smo

14 hours ago, Whip Me Granny said:

Thanks 

So currently the CAT packages (  6Mbps / 4Mbps / 1 Mbps ) shown on their web site are all unlimited and have no GB data restrictions or speed throttling . I wonder how long it will be before CAT imposes the same restrictions that the other providers have now imposed . I'm going to call in at my nearest CAT shop and ask about their 6Mbps 6 month unlimited package , but I'm not feeling to confident about the outcome .

Tomorrow May 31 is the last day for said CAT deals so hurry up. Don't know what happens next year if/when renewal is available. By now I no longer bother to be bothered, just living it year by year. FWIW, my ipad doesn't take to CAT sim too well, keeps having hiccups (something to do with APN settings,) whereas it went smooth like butta with AIS sim.

On 4/5/2019 at 7:51 PM, directstep said:

On 4/5/2019 at 2:21 AM, smo said:

Hi, could you give the code to dial to get this package? I have an unlimited marathon AIS sim that costs 2500 for 12 months but only at max 4Mbps. Thanks,

 

I got the package online through myAIS so haven't got the code to dial sorry .....

Well as my package is expiring tomorrow I checked in myAIS app today and this is what I got: an unlimited 4Mbps package with a 20GB data cap (I also went to the AIS store in the mall and was shown same "throttled" package).

My where-do-you-live map consists of a big T (the main road and my soi) with an X (my condo) at one corner. Back to the main picture:

The talad nad on CW ground floor (including an open-air massage "salon"), plus Japanese bidet-style toilet seats (in "selected" bathrooms) ease the hardship somewhat...For more comfortable seating one can always rely on one of the numerous cafes on the B-floor, now if they could broadcast live the queue number from the L-counter that would be "heaven!" My biggest challenge has always been not get stuck in peak hours traffic either way in or way out; and last but not least, always avoid Mondays and Fridays and any week that has a holiday stuck to it (retirement does has its "privileges.")

2 hours ago, MikeN said:

Then the paperwork went over to the senior officer for signature and double checking, and that's when things really slowed down. It took her nearly 2 hours to get through to my file, they really needed another senior officer on checking duty. Finally at around 4pm the other intern ( a ladyboy or a big butch girl?) came out with my passport. Luckily I've got a distinctive sticker on the cover of mine, because there is no way anybody could understand "her" attempts at foreign names !

Yeah, it happened to me too this year. The draw-a-map interview happened rather quickly after lunch, but then an almost 2-hour wait till the butch-kathoey intern emerged from behind the wings with my passport in her manly hands. In years past, I never had to wait for more than 45 min. And it wasn't for the lack of IOs going to the coronation. It appeared that those on duty were excessively more burdened by their main (I was going to say "side") business of taking care of the agents and their charges and lone farangs were put aside until that were done!

According to some posts here, has Pierrot not applied and got the new extension, he can still re-enter Thailand (and keep his current extension alive) before May 16, but since he has, then he could not? Think, just think, of the (il)-logic of that argument: One gets punished for being more cautious and taking care of things ahead of time. The assumption that a new extension kills off an existing re-entry permit only makes sense when said permit is mandatory with each extension renewal. If that were the case, most of Thai visa members here would have been up in arms simply for the fact that each of us would have to fork out an additional 1000 to 4000 baht for no reason, mais c'est pas vrai! (again pardon my French.)

Pierrot has till before the stroke of midnight May 15-16 to return and keep his extension (past and present) alive. If the clock struck midnight on that date and he has not shown his face at an Immigration arrival counter, then his extension will die an untimely death. He can DO NOTHING AND STILL GET IN at a later date, and be allowed 30 days of permit-exempt stay but then he will have to restart everything from scratch, totally doable inside Thailand. He can use his own logic to think this through or he can listen to people who seemingly make out of thin air laws that nobody has ever heard of. Oh la la!
 

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Two years ago, I had permission to stay until June of that year, which I extended early in May, granting me permission to stay until June 2018.

I then received notification of a family bereavement, so returned to the UK for 5 days, but returning before the expiration of my current extension dated June 2017.

My re-entry permit expiry date was also June 2017.

 

I re-entered Thailand before expiry of my current permission to stay (June 2017) and was stamped in until June 2018, the date of my new permission to stay. 

The above scenario is the correct. So Pierrot if you replace all Tanoshi's dates with yours then tout ira bien (pardon my French.) Re-entry permit is tied to the expiration date of your extension, however once issued it has a "life on its own" (though its life never goes beyond that of the extension on which it was based.)  I'm pretty sure Pierrot will be ok if returning BEFORE his re-entry permit expires ie May 16. He has a valid permit to re-entry Thailand before May 16 2019 which means he will be allowed to come in before that date - and to stay until whatever his current extension allows which in this case is May 2020 (=YES to his second question.)

I can say this with some certainty since I have a French building-mate who was fooled by Immig IO to buy a multi re-entry permit even though his permit to stay has only one more month to go. I like to think re-entry permit is a kind of insurance to keep your extension alive. Once it expires and you happen to be outside Thailand, uh oh, you're dead (your extension that is.) This scenario will happen if Pierrot returns on May 16 or later (=YES to his first question.)

7 hours ago, sanemax said:

 

The hat and pouty lips remind me of Maria Schneider (gone too soon...) in "Last Tango in Paris."  A second career as fashion photographer or a portraiturist awaits (if it wasn't your first already.) Basically the ability to evoke beauty from just a few essentials (white skin, red lips, hat strategically adorned...) Something a man can hang up in his living room and fantasize - without invoking the wife's wrath...

Re eye contact when crossing the street in VN, I remember several instances I had to do that with (mostly) VNmese (car)drivers when crossing the streets in Little Saigon, California. Their eye contact means something else, an acknowledgement that you, the one on foot, realize the impact of metal upon flesh, therefore that tactic of a second is the time allotted you (in my case as a visitor) to literally jump out of the path of a coming car, no matter I was stepping inside the zebra markings of a pedestrian crosswalk. Then I started noticing something else, the local papers would post one or two pedestrian fatalities every other day. Usually it involved a senior, probably someone who was too slow or too weak to save themselves.

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

But, it will be hard to get rid of criminals, with an immigration system full of agents taking bribes for extensions, and enforcing non-existent rejection-rules at some entry-points for no apparent purpose other than to force people into the aforementioned bribe-able extensions.

Indeed. After my visit to Chaeng Wattana this past week for the retirement extension, I came away convinced that Immigration has deliberately made the experience by itself more and more unbearable just so people would throw themselves - and their money - into the arms of the agent-cohorts in order to simply spare themselves of the ordeal!

If you come alone, confident that you could handle the gauntlet on your own, first off the wait would get longer, much longer, which translates to the chairs in the waiting area be filled most of the time. We all know that immigration waiting room, especially that at CW is not exactly the place for inner-contemplation but more like Chatujak weekend market - pity for the decrepit old seniors and handicapped folks who were visibly having a hard time hanging in there. During my short time presenting myself at the IO's desk, not a moment, no I take that back, not one second went by that she wasn't approached by one agent or another, whisperings - one even got down on his knees so he could whisper closer to her ears- lowered glances, discreet head-nodding, handing of little notes. Papers were flying from one desk to another as the IOs were repeatedly getting up from their desk running back and forth doing the same things among themselves. The idea is to make the independent, agentless farang feel that see, you're not the main focus here, instead we feed you crumbs - topped with all the unpleasantness that civic life can offer and that we can think of.

Consequently the IO's work got sloppy: a) I did not get the bank account guideline sheet that many reporting here have received b ) I did not even get the blue receipt when I paid the 1900 baht; I mentioned it before leaving the desk and she waved me off with a "later..." Only when I went back out to the waiting area did I realize that now there was no proof that I have submitted my passport and bank book, that I have been seen by anyone nor for that matter I might as well have just come in from the street. So given the chaotic atmosphere on display here, my whole file could possibly disappear and I would have nothing to show for! After 2 hrs plus of waiting (used to be 30 - 45 min) after being "seen" by the IO, the intern came out and returned my documents. The blue receipt was quarter-folded and stapled into a page of my passport, something that has never been before.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think it was Jomtien immigration. I have seen the same info with a report date 3 month later at the bottom of it that was done there.

Good to know, ubonjoe ... So if they did not gimme the report back order, that means all is kosher? I am thinking about update my bankbook every 3 months with 800/400k  balance just to be on the safe side, do you think that would be necessary?

3 hours ago, anfh said:

Just for info, i did retirement renewal this week and got this form, have to return to show bank book after 90 days etc. I told them i would be going to UK before that, they told me i MUST return with bank book as soon as I return to Thailand . 

Was this from the Chaeng Wattana office in BKK? Because I did mine there this past week also and did not receive this "order." Nothing different from last year, write your name here and sign there - except for a request to "draw a map" of my soi (here's the main street and here's my soi, that's sort of non-sense). The intern who returned my passport and bankbook wanted to make sure that I'm the one whose pic is in the passport and that all was clear on my part about the new extension date. Same as it ever was.

When it comes to the 90 day report, I always do it online.

21 hours ago, KneeDeep said:

 

Has it already run out or will you pay another 3500 baht + VAT to get 2 Mbps more?

It's running out next month and I would want to upgrade when the time comes.

13 hours ago, rhodie said:

 

Working all ok and confirmation sms from AIS below -

1/4/19 1:56 PM Mao Mao 3,500Baht (Included VAT), you can enjoy unlimited Internet at max speed 6Mbps valid for 12 months.

 

* As others have said the sim must have been registered before February 2019

Hi, could you give the code to dial to get this package? I have an unlimited marathon AIS sim that costs 2500 for 12 months but only at max 4Mbps. Thanks,

Perhaps I can help clarifying about the date(s) on the bank letter. I went in CW for my retirement extension today. For the 800K option, I went to Krungsri downstairs to get the letter, which entailed paying 100 bath service fees for the letter + 100 bath deposit to create a transaction for the day in my bank book.

When I returned to pick up the letter half hour later, I noticed that the balance stated is as of YESTERDAY, whereas the date on the letter is of TODAY. I checked with the teller and she said it's okay, it's done like that for everyone, "they will accept it!" (she meant the officers, as far as my Thai comprehension goes.)

And surely they did.

On 12/5/2018 at 12:19 PM, Yorkie said:

It started working for me only this year. I have successfully now completed two on-line reports. It saves me a two hour drive (there and back) and obviously the cost of diesel. My only observation is that the report has become every ≈80 days as the 90 day count down starts at the date the report is approved not at the date that the last one "expired". Not that that is a big sweat.

I just did it this rainy  Saturday morning in BKK. This time I don't even have to get out my passport, auto-complete did it all for me! Even if online reporting cut my 90-day reporting in half, I would still happily - and gratefully - do it.

Done in less than 15 minutes in my own castle while watching Trump sweating it out over Mueller is far more enjoyable than a ride in the Bentley across town to Chaeng Wattana and back. (Now that's called savoir-vivre!)

On 6/29/2018 at 10:09 AM, Kohsamida said:

Hey smo,  Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful reply.  Everything you said sounds logical and I think I will follow up as you suggested.  One problem though is the fact that Customs in BANGKOK is holding the package.  I am in Chiang Mai.  When you suggest "going back to them in person" are you suggesting that I do this through the local THAI POST office, the local CUSTOMS office at CNX airport, or Customs in BANGKOK?  Obviously, the latter would not be worth the effort.

Sorry I confused with another poster who said had gone to customs in person. You have only called them....The way things stand right now is customs is waiting for your declaration of items and once they receive it they will proceed with clearing it and then (hopefully no more glitches this time with the e-cigar confisticated out of the way) forwarding it to your local PO. The latter will send you a notice to pick up once they have it in possession. 

What raised my eyebrow is customs "suggesting" you abandoning "it". Such suggestion seems odd (government authorities don't usually suggest, it's the job of your lawyer) and "it" means what, just the item or the whole package? Anyway, send the declaration to customs, wait for a week, then go to your local PO and ask them to check on the status of the package. Make sure you go with a Thai friend this time, more often than not a whole new world opens up when thai is spoken and more importantly, understood. If PO says it's still stuck in customs, then you have a legit reason to call them again. Do so and once they recognize the case, meaning they say, oh yes, you have called before and let's see...then pass the phone to your thai advocate and let him/her do the talking. Lots of work but I wouldn't abandon my 450 bucks worth of items so easily.

Let's not just yet abandon all hope!

I don't think they would fine you for one illegal item, especially if you let them confisticate it. If and when you receive the notice for post office pick-up, if there is a fine you'll see it on the notice along with other duty fees and such on the remaining items. If you don't want to pay the fine, then don't show up, the post office would keep the package for the customary 30 days, and afterward they would return it (minus the illegal and now confisticated item.) Hopefully the fine if there is one, would be markedly less than the remaining value of the package (say under 200 usd fine vs. 400 value) and therefore you might as well just suck it up and get the other items. This has never happened to me (re illegal item) so I'm only speculating.

But you are still not getting the notice for PO pickup, hmmm...My guess is that had you not called on them, they were going to confiscate the e-cig, and then scrutinize what else is there in the package, before clearing it out to the post office -could be the reason it was taking so long...However,your inquiry seemed to have further delayed/contested the process and a new piece of document was being introduced, namely your declaration from the receiving end. The fact that they asked for it and at the same time told you to go home and wait could very well be a misunderstanding due to language barrier. Their suggestion for you to abandon the item could translate to they are WAITING to see if you would, and that entails another waiting period of say, 30 days?

If I were you I would go back and hand them my declaration in person, make sure A) to omit the e-cig on the list and B) to tell them loud and clear that you don't want the e-cig now that you know it's illegal - and see what they'd have to say? It could be that just what they need in order NOT to fine you,  so now the ball is in your court?

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

It also does this when the system is down which does happen. Have we had any reports of successful online reporting in say the past week?

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

I just did mine this morning, Unsuccessfully (even though I had been able to access past records and reported here on this thread earlier on.)

I went throught first page (arrival card info,) second page (address info) and when getting to third page to confirm all data was correct, after checking ("I accept) and verifying the accuracy of all data for a zillion time  I clicked submit, the whole thing went poof, all data was wiped out. I clicked back to previous pages, they were also blanked out.

When I tried to start again from scratch, I got the message of death when trying to get past the first page. I switched to another browser, same result. The only thing I can think of is I entered a new phone number this time, so is it a worthwhile reason I have to go report in person?  I can only hope that as Sheryl mentioned, it happened because the system was down. I am going to try again tomorrow, last day remaining on my time window.

On 6/10/2018 at 4:29 PM, CMsojourner said:

Just tested the link https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do?cmd=acceptTerm  and was able to not only access Immigration's online reporting menu, but it also appears they have fixed the bug when using Nationality + passport + DoB to view one's previous report history (second menu item - "Check the status of your application"). The notification reporting option (blue menu item) also opened when I clicked it. So my guess is that it's working now (for some) if it hadn't been before. 

Thank you for this tip, a lifesaver for me. I ran into the same problem of getting past the first page of the website (the "accept" button is greyed out, so your only choice is "decline"). 

Recently my hard disk crashed and as it happened I had not printed out the next-appointment notice when I last reported on line, hence I was left in semi-darkness as when to report next. Luckily "they have fixed the bug when using Nationality + passport + DoB to view one's previous report history (second menu item - "Check the status of your application")" so I was able to access all my past records. My guess was almost way off, but not critically, as there are now only two days left on my report window (phew, otherwise another dreaded trip to ChaengWattana, no matter of its recent make-over as a Chatujak market setting...) 

Lesson learned: always back up your data, it only takes a click or two

On 9/15/2017 at 9:36 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Planet Express I've used for a couple months now. Their website is functional, but not nearly as polished as Shipito. However, PE's pricing for a comparable Airmail service, also their lowest priced shipping options, runs $7-8 per pound, so the cost savings over Shipito can be significant. They also seem to have better rates on USPS Priority, the next price/service tier up from Airmail. And thus far, my experience has been that their customer service has been very responsive, easy to contact, and quick to reply.

 

Thus far, all my PE packages have arrived without any problem and typically with 10 day to 3 week delivery times via their Airmail service, which is pretty similar to Shipito's own Airmail service, Whether you use Shipito or Planet Express' Airmail services (both of which can be used only for packages up to about 4 pounds), the packages are delivered here by Thai Post.

 

 

I just completed my first shipping via their services. My evaluation is Excellent! First, I emailed them to tell them I just registered with them and that a friend in the LA area would come by to drop my package with them. Got a very instructive and friendly email from Bernie on what to do. Next my friend drove there to give them the package. He was impressed: "whathisname (taking the package) was super cool!" Immediately I received an email from PE with 3 lively pics of the package and its "bio" info. Next it was my turn to put more funds into my deposit, made a custom declaration, bought insurance and then clicked "Send." The next day I received all the shipping info with tracking number and ETA of 1 to 2 weeks.

The service I chose was USPS Priority Mail.

Of note is that the tracking number only works with USPS website, the thaipost website doesn't see it. My guess is that this is a special kind of tracking number between USPS and PE only. The last tracking input was that the package has left Suwarnabum for delivery. A couple of day later, ie yesterday the post man delivered the slip for me to go to the post office to pay custom tax and pick it up. I insured the package for 200 usd, the custom tax + VAT was 283 baht for a value of 1,600 baht (determined by custom, then the po clerk slapped on another 20 baht for reason he explained but went over my head.) Total shipping time was roughly one week.

Breaking down the shipping expenses: 25 dollars for postage (package weight 1.7kg); 5 for insurance of 200 usd value, and 2 for PE handling service. So in all the total was 32 bucks. Prior to coming to PE, my friend took the package to the post office and checked the cost. Right of the bat 50 usd without tracking number or insurance. One caveat was their website is not quite up to snuff, in the sense that it doesn't tell you what to do next, you have to figure out on your own. Easy enough as a natural progession of logic: for example, package at their warehouse, what to do next? put in enough money for shipping cost. Then what next? click send. That sort of thing.

All in all very pleased with Planet Express for both cost and services and again thanks to TallGuyJohninBKK for steering me there. 5 stars recommended!    

On 10/18/2017 at 11:32 AM, bkkandy1308 said:

Passing on my personal experiences was all I was aiming to do. When I searched for recent Non-B experiences before coming to Hanoi there was nothing much recent, hence my post. I was only aiming to help others who have the option to look at other places. 

 

You did right Andy! Thanks for the useful info and and good karma is on the way! Your good deed speaks for itself, don't bother to defend yourself against those who think it's not. They are of a different breed than you and those of us who appreciate your generosity and concern for the benefit of others.

On 9/4/2017 at 2:29 PM, Antonymous said:

 

As for the best interest rate, I have used Islamic Bank of Thailand for years and always got better than anywhere else. Currently my fixed deposit earns 2.6% interest paid monthly. For a new account you'll get less than this, but usually higher than anywhere else.

 

 

 

 

Can you tell which term for the 2.6% rate and how easy/difficult it was for you to open your account there? Any documents re work permit, retirement ext. etc. required? thanks

11 hours ago, soinowinbkk said:

When I went in late August, I was told and there were signs posted that NO MORE 90-DAY REPORTING after some time before what would be my next report date, 90 days later. I think it was 31 or 15 October 2017. They were adamant at the window when the told me.

 

Thanks for specific deadlines. 31 Oct it must be, as my friend did it yesterday the 16th. So I guess farang expats can still come in (AYOR) and get it done at LP as we speak for this week and next. Strange that my friend did not notice any signs posted, or maybe he was just clueless. My telling him about it did not ring alarm bell to him, oh well... He's been warned (by me!)

3 hours ago, spambot said:

Hi smo

 

Is online working?

 

I will need to do my first report (last one was done over 3 years ago) and obviously would like to do this online, but is it possible?

 

 

 

yes as I said in my original post  - so let me repeat here :

"So I did my online report last week for the first time, and got approved the same day (couldn't be happier!)"

( - and thanks to ubonjoe for the link!)

From second hand account: ran into my yankie fellowman expat building mate this morning. He just came back from a trip to LP for his 90 day report. "You did it?" I asked incredulously. He nodded, "And it was fast this time, only took 40 - 45 min!" I asked further if there was any warning/hints about them not doing 90d at LP anymore. "Nope." "And they didn't say anything last time you went either?" I checked again. He shook his head, looking surprised. 

Last time I went there in July, they didn't give me any warning also. The only thing worth noticing was that they treated farangs and non-farangs on equal basis, namely the numbering system be damned, you are told to go to the window by the bunch, and when the young female clerk(in this instance it was a trainee - I saw the regular male officer seating at his desk behind hers, giving out intrustions) finished she simply put your passport at the counter. I picked up the wrong one, and she screamed! I thought since they also had re-grouped the windows in the same manner, maybe they hadn't got their act together. Then later when I read here about the branches not doing 90 day anymore, I thought maybe that was their curtain call. So I did my online report last week for the first time, and got approved the same day (couldn't be happier!)

I post this because it seems strange to me that my friend went in having no idea whatsoever and for him it worked as it has always worked (even "faster" than before - gosh I wish I had his cool!) He's a button-down kind of a guy and there's no reason he would make up this story on a lark. Anyone has any idea?