watgate

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?

I will be residing in Chiang Mai this winter and will be entitled to start receiving social security benefits from the USA when I turn 62 on 1/18/2015. I was told by my local social security office in the USA that I can apply on November 1, 2014. I have been told from a knowledgeable individual that I can apply online in Thailand but it must be done while the Social Security offices are open in the U.S. My question is should I make an appointment with the U.S Consulate office in Chiang Mai to help in this matter? Any info or previous experiences with this particuler issue would be appreciated.

Buy some peanut butter and make some peanut butter and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I wanted to thank the mods and knowledgeable posters for allaying my concerns about utilizing tourist visas. In a way this visa crackdown, primarily directed toward individuals who are scamming the system with visa exempt entries, has given me the impetus to apply for a retirement visa in the USA. It's something I have been considering for awhile and my neurotic concerns about being denied entry into Thailand with a tourist visa propelled me to apply for a retirement visa. Once again, a big shoutout and thank you to the mods and knowledgeable posters who dispelled erroneous information, gave reassurances and steered you to the correct answer if need be. You dedication and professionalism are truly appreciated by me and it is nice to know such a valuable base of knowledge is readily available.

IF I come to Thailand (Chiang Mai) with a double or triple-entry tourist visa, when the time comes to activate a second re-entry into Thailand, can I just do a quick turn around,say for instance in Mae Sai, or do I need to actually visit another country for a few days and then re-enter Thailand? This is my 5th time to Thailand and I am what is known as a snowbird since I typically have been coming to Thailand for anywhere from 2- 4 months in the winter. This year I am planning on staying for 5 months and have a return ticket, a reservation at the same hotel I have been staying at for the previous 4 years, and will be bringing sufficient money. I realize this issue is kind of sketchy at the moment but I value the wise and informed opinions from the seasoned and knowledgeable posters and mods such as ubonjoe and tywais,etc.

Ubonjoe- You are sure I can stay in Chiang Mai for 5 months from October17,2014 until March 2015 when I depart back to the USA with a triple-entry tourist visa? If you are sure, this will take a big load off of me because part of the requirement for obtaining an O-A retirement visa in the U.S. is submitting a verification of no criminal record. It takes a long time for the FBI to process fingerprints and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the results would not be sent back to me prior to my scheduled departure to Thailand on Oct 15,2014. As stated previously in other posts, this will be my 5th wintering in Chaing Mai and each time I came with a triple-entry tourist visa and stayed anywhere from 2- 4 months after which I departed back to the USA. This year I am planning on staying for 5 months, I have a return ticket, have already made a reservation at the same hotel I have stayed at for the previous 4 years,and will be bringing sufficient funds with me. I thought I would be alright but thought it maybe best to apply for a retirement visa in the USA since I am over 50 years old. Unfortunately, I have started to realize it is not that easy considering the need for the criminal background check through the Conn State Police where you have to apply with the necessary paperwork along with a set of fingerprints which I am sure are forwarded to the FBI. I know for a fact that there is a big backlog on processing fingerprints and, as stated previously, there is no guarantee I would get the results of the fingerprint check sent back to me in sufficient time to bring them to the New York Thai consulate so they could process my OA retrement visa.

Help- I am retired and 61 years old from the USA. I have been wintering in Thailand for the past 4 winters for anywhere from 3- 4 months. I have used a triple-entry tourist visa in the past. I am now considering going another route and I need some clarification as how best to proceed. I understand the o-a visa is for individuals over 50 who want to stay long-term in Thailand. What I need to know is since I am planning on staying in Thailand this winter for 5 months (primarily in Chiang Mai), should I apply for a O visa? I am not sure if I qualify for a O-visa or if it would suit my purposes for staying in Thailand this winter for 5 months.I have sufficient income and/or assets and need some advice on which visa would be most appropriate for my needs. In the past the triple-entry tourist visa worked fine but now I am a little concerned. I would like to think if I went to Thailand this winter with a triple-entry tourist visa and showed them my return ticket back to the USA in 5 months,plus my hotel reservation for 5 months, plus bank statements showing sufficient income, as well as scrutinizing my passport showing that in the previous 4 times I wintered in Thailand as a snow bird and each time I departed Thailand at the end of my stay to go back to the USA, that that would suffice but now I am not sure. Any advice or clarification, especially on the O-visa and whether it is something I could use would be greatly appreciated.

This will be my 5th year of wintering in Thailand (primarily Chiang Mai) and I am from the USA. I usually stay anywhere from 4- 6 months and have obtained a triple-entry tourist visa. This year I am planning on staying for 5 months, and as in the past, I was either going to do a border run or visit another country to utilize my other entries on my tourist visa. I was leaning toward doing a border run because in previous years I had already visited Laos and Cambodia. Now my concern is if I am going to have a problem extending my stay for my 5 months in Thailand this winter with the crackdown going into effect in August? I will have a return airline ticket reservation and anyone scrutinizing my passport would see that in the past years, I have come to Thailand in the winter months with a tourist visa and returned back to the USA each time after being here for 3-5 months. Do I have to make other arrangements, and if so, what would you suggest, or am I safe to assume that I should be alright with my triple-entry tourist visa this winter?

Very well done. I really enjoyed it. You are very talented and thanks for sharing your film with us.

So, for the second time in 2 years my Thaivisa.com newsletter is not being posted in my intake box. It happened previously with Yahoo and finally I had to create another user id with MSN Outlook. Now it has happened again. I did not mark it as spam. I added [email protected] to my contact list in Outlook. The newsletter is not going to my spam folder and I have been told by thaivisa support that Outlook might have blocked it. They are suggesting that I should use another email like Gmail and submit the new email address to them so I can again start receiving the newsletter. If I go that route again, what happens when next year my newsletter is not being received again by myself? I am running out of options since I would have exhausted Yahoo, MSN, and gmail? Thanks for any advice or info.

I realize this topic has been talked to death so if their are no responses I fully understand. I was wondering for those folks who have a house, do you get many mozzies who come inside your house and make you mad. I can envision a time in the not-to-distant future, if and when I decide to rent a house, to constantly being bombarded with mozzies trying to bite you. I am certain that I will be needing a mosquito net hanging down to my bed to give me relief from the incessant mozzies so I can get a decent nights sleep. My experience in Thailand has been that the mozzies are honed in on me like radar and I am constantly being bit by them. I can see living with my thai gf and her daughter and they seem to be somewhat impervious to the constant onslaught of the mozzies so they wouldn't be as diligent in making sure the doors are closed.etc.

In checking the Washington dc thai embassy website, the criteria for obtaining a non-immigrant type O visa is the following: A stay with family, Perform duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, Receive medical treatment, To be a sport coach as required by the Thai Government, or To be a contestant or witness for judicial process. So how is one supposed to obtain a single entry non-immigrant O visa before arriving in Thailand? It sounds like very specific reasons for obtaining this type visa and the only really plausible way is to obtain a single-entry tourist visa and, once in country, apply for a change of visa status to obtain a 90 day non-immigrant visa entry. Am I correct or am I reading too much into this?

I am a little confused and would appreciate some clarification. I understand the requirements when appyling for a non-immigrant O-A long stay retirement visa in the USA. What I am puzzled about is that I remember someone stating that you could come to Thailand on a different visa and then convert it to an O-A visa without having to go through the hassle of getting a medical certificate and police report back in the USA when applying for an O-A long stay visa there. It sounded much simpler and basically you needed to have 800,000 baht in a bank account and/or proof of 65000 baht income to convert your visa to an O-A non-immigrant visa. What visa would you need initially to go to Thailand in order to be able to convert it to an O-A non-immigrant long stay visa? If you are a U.S. citizen can you just come to Thailand without a visa and then apply for an O-A non-immigrant visa within the first 30 days? Any clarification would be appreciated.

If I get a non-O visa while in Thailand, can I then convert it to a non-immigrant O-A visa to avoid having to go through the bothersome requirements to get a medical and police report? If you can't convert a non-O visa to a non O-A visa, then can you extend your stay for a year based on having the required funds in a bato worry about..nk and being over age 50. I am single so need for a spouse to worry about.

Seeing as how my previous 4 trips to Thailand were on double or triple entry tourist visas, I never needed to go to immigration for a 30 day extension which I understand costs 1900 baht. In the future I will be wanting to stay longer then the 4- 5 months I have been staying and will most likely apply for a non-immigrant visa O-A long stay. I understand you have to report to immigration every 90 days. Is their any fees or expenses associated with the 90 day report to immigration? Also, is it better to apply for the O-A long stay visa in the U.S or wait and do it in Thailand? What are the pros and cons of appying for the O-A long stay visa in the U.S versus waiting and applying in Thailand for this visa? Thank you for any info or advice

Since I have been staying in Chiang Mai for the past 5 winters primarily from the beginning of November until the first part of March when I return to the U.S. I was curious as to how is it residing in Chiang Mai from March until the end of October? By that I mean does the burning of the rice fields and the resultant foul air for a period of time dramatically impact your quality of life? Also, I understand it gets oppressively hot and humid and does that weigh on you considerably? I also understand that you then enter the rainy season and does the incessant rain cause one much angst? I have been told by some blokes that during the rainy season it isn't that bad because the rain is a welcome respite from the oppressive heat. Furthermore I have been told also that generally when it rains, it doesn't last that long. I was just wondering from some full-timers how is living inThailand, and primarily in Chiang Mai all year round, and if you are satisfied with your living arrangements given the realities of the weather? Oh also, do the mozzies drive you mad or do you get acclimated to them? Lastly, is it nicer, during the slow season, not having a bunch of part-time farangs and other ethnic groups coming to Chiang Mai like they do during high season and causing more traffic problems, more pollution, and more problems due to the significant increase in their numbers during the high season? No I am not writing a book, just curious.

That's it. I will NEVER take a bus anywhere in Thailand again. It is like playing Russian roulette. I remember going with my ex-gf to visit her family in Lampang one time. We departed from Chiang Mai and the bus was rickety and water was constantly pouring in the back where we were sitting. It wasn' t raining out so it must have had something to do with the a/c. The bus driver was driving like a madman. He was racing around the curves at breakneck speed and flying down the hills like a bat out of hell. All it would have taken was a tire blowout or some other event to cause the driver to lose control and we would have been crushed like worm. My current gf wants to visit her family in Isan upon my return to chiang mai this fall but I am going to tell her no way Jose am I going by bus. All I read, seemingly ever week, is another bus crash in Thailand with multiple fatalities and many severely injured. It is apparent to me that things are out of control and I am going to avoid riding these buses.