There was a local Thai health insurance where you pay first 2,000 THB. And it was enough, more than enough for minor or common ailments (cough, runny nose, especially if you have children, pain in ears), some 200-300 THB, including the doctor fee. He had never claimed any refund. My correspondent , many years ago had it. He was in Thai for 30 years (married to Thai woman, 2 kids). It was like 1,000 THB a month.

My Thai wife had changed 4 different addresses over last 25 years. Never updated anything, not even phone numbers that had changed. When her ATM card got swallowed by ATM machine, the branch (where the ATM machine is located, indoors) told her to go to her original branch to retreive it. BKK Bank. She has Thai ID, Blue Book, Thai driving license.

@Daniel *****

Never heard of that. No fine worldwide banking industry press has ever reported anything like that.

@Chris *****

I inquired about that. The agent checked and said there is a deed showing the purchase was with foreign funds, stating the currency, amount and date.

The money from condo sale would just go into any out of Thai account I want or into my Thai account.

Anyway, the condo stays forever. When I crap out becomes my wife and daughter property, both Thai nationals, Blue book. (but not living in Thai full time).

@Alan ****

Yes, that kind of intervention was needed, it was not automatic as via SWIFT.

@Curtis ******

Owning a condo in Thai gives you as much privileges as owning a nail clip in your home country. I own one since 2008.

@Alan ****

Wise does transactions within Thai through Kasikorn bank. From Kasikorn to anywhere within Thai (even within Kasikorn if your account is with them) it is a local Internet transfer. Whether you ask Wise to request Kasikorn to label it as FTT (Foreign Funds Transfer) or you call Kasikorn to adjust the code to FTT.

@Alan ****

There was no other way, I think that has never changed. Foreign quota within the complex, the funds had to arrive from overseas. Even if, somehow, I had a Thai bank account and milions of baht in it, the transfer would not show as foreign funds transfer. Invalid.

@Alan ****

I bought a condo in 2008 (as nobody, as a tourist), the developer did not want to talk about sending the funds to my Thai wife's account and then to them. Had to be an one off transfer from my overseas account into their (the developer's) account. There was a specific purpose for the transfer, with exact address and land title. No way to send the money to an account of an individual (even if it was, somehow, my own) and then to the developer.

@Colleen ******

You would hardly beleive this. My daughter (22) a student in Australia, born in Bangkok (Samitivej hospital), raised in Japan. She has a resort like home in Bangkok and in Nagoya. Speaks Thai, native English and Japanese. Thai, Australia, Japan passports.

She is telling me she would never again set her foot into the place with stray dogs, Bangkok. The place I love so much. A cold shower on me.