BritTim

As of a few years ago (and I think still) there was no re-entry permit desk at the bridge at Mukdahan. The immigration office in Mukdahan will probably give you one during their normal working hours, but arranging one in advance at your local office would provide certainty.

It varies by Immigration office. The letter of the law mandates a notification within 24 hours. Few offices will fine you if it is done within a week. If the official is aware that you did not do the TM30 notification for weeks after your arrival, a fine (typically 2,000 baht) will often be assessed.

If you can provide the financial proof, you have many options that do not involve leaving. Most options (the exception being a 60-day extension to visit your Thai spouse or children) are not available to you from Thai Immigration without the money in the bank or an income letter from your embassy. To get a longer stay without 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account, you must leave and apply for a visa in Savannakhet.

Unlucky! Hanoi, in particular, is very unfriendly these days.

The official rules are completely different when trying to enter visa exempt rather than when you hold a visa. Indeed, when you hold a visa, there are only a few reasons (as specification in Section 12 of the Immigration Act) for which you should be denied entry. The assumption is that your eligibility for a visa has already been verified by the embassy/consulate.

This is not an e-visa system, it is an appointment system.

You both endorse the copies of the marriage certificate and KR2. Your wife signs the copy of her id card or passport. You sign the copy of your passport. Preferably, you have a one sentence invitation from your wife to issue a visa for you to visit, which of course she signs.

Just to confirm, that was for a multiple Non O (retirement)? It was certainly my understanding that the UK embassy required more, but they seem very inconsistent.

There is no need to do the TM30 ()indeed, it would be incorrect to do so) until you return to Thailand. Then, you should be able to accomplish it online. The new TM30 notification system seems simpler than the old one. Otherwise, if you do not mind the fine for a late notification, you can do it the same day as the extension at Chaengwattana. Your wife can easily do it with the chanote/blue book, copy of your passport and copy of her id card.

Although not true now, years ago, a multiple entry visa with a normal validity period of a year would be pegged back to the expiry date of the passport if less than a year (but more than the six month minimum).

This is emotive subject. Personally, I find it preferable to possibly turning up to find the office closed for a week due to a Covid or flu outbreak among the staff. (as recently happened at the worst time to Thailand Elite) I actually am happy to wear a mask in all office settings.

The TM28 notification is no longer required. It is basically extinct. On the other hand, while the TM30 notification is not directly supposed to be the foreigner's responsibility, in practice, Immigration force it onto you if you are not staying in a hotel, and the property owner does not do it.

From everything I have recently heard, the requirement for a TM30 is not absolute at all desks. However, it is certainly demanded more often than not.

I see. I missed the August 15 announcement in the Royal Gazette. I was under the impression that Thailand was resisting attempts to rope it into the system. Thank you for setting me straight.

As is often the case, the embassy website contains some incorrect information. For a single or multiple entry Non O visa (retirement) health insurance is not required. When applying through the e-visa system, simply upload a short note saying "not required for Non O visa".

True. Thai banks are not keen on having US customers because of the extra paperwork.

I understand the question. Since Pattaya may be applying its own rules (certainly for that particular school) it is impossible to answer. You should be able to stay until at least the one year anniversary of your entry into Thailand. That is the official rule.

Just for information, some well connected Thai accountants can arrange an "alternative negotiated tax" for you. This is specifically allowed for in Thai law. Few foreigners use these, and the way they operate is murky. However, you might want to ask around if your potential tax exposure is high enough. These connected Thai accountants (based on a friend's experience) are not expensive to use.

What is your and the wife's nationality? Where did you get married? There are almost always solutions, but it depends on the answers to these two questions.

When switching from 800k baht in the bank to income, there are multiple interpretations of the rules. The one I believe is most "correct" is that, in addition to the 12 monthly transfers from overseas, you must show 800k baht in the bank for three months after the last extension. This is to prove that it was your money and not a short term loan. The transfers show qualification via income for the new extension. If still using money in the bank for the new extension, you would need to show the 800k/400k/800k for the whole year.

If you are applying for a teaching job, the police clearance will probably be needed, though Vientiane might accept the application without. For other kinds of work, I do not think Vientiane will ask for it.

Do you have a Thai sim card, or are you trying to receive text messages using an overseas sim? The latter is sometimes problematic. It goes without saying that you should very carefully check that your phone number was entered correctly.

Even if you do not have the money in the bank for a one-year extension of stay based on marriage, you should be able to get a 60-day extension to visit your wife without showing any financial proof. This seems like a much better idea than paying to be ordered out of the country within seven days.

You will rarely be asked for an onward flight ticket when entering by land. The Non B visa application at the embassy in Vientiane is significantly less bureaucratic and time consuming than the application at Thai Immigration. If wanting to start work immediately, I would recommend the Vientiane embassy route.

If you plan to return after the expiry of the 90-day permission to stay, there is nothing you can do except start again.