BritTim

As best as I can tell, some restaurants are open, but with modified opening hours and menus. Knowing Japan, the links on this page will probably be giving you accurate information: https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/shops

That depends on the embassy that processes his eVisa application (for what, I assume, is a single entry tourist visa). Some embassies may insist on a confirmed onward flight within 60 days. I think the UK is usually fairly relaxed on such matters, but no guarantee.

Long ago, I knew someone, but not now. You could try offering the lawyer who quoted 800,000 baht a deal such as the following: 50,000 baht non returnable to cover expenses; and 350,000 baht in escrow that they will receive only if the blacklisting is removed within six months. I actually see their quoted high price as being a good sign that they can likely get it done. Also, in my mind, I already expected it would cost you at least US$10,000. (Well connected lawyers are expensive, and there will likely be some necessary greasing of wheels.) That said, fees for these things are usually negotiable.

Based on their website, this seems like a competent criminal defence firm. However, they are unlikely to be a good choice when needing someone with high level connections in Immigration.

There would definitely be no problem if entering Thailand through most land crossings. At some airports, it has been known for officials to refuse to honour a tourist visa if, in their opinion, you are spending too much time in Thailand as a tourist. Thus, there is no law preventing this, but some immigration officials at some airports have decided to add their own private laws.

A good immigration lawyer can appeal for the blacklisting to be removed on compassionate grounds. There would be a fairly good chance of success. It is past the three year minimum period until such an appeal will be considered, the offence was relatively minor (although any drug offence in Thailand is serious) and you have a Thai wife and children. The kind of well connected, experienced lawyer who gives you the best chance of success will likely not be cheap.

Presumably, you were getting a retirement extension. The rules on this are completely different, not involving an under consideration period.

I assume you are currently outside Thailand. On return, bring the evidence that BOI cancelled your extension remotely while you were out of the country, and request a visa exempt entry. There is likely to be some questioning by the officials, but you should eventually encounter an official with a few brain cells who will stamp you in on the visa exemption. Then, visit the BOI one-stop centre to have them formally void the extension in your passport. I am sure you will not be the only person who has been through this as a result of Covid. There is no reason why there should be any fines. The work permit and extension were correctly terminated at an appropriate time. The only issue is that the stamp in your passport does not 100% reflect reality.

True. If they wish to use Non O visa (retirement) plus one-year extensions, they need to use an agent. At the current time, it is still possible to stay long term on tourist visas and visa runs, but care is needed to ensure you can get the visas and avoid denied entry on return to Thailand. Most who can qualify for Non O plus extensions will find it much less stressful.

Those over the age of 50 have additional options to stay long term in Thailand. The Non-OA visa used to be attractive for those mixing longer stays in Thailand with some overseas travel. The Non O visa (retirement) in conjunction with one-year extensions, although requiring financial proof, is a very good option for most retirees who want to spend all or most of their time in Thailand on a long term basis. The option involves less hassle than needing to make visa runs out of Thailand every 60 to 90 days, which staying as a long term tourist necessitates. Also, while still possible at the current time, it may not always be possible, in the future, to get tourist visas indefinitely while returning through land crossings or those selected airports that honour consulate issued tourist visas.

There is no official limit. I doubt, now, whether anyone could stay indefinitely on only visa exemptions. There is a limit of two of those per calendar year when entering by land, and Immigration at airports, these days, carefully scrutinises the immigration history of those requesting visa exempt entry, liable to deny entry to people it deems are staying in Thailand longer than is compatible with regular tourism. As long as you get visas (including tourist visas) there is no limit entering by land, and you are also OK at some airports.

There is no ceiling on expenses, and some NGOs may pay volunteers a (limited) salary. It is not a factor in the application for a Non O (volunteer) visa or a related extension of your permission to stay.

After 60 days, you must (i) leave Thailand and re-enter with a further visa or visa exempt; or (ii) apply for a one-year extension (not easy) and requiring the 400k baht financial proof.

Certainly, flying from Bangkok to KL is an option. However, if living in Hua Hin (like the OP) and flights were available from Hua Hin to KL (announced from October) I would be very tempted to fly from Hua Hin rather than Bangkok. Flying from Bangkok becomes the best option, of course, if wanting to spend time outside Thailand which is not available with the limited AirAsia flights from Huan Hin, or via an easy journey overland.

Out of interest, does anyone know what exchange rate is used for "Thai sourced income" that is paid abroad by your foreign employer and never brought into Thailand? If you do bring the money into Thailand, is the correct exchange rate based on the exchange rate at the time of the transfer or the rate when it was earned? Can you subtract the cost of the transfer from the payable tax?

If you are a long stay tourist in Thailand, and have recently used this crossing successfully, it is well worth noting your experiences in this thread. In general, if you are a long stay tourist, and have used the crossing without incident then, yes, you have been lucky. There have been many reports of people being denied entry (with a stamp to that effect in their passport) and told they need to enter by air (at which point further trouble probably awaits at one of the Bangkok airports when entering from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap).

There is no such rule, though there was for a short period many years ago. That said, if entering at airports, and especially if asking for a visa exemption, the officials will scrutinise your immigration history, and might deny you entry if they consider you are not using visa exemption in a way compatible with normal tourism. If you do a border bounce by land (avoiding the rogue crossing from Cambodia at Poipet/Aranyaprathet) you should be fine.

Safest would be a border bounce by land, avoiding the rogue crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet. Deep scrutiny of your immigration history when entering visa exempt or with tourist visas is usually something that only occurs at airports. They limit use of visa exemption at land borders via a policy of only allowing two such entries in a calendar year. Note that, when doing a border bounce by land, you do need to officially enter the neighbouring country before returning. This, in turn, means that you must meet the neighbouring country's rules for entry. Most important, if crossing into Laos or Cambodia, you need a visa, which can be acquired on arrival if desired. Thai immigration imposes no limitations on the time you must spend outside Thailand.

Entry on a tourist visa will still give you 60 days. A visa-on-arrival currently only gives you a 15-day stay, though this is expected to increase to 30 days. Are you referring to a visa exemption? That currently gives a 30-day permission to stay which is expected to increase to 45 days (and can also be extended by a further 30 days at Immigration in Thailand). In principle, you can do a border bounce for a visa exempt entry without needing to spend time out of Thailand. However, at airports, you risk being denied entry if, in the judgment of the officials, you are using visa exemption to stay longer than is compatible with regular tourism. The risk of this occurring depends on the length of time you have spent in Thailand over the last six to 12 months. Your safest approach would be to do a border bounce by land (assuming you have not already used two visa exemptions by land in 2022). This is safe at most land borders, the main exception being the rogue entry point at Poipet/Aranyaprathet from Cambodia.

If, like the OP, he married abroad, and had the problem of having the marriage recognised by the Thai authorities, I am very surprised. Most overseas marriages only need to be registered once. That aside, although a retirement extension is easier, most people find the marriage extension less troublesome once they have been through it once and know the ropes.

I assume you entered Thailand with an extension of a permission to stay protected by a re-entry permit (not with a visa). If this is the case, then the stamp transfers must be made by the immigration office that gave you the extension and re-entry permit. If you really do mean a (multiple entry) "visa", this cannot be transferred between passports, and you will need to continue to use both passports until the visa expires, or is superceded by an extension of your permission to stay.

30,000 baht is high, but not totally out of line for a marriage extension. You cannot compare the prices for marriage and retirement extensions through an agent.

The crossing into Myanmar at Mae Sai is still closed, not because of Covid, but because of the general instability in Myanmar. If you want to do border bounces, from Chiang Rai, you will need to use crossings with Laos. For a six-month stay, it would be possible to use three visa exempt entries (first by air and the other two by land) combined with 30-day extensions on each. Note that, from October, you will almost certainly receive 45 days on a visa exempt entry.

I believe he was referring to the original lifetime Thailand Elite membership (which is no longer issued to new members). In that case, his statement about only receiving 90-day permissions to stay on entry is correct.

Yes, that should be no problem.