I was first licenced as a Radio Amateur when I was 15 years old and living in the UK. I passed the RAE (Radio Amateurs Examination) and Morse Test at the first attempt and received the call sign G4ANH. My best friend at school did the same and received the call sign G4AXH. We were the youngest full licence holders in the UK at that time.
A few years later my work took me to Germany where I received a reciprocal licence and German call sign DA2BC. 3 years later my work took over my life (much to my regret) and Amateur Radio was sidelined.
Now that I've retired to Thailand and having spent many years in Bangkok, I've relocated to a rural area. It's time for me to get back into it.
Reciprocal Licencing in Thailand
I had kept my UK licence current so it was easy to obtain a reciprocal licence in Thailand. I joined RAST (Radio Amateur Society of Thailand under the Patronage of His Majesty the King of Thailand) and they helped me with the necessary forms. I emailed them a copy of my UK licence, photo, completed application form and sent the required fee. A few days later I received the Thai licence and callsign HS0ZQF.
It is interesting to note that Thailand has only negotiated reciprocal licensing for Radio Amateurs with a few countries. Luckily, the UK is one of them. The list of these countries can be found on this page at the qsl.net website. This list appears to be old. I have no idea if the list has since been expanded to include citizens of other countries.
Station Licence
Now I had the Thai licence and callsign, but to be able to operate I needed a Station Licence. To obtain a Station Licence more forms need to be completed. Part of this process is having the written permission of the owner of the house where you will operate and erect an antenna. As I am living with my wife in a small rented house whilst our own house is being built, I have not got a station licence and will not apply for one until our new house is built. I will then have ample room for antennas and a room in the house for my shack / office.