rak sa_ngop

Thanks for searching that thread out for me topt.  I will report back once I have tried out some of the suggestions described.

I went through the process of obtaining a bank statement showing the withholding tax paid on my 2019 retirement deposit interest (very straightforward), then I went to my local tax office and submitted a tax refund claim (I already had a TIN tax number so again the process was very straightforward). As I was informed, the refund letter arrived by post about 10 days later.

Now I have hit a road block. The letter (in Thai) gives 3 options for claiming the money. The first involves logging into a  PromptPay account using a Thai ID number (which I do not have).  The other 2 options seem to require an account or a money wallet with the Krung Thai bank. I only have accounts with Bangkok Bank and TMB.

Is there an easy way to get my hands on my money (which will only go part way to paying for a decent bottle of malt whisky)?

Some ideas would be welcome.

I did a transfer this morning at 8.04am and it arrived in Kasikorn bank at 8.06am. Transferwise totally recomended.

I have made a number of transfers with Transferwise and the money nearly always arrives in my Bangkok Bank account the following workday at 2.00 pm.  The actual notification from Transferwise arrives by email  earlier that morning.

Not sure how you get the '2 minute' service

Try visiting Chatuchak market. There is supposed to be a cactus nursery there that even sells peyote cactii. They are bought by people for their decorative beauty and not psychoactive effects. They are quite expensive by all accounts.

Read up on sinus discomfort which is exacerbated on take off and landing due to difficulty in equalising air pressure. It is never a problem for me except for the time I was dozing on landing and I forgot to remove my noise isolating ear buds. This resulted in an intense headache which cleared within a few hours.

The Jewellery Trade Centre is located next to the Holiday Inn on Silom road.  Lots of jade available at trade prices and most outlets are reputable and will differentiate between jadeite and nephrite. But how to value jadeite? A few shops are seriously overpriced so ask around.

Its the end of the year today, so what is the procedure for getting a tax refund on savings account interest?

I have a TIN number already so I suppose I need letter detailing annual tax deducted,  issued by the bank?

Next step would be to go to the tax office and claim a refund.

Finally how is the refund paid.? I remember reading last year something about it being paid by a cheque that could only be paid into a specific named bank's account.

Is all that still the case. How easy will it be to get the money (and is it worth the trouble for a thousand baht or so?)

Probably will have to wait a few days before early claimants can report back.

There was also the pretty stupid practice of splashing your account balance across the screen in big numbers when first accessing your account. Bangkok Bank used to do this but seem to have stopped now. 

44 minutes ago, mushroomdave said:

Thanks rak sa_ngop, but I come and go a month at a time (or less), shop around, and have gotten it through some Thai offices.   Over the years I have gotten it through Allianz Thailand, Chubb Thailand and even my Bangkok Bank a few times.  But they seemed to have up the prices of late so was just asking around.  Thanks again!!

Thanks for that info. Sounds like some companies can work around the 6 month requirement. I have a friend working for a Thai Insurance broker who told me about the 6 month rule.  Maybe you were signed up for 6 month or 1 year contracts. But this is Thailand so anything goes?

I am pretty sure you will not be able to get a Thailand policy as you need to be in the country for at least 6 months to qualify for Thai insurance. But I don't know if that means you HAVE been, or PLAN ON BEING six months in Thailand.  In any case you will probably best keep searching around outside Thailand.

I bought some in Villa Supermarket a few years ago. Pretty expensive though.

I once bought some Cambodian honey, the brand with the forest hunters on the label. It was incredibly good, the best I have tasted in Asia.

When will we be able to take the Skytrain all the way to Don Meuang?

Thanks for your comments. Seems like I need to to have moles etc removed and analysed for cancer etc as a separate procedure to having age/liver spots treated by laser or other skin treatments.

So is it best to go to a hospital to get the mole/spot removal taken care of, or is there a clinic somebody can recommend that can perform all procedures (and have cancer tests performed). Basically a 'one stop spot shop'?

Seems like every time I get finger scanned I have a problem. Needed multiple tries at BKK airport, and last time I was in Singapore I had to be escorted to a separate desk and treated like a criminal.

Looking at my fingertips the skin is creased and wrinkly from age (66).  I can only expect fingerprint recognition to get more and more problematic for myself.....and probably lots of other ageing travellers

Thanks Sheryl.  Can you just clarify the type of skin blemish that it worked for i.e. liver spot, mole, zit etc, or does it work for all types of 'spots'?

I saw a YouTube clip where somebody paid 1000 baht for a small bottle of beer at the Lebua Sky Bar.  Ouch!!!!

Does anybody have experience of using a Bangkok clinic/hospital to reduce age spots on the face using laser etc techniques. I am starting to develop liver spots and other spots and am wondering if I could have them investigated with a view to reducing their visual impact. There seem to be lots of clinics offering cosmetic treatments but I am reticent to approach one without a direct recommendation.

Any comments (apart from 'learn to live with it Spotty') would be welcome.

21 hours ago, rocrite said:

Can anyone tell me a specific clinic or pharmacy around 3500 baht as mentioned. I am stuck paying hospital prices in Hua Hin but will be In Bangkok tomorrow to see a vein dr.

The shop I buy Lixiana 3500 baht 60mg is on Rama 4 between Silom and Surawong road opposite the Chulalongkorn hospital complex. There are 3 or 4 drug stores along this stretch. I go to the one nearest the stairs to the overhead pedestrian bridge close to the Surawong Road end (not the Silom Road bridge)

Go to the jewellery area of Bangkok where you will find everything you need from gemstones, jewellery wax moulds, workshops for casting and working jewellery, gold and silver plating etc. etc.

This area is centred around the Jewellery Trade Centre next to the Holiday Inn Silom Road and the Mahesak Building opposite. Lots of smaller shops and workshops scattered around the area.

I flew business class one time with Oman about 5 years ago. The lounge at Heathrow was small and situated in the middle of a normal lounge so you had to be led to it.....it felt a bit strange and lonely.

I had a bad experience on the plane as the cabin temperature was uncomfortably high.  Even the steward apologised to me for the defective aircon but when I wrote a letter of complaint Oman Air replied that no problem had been reported after the flight, and summarily dismissed my complaint.

All in all I found the experience substandard to the Emirates business class flights. I really enjoy the Emirates business class experience and gladly pay for a UK flight out of my own pocket once a year (if it is less than 100K). I do not intend to fly Oman again due to their pathetic reply to my genuine complaint.

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You do realize wood alcohol turns people blind?

You obviously do not know about the process of whisky making, and the difference between methanol (wood alcohol) and ethanol (distilled spirit, moonshine drinking alcohol)

I have just checked the Big C on-line site and it shows up as 1170 baht.

Hope you managed to get a large order in before they realised their mistake (assuming there was a mistake).