Faltu

Planning to get an LTR Visa using US SS pension. As the payment at FRA is exceeding 3K USD/month for many people (mine will be $3600 in 2026 without COLA) in the USA, what are the prospects of getting an LTR visa? It still requires a health insurance or 100K USD in a bank, I assume. What are forum members thoughts on this visa? Is it better to get an LTR or the traditional Non-O retirement? My plan is 50/50 in Thailand and USA from 2026. Right now I stay 50/50 in the USA/Thailand using an agent assisted (12.5K THB/year) Non-O. The only benefits I see for me is the ability to work legally (which I do right now anyway as a remote worker) and to avoid 90-day reporting (which costs me 100 baht now). Hence, I don't see great benefits using an LTR for retirement. 

Any thoughts and other benefits? Pros and cons? Thank you all. 

51 minutes ago, kwilco said:

I would have thought it was clear to the most obtuse observer that ship has sailed... so you haven't got a solution have you?

Reminder to others who would come after him. He is not the last one. 

On 2/25/2023 at 3:40 AM, nigelforbes said:

How do you want to live, like a Thai or like a Westerner? What is your lifestyle, bars and girls or a good book? Do you eat Western food all the time or are you happy with rice?

By rice do you mean Thai foods? Thai foods in some restaurant in Pattaya is the same price as in many Western foods. Just the other day I saw a guy posted 225 baht for a plate of cashew chicken in a restaurant. That means it will cost at least 300 baht including drinks, I would guess. Thai street foods are cheap which I cannot eat. Tried a few times I simply don't like it. My food expenses are never more than 15K baht/month, except breakfast that I make my own. And order lunch and dinner. They are mostly Javanese, Korean, Indian, Mediterranean Burgers, etc. Occasionally pork, or lamb chops. Rice in most lunches. I don't eat steak but sometimes eat carved beef. I like Thai lemon steamed fish and Tom Yum kung. 

14 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Purposefully probably not many. But many mothers would use it to borrow money, and then lose the house in the process.

I have already told her that if you want to borrow money, you can borrow money from me at 0% interest. So, please don't borrow from anybody else and lose your house. So far she has not borrowed anything from me. She has a Thai restaurant near the port and that generates enough income for her expenses. I pay all school expenses for my daughter. I have also opened a 300K baht mai tai dai account in her name and I keep checking it from time to time. So far she has spent only 32K baht from that account in the last 10 years. I will top it up to at least a million  once I start my SS at 67. I also have a condo in Pattaya and transfer the condo to my daughter's name or her mother's name once I start my SS because I will be getting $3,500/month (at today's estimate that will increase based on US inflation) and that will be enough for me. I also have another house in the US. If she is stupid enough to borrow and by putting her house as collateral and she would be inviting poverty. And I won't be responsible for that. In five years when I will be 67, my daughter will be left with two more years for her graduation from a University. 

On 3/11/2023 at 12:20 PM, kwilco said:

So what's your solution?

The solution is already mentioned. Buy an insurance that cover evacuation also. 

May be there is some restrictions for buying in a minor child's name when the guardian is a farang? I wanted to buy a house in my daughter's name but eventually bought it in her mother's name. I thought eventually no mother will deprive her own daughter from staying in her house and it will be in her name eventually anyway. 

On 2/15/2023 at 5:19 AM, ozimoron said:

That's going to be the case for all laptops. try Dell in Bangkok for an Alienware laptop. Be prepared to pay. I prefer mini computers these days as I am only semi mobile and I just buy an external monitor if I don't want to travel with one. It's way cheaper and lighter (without the monitor). 

I built a Intel NUC with i5, all parts bought from Lazada during the Covid two years I was kind of stuck in Thailand. It may be $100 more expensive than doing it in the USA. 

Basically one can't get out of their place during the day unless inside a car.

12 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

He will have saved on some of the costs but his daily expenses will be much higher, the US isn't cheap right now and the Pound is weak against USD.

One can still find a decent hotel for less than $100 in Thailand. Good luck finding one in the USA. In a crime infested dump is going to cost $150/day, including all taxes. Flight prices to Bangkok from London will be similar to Florida. 

4 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Pattaya is def heaven for that in Thailand, if also taking in consideration of the low prices there for foreign food. Plus baht bus.

 I used Baht bus but I don't use them often unless I do up and down on the Jomtien beach. I like bolt now and my monthly Bolt expenses were never more than 3K but most months are less than that. 

On 3/8/2023 at 5:23 PM, DrJoy said:

1 % in the Mee Tae Dai account.

 

https://www.krungsri.com/en/personal/deposit/savings-account/mee-tae-dai

Thanks, I have Mee Tae dai account. So, there is no need for changing account. 

Hmm. What a convoluted plan. Hope you succeed buddy in your endeavor. 

Declaring the money while leaving the USA and entering Thailand will be fine and then cashing in any exchange, preferably at a place where they will pay you a competitive rate. If you're unable to declare cash, that means you are  laundering money. 

I am a credit card collector and I have more than 100+ credit cards. I was once questioned in the USA while leaving the country why I have so many credit cards. Because all credit cards were in my name matching my passport, I was OK because there is no law against accumulating credit cards and the number of credit cards one can accumulate. Guinness book of world record has a record of a guy having 1,000+ credit cards. I don't think I can be beat the guy. But I have met a few people in FB who have more than me. 

I have two cards and both have around 100K each for my expenses when I am in Thailand. Yes, I know I am losing money keeping it in a meagre return accounts but but I keep it for my peace of mind, pay when my daughter wants to eat in restaurant or want to watch movies in Theatre, pay my electric bills (less than 100 baht), etc. 

What is the max interest rate now in Krungsri bank? I don't want it for retirement money.  May be I can transfer the money to their bank instead of Bangkok bank. 

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

The other illogical bit was the interest rate for the different fixed long term accounts.

.95 % for 1 year.

.65 % for two years.

.35% for three years..........

May be they are expecting rate to go down and don't want to lock in higher rates for long term.

On 2/14/2023 at 10:04 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Not really as only some have short time rooms

As somebody said, all bars in Thailand are brothels. Not that anything is wrong with that. If a brothel (aka a bar), does not have a short-term room, one can be arranged by the girls nearby. 

On 3/3/2023 at 12:39 AM, zzzzz said:

PP Thai embassy a Non O 90 day is $100  via an agent

Can you please give more details, like name of the agent, if possible contact info, etc. Greatly appreciated. 

I  did a few times in 2011 when I was 40 years old. Used to have naked sex party with a few girls while smoking ice in a rented On-Nut condo. I survived and fled to USA after one year to save myself before I went in to the deep abyss. That year I smoked ice almost every day, even got caught once in Nana and had to pay 10K to the police to get out. Those were the days. 

On 3/2/2023 at 11:22 PM, BritTim said:

As of six weeks ago ... Maneerat will return your passport in the afternoon of the third day after receiving your passport (i.e. you are without it for two nights). They will do 90-day reports on request. For the 12,500 baht price, they do not do pickup and return from your condo. I am not sure if that is an extra price option.

Thanks he confirmed that price and additional 90-day report is 100 baht. The big thing for me now is he has an office and good reputation in Pattaya. I will get it done by him and try to do 90-day by myself unless Jomtien office is crowded. I did a few times and it was 30-min in/out. But that was during the Covid-19. Not sure the situation now. He also confirmed 25K for the whole package (including conversion to Non-O) for 15 months. When I reach Pattaya, I will make a visit to his office to make sure if he needs a TM30. Never did any Tm30 before. I have a lease for 10-years. Hope that will work for him. He wants a lease contract also and four copies of Pics and a bankbook.

Should I empty my bank book before giving it to him? It has approx. 150K now. 

On 2/25/2023 at 3:40 AM, nigelforbes said:

How do you want to live, like a Thai or like a Westerner? What is your lifestyle, bars and girls or a good book? Do you eat Western food all the time or are you happy with rice? Sketch us a picture and we can answer your question better.

I don't eat Thai foods except boiled lemon fish and Tom Yum kung. I eat Javanese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Greek, Indian, and burgers. Mostly make my on breakfast of fruits, bananas, peanut butter bread, cereal, boiled eggs, etc. Lunch and dinner I eat outside. My food expenses are never more than 20K baht. Rent  15K. Now you have another 25K left for miscellaneous expenses out of a 2K USD budget. Of course, the quoted prices are in Pattaya. I lived in Bangkok in 2011 with two bed room condo in Thonglo area walking distance to BTS. Of course it may be impossible to find a place like that now. I don't remember my food expenses then. I had plenty of money never did my budgeting then. Now I try to keep it under 2K USD. In Bangkok I would say 3K-4K USD. Of course, in Bangkok one can blow much more than that in a month. It has wide range of prices for every thing. 

19 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

Yes, getting the 90-day Non Imm O Visa in Pnom Penh and once in Thailand applying for the extension using an agent is an option.

Be aware, that when not taking the Agent option, and applying in person for the 1-year extension, that you then would have to provide evidence of +800K on a Thai bank-account being seasoned for at least TWO months on the date of your application for the extension.

Thanks. I would prefer not to keep my money in Thailand for a meagre return and try to avoid all the hassle to deal with Thailand immigration office. 

21 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

imho 15k is too much. can get for 12.5k at Maneerat on Soi Post.

Well, he is my trusted agent. Pick me up from my condo, drop me in my condo, 15 minutes in IO office, does my 90-day.  Is Maneerat still 12.5K and is a good one. How long are they going to keep my passport? Have you done with them this year? Do they do 90-day and pick up your passport from your condo? Please post more details may be I will switch. TIA.