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soisanuk

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Everything posted by soisanuk

  1. Each Immigration Office may have their own requirements, which can differ from the main Immigration Rules. If you will be using Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration, they currently require that the 800k be on deposit in a Thai bank in your name at least 2 months before you apply for the Non-Immigrant O Visa (the "Immigration Rule" does not require this 2 month period, only that it be on deposit on the day of application). Also, the Application has to be approved by Immigration HQ in Bangkok and they require at least 15 days to process it. So, you will need at least 15 days remaining on your initial Permission to Stay at the time of application (best to check with the Immigration Office where yo will apply as there have been reports that some require at least 21 days be remaining). If you enter Visa Exempt and receive the initial 30 day stay, you can extend it another 30 days at an Immigration Office in Thailand if needed to allow enough time for for processing the Application for the Non-O Visa. After receiving the Non-O Visa, continue to keep the 800k on deposit as it is required to be on deposit at least 2 months before applying for the Extension of Stay (this is the "Immigration Rule," and is followed by Pattaya Immigration, but there reports that a few Immigration Offices will require 3 months on deposit beforehand).
  2. The 18th (Naklua) & 19th (Pattaya) have been the big days for many years now (the water throwing was stopped during the Covid pandemic shutdown).
  3. The Pattaya City Expats Club note on their website that they have received 3 very recent reports that Desk 8 (retirement) is honoring the online appointments, but they also have 1 recent report that the person having an appointment for 30 day extension of visa exempt entry was told to get in line and get a queue number. They have no reports as yet on the experience of anyone using the other reasons for an appointment.
  4. If you opt to get an IDP, they are not available at all DLT locations, e.g., Banglamung (serves Pattaya area) does not issue them and will direct you to apply at DLT Office in Chonburi which does.
  5. As mentioned in my previous post, most are from 3,000 baht on up - and as mentioned in the later post, someone bought one for around 2,000 baht. Like most things, you get what you pay for and as they say here: "Up to you". I chose one in the much higher price range to get what I wanted, but most importantly, to be one that would stand up over time with an acceptable weight capacity. The one I chose (up to 130kg) was more than I needed, but having the higher capacity, would be more durable over time - I have had it for 10 years and it still works fine. There are many available in the Pattaya pharmacies (Fascino, D Pharmacy, and others) as well as other cities in a much lower price range.
  6. I also have mobility problems. I can walk short distances unaided, but use a cane for balance especially if steps/stairs are involved. If I am traveling a longer distance, especially if shopping in a store with limited places to sit, I use my Rollater (walker with wheels). It has a seat, so when necessary, I can sit and rest without concern of there being no place sit down. But, it is not good if stairs are involved - I can do short steps (2 or 3) as I can lift the front to the a higher step, push it forward a bit, hold the hand brakes (there is one on each handle that brakes to two rear wheels) and then step up. The hand brake is lockable to hold the Rollater to keep it from rolling when I start to sit down. There are many on the market - some pharmacies have them and many are listed on Lazada. I bought mine a few years ago on Lazada. The price varies from around 3,000 baht up. The one I chose cost 12,600 baht (more sturdy, large wheels for outside use, & most importantly, rated for a heavy weight - be sure to check the rated weight capacity for being able to handle your weight). It has held up very well. It is also folds up, so it can fit in a car trunk (USA) or boot (UK) or back seat, etc. Here is a link to Lazada for that Rollater https://www.lazada.co.th/products/0-10-wheelchair-rollator-circlife-2-in-1-alp3300-1-bcosmo-the-pharmacy-i173724234.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.26.74f515f8Vt5jBm - Using Google Translate for the Thai description, it shows: The vehicle weighs 7.6 kilograms and can support a weight of 135 kilograms.
  7. An alternative is to open a virtual account with Wise which will give you an ACH (Automated Clearing House) number to use for directing Social Security deposits to that account. When the funds are received in the Wise account (in dollars), you can choose the time you want to have them convert the funds to Thai baht and send to your Thai bank account. If you have a Bangkok Bank account, use the reason - long stay in Thailand - when asked for the reason for the transfer - currently it is the last item in the drop down menu showing the reasons. This should ensure they use Bangkok Bank as the recipient bank for the transfer rather than sending it through one of their other partner banks (usually Kasikorn). Bangkok Bank will record it with the FTT code which is used for deposits from a foreign source - beneficial if you are using the 65k+ baht per month method for Retirement Extensions at Thai Immigration.
  8. Not always, but sometimes Wise has used a OTP when I log in. When they do, they it to me by text message to my Thai telephone number.
  9. As mentioned by others, I use Wise and have now for several years- in my case from my USA bank to Bangkok Bank. I make regular monthly transfers. Wise does the conversion to baht, but at an exchange rate near that charged by Bangkok Bank if sent in US dollars. I have found Wise to be reliable with reasonable fees.
  10. In all the time that Jomtien has been requiring a report back with bank book 90 days after extension, they have not set up any system to track whether a person does or does not report back. From reports of those that do report back, they make no record of the visit. Also, I have seen several reports from those that did not report back with bank book that there were nothing said by Immigration Officer(s) when they did their next extension. I have yet to see any report that a person had a problem because they didn't report back.
  11. When a member at a Pattaya City Expat Club mentioned the new procedure, he said he asked the Jomtien Immigration Officer if he could do it online and was told no. HOWEVER, that is not the case. The PCEC has received many subsequent reports of those that did it online with no problem. I did mine Last Monday and had the approval the next day. So if you do it online, you can avoid the hassle of completing a new form TM.47, passport copies, proof of residence, & proof of TM.30 filing.
  12. Although unofficial but usually up to date, at least for practices at the Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration Office, the Pattaya City Expats Club website has a section devoted to Thai Immigration issues including links to English translations of the Immigration Rules for extending one's stay. Go to their home page - https://pcec.club/. One of the topics listed along the top is THAI IMMIGRATION. Clicking on that will bring up the main page. If you are using a mouse, you can navigate direct to a sub page with more specific information on types of services/requirements by hovering the mouse cursor over the sub topic and then clicking on the sub topic to go direct to that web page.
  13. As many know, each Immigration Office impose their own requirements. Further, these requirements can change, often without notice. As mentioned by some, Thai Immigration some time ago did relax the TM.30 reporting requirements saying if you traveled outside of Thailand, returned using a Re-Entry permit and to the same previously reported address, no new TM.30 was required. That may still be the case at some Immigration Offices, but as noted by several posters, it is no longer the case at Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration [Jomtien Beach Soi 5]. They recently (within at least the past 2 months) are now requiring a new TM.30 be filed in all cases. Further, if you go there for services (90 day reporting, residency certificate, extension of stay, etc.), they are wanting to see evidence that you timely filed the TM.30 when you returned (the requirement to report is supposed to be within 24 hours, but they are apparently allowing a few extra days - in a previous post, someone said it was 72 hours). If you didn't file a new TM.30 upon return, they will require you do so before providing any services and will also impose a fine - from reports I have seen, it is 1,600 baht.
  14. Under the provisions of both paragraph 2.18 and 2.19, if the relationship is to a Thai child (be it their own, adopted, or their spouse's), the child must not be over the age of 20 unless they are disabled as noted below: 2.18 In the case of being a family member of a Thai national (applicable only to parents, spouse, children, adopted children, or spouse’s children): 4) In the case of children, adopted children, or spouse's children, said children, adopted children, or spouse's children must not be married, must live with the alien as part of the family, and must not be over 20 years of age except in case of the person hereof is of illness or disability and cannot live without support of father or mother 2.19 In the case of being a family member of a Thai resident (applicable only to parents, spouse, children, adopted children, or spouse’s children): (4) In the case of children, adopted children, or spouse’s children, said children, adopted children, or spouse's children must not be married, must live with the alien as part of the family, and must not be over 20 years of age except in case of the person hereof is of illness or disability and cannot live without support of father or mother.
  15. With a Non-Immigrant O Visa (which is what you say you have), you have been getting extensions of the permitted stay (not a new visa) based on the "reason" being you have a Thai child. When that child reaches 20 years of age, as you mention, that reason can no longer be used to extend your stay. When that time comes, you do not need a new visa. You just change the "reason" for extending your stay to retirement and show you meet the financial requirements for retirement extensions of stay. There is no health insurance requirement for getting extensions of stay when the underlying visa is a Non-Immigrant O. Whether to get OPD coverage of health insurance, if from a Thai company, is up to you, but usually not considered necessary by many as the added annual premium cost tends to exceed what you may expect to pay over a year here for outpatient care.
  16. The Embassy staff will notarize signatures. If your document has no requirement for witnesses to sign, then there would be no signatures of witnesses to notarize. If you documents only require your signature one time, then the fee will only be $50 - if more than one time, then it will be $50 times the number of times you have to sign a document.
  17. Yes as the documents sent to me to sign had to be notarized. But, that was almost 20 years ago The fee then was US$50 for first document and US$25 for each additional document. Now their notary fee is US$50 for each document.
  18. I was bitten by a cat and went to Jomtien Hospital in Pattaya 5 days later (puncture wounds were not healing). They injected Berirab P inj. (300 Iu/2 ml) (Hrig)..Dose 20 IU/Kg direct into the wound area. The price was 3,978 baht - this was on 5 September this year. They also injected the first dose of SPEEDA which was followed later by the required dosage at specified intervals.
  19. Doing it online, it must be by due date. In person, it can be done up to 14 days before to 7 days after.
  20. This link brings up a pdf document showing the Restive Care offered by Jomtien Hospital (Pattaya) including price list. It notes that dementia patients are treated under this program (Jomtien Hospital is owned by the same parent company as Bangkok Hospital Pattaya). https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwij3ayjh8CCAxWLTmwGHSckCfoQFnoECBkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvfw12146.org%2Fuploads%2Fdocuments%2FRespitecare_JomtienHospital2022-ENversion.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0_MIv8TskC82R0Rd_jMUKN&opi=89978449
  21. Here is the link to the PCEC webpage showing assisted living facilities: https://pcec.club/HEALTH-CARE It provide links to the facilities, but does not show prices as such will vary depending on the type of unit and level of care selected.
  22. Current procedure is to apply, receive a "claim check," and told to come back the next day after 2pm (no need to get queue, just go to Desk 8 and give them the claim check. You will receive your passport with the extension stamp back. Jomtien Immigration will accept applications for the one year extension up to 30 days prior to the permitted to stay until date. You can then apply for a Re-Entry permit (will need to get a Queue number for that desk beforehand) after relieving your passport - Re-Entry permits will expire on the latest permitted to stay date. If not too late in the day, it should be done with the passport returned the same day. You can also get a Re-Entry permit at the airport, just give yourself a little extra time for the process.
  23. Absolutely correct! Jomtien (Pattaya) Immigration office as mentioned is haphazard giving this notice. Further, they have no tracking system for who does or does not report. I know several people who received the notice to report back after 90 days to show the 800k remained on deposit that did not do so. When they renewed their annual extension, no problems (of course they did have to show their bank book to prove they kept the 800k on deposit for those 90 days).
  24. Although the OP only wants to extend his stay for another 30 days, that is not possible. As mentioned, the OP can extend his permission to stay for one year from the end of the 90 day permission to stay granted when he entered using the Non-Immigrant "O" Visa. To receive the one year extension, he will need to pay the 1,900 baht fee and show he meets the financial requirement for extending his stay based on retirement, e.g. 800k baht in Thai bank. Although one year may be longer than the OP currently needs, if his plans are to return within the one year extension period, he can get a Re-Entry Permit before he departs which will allow him to return without the need to get a new Visa (or enter Visa Exempt).
  25. Holiday Inn Pattaya has handicap bathrooms on their lobby, meeting room, and restaurant floors in each tower (Bay tower fronts Beach Road, Executive tower is behind the Bay tower). I attend the Pattaya City Expats Club's weekly meetings which can take place in either of the two towers and have used the handicap toilets in both.
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