Longwood50

Can you send PM me or post a copy with any sensitive information blacked out. I have to go back to immigration today and I am going to ask if these are accepted. Thank you.

Yes that is exactly the one that Bangkok Bank prepares. That is fine if you have the 800,000 baht in the bank. It is not the acceptable letter if it is the monthly transfers. It is fine that the bank would email those to you. However if they were not original and contain the bank stamp and signature I seriously doubt that immigration would take them. This idea of the letter is nonsense since they already have the printed statement from the bank that clearly shows the FIT but you can not argue with them. Yesterday I got the letter from Bangkok Bank and upon arrival the immigration officer noted the account number on the letter was not mine. That required I go back to have it corrected. When I returned I said to him, well so much for the reliance that immigration must have with the banks given they can't even get a customers account number correct on the letter.

Yes they should only referred to by the term used by fellow Democrat " Basket of Deplorables"

Well I took your advise and those of others. I went to Kasikorn yesterday to the office located in the complex with Tesco in North Pattaya. Like most of my banking experiences here, the personnel seem clueless like it is the first time they have encountered something. I used my translate feature on my phone. They said: 1. I needed a certificate of residence to open the account. I had a copy. They said no they needed to see the origignal, make a copy, and then give me the original back. 2. They said that once opened that a 12 month bank statement could be printed same day at any branch 3. When I showed them the copy of the letter, that immigration was requiring they said, no only the branch in Pattaya Klang could do those. Now whether that was true, or not, it seems to be different than what other posters here have said. I know this. I went to Bangkok Bank and the branches all said, no only the office you opened the account at could do that. However, last year I followed the reccomendation of my neighbor and went to a different office than the one I opened my account at. I did get the one year statement and the correct letter but had to wait one week to get them. That is the one and only time, in 4 years with Bangkok Bank I got the correct documents the first time.

No you are putting words in my mouth. The restrictions on fully automatics are not suitable for semi-automatics. They are so onerous as to make possession of one near impossible and extremely expensive. That is just a gun ban by a different name.

No I answered it. I said this is exactly the slipperly slope that gun owners say will happen. Essentially what you are advocating is not "rules" it is a near ban on those guns through making their acquisition nearly impossible. There are rules for automatic weapons and very few people possess them. So really that is what you are advocating. Though there is not a legitimate sporting or hunting purpose for an automatic rifle, that is not true of a semi-automatic. I also pointed out that even now there are stringent rules and background checks to purchase a gun. I asked, what else other than those requirements are you proposing? The person is has no criminal record, no drug use, no past offenses for family violence, no protection orders etc. On what basis would you deny them a semi-automatic rifle? The consitution says A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. at what point does burdensome regulation and arbitrary basis for receiving a purchase permit cross the line and enter into infringe. Certainly if you effectively stop the vast majority of people from ever being able to legally acquire a semi-automatic rifle it is de facto infringement of their rights. Again, you are barking up the wrong tree. We are not worried about people who obey laws to fill up mountains of paperwork that serve no useful purpose. The one to worry about is the person who does not follow the law and any law is one they will break. What you are really talking about is following laws that make it so burdensome and expensive that the vast majority of people will be unwilling or unable to purchase a semi-automatic rifle. Those sir, do have legitimate sporting and hunting use. I shot competitively for years and a semi-automatic was my choice of both rifle and shotgun.

I also come from a banking career. Even 40 years ago in the USA we could print a statement for a customer at any of our branches. As to the sophistication of the Thai banks not being equal well I beg to differ. Things like cardless withdrawals at ATM's were not there 4 years ago and neither was paying by scanning a QR Code. I can log into their onine app using my fingerprint. Also something I never saw in the USA. By contrast, the banks are still using passbooks. I have not seen a passbook in the USA for probably 40 years. Savings accounts are called "statement savings" you get only a statement of your account online and it records your transactions and details them. No such statement here in Thailand. I get monthly statements from SCB for their credit card but not for the bank accounts. One thing is for certain, the branch personnel here are not well trained. Though I have found often there is a greater degree of capability you have to continue to dog them until you find someone with a degree of knowledge. The easiest response here is Thailand is No we don't do that. The vast majority of time, they do, but they personally don't know how so rather than lose face, they find it easier and more expedient to say NO.

I just left Chonburi immigration. They required the 12 months statement plus a letter from Bangkok Bank attesting to the deposits, and listing them in chronological order. I also printed the transferwise receipts and they were of no interest to him.

That is technically not true. A private citizen can still purchase an fully automatic but it requires additional permits to do so. Can I buy a fully automatic weapon in the US? Automatic Weapons can be Owned in the US! We've said it before and we'll say it again: automatic weapons are 100% legal in the US, but you've got to meet strict requirements to own one and the guns aren't cheap. Still, if you want to own an automatic weapon, you are completely within your rights to do so.

Thank You That is exactly what I am looking for. I have now made 4 trips this week to Pattaya Klang, one to another branch who said "they could not do it" despite the fact that last year I went to a different branch that is further away and they did it. Even if done correctly at Bangkok Bank it is at minimum 200 baht, a one week wait, and two trips to the bank. In today's world not acceptble.

I am sick and tired of Bangkok Bank. I have used them for 4 years for my monthly deposits to verify my 65,000 minimum monthly transfers. Each time it has been a hassle. Only once was I given the correct items the first time. First off for some unexplained reason you have to go a branch office and ORDER a 1 year bank statement. I worked in banking for 40 years and 40 years ago we could print off a statement for a customer at a branch office. Second, you are repeatedly told that ONLY THE BRANCH OFFICE YOU OPENED YOUR ACCOUNT AT CAN HELP YOU. Now that is truly nonsensicle again 40 years ago we could assist a customer irrespective of what office an account was opened at. Does Bangkok Bank really think that we believe that the information on a customers account is only directed back to a specific office where the account was opened. Heck the ATM's know my transaction history irrespective of their location. This year was worse than most. I went to the bank which was where I opened the account. I asked for a 1 year bank statement and the letter required by immigration. Instead I got a 6 month statement and the letter only the current balance in the account. After getting home and looking at the statement I discovered it was only 6 months, I had to return to the bank, pay another 100 baht wait another week, because Bangkok bank did not originally give me the full 1 year statement which I specifically told them was needed for my visa extension. I then got to immigration who told me that the letter from the bank was not acceptible and they showed me a letter by a bank that monthly showed each deposit. I said, I recognize that because I got one of those last year from Bangkok Bank who interestingly I got from a branch that was not where I opened my account and they correctly gave me the 1 year bank statement but again I had to make a second trip to the bank to retrieve it and this branch is further away than the one I opened my account at. So now yet another trip back to the bank to wait to talk to the manager, who I showed the sample letter from immigration only to be told that "no we don't do that" We only do what we already gave you. After much prodding saying that Immigration would not accept that, she agreed to prepare such a letter, but of course that would necessitate yet again another 100 baht charge and you guessed it at least 24 hours to prepare. So, I am looking for those out there who have accounts with other banks and have a smoother time, getting a 1 year bank statement and proper letter authorization. There has to be something better out there than Bangkok Bank.

I am for that. Please explain exactly how you do that. Seems like the USA already has a myriad of laws making it illegal to import, sell, or use numerous drugs. How has that worked out with upwards of 107,000 dying in the USA each year from just the opiod based drugs like heroin, and fentanyl. Try this for harder. Mexico has only 1 legal gun store. It is on a military base in Mexico City. To legally purchase a gun takes months of background checks, and no matter where you live in Mexico you must travel to Mexico City to purchase the gun. How has that worked out for the murder rate in Mexico from guns? What is accomplished is that law abiding citizens will be hampered in securing a firearm that will be used properly and those who can't legally obtain a gun will now have to buy it on the black market. PS of all the mass shootings, there is not one instance of the shooter having anything in their background that precluded them from purchasing the guns legally. So this "tiny little bit" harder statement is blatantly false. You want to stop gun violence. The overwhelming majority of it is not mass shootings but rather gang violence involving drugs. Stop the drug trafficking by making it more difficult to enter the USA from Mexico and a lot of that violence goes away. You will never stop the madman from inflicting mass death if that is their aim. Some have chosen cars, trucks, snow plows. Timothy McVeigh showed what can be done with just a few plastic barrels filled with ordinary fertilizer and diesel fuel bringing down an entire building and 168 deaths.

You are wrong. The rifle most often characterized as an assault rifle is the AR-15 which does not stand for Assault Rifle. In terms of power the AR-15 and others like it use the .223 caliber bullet. That caliber is banned for deer hunting in 10 states because they game officials find the caliber to small to effectively kill a deer. Now lets assume that those who wish to ban those "scary" looking military style rifles. What is accomplished is that those who wish to create carnage merely purchase the identical rifle, that does not have the muzzle flash, pistol grip, plastic stock, or the plastic forearm that gives it the "look" of a military rifle. The Ruger mini-14 comes as a Rancher model and looks like an everyday hunting rifle. The Ruger tactical has the appearance that it is used in the military but that is purely cosmetic. Functionally the two are identical. They shoot the same exact ammunition, can carry the same number of cartridges, and fire at exactly the same rate. It is like putting a spoiler, hood scoop, dual exhausts, and racing tires on a car. It may make the car look like a powerful race car but it is purely cosmetics. The other choice would be for the person who is bent on killing people to upgrade to something truly lethal. The .30-06 caliber is one of the most popular hunting cartridges and can be used on game as large as a grizzly bear. at .30 it is significantly larger than the .22 caliber used in the AR-15 and similar rifles. Lethality of a rifle is based on the speed of the bullet, the construction of the bullet and its weight. A golf ball is the same size as a ping pong ball but if traveling at the same speed the ping pong ball slows down quicker and has less knock down power because it is lighter. Same with bullets. The .223 comes in weights as low as 40 grains and only as large as 77 grains. By contrast the 30-06 starts at 109.6 grains and goes as larger as 220.7 grains enough to kill a moose or grizzly bear. So congratulations banning those puny rifles may well put something truly deadly in their hands instead. AR-15-platform rifles are among the most popular firearms being sold. They are today's modern sporting rifle.  The AR in "AR-15" rifle stands for ArmaLite rifle, after the company that developed it in the 1950s. "AR" does NOT stand for "assault rifle" or "automatic rifle."  AR-15-style rifles are NOT "assault weapons" or "assault rifles." An assault rifle is fully automatic -- a machine gun. Automatic firearms have been severely restricted from civilian ownership since 1934. It's best to look at the states that don't allow deer hunting with . 223 diameter bullet or an AR-15 rifle. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia require larger bullets to be used to hunt game.

Yes I have two neighbors who did that in lieu of setting up a company. It does give you the right to stay in the house for the 30 years even if you split but the house eventually belongs to her. Another alternative would be to set up a company and have the company buy the home. You could through a will give her the stock to the company upon your death. The difference is that if you were to split up, you can change the will. If you get a new woman, perhaps it would be more attractive to the new woman that she rather than the former GF would be your beneficiary.

Now please define exactly what is an assault rife. One that "looks scary" The much assailed Armalite 15. (AR-15) has one of the most puny cartridges at .223 caliber. It is a semi-automatic not any different than any other semi-automatic rifle. The Ruger Corporation makes a rifle called a Mini-14. It comes in an array of models. One is called the "rancher" it is very plain. One is called the tactical and similar to the AR-15 in that it has a muzzle flash, plastic stock, pistol grip, and looks very military. In terms of functionality, they are absolutely identical. Both fire the same ammunition, and do so at exactly the same rate. The only difference is one looks like a hunting rifle, and the other looks like a military rifle. So would you be happier if a gunman used the rancher to kill people versus the tactical?

It was reported that the 3 balloons flew for only a "brief" period of time, and that was only recently discovered. The balloons were reported as UFO's and the intelligence community said they had a gap. The Pentagon has disclosed in recent days that there were instances under the Trump administration where this occurred as well. Trump officials denied knowledge of any such incursions, but current officials said they only became apparent after President Joe Biden took office.

So let me see, if Trump had let a Chinese intelligence balloon travel from the Aleutian islands, cross Canada, and then make a 3,700 mile trek across the USA and do it for 8 days, it would be lauded as as brilliant tactical move to acquire information about the capabilities of the balloon.

Maybe, but I don't think the Chinese were doing it to track the hurricane pattern in the Atlantic.

You are going to have to explain to me how Bidens' prioritization of vigilance to the intellence community included ending a Trump initiated program to specifically focus on Chinese espionage. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/justice-department-china/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/justice-department-china/index.html

Hint: Fighter Aircraft have 50 caliber machine guns It fires standard M50 ammunition at 6,000 rounds per minute (rate selectable in certain installations). Now whether it traveled 1 mile or 500 miles, it could be tracked, and it certainly in any case would be far less than the 3,700 miles from Montanta to the Atlantic Ocean.

Again you shoot these narratives but of course back it up with nothing. As to criminal acts he has not been convicted of any crime that I am aware of. He is being audited but has not been cited as cheating on any taxes. By contrast Biden saved upwards of $500,000 in taxes by funneling money through Sub Chapter S. So when Biden uses existing tax law to minimize his taxes is ok but if Trump uses tax law to minimize his then that is cheating? President Biden and first lady Jill Biden saved up to $500,000 by routing $13 million they received in book sales and speeches in 2017 and 2018 through S corporations, according to a Congressional Research Service report, which drew criticism by at least one Republican. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/multimillionaire-bidens-use-of-s-corporations-draws-scrutiny-by-republican-who-sees-hypocrisy As said before, if you believe that Trump should have had the clairvoyance to exhibit as you put it "villagence" on balloons that were only briefly across USA and not identified by the military, but laud Biden for identifying the spy balloons and then equally laud him for doing nothing about it for 8 days. I can easily see why you are a Biden voter.

And what sense to you ascribe to it not being shot down over the badlands. Mine is that you stopped it from traveling 3,700 km across the USA picking up intelligence. And yours for not shooting down is what?

Absolutely. I don't care how this story is spun to fit the narrative. The fact remains the balloon was first spotted off the aleutian islands and nothing done. It then traveled over a good portion of Canada and nothing was done. It then went from Montana a very uninhabited state across 3700 kilometers of the USA to reach the Atlantic Ocean. One thing is for sure whatever intelligence the Chinese were looking to obain, Biden gave them 8 days and thousands of kilometers of travel to obtain it.

Are you indicating that was "the reason" it was not shot down" I saw nothing about the excuse being they wanted to retrieve anything. The excuse was that they did not want to bring it down over a populated area. One thing is for sure, if they had fired bullets at the balloon rather than a sidewinder missle the balloons would have slowly leaked air making the descent far more gentle. That would be true whether that was over Montana or the Aleutina Islands. The fact remains he let the spy sattelite operate for 8 days completing its spy mission before being destroy. No matter how you spin that, it was a stupid move.