Old Bachelors In Chaing Mai

[vagabond48]

That's a good deal. How much is it without the frig?

25 baht per month less. Even though, the frig is a small, 2 meters high, double door model, re-stocked weekly (by owner at no additional charge, of course) with champagne, beer, cheese, steaks, chicken, milk, yogurt, cakes, ice cream and assorted organic vegetable and fruits, I think the additional 25 baht is probably a good value.

What do you think?

[joe33]

Sorry, no disrespect but you are paying waaaay too much for "basic" living expenses. My very comfortable 2 bed 2 bath house is 6,000/month rent and all utilities together including A/C on 12 hours per day never exceeds 2900.

Food and entertainment - 33,000 per month???

What exactly is included in "entertainment"?

At my age very little, though I do pop in to Chiang Mai (I live in Mae Rim) about once a week to "take up residence" at some comfortable hotel like the PARK ( whch has baths deep enough to dive in) seeking peace and quiet and an escape from the idyllic ( read noisy) country life, surrounded by neighbouring crowing cockerels, clucking hens,cooing pigeons, cats, dogs, tractors and all manner of ploughing machines which are apparently a necessary part of rice cultivation.

What I find to do in Chiang Mai I know I can safely leave to your imagination ; browsing and buying books, eating at the many restaurants so appetisingly promoted here, just to give you a start. Though I do believe most of that 33,000 baht is probably spent on food in one way or another. Rimping and Carrefour appearing with monotonous regularity in my lists of expenses.

As for Utilities I just pay the bills : True Vision 1568, Maxnet 610, CAT 1000 ,Electric 500 etc, etc And I don't have aircon.

Its interesting and eyeopening to learn the details of how other people manage their expenses. It might help me economise.

But this thread is about the OP's wanting advice ; still I think it might be helpful.

Sir, after re-reading all the responses to my posting I can tell you that yours was very, very, helpful and just the kind of info am looking for here. Many thanks and best regards. Joe

[PeaceBlondie]

I have enjoyed the same range of net income as the OP, as a pensioned American. It is a joy to spend less than 12% on rent. Granted, 2500 is absurd, even with a 'frig.' But 20 or 30 K is excessive. Save on rent and spend more for frigging.

[joe33]

Hi again guys and many thanks to all your responses, all of which have been very helpful. I found the discussion between you guys had about accomodation in regard to how much one should budget for rent, the areas where best to live for comfort, neighbors, convenience, safety, etc., was great and for the most part, very respecful of each others view on the matter. Quess the thing for me to do is to make of list of what I think would the be top few or so to do some further research on and then check them out once I get over there, would sure save a lot of time that way. The rundown on th smog thing there for a coupla months each year gives me some concern but think I could suffer through that if the other positives make doing that worthwhile. Now one thing most important to planning for living there would be money management for drawing down funds from my us bank accounts here via ATM, wire transfers, etc. for living expenses and having a local reserve fund there for emergency purposes so your views on that would be much appreciated. If you think a separate thread should be started for that subj, or if one already exists on this forum please quide me accordingly. You guys have been great for taking time out of your schedule for helping this old guy out here and am very grateful for all of your replies. Thanks and have a good one. Joe

[elektrified]

My rent for my fan only room is under 2650baht (including water). I live in a quiet real world Thai neighborhood in a well maintained 5 to 7 years old apartment building with cabletv, wifi internet (not great) and frig. The building is less than 4K from the moat. About 20% of my decent neighbors are expats, some with real wifes.

I guess I found the only gem in CM.

Do you really think a 75 year old American with an income of 90,000 baht per month would choose to live in one room with or without aircon? If he really wanted to rough it, he could always bring his own tent and camp out in Huay Tueng Tao. I would imagine most Americans would be very happy to spend one quarter of their income on housing themselves with as many mod cons as they can afford and as much space as they can get for their money. So he should be looking at renting something in the region of 20,000 baht or just above. Perhaps he can find a nice house in a pleasant Moo Bann in Hang Dong for 15,000. Fine, but to whittle on about 2,650 for a man with 90,000 to spend is a bit pointless however proud you may be of your acheivement in finding such "a gem". Congratulations, and I'm sure you and your frig will be very happy. I sincerely hope so.

I agree that a 75 y/o retiree will not be happy in single room. But for 20,000 he could rent a gated villa on a huge piece of land. Of course he would then have to employ a full-time housekeeping and landscaping staff! But seriously, there are some beautiful rental properties in the 8-10K range.

Oh, and then he will certainly have more cash for frigging.

[roger1999]

You've been given a lot of good advice but I'll post my experiences. I retired a year ago (but have lived in Chiang Mai for almost 10 years) and I love my retirement here. Upon retiring I moved to the Nimmenhaemin area. I love it because almost everything I need is within walking distance. I have a motorbike but rarely use it. When I need to go somewhere that is not walking distance I take a red pick-up truck taxi or a tuk-tuk and pay $1-$3 depending on distance (one-way fare.)

When the air fills up with dirt I head down to Bangkok/Pattaya/Samui for six weeks. I like all three places but prefer CM for the majority of the year. (I am single.)

You will have no problem on 90,000 baht per month. I know a 70 year old man here who did CM for years on less than 40,000 per month, but he couldn't go out as much as he wanted.

I agree with the post that said you should start in a hotel/serviced apartment for a month or more. This will give you time to get to know the various areas before deciding where to rent.

Renting does seem to be the way to go since it gives you so much flexibility.

Edited August 17, 2009 by roger1999

[roger1999]

I neglected to answer your question about money management. Definitely keep your home country bank account open, and also open a bank account in Chiang Mai if you decide to reside here. Have some cash to make your initial deposit and have enough to get you through the first 5 weeks or so.

Once you open your Thai bank account, by using a personal check from your home country bank account, you can deposit money into your Thai bank account. Deposit around $9,000 four times annually if you can. The Thai bank will charge you 400 or 500 baht for this service (thus I recommend four times annually rather than monthly,) and I suppose the exchange rate is not the best, but it is simple. Two warnings, it takes a full 30 days before those funds appear in your Thai bank account, and do not deposit more than $9,500 at a time. Deposits of over $10,000 require the bank to file special paperwork and it is a pain for them, or so it seems.

Use one of the large banks (SCB is a good option) and open the account at a branch close to where you plan to reside. Ask to meet an assistant manager or manager and get to know them. This has helped me a lot. I never go to the tellers anymore. If you move away from the branch, open another account at a branch near your new place, using the same bank.

Other guys are more comfortable simply using their home country ATM cards. Fees on that are too high for me.

All of this is just my opinion and I hope it helps.

Edited August 17, 2009 by roger1999

[PeaceBlondie]

If you are living directly off your pension, and using ATM withdrawals, costs add up. The usual limit is 25,000 baht with a fee of 150 baht plus the American bank's charge. Cheaper to take quarterly or annual lump sums as outlined above.

[venturalaw]

If you are living directly off your pension, and using ATM withdrawals, costs add up. The usual limit is 25,000 baht with a fee of 150 baht plus the American bank's charge. Cheaper to take quarterly or annual lump sums as outlined above.

Another way is to open an account that pays any and all ATM fees - such as with Schwab. Furthermore, you can withdraw up to $2,500 (that's dollars) via ATM per day. No fees. No minimum to open and no minimum balance required.

[roger1999]

Two other points that have improved the quality of my life in Chiang Mai rather dramatically. You might think this is minor, but I'll still point them out.

1. I recommend hiring a cleaning woman. My place has seven rooms (that includes two bathrooms) and I find that my cleaning woman needs about 3 1/2 hours per week. I can do minor stuff during the week. She comes Friday AM so my place is spotless for the weekend. This is a big help. I over pay because I have known her for about 10 years, and she is good. I give her 4,000 baht every quarter and this is a good paycheck for her.

2. Laundry services can vary dramatically and having someone else do it is a big help. I found a great woman whose husband has a pick-up. He comes by every Friday and delivers a clean load of laundry and picks up the stuff that needs to be cleaned. A weeks worth of laundry with pick-up and delivery service included generally runs me about 2,000 per month. I consider this a bargain and it's great income for them. I use to always haul my stuff to the laundry and that was a bit of a pain. Buy lots of towels, bedsheets, shirts, pants etc. and you'll be fine.

[PeaceBlondie]

We pay a local lady for laundry (no linen). 500 baht/month for two guys, and we supply soap and softener. Labor is cheap here. I have excellent medical insurance, similar to the OP, but choose low-cost option and seldom file claims.

[joe33]

If you are living directly off your pension, and using ATM withdrawals, costs add up. The usual limit is 25,000 baht with a fee of 150 baht plus the American bank's charge. Cheaper to take quarterly or annual lump sums as outlined above.

Another way is to open an account that pays any and all ATM fees - such as with Schwab. Furthermore, you can withdraw up to $2,500 (that's dollars) via ATM per day. No fees. No minimum to open and no minimum balance required.

Thanks for that info. I do have a cs account which I need to do a detail review again of their rules regarding transfers. I have both the checking and savings accounts. The savings is very restrictive and they don't yet allow setting up on-line transfers(they're still working on that feature) and currently transfers are done by phone contact. However, seems these accounts will work fine for drawing money down for purpose previously stated. It seems the rules for Visa and MasterCard have changed for currency conversion(what is referred to as their override in addition to normal atm fees, in other words, just another form of greed to screw the consumer. If you are a current user of a cs account for money management are you satisfied with their service and fees. Regards, Joe

[IanForbes]

I'm not a full time expat because I like the best of both worlds. I have a son and daughter living on vancouver Island, and who are both married and gave me 3 grandchildren. I'm not about to give that up to live in Thailand full time. I also love my salmon, trout and steelhead fishing to give that up either, even though I do go fishing a bit in Thailand. Golf is certainly a lot cheaper in Thailand and there are world class courses to play on. So, I just spend 5 months each winter in Thailand. I could stay longer but I don't have a permanent relationship with anyone.

What I DON'T have in Canada is the company of the beautiful young women that I have in Thailand. And, a man doesn't have to settle for a pay for play bar girl if he doesn't want to. If you want an honest relationship there are lots of available Thai women in their 30s and 40s who have jobs and careers. They are everywhere if you bother to look. It just takes a little searching to find them. If you are open and friendly, without being too pushy, it is easy to meet them. If I spot someone I like then I make a point of going back to where they work fairly often until they get to know me. Then you can make a little small talk to see if they are available or interested.

As far as life style is concerned, only you can decide what you want and need. I rent a big corner room in a hotel about 2 km from the airport, It's a 1.8 km walk into the moat area. I pay about 6000 baht a month for the room that includes TV, a small fridge, internet and utilities. No need to cook because it's easy to eat in a Thai cafe. I can eat well for about $3 to $5 a day. I bought myself my own motorcycle and leave it with friends when I go back to Canada. Otherwise, I fly or take a taxi or red pickup (bus), or one of those 3 wheel motorbikes for hire. When you get to know a reliable guy he'll wait for you while you do errands.

I live very well on my pension of 60,000 baht a month, and always come home with money.

One thing I WOULDN'T do is buy property or a home in Thailand, because you can't get title and you have to sign it over to a Thai national.

[Sparkles]

I neglected to answer your question about money management. Definitely keep your home country bank account open, and also open a bank account in Chiang Mai if you decide to reside here. Have some cash to make your initial deposit and have enough to get you through the first 5 weeks or so.

Once you open your Thai bank account, by using a personal check from your home country bank account, you can deposit money into your Thai bank account. Deposit around $9,000 four times annually if you can. The Thai bank will charge you 400 or 500 baht for this service (thus I recommend four times annually rather than monthly,) and I suppose the exchange rate is not the best, but it is simple. Two warnings, it takes a full 30 days before those funds appear in your Thai bank account, and do not deposit more than $9,500 at a time. Deposits of over $10,000 require the bank to file special paperwork and it is a pain for them, or so it seems.

Use one of the large banks (SCB is a good option) and open the account at a branch close to where you plan to reside. Ask to meet an assistant manager or manager and get to know them. This has helped me a lot. I never go to the tellers anymore. If you move away from the branch, open another account at a branch near your new place, using the same bank.

Other guys are more comfortable simply using their home country ATM cards. Fees on that are too high for me.

All of this is just my opinion and I hope it helps.

Any Australian Expats on this forum may, or may not know, that some Oz credit unions and banks offer aged pensioners 6 free ATM transactions both locally and overesas free plus a reasonable interest rate ,compared to Thailand, I have a savings account with visa debit card which my pension goes into ,which limits damage if stolen or scammed.

I withdraw at the same Bangkok Bank ATM each month 20,000 baht. I am staggered at the amounts quoted here from some people to live on. We do own our own house ,or my wife does,we run a car and prefer home cooking ,shop at the markets,which is fun and find that that amount lasts us a month. The occasional holiday away of course eats up a bit more depending on location.

[Asmerom]

I agree that a 75 y/o retiree will not be happy in single room. But for 20,000 he could rent a gated villa on a huge piece of land. Of course he would then have to employ a full-time housekeeping and landscaping staff! But seriously, there are some beautiful rental properties in the 8-10K range.

Could I please have more details of these "gated villas on huge pieces of land in Chiang Mai"for 20,000, as opposed to the one bed condos which rent for that price. That's just what I'm looking for, so far, without any success.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Asmerom

[PeaceBlondie]

I agree that a 75 y/o retiree will not be happy in single room. But for 20,000 he could rent a gated villa on a huge piece of land. Of course he would then have to employ a full-time housekeeping and landscaping staff! But seriously, there are some beautiful rental properties in the 8-10K range.

Could I please have more details of these "gated villas on huge pieces of land in Chiang Mai"for 20,000, as opposed to the one bed condos which rent for that price. That's just what I'm looking for, so far, without any success.

My neighbor paid 14000/month for a huge furnished home in ChiangMai Lakeland; good value but there are many others.

[Tywais]

My neighbor paid 14000/month for a huge furnished home in ChiangMai Lakeland; good value but there are many others.

The large moo bahns outside of town bargains can be found. I live about 10 kms out and have a 4 bedroom/two bath/2 story house with large yard and fully furnished for 7000/month. I suspect that may be more difficult now since I've been renting for 12 years with no rental increase. I'm sure there are others close to that amount if one has a Thai with them to drive around to the various places and ask at the management offices or look for posted signs.

[elektrified]

I agree that a 75 y/o retiree will not be happy in single room. But for 20,000 he could rent a gated villa on a huge piece of land. Of course he would then have to employ a full-time housekeeping and landscaping staff! But seriously, there are some beautiful rental properties in the 8-10K range.

Could I please have more details of these "gated villas on huge pieces of land in Chiang Mai"for 20,000, as opposed to the one bed condos which rent for that price. That's just what I'm looking for, so far, without any success.

Asmerom, they are everywhere. First decide what area you are interested in. Then, get in your car or on your bike and drive around the moobaans in that area. Well to do Thais who rent these kind of homes seldom list them in the paper or on the Internet. They just stick a sign out front. Right now the market couldn't be better for renters. Bargains are everywhere. When I was in the Doi Saket area a couple of weeks ago I saw a newly built, beautiful 4 bedroom home on a corner lot with gorgeous teak furnishings, a sunken living room with huge plasma display, several air conditioners, and a beautifully landscaped garden with patio and furnishings, fish pond, etc. They were asking 20,000 but the woman told my g/f that she would probably have to come down in price in order to get it rented.

[Asmerom]

name='PeaceBlondie' post='2951316' date='2009-08-18 18:36:33']My neighbor paid 14000/month for a huge furnished home in ChiangMai Lakeland; good value but there are many others.

The large moo bahns outside of town bargains can be found. I live about 10 kms out and have a 4 bedroom/two bath/2 story house with large yard and fully furnished for 7000/month. I suspect that may be more difficult now since I've been renting for 12 years with no rental increase. I'm sure there are others close to that amount if one has a Thai with them to drive around to the various places and ask at the management offices or look for posted signs.

I wonder what is the present day equivalent of 7000 baht per month 12 years ago ! Any stataticians out there?

I hardly think a house in a moo baan could be described as "a gated villa on a huge piece of land". The moo baans I have seen don't have houses with orchards,fish ponds,swimming pools and half an acre of woodland to enjoy. Isn't that what "a huge piece of land" implies? At least a football field size. Most houses in moo baans are practically within arms length of each other aren't they? That's what I find so off-putting about them-all so closely packed together you could practically hear your neighbours breathing. Even the newly built ones such as the one near Huay Tueng Thao Lake ; delightful area, with good looking houses but all packed so suffocatingly close.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Asmerom

[Asmerom]

Asmerom, they are everywhere. First decide what area you are interested in. Then, get in your car or on your bike and drive around the moobaans in that area. Well to do Thais who rent these kind of homes seldom list them in the paper or on the Internet. They just stick a sign out front. Right now the market couldn't be better for renters. Bargains are everywhere. When I was in the Doi Saket area a couple of weeks ago I saw a newly built, beautiful 4 bedroom home on a corner lot with gorgeous teak furnishings, a sunken living room with huge plasma display, several air conditioners, and a beautifully landscaped garden with patio and furnishings, fish pond, etc. They were asking 20,000 but the woman told my g/f that she would probably have to come down in price in order to get it rented.

Sorry, I just missed your post.

You make your point with such conviction that there are lots of beautiful homes out there (though perhaps not gated villas with huge pieces of land) just desperate for a homeless farang to come along, that it's difficult not to jump on my bike and get looking, which I admit you've persuaded me I must do. Not that I haven't already, but obviously I've missed them or been looking in the wrong places. I must try harder. I do hope we are still helping the other "elderly bachelor" ; the OP.

[Priceless]

name='PeaceBlondie' post='2951316' date='2009-08-18 18:36:33']My neighbor paid 14000/month for a huge furnished home in ChiangMai Lakeland; good value but there are many others.

The large moo bahns outside of town bargains can be found. I live about 10 kms out and have a 4 bedroom/two bath/2 story house with large yard and fully furnished for 7000/month. I suspect that may be more difficult now since I've been renting for 12 years with no rental increase. I'm sure there are others close to that amount if one has a Thai with them to drive around to the various places and ask at the management offices or look for posted signs.

I wonder what is the present day equivalent of 7000 baht per month 12 years ago ! Any stataticians out there?

I hardly think a house in a moo baan could be described as "a gated villa on a huge piece of land". The moo baans I have seen don't have houses with orchards,fish ponds,swimming pools and half an acre of woodland to enjoy. Isn't that what "a huge piece of land" implies? At least a football field size. Most houses in moo baans are practically within arms length of each other aren't they? That's what I find so off-putting about them-all so closely packed together you could practically hear your neighbours breathing. Even the newly built ones such as the one near Huay Tueng Thao Lake ; delightful area, with good looking houses but all packed so suffocatingly close.

I think it comes down to different definitions of "huge" In another thread, there was a discussion of the "Twogether" development. The plots there are 60-70 square wah (240-280 square metres). In comparison to that, 200-300 square wah might be called "huge", don't you think? If you are thinking "orchards,fish ponds,swimming pools and half an acre of woodland" I don't think you will find it in any gated community, at least not around Chiang Mai. You'll rather have to get out into the sticks, build your own gates, hire your own security staff and so on. Some people do and enjoy living that way. Kudos to them but I am retired myself, like the OP, and am more looking for a laid back lifestyle and as little trouble and worries as possible. For me (and my cats) it felt like a "huge" improvement when I moved from a plot of 96 square wah to 124 last October, and I don't want anything larger than that.

/ Priceless

[joe33]

I'm not a full time expat because I like the best of both worlds. I have a son and daughter living on vancouver Island, and who are both married and gave me 3 grandchildren. I'm not about to give that up to live in Thailand full time. I also love my salmon, trout and steelhead fishing to give that up either, even though I do go fishing a bit in Thailand. Golf is certainly a lot cheaper in Thailand and there are world class courses to play on. So, I just spend 5 months each winter in Thailand. I could stay longer but I don't have a permanent relationship with anyone.

What I DON'T have in Canada is the company of the beautiful young women that I have in Thailand. And, a man doesn't have to settle for a pay for play bar girl if he doesn't want to. If you want an honest relationship there are lots of available Thai women in their 30s and 40s who have jobs and careers. They are everywhere if you bother to look. It just takes a little searching to find them. If you are open and friendly, without being too pushy, it is easy to meet them. If I spot someone I like then I make a point of going back to where they work fairly often until they get to know me. Then you can make a little small talk to see if they are available or interested.

As far as life style is concerned, only you can decide what you want and need. I rent a big corner room in a hotel about 2 km from the airport, It's a 1.8 km walk into the moat area. I pay about 6000 baht a month for the room that includes TV, a small fridge, internet and utilities. No need to cook because it's easy to eat in a Thai cafe. I can eat well for about $3 to $5 a day. I bought myself my own motorcycle and leave it with friends when I go back to Canada. Otherwise, I fly or take a taxi or red pickup (bus), or one of those 3 wheel motorbikes for hire. When you get to know a reliable guy he'll wait for you while you do errands.

I live very well on my pension of 60,000 baht a month, and always come home with money.

One thing I WOULDN'T do is buy property or a home in Thailand, because you can't get title and you have to sign it over to a Thai national.

Thanks Ian for that info and find my feelings at this time similar to yours as also have 2 young grandsons

(early teens) that I would want to be fairly close to for a few more years, however, being teens they have their own circle of friends and activities that keep them busy and they don't seem to have as much time for old grandad as when younger, goes with growing up I quess. You have the advantage of being in a location which is probably one the most beautiful spots in the world with unlimited outdoor activities for one to enjoy and a great infrastructure for support, one of the best kept secrets in the world(I bet if you asked 10 of us dumb ass Americans what is the capital of BC they would answer Vancouver, not Victoria). I have many reservations about selling out here and making a permanent move to anywhere and the only way to convince me otherwise would, like many others have said here, is to get my butt over there for awhile to find out.

Things change very rapidly in this fast moving world economy and politics so one never knows what will happen next. However one can't live in fear and quess for one living there for awhile they would have to ask

themself "is this really for me" and then make the big decision, each to his own in that regard. Thanks agains for your valuable input and many regards. Joe

[JimGant]

Two warnings, it takes a full 30 days before those funds appear in your Thai bank account, and do not deposit more than $9,500 at a time. Deposits of over $10,000 require the bank to file special paperwork and it is a pain for them, or so it seems.

Maybe so with a check deposit. However, a SWIFT wire transfer shows up in a day -- and an EFT/ACH transfer, normally within two days (if there's no middleman involved, as there currently is with Bank of America, and some others.). Wire transfers can cost around, on average, $40 on the US end; ACH, using a Bangkok Bank account, $10. Be sure to establish the particulars of implementing money transfers with your US bank before you head to Thailand.

Amounts being deposited shouldn't be a problem. A few years back there was a cap at, I believe, $20,000. But that's been lifted.

[IanForbes]

I'm quite happy for 5 months in my one room with a small balcony.

Lots to do including bowling. Believe it or not were WERE at a bowling alley, but it turned into a party.

I might be an old fart but I still have lots of young friends.

And we sometimes go to a local watering hole to listen to jazz...

And there are some nice local hikes if you go the trail up Doi Suthep...

And there are great little restaurants everywhere...

[Asmerom]

I'm quite happy for 5 months in my one room with a small balcony.

How very different we are,we humans. Its no wonder a sociable extrovert like yourself with so many diverting outside interests can be happy in one room.I seem to remember the philosopher,Emmanuel Kant, hardly ever stirred from his one room. I guess you'd probably be happy even up a creek without a paddle and would be the ideal companion to be with when thrown shipwecked on a deserted island.

Some specimens though are not so blessed with your eternal optimism and need the sharper edges of daily existence softened by deep pile carpets,luxurious baths, comforting furniture and a large meloncholy green garden to mope around in, contemplating the sadness of this world. Happy days !

[el jefe]

If you are living directly off your pension, and using ATM withdrawals, costs add up. The usual limit is 25,000 baht with a fee of 150 baht plus the American bank's charge. Cheaper to take quarterly or annual lump sums as outlined above.

Another way is to open an account that pays any and all ATM fees - such as with Schwab. Furthermore, you can withdraw up to $2,500 (that's dollars) via ATM per day. No fees. No minimum to open and no minimum balance required.

Thanks for that info. I do have a cs account which I need to do a detail review again of their rules regarding transfers. I have both the checking and savings accounts. The savings is very restrictive and they don't yet allow setting up on-line transfers(they're still working on that feature) and currently transfers are done by phone contact. However, seems these accounts will work fine for drawing money down for purpose previously stated. It seems the rules for Visa and MasterCard have changed for currency conversion(what is referred to as their override in addition to normal atm fees, in other words, just another form of greed to screw the consumer. If you are a current user of a cs account for money management are you satisfied with their service and fees. Regards, Joe

Joe,

I have had a Schwab a/c for over 20 years. When I use my Schwab ATM card here in Chiang Mai, they reimburse me for the 150 baht fee charged by the banks here. There is no fee on Schwab's end either. Plus, the conversion rate they use is better than any other ATM card or credit card I have. Schwab used to "reimburse" me for fees before the banks started charging one. I profited by a few dollars on every withdrawal. it took them about a year to fix their programming error, but it was nice while it lasted. I was going to tell you that UOB bank was the only bank that did not charge a fee to use their ATM, but according to another thread, that changed today. There are several other banks in the US that do not charge a fee for using a foreign ATM but I don't know of any others that reimburse the fees. I'm very happy with the service and the fees (none) as it relates to money transfers and can't think of any reason to consider any other method of accessing cash in Thailand.

[joe33]

If you are living directly off your pension, and using ATM withdrawals, costs add up. The usual limit is 25,000 baht with a fee of 150 baht plus the American bank's charge. Cheaper to take quarterly or annual lump sums as outlined above.

Another way is to open an account that pays any and all ATM fees - such as with Schwab. Furthermore, you can withdraw up to $2,500 (that's dollars) via ATM per day. No fees. No minimum to open and no minimum balance required.

Thanks for that info. I do have a cs account which I need to do a detail review again of their rules regarding transfers. I have both the checking and savings accounts. The savings is very restrictive and they don't yet allow setting up on-line transfers(they're still working on that feature) and currently transfers are done by phone contact. However, seems these accounts will work fine for drawing money down for purpose previously stated. It seems the rules for Visa and MasterCard have changed for currency conversion(what is referred to as their override in addition to normal atm fees, in other words, just another form of greed to screw the consumer. If you are a current user of a cs account for money management are you satisfied with their service and fees. Regards, Joe

Joe,

I have had a Schwab a/c for over 20 years. When I use my Schwab ATM card here in Chiang Mai, they reimburse me for the 150 baht fee charged by the banks here. There is no fee on Schwab's end either. Plus, the conversion rate they use is better than any other ATM card or credit card I have. Schwab used to "reimburse" me for fees before the banks started charging one. I profited by a few dollars on every withdrawal. it took them about a year to fix their programming error, but it was nice while it lasted. I was going to tell you that UOB bank was the only bank that did not charge a fee to use their ATM, but according to another thread, that changed today. There are several other banks in the US that do not charge a fee for using a foreign ATM but I don't know of any others that reimburse the fees. I'm very happy with the service and the fees (none) as it relates to money transfers and can't think of any reason to consider any other method of accessing cash in Thailand.

El Jefe,

Thanks guy, you confirmed what I was hoping for in that regard, much appreciated. Have a good one, Joe

[zorro1]

I'm quite happy for 5 months in my one room with a small balcony.

Lots to do including bowling. Believe it or not were WERE at a bowling alley, but it turned into a party.

I might be an old fart but I still have lots of young friends.

And we sometimes go to a local watering hole to listen to jazz...

And there are some nice local hikes if you go the trail up Doi Suthep...

And there are great little restaurants everywhere...

Ha I knew you would turn up with great pics, well done Ian although the mattress looks a little saggy in the middle. After 6 months boom boom dont forget to flip

[venturalaw]

Plus, not yet mentioned, one can easily transfer money from any other account into the Schwab account using the Schwab online website. The only reason I opened the Schwab account was to be able to access funds from overseas at no cost. They FedEx'd the ATM card to me to my Thai post office box so there was no hassle of having to be stateside to receive it.

[vagabond48]

I was going to tell you that UOB bank was the only bank that did not charge a fee to use their ATM, but according to another thread, that changed today. There are several other banks in the US that do not charge a fee for using a foreign ATM but I don't know of any others that reimburse the fees.

Currently, GSB (Government Savings Bank) and AEON (have never used them) don't charge the 150baht fee yet.

You can also get an unlimited fee reimbursement ATM card from Fidelity and eTrade.

Oh I forgot to mention that I have read on TV that you can also go to a bank with your ATM card and passport and withdraw a sizable amount. I still am not clear on who controls the exchange rate, the local bank or visa for this type of transaction.

Edited August 19, 2009 by vagabond48