BritTim

If you and your boyfriend are close in age, I personally believe most officials will see your visit as more justified than if you had no partner here. That said, it depends on the official. If there is a significant disparity in age, I would recommend that you just say you have many friends in Thailand from previous visits, enjoy yourself, and want to spend more time here. I know that there can be real relationships in spite of an age difference, but officials have a tendency to be suspicious about the nature of the relationship.

3 hours ago, MartiMarti said:

For another visa exempt by air entry how long would I need to stay in KL before returning to Thailand, could I return after one day?

 

Also considering going to KL to apply for SETV, is KL a better option for this than Penang?

You can return the next day from Kuala Lumpur for another visa exempt entry. However, recognise that Immigration at airports (at some more than others) not infrequently deny visa exempt entry to those they consider spending too much time as a tourist in Thailand. It is better to get a visa.

Whether Kuala Lumpur is better than Penang for a tourist visa is a matter of opinion, and has varied over time. My own view is that Kuala Lumpur is, indeed, better.

I understand Immigration at the Bangkok airports has been unusually painless the last few weeks, with the number of arrivals drastically reduced. The authorities had to figure out some way of fixing that. 

25 minutes ago, Barley said:

Thank you. 

 

Could someone confirm this?

I was going by memory in my last post. However, having looked at this chart, I am confident. Those under the tourist visa exemption scheme can get 30-day extensions, while those entitled to visa exempt entry only under bilateral agreement cannot. The Philippines comes under the former. No problem.

I believe Philippine nationals who enter visa exempt can get a 30-day extension on payment of 1,900 at Immigration. Since their current visa exempt entry expires April 7, this will allow them to stay until May 7. 

3 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Sorry I forgot to say I'm married to a Thai. I've been trying to change my flight to a date before the 28th in case I can't get an extension and then change it again if i can. That's not proving easy.

 

Any idea how long the extension is? 

If married to a Thai, you can get a 60-day extension without financial proof. Your wife must accompany you to Immigration.

3 hours ago, vermin on arrival said:

So if the voa was canceled for Taiwan would an American on visa exempt traveling from Taiwan also have problems. Things are changing so much I don't <deleted> is happening. I travel there at then end of the month and plan to return here in 3 months. Then again trying to plan 3 months in advance makes no sense now.

The change in rules for Taiwanese citizens (who must now get a visa in advance) does not affect US citizens. However, there is a high chance that visa exempt entry for US citizens will be suspended before the end of this month. It depends on how the epidemic develops.

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

You know how to read? The article was released 18 hours ago.

Yes, I know how to read. The quote I provided from the official e-visa application site (preferred way of getting visas on arrival) was from a few minutes ago.

There were all kinds of conflicting statements over the last two days, but if you cannot apply, that is a pretty good indication that they are not available.

1 hour ago, bbi1 said:

Can't believe that CW is still packed! Would've thought that it'd be relatively quiet now since apparently all the BKK & DMK airports are quiet with hardly any visitors arriving in the country. Doesn't really make sense how there could be no tourists coming via the airports yet there are loads of tourists extending SETV/METV ????

The hordes of package tourists (most of the reduction in visitors) never went anywhere near CW. Indeed, some who originally intended returning to China might have decided to stay for a while.

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

It was in the the news yesterday after a government meeting. 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/government-cancels-cancellation-of-visa-on-arrival-visa-free-travel

See this from the official e-visa application site: https://thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com/thailand/online/home/index

Quote

Immigration Bureau of Thailand has temporarily suspended issuing visas on arrival to visitors from 18 countries and territories. Visa on Arrival (VoA) will be suspended for nationals of all 18 countries and territories previously eligible, including Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu, according to a list provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Applying through the e-visa site would not have been suspended if visas on arrival were still being issued.

2 hours ago, cubism001 said:

My plan is:

fly in from US to Ch Mai middle of April & receive 30 days (I'm a US cit)

Before that expires, fly to Udon, then go to Vientiane, Lao for a tourist visa.

 

I've been out of Thailand (in the States) for a couple of years

 

Does that sound OK?    AND  how strict are they about a paid ticket out? Thank you.

It is too early to say for sure, but I think you would be wise to apply for a tourist visa in the US. By mid April, there may be thousands of Covid-19 deaths in the US with visa exempt entry for Americans into Thailand suspended. Also, you should be prepared for possibly being obliged to self quarantine for 14 days on arrival.

39 minutes ago, pdtokyo said:

Thanks for that.

 

Correct! I'm in Oz, three 30 day visa-exempt fly-in trips over 2019/2020 but researching for permanent move late 2020 ultimately on extension by marriage but for as long as possible without the B400k business.

 

I've read a zillion TV posts and simply got the impression the two-crossing limit was being discussed more recently.

 

My guess is the rule is universally enforced ... ie every border IO will count all stamps in current calendar year ? No chance of clocking up 2 at border A and another one at Border B ? 

The limit of two visa exempt entries by land is a firm limit. There are rare cases where it might be relaxed, but only for those living outside Thailand and making short shopping trips into Thailand. There is no limit either on entries by land with a visa or (in principle) visa exempt entries by air. As a practical matter,, tourist entries by air (especially visa exempt) cannot usually be used indefinitely.

If come the time you make the move the rules are the same as now, you should get a multiple entry Non O visa to visit your wife. This allows unlimited 90-day entries into Thailand for a year. At consulates like Savannakhet (Laos) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) those visas are available without financial proof. Some other consulates will provide them, but require financial proof (which can be in a bank outside Thailand if you wish). Two additional benefits:

1. You can enter Thailand just before the visa expires and get a final 90-day permission to stay, which means the visa actually lasts you for over a year.
2. If you wish, once per entry, you can apply for a 60-day extension of your permission to stay on payment of 1,900 baht (without the need for financial proof). This postpones the need to leave and reenter Thailand for a fresh 90-day entry.

The stamps you posted above definitely are not for a 30-day visa exempt entry.

I am not 100% sure I understand what has happened, but this is what I believe. There is nothing wrong. I just think you are confused by the difference between re-entry permits and entry stamps. The general form of the entry stamps is the same regardless of the type of original visa, though the writing in ink over your stamp of "Non RE" indicates that you have been stamped back into Thailand on a Non Immigrant entry based on retirement..

You were issued a 90-day Non Immigrant entry on 2 January ending on 31 March. You subsequently twice received re-entry permits tied to that permission to stay which (correctly) also end on 31 March. Each time you entered, you received the regular entry stamp, again correctly giving the end date of 31 March. Your next step of applying for a one-year extension of this Non Immigrant permission to stay is normal. As long as you satisfy the requirements, your plans for Tuesday are absolutely fine.

I have heard before that those at the retirement desk at Jomtien are accommodating. Unfortunately one or two of the other sections are entirely different.

9 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Likewise we all know that the official line of 50 plus is utter nonsense.  Difficult to work out what is fact and what is social media motivated fiction. 

When other countries start reporting that visitors who have been in Thailand are testing positive for Covid-19, I will start getting worried.  The current number of confirmed cases of 75 may be on the low side, but I do not believe there is s massive outbreak here, at least yet.

The visa exempt entry can be extended for a further 30 days on payment of 1,900 baht at the immigration office. The Italian embassy is also providing letters that can be taken to Immigration to request extensions of stay in such situations. If you need extra time, I suggest you contact the embassy to get full details. I think you just send scans of the passports, and they send you back the letters, but there may be a little more to it.

54 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

So I'm on a METV. I just added 30 days to my first 60 day entry on it. With the virus news hitting im thinking of doing a border run to reset the days on the visa. I'm kind of concerned borders get shut down or something of the sort and want to add more time. I had a couple questions.

 

1. If I leave now I can reenter and it will start a new 60 days despite my extension being another 30 days?

 

2. Their is a unlimited amount of entries allowed during the period the visa is good for?

 

3. I can do a border run in say Laos just go over the border and turn back around? Will I even have to get a Laos visa?

 

Thanks alot! 

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. You can turn around and come back, but you need to really enter Laos first (which means you must get a Lao visa: ensure you have US dollars to minimise the cost).

3 hours ago, lovethai123 said:

I found this on the Facebook page of an airline. 

 

I cannot read thai but as per English translation , it appears that visa exempt entry for all countries is suspended.

Since this announcement was made nearly 24 hours ago, it is grossly out of date. As of right now, it appears that there will be no changes to visa exempt entry or visa on arrival until after a cabinet meeting March 17. Naturally, there will be announcements contradicting this over the next few days.

7 hours ago, Dmaxx said:

After that just go to Vientiane Thai embassy and apply for your metv there. 

You can only apply for an METV in your home country. You can apply for an SETV in Vientiane but, unlike in the past, you are not able to indefinitely apply for tourist visas in countries close to Thailand.

3 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Do you have a direct link to that list?

Must be a sub link from that site.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, and scroll down for the master country list

14 minutes ago, Hugh Jarse said:

Where is Burma/Myanmar on the list of positive cases?

So far, they have not reported any cases. That is not a guarantee that there are none. Some border areas of Myanmar have extremely limited health services.

Carry the cash, just to be on the safe side. Being asked to show it is unlikely.

If you have an existing visa, and leave for a few days to a country that does not have large outbreaks of Covid-19, the return should not be a problem. That said, not all the measures being taken right now are rational, so there is no way of being completely sure.