Pattaya Reports

[Tomasb]

I use a Fidelity card that reimburses you for bank fees charged overseas or domestic. Charles Schwann also provides that service. And it is a very good idea to take an extra card for backup though these investment services generally don't allow you to have more than one. However, your normal bank Plus card will suffice as a backup until a new card is sent to you. Unlike most ATM's in the world, you have to wait for the card to be returned to you. On a couple of inebriated occasions, I walked away from the ATM in Thailand without retrieving the card and had to call and request another one be sent. With most machines now, you can't get your money until you retrieve your card. But TiT.

Of course, every once in a while you will encounter a balky machine that will not return the card. This happened to me recently in the Yucatáand where the machine kept my card. With the help of some local passerby I was able to finally extract my card after about 15 minutes of hitting a combo of different buttons. In any event, that is why an additional card is a good idea. And it's never a good time not to have access to your card.

It is an individual choice in all the years I've lived here I use mainly ATM from home although I have a number of local accounts here that money is set aside for other things. One provides me with all the fees paid at the end of the month.

I basically have a system if something happens to one card I can go to a backup until that card is reported and replaced. I suggest in your situation you have a combo, use ATM or Debit cards bring a sustainable amount of cash. When it comes to using ATM / Debit Cards with major local banks majority of them 220 baht for each transaction 150 baht for Aeon when it comes to rates all lower than what you will get if you go to an exchange booth example: USA Dollars if the posted rate at an exchange booth 29.80 an ATM bank machine might give you 29.50 that doesn't include the rate you pay as noted and the fee you pay usually 1% from where the card was issued.

If you do use a local ATM machine (cards are different) they will ask do you accept the fee 220? You push yes if another message comes on the screen giving you a breakdown of your transaction it will include the rate the bank wants to give you (a much lower rate) if you proceed PUSH NO! Your transaction will still continue doing so gives you the Internation rate and not the banks?

[Loose Cannon]

Check on the fees and "Retail" FX rates used before committing. My regular Credit and Debit cards are horrendous for both. However, my bank does have a Travel Debit card which is much better.

Some of the online peer to peer banks eg TraveWise have cards with excellent rates but limited monthly withdrawl limits.

The OP is relying on a number of employment, tax, residency, work permit 'loopholes' remaining in place. I'm wondering what the plan is when one of those comes unstuck?

Cheers. G.

Thank you G for your inputs. I checked a few websites mentioned below and found the work I do meets criteria of not taking work of local thai. If there is an issue with thai govt, I expect my visa to get rejected in first place. I know I am using the loopholes, but who isn't. I will need to only worry about my company not creating trouble.

https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand...nd-work-permit

https://hobowithalaptop.com/thailand-visas-explained

I am still in planning phase and have not bought tickets yet.

LC.

[LittleBigMan]

It is an individual choice in all the years I've lived here I use mainly ATM from home although I have a number of local accounts here that money is set aside for other things. One provides me with all the fees paid at the end of the month.

I basically have a system if something happens to one card I can go to a backup until that card is reported and replaced. I suggest in your situation you have a combo, use ATM or Debit cards bring a sustainable amount of cash. When it comes to using ATM / Debit Cards with major local banks majority of them 220 baht for each transaction 150 baht for Aeon when it comes to rates all lower than what you will get if you go to an exchange booth example: USA Dollars if the posted rate at an exchange booth 29.80 an ATM bank machine might give you 29.50 that doesn't include the rate you pay as noted and the fee you pay usually 1% from where the card was issued.

If you do use a local ATM machine (cards are different) they will ask do you accept the fee 220? You push yes if another message comes on the screen giving you a breakdown of your transaction it will include the rate the bank wants to give you (a much lower rate) if you proceed PUSH NO! Your transaction will still continue doing so gives you the Internation rate and not the banks?

[Goferring]

Just get an ATM card for your home country bank. Some, like mine, even reimburses the ATM fees. Exchange rates are good that way.

No fuss. No bother.

Check on the fees and "Retail" FX rates used before committing. My regular Credit and Debit cards are horrendous for both. However, my bank does have a Travel Debit card which is much better.

Some of the online peer to peer banks eg TraveWise have cards with excellent rates but limited monthly withdrawl limits.

The OP is relying on a number of employment, tax, residency, work permit 'loopholes' remaining in place. I'm wondering what the plan is when one of those comes unstuck?

Cheers. G.

[SirWilliam4]

On the outside chance that I do enter after sorting out the work from Thailand situation, I have a follow up question. What are my options for cash pickup to self. Long term residents may have local banks. I used to be weekend millionaire staying at max 15 days and used to bring USD and manage my entire trip. I don't want to risk carrying money but don't see a point in opening a bank account. I see that only western union and xoom paypal are offering cash pickup. Both have crappy exchange rates. Also, What should be my address proof in Thailand if that is required as proof for collecting cash at pickup zone. Should I get a 1-2 month lease agreement and show that as proof.

Thanks alot for all your previous responses. Esp your IP address warning and MrE soidb website and BBois accommodation tips.

Just get an ATM card for your home country bank. Some, like mine, even reimburses the ATM fees. Exchange rates are good that way.

No fuss. No bother.

[Loose Cannon]

Good luck to you. But just be prepared for potential fall outs. If management finds out (not that hard to trace IP / login origins), they'll probably be obligated to tell you to get back ASAP. Companies can get slapped with tax fraud if they let you work from abroad.

For my company, they're talking about letting people back into the office soon (middle of this year). I'm planning on retiring soon anyways, so it might actually be interesting to see what they do if they catch me working from abroad. The thought is, "what's the worst they can do? Fire me?" LOL.

Hopefully, Pattaya / Phuket starts opening up to tourism soon.

Also, thank you at MrEnternational for the recommendation on SoiDB. Never new of that site. It'll be interesting trying to book places for 1 month at a time, affordable (500/ mo) but still decent living conditions (by western standards), and in close proximity to hobby spots.

On the outside chance that I do enter after sorting out the work from Thailand situation, I have a follow up question. What are my options for cash pickup to self. Long term residents may have local banks. I used to be weekend millionaire staying at max 15 days and used to bring USD and manage my entire trip. I don't want to risk carrying money but don't see a point in opening a bank account. I see that only western union and xoom paypal are offering cash pickup. Both have crappy exchange rates. Also, What should be my address proof in Thailand if that is required as proof for collecting cash at pickup zone. Should I get a 1-2 month lease agreement and show that as proof.

Thanks alot for all your previous responses. Esp your IP address warning and MrE soidb website and BBois accommodation tips.

[Gilolo]

I've never been to either bar but have walked by over 1000 times. For me these are bars and not what I would call G clubs. I have noticed a few bars around Pattaya now calling themselves G clubs which is wrong. Personally I stretch the word G clubs to include all the Pattaya BJ bars like the ones on Soi Full Love Inn, Excite, Telephone Bar, Bar La Poste, etc. Rooms upstairs for FS and BJ or you can just have sex in the middle of the bar if you wish. The real definition of a G club is a fairly large bar with a swimming pool and rooms. Popular ones pre-COVID were Kinnaree, Passion, Heaven, etc.

I know only Kinaree but I was there only pre covid! I fucked few ladies there before in rooms. But the girls don't look great like before few years ago. But yes you can fuck them easily even in the bar discreetly! When rooms are fully booked, if you don't want to wait girls accept! I was on the left of the bar, where you can seat on other tables and take a drink with the girls. I was there with my friend and I bought a drink to a girl, we spoke together very nice, she started to touch my dick and was ok we go fuck but waitress told us rooms were full. Discreetly I took the girl's panties off and she sat on me and I fucked her bareback.

[Banana Boi]

I went to Maggie Mays and the Cave, about 10 ladies in each.

I've never been to either bar but have walked by over 1000 times. For me these are bars and not what I would call G clubs. I have noticed a few bars around Pattaya now calling themselves G clubs which is wrong. Personally I stretch the word G clubs to include all the Pattaya BJ bars like the ones on Soi Full Love Inn, Excite, Telephone Bar, Bar La Poste, etc. Rooms upstairs for FS and BJ or you can just have sex in the middle of the bar if you wish. The real definition of a G club is a fairly large bar with a swimming pool and rooms. Popular ones pre-COVID were Kinnaree, Passion, Heaven, etc.

[Explorer8939]

Is it possible the girls know the Guys aren't spending money.

Spending habits of an ex-pat very different from that of a two week millionaire.

No kidding. The dynamics of most of the bars have changed dramatically, with bars having the same customers over time, no more 2 week millionaires. And the customers are very picky who they barfine.

When I go to Windmill, I pass out some 100 baht bills early on. That seems to help.

[Explorer8939]

Which G clubs did you go to? How many girls were in each club?

How do you know they were sponsored?

.

I went to Maggie Mays and the Cave, about 10 ladies in each. The 2 ladies have told me repeatedly that they are sponsored, over the years. It doesn't stop one of them from fooling around. She acknowledges being a bad girl.

[Banana Boi]

I went to a couple of GCs, customers are very selective now.

Which G clubs did you go to? How many girls were in each club?

A couple of Thai ladies from out of town showed up, they both were sponsored.

How do you know they were sponsored?

How you collect unemployment? Aren't you a full time resident of Pattaya?

Possibly because the USA was sending money to everyone, including 1.4 billion USD to dead people.

[Danny Duck]

Saturday night at Windmill: not many seats on the first floor, so I went up to the second floor. There, it was low energy, some seats available, but all the ladies were dancing, leaving the customers to just sit there. Not a good look.

I went to a couple of GCs, customers are very selective now. I sat with a lady who was waiting for a customer who promised he would barfine that night. He finally showed up, bought a couple of drinks and left without her.

A couple of Thai ladies from out of town showed up, they both were sponsored. One got hammered and was looking for a customer to fuck. I guess Thai men are still expensive in Pattaya.

Is it possible the girls know the Guys aren't spending money.

Spending habits of an ex-pat very different from that of a two week millionaire.

[Danny Duck]

You mean like this past year when I was in Thailand collecting unemployment. The system was really slow one day, so I decided to login without my VPN. All kinds of red sirens went off. They wanted a copy of my passport, bank accounts, credit card statements, all to prove I was in the States. Needless to say, I did not send anything and just let them cut me off. Now you can not even log into the system with a VPN anymore.

How you collect unemployment? Aren't you a full time resident of Pattaya?

[Explorer8939]

Saturday night at Windmill: not many seats on the first floor, so I went up to the second floor. There, it was low energy, some seats available, but all the ladies were dancing, leaving the customers to just sit there. Not a good look.

I went to a couple of GCs, customers are very selective now. I sat with a lady who was waiting for a customer who promised he would barfine that night. He finally showed up, bought a couple of drinks and left without her.

A couple of Thai ladies from out of town showed up, they both were sponsored. One got hammered and was looking for a customer to fuck. I guess Thai men are still expensive in Pattaya.

[Mr Enternational]

Good luck to you. But just be prepared for potential fall outs. If management finds out (not that hard to trace IP / login origins),

You mean like this past year when I was in Thailand collecting unemployment. The system was really slow one day, so I decided to login without my VPN. All kinds of red sirens went off. They wanted a copy of my passport, bank accounts, credit card statements, all to prove I was in the States. Needless to say, I did not send anything and just let them cut me off. Now you can not even log into the system with a VPN anymore.