BritTim

Yes, that should be no problem.

Another option is to convert to Buddhism, and become a monk. That would make you eligible for a visa to reside at a Thai temple. If you do not like that, you could injure yourself severely, necessitating a hospital stay and a long period of convalescence during which you will be eligible for medical extensions. There are many possible options, but under no circumstances abuse tourist visas by staying longer than other members here feel is appropriate.

I am also not a tax professional. However, this page from a Thai Revenue Department website suggests different to me (and I think is the source of the opinion that overseas income is only taxable if brought into Thailand): https://www.rd.go.th/english/6045.html I do not see any suggestion that there is an exception for income earned overseas while resident in Thailand, unless you bring that money into Thailand.

I have heard this argument before, and it always leaves me puzzled. Many tourists end up doing some work while in Thailand on a three-week holiday. How are you supposed to disentangle income from your part time work related activities while on holiday from the rest of your work income? Similarly, let's say I come to Thailand specifically as a purchaser, looking to acquire items while in Thailand. There is no question that I am working and physically present in Thailand, but I have never heard of someone being taxed during this business trip.

When you are married to a Thai, applying for a one-year extension based on Thai child will often not be possible at all. When it is, the process is not as simple as it may seem. For instance, they will want to see the same proof of your marriage (which I assume was abroad which is why it is difficult) in order to establish that you are the legitimised father of the child. Proceed with an extension based on marriage, accepting the fact that this will be troublesome the first time (much easier in later years). If you need extra time to prepare the documents for the one-year extension, you may well be able to get a 60-day extension to visit your wife based on only the overseas marriage certificate (translated into Thai if it is not in English or Thai).

Ignore anything a Thai embassy/consulate (or their website) tells you about anything other than the services they provide themselves. People assume they are the experts, but they are an extremely unreliable source of information about anything outside their own area of responsibility. They can be extremely convincing and may (coincidentally) sometimes hit on a correct statement. However, the proverb about a broken watch being correct twice a day applies.

Should have access to an appeal system (under Section 22 of the Immigration Act). However, it has seemed in recent years that Immigration will prevent you from using the appeal system (at least, at some airports) unless you are able to contact a good immigration lawyer, by phone, to issue the appeal on your behalf.

He means just £1,000 for a single entry Non O based on marriage to a Thai, and £10,000 for a multiple entry one-year Non O visa based on marriage.

Well, yes, an Elite membership does certainly make you eligible to stay for longer than the 60 days you receive from a tourist visa. However, not everyone who wants to stay longer than 60 days wishes to make an expensive commitment to a five-year stay.

I do not even think it will attract many additional retirees. Some who might otherwise use Non O with annual extensions might switch, attracted especially by the ability to qualify with overseas financials, not needing to tie up money in a Thai bank account. This will almost always only be people who would be here anyway.

As I posted earlier, the "genuine reason", if any is needed, will depend on your home embassy. No one can hazard a guess, even if totally familiar with your home country's embassy's policies, because we do not know which embassy that is.

You will have zero problem getting the visa. If entering through certain airports, you might have a problem with immigration officials refusing to honour the visa. You can overcome this by entering through almost any land crossing (avoid the rogue crossing at Poipet.Aranyaprathet) and certain airports, such as Chiang Mai.

That would be my choice. There is one other possible precaution, though it would probably be costly. Although the biggest risk is with visa exempt entry, some airport officials (in my view improperly) can decide to refuse to honour tourist visas if they do not like your immigration history. That has only been observed in a few airports, but includes Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang. I have never seen a report of it happening in Chiang Mai. If you want to reduce an already small risk further, you could try to fly into Chiang Mai rather than Bangkok. I might possibly do that if it could be done without too much cost and inconvenience. Flying to, say, Vientiane and entering by land is 100% safe, but probably even more expensive and inconvenient. At the end of the day, there comes a point where risks are so small that they become acceptable.

When you had to pay airport tax yourself, rather than it being included in your fare? Yes, that caught out a few people. There have been rumblings that something similar may be returning, with a special charge at the airport for arriving tourists. That proposed charge has been postponed several times as there are concerns about the effect on tourism.

You can get a 30-day extension of either a visa exempt entry or entry from a tourist visa. You can apply for a tourist visa in Vientiane and, if this is provided, can very reliably enter Thailand at Nong Khai. You must have an appointment to apply for the visa. See https://thaivisavientiane.com/

The Covid extensions were no problem per se. The issue was the length of time in Thailand recently as a tourist, however that was achieved. Immigration officials at some airports do not like long stay tourists. They have a lot of discretion to deny entry when you are entering visa exempt.

I think announcements of longer stays for visa exempt entries and visas on arrival was an even clearer signal that they were switching to a different method of encouraging longer stays by tourists.

Some embassies switched to use of the e-visa system pre Covid. Some have switched since. It has nothing to do with Thailand Pass. Although you make the application online when using the e-visa system, the final decision on whether the visa is granted is still up to your embassy.

At immigration, the new passport should make no difference. Immigration can see your full history of periods in Thailand in their computer. It is possible that a passport full of stamps might have a psychological effect on some officials. I personally would not bother with a new passport, but I would not accuse those who did of being stupid.

As I wrote, the airline is obliged to take you out of Thailand. They cannot escape that responsibility under any circumstances. The airline will try to get payment, but may not always succeed.

An METV is only available from your home country. How difficult it will be to get will depend on the Thai embassy in your home country. If you mention your nationality, someone may be able to advise on the policy of your home country's embassy.

A good question! A brief word on what happens when you are denied entry. You are not deported, a process which is totally different from being an inadmissible person (INAD). When you are denied entry, you are handed back to the airline that brought you to Thailand which is then responsible for promptly transporting you out of Thailand in whatever manner they think fit. You may consider this a distinction without a difference, but there are many important differences. When you are locked up for an offence after entering Thailand, and will therefore be deported, paying for and arranging the deportation can sometimes be really problematic, especially if your country does not have consular representation in Thailand. If you are an INAD, you will be promptly removed from Thailand. Payment is then between you and the airline.

There have been several recent threads to the effect that the situation in Savannakhet remains as it was pre Covid.

I cannot fully answer your question. Any time there is any doubt on your reception when returning to Thailand, having a tourist visa in hand definitely improves your chances compared with relying on visa exemption.

If you were only in Thailand since March (after years away) I concur that you will be fine. Those who recently spent over two years in Thailand on Covid extensions would need to worry if returning visa exempt, especially through the Bangkok airports.