BritTim

That is totally impossible. If banned, it was for another offence, not simply a failure to do the 90-day report. My guess is that they had a multiple entry Non O visa, and did not understand that the visa expiry date had nothing to do with the expiry date of their permission to stay.

In this situation, an emergency travel document is unlikely to help him. He wants to stay in Thailand, not fly back to his home country. We still do not know the expiry date of his permission to stay. That is the critical factor. The 90-day report (whether he can do it online or fails to report) does not risk any kind of disaster.

As I wrote in my first reply, all the published requirements must be complied with. If your stay is to be 60 days, you need confirmed hotel booking(s) covering the whole 60 days. Unrealistic for many tourists, yes, but there are solutions. The simplest solution is a hotel booking that allows free cancellation.

I think that ended (long ago) when they were unable to handle the volume with same day service. Frankly, I think there is a danger that they will institute a system like Penang where they limit the number of applications per day, and imply close the gate when that daily limit is reached. In my view, they have tried very hard to avoid inconveniencing applicants, but the situation there Mondays and Thursdays does not seem sustainable.

Are you sure the Dutch embassy in Bangkok will not agree to handle this by mail if you courier it to them with a self addressed envelope and payment to cover return to you by courier? Have you asked them? There might be an additional issue, though. Does the embassy's stamp need to be verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok? If so, it is not just a matter of the embassy agreeing to be helpful. I might we willing to help you out, but only if there is no other viable solution.

Plenty of people apply at HCMC, some successfully, some unsuccessfully. If you meet all the requirements, and can hide your contempt of the officials, your chances would be good. If you think there is anyone who can tell you with 100% certainty that your application will be successful, you are delusional.

You can usually bribe your way in if you arrive a little after 11:00am. They still process anyone inside the gates, often for hours after the gates close. Queuing for six hours is extreme, but from 8:30 am until 1:00 pm is very possible.

Right. This acts as a good reminder to others. Do not go to Savannakhet on Mondays or Thursdays when the visa run groups usually arrive.

There is no standard lead time. Sometimes, you get a response in hours; sometimes it may take weeks. Some offices are typically more efficient than others.

Penang is extremely busy, and they only accept a limited number of applications per day. As best as I can tell, if willing to queue up long before they open (so you succeed in making an application) the chances of getting a tourist visa there are decent. Some visa run companies on Samui are the experts on the current situation at that consulate.

The duration of the lease is irrelevant. If you have made a fresh entry into Thailand (not using a re-entry permit) then Immigration wants you to tell them that a foreigner just arrived to stay at the property ... again.

You need to be clear about whether you mean the 90-day address report, or an extension of your permission to stay. Usually, if you are registered for a university course (as opposed to a course at an informal school) you are given a on-year extension of your permission to stay at the end of the initial 90 days you receive from the Non Ed visa. That is the critical item. Nothing very bad can happen unless you go past the extended permission to stay date. It should be possible to do the 90-day address report (formally, Notification of Staying in the Kingdom) traditionally done using a TM47 form, using the online app without needing your passport, as long as you can remember the relevant details (and, hopefully, you took a photocopy of those before sending off your passport). If you are unable to do your address report, the worst that can happen is a fine.

You can leave by air or by land. The process of linking your new passport back to the old one, and transferring a couple of stamps will go faster at the airport.

That may be necessary if the original application was made using the old passport. I would ask BOI.

Whether applying in HCMC or Vientiane, an appointment and scrupulous compliance with their published requirements is needed. People often find HCMC a lot more fun. However, assuming you meet the requirements, the Vientiane embassy is friendlier, and more certain if you have extensive prior history as a tourist in Thailand.

If you want to stay for a significantly longer period, go to Savannakhet and get a one-year multiple entry Non O visa to visit your Thai wife. Just reacting every 30, 60 or 90 days with an ad hoc solution is just making life complicated.

Tourist visa with extension: minimum 1,000 baht for the visa plus 1,900 baht for the extension. Single entry Non O minimum 2,000 baht [If wanting to stay over six months, try for a multiple entry Non O minimum 5,000 baht, but you can use it to stay for over a year.] Note that the cost of the visa outside Thailand varies by country, but is supposed to be based on the Thai baht figures above, adjusted to local currency at an extremely unfavourable exchange rate. In my view, it makes sense to try for the solution that involves the least amount of hassle. While a Non O will work out cheaper for a stay of over 60 days, the difference in cost is not a significant factor.

Unfortunately, it is my understanding that they want every page in your passport with Thai stamps, including those you have already provided to BOI.

This ancient thread is now almost entirely of academic interest. The current email system, and the experience when applying in the UK, is so different that the information here is misleading. There are more recent threads that are much more relevant now to those seeking Thai visas from the UK. This thread is LOCKED

If applying in HCMC, make sure you meet all of their published requirements scrupulously and, even then, do not place 100% reliance on being successful if you have extensive history as a tourist in Thailand. This consulate was once a good place to apply, but has become unfriendly. As ever with Thai officials, when they seem to be unreasonable, keep the fake smile and polite demeanour. Doing otherwise reduces your chances.

Officially, this is a requirement, but it is one of the several conditions that can be waived at the discretion of the senior official (validly, to deal with cases like someone in a care home).

What the Line message is claiming is not something that has been true for the last decade or so. However, if it is a reputable, long established agency, they could conceivably be aware of a crackdown that is about to start. I would ignore it unless or until there are corroborating reports.

That is correct. However, it is important to appreciate that the laws as written, and the laws as they are enforced differ. In most cases, Thailand is pragmatic about law enforcement. They enforce laws when that is deemed to be in the public interest, and beneficial for Thailand and Thais. Many activities that are technically in violation of ancient laws are widely tolerated. The activities of most categories of digital nomads fall into this category, and enforcement is very unlikely to change until there are major overhauls of the labour laws.

The great thing about applying for a tourist visa at the Vientiane embassy is that you can be confident of your application being approved if you meet their published requirements. The only possible exception is if you already have multiple tourist visa visible in your passport that were issued specifically at Vientiane. At virtually all the other Thai embassies/consulates, nasty surprises can occur if you have any kind of extensive history as a tourist in Thailand.

Thailand is not fully stable. Look at what has happened in Myanmar (right next door) or, even worse, in Sudan. Indeed, political violence, possibly severe, is likely here a few months from now. Circumstances can arise where you need to relocate temporarily or permanently. That cannot be done without some money. Another possible need for money can occur if you are up country and involved in an accident. Good insurance will cover everything if you are in a private hospital in a large city. If you need treatment in a provincial hospital, they will want you to pay cash and sort out reimbursement from your insurance company yourself. Given that the treatment will often involve overcharging, besides needing to front the money, you can be in for a tough time getting the insurance to reimburse.