Asiantravel

17 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

Haha Thank you for welcoming. I always appreciate everyone's thoughts and sharings :)

As far as I've watched here, never seen anyone get this kind of note before. And the way they count is kinda strange tho.

Hope our experiences useful for others.

 

can you take a picture of your visa showing the " 6th TR " note and post it here ?

16 minutes ago, lkv said:

Redo the math. 4+1+3=8. Minus one in Penang 7. Not 6.

 

They don't write this type of stuff on visas, but I'd be keen to see a picture of this visa if you can provide one.

 

On a different note, welcome to ThaiVisa, noticed you're new but I guess you've been watching it for a while.

busted !

31 minutes ago, lkv said:

Just to clarify further... i=10 or....

 

What is the value of "i" because i will soon be applying for my fourth this year.

20 hours ago, alocacoc said:

Good to know. Maybe I do another TV visa in Vientiane before I leave Thailand for good. Have 1 metv from homecountry, 2 TV from Vientiane and 2tv from Savannakhet. No via exempt entries and no warning stamps. I will show them rental contract and proof of finance. Shouldn't be a problem to get a new visa I guess.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

alocacoc you may be interested to read a post by murraynz from New Zealand in the following thread because he says an immigration officer told him they have just changed the rules (again) and that they are now only allowing one tourist visa entry per year

1 hour ago, murraynz said:

i have only recently, re-entered thailand {bkk} on a setv  visa...i am nz citizen who last left thailand on 13jan 2017...the imm officer was not going to let me in---saying the rules have now changed. i can only get i setv entry per year....he told me he wasnt interested that i owned condo here and did not want to work here.....i showed him large transfer into my bkk bank account and told him that i was applying shortly for retirement visa.....i heeventually let me go...i hope others dont set themselves up for this problem

" the rules have now changed. i can only get i setv entry per year "

well that is certainly one way of tackling the understaffing and queue problem at Don Mueng airport

how they keep up with all these constant  rules changes is beyond me

but in your case why don't they simply apply for a retirement visa  ?

1 hour ago, alocacoc said:

Good to know. Maybe I do another TV visa in Vientiane before I leave Thailand for good. Have 1 metv from homecountry, 2 TV from Vientiane and 2tv from Savannakhet. No via exempt entries and no warning stamps. I will show them rental contract and proof of finance. Shouldn't be a problem to get a new visa I guess.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

so is that one year nine months of continuously living here? So that kind of dismisses the claim by some that you can only stay here six or nine months out of every year on tourist visas.

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Vientiane regularly rejects applicants with "This person travels to Thailand frequently..." extra-stamps placed on used tourist-visas.  In the past, as soon as they gave you one of those, it was either "get a new passport" or don't go back there, again.  Vientiane's particular variety of the extra-stamp mentioned showing residence and proof-of-income - but I never saw a report where they allowed showing either of these.  I showed both a few months back, and they didn't care - "with this remark" they can't give a new TR-Visa - so "get a new passport," I was told.  

 

The one recent-change (or maybe has been this way awhile), is they won't issue a TR-Visa even when it was another consulate who added the extra-stamp to a TR-Visa that was not from a Laos consulate.  In the past, an extra-stamp from one consulate would not necessarily block you at another.  I got a TR-Visa at Savanahket to spite the extra-stamp from Phnom Penh without incident - though showing money and proof of where I was staying is always required to apply at Savanakhet.

is there any significance  that elviajero in his post on page 1 of this thread seem to think that the OP would have received this stamp from the immigration authorities upon his exit from Thailand?

because I have always had the impression that the embassies and consulates issued these stamps just based on seeing lots of visa stickers in someone's passport.

But surely immigration wouldn't be interested in how many visa stickers you have - and particularly when someone is exiting the country?

so I'm wondering if they based their decision to issue this stamp from data they had in front of them on their computer screens.

it would seem to me that what happened to the original poster can't really be called a trend yet because surely there would have been other reports of similar incidents? As with the other extraordinary events that have happened recently such as the two people being detained there don't seem to be any follow-up cases.

this suggests that these are all isolated incidents and they may have happened because of extraneous circumstances that weren't mentioned in the description of events.?

3 hours ago, thecyclist said:

They also seem to be charging 1$ tax on people leaving the country.

I crossed this border 10 years ago heading into Cambodia and they were asking for one $.

Whatever fancy names you give it, tax ,overtime fee etc, if no  official receipt/ticket is given, you can bet that not a dime of it ends up in the national or provincial coffers. 

Also consider what has been happening at the Hadlek/koh kong border:The amount they try to squeeze out of you has been increasing steadily over the years.Why is that:People pay up.If everybody refuses the extortion goes away.You reap what you sow.

In Luang Prabang there is a bamboo footbridge which crosses the river and even there a person leaps out of their little makeshift office and demands two dollars or they won't let you crossI have found recently Laos has become one of the worst places for charging money for whatever they can get away with including entry to all its temples. Very money hungry

20 hours ago, thecyclist said:

It is a scam.They ask for the same 2 bucks when leaving Laos at that border crossing.For the so called 1 $ overtime fee they give you a ticket.Last year I was leaving Laos and refused to pay , I questioned him in Thai (while recording) about this fee, what his name was, whether I would get a receipt etc

Worked like a charm (on the Cambodian side as well), they stamped me out without paying for deleting.They are scared as hell of any recorded evidence of their corruption.Accidentally I failed to delete.Still have the clip. 

Whether it is worth it (saving 2$ on Lao side and 5 on Cambodian side)is an other question.For me it was, took only a few minutes for them to give in.  Why castigate the guy for refusing to give in to systemic extortion ?Would like to know what happened to him.

" Why castigate the guy for refusing to give in to systemic extortion ? "

because as someone else mentioned earlier when you cross into the area between the two countries you are in a kind of no man's land and you are surrounded by all these people with the power to potentially do or say anything. If you read the book by Kerry and Kay Danes named appropriately " Nightmare in Laos " after they were accused (wrongly)of cheating the authorities you come to realise it's not worth arguing with anyone in authority in Laos even if they demanded $20! these people can stitch you up at the drop of a hat

3 hours ago, Essecola said:

As far as I am aware, there are TWO western MDs practicing in Bkk. One is a man who speaks Thai. The other is a British woman who has a clinic near Thong Lor or Phrom Phong.  Of course there could be more but those 2 are the only ones I am aware of. The person who posted above about the heavy Thai language requirements is absolutely correct.

there was an older foreign doctor in BNH Hospital in Convent Road but maybe he has retired by now

3 hours ago, orientfan said:

Thank you Midas, so your advice is Vietnam NO, Myanmar YES...?

but note you have to leave a gap between each visa free entry for Vietnam - about 6 months from memory

4 hours ago, dallen52 said:

Yes.
I wasn't aware of a limit on 60 day tourist visas.

I think it's a bit of face saving ?
If such a thing exists in the LOS.
They show me on the computer screen the UK issued and the Australian issued.
And quite correct in saying that it's equal to 480 days of stay.
(Because I have been out on family issues and got another TR 60 days before the others would have expired, if I had stayed the full 60 days..)

Anyhow.
Just thought it was interesting reading.

Sent from my SM-G925I using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

it seems strange how the consulate's/embassies issued so many visa's to you without putting some kind of mark on your passport( s ) and it also seems strange that immigration didn't make some remark to you about this when you re-entered the country each time  because  surely they share the same computer data as in Jomtien?

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Agree on the routes - many would be better to Kuala Lumpur -> Penang (still a possible layover). 

 

I would probably do the bus if returning from Vietnam on a serial Tourist-Visa - but some hate taking buses.  Are you sure the Giant Ibis bus runs straight through to Bangkok?  If so, does it pass through Poipet?  If so - useless.  Also note that most so called "PP to Bangkok" routes actually drop you at one side of the border, and give you a ticket for a bus on the other side;  then you have to wait a while for the "other bus" (often a mini-van) to pick you up.  When I last checked this, one pays a premium for purchasing the Thailand-route part of the journey in Cambodia.  This may have changed recently. 

 

There is one "real" international bus I know of, which runs from Bangkok to Siem Reap, but last I checked, they cancelled the one running to Phnom Penh.  Again, this may have changed recently. 

 

If there is a 'real' 3-seat-across VIP from Thailand to Phnom Penh, preferably with decent shock-absorbers, that would be a godsend for many.  I have been packed-in with motorcycle parts, fruit, wicker-goods (a huuuuge fish-trap), etc (in seats and down the isles), as the Cambodian bus-companies try to maximize profits.  Virak Buntham used to be the "least bad" option of which I was aware - but they put a moto underneath and packed the isle with our luggage (after dumping it all in the dirt, first - at the pastry shop / last-stop out of PP), on my last trip with them.

I only responded because you were addressing the point about how to avoid flying in from Vietnam. As I said previously it’s astonishing how expensive it is to fly from Phnom Penh to Laos because these routes are not served by budget carriers. And because you are flying via other destinations they charge you even more for an unnecessarily longer journey

It wouldn’t be fair to compare Giant Ibis buses to Virak Buntham (or the standard of service that is offered) because they are a different league. You might want to read posts 3 and 4 in the following thread. Yes you would have to do it in three stages- Ho Chi Minh city to Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh to Siem Reap  and finally Siem Reap  to Bangkok which can all be done with the same company.

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

If using HCMC, I'd fly out to HCMC, then fly back to Penang or Vientiane, cross to Thailand, then take domestic-air or bus from there.  A quality, overnight VIP bus from Nong Khai to Bangkok isn't bad, though not much cheaper than a flight.  It comes down to flight-timing, as to which is more convenient.  Just make sure "VIP" really means 3 seats across - not 4 - you can see it on their "seat picker" screen.  If traveling alone, get the seat by itself.

Sorry just a small point but I don't agree with your advice on suggested destinations at all. Those routes are not only very expensive but also take hours because they involve detours to places like Hanoi and  Pakse if heading to Laos.

You could just travel by bus with a company like Giant Ibis from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh (about 6 hours) and then another Giant Ibis bus from Cambodia to Bangkok

http://giantibis.com/

10 minutes ago, Asiantravel said:

the OP's name  at the foot of page under recently browsing has been there all the time and the profile shows the last visit was just 17 minutes ago and yet  can't answer any one of the many questions posed?

and just minutes after I posted this remark the OP's name disappeared from the bottom of the page after being there for the last 12 hours

3 minutes ago, Mianoinadme said:

Plus a bad internet connection that's not always working, see OP's post.

the OP's name  at the foot of page under recently browsing has been there all the time and the profile shows the last visit was just 17 minutes ago and yet  can't answer any one of the many questions posed?

13 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

respect your views; hope you are mistaken; however there IS chatter amongst long-term stay expats that the true rulers here DO want less farang; next step would be the extension process, then it would get ugly for a lot of us

and are Chinese, Koreans and Japanese included in this or are they not regarded as farang?

25 minutes ago, asean said:

1/ Yes there is a limit on their use it is in the name. Tourist.

2/ The OP by discretion of the officer did not pass the test of "financial gain to the country". 

3/ Money goes to TPC wholly owned by TAT

 

I do not understand why you call it harassment of people with tourist visas at the airport. The OP did not have a tourist visa. Many people mistake the 30 day visa waiver extended to nationals of some countries as a tourist visa. It is not a tourist visa. This is why it is called a Tourist Visa Exemption.

"The OP did not have a tourist visa "

sorry but to save me going back 11 pages in this thread when exactly was this gem of information revealed?

Eight hours ago when this thread was started everyone was emphatic that he / she had a tourist visa

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

No troubles in Vietnam I am told. Easy come easy go and no visa or work permit difficulties. They now have 12 month, no strings, multiple entry visas for about US$350 with no reporting or proof of money. 5 year Marriage Visas for US$10 with first report at the local office after 6 months and thereafter every 12 months. No home visits by immigration. No bank account problems. I understand it is a completely different hassle free immigration world to Thailand. 

 " They now have 12 month, no strings, multiple entry visas for about US$350 with no reporting or proof of money "

that's great news!

it's this a relatively new development because I wasn't aware of this during my visit last February?

Nha Trang as a Beach resort is so less polluted than Pattaya

1 hour ago, IMA_FARANG said:

As others pointed out there are a number of valid ways to do it.

I arrived in Thailand 5 years ago on a Non O multi-entry visa then and have extended it each year annually in Bangkok.

In my particular case I get my Social Security pension sent to my Bangkok Bank  account by direct deposit from the U.S. each month.

It takes some paperwork to set up a direct deposit that way initially but once you have it running  the money arrives in your Bangkok Bank  account  on the 4th of each month.

I've been doing  it that way for over 4 years now, and it works fine  for me.

I am a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran if that means anything, but not retied military.

 

 

 

I'm confused because you so often write about your experiences about  getting tourist visas in these threads?so why then do you have to bother at all with getting these if you have been extending every year and" doing  it that way for over 4 years now " ?

10 hours ago, hawker9000 said:

People will have their reasons.  But I agree that if you don't have some pressing reason to hightail it back, Vientiane isn't a bad place to spend an evening or two and doing so takes all the stress out of the visa trip.

yes there there are some decent coffee shops and restaurants to explore there now

the Bali consulate used to be one of the few if not the only place in this region where you could get a triple entry tourist Visa

15 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

I have a number of colleagues and friends in their 70s who are earning six figure (USD) salaries in Thailand, they are certainly not mopping out the lavs.

 

Cleaning up other people's messes, yes, cleaning the lavs, no.

 

It's what we do, and why the monthly invoice is what it is.

 

And it's all legal and above board.

 

but in the OP's case it's not only the age thing - it's also hard to imagine how they could suspect  he was carrying out any kind of work because he claims was nowhere near exceeding 180 days in the country in 2017. 

22 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Well, he recounted some problem  that's arisen because of his preference for spending periods in Thailand of a duration and frequency that have caused Immigration Officers to doubt his claimed status as a tourist. Then he says it's "Food for thought for you other old fellas! "

Quite a few of us other old fellas have pointed out that unlike under-50s he has a fairly painless and easy remedy, so I can't say that he is high on the list for sympathy. I can understand if, as he says in #35, he doesn't want to commit 800k to a Thai bank account, but if he can't or won't use the alternative method, there's not much more to be said.

But us other old fellas are doing just fine.

I agree with everything you say about getting a retirement Visa.

But it still seems strange to me they suspect a 67-year-old is working here. I mean what kind of menial work would a person  be carrying out at that age?

About 10 years ago I remember a Singaporean guy in Bangkok who was in his 60s and lecturing at ABAC University telling me about his decision to retire in New Zealand (which he did) because he said after you  reach 60 even the students in Thailand consider you to be obsolete.