Israeli Interrogator Warns of Continued Violence as Long as Hamas Leader Sinwar Lives

[zziffle]

Well, it's just a few weeks now until I land my freshly retired ass in Chiang Mai and start putting together a decent life based out of there. The immediate things to get done shortly after arrival are:

- Get a local bank account

- Get a thai driver's license

- Purchase a new motorbike (probably in Bkk) and get it insured and registered in my name.

I'm not sure what a residency certificate is and how it plays into the above activities, but I gather I will need one. Here's the challenge:

When I first get to Chiang Mai, I'll hunker down in a short term rental - likely a monthly rental in a hotel. I'll want to get the bank account, license and bike right away after arrival. Am I going to run into problems due to having no residency certificate due to having no residence?

By the way, after that first month of getting established, I may not take a long term rental right away. I may be homeless for 2 or 3 months and travel around like a tourist enjoying my new found freedom.

Any tips or info about how to manage getting established before having an enduring residential address that can be certified???

[Beetlejuice]

On reading your post, I assume you are still in your own country?

If so:

As far as I know, your home country driving license is valid in Thailand for the first 3 months after your arrival, or you could obtain an International driving license from your home country that is valid for 1 year, that is providing your present license includes the driving of motorbikes. If not, then yes, you have a problem.

Also without some sort of permanent address in Thailand I doubt whether the bank would issue you a resident account that pays interest, but rather a non-resident account mostly reserved for foreigners with very little interest or no interest at all.

My advice is that your first priority on arrival in Thailand should be to obtain yourself a permanent residential address. You could rent yourself a cheap apartment in Chiang Mai and even if you are not staying there, just pay the monthly rent and ask the landlord to give you a reference and a rent book for the purposes of opening a Thailand resident bank account and obtaining a residency certificate from Immigration and a motorbike driving license.

You will also require a permanent address for extensions of your visa, unless you plan to do the border jobs.

Without a permanent address I don't think you will be able to acquire the majority of the above, unless anyone knows better of course.

Edited October 11, 2011 by Beetlejuice

[NancyL]

We were able to open bank accounts at the Kad Suan Kaew branch of Bangkok Bank within days of arrival, even though we were staying in a serviced apartment on a month-to-month rental basis (no lease). They were happy to do it, but we came in with a large amount of cash in U.S. dollars, and retirement visas in our passports. They understand that it takes a few months to get settled and you need a bank account to do that. Be sure to open the account near where you think you'll live, because you'll have to go to your home branch to take care of some items of business in the future..

We didn't need a letter of residency to do this.

I think the first time we needed one was when we got our drivers licenses. It's easy -- just get a letter from the manager of the condo/serviced apartment/whereever you're staying and go out to Immigration, pay them 500 baht, wait around a bit and presto, you have the official letter of residency needed for the drivers license. As long as you have a valid license from anywhere else, you don't need to take a driving test to get the license. I don't know if you can buy a vehicle without a Thai drivers license, though.

[iainiain101]

For a bank account you need a visa that allows it, such as retirement.

A residency statement can usually be gotten from your consulate, for a cost.

Iain

[Mario2008]

The embassy/consulate might issue a letter of residency. This will be faster (and more expensive) than the immigration route, which should be free.

[zziffle]

Thanks!

Some good info here, even if it's not always what I would like to hear. I really appreciate the willingness of people here to help out strangers where they can.

Just to clarify, I'm coming in with a multi-entry O-A, so the visa situation is covered for 2 years minus a day.

I checked the Canadian consulate web site and they have nothing posted there about issuing residency letters, and no fee associated with that on their schedule-of-fees page. But I'll drop in there anyway and see what they can do.

It sounds like it might also be worth a shot to get a one-month rental at a serviced apartment and see if they will write a letter based on that. Right now I've got my eye on Pacific Mansion for that first month, unless anyone warns me away from there for some reason.

If neither the consulate nor the short-term rental works out, then the plan is to muddle through. That's always worked for me before.

Getting the bike purchased, registered and legal is the main goal. The key to my semi-sanity in Thailand has always been the ability to hop on a bike a go skittering away to some lovely place like Loei or Umphang or ....

@NancyL - I think you're mostly right about the license except my understanding is you also need a valid IDP to be exempt from the test. No IDP = take the driving test. I may be wrong, but I'm bringing one anyway.

The motivation for wanting the Thai driver's license right away is two-fold: possibly resident rates for national parks and, more importantly, the psychological efffect of having truly arrived with that in my wallet. That the license may also be essential for purchasing a vehicle is news to me, but important to know.

Allow me a small personal celebration here. Two working days until the big retirement lunch followed by a one-way trip to the future!!! I'm grinning from ear to ear!

Cheers...

...Byron

[meadish_sweetball]

If you know rudimentary driving you will not fail the driving test. That means, if you have managed to obtain a driving license in a reasonably developed country and have some driving experience you are fine. It will take just under one day to get it done.

[CMSteve]

Getting the residency cert from immigration is pretty painless, cheaper and easier than most consulates.

DL - If you have one, they will make you a thai DL without a test. no need for a IDP.

May be better to hold off on buying a new bike. Sounds like you'll be putting a lot of miles/k's on it the first couple of month, may be better to do on a rental.

You DO NOT need a license to purchase a vehicle. - Surprisingly, this is true for most countries...

BTW, you will need a res cert for your DL and any vehicle purchase. Try to plan them for the same time so you don't have to make multiple trips to immigration.

Thanks!

Some good info here, even if it's not always what I would like to hear. I really appreciate the willingness of people here to help out strangers where they can.

Just to clarify, I'm coming in with a multi-entry O-A, so the visa situation is covered for 2 years minus a day.

I checked the Canadian consulate web site and they have nothing posted there about issuing residency letters, and no fee associated with that on their schedule-of-fees page. But I'll drop in there anyway and see what they can do.

It sounds like it might also be worth a shot to get a one-month rental at a serviced apartment and see if they will write a letter based on that. Right now I've got my eye on Pacific Mansion for that first month, unless anyone warns me away from there for some reason.

If neither the consulate nor the short-term rental works out, then the plan is to muddle through. That's always worked for me before.

Getting the bike purchased, registered and legal is the main goal. The key to my semi-sanity in Thailand has always been the ability to hop on a bike a go skittering away to some lovely place like Loei or Umphang or ....

@NancyL - I think you're mostly right about the license except my understanding is you also need a valid IDP to be exempt from the test. No IDP = take the driving test. I may be wrong, but I'm bringing one anyway.

The motivation for wanting the Thai driver's license right away is two-fold: possibly resident rates for national parks and, more importantly, the psychological efffect of having truly arrived with that in my wallet. That the license may also be essential for purchasing a vehicle is news to me, but important to know.

Allow me a small personal celebration here. Two working days until the big retirement lunch followed by a one-way trip to the future!!! I'm grinning from ear to ear!

Cheers...

...Byron