BritTim

The restrictions listed are those that were in force last October. I believe that, in most cases, there are fewer restrictions today.

In both cases, you must get a re-entry permit after the new stamp in your passport. If eligible for the 60-day extension, maybe that would be better, just in case of your return being delayed for any reason. However, I would discuss the options with the immigration office. Maybe, they can make arrangements to get you the one-year extension before you leave if you apply for the one-year extension as early as possible and explain the situation.

RT-qPCR uses polymerase chain reaction. It is fine. The only thing to be careful of is testing sites that claim to use PCR when they do not. One example is advertising RT-LAMP tests (a perfectly good test, by the way, but not acceptable for Test & Go) as "LAMP PCR" when the technique used is not PCR.

Read the earlier posts in this thread. PCR for Covid-19 means RT-PCR.

It is not correct that PCR tests (using the latest machines) must take several hours. While more expensive because of the reagents that are necessary as well as the capital cost of the machines, it is indeed possible these days to have real PCR tests that give results in less than an hour.

Sheryl is, of course, correct when tests are correctly described as PCR. The trouble, apparently is that some shady characters are advertising LAMP tests as PCR. While both aim to amplify DNA copies within a sample, they use completely different techniques to do so. LAMP does not include Polymerase Chain Reaction, and (wrongly in my view) RT-LAMP is not acceptable where tests specify PCR.

My experience with Thai Post EMS have always been fine. Going back 20 years or so, there were cases of pilfering from parcels sent via Thailand Post, but I have seen no reports of this in recent years, especially when using EMS.

If you have a regular multiple entry tourist visa (valid for 180 days with unlimited entries up until the expiry date of the visa) you were correctly given 60 days as your initial permission to stay when entering Thailand. When you apply for an extension, since you qualify for a regular 30-day extension of your permission to stay, you would not have been offered a Covid extension. You were given 30 days (as pointed out by others) and the official erroneously stamped the new expiry of your permission to stay as February 29th rather than January 29th. Since you are still posting about this issue, you have obviously not visited Immigration to correct things. When you visit Immigration today or tomorrow, you will get a 60-day Covid extension (hopefully) but will need to pay an overstay fine first. [Just to help your understanding...] If you had applied for (and received) a Special Tourist Visa, that would have been a single entry visa giving an initial stay of 90 days which can optionally be extended twice for 90 days each time. That type of visa cannot be used to leave Thailand and get a fresh permission to stay on entry, The METV and STV are completely different animals.

RT-LAMP and RT-PCR are not the same. However, it is stupid that RT-LAMP is not acceptable on entry as research has shown it to be just as accurate during the acute phase of Covid-19 infection. That said, technically, they were correct to insist on a PCR test as LAMP is not normal PCR. Calling a test "LAMP-PCR" is misleading advertising, and should be banned.

There is a problem. When applying for a Non O visa at immigration, you must have at least 15 days left on your current permission to stay at the time of application. Talk to the immigration office to see if they can provide a mechanism where an application prior to April 6th will be possible.

All genuine PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 are reverse transcription type. The virus is an RNA virus, and cannot be detected any other way. RT-PCR is a general term for reverse transcription PCR tests. PCR for Covid-19 means the same. qPCR, I think, just means PCR using a technique that allows much faster results. All, if done by an accredited lab, should be absolutely fine.

If the agent is a Thai company, talk to them anyway. They could employ you directly, acting as a subcontractor for the companies you actually do work for. Indeed, it might simplify the paperwork for those companies. True, you most likely will not be able to negotiate a solution, but it is worth trying.

Yes, I see. That is awkward. Perhaps, talk to the agent about the problem, and see if there is a way (for a fee, probably) that they can have you on a long term contract, even though you are only working for part of that time.

With at least 15 days left on your current permission to stay (I recommend at least 20 days) you apply for a Non O visa at Immigration in Thailand on the basis of having a Thai spouse. You need 400,000 baht in the bank and need to be officially married (not just a temple ceremony) To get married, you will need an affirmation of freedom to marry from the US embassy, so do not leave this until the last moment. You also need an amphoe office willing to officially register your marriage. If you or your girlfriend knows an influential Thai who can intercede, it might be easier. to achieve this When the visa is issued, it is simultaneously converted into a Non Immigrant 90-day permission to stay. Near the end of the 90 days, you apply for a one-year extension of your permission to stay, on the basis that you are still married to a Thai.

If you already have a work permit, easiest would seem to be to get an extension of stay based on working. Is there a reason you do not want to do this?

Some of the published information by the Thai authorities is contradictory. Thai Smile should be 100% familiar with what is actually being enforced (it is their responsibility to verify the conditions are met at check in). Check with them. As others have indicated, you must be able to check through your baggage to your final destination, which implies you will have your boarding pass already, when departing Phnom Penh for the Bangkok to Switzerland leg. Again, check carefully with Thai Smile that this is going to happen.

I am unsure of the current situation, but visa applications in Phnom Penh in 2019 used to take several days (using an agent could shorten the time, but still typically three days, two nights).

With fast driving, no stops, and assuming luck with traffic, you can reach Laem Ngop in around four hours. With a prebooked speed boat, I guess making your hotel within five hours would be just possible. If you needed to wait for a ferry, forget it.

I believe this is the world record holder: https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/the-worlds-most-expensive-car-wash-costs-100000.php. Ultimate Shine's top of the line service costs well over four million baht.

I assume you are currently in Thailand on a Non Immigrant entry. Agents definitely cannot get you a 30-day tourist extension. If you have a Thai spouse/child, and have not yet used such an extension, you can easily get a 60-day extension to visit them. You will need to talk to some agents to see if they can get you a Covid extension, but it is likely difficult. Some agents can probably get you a highly dubious "medical" extension.

Can you explain how condo ownership ties in with a work visa. I am not saying you are wrong. There may be some creative trick that some agent has devised. However, it is not obvious. Under some circumstances, ownership of a condo might qualify you for an investment visa, but the value of the condo must be high, and generally only selected new developments qualify. Often, you can do better by buying a condo in the secondary market, and buying an Elite visa if you need an easy way to stay.

Anyone who tells you that using a well established agent for an extension, without the requisite financial proof is absolutely zero risk is wrong. However, the risk is very, very low (about the same as being struck by lightning). The agent is dealing with pretty senior officials who have paid for their positions, and are tacitly expected to recoup their investment one way or another. Further, even if a political battle erupted (possible) that saw the friendly official (and through him) the agent in trouble, it most likely would not cause you undue difficulties. Your position is that you received legal stamps in your passport, and had no idea that there was anything improper in the application made by the agent on your behalf. If possible, those at the very top would want to avoid damaging the well established system that is especially lucrative for them.

That is a fair bet, but not a certainty. Just taking classes would not get him there. However, I met a guy with a talent for languages who, after eight months total immersion, was fluent in speaking and reading, and able to write well enough to be understood, though not well enough for business purposes. Frankly, if someone is especially good at learning languages, taking lessons is not the way to go (except for, perhaps, a two week total immersion course to get started). The key is to place yourself in a situation where you spend all day, every day, among people who can only really communicate with you in Thai. Combine this with lots of Thai reading matter, a couple of the best dictionaries, and a good Thai grammar.

If the idea is for you to get a part time job, provided by a Thai friend, as a means to get a work permit and extension, then forget it. As someone else has already advised you, you need to show 60,000 baht a month minimum income (for which there will be around 3,000 withheld for tax and social fund). There are some other costs associated with getting this done also.

I believe you are well out of date in what you say. Since around mid December, Thailand has been one of the countries on Singapore's Active VTL (Air) Countries/Regions list. (VTL stands for Vaccinated Travel Lane.) To simplify, if you have been in Thailand at least 14 days, you just need to show that you are fully vaccinated and you can enter Singapore without quarantine. For further details, see https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/vtl/requirements-and-process. I you have recent information that contradicts the above, please post a link.