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Ditto - for me it was a big disappointment.

The parking lot in front of Villa Market offers one hour free parking with validation. The parking garage offers 2 hours - again with validation from one of the Avenue merchants. Since I have never exceeded these time limits, I can't say what is charged for parking.

Whew, GB -- all the charges? Actually, I did research Bangkok Bank charges, which I posted and provided links to their web site. Other charges will depend on the source of the funds being sent to Bangkok Bank's NY Branch, e.g., banks usually charge for domestic wire transfers, but often at a lesser amount than international wires. Cost effectiveness would then depend on adding your own bank's charges to that of Bangkok Bank and comparing it to the cost of an international wire transfer. I use INGDirect -- thread with information about ING accounts, etc. INGDirect charges no fees for their accounts, ATM use, or sending "electronic checks" (not wire transfers). Electronic checks by INGDirect are similar to wire transfers as they are sent electronically to the recipients bank account using the ACH number and recipient's account number (does require recipient to confirm to INGDirect before funds are sent - done by email and link to secure INGDirect site). Similarly, it is my understanding that "direct" deposits from say Social Security, can be set up by providing Social Security with the ACH number for Bangkok Bank's NY branch and the recipient's Bangkok Bank account number here in Thailand. The Bangkok Bank NY Branch web site has some generic instructions for setting up an internet bank transfer -- the instructions are similar to procedures I followed in "linking" my INGDirect and Etrade accounts to my Chase (US) regular account, i.e., in setting up the link, they (ING or Etrade) sent two small transfers for deposit to my Chase account - a few cents each. I then had to go online to each to confirm the amounts deposited. Once that was done, I can now set up electronic transfers (no fees involved) for funds to/from my Chase account at each of these banks. I'm not to sure how the "confirmation" process could be confirmed, as the amount that would show up in your Bangkok Bank account as deposits would be in Baht rather than cents - unless you knew the exchange rate at the time of the deposit. Further, an unanswered question is whether Bangkok Bank would charge you their minimum fee of 200 Baht on a transfer of say, $.21. If so, then you would get a 400 Baht charge (200 each) for the two small deposits - However, it may be, since they are touting this service, that the two initial deposits to set up the transfer link may not incur the fee and they might be able to tell you the USD amount of each deposit -- these are questions I can't answer. However, the service is mentioned in an English language brochure, Welcome - A guide to Bangkok Bank products and services. At the back of the brochure, they provide a telephone number to obtain more information on the products and services mentioned in the brochure - 1333 or 02-645-5555. Hopefully, you will get someone who speaks sufficient English to answer your questions.

I have used the Bangkok Bank service now for several months. For me, it is about 1/2 the cost of wiring funds direct to Bangkok Bank from my US Bank. The funds are transmitted in US dollars and converted in Thailand using Bangkok Bank's exchange rate. Bangkok Bank fees for transfers (from their NY Branch web page) Bangkok Bank NY 1. Bangkok Bank in New York charges the following fees for funds transfers initiated via the US ACH system: Transferred Amount Fee Less than USD 50.00 Free USD 51.00 - 100.00 USD 3.00 USD 100.01 - 2,000.00 USD 5.00 USD 2,000.01 - 50,000.00 USD 10.00 USD 50,000.01 or more USD 20.00 2. Bangkok Bank in Thailand also charges a fee of 0.25% of the amount in the Baht currency (minimum of THB 200; maximum of THB 500) when the funds are deposited into the recipient’s Bangkok Bank account in Thailand. Bangkok Bank's web page states the following as being benefits of using the system: Bangkok Bank NY information Benefits of the service * Fees for funds transfers via the US ACH system and Bangkok Bank’s New York branch are up to USD 20 lower than most other international wire transfer services in the US. * You can make transfers directly online via the internet banking service provided by your own bank in the US. * You will enjoy a better exchange rate because the USD amount will be converted to Thai Baht at the daily Bangkok Bank exchange rate in Thailand.

It is my understanding that Hutch is a "mobile" phone connection - thus, can use wherever they have a signal -- usually used with laptops/notebooks. I use AIS GPRS (Nokia GPRS telephone - has Nokia software and USB cable) when up country -- 1 Baht per minute, but it is slow. However, a good friend says that AIS now has a faster service (maybe similar to Hutch arrangement), he has just acquired the equipment and says it works fine (sorry, I don't have the cost figures or connection speeds, but will get details later). For more info on hutch: Hutch web site Hutch website on current promotion indicates 153Kbs.

Bangkok Bank will let you use internet banking if you have a "retirement" visa. You have to fill out some forms at the bank and will later receive your log on information. I find it convenient as my bf has an account in the same branch and I can transfer funds from my account to his (Bangkok Bank has recently set up for transfers to accounts in other banks - haven't tried it, but a friend says it works fine -- as I understand it, you have to give them your mobile number and when you want to make a transfer, they send you an SMS with a one time password for use in making the transfer). I also use it for "topping" up my mobile (AIS) and the bf's mobile (DTAC - shown as DPROMPT in their payee listing), which is done immediately -- no fee for top ups, but fees vary for other vendor payments.

Can't say about payment to push properties, but I have found that the many I have tried to use (with two exceptions) were more interested in their "sales" vs "rentals." My experience with at least 4 real estate agents, other than the two I am going to mention later, was not good - in all cases, I had given the realtor a list of my requirements -- in two cases, they never got back to me and in the other two, they took me to see properties, which did not meet my requirements. Now for the two good experiences. My first two rentals were handled by the same realtor -- I was shown properties that were within my "specifications and price range." In the first house, the owner was in Belgium and the realtor handled everything and collected the rent each month -- very responsive to any need for maintenance and a full refund of deposit when I moved out (I hate to clean, so we had agreed upon a set sum to be kept from the deposit for cleaning). The 2nd rental, they acted only as a "locater" - the lease was with the owner (a very nice English gentleman that lived in the same gated village -- paid rent to him, prompt with maintenance -- returned full deposit under the same arrangements as my first rental). It was my understanding they received a fee from the owner for the rental and, in the case of the first house, a percentage of each months rent. They have a good website with many properties in all price ranges. Their site is Pattaya Properties. My current rental was handled by BB Lets. This agency handles sales, but seems to specialize in rentals -- The owner is current at updating his database of available properties (most realtors seem to list a property in their data base and never delete or otherwise update it, thus when you see a property you are interested in and contact them, they inform you, "sorry, that one is rented out" or, as one told me once, "oh, we haven't handled that property for a while, we will contact the owner and get back to you" (they didn't and when I followed up, they said their number for the owner was no longer good, but they were still trying to find them). The realtor I currently have told me he does not do "locater" only -- he said he contracts with owner to handle everything - so my lease is with him (he is a farang and lease is in English). I have found him to be great to deal with -- he has a wide range of properties in all price ranges. As to asking price and negotiated price -- absolutely correct. In my first rental, the English agent told me the asking price and then told me what they would probably "take," which was about 5,000 Baht less. My current agent told me the asking price and when my bf wanted to negotiate, put him in touch with the Thai owner -- we rented for 7,000 less per month from the asking price (we did agree to a 2 year lease, though). I'm well pleased with the house and village, we have been here about 18 months and the lease gives me the option to continue it for another 2 years at the same rate.

When getting my bank letter this week for retirement visa renewal, I picked up an English language brochure, entitled, Welcome, A Guide to Bangkok Bank Products & Services. The brochure comments on the ability to get mortgage loans for purchases of USD 300,000 or more. It refers the reader to the following: For more information, please call (66) 0 2626 3846 or visit Bangkok Bank's expatriate banking team on the ground floor of the Head Office branch at 333 Silom Road, where English speaking staff can provide the assistance. The web page (foreigner FAQ) I linked, lists the Head Office and several branches to get information (does not list any Pattaya branches). It also has an email address one can use to send inquiries. No mention in any of these that you have to leave Thailand to get the loan -- I can't say for certain, but I believe the application, etc. can be made and processed in Thailand, but the actual loan is from the Singapore branch - loans are made in Singapore Dollars, US Dollars, or Euros.

Yes, per the British Honorary Consul, you still have to have 800,000 Baht in the bank for renewal, but Pattaya Immigration does not require it to be on deposit for a full 3 months as they do for the initial application. His comments were in response to my specific question to him at the Pattaya City Expat Club meeting - although I use the income letter, whether you have to have the 800K in bank 3 full months has been a subject of much discussion. So, I posed the question. His response was that at present Sr. Sgt. Major (name) and Captain (name), are processing renewals without requiring 800K be shown as on deposit for at least 3 months. However, he did say that if the funds were deposited only a day or two before renewal, they might question it. Whether this is the policy at other Immigration offices, e.g., Bangkok, I can not say.

Yep, Gaybutton, we are good for another year. As to signing the photocopies, I have always done that in advance and they have never questioned it (since the photocopies are in black print, I use a blue ink pen to sign them so the signature stands out on the document(s)). On renewing, I have always given myself from 2 to 4 weeks in advance, just in case of any hitches (although there never has been, but I'm the type of guy that pats his pockets a few times to make sure I have my room key before closing the hotel room door - just to be sure) At a recent Pattaya City Expats Club meeting, our honorary British Consul, in addition to saying we didn't need the debit/credit card copies anymore also said that you can renew up to 3 months early (I already knew this as a mutual acquaintance of ours did it that early last year). Also, the Consul said that for those using the 800K Baht in the bank, the 3 months on deposit was only for the first application - not renewals (at Pattaya Immigration Office - could be different elsewhere - as you said, the different Offices sometimes seem to set up their own rules). I use Bangkok Bank and picked up the letter the day before renewing -- this year they did something different -- they listed the date and amount of my last 3 foreign transfers into the account (I figured they were taking it from my passbook as it is new and those were the only transfers in it -- I got the new one recently as my old passbook, after 5+ years, ran out of space). I thought, gee, are they going to be checking on the money transferred in? However, when the Immigration Sr. Sgt. Major looked over my documents, he didn't pay any attention to those amounts, only highlighting name, account number, and the balance in the account - these were also the only things he highlighted in my passbook photocopies.

Bangkok Bank has had these loans available for some time. There was another article or maybe a thread on another message board (can't remember exactly where I saw it) that also mentioned this. It is my understanding that Bangkok Bank gets around a restriction on making such loans to foreigners by funding the loans from their Singapore (branch) Bank. I first came across this information 2 or 3 years ago and looked into the criteria, which was on Bangkok Bank's web site. The current information is located at Bangkok Bank FAQ for foriegners However, when I looked into it previously, there was an age restriction. It is not shown with the information at the above link, but is shown under the Home Loan FAQ, which shows: Your age, together with the loan tenure, is no more than 60 years if you are an employee, or 65 years if you are self-employed.

Ditto! I was there first thing this morning, but it was about 15 minutes as the Lady Captain was a little late getting in and set up. I also use the Embassy income letter. Only hindrance was wading in Soi 5 high water from the downpour this morning. For those that might be interested in what was required-- TM-7, Application for Extension of Stay (one original) One Photograph (obtained from shop next door) Copies from passport - face page, all pages with last and previous visa stamps, & copy of last entry stamp. Copy of TM card. Original Embassy letter on income. Original letter from Thai bank showing account information. Copies from Bank Account pass book (face page, last page showing balance) Note - any photocopies of documents (passport, bank passbook) must be signed by the applicant. Usual process - the Sr. Sgt. Major reviewed all documents then sent me to the desk to pay the 1,900 Baht fee, return to the Lady Captain's desk where she completed a form transcribing information from the packet of documents (which I signed), and the usual question about whether I owned or rented my residence. Gave me my ticket for picking up the passport around 10am tomorrow. For those that might be interested, my next address "reporting" date was supposed to be June 9th, but I had made a trip outside Thailand and returned on May 15th. The Lady Captain, "lined" through the June 9th date on my last reporting form and inserted a new reporting date, which was 90 days from my re-entry into Thailand.

My answers to your questions are based on my understanding of the process: Am I correct that I'll need an Electric Orange account in addition to my regular ING account? Yes - the Electric Orange is the checking account -- easy to open if you already have an account. They will also send an ATM/debit card to your USA address (a note on that later). With the Electric Orange account, you can set up any Electronic Check payee with an account in a bank within the the US banking system. INGDirect does not charge fees for the Electric Orange account and they pay interest on it. The account comes with $1,000 overdraft protection - if you use any of the overdraft amount, they do not charge a fee - only interest while the funds are outstanding. I have never availed myself of it because if I need funds sent right away, I simply transfer any additional amount I need from my savings to the checking account (usually immediate, but I have had to wait a few minutes sometimes for Electric Orange to record it as available in my checking account). Am I correct that the reason this can be done is because Bangkok Bank has a New York office and routing number? So I probably could not do this with my Kasikorn account? Again, yes. Bangkok Bank's New York branch is a US Federally chartered bank per their web site and, thus, has a routing number within the Federal Reserve system. Without that number, INGDirect will not send an Electronic check. As to the Kasikorn account, I can't answer. If they have USA branch with a Federal Reserve routing number, you could send an electronic check -- however, whether their USA branch is set up to transfer it on to a Thailand based account, I don't know. Does the Bangkok Bank charge the 0.25% fee on all transfers or is that a special add on due to the unusual nature of the ING transfer? The .25% is a regular charge -- after revisiting their site, it notes that the minimum charge is 200 Baht and the maximum is 500 Baht. So for a 10K transfer Bangkok Bank would charge 35 bucks and ING nothing? If you sent 10k US Dollars, the fee would apparently be $10 US by the NY Branch and another 500 Baht by Bangkok Bank here in Thailand -- or about $25 maximum. Regarding the Electric Orange ATM card, if you plan to use it in Thailand, you need to call INGDirect customer service and let them know -- otherwise, it might work once, but they will put a security hold on the card and you can't use it again until you contact them (I'm speaking from experience). I am using INGDirect Electric Orange account as it was the simplest to set up and the least expensive way of using Bangkok Bank's NY branch -- But, Bangkok Bank NY will accept funds from other banks as well as direct deposits of pension checks, social security checks, etc. (myself, I prefer to keep my pension and other funds in the US and transfer only what I need). Bangkok Bank information is available on their web site (I hope that this link works): Bangkok Bank NY Branch website

For those that may be interested in the US IRS foreign bank reporting requirements, go to IRS link The reporting is required if at any time there was more than $10,000 US in the foreign bank account during the calendar year -- the report is separate from your US tax return and must be made by June 30, of the following year. Richsilver put me on to the benefits of an INGDirect savings account a few years ago and later to the benefits of also opening a checking account in order to transfer funds from my primary US bank to Bangkok Bank at a lower cost (my primary bank was charging me $40 for wire transfers to my Bangkok Bank account). Now I transfer funds to INGDirect from my primary account (no fee) and send myself an "electronic check" (uses Bangkok Bank New York Federal Reserve routing number and my Bangkok Bank Pattaya branch account number) - it takes about 3 days for it to be deposited here in Thailand. If over $2,000 US, Bangkok Bank New York branch charges $10 and Bangkok Bank Thailand charges a 1/4 percent conversion fee. The fees are lower for smaller amounts. INGDirect does not charge a fee for sending electronic checks.

Gold Traders Assocaiton Web Site

It appears that the Thai Government considers Baht 800K, monthly income of Baht 65K, or a combination of the two to be sufficient to live in Thailand without the need for work. As to the 65k vs. 66k monthly income, the 65k is shown by Pattaya Immigration - http://www.pattaya-immigration.org/visas.php?cat=other&menuOther=_Click&lang=EN . If I recall correctly, I believe that Baht 65k is the required "salary" for foreigners working in the Kingdom with a work permit (amount varies depending on nationality, but I believe that is amount for Americans, Brits, and some other "first world" countries). I guess one could argue about the rationale for the amount, but in my opinion any argument for or against is a moot point since this is the amount set by the Thai Government and I imagine any suggestions otherwise would probably fall on deaf ears. Also, who knows, if the Immigration folks should revisit the issue, they might just raise the amount. Using a set amount in my opinion is logical as it simplifies the process as it is easier to administer from a bureaucratic standpoint.

You may recall that last year, it was announced that we would have to get a Foreign Ministry stamp on our Embassy "income" letter beginning September 1, 2007 (as I recall, that was the effective date). A good friend of mine decided he wanted to do his renewal before the deadline to avoid having to go to the trouble of getting the stamp, even though it was 3 months before his renewal date. He went to Pattaya Immigration and his renewal was processed with no questions asked on why he was doing it so early -- the new expiration date was one year from the date of his retirement visa expiration date (about 15 months from the time he renewed). It was after he renewed, the Government announced they were not going to implement the Foreign Ministry stamp requirement. Myself, I did mine 30 days before expiration last year with no questions asked. It is coming up again in July and I plan to do it about 30 days before expiration again this year.

Gaybutton, I agree with you -- especially about having to show (prove) the income every year - as you say, it usually stays the same or goes up. But, if that is what they want, then that is what I will provide. I do have funds transferred to my Thai bank account - set up an automatic transfer some 5 years ago before moving here so that I would transfer at least the 800k into Thailand during the year.- just in case Immigration wanted such proof. They never did, but it appears that has or may change. However, with the Baht going from 42 (when I came here to live) and the current hovering around 33, it no longer equals the 800k. Rather than transfer in more funds, I have been using my US bank ATM card. I have no problem with showing documentation to support the Embassy letter, but my concern is the Honorary British Consul (HBC) saying they may require an Embassy stamp on such documents -- for our UK friends, that apparently is not a problem since the HBC has such a stamp. He says that he does not charge for applying it to copies of the documents. Further, he says he writes "as seen by" on the copies, which is different from representing the documents are authentic. Also, I gather from talking with some other Expats that are not American or British, that most of the other Embassies do check documents before issuing their Embassy letter. But, I think the US Embassy has no desire to take on such responsibility. Instead, they use their usual Notarial service to notarize a signed statement of their citizens as to the amount of pensions income -- and, yes, I do know some Americans that live on Social Security of less than the required monthly amount signing and affirming the Embassy letter, on which they have stated they actually receive more - enough to meet Immigration requirements.. For those of us that can prove the amount, my guess is that to get an "Embassy stamp" we would have to make a copy of our document(s) and write something on them such as, " This is a true and accurate copy of the original document." and then signing it in front of the Embassy official and having them notarize it -- which doesn't prove anything, but would probably be acceptable to the Thai authorities since it would have the "stamp." The only difference between the "as seen by" used by the HBC and a "notarial" stamp by the US Embassy, is that Americans would have to pay for the stamp ($30 for first notarization and $20 for each additional, if I recall correctly). Also, if using Bank Statements, would each one have to be "stamped?" That could get expensive. The HBC also said that he thought if your Thai bank book shows you deposited from foreign funds the required amount during the year, that would be sufficient without the need for any other documentation (or Embassy stamps). Having said all of that, so far, I haven't heard anyone at the Expat club meetings say they were required to provide any documentation other than the Embassy letter when renewing -- haven't heard from anyone making their first application. Personally, I am going to transfer additional funds before my next renewal to ensure my Thai bank book shows I have deposited at least 800K in hopes that if additional documentation is required, that will be enough.

At a December Pattaya City Expat Club (PCEC) meeting, the Honorary British Consul indicated that he looks at various documents. As I recall, he did not say it had to be a specific document, but did mention they could include bank statements, letter from pension provider, etc. He also said that he places a British Embassy Stamp (no charge) on copies of the documents. He went on to say that Pattaya Immigration would probably start requiring Embassy stamps on copies of supporting documents. The following are excerpts from the PCEC weekly Newsletters, which for some will be clarifying things and for others, it will probably still be considered a muddying of the waters -- whatever, this was what was reported (I have omitted the Honorary Consuls name since, as I recall, identifying people by their name violates posting rules for some boards):

A common misconception has been that you need a letter from the bank only when using the 800K+ in the bank to qualify. There have been several postings off and on on various message boards from people who were using the Embassy letter and were surprised when Immigration told them to get a letter from their bank. I used the 800K for my initial extensions and the Embassy letter ever since (will be getting my 5th renewal next time I go). I have always had a bank letter for each renewal. I'm not sure what the letter states (as Gaybutton says, it is in Thai). But, I do not believe it shows anything more than bank account number and the balance as of the day the letter is written (in looking at my copy of the last bank letter, the only numbers on it correspond to the date, account number, and balance in my account on the date indicated). I have always obtained it on the date or the day before I applied for renewal. In the past (including my last renewal), Pattaya Immigration was continuing to accept copies of Embassy letters on income and allowing you to reuse it again the next year - they did look at the original, but took the copy. The Honorary British Consul for Pattaya, who provides those letters for British citizens, has stated that Pattaya Immigration is now requiring the original be submitted and they will not accept any over one year old. However, based on several reports posted on message boards as well as comments made to me by friends and associates who have renewed in the past 2 or 3 months, Immigration is taking the original, but still accepting those that are 1, 2, and 3 years old. My guess is that they are taking the old originals of people who were allowed to use a copy the last time. Although I used a copy last time, I plan to get a new one for my next renewal (still a few months away). The Honorary Consul has also said that the 800k in the bank for 3 months is only needed for initial application. He said it can be less than 3 months if renewing. He also has recently reported on a new requirement to provide photocopies of either an ATM or credit card and that it is permitted to black out sensitive numbers.

Internet Satellite service is provided by IPStar (a Shin Corp company) and can be obtained in Pattaya from Loxinfo. I used it for about a year - expensive and limited to 256K download. I experienced frequent outages, with some lasting several hours - not just when it rained. When I moved to my present location off of Jomtien Beach Road, I checked with TT&T about ADSL and was told that they did not offer telephone service to my village. A friend that lives in the same village had TOT ADSL and complained it was slow and often had outages. Since some other friends used CAT and are well satisfied, I checked and they offered ADSL service (free installation promotion at the time). I did have to pay 2,400 Baht for them to run a line from my house to their junction box on Jomtien Beach Road (about a kilometer). CAT does not offer regular telephone service - only an ADSL line. I have been using it now for over a year and am very pleased - outages and slow speed are very infrequent. I just checked my speed and it was 1.5mb download and 225 Kbs upload. However, the cost will probably turn most people off - about 2,800 Baht per month (which was a few hundred Baht more than I was paying for the slow satellite connection).

(emphasis added) Hmmmmmmm! Does this mean???

I also held a sensitive position with a US Federal Agency. This position was subject to an initial background investigation (1972) and subsequent investigations every 5 years with the last one being just before I retired. Yes, I too was buried deep in the closet for the same reasons. However, President Bill Clinton issued two Executive Orders that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation - access to classified information (No. 12968, August 1995) and in employment in the Federal Civil Service (No. 11478, May 1998). Although these two orders technically eliminated being gay as a bar to being employed by the Federal government or being denied a security clearance, we do have to live in the real world. I deemed staying in the closet was necessary in my circumstances. Now, to the issue of this thread - being known as a frequent visitor to Thailand. For me, it had no adverse impact on me or my comfortable place in the closet. I made my first visit in 1985. Although gay venues were not numerous I found Thailand and the boys here to be wonderful. I continued to visit annually until 1992 when I increased it to twice a year (yes, I had found "the one" and yes, if interested, we are still together). Anyway, my trips were certainly something I could not "keep to myself," even if I wanted to. Prior to each background investigation, I had to list the dates and location for each time I ventured outside the USA. Although my form showed all my trips, the different "Investigators" conducting my interviews never raised the subject of why I visited Thailand (yes, they did knock on my neighbors doors to inquire if I had wild parties, etc.). Personally, I think it is up to the individual and their own set of circumstances as to whether they want others to know they frequent Thailand. I can see why with the most recent international publicity about Thailand and Pattaya, someone would have reservations about disclosing their visits. So again, my feelings on the subject go with that well used phrase - "Up to you!"

The baht busses have been collecting the same amount ever since my first visit to Thailand - this was over 20 years ago when things were much cheaper (including the bar fine and the tip ). With the rising cost of living and fuel, I'm surprised that the fare has not increased long before now.

Two articles in Bangkok Post this morning. The "fugitive" was arrested when he arrived in Vancouver. Thailand wants Canada to extradite him back to Thailand . Bangkok Post Another article says that the 8 yr old boy was not kidnapped. According to that article: Bangkok Post