Adelphi

Hi I am looking to lease or rent a car in Pattaya (Jomtien) for a year - nothing fancy. Can anyone recomend a company based on personal experience. In addition, any particular pitfalls I need to look out for. Thanks in advance for all helpful suggestions.

No midges in Glasgow or Edinburgh and a good train connection between the two cities. Lots to see and do.

Can anyone tell me where in Pattaya that I can get a Covid vaccination. Ideally I would like the latest Moderna vaccination. Thank you in advance for all useful information.

I have lived mostly in Jomtien for four years now. I have found that in all parts of the world you will find friendly and unfriendly people - even in the hospitality industry. If you become a regular customer - treat the staff with respect and leave a regular tip - you are normally treated very well. Often you will strike up a bit of a repour with said staff - who can be very supportive if you have a problem. Alternatively if I go somewhere and I get attitude I don't normally say anything. I don't leave a tip and I simply never go back. It is interesting that over time I have noticed that the good places tend to flourish where as the unpleasant place often close down very quickly. I guess you just need to find a village/town which suits your pace and make an effort to establish yourself - remembering that you are the foreigner/incomer. I think most times that kind of works or at least it has for me.

Yes we now live together in Thailand and I have retirement visa. I think our biggest problem will be that we have only known each other for six months and only recently started living together. I am concerned that if we apply this year and get turned down that may count against us in the future. Maybe I should just do a short trip to the UK on my own and put off applying for a visitor visa for my partner until next year. Next year we will be able to evidence much more of a shared life in Thailand.

I would like to obtain a UK visitor visa to take my partner to the UK. We have been together about 6 months. My financial position is strong but you could not say the same about my Thai partners position (no property/job). I will be paying for everything. Can anyone based on recent experience recommend an Agent who might be able to help us? Any suggestions on what we might do/say to strengthen the application would also be very welcome e.g. fit in a trip to Singapore, take out a years medical insurance for my partner, have our condo rental put into joint names. Thank you in advance for all helpful suggestions.

Hi one further question please. I don’t have a bank book. Will I actually need a bank book when I go to Immigration? I know I will need a letter from my bank. I operate my account via the internet although I think TTB would issue a bank book if I asked for one.

I need to transfer Thai Baht 800k to my Thailand bank account for the first extension of my Non O Retirement Visa. My Immigration Office is Pattaya. Can I use Wise to do this? The potential problem is that it shows up in my TTB account as an internal transfer. I can send the money direct from my UK bank which shows up as an international transfer but the exchange rate is not as good as Wise. Any advice much appreciated.

Hi. I have applied online and received a 90 day non immigrant O visa for retirement. I showed funds in my UK bank account to do this. I arrive in Thailand next week. My plan is to transfer cash from my UK bank account to my Thai bank account equivalent to not less than THB800k after I arrive. That would mean that the 800k would have been in my Thai bank account for over two months when I apply for my first 1 year extension. It has been suggested to me that I have miss understood the rules and that the 800k has to be in my Thai bank account for three months before I apply for my first one year extension. Can anyone clarify the position for me please? Thank you.

Thank you Sheryl and others for many well balanced and thoughtful responses. My health is good. I tend not to trust insurance companies but I take your point about safeguarding assets. You suggested that I consider a good international expat health policy. Can you suggest which companies I might consider? If you would rather not do this publicly then perhaps you might PM me.

I am 62 and planning on trying out living permanently (retired) in Thailand. I now need to decide whether to buy health insurance or self insure. My preference is to self insure as I instinctively dislike insurance companies. Two friends have suggested that I should have at least 4M THB immediately available should I need emergency treatment. I would be grateful to know the views of others on this subject. Thanks in advance for all helpful contributions.

Thanks Robin I am aware of that option. I don't think it is London who do the processing. As I understand it, it is a web based system which processes and issues the visas for every country. The downside with your suggestion is that you then need an onward or return flight to guarantee that your airline will board you. I know some say the risk is low if you don't have an onward ticket etc. but I just don't like sailing close to the wind.

Thanks OJAS I hope you are right. What is bothering me is that the Thai London Embassy on their web site says I need - Confirmation of legal residence in the UK or Ireland. Copy of health insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, both inpatient and outpatient, no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand.

I will soon be applying for an O type visa (retirement) in the UK. I have travel/health insurance which meets the requirement to get the visa issued. The policy document does not specifically say it covers Covid (or any other specific illness) but I have checked with my insurance company and Covid is definitely covered (inpatient and outpatient). Do you think such a policy will be acceptable or does it specifically have to reference Covid? Thank you in advance for all helpful advice.

Well said Chivas. In addition, the UK has a huge welfare state to finance which Thailand does not. Also the Thai debt to GDP is at a manageable 50%. Whereas the UK debt to GDP is 85% - which is getting close to the point where paying down the debt becomes very difficult.