OneZero

13 hours ago, clives said:

Try this....................

https://cmimm.net     ( it worked for me )

If this works for everybody it would be great.  Fantastic, but there are always "What If's", especially concerning immigration automated systems (90 day etc). 

Playing "Devil's Advocate" & remembering years ago the difficulty actually getting an appointment via internet (had to do it about 1201 am, etc), it raises potential questions.

The question which immediately comes to mind concerns ensuring getting an appointment prior to retirement visa expiration, e.g., how far ahead (if this becomes heavily used) must one apply for an appointment, etc.  If heavily used I can see reply's stating all appointments are already taken prior to date needed.

O

Bangkok Basha,

Please report back next week about Jomtien Immigration reaction.

41 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

I got 12 from the Silom branch in bkk. I think it is the main office here.

I was directed to the desk that handles the credit advice print outs.

Since I was asking for more than 6 months back, they charged 600 baht.

They were able to do it in an hour or so.

I got the account owner letter from the bkk bank near the immigration office on the day I went.

Not sure if they have that in CM thou.

Good luck.

600 Baht.  Sounds like extortion.

Good point - redundancy, Fail Safe.  Have both going for at least a year before attempt a switch.

Thanks to ubonjoe for providing the following answer in the visa forum:

Quote:  "Immigration issued new rules in December of  2018 when 3 embassies stopped issuing proof of income.

If you can prove 65k baht or more of income by showing transfers into a Thai bank account from abroad you can apply for the extension.

I have already done 2 extensions of stay applications by showing my income going into a Thai bank.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration issued new rules in December of  2018 when 3 embassies stopped issuing proof of income.

If you can prove 65k baht or more of income by showing transfers into a Thai bank account from abroad you can apply for the extension.

I have already done 2 extensions of stay applications by showing my income going into a Thai bank.

Thanks.  Think I will try it.

Bit of a subject change, and I have asked same question in visa section, so I hope I haven't broken any moderator rules.  But we have some experienced folks here, so here's my question:

I realize US Embassy/Consulate are no longer providing income affidavits for the 65K/month retirement visa.  I am able with pension direct deposit to obtain the 65K/month and thought perhaps I could go this route vs the 800K method to renew retirement visa.

However, if immigration requires the affidavit as well I will have to keep the 800K in the bank. 

Any experience? 

I realize US Embassy/Consulate are no longer providing such affidavits.  I am able with pension direct deposit to obtain the 65K/month and thought perhaps I could go this route vs the 800K method.

However, if immigration requires the affidavit as well I will have to keep the 800K in the bank. 

Any experience? 

20 hours ago, Pib said:

Here's how the fees are applied.  OPM sends the pension to Bangkok Bank NY via ACH for relay to your in-Thailand Bangkok Bank acct.   Bangkok Bank NY slices off their pass-thru fee and then forwards the remaining amount to your in-Thailand branch.   So, let's say your OPM pension is $2,200. 

 

Bkk Bk NY will slice off $10 as their pass-thru/relay fee ($5 for most amounts $2,000 or less) and relay $2,190 to your in-Thailand branch where they accomplish the exchange using  their "TT Buying Rate" which is used for incoming ACH/SWIFT transfers....and it will most likely be their opening day/0830 TT Buying Rate rate as their rates do quite often change a couple times throughout the day as FX markets rates go up and down.    

 

Let's say the  Bangkok Bank TT Buying Rate is 31 baht per USD.  31 times $2,190 gives Bt67,890.  "Then" the branch applies their receiving fee of 0.25% (Bt200 min, Bt500 max).  0.25% of Bt67,890 is Bt169.725....since its below the min Bt200 fee amount the fee ends up being Bt200.  Subtract Bt200 from Bt67,890 equals Bt67,690 which then posts to your acct.  

 

The two Bangkok Bank fees (the NY and in-Thailand branch fees) will "not" appear anywhere on your acct as they are applied before posting to your acct which fools a lot of people into thinking no fees were applied but indeed they were...they are kinda like hidden fees.   This is another reason some people can never get their personal math to match an exchange rate on the Bangkok Bangkok Bank exchange rate page if they didn't use these fees in their math and also applied the fees in the correct order.  

 

 

Pib,

When one does a SWIFT transfer, does Bkk Bk NYC take $10 or do only the in Thailand fees of 0.25% apply?

37 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

I don't think a SWIFT transfer gets routed via BBL/NYC, unless I guess you specifically requested it. I'll admit I haven't stayed up to date on the BBL NYC route for a few years as I stopped using it.

 

It might be better to leave the routing bank up to USAA, where you'll save the BBL/NYC skim? My monthly SWIFT gets routed through Chase JPMorgan (no skim), as I leave that up to my bank.

 

You are probably correct, I don't know if SWIFT to BKK Bk goes thru NYC.  But the OPM direct deposit does because when I set BKK Bk up on OPM website the NYC identification immediately came up on the screen.

FYI, the annual admin fees breakeven point (for my specific OPM pension) between OPM monthly direct deposit to BKK Bk and occasional USAA SWIFT transfer (USAA $45 per) is 3.5 SWIFT transfers.  In other words if I do two SWIFT per year (ie, every 6 months) then SWIFT is cheaper annually.  But if I do four SWIFT per year (ie, every 3 months) then the monthly direct deposits is cheaper annually.  Not a big deal either way until one starts to increase the number of SWIFT transfers annually (assuming a USAA $45/SWIFT).

39 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Believe you can go directly to Transferwise and plug in the amounts to get the fees - expect you are right if transferring large amounts each time that the SWIFT method will be less expensive - transferwise is often better for monthly transfers.

Thanks for advice on where to get Transferwise info.  Ya, that's what I remember.  

Ref the discussions of monthly transfers with Transferwise: I also remember people stating that there was occasional lack of evidence the Transferwise transfer came from overseas.

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

 

Thanks everybody for the great explanations.

Now perhaps I should dig thru prior thaivisa discussions of Transferwise to revisit those admin fee explanations, if for no other reason than comparison / refresh my understanding.  I thought I had done that once before & concluded I preferred USAA SWIFT 2 times per year, but I think I should relook it.

Ubanjoe, thanks for that.  I believe you've provided the information I was looking for.

Quote"Did you deduct the fee Bangkok Bank Bank in New York deducts from the  transfer. It is $5 up $2000 and $10 for higher amounts. And then Bangkok Bank here takes .25% with a minimum of 200 baht.

"1. For me the 0.25% portion of the admin cost is going to be the same (for an equal total dollar amt) whether I do it in smaller monthly direct deposits or less frequent larger SWIFT transfer amts.

2. Also for me, the NYC $10 each month for 6 months is $60, and the SWIFT fee of $45 once every 6 months is only a $15 difference not worth worrying about.

In the past my OPM pension was direct deposited to USAA & on occasion I SWIFT wire transferred (about once every 6-9 months or unless otherwise needed) to Thailand at a USAA cost of $45 (ie, approx 1.5K Thai Baht) & then of course incurred the Thai bank admin cost to get the moneyed relayed from Bangkok Bk (NYC-BKK HQ-Chiang Mai) to my branch in Chiang Mai.

I just recently started having my OPM retirement direct deposit to Bangkok Bank Chiang Mai acct.  When I set it up on OPM website the routing address listed the Bangkok Bk branch in NYC.  Ok, my Bangkok Bk Chiang Mai branch acct received my first OPM direct deposit & I am certain about the $ amt of the pension sent.  Since I assume that Bangkok Bank would have given the direct deposit the official FX rate on the day of transfer (I checked websites), I am a bit disappointed about the amount of baht received in the Chiang Mai acct.  

If the Bangkok Bank monthly relay admin costs (NYC to Bangkok HQ to Chiang Mai branch) are substantial perhaps I would be better off going back to the old routine (USAA SWIFT wire transfer every 6+ months) and annually save 5+ months of those relay admin costs.

Ok, so here finally is my question:

Can somebody with experience please advise me what the Bangkok Bank admin costs are to relay an OPM direct deposit (NYC-Bkk HQ-Chiang Mai).

1 minute ago, pineapple01 said:

So  You have a Car, free time, dont make a fuss. Go somewhere else, theres plenty of other local offices even up country, i just did mine and cant remember the area offhand. Plus it makes a change to see new ways to make something so easy into a problem.????

So you think I have a problem by asking for information?

Do you see a problem in many things?  Get a life

Is anybody aware of a CR DLT covid19 backlog leading to a waiting list to renew 5 year driving license?

In Pattaya-Jomtien to renew you take paperwork to DLT & are given a date to return for further work.  The delay for one applicant was about 9 weeks (1st visit 05Aug & told to return 14Oct).  See link:

Thanks for the update.

Green Bus Office says the 118 flood/washout detour route (Payao-Lampahn?) is 6+ hours to get from Chiang Mai (CM) to Chiang Rai (CR). 

Green Bus Office would also not speculate (understandable) when Rt 118 repairs would allow normal traffic that route again.

A smaller washout a month or two back was repaired for traffic flow in a few days, but of course this washout is much bigger.

Is anybody privy to any announcements by Thai Roads & Highway Dept Officials ref a forcasted date traffic can get thru on 118? 

Good idea, good money earner.  The prison could sell bananas, carrots and cucumbers for the tourists to toss into the cells.

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Tax is a percentage of the "the Land Office's assessed" appraisal value. The actual purchase price is irrelevant. 

Chonburi’s Ang Sila sub-district:  Is this in the City of Chonburi, or somewhere else closer to Pattaya?

6 hours ago, bkknovice said:

Thanks for this tip.  I hope they are this easy to "bribe", or maybe I should invite you to lunch instead LOL
I just knew the condo I wanna buy only offers rental contracts of at least 1-year. At least that's what it says on the website. I looked on airbnb and I cannot find a single flat available for rent. If I want to stay in that condo for a few days/weeks, could I negotiate with the agents /condo owners about it? I am not going to buy a condo unless I can do a trial stay. Do agents/condo owners accommodate this request if I am honest about it? Has anyone else had any experience doing this?

Good for mgt to not allow airbnb or other short stay potential vagabonds (not you).  It's one indication the bldg could be well run.

A Krungsri Securities stock analyst: his list of recommendations is too short. haha

Thanks Pib, both your & Jim's input has clarified a lot for me.

Don't ya just love bureaurocracy!

Thanks Pib, finally I'm going to repeat my questions to Jim about USAA's domestic fee, and add a third question for those possibly considering a domestic wire to BKK BK NY, as a way to satisfy their monthly 65K baht immigration requirement, or money for a Farang condo purchase (see question #3 below).

Jim, Pib, PS,

1.  USAA website says domestic wires cost $20.  What magic words did you use to get USAA to grant you FREE domestic wires?

2.  Is there any negative impact on the exchange rate compared to using a USAA international wire, which costs $20 + $25 = $45?  (Even if there is I'm guessing it would not be more than the added $25 charge of USAA's international wire fee compared to the normal domestic fee of $20).

3.  Again, I'm just guessing, but possibly there may indeed be some "catch 22" negatives about getting it ID'd in your bank book (or bank office computer) as coming from overseas.