@Garrett **********

thanks a million mate. That’s good news. I hardly keep any cash in my Thai accounts now because of the crap interest rates and because like many other banks around the world, 2008 is going to be here again very soon with major banks going under, so I don’t see the point in risking my money unless I absolutely have to. Do you happen to know if I make the application for another one year extension, one month before, say around December 3, would the 400,000 THB already need to have been in my account at that time, and for 2 months, or not until the final day of my one-year extension which is January 3, 2021? I appreciate your advice as always.

@Andrew ********

I totally agree that it’s exactly the right description—feudalism. If you ever watch any of the old period dramas on Thai TV, will you the lord of the manor and all the servants who spend their days filling and emptying these big large clay urns and kissing the asses of all the poo yais. You will also see that that is represented as Thailand in the past, but actually it has changed very little. Those sarongs and loin cloths have simply been replaced by suits and brand-name clothes along with iPads and so on, but the mentality is still stuck in those period dramas.

Oliver Roy Sparks please do...

@Garrett **********

as I said above in my mini rant, :-) I think they should be a lot more flexible with financial assets and the eligibility for long-term visas in Thailand. If this is true, that a brokerage account can be used as evidence of assets, that is welcome news. I wish they would make a complete and comprehensive list of what doesn’t doesn’t count as an asset for these visas. That would be really really helpful.

@Garrett **********

A quick question if I may, sir. I have to do the one-year extension by marriage again before January 3, 2021. I understand that you can do this at ChaengWattana up to 45 days before, is that right? As my wife needs to attend the interview when we hand over the documents, show ID card, house photos etc. etc. this will be a problem for me as my wife will be working at her school until December 18. This means the earliest she could go would be Monday, December 21. That only leaves two weeks to start the renewal process which I think is probably not long enough. Do you think it would be possible for me alone to start the process say a month before, say on December 3, and then my wife could come for the interview on the 21st or thereafter? Do you think this would be permissible? I appreciate all your advice as always.

I’ve never understood the insanity of the Thai financial requirement for long-term visas. The only mode that they acccept is money in THB in a Thai bank account, or if you want a retirement visa extension, regular amounts coming from your home country. If this really was about your assets and your ability to fund and finance yourself while living in Thailand for that particular year, why do they always seem so inflexible? For example I own property in Thailand, a few condos, but they don’t count at all? Why not? If you’re really talking about ability to finance yourself, ALL your assets should be counted or eligible for visa purposes. I also have a lot of money in my UK accounts. Not counted. Likewise, I’ve a lot invested in cryptocurrencies. Again not eligible even though I can prove it, and even though those cryptocurrencies are held on a Thailand-based crypto exchange. I also have a significant amount of precious metals. Counted? Of course not. Yet again, as I’m married to a Thai lady, and my visa extension is a Non-O by marriage, why are none of my wife’s assets counted? At first I used to think it was just laziness and we all know how lazy IO officers are! It’s probably just too much work for them to create a form where you can identify all your assets by ticking boxes and providing documentary proof. But I soon realized that it’s a lot more nefarious than that. They want to directly benefit by your assets and so, for me, it has nothing at all whatsoever to do with your ability to finance yourself. That’s already a given in 99% of the cases otherwise you wouldn’t set up shop in Thailand and retire in the country. No, it’s all just one big greedy shakedown.

Indeed, but that is not altogether all that healthy. Left unchecked, it produces an inward-looking populace, wary of foreigners which of course leads to xenophobia, or worse still, excessive nationalism, which leads to fascism and we know how that all turned out during the Second World War.

I wrote about this in my book, Watching the Thais and explained in detail why Thai people use whitening cream. There is, or at least was, even a whitening cream for your vagina at one point!

@Pat ******

thanks but having lived in Bangkok for 23+ years I’m pretty sure there isn’t a Barclays here unless opened only recently. I haven’t heard anything so I’m inclined to doubt it tbh. Thanks anyway.

Do they really? Great. I bank with Barclays in the UK. It would be useful to know where their branch is in Bangkok. Do please tell? Thanks.