Ask us about Thailand! - Page 1174

This.

I just had a quote for a year in Canada for £350 so am sure you can find something that will suit you for far less than $2k. No point paying a premium for worldwide coverage if you are only going to be in one place !

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10-11-2012 , 10:03 PM

#29327

GoinGreen

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,739

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspill

The Kasikorn branch on the right corner before entrance to Sukhumvit Soi 15, bangkok, lets you open one without a work permit

Some 2+2ers posted that and I also managed to get one yesterday there. You go up to second floor, all you need is passport, 1700 baht (1300 into your account to keep, 400 fee for the ATM card) and a 'permanent address' to tell them

thanks, once you get the Kasikorn card is it fairly cheap to use any atms in Thailand? I will most likely be living in Samui, no clue what kind of atms or banks they got there...

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10-11-2012 , 10:06 PM

#29328

PokerSpiv

banned

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,775

Plenty of ATMs and also multiple branches of Kasikorn bank in Samui. I am pretty sure it would be free to use their ATM card in Kasikorn ATMs, not sure about other banks ATMs.

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10-11-2012 , 10:10 PM

#29329

PokerSpiv

banned

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,775

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinGreen

You should def double check, the guy might of been clueless...sounds too good to be true...

My Australian bank charges 0% exchange fees and 0 for withdrawals. I only pay the 150 baht ATM fee that all Thai ATMs charge for for foreign card withdrawals. Given that most Thai ATMs have a 20,000 baht withdrawal limit, this works out to about 0.75% rate that I get charged on ATM withdrawals.

This is the card I have FWIW, if any Australians are looking for a travel card: http://www.28degreescard.com.au/index.html

There are plenty of ATM cards available that are like mine. It's a credit card, and they plan on making their money through interest on your balance, but since I keep my balance in credit I pay nothing.

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10-11-2012 , 10:16 PM

#29330

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Yup TD bank is 2.5% + $5 flat fee + the spread above nominal exchange rate.

So it beats your bank by 0.5%, but def. the first guy I talked to was confused. Also don't forget the Thai bank will also charge a flat fee.

Def. opening that Kasikorn account is the way to go once you've got a place set up.

Good info as always Jspill.

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10-11-2012 , 10:16 PM

#29331

GoinGreen

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,739

hmm should I just wait to get to Samui and open an account at one of their Branches or does it really not matter?

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10-11-2012 , 10:17 PM

#29332

JustUser

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 265

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokerSpiv

I only pay the 150 baht ATM fee that all Thai ATMs charge for for foreign card withdrawals.

Not true.
AEON doesnt charge 150 baht.

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10-11-2012 , 10:18 PM

#29333

GoinGreen

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,739

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebffs

At least we called and found out! I'm not sure if I will be able to withdraw from poker account straight into Thai bank account tho...guess I'll have to find out...

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10-11-2012 , 10:19 PM

#29334

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinGreen

At least we called and found out! I'm not sure if I will be able to withdraw from poker account straight into Thai bank account tho...guess I'll have to find out...

Ya from what I've learned following this thread for several months, you're fine to cash out from Stars directly to Thai bank. I'm not sure about other sites though.

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10-11-2012 , 10:25 PM

#29335

PokerSpiv

banned

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,775

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustUser

Not true.
AEON doesnt charge 150 baht.

Good news!

They are pretty hard to find in Samui though, only 2 that I know of.

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10-11-2012 , 10:39 PM

#29336

jspill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 8,392

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinGreen

thanks, once you get the Kasikorn card is it fairly cheap to use any atms in Thailand? I will most likely be living in Samui, no clue what kind of atms or banks they got there...

free for kasikorn ATMs, negiglible for others (something like free the first 3 times/month, 10 baht after)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinGreen

hmm should I just wait to get to Samui and open an account at one of their Branches or does it really not matter?

might as well do it close to where you're gonna live, cos for some important stuff you have to go to the branch you opened it at. but it's unlikely you ever need to

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinGreen

At least we called and found out! I'm not sure if I will be able to withdraw from poker account straight into Thai bank account tho...guess I'll have to find out...

it works totally fine, takes 2-3 working days, and is safe, it doesn't show up on your bank statement as poker. i've done with stars & party, i'd assume other sites are ok too

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustUser

Not true.
AEON doesnt charge 150 baht.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokerSpiv

They are pretty hard to find in Samui though, only 2 that I know of.

sadly only ~30 in bkk too

http://www.aeon.co.th/en/customerser..._depositor.php

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10-11-2012 , 10:52 PM

#29337

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokerSpiv

It will be a lot cheaper to get a plan that only covers Thailand, assuming you are going to be staying in Thailand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spudhead

Ya makes sense, it's just I thought Lessu said he had international coverage (excluding USA). I would have been interested in something like than for around 1k usd since I plan to travel a lot over the next 12 months to countries surrounding Thailand.

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10-12-2012 , 12:13 AM

#29338

pwntatochips

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 177

anyone had any experience with the high speed internet plans(50-100mbps download) from True or 3bb specifically in Chiang Mai? do the plans actually perform at that speed and how reliable are they? how hard is it to open an account? also any recommendations on a backup usb 3g/4g wireless stick? i saw some advertised that say 20-40mpbs, wondering if they are worth it.

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10-12-2012 , 12:27 AM

#29339

PokerSpiv

banned

Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,775

I have a truemove 3g wireless stick in Samui. Works very well, although it's download limited and the true speed is only 1.2mps. I use it as my primary grinding internet because it never drops out. Obviously YMMV depending on how close your apartment is to a cell phone tower.

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10-12-2012 , 12:42 AM

#29340

theplayer541

old hand

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,761

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwntatochips

3bb has been pretty solid for me in chiang mai. I have the 9mbps plan, seems like reliability varies greatly on your location so it's kind of a gamble, especially since I had to prepay for 6months

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10-12-2012 , 12:45 AM

#29341

Lessu

Thailand Guru

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,069

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebffs

Also really not sure what to put on the VISA application under occupation, duration of stay and funds available for stay.

For present address and phone number what do you write when you no longer have either one?

occupation: student? unemployed?
duration of stay: truth? double entry is good for 6mo so can use that too
funds: 2k/mo ?

address/phone number just give your current ones, it's not like they check them

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10-12-2012 , 12:53 AM

#29342

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lessu

I put "self employed, working at home, writer/affiliate marketing." They ask for specific location of where you work so I didn't want to put student because I'd have to make up a total lie. Unemployed seems really suspicious since I'm a healthy male and last time I asked my doctor he assured me I don't have downs syndrome.
But I'm guessing from what you write that you can basically say anything and they don't really care? Maybe it's better to put "unemployed" because they're trying to crack down on people saying they're going for tourism then staying for years working online?

http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/c.../visa-info.pdf

Last edited by ebffs; 10-12-2012 at 01:00 AM.

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10-12-2012 , 12:53 AM

#29343

JustUser

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 265

i was told to write 60 days.
u cant stay longer than 60 days in thailand.
take 4 entry visa if u have plan to travel every 2 months.

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10-12-2012 , 12:56 AM

#29344

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustUser

i was told to write 60 days.
u cant stay longer than 60 days in thailand.
take 4 entry visa if u have plan to travel every 2 months.

I put "2-6 months" because I'm paying and applying for double entry which implies I intend to stay at least 4 months. Who told you to put 60 days?

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10-12-2012 , 12:58 AM

#29345

JustUser

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 265

Clerk in embassy.

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10-12-2012 , 12:59 AM

#29346

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Ok, IC. I'm just going to print out a new form and leave that part blank. Pretty easy to fill in when I get there.

Thanks

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10-12-2012 , 01:05 AM

#29347

Lessu

Thailand Guru

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,069

you shouldn't always believe what the "clerk in embassy says"

60 days is just what you'll get when u arrive. that can be extended without leaving and if you include the other entry it's 6mo. if you are intending to stay 4mo just put that

regarding unemployed: plenty of people live here without working and i'm not only talking about retirees. also you are applying for a tourist visa so you CAN'T say that you are working while in thailand even if you were. so for a long stay it's better to be unemployed or a student.

in the end it doesn't matter. any answer can be explained and it's not like they check anything

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10-12-2012 , 01:11 AM

#29348

ebffs

old hand

Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,919

Thanks Lessu.

What do you guys think of this?

http://www.alphapro.com/forum2/showthread.php?tid=32

These prices seem much better than what I expected reading this thread and this was posted only 1 year ago!