Thailand/Bangkok QA thread

[Tabac]

The trick is to work for a SA company and earn in Rands and come live here.
That is the secret to a happy wonderful life.

My guess is an IT company. Do they have mining companies there ? Maybe in need of someone training them in how to weld or cut ?

 

[epah]

His Philips Airfryer will never let him plonk another starfish

I plonk my FWB infront of my airfryer 3 days a week. In fact he uses the airfryer too after the deed to recoup some energy.

 

[MaisonP]

I hadnt thought about it until you came up, Now it is time to save and take a solo trip there for a week or two maybe.

Buy the cheapest flight you can. Accomodation i can help you.
Budget around R650pn in a condo. U dont want to stay in a hotel here.

 

[Tabac]

Buy the cheapest flight you can. Accomodation i can help you.
Budget around R650pn in a condo. U dont want to stay in a hotel here.

Is that per person or for the condo ?

 

[MaisonP]

Great thread.

What’s the penetration of Chinese vehicles there & the value aspect of cars in general there? The taxes & any restrictions etc

The EV uptake etc

EV market has blown up. There are massive amount of japanese cars here. Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Isuzu.
There are many of of Japanese models that we dont get in SA.

Then obviously Korean, Hyundai, KIA etc.
There are also quite a number of german vehicles here but the import duty on them are 300%.
And obviously Supercars, many many many rich people living here in bangkok.

Chinese also plenty, Haval being the dominant. EV vehicles are huge here

 

[MaisonP]

Is that per person or for the condo ?

Condo. Very modern, includes access to the gym, pool at the rooftop, Internet, amazing value for money.
In each condo is the latest washing machines and small kitchen where you can cook if you want.
But its cheaper to buy food.

 

[epah]

Buy the cheapest flight you can. Accomodation i can help you.
Budget around R650pn in a condo. U dont want to stay in a hotel here.

How much do you think the whole trip would cost(excluding flights),R20K? and which months are the best time to be in Thai?

 

[MaisonP]

My guess is an IT company. Do they have mining companies there ? Maybe in need of someone training them in how to weld or cut ?

Yes i work for an IT company in SA.
Mining i am not sure of.

Remember that Thailands main income comes from tourism. 1.5 trillion baht (750 billion) revenue annually.
Before covid 34M tourists per year.

They really know how to take care of tourists here. Its not about milking each tourist. Its about volumes for them. Unlike in SA.

 

[Pak Fa Fui]

Thought about it once then thought Phuket

 

[MaisonP]

How much do you think the whole trip would cost,R20K? and which months are the best time to be in Thai?

Best months (Coldest month is between November and March) still about 32 degrees and 70% humidity.
They dont have 4 different seasons here.
Only rainy season and dry season.

R20k does that include your plane ticket?
Your accommodation will cost R5k per week.
I would spend 2 weeks here, 10K spending money is plenty.

Let me tell you. So I draw R10k which gives me about 21K baht.
If you don't buy clothes and things like I do, it takes time to spend that 21k baht.

 

[MaisonP]

Thought about it once then thought Phuket

Phuket is also very good. A little more pricey for some reason compared to bangkok. But fly into bangkok, spend 4 nights, go phuket for 4 nights (price per person return flights to phuket from bangkok R1700)
Come back to bangkok, shop and yolo and return back to SA

 

[BBC]

@MaisonP

So, what is needed to work there?
How easy it is to find employment?
Are there specific visas and duration you can live and work there for?
Is permanent residency an option?

Thanks

 

[Wut]

Yes i work for an IT company in SA.
Mining i am not sure of.

Remember that Thailands main income comes from tourism. 1.5 trillion baht (750 billion) revenue annually.
Before covid 34M tourists per year.

They really know how to take care of tourists here. Its not about milking each tourist. Its about volumes for them. Unlike in SA.

That's one part where I have to disagree. They do milk tourists with their dual pricing.

The biggest price differences are for national parks and museums where foreigners pay 10 times more than Thais. But local businesses have gotten in on the act too. You get charged 3 times more to go to Siam Ocean World (private business) as an example or 50% more if you want to play a round of golf.

 

[skimread]

I came in on a 30 day visa free. Then i applied for a long stay visa.
I then apply for a 90 day visa, cost me about R1500. I can do that for 3x times.
I then return to SA for a check in at the office or to see some family and do it all over again.
They are starting with a working nomad visa. You need to earn more than R60k rand a month to be eligible to qualify. That will allow you 1 years, renewable every year.

How much tax you have to pay on that visa.

 

[MaisonP]

How much do you think the whole trip would cost(excluding flights),R20K? and which months are the best time to be in Thai?

So 2 weeks accomodation in bangkok - R10k
Spending money for 2 weeks R10k - 15K more than enough. As i mentioned, day to day life is very very little here.

Food maybe R100, i work from home but i can also go work from a co location offices and travel for the day costs me R16.

U dont want to drive here. Public transport here is on par if not better than the Subway in NY or Underground in UK.

 

[MaisonP]

That's one part where I have to disagree. They do milk tourists with their dual pricing.

The biggest price differences are for national parks and museums where foreigners pay 10 times more than Thais. But local businesses have gotten in on the act too. You get charged 3 times more to go to Siam Ocean World (private business) as an example or 50% more if you want to play a round of golf.

You are talking about entering at temples or national parks.
Okay I get you. But does the R150 for tourists vs R20 for Thai nationals still hurt your pocket?
Will it make you poor?
People do complain about it, but i save money living day to day here so i dont mind paying that extra farang fee.
Just my view on it

 

[MaisonP]

How much tax you have to pay on that visa.

On the digital nomad visa. Zero.
That is their way to attract wealth into the country.

 

[MaisonP]

@MaisonP

So, what is needed to work there?
How easy it is to find employment?
Are there specific visas and duration you can live and work there for?
Is permanent residency an option?

Thanks

So this is the thing. You can never become a citizen of the Kingdom of Thailand.
You can however get a VISA which I am on.
If you are wanting to work here, be prepared to take a drop in salary. The income is not great here vs SA salaries.
You can get residency though with all the perks of a Thai citizen (Government hospitals etc)
If you earn more than R60k SA per month you can apply for a digital nomad visa, which is valid for 1 year and the following year you have to submit paperwork again.
Its easier if you are over 50 but i am still far from that.

 

[Wut]

You are talking about entering at temples or national parks.
Okay I get you. But does the R150 for tourists vs R20 for Thai nationals still hurt your pocket?
Will it make you poor?
People do complain about it, but i save money living day to day here so i dont mind paying that extra farang fee.
Just my view on it

I'm somewhat OK with dual pricing for national parks although it annoys me as my farm is just outside Khao Yai national park.

Private businesses dual price too though which is unacceptable. They try to hide the pricing using Thai text hoping that foreigners can't read the numerals.

Private pool - double price



Private aquarium - double price


Here they even changed the Thai numerals to a font that is difficult for translation apps to translate so they can hide the fact that the foreign price is five times more.

 

[grok]

We spent xmas 2019 in Bangkok, got back just before Covid broke mind you, and if there's one thing I like about Thailand is how people respected your property.

We stayed in friends flat, the 1st morning as responsible dad I was last out the flat ready to lock up, asked where's the keys.
Kids who've been there a week or two prior to my arriving told me 'we dont' need to lock up' its safe no-one will come into the flat while we're gone.

Yeah I scraped my jaw off the floor but thats the reality, look they'll scam you with for example taxi prices every chance they get, its like they consider it their right to take stupid tourist's money, but outright stealing is basically unheard of.