watgate

I went to this spectacular ceremony the previous 2 years with my g/f. We went in a van which was arranged by a nice fellow who is involved in a photography club in Chiang Mai. This year he is not going through the hassle of arranging transportation and I can't blame him. I was wondering what a good alternative is to go to this ceremony. The crowds and traffic are always massive. If one went by songthaew, does anyone know what the costs would be? Also, you can't expect the songthaew to wait all night for you so their is the added problem of returning to the center of chiang mai after the spectacle is finished. I guess one could take a taxi but I am sure they would try and gouge you price wise. Does anyone know if any hotels are arranging transportation to this ceremony? I don't have a car and I don't drive a motorbike so I am very limited in my options. Admittedly I am spoiled because the past 2 years, when we went by the van,the cost was very reasonable and we had a guaranteed ride back after the ceremony was finished.

Do you need a certificate of residency when applying for an extension of stay based on retirement and/or a re-entry permit at immigrations?

Rancid- What is MMS? Also, Konini I am not concerned about the area where I stay since it is very clean and they are on top of caring for their surroundings. What concerns me is sometimes I will be sitting on a bench next to the moat in the Thapae area at night and I would think that water could be construed as stagnant. In the past, while sitting there in the evening I would encounter mozzies pestering me and am thinking I either have to stop sitting there or take necessary precautions. I think with the winter season approaching, this should go a long ways toward lessening the chances of getting infected by a mozzie since I think the cold adversely affects the mozzies.

This will be my 5th year wintering in Chaing Mai ( 5 months this time) and although I have been remiss in prior years about taking necessary precautions to try and avoid coming down with Dengue fever, I think this winter I will go the extra mile so to speak. After reading about other folks encounters and suffering with this disease, I think it wise to try and exercise caution. I don't like using Deet but will start using it in the evenings when I am out and about strolling around the City of Chiang Mai. Also, in prior years I used to live primarily in shorts, even at night, but this winter I think I will be wearing long pants to protect my legs. I am not going to get crazy over this but I do think it wise and beneficial to be proactive to make the odds of getting it even more remote.

Does a big city like Bangkok have a significant reduction in dengue fever cases due to it being a large metropolitan area? Also, for those unfortunate folks who have gotten dengue fever, what was the average stay in the hospital?

What are the chances of getting dengue fever while primarily staying in Chiang Mai? I imagine the majority of long-stay expats are generally safely ensconsced in their homes in the evenings and much less susceptible to being bitten by the mozzies. What about individuals who like to roam around chiang mai during the evening and are occasionally being bit by the mozzies. Would this significantly increase the chances of coming down with dengue fever? Would continuous useage of mosquito repellant, especially at night, be recommended or is the danger of contracting dengue fever much less prevalent in chiang mai. I know individuals have come down with dengue fever in chiang mai and I am wondering if they were bit in chiang mai or in other parts of Thailand? Lastly, what times of the year are the most dangerous for potentially getting dengue fever?

Thank you Sophon. I should have been more precise in my initial question. Yes, this is my first extension and thanks for clarifying this for me.

Since I have read and been told conflicting answers I thought it best to post my question here. I will be going to Chiang Mai immigration in December to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. Does this count also as my first 90 day report to immigrations or will I have to report to immigrations approximately one month later?

Suradtit69- You come across as a tired,bitter,unhappy old man who seemingly derives a sort of sick pleasure in pointing out mistakes of posters. Yes, an exodus to Chiang Mai as defined by Websters Dictionary to mean emigrate or to leave one's place of abode or country for life or residence elsewhere. GET A LIFE.

Suradit69 has been nothing but "spot on" as they say in Merry ole England and has given me nothing but valuable and wise advice. It should be noted that he is very knowlegeable and I am flabbergasted that a poster took such an offence to one of his responses. Maybe he was trying to drive home a point. One should not be so sensitive and maybe you might learn something from such a knowledgeable person who is willing to convey his vast knowledge to the complexities and nuances of thai immigration policies and procedures. I, for one, am truly appreciative of all the help Suradit69 has given me and it is comforting knowing there is someone like him you can ask for advice and help.

For those folks who are a little slow I better spell it out for them so they can better comprend the salient points. Thailand, and more specifically Chiang Mai within Thailand, was ranked in the top ten of countries to retire in. Hope this clears up any confusion.

Just wondering, now that Chiang Mai has once again made the list of top ten retirement countries in the world to retire to, if there will be another exodus here of individuals and families looking to avail themselves of a cheap way of life, free from the afflictions and burdens of life back where they live? An escape to a seeming plethora of indescribable pleasures manifested by the opportunities to enjoy one's life in a veritable "garden of eden" as evidenced by the descriptions of Chiang Mai written by the all knowing writers of travel magazines.

I recently obtained a non-O imm visa in the USA and will be arriving in Chiang Mai this October where I will be staying for 5 months. I am planning on going to immigration sometime in December to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement and am planning on going to the US Thai consulate in Chiang Mai to get an income affidavit to show immigrations that I have more then 65000 baht month income. I am also going to be bringing verifications to substantiate my income in case immigration wants to see proof of my income. Is it correct that you can get an extension with JUST the income requirement met and you also don't need to have funds on deposit in a bank account?

If you obtain a time slot from the online immigration queue for a particular day, I take it you just show up at that time at immigration for your scheduled appt. Is that correct and do you just walk to the front ahead of the throngs of people in line waiting to get a number? I have never been to immigration so am not familiar with the proper procedures. This would be for an extension of stay based on retirement.

tywais- thanks for the info. I was positioned at my computer at 1:00 p.m est in the USA which would have been 12:00 midnite in Chiang Mai and never was given the opportunity to select a time for 12/7/14. Then all of a sudden the site showed ALL of the available times had been reserved within a span of 2-3 minutes just after midnite in Thailand.

So as I am currently in the U.S I tried making an online reservation within the 100 days and failed miserably. I then tried to register for a password thinking maybe that was the problem and repeatedly got a message 403-access forbidden. Unless someone can enlighten me as to the proper way to try and make a reservation at chiang mai immigration online queue, I guess I will be at the immigration office this winter in the wee hours of the morning to obtain my number in order to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement.

I am arriving in Chiang Mai on 10/17/14 with a non-imm O visa and will be applying for an extension of stay based on retirement sometime in the last 30 days of my 90 days permitted to stay. After I get the extension, I will have less then 90 days before I am due to depart Chiang Mai on 3/15/15. Will I have to do a 90 day report also to immigrations in Chiang Mai, and if so, any idea when?

I was wondering if anyone has encountered any problems with mail delivery to Thailand. Maybe when first moving to Chiang Mai or periodic times during the course of ones living here. Are folks who live here full-time concerned about potential non-delivery of mail, especially if the mail might be important or of a sensitive nature?Has anyone ever experienced criminal acts related to mail delivery or have suspected mail being stolen? What sort of safeguards are in place to ensure folks who reside in Chiang Mai get their mail delivered? I am not insinuating that the Post Office is full of corrupt and dishonest workers. I am just interested in hearing about the experiences of folks who live here permanently and whever they have encountered any problems with mail delivery while living in Chiang Mai. Hopefully it is a non-issue and not something one should be overly concerned with.

Admittedly,part of my problem or phobia is my mail situation. Although I do online bill paying, I am still very reticent to go completely computer since I have an aversion to possible hackers and malware, etc. I am very organized and need a place where my mail is delivered to so upon my return back to the USA I can go through it and sort it out. The thought of having my mail forwarded to Thailand is not very palpable to me and would worry about lost or stolen mail. I am in the process of trying to establish a situation whereby I can stay in Thailand for upwards of 8 months at a clip and then go back to the USA to get my mail, do my taxes, maybe work a little bit, see my friends and relatives a bit and then get ready to head back to Thailand for another 8 months or so. I want to dump my condo because I don't relish the thought of paying condo fees, taxes, insurance, etc on a place that is vacant for 8 months at a clip. Renting it out doesn't sound practical since it would be hard to find someone for that limited duration. I don't want to completely divest myself of any ties to the USA since my excellent health insurance coverage is only good in the USA. Anyway I appreciate the feedback and need to resolve my situation so I can enjoy Thailand for 8 months or so every year.

I am setting myself up for criticism considering the petulance of some posters but I will suggest that the only bad question is the question not asked. With that said, and maybe I am early with my question because the arrival of the "snow-birders" or folks who winter in Thailand hasn't started yet. I am wondering if most folks who come to Thailand for the winter months have a permanent residence back in the country whence they came from? Maybe some are lucky enough to have an arrangement whereby they only have to pay their bills while they are living in their home country, and when in Thailand ,they don't have to pay for both their residence in their home country,as well as their place in Thailand. I am looking to sell my condo in the USA and trying to position myself so that I can stay in Thailand for upwards of 7-8 months at a time and upon going back to the USA I have a place to stay without having to be burdened with bills,etc for the whole year. I am even considering purchasing an RV (recreational vehicle) and parking it at a relatives place to use as my place to live upon my return back to the USA each year for the 3-4 months I would be there. Any experiences or input related to this would be appreciated and I am ready for the "weisenheimers" and their caustic comments and am hoping for some wise and sage advice or input interspersed through the feedback.

where would you get the mini bus to Pai? At Arcade Bus Terminal? If so , any idea how much it costs round trip to Pai and back?