samtam

13 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Thanks.

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

 

You still need to obtain medical (5 minute thing) and own Certificate of Residence. USA embassy no longer provides address letter.

 

I recently obtained the 5 year TDL and did that at Chatuchak transport office.

If you are using that office note there is small medical office not far from entrance.

It's an office just issuing medical certificate. 

 

Here is a thread  and has report of my experience at Chatuchak in May.

Also in thread discussion of certificate of residence.

CW require a 90 day report to issue COR

Do they actually check anything medical? Mine previously was a blood pressure test, but as I suffer from white coat syndrome that wasn't straightforward for me, and it would make sense to get a medical certificate from somewhere else on another day, if a BP test is required.

 

 

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

I have used Fatboy's on two occasions and their service was excellent.  Definitely recommended as long as you have the required documentation and just need a hand-holding-don't-have-to-get-involved service.

 

Driving licence fee is B1,900 at Fatboy's according to their  website.

https://www.fatboysmotorbikes.com/thai-drivers-license-service/

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

https://www.fatboysmotorbikes.com/thai-drivers-license-service/

 

Driving licence fee is B1,900 at Fatboy's according to their unlocked website.

46 minutes ago, Polar Bear said:

Fatboy's has split into two companies, both still confusingly called Fatboy's. We've used Fatboy's On Nut for several driving licence related things and they were great, but do check if you can just renew your expired licence because that will be a lot easier for you. My husband wasn't able to get a Thai licence based on an expired UK licence, and he had to do the whole practical test thing, which was a hassle. 

Yes Polar Bear, I was confused by a URL on one website that appeared to be locked. Thanks for clarifying L Lou.

26 minutes ago, JimmerJJ said:

Hi everyone,  I am in Bangkok and need to get a Thai Drivers License.   I see a few websites online that offer assistance with the forms and they also accompany you to the Dept of Land Transportation to get it.  If anyone has used any of these services I would be interested to hear of your experience with them.  Two services that I saw online are Fatboys Thai License Service and also Thai Drivers License Service Point - TDLS.  If you have any feedback on these or others I would really appreciate to hear before i dive in with one.  I had a USA DL but it expired and I also had a Temporary Thai Drivers License but then got locked out of Thailand because of Covid and it expired so I guess i have to start over.  Thanks All I really appreciate any information about doing this. 

Fatboys website is locked, but it may be the same as TDLS. The fee seems a bit steep @THB3500.

BSR Bike shop is THB1900

(both for renewal). Other services as priced.

You are required to have proof of address (your embassy or IMM), and a health certificate. 

2 hours ago, orchidfan said:

For those interested in travel in/out of Thailand, I recently did one of my numerous trips to Hong Kong.

 

Firstly, Permanent Resident status and ID card is relatively easy there if you have lived and worked there for 7 years.

Unlike here.

No money in the bank or Immigration visits required - just have to do a "touch and go" there every 3 years to maintain to full benefits ( medical, Govt incentive handouts etc). Can work - no work permit required .

 

I have a HK Permanent ID and Right of Abode. However, because of the pandemic I was unable to get back to HKG within the 36 month period. I am on schedule to return next month, and I may be able to have the Right of Abode status retained, despite failing in the 36 month criteria. It will be reviewed on a case by case basis, when I apply for my new Smart ID. (I lived and worked in Hong Kong for over 20 years, and prior to the pandemic was a frequent traveller; once able to travel during the pandemic, with vaccinations, simply could not stomach the draconian quarantine period, and if I should have been unlucky to catch covid during said quarantine, as some did, a further stint in Penny's Bay, which was unbelievably austere. On top of that my flights were cancelled by Cathay Pacific, and I could not rearrange the quarantine hotel to coincide with a new booking on Emirates.)

The longer the delay in choosing a PM, the more opportunity to unearth skeletons. Glum faces at Pheu Thai (PT) today. Their strategic dumping of MF has a tiny little complication in it. Even if MF do vote for Srettha as PM, they are now waiting to see which other parties form the PT coalition. If it includes junta parties, their vote will be withheld, and PT will have to rely on senate votes, (which may come with strings, including a seat in the cabinet for Prawit; possibly even the biggest seat).

22 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Because that's the level of intellectual consideration that the Thai police bring to most of their endeavors and decision making?

 

They float trial balloons here on many topics, see what the reaction is, and then implement it, or ditch it. Sometimes they implement, and then have to walk it back. The preventative measures during the pandemic were a classic example of this means of assessing public reaction/opinion.

Immigration related, the enforcement of the TM.30 filing in such a strict manner in 2019, (as in every night you did not sleep in your residential address), was soon dropped. Well, dropped; maybe it took a while, and there is still confusion about the rule, as it's interpreted differently by different immigration offices.  

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

If I was retired, I think I could find time for half a day's work in immigration and photocopy shop. In fact, I think I would enjoy it to meet some other foreigners. 

 

If all said 'no' to these agents, immigration wouldn't keep making things harder for the honest ones. 

 

Actually 6,000 baht to check your papers is way over the top, and I really can't see what they do to earn that! 

 

 

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Fair enough. Do you still have to go to immigration, but not queue? 

I spent 13 years "enjoying" the delights of Visa Extensions at Suan Phlu intitially and then subsequently at Chaengwattana, the latter which took 7-8 hours door to door. For 3 years I have employed an agent to do the donkey work. I provide the bank letter showing the THB800K in the account for 12 months, and the other requirements, such as supplying new photos. His staff collects them from me, with my passport, bank book, letter, bank statement for 12 months etc the day before. I meet the agent at an agreed time, say 9.00 am, and I am in front of the IO within a few minutes, and out of Chaengwattana within 20 minutes. The agent's fee, (whatever it is, is well worth it). He also does my 90 day reporting and all other things that may come into force unexpectedly.

3 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Yes at CW but the Agent makes an appointment & prior to the appointment system they knew exactly when to turn up to get seen more or less straightaway, in & out each year in 30-40 mins including getting the bank letter.
 

Don't need to attend at Jomtien.

 

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I pay tax in the UK, I have no right to live in any other country, so as far as I'm concerned I live in the UK.

So long as HMRC agree that you're a UK resident, then you are acting correctly. They make and interpret the rules, we follow them, (or not as the case may be, reading a number of posts in this thread). 

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

I don't know what you are trying to say. Your original post tried to imply an annual state pension based on £203.85/week.

There is no common amount and for many older people the pension can be much higher.  I have known people that paid a phenominal amount of SERPS and when they retired at 65 would have drawn a state pension a great deal higher than the amount introduced in 2016.

My comment was directed at your assumption rather than where anyone lived.

I was talking about my own case. "I" refers to me.

My comment about my circumstances referred to where I live, and that I told HMRC and DWP that I reside in Thailand. The OP is about British expats living in Thailand and being paid their state pensions.

4 hours ago, Thaindrew said:

£203 x 52 weeks its £10,500

Replied already, as below:

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

You were wrong on more than one point, not everyone is on £203.85. Many that got pensions under the pre 2016 arrangement will be receiving a good bit more than that with some over £300 a week.

Sorry, I thought it was clear "I missed out", and qualified it. And I was referring to people who legally state to HMRC they are living in Thailand.

44 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

203.85 x 52 = 10,600 GBP

44 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

UK state pensions are paid weekly/4-weekly, not monthly.  £203.85 x 52 = £10,600.20. 

I stand corrected. [But as a non resident whose 66th birthday was on 31 March 2023, I missed out on the 203.85 and will now forever get the 185.15 per week, or 9,627.80 pa.]

Still, based on my miscalculation (8887.20❌), I now realise I get 9,627.80✔️, so that's nice. 10,600.20 would have been nicer, but so far the rise in GBP to THB has improved it.

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My UK state pension brings in 10,500GBP/year (40kbht/month).

Don't know why you say it's worth <deleted>.

The highest and increased pension (23/24 effective 6 April 2023) in UK (as a resident) is GBP203.85 per week:

x4 = 815.40 per month = GBP9,784.80 per annum.

37 minutes ago, scorecard said:

But if that's true maybe (hopefully) the new MFP / PTP gov't will quickly enact changes to the laws re:

 

- selection of senators (hopefully by voting) and remove any process which automatically favors / appointment of  military/police/retired nilitary of police. 

- remove their right to participate in the selection of the PM.

 

20 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Believe it or not the constitution lays out that the senate will be formed by representatives elected from each Changwat.

 

As to the right to participate in the election of the PM that would take an amendment to the constitution which with the PT and MFP majority should not be difficult.

If the new PM is Prawit, with the requisite non-8-party-coalition MPs and 250 senate votes, the first item on the Prawit government agenda is surely to change the constitution to allow the senate to be "appointed" ad infinitum, and always to be a full participant in the choice of PM.

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

May 2024

How are senators "chosen" in May 2024? An "election"? 

Also, as no PM was chosen yesterday, does that mean the caretaker PM continues in office until one is?

46 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

This was why I abandoned SCB in favour of KrungSri, where I have no such issues. Endless restrictions, absurdly low daily card limits, that sort of thing, with the reason "Difflen lule farang, no can"

 

. . . OK, bye.

When I went to get my IMM letter from Krungsri Head Office in April, they asked me to do the facial recognition. Their machine (which looked like a portable credit card reader) didn't work. I subsequently went into another branch recently and they performed it through a camera, without a hitch. I also bank with UOB, and as I was in the vicinity, I dropped in there to do the same. UOB said they don't require facial recognition....but I suspect it will only be a matter of time, and will require another visit.

Well now everything seems to have changed with Cinema HD. I installed a new V2, (not the so-called "latest" version). It appeared to work OK, and then found it had a repeated bug, advertising some game, which I did not want, so I couldn't get rid of it. Eventually uninstalled it, and now cannot find a reliable source. There are a number of You Tube episodes saying that Cinema HD is not working, and is corrupted. Would be happy to hear otherwise with a URL to download. Also any alternative TV and movie apps anyone could recommend.

22 hours ago, neeray said:

Your last sentence is the crux of the matter. ("The question remains: What will happen on the streets if it plays out like this?")

6 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Yes. But did he own them? Were they his shares or his father's held in trust? It's just nit picking now. Mongrel losing, power hungry, filthy rich, absolute AH, minority once again. It worked last time but it will not work this time. If it does, however, as I have been saying for a long time this country will explode. 

You have to really wonder whether there is an appetite for street violence. Thais do not seem particularly keen on fighting for change, especially when so much is stacked against them. The civil unrest of 2010 was brutally crushed. That protest and the overthrow of the Yingluck government were organised. Other methods, (strikes) would have a severe impact on the livelihoods of the poorest. The powers that be are weighing up their options, and are probably pretty sure they can get away with it again.

10 hours ago, Ragoo123 said:

Same issue here. I really need my subtitles back! I saw there was an update released recently but i get an error when trying to update. I wish I would have backed up and restore the the past version 

I've found a work around on the subtitles. 

Make your default player MX, and then choose your program.

Play your chosen source, and once it has started, go to the three dots on the top rhs of your screen. Choose subtitles, Open, then Online Subtitles. Click on this and then type in the exact same name of what you are watching.

This YT explains it clearly:

It's quite straightforward, if a little cumbersome initially.

Hope this helps.

I made a rare appearance at my bank, Krungsri Head Office in Bangkok at the end of April to collect my bank letter for IMM, and was asked to do the facial recognition. Three attempts by 2 staff, and they couldn't get the machine to work. Wasted about half an hour, on top of the inordinate length of time to collect a preordered letter.

What could possibly go wrong with this?

I updated my Cinema HD app and now it plays, but when I try and use subtitles, the program shows the list from which to choose, but it never opens the movie or tv program. As soon as I click on play it works, but play with subtitles, it does not. I have chosen MX as my player, and tried the other options too, with the same result.

Prior to updating, the subtitles feature was working perfectly.

Anyone having similar problems?

1 hour ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Or Wedding ..... not much difference really ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Or coronation now.

Just now, KannikaP said:

Can you connect a PC to the internet WITHOUT a router?

Yes, clarified. I meant phone or computer.