Mike Teavee

I have been seriously considering applying for 1 under the current scheme (1Million Baht for 20 years) as in reality it's only 200K (I have to keep 800K in bank for my Non-IMM O anyway & consider that money as spent already). In fact I tried to apply before doing my last extension but the sh1tty application form that the formal Thai Elite Site gives you doesn't work, can't enter phone number in one of the fields + something else that I had to try to edit in with Adobe... Why do they ask you all the questions that the form needs answering & then ask you to provide all that information again on a form doesn't work. My reasoning was really simple, I pay an Agent 8K to do my extension (160K over 20 years) plus another 4K for a multi re-entry permit (another 80K) - I know I can do it myself just like I can queue up at the airport & not use the Fast lane but I choose to pay not to do this (So add in 1,200b per exit/entry to Thailand or 80K for my annual trip home to the UK which I'd do in economy if I can have fast track/lounge access at the airport). Have just extended my current permission to stay so assuming they give me the visa from the end of it (26th Sept 2024) I'll be 78 by the time it expires & that feels good enough to me. Does anybody have any recommendation for an Agent to use to do this for me, It would seem that it wouldn't cost me anything to use an agent & I'm in no rush to get the Visa so why not?

Yes if you spend 1 full year in Thailand, No if you exit Thailand at any point during the year as you will be given a new 1 year permission to stay on entry. IIRC the Guy I mentioned didn't realise this & ended up with an overstay of > 90 days which got him a 1 year ban at that time...

I've been to Bang Saen many times & don't recall seeing any bar areas though granted I was only going for a beach break from Bangkok Are you sure you're not mixing it up with Ban Chang which does have an old school bar area & is somewhere that regular crawls from Pattaya are run to.

It does sound like you were near the Outback Restaurant (though I'd put this at 30 mins away from Central Pattaya ) https://goo.gl/maps/v1oEZGa9Sr5k3Qwf7 Which has a Planet Football nearby https://goo.gl/maps/ccXYVfuKaRZb7oZv6

Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn... Chronicles the rise and fall of former Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, how one of the most admired businessmen became its most famous international fugitive. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15520170/

Yes, spotted that when I was there last week doing my extension & in fairness to them the 90 day queue seemed to be moving pretty quickly. But was thinking that just like Bangkok moved some services (90 Day, TM30, Extension to Visa Exempt) from CW/MTT to IT Square/Laksa Plaza, maybe Jomtien could do something similar & so split the queues across 2 sites.

Was in Sailor Bar (Soi 8 ) last night as I looked out towards the Back of it I could see a sign that said "Immigration Office", why not open this one for 90 Day Reports / Certificate of Residences /TM30 which are pretty straight forward processes & keep Jomtien for the more complex activities like Extensions, Visa Conversions, Visa transfer to new passport etc...

Am sure it's just an initial "Teething" thing & they'll allow you to do it online/mail/at other offices once the scheme has "Matured" a little. But 1 more question if I may... Is the report due every year or only if you do not leave Thailand for 1 full year (i.e. If you went outside of Thailand at least 1 time per year would you ever have to do a report?).

One of the much lauded benefit of having an LTR is only having to do 1 90 day report per year but that now sounds like it's a major disadvantage if it has to be done in person, it's much easier/quicker/cheaper to do 4 x 90 day reports online. Does it have to be done in person or could you mail it in & if it has to be done in person, does it have to be done in Bangkok or are there other BOI offices (e.g. Chiang Mai / Phuket) where you could do it?

For the initial Non-OA he could use Insurance from his home country which gives him more options plus better coverage. For some reason, the Insurance requirements for the Non-OX don't seem to have changed as they have for the Non-OA/LTR (3Million In-Patient), it's still listed as 400K in-patient & 40K outpatient. OP: As other's have suggested entering visa exempt & doing an extension on each trip is probably your best approach however if you do want to get a visa then the Non-IMM OA visa is a good option as this will give you almost 2 years access... Come & go as you please for Year 1 Just before the end of the visa enter Thailand to get another 1 year permission to stay Get a multi re-entry permit & come and go as you please for Year 2 Then either do an extension or get a new Visa in your home country However, if you don't want to get the Health insurance then a 90 Day Non-IMM O Visa can work... Enter Thailand & after 15-30 days extend your permission to stay for 1 year (This will be 1 year from the end of the 90 days) Get a multi re-entry permit Come & go as you please for 1 year Then either do an extension or get a new Visa in your home country

Not sure I understand what you're saying here as Thailand doesn't tax any overseas generated income (Including Capital gains) if you don't bring the money into Thailand in the calendar year it was earned (& if you did they have no way of knowing unless you declare it). I don't believe they charge Capital Gains tax on profits made from local real estate either, but have never bought/sold property in Thailand so don't know for sure, just have never read/heard anybody say that they've had to pay CGT when selling property. The only thing I can see Malaysia being more "Tax Attractive" on is if you were working there where the top rate tax is 28% Vs Thailand's 35% but I don't think that's applicable here as you can't work on the Thailand Elite visa.

Barclays try to take a holistic view of their customers so you (& me paying £17 pm) are way back in the queue of "Customers we are going to close accounts on", especially as I'm sure you have a lot more money/assets in your International account than the average Joe has in their UK account If they do finally decide to close your account, it's not your job to close it, they notify you, they close it... BUT they have to give you at least 3 (might be 6 now after the recent Farage palaver) formal notice that they are closing the account (you will get an end date when the account will be closed) which is plenty of time to reorganise DD/SO's etc...

They are only closing UK accounts for customers who do not live in the UK so your international account is safe (Living outside of the UK is the main purpose of these accounts). I do think you've made it much easier for them to close your account by cancelling direct debits / standing orders etc... as they make money on those transactions... I pay them approx. £17 per month for my Stockbrokers "Smart" (sic) Investor account so they seem to be leaving me alone (& they do know that I don't live in the UK as they moved me to Singapore 15 years ago, my account still shows "Staff Account" & has a sort code that you won't find fits any "Branch") Can I ask how much the Barclays International Account costs you pm (Seem to recall a fee of roughly £40 pm) only if they do close my account then that's probably the route I would go down as I wouldn't want to lose the Stockbroker accounts (Though smart they are not)

Blacklist Season 10 is due to be available on Netflix from Saturday.

If you're not able to take your landlord to court (Be very strange if you didn't have a photocopy of their main passport page as part of the lease agreement as you need this to do things like a TM30) then I'd recommend taking the agent to the small claims court, they're the ones that will take the deposit & issue a receipt make it there problem to get it back of the landlord if he doesn't pay. Assuming the lease agreement is in his name, it doesn't matter who's bank account you pay the rent into (I pay it into the agents account, but it is a Bricks & Mortar place) they're ultimate beneficiary so should be the ones paying tax etc...

There is a small claims court & the threat of taking your landlord there might be enough to get something back, especially if he’s not being filing tax returns (960K pa is a lot of income to not file a return). No idea how the process goes but have seen reports on here of people going through is so a quick search of the site might help… Google: Thailand small claim court how to site:aseannow.com

I believe the 1 month deposit only applies to people who have 5 or more properties to rent out, 2 months is the norm & if that’s what your landlord wants, that’s what you pay or look elsewhere. The way I look at it is if I pay 160K security deposit & don’t get it back then the rent was 86,666 pm (less when you take into consideration they’ll pay your final electric bill, clean the place, repair/replace things as needed etc…) instead of 80,000.

Not quite that simple as the money you’ve spent on the house could have been invested & generate more income than you pay in Rent. For me the only reason to buy is if you want a place that you can do out exactly as you want it.

Thanks for the update, will save this for our next trip to UT/NK/Laos ????

Duplicate Post

I used to love Cebu but the traffic got to be a complete nightmare so prefer Davao/Bohol & used to visit 6-8 times a year (from SG) when I was dating a FIlipina (8 Years) but when it came to retirement there was no doubt in my mind that it was going to be to Thailand. I did look into the SRRV and it's a great program (Wish Thailand's was more like it), if you do decide to check out Davao then there is an SRRV agent that has an office in The Royal Mandaya Hotel (Nice hotel to stay at anyway) that can explain everything to you, I don't think it costs anything to use an Agent so can't hurt to ask.

I usually... - Round-up in restaurants/bars & add a little more if it came to say 590 or take a little back if it came to 510 - usually 50-60b, but a maximum 100b & minimum of 40b irrespective of cost of meal (+ coins). - 100b for massage irrespective of 1/2, 1 or 2 hours (NB. I don't like massages so this is what the GF tips) - 40-50b PD for Hotel Cleaners/porters who carry the bag to the room - 100b to Barber (whether the cut costs 150b or 350b) - 200b to Airport Taxi Driver (Nam/Cherry/Meow etc...), 100b for meter taxi. - 30-40b (+ coins) to a Bolt driver, more if the journey is long or lots of traffic. There are the odd exceptions like a great Bolt Driver who realised the restaurant we had booked the taxi to had moved so took us to the new location & many drivers who have waited for us when I just need to pop in somewhere & then go on to a different destination. And the Bolt driver we had the other day who refused to enter into the Condo grounds & drop us at our block, Fare was 97b & I'd already handed the GF 140b to give to him but after a brief discussion where he insisted the ride was booked to the condo gate & no further, I got 43b back, she wouldn't even leave him the 3b. Best laugh was he picked us up a couple of days later & went the extra mile to drop us off at Marriott Courtyard even though we couldn't find it on Bolt so had booked to the Phingpha condo across the road so maybe he learned his lesson (he got a 40b tip).