@Toni ****

That’s great. I guess just have to be prepared to show them on the bank’s app or website on your phone just in case they ask.

@Andi **********

I was told by the consulate in Vientiane that they wanted 3-6 months and if the bank statements aren’t stamped they will ask you to show the online statement on your phone.

@Maxim **********

Not true, there is no single category for all electronics. Laptops and monitors for example have no import duty.

I brought a large computer monitor into Thailand at BKK airport, had it stopped and checked by customs as they thought it was a TV. When they saw it was a computer monitor they let it go, paid nothing.

VAT and duty on shipping might apply if over the de minimus, but certain product categories have no duty on them.

As for Amazon, I just added a Dell XPS 15 to my cart, put in a Thai shipping address, it qualified for free international expedited shipping, the import duties deposit was 7.62% of the laptop price.

No idea why it was more than 7% VAT but nowhere near 20-30% as you claim.

Also, “shipping costs for taxes” isn’t some agreement with Amazon.

Import duties have always included the cost of the item plus the cost of shipping plus the duty percentage based on the HS code of the item plus VAT.

@Barry *********

That’s not how it works now. Only Bangkok Bank is willing to open accounts without a long term visa, meaning you already have one, not about to apply for one. Even then, the majority of Bangkok bank branches still won’t open one without going through an agent.

If you get an extension to your visa exemption, you’ll have to take a boat then taxi to either Trang or Phuket immigration and take the first boat in the morning so you have time.

Waste of a day but can get it sorted out. Trang immigration is closer and should be a lot less busy.

You’re buying a card with a plan already activated on it and you’re preparing for it.

Those plans are usually awful.

Just get a regular SIM card with no prepaid plan, find the plan you want, add that amount to it at the AIS booth or a mini mart and buy it.

Install the AIS mobile app to make the process easier.

They still have the most convoluted list of plans of any carrier but at least with the app they’re easier to search through and select.

The SIM has nothing to do with what plan you choose or whether or not it’s 4G or 5G.

The SIM just identifies your device on their network.

It’s all about the plan you choose.

So don’t buy the ones with the plan prepaid on them already. They’re a rip off.

You don’t need a post paid contract to get faster speeds, that’s also nonsense.

They want to see a work permit for post paid because they’re letting you pay after you’ve used the service and they know if they let everyone do that, tourists would just sign up for a bunch of things, run up a bill then leave the country without paying.

At least if you work here you’re less of a risk of skipping out on payment.

That plan only gives you access to Facebook, FB Messenger, Line, WhatsApp and Twitter at a reduced speed for 30 days.

You have unlimited access to AIS WiFi hotspots but that’s assuming you can find one when you need one and actually get connected.

The SIM card itself is irrelevant, it’s the package you choose and pay for.

The “tourist” SIM cards are just regular SIMs that have some package already on them which is what you pay more for them up front.

Usually those packages aren’t the best deal.

It’s best to get a SIM with no package prepaid on it for like 50-60 baht then install the AIS app and to see what internet packages are available and what they cost.

Once you find the one you want, go to a 7-11 or Family Mart and pay cash to add that money to your account (topping up).

Then you can order your package through the AIS app.

You’re on a small island so the selection is limited.

Look on google maps and find some small mobile phone shops, they’ll have a better selection than the mini marts

@Maxim **********

Those non-B visas don’t come with a work permit. They’re a non-B for the purposes of investing not working.

There’s no way they’re doing a non-B and WP and covering all the income and social security taxes for you for 50-70k a year, and that’s assuming they got you a WP under a BOI company, if it’s a regular Thai company you’d also be paying income and social security tax on 4 Thai employees.

Generally the umbrella company WP + Visa costs around 150k a year

@Paul ******

The immigration system is biometric. They have your face and fingerprints so even if you use different passports they’ll still have your full record.

But I’ve seen people say that Elite told them after 3 years, excessive overstays shouldn’t be an issue, might be the same for the volunteer visa.

Never know what the rules in practice will change to.

@Paul ******

If you can get a 100% legitimate volunteer visa with work permit and can show you actually did volunteer work for them then it shouldn’t be an issue, although Elite might still tell you don’t bother because they’re not sure if immigration will accept that or not.

The reason they say no volunteer visas is because essentially all of the ones done the last few years were not legal.

Legitimate ones aren’t common.

Eventually they’ll drop that requirement once enough time has passed since the illegal ones stopped being easy to get.

But feel free to contact Elite and tell them you’re considering getting a legitimate volunteer visa from some humanitarian organization and it’s not a fake/agent issued one and see what they say.

Immigration wouldn’t have a problem with a legitimate one but like I said, those are rare and were even more so during Covid.

So if you had one the last 3 years, it’s almost a guarantee it wasn’t legitimate so Elite doesn’t seem to want to bother with determining if it was or not just for immigration to say no.