rumbo1

I'm amazed that the airline has been allowing you to board at kl to come into Thailand without proof of an onward flight or a visa

Does this vehicle have a DMF? (dual mass flywheel). The starter symptoms described are what usually happen when a DMF starts to break up - the starter gets full of minute particles of metal. (the magnets in the motor attract it).

I'm not saying it IS in this instance, but if the problem reoccurs then that's your pointer.

Thanks Lancashirelad , I'm not a mechanic and only have a basic knowledge of engines so I'm not sure if it has dmf or not but if the problem quickly reoccurs I'll bear that in mind. So far it starts like a dream even with my 4 year old battery !

There are many people over 50 in Thailand with a retirement visa that have very little funds so it annoys me to hear all these experts harping on about how it won't affect them . I am here on a tourist visa , I arrived on a triple entry , went to Laos got a double entry and recently Hanoi with my Thai gf but would only be issued a single entry.

The thing that annoys me is I have a lot better finances than a lot of people on retirement visas but I'm not 50 for another 9 months so it's possible I will have to leave the country in August when my current visa ends.

Why does it bother you that some people followed the rules and won't be impacted? I'm not saying you have to take glee in their misfortune but it's pretty shortsighted to bet your retirement on a loophole in the Thai immigration law. Hell, it's shortsighted to base your retirement on any Thai law. The people who have gone through the process, done things the right way, and are being rewarded, should be somewhat happy that their faith in the rule of law paid off.

And why are you annoyed that you have to wait another 9 months to be eligible for a retirement visa? It's not like that law changed. Oh, or are you just annoyed that Plan A, take advantage of a loophole in Thai immigration law, isn't viable anymore so you have to do it the way you would likely have to do it in most other countries, and wait?

You obviously missed the point I was trying to make , I know many people that have retirement visas illegally , I.e pay someone approx 15,000 and receive a visa because they have insufficient funds and or income to get one legally.

I on the other hand have been doing every thing legally and just trying to get by till I'm 50 , I don't want to pay 500,000 to get an elite card when I've only got 9 months to wait and also things are changing all the time so could possibly lose a lot of money

I missed nothing. I understand your point. I don't understand why you're annoyed because the country has a very reasonable requirement that you be 50 years of age before they grant you a retirement visa. I don't understand why you're upset that you can't live in Thailand for 9 months on a tourist visa.

Nobody said you have to get an elite card. You just have to wait 9 months until you're 50. It's not an unreasonable request by the Thai government so quit pissing and moaning about it.

The age for the retirement visa has been 50 for as long as I can remember. It's not like that fact sneaked up on you. It's just that you thought you could take advantage of loopholes in Thai immigration law until then. Oh well, that's just how life goes sometimes. Get over it.

And I do not find joy in your situation but I do find great pain in hearing you rant about it. You're not the first guy to have their plans ruined in Thailand and you won't be the last.

Dear digibum maybe you should change you're name to Richard Cranium.

I don't know anything about you but would be interested to know you're age , what visa you have and how you obtained it.

What brought you out here to live in Los or are just one of those who sit at the computer all day trying to wind people up on forums and talking crap.

You sound like you're a perfect citizen and have never done any wrong ?

Perhaps maybe we could meet up for a beer sometime so you could tell me the secret to you're wonderful world

There are many people over 50 in Thailand with a retirement visa that have very little funds so it annoys me to hear all these experts harping on about how it won't affect them . I am here on a tourist visa , I arrived on a triple entry , went to Laos got a double entry and recently Hanoi with my Thai gf but would only be issued a single entry.

The thing that annoys me is I have a lot better finances than a lot of people on retirement visas but I'm not 50 for another 9 months so it's possible I will have to leave the country in August when my current visa ends.

Why does it bother you that some people followed the rules and won't be impacted? I'm not saying you have to take glee in their misfortune but it's pretty shortsighted to bet your retirement on a loophole in the Thai immigration law. Hell, it's shortsighted to base your retirement on any Thai law. The people who have gone through the process, done things the right way, and are being rewarded, should be somewhat happy that their faith in the rule of law paid off.

And why are you annoyed that you have to wait another 9 months to be eligible for a retirement visa? It's not like that law changed. Oh, or are you just annoyed that Plan A, take advantage of a loophole in Thai immigration law, isn't viable anymore so you have to do it the way you would likely have to do it in most other countries, and wait?

You obviously missed the point I was trying to make , I know many people that have retirement visas illegally , I.e pay someone approx 15,000 and receive a visa because they have insufficient funds and or income to get one legally.

I on the other hand have been doing every thing legally and just trying to get by till I'm 50 , I don't want to pay 500,000 to get an elite card when I've only got 9 months to wait and also things are changing all the time so could possibly lose a lot of money

Why are some people upset about this? Where I come from people can't come and go as they please.

Why don't they just get the paperwork done...no problems. But it's all about bending the rules isn't it ??

Thanks bobobo maybe you can get the paperwork sorted for me seems you know so much, I'm 50 in nine months so will be applying for non o and retirement then , I already have sufficient funds in a Thai acc , so perhaps you could sort the relevant visa for me in the mean time ?

I'm not working here just spending money the last nine months on tourist visas until I reach 50. Hopefully it shouldn't be a problem

But no problem if you buy illegal visas then. Btw I have a legit visa.

Btw I have a legit visa.

But consider yourself an expert in the largely imaginary illegal visa buying market.

inside Thailand if you're over 50 and have an O visa it's possible to get a retirement visa without the 800k funds, I know people who have nowhere near the funds but get the visa through Chinese/Thai specialists ............

I'm legit

There are many people over 50 in Thailand with a retirement visa that have very little funds so it annoys me to hear all these experts harping on about how it won't affect them . I am here on a tourist visa , I arrived on a triple entry , went to Laos got a double entry and recently Hanoi with my Thai gf but would only be issued a single entry.

The thing that annoys me is I have a lot better finances than a lot of people on retirement visas but I'm not 50 for another 9 months so it's possible I will have to leave the country in August when my current visa ends.

Hello again folks

Just an update to my starter problems, I took my car to another garage in Nong Khai as recommended by a friend and this time I was very happy with the service I received .

Initially they thought the battery but when I explained the problem in more details they began doing proper checks. First was volt meter on the battery and it read almost 13 volts so they agreed to check the starter. They took off the starter and stripped and gave it all a good clean. The brushes weren't making a good contact because of all the dirt and something was a bit loose allowing it not to spin perfectly true.

I watched them do all the work to make sure they did everything correct and I must say they were very good and used the correct tools. I also asked for an oil and filter change and to clean the air filter.

Total price 1500 baht for everything and it's starts perfect every time. I would highly recommend this garage to anyone in the Nong Khai area , oh and the boss also speaks quite good English .

I don't know the name of garage as its in Thai but it's about 2k outside nong khai on the way towards phon phaisi almost next to the fuel station with a 7-11 . Tel08274586923

Rumbo !!!

Thats great news...finding a good mechanic is even harder than finding a good physician.

I am really glad it worked out and thanks for following up here.

Cheers

Thanks clutch Clark , rumbo was my old dogs name !

It makes a nice change to be able to write a positive report on here instead of all the normal Thai bashing , and you're right it is hard to find a good garage.

Hello again folks

Just an update to my starter problems, I took my car to another garage in Nong Khai as recommended by a friend and this time I was very happy with the service I received .

Initially they thought the battery but when I explained the problem in more details they began doing proper checks. First was volt meter on the battery and it read almost 13 volts so they agreed to check the starter. They took off the starter and stripped and gave it all a good clean. The brushes weren't making a good contact because of all the dirt and something was a bit loose allowing it not to spin perfectly true.

I watched them do all the work to make sure they did everything correct and I must say they were very good and used the correct tools. I also asked for an oil and filter change and to clean the air filter.

Total price 1500 baht for everything and it's starts perfect every time. I would highly recommend this garage to anyone in the Nong Khai area , oh and the boss also speaks quite good English .

I don't know the name of garage as its in Thai but it's about 2k outside nong khai on the way towards phon phaisi almost next to the fuel station with a 7-11 . Tel08274586923

As the other posts say you must activate you're last visa by 21st July or lose it .if you're going to the Philippines as you say then yes you could pay for the 30 day extension and loose the use of you're 3rd visa if you didn't want to do the border run.

Just a word of warning you will need proof of an onward flight when you try to return from the Philippines and re enter Los visa exempt

Again thanks everyone and when I get the problem sorted I will update on here ( soon hopefully ! )

Thanks guys for you're replys ,

The car and battery are nearly 4 years old so I know the battery will need replacing before to long but the car is used daily and still holding a good charge that's why I didn't let the garage change it when I saw 13 volt read out .

I understand about cranking amps etc and the standard battery as fitted by Toyota has been fine , so another reason not to let them fit a larger battery.

As I said I'm not a mechanic but when you think about it if it was an earthing or electrical problems it wouldn't only happen when hot .

That's why I was thinking maybe the bearings on the starter or drying out and sticking more when they get hot and causing tight spots , hence after starting with a larger battery the starter had moved to a not tight spot and restarted with the old battery.

I'll be honest I haven't taken off and cleaned all the contact ponts as the symptoms dont point to poor connections and visibly they look good with no corrosion.

4 years for a battery here is exceptional........I would buy a battery anyhooooooo and go from there..

I'm a tight sod and don't spend money unless I have to !!!

Thanks guys for you're replys ,

The car and battery are nearly 4 years old so I know the battery will need replacing before to long but the car is used daily and still holding a good charge that's why I didn't let the garage change it when I saw 13 volt read out .

I understand about cranking amps etc and the standard battery as fitted by Toyota has been fine , so another reason not to let them fit a larger battery.

As I said I'm not a mechanic but when you think about it if it was an earthing or electrical problems it wouldn't only happen when hot .

That's why I was thinking maybe the bearings on the starter or drying out and sticking more when they get hot and causing tight spots , hence after starting with a larger battery the starter had moved to a not tight spot and restarted with the old battery.

I'll be honest I haven't taken off and cleaned all the contact ponts as the symptoms dont point to poor connections and visibly they look good with no corrosion.

Hi everyone

Has anyone had starter problems with a hilux Vigo j diesel 2.5 ?

I'm not a mechanic so I don't know the fault for certain but the symptoms are some times when I try to start it it tuns over very slow as though it's a flat battery. The problem is gradually getting worse .

If I have done a long run and stop the car it won't start again

until it has cooled down ( I can bump start it no problem ).

In the morning it starts ok although occasionally the starter will turn slowly before speeding up and spinning over normally. It's like there's a tight spot on the starter , especially when the engine is hot.

I've taken it to 3 garages in Nong Khai and asked them to check it and they all try to sell me a new battery !

Only one of them put a volt meter on it and that fluctuated around 13 volts ( which I think is normal ) , I wasn't happy to just buy a new battery as I didn't think that would solve the problem , however when I tried to leave the car wouldn't start !

In desperation I then said ok , put on a new battery ...... And guess what ? .. It still wouldn't start ! Ah you need a bigger battery they say . I'm now thinking yes a bigger battery might turn it over from the tight spot but that's not what I need. I let them try it and yes it started ! But I wasn't happy to pay a lot of money for a larger battery and asked them to put the old one back and if I had to I would bump start it.

It started no problem with the old battery back on so am I correct to think its the starter motor rather than the battery ?

If any of you are mechanics or had similar problems I'd be grateful for advice because even now when it'll the garages I think it's the starter they just say no it's the battery and don't even check anything

A one year retirement visa O-A would normally be multi entry when purchased and you obtain a new one year stay on each entry during the year it is valid. A multi re-entry permit obtained from immigration only allows travel during the period of allowed stay - it adds nothing. Not sure why poster is not asking about retirement visa unless financials can not be met at this time.

Poster said nothing about retiring,just "jumping".Sounds like long holiday.

Maybe the poster is also under 50 years of age ?

The do not ask for a ticket out of the country to get a visa.

Your girlfriend will only get a single entry visa (embassy policy for Filipinos). They will not ask for a ticket out from her either.

Joe , I have just flown to Hanoi for a double entry tourist and they would only issue me a single without proof of an onward flight .

I showed them my Thai bank book with a balance over 160,000 baht and regular transfers from uk into my ac , my Thai drivers license , proof of address and rental agreement in my name but they would still only give me a single visa ! I think next time I'll stick to Vientiane , it will be a lot cheaper as I live in nong khai

I'd comment more but I need to rush outside and view this herd of flying pigs going past ...

Travel agents in New Zealand are now actively warning customers not to come to Thailand. That won't change until something changes here.

Strange that as we have just been to two of the largest Kiwi agencies and never had any such warnings. Our yearly flights again booked. And on Kiwi travel message boards I have read advice from frequent Kiwis travel travelers to Thailand to fellow Kiwis is under Army rule the place has never been safer. Which I concur with talking to family in both Bangkok and Udon.

So you are happy to bring you're family here with no travel insurance then ? Hopefully you won't need to use but bring plenty of money with you just in case

Ok thanks everyone for you're replies , the actual question was for a friend of mine who's visa dates are different to the ones I stated and it appears it is to late for him !

Once again much appreciated

Mark

You just have to leave a few days before the extension runs out. You probably would of lost about 3 days is my guess.

Thanks joe

It still appears a bit unclear about the validity of the visa , all it says is enter before , therefor technically you've entered before that date for you're first visa , so why can't you continue to use second visa ?

I've read before that a triple entry can be made to last 9 months with the 30 extensions but how would that be possible ?

I'm not trying to be argumentive joe and I respect all you're advice but I'm still a bit unsure how it all works !

Mario/ jlc

What is the point of paying 1900 baht for a 30 day extension if you are then unable to activate 2nd visa because niter before date has passed ?

Hello all

Does anyone know what the validity is of a double entry tourist visa ? I.e my date of issue was 19/02/14 and the enter before date is 18/05/14

What I don't understand is if I activated my first visa on 20/02/14 and then paid for a 30 dat extension it reads like I would not be able to activate my second visa as I would have exceeded the enter before date.

Thanks for any sensible replies

Mark

They give them 7 more days to regulate their situation/papers.

Enough time to plan a genuine 90 days tourist visa. Good. Where is the problem ?

I wasn't aware you can get a 90 day tourist visa ?

I arrived here on a triple entry tv and am now nearing the end of my double entry tv which I got from Laos , I'm only 49 so at the moment limited to my visa options so for those that keep saying get the correct visa it's not that easy , I just hope I can get another double entry tv next month. I am not working out here and have proof of funds in a Thai bank ac to show I can support myself ( and gf ) but there's no guarantee I'll get a visa

Thanks for this information , I didn't realize such an option was available , Ubonjoe do you have anymore information or know about this type of visa please ?

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Getting more than 1 is no problem. But the rules depend on where you apply. At many places you will not get a new triple tourist visa, but might get a single or double.

Thank you.

I totally agree.

I'm not an expert on this subject but I think you'll find you can only get a triple entry visa in you're home country.

When you go to the Thai embassy/consulate for you're next visa in which ever country you choose , it is advisable to take a proof of address and a bank book if you have Thai bank ac to prove you have enough finance for you're stay.

Personally I've not been asked for above items yet when I have renewed my tourist visa in Laos but with the new clampdown I will make sure I have them with me when I apply again in June !

That sound like very bad advice to me. The whole point of the exercise is to stop people using Tourist Visas who are not really tourists and forcing them to get the correct visa for their status. The declaration that you have a Thai bank account will raise a red flag immediately. A simple tourist usually does not have a bank account in the country they are visiting for tourist purposes.

Den

Den I think the idea is not to stop tourists but to have more control over who is here by trying to stop criminals and people staying here with insufficient funds and maybe working illegally .

By showing you have funds in a Thai ac and proof of where you are staying shows you are not trying to hide anything from immigration .

Next year I plan on getting an o visa and then a retirement visa but at the moment I'm only 49 so my visa options are limited and a tourist visa is the easiest option

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Getting more than 1 is no problem. But the rules depend on where you apply. At many places you will not get a new triple tourist visa, but might get a single or double.

Thank you.

I totally agree.

I'm not an expert on this subject but I think you'll find you can only get a triple entry visa in you're home country.

When you go to the Thai embassy/consulate for you're next visa in which ever country you choose , it is advisable to take a proof of address and a bank book if you have Thai bank ac to prove you have enough finance for you're stay.

Personally I've not been asked for above items yet when I have renewed my tourist visa in Laos but with the new clampdown I will make sure I have them with me when I apply again in June !

Inthepink: I heard about investment visa's on one of the other forums, I'm not sure how it works or how stable the Thai economy is though. Right now I'm invested in several mutual funds at USAA and the TSP retirement fund that I set up back in my Army days both accounts are giving me very decent returns. Are there solid trust worthy mutual funds or real estate investments for me to look into in Thailand? Last I checked in order to by anything other then a condo on the second floor or higher I had to be married to a Thai national, is that still correct? I have seen far too many guys get burned in divorce settlements and I've had too many bad experiences with past girlfriends, so I'm ruling marriage out of my future completely!

Meatboy: I live cheap always have always will. One of the reasons I'm thinking Thailand over other cheap countries like Cambodia, the Phillipines and Vietnam is the food. I love the local cuisine, and it's mostly inexpensive especially the little out door restaurants they set up on the side of the road, I love the ambiance the food and the price I can happily eat at those places three meals a day for a month as long as I don't have a woman nagging me to go someplace else . I'm not a huge fan of beer, never have been, however, as I would be on an extended vacation I expect to go to a bar once a month or so and would expect to spend about 1600 bhat on a night of drinking with friends. You mentioned things are changing in Thailand and not for the better. Are you referring to a strengthening bhat, a weakening dollar, or is there a growing hostility toward farangs in the general populace? Also, with SHARKS I assume you are referring to schools that promise visas and decent pay but in the end provide neither and have you working in the country illegally, when I was in China this used to happen all the time. I think I built up some decent BS sensors in China that have served me well but I admit I'm still an amateur when it comes to thailand. Any advice you can give me on how to avoid getting scammed or ripped off would be greatly appreciated.

notmyself: I looked into the ED visa, the information I got made it sound like these are getting harder to get more expensive to obtain and more of a pain in the ass to renew. I'm still considering it as an option I'm just a little torn. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to take a job at a University in one of the cheaper cities that provides housing, then I can spend a year learning the language getting the lay of the land soaking up interest in my accounts back home. Then I can find the best way to move money into the country and stay for an extended period of time. I don't suppose they offer a one year tourist visa?

1600 baht sounds a very expensive night out to me ! I live in nong khai and spend about 400 baht on a night out ( 5 large Leo's ) ! I manage on 40,000 a month for myself and Thai gf and that includes rent for 2 bedroom detached bungalow , water , electricity etc