Nickelbeer

I’ve used the monthly income method for nearly seven years with the assistance of an agent. Those who think that parking 400 to 800 thousand baht in a Thai bank is a mere annoyance, are in a fortunate position. For many of us, it is simply impossible.

Rentals seem to be much more affordable here than the USA. I rent a studio condo for 10 thousand baht a month in Pattaya. It would cost me at least twice that in Alabama and probably four times that amount in Los Angeles or New York.

I am not without my share of mistakes. I refuse to judge the “begpackers”. It is very easy to get in trouble here. I would prefer to err on the side of compassion.

No crime so great in Thailand as being poor.

They should be doing a lot of things, but they aren’t. Law unto themselves.

If you have the required 65 thousand baht a month in ANY bank, the rules can be waived by using an agent. Some on this forum insist that this is illegal, but it is done every day. I have done this for the last five years and there have been no problems. I only keep about a thousand baht in my Bangkok Bank account. My agent charges 14 thousand baht each year for an extension of stay. Obviously, a part of that money goes to Immigration. Nearly ALL of my money stays in my American credit union.

No, it’s merely a “sweetheart deal” between the government and the banks. Get an agent and forget bank deposits.

I expect there will be a lot of fakes before they go out of business for not providing what was expected.

Both should have taken a bullet. No tolerance for cheaters.

What are the prospects of Cambodian-style “Happy Pizza” being sold in Thailand? Edibles seem to work best for me since I just don’t enjoy inhaling anything but air. Comments welcome.

I don’t want him anywhere NEAR Immigration, ever again. The so-called “culture of tips” is the only way I can continue to stay here. The last thing Thailand needs is western-style “clean” policing.

Unlike the Chinese, Indians are pleasant enough but they don’t throw around a lot of cash.

No, sounds like EXACTLY what I would expect from the RTP. Take advantage of murky laws to squeeze tea money out. Decriminalization took a major bite out of the ability of police to cut deals based on weed possession.

This attitude is an offshoot of the old Thai, custom of “when business is bad, raise prices”. As usual, those who are least qualified to solve problems are the ones appointed to deal with them. There’s also the “blame the farang” mentality, which is a variation on a theme that has worked very well for a certain American politician. Find a scapegoat and the public will flock to your door.

And, of course, if the farang had not been in Thailand, the incident would never have happened.

Guess it’s time for another wave of “farang bashing” and “anti-Caucasian” hysteria.

Sometimes, it takes a case like this to remind expats that “free speech” does not exist in Thailand. It is the simplest thing in the world to ignore politics.

They don’t care what I think or what YOU think or what ANYBODY thinks. They see themselves as the only option, which is not quite true. Trying to apply logic to Thai law or statutes is an exercise in futility. It’s the same principle as the Thai propensity to raise prices when revenue is low.

A “non-problem” unless you are incredibly cheap. 300 baht is not going to bankrupt me.

It’s a credit union. None of the services you suggest exist with them. Changing banks is out of the question unless I am present in the United States. No intention of going back. Most likely, I will end up in the Philippines.

I suspect that “professional IT staff” was the problem all along. Best to outsource to the pros.

Maybe you can explain to me how to get a “backup” debit card from the same bank. I already checked, can’t be done. I cannot afford two separate bank accounts. I can’t have all my money here because Bangkok Bank will not set up an automatic payment schedule for my credit cards. Getting money from my credit cards is another “circus of horrors”.

The information given thus far is preposterous. I just had a card retained by a Krungsri ATM. Had my girlfriend talk to them and explain. GF left and the bank calls me back and says they cannot release my card because my bank has an “order” against releasing cards. This was a lie. My bank is closed at this hour because of the 12 hour time difference. Besides, they have released cards before with proper ID. They simply do not want to help you if you don’t bank with them. I have bills that need to be paid immediately and a replacement card will take at least ten days to arrive. Even getting money sent to my Bangkok Bank account takes two days and costs 30 dollars. The problems caused by “retaining” debit cards are insurmountable and the banks are a law unto themselves.

My only concern about Anutin is the hostility he has displayed toward “Caucasians”. His attempt to blame Covid on “white people” is just shameful and devious. This is the kind of ploy that we see from people like Donald Trump. Find a scapegoat and blame everything on them.

Most of us came here because there was no requirement to speak Thai. Such a requirement is a deal-killer. No interest in learning their language, I am only interested in low cost of living.