jfchandler

The Foodland branch at Suk Soi 16 is certainly closer to the Soi 5 location than their new Thong Lor branch....

And I believe Suk Soi 16 is 24 hours as well now...

However, their selection of cut and prepared fresh meat is nowhere near as full as the Soi 5 store was... not sure why...

I was a regular shopper at the Soi 5 branch until it closed, and hopefully will be again when it reopens...

I never had any complaint or issue with the staff there, and in fact, a couple of the Soi 5 store checkers in particular are quite sociable...

Well, everything has been peaceful, and uneventful, the past couple days...

The True guys did come back the next day, a couple days ago, and swapped out my cable modem for a replacement, just in case, as I posted in the other thread on True's cable modems. And of course, they showed up without any appointment or even calling first to say they were coming soon... But, the modem they brought the second time did and is working properly... and my cable service has been OK for the past few days....

Yesterday, as promised, True also did turn on my restored 7 Mbps DSL account (restored from the former 10 Mbps DSL account I had up until April when I canceled it for their cable service). I hooked it up and everything is working OK now as follows:

--the 10 Mbps cable modem (699 per month) hooked up to my main desktop, and feeding a Linksys wireless N WRT160N router broadcasting on N band only.

--the 7 Mbps DSL modem (599 per month) hooked up to my wife's computer, and feeding a Linksys wireless N E1000 router broadcasting on G band only.

That way, if either the cable or the DSL service goes out again, I should still have a good wireless feed (one or the other) throughout my entire house for laptops and mobile phones and anything else.

Last night around midnight, I also did a bit of a test... I streamed the same couple episodes of a U.S. TV series from a U.S.-only streaming service via the same VPN account, first using my wireless N/cable feed to a laptop in our bedroom, and then the same exact episodes from the same service using my wireless G feed to the same laptop. Each time, I used my watch to time in second the duration from my clicking of the play button to the start of the TV episodes actually playing.

The results surprised me a bit... though I'll need to do some more testing and tinkering:

Episode 1 -- Wireless N/10 Mbps cable 48 secs -- Wireless G/7 Mbps DSL 41 secs

Episode 2 -- Wireless N/10 Mbps cable 34 secs -- Wireless G/7 Mbps DSL 24 secs

Episode 3 -- Wireless N/10 Mbps cable 30 secs -- Wireless G/7 Mbps DSL didn't play/froze

I also ran the same comparison between the two internet feeds using Microsoft's US West Coast speed test site...and based on just one run, the cable/Wireless N feed showed a slightly slower download speed and a somewhat quicker ping time, while the DSL/Wireless G feed showed a slightly faster download speed and a slightly slower ping time.

Those results above are too limited, and with too many variables, to draw any definite conclusions. But they certainly aren't the results I would have expected.

Yup... just save your ATM receipt to be on the safe side...

And then the refund should show up during the first couple business days of next month, depending on how the weekend falls...

Oh, Pib or JFC -- have only used the Schwab card once. Is the refund of the 150 baht automatic, or do I have to do something?

Jim, I'm assuming you're talking about the Schwab VISA debit card associated with their "high yield" checking account.

For that account, foreign ATM fee refunds, as well as domestic U.S. ones, should be automatic, including of course the Thai banks' 150 baht foreign ATM card fee.

My Schwab ATM refunds, when I rarely have one, come at month's end for their statement cycle. But I recall one other poster here claiming he was getting Schwab ATM refunds immediately. I don't think I've ever heard any other Schwab account holder here report that, though.

Schwab specifically says on their web site, if they fail to do an automatic ATM fee refund, just call them, and they'll set it right.

I've never had to call fhem for that purpose. And I don't recall ever hearing any complaints about Schwab on that score.

Re the Op's question, all Thai banks have what are called time deposits or fixed term deposits, which are like certificates of deposit in the U.S. They pay interest, usually much better than regular passbook accounts, and have varying terms....from months to multiple years.

Most Immigration offices will accept those for purposes of holding a person's 800,000 baht to satisfy the income requirement for retirement extensions... Most will, but not all, based on reports here. So best to check with your local immigration office in advance to confirm.

As for govt. pension payments issued in the U.S., there are two different ways to go thru Bangkok Bank.

1. is to do the paperwork to have those funds, like Social Security, direct deposited into BKK Bank. That is pretty easy to do and BKK Bank has a web site for it with all the instructions... The downside is, for government pensions, the person must go each month to withdraw the funds in person at their local branch (to ensure you're still alive and not dead). That kind of account has no ATM access.

2. is to simply have the U.S. pension payment into any U.S. bank that allows free ACH transfers... Then, you can ACH transfer the funds each month to BKK Bank's New York branch, and then they will automatically forward those funds onward to your regular Thai bank account with BKK Bank. That would be a regular account with ATM card access, online banking, and no requirement to visit the branch. In this case, you don't/can't open an account with the New York branch... You just use their ABA routing number and then your full BKK Bank Thai account number in your U.S. bank ACH sending instruction.

However, BKK Bank's New York branch charges a small handling fee for such transactions..amount depending on how much you transfer, usually $5 or so. And then BKK Bank Thailand charges a 0.25% handling fee in Thailand for receiving the funds. The latter fee is one that they also charge, I believe, for handling the direct deposit funds outlined in #1 above.

Of course, a person can also keep the funds in their U.S. account, and then withdraw the funds monthly in Thailand using their U.S. bank ATM card. Hopefully you're using a U.S. bank that doesn't charge a foreign currency exchange fee and at the Thai end, using an AEON ATM that doesn't charge the Thai banks 150 ATM withdrawal fee on foreign ATM cards.

I've done the mail-in approach to Chaeng Wattana the past 4 or 5 times in a row... and it's gone absolutely smoothly and without any issue each time...

Usually get the return receipt (which you use for your next filing) back in the mail from Immigration within one to two weeks after they've received my packet.

Each time I send in my packet via domestic EMS and be sure to keep the receipt and tracking number. And remember, there's no grace period for mailed-in reports... They have to received by Immigration on or before their actual due date.

If I've traveled outside of Thailand since my last 90 day report, and thus the date of my next report has changed from the original date, I use the ThaiVisa online visa calendar calculator to calculate when the new due date will be (90 days from the date of my latest international travel entry into Thailand).

You also need to remember to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with a 10 baht stamp so you can get the required receipt back from Immigration.

And you need to include in your packet copies of all the variously required document things that Immigration asks for...

One clarification: there are some mail-in checklists that make it sound like Immigration wants to see photocopies of EVERY travel stamps page in your passport. When I've done my mail-ins, each time, I've only included copies of the passport stamps for travel that I've done since my most recent extension of stay renewal and/or 90 day report... whichever has been the earlier of the two... And I've never had any blowback from Immigration about that.

Didn't Karzai's brother just get offed (shot to death) by one of his own supposed bodyguards in Afghanistan???

Maybe next time they'll go with some Afghan ladies.... if and when they're let out of the house by their husbands and/or fathers.

You can only report to the office that serves your area (if they will accept mail reports) - for Bangkok it is as posted above.

Yep.... though we might also assume that, by and large, the people showing up for Bummers mobile immigration services in the middle of Bangkok are likely eligible to do mail-in 90 day reports to Chaeng Wattana -- as opposed to either driving there or traveling to Bummers....

As much as I think the 90 day reports are a pretty meaningless bureaucratic activity, I love being able to complete the process from the comfort of my home and just drop the stamped envelope in the mail every couple of months.

Maybe someday Immigration will get around to making 90 day reports available via the Internet, as has been suggested at least 100,000 times here.

Pib, I think you're right about the free routers for DSL vs. no free routers for their cable service. The DSL has been around for years, whereas the widespread marketing of their cable internet service is relatively recent. So that and the related equipment pricing issues probably factor in...

Curiously, the other day when I was noodling around, I thought I came across some TOT info somewhere about some kind of "fiber to your home" project or service... But I think most of it was in Thai, so I couldn't quite tell what it was about. Made me think about Verizon's FIOS service in the States, and wonder if anyone here is working on anything similar. I have the feeling I've seen something about it somewhere...

When the OP referred to Yingluck getting body guards of "the fairer sex," I had assumed they were talking about Thai ladyboys...

One might say, she'd be getting the best of both worlds... and no monthly down times to boot...

Is it just me...or somehow...is Immigration posting banners about Thailand's Immigration services (obviously for farangs) entirely in Thai language seems pretty dumb.... and perhaps reflective of their institutional mindset.

To the extent I'm a betting man, I would have bet Immigration would have been complete no-shows at Bummers for this particular holiday weekend.

So I must admit I'm surprised, and somewhat pleased, to discover they were...well... kind-of shows... as in... showing up late and then out for a mid morning snack...

I just hope they're as flexible/forgiving the next time one of their customers is late with their 90 day report or misses an extension of stay deadline... Somehow, I think not...

SBK, I believe Immigration was supposed to be at Bummers starting at 9 am...until noon... So the prior poster seemed to be saying he had arrived a half hour AFTER their scheduled start time...and no one was there when he arrived.

Since we're starting with the basics here, let me point folks to one of the better web sites out there that will enable you to check and see what foreign exchange fees the various U.S. major banks and credit unions charge their customers when they use their credit and debit cards outside the U.S., both for ATM withdrawals and POS (point of sale) purchases.

It's from FlyerGuide.com, and while it's not always 100% accurate and up-to-date, it's usually pretty close and does get updated from time to time.. Here's the web site:

http://flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange#ATM.2FCheck.2FDebit_Cards_.28used_at_ATM.29

What U.S. bank cards you use when traveling outside the U.S. can be a pretty important decision, considering that the foreign currency fees on credit and debit card use can range from none (zero) to 3% or more per transaction. Most of the major mega U.S. banks have 3% foreign currency fee add-ons for both credit card and debit card use abroad...

And when you go to use an ATM for cash withdrawals abroad, a lot of the mega U.S. banks charge the 3% foreign currency fee PLUS a flat fee of $3 to $5 more for using an ATM that's not part of that bank's own network.

In contrast, for credit cards, Capital One's cards have no foreign currency fees across the board... And for debit cards, the Charles Schwab Bank checking account has no foreign currency fees and refunds other banks' ATM fees.

Anytime questions about this subject crop up, I always look to the FlyerGuide web site as one of my resources for finding the correct info.... especially since banks and credit unions often pretty much try to hide the disclosures of their foreign currency fees on their own web sites... The info usually is there in the bank or CU's account disclosures documents, but finding it often can be a pain.

The FlyerGuide website is a good one to bookmark and save for future use.

Just a quick update.... the True guys did come and swap out my prior cable modem and replaced it with another yesterday, and I got exactly the same model as before, the basic Motorola Surfboard with no USB jack.

As I've become accustomed to with True Online, they arrived without any appointment or even any phone call ahead saying they were coming, although they'd said the day before they would be coming sometime during the day. Fortunately, I happened to be home at the time they showed up knocking...

Because of the reliability problems I've had with my cable internet service lately, later today True is due to turn on my restored 7 Mbps DSL service with them, which I'll be keeping as a backup to my existing 10 Mbps cable service.

Curiously, under True's plans, they don't offer any included wifi router with their 10 Mbps cable internet plan for 699 baht per month, but they do now offer a free, included wifi router with all of their DSL plans, including the lowest tier 7 Mbps plan for 599 baht per month that I'll be using as a backup.

The tech guy who came out to my home yesterday seemed relatively knowledgeable, so with my wife's help, I engaged him in a conversation about their service. I wanted to know, basically, if he could choose only ONE internet account with True, would he pick their DSL or their cable service?

What ensued was, in Thai, a lot of hemming and hawing... But what it finally came down to was.... he said their DSL services, both by rated speed and in actual use, are likely to be relatively slower but probably more reliable and less subject to line issues... Whereas he said their cable service was likely to be faster both in rated speeds and in actual use, but because of its different signal delivery method, more prone to transmission problems such as when storms or thunder and lightning and such occur.

He also did confirm that the True DSL and cable systems are run separately. So, if one were to suffer a localized or even broader outage, the other ought to remain in service... Obviously, that would exclude catastrophic things like the power going out at my home or more broadly, or, I suppose, some kind of cut or failure of the international transmission lines connecting all of Thailand to the rest of the world...

Actually, I just got a phone call from a friend who says he just completed his 90 day reporting there at Bumrungrad this morning... He said he was in and out within about 5 minutes...and there were a couple of female immigration officers there....

He didn't say exactly what time he ha arrived there....

So what....how their operating hours at Bummers are 10 or so to noon only???

As others have said above...for whatever reason, Immigration appears to be doing a non-existent job of publicizing or sharing any information about this service to the broader farang community, who are their customers.

You'd hate to think they're simply setting it up to fail.... including by changing one of the original locations and the hours at some points.

I agree about the location issue with Home Run, though it's not THAT difficult to get to if one wants to go there... But most customers, on the other hand, aren't exactly going to just happen to be passing by...

But on the other hand, they're making their push as a sports bar that shows a lot of televised sporting events and then of course has the drinks to go a long with it... That serves to pull a certain segment of customers.... apart from whatever they're doing with their food menu.

I'd been meaning to start this thread for awhile...because so many people have questions and issues about doing banking in Thailand as Americans...whether it be long-term residents or just folks traveling here periodically....

And while there are many related threads here on TV, the info and guidance tends to be vastly spread out.... And a thread on one particular issue ends up morphing into entirely different ones... So you can't always tell from the thread topic what things you're going to find inside.

So hopefully, this can be a thread to keep up with pertinent developments, ask questions, get advice, and find out about the best kinds of accounts to have...and those to avoid....

Here's a start.. a pretty good article that gives a good overview of the banking issues (such as foreign currency and ATM fees) that Americans face when they are outside the U.S. At the bottom of the article, they recommend something a lot of us here already know.. That the Charles Schwab Bank checking account with its no minimum balance requirement, no fees, no foreign currency charge and ATM fees reimbursed is one of the best deals going....

The Best Bank For Travelers: Avoid Major Transaction Fees While Abroad

By Jason Cochran, dealnews contributorManaging your money while you're out of the country has changed dramatically in the past decade. Traveler's checks, once an essential tool, are increasingly refused worldwide, while currency exchange companies, once ubiquitous in touristy neighborhoods, are also on the decline.

Why? Because the rise of the ATM has made it possible to draw money in the local currency nearly wherever you go — and at better rates than the middle-men of traveler's checks and money changers. Credit cards, too, are a poor way to fill a traveler's wallet; you'll pay a small percentage of the total you withdrew, and interest charges on the loan will kick in that very day — not at the end of the month.

But even though using your bank's ATM card to debit directly from your savings or checking account is the most economical way to fund your activities away from home, some banks charge higher rates than others for drawing cash.

Where does your bank stand in the equation? And what's the best option for the constant traveler? There are a few considerations to keep in mind.

MORE...

Here's one of the kind of pages I was thinking about showing their modem and router models for different plans.

http://support2.true...document_id=316

http://support2.true...document_id=317

This post above had links True's various modems and the plans associated with them... Not sure if the info therein is current or out of date.

It looks like there is one Thomson brand N wifi router among the second group.

Certainly at least several years....

Though once again, practice on such things can change based on official directions to the Honorary Consulates or other factors...

What's been done in the past isn't any guarantee of what will be available now or for the future...

Again, suggest you ask those questions to the firms you're considering engaging...

Ditto on Home Run's web site... since I know the proprietor is a member here...

The photo pan thing of the restaurant interior is a nice, modern website feature. But it doesn't take the place of providing useful information that people need and want when they go to a business' website....like an online menu, for example....

I should say, I though the establishment itself was fine and nicely done... And we had a decent meal and friendly service there... But as I said above, unfortunately, their hamburger didn't float my boat.

In thinking back re that, two other reasons I didn't come away pleased..

--At least at the time of our meal, they were serving their actual burger patties in the almost round meatball kind of shape, as opposed to the flat wide patty style, which I prefer for burgers (because it better allows the blending of the various ingredients in each bite) and which just makes the burger easier to eat.

And secondly, their fries were, if I recollect right, the seasoned potato wedges style, as opposed to the thinner, traditional semi-crispy deep fried style, which again, is my preference for accompanying a burger.

Duke's, for me, does it right by serving up the flat wider patty for their burgers and the more traditional style of <deleted>, which often/usually come out blisteringly hot.

BTW, the burgers at the House of Blues in Siam Square are quite good and substantial as well.... I liked them quite a bit based on taste and ingredients, though it seems people are put off from that place by its high pricing...even for burgers...and its nightime rep as a nightclub...

The Outback Steakhouse in Siam Center also does a decent hamburger for a decent price, particularly when they're including it as part of their lunch specials menu...

I also used to like the ChokChai Steakhouse burgers....and I still do like, for fast food, the burgers served up by the hamburger shop outlet they have on the highway enroute to Pakchong, where they char grill the burgers before your eyes... Unfortunately, lately, when I've tried them at the Asoke branch of their traditional restaurant, the buns came out kind of stale like they'd been sitting in a bag on a shelf somewhere for some weeks....

ChokChai has, meanwhile, opened a new branch of their burger stand in the basement of Siam Paragon actually within the boundaries of the Gourmet Market grocery store there.... I've been meaning to try their offerings, but haven't gotten to it yet... There's something about a freshly char grilled hamburger, as opposed to a fried patty or one that's been pre-cooked and then re-heated upon ordering.

It's kinda weird... In my case, when it's hot or humid here, I sweat from my head, and the perspiration drips off my forehead and temples...

But I don't sweat at all from my underarms, or much from my torso at all.... Maybe it's some kind of genetic Irish-English thing...

In any event, I think the air con thing is a mixed bag... Lately during the daytime at home, I've been trying NOT to use the air con inside at all... And I've pretty much kept to that keeping the doors and windows open and electric fans blowing...

But, on hotter days by the time the mid to late afternoon rolls around, I still find myself dripping about the house...

I believe the model of cable modem and/or modem-router you get from True depends on which speed plan you subscribe to...

The links posted above for the different True equipment show different models associated with different service/speed plans.

When I subscribed, the only equipment option for their 10 Mbps cable plan was a Motorola Surfboard cable modem with no wifi router included.

Interestingly, when I subscribed, 10 Mbps for 699 baht per month was the lowest priced/speed offering in their cable service.

Subsequently, I see they're now offering a 7 Mbps cable plan for 599 baht per month.

I think I'm pretty aware of the difference between what Angus and chuck are.... without your advice on it..

I was simply repeating and pointing out the way each of the restaurants advertises their product: Home Run saying Angus, and Duke's saying sirloin.