Johnthplumb

9 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

In at least two hospitals I've been in, unless you are personally conducted to the cashier (which didn't happen to me), you just walk out

Did you ??

On 8/6/2019 at 11:20 PM, Aforek said:

As we see now, it's not 10000 people anymore, but 5000 ...

 

BTW, section 38 App is only for owners ?… I am not the owner of my house, it belongs to my GF, who lives with me ; can I use the section 38 app for her because it's easier if I do it myself ? 

shouldn't that be, I am not the owner of the house I live in, It belongs to my girl friend, whom I live with. ?

On 8/6/2019 at 11:26 PM, champers said:

Sorry, but I will not put my name to a document dissenting against a Government policy that will then be doing the rounds of several Government departments. A military Government at that.

Very sensible, say no more.

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I don't regret a moment of being in Thailand, I do regret the 32 years as an adult I wasted in the UK.

Directly I finished Uni, I should have left the country.

I completely agree with you, I also now think many have regretted not leaving a long time ago, even more so with the state of England now.

It is sad to see once such a good place go down hill so fast, Hey Thailand is not so bad after all.

We know the rules, the brown envelopes, accept them, go with the flow, no problem. "yet" 

Hi Brian,

I have just collected my multi entry "O-A" visa from the London Thai Embassy, ( well on March the 20th ).

I found the staff at the London Embassy very helpful and it took two days, submit the application and collect the Visa the following day.

But now they are only doing applications for Visa's on line, that is why I applied to renew mine before April the 1st when the started doing it ion line, the old one did not expire until May 2019. No problem renewing early.

They would not accept from me proof of funds in my savings or Isa. They wanted to see it in a cash account.

I always have about a thousand plus in my flex account, so I transfered £20,000 to my flex account, asked the branch to print out a statement ON THERE HEADED PAPER, ( they will not accept a downloaded one ) they say it could be altered. I then returned the money back in to my Isa, it was only out for three days.

I then took my completed application forms, total three forms, ( down loaded from there web site ). Plus 4 photos.

Please remember to get your police check done and your medical clearance certificate, also down loaded from there web site, take photo copies as they kept the originals. My doctor charged me £25-00 for the medical certificate.

So in a nutshell, I placed £20.000 in my cash bank account, and got a official bank statement from my bank showing the money in my cash account,

I applied for and got my police check, use the one on there web site, ( Remember to photo copy )

I down loaded there Medical certificate for my doctor to fill in and sign.

Down loaded two copies of the Visa application form. Remember to tick the multi entry.

Down loaded one copy of the Additional Application Form, for Non-Immigrant Visa ‘O-A’ (Long Stay)

Got 4 passport photos.

Also last but not least £125-00 cash, they only accept cash. ( I belive the fee is now £150-00 ) 

I then took them to the London Embassy on the Tuesday the 19th March, they checked that they were filled in correctly and took them, I was issued with a ticket to collect them the following day.

So on Wednesday the 20th March I collected my multi entry "O-A" visa. 

Again I repeat the staff at the embassy were very helpful also on the phone answering my queries before I arrived.

Total time in the Embassy about 10 minutes on the first visit and about 5 minutes for collection.

As was pointed out in an other thread, if you leave Thailand towards the end of your Visa and return before it expires you are granted another one year visa.

The best part of this visa you do not have to show any money  in a Thai bank account for the first Two years,

I opened my Thai bank account with Bangkok Bank in Buriram, very quick and simple took about 20 minutes with my lady, ( that does help ).

I wish you well in obtaining your Visa.

I can clarify anything if I have not explained anything correctly.

Kind regards 

John

5 hours ago, KhunFred said:

NOTHING about my declaration of income is false. I make much more than the requirement. I have not been transferring it all to Thailand because I have bills to pay which cannot be paid from Bangkok Bank. Very simple. No fraudulent intent. No falsehood. Just the facts, very demonstrable by many documents ( none of which are accepted by Immigration).

Incorrect KhunFred,

I bank at the bank of Bangkok, i have there Visa card for my savings account, I can pay bills like my gas and electric, also council tax, in the UK by quoting to them my long card No and then the three security numbers on the reverse of the card, payment is made no problem, ( it is the same operation as you are in the UK ), Just bear in mind the exchange rate, but the rate is acceptable for the convenience,

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I would assume proof of address since that is what many people have used. The bank would be satisfied with about anything with a embassy stamp on it.

I took my Thai lady friend with me to the Bank of Bangkok to open a account ( in Lam Plai Mat ) I was there on a Non "O" visa, With her confirming my address ( at her address ) with my passport, they took photo copies, I Deposited 3000.00 Baht in it, I walked out with my opened bank account, complete with a pin number for the debit card supplied, in about 20 minutes, I can also use internet banking on the account.

I suggest he takes his lady friend with him to confirm his address, should be no problem.

On 3/11/2019 at 7:54 PM, pr9spk said:

I did something similar, however we tried dozens of branches. Then I went into a branch on Sukhumvit, where I was also intitally denied, until the assistant found out that she came from the same village as my wife, so she agreed to do it. Had my wife not been there it would have been another "mai dai". This was in 2018.

 

So yes, it may be possible, if you want to invest the time, otherwise get married, get a non-O and then start trying for bank accounts. Another issue is that they assume you want a checking account - make it clear that you only want a basic savings account. Like you I understood that I needed to have the money in a Thai bank for 2 months before getting the non-O, this is not the case as long as you go to Savannakhet, not sure about the other consulates.

 

Expect to see lots of posts from people who claim to have opened a Thai account "easily". They are likely to be on retirement visas, have a work permit, or they opened their account years ago.

I opened my Thai bank account with Bangkok Bank, in July 2017, I was here for three weeks on a Non "o" visa, I was in Lam Plai Mat ( Burriram ) with my lady friend, we went to the bank together to open my account, She did the talking as the person we saw did not speak good English, but within 20 minutes of them taking a copy of my passport my address confirmed at my ladies address, deposited 3000.00 Baht as a opening deposit I walked out with my opened savings account. I was also issued with a Bangkok Bank debit card  ( Union Pay ). I tried it out during my stay and could deposit money at various Bangkok Banks and withdraw cash with no problem. It was not a Visa card., but a Union Pay card.

On my return to the UK i could make no purchases with it, but could withdraw cash from any Barclays Bank, but no other bank would accept it exchange rate appalling.

On my next visit in October I was in Pattaya, I went in to the Bangkok Bank on Beach Road, ( all the staff seemed to speak good English ) to talk about why the card was limited even in Thailand to make purchases, He said I needed a Visa card savings account, to get the visa card, on production of my original savings account passbook my passport ( he took a photo copy ), confirming I still reside at my ladies friends address, he opened me another savings account but i was issued with a Visa debit card, I did this on my own at the bank with out any trouble, it took about the same amount of time. I did not expect to open a another account.

I transferred some money in to the account via Transferwise, I use them for transfers from my UK banks, and then had no trouble shopping or buying products from the shops in Thailand.

Also the Visa card can be used in the UK like any Visa card, to remove money from Thailand It could be a good card to have, I have tried using it here to try it out and I have been able to make purchases here, in Tesco shopping , garages for petrol, I have payed my gas and electric bills also my council tax, The exchange rate was not the best but acceptable if you ever want to get your money out, get the Visa card with your account.

I do not have a work permit, or a retirement Visa, but opened both accounts in 2017. I opened them for personal reasons. It is now 14:00 here in the UK 19:00 in Thailand, time for lunch. 

So I think, if I can do it with out any problems, so can SenorJorge, if he takes his lady friend to the bank with him and confirms his address.