BritTim

The warning is not close to a full two days. Remember that people may be checking in for long journeys to Thailand over 24 hours before their arrival. Unless their airline has proactively warned their passengers in advance of the possibility of new rules, it is quite possible for some to arrive at their departure airport to be told that they cannot check in due to new rules at their destination.

The announcement states that the rules from before October 2022 are being reintroduced for arrivals by air as from 1am Monday. That implies that, as long as you have had the minimum number of doses of an approved vaccine, there is no expiry date. The approved vaccines are available in https://www.caat.or.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/accredited-vaccines_updated-13Jun22.pdf. For the moment, thankfully, there is no announcement of the reintroduction of required health insurance, though this was mooted as a requirement for Chinese visitors.

As you say, the rubber stamp extension once a year, for those on Elite visas who do not travel at all, should be very easy. However, technically, even when using an agent, you are supposed to make an appearance at Immigration as part of the process. The agent can arrange to have that requirement waived or, to be completely in compliance with the rules, can arrange VIP queuing which should mean you are at Immigration for only a couple of minutes. In either case, there would be an associated cost, but it should be fairly low.

It is already (or imminently will be) required if travelling from China. Otherwise, there is no requirement for vaccination or tests.

As a regular employee, you will not get a multiple entry Non B visa as in the past. These days, they are only provided to company directors and similar, who are recognised as having a regular need to travel in and out for meetings and supervision.

Debatable. Basic nursing/care is good, given the usual behaviour of Thais towards the elderly, and the good staff to resident ratios. However, palliative care (if eventually required) is poor, and only the very best nursing homes provide anything in the way of stimulating activities to keep you active and entertained.

Cost depends on the basis for the extension, and whether a change of visa status from Tourist to Non Immigrant is needed first. It also depends on whether you need to circumvent some of the customary requirements for the extension is question. 3-5k baht would be the cost if you can meet all the normal requirements. If there is an issue with the financials, you would be very lucky to have change from 11k (retirement) and that is a simple one, not requiring cooperation from the officials at division headquarters.

Unless they come from seriously wealthy families, senior IOs have little choice but to be corrupt. The nature of their corruption varies, but their superiors are well aware of its necessity. To be appointed to their positions is expensive, and their salaries quite insufficient to live in reasonable comfort.

Each desk at Jomtien immigration is different. The desk that handles retirement extensions is usually well behaved, and gives you no trouble if you meet the requirements. They tend to even be rather helpful if there are minor issues, admirable as they tend to be extremely busy. On the other hand, desk 7 at Jomtien has an awful reputation going back many years. It is clear enough that the main reason for their bad attitude is financial. Through long experience, they know how to handle people who want them to follow the rules. Aggressively shutting down anyone trying to discuss the matter is a vital part of their technique. It is, of course, possible that the government published the wrong information (in Thai and English) on change of visa status at Immigration many years ago, and has never corrected this, through numerous updates, over the years (see https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022C1_06.pdf for the latest update less than a year ago). One would think in that case, the official would have a document to hand proving that the official government link is "false information", and simply show this to people politely, rather than telling them she is the official, and her word just goes. I am sceptical that the government, and not the official, is the incorrect source, but do agree that there is nothing you can do if an official insists on creating their own rules, will not budge, and is not overruled by a superior. By the way, anyone thinking of trying to record the solicitation of a bribe, and using the evidence, had better consult a good Thai lawyer first. The fact that your information is factual is zero protection against the draconian Thai defamation laws.

These days, Immigration will know whether you actually took the flights. Read up on APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) which is the system used by airlines to send passenger lists to Immigration, potentially receiving back instructions telling them not to board some passengers. When you arrive at Immigration, the official is told as soon as he scans your passport details whether you were expected on the flight. In fact, there is a very good chance they will immediately ask to see your boarding pass for the return flight to Thailand. I have twice seen idiots unsuccessfully trying what you suggest, once even before APIS existed.

Fastest is a border bounce at Aranyaprathet/Poipet (you can use a comfortable casino bus run). However, do not do that if you have an even remotely extensive immigration history in Thailand. That crossing can be seriously bad news. Convenient and fairly fast is the service provided by border run companies in Pattaya. These are typically uncomfortable, leaving you wedged into a van with a bunch of other foreigners. You might consider a weekend in Ho Chi Ming City or Siem Reap. If wanting to avoid airport immigration, Vientiane is nice enough, returning via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai and flying from Udon Thani back to Bangkok.

If your passport is really being held by Immigration (which is possible) it is 100% certain there is nothing to worry about. There is a long under consideration period associated with application for a "conversion" Non O visa. However, it is worth mentioning that more commonly the agent has your passport during the under consideration period, and is responsible to going back to get the visa stamp and fresh 90 day permission to stay (basically taking your place in the process). If so, it is possible for the agent to misplace the passport. This will still not immediately put you on overstay. Assuming the authorisation to issue the visa comes through by the appointed report back date, you are still not regarded as being on overstay if you attend immigration late. The visa and fresh 90-day permission to stay have been authorised. All that is missing are the stamps in the passport that show this. You could end up on overstay at some point down the line, if the passport is irretrievably lost. Note that almost invariably you will sooner or later receive your passport back with almost 15 months remaining on your permission to stay. The agent is allowed to apply for the one-year extension early.

Also, possibly slightly less inconvenient, there is a section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok that is able to correct visas with errors in them. It tends to be a rather bureaucratic process as I understand the MFA contacts the embassy that issued the visa before making the correction.

I assume the price in Hua Hin is for the initial Non Ed visa, and does not include the three no-hassle extensions. Even so, 15,000 baht is remarkably cheap. I cannot imagine it includes high quality lessons for those who actually want to learn Thai.

Some schools facilitate this; others do not. The ability of schools to accommodate students in this (and similar) manners depends on their relationship with Immigration. Most commonly, the friendly cooperation is bought in the form of cash, but may also exist entirely or partially because the school's owners can count family members among senior officials in Immigration.

It is worth mentioning that plenty of Western holders of ED visas/extensions from language schools also skip classes. However, the main reason for hordes of Russians (and shortly Chinese) doing this is that they cannot use border bounces to extend their stays within Thailand. At best, at a few crossings, they may be able to get non extendable 15-day visas on arrival. That makes Non Ed visas one of the few ways available to them to spend several months in Thailand.

If your initial arrival is before March 31st, simply use visa exemptions. These provide 45-day initial permissions to stay at the current time (not 30 days as is normally the case).

If you get a way to scan the stamps in your friend's passport that show this conversion from Non O-A to Non O in country, it would be very interesting to see it. Senior immigration officials have a lot of power, but I think only the direct intervention of the Minister could legally facilitate this particular operation in country. The rules are too clearcut. Maybe, his passport will show a border bounce (arranged by the agent without his participation).

If you plan to remain a significant period as a tourist, I think you are quite right to go for a tourist visa, retaining the visa exempt entries by land for emergencies. The difficulty will likely be getting an appointment at the embassy in Vientiane (or HCMC) at short notice. In Hanoi, it does appear to be possible to make appointments right now at short notice (https://calendly.com/consular-han/10?month=2023-01) but the site is rather confusing.

Are you saying that they charge you once for a flight reservation, and then insist on charging you again if you want to check in to use the flight? That is certainly s dubious policy. I find it hard to believe it is legal, unless made very clear to you at the time you make the flight reservation.

So, hoe much is the fare if you want to travel without sitting down?

Right, bearing in mind that all embassies/consulates in the region have limits (that vary) over issuing tourist visas. You should be fine for at least one or two tourist visas in Vientiane following your METV. However, they would eventually deny you another, and some locations are more restrictive than Vientiane. For instance, your chances of a tourist visa in Phnom Penh immediately after an METV would not be good.

I have not researched this thoroughly, but I thought some of the airport fees were payable, even if you were deemed only to be transiting in Singapore. Does anyone know exactly how this works?

He is referring to the departure tax at Changi airport, which has long existed but is temporarily higher than normal. See https://www.timeout.com/singapore/news/changi-airport-implements-higher-airport-fees-on-travellers-starting-nov-1-092822.

Even if it is 100% clear to immigration what had happened, and assuming you are using a third party (not bribing the official directly yourself) I am not aware of any law you are violating. It is similar to the highly dubious volunteer visas that some acquired a year or two ago. When that whole scheme came to light, and senior officials in immigration decided to crack down, there were consequences. However, criminal prosecution was not one of them. Mainly, the scheme was halted, officials directly involved shifted to positions that limited their future earning potential, and those who received such visas found themselves faced with hostile immigration officials when applying for future services. That is the big risk. It is not that you are breaking any laws. It is that you upset the wrong officials who may retaliate against you in the future. EDIT: I would also note that, sometimes on the local level, you can upset the wrong officials by not using an agent, or other services that ultimately boost the officials' income (such as medical certificates from designated hospitals).