yumyai

Does anyone have a list of provinces where there is any kind of road travel restriction or curfew (apart from the nationwide checkpoints and the need for masks and the tracking app)? 

Hi! I have an important hospital appointment at Chula hospital one evening next week (week of 1 April). We (Thai friend and I) plan to drive up  from Prachuab to Bangkok and back same day. That means we’d be leaving Bangkok around 19.00 and driving for about 4-5 hours. 

Does anyone know what the required procedures are for us to travel across provinces (Prachuab Khirikhan, Petchburi, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkram, Samut Sakorn and back)? We obviously don’t want to be refused permission to leave Bangkok that night or to have to stay there overnight. I have the hospital appointment card. Thai friend is driving because I’m epileptic. 

I have masks and have also loaded the sydekick tracking app. We will take ID and proof of residence. Do I need anything else? Has anyone else travelled on PetchKasem Rama II route since the SOE started?

The appointment can not at this stage be postponed and I’ve already asked if medications can be sent by Courier (answer was no). 

Old news already. The fool already apologised 

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Just because they did not mention it does not mean you don't have to keep the 800k baht in the bank for 3 months after you applied and then 400k baht until you top up your account for the next extension.

Yes, thanks! I am cautious enough to do that anyway on the basis that just because something isn’t mentioned, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply

Important: my initial extension in 2017 was from a non-B visa. This post is unlikely to help anyone on non-OA. 
 

Did my latest retirement extension on 26 November at the new Hua Hin (Thap Tai) immigration office. Arrived at 8.25 and was in a queue of 5 by opening time at 8.30. All the 90 day reports are done on the lower floor so the upper floor seems to be very quiet. (Was there two weeks ago for information and at 11.30 I was the only person). 
Quick summary:

No insurance needed

No mention of keeping money in account for 3 months etc

Assistant at info desk does a quick doc check for completeness before you get a queue number

Processing once at the desk was less than 20mins. Re-entry permit processed at the same time if you need one and have the application form, photo and passport to hand 

No mention of home visits 

Officers were friendly and efficient and work within their published turnaround time targets

Free drinking water available 

If you’re in Bangkok I recommend you go along to the One Stop Service Centre and ask for the list of requirements for the extension 

I did something similar (but not exactly the same) in 2016 when I cancelled the retirement extension with multiple re-entry and got a non-B. Things may have changed since then, but in my case I had to go to Chaeng Wattana Immigration (issuing office of the retirement extension), cancel the extension there, leave the country the same day and then start the process to apply for the non-B (which I got in Singapore). 

Notes: CW staff were really confused about whether the retirement extension could actually be cancelled early. I needed the senior officer to intervene. There was a whole page of handwritten explanation put in my passport. I understand this was to ensure the embassy and immigration officers at airports etc knew my retirement extension was cancelled voluntarily and not due to misbehaviour. 
After cancellation I stayed one night in KL and then returned on a tourist visa waiver to get the non-B papers ready for the application in Singapore (the company applied for and got a short term work permit for me as a temporary consultant for the two weeks while we got the application docs sorted). 

As I say, things may have changed. I recommend that your HR Dept contact Immigration direct and ask for guidance

I did mine for my permanent home in Prachuab Khirikhan using the website and a google chrome browser on my laptop. It is a bit confusing but not impossible. You register first and then once it’s been (manually) approved by your local immigration office they send you a user ID and password. You then login to the website (or the app) and complete your reporting. The property details are in the REGISTRATION form so from what I can see you or your Thai host need to register and get a user ID and password for each place you stay more than 24 hours (excluding resorts and hotels that already report for you)

I then downloaded the iPhone app and checked the status of my registration at each day end. The registration was approved and I was told an email would be sent with the user ID etc. Once I had that the reporting process through the app was fairly simple and approval was very quick. 

1 August - registration request submitted

5 August - app status shows registration approved

8 August - received user ID and password by email. Logged on, completed form and got confirmation my reporting was successful

Based on my experience I recommend someone at ThaiVisa prepare and upload a detailed user friendly guide to the online registration and reporting process from the point of view of a foreigner using the system (the Immigration Bureau has an online guide but it’s in Thai and pretty unhelpful). 

Also if you regularly go upcountry to the same house(s) to visit relatives for a few days,  it’s worth doing some advance planning registering their names and properties on the system so you can then have user IDs and passwords to log in for them to report your stay there. 

I got my retirement extension last year using a FCA in Hua Hin with no problems.

No way. Interest on a FCD account is very low. Lower than the bank you transferred it from.

Some immigration offices are not happy with an FCD account, many are OK.
 
You need to ask your office what their policy is to be reasonably sure.

I'd be bit twitchy about having a foreign exchange account equivalent of the baht funding requirement. Unless you transfer a substantial amount above the required minimum you would run the risk of the equivalent balance being in shortfall. It might not be a terrible risk when rates are steady but a major event like a no deal Brexit could see a drop below the limit, even if only temporarily.
 
I'm not sure how immigration would calculate the maintained equivalent over the term  of the permit to stay. It would be mighty complicated.

yes they do as I have my account in USD the bank writes a letter indicating the amount in USD and the corresponding amount in Baht

4 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Yes, they allow foreign currency accounts, and they should allow the 800K held in two accounts.

 

You would need a letter form the bank confirming the balance plus an updated passbook, and immigration will use the prevailing Bangkok Bank exchange rate on the day you apply.

Many thanks! 

Trying to find out if the Immigration Bureau allows all or part of the THB 800,000 to be in foreign currency accounts held in a Thai bank. Euro and GBP are so weak against THB so it’s not a great time to change.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to use foreign currency accounts and, if so, whether any paperwork is needed from the bank (on exchange rates etc)?

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