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melmalinowski

@melmalinowski

Active member

American looking for information about Thailand

Forum

29 posts

About me

American

Lives in Rattanaburi, Surin

Speaks In order of fluency: German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Thai

Registration: 11 March 2019

Activity

melmalinowski replied to a thread
last year
melmalinowski

Water well drilling report in Surin near Rattanaburi by melmalinowski

I married a Thai woman from Baan Khok Kong, Nong Bua Ban, Rattanaburi District, Surin in the summer of 2019 in the USA. We will be living 6 months a year in the USA, and perhaps 3-4 months a year in Thailand. We have begun building a house on her ...

melmalinowski

@Cheryl I could update our well experience, but the comment about this being in the wrong category is valid.If you can fix that, I'll update. Read More

melmalinowski created a thread
3 years ago

How to get a hydrology report for an area in Surin?

We drilled a well at our home in Surin about 132 feet deep. We get about 500 liters per hour from it, very hard water, and a bit salty. We use it for irrigation and bathing, but don't drink it. We drilled a similar well out at our family rice ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
3 years ago
melmalinowski

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000 by melmalinowski

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ...

melmalinowski

Thanks to Leeds, whose comments are mostly positive and helpful. We are taking the route of getting full 'legalization'. Our county in USA issues Certificate of Marriage, embossed and sealed, $15. Submitted to our state, they emboss and ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
3 years ago
melmalinowski

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000 by melmalinowski

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ...

melmalinowski

Perhaps I have the exact wording wrong. I currently annually renew a 'Non-O Immigrant' visa. You are allowed to change this to one based on marriage to a Thai citizen, which is commonly called a 'marriage visa'. That is what we hope ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
3 years ago
melmalinowski

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000 by melmalinowski

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ...

melmalinowski

From what? From 'retirement visa' Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
3 years ago
melmalinowski

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000 by melmalinowski

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ...

melmalinowski

Please don't get in a 'flame war' over my post. I just want people's various experiences with their banks, and what they know of the rules. Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
3 years ago
melmalinowski

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000 by melmalinowski

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ...

melmalinowski

Thanks. I hope you're right, that personal with beneficiary is possible. Read More

melmalinowski created a thread
3 years ago

Which banks are OK for required THB 800,000

I have a bank account at Bangkok Bank where I keep my required minimum balance per the visa requirement. My Thai wife says she has heard that only Bangkok Bank can be used for this. I'm not too happy with BB and would like to establish a joint ... Read More

melmalinowski created a thread
3 years ago

Generate electricity

We need electricity out at our rice paddy to pump water. Our neighbors don't want to allow power poles out to our area, even if we pay for them. My Thai wife favors a little diesel generator, but I expect that the electricity will cost much ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
4 years ago
MKeil52

Cable versus internet by MKeil52

Can anyone tell me a good cable provider. We are moving to a house and will need to get cable as the internet doesn't carry some channels we like

melmalinowski

We have a home in Surin, and use 3BB fiber to the home. It is excellent, and very fast (claims to be 1Gb. I have measured 650Mb download, 100 Mb upload, which is phenomenal for a rural village!) We pay yearly in advance, getting a one month free ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
4 years ago
Priscilla

Payment methods in Thailand by Priscilla

Hello everyone, Once you’re settled in Thailand, you will need to make some basic purchases, like groceries or pay bills. Hence, it is essential to know the payment methods available in your host country. Which are the most common payment ...

melmalinowski

After my first year as husband of a Thai woman in Surin, I'm beginning to know how to make things work better. I use a USA international Visa card for big purchases as long as there is no surcharge, or in some cases, if the surcharge is 2% or ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
4 years ago
melmalinowski

Affidavit of Residency by melmalinowski

I am married to a Thai woman. We live 6 months a year in the USA, and 3-4 months a year in Thailand at a home we are building in Isaan near her family. I had not realized that an American driver's license in English is no longer acceptable in ...

melmalinowski

I got my certificate of residency at immigration in Chong Chom. Wow, no more waiting in line at immigration in Bangkok to renew my 'retirement visa'. Chong Chom makes it easy and fast. Then, getting my license in Rattanaburi was easy. Watch ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
4 years ago
Geordie farang

3 million Thai Bhat new build home? by Geordie farang

Hi I’m looking into buying land in Thailand and and building a new home on the land. This will be up north around udon Thani, Nong bua Lamphu. This would be a holday home for my wife and I. My wife is Thai and her family is from this area. ...

melmalinowski

We wound up spending about 4M THB on our 220 SM house. Costs were driven up because I insisted on some premium durability details, such as AAC concrete block (R10 insulation value), an engineered roof truss system, extensive tile, and a premium ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
4 years ago
melmalinowski

Water well drilling report in Surin near Rattanaburi by melmalinowski

I married a Thai woman from Baan Khok Kong, Nong Bua Ban, Rattanaburi District, Surin in the summer of 2019 in the USA. We will be living 6 months a year in the USA, and perhaps 3-4 months a year in Thailand. We have begun building a house on her ...

melmalinowski

Our 40 meter deep well is working reliably now. The electricity cost is about 1 THB per 1,000 liters. The cost of village water is 15 THB per 1,000 liters. I have yet to find a practical local way to test the water for salinity and health. For now, ... Read More

melmalinowski replied to a thread
5 years ago
Geordie farang

3 million Thai Bhat new build home? by Geordie farang

Hi I’m looking into buying land in Thailand and and building a new home on the land. This will be up north around udon Thani, Nong bua Lamphu. This would be a holday home for my wife and I. My wife is Thai and her family is from this area. ...

melmalinowski

I'm currently building a 200 SqM 1 story house near Rattanaburi. The 10-15,000 THB/SqM range is looking plausible so far. We've chosen to build with 20 cm thick AAC concrete block for insulative value and termite resistance. This is not ... Read More