the year.

Very True...

And I'm surprised that they would cut it off so suddenly (to the point where they needed to give refunds for the ones that were in progress) so can only assume it's getting very serious now & we'll see more Embassies follow shortly.

9 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Bad guys never left - they just went to agents.  Maybe some of the now-gone good-guys could come back - but not if this will only go on for 2 mo.

 

Seriously, did an agent steal your milk money or something, every post you make reads like a conspiracy theory & "Agents" are taking over the world... 

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The expats who left generally have very sour attitudes about the place.

How many failed Expats do you know who have a good attitude about the place they've effectively had no choice but to leave?

Apologies if this comes across as harsh but you make some excellent factual points and then spoil them with conspiracy theories... At the end of the day, this is simply Thailand tightening up on it's existing rules... it did the same with Helmets on motorcycles (OK not enforced everywhere), Drink Driving (Ditto),  requirement to file your address & now it's doing the same with it's Extension fiduciary policies...

Nobody is trying to steal your milk money...

1 minute ago, fanjita said:

He's in China. 

And your point is?