auntyedna

Wise told me a month ago that it can longer send more than THB 49,999 in one go to any bank except BB, SCB and Kasikorn (I use Krungsri).  Now it tells me it can't send more than Baht 200,000 in one go to Bangkok Bank.  I have tried xe.com, but it won't accept Thailand as country of residence.  They say banking regs have changed.  Can anyone advise on this?

On 4/13/2021 at 1:09 PM, placnx said:

Hydroxychloroquine was debunked in clinical trials a while ago.

Hydroxychloroquine got "trumpized" by the left.  I suggest you go to Wikipedia, read the heavily censored article, then click the Talk page where you will discover the real hydroxychloroquine debate, and an interesting quote from Larry Sanger, Wikipedia founder, on the "neutrality" of Wikipedia articles.

10 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Odd, mine ends in .co.uk and has not given me problems.

Do you mean via the App particularly as I use my laptop.

This was at the 90-day page on the government immigration website on the Phangnga Immigration laptop - no app involved. The official said that I must have a .com email so I took her word for it.  Didn't try .co.uk or .co.th, but for sure, .in.th doesn't work.

Two more tips regarding the dysfunctional 90-day online system:

1.  An email address is a required field.  Any email address that DOES NOT end with .com is NOT accepted, and the field reverts to blank with NO explanation.  My email address ends ".in.th" Fail.

2.  The roll boxes for address fields work OK in Thai (great if the expat applicant can read and write Thai) but not OK in English.  So if you try to enter the accepted English spelling for the sub-district Bangmuang, the field reverts to blank when you hit the "g", with NO explanation.

Despite the 200km round trip, I prefer to do the 90-day reporting in person to save all this faff.  However, today (03Nov20) at Phangnga Immigration, a very pleasant and friendly junior official insisted that online was the way to go, and offered to take me through it.  What with the stops and starts outlined above, it took us 20 minutes.  I would never have succeeded if I had tried to do it remotely.

Satisfaction score at the local immigration office so far this year: 

February (90-day report) - 10/10,

August (retirement extension) - 0/10 (my worst nightmare, documented in an earlier post),

Today, November - 8/10.

Suggestions for improvement: get someone with IT experience to sort out the 90-day app.

Something smells here.  The above picture and story have been published by Khaosod but the perp's name - Police Captain Akarawin Taechaubol, has NOT been mentioned, yet, in either of the main English language papers.  That's not all.  Earlier today, I posted as a "related topic" the question of omission of the entire story in Bangkok Post, and my post got moderated out.  This latest rich kid atrocity looks like a potential Red Bull - Part 2 epic, with one difference...  Is the story being covered up by order from above?

14 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The Royal Thai Police Order 35/2562 you referred to, dates from January 2019.

In an attachment to that order issued October 31, 2019 < see attached file > the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement was introduced for 1-year extensions of stay based on a Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

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Thank you.  The revised order you usefully provide still refers exclusively to Type O-A visas.  I am on retirement extensions of a plain vanilla Type O visa, so I hope I am exempt.

On 8/9/2020 at 12:52 PM, Peter Denis said:

That quote is from a non-official commercial website.  And it is not correct as it fails to mention that when you apply for a 1-year extension based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa (even if that dates from yesteryear) that the thai IO-approved mandatory health-insurance requirement is ONLY applicable when applying for reason of RETIREMENT.

A Non Imm O-A 1-year extension for any other reason that retirement does NOT require the mandatory health-insurance requirement.

As this is Thailand some Immigration officers are confused by their own rules/regulations and may want to impose the health-insurance requirement when applying for the 1-year Non Imm O-A extension for reason of marriage.  In that case a call to the IO Helpdesk (1178) should quickly solve the matter and confirm that it is not applicable in that case.

Royal Thai Police Order 35/2562 section 2.22 item 6 refers only to O-A visas with regard to health insurance

Clarification re: health insurance... "According to the order [the Jan 2019 police order], health insurance is not required for those applying for an extension of stay of a non-immigrant category O visa based on retirement or Thai wife."  Seems like it's just Type O-A.

Source: https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel/health-insurance-thailand-new-requirement-for-retirees.php

I'm sorry to ask this macabre question, but what happens to the married visa if one's Thai spouse dies first?  Does it remain valid and extendable?  If not, then the misery of the bereavement will be compounded big-time.

3 hours ago, OJAS said:

So are we to infer from this and points 3 & 4 in your OP that you are a Brit who has recently had to endure the bureaucratically tedious process of getting your passport renewed from Thailand, thanks, in particular, to the requirement for 2 enforced route marches to an office building with an exceedingly silly name somewhere in deepest darkest Bangkok - which presumably had to be undertaken all the way from Phang Nga in your case? IMHO the ridiculously cumbersome procedures which those incompetent fools at HMPO have inflicted on us Brits in LOS at passport renewal time since 2014 are far more worthy of complaint than anything that Immigration here has imposed on us retirees!

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.  AND the Liverpool office rejected my photo without saying what was wrong with it - I had followed all their guidelines and measurements to the nearest millimetre.  I sent several photos back printed with different contrast, brightness, and weights of paper, and I incorporated in my letter a checklist of photographic parameters for them to tick or cross if none of the new set was satisfactory.  That shut them up.  But here's a question - why couldn't the minions at the "office building with an exceedingly silly name in deepest Bangkok" accept or reject the photo at the time of submission??

1 hour ago, Scott Tracy said:

What does 'act British' mean?

 

Not to refer to the contract...? why have a contract?

 

 

Acting British: in this case, how about pedantic, righteous and pompous?

Why have a contract?  When designing and constructing mass transit railways, they are generally required.

4 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

And what about health insurance for retirement ( O-A ) Visa extensions ?

As you did not mention it , I think it is not needed ....?

Last year it was not necessary ...

This is item (6) on Police order 35/2562 of 18 January 2018.  It does NOT appear on the current Phang Nga list of required documents... yet.  That will be a real killer if it is ever implemented.  Getting health insurance over the age of 70 is either prohibitively expensive or refused.

Only Baht 200k is needed in the bank for retirement visa extension if your visa has been continuously extended for retirement since 21 October 1998.   This is according to the Immigration Dept website (Criteria for retirement, para 6a). 

Two questions: 1) has anyone managed to pull this off? 2) what happens if you have been here continuously for 20+ years but initially on a different kind of visa (e.g. Non-Imm + work permit)?

Thanks for a useful post.  Two questions:

1.   What happens if one has repatriated all his worldly wealth in Thailand and is using the proceeds as pension income?

2.  The health insurance providers offer "private hospital care".  I don't want to use the private hospitals any more, having been ripped big time - now I use the public hospitals.  Is anyone aware of a "public hospital only" health insurance at an affordable price?

This year I shall bring personal effects, mainly worthless cr@p, into Thailand (Khao Lak), and thanks to the posts on this topic under Visa & Immigration Forums > Thai visas, residency and work permits, I know what to expect regarding documents, customs clearance, using agents, bribes, etc, etc.

My questions are as follows:

1 Has anyone imported stuff through Phuket sea port (if this is indeed possible), and how was the experience?

2 Does anyone have any views on whether it's preferable (i.e. cheaper and less hassle) to import through Bangkok or Songkhla rather than Phuket?

3. Does anyone have experience of the following import agents based in Phuket: Global GEO, Connex, SMBP Phuket, or T&M Express?

I want to sort this end out before I leave for UK and send the stuff.

The rules have changed for the worse again (needless to say). Last year, I got a 4-point list of requirements from the Phuket immigration office. This year I got a 12-point list from the Phang Nga immigration office (one now has to apply in the province of one's residence, of course). For the avoidance of doubt, here is the list word-for-word as written, punctuated and issued by Phang Nga Immigration, with my comments in square [] brackets:

Extension for Retiree's

Documents needed and Requirements:

1. Non-Immigrant Visa Type O

2. Minimum of fifty years of age

3. Application form TM-7

4. Must have 1 recent photograph 2cm x 3cm [New one! Other immigration offices state 4cm x 6cm; the larger size was accepted by Phang Nga, this time]

5. Photocopy of passport. (every page containing Thailand visa's, stamps etc) [in fact they only took the current visas and stamps plus main page]

6. Copy of Bank Passbook (Must be savings account and from a Thai Bank) [Note: current account NOT acceptable; this requirement was NOT printed in the info last year, now it is]

Must provide proof of a minimum of, 800,000 Baht a month, for three consecutive months. (i.e. 3 months, 800,000 Baht each month)

7. A letter of Guarantor from an official (Bank Manager) at the bank proving the above savings. [Last year, a three-day-old date was accepted; this year no. Letter must be dated same day and the immigration office closes at 3.30pm - quite awkward if you live at the other end of the province]

8. If you are receiving a pension, you must have this translated unto Thai. Minimum requirement is 65,000 Baht a month. The translation must be carried out by an institute that provides a Certified Translation stamp. [Proof of income other than pension requires a letter from the British (in my case) consulate who will need to see original documents]

9. You must provide a photograph of your residence. [New one! At this point I realised I was going to have to make a second 140km round trip to Phang Nga AND get the bank letter done again]

10. A clear map of where you reside. (Including location of residence) [New one! In my case, I prepared a schematic map in English which was accepted]

11. An interview will be conducted with an officer from the Immigration Office. All documents must be provided and correct before interview process can proceed. [They ask a bunch of personal questions and then you wait while they type a transcript in Thai. You sign this, and do NOT receive a copy back.]

12. For spouses seeing a Retiree Visa, they must provide the above documents numbers 1 to 5 and a copy of your Marriage Certificate. This also must be translated into Thai and have the appropriate stamp. [i didn't invoke this one this time but beware of a number of unwritten rules attached to this - see my post dated 22.8.09 under 1 Year Retirement- Visa To 1 Year Marriage-visa.]

PLEASE NOTE:

1. You must show your passport and bank passbook in their original forms. (These will be given back. Photocopies will not be accepted.)

2. All photocopies must be signed by the applicant in front of an Immigration officer.

This is just for a renewal of visa. I got it on my second trip. I wonder how well I will fare when I'm 90 years old, crippled, and ga-ga, and when the 12-point list has added a further few dozen?

Does anyone know where I can get a heavy duty cylinder-type mower with roller, either sit-on or walk-behind type, in the Phuket region or indeed anywhere in South Thailand? Examples: Ransomes, Suffolk, Atco. Not the usual rotary type. This is for a croquet lawn, so bowling green or golf green cut quality is needed.

New or second-hand. If knackered but repairable, OK.

Try this free ebook it is all about I had cancer .

thankgodforebooks.com/cancer-joyce.html

Also try this book, regarded as the prostate bible, and an Economist "Book of the Year". Covers everything. "Dr Peter Scardino's Prostate Book." He also expresses views on all this holistic stuff.

The message that comes out loud and clear from this book is that the prostate is devilishly awkward to operate on, the chances of collateral damage to surrounding organs is high and it is essential to be treated by someone who is experienced, has a high reputation in the field, and is doing nothing but prostate ops on a daily basis.

With that in mind, one member has recommended Dr Choovichian at Samitivej. It would be useful if other members would recommend prostate surgeons, good prostate hospitals, etc, in this forum.

I'm OK, but at 61 it's a good idea to plan ahead, prostate-wise.

Sorry, the information on that page needs to be updated. The rule is indeed 40,000 income or 400,000 in the bank.

Yes, and be sure to show money in a savings as opposed to a current account, the latter of which was rejected by Phuket immigration in my case.

I tried the retired > married-to-a-Thai route in 2006 and failed. I showed my Hong Kong marriage certificate (plus wife) to Phang Nga Immigration who instructed me to take the certificate to Hong Kong, get a copy notarised by a Thai Embassy-approved notary (original not acceptable!), get a translation done by a Thai Embassy-approved translater, get both documents stamped by the Thai Embassy, and come back. One return airfare, hotel bill and several very expensive document charges later, I returned to Phang Nga Immigration, dox in hand, and the same official said, "Oh, you didn't need to do that. It's not acceptable anyway."

"Any comment would be superfluous", as Trink would say.

If the puffy face is accompanied by excessive salivation (and I mean really excessive - body covered with froth, strands of thick saliva coming from mouth) then it's probably a snake bite. It should be possible to find the puncture wounds. My experience is as follows: Within one hour of bite, swelling comes up and the dog looks distressed. Within two hours, salivation starts. Within three hours, the dog is covered with saliva and looks rabid. Within four hours, the dog is listless, appears to have lost the will to live, and will not resist any kind of handling.

In case anyone thinks I'm a callous b*stard for apparently watching my dog die, the above progression was noted during a frantic drive around Phang Nga's towns trying to find (i) cobra anti-venin and (ii) a vet who could put it in. Result (on this occasion): serum found, administered by vet, dog kept on saline drip overnight, fine the next day, lived happily until the next encounter (which unfortunately was fatal).

I'm not quite sure what all these "fear and loathing of snakes" stories are doing in a forum entitled "Pets", but just for the record, I've just posted a fifteen-point list of snake tips under the other snake heading: General Topics > Snakes.