hanuman19

No. It must be a cash deposit account - and some offices may limit it even further to passbook savings account.

That is the beautiful thing here, each and every office has a different opinion as to how the 800K must be! Some accept only Passbook Savings account, some accept long term deposit and some may even accept (MAY ACCEPT) the Tisco Certificate!

I for myself would pay a visit at your immigration office and find out, that way you have what they want (unless they change the Saravat "the Head Honcho" before you are due for your permit)!

Thanks for the replies.

So what should I convert the Retirement to, and how? Change it to a marriage, for example, since I'm married?

Or can I change it to a non-imm. B within Thailand, without going to the US?

So once I change it to the appropriate visa (?), I suppose I can apply for a work permit, right?

I suppose I was wondering if anyone had actually heard of people being busted, or just anecdotal info? The old "blackmail" story, which probably has some truth to it.

But I also know someone else who has done this for 12 years. Should he start worrying now? Maybe. Probably? Or not, if he keeps his nose clean. Who really knows?

BTW, I have another friend on a retirement visa with a work permit. He said it's rare, and he had to get the governor to sign off on it, but he's done it, and reckons there's probably a few hundred people in Thailand who have this unusual combination. He said you need to be supporting a family here as well to get this. Probably not that easy to do, and why bother, I wonder?

Thanks again - TH

Somebody may correct me if I'm wrong but the type of Visa you have is not that important. If you get a work permit you can apply for another visa and the previous one will be rescinded. There are many guys that were here on a retirement visa, had the qualifications (and the job) and were able to change their visa into non-imm B. To work with a retirement visa without changing your status, well I never did hear that! Are you sure that he actually HAS a WP and not just says so?

I know a few people working on a retirement visa. Immigration basically said get the retirement and don't worry about it.

How risky is doing this, really? How many people have been busted &/or deported or fined for working on a retirement visa.

Many thanks for your considered response.

To the OP:

They may say so, it is however against the law that states that you need a WP (work permit). What happens if they change their mind because you weren't that helpful (re tea money and so)?

They can bust you anytime and you may even be not allowed to return!

I wouldn't do - get a WP and change your Visa and you're clean and cannot be blackmailed from anybody!

Oh... finished reading the article, and it looks like a small overstay is okay, but still very slightly risky...

Ummm... ummm... I still don't have def answers on:

1. Do they let one day slide with no 500thb sting most of the time?

2. How regimented is it with last min border crossings? eg; I get out of a minivan at 11.48pm the day of expiry, stand in the queue for 15 mins, and it's 12.03am the day after by the time I cross?

Reading "The Damage Done" by Warren Fellows is making me paranoid about anything that might allow the BIB to bring me in, haha.

Aussie, with a long way to go to retirement age, btw...

Nope, at the Land border in Sadao - Or Sungai Golok you'll be charged for 500 Baht (receipt and duly noted in PP as well)!

Went on big bike a couple of times from Hatyai - Pattani - Narathiwat - Sungai Golok, Rantau Panjang and finally Khota Baru.

Never any problem - last on new year day 2011.

We also entered Narathiwat for a bite, no hassle. No police seen - only army though!

went last year had to show copy of bank book showing 400,000 baht in account.

Yes, just came back from Kota Bharu, needed Bank Book and usual papers, no problem 1 year multiple, MR 550.--

Stayed at crystal Lodge (free Wifi) for MR 79.-day.

I find it incredibly strange that as a Buddhist nation, things like this ( Abuse of Animals ) are a regular, every day occurance in this Country..

I can only answer with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

320 pills, well they tagged you with distributing. This is far worse than having it for your own use. It's hard to not wonder - why you would take such a risk? My only assumption, you must have done this many times before and got away with it.

Chok Dee with blacklist appeal - think you might need it.

Correct, absolutely correct, went to the Pharma shop today - they told me that:

1) Viagra here is sold in blister pack 4 Viagra in one pack

2) The price (and now it comes) is Baht 1,600.00 per packI Now either he had 320 strips with 4 tablets, that would have been baht 512,000.00 of smuggled goods or if only 320 tablets - still 128,000 baht of contraband. Remember, he did not say it was single tablets or single strips...

3) He was here for 8 years, says to speak, read and write Thai...

Now in either case it is not just a misdemeanor but comes to a crime, thus the arrest and the PNG status.

A big som nam nar to him!

In short: I have been arrested, sentenced and deported because I bought Viagra from a Burmese pharmacy and carried it on my way back to Ranong on my visa run, therefore my single offence being importing a controlled substance without permit (small offence but long story). Now I want to submit an appeal and would like to know if anyone could give me more information about what chances I might have for it to be granted and how long it might take. I read in the immigration act that one can submit an appeal only within 48 hours after signing the document in which one acknowledges deportation, either after arriving at immigration from prison or after trying entering Thailand while blacklisted (act 22 and 36). Does that mean I can't appeal from ouside Thailand? Does anyone have any experience with that? I'm grateful for any kind of help or advice regarding this matter. Feel free to ask if you need more details.

For a misdemeanor you mostly will not be arrested and deported, so please do tell how many of them Viagra's you had with you?

This is a sad sad time

Sadf?

We here in Pak Tai are dancing!!!

Oh yes, there was one alternative, and they quite clearly thought it was it was bizarre rubbish themselves. Prepaid ADSL, which involves: 2400 upfront, then buying prepaid cards from True shops which are needed in order to fund 800 per month plus 14 baht per minute. That's not a typo, at least not mine, the printed sheet clearly said: per minute. 840 baht per hour. And for this you get the blistering speed of: 192 kpbs.

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Why not Loxinfo? They never asked for WP - just a Passport Copy.

I can only tell you that I got the papers from immigration for free... Had to do the same test and paid something like Baht 150.-- such as Baht 100 for Car and 50 for Motorbike.

Goes to show that the deep south has less problems with bribes (got it in Songkhla).

Cheers  

Hanuman19