[US citizen, better to marry Thai in US or in Thailand (registered)?]

On 2/6/2024 at 7:13 AM, Elkski said:

Sorry, i just read the OP.  It doesnt look like your wanting to move to US. 

If your staying in Thailand then no need to do anything but register it there for marriage Visa 

No, we will stay in Thailand for the foreseeable future but likely move back to the US eventually.

[US citizen, better to marry Thai in US or in Thailand (registered)?]

OP here.  Sorry, after posting, I've been taken up with a number of things.  Still, I've read and I appreciate all of the comments.  Thanks.

 

I'm now annually extending permission to stay based on original OA Non-Imm visa.  Wife and I had traditional family marriage a number of years ago (sin sod paid, etc), not registered.  She has a ten-year US tourist visa (her second).  Based on what folks have posted, I'm thinking registering the marriage in Thailand is the way to go in order 1) to change my  permission to stay from retirement to marriage (and hopefully not need anymore the annual health insurance expense) and 2) to change her US visa from tourist to marriage.  Is this right?  One major concern is that if we move to the US later (she currently has family obligations that keep her here) she will want to work there.  Will a US "marriage visa" allow her to do that?

Thanks again for your input.

[Read a Thaiger article today that indicates some news about online visa extensions]

Of course it would be much easier, but given the hoops one currently needs to jump through to get annual retirement OA-based extension of stay, there's no way TI would do it online to make life easier.

[US citizen, better to marry Thai in US or in Thailand (registered)?]

What are the pros and cons of each? 

 

1. For ease of change with Thai immigration from retirement visa to marriage visa

2. For ease in eventually getting US marriage visa down the road

2. In case of divorce down the road

Also, to do pre-nup, is it wise to do one in the US and also in Thailand?

[Taxation of Ex-Pats pensions etc.]

“I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”

- Mark Twain

[Are hospitals required by law to provide cost estimate to patients before surgery ?]

Remember, of course, that an estimate from a hospital is like one from a car mechanic.  It's just an "estimate," and it's not unusual to have the bill come in higher due to the problem "turning out to be more complicated....", etc.).  My wife and I go to 2 different private hospitals in BKK for different issues.  One of them has proven much more reliable in their estimates.  I won't name them for obvious legal reasons, but it's good to try to research a hospital's reputation when it comes to estimates.

[Melatonin now not available in Thailand?]

6 minutes ago, freeworld said:

Dont know about shopee.

But try Lazada th or some of the pharmacies in Thailand.

Its available there.

Thanks.  I've stopped using Lazada because of past problems with their business practices.  No melatonin in my local pharmacies.  I'll try some of the bigger ones downtown.

[If you do any or all of these can you please explain why you think any of them are acceptable?]

22 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Just been travelling for 10 weeks on public transport.......why do people think it is okay to..........

1. Play games on a console with the speakers on full blast.....usually war games.

2. *Put their smart-phone on speaker to talk to a friend*.

3. Put their smart phone on loudspeaker and listen to their music or watch a movie.

I also have a real problem with these first three.  Lately in restaurants in Bangkok, I find myself surrounded by people at other tables doing some combination of all of these.  The tinny sound that phone/tablet speakers produce is much more annoying than ordinary voices. 

In part, though, I blame phone producers (especially Apple) for no longer having wired earphone jacks in their newer models.  People who can afford cheap wired earphones often cannot afford the much more expensive wireless bluetooth ones so they just use the phone speakers.

[Melatonin now not available in Thailand?]

I used to buy melatonin (5mg) regularly on Shopee, but when I tried yesterday to reorder, I could not find it anywhere.  Has there been some official change on whether it is available here?

[Confused by dental crown choices in Thailand]

In the US, when I had crowns done, there was no discussion of materials.  A crown was a crown.  I've noticed, though, at the clinics in Bangkok, they offer different material choices (with different prices).  Below is just an an example of one site's options.

How can I go about finding what corresponds to a standard crown in the US?  Thanks.

 

*************************************

 

 

[How to deal with a chicken problem]

Two issues here: 

1) Noise from neighbors' roosters in the morning.  Pretty much anywhere, if you live in a rural area you're gonna hear roosters.  Fact of life; live with it.

2) Escapee rooster in your kitchen.  It's your kitchen.  You have a perfect right to kill the thing and eat or bury it.  Neighbors just need to control their property better.

[Info on availability of 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines]

(I know many don't believe in the vaccines, and I respect your choice.  That's fine, but I'd rather responses to this don't dwell on that....)

Updated 2023-2024 Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been released.  Does anyone have an idea when they might be available in Thailand, and where?  Or what sites may have that information when it becomes available?  Thanks.

[Transfer visas, etc. from old US passport to new passport at CW]

Thanks for the replies.  I'll make an appointment for an extension, and if I'm told that was a mistake, I'll plead ignorance and apologize profusely.  That sometime works if people are in a good mood.  ????

 

[Transfer visas, etc. from old US passport to new passport at CW]

To follow up, the only possible option I see on the website for online appointment is for something called "Endorsement".  Can this be for transfer of visas, etc. to new passport?

[Recommendation for good private Thai language tutor in BKK]

Can someone recommend a Thai language tutor in Bangkok?

 

I want only verbal training, ideally conversation and drills.  I can speak a little and read a little, but comprehension (both ways) suffers because of difficulty mastering tones.

Please don't recommend courses (I've taken some) or online training, or suggest I should want something other than what's in the preceding paragraph.  I have taught language (English) and learned other languages, but Thai is proving difficult because of the tones. I know what I need, and want a tutor who can provide it (preferably female, but not adamant about that).

 

Thanks.

[Krungsri 50k+ transfer photo requirement]

41 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Have you checked your daily limit in the APP that is not set to 50k?

 

Under More - Personal Limits - Transfer and then Change Limit

As I said, I have been making large transfers regularly.  The limit I set was well over 100K.

[Outpatient cover no longer needed for OA-based permission to stay?]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:37 PM, Farmerslife said:

Last month I extended my Non Imm OA (retirement) visa at Korat Immigration with a policy that only covered me for inpatient care.

 There is no longer a need for outpatient cover.

This reduced the annual cost for me by 32,000 baht.

  

Yes, at the company I've been using, dropping the OP requirement saves a bunch.

[Transfer visas, etc. from old US passport to new passport at CW]

Can one make an online appointment for this? 

I hope to do it and also the 90-day report in one go.  (I'm guessing I'll need to do the 90-day in person because it's a change of passport.)  Thanks.

[Krungsri 50k+ transfer photo requirement]

I just tried to transfer more than 50K from my Bangkok Bank account to my Krungsri account (my own account!), which I do regularly, and was told the amount exceeded "the daily allowed transfer limit."  Ridiculous.  Especially because the BB app uses facial recognition to open the app in the first place, PLUS requiring a passcode.

[How common is one night stand?]

Well, the wife and I have a seemingly endless series of one-night stands, so around here they're pretty common.

[RIP Ubon Joe - ASEAN NOW visa expert]

Sad, sad news.  Joe helped me time and time again on this forum with unfailingly good advice.  His patience and evident desire to be of service to others was truly exemplary.

[Non 0 retirement renewal 65k method]

On 5/3/2023 at 7:20 AM, DickThrust said:

thanks Evenkeel. Did your payments show as "bahtnet"?

I had this "bahtnet" problem at one point using the 65K/month method, when the transfer was effected as Thai baht.   Your transfer needs to show up in your bank book as an "international transfer" or "international transaction", which in my case I found I needed to ensure by insisting to my bank that the transfer be done in the original foreign currency (dollars, pounds, whatever).

[Tourist Police launch campaign to enforce Alcohol Ban during elections, targeting entrepreneurs and tourists]

In my country a lot of sober voters elected a sociopathic, congenitally lying sexual predator, so I'm not sure drunken people shouldn't be allowed to vote too.

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There are decent taxi drivers in BKK, of course, but the chances of encountering difficult, uncommunicative, sullen, stubborn, recalcitrant ones are just too high, which is why I gave up and only use Grab Car unless there's absolutely no choice,

[Outpatient cover no longer needed for OA-based permission to stay?]

Next month I need to extend again my permission to stay based on original NonImm OA visa, and so also renew insurance cover (with the new 3 million baht minimum).

The company I've had this cover with for the past few years recently wrote me the following:

 

The requirement for the O-A requirement visa is now a minimum 3,000,000 THB. There is no specific requirement for a separate Outpatient Benefit as before, so you can take a plan with Inpatient Benefits only or with Inpatient and Outpatient Benefits.

 

Because the premium at my age is outrageous, I obviously don't want to make a mistake.  Can someone here confirm (ideally based on actual interaction with TI) that outpatient benefits are no longer required for insurance for NonImm OA visas and extensions?  Thanks.