Korat88

Thanks for the replies so far. Seems like it is worth being vaccinated from the feedback. My friend's friends also gave similar feedback, hence the query. Re: costs. I am sure Bumrungrad is a lot more than 1600 Baht if this place charges 5590 Baht. Went here for my Yellow Fever jab before traveling to Africa many years ago. https://www.medconsultasia.com/vaccinations/

A US friend living in Thailand mentioned that he is thinking about getting vaccinated against the condition. Test from the link below states "Prevention Is a vaccine available to prevent shingles? Two vaccines are available in the United States to reduce your chance of developing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. One vaccine, Zostavax®, has been available since 2006. The second vaccine, Shingrix®, has been available since 2017. Shingrix is recommended as the preferred vaccine by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of medical and public health experts. Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine) is given as a two-dose shot in your upper arm. You should receive the second dose (shot) two to six months after receiving the first. Shingrix has been shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. Its effectiveness remains above 85% for at least four years after receiving the vaccine. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11036-shingles Is this something that should seriously be considered (we are both over 50, and I am interested in knowing too), or not really much of a concern in Thailand? I don't think it is anything to do with where one lives in the world, but curious on the feedback from those who may have had the condition or the vaccine. Thank you.

Many condolences to Joe's family. He will surely be missed by the ASEAN community as has been shown by the outpouring of praise towards him here. RIP Joe.

After all your guidance so far I am thinking as a separate source with router would be better.

If only for laptop usage, an annual 15 Mbps SIM costing 1700 baht for the year would suffice. 141 baht per month. This option would be ideal! I no longer have a work permit NoDisplayName. Just retired. I have the bank book though as have to for retirement visa!

I would ideally like to have fast reliable internet access at a reasonable cost and if one SIM (current one using the hotspot feature) will achieve that after amending the package, then great! If the better option is to go with a router at home and have another SIM for that, then so be it, but seems tedious changing all the time or is it just me? Do people actually do this often?

Thank you for the guidance NextG. I followed your link and added 24 hours worth more at 1GB. A speed test using the service below shows a download speed range range of 88-109 Mbps, upload range of 11.00-23.5 Mbps and Ping rate of 60-64 ms. https://www.bandwidthplace.com/#start As you say they no doubt sold me an old package but it was only recently! So they know, as you now no doubt too, that I am not exactly "savvy" at these things!

Thank you Mickeymaus and NextG. I have been using the hot spot on my mobile (True H package) but I see to have used up my quota and it is extremely slow at the moment when I try to load pages/visit websites. So hence the router thought which would be best for home anyway. It doesn't have to be True which is why I was asking for any feedback. As Mickeymaus suggests it may be better to just browse the options in the Mall or IT centres and see what I find.

I am spending more time in Korat now and use True when in Bangkok. Should I opt for a True router in Korat too or would anyone have other recommendations before I decide? Many thanks for any feedack should anyone reply.

Thank you for all your replies, especially Expat4life66 with his detailed one! As it happens his experience differed from mine, but as we know TIT! After receiving the previous replies my Thai step-daughter decided to visit CW herself and ask one of the senior immigration officers exactly what should be done. She was clearly told that I needed to leave Thailand and return, so in the end that is what I did! Hence, I am now back in Thailand after a quick holiday to Laos with my wife and step-daughter and have a visa until 1st February. I need to go to Korat immigration within the next couple of weeks and then before my current "free visa" on arrival expires extend for 90 days. In the meantime I also need to open a new bank account in Korat (although this is more for personal convenience than a necessity as I will be staying there and not in BKK where I currently stay) and deposit either the 400,000 Baht (if I decide in a spouse visa now) or 800,000 Baht for a retirement visa. So in my case it looks like the company lawyers were correct, but for others it seems as though they can bypass leaving Thailand. I was told that as my original visa was issued just over 14.5 years ago I HAD to leave Thailand. Perhaps 10 years is the limit and that is why Expat4life66 managed to stay in the country? Such is life!

I hope someone will be able to clarify whether I have to leave Thailand when I retire from my company shortly and my non-immigration B visa and work permit, which are usually renewed at the One-Stop Service Center 18 Fl., Chamchuree Square, are cancelled. I have had conflicting feedback so far. My company lawyers say I have to leave on the day the documents are cancelled or face 500 Baht fees per day thereafter, and I have had someone in immigration say to my Thai step-daughter that I can stay in Thailand and just arrange the paperwork to obtain the retirement visa. Hence I am a bit confused as what is correct! Anyone been in a similar position and have personal experience please? Thank you.

Thanks again internationalism. Never had dengue and hope I never will have it!

Hi Sheryl (sorry for Cheryl before, I work with a Cheryl so habit!) - I asked for a quote from April France and share the figures below for you and others interest. I am mid-50s and don't have any pre-conditions so am thankfully pretty healthy at present. Seems like the figures for the Essential Plan are much higher than you were suggesting they may be. Still pondering what to do. Annual Premiums (only Inpatient), Zone 3 (including Thailand and most European countries; for a full overview of your Zone of Cover, I kindly refer you to page 6 of the General Terms and Conditions which you can downloaded) 0 deductible Basic Plan: 2271.00 USD Essential Plan: 2622.96 USD (93,050 BHT) Comfort Plan: 3032.04 USD 500 USD deductible Basic Plan: 1842.36 USD Essential Plan: 2124.00 USD (75,349 BHT) Comfort Plan: 2451.24 USD 1000 USD deductible Basic Plan: 1735.20 USD Essential Plan: 1999.20 USD (70,921BHT) Comfort Plan: 2306.04 USD 2500 USD deductible Basic Plan: 1628.04 USD Essential Plan: 1874.52 USD (66,496 BAHT) Comfort Plan: 2160.84 USD 5000 USD deductible Basic Plan: 1521.00 USD Essential Plan: 1749.72 USD (62,070 BHT) Comfort Plan: 2015.64 USD I also visited the Hospital for tropical diseases kindly mentioned by internationalism & you were correct. They say malaria pills are not necessary. Had to have a typhoid booster instead! Someone I know also agreed but mentioned "The bigger problem however are dengue and chikunguniya which do not respond that well to allopathic medicine." Something else to check up on now! Appreciate your help as always.

Thank you Cheryl. I am staying in Mumbai for 1 month. As it is the monsoon season many people have recommended I start taking malaria pills now in advance of the trip. Will specify April Global issued out of France not April Thailand.

Thank you internationalism! This looks perfect. Think I need to visit there after my other hospital visit tomorrow. https://www.thaitravelclinic.com/direction-to-our-clinic-2.html