bmanly

Wasn't this a surprise. My Thai wife is going to Thailand next week. Tried checking her Krungthai account online, can not. Not game to try set it up overseas due to fear of getting blocked out. It's a bit stressful, she is old and doesn't use apps. I told her the only option is to go into the branch and get it sorted when she gets there. Honestly did they think about old Thai pensioners when doing this?

My maintenance fee for my apartment alone in Australia is 14,000 baht per Month. In Thailand most are around 1,000 P/M. Of course for any farang with farang money from jobs or pensions from their home country will live far cheaper in Thailand. Now reverse that and Think about a Thai in Thailand on a Thai salary or pension and they are all struggling. We are just fortunate to be able come to cheaper places like Thailand. I have no hesitation to buy a pad kapow moo and a beer for 100 baht in Thailand but in Australia that same meal with beer would be 450 to 600 baht and I just don't do it. It means a better life in Thailand in comparison.

I have 2 very good recommendations for very well connected reliable long term agents that have doing this in Pattaya for 30 years already. I might do it too if things get too complicated. Apparently when this agency goes to Jomtien they carry dozens of applications and passports at a time doing everything including 90 day reporting for those that can not do it for themselves, it is all legal too.

I don't know about this but I will say that 2 of my friends live in apartments in Pattaya (not in the same building as mine) and they both managed to get the retirement visa without long term contracts. I mean I know the owners of mine could write one up for me, doesn't mean I won't move in a couple of months though.

Thanks mate, I have time to load my account (although the exchange rate is terrible right now). Or maybe do the way suggested in that thread. Much appreciated for all your help.

Jomtien

Yes I do with Bangkok Bank.

I stay in the same serviced apartment year after year with receipts. They do everything correctly including submitting details of arrival for TM 30 card.

Both Canberra and Sydney require health insurance called a longstay from a Thai company. That insurance I must buy for a year and it's something I don't need as I have regular travel insurance from Australia. The Thai insurance is very expensive, like about 100K a year one quoted. I want to avoid this at all costs. This is why I am only considering the visa exempt/conversion option. Here is what it says. A certificate of health insurance issued by Thai insurance companies covering the entire period of stay in Thailand containing the detail of coverage as follows; In-house patients of not less than THB 400,000/policy year, as for out-patients, not less than THB 40,000/policy year. More information can be found on https://longstay.tgia.org/ - A photo of the medical insurance policy (in English) which expressly covers treatment and medical expenses in relation to COVID-19, with minimum coverage of 100,000 USD. The insurance must cover the total duration of stay in Thailand.

That sounds like a good plan and one that I will most likely follow. How do I go at the airport when I check in as I will have a 4 Month return ticket. Should I buy a one way ticket a to say Cambodia showing that I will be leaving within the 30 days thus looking like no complications for the airline and Thai immigration on arrival if checked? Thank you for your time and reply, much appreciated.

Australian passport entry in May this year. I intend to arrive on a visa Exempt and convert to Non O Retirement just for the ease of coming and going but once in Thailand I'm not forced to leave every so often. It is the better visa for me as I've done so many neighbouring country trips and I am no longer really interested in doing anymore. So I have already booked a 4 Month stay in Thailand, sometimes I stay longer but this time it's 4 Months. My questions are, if I convert my visa exempt to a non o, lets say 15 days after I arrive, how and when does the 12 Month part start? My goal is to be in Thailand each year to renew the 12 Month extension, i.e. not letting it lapse and just renew each year. What Month will this example need to be renewed each year? Second question is that I thought of getting a non o from Sydney Consulate but it states I need some longstay health insurance from a Thai company, link here: https://longstay.tgia.org/ but when I try to book a 4 month stay those Thai companies only offer insurance for 12 Month stays and some of them want nearly 100K for such an insurance policy, it seems way over the top for what I need for 4 Months. I am just trying to find the simplest and cheapest way through all this and get a yearly retirement visa, what's the best way forward. Thanks for any help.

Thanks for the reply mate. The problem is that we got married 32 years ago and she never changed her name in Thailand. She has had my surname since marriage and shortly after became an Australian citizen. Her name and ID card in Thailand is still her maiden name and the passports would not match up. So this TM30 report is done in person at CW or can it be done online? Thanks.

No, not have for long time. She is an Australian citizen.

My wife is a Thai travelling on an Aussie passport and her intension is to stay with her family in Bangkok. The ideal situation is to apply for a TV single entry in au and then extend this visa a further 30 days. The questions are: 1. On arrival does the family need to register her as she is staying with them? 2. Normally they never register her and we just leave before the 60 days. In this case if they do not register her will there be a fine when she goes to extend her TV at the 60 day period for 30 days? 3. If they do need to register her exactly how do they do this? Where do they go to do this? They are just householders, not a hotel or business, what's the simple way to do this for ordinary family people? 4. Where are the locations to make the extension in Bangkok? Is that Chaweng Wattana the only place? Just trying to find the simplest way for her to do a 2 and half Month holiday with family. Thank you.

Two friends of mine sat in deck chairs on Pattaya Beach today. They reported that the deck chairs are still only 40 baht per person and it is the nicer lounge plastic ones that are 100 baht, so that in fact means the price is the same as 3 years ago.

Thanks for that ubonjoe, much appreciated, I don't frequent here that much so I've been a bit out of touch, cheers. ????????????

Never happened to me before but I will be utilising a 60 day TV right up to the day. Then the airline pushed me further out 1 day on my return flight which will make it 61 days, the original flight cancelled. What are my options here? I'm thinking just turn up at the airport and pay the 500 baht fine but this was not of my doing but the airlines. I have the original e-ticket. What would a more experience person in this situation do? Thank you.

That's what I would do too. I often go to the Poker Bar near soi 8 and have a couple of beers looking out at the water and watch the sun set and the world go by and it comes with a free seat too. ????️

Yes it is. I am retired and have travelled extensively throughout S/E/Asia, Thailand beats them all and that is why I chose Thailand and Pattaya for this upcoming long trip.

Having being to Vietnam I have to disagree. Their restaurants and food are no where near as good as Thailand. The beaches are crowed and mostly only active between 5 am to 8 am, they hate the heat. The bar and go go scene is not as good as Thailand. I really hate sitting low to the ground at a cafe off the street in those tiny chairs. While their might be less mafia situations and better visa conditions I think Thailand is the better option. As for food options, in S/E/Asia Thailand is the best.

Excellent, thank you. The first link posted did not have the prices. By the way I emailed them and they did confirm price of 1,000 baht from airport to Pattaya small car. They were very quick in answering the email, sounds great. Cheers.

What is their fee from Swampy airport to Pattaya, small car? (I heard they charge higher going in reverse) Mr T charges 1200 all inclusive of tolls, is Nam's similar?

I don't know now as I haven't been back to Thailand since 2019, I think then it was 40 or 50 baht, not more than that. And the ice cold leo's were around 80 baht a big bottle, that was around opposite soi 2 Jomtien.

Only 3 years ago I walked the Pattaya promenade every day. The coconuts were only 40 baht and the beach chairs were 40 baht. Sometimes when the authorities cut down the overhanging coconuts they would usually sling a few free bees to the local beach chair people. So I think a 100 baht for a coconut and 15 minutes in a beach chair is a fair price. The extra charge on top after being told it was free for a short time is a rip off, I wouldn't bother sitting at any of them either. But I will say, at Jomtien the beach chair vendors are much nicer and with better service.

You know what it's it's like when you arrive, rushing to immigration, showing Thai pass, get temperature taken, get luggage etc. just saves me mucking around at the airport whilst looking for the taxi drivers sign on the way out. Get in taxi and start using the internet on the way to Pattaya. Thanks for your help. ????????