Relocation Idiots Guide

[Kabula]

Welcome...

Simply Google your question and many times you will be directed to the Thai Visa link that was published.

Sign up to have new Thai Visa news sent to your email account.

Utilize the search engines within the Thai Visa website.

Find expats who have lived here for over ten years and before making any financial decisions, ask them their opinions in person. It could save you your life savings.

Always ask for recommendations for medical, dental, banking, wiring funds and most services from the same longtime expats.

Refer to the Thai Immigration website and their Q&A often to see new surprises.

Pay particular attention to content regarding pitfalls in relationships here so not to make the same mistakes and read the book, Private Dancer.

There is always an adjustment time, especially understanding different cultures. Over time you will be come more patient and understanding. If a woman tells you, "you talk to much." You are. ha ha ah

Learn basic Thai especially, hello, thank you, sorry, how are you, bottle water, milk, ice, how much, no way and unbelievable! Much is negotible with high price margins.

Pay no attention to all trolls in all media and social networking. Do your own research and enjoy the country and all it has to offer. You will find the positives far outweigh the negatives over time. At times it takes a trip home to shock one to see how good they have it here.

If you get a retirement visa and drive, you are required to obtain a Thai drivers license. They have a separate one for motorcycles.

Best of luck.

[johnbexley]

Thanks a lot.

[elviajero]

I am also a newbie to the site so hope this works! Interesting read with regard to the retirement visa - so can someone tell me, as long as you can prove that you have the money in your home bank, you don't actually have to transfer the monthly amount of 65K - you just need to prove you have the funds in your bank account and then can transfer money as you need it? Is that right, or are you expected to move the THB65K over every month?

Although it's commonly called a retirement visa there is no such thing. You can get a non immigrant 'O' (Other) or 'O-A' (Long stay) visa as long as you are over 50 and have sufficient income or money in the bank.

• When applying for either visa the money can be in your home bank.

Once you have entered Thailand with either visa you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement within the last 30 days of the permit to stay that is granted on entry.

• If you apply for an extension of stay based on retirement you need a Thai bank account with a minimum of 800k deposited for at least 2 months (3 months for the 2nd and subsequent extensions) OR a minimum income of 65k that is certified by your embassy OR a combination of the two.
• If using the 65k pm month income method you do not need to transfer 65k per month.

Edited January 12, 2016 by elviajero

[humqdpf]

While you are working things out, you can go between Vietnam and Thailand on visitors visas for some time (I know someone who has done it for at least a year) as long as you NEVER overstay in Thailand and you fly each time so as to get the one month visa waiver or whatever it is called.

Not sure what the visa situation is in Vietnam but you should be able to fix up a longer stay multiple entry visa scenario in Vietnam once you get to know people.

Can I suggest you check out Da Nang (Danang) while you are in Vietnam - this is now a very liveable and cheap city and without the terrible pollution of Hanoi and less so in Saigon.

[ubonjoe]

A reply to a removed post has been removed. Post was removed 18 minutes before reply was posted.

[buzzah]

Ok! Got it! Starting to make sense. One more question.... So when I go to get my proof of funds affidavit signed, do I do that in my country or at my embassy when we get to Thailand? And to make things more complicated, we are NZ citizens residing in Australia so do I get the affidavit done by NZ or Australia for our Australian bank account??

[ubonjoe]

You will have to do it at the NZ embassy here.