GreenSnapper

Went to the green ATM (Kasikorn) and they tried to charge 150B with my German VISA card. Declined and went fee-free again with Ayudhya.

I heard rumors that Kasikorn stopped charging the farang fee for German cards, as previously done by Ayudhya bank. If true, this may also apply to Nationwide and other European cards.

I will check this tomorrow and report here!

I really wish someone could explain why some foreign cards are charged the 150 baht fee at Bank of Ayudhya ATMs and some are not.

I have a theory about that:

some weeks ago certain Thai banks (SCB AFAIR) announced that certain Thai credit cards will no longer be charged the 150B-farang fee. Before that, some Thai cards were also regarded as "foreign".

Therefore Thai Banks had to reprogram their software to exclude those Thai cards from the fee. BoA may have just made some programming mistake so that certain European cards also fell under the fee-free program.

I'm prepared that the fees will come back some day. But as this is Thailand, it may take some time.

Kasikorn web card can be used for flights on Air Asia. Just print out the confirmation. Wasn't asked about showing the card (neither with Bangkok Airways either).

Can somebody confirm that this actually works?

Airlines normally want to see the credit card when having a online booking, and I doubt that a simple print-ou will serve. Can be easily photoshopped.

Seems just too risky to try.

Man I don't know if that website is for real or some kind of joke.... If it's for real I guess it illustrates a new phase of hard core feminism that's developing?? Pink is girly therefore gives girls a poor image of themselves?... I'm not sure if this is plain funny, stupid as hel_l or just terrifying...

The West is full of this sort of feminist nonsense. Look at 'gender studies' which is even taught at universities.

The good thing about Thailand: they rightfully laugh about it.

Both of those cards work well with the yellow Thai Ayudhya bank.

Does that above mean they DO or DO NOT incur the 150 baht withdrawal fee with Ayudhya ATMs???

No fees on the Thai side at Ayudhya Bank and Postbank SparCard / DKB bank visa card. So as those cards a fee free at home too, you will get the best rates available, equivalent to the TT-rate (or slightly better) on a SWIFT-transfer.

It would be great if some of the European folks could report if there are any bank on that side of the pond that offer comparable perks to their customers....

I give you some notes about the situation in Germany:

Most people have a "Maestro" card, which is a cash card and allows ATM withdrawels and payment at shops. It is more or less a debit card and fee-free at own ATMs and shops as well at home and European countries.

You can use a Maestro card to get money at ATMs abroad, but then a fee of approx. 4-5 EUR applies each time.

Recently, several banks have introduced credit cards (more exact: VISA debit cards), which they advertise as "get money for free at ATMs worldwide". The trick (or better: scam) is, that most of those credit cards automatically deduct 1-2% from the official VISA exchange rate if used outside the EUR-area.

Naturally, most people don't realize that having a "free" ATM card which charges 2% from a 500 EUR withdrawal, is more expensive than the "not-free" Maestro card which charges only 5 EUR but does not cheat with the exchange rates.

As far I know, there are 2 exceptions in Germany: Postbank Sparcard allows 10 free ATM-withdrawals per year and gives the correct exchange rate. You can have several of those cards, they are free and give around 2% interest on the deposit too.

DKB bank has a VISA card which gives free ATM withdrawels worldwide and does not cheat on the rates. This is currently the best deal in Germany.

Both of those cards work well with the yellow Thai Ayudhya bank.

Re DCC at Bank of Ayudhya, no, haven't forgotten...

But to my recollection, their DCC (meaning they use their own lower exchange rate instead of the card network's rates) apply only to their MASTERCARD accounts/cards denominated in $ or Euros.... not VISA cards and not accounts in pounds.

That's why I've been asking the people reporting fee-free Ayudhya withdrawals what kind of card they're using. And thus far, there are been few answers that have been clear on that detail.

Next time i'll go yellow with my Maestro ATM card.

Do I get warning for both fees and conversion used?

Yes, the fees are announced. The conversion rate is set by your network.

I got a warning of a "Access Fee" of 0.00 Baht. Which I gladly accepted

Last week, when the fee still was 15 Baht, it was added to the amount withdrawn, so 20015 Bht in my case. The rates I received were always the official VISA FX rate, yesterday at 49.67 Baht/Euro.

From what I hear, other yellow ATMs in Bangkok at least, were fee-free too with certain German cards. So it is not only with that special ATM at Century Plaza.

Today went to the Yellow Bank (Ayudhya) ATM at Century Mall / Victory Monument. Zero fees with a German Postbank Sparcard (part of VISA system). Good rate of the day.

Last week the same ATM charged 15 Baht.

Seems, things are getting cheaper. Hope it will last.

Finding love in Thailand could leave you pennyless with love long gone , or even worse , unable to spend those last few pennies(Baht) .

Not true. The only difference between a Thai woman and a North American woman is the price of so called "love". In Thailand you agree ahead of time on a certain amount of money. You have the CHOICE of paying or not paying. It's all up to you. In North America you find out from a lawyer how much it is going to cost you... after the fact. And, I can assure you it will be a whole lot more than the arrangement with a Thai woman.

Exactly.

What some posters here do not realize, that "real love between consenting adults of similar age" in the West is a myth.

Reality is: in most Western countries, over 50% of all marriages get divorced. Mostly initiated by the woman who then departs with a huge amount of the man's assets, house and pension. I have my doubts that there are comparable cases where a farang is fleeced of 100000$ and more, as it is common in Western societies.

Sick buffaloes and the occasional motorbike for the "brother" is still way cheaper than living a poor life millions of Western man have to endure due to "real love".

I know too many women who purposely had children in order to get money from a hard working man. I am not one of these poor fellows, but I can see how it would be difficult to support someone who just used you for a paycheck.

Exactly. One has to mention the biggest scam: about 10% of all births have another father than the one who is legally recognized as father.

This is one of the biggest scams in the western world, and the scamming mothers have nothing to fear. A wrongly claimed "father" pays 100,000-200,000 US$ in child support over the coming 20 years of so.

If the OP is indeed the real father, then he should pay his part. But not 200% of his income, as mentioned above. This would be modern slavery.

If you have a child here (as anywhere) you need to pay to support it.

Why do I get the impression you've been stupid and are now trying to run away from supporting YOUR child?

YOU married your former wife and have only recently realised her "unbridled greed". More fool you. You still need to look after your child.

Sorry, no sympathy whatsoever.

No need to insult the OP who is suffering from gender-racism as it is common in many Western countries.

"Child support" is actually "woman support". As the mother alone decides what will happen with the money. In rare cases this money actually goes to the child. More often it finances a affluent life style.

I feel with the OP and hope you get the things settled. Ignore the insults.

Thanks for your quick answer!

That was more than what I expected - great news!

Sorry if this is a dumb question.

If I enter Thailand on a non-imm-O visa, say on December 1st 2009, I receive an extension of stay based on retirement, say on February 1st 2010, then until when will my visa last? December 1st 2010 or February 1st 2011?

No Consulate is required to issue a multi entry for anyone ot any age.

But normaly, over 50 years, retierementincome or money (800k) and they will be happy to give you a multible-O-visa. IF THEY DO NOT GIVE YOU ONE: YOU ARE NOT 50, OR, IF YOU ARE 50 YEARS, THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE MONEY YOU SHOW THEM! ?

I am over 50, so that should not be a problem and my money is way more than 800K Baht.

But the chief of the consulate told me, that any amount of money/assets does not count. "You can be a millionaire, and we won't give you a multiple-O".

The only thing what counts is a government pension of meager 800€/month, which is also mentioned on their website.

As a side note, the (German) consul claimed that I cannot retire in Thailand unless I'm 55. So based on that kind of "knowledge", they make up their own laws...

So one more question: if my extension application inside Thaland (BKK exactly) will fail for some reason, can I get easily another O-visa in KL, Penang or Vientiane?

Just to have a safe second option.

Thanks, guys, for your very helpful hints!

I'd rather go for the embassy letter path. It wouldn't be a problem to put 800K to a Thai account, but then it does not give any interest and there is also some chance of a devaluation of the Baht, so I prefer to have most assets offshore.

The problem with the embassy letter is, if I would get it soon after arrival in Thailand, then it may be too early. As I believe it is not possible to apply for the extension of stay just after my stay has started?

If I wait till the end, and something goes wrong (embassy doesn't give the right letter - I worry again about German stubbornness), then I have no time to season the money.

Just to be safe, I probably shall better use the 800K path.

Comments?

Hello!

I just come back from the Thai honorary consulate in Hamburg/Germany. Despite other claims by telephone, they refused to give me a multiple-O visa. Reason: I don't have a pension of 800 EUR/month, but only income from interests based on my investment. The latter was certified by my bank (monthly average income, way more than what is required).

So after some discussion with a stubborn German lady (the head of the consulate allegedly), I finally got a single-O visa at least.

A few questions: the easiest way to get a 1 year extension based on retirement, means seasoning 800K Baht for 2 months in Thailand. Is this still the rule?

As I don't have a Thai bank account, I need to get one soon after my arrival. Is Kasikorn the best bank to go for? As I need one account for my daily expenses, would it be reasonable to have two accounts, one with the 800K and another one with ATM card for the normal stuff? Or is one account sufficient if there is at least a balance of 800K over the whole period?

As I have read, instead of seasoning 800K, I can also try to get a letter from my embassy about my regular income. Is income from investment/interest regarded as equivalent to a pension?

How old can the embassy letter be before I apply for extension of stay? Can I immediately after my arrival try to get the letter, and if they don't give it to me, I still have sufficient time to season 800K Baht?

Lots of questions, thanks for listening and your help!

Healthcare International has a cheap package, but that includes 2000$ you have to pay for each disease per year. That means, if you have 3 medium operations with costs of 2000$ each, you pay 6000$ out of your pocket yourself. Needless to say, that all minor treatments you have to pay 100% too. Which can sum up! If you need dialysis, for example, this can be very costly if not properly insured.

Therefore, while HCI is cheap, it is not for people who cannot afford to pay a few thousand USD out from their pockets. But then, if you have that much money, why not pay a bit more for a proper insurance?

1500 BHT is not anywhere near normal. In my current place it's free wifi throughout the building and at least a dozen other places I've checked is 500-1000 BHT max.

i think i know where you stay - soi rangnam?

don't pay the overpriced wifi, it is very crappy. most people there tether to their phones or use a edge modem. not fast, but cheaper and more reliable. use dtac.

You guys really ought to take a look at what you are writing.......then think.... we are in Thailand where the majority of people always nod or smile a greeting.....although I am not surprised if they don't bother with you miserable lot.......you might just want to take a look at yourselves and ask if you miserable/private people are actually the ones out of sync here.......

Sad sad sad people.....and you even try to justify your ignorance.....amazing Thailand!!!!

Exactly.

This is very typical in Thailand. Some here have mentioned the "oddballs" here, but the oddest thing are those socially handicapped farangs here. Very different to other Asian countries, where the foreigners tend to be much more open minded.

There was this farang lady in my apartment, about 30 years old, and when I meet her in the elevator, she constantly looks at the wall, not returning any "hello" and such, happy when she can get out of it.

Sad, lonely people here.

And Hoi An, Vietnam, is famous for Western Women abusing underage boys.

It's all there, just our PC media never write about it.

no problem in BKK, 500 B/y and it works exactly as Heng described. I got mine on a 30 day tourist visa.

The cell network (EDGE or CDMA if you go through Hutch) is a good standby if ADSL is hopeless in your area. EDGE will give you (on average) about 120 KB, you may find better or worse. Advantages are its dirt cheap (you can get about 40 hours access a month for 200 baht from DTAC) and you can use it nearly anywhere you go. Mobile coverage in Thailand is ridiculously good. Disadvantage is its not that fast.

Old post on how to set it up (maybe a bit out of date now).

You will never get 120 KB/s with Edge. (that is Bytes)

Edge quality in BKK varies very much. At good times you can get 20-25 KB/s, but when the network is busy only 5 KB. Ping times are very slow too.

Use DTAC and not AIS. DTAC is slightly faster and more reliable in average.

But then again, these people tend to lump the philippines, cambodia and vietnam together as 'attractive alternative destinations'. Go figure.

Exactly...really comparing mangos to pineapples there. There is a quantitative different between living in Thailand and any of those countries (and Indonesia). I'm not saying they might not be right for some people, but comparing living in them with living in Thailand is silly.

I'm still pretty happy in Thailand but am not too affected by the visa situation or the economic storms raging around the world. I get along with Thais and Thai officialdom so no complaints there either. The only thing that could push me to move on would be the general boredom factor that settles in with long-term expats...but then this would eventually happen whereven one settles in Asia (as a Westerner) I would think. So as the cost of living for lifestyle lived equation is still pretty good in LOS, might as well stay based here and travel to more culturally interesting places (Europe, Middle East) when in need of a break.

If you have some money, the Philipines and even Manila can be a great place to live, great beaches, friendly people, lots of travel to do, casino's, gated communities, underground music scene, english language, less culture shock, better nightlife, great women, not xenophobic AND you can actually hire people that speak english.

But incredibly crap food.

ok for a holiday, but not much more. The 3 weeks visa is just about right.