Mike Teavee

I'm pretty sure that by "Visa Account" he meant the money in the bank to support his Extension (to his permission to stay in Thailand, not the one he's added to his house) As an aside I have heard that some banks will allow your partner to be a "Silent" Joint Account holder on your "Extension" account, their name does not appear in the paperwork for Immigration but they are added to the account as a signatory so can withdraw money.

I decided to get Health Insurance around the time they made it mandatory for the Non-IMM OA holders as I felt that there was a high risk of them applying it to Non-IMM O holders at that time. Figured it would be sensible to get on the ladder "Early" so took the (Pacific Cross "Visa Friendly") policy out the day before my 55th birthday & this year (day before my 57th) the renewal was <30,600 for $100K cover (excluding out-patient & has a 100K deductible). I keep 2 years spends (updated a few times per year depending on dividend income/fx rates) in the bank anyway so am sort of also self-insured should something bad happen & the Insurance doesn't pay out. End of the day we all have our own levels of risk, for me the risk in being forced to get Health Insurance later in life (as happened to the Non-IMM OA holders) was the nudge I needed to get Health Insurance whilst I could. Edit: I appreciate this doesn't answer the OP question so for that I would just say that as with any long term savings, you're always already too late so best start catching up now.

I'm using a (10 year old) MacBook Pro which cost me the same as my previous laptop (Alienware) & the one before that (an 18" HP Media thing that doubled as a TV) - Neither of which lasted longer than 18 months. However, I am noticing that the screen is getting dimmer at the corners & am obviously have a problem between the Graphics card & Windows (use BootCamp with Win10) as it refuses to boot if I don't disable it (MacOS works fine though)... So am thinking of having a change. I spent my career in IT Dev/Architecture so am used to buying the most expensive/powerful machine that would enable me to run a bunch of VM Servers/Clients but now I'm retired I only use it for Internet Browsing & Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Visio (still help mates out putting presentations/pitches together). So after very cursory research, I came up with this https://www.asus.com/th/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook-14-s413/ S413EA-EB341WS : INDIE BLACK Operating System: Windows 11 Home CPU: Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 Processor RAM: 8GB DDR4 on board Storage: 512GB SSD Display: 14.0-inch FHD Anti-glare display Keyboard: Backlit Chiclet Keyboard Office: Office Home and Student 2021 price : 15,990.- Baht Which looks like it would do the job (though Instinctively I would like a faster processor & more RAM) and for < 16K it looks like a good deal to me (+ I did have an Asus Chromebook for 3-4 years & loved it so am happy with the brand). Apologies I haven't read the full thread so don't know if this has already been mentioned but somebody was recommending getting a Mac & somebody pointed out that the OP needed MS Office - OP, You do know that you can get MS Office for MAC https://msofficestore.us/product-category/ms-office/mac-microsoft-office/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1_SkBhDwARIsANbGpFsLCwolm1Dm0egj5DfiB31iZ2A1y1CI_4ttrSDa6t6g2caYXerfIFwaAqmSEALw_wcB

With Bangkok Bank you can do yourself with a Pin number from an ATM if you don't know yours (It's a 4 digit number that was used to set-up mobile banking not the 6 digit pin you use with it). I couldn't remember mine (wasn't sure if I ever knew it as the girl in the Bank set it up for me when I opened the account) but had no problem resetting it at an ATM and getting the App to work on my new phone.

Which Airport were you flying from because I've flown with SIA from Changi & not been asked for an onward ticket (though I was PPS at the time) but have been asked by them for an onward flight when travelling back from Manchester (UK), at that time I showed them my Singapore Employment Pass & all was OK. Completely different story for a Mate of mine who was travelling back with Emirates from Birmingham & had to buy a return ticket from Singapore even though he had an EP to show he worked there. Edit: Just remembered, I have been asked by Silk Air (SIA's budget carrier) for an onward ticket when flying to Davao, at that time I was coming back via Kalibo/Boracay on (I think) Tiger (Could have been Air Asia) so was able to show them the return ticket albeit with a different airline & from a different airport in the Philippines. Have also been asked by Scoot (Another SIA Budget carrier) for a return ticket when travelling to KL But at that time I'd quit my job & was leaving Singapore so showed them my Exit letter from IRAS (Singapore Tax Authority) & they couldn't really stop me from leaving.

Season 3 of The Witcher has just dropped (on Netflix)

When I got my CoR I was asked what it was for (to get a Tax Identification Number) & was told that I could only use it for that purpose, if I needed one for another purpose (e.g. Buying a Car) then I would have to get a new one. As an aside, it seems a CoR is needed to open a bank account (at least in Pattaya / Bangkok) nowadays

As has been mentioned, click on @Shannoblic name on one of his posts or his highlighted name in this Post) and you'll see a screen that looks like... Click on the "Message" option & you'll get a screen that looks like... His name will already be populated so just give your message a Subject, type out your message & hit send in the bottom right hand corner...

Cardless Withdrawals are great but what if you need cash & are somewhere that doesn't have one of your Bank's ATMs (My closest Bangkok Bank one is a 20 minute walk from where I live & I've never been able to find one in Terminal 21, Pattaya) or need to buy something online (assuming you don't have a Thai Credit Card). For the sake of 3-400b pa it makes sense to me to keep the card. Re: Reclaiming Tax, I gave up on mine after:- Visiting the office 3 times (3rd time sent to a different office) Completing a form detailing my pension by answering "Not Applicable" a dozen times as I'm too young to draw my pension Providing photocopies of every page of my 2 bank books & passport. The final straw came when they asked me for photocopies of every statement of my overseas accounts, it would probably cost me more in photocopying/paper than the 4,331b they owe me in withholding tax.

Fully Flexible/Refundable tickets are more expensive than a restricted ticket so it does cost you when you purchase the ticket but I get some guys want the flexibility so are willing to pay more.

As he’s too young to get a Pension & doesn’t have any other income I’m assuming he’ll get housing benefit so council will be paying.

I plan on doing it on my next trip (either October or May depending on whether my parents visit us in Oct/Nov), will be getting my extension in September & wasn't going to bother getting the stamp transferred as I thought most people just travelled with 2 passports until they're next extension. If it is going to be a problem for travelling outside of Thailand during that period then I'll probably get it done at Jomtien IO as I tend to use the Fast Track Channel as BKK & don't recall seeing an Immigration Desk 3 whilst going through.

https://onwardticket.com/

No it's an Imperial measurement & equates to 14lbs or approx. 6.35 KG

Is your Pension frozen in Laos Simon? I know it is in Thailand & it's not in Philippines but have no idea when it comes to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia etc...

Another vote for Black Mirror but for me the best Episode of Season 1 was the 1st one especially as Rory Kinnear came across as a lot like David Cameron at that time.

Am sure I’ve read reports of guys having their bank account set-up so their wife is a Joint Holder on the account but their name doesn’t appear as part of the account name so it looks like a solo account.

I believe it's supposed to be a relatively short (8 hours?) trip but they have an extra few days of oxygen onboard in case something does go wrong. It should certainly have re-surfaced by now.

There's a story in the UK Papers about a friend of Hamish Harding who was booked to go on it but pulled out due to safety concerns... You would think that at $1 Million (4 x $250,000) a trip they would have some form of rescue vessel (like the unmanned vessels they've used to explore the Titanic) that shadowed the craft in case of emergencies.

Yet again, using the correct terminology is essential… The OP states that he applied for a Marriage Visa in Thailand, then that gets him a Non-IMM O visa & 90 days permission to stay. If in fact he applied for an extension to his current visa/extension then he should be given 1 year or till the date his passport expires whichever comes 1st. OP did your friend apply for a Visa or an Extension & are you applying for a Visa or Extension.

The M1 walked into a bar. He goes to the barman and says "Give me a pint". He gets his drink and starts angrily drinking. In walks the A9 & tries to order a pint. The M1 shouts "OY, sling your hook, who do you think you are? I'm the M1, the biggest hardest road in the country, 6 lanes, 2 hard shoulders, I'm not drinking with a sh1tty A road like you. What do you have 4 lanes? Pathetic, F' off". The A9 leaves the bar sheepishly. Next, in walks the B768, who walks up to the bar and tries to order a drink. The M1 kicks off again.. "Who the hell are you?! Two lanes? No hard shoulder? I'm not drinking with you, F' off!" The B768 walks out sheepishly as the barman watches on worried. Next, in walks an unnamed road, single lane, dirt track. Hardly even a road at all. He walks to the bar, orders a drink, sits quietly and drinks up undisturbed. He eventually leaves. The barman says to the M1 "I thought you were the biggest hardest road in the country? What about that little weedy road? Why didn't you say anything to him?" The M1 says "Who him?! No chance. He's a bl@@dy cycle path"

How recent is "Recent" only reports from Bangkok & Pattaya say that since March's changes to Banking Regulations, Banks will not open an account unless you have... Visa (I note you said you had a Tourist Visa) with at least 30 days left on the permission to stay TM30 Certificate of Residence from Immigration (am assuming CM IO accepted your Yellow Book as proof, obviously most Tourists don't have one of these). We all know that different Branches/Branch staff have different "Rules" on different days & so it might be that what worked for you with that member of staff in that Branch in Chiang Mai might not work for the guy who was at the next counter (or a guy who came in the next day & spoke to the same member of staff), but it does seem that the perceived wisdom of trying another Branch or go back on another day no longer seems sensible in Bangkok/Pattaya. NB The OP reported that he was able to open an account in Hua Hin, so maybe worth trying different cities where they might not be as stringent about following the new rules.

Thanks for this, looks like they offer a larger car to the Airport for 1,000b + only charge 1,000b to get to to Ban Phe (for Koh Samet) Nam charges 1,300b for this which I can sort of understand as unlike an airport run, the driver is unlikely to have a fare coming back. We will probably stick with Nam for the airport runs (though when my family visits we might use PT for a Minibus) but will definitely try them out on our next Koh Samet trip.

looks like they used the mid market price…

Had a random YT video pop up around personal security / privacy and the guy was recommending getting virtual credit cards from https://privacy.com/ Their lowest plan is free & allows you to create up to 12 new virtual cards each month, great if you want a Single Use card but the guy also suggests setting one up for regular payments from your card (e.g. he has a Netflix card that has a credit limit of $15 so can pay his bill each month, if this was compromised the most they could steal would be $15 and they wouldn't have any of his personal details. NB You have to have an US Bank Account so this wouldn't work for me but am sure there will be somebody offering a similar service for UK account holders... Overview of Virtual Cards Virtual cards allow you to minimize the amount of personally identifiable information (PII) you share with places you buy at. Historically, virtual cards provided by banks have been difficult and clunky to transact with; however, new providers have made virtual cards simple and easy to use. We believe virtual credit cards and virtual debit cards are now valuable tools in protecting your privacy and security without compromising convenience. What is a virtual card? A virtual card, sometimes called a temporary card number or anonymous card number, is a credit or debit card number that can be created through a website or mobile app, and does not come with a physical card. Virtual cards can be utilized for most online purchases to mask your personal and financial information. Oftentimes, you can set a maximum spend or charge limit on the virtual card to prevent yourself from being overcharged. Some virtual cards will also lock to a merchant to prevent the card from being used elsewhere if the merchant is breached. How do virtual cards work? A virtual card is a unique, 16-digit payment card number with a CVV and expiration date that is created instantly through a website or mobile app. Virtual cards function just like a credit or debit card but without the physical card, and can be used for online shopping, over the phone purchases, or any transaction that requires entering a card number. Many users may think of virtual cards as burner cards that can be used for quick, one-time purchases. However, Privacy's virtual cards offer more enhanced security features and unlock more use cases than a simple burner card. With Privacy Cards, you can set maximum spend limits on virtual cards to prevent being overcharged. Privacy Cards will also lock to a merchant to prevent the card from being used elsewhere if the merchant is breached. Lastly, Privacy's virtual cards can be paused or closed at any time, with just a few clicks. How can you get virtual cards online? You may wonder how to get virtual cards from a company like Privacy.com. The entire process is handled online. This means you don't have to fill out lengthy paper documents or go to a physical location in person. In addition, no credit check is required to open or use a Privacy account. Signing up for a virtual card service requires some personal information so that the virtual card issuer can complete a mandatory verification procedure called Know Your Customer (KYC) in accordance with anti-money laundering laws. You can learn more about how to get started using Privacy Cards on our website and blog. What kind of safety measures does a virtual card provider take? Safety and security are very important to virtual card providers (after all, greater security is one of the main reasons users sign up for the service in the first place). For Privacy specifically, we undergo rigorous internal and third-party audits and hold ourselves to the same rigorous PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements as your bank or credit union. How much do virtual cards cost and how do virtual card companies make money? Some virtual card providers charge fees for every card you create or a monthly fee to use their service. Other virtual card providers may also charge fees for each purchase made with the cards. In contrast, Privacy.com's core plan is completely free to use on all domestic purchases. We make money off of interchange - the fee that the merchant pays for accepting a debit or credit card - and we will never sell your personal data. Who can use Privacy.com and how can I get started generating virtual cards with Privacy.com? Privacy is currently available to US citizens or legal residents with a checking account at a US bank or credit union, and who are 18+ years of age. Unfortunately, we don't support international bank accounts or non-US users at this time. To get started, you can sign up for an account through our website or mobile app in as little as 3 minutes by providing some basic personal information (name, date of birth, valid phone number, valid email address, etc.) and securely linking a checking account for funding transactions.