sandyf

Cannot be both, your visa status will be married or retirement.

There are only 2 ways to be in Thailand, legally or illegally.

You didn't read the comment correctly. "Doctors in Thailand tend not to prescribe generic alternatives for expensive medications" I would agree, when expensive medication is required it would normally be branded. I was prescribed apixaban and policy at the time was to provide Elquis, policy changed and they changed to another branded drug, forgot the name, which was twice as much as I was paying for the Elquis. I declined and sourced a generic apixaban.

Selective memory. It is less than 60 years since someone of a different nationality in a prominent country wasn't allowed to dream. Another western country took a page out of that book.

You should try looking at it from their perspective. During the pandemic they could see much higher level of death in western countries and came to the simple conclusion that there was a much higher level of infection so became vary wary of being close to foreigners. That will be very difficult to get over. I have also had the same experience since the pandemic but it will improve with time. I was in hospital last week and while waiting for the doctor all the nurses crowded round asking questions, just like they did in the past. Learn to live with it, there are more important things to worry about.

Memories of the north from that time a bit vague, usually stayed in the south and the north was like a night out. My days in Pattaya as a singly were from 99 - 05,after that I started to stay in Bang Saen before coming to live in Chonburi. I also sometimes reflect on "chances missed" but no regrets, "Private Dancer" was always at the back of the mind.

I plan to do exactly the same in September, just hoping the service is not affected by industrial action. Not going to bother having stamp transferred as extension due for renewal in Nov.

Really. 60 years ago they were objecting to school uniform in the UK, but out of school they wanted to dress the same and with the same haircut, or lack of it. "Male mods wore button-down white shirts, Levi jeans, trendy puppy shoes and parka coats " https://relcolondon.com/blogs/style/difference-between-mods-rockers School uniform is an equaliser and takes away any controversy over innappropriate dress. The real issues are that costs should be controlled and uniform is fit for purpose. I spent 14 years of my life in uniform and still remember the marks on my neck from the collar studs.

Always been a variable, I didn't need a letter when I last renewed passport in 2014.

The British Embassy has never had much in the way of services for expats, that was the responsibility of the British Consulate within the embassy. A few years back on the pretence of cost cutting primary consular services were moved to India which closed down the visa dept in the consulate. Since then the remaining services have been quietly discontinued. If you look at the consular fees, the highest fee number is 22 but there are only 9 fees currently active. This would indicate that at least 13 services have disappeared. The UK authorities have nothing against expats per se, they are against anything relating to immigration or migration. The writing was on the wall when they got into bed with VFS some years ago. On saying that I have to say that when I got caught up in the passport fiasco in 2014 the embassy staff stepped up to the plate and in the nick of time prevented an ETD being required. Somehow I doubt the same support would be availabe today.

Talent doesn't come into it, Gary Glitter?

Yes, a bit tedious. Another office variable, fortunately mine is not too bad.

Think that may have been the one on the corner by what was Palmers Bar, used to be next to Sue's Place. Can't remember the name but something like "Pussydolls" comes to mind. That certainly had upstairs facilities, as others in the area. I was never into ST but knew many that were, some even went across the road from Palmers.

I have never had an issue with immigration over an extension that wasn't a simple oversight on my part. Being on a UK pension, had a bit of an issue when the embassy stopped the letter. That was resolved fairly simply by going back to a ME Non O until sorted. Many create unnecessary problems by not paying attention to the detail in what they say.

Why not just apply for Non O E-visa, save you asking questions again when you get to Thailand. With ILR you can do that in the UK.

There are several benefits of not having to pay up front, but you can lump them into one if you want, up to you.

Obviously quicker flying but you can now get a train direct from Vientiane to Kunming, about 10 and half hours. There is a bus service between the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai and the new railway station. https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2023/04/19/historic-cross-border-passenger-trains-travel-between-vientiane-and-kunming#:~:text=The journey between Vientiane and,the Boten-Bohan border crossing.

Quite. It is my 15th wedding anniversary next week but I did the first 6 years on a marriage visa, not until 2014 did I find out where immigration was and do first 12 month extension. Many that have done the same as you claim to have done a marriage visa which invariably leads to an irrelevant debate. Years ago I was fairly critical of the terminology police as I felt they went over the top but recently the issue has deteriorated and needs to be addressed in one way or another.

The biggest is not having to claim a refund when order cancelled. A couple of years ago I tried to buy a 22 inch TV but apparently there was a shortage of a component in China for that particular size. Sellers were advertising stock that they thought was coming from China, but wasn't. I was chasing non existant stock and had 6 orders cancelled on me before I found out why, a lot of money in the system if not COD. In the end I bought a model made in Thailand, no problem.

That is not obvious at all. What is obvious is that the OP applied for an extension and got an under consideration stamp. What is also obvious is the OP does not understand the process so how would he know what is the same process. The friend could have been trying to convert exempt to Non O, who knows.

Yes it is possible and I know that to be fact but not out of the question for it to be an issue. There can be further interaction, the application stated all documents must be in English so I sent the translation of my marriage certificate, they then asked for the Thai version. They do not send a sticker, the E-visa is a printout sent by email and you just show to immigration when required. Normally annotated on entry stamp.

Why on earth would you think your IP address has anything to do with it. The first page of an E-visa application makes it very clear which embassy will handle the application, copy attached. Stop challenging what gets said and make an application yourself to find out what is required. It does not need to be submitted and will be removed from the system in 14 days.

I wouldn't disagree but my wife and her family take a different view.

Moral of the story should be to do what is the least hassle. About 15 years ago a friend of mine insisted on doing it himself and paying in USD, had to wait nearly 3 hours to get his passport back. From 2008 until 2014 I was here on ME Non O and visited the border on a regular basis, then it was 1400 baht for the visa and 150 baht admin fee and would suggest 2000 baht is not that bad a deal. Used to take about half an hour out and in, long enough for a visit to the duty free and get reimbursed a chunk of the visa fee.

If you bait the trap good, not too much of a problem. A few years back one of the neighbours rented a piece of land the other side of our wall and put up a chicken coop, shortly after we had rats in the roof space. Wife bought a trap and we started catching them and she would take them out and set them free. Seemed to be endless turnover and then one day one got the tail caught in the trap door and bit it off. Wife got rid of it and I couldn't believe it when it reappeared a few days later, we had been trapping the same ones over and over. Apparently they can find their way back some distance, wife started taking them somewhere there was already rats and the numbers stared to decrease. Guy never paid the rent on the land so chicken coop disappeared and been rat free a few years now. BTW I had put a camera in the roof space with motion activated recording so I could see what was going on.