Mike Teavee

Not if you're using the Fast Track lane. Sorry to keep harping on about this but if you go through Fast Track you cannot get a re-entry permit at the airport.

Last time I needed a re-entry permit (have always got a Multi with my extension but stopped doing so during Covid times) I went to Maneerat on Soi 13/2, 15 minutes later I was in Robin Hood Tavern for lunch... Went back next day re-entry permit in passport, took the GF shopping at central. Next time I'll queue up in Immigration for 4 hours, it's a LOT cheaper!

What I'm suggesting is at 76 you should get your re-entry permit before going to the airport & use the fast track lane.... I'm 56 & shouldn't be telling people this as I'll probably be queueing behind you with my Business Class ticket but my father is 76 and I would hate for him to use the "Standard Channel" when he could be using fast track

Clearly you’ve never heard of Ko Tao… This is the 1st drowning I can remember reading about in Pattaya & actually it was in Wongamat, which isn’t part of the “Pattaya” that you think you know. Dont tell me, posting from afar thinking you know everything about Thailand cos you’ve “Read it on the Internet”… Have you even been to Thailand?

Classic Monty Python... Back to serious... I live in Wongamat & often see guys swimming (what to me looks far) too far out & outside the "Protective Buoys" that stop you swimming in the path of a Jetski/speedboat.

I originally went to Revenue Department 3 which is more or less across Jomtien 2nd Road from Soi 5 (Jomtien Immigration) https://goo.gl/maps/d3RxuXyWjzSeNczL7 They informed me that I as I lived in Wongamat, I needed to use the Revenue Office in North Na Klua... https://goo.gl/maps/ZRzJMcpyho9S4yEi9 ... but were very helpful & explained what I would need to get a TIN which included a Residency Certificate. As we were just across the road from Jomtien IO & as I had all of the documents with me I thought I would need for the Tax Office (Passport, Copy of my Condo Lease, TM30, Photos etc...) I popped in & 1 hour/300b (+ about 15b in "Copying Fees") later I walked out with one (I needed all of the documents mentioned).

Quick update… My deductible (per year not claim) is 100K & for this I get a 32.5% discount.

But the desk is also only accessible from the "Standard Channel" so if you're flying Business Class or can use fast track for other reasons (e.g. being over 70) then you'll need to forego being able to use the fast track channel & so potentially lose a lot of time. I prefer to get my re-entry permit with my extension but failing that I use an agent who charges 1,500b for a single (4,500 for a Multi or 4,000b when you do it with your extension). In Pattaya I use Maneerat on Soi Post Office (13/2)

I’m doubting myself now as the deductible may be 100K but I just checked the email notification & the reduction for taking a deductible is 32.5%.

I have the Pacific Cross “Visa Friendly” policy & at 56 my renewal this year was 31,090b (I removed Outpatient cover & have a 200K deductible). I believe this policy is no longer available to new customers but existing customers can continue to renew.

It was the 5 C's when I went working there (2008) - Condo, Car, Cash, Career & Credit Cards! Had 3 of those but still managed to date a couple of SPGs ???? Awesome place to live & work though.

Most of us don't work in Thailand, though I did meet my GF through work (I was buying aftershave in a mall, she was selling it). At the time I was working in Singapore - Have you tried dating a Singaporean girl! - Wait, aren't you married to a Singaporean (I love them btw) or was that a Thai lady you met whilst working in Singapore (Which is how it worked out for me).

It also teaches you very little about finding a good job & living a healthy lifestyle ???? But joking aside & back to topic... IMHO 5-10 years ago you could easily meet a very nice Thai lady working in a bar & go on to have a very happy life with them, I'm not saying it's impossible nowadays, just not so easy (If I had to guess, 80% chance 10 years ago, 8% chance now). I met my Thai GF while she was working in a mall (Rangsit Bangkok), she was one of the older ("Only" 20 years younger than me) & less attractive (Beautiful to me) girls I met on that trip... But she's the one that stuck (4 years & counting).

I love 90s Gangsta Rap & if I've learnt anything from it it's that I've got 99 problems but the Bitch ain't one (cos she's at least 98 of them ????)

Bali has a similar set-up (Albeit you're buying a Visa when you land & you should be aware of this before you land... Cambodia same same) but the amount of people who turn up on exit with no money to pay the "Exit Tax" is unreal. I actually ended up paying for a young American family's exit tax because they had no money to pay it with & their cards weren't working (& I was bored waiting behind them in the queue) - No idea what would have happened to them if I hadn't, presumably they'd have missed their flight which would have meant they missed their connecting flight home from Singapore. Philippines is the same on exit... You have the money or you don't leave.

I have a couple of those (one of my hobbies is lockpicking) & most modern condo keys can't be copied by the cheap Chinese scanners as they operate on a higher frequency. As others have said, it's not possible to get a personal card that cannot be copied, the whole condo security infrastructure needs to be set-up so cards can't be copied (Seen this in Malaysia where each card had a unique digital signature) & even these can be copied, it just takes more work (Instead of a 1-1 copy you have to copy, tweak the data & then rewrite). My condo just introduced facial recognition for entry into the building (Lift & Unit access is still controlled by card, which I've not yet managed to copy), the "Hacker" in me is trying to work out how I would get around that if I had to...

I see the head of Wagner Group has written to the White House to ask why his organization has been labelled criminal... https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-latest-putin-could-make-final-push-on-invasion-anniversary-as-belarus-president-warned-over-joining-war-12541713 Apologies Sky News is rubbish for links so you might need to scroll down & click on that particular article... Key Text is here...

Your 90 day reports have nothing to do with how long you can stay in Thailand, the only thing that matters is the "Permission to Stay Until" stamp in your passport from your last entry/interaction with Immigration. If it says 1st March 2023 then you're good until that date.

All 12 episodes of Fauda Season 4 were released on Netflix today (January 20th) so I'm sure if you don't use Netflix, they'll be available on your favourite download/streaming service soon.

Thanks for this, was that at Jomtien IO (you're location is listed as Pattaya) only I'm planning on using my Bangkok Bank FD account for my next extension there. Back to the subject of Tax Refunds, I'm hoping to do mine on the website (have registered at https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-efiling-web/register) but if I have to go into the Tax Office to process the refund, will I need a Residency Certificate again (I needed one when I applied for my Tax Identification Number).

If they plan on collecting it on arrival it's going massively increase the already ridiculous amount of time it takes to get through immigration, if they collect it as part of the airline ticket price (which is the sensible thing to do) then forget about Work Permit holders not having to pay, no airline is going to mess around having to work that out.

I’d advise double checking which Tax Office you need to use as I went to the Jomtien one & found out I needed to use the one in North Na Klua as I live in Wongamat. Both offices were very helpful & from what I could gather the refund process is reasonably straight forward.

Not the same thing, in these & all other "Bad USB" attacks, it's the PC/Laptop that's compromised not the phone... Somebody could have plugged in any other kind of electronic device that is charged via that USB cable & carried out the same hack.

I already have a Tax Identification Number so managed to register for the online filing system here... https://efiling.rd.go.th/rd-efiling-web/register by using Chrome & getting it to Translate the page. The only tricky part is country of passport so had to use Google Translate/Lens mobile app to go through the list before finally finding the right one... I think the next step is to go into the bank to get a letter confirming the withheld tax and upload it to the site but would welcome any pointers for how to do the next steps... Also, if I do decide to do it in person, do a need to go to Immigration for a Residency Certificate 1st? - I know I needed one to get my TIN but not sure if I need one to file a return.

I use Google Translate which is great at translating Thai Text on images e.g. Menus etc... Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/th/app/google-translate/id414706506 Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate&hl=en&gl=US