Questions about moving to Thailand

[creamy338]

Hi there. I'm hoping to move to Phuket in a month or two.
So I'm hoping anyone could help with my questions:

So I'm deciding whether to find a job and go with a work visa or an ED visa.
I've read with an ED visa I can stay for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or 1 year and then renew for 5-10 years? Would I still have to make visa runs and would I be allowed to leave the country and come back freely if I was to go on a trip?
I called the consulate and they said if I go with a travel visa I can only renew once, so at the most I can stay there for 90 days?
Has anyone tried any of these methods? Anyone know whether coming with a HK or Canadian passport is better? Would I be getting a resident permit or just a non-immigrant visa is fine with either work or ED visa?

Is it easy to get a banking account in Phuket and I would assume the banks are quite reliable as with anywhere else as long as it's reputable bank?
Since I can't speak Thai I'm not sure how easy it would be to open an account there and would I be able to transfer money from paypal or from paypal to my account. I read that paypal's working in Thailand now but did anyone ever have any issues?

What would be a good income for me to live comfortably there? What kind of jobs do expats do there besides teaching? I've seen some timeshares jobs but also heard a lot of comments about them that isn't so positive about the timeshare jobs.

Is it easy to get a driving license there? I heard a rumor some people have to "buy" their license, is that true? The last time I was in Phuket, it seemed to be it's really not that easy to get around without a car, does it take long to get a license or as long as you pass the tests you get it?

My biggest question is I'll be coming with my cat and I heard that officially they can quarantine your cat but a lot of people gets bypassed....any personal feedback from expats on the quarantine and all the shots to be taken?

Hopefully someone can offer some help!! Thanks.

[Expatexpert]

Hi creamy338!

I will attempt to give you some accurate information that is actually usefull for you. I have written them in between your text so it is like a Q & A set up.

Originally Posted by creamy338

Hi there. I'm hoping to move to Phuket in a month or two.
So I'm hoping anyone could help with my questions:

So I'm deciding whether to find a job and go with a work visa or an ED visa.
I've read with an ED visa I can stay for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or 1 year and then renew for 5-10 years? Would I still have to make visa runs and would I be allowed to leave the country and come back freely if I was to go on a trip?
I called the consulate and they said if I go with a travel visa I can only renew once, so at the most I can stay there for 90 days?
Has anyone tried any of these methods? Anyone know whether coming with a HK or Canadian passport is better? Would I be getting a resident permit or just a non-immigrant visa is fine with either work or ED visa?

Expatexpert: My experience so far is that if you wnat to do this all legally! pay somebody to get it done for you because it is messy and it changes quite a lot. In many situations you still have to do the visa runs! it is too weird to even go into this right now. Google visa thailand or go to something like sunbelt asia group.

ExpatExpert: In general it is not easy to get a work permit in Thailand (read- it is complex, costly and strange!), whether you are self employed or working for a company. It is easier if you have a company hire you here or have an international company send you here but that does not seem to be your case.

Is it easy to get a banking account in Phuket and I would assume the banks are quite reliable as with anywhere else as long as it's reputable bank?
Since I can't speak Thai I'm not sure how easy it would be to open an account there and would I be able to transfer money from paypal or from paypal to my account. I read that paypal's working in Thailand now but did anyone ever have any issues?

ExpatExpert: Unless you need to have a bank account here i would suggest you use your bank from abroad for the short term. they don't give any interest for the money you have in their bank!!!

What would be a good income for me to live comfortably there? What kind of jobs do expats do there besides teaching? I've seen some timeshares jobs but also heard a lot of comments about them that isn't so positive about the timeshare jobs.

Expatexpert: again, just moving over here and looking for a job is probably not the best way to go about this unless you have some income from abroad to support yourself while looking for work. Many local and foreign companies are not hiring right now due to the world economic situation so don't expect jobs to be handed to you as soon as you arrive!! I would say, for you and your cat, you could live off 20 -25 k a month, that is Thai Baht! But of course that depends entirly on your own spending habits and needs!

Is it easy to get a driving license there? I heard a rumor some people have to "buy" their license, is that true? The last time I was in Phuket, it seemed to be it's really not that easy to get around without a car, does it take long to get a license or as long as you pass the tests you get it?

Expatexpert: I have no idea about getting a license, I live in Bangkok but i can not imagine that getting around in Phuket or any place in Thailand, or Asia is difficult with all those different forms of transportation available. Besides that, would you really want or need to drive yourself?

My biggest question is I'll be coming with my cat and I heard that officially they can quarantine your cat but a lot of people gets bypassed....any personal feedback from expats on the quarantine and all the shots to be taken?

Hopefully someone can offer some help!! Thanks.

Expatexpert: I hope this is usefull. [Edited]
Have a great day! RJ

[Mindaugas]

I see that you get already answers in many of your questions. Well about driving license i can give you advice, as i pass test and driving exam just last week.
I went to Departament of Land Transportation (for sure they have one in Phuket) and because i not have my Russian license translated and also i need one more category i did all test as thai do.

What you need before go there:

1. Medical certificate.
2. Work Permit
3. Passport.

Tests:
1. Eye test and reaction
2. You'll watch the movie about driving rules in Thailand
3. You'll read all signs and law about driving in Thailand
4. You'll go to have exam (30 questions from PC pass if mistaken no more 6)
5. You'll go to have driving exam.

After tests

1. You'll bring your paper works to the information
2. They will confirm and will send you to the officer who will check your doc. one more time, take your pic and will print fresh license.

Here is link to try exam http://www.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELea...-Learning2.swf

good luck!

Regards
Mindaugas

[Bobr]

Getting a job here is nearly impossible. About the only things you are allowed to do are teach English and work for a foreign company. I have a retirement visa since I'm over 50 and it's quite easy to get, and if you don't have enough money to qualify for one, you probably are not ready to move here anyway. All the other stuff is trivial. Getting a driver's license is no problem, especially if you have one from home, but it is hard to describe with words what a nightmare driving is here. Don't even think about buying property here, rent, especially since you are new to the Country. In short, if you have enough money and want to live here, there is no reason you cannot and it's a great place.

[creamy338]

Thanks guys, that was all very helpful. Btw...I keep hearing that cats aren't treated well there, is this just a sick joke or is it true??? It sounds very horrible....

[Bobr]

Originally Posted by creamy338

Thanks guys, that was all very helpful. Btw...I keep hearing that cats aren't treated well there, is this just a sick joke or is it true??? It sounds very horrible....

Sadly no animals are treated well here. The stray dogs are much more visible than the cats and both suffer badly. Many Thai's seem to like puppies and kittens but have no use for them once they are big. It's also quite common to see far too many bloody but still alive pigs stuffed into the back of a pick up truck on their way to be slaughtered on the highways here. The Buddhist religion does not allow dogs or cats to be collected and mercifully put down like they are in Western countries, so they wander the streets and die slowly. I've never heard of anyone eating cats, there are some dog eaters in the northern parts of Thailand. A few years ago there was an article in the Bangkok Post about that habit. I have 2 street mutts I've adopted and both are very intelligent, healthy and lovely animals. They figure to be intelligent here, since they are a product of neglect, only the smartest and strongest survive and reproduce.

[creamy338]

Originally Posted by Bobr

Sadly no animals are treated well here. The stray dogs are much more visible than the cats and both suffer badly. Many Thai's seem to like puppies and kittens but have no use for them once they are big. It's also quite common to see far too many bloody but still alive pigs stuffed into the back of a pick up truck on their way to be slaughtered on the highways here. The Buddhist religion does not allow dogs or cats to be collected and mercifully put down like they are in Western countries, so they wander the streets and die slowly. I've never heard of anyone eating cats, there are some dog eaters in the northern parts of Thailand. A few years ago there was an article in the Bangkok Post about that habit. I have 2 street mutts I've adopted and both are very intelligent, healthy and lovely animals. They figure to be intelligent here, since they are a product of neglect, only the smartest and strongest survive and reproduce.

hmm...when you say cats, you mean stray cats right? not the inhouse cats? this is gonna sound really silly but i've never seen highways on my last visit, maybe it's in bangkok ? cuz i went to phuket. but i suppose the situation is similar in most areas of thailand?
are there any animal organisations who can help with this?
is it true that the animals fight each other on the streets besides being eaten by humans??

[creamy338]

Originally Posted by Mindaugas

I see that you get already answers in many of your questions. Well about driving license i can give you advice, as i pass test and driving exam just last week.
I went to Departament of Land Transportation (for sure they have one in Phuket) and because i not have my Russian license translated and also i need one more category i did all test as thai do.

What you need before go there:

1. Medical certificate.
2. Work Permit
3. Passport.

Tests:
1. Eye test and reaction
2. You'll watch the movie about driving rules in Thailand
3. You'll read all signs and law about driving in Thailand
4. You'll go to have exam (30 questions from PC pass if mistaken no more 6)
5. You'll go to have driving exam.

After tests

1. You'll bring your paper works to the information
2. They will confirm and will send you to the officer who will check your doc. one more time, take your pic and will print fresh license.

Here is link to try exam http://www.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELea...-Learning2.swf

good luck!

Regards
Mindaugas

Hi mindaugas, thanks for the site. I checked it out but it is a chart with a few options. I clicked in to a few of them but didn't find a test. I clocked on the bottom one but the pages are empty?

[Bobr]

Originally Posted by creamy338

hmm...when you say cats, you mean stray cats right? not the inhouse cats? this is gonna sound really silly but i've never seen highways on my last visit, maybe it's in bangkok ? cuz i went to phuket. but i suppose the situation is similar in most areas of thailand?
are there any animal organisations who can help with this?
is it true that the animals fight each other on the streets besides being eaten by humans??

There are some small private organizations that help animals here, but there are so many strays. I have not seen too much fighting among the stray dogs here, they fight some but one usually backs down before any real damage is done. The stray animals here are not that big a problem to affect anyone's decision to live here. It's just sad to see them sometimes.

[Mindaugas]

Originally Posted by creamy338

Hi mindaugas, thanks for the site. I checked it out but it is a chart with a few options. I clicked in to a few of them but didn't find a test. I clocked on the bottom one but the pages are empty?

try this one:

http://www.dlt.go.th/driving_hp/ELea...-Learning2.swf

Please choose en language first, after press last in main meniu (bottom one) and test will start.