Mike Teavee

Agree with all of the posters saying only do a TM30 if you need to do something else at Immigration.

I did my yearly extension last monday so flew into Thailand on the Thursday before, went to see an agent Friday morning, handed over copy of lease, my passport & 2,000 THB and they did it for me, no questions/comments about not doing a TM30 previously (I'm in & out of Thailand an average of 3 times every 2 months so should have done dozens of them by now).

CW isn't the easiest place to get to, 30-40 mins on the BTS to Mo Chit (from On Nut), then a 20-30 min taxi ride, so the 2,000 THB was money well spent in my book.

18 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

i can confirm it from my experience.

you can;t just have 800K in your account.

you MUST prove the amount came from abroad.

all immigration offices in thailand will require that.

check this form for more details.

I believe that's only if you're transferring to a Non-O Imm from a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa as there is no seeding requirement.

If you're extending an existing Non-O then they just want to see that the money has been in your account for at least 2 months, they don't care where the money came from as long as it's been there for the required period of time

14 minutes ago, BigFalang said:

I'm a young guy, yes. I'm 22 years old and I do my best to save money as soon as I get the chance. Like I said I will be making 55k on a terrible month, the point I was making was that you can get by on 50k while still maintaining a decent lifestyle. 

If I have a decent month and keep the same budget I can save 24k. If I have a great month and keep the same budget then I can save 44k.

If you were making 550k-900k THB/Month when you were thirty years old that's great for you. I'm really happy for you and I hope you have made a great life for yourself. Hopefully I will be as fortunate as you! I really don't see how it's relevant though.

Apologies I was just trying to give you a wake up nudge that you might want to consider maximizing your “earning Years”

if I was 22 I would do exactly the same as you, but would put a time limit on it & go “Back” (Singapore is a great place to earn a good salary) before it becomes too late to do so

Never forget chatting with a guy in Night & Day bar (Soi Nana) who was having a drink up because he was heading back to the UK, he asked me how long I’d lived in Thailand & I said I was on holiday, but you look like an expat... I am, I live in Singapore... and his exacts words were that he wished he had lived somewhere like Sg as he was having a hard time finding a new job because people see 10 years in Thailand on his cv & think he’s just been partying

Wish you all the best sir, you obviously have a good head on your shoulders & are a damn sight more sensible than I was at your age (1 year salary in debt on credit cards)

2 hours ago, BigFalang said:

I'm not working yet, but I've recently moved to BKK and I'm going to start working here within a few months now. I've already gotten a job, just waiting to get my work permit and a few other things in order before i start.

My salary is going to vary, 55-90k a month depending on how well I do each month. 

Terrible month - 55k.
Decent month - 70k.
Great month - 90k.

Now even if I had a terrible month at 55k and I payed 10% taxes I think I'd still be fine with 50k. I have just signed a contract on a nice 1BR that I pay 13k/month for. Internet, electricity and water and I'm up on 15k. The company deducts 1k every month for health insurance, I can only go to one hospital but it's close to my condo and it's a decent hospital. That leaves me with 34k. 

Spending 600THB/day for food, cigarettes etc is fine for me, that's 18k for one month and I'm now down to 16k. Lets say that every weekend I spend 3k besides the 600THB/day that would be 12k every month and I'd be down to 4k having already covered ALL of my expenses. So then I've spent 46 out of my 50k. The remaining 4k I can either save or buy some clothes etc.

So for 50k THB/month you can definitely have a decent living standard in Thailand as long as you don't go crazy 7 days per week. To be honest even if I'd only get a set salary of 55k a month paying 10% taxes I'd still live a good life and be very happy. I don't really understand the people implying that you need to eat food for 50THB if you're going to spend 45k-50k/month, it's simply not true.. You might not be eating imported gold sprinkled caviar every day but you definitely won't be struggling to get by.

If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you & have you given any thoughts to your retirement as saving 4K pm isn’t going to get you very far.

i’m guessing you’re young & if so, you should have a long hard think about making the most of your maximum earning years (30ish-50ish)

<deleted>, I’m 53 & was earning 10 times your salary 23 years ago... 

On 8/24/2019 at 9:57 AM, BritManToo said:

I left my pension in the pension fund for an extra 4 years, earned me 20,000GBP on top of the 4 years worth of pension payments (and all tax free). So yes it was worth leaving it in the UK, rather than taking the money and putting it in a Thai bank.

Given the current GBP FX rates do you still think it was a good move?

I moved mine over when it GBP was 1:45 THB, SGD 1:24 THB so saved about 20% on GBP or approx 10% on SGD at today's rates

On 8/24/2019 at 9:36 AM, Number 6 said:

Whatever. You looking for a prize for spending your money? My point is while I have sufficient funds in the US and bank three times what I spend in Thailand alone - we are content. You have well strayed off topic.

 

Dividing walls are ridiculous in small places especially living alone. They cut precious air circulation from the windows. I understand your ocd desire to compartmentalize but Thai design under 40sqm does not support this imo.

 

I don't need all that stupid stuff you mention and if I did I'd go buy a gym membership rather than suffer whatever the condo tossed at me. Not to mention the poor financial decision of owning one in the first place or the poor life choice of setting into Bangkok for ones retirement.

 

Im 3 minutes from 711 and 7 minutes from Max Value. Ten minutes from one of the largest open markets left in BKK. 15 minute walk to Big C. Ten mins to MRT.

 

Horses for courses. 

 

Also extremely pleased the apartment has the TM30 sorted.

Wow, beat me there.... Tops is a 3 minute walk as is Tesco Lotus but my nearest 7-11 is 5 minutes away ????

I'm not looking for anything, certainly not a prize about how I spend my money, If I was I would talk about my 90K pm Condo in Singapore & have a many times more money there than I spend in Thailand.

The point (On Topic) was that we all have different things we need to make us happy & mine is a nice Condo... I'm happy to just sit at home, watch some TV, read a book & drink a nice glass of wine.... In a Studio I'd be sat in the bedroom & so would have to go out.

Nothing OCD about it, I can afford to live in a room with walls so why wouldn't I? As I said, I spent many years travelling for work and have stayed in some of the world's top hotels (3 months in the St Regis in Singapore when it 1st opened, it's nice to have a butler bring you coffee but after the 2nd time you just want a kettle so you can make your own.... Ended up telling the company to move me to a service apartment or I was going back... to Karachi!).

Peace Bro... you're happy, I'm happy let's all be happy ???? 

1 hour ago, Number 6 said:

4800 studio central Bangkok. 600m from MRT. Quiet..birds even in the morning. Tidy, security, restaurant, laundry and laundry service. 20-40 min walk to four malls or 1-2 MRT stops. 

 

Room is about 30sqm perhaps a bit less. I think the flat in the other bldg a bit larger but overlooking the courtyard not greenspace.

 

When we came in 8 years ago the room in the other bldg, lower floor was only 4200.

 

It's not so much the savings here but the amenities. It's really hard to beat. I don't see condos for 20k offering much more if anything. A few M more of space. 

 

TM30 they are totally on top of it.

Apart from twice the space (& I suspect twice the number of bedrooms) Pool, Gym, Security & being stumbling distance to the BTS (If I tripped leaving the gates of my Condo I'd land on the BTS steps) ... Oh & Shopping mall, Supermarket, Cinema nextdoor..... 

...But apart from that... what have the Romans ever done for us (Life of Brian fans will get it, apologies to everybody else ????)

Edit to add: I could never live in a Studio, spent 20+ years living 80% of my time in hotels for work & it drove me crazy, so whilst I would be happy with 30sqm if there was a wall between the living area & the bedroom, I couldn't live in a 100sqm Studio.

7 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Being married and working (free lunch too) I absolutely struggle to spend 20k a month in central bkk. I use both the MRT and BTS to work as well.

 

We could go out to eat more than once every three weeks but usually I'm happy at home with reading or movie nursing bottle of b1000 scotch or bourbon.

 

I will readily admit we should be living in a larger more stylish place but we have everything here and it's a bargain for central BKK at 4800. 600m from MRT, laundry, restaurant, good maintenance and REPORTS TM30. I can walk to four malls.

 

Quadrupling my rent and eating out every Saturday would get me to 40-45k.

 

My wife works at a big media company I don't need to support her until we move and leave BKK for retirement.

 

Before you think any of this a burden I'm saving minimum 45-52k of my salary (40-41pw paid 50 actual) per month less dental, international trips etc. I could also dig into three 401k etc but no need. Simply don't spend it living Thai lifestyle.

 

After 62 I will splurge a bit.

 

Maybe not accounted for in article. I (we) spend big money on international trips. NOT in boring, overly complicated process ridden Thailand.

 

The country with trash strewn beaches, horrendous air quality, dire roads, huge restaurant related charges and taxes.

 

Wine taxes are ridiculous. Bottle service for even Johnny Red ridiculous. So just stop. It's the taxes not the restaurant in many cases.

 

But if a local Thai makes 20k pm and a farang SPENDS 45k a month why is that something penjurious or lacking? FTW? Seriously.

 

 

 

 

I'm assuming you meant Penurious & not Perjurious ???? 

To each his own, I work in Singapore for 2/3rds of the month & aside from the rent, spend less there as the only thing i do there nowadays is work work work, but I get to spend the other 1/3rd of the month in Bangkok & apart from 20k pm for the Condo (Plus lets say another 4k for utilities/internet/mobile etc) I probably spend around 2k per day so 10 days in Thailand costs me 44K, 30 days 84K (the 24k rent & Utilities covers the month) which sounds about right to me.

Add in yearly Visa expenses, Health Insurance, travel etc.... I personally believe  100-120K pm makes for a happy retirement, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)...

Guys who have their own home or live outside of Bangkok will be happy on much less... 

6 hours ago, Old Croc said:

What!!!!

 

Computers don't decide anything,  Ai is still a way off!  You are processed out by an actual person who inputs your flight details into the computer system. This he would get from the boarding pass, ticket, departure card, or whatever.  The flight time and date details are already in the computer. The stamp in a passport is an unnecessary part of the processing and only ever looked at again by the holder. 

Sorry fella you're talking tosh... 

BKK has so many flights taking off/landing at the same time are you seriously suggesting that somebody arriving on SQ??? landing at 11:55PM will be given a different stamp than TG??? landing at 00:05AM (who for operational reasons might be in front of him in the queue) when they both rock up at 00:10am 

What if my 00:05am Flight arrives at 11:59PM? what date would i be stamped in?

Occams Razor mate, at midnight (or maybe end of shift) the IOs wind on to the next day & don't care what time your flight landed... 

On 8/15/2019 at 3:57 PM, wgdanson said:

Is 'airside' not AFTER you have been through Immigration?

On 8/15/2019 at 4:10 PM, Mike Teavee said:

Airside is before you get to Imm on arrival & after on departure

 

Funny enough its the side where the planes are ???? 

 

On 8/15/2019 at 4:37 PM, wgdanson said:

That's what I said.

37 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

No It's not because I was talking about arrival so Airside is BEFORE you get to immigration 

Does that clear up your confusion???

Given the choice between 1.5 hours transit to CW & wait for how long (lets say 30 mins) then 1.5 hours back OR walk 20 feet from Condo, hand over copy of lease agreement, passport & 2,000 THB it's a no brainer for me 

But there is no way I'm doing that twice a month (Only done it this time because I'm at CW on Monday for my yearly extension) so if they do really start to clamp down then it's sadly time to find myself another holiday home (I Live & work in Singapore so it would be no hardship for me to just stay there).

It's bad enough I have to go through the Non-Imm O dance simply because I come in & out so many times (Only ever staying for 5-10 days), but this would be the final nail in the coffin for me.

1 hour ago, Old Croc said:

Many countries no longer issue departure stamps and some don't even stamp passports on arrival for their own citizens, unless requested - Australia is one.

Stamps in passports are being phased out, travel time and date is determined by official flight times, and is recorded on those new fangled computer things.

It doesn't matter when someone decides to wander through Immigration control.

Yes but only for Citizens/Legal residents where length of stay is irrelevant. 

Australia, UK, Singapore etc.... will stamp your passport if you're a "Visitor" & no matter what Visa we have, we're all (Citizens & PRs aside) considered "Temporary Visitors" in Thailand

On 8/15/2019 at 4:37 PM, wgdanson said:

That's what I said.

No It's not because I was talking about arrival so Airside is BEFORE you get to immigration 

10 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Is 'airside' not AFTER you have been through Immigration?

Airside is before you get to Imm on arrival & after on depature

Funny enough its the side where the planes are ???? 

1 hour ago, Sharp said:

After much thought decided to go the Elite (PE) vs Retirement (1mill x20 year).

Weighted up pros n cons and the discount offered by Elite which actually wasn't much to be honest £1000+@ present exchange rate.

Funnily enough it was a 'visa agent' friend I've know for years who tipped the scales in favour of Elite when he said and I quote 'if I had the money I would do Elite because he feels maybe not now but later on its going to get alot harder for all long term visa holders and agents and although immigration can enforce new laws at as they like he feels PE visas will be left relatively alone.

Anyway that's me done and don't want to get into the TM shenanigans or any other hoops we jump through.

It's a personal decision and one I'm happy with

Best of luck to all in their decision.

Sent from my SM-P555 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Did you get a discount because you're renewing or is this available to 1st timers

£1,000 discount would take a little bit out of the sting of today's exchange rates 

OP - What time are you arriving in Thailand? If it's close to midnight then just hang around airside before going through immigration

Otherwise as others have said, try to get through immigration on the way out before midnight.

22 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Is staying the 6th year on it still possible or has there been a crackdown on that sort of a loophole? A member here said he was told by an Elite representative that you can't do that anymore. I find that hard to believe but just checking.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I haven't heard that one, in fact I seem to recall somebody confirming a few weeks back that they'd come about 1 week before the end of their 5 years & had been stamped in for 1 year from their date of arrival (i.e. got an almost 6th year).

I do know that if you do go past the end of the 5 years, you must get a Re-entry permit if you planned to leave/re-enter the country - Could what you heard be something to do with that?

OP I'm considering this as well, all depends on how my Retirement extension goes next week, i.e. If I have any problem getting the extension then I've not got time to mess about (Need to be back in Singapore for work) so I'll just apply for TE

Anybody know how long the application process is nowadays, it used to be 1-2 weeks but I've heard it's considerably longer than that nowadays.

Edit to add: The Application form for the PE 5 Year says "Privilege Entry Visa; 5-year multiple entry visa with extendable 1-year length of stay per entry" - So it sounds like they are still offering a full 1 year stamp even if you've less than 1 year left of your membership [NB assuming you don't have less than 1 year left on your passport]

On 8/3/2019 at 8:34 PM, Lamkyong said:

the uk embassy requirement was for original documents as proof of claimed income so i do not see why the service was terminated  like no copies and updated yearly  the embassy could easily have confirmed this with work and pensions uk

I did mine via email so know that they used to accept scanned copies, in my case it was a computer generated pay slip from Singapore which would have taken seconds to pull together but the fact that I also shared copies of my bank statements showing the monies going in & a copy of my Singapore Employment Pass would have helped.

Back to the OP, I maintain > 800K in my Thai Bank Account 12 months of the year but will be using an agent to complete the paperwork & help to ensure I get the extension on the 1st attempt as I don't have the time to go back for a 2nd attempt because of something I missed, nothing illegal in doing that (I hope!!!)

18 hours ago, NightSky said:

To the op, be careful what you invest in because from your comments you don’t seem to understand what is going on with the currencies and you know nothing of the condo market in Thailand.

 

In my opinion..

 

Gbp will rise if a brexit deal is reached. My guess is to 42 level ish. It may rise slowly maybe to 42-45 range over a longer period as more deals are put in place,

 

if no deal the gbp will dip to 35 before bouncing higher after a year or so but it would never goto 23 unless a few nukes or a giant asteroid hit London

 

the condo market is saturated in Thailand and the build quality isn’t great.

 

keep it simple. Put your money in an isa because it sounds like you’ll lose it otherwise.

 

thank me later

If you're not a UK Resident for tax purposes then you cannot open or add funds to an ISA...

On 8/4/2019 at 1:44 PM, Tongjaw said:

Heard a lot of people taking about Transferwise. I live here in Thailand but bank is HSBC in Singapore which is a US dollar account. Can TW be set up for this or do you require a U.K. account? 

I use Transferwise from Singapore with no problems....

1. You tell them how much you want to transfer in the currency you want to transfer it from
2. They tell you how much THB you'll get
3. You transfer to their local account the amount in the currency you're paying with
4. They transfer the agreed upon THB to your account in Thailand

Easy Peasy... 

I've used these guys a few times... https://www.thelimopattaya.com/ 1,600 THB 

But on my last trip from Pattaya-2-Bangkok, I used the little booth opposite the Whitehouse Condotel on Soi 13, 1,200 THB for a taxi or 1,300 for a car (Toyota Camary) [NB I was sat in the Sportsman having breakfast while the GF went and booked the car so I probably got the Thai Price]