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flinc2020

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Posts posted by flinc2020

  1. 6 hours ago, hioctane said:

    There are already cameras all over the place. It wouldn’t be difficult to outfit them with facial recognition software and hook them up to every LE database there is.  Big brother is watching!

    Ha Ha HA HA!! Have you forgotten where you are? If they  cant even keep track of how many houses and high end cars their own officers have how would they possibly manage to install facial recognition software AND link to every database. 

    I love the way nabbing a numpty who decided not to renew his visa is "keeping Thailand safe". It's not like he was roaming the countryside slaughtering people or peddling drugs, he just decided not to go through the hassle of photocopying every documant he's ever owned to get a stamin his passport.

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  2. 17 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

    I had my NatWest MasterCard ( unfortunately they have stopped issuing Visa credit but still have Visa Debit ) sent from my daughters address.

    In the NatWest banking app I could freeze the card and unfreeze it when it arrived.

    A very practical service, especially in the case of theft or loss .

    The email sent by NatWest saying to get it sent to a friend/relative and then collect it in person do not let it be sent by mail or courier that I got I simply threatened to CC to all the international courier companies and, low and behold, my debit card arrived 2 weeks later by first class mail. They just need a little push sometimes.

     

  3. 14 hours ago, Chaichara said:

     In  my  21 years experience here, private hospitals operate the same fees for foreigners and Thais. One must  not  forget  that  private hospitals are not  the exclusive domain  of 'farangs'. Most customers in  private hospitals have private insurance. Plenty of Thais have private insurance.

    Well, at least up until September last year when the government gave hospitals the go ahead to instigate increased prices for foreigners. (Not that many hadn't had that practice in operation long before the government okayed it!).

  4. On 4/24/2021 at 12:31 PM, DrJack54 said:

    I don't have insurance and been here several years.

    When did government insist that people have insurance. Of course I'm referring to expats living here and not having extensions to a non O-A (retirement)

     

     

     

     

    Not having any medical insurance in a country where:

    1. The government okays the hospitals to charge higher rates for foreigners than locals for treatment.

    2. Even if you're working, and paying tax, if you are over 60 you cannot get on the Social Security system (even if you offer to pay the whole cost yourself.

    3. Traffic laws are flouted consistantly by the locals causing one of the highest rates of road carnage anywhere.

    is a big mistake, even if the government doesn't mandate it for your particular visa type, not having it opens you up to being bankrupted because some 12 year old kid looses control of his dad's PCX and plows into you on the street.

    All over the world private health insurance premiums get higher as you get older but fortunately most countries have a good and fair health care system, even if only for emergencies. I recently renewed my insurance and was lucky to find a decent price but was horrified to si MAJOR insurance companies qouting prices of 10,000GBP a month for a maximum payout of 7250 GBP per case, and I'm only in my 60's. 

  5. On 4/2/2021 at 12:57 PM, hucifer said:

    Well, I went down there today to get myself entered into the police database. Each finger and thumb on both hands was carefully scanned. Interestingly, I did not have to present my work permit, proof of residence, or tenancy agreement; merely my passport and a signed passport copy.
     


    The above, plus the fact that the police check takes ten days (which will be after this year's visa gets renewed for me) makes me think it may not actually be linked to my visa at all, but is rather just a wheeze to further document and hold personal data on all us pesky foreigners, and to collect thousands of 100 baht bills in the process. If your employer doesn't specifically ask you to do this, I wouldn't worry about it for now.
     


    To clarify, I am based in BKK, so it may be that those of you in other provinces may be able to visit your local police headquarters instead. But I can't confirm that.

    Nope, we have to travel to RTP Bangkok too, I had to do it a few months ago when I moved schools. I was based in Pathum Thani and had to go to Bangkok then moved to Phetchaburi and STILL had to go to BKK

     

  6. 22 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

    Working with kids, it makes a lot of sense to check if the person is suitable.

    Of that there is no doubt. However, the idea that you can ONLY get the check done IN PERSON at RTP HQ does seem ridiculous, for me that's a 6 hour round trip, for others even more. If they want to bring in these sorts of policies it has to be done with a modicum of common sense. Either make it possible to do it online or at least doable at your local police HQ. I'm pretty sure that in even the most backwoods areas of the Kingdom the police headquarters buildings have internet access. 

    • Like 1
  7. 10 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

    DHL have never given me anything  but problems so if I know  they are involved  I do not order.  Shopee should  only be used COD. Lazada also. Never order prepaid and certainly not anything  valuable. Am waiting for  Amazon  but Thailand seem to  be resisting them. 

    Recently  ordered Compression Socks from Ubuy not knowing  they used DHL costing approx 30gbp. As soon as DHL got it cost immediately  went to 100gbp plus Doctors  Certificate so I cancelled. I think  DHL are in cahoots with  Customs.  Previously  they annoyed me by ripping  open all deliveries at Customs claiming it was done in the UK. I now just use UK and Thai Post Offices without  any problems couriers being useless. Purchased undersized Compression socks from  Shoppee for under 5gbp which arrived promptly but Asian XLX much too tight. Still waiting  for Lasada delivery sometime  next month.  Meantime went to Facino N Pattaya and paid 60gbp. Expensive but worth it. Only wasted 30gbp!

    "I think  DHL are in cahoots with  Customs." Well, that wouldn't surprise me. They have a nice little system working in China, well, at least in Sichuan. I used to have to go to the DHL depot (3.5 hours by bus and an overnight in a hotel so I could be there before 11.30 on a Saturday) so they could charge me duty on pretty much everything. It all came to a head when they tried to charge me 3000 yuan duty on an item that had cost me 650 yuan to buy and 2000 yuan shipping and duty. Even showing the DHL rep the invoice from the company in the US was getting me nowhere so I called the DHL head office who called the Chengdu depot and the duty magically disappeared and I was free to take my stuff. 

    Like many western companies I think the DHL outlets in Asia are run more lie franchises and treat everything coming through their hands as theirs until you give them some form of payment. Also, their hiring policy seems somewhat lax with regards literacy, particularly with regard reading English (or any other language for that matter.) Chances are the person sorting the parcels coouldn't understand the delivery address and just stamped it "Return to Sender" rather than go to the trouble of getting advice.

  8. 25 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

    It is 4pm right now. Will 7-11s and other outlets open for booze at 5pm as usual, and then stop selling at 6pm?

    Probably not. Last time there was a ban my local 7/11's all stopped selling at 2pm Saturday until 11am Monday. Conversely, during the "lockdown" my local restaurant was not serving alcohol even theough the 7/11 a hundred yards up the road was selling alcohol. Ah well, at least I have enough single malt whisky and bacardi in the house to see me through the weekend.

    • Like 1
  9. 23 hours ago, dabhand said:

     

    For Nationwide internet banking, I believe that access is either via card+reader or pass number + OTP (but only via a UK mobile). That was my most recent experience of a few weeks back.

    I get OTP on my Thai phone number from NatWest with no issue. When I initially changed to a Thai number I got told they couldn't do it because it was an overseas number and they cannot access overseas numbers on their system, and ten minutes later got an SMS from them confirming it!!! Since then I have had no problem with them contacting me via my Thai number.

  10. On 12/22/2020 at 3:46 PM, Pilotman said:

    I have had the same issues on occasions.  The only resort has been to use my Son's UK address and get him to sort things out for me and forward on cards etc. Get online banking as soon as you can, if you haven't already. By the way, my RBS long expired debit card still works in the card reader?? 

    Last time I had the issue with Sh*tWest they said I could change my address to an address of a friend or relative in the UK and they could send the card there BUT THAT PERSON MUST NOT SEND THE CARD TO ME HERE even by courier, I would have to go to the UK and collect it in person. They sent me a card in the end, you just have to pressure them a bit.

     

    • Haha 1
  11. On 12/22/2020 at 3:32 PM, BobBKK said:

    Hello, I'm in a bit of a quandary - I have attempted to get some money transferred but always hit a brick wall and thought I'd have another go - here are the details:

    Have accounts at Nat West and Nationwide - neither will send cards here and so cards all expired long ago. Ergo I cannot use the card readers


    No UK address so can't get utility bills etc.

     

    I can get online - but it says my cards are locked

     

    Is there ANY way to resolve this other than fly back  (no way I'm doing that right now obviously). I have jumped through their hoops before and sent signed passport + certified statement + copies of my address etc. - nothing worked. I also want to cash in some pensions - same problem.

    Anyone found a solution?

    Yes, certainly with NatWest. I also got told I could not get a new card sent here because Thailand is high risk". I pointed out to them that they sent me 11 cards in 6 years when I lived in China, only 2 ever reached me because they were sent by the Natwest complaints team via Fedex. China is NOT considered a risk area. Natwest sent me a new card. Just have a go at them, point out that the mail theft rate in China is far higher than in Thailand and you need your card or you will close your account and use a bank that still provides a service to its customers. When I had a go at them my card arrived within 10 days.

    • Like 1
  12. 12 hours ago, ianh68 said:

    I am very grateful for all the helpful replies. I hope this single post will answer all the questions raised.

     

    The book does not exist as a pdf (or any other non paper version except Kindle). Amazon etc charge too much for a paperback version. There is an online service which will convert to pdf but again it is expensive. My hope is to get a cheaper deal in Bangkok (there always seems to be a Thai somewhere who can do anything for a reasonable price).

     

    I have one old paperback version which I am loathe to let out of my sight or risk destruction in the scanning process. I think my best bet is to track down a second paperback at a reasonable price and go from there. It is not something stocked in the average bookshop.

     

    Kindle is available but even if affordable would not be appropriate as I need to share the content with a few friends. There was a site offering a free download as pdf but on closer investigation it turned out to be a scam.

    I had a similar issue and used this:

    https://www.lazada.co.th/products/handheld-portable-a4-book-document-photo-scanner-300dpi-600dpi900dpi-pdfjpeg-selection-iscan-handy-mobile-i334814912-s649088089.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.1.289560a3Df64jp&search=1

  13. 11 hours ago, Max69xl said:

    Your thread started with complaints about the $100,000 minimum coverage based on what they said in a Thai consulate in München, Germany. That's just one consulate. 

    And therein lies many of the problems with Thai immigration and consulates. There appears to be too much leeway with regard to HOw they interpret things. Surely it is possible for the Thai government to write a set of rukes that EVERY consulate and immigration department must follow TO THE LETTER, not interpret however they choose? Over and over again we are seeing people post on this site how one immigration office requires paperwork or some factor that is not required elsewhere. Since all immigration offices are part of the one entity it is high time they began behaving as such and formalised exactly what is needed for each visa, extension or whatever. The same with the consulates. Every consulate should have a set of RULE (not guidelines") that they must adhere to. That way no matter where in the world you are you know exactly what is required when you go to a Thai embassy to apply for a visa.

    • Like 1
  14. 2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

    Its laziness combined with kreang-jai when preparing the official documents.

     

    No one cares to correct the ambiguity and those who might don’t want to correct those who’ve stated 14 days. 

     

     

    What they actually mean is 14 nights - being specific and accurate is not a strong point here. 

     

    When the minor error is spotted by someone they’re likely to be accused of ’thinking too much’ 

     

     

    I went to ASQ in July - I was well aware it was 14 nights, 15 days and that arrival day was counted as day zero. 

     

     

     

    I was caught out by Pre-flight Covid-19 testing:

    Policy is that a Covid-19 PCR test must be taken prior to departure from your home country, along with a Free to Fly certificate.

    I took the Covid-19 PCR test less than 72hrs before departure (and received Covid-19 Free and Fit to Fly certificates).

    Upon arrival at ASQ I was charged 5950baht for another Covid-19 test as my ‘pre-flight’ test was no longer within 72 hrs. I also had a Covid-19 test on day 6 and day 12 of ASQ. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

    So hold on, the ASQ charged you for a Covid test because your test was more than 72 hours old on arrival at the ASQ? Since the flight can be anything from 12 to 30 hours (depending on the route) that would make it impossible for anyone to get a CoE because there would not be enough time to get a result report on the covid test in order to get th CoE and flight. Also, from what Ive seen all the gumf on this stuff clearly states 72 hours before flying, not before arrival in the Kingdom. If it were me I'd be calling around for a lawyer right now. 

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  15. On 9/17/2020 at 5:33 PM, Stocky said:

    You mean the 'Zinger Burger' - about the only thing on their menu worth having!

    Yeah, when they have it! Last 3 times Ive been to my local KFC, twice they had no burgers at all and last time they had the burgers, but "no wegetabl", something they chose to tell me AFTER I'd waited 25 minutes for it to be prepared, so basically I got 2 buns with a chunk of chicken in. And I thought Chinese KFC's were bad!

  16. 11 hours ago, DLock said:

     

    I missed that "minimum" of 90 days.

     

    And now another gem of :

     

     

    ....ha ha ha...so Thai Airlines misses out on even these well - healed  1,200 tourists.

     

    Well thought through Cha Cha.

    Unles, of course, Thai Airlines "rent out" their planes to companies, no doubt run by relatives of the government, who have travel businesses, just as the STV being run by Longstay. 

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