HerewardtheWake

No, it is not a financial issue to keep both the $100,000 deposit AND a health insurance policy. That is what I will do as a measure of safety in case BoI changes their policies. A policy with 300,000 Baht deductible costs only a premium of 42,000 Baht, so it is not a big deal. Yes, for many IOs, an LTR is a rare bird sighting. At least in the sticks- submitting a TM90 at Krabi Immigration caused a bit of confusion among the staff because they have never seen LTR before. May be as LTR numbers increase, IOs will become familiar with it. Thanks for all comments.

US$100,000 deposit in lieu of Health Insurance- Visit to Chamchuri Square BoI office I wanted to discontinue my Pacific Cross LTR visa health insurance and use the 100,000 deposit method. I went to the BoI office with: 1. Balance Letter of Charles Schwab bank checking account which says my average balance for the last 12 months was over $100,00; 2. Account statements for the last 12 months each of which showed over $100,000 each month. A soft spoken young man with a pleasant manner met me. I showed him the Balance Letter and the monthly statement. He had a cursory look at the Balance Letter but did not examine the monthly statements. I explained to him that each time I arrive on my LTR visa, Immigration asks me for proof of health insurance. Since I now I want to change to the $100,000 deposit method, can BoI give me a statement that they have approved my bank deposit method and exempted me from having to carry insurance? Or, at least a notation on the LTR visa passport page to that effect? He went back and forth to consult with his supervisor. The final word was that BoI has no policy of giving such a statement. Because it is superfluous and not necessary, according to BoI. He said Immigration is not supposed to ask for health insurance proof for LTR visas. If it happens again, he said, ask them to call BoI. But he agreed with me that such a call would be impractical and went back to the supervisor. He then gave a Thai version and English translation of the LTR Qualifications, Conditions, Criteria, and Conditions for LTR. He underlined Section 2.2.3 which states that: --- a deposit balance of at least USD 100,000 in a bank account in Thailand or abroad retained for least 12 months as of the date of application. If Immigration asks me for proof of health insurance, show them the document, he said. That was the best BoI could do. My dilemma is: at over 75, if I discontinue my Pacific Cross policy , and if at some point BoI changes the LTR health insurance rules, I will not be able to get health insurance. So, is it best to continue carrying the health insurance policy?

Question about Going to the LTR visa people at Chimichurri Plaza, Bangkok: I want to take the US$100,000 deposit option for maintaining my LTR visa. I have the relevant account statements for the last 12 months. Can I just drop by at the Chimichurri building? Or do I need to get an appointment? Contacting them on the phone has been a futile effort and email messages get a canned irrelevant response.

PIB's points are quite important. I am sure BoI will insist on an LTR visa holder's having met the requirements during all the time the visa has been valid.

Tom, Misty, Thailand, thank you for such useful replies and information. You have addressed my questions precisely. I will talk with my insurance agent and see if I can lower my premium, albeit for another useless deductible schedule. US$100,000 will generate interest slightly exceeding the policy premium, so Tom's idea is very relevant.

Frits, thank you. Yes, I am aware of the requirements, but I am trying to find out how to register the US100,000 deposit with the LTR organization, so that I can cancel my Pacific Cross health insurance.

Background: I had an O-A visa for which I had the required health insurance. I used the same policy for meeting the LTR visa requirement in 2023 April. The Pacific Cross insurance expensive (at over 100,000 Baht premium) and is useless because it has a 300,000 Baht deductible. I would like to use the self-insurance route of having a US$100,000 bank deposit. I have been trying in vain to contact LTR visa service in Bangkok. A written message to them gave me a an irrelevant canned answer without addressing my question. Phone calls get me a response to contact by email. How does one go about getting LTR approval of the self-insurance? I got an account Balance Letter from my Charles Schwab bank and attached it as a file to my profile on the LTR website, but got no acknowledgment from LTR. Would it be better to make a visit to the LTR office in Bangkok? Does one need an appointment? Would a Balance Letter be sufficient to meet the LTR requirement? If anybody has had any experience with this, please comment.

OK, so Zenni ships to Thailand? They said last March that they cannot ship to Thailand. Their policy has changed?

Thanks, Tim.

My LTR visa was granted in April and the existing O-A visa was cancelled. I know I have to submit a TM-90 form or something like that once a year. However, during the the LTR visa validity period, do I have to leave the country once a year and then return to keep the LTR visa valid? Or can I just stay put for the five years and keep the LTR visa valid without incurring any overstay penalties? Thanks for any insights.

Jim, does this sentence mean that no health insurance policy is needed once you get the LTR visa? Thanks.

1. I often see older foreigners being guided by Thais, mostly women, in banks and other public utilities. For want of a correct term, I will call them personal assistants. They seem to help the clients communicate with staff at these utilities. Obviously they have some facility with English. Does anybody know if such assistants are paid by the hour and what is an average, fair rate of compensation? 2. If one were to hire a live-in personal assistant (absolutely nothing salacious; room and board provided) to help with daily life and drive the customer around when necessary, in his car , what would be a fair compensation? Thanks for any replies.

Could anybody please recommend a visa agent or legal firm in Krabi which can file 90-day and TM-30 reports in Krabi? Thanks.

Just moved from Chiang Mai to a house I have bought in Krabi. I am on a non-imm O-A visa. Do I need to file a TM-30 at the local Immigration office? If so, what documents would I need to submit?Thanks.

The LTR requires an annual report at the local Immigration office, akin to the 90-day report. At the time of this required annual report, what documents are needed to be provided? Thanks.

Reading the OP: With the multiple entry stamp, the total for a year's extension of the O-A visa seems to come to about 5,700 baht. The Long Term Residence (LTR) visa comes to 50,000 one time payment for a 5 year+5 year visa; with no requirement of 800,000 Baht bank balance,with a multiple entry stamp, once a year equivalent of the 90-day report, and a reported special entry gate at the airport. It seems that for those who can meet the LTR visa requirements, LTR seems to be a better deal?

LTR= Long Term Residence visa.

I think I know the answer, but probably seeking reasuurance: If one has held a non-OA visa with the 800,000 Baht in an account, and then obtains an LTR visa, there is no further need to maintain this bank balance. Correct? Thanks.

This is not a reply, but just a brief account of my getting the LTR. Date of Application: March 19 BoI asking further information: 21 April. I had sent in two years of the 1040R, but only the 2022 was kept and the 2021 deleted by the screening agent. Then a request for 1099R which lists only dividends, which is superfluous because the 1040R lists all sources of income. I complied; and a 90-day report, of which I luckily had the last one which I submitted. There is probably a 2000 Baht fine if one can't produce a 90-day. Communication that application has been approved; 23 April. Asked me to set up an appointment I arrived at the One Stop visa place in Chamchuri Square. But it turned out to be lunch time. Had to wait until 13.00. Went in and handed the papers. Staff was courteous. I was asked to produce the last 90-day report and a photograph which had been sent already. But luckily I had both with me. After that the officer walked me to the photographer for another photograph! , and then I had to wait for another 45 minutes after signing the documents, observing the Thai custom of signing every page. Then was taken to the payment counter. Came back to the waiting area. Another 10 minutes, and then escorted to the visa stamp window. All in all it took a bit over two and half hours. No more 90-day reports, multiple entries, and presumably a special line at Suvarnabhumi for LTR visa holders. The worse parts are getting into Bangkok and getting out.

A message from LTR asks for 90-day reports from last day of arrival. It is not clear whether ALL 90-day reports from the date of arrival or the latest report is needed. Puzzled why LTR needs 90-day reports when all other requirements have been met. More hassle. How would one get the past 90-day reports?(I threw my old ones away)

Cannot log into the LTR site. Is it down?

To a message on March 29, 2023, that he website does not connect, BoI replied that the system is under maintenance and will be back on stream in two or three days.

https://www.city-journal.org/new-cochrane-study-on-masks-and-covid The marginal positive consequences of masking are outlined in this article. I was at the Bangkok Bank yesterday to enquire about wiring money abroad. The bank officer sits behind a transparent panel with just a space open at the bottom. And she was tightly masked. Her muffled speech through the mask was mostly incomprehensible. I asked her if I put my mask on, could she she speak without the mask, so that I can understand her. The answer an emphatic "No". I think masking in banks and hospitals in Thailand will continue into the indefinite future.

Hi KhunLA, I last week, I went to my old haunt Sam Roi Yot on the way back from Krabi. I lived at The Sea condos on Dolphin Bay in 2020, just around this time of the year. What led me away from the place then was the smoke from brush burning. For some reason smoke hangs around even in the environs of Dolphin Bay. Some kind of peculiar microclimate? It is almost as if the concept of clear air is unknown to the locals. Is brush burning just an expedient way of disposing vegetation, or does it have some Buddhist ritual symbolism! Driving at night, I could see many roadside piles of brush on fire with billowing clouds of smoke. It is really a superb area for bicycling but for the smoke. On the plus side, the stretch of the beach road from Khao Kalok south to Grand Marina development is clean, bags of garbage in neat piles to be collected, all the potholes fixed, and with superb street lighting. The stretch of the road where the popular seafood restaurant called Udom Pochana is located is busy and bustling. Udom Pochana used to be filled to the brim with Chinese customers, but now has an anemic number of people. The food is still superb though.

Try 888legal in Pattaya, Thailand. Kevin Bamfield is known to many expats here for over 20 years for his integrity, knowledge of Thai laws, and readiness to help.