flyingsaucersarereal

December 31st 29.69 baht to the dollar now 30.7 Losing the Chinese tourists is going to hurt the economy big time. 

My suggestion let's scrap the TM30 and encourage all tourists to come to Thailand not just China and India.

Create more visa options and incentives to visit Thailand for all tourists!

Is this really so bad??? I can speak Thai fairly well but I see some expats here for over 10 years that make no effort to learn the language at all. But I would say also sometimes Thai people don't want to speak Thai back to you if they know a little bit of English because that would mean the Farang knows more than them. So here is what I do if they speak no English I speak Thai if they speak a little English I speak English to make them feel good. 

Hi there I have a Thailand Elite visa and am soon going to be doing my 3rd extension of stay for 1 year without leaving the country.

I was told that along with the usual paperwork to do a extension that I would need to have a TM30 filled out to show to immigration to get the extension. (Thailand Elite told me this)

I have never been asked to fill out one of these forms before and my understanding is that this is the responsibility of the landlord to sign the form and report to immigration.

If I have not left the country in 3 years and have stayed at the same rented house since then why would I have to get a TM30 filled out by the landlord.

I thought this was for new arrivals or people that change locations and have to report the new address. Can someone please explain? Thanks. 

43 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I'm not so sure about 'no advantage'....  I've been Married for 9 years (erm, I think...) so I am eligible for the Type O Marriage Visa....(or a visa based on supporting my Son).

 

According to the T&C I signed at the time my membership is transferable. I've been offered 1MB for my Elite Visa, which If I understand it provides the 'purchaser' (person buying membership off me) the same terms (AOT Transport, Airport service, Golf, Massage etc), but for only for 20 years (from date of Purchase).

 

But, the Thai Elite Visa has been of such convenience I figured it was worth keeping, for the speedy pass through Immigration, someone picks up my baggage, we head straight through customs and into a waiting car...  Then there's the Yearly Medical, Massage and Golf if you want it... 

 

I consider renewing my Driving License as much hassle as waiting in an Immigration Queue for an hour after a long flight... and a lot less hassle than renewing my Type O visa at Chaeng Wattana on a yearly basis. 

 

I don't like renewing my Driving License every 2 years, but while we're at it, shouldn't we also be cliticising the need to renew every 5 years.... especially in a country with such poor quality of testing. Why not provide foreigners living here with a license for 25 years and be done with the 5 year renewals?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed the drivers license testing is a joke. I am just saying I would rather save the money if I had the option of getting a retirement visa. I have the 5 year easy access so I am not seeing a lot of the benefits you are with the 20 year membership.

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Agreed...  and I too find it quite silly, or rather, I understand that I don't understand the legalities of the requirements for a Non-Immigrant visa being required for anything other than a Temporary Driving license. 

For Thai Elite to communicate with the Department of Land transport and instigate change in what may be a law (we don't know) is a big ask. 

 

I agree that experience 'could' be better, however, I can understand how difficult this could be for a company to implement these improvements when operating within a highly bureaucratic system. 

 

That said, one of the reasons I'm on a Thai Elite Visa is that I was not eligible for anything other than back to back Tourists Visa's and Visa Exemption Stamps, which over the past 14 years would have been quite troublesome - equally so, it was only since I was Married that I would have been on a Non-Imm Visa (except for the brief spells I was working in Thailand). 

 

Thus: When I tried to renew my 5 year Driving License (which I'd obtained while working in Thailand)  I found out that I'm not so 'Elite' after all !!!... heck, I'm not even as 'Elite' as those pesky Non-O retirees !!!.... I can only get a 2 year Temp License... 

 

Perhaps Thai Elite should just name it 'Long Tourist Visa'.... and remove the Elite part from the name, it's not Elite and it's giving people the wrong impression.... 

 

 

I totally agree the problem is the name. You are paying for a long term tourist visa. If that was the impression when sold originally then there wouldn't be this shock when they issue you a 2 year license and not your original 5 year. I think TE can make sense if you are young and don't qualify for a retirement visa but once you are over 50 TE can't really offer you much. Lets say someone signs up for the 20 year visa when they are 40 then they would have 10 years of basically no advantage in some ways less advantage since they would have to renew their license so often.

Richard Smith237 I think you make some fair points about the visa as far as the value over the long run that is personally not my issue. 

What my issue is is that I would not like to be downgraded in my ability to do things if I get a Thailand Elite Visa.

I had a 5 year license but now can only get a 2 year. It is not the end of the world just annoying since you would think a "Elite Visa" would not offer you less than what you currently have.

Also they can always use the excuse that it is not Thailand Elite that is doing this but really the department of land transportation. That is fine but they need to work something out with them to change the policy on this because it doesn't make sense.

I have received emails from TE that agree with me that says it does not make sense to issue a 2 year drivers license when the visa is for 5 years. So at the end of the day I have a visa I can stay here but the experience could be a lot better. 

delete

Thanks!

Hi there,

Last year I had a marriage extension and was due to do my last 90 day report on September 10th.

I recently went to Cambodia by air to cancel my visa and came back to Thailand on September 2nd and got my new Thailand Elite Visa.

I noticed that the immigration officer did not remove the old 90 day report paper stapled to my passport for September 10th and did not issue me a new paper.

My question is when I came back to Thailand did the 90 report clock restart and I do it around December 1st?

Thanks

Just a question. Is the the Thailand Elite Visa refundable in anyway? Say for instance something happened and you had to move back to your home country would you be totally out of the money?

Thanks!

So I am a American in my early 30's in pretty good shape but when I go outside I sweat so much its crazy I am like Shaq at the foul line.

What is it with Thai people that they don't sweat are they more adjusted to the climate then us farang's are?

I have lived here for 5 years so you would think I would have built up some tolerance for the heat but I guess not.

Hi guys I am considering the Thai elite visa considering my marriage is very rocky and I might have to get a divorce soon. (500,000 baht is a lot cheaper than having a bad wife.)

What would be the process in switching from a marriage extension to a Thai elite visa?

Would I have to leave the country if I am currently in Thailand?

Also how can I pay for the visa can I just transfer from my Thai bank account?

It would be nice to not have to leave the country to do all this.

Thanks for the help.

So if my wife wants to divorce me how would she go about it? Would she need a lot of money for a lawyer?

Also I have been a good husband so I don't see that she has any strong grounds to divorce me.

She threatens to divorce me I just want to know if this is a hollow threat or if it is rather easy.

I am the only one that has access to the bank accounts so she would not have a lot of money to spend.

We live in Thailand

Thanks

How long does it take there?

Thanks

1 day.

You are aware that Savanakhet will issue 1 year non-O without financial proof, Vietianne will not.

They issue you a 90 day non immigrant "O" in Vietianne you show your financials when you apply in Thailand for your extension.

I am going to go to Vientiane Laos to obtain a non immigrant O visa. Do I need to have pictures of me and my wife to show them or is that just for the 1 year extension?

So I was looking at the requirements to be married to a Thai Women vs a Foreign women being married to a Thai man.

The one thing that jumps out to me is the financial requirements for the foreign man.

A foreign man needs 400,000 Thai Baht in a Thai bank or proof of 40,000 monthly income.

Foreign women married to a Thai man needs nothing! Why is this?

Is it so crazy that a women could support her husband? Anyway just thought this was a little weird!

Hi there,

My Thai wife needs to get a new Passport as her current Passport is expired. How much is it to get a new Passport and how long does it take to be issued the new Passport? We live in Pattaya.

Thanks

If Jomtien operates by the same rules as Chiang Mai immigration, you can go up to 15 days before the date you actually want them to cancel your extension.

I just went and Jomtien immigration stamped it out 1 month early visa ends June 27th.

I mean Chiang Mai immigration will post date the cancellation by 15 days. You can cancel any time you like. For example, If you want to cross the border on 25th June, you could go to CM immigration on 10th June to have them cancel your extension effective from the 25th June....

Or do you mean the same thing, expect you can do it a month early in Jomtien?

I went to Jomtien immigration today and they put the cancellation stamp in my passport for June 27th so 1 month early. It doesn't appear they have a limit to how early you can post date.

If Jomtien operates by the same rules as Chiang Mai immigration, you can go up to 15 days before the date you actually want them to cancel your extension.

I just went and Jomtien immigration and they cancelled the extension dated June 27th so basically 1 month in advance.

I currently have a ED extension.

Can I go to my local immigration (Jomtien) and have them cancel the extension there so I don't have to go to NongKhai immigration?

Will I have to show the cancellation letter again at the Nongkhai border if the ED cancellation stamp is in the passport?

Thanks

Most people confuse ED visa and ED visa extension.

You seem new.

If you are on an extension like 99¨% of ED visa, you will have problems.

What are the problems? My ED visa was issued in June 2012 and I have been issued extensions of stay since then. I am at the end of my study now and was planning to go to Vientiane for a double entry tourist visa.

Would this creat an issue?

If you are on an extension you will need a letter from your school stating your studies have ended on or after the date you leave the country.

Nong Khai immigration will not let you leave the country without the letter. They are the only ones doing that out of all border crossings and airports.

Can I go to my local immigration (Jomtien) and cancel the ED extension then not have to show the letter at the Nongkhai border? This way saving me from going to Nongkhai immigration?

Hi there,

I am on my 3rd ED Visa extension and it expires the end of June.

I want to leave the country on the day my extension expires.

If I get a cancellation letter from my school does the date on the cancellation letter have to be the date my extension expires?

Also if I go to through the Nongkhai border can I just have the cancellation letter or do I need to go to the local immigration and have the extension cancelled before I go through the border.

If I fly I hear you don't even need the cancellation letter is this correct?

Thanks

So if my ED extension ends on June 27 should my cancellation letter also say June 27th on it?