harpman88

Since it is your first time, go to the building immediately to your left as you enter the compound for 90 day notices.  Visas are handled in the building to your right.

Not much of a walk from Airport Plaza to CNX Immigration.

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Thanx much,Pro Thai,Especially for the tip on the 90 day building directions. my only qualm about walking from Airport Plaza was being stuck in a rainstorm,could very well happen this time of year. Otherwise,the walk would'nt be a problem at all.

Tywais: I never knew that"taw maw" was a term to use instead of"truat khon khaw muang" Very interesting. Although Im not yet fluent, I can speak and read some Thai ,so getting the message across as to where I want to go shouldnt be a problem.

Pauly:Hope my experience proves to be the same as yours as far as the Immigration staff is concerned. Thanx again to all,the Harpman.

Hi all,Im about to make my 1st trip to CMai Immigration(90 day reporting for OA visa) Does anyone know if the new city buses go there? It looks to me,judging by the signs that the closest they come is Airport Plaza.. Do the Songthaews go that far?? if so I guess it would be 20 Baht from Thapae Gate ? I know I could take a Tuk Tuk,but would prefer not to,unless really pressed for time. Any help much appreciated! Thanx much in advance,the Harpman

Hi Harpman

Can you explain what you meant here?

Just make sure you get a rentry permit to protect any 365 day admitted until date that occurs after Aug. 2.

Does this only apply if I want to leave and return after the visa expiry date?

Pattaya Immigration implied that I don't need a re-entry permit as long as I am back in Thailand by August 02.

Were you thinking that I should get a re-entry anyway, as a safeguard?

Sorry if this is confusing but I want to get it right to save possible hassles further down the line.

Thanks

DM

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Hi again,Doc M,Yes,as Pattaya Imm. explains.,you must protect any 365 day"admitted until" date that occurs AFTER your OA visa expiry date(printed in my OA as the "must be utilized by date") ,365 days from date of issue. by obtaining a rentry permit.

You no longer have a OA visa or any of the privileges that come with it once this date passes.

The 365 day admitted until date that comes after your OA visa expiry date also becomes the date by which you must apply for your extension of stay for the next 365 days if you wish to do so. Hope this helps,the Harpman.

Harp and Lop,

Thanks for the spot-on advice as always.  I'll just get a 60 day tourist visa in Singapore, and apply for the multi O-A visa when I return to the USA.

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Just to make things difficult!

I spoke to the Thai consulate in Melbourne today on an O/A visa,he advises this can only be obtained in Thailand. He can issue O visa only with 2 entries for 30days each.(total 60 days) or NON"B" visa,during 6 or 12 months you will apply for the A/O visa??

My entry to Thai at present is on a 12 month Multi entry NON"B" visa then onto an A/O on the 12th month ( 12 months instead of 6)

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Try talking with Canberra. Your information is nonsense.

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You beat me to it,Lop!

This would mean the origional 12 months can be streached out allowing cash to be kept in interest bearing accounts overseas

I'm just about to test this out.

I have a multiple O-A that expires 02 August although my entry stamp is valid until October. I sought advice from Immigration in Pattaya as to when I should apply for the extension and was told that, as I have a multiple O-A, if I were to leave Thailand and return before the expiry date of the visa then I would indeed be stamped in for 12 months on my return.

Whether Immigration at Don Muang will see it this way remains to be seen but, if they don't, I lose nothing as I will still be legal until October. I was careful to ask about re-entry permits and was told that I don't need one provided I return by 02 August.

We shall see.

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Hi Doc,As long as you leave/renter before Aug. 2 you should get another 365 days upon arriving at Don Muang no problem. In other words,Pattaya Immigration is indeed correct. Just make sure you get a rentry permit to protect any 365 day

admitted until date that occurs after Aug. 2. Robby,Im doing the same as you...(keeping as much cash as possible in a home country money mkt. acct.,for as long as possible) Id leave/return to LOS just before the OA visa expiry date (printed in my multi OA as the "must be utilized by" date) and then follow the same guidelines as outlined above and by Pattaya Immigration. All the best,the Harpman

Hi Shot ,Harpman here. There's no doubt in my mind what I would do. Since you're going back to the U.S. anyhow,Id apply for another multi OA once there. You already know the drill. I ve never seen anything stating you cant get yet another OA once an initial one has expired.( reapplying in your home country,as Lop vividly points out) Just be mindful of the "must be utilized by "date on the new OA and make sure you get a rentry permit to protect any 365 day "admitted until" date that comes after your "must be utilized by" date has passed. Should be no problem. All the best,the Harpman

Roo,if you do indeed have a multi OA,and it doesnt expire (printed as "must be utilized by"date on my OA,365 days from date of issue) you should be good for another 365 days if your OA doesnt expire till Nov. 05. Any 365 day "admitted until "date that comes after your visa expiry date must be protected by getting a rentry permit 1st(see Shotover's thread on this issue) Hope this helps,the harpman

if my wife and i come over to thailand on a 60 day tourist visa and then decide we want to stay and live in thailand...can we go to immigration and ask them for a multi-entry OA visa.....we are both over 55....my wife is thai and also a u.s.citizen..

we have enough money in an account with the bangkok bank....also i receive a retirement check every month.....thanks for the help....thaistyle

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Since your'e in good shape financially,and have a retirement check to boot,Id forget about the tourist visa and go for multi OA based on retirement at the nearest Thai Consulate,Just my 2 cents,the Harpman

Well. it's visa run time for me!  Live and learn.

Went to Thai Immigration at Suan Phlu today, showed them my passport with my visa stamp and subsequent 'admitted until; stamps, and asked "Is this correct?"

I asked when I would have to apply for an O-A visa extension, and was told not until May 2006, which was the latest 'admitted until' date stamp.  I had asked this same question in March and was told by 2 different officials the same thing.

Being a skeptical person, I referred them to the O-A visa stamp, and asked again "Are you sure because this visa was issued over 1 year ago"?

This generated a confused look, about 15 minutes of consultation with several different Imm Officers peering through my passport, and me picking up snippets of comments such as "Khao Tham Phit" ("They did wrong") and "Mai Mii Visa" ("has no visa" - Yikes!).

They finally decided I was entitled to 30 days after my arrival (which was 29 days ago) and said I needed to apply for a 10 day extension.  They drew a redline through my latest 'admitted until' date of May 15 2006, and changed it until June 14, 2005.  Rather than go make a photo, fill out another form, wait in line a long time, and pay 1900 baht for another 10 days, I'm taking a trip to Poipet for antoher 30 days, and I'll sort out another O-A visa next time I go back to the States.

I appreciate the good advice I got from those on this board, and hope that others learn from my misunderstandings.  It would also be nice that the Thai Immigration officials get some training on understanding how to process these visas and offering accurate advice, but I'll rely on others' advice and my own experience next time.

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Sorry it had to hit you but was sure just a matter of time until somebody got it. Thanks very much for posting.

I would try to get a tourist visa (rather than 30 day entry) (Singapore or Penang are quick and cheap flights) and after return convert it into a long stay (retirement) at immigration (they can do that and only requirement will be the medical and money in bank). No need to go through all the home country paperwork again.

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1st of all,let me echo Lop's comments,sorry it had to happen and thanx much for the post. Your experience is exactly why I printed out and kept one of Redwood's old posts when Pattaya immigration explained to him in no uncertain terms that

a rentry permit would be needed for any rentry after the visa expiry date for a multi OA in order to keep the last 365 admitted until date alive. Please let us know how things turn out for you ,all the best,"harp"

Met a fellow last night with a tale that surprised me.

He was not drunk and seemed quite honest and reliable.

That's me, though I was at one point slightly tipsy after consuming some drinks on an empty stomach on Cowboy. As reported earlier, I have a mulitiple entry non-immigrant (retirement) visa issued in April 2004. Since the visa was issued, I have left and returned to Thailand about 6 times, each time Thai Immigration at Don Muang airport graciously stamping my passport with an 'Admitted to Stamp' dated one year after my most recent reentry to Thailand.

I have never requested nor been granted a 'reentry permit'.

The current 'admitted to date' I have is May 15 2006, which was given after my latest return to Thailand on May 16, 2005, and which is more than 2 years after the retirement visa expired.

I went to Thai Immigration at Suan Phlu earlier this year, and was told by 2 different Immigration Officers that the additional years' stamps in my passports until this time were correct, and that I would not have to apply for a visa extension until a few weeks before the latest 'admitted to date' in 2006.

However, I suspect the latest 'admitted to date' of May 15 2006 is not correct, and I plan another visit to Suan Phlu this week to get specific instructions from the Immigration officers.

Will report what I am told (assuming I understand and they do not toss me in detention or deport me immediately).

Next week I will go to Thai Immigration at Suan Phlu and show the Officers my passport and stamps to obtain

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Shot,Didnt you say in your previous thread,that your Multi OA expired in April 05?

This would mean that the visa just expired then,not 2 years ago.Anyway , in any event,since you did get admitted for another year AFTER the visa expired I still am keenly interested how this plays out........ For the record then ,I still say, No reentry permit needed pre visa expiry date, To keep your 365 day admission alive post visa expiry date,one is then needed,At least this is the way Im going to play it..

i retired a few months ago..my wife who is thai and i want to go back and live in thailand...were both over 55....there are 3 kinds of visas i can get here at the thai consulate...tourist multi-entry...or non immigrant...non immigrant requires alot of documents...multi entry  is alot easier....its good for 1 year but your in and out every 3 months.....my question is this.......if we come over on a multi entry visa can i go to immigration soon after i get there .....tell them i want to live in thailand and hope they will give me a 1 year visa.....also i just want to be 100% sure that you cannot a 1 yesr visa for retirement here in the u.s.    it has to be done in thailand...is this correct........thanks for any info and or help you can give me...thaistyle99

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Thaisyle99,

I can not tell you anything about the marriage / spousal visa, but the Retirement Visa is not only available in the US, but really easy to obtain... It allows you to stay in country for a year with only having to do "Address Reports" to Immigration every 90 days... Then at the end of the one year, you apply for an extention which gives you another year, and so on, and so forth...

You can go to the Thai Embassy website either Washington DC or LA, and down load all of the information and applications... Then depending on where you live, apply at the closest Consulte Office... I did mine at the Portland Oregon office, and they were quick, friendly and very helpful... In and Out in about 20 minutes...

Pianoman

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Piano is right on the money here,but I would like to add that if you get the

multi entry OA visa ,(retirement),like I did at the closest U.S. Thai Consulate,you can enter Thailand anytime before the visa expiration date(1 year from date of issue) and be granted 365 days upon arrival upon each entry so, if timed right getting almost 2 yrs.

here before having to extend in country. the 90 day reporting is as previously

explained here. Also,if you wish to renter after the visa expiration date,but before your last 365 day "admitted until "date you must 1st purchase a rentry permit in this instance. .........

Not always true as insurance and other deductions can effect the net pay and that is what should be reported.

I guess if they're looking for 'takehome pay' -- and I was right on the margin -- I would just go online with DFAS and change tax withholding to zero, wait a week 'til the new statement was available online, then print that out for Embassy looksee (and then go back and change withholding to where it was -- or just pay estimated taxes online).

But I guess the question I'm really asking is how closely does the US Embassy/Consulate look at my statement -- and would they add a 'pay never goes down' descriptor to the verification? I think I read here on TV that they just take your word for it -- and don't even look at your pay statement(?).

Oh, do they report amount in baht, using the current exchange rate? If so, would think exchange rate used would need to be shown should you be able to use this verification in future annual extensions.............

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Don't use a letter but assume you tell them the amount in USD and they enter it as USD. Immigration will then figure the baht amount (believe they use 38). As this can/should be used in combo with a bank account it should not be much problem to keep it legal if you have anything near the required amount. Just remember to allow for a poor exchange rate when conversion is made.

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Jim,Ive seen posts here in which they say that Thai Imm.pulls out a calculator and figures the conversion on the spot when presented with the pension letter.

Now that the $ is back over 40 baht would they be using the current rate tho??Who knows...But Lop is correct that us pensioners should also have bank acct. and the combo with bank acct. does make it easier to meet the legal amount.

To Briley:thanx much for your post as I will be extending in CMai eventually myself.

Yes harpman, that is exactly the document linked to on the embassy webpage here in Sweden. There is no reference to any other document where personal data is requested.

So, to elaborate some more on this: is "self" a good enough reference? Could, say, a landlord be a legal reference provided this person accepts it?

The reason I ask is because I have no contacts in Thailand beyond another Swede who have not lived there for long.

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Come to think of it,I do believe I was asked about a reference..but dont even remember what I put down as this was put off by the Honorary Consul as a relatively unimportant formality compared to(especially) proof of pension,cash balance,medical,et al........

...Now, on the topic, as I look at the application for O-A long stay visa for retirement purpose it is asking for a reference in Thailand. Only multientry is offered at the embassy here.

What is considered a legal reference? Do I really need one if the purpose is retirement?...

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There was a form that I had to complete for the O-A which was discussed here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...ndpost&p=254138

...and can be downloaded from the Thai LA website here:

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/non-o-a.htm

This is the actual link to the document:

http://www.thai-la.net/visa/oa-form.doc

The form is actually called: Additional Application Form for Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A".

Some other posters have referred to a form called "Personal Data Form" which they say asks for educational and work history. This is not what the "Additional Application Form" wants.

But, one thing the "Additional Application Form" does want is a reference person in Thailand:

And this is where I put my ex-g/f's name, address and phone number (after asking her permission, of course).

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Never saw that form when I applied,RDN."Personal Data Form" was required tho...

You were extraordinarily lucky.

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Being blessed with good health,no felony record,modern technology, being financially secure,and living in a city with a Thai consul sure helped too,Doc.

Hi Harpman,

OK - I see - sounds good plan.

Sorry the "recon" Threw me!

To me it sounded as if you were returning to

the Consulate for some "recon(firmation)" !!!

Wonder what happened to Shotover ...

Bill

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Me too,Bill.His situation is unprecedented AFAIK.

...What is considered a legal reference? Do I really need one if the purpose is retirement?...

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For my O-A visa, I had to complete a "Personal Data" form, which asks for the name of a "reference" person. My reference person was an ex-girlfriend, a very nice lady with a proper job (that is, not working in a bar). I don't know whether the immigration people ever contacted my reference person - I have never asked her!

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The pain in an O-A is the homeland medical certificate, the notorization process and the police clearance certificate.

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Just to reiterate,no notarization was needed for my multi OA,police clearance took all of 15 minutes,doc had medical clearnace faxed to Thai Consulate next day,

Besides,for those who may encounter some "pain",I still say this is the best way to go( multi OA in advance, before entering Thailand)

Please let us know how this plays out,(ill be doing my 1st multi OA recon to the U.S. in August,visa expires Feb.15,2006) All the best,the Harpman.

Hi Harpman,

Would you like to clarify what you wrote?

What do you mean by "1st multi OA recon to the US"?

Reminder for all - if your multi OA VISA will expire before

your next entry to the Kingdom - you must obtain a

Re-entry Permit which will expire on your current

"Admitted to Date". And if your return will be after

that then you need to process an annual extension

AND then get a Re-entry permit.

However annual extensions are not normally processed

more than one month prior to the current admitted to date

and it is normal to have to be in the Kingdom at that time.

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Hi Bill,1st of all I agree with your assessment of Shot's situation as lucidly explained in your previous post... Anyway,what I meant by my "recon" was just that I need to return to the U.S. to tend to some unfinished business,visit relatives,etc. Will then return to LOS around the end of October,05.. Visa still valid until Feb. 06, Will probably leave/return again in early Feb. to get my last 365 day entry before visa expiration(Feb 15) ,and purchase a rentry permit ASAP after that date to protect by last 365 days. Will be time to extend (in C.Mai) middle of Jan. 07.Anyway,that's the plan for now,the Harpman

Shot,It seems to me that you should have gotten another "admitted until " date of March 31,2006,

Only if he had a re-entry permit of course.

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I totally agree,TF, in Shot's OP he did'nt say one way or the other whether or not he'd purchased a reentry permit to cover the time between the visa expiration date and his last(at that time) admitted until date of March 31,06....He certainly should have, as once the visa expires ,so does the multi entry feature that comes along with it. Anyway,it looks like he did'nt do so and Jim Gant is right in that case , it looks like Shot really should've gotten a 30 day entry stamp when rentering in May.I guess we shall see where the brunt of the onus will fall..as you say ,TF ,I think odds are it will fall on the passport holder,Best of luck ,anyway,Shot!

Thought I would update my experience on reentry dates on my O-A Non-Immigrant (Retirement) Visa.  This has been my experience since being issued a Retirement visa in April 2004:

April 8 2004 - O-A retirement visa issued via the Thai consulate in Houston Texas. “Good for multiple journeys to Thailand. This visa must be utilized before April 7 2005.”

April 26 2004 - Arrived in Thailand; visa stamped admitted until 25 Apr 2005.

Since this time, I have left and reentered Thailand 7 times.  Each time, Thai Immigration stamped my passport with an 'Admitted To Date' one year after my reentry date.

For example, when I reentered the country on April 1 2005, the  'Admitted To Date'  stamped in my passport was March 31 2006.

I was surprised that when I reentered Thailand May 16 2005 (after a trip to the USA) that Thai Immigration stamped my passport with an 'Admitted To Date' of May 15 2006. 

At this rate, it would seem that I would never need to renew my O-A visa as long as I leave and reenter the country at least once a year, even though I know this is not logical.

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Shot,It seems to me that you should have gotten another "admitted until " date of March 31,2006,

since this is the last rentry you did before the visa expiration date.(april 6,2005)

I agree with Thai Flyer in that the Imm. officer failed to see that your visa had already expired when you rentered on May16,but since you had gotten your last

"legit" year's rentry on April 1,I dont see why you would have to apply for your extension of stay until just before the March 31 ,2006 date rolls around....

Please let us know how this plays out,(ill be doing my 1st multi OA recon to the U.S. in August,visa expires Feb.15,2006) All the best,the Harpman.

Excellent reference material William.  Thanks very much for the thought and organization you put into this.

One question?  If your embassy provides proof of pension income exceeding the annual required amount (800,000 baht?), do you still have to have a confirmation letter of your balance in your Thai bank account?

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Shotover

In my Experience the answer is YES

Whilst the Regulations say Income, Savings or a Combination of the two

I do not believe that Income alone is an accepted option.

You must show some savings and that will only be accepted

if you have the Proper Documentation - Savings Passbook AND

very recent Letter of Confirmation from the Bank.

My Personal Experince:

When I applied for extension in 2004

- I deliberately submitted only Proof of Income.

My Pension is TWICE the required minimum.

They refused to give the one year extension.

I was given a 15 day extension to get the Savings

account documentation - I asked How Much should

I have in the account - Answer "It is up to you" !!!!!

Well I already had Bht 240,000 in the Bank

so I got the required letter - returned after one week

and got my one year extension.

A simlilar amount was in my account this year and

was accepted.

My retirement visa was originally granted in Sept 1988.

Thai Visa guidelines (it needs UPDATING) at :

http://thaivisa.com/318.0.html

says:

"Pensioners arriving before Oct 1998 with unbroken

records while living here only need 200,000 baht in

a Thai Bank when they apply for an extension. "

I THINK I have seen postings that say this no

longer applies - MAYBE as a Savings ONLY option.

But again MAYBE it was used as a Guideline as to

what Savings amount was acceptable for me in

combination with my Pension.

General

I think it is important to mention - yet again -

That Immigration Officers do seem to have a great

deal of Discretion - they are able to give different

applicants - individual treatment ...

My Experience might be different to yours

So please treat my posting as Guidelines.

My Past experience.

Last year I did not submit a Medical Cert.

As I said I was given an original 15 day extension

to get a Bank Letter. When they subsequently

gave me my one year extension - I was told

that at THAT time a Medical Cert was REQUIRED

- but they would overlook it - but I must have it

next time (ie this year)

Previous year my Bank Letter was a couple of

weeks old - I was told it was not really acceptable

- but they would accept it at that time - next year

it must be more current.

I think these personal decisions can easily depend

on the applicant's demeanour & attitude.

In both cases they would have been within their

rights to insist I comply with the requirements.

All the above at Room 102, Immigration HQ,

Sathorn Road, Soi Suan Phlu.

Bill

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This bank acct.experience also echoes a recent quote from a high ranking

Imm officer in Cmai in which he states that even those who qualify on a pension

should indeed show bank acct balance/and acct. activity. He also states the acct.should not be closed if one is using it to facilitate the OA extension process.

From: http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/2005/may05/73_expats.php

Pol. Lt. Col. Kanokpun Toobkajorn from Chiang Mai Immigration has given us the following advice, you may quote him on every point:

Before making the official request for a retirement visa, you should get your bank book updated or get a statement from any Thai bank indicating that you have 800,000 baht in your account, with each time you apply. You’ll also need a doctor’s certificate from any hospital or clinic to verify the state of your health.

If the person requesting a retirement visa currently receives a pension from their native county, they must present these following references to the Immigration Office;

1. Reference of their pension from the Embassy of their native country. The reference must also be approved by the Thai government,

2. A bank account from a Thai bank. In this case (for applicants with pensions only), the applicant does not need to have 800,000 baht in the bank, but a mere 20,000-30,000 baht monthly turnover would be fine,

3. Doctor’s certificate from either governmental or private hospital or clinic.

Foreigners who apply for retirement visas may do so at the Chiang Mai Immigration office and the process should not take more than two days. Once the visa has been approved, the 800,000 baht can be withdrawn and used as a normal bank account, but the account should not be closed.

There are always confusions. Should you apply for a visa as a foreigner married to a Thai, the approval has to come from Bangkok which would take up to two months for approval and the applicant must have 400,000 baht in the bank.

By law you ARE allowed to draw on this amount of money, BUT not during the approval process, only once the visa has been issued. The local Immigration will stamp one month temporary visas pending approval.

Immigration Chiang Mai has asked us to emphasise that there is no law nor document which insists that the full sum – 800,000 or 400,000 can not be drawn upon during the year, once the approval has been granted. There are many Thai language documents to sign and sometimes foreigners may misunderstand what the documents are all about so it is advisable for your own rights and peace of mind to check that you fully understand all documents to avoid any misunderstandings.

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Thanks a million for all that, Ajarn, especially since I'm single, living in Chiang Mai, and have thought about going this route in 11 more months. I know Houston will give me a one-year retirement visa, but I'd have to go through it in CMai sooner or later. Do you think the American Consulate in CMai could do all the pension verification?

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I say thanx a million also,P.B. Im all ears as well concerning that question as to whether the U.S. Cmai consulate can verify the pension...

Gary,I take it by saying "Siam Bank" that you're yet another satisfied Siam Commercial customer??

Rex,

I just did the US Consulate thing for my NIOA Multiple Entry Retirement Visa in March of this year, and it was very easy...  I went to the local police dept., and requested the criminal background statement, they checked their records and handed me a form letter stating that they had no record of any kind of criminal behavior...  Had my own Doctor sign the form pulled from the Thai Embassy Website, provided letter from my bank stating the length and level of my banking history with them, took it all to the Consulate and had my Visa within about 20 minutes...    Now I have until I file for an extention of that Visa a year from now to figure out and deposit whatever funds are needed in Thailand...

I would recommend doing as much as possible in the States were you are all using the same lanuage, rather than depending on the Thai Immagration where there can be some confussion regarding anything at all...

Oh, I also came with a Big Suitcase,,,  O.K., really 3 Big Suitcases and then had a friend bring more stuff a few weeks later...

Good Luck,

Pianoman

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Rex,I concur with Piano's post as I just did the same at the New Orleans

Consulate (OA multi entry) No notarizaion of any documents required...and Stephanie the Honorary Consul was wonderful.

The criminal background check is a standard form issued by your local

police as it is also used to "clear"

local job applicants seeking work.

It was also my experience that I did'nt qualify for the standard,single Non Imm O anyway..

Also,even though I easily qualified on just my cash position (at least 20K$, this can be either in a bank or money mkt. acct.with a brokerage firm) I still needed to provide proof of my monthly pension,as this was assurance that Im "officially retired",my annuity estimate given before my last day of work was all she needed.All in all.not much hassle at all, once all the documents were in her hands,I had the multi OA in my P.Port in less than 45 minutes.

I would use a M.Mkt acct. at a brokerage to do your eventual wire xfers,its my experience that they're

much cheaper than banks,and you'll get a slightly better interest rate as well.

If you do end up going the multi OA route(and if things dont change as Lop points out) you can leave/reenter Thailand anytime before your OA visa expiration date and be admitted for yet another 365 days,giving you,if timed right, close to 2 yrs. before you must extend in country.At that time is when I would have a Thai bank acct.

(even with a pension,wer'e in the same boat here) to show your'e bringing in money and using it to live on. Remember,at this point you'll begin dealing with Thai. Imm. in country for your future extensions. Then there also will be the 90 day address reporting requirement(which is dealt with extensively here on T.V)..

Once again, I totally concur with Pianoman,

and would go for the multi OA before entering Thailand ....All the best,the Harpman

police as job applicants need it

as well when seeking work.

Is Chiang Mai starting to suffer from Pattaya-itis???

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Yes - Been heading that way for some years now.

Be careful, steer clear of known trouble areas and don't act like a smartarse, you will generally be okay though.

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What do you consider to be the "known trouble areas"?? (I dont count stumbling drunk down a dark Soi at 2 a.m.,that could be trouble all the time!) Ive never had any trouble anywhere in CMai in over 16 years of extended visits,but now will be living there as of next month.I also know for a fact that at least sometimes farangs can invite trouble to be thrust upon them...

But then again simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time is always a possibility.....