NotReallyHere

I found another helpful link to back up Charlie's account. It's the Bangkok Post, itself. I'm not allowed to post a direct link to the Bangkok Post (according to the Global Moderator above), but if you Google "Bangkok Post, 72 years, the birth" you should be directed to the page where the Post tells the story of how it all started...

What part of the story are you disputing? What sounds unbelievable? For what it is worth, the Wikipedia page for the Bangkok Post states "The Bangkok Post was founded by Alexander MacDonald, a former OSS officer, and his Thai associate, Prasit Lulitanond." His obituary in the Los Angeles Times also credits him with being the founder of the Bangkok Post. Here's a snippet... "After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, in the Pacific. He wound up commanding an OSS unit in the Burmese jungle in the final months of World War II, broadcasting Allied news into Japanese-occupied Thailand. After the war ended, he stayed and created the Bangkok Post with a polyglot staff recruited from among Thais who had worked with him in the jungle and Japanese from a detention camp who apparently were the only people in Thailand who understood how to run his printing press." The Wikipedia page also references a book written by Alexander MacDonald: "Bangkok Editor" (1949) New York, USA. Macmillan. Maybe Charlie read the book? I honestly didn't question his telling of the story. After watching many other videos of his, I'm convinced he's a "straight shooter". He also has a strong interest in psychology. He's posted several videos debunking bogus research in psychology. I think he is skeptical by nature and wouldn't post anything he had reason to question. Naturally, you're threshold for believability might be higher. I've communicated with him a few times through the comment section of YouTube. If you really want to know his sources, you could probably get a response from him by dropping a comment there.

Good stuff from the "Travels with Charlie Hub" YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6cIPFiOlSU Above is a link to a YouTube video I found interesting. ASEAN Now often posts YouTube videos by vloggers in various ASEAN countries, but, to be honest, I think their selections are poor. Not entirely ASEAN Now's fault. In my opinion there are few quality vloggers out there. Most rehash the same material, ad nauseum. Does anyone want to watch another video about the cost of living in Thailand, dating advice or if Pattaya will be ever be the same post-pandemic? The link above is to an interesting video by a YouTube vlogger who goes by the name of Charlie Hub. He is a seventy-something retired New York City fireman (a Lieutenant, I think) and a retired yoga instructor (he owned a yoga studio in Bangkok). He is well spoken and funny. I think his videos are really a cut above the usual Thailand vlogger fare. I suspect the video linked above and many more of his videos will be of more interest than the YouTube vlogs often promoted here. I hope the moderators will not object to my posting a video that mentions the Bangkok Post. The video is about the US spy and does not promote the Bangkok Post in any way. If I've unknowingly broken some forum rules, my apologies. I will accept whatever punishment is deemed appropriate. Enjoy...

Really? What else might it be? I'm not a snake expert. I'm not saying you're wrong or trying to start a debate. Just curious what poisonous snake might look like a Kukri from a distance. To me the triangular bands on the back look prominent enough to feel safe, but it's what you don't know that kills you... Thanks...

Disagree. I entered Visa Exempt. According to the Thai Immigration, Bangkok office, webpage, I need to complete form TM87 thereby applying for a Non Immigrant Visa. Check the link... https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

Sorry, but your numerous pompous posts warrant a response like this... English much? Lord, help them... So which are you? Spanish or American?

I'm not defending the guy, but your "germanic [sic] humor is non existent [sic]" comment makes you a complete dick too...

I've never heard those. What do they mean? Ignore him? Give him the cold shoulder?

I don't have an answer for you. I share your confusion. My apartment is on a street that has two different names in Google Maps. Neither of those names is the name of the street address listed on the business cards for the property. Had the same difficulty ordering online. I ended up enlisting the help of some friendly locals. They receive and pay for the goods I want at a prominent nearby address and I reimburse them. Not an ideal solution.

Did anyone else misinterpret the title? I had something else in mind when I read "Girlfriend Experience". Made me chuckle when I read she has plenty of property and travel within Asia but she "has no job". Thought to myself, "How naive is this guy"? Sorry... No offense meant to the OP. The confusion is entirely my fault. Failed to take the hyphen into consideration. A question mark after "Experience" might have helped.

Oh, please... Another brainwashed victim of the main stream media... If only life were so simplistic...

I've done two COVID extensions at the Hua Hin immigration office. The documentation required is somewhat different than what is required at other immigration offices, according to threads on this site. No big deal. Easy to satisfy the requirements, IF you are aware of them. I'm going to apply for a Non-O Retirement Visa at Hua Hin (original entry under "visa exempt"). Does anyone know if the requirements in Hua Hin are different than what is listed on the Bangkok immigration site document linked here: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf Specifically, wondering if any of the supporting documentation is different and if the 60 day "seeded" bank deposit applies to first time applicants (my 800k Baht only arrived this week). I would really like to get all the documentation correct the first time. I don't want to have to go back to the bank and get new bank balance documents because the ones from the first attempt "expired". I'm unable to find an immigration webpage that is dedicated to the Hua Hin immigration office alone. Thank you in advance! I always appreciate all the assistance I receive from the overall visa experts here and those individuals who can share their personal experiences.

I rent an apartment. What documentation have people been using to satisfy the "location map of house" documentation requirement for the Non O Retirement Visa application? Is a print out of Google Maps sufficient? I use the Hua Hin immigration office, if that matters... Thanks in advance!

Wow... Reviving a thread after ten years dormancy. That has to be some kind of record. You may be in luck... I stumbled across a small storage place on Soi 80, of all places. It is toward the bottom of the hill on the 7Eleven side of the street. They have small lockers that could hold a suitcase or two worth of possessions. I took a picture of the place to remind myself that it exists. Just checked the picture and note they have a webpage. Webpage states they have larger facilities available. www.huahinstorage.com Phone number, WhatsApp, email address and Facebook link at the webpage Good Luck...

Thank you for this. I appreciate the KrungSri specific input. I wasn't aware there were differences in how the Thai banks would document the transaction or that WISE had 50K Baht transfer limit for KrungSri. I'll visit KrungSri today and get the USD exchange rate for SWIFT transfers and compare it to the "market" rate. I was assuming I would get fleeced by KrungSri (like you do at ATMs if you allow them to do the USD conversion to Baht). I will be pleasantly surprised to find that is not the case. Thanks again...

Thanks for making me aware of the other thread. I'll check it out. I use KrungSri bank. I opened the account on a prior visit when I was on a Non - O visa. I am currently on a Visa Exempt/COVID Extension. I don't think I will be able to open a Bangkok Bank account with my current visa status. Have to look into that.

Thank you for the quick response. Did you convert the funds to Thai Baht at your home bank prior to the transfer Thailand or did you send your home country's currency and let your Thai bank convert to Baht?

Thank you for the quick response. Are you speaking from personal experience? Have you gotten the document from your bank stating the funds came from overseas? I regularly use WISE to transfer small amounts into my account, I just never had to get supporting documentation for the transfer before.

Has anyone successfully used WISE to transfer the ฿800k into their Thai bank account prior to applying for a retirement visa? Isn't there a problem with proving the funds were transferred from overseas? My US bank only does foreign wire transfers in specific currencies. Unfortunately, Thai Baht is not one of them. It's my understanding that WISE uses local intermediary banks to speed transactions to the customer's account. When I transfer funds into my Thai bank account from my US Dollar WISE account, the funds get sent by WISE to their local account or a local intermediary. Before my US funds post to the Thai WISE account, WISE transfers funds from their local account to my Thai account. This decreases the time it takes for the customer to receive their funds. WISE can take it's time sorting out the balances between its US account and the its Thai account. From the customer's perspective it appears the funds were transferred quickly from the US when actually, the funds were just transferred domestically (Thailand) from the WISE account (or its local partner) to the customer's Thai account. That's my understanding of the process, anyway. If, for the retirement visa, I'm required to show proof that the funds were transferred into my Thai account from an overseas account, won't there be a problem? Am I understanding the WISE transfer process and the retirement visa documentation correctly? Appreciate any input from those who have gone down the retirement visa path before me... PS - I would like to use WISE because of the favorable exchange rate. I assume, possibly wrongly, that if I transfer the funds in US Dollars, the Thai bank will screw me over on the conversion... I will go to the bank later this afternoon to check the rate and confirm receiving US Dollars is even possible for my Thai Baht account.

Are you sure about this? This is my current situation. Why would they need (in my case) 15 days between my "already approved" extension application and the "final" approval stamp? Is there any known instance of rejection after the passport was stamped with the "return for final stamp" stamp?

Disagree... The COVID19 Extension Affidavit lists justifications for not leaving the country. They are the Thai government's determination of valid reasons to stay in the country. The first is: 1. "I am not permitted to enter the destination country or the pandemic situation of COVID-19 is still ongoing". The affidavit does not say there is some other country, including your home country, that you could possibly return to if you chose. It says "destination" country. The individual applying for the extension would define "destination country". Why is it assumed that the destination country is the person's country of citizenship or residence? In my case, the destination country would be the Philippines, which is not open. Also, the "pandemic situation" is still ongoing. In both my country of citizenship and country where I own a home, the COVID numbers are rising and the hospitals are slowly being overwhelmed. The "pandemic situation" is still ongoing there and in my "destination country", the Philippines. Nothing personal... I just disagree with your assessment that "People arriving on tourist and visa exempt since re-opening could be considered to not have a legitimate reason to extend." The Thai government has already stated what it considers legitimate reasons to extend.

So now there have been plenty of posts telling you the numbers just don't add up. You might be able to stay in Thailand based on being the parent of a Thai. You might find little tweaks to slightly increase income or lower expenses, but ultimately, you don't have what it takes to make it here financially. What interests me is the perceived "need" to move to Thailand. Maybe you should to take a closer look at your relationship. How can "homesickness" motivate your girlfriend to put her child and partner in such a risky financial predicament? How selfish. What about the child's future? Wouldn't the child have a better future with a western education, regardless of where they choose to live their life as an adult (especially considering you don't have the funds to pay for a decent education in Thailand)? Maybe this is your girlfriend's way of ending the relationship? Maybe she is creating a situation that can only be solved by separating from you. Maybe she's thinking, you can stay in your home country, collect your pension and send her and your child a portion in Thailand.

Can you refer me to the official Thai government webpage where the news will be posted? I want to find out soonest, if the extension program will be renewed. I'm trying to get my documents together, but have hit a snag. Hoping for the program continuation so that I do not have to rush into immigration on Tuesday.

I always wonder what these people are thinking. Masking a closed mouth is as important as masking an elbow. Do they think, we think, they are mouth-breathing under their lowered mask? If they were, they could cover their nose without it effecting their breathing. Sticking your nose out is basically an admission you are breathing through it and are therefore maskless. Also, there are plenty of hypocritical expectations of foreigners in the US and Europe. "Do as I say, not as I do." Not surprising that we should face similar hypocrisy here. Fighting it or complaining about it is a waste of time. Do what is expected of you and get on with your life. Or don't do what is expected of you and accept the push-back you have triggered. Our indignant counter arguments to the hypocrisy will fall on deaf ears, just like it does in the West.

Agreed. Besides, this poll really wouldn't provide any information of any value to anyone. Why the limited choice of answers? "Other" encompasses too many other nationalities. Just because you can make a poll, doesn't mean you should. Maybe we should make a poll of how many people think this poll is useless. Simple "yes/no" answer.