Some questions on the O-A Retirement Visa.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, JimmyJ said:

Lots of terrible reviews recently for Magic Jack, at least when used on my phone make, at Google Play Store.

Obviously it works well for you which is encouraging.

 

FreedomPop says "Coming Soon" for Thailand/Vietnam. No mention of Laos/Cambodia

 

A few things you need to understand on what you wrote about:

 

There are two different aspects of MJ. The first is their paid annual subscription and purchase of a small dongle. Connecting that small dongle to your router or PC enables you to plug in to that device any regular landline phone and use that regular phone to make and receive unlimited U.S./Canada VOIP calls over the MJ network. The call quality is going to be as good or poor as your internet connection supports, which really doesn't require much just for voice calls.

 

Then, separate from that, there is the MJ smartphone app.  With a paid MJ subscription as I mentioned in the prior pgh, you get free use of the MJ smartphone app to make and receive calls over the MJ network. (You can use your smartphone in either wifi or mobile data modes for that purpose).  But by having the paid subscription to MJ, that also unlocks the ability to send and receive US SMS messages on your MJ app on your smartphone. (Obviously, you can't receive/send SMS messages on a regular land line, like you'd have plugged into your router or PC).

 

I've had a MJ subscription for many years, and use both the landline phone method and the smartphone app method regularly. Sometimes get a disconnect after 30 or 40 or 50 minutes on a call. But overall, the service has been great, the network reliability is good, and I have no complaints with them.  (Where some people may have different issues is where they're trying to use the MJ smartphone app without paying for a regular MJ annual subscription).

 

As for FreedomPop, yes, they've been promising roaming mobile service to Thailand and other Asian countries for many months but have yet to provide it. All last year they were promising by the end of 2016, but that came and went with nothing. I msgd them early 2017 to ask about the status of that, and they replied still coming soon... but who knows what that will mean.

 

However, that's NOT why I mentioned FreedomPop. I mention them because with them and their GSM SIM card, you can get and keep a U.S. mobile number for basically zero monthly charges under their FREE plan. That SIM right now only works for phone calling and internet access when in the U.S., 100 minutes and 200 MB of data per month basically for free.  HOWEVER, with their SIM, their mobile app and a wifi data connection, you WILL be able to send and receive U.S. SMS messages with your FreedomPop number when in Thailand or anywhere else, including those from U.S. financial institutions.

 

So I was really mentioning GV, MJ and FP as very low cost possible solutions to the issue of getting bank SMSs in Thailand. All of my banks work fine with GV, but if you happen to have one such as Wells that doesn't, then I'm betting it ought to work with either MJ or FP instead.

 

PS -- When you make calls or send SMS messages with FP's smartphone app, MJ's smartphone app and GV, they all will show as the U.S. phone number associated with each of those accounts on the receiving end. It would NOT show as your Thai SIM mobile number, even if that was the phone you were using with the MJ, FP or GV services.

 

There are some entities in the U.S., relatively small in share, that may not recognize GV as a real U.S. mobile number. MJ should have even less issues with that bug. And FP, because it is in fact a real mobile number associated with a real GSM SIM, should never suffer from that issue.

 

I used to keep the FP SIM as the second SIM in my mobile phone where the first SIM slot was/is used by a Thai mobile carrier. But over time, I found it was easier and simply to simply move the FreedomPop SIM to a spare smartphone I have, and use it as the main SIM in that second phone. But you could do it either way, assuming your main smartphone supports dual SIMs.

 

 

[Evilbaz]

Rather than send a SMS overseas my bank issued a random OTP generator token which changes every minute.

But I come from a small country down under.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, Evilbaz said:

Rather than send a SMS overseas my bank issued a random OTP generator token which changes every minute.

But I come from a small country down under.

 There are all kinds of different tech approaches to this, though SMS code delivery is probably the most common still in the U.S. right now for banking.

 

However, I have two brokerage accounts where they issued me with small battery powered key fobs that generate random 6-digit codes when pressed, and you use that each time as part of the log-in process. Thus no SMSs or mobile phone required for those.

[JimmyJ]

On 2/7/2017 at 10:13 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

A few things you need to understand on what you wrote about:

 

There are two different aspects of MJ. The first is their paid annual subscription and purchase of a small dongle. Connecting that small dongle to your router or PC enables you to plug in to that device any regular landline phone and use that regular phone to make and receive unlimited U.S./Canada VOIP calls over the MJ network. The call quality is going to be as good or poor as your internet connection supports, which really doesn't require much just for voice calls.

 

Then, separate from that, there is the MJ smartphone app.  With a paid MJ subscription as I mentioned in the prior pgh, you get free use of the MJ smartphone app to make and receive calls over the MJ network. (You can use your smartphone in either wifi or mobile data modes for that purpose).  But by having the paid subscription to MJ, that also unlocks the ability to send and receive US SMS messages on your MJ app on your smartphone. (Obviously, you can't receive/send SMS messages on a regular land line, like you'd have plugged into your router or PC).

 

I've had a MJ subscription for many years, and use both the landline phone method and the smartphone app method regularly. Sometimes get a disconnect after 30 or 40 or 50 minutes on a call. But overall, the service has been great, the network reliability is good, and I have no complaints with them.  (Where some people may have different issues is where they're trying to use the MJ smartphone app without paying for a regular MJ annual subscription).

 

As for FreedomPop, yes, they've been promising roaming mobile service to Thailand and other Asian countries for many months but have yet to provide it. All last year they were promising by the end of 2016, but that came and went with nothing. I msgd them early 2017 to ask about the status of that, and they replied still coming soon... but who knows what that will mean.

 

However, that's NOT why I mentioned FreedomPop. I mention them because with them and their GSM SIM card, you can get and keep a U.S. mobile number for basically zero monthly charges under their FREE plan. That SIM right now only works for phone calling and internet access when in the U.S., 100 minutes and 200 MB of data per month basically for free.  HOWEVER, with their SIM, their mobile app and a wifi data connection, you WILL be able to send and receive U.S. SMS messages with your FreedomPop number when in Thailand or anywhere else, including those from U.S. financial institutions.

 

So I was really mentioning GV, MJ and FP as very low cost possible solutions to the issue of getting bank SMSs in Thailand. All of my banks work fine with GV, but if you happen to have one such as Wells that doesn't, then I'm betting it ought to work with either MJ or FP instead.

 

PS -- When you make calls or send SMS messages with FP's smartphone app, MJ's smartphone app and GV, they all will show as the U.S. phone number associated with each of those accounts on the receiving end. It would NOT show as your Thai SIM mobile number, even if that was the phone you were using with the MJ, FP or GV services.

 

There are some entities in the U.S., relatively small in share, that may not recognize GV as a real U.S. mobile number. MJ should have even less issues with that bug. And FP, because it is in fact a real mobile number associated with a real GSM SIM, should never suffer from that issue.

 

I used to keep the FP SIM as the second SIM in my mobile phone where the first SIM slot was/is used by a Thai mobile carrier. But over time, I found it was easier and simply to simply move the FreedomPop SIM to a spare smartphone I have, and use it as the main SIM in that second phone. But you could do it either way, assuming your main smartphone supports dual SIMs.

 

 

Thanks for all this info.

 

My plan has been for an initial 3 month trip to Thailand to put my US carrier on hold - it's a few dollars a month - for which they turn off their service till I return, and then when I return to the US I'll have them turn the service back on and my phone lease program will continue.

While I'm in Thailand for the 3 months, was going to get a Thai carrier SIM to use in the country (and hopefully it will also work in surrounding countries?). So I guess I'll have a Thai phone number with that.

 

So I'll need something in case phone verification is necessary for any financial accounts while I'm in Thailand.

 

Will the free Freedom Pop # be a USA phone #? Can I choose the area code so I can simulate it coming from my local USA area?

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

47 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Will the free Freedom Pop # be a USA phone #? Can I choose the area code so I can simulate it coming from my local USA area?

 

 

FreedomPop has a bad reputation for poor, slow customer service. But, when you're getting mobile phone service for almost free, it's not something to much complain about.

 

I used my FreedomPop GSM SIM for data and calling on my recent trip back to the U.S., and it worked fine for both purposes in Southern California.

 

Re your questions, if you get a FreedomPop GSM SIM which they're regularly offering very low price promotions on, that resulting U.S. phone number is a legitimate, regular U.S. mobile number the same as any of the bigger carriers. And yes, you generally get to pick an area code when you sign up, although not all area codes may be available.

 

Right now, as you understand, the FreedomPop SIM won't work for mobile/cellular reception calls or mobile/cellular data outside the U.S., although they're promising to have mobile call and data roaming for Thailand at some point.

 

However, as I mentioned before, if you use their GSM SIM in a mobile phone in Thailand right now with their basic/free service plan and then are connected to some separate wifi data connection, you can use the FreedomPop app that you'll install on your mobile phone to make and receive both VOIP voice phone calls and SMS messages between the U.S. and Thailand.

 

So, overall, I'm not sure I'd want to rely on them as my main U.S. cellular provider on an ongoing basis. But as a temporary or periodic solution to the traveling situation that you're describing, as long as you have separate access to a wifi connection for your mobile phone, it should fill your need just fine.

 

[Isaanman]

Unless someone has had a different experience in this forum, I think anyone planning on getting their O-A visa from the US had best allow sufficient time to obtain the medical certificate needed to fulfill the requirements at their Thai Consulate of choice back in the US. One can get tested for syphillis and tuberculosis easily enough at his local State Health Department. Your general practitioner can probably vouch that you are not addicted to any drugs. However, many places I contacted about getting a clearance for leprosy and elephantiasis had no clue how to go about it. No one requests that back in the US! My GP was willing to do a test for leprosy. It was going to take almost an entire month to vouchsafe a negative result! I did not even look into the other one, as I did not have enough time to wait that long. 

 

In the end, I had an ER doctor friend look me over (over coffee at Starbucks ), look at the results of the health department, and sign off on the medical certificate provided by the Washington D.C. Consulate website (in Thai and English). He used his personal stamp with his DEA and NPI numbers on it and it was accepted without any problem.  I had him sign and stamp two of them (with no date filled in), in case I need to use another one in the future

 

My police record took almost 2 weeks to clear and be sent back to my home address. One cannot wait until the last couple of weeks to do all this. 

[Langsuan Man]

Most US doctors will sign the form without expensive lab tests once they see the prohibited diseases  (especially if you are a regular patient)

 

1. LEPROSY

2. TUBERCULOSIS (T.B.)

3. ELEPHANTIASIS

4. DRUG ADDICTION

5.3 THIRD STEP OF SYPHILIS

 

Mine commented on the lack of modern diseases, like AIDS for instance  

[JimmyJ]

On 2/7/2017 at 10:13 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

So I was really mentioning GV, MJ and FP as very low cost possible solutions to the issue of getting bank SMSs in Thailand. All of my banks work fine with GV, but if you happen to have one such as Wells that doesn't, then I'm betting it ought to work with either MJ or FP instead.

 

 

 

I'm new with Wells Fargo. Have them now for a checking account. They are the only one of my financial accounts which is not letting me login while using my VPN.

 

Hopefully this is not a new security trend to disallow one from using a VPN.

Wells cs told me they've been getting problems of people not able to login recently - perhaps those are all people using VPN's.

Best case would be they made changes to their site and they will again allow VPN's in the near future due to complaints.

But my phone carrier Sprint's tech support also told me since they upgraded their security some people haven't been able to get in using VPN's.

 

This will be a real problem for expats if it becomes the norm.

[Langsuan Man]

I have a Wells Fargo checking account and I don't need to use a VPN from Thailand to get into my WF online account

But Wells Fargo SMS system will not work using my Google Voice number, where as other banks have no problem with it

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[JimmyJ]

Great phone info from TallGuyJohninBKK - very helpful for this future traveller/future expat in maintaining a US identity.

 

Google Voice definitely sounds like the easiest - unfortunately however their invasion of privacy makes them a pass for me:

 

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2481151/e-commerce/google-voice--press--1--to-invade-your-privacy.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_regarding_Google

 

I avoid google all I can.

 

I recommend duckduckgo.com as a search engine - google has a record of every search you've ever made. Duckduckgo is equally good and keeps no records. It's free.

 

I use Firefox and avoid using Chrome.

 

I use Signal - a free ap recommended by Snowden.

Private phone calling, private text messages, private chat - between Signal users.

Android and Iphone.  Here's an older article about it:

https://theintercept.com/2015/03/02/signal-iphones-encrypted-messaging-app-now-supports-text/

 

https://whispersystems.org/

 

I have however been using gmail for a long time because I have an Android phone and the email notifications are pushed in instantly with gmail and take longer with other email companies.

But now I don't need instant email notifications as I have in the past and reading the articles above is finally getting me moving in getting rid of gmail.

 

I recommend Protonmail. The basic service is free. It's not only better for privacy but also for security - encryption, etc. Easy to use - not complicated as using PGP is at first (and at second).

Haven't begun using it yet, simply set up a free account. But about to start testing it out, before changing all email addresses over to there.

 

http://observer.com/2017/02/email-privacy-act-kevin-yoder-lavabit-protonmail-tutanota-vera-sendrblock/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Google Voice definitely sounds like the easiest - unfortunately however their invasion of privacy makes them a pass for me:

 

I avoid google all I can.
.........

 

I have however been using gmail for a long time because I have an Android phone and the email notifications are pushed in instantly with gmail and take longer with other email companies.

 

Leaving aside the obvious and inherent inconsistency of what you're saying above, the subject of the phone discussion here was using GV as a means of receiving banking SMS codes from the U.S.   Even if GV was/is keeping track of that info, what exactly are they going to do with one-time use codes with things like 275345 or AKXTYP as your incoming messages?

 

Privacy is a legitimate issue out on the internet. But as far as using GV to receive SMS codes from the U.S., I'd say it's pretty much a non-issue.

 

[gt162]

On 2/5/2017 at 4:38 PM, JimmyJ said:

Thai Consulate LA states for the Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement/Long-Stay Visa:

 

Required Documents

"*6. Four copies of police verification stating the applicant has no criminal record issued by the authority concerned of his/her nationality or residence.  The verification must not be more than three months old. Please note we will not accept the receipt for Request for Live Scan Service unless it includes the actual report/results."

 

How is this obtained in the US? Ask the local Police Department for (what?)?

 

 

Also, what is "...no criminal record.. concerned of his/her nationality or residence"?

 

 

Go to the local police department and ask for

Obtain a Clearance Letter

Clearance Letters

A letter of clearance establishes that you have a clean criminal record in a given city or county. You may be asked for one when applying for a visa or green card, adopting a child or finding a job. A clearance letter may also be helpful if you have been the victim of mistaken identity or identity theft.

 

Go to city/town police department website first.

[sqwakvfr]

“Go to city/town police department website first” will no longer work.  I obtained a new Non Imm OA from the LA Consulate Jan 2020.  This is the new requirement for the Criminal Background

 

1. Letter of verification stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification have to valid for not more than three months and must be issued from a state or Federal Bureau of Investigation only. Online criminal record without authorizer’s signature is unacceptable )

I submitted an FBI Criminal Background Check which was completed after I submitted my fingerprints through the LiveScan system.