Robin

As a regular here on Retirement visa, I make a point of getting a Re-Entry permit when mu annual extension is granted. Not a big deal, a single from to fill in and about 5 min for I/O to process. Maybe I do not use it, so far always have, and an insurance in case I have to leave in a hurry for an emergency in UK. Cost in not prohibitive. To answer DR. Jack's question; I came in on no visa 30 day last month, as Ret. visa had expired when I was in UK. No problems a SVB and at local I/O, I asked to change this 30 day entry to Non O. Again no problems, but had to get bank statement as if retirement ext., and I was charged 2000 Baht visa fee, with receipt, and 8,000 Baht for "services" no receipt. had to go back to IO when original 30 expired and get new Non O stamped in my passport. No charge. Now waiting for the last 30 days of the Non O to do the usual retirement extension. Told that I will need another bank statement. In all, I think easier than getting a Non O at RTE London. I agree that making these 365 day visas multiple entry would be sensible, or logical. but these are not adjectives that normally apply to Thailand Immigration. Do not knock Retirement visas, they aare eaasy ways for some of us to live in LOS. Thanks Taksin.

If this was enforced, then Thailand woul b a wonderful place and the rods empty, but will it be enforced, or just more reason for RTP to collect more bribes?

Empty threats. Accept that Prayuth will stay on as PM by some means or another

N mention of any Thai representative in the list published in London Daily Telegraph. Poor show.

How many of the critics he could make better job of bus route signs in Thai for their home cities. At least Thailand is trying to be helpful

If I had more money; Stop worrying about having enough money, it is said that having too much money can be a stressful as not having enough, but I would accept that stress. I have never been one for spending money just because I have money. , so I am happy with my lot in life.

"If you think about something, or talk about it, you will make it happen" So much better not to think about anything unpleasnant.

Still looking. Make my own? !. Decent flour? 2 Baker's Yeast? 3. Whest Germ? 4. Oven? I was hoping to get someone else to do the hard work.

Not to worry. when the 1 million investors arrive each with 1 million dollars to invest, the Baht will climb to new, levels, never seen before. meanwhile, BOT must keep the Baht high so that luxury goods for the Elite, Benzs, Submarines, are cheap. A cheaper Baht will only benefit the poor rice farmers who might get more for their crop

Could have been water on he sensor, or sensor wiring,, giving a false reading. Sensor go wet when driving through floods, and dried out by the next day. if you are really bothered, you could drain all petrol out of your tank and replace with new. Water will be at the bottom of the tank, so should drain out first. Look or any evidence of water in the fuel filters

Can anyone recommend a place where I can buy real bread, preferably whole meal, in Phayao. Getting fed up with the standard Lous offering. I live in the west of Phayao, amphur Chun, but I would drive a distance if i was worth it.

Available in Lotus.

I think that when opening a bank account in UK, an automatic check will be made to see if you are on the Electoral Roll at the address you give.. I believe that most UK banks now prefer you to open an account on line from their web-site. Anyone wanting a UK bank account could try this and see if they ae rejected. I believe that if you do this you will later have to present yourself and official ID, (Passport) at a branch. Never a good idea to tell lies to your banker, you might need his help later. I have recently, this year, opened bank accounts with HSBC and Santander in UK, both wanted to see my passport as ID. Both banks were aware that my principal address was in Thailand, but I also have a UK address and am on electoral roll there. I also pay tax in UK on un-earned income. I am not allowed to open a joint account with my Thai wife as she does not live in UK and all her ID documents are in her Thai name, as we have not registered our marriage in Thailand

Just finished on BKK Post site. Spelling check was working when I posted comments. Did not try with any Spells.

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.