BritTim

As a non citizen, you can vote in local elections in some cases (though few do). You cannot vote in federal elections. If you have children, there are programs designed to ensure that you and your family have access to food, shelter and education. I understand the attitude that says people should not enter the country illegally, and having your kids starve to death is your fault for coming. However, many feel that having young kids dying of starvation, or freezing to death on the streets, would be a bad look in a rich country like the US. Of course, you can turf them back across the border into Mexico, and have them potentially die there. That solution has, indeed, been quite heavily used in recent years, and offends the sensibility of the more squeamish members of society a lot less.

Leave by air from Don Muang airport to Vientiane. Obviously, you will need to pay the overstay fine. Assuming you have not used the two allowed visa exempt entries in 2022, you can then enter Thailand via the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai. Total cost: 500 baht per day for the overstay, probably 3,000 baht for the airfare (short notice), US$40 for the Lao visa on arrival, and whatever it costs you to return overland to Bangkok/Pattaya (where I assume you live). If this method is beyond your financial means, it might be possible to find a cheaper solution, but it would be high risk. Avoid getting into a mess like this in the future.

I believe one of the most important questions of our time is whether democratic forms of government are sustainable. They seem to work well in some countries, notably in Scandinavia. However, in much of the world, they descend into corruption and chaos. Emotionally, I am saddened any time I see societies giving up on democracy, concluding that an autocratic, strong man form of government is the only one that accepts the reality of the human condition, with people unable to cooperatively make decisions and control their own destiny. You may be correct that this is the Thai reality, but that is a terrible indictment of human nature.

If you have a Thai employer, or Thai customers (including customers who are foreigners, but resident in Thailand) there is a substantial risk.. The true digital nomad, working exclusively remotely with overseas employers/customers, is running essentially zero risk. This activity is tolerated and there has never yet been a prosecuted case.

In many cases, yes. Another reason for the high numbers is that Russians are now prevented from visiting most of their popular destinations of the past. That means that good remaining options are inevitably heavily used.

That working group has the potential to become a nice little earner for the officials lucky enough to be appointed to it. I wonder how much such officials are being asked to pay for the privilege.

If they are aged under 50, which visa/extension are the agents offering?

Although I doubt @silverwill be asked to pay anything, the simple answer sometimes is (i) the officials want the money; (ii) people are willing to pay; and (iii) the officials' superiors have no objection to the scam, most likely because they are getting a cut. There is nothing particularly unusual about this in Thailand (and some other Asian countries). For instance, when the border crossing at Ban Phu Nam Ron to Myanmar was open, people were happy to pay 960 baht for the US$10 border pass (with the Thai and Myanmar officials divvying up the profit). Most did not even know they were being scammed.

Assuming you never do work for Thai clients, and are aged under 50, I suggest you look into getting a visa through the Thailand Elite program. Officially, a Thailand Elite membership does not allow you to work in Thailand. However, as long as you do not have a Thai employer, or have Thai clients, the Thai authorities tolerate you working as a remote digital nomad.

Flights booked around public holidays, especially at short notice, are often much more expensive than usual..

No! It is indeed an "extension of permission to stay". There is no application for a visa. The 1,900 baht you pay is for an extension of your permission to stay. If a visa application was involved, the application fee would be different. To summarise: A Non Ed visa gives an initial 90-day permission to stay. Following this, if attending an informal school, you can receive 90-day extensions, but only up until the one-year anniversary of your arrival on the Non Ed visa. if attending a university, you can receive one-year extensions for as long as your university course runs, potentially many years.

Back when a Lao visa on arrival cost me US$35, I once proffered $40 and received a $5 bill as change. However, I do not know if you can rely on receiving change in US dollars.

Assuming you have clean, undamaged US dollars, it is US$40 for almost all nationalities.

There are no age limits for Non Ed visa applications. Some universities might have their own restrictions. None of the informal schools will care one bit about your age. If over 50, be aware that you can get a Non O visa and subsequent one-year extensions on the basis of retirement, and this in no way prevents you studying. The Non Ed visa is not a requirement for studying, just a way to facilitate staying in Thailand while you are studying.

All us old timers here are used to flights to Vientiane being outrageously expensive. With Air Asia now having introduced really cheap flights, we need to change our thinking. Going via Udon Thani (at least on the outbound trip) now makes little sense. Your idea of flying to Vientiane looks good. Visa on arrival at Vientiane airport is no problem. (Make sure you have clean, undamaged US dollars to pay for it.) Assuming you can get an appointment at the right time, a tourist visa application at the Thai embassy should be easy, and I would recommend it as your best solution. For those relying on visa exemptions, flying into the Bangkok airports requires caution. Depending on prior immigration history, it can result in a denied entry. Thus, while flying to Vientiane seems always a great idea, some may need to return in the traditional way, via the Friendship Bridge and flying from Udon Thani airport.

I tend to agree, though long term stay when under age 50 can be difficult otherwise. It is worth mentioning that really serious students may be able to sign up for university courses that can run several years with only an extension every 12 months.

That is certainly very expensive. The Thai AirAsia flight (5 hours) is obviously a much better option: I agree that it is not a direct flight, but it is what I would use if planning to return to Thailand overland.

You would also need to get a visa on arrival for Laos if you cross at Chong Mek.

Did you miss that he is currently in Koh Phangan? To get to any open land border from there (with the exception of Malaysia and Myanmar) is a really long trek.

That is quite untrue. Between Thai Smile and Thai AirAsia, there are already three daily flights, and there are other less frequent services.

As I recall, it is 06:00-22:00. However, you cannot get a visa on arrival for Laos during the early morning and late evening. The visa on arrival desk might be open a bit earlier, but can only be relied upon from 08:00. Similarly, there is real doubt as to whether a Laos visa on arrival would ve available after 18:00.

Convenient, but expensive, would be to take the Bangkok Airways flight from Samui to Singapore.

Myanmar land crossings are all officially closed to foreigners. However, there are reports that the crossing from Ranong to the Grand Andaman Resort is partially open. Apparently, it is not possible to get a visa exempt entry on the return, but going with a multiple entry visa might be possible. I suggest you contact the visa run companies in Phuket, not with the intention of using them, but to check the exact situation. KBV Visa Run company (+66 (0) 848 890 606 Mobile, email: [email protected]) are usually reliable.

For Nok Air, you are actually correct. Thai Air Asia sets its canonical prices in USD (most likely, because its major costs must be paid in dollars) and does a currency conversion to quote you prices in other currencies.

Fine. To simplify things for those visiting Laos, a two star hotel room in Vientiane will tend to cost about 320,000 kip per night. A simple meal in a restaurant is about 50,000 kip and the shuttle bus across the Friendship Bridge from Vientiane to Nong Khai costs 10,000 kip. If you wish to fly from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, as of today, this costs 900,000 kip. Happier?