TacoBoy

Check with individual airlines for full refundable tickets.

Or buy an open date return instead of one way which is often close to the price of a one way fare.

You can always just apply without a onward ticket and if denied, then buy a onward ticket or change yours to a open return.

If you apply early enough, you will have enough time to take care of any additional requests the Thai Embassy may require.

I have applied both with no onward ticket, and also just showing a round trip open return reservation.

Only had to purchase a last minute full refundable onward ticket with China Air once when checking in on a return flight from another country back to Thailand.

Not normal for March. Space Heaters can be bought in Mae Sai at most of the electical shops that sell water heaters and other appliances. About 1,000 thb.

Nice to have for those few days and nights when it does get cold.

There is always the hot mineral spa's

TG,

If you apply for the O-A Retirement Visa in your home country of Canada, I think you can use the money in your bank there in Canada with the Thai Embassy or Consulate in Canada to meet the Income requirement. You can thereafter open a Thai Bank in the future if you wish to do so. The Web Site says a Notorized Bank Statement of 800,000 Baht or Equivilant. check with the Embassy or Consulate direct if you have any questions.

http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/

If you get your O-A Visa from your home country, will not need to jump thru the hoops in Thailand to convert a tourist or visa on arrival to a Non-Immigration O visa.

Busiest business at Nana Plaza in BKK is the Burger cart at the entrance/exit.

Burger patties and buns look the same as at Mike's or Northern Farms butcher shops.

Guess the taste of the Greasy food don't matter after a few 140 baht small Leo's and watching real "Thai Buns" doing the BKK Shuffle.

Any similarity with CM other than beer prices are usually cheaper, and less buns available

Lots of duplicate food places at the new Central, but also some newbies in town like McDonalds, Fuji, Sizzler, Starbucks, Chesters, and many that are normal fare at just about all Central Malls. They should all be pretty much consistant quality with their other locations.

And hopefully English Soundtrack Movies with Thai Subtitles

No Subway or Bugger King for now it seems. They will smarten up with time.

In the meantime there is always Kurt's place near the downtown police station for deli meats cheeses and sandwiches.

Would be nice for the OP Bilat to update status after going to Immigration.

Nobody suggested the OP did anything illegal. Think people were only trying to tell the OP to be careful when not dealing directly with any Embassy or Immigration office.

It is best to take care of things yourself, not rely on others. It all can be done personally by you as long as what you are asking for is legal and within the rules.

Of course, money does talk in LOS :jap:

Even the Disco Shrimp are not Dancing it's so cold

Only about 15 C = 59 F at 7pm and still raining

Thank god for my space heater fan bought in Mae Sai

Even the dog is hogging the heater tonight.

i am not saying agents are not legitimate, but be cautious if you decide to use an agent.

Lesson for the OP and any others that decide to use an "Agent" to take care of their Visa issues.

Signs are posted at all immigration offices about agents and persons soliciting to take care of a visa for you.

You never know if what you get is the real deal.

So beware.

After reading some of the follow up comments, I think I'm buying a ticket tonight and heading back to the US tomorrow, 16 March 2011.

I don't have enough cash if they are going to fine or arrest me, so I'm going to try and get the hell out of Dodge tomorrow guys. I'm scared shitless after reading these comments.

I'm starting to worry about what exactly this 90 day extension stamp is that I have... it is definitely from the Immigration Office but it sounds like I don't even qualify for it.

For crying out loud...

Balat, stop worring so much. You have to have the stamp transferred to your new passport officially, or it is no good.

You will most likely be fine when the immigration transfers your info into the new and valid passport.

You can not leave without transferring the valid stamp.

If the stamp is good and is issued by Thai immigration then should not be a problem no matter what the thai attorney did to obtain it for you. If there is a problem, best to refer back to the attorney that got the stamp for you.

A hastle yes, but should not be a big deal for you legally.

Just a side note. Once your new passport has a valid stamp, no need to show the old expired passport. Everything in the old passport is null and void for validity of stay purposes.

The new stamp from Thai immigration will suffice as a paper trail. Yes you must show your old passport and stamps to thai immigration to have info transferred. Keep the passport for your records or tyour home country only after that.

Since your old passport is expired, the stamp or current visa must be transferred to your new passport by Thai Immigration.

As for staying longer now, best to travel out of Thailand and get a Double entry Tourist Visa.

Consult the visa threads for which Thai Embassies and Consulates will give a double entry tourist visa. If that is not possible, then you may qualify for a single entry Tourist Visa since you say you don't have any previous tourist visa's.

Probably a good idea not to show anyone your now expired passport other than to immigration to get the info transferred. Nothing improper about that, as your current stamp will be transferred into your new valid passport, and the old passport will become null and void.

You can do border runs every 14 days, but that will get old quick.

A stamp is just another form of putting a Visa in your passport. There is visa on arrival, transit visa, retirement visa, extension of visa, and on and on.

All the immigration stamps and or paper visa's are all a Visa and show validity of an arrival and stay.

And if questioned don't say much, just tell immigration you are leaving. Nothing more needs to be said unless they detain you.

This is not legal advice, only my opinion from being there before and dealing with officials.

There is no 90 day rule that has been enforced or could be pertaining to Thailand or stays in any other country by the US State Department.

Don't worry about whatever you read about 90 days stay. The notice simply says that you need a new visa or appropriate stamp upon expiration of any visa or stamp obtained on arrrival.

You need to get your visa transferred to your new passport, deal with that and get your affairs in order to leave on time.

Sounds cut and dry unless you are detained. Then you need to tell them about your lawyer friend.

Your running on short or overtime of your stay. It is your responsability to adhear to time rules of Visa's and stamps.

You need to go immediately in the morning to Thai Immigration to have your visa and stamp transferred to your new passport.

You also need to leave the country by the last day of stay allowed in your passport. So arrange transport to a boarder run or flight out.

Do not over state your case to immigration. Just ask for them to transfer your visa stamp, and not say how you got the stamp etc unless they quesion you in detail. Do not offer any info unless they are persistant and have you detained. If they do, be honest and tell them the truth. Be prepared to tell them, who you got your 90 day extension stamp from. An agent outsde Pattaya Immigration, or an officer there within the official offices.

Best advice is to not say anything to immigration unless you are interrogated by them. Many times they ask just routine questions about your stay and visa's. Just give simple answers unless you know you are being interrogated.

If your extension of stay is an illegal or forged stamp, they may and can arrest and detain you. Best to comply with them if you did not intend to get your visa stamp by fraud. But be prepared to tell them who did the visa for you.

Tex Mex, Baja, California style. Its all good but different tastes.

Best I ever had was a horse meat taco from Tito's roach coach in mexicalli, or was it Tijuana

As long as the restaurant is trying, then I give them a go. After all, it is a long way to Baja from here

Can't get good Thai food in the states either, but the locals there rave about it

If your ever in Culver city try Tito's taco's

Airlines flying into Thialand can and do refuse at their discretion for you to board if you do not have a roundtrip or an onward ticket for visa on arrival. I have been required on one occassion to get a onward ticket before I could check in. Think it would be sufficiant if you already have a tourist visa, but airlines can sometimes muddle the waters if they want to. many airline agents do know the visa rules for Thailand and enforce the procedure so they will not be stuck flying you back home if you are denied entry in Thailand. Also so they can sell more tickets (best to buy refundable tickets if required at an air tiket counter).

Thai Embassies and Consulates can ask your for an onward ticket. Whether they do in each case is at their discretion, just as with the Airlines.

Always be prepared to apply early for your visa and to get an onward ticket if required for either the Embassy or Airline.

Had the driver not taken evasive action a lot of innocent's lives would not be effected.

Only relieveing the roads of one less crazy motorcyclist (if that was indeed the fact).

Drivers of large vehicles have to take into consideration the size and cargo of their vehicle versus hitting a smaller errant vehicle.

Buses and Trucks are not sport cars and do not handle well in evasive maneuvers.

Info from the BKK Post:

4 women die in Phayao bus crash

Four women were killed and 22 other passengers injured when an inter-provincial bus overturned in northern Phayao province on Monday morning.

The Chiang Rai-bound bus carrying 30 passengers overturned on Phahon Yothin Road in front of Phayao University in Muang district.

Four women passengers, all natives of Chiang Rai, died on the spot. Twenty-two passengers were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.

The Driver told police that the bus left Bangkok at 7pm on Sunday heading for Chiang Rai. it overturned as he tried to avoid a motorcycle that cut in front of the vehicle. He was detained for further questioning.

Would prefer these guys from the Ophir Prison Kazoo Band and Temperance Society to the Salvation Army Band.

Bring on the Beer !

Beer Barrel Polka

Glorious Beer

Taco Boy caught on camera.

Check with "thai pepper products" in chiang rai about marketing or buying and selling peppers etc.

They sell pickles and jalapenos to places like subway sandwiches and think they market products around asia.

google their web site for info.

Snakes do not seem to be a major problem even here in Thailand in the country side. But one must always be careful not to let their pets roam. Cats are impossible to restrain within a property and will roam if you let them out even once.

Best if you want to have your pet for a long time to train it to be an inside pet. Not only Thailand but just about anywhere in the world.

Cars, traffic, people, dogs, and yes even someties a natural wild thing like a snake or other animials are a danger to domesticated pets.

IMO pets can and are happy to be inside pets if trained properly. A condo or house should be no problem, just don't let your pet wander.

I have had Miguels. Was ok but a bit pricey and salsa was lacking.

The taste was basically ok, especially for being in Thailand. Too much extra filling (beans, rice, salad) and not enough meat and cheese.

Are you talking about their burritos? I'm pretty sure that they are just beans, meat and cheese and none of the other stuff (which I actually prefer as they all go in a Mission street burrito).

Yes, I was referring to the Wet Steak Burrito. Lots of beans and little meat. but was good overall. Ms Taco enjoyed it immensely.

Barry's WCH is not bad for a burger and fries. Heard he has a new stall in the night bizzare with a limited menu. Kae's mexican at the night bizzare is also not bad. I like the Enchilada which have a lot of cheese. Not a fan of her chicken or beef fillings, but basically is ok. Taco's, beans, and rice are ok.

Looking forward to Sizzler Steak and Salad and a few other new chain restaurants coming to the Central Plaza April 1.

English signage and language is common in Thailand.

There can be some language problems, but most taxi's and service people can speak a little english.

Most tourists and newbies get along fine never learning more than one or two thai words for fun.

Many Thai language courses are available in just about all areas.

Spicy and the bunch are nothing more than pint sized versions of Tharmae coffee shop pick up joint in Bangkok.

Like a sardine squashed into a small tin. Chiang Mai has nothing to compare to BKK, Pattaya, and Phuket in the way of nitelife.

If you really want to meet real local girls, you will need to go to home town (country) Thailand and go to the Disco scenes there.

Otherwise, best to stick with BKK, Pattaya, and Phuket

Where is Salsa kitchen located ?

Also Diablo's ?

I have had Miguels. Was ok but a bit pricey and salsa was lacking.

The taste was basically ok, especially for being in Thailand. Too much extra filling (beans, rice, salad) and not enough meat and cheese.

But to each their own. I prefer the extras to be only a small amount or none inside and the rest on the side.

Also no Nacho's and Cheese on offer. Only Chips covered with beans, some cheese, salad and sour cream. Would like a little Qaucamole (in season). The nacho's were more like a taco salad made with chips.

Stay in Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket if you are looking for nitelife and fun times to suit a 20 something year old. Especially if you want to compare Chico style to Thailand.

Chiang Mai is ok, but the night scene is nothing similar to Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket.

Face the facts, being a male you will always be expected to support a female. Especially in Thailand where working wages are low.

But then there is the "Cougar" scene.

An unfortunate truth is Thai college girls are into pretty thai boys. If you can't speak thai, then you are at a disadvantage meeting local college girls. Even the ones looking for foreigners.