Isaanman

Thanks, gentlemen, for all your ideas and thoughts about the matter. I had never heard about ding.com or mobiletopup.com before. I would be happy to use a service like that; but, I am a little leery because there were too many bad reviews; many said they were scams. Does anyone else have good experience using a top-up company like this? I am not even sure it works with post-paid accounts. I tried the True number given by mtls2005 above; it would not go through. I cannot find even one number online that I can call in BKK or anywhere else to talk to a real person about all of this! Does anyone know another one? My True Move H service is postpaid and should have been active and in good standing. Int'l roaming should work, but it does not. Admittedly, I did not try to set up anything at the True service center before I left--too late now. My bill is definitely more than a week overdue. And one thing is for sure: if I lose this number, I will not be able to get the BB mobile banking app set up with my account until I return to Thailand and get a new SIM and have it registered with BB so that I can receive OTPs again. I talked to the manager of the BB branch I open my account with about the matter before I left, and she said I must receive that OTP on my phone or I cannot verify my account from abroad (unless, I went to to the NY branch, maybe?!?). That seems a bit lame for 20th century technology! I also cannot log into my TrueID or reset my password via email, no matter how I try, even from my old phone on which I originally set up both the BB app and the True ID app. I cannot log into anything online without an OTP. Funny, I am given the option of paying my bill (with the proper account name partially XXXed out and the right amount) by typing in my telephone number and clicking "pay." The transaction went through to my Citi account; but it registered that $0.0 was paid out. The Citi lady told me that my card was fine and would pay the bill; the problem was with True. The BB app loaded fine on my wife's phone and accepts my BB ID and Password. With the OTP, I do not think there will be any problem at all using it from abroad, as I am doing now from the same app on my older phone. So, I think I am forced to try to get a friend pay my bill in Thailand. And, if he can and can keep it active, I will just mail him my True SIM card to put into his phone to receive a SMS for me to help me verify my BB app on my new phone. I cannot see any other way this will work without fail. Cheers.

I am currently back in the U.S. for awhile and need to pay my overdue True Move cell phone bill back in Thailand. My international roaming feature for this service is not working, and I cannot pay my bill online or via Bangkok Bank transfer without an SMS text with a OTP--which I cannot receive now that I am back in the US. I noticed that this question was brought up years ago on this forum without resolution [https://aseannow.com/topic/902741-how-to-pay-truemove-h-mobile-bill-from-overseas/ ]. Has anyone else ever had this issue and resolved it successfully? I need to keep this cell number at least until I can (if I can) work things out with a True customer service rep in Thailand to get an OTP from Bangkok Bank in order to verify the use of their mobile banking app on a newly purchased iPhone back in the U.S. If anyone has any experience with either of these matters, I would appreciate your insights into how to go about resolving these matters. Thanks.

Did they require salary validation documentation? [I am thinking this is probably for Thai people more than it is for farang, but I’m not sure.] Did you receive a decent exchange rate (i.e. their published “selling rate” for that day)? This seems like the best and most secure way to me also; but, more people online speak about using DeeMoney than sending via SWIFT.

Has anyone every transferred large amounts of money from BB in Thailand to a U.S. account successfully, safely, and inexpensively using SWIFT? If not, what ways have proven to be the most economical (fees, exchange rate, etc)? Has anyone ever had any problem transferring money within Thailand to other accounts using their Bangkok Bank M-Banking app on their (i)phone from abroad? How about transferring money from a BB account to a US bank account (using any method) from back in the U.S.--either from the mobile app or the Internet website? Did you have to verify these transfers via an SMS on your Thai cell number? Or, could you verify it via email? I read something on the BB website about needing a letter from your employer to validate your annual salary. Did anyone ever have to submit this kind of document? I am going to our local BB today to talk with the manger about all this. I just wanted to see if anyone has any experience in any of these matters and could give a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" about any of them. Thanks for your input.

In a word . . . don't do it! Sadly, I would not trust this company farther than I could throw them! As the ole' saying goes, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" That was my concern when reading the reviews and researching this company. They are definitely a legitimate company. But, in the end, the sales rep I was corresponding with emailed me two days before they were to pick up my shipment at my house (one week before departing the country!) and told me the prices went up over ฿63,000 because of Chinese New Year! We have a word for that back in the southern part of America: "hogwash!" This was nothing less then your classic, dishonest "bait and switch" ploy to get my business with a lower price and then try to hold me hostage at the last minute to charge me more! If they will do that now, what might they do when my goods are off the coast of the port on the other side of the world? They could/would simply hold my stuff and not release it until I "ransomed" it with whatever price they require, and I would have no choice but to pay it! Nope. Sadly, they lost my business and will lose yours too, if you are wise. I went with another, more reputable company with whom I had already corresponded with--last minute! Maybe you will fare better with them than I did; but, I wouldn't go there, if I were you!

The question is in the title. I am leaving the country in a little more than two weeks and do not want to run into any snags trying to sell my car locally to a Thai person. The car is paid in full with all taxes, insurances, etc up to date. What docs do I need? Do I need a certificate of residency from my local immigration to sell my car? Is there anything important I should know or consider (e.g. visa expiration deadlines, waiting times, etc)? I do not have any lag time to forget any crucial step in the process! Thanks

I am having a problem finding a large SUV or Van for rent to send my family of four + one cat in a crate + 9 decent-sized luggage bags/boxes for a one-way trip from Hat Yai to Bangkok--preferably to the Suvarnabhumi Airport. The rental companies advertising online at the airport only have smaller sedans. Does anyone know another company in town that has these larger vehicles available for one-way rentals? Thanks

Thanks, sandyf. I have already received a quote from Asian Tigers (very timely and professional, by the way) and might use them for the domestic leg of my trip. I was hoping that someone has actually used Siam Shipping for ocean freight and could comment on their services and honesty.

As the topic headline asks, I am interested to know if anyone has ever shipped anything with Siam Shipping (Doc Shippers) before and, if so, how was your experience with them? I am sending two pallets of household goods back to the U.S., and the quotes from Siam Shipping's affiliate, Doc Shippers, are very competitive during the current shipping crisis. But, the reviews for their company online are almost "too" good. I just want to ensure that this is a legitimate company, whose services people from the Land of Smiles have been pleased . Thanks

I forgot to add something that might also be helpful. If you look carefully on that same CDC website at the 3rd question under the "Timing Requirements" heading, you will learn that you can actually gain some additional time between taking the actual viral test and the deadline to use it in order to board on an international flight by following their 3-day/1-day requirement rather than a 72-hour/24-hour protocol. The websites says . . . "The 1-day period is 1 day before the flight’s departure and the 3-day period is the 3 days before the flight’s departure. The Order uses 1-day and 3-day time frames instead of 24 hours and 72 hours to provide more flexibility to the air passenger and aircraft operator. By using a 1-day and 3-day window, test acceptability does not depend on the time of the flight or the time of day that the test sample was taken. For example, if you are fully vaccinated and your flight is at 1pm on a Friday, you could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Tuesday or after. If you are not fully vaccinated and your flight is at 1pm on a Friday, you could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Thursday." As one who has not yet been vaxxed, it appears I could go to one of these testing places in the early morning to take my test and get the results and schedule my flight for the evening of the following day, thereby meeting the "1-day before requirement" while actually obtaining an additional 8-10 hour window to actually board my flight. They allow extra time if your flight is delayed "24 hours or less past the 1-day or 3-day limit for testing" and the delay is "out of your control" (severe weather/mechanical problems). It is 48 hours past this limit for testing if the delay is for a connecting flight en route. You also need to know clearly what the country you have your layover in requires in regards to the antigen test.

Yeah, I read this on the CDC website also; but, I am not familiar with all of these other tests. Are some or all of these tests (other than the RT-PCR test in question) the rapid, less-expensive antigen tests? Has anyone ever been tested in BKK with one of these other methods and had the results accepted by the Airlines and destination country--in my case, the U.S.?

How much did you pay for this PCR Test? How long ago? Did you have to make an appointment? How did they document the results? And, were the test results accepted at BKK airport (and the destination country)?

I am trying to decide how and when to ship about 150 CFT of household goods back to America early next year, but have a few questions. The prices for shipping via ocean freight are the highest they have been in decades! I was considering the possibility of storing my stuff with a friend or in a self-storage warehouse in BKK for 6, 9, or 12 months to give the world time to try to reduce the backlog of container ships at the seaports in the U.S. If I am reading the U.S. Customs' website correctly, "The year of use does not need to be . . . the year immediately before the date of importation." I think this means I can still import my stuff back home duty free, even if I wait awhile to do so. Perhaps, it doesn't!?! However, I am not sure if I must still have a current visa at the time of the actual shipment from Thailand back into the U.S. and whether or not I would actually have to be in country to produce a physical passport to do so. I might return to Thailand to visit late next year and could possibly do all of that then, if required. Has anyone ever done this before or have any insight into all or some of these matters? Thanks

Yikes! As GinBoy2 correctly noted, 150 CFT is over 4 cubic meters. I am thinking that your ฿63k price was likely this high (soaring covid prices notwithstanding), because it was only 1 cubic meter. I have done this 3x already and know that the volume on ocean freight shipments is far more the determining factor of the price than the weight. On a pallet the same sized used for your desk (maybe 3' high?), I have been able to stack my pallet 7 feet high without raising the cost too terribly much. Throw in even a small 2nd pallet, and it gets much more expensive, as it takes up more room in the container. Nevertheless, as you experienced, Kwonitoy, the current shipping prices obviously appear to be much more expensive than normal--certainly more expensive than 3 years ago. I received a quote online on a quote calculator the other day that asked fairly specific questions (volume, weight, value of goods, method shipped (in my case: two 40" x 48" pallets), etc. The quote came back at around $3,300--from a BKK warehouse to my US residence on the east coast. That was not as bad as I thought it might be (like ฿63k sounds!); but, I still would need to get all of my goods up from the deep South to BKK. I am waiting for Asian Tigers to get back with me. Thanks for your input.

Has anyone ever rented a large-sized cargo van in the Hat Yai area one-way to be dropped off at a location in a different city (in my case, Bangkok)?

I have been searching the Internet and Thailand expat forums to find a reasonably priced international shipper to send 150+ cubic feet of household goods from Thailand to the U.S.A. this January before my retirement visa extension expires. Only a few shipping companies have even bothered replying to my inquiries, including the one I have already used on three different occasions! Do shipping companies not want our business??? Everyone is talking about the surge in ocean freight prices because of Covid (rising fuel costs, shortages of port employees [vaccine mandates], long waits by cargo vessels off offshore, etc.); but, I cannot find any actual data that confirms this specifically for these two countries of origin and destination, nor can I get a real quote to begin working with. I imagine there could be a good bit of bureaucratic/customs backlog on both sides fo the ocean also. Has anyone shipped anything from Thailand back to the U.S. this way in recent months or in the past year who is willing to tell about your experience and/or pass on any possible contacts or other pertinent info? Thanks.

We never had any intention of showing up at the airport with a + PCR test. As you said already, the whole purpose for giving ourselves a few week buffer is so that we can self-quarantine if we test positive (from either a self-administered ATK test before getting the official PCR test or after a negative ATK test when finally getting the official PCR test). There is no thought about going to the airport (or anywhere!) if we test positive. You mention transit points above. . . . Does the airline/airport administer covid tests (even random ones) during layovers between flights? I have not heard of that My goodness! If one (or all) tests positive, what takes place there (say, in Tokyo, or Dubai, or wherever one's layover is--presumably, not back in one's one country and somewhere where one [certainly in our case] might not have covid insurance)? This is why we are leaving Thailand and staying put back home until all this vaccine confusion and insanity passes! Thanks for your insight.

. . . Oh, and do you or anyone else know where the most reasonably priced, reputable place to get RT-PCR tests in Bangkok is and about how much turn around time is required (from the time the test is taken until you receive the official results that can meet the requirements to fly internationally)? Thanks

Bravo! Thanks, Richard. You confirmed many things we were already thinking, like taking a home test before getting the official PCR test in order to give more (cheaper and convenient) options for quarantine. And, especially with the tweets coming out today about Phang Nga immigration beginning to require vaccinations at 90-day IO reporting (and more sure to follow, no doubt), it only makes sense for us to expedite our return and leave a significant buffer between our departure date and the expiration of my O-A visa. A couple last questions: 1) How much buffer do think is necessary between reserved ticket departure date and visa expiration? And (briefly) why? 2) If my kids are 15 and 17, would they still not be fined for over staying their visas (expiring on the same date as mine)? We were told by an IO many years ago that no overstay charges will be applied for minors 14 years old and younger. We have not found this to be consistent throughout the country, however.

My O-A visa will expire in February 2022 and my family and I are purchasing tickets to fly out a couple of days before that date. Trying to sift through all the Covid related topics on this forum did not initially seem helpful; so I apologize if I am asking questions here that have been answered elsewhere. [Feel free to paste any links to appropriate forum threads.] My few questions are related to a possible scenario wherein someone in my family of four (2 adults, 2 minor-aged teenagers) tested positive on required PCR tests just prior to boarding our international flights to leave Thailand: 1) Would they force all of us to remain in country, as we were all together (concerned that those who did not test + for covid were with one who did), separating the positive testing person into a hospital and putting everyone else in quarantine? 2) If they do quarantine one or all of us, would we be forced to do so in an ASQ facility? Or, one of our own choosing? 3) How does immigration/airport customs process our visa in this scenario: if we had air reservations and were ready to leave the country before our visas expired, but could not do so because of the positive antigen test results? 4) Would everyone have to pay over-stay fines? 5) Is there not a 7-day extension you can get on an expired visa for a fee? 6) Has anyone had this experience before or know of anyone who did? What was the outcome? I am interested in understanding the general thinking on this forum about this matter of testing + before leaving the LoS. I am sure there must be a strategy that is better than others. We only have the cheap, throw-away covid insurance policy needed to extend the O-A visa; I'd like to avoid a long, expensive mandatory hospital stay if at all possible in the worst case scenario. Thanks ????

I trust it is not too much hassle to sign up with DeeMoney? Can that be done by simply uploading a copy of your passport, and a SMS OTP verification--like with Wise? Anything else?

Thanks, guys. From your past experiences would I end up transferring more money via a bank-to-bank transfer (SWIFT) or using DeeMoney after taking into consideration the fees assessed (on both ends) and the exchange rates? Is there anything I need to consider in regards to the latter? I once made a transfer of funds close to $10k from my WF account in the U.S. into a local Thai bank in Chaing Mai to buy my car, and the exchange rate I received was absolutely terrible! I must have lost over $350. I would like to avoid that with a ฿750k transfer. Thanks

I was wondering if anyone has ever transferred a large amount of Thai baht from a Thai bank account back into a U.S. bank account? [Chalk me up as another farang who, after 10+ years in country over the last two decades, is simply done with the increasing hassle it takes to live in the LoS, especially in the last 3 years.] I have over ฿750k in my BB account that I initially sent over here via (Transfer)Wise and direct bank wire (SWIFT, I think). A few questions: 1) Can you physically go into the BB in New York City and simply withdraw your money? If so, what kind of exchange rate should I expect to get? 2) What about transferring direct from BB to a U.S. account (like Citi, Wells Fargo, BoA, etc)? Has anyone done this using a SWIFT transfer or something else? 3) What about a reverse transfer using Wise? 4) Am I correct in assuming that if I leave a little bit of baht in my BB, that my account will remain active after sending the bulk of the funds back to the U.S.? 5) Has anyone simply taken out cash (฿) and exchanged it for dollars on either side of the ocean? 6) Anything I should be concerned about (tax issues, int'l transfer of large amount of money, taking large amounts of cash out of country/into another, etc)? I would like to get the best exchange rate as possible, using methods and accounts I have already vetted in the past. I am willing to try a different service, if someone knows of a better, cheaper, more reliable way of transferring in the opposite direction. Any answers to any, most, or all of these questions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. ????

Thanks, Ubon Joe. I decided to swing by the IO this afternoon to ask them briefly myself, just in case they have some local peculiarities that might have changed since the last time I did this 5 years ago. They also want pictures of our family both outside and inside our house. When I did this 5 years ago the IO sent an officer out here to take pics of us here at the house; last year they let us take our own pics and didn't send anyone here. I simply cannot understand why we need to continue submitting the same ole' pics, maps, etc. just because a passport has expired, when the 90-day reporting is current (issued acknowledged and accepted by the IO) and they already have all of this info on file!?! Are people doing this sometimes requested to take a copy of their rental agreement and house owner's registration with them for this also?

Quick Question: My family and I are on a retirement visa which expires in February 2022. The visas my (minor) kids received on this visa, however, were only valid through the third week of October 2021 (next week)--the date their passports expired. I have renewed their passports in BKK already and had all of their visa information from their old passports transferred to their new passports already as well. Yet, my local immigration office only transferred the old visa expiration date--still due next week. What documents do I need to take down to the IO to get my kids' visas extended on my retirement visa until February 2022? Also, will my kids and my wife have to accompany me to the IO to do this? Thanks.