I took a look at an RT Miami/ bangkok and was pretty surprised that around the end of the year into next year is just about $1250, whether you fly east or west (Qatar and Turkish air)

I suppose that means people are sitting on long term plans and bookings are pretty low right now.

So if you plan ahead…

And Turkish air lets you step off for a couple of days in Istanbul with a free hotel if that’s in your list.

@Bob ******

there is no 90 day single tourist visa. The permission to stay on a tourist visa is same as the visa free stamp for most western passport holders. Of course you were stamped in for 60 days…. That’s what your tourist visa indicates.

The immigration agent was kind to let you in without a 60 day return ticket.

@Nelly *****

the health thing is super easy and cheap. Just go to any of the clinics along Soi Buakhao (or elsewhere in Pattaya.). It’s literally a five minute conversation and I doubt the cost will be more than ฿100-150.

Reply to Gael Grob

If I remember correctly, you have a seven day grace period for the 90 day reporting, where you pay no fine. After that, the fine is ฿2000 and that is regardless of how long you have failed to report.

In most cases, you need to do your first 90 day reporting in person (no cost if before or within the grace period) and subsequent reporting can be done online.

@Neil *****

why doesn’t that make sense? When you’re on the “retirement visa extension” you’re allowed to stay 365 days and still need to do 90 day reporting.

It is a method for the immigration to know where the foreign base lives at any time.

During the pandemic, this was used several time to alert foreigners that they had been in a location where COVID had been known to transmit between people.

I assume the also want to know where we are in case there is any number of other incidences (such as complaints about our behavior, etc.)

@Edna ******

yes. Some accounts yield no interest and require an annual or bi-annual maintenance fee. Not much, I think my account had less than ฿300.

However, some IO may respond negatively to ฿799.700 in the account.

If I wanted to “set it and forget it”, I would deposit an extra ฿1000.

Unless, you open an interest bearing account like discussed elsewhere in this thread.

Make sure you keep a little more than the 800k on the “immigration” account if you are not going to pay attention tot be account. There might be annual fees from the bank that’ll draw down the amount and some IOs are sticklers for keeping the amounts completely at or above the required amounts.

@Frank-Steven **********

not a bad suggestion. Some tourism but probably not as overwhelming as some other islands.

My question would be health care for a western couple. I don’t know the answer to that.

However, I would probably care more about that than a school for the two young children.

Physicians generally speak reasonable English most places I. Thailand, but the question would be the quality of hospitals and access to medical tools.

I’ve been to some government run hospitals with apparently good doctors but over crowding and lack of aircon would be a big question for me.

A commercial hospital (an international hospital) would be a must if I had children in Thailand.

@Robert ********

it doesn’t look like they need schools at all. Their kids are 2 and 4 and they plan to stay 6-12 months.

Best plan in my opinion would be to get a bilingual “maid” to help with the kids and the household. Cheaper than an international school and the kids might learn a little Thai.

@Erik **********

and from experience, I can vouch for the Norwegian embassy being VERY helpful and accommodating in all matters.