kimothai

Anyone with even a shred of common sense would stay clear of events like this.  Safety is a concept (much like maintenance) that most people in Thailand have heard about but choose to ignore.  

I went through the process last August (2023).  The entire process was about 5 weeks.  All documents were accepted the first time.  I agree with others that an agent is a waste of money and time.

A (Thai) society that considers maintenance an afterthought is buying the most maintenance intense piece of machinery on the face of the earth.  I wish them luck.

33 minutes ago, RobU said:

Can the president commute a sentence without the backing of Congress?

As far as I know he can but the way things are going in America, who knows? 

Just thinking out loud, it would be poetic (or political) justice if Trump by chance was re-elected and 4 years later, he commuted his sentence.  Politics can be very strange sometimes.

19 hours ago, HerewardtheWake said:

When I try to log into the US Embassy passport site, I have been getting this message for the last three days:

 

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. 
Please try again in a few moments.
Exception: request blocked

 

I have tried both Chrome and Safari portals which give the same message. Anybody knows what's going on?

Well, the site is working fine.  I had a problem about a year ago accessing a government site in USA.  In my condo I have a choice of different internet providers.  When I accessed the Condo internet which I rarely use due to slow speed it worked fine.  Back to my fiber internet and still no good.  Called my internet provider and a guy came out and looked at it.  Everything worked fine except that one government site.  He said "oh yeah, I'll fix it back at office".  30 min later it was working.  I have no idea what he did.  so, try calling your internet provider if all else fails.

I don't think I've ever been asked to move in a restaurant except when extra friends showed up and a bigger table is required.  If I was asked to move, I would ask why and if the language barrier proved to be a problem, I would ask where.  I wouldn't accept a table next to the toilet entry/exit or next to entry door where the hot outside hits you every time the door is opened.  Other than that, I don't mind moving if it helps the servers.

5 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Thanks for the advice.

 

i am 100% certain now I will do the Retirement visa on an O type.

 

And use an agent to make it easier as you say. I didn’t even know that some people thought they were illegal.

You sure hear a lot of contradicting opinions about stuff here.

 

This forum is so helpful.

IF you can meet the requirements of the LTR visa it is a much better option.  If you can't meet the requirements, you are on the right track with the "O".

I agree with the advice in regard to a retirement visa but if you can meet the qualifications of a wealthy pensioner ($80K passive income and health insurance (not necessarily Thai insurance)) then a 10-year LTR visa would be a better choice.  No bank account required, 90-day reporting is changed to report once a year and if you want to open a bank account it's easy with and LTR visa (and yes, I know that for a fact because myself and a friend received our LTR's at the same time and he walked into a Kasikorn Bank in Bangkok the next day and had a savings account 30 minutes later.  He was staying in a hotel at the time and no certificate of residence).  If you don't meet the LTR requirements, then I would stick to an "O" visa (it's what I was going to change my "OA" too before I discovered the LTR).

10 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

I'll take that bet and I'll raise you an eclair.

I'll go with the original poster and raise you 2 Oreos. 

20 hours ago, Freddy42OZ said:

What did you pay for the bone graft?

The actual bone graph was listed at 15,000baht.

17 minutes ago, retarius said:

I'm struggling with the same issue. How long do implants last anyway? I know 2 people who have had theirs' removed (very painfully).

My own dentist is pressing me to restore my bite on one side where I had an extraction, but I had a second opinion, who advised against it because the bone is thin. My dentist said "Oh don't worry I'll use a shorter implant"......what????? Isn't this going to wiggle out of the bone when I eat??????

My dentist is nice looking, but very young, and I wonder if she has the real world experience and has done many implants by herself...."hundreds" she told me....but I am a bit doubtful and looking for an old hag who really might have done hundreds of implants. 

I assume when you say the bone is thin that you've had some bone loss.  I also had a similar situation with a back tooth (missing) that needed an implant.  The dentist did a bone graph and implant at the same time.  The wait time to complete to install the crown will be longer (in my case 8 months) due to the graph needing time to bond.

I have BC/BS and I never deal with mailing in claims or filing online.  I always call BC/BS prior to my appointments and get a Guarantee of Payment.  They send to Hospital and send me a copy.  I just do the co-pay which is usually 15%.  I haven't needed to use my BC/BS this year yet.  I usually schedule a physical at the end of year (100% covered in the past) so I will use BC/BS then.  My question is:  Has something changed that requires you to mail in a claim form now?  I've just been calling in advance for many years and never had a problem.  It just seems so much simpler to call in advance.  

On 5/7/2024 at 11:20 AM, MeaMaximaCulpa said:

FWIW: My Pacific Cross policy increased by 40% as I turned 67

LOL. I feel your pain. I had Pacific Cross when I turned 76.  I thank my lucky stars I was able to convert to LTR visa which allowed me to use my USA health insurance. 

My condo had a built-in air-con unit (living room) like the one mentioned by the poster.  I also thought that it looked nicer than a unit bolted to the side of the wall.  A few years ago I started looking into converting to inverters (living and bedroom).  The air-con mechanic explained to me that these “built-in” air-con units are difficult if not impossible to do a through cleaning/servicing.  I made the decision to completely rip out the built-in system.  When I saw the filth of the parts that weren’t accessible with servicing, I knew I made the right decision. 

After dropping a section of the ceiling to allow for adequate overhead, he installed a cassette air-con unit in the center of the living room.  Also replaced the bedroom wall unit.  Both units were Daiken inverters. 

The first thing I noticed when I started using the new units was the noise.  It is unbelievable how much quieter the inverter units are.  The second thing I noticed was that my electric bill dropped by half. 

It was a big mess tearing out the old units and an even bigger mess dropping the ceiling to fit the cassette but in the long run it was well worth it.

On 5/5/2024 at 7:42 AM, Presnock said:

I have an LTR and found the Board of Investment to be very helpful.  I suggest you should contact the BOI and ask them by when you should use your LTR.  They have a website and also have phone numbers there available.  Just remember their hours are almost 12 hours depending on where you are in the US so you will have to contact them during their normal daytime working hours, not lunch time either and be aware of any Thai official holidays when you want to contact them.  Good luck

I agree that the BOI is very helpful via the phone and the English of the lady I talked was crystal clear.  I also used email to the BOI a couple of times and received a reply within 24 hours.  A friend who applied from Hawaii sent many emails and had the same prompt responses.  If you send email be sure to include your LTR ID.

8 hours ago, Srikcir said:

From the LTR Visa unit last year:

LTR Visa holders residing in Thailand continuously for more than 1 year are required to report their current address to the local Immigration office of their residence. This report can be done either in person or by an authorized representative and must be completed annually from the LTR Visa issuance date. However, for individuals re-entering the Kingdom, the report will be due 1 year from the date of the latest arrival. LTR Visa holders can submit the report 15 days before or 7 days after the due date.

----------------------------------------------------------

The necessary documents for this report include:

1. Passport

2. TM.95 Form (completely filled out and signed) [Download link: https://www.immigration.go.th/?avada_portfolio=คำสั่งสำนักงานตรวจคนเข-3 (Page 14)

3. T.M. 6 Card (or arrival/departure card if applicable)

4. 1-Year report notification card (if available)

 

If your local Immigration Bureau does not recognize the LTR Visa, you can provide them with the official announcement link on page 6 here: https://www.immigration.go.th/?avada_portfolio=คำสั่งสำนักงานตรวจคนเข-3

-----------------------------------------------------------

I extracted the TM95 from the download link.

BOI is very responsive to LTR visa holder questions by phone and email.

 

TM95.pdf 179.74 kB · 2 downloads

Exactly.  I couldn't have said it any better.

I use SKYPE when I want to call the USA or when I need someone to call me (from USA).  SKYPE works great for voice calls.  Some financial Institutions will not allow a VOIP such as SKYPE or Google voice (PayPal will kick you out immediately).  I've been using Mint for the last 18 months (which is part of T-Mobile now) for receiving OTPs from my Bank and USA credit card.  So far it works great with no problems receiving text OTPs.  I don't use it for anything else such as voice or data - it's way too expensive for that but I do use it when I go back to the USA (since it's already paid for).  I use an e-sim for the Mint service which I installed while living in Thailand.  You'll need an e-sim compatible phone and be willing to spend about $200/year.  I used a relative's phone number for years. I would notify him via Messenger that an OTP was coming, and he would relay it to me via Messenger.  Sometimes that can be inconvenient due the time difference.   

For repair of small appliances/tools you may want to try the Father Ray Foundation on Sukhumvit.  If you enter via the road (road that Big C Extra is located on) that runs parallel to Sukhumvit it's the first building on the left.  There are usually security guards around that can direct you.  It's been a while since I've been there, and I assume it's still operational since covid.  The kids/young adults that work there may be handicapped but they are very smart and accomplished at repairing things.