burlap

31 minutes ago, elviajero said:

If he has a Thai mother, he is Thai by birthright.

 

With proof of his Thai nationality he can easily get a 1 year extension of stay from immigration.

What would be 'proof of his Thai nationality?' His mother has lived in the US since before he was born and is now a US citizen.  I'm not sure she's kept her Thai documents current.  She'll be visiting here the end of April for 3 weeks, maybe they can do something together then. if he can figure out a way to reenter the kingdom before then.

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I’m confused. OP when your son announced “Hey, they gave me 3 months instead of two, this must be something new!" Were YOU present?  Didn’t you know tourist visas are only for 60 days?? 

If that is not the case and you did NOT hear him say this didn’t you think it was strange he was still in Thailand after 60 days? Or again you did not know anything about TV length? 

I was surprised and I did ask to see his passport which he wasn't carrying.  Both he & his GF swore they saw the date and they thought the reason he was given 3 months had to do with the fact he was coming off of an educational visa which somehow changed things.  I didn't understand how this would work, but I just chalked it up to me getting old and not keeping up on things.  Having said all that, you are right. I should have been more careful. 

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So he's a Thai citizen and doesn't need a VISA then, and can't be banned for overstay.

He is not a Thai citizen.

10 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

If Thailand becomes too difficult - The Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia would allow for years of stay without the problems Thai-Immigration creates.

 

Thanks.  My son has a Thai mother and a Thai girlfriend, so he's not just looking for a generic SE Asian country to hang out in.  

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They have made some changes with warning on the website for appointments. Perhaps because there are some "fixers" at work there.

 

And then this.

I understand why they would like an appointment system. but having to wait a month for your appointment seems a bit much.

My son (an American citizen) went to Laos and got a tourist visa 3 months ago.  When he came back to Bangkok he said: "Hey, they gave me 3 months instead of two, this must be something new!"  (Unfortunately, he was looking at the expiration date of the visa, not the entry stamp.) When the 3 months were up, a couple of days ago, he went to Chaeng Watthana to try to get a 30-day extension.  They informed him he had a 32-day overstay and he must go to the airport the next day, pay a fine & leave the country.  He asked the immigration lady if he could fly back to Laos and get another Tourist visa. She said that would be OK.

He flew to Laos the next day and went to the consulate to apply for the tourist visa, but when he got there, there was a sign on the door saying they were no longer taking drop-ins for visa applications, everyone must make an online appointment before they will be admitted inside the consulate, so he went back to his hotel to make an apt. But the appointment program said the first available slot was in 29 days! He decided to fly back to BKK the next day, and get a 30-day transit pass, then go to Penang to get the tourist visa before the 30 days were up.

So, today, he flew into BKK, & waited in the immigration line. The officer said because of the overstay, he would not be allowed to enter the kingdom without a ticket out, so he got out of line, and went and bought a ticket to Hong Kong, stood in line again, and this time the agent he would not be allowed entry even with the outbound ticket. The agent called Laos air and said they would have to pay a fine for allowing my son to come to Thailand without an outbound ticket.  The Laos Air official forced my son to buy an expensive ticket (back to Vientiane) for tomorrow morning, they then locked him up over-night in a detention center, where he is right now. (He also has to pay 1,000 Baht for detention-center rent.)

He asked Thai Immigration how long he is barred from entering Thailand.  The officer said: "I'm not your teacher, it is your responsibility to know the law."  I've spent the last hour searching the internet for this law and I can't find anything.

Does anyone know the answer, or at least where I should be looking?

My son (an American citizen) went to Laos and got a tourist visa 3 months ago.  When he came back to Bangkok he said: "Hey, they gave me 3 months instead of two, this must be something new!"  (Unfortunately, he was looking at the expiration date of the visa, not the entry stamp.) When the 3 months were up, a couple of days ago, he went to Chaeng Watthana to try to get a 30-day extension.  They informed him he had a 32-day overstay and he must go to the airport the next day, pay a fine & leave the country.  He asked the immigration lady if he could fly back to Laos and get another Tourist visa. She said that would be OK.

He flew to Laos the next day and went to the consulate to apply for the tourist visa, but when he got there, there was a sign on the door saying they were no longer taking drop-ins for visa applications, everyone must make an online appointment before they will be admitted inside the consulate, so he went back to his hotel to make an apt. But the appointment program said the first available slot was in 29 days! He decided to fly back to BKK the next day, and get a 30-day transit pass, then go to Penang to get the tourist visa before the 30 days were up.

So, today, he flew into BKK, & waited in the immigration line. The officer said because of the overstay, he would not be allowed to enter the kingdom without a ticket out, so he got out of line, and went and bought a ticket to Hong Kong, stood in line again, and this time the agent he would not be allowed entry even with the outbound ticket. The agent called Laos air and said they would have to pay a fine for allowing my son to come to Thailand without an outbound ticket.  The Laos Air official forced my son to buy an expensive ticket (back to Vientiane) for tomorrow morning, they then locked him up over-night in a detention center, where he is right now. (He also has to pay 1,000 Baht for detention-center rent.)

He asked Thai Immigration how long he is barred from entering Thailand.  The officer said: "I'm not your teacher, it is your responsibility to know the law."  I've spent the last hour searching the internet for this law and I can't find anything.

Does anyone know the answer, or at least where I should be looking?

If you hang around any of the fancy high rise office buildings at lunch or closing time you will notice something striking: almost all of the office workers in the nice clothes are fair skinned and the vast majority of them are ethnic Chinese. If you want to see darker skinned Thai people, look at the guards, janitors, parking lot attendants, restaurant workers, and vendors. It's not that way because the Thais are stupid, or lazy, or want it that way. Unless they are VERY lucky (for instance getting a MD.) There is almost no chance for them to climb the social ladder. There is a strong class system here: The 10% ethnic Chinese control the vast majority of the wealth, and they are determined to keep it that way.

Thanks for the advice. We're going to try.

I just received a call from Hawaii, that the lady who was subletting my small house there has suddenly and unexpectedly died. She was also taking care of my cat, so I have to make an emergency trip back there. I am 61 years old and have a chronic medical condition, Parkinson's disease, that makes it almost impossible for me to take care of business there (let alone of taking care of myself.) I've been living in Thailand with my girlfriend for the last 5 years. She is a tremendous help with this illness.

I would like to take her to Hawaii with me to help with all those things I need help with. She has a college degree, and for the last 5 years has been helping me with my consulting business for which I've been paying her 30,000/month under the table. However, she almost certainly would not be granted a tourist visa to the US. They would probably determine that she has no 'compelling reason' to return to Thailand. But she really is not any kind of flight risk.

What I'd like to know if anyone has any experience or knowledge about whether or not the embassy would be any more likely to look favorably on us because of this emergency situation. We were planning on getting married next year, but if it would help the situation, we could get married on Monday.

If there's any chance at all of getting her any type of visa, I don't want to screw things up by saying or doing the wrong thing. I'm terrified of travelling without her.

In the early 80's I was 29 yrs old, and took an around-the-world trip with me friend. We went from San Francisco - Hawaii - Hong Kong. There we got visas to the newly-opened China and spent a month riding steam trains, it was fun! Back in Hong Kong we were looking for cheap tickets to India, but found out it would be cheaper to fly to Bangkok then buy our tickets to India. So we came here and I was smitten by the place (& by the girls!) After a month in Thailand we did a whirlwind tour of Burma for a week. Then went to Nepal, Sri Lanka, Europe and back to the US.

I LOVED that trip - it changed my life.

In the following years I've spent about half my time in Thailand, 6 yrs straight at the longest stretch, and almost 3 yrs this trip (so far). I'm grateful to Thailand and it's people for all the hospitality I've been shown over the years. I still prefer being here more than America - but I miss the 'old Thailand!'

Why do Thai people always ask questions and never, never give information. Where I come from, Texas, it is impolite to ask a personal question. A person should always volunteer information about themselves. If the person spoken to wishes to volunteer information about themselves, they will do it. If not, get lost, and don't come back.

When i am asked, "Where are you going?" I ask, "Why is your business?"

And if a Thai is in Texas they would be expected to follow Texan rules, but you expect them to follow Texan rules in Thailand as well.

Why do you think that people who travel half way round the world to live in Thailand expect it to be exactly like the country they left behind and complain when they find that it isn't?

Amen!

I have heard it's illegal to ordain if you're older than 59. The govt. doesn't want people using monasteries as free retirement homes.

Suan Phluu would be nice.

My Bkk expenses monthly for 2 people:

rent 7,500

utils 1,500

internet 1,000

food 6,000

dining 3,000

transportation 3,000

entertainment 4,000

misc 4,000

TOTAL 30,000

one year 360,000 + any medical &emergency expense

We don't have a luxury lifestyle - but we're comfortable and eat well. (Neither of us drinks or smokes - that saves quite a bit.) In the US on $1,000/month I'd be miserable!

First off, DO learn Thai if you're going to spend a substantial amount of time here. Your experience will be richer and more fun than if you didn't. Don't give up, everyone reaches a plateau now and then, but trust your effort will pay off in the long run.

Secondly, DO learn to read & write. I refused to learn my first couple of years here and it was a mistake. Once I could read a lot of problems I was having became easier to understand, and acquiring new vocabulary became easier. The other thing about reading and writing is that it's easier to learn than speaking/listening - so it keeps your confidence level up.

Have fun.

Farang, is seldom used as ab insult. They like white skin, blue eyes, long noses, & fat wallets!

I've spent 15 of the last 30 years in Thailand. I've mostly lived in Bangkok, but I lived in a small village for 18 months. I was married to a Thai woman for 20 years and we ran a Thai restaurant in America where met lots of other Thais. I was a technical field person in Bangkok, where I worked at many Thai companies. Through this job I met many middle class Thais (and a few rich ones.) (Plus, I've gotten to know a few bar girls.)

I speak, read, and write the language pretty well. In other words I know this place a lot better than most TV posters. Yet I'm not able to make many blanket statements like: "Most Thais think that....", "Most Thais want....", "Most Thais will do .... given half a chance."

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're new to Thailand and you're reading these blanket statements remember that they're as likely to be true as if you were reading "All Englishmen like ..." or "Most Americans think ..."

I spent 18 months in a small village near Rayong. It was fun for a while, but toward the end I started to think it might be possible to ACTUALLY die of boredom. (One positive side effect: my Thai improved a lot!)

Now I live in a Chinese neighborhood of Bangkok near the river. There are some farang living nearby - but it ain't Sukhumwit. I like it here.

I've lived in Bangkok off-and-on for 30 years. I've had an apartment near the river for 2 yrs now and I really enjoy living here.

I've been to Pattaya a number of times, I even lived in Jomtien for 8 months in 2010. I have mixed feelings about the place. The sex scene doesn't bother me - you're free to take it or leave it. The sea breezes are nice, and the food is good.

But, in all these years, I've never been afraid for my safety in Bangkok (except maybe crossing the street.) Twice in Pattaya - through no fault of my own - I've found myself in dangerous situations. (And I spend a lot more time in Bangkok.) One time I would have been robbed if a drunken cop hadn't saved the day.

So, is Pattaya really dangerous, or were my experiences atypical?

. "Regular" relationships the same as rape. If that's not true, why can't you get them in Korea, Japan or anywhere else you don't have the upper hand financially?

It's not rape if it's consensual. Even if there is a difference in economic background.

One more me-too note. I've been with my current Thai GF 7 years now. We have a lot of things going against us, but for some strange reason it's working out. I couldn't be happier, and she seems pretty happy too. I've recently developed Parkinson's disease and she's really made my life a lot easier. Thanks for the topic.

There's great AA in Bangkok too. I came here, from San Francisco, 6 months sober 27 years ago, went to a meeting on Soi Ruam Rudee, and never felt the need to drink again.

Alcoholics who get sober understand they don't deserve praise, the have received a gift and want to help others (only those who want it) find their own gift.

I have traveled from the U.S. to Thailand over 60 times - I can guarantee you - you will not have a problem!