Everyman

Can anyone suggest a reputable place to hire an armed bodyguard in Bangkok? Also would be good to know prices for about 12 hours.

Interesting how a 500 baht ATM fee is a big deal but 5k USD is “nothing” and “holiday money.” ????

I don’t understand why people still carry foreign currency into Thailand in cash. I haven’t done that in 20 years. As soon as I got a Thai bank account I would just use my foreign debit card to take money out and then deposit it in my Thai account. This is back when ATMs were free of charge for foreign cards. I would only lose a few percent from the foreign currency fee. These days I tend not to even carry baht and just pay with prompt pay everywhere.

It’s hard to find current information in current COVID rules in Laos. Are bars open? Do they have “social distancing” rules? Are they enforced? Do you have to wear a mask?

Does anyone have an account at Islamic Bank of Thailand? Was it easy to open? Is it any good? They don’t seem to have any ATMs.

I’m mostly thinking of westerners, but also Thai people - why does it seem like 80% of the former and 50% of the latter, smoke cigarettes? I don’t get it.

I am a social person but I am fed up with having to breathe everybody’s cigarette smoke. Is there a busy, social bar in Phuket (hopefully in or near Rawai) that is inside with aircon and no smoking? Thanks

no. you need a passbook. if you lost it you need a get a police report and return to where you opened the account, with the report and your passport.

The BKK Bank of New York doesn’t allow ACH transfer anymore due to changes in US regulations. Officially ACH has been replaced by another system when used for this purpose but retail banking customers like you and me cannot use it because no bank in the US offers it. So effectively it’s a ban. You have to use SWIFT or “Wise” now.

I appreciate the nostalgia for simpler times, but you mention a few things that are not related to each other. Nothing in 2022 is stopping merchants from allowing sales on their own credit except that it is an unreliable way to collect payment. That’s why they don’t do it anymore. Savings account interest rates are indirectly set by country’s central banks. And they have set them very low for a long time now. The wisdom of that is debatable and would take a long time to discuss. Credit card companies are indeed predatory yes.

A rubbish saying that bar girls use to train their money slaves.

If your “home branch” is in Bangkok then you have to replace the card in Bangkok. If it’s outside Bangkok, then I think you can replace it anywhere outside Bangkok but possibly it has to be in the province where you opened the account.

You’re trying to be too clever about this. There are inflation protected investments in the UK. Look at those.

at last an intelligent reply, so many people did not thoroughly read the OP

thank you. do you know if you can you open a bank account on that visa and maybe which bank?

“You can easily get your TAX ID if you go to the tax office and say "I need it to open a bank account."” Does this mean you can use a tax ID to open a bank account?

I am considered self employed.

So I don’t know diddly squat about health insurance. I do not have a Thai employer. But i am looking for insurance to cover my blood work and HIV treatment medication. Is this something i can buy? Will it be cheaper than just paying out of pocket as I have been? Will i have to get my tests and medication somewhere in particular if i do this? Thanks

i am in my 30s

okay that’s great. It’s just that i thought such pensions are rare. maybe i need a better job lol

I was talking to people about it in a Facebook group, and a few big shots were talking about how that was easy, no problem and that’s a small pension where they are from. I pushed them for details and they weren’t talking about pensions at all. In theory an annuity might work, but if you are 60 years old when you purchase it, it would cost 1.250 million USD which is kind of a lot just to qualify for a temporary visa.

The requirements about “pensions” are specific, it’s not just wanting 80k+ it has to be in a “pension,” which is a rather outdated way of looking at the income. I suppose that means an annuity if it was the result of a personal investment.

Unless you are moving huge amounts of money, they’re not going to care. They’ll just be drowning themselves in data.

i can’t. it’s a rental and the property owner already set it up on his app.

It should be the same, but it isn’t. MEA is listed, PEA is not.