Robin

I have just been in UK and looked into just this. Both HSBC and Santander will allow a UK current account with a Thai address. But there are caveats: 1. To qualify for these accounts you must be a UK resident or taxpayer. 2 Mastercard will not send new card to Thailand. To get a Mastercard it has to be sent to an address in UK, or other approved country. Be careful about a joint account with your wife. Does she qualify for a UK bank account? i.e resident or taxpayer. I had a joint a/c with wife, and when this was closed, I could not transfer this to anything except another joint a/c. Sinc wife was not in UK at the time, not possible to have new joint a/c. If you want your wife on joint a/c, you must have documentary evidence that she exists in the name on the account. e..g. Mrs. xxxx LIvinLOS. if she has kept her Thai passport in her maiden name, then in UK banking eyes she does not exist as your wife. As far as I know, Thai passport plus UK marriage certificate will not pass. When I opened my joint a/c in UK, I was friend of the manager, and her simply approved the account, and no question asked. Now he has retired, not so easy. Steer clear of Nat West. They have closed my joint a/c without giving any reason, and will only transfer balance to another joint a/c. which I cannot open. I am not sure about your position as joint a/c holder if your wife died. It could be complicated and you would find your a/c frozen. i think at the least you wife would need to have made a will leaving he money in that a/c to you., and even then a/c could be frozen until you have probate. In my in-expert opinion, best thing would be to have sole a/c in UK, or if you have joint a/c gat on-line banking so that you can transfer money from that a/c if anything happened to you wife. Not such a problem in Thailand; here we have a joint a/c at Kasikorn, in my name and her Thai name, but.... if you use this account for retirement visa, you need to have 1,600, 000 Baht not 800,000 Baht.

Not surprising, as Thailand has made entry as difficult as possible with on-line e-visas, nd every other restriction TAT can dream up in their never-ending quest for QUALITY tourists. Truth is, Thailand never had QUALITY tourists, only normal people looking for a cheap and easy place to have fun, which Thailan was geared up to provide.

I very much doubt if the British Embassy is doing anything. Why change what has been long term policy.

Call in the dog meat dealer.

Do without electric kettle and microwave.

I should have guessed that I/O would not fill in the forms for nothing, but still I don't care, as I would have paid the money to ensure that I got my visa. I know that "retirement visa" is a 365 day extension of stay for retirement, and that I need to keep the money in the bank. No objections to this, as it is an easy way of living in LOS. Yes, I will get a re-entry permit when the visa is issued, just in case I have to leave in an emergency.

Dr. Jack, Point taken, but rather be safe than sorry. Also wife wanted to visit Lotus, on the wayto Immigration, and I anted to ask I/O about changing from 30day to Non Im. I was slightly surprised that no mention of keeping boarding pass was made on the flight. What happens to those who have lost their boarding pass Information on boarding pass and waht was required for TM6, seems very different. Can't understand the logic of this.

As a veteran of many TM6's at BKK, I often wondered what the point was. Question of address was pointless as I often put down any hotel in BKK that I fancied, or gave my corect up country address. Never any comment from I/O When entering last week, using boarding card only, no asked for any address. Dutifully did my TM30 with wife the next day, and no comment about lack of TM6 in passport. Could it be that Immigration is modernizing?

Yesterday visited local (Phayao) Immigration. As instructed, took all the ank documents needed fro Retirement visa. I/O had writen a list for me to show my bank. All issued smoothly for 200Baht. At immigration, I was expected, and presented with a pile of forms, already filled in by I/O. I had to signe in about 30 places, mainly copies of pages from my passport, wife's ID card, wife's Tambien Ban. All a bit of a blur, and forms presented too quickly to be able to read what I was signing. Following this, all signed form were taken ino the 'office' for examination. I/O returned with my passport and told me that my request to change from 30day non-visa entry to Non Imm. O had been approved, and I should return to I/O on 22/9, when my 30 entry expired, and then I would be given a Non Imm visa. Then i should follow the normal procedure to extend this visa for retirement visa, ( Come in the last 30 days of non O and follow the normal procedure for a retirement visa. I was charged a fee of 10,000 Baht for the Non Imm, and given a receipt for this, and then told that there would be another normal fee of 1,900 Baht for Retirement visa. Not quite a various T/V pundit have suggested, but, apar from the cost, the outcome I was hoping for. I will be happier when I see the Non O in my passport. With hindsight, it might have been cheaper and quicker to have used a visa agency to either get me a Non O or to go straight to a Retirement visa, so I am posting thsi thread so that any other Forum members can know what might happen when they come into Thailand. Positives from this are :- No visa 30 entry easy, with no demands for onward ticket, or hotel booking. Change from 30 day no visa entry to Non im is possible and I/O appear to be aware of requirements. There might be information available that says i should not be paying any fee for this, but I am not going to risk upsetting I/O by showing this and arguing the point. If I get my retirement visa for what I am told, I will be happy.

Last Wednesday, I entered Thailand at BKK airport, flying on a 1-way ticket (THAI) I was given a normal 30 day, no visa entry stamp ,and no questions asked about hotel booking or cash, or onward flight. At check in at LHR, I ahd to show proof of vaccination, nothing more. I suggest that you dress reasonably smartly and not look as if you are 'down and out'

Big Star wrote:- "Then you'd have failed the minimal cognitive fitness test required to enter the Kingdom. " Please be so kind as to explain this new requirement for entry to Thailand so that I might avoid any problems when I come again.

Could no agree more. RTE in London website application for Non O has such a ridiculous number of demands that i gave up and came on 'no visa' entry, hoping to extend when in Thailand. No problems with entry , now waiting to see how easy to extend to Retirement visa. If Thailand want longer term tourists, why does it no make it easy to get a long term visa?? I sued to get Non Imm. visa a London. So easy, fill in a single page form. pay fee, and collect visa next day. No need for all thsi supporting doc. stuff; hotel booking, copies of passport pages

Look at my earlier thread :Returning to Thailand" I entered last week on 30 day non visa. Went to my local I/O (Phayao) and asked about converting to Non O retirement, which I have been using for some years, but it expired while I was in UK. According to I/O I saw, not a problem, but will have to be a 'special service' at Phayao, as approval will have to be obtained from Chiang Rai Immigration. She checked that I qualified for Retirement visa, with 800K in my bank. I am booked to attend Immigration next Wed to start this process, and I will report on progress. Suggestion was made that there would be an additional fee, over the 2000B visa fee, to cover the cost of taking my passport to Chiang Rai, but I do not mind paying, rather than using an agent. Hopefully fee not too steep. I have been on Retirement for some years , and it seems top be a good way of long term residence in LOS

Arrived back in Thailand this week, and others might be interested in my experience, as rules do not seem to be clear. I originally wanted to get a Non Imm. O at London RTE, but i was discourage by the amount of paperwork required to be posted with application. I flew on TG 911 and turned up at LHR with no visa. Check -in was no problem, I was only asked to show my Covid vaccinations. I have a Thai yellow book vaccination certificate. ON arrival at BK , I have never seen Immigration so empty, I went straight to head of line and presented my passport. No TM6' had been given out on the flight. I had to provide my boarding pass. (NB, lucky I still had it. What would have happened if i had thrown it away on the flight?) I/O correctly told me that my retirement visa had expired and gave me 30day entry. Next day went to my local I/O at Phayao and showed visa to I/O there and sked if i could convert this to a Non O retirement visa. This was possible, but only as a "special service". I have been given an appointment for net Wed to bring the normal Retirement visa paperwork, bank statements etc. and told the it will take 'some time' to issue me with Retirement visa, as my passport will have to go to Chiang Rai for approval. I will have to pay for this service, as well as the normal 2000B visa fee. I/O was unusually (for I/O) helpful and pleasant, so I'll wait to see how I get on next Week. OP the face of it, this seems to be far less fuss than the 'correct' procedure of getting non O from RET and the simply applying fro retirement extension. AT LHR or on arrival , there was no requirement for onward flight, even thought I was flying on a 1 way ticket.

Any I/O is a public servant and her job is to enforce the existing Immigration law fairy and correctly. Any comments she has with the law should be directed to her superiors, not the public.. O/P is not the first, nor will be the last, to take advantage of Thailand's no visa entry policy. Only TV members who have Always got a visa, have any right to criticize O/P IMO, the hassles that getting a normal Non ) or 3 month visa fully justify using any legal means to visit LOS. If Thailand want tourists to come it has to make it easy for them to do so. I agree with O/P that it used to be easy to get visa; call at embassy, ill in 1 page form, pay fee and collect visa next day, not the fuss on-line that is now required.

Don't want to make the test to strict, too many vehicles would fail, and that would cause problem. If all the unroadworthy vehicles and unlicensed drivers were taken off the roads, Thailand would be deserted.

Nothing like some competition to improve services. It is know as market forces

I have always taken the risk. now 78 and probably could not get insurance. I keep 2M baht in my bank which serves for visa and medical emergencies. Thinking that if I need all the money for medical treatment i will not be needed a visa for long.

Fact of life in rural Thailand. Many Thais do not complain because they can remember the days when there was no electricity to their village, and something is often better than nothing. I am not sure if EGAT has woken up to the concept that users want a 100% reliable supply. Where I live, Phayao, 100% certain that electricity goes off when there is a thunder storm or heavy rain. Maybe this is what EGAT calls reliable?

I have had Honda and Kawasaki powered brush cutters. Honda much more reliable and locals appear to know how to repair them. Noted that all Thai workers cutting grass verges use Honda, so probably proved reliable. Spares? local mechanic appears to be able to get parts from local shops in Phayao, so I have always assumed tha spares are easy for Hondas, but why go further afield to Honda if local shop has what you need. I suspect that half the battle is knowing what the part is called in Thai

Some years ago, so may not be relevant now, i got new UK passport and old one was stapled to it with a note explaining that this had been done by UKPA as old passport had a valid visa (for China) in it. When i got new UK passport in Bangkok, I was given a letter to local Thai I/O asking them to transfer my current retirement visas into new passport. No problems with local I/O and no charge. Any questions, I would visit VFS office in BKK as they were incredibly busy and I can't see the bothering with e-mail questions. If you are changing UK bank accounts, make sure you transfer the money from old account to new before you close the old account.

You might find that non-slip floor tiles are more expensive that other tiles that are wall tiles. Thus Thai builder could suggest wall tiles for the floor, since they think they are saving you money. Also floor tiles are thicker and hence more difficult to cut to size. Find your self a workman who knows how to lay tiles, and he will advise you. Avoid wannabe workmen don't know the basics of tiling. When we had our house built, I was working away and a wannabe laid wall tiles on all the floors. Lethal when wet, and not even flat. Patio recently tiles by local workman who knew his stuff. He measured for the tiles, and also told how much cement would be needed. Bought everything from local builders merchant who delivered. Easiest to know a decent workman as he should have all the tools he needs. Avoid any who start off by asking you to buy the tools, cutters, floats, etc.

perhaps the reason why most Thais never change their wiper blades

Do you have a Thai Credit/debit/ ATM card? Can be useful in LOS, but remember it is Debit card and might have a low spending limit, and not much use for on-line purchases. Check with you issuing bank. I have always kept a UK credit card (Mastercard) to use for emergencies and buying air tickets via Expedia, but be aware that Mastercard will not send you a new card to Thailand Genmerally i do not find a Credit card very useful in LOS. Most retailers do not want you to use it and my Kbank card does not give me a statement or any credit, so only a very limited debit/atm card Hopefully sometime in the next 100 yrs Thailand will catch up with the west on this (Thailand 4.0?)

If your pension is increased during your stay, does it fall back to the old sum when you leave? I have been in UK for the last 6 months and returning to LOS next week. I never knew I could get any sort of increase unless I was permanently back in UK. if I had known I would have tried. Especially now there is high inflation coming to UK an promises of pension increases. I think it disgraceful that UK does not pay the full pension to us retirees who live overseas. think how much we are saving NHS by paying for our own treatment.