BritTim

If you are really worried (which you should not be, about Western Union at least) you can ask your embassy to receive the money on your behalf. That can also be done using a service like Wise which will mean a much lower transaction fee. If receiving money from friends and family, it is a good way of proceeding because it provides them with assurance that you (presumably a somewhat irreesponsible individual) is using the money for an important and urgent purpose.

The problem with trying to marry again in Thailand is that it will require you to lie on the affidavit you provide that testifies that you are unmarried. That can really come back to bite you in the future, not only in Thailand, but also in the US.

... and, depending on the nature of his online business and interpretation of Thai law, it may be completely legal, completely illegal, or technically illegal but fully tolerated.

The Non B, I am pretty sure, is for his regular job, not his sideline.

There may be a misunderstanding here: not sure. The longstanding rule was that a visa and extensions for an informal school was only allowed up until the one-year mark after your last entry into Thailand (with a visa or visa exempt). Maybe, that is the problem, and not specifically a Non B visa. If so, you cannot get a Non Ed visa without leaving Thailand to get the visa at a consulate outside Thailand, but a school (a well regarded one at least) should be able to give you paperwork to support a Non Ed visa application somewhere like Vientiane. However, during Covid, the rules regarding time on Non Ed since last entry were not enforced, and different criteria might now apply.

That is true but, in this case, entry was made using a foreign passport. You cannot switch to using your expired Thai passport in the middle of your stay. You probably think that is stupid (and I do not disagree) but that is the reality.

Yes. However, it is always best to go to the relevant police order (327-2557) if possible, to ensure you have the full facts.

It certainly might if it comes down to trying for tourist visas in countries near Thailand (but I hope it will not come to that). Try for the METV.

Immigration's argument will be quite simple: they cannot transfer stamps from the old to the new passport without having the old passport to see what was in there. In 2023, this argument might be specious (the necessary information is all online) but it is legal.

Assuming they can show a Thai birth certificate (or Thai id card) they can apply for a one-year extension under Section 2.23 in the police order. Note that this will still mean that they are foreigners as far as their immigration status is concerned (unable to work without work permit and so on). If planning to stay for an extended period, it would be better to get updated Thai passport and id card, then do a border bounce (must be by air) to switch to being in Thailand as a Thai citizen.

True, when one of the many exceptions does not override the default rules.

If leaving by air, do it at the airport. If leaving by land, you can also do it as you leave Thailand, but there tends to be a designated official to do the stamp transfers from old to new passport. At small crossings, you could be waiting a long time if he is tied up in a meeting or something. Late in the day, you might even be told you cannot do it until the following morning.

It is possible that I am out of date. This detailed guide explains the rules as I understand them: https://www.samuiforsale.com/knowledge/foreign-work-permit-application-thailand.html. At the time I last looked into it, this exception, in particular, seemed to be widely allowed: If the rules are unchanged, I hope disallowing the exception for married couples is restricted to Surat Thani, and is not now the policy nationwide.

You can enter with an eVisa by land if you prefer. Ensure you have printed a copy of the approval in advance. You will definitely need a paper copy at a land crossing. If applying in Vientiane, they will probably not worry if your account has generally held a healthy amount, but has been low at times. Suddenly having the account go from almost zero to a sudden high balance a couple of days before the application will raise eyebrows. If you need to do that, have some additional documentation that demonstrates that you had the assets but, for reasons you can explain, not much of a bank balance.

This is a misunderstanding of the rules, These minimums are for an extension of your permission to stay based on working. There is no minimum salary requirement just for the work permit. At one time, the Thai consulate in Penang would provide multiple entry Non B visas to those with work permits who did not qualify for extensions at Immigration because their salaries were too low. When Penang stopped providing these ME visas, the number of people working without work permits increased substantially because it became too onerous for people below the minimum salary levels to try to remain legal.

Bear in mind that, in the same way that not all Americans are white Caucasians, some with Thai nationality (especially if long married to a Thai) do not have typical Thai features. Those claiming they see Indians running businesses illegally are usually guilty of this typecasting.

You will find that that website is for services provided by Immigration in Thailand. It cannot be used to assist with a visa application in Savannakhet.

It may only need to be two employees (plus enough paid up capital). However, the question is: a work permit to do what? A work permit still does not allow you to engage in occupations that are restricted to Thais (and that covers most activities that need doing to run a resort). Maybe, you can get a work permit as the resort manager, and that will allow you to show other employees how to do their jobs. However, it will be iffy.

For those who use the appointment system, it is pretty easy. If you just want to do a walk in application, you must wait until officials have dealt with those who have appointments. You can get lucky, but are usually going to be in for a long wait.

When the officers manning the check out desks are confused, ask if they can get a senior official to sort things out. The staff at the re-entry desk at Suvarnabumi should know the rules, even if some of the officers stamping exit stamps sometimes may not.

If you are lucky, the embassy might be able to suggest a suitable form of words to be used in the affidavit. Most important will be to clearly declare your income which should be greater than 65,000 baht per month, and preferably capable of being supported by documentation you can show immigration if asked. It is usually best to keep the affidavit simple. Here is general advice on writing an affidavit provided by Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/sign/hub/document-types/how-to-write-an-affidavit.html.

A re-entry permit can only be used to protect your current permission to stay. A re-entry permit for a superseded permission to stay is no longer valid. If it was accepted, you would be stamped into the country until the date specified on the re-entry permit (31/07/2023) and would need to apply for the one-year extension of permission to stay all over again. (However, Immigration has decided to not allow this, and to declare superseded re-entry permits as invalid).

It is useful to have a copy of that order which (theoretically) immigration offices are supposed to follow. Just recognise that many offices prefer to ignore it.

With expert legal assistance, it can assist with getting a work permit (as the owner of a sole proprietorship). It is still not easy, and the rules on occupations restricted to Thais still exists.

When you are given a new visa by a consulate, the visa is valid starting on the day the visa is issued. Your previous visas and visits to Thailand have no bearing on the validity period of the visa.