Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Thai Society and culture, Living in Thailand.
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UdonExpat
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Re: Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Post by UdonExpat » November 27, 2009, 3:49 pm

Other than being able to obtain a work permit, the other main advantage to the marriage extension is that the financial requirements are about 1/2 as much as a retirement extension. 40,000 baht per month income or 400,000 baht in the bank. If you are doing it with money in the bank it's a lot less money tied up in an account that earns next to nothing.

If you are qualifying based on income you have a lot more cushion should the exchange rates tank. Prior to 1997 the dollar only bought 20-25 baht. I think it averaged about 23 for the previous 20 years.



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Re: Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Post by doo » November 27, 2009, 4:45 pm

Hi,
As stated by Paul, 800,000B untouched for three months in a Thai bank is not entirely correct. My latest visa, Imag. stated you need 800,000B in Thai. bank OR a income. pension etc., of more than 800,000B per year. I did not have one baht in a Thai bank when last month I got my visa, but had a letter from the British Embassy to state I was receiving pensions of over 800,000B per year. Cost 1900B plus a trip to BKK.. They excepted this. Plus fee for translating to Thai., Don't know wither this is required, they did not want to look at it in NK.
I have more than this amount in a offshore bank earning good interest and would never dream of transferring it to a LOS bank, and Imag. did not want to Know.
I did this at NK as imag. at Udon airport said they could not do it and I had to go to NK. This was last month and might have changed by now.
Picked up a form for applying for a extension for support a family (wife and children) who are Thai citizens. From Thai Embassy in LAO. As I have since got married.
In section 5 it states.
5 Proof of financial status or pension.
5-1 An amount of 200,000Baht/year deposited a bank in kingdom or permanent salary of 20,000Baht/month.
5-2 The bank balance statement no longer than 10 days before applying.
5-3. In case of the income from overseas such as pensions, security,or social welfare, the pension certification from the embassy of his country.
Excuse the spelling etc. as I copied this word for word from their leaflet.
The Thai embassy stated this was the latest leaflet. TIT.
Cheers Doug.

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Re: Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Post by bumper » December 2, 2009, 12:07 pm

Getting out of Dodge, Vietene 45 min drive. Maoney in two different countries. Will I ever need it hope not.

Even in the bloody takeover of the government talking with guys who were here it was just another day in Udon.

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Post by dook » January 18, 2010, 3:44 am

Is AEK Udon the best?
I went to AEK in June last year and asked them to carry out tests to confirm whether or not I had TB. X-ray results in Russia a month earlier during a Company medical suggested that I may have contracted TB. AEK took x-rays and blood samples for testing and they also took sputum samples for fast track DNA/PCR (30% accuracy) and full culture (100% accuracy) tests. I was given the -ve fast track results after a few weeks and told to wait 2 to 3 months for the full culture test results. (I had TB in Thailand 16 years ago so I am aquainted with the procedures). I have still not received the full culture test results from AEK in response to my emails and personal visits to the hospital. Their answer is always the same, "the two fast track results are the full culture test results". It clearly states on the test results from the laboratory "culture results to follow". 10,000 Baht plus and still no response from the 'best in Udon'. I have now been advised by several friends to take new tests at Udon General. I have been here for most of the past 22 years so I've heard a few stories and for any serious illnesses I would suggest the University Hospital KK as it seems to have the most experienced specialists in the various fields.

Dentists.
6 years ago I went to AEK dental department and they did two root canals plus the temporary fillings for 8000 Baht. I returned a week later to tell them that both teeth were still live, they wanted to charge me again to complete the canals correctly told me it was my fault that they failed the first time. I quit AEK and went to another dentist in town who completed the job correctly for 2000 Baht.

Visas.
Years back the immigration office was behind the police station in Udon Thani and most of the two hundred odd expates who lived in the province at that time had little problem meeting the 12,000 baht/m income or 50,000 Baht bank deposit required at that time. As the local expat population slowly grew so did the arrival of new immigration officers to key positions in control of issueing 12 month visas. The office was moved to Nong Khai and one of the bad apples moved there also. It became quite yucky, expats being coerced to pay bribes for new 12 month visas at private meetings held during out of office hours at this immigration officers private house in Udon. When the income requirement was raised to 20,000 Baht/m one American who had already lived here for 20 years with his Thai wife explained to immigration that his pension was less than this figure, the officer replied "then go home". For several years many expates opted to purchase 12 month visas on the black market in order to avoid paying these bribes to this officer. These rather unsavory officers were moved on by the immigration department and after a time trust was re-established with the expat community Right now I find the system very civil.

Contingency plan.
There can be a risk of a violent uprising when the population is polarized as it is at present in Thailand especially when a former discredited government employee bears a grudge against his former employers and subsequently encourages conflict between large sections of the population. If you were to see gatherings of 1 to 2 million people protesting in Bangkok continuously for weeks on end then you might need a plan B, or, just put it on the back boiler and cross the bridge when you get to it .

Mike

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LoongLee
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Re: Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Post by LoongLee » January 18, 2010, 10:47 pm

Dook " (I had TB in Thailand 16 years ago so I am aquainted with the procedures). "

When you had the previous exposure to TB,,, you should have been given 1 years worth of prophylaxis drugs as part of your treatment. That is supposed to make it virtually impossible for you to contract TB later.

For something as serious as TB and to still be wondering after tests last year (june 09), you don't seem to be very concerned... :-k

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Re: Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

Post by bumper » January 19, 2010, 10:25 am

There are more then one strain of T.B. I still remember when working in the jail a new strain had started and it was the most serious health risk to our personnel at the time.

Baumrengard if it's serious. With my recent adventure I found that the cost there were about the same as for the international hospitals here.

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