PaulS66

Thanks for the responses guys.

Is a proof of vaccination certificate and/or a PCR test needed for a flight from BKK to Chiang Mai or has all that been scrapped now?  I'm struggling to find any up to date info regarding this.  Plenty of info on international but not so much on domestic.  Can anyone point me in the right direction.  Many thanks.

Oh right. I understood that you needed to show a lease agreement for Non O but having re-read the document that Ubon Joe linked to earlier I see this is not the case.  I mean I intend to lease a place long term anyway but the process of finding the right one could substantially eat into the time I have to get my Non O organised. As you say, given I'll be on visa exempt, use of an agent to secure a bank account quickly could be a decent option as long as the price is reasonable.  Please PM me if you can recommend anyone (in Patts preferably).  TIA.

No.  I had one 25 years ago when I lived there but have only holidayed for short periods since then.  I'm just trying to buy myself enough time to lease a condo, get a letter of residence, get a bank account and then apply for a Non O

Can the extension be applied for as soon as I am in Thailand or is it only possible within so many days of the original expiry date?

Obviously health insurance is a requirement to enter Thailand but would Thai immigration want to see health insurance to cover the 30 day extension period when it is applied for?

Good news indeed - that will save me a lot of grief.  Thanks for your prompt reply.

I'm planning to arrive in Thailand without a visa and understand I'll get stamped in for 30 days. And this can also be extended for a further 30 days. I'm then looking at getting a Non - O (retirement) visa and an extension of stay further down the line. My question is what time window do I have to secure the Non - O?  I read somewhere that the Non-O needs to be applied for before with a minimum of 15 days remaining on the permitted stay date stamped in your passport.  Does this take into consideration the 30 day extension or is it 15 days from the original stay date?   Thanks in advance.

Thanks Pib.  Super helpful.  Was there much of a waiting list for surgery at Metta?

Pib, 

I'm not currently in Thailand at the moment but will be towards the end of the year.  I'll be looking at something like the PanOptix trifocal and I will definitely check out Metta - sounds just the ticket.  Your posts and links have helped a lot.  I appreciate you taking the time - thanks again!

Fantastic post Pib - very informative.  Thank you.  Which hospital did you use?

Ignore last post.  You've just answered my question.  Thanks a lot Sheryl

How do you go with the intermediate distance?  My PC monitors are approx 90cm away - guess it's likely I'd still need glasses there.

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

you can give yourself a trail of what it will be like (minus the cataract blurring) by wearing a contact lens in one eye only for a few weeks, discuss with your eye doctor.

Thanks Sheryl.  Yeah that would be the sensible thing to do I guess.  It's incredible to think that the brain adapts to whichever lens is most suitable for a particular distance but this is the case right?  Have you encountered any major downsides with this approach?

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The lens cost is not going to vary much by hospital as the hospitals do nto produce the lens themselves, rather import them. What differs is the cost for the surgery.

 

No idea if QS carries multi-focal lens or not.

Yes I understand that.  Thanks for the reply.  The option of having a reader in one eye and far distance in another is very interesting and definitely warrants further research. 

Does anyone know if Queen Sirikit offer multi-focal lenses.  If so, any idea on ball-park prices?  I'd like to go for multi-focal (tri) which are obviously more expensive than monovision but if I can save a few bob on procedure costs by going with Sirikit or somewhere like that I'd be happy.  Or is Rutnin still the best bet?  Anyone  have any recent quotes on multi-focal at Rutnin? 

Sheryl, do you know if multi-focal (tri) IOLs are offered at Queen Sirikit.  I know there are probably different brands and a large variation in prices but do you have any ball-park figures?

Appreciate any help.  Thanks.