sandyf

Quite, with many countries around the world facing recession obviously a lot of incompetant governments about. Thailand is suffering from global events, unlike the UK which is partially self inflicted.

The education of a child is in the hands of the parent, they can leave it entirely up to someone else or they can take some responsibility. Nothing new here, there has been conflicting views on many subjects in schools around the world for decades.

You shouldn't pay too much attention to those who have never been. I went just before the pandemic started and got a multi entry Non O based on marriage and I did not have to provide any financial information whatsoever. I have seen a post recently from someone who has just been and fairly sure they were asked to show the equivalent of 400K baht, again for an ME. If I remember right there was no seasoning and the funds could be anywhere. You ought to try and find that post. The fee for a Multi entry is $200 and you must pay in USD. The consulate at HCMC is quite small and only a few are allowed in at a time. My wife was with me but had to remain outside. Best to have an umbrella as there is no shade or shelter. It would be adviseable to download the application and have everything ready before going in. I was the last in my group to go in and went straight to the window, everyone else was filling in forms. If I had needed a desk I would have had to wait. I haven't been to the others but in HCMC it is conveniently located and I found the service very good. I spent my first 6 years in Thailand on ME visas, not a problem. Only downside is I filled up my passport in under 3 years.

Quite right, I didn't notice and used to dealing with single items. However if it is an issue it doesn't stop the double being replaced by 2 singles, there is always an answer. The other option is to put an adaptor on the other socket so the plugs are not on the same level.

You cannot go to another country and expect things to be the same. Quality and cost are directly related so if you want higher standards it is all about getting your wallet out, you could easily have all sockets replaced. The electrical situation in Thailand leaves a lot to be desired and a lack of switches is hardly at the top of the list when it comes to undesirable practice.

If it is an issue, turn one socket the other way round.

You learn something new every day, I wasn't aware that the Maldives and Somalia were in the same country.

As said previously, all about which office. I have had a home visit for every extension done in the last 6 years, including retirement. I also come under Chonburi.

Exactly. Confusion reigns whe answers are provided for questions that were never asked.

Yes, I used the visa exempt option a couple of years ago and the IO asked for it. I hadn't thought about that and my wife had the flight booking and she had gone through. Bit of a pantomine getting her back to the booth. You will find the list of countries here https://www.vietnam-visa.com/vietnam-visa-exemption/#:~:text=Conditions for Making Vietnam Visa,at least 02 blank pages.

Yes

Partly true, I never need my passport at the hospitals I use, registered with the pink card. I usually have an appointment card so no ID required but to get an appointment then the ID card is required, HN is not enough. The mobile health unit is coming to our area again in Feb and I am booked in for another free health check up, although I accept that would be of litlle interest to the health elitists.

It all depends why they are asking, many hotels want ID for there own records and security so DL or pink card would be ok. If they are doing it for immigration then it must be a passport as they are required to submit a copy of the stamp. Problems can arise if you get a receptionist that has never seen an under consideration stamp before. About 5 years ago immigration had a purge on hotels and it was very difficult to check in without showing your passport, but that didn't last particularly long. The hotel I am in at the moment never asked to see my ID, nor did the one last night.

Thailand is still in the infancy of cashless society but for anyone to claim it won't happen is absurd. The UK is much further into cashless than Thailand but they have opted for contactless rather than QR codes. You go in a bar now and there is more cards being presented to the till than pound notes. Even worse on buses. When I was there recently I had to go to the train station fairly early so had to pay as it was to before my OAP bus pass could be used. I gave the driver a fiver and he said he didn't have any change and would have to give me a credit note. I said what good was that when I had a bus pass, he laughed and told me to sit down. I couldn't use my debit card as it was new and I hadn't activated it for contactless.

If things work year after year, why not continue. If things change year after year, you have to change also if you want the stamp. When I did my second marriage extension they handed the photos back saying not required, photos would be taken during the home visit. That time I changed to retirement, still had the home visit. Nice to hear there are some offices reasonably consistent, doesn't happen very often.

If you come to Thailand with a multi entry visa it wouldn't be normal to extend it in the first 90 days. It would be normal practice to leave the country every 90 days and then extend before the visa is due to expire. Not a lot of point paying twice to be in the same place. The visa would be valid for a year and you can if need be extend it at any time during that period and what you did then would be up to you. I was on a Non O ME based on marriage when the pandemic broke out and when the grace period came to an end I had to get a 12 month extension as I coud not leave the country. The visa was about 7 months old at the time and as far as I could see the visa remained valid until it expired at the end of that year. It certainly wasn't stamped cancelled and there was nothing said about it being cancelled. All a bit academic as the borders were closed at the time. If you did extend the visa early and left the country there would be little point in trying to re-enter on the visa as you would be faced with another extension shortly after. Simplest option would be to leave and come back on extension plus re-entry permit.

Bit academic what your philosophy is, it all depends on the office and the staff at that point in time . Last year we gave them the same 4 photos we have used for several years previously, they got rejected on the basis it should be new photos every year. Had to shoot home for a reshoot. When they did the home visit they just questioned the neighbours, no photos or witnesses as on some previous visits. Under consideration at the moment and this year we gave them the 4 new photos as specified last time. When they did the home visit only one guy turned up, not the normal 3. He had brought a tripod with him and all he did was take photos that included himself, 2 at the gate, 2 in front of the house, 2 in the lounge and 2 in the bedroom.

As usual, no personal experience and nothing definitive or any recollections on those that have had problems getting approval. I suspect that some who have had problems have never said anything. Every indication is that the financial requirements for a Non O E-visa based on marriage are consistent with that for a 12 month extension. In every situation there will be those that circumvent the requirements and get away with it but if you wish to advise people to risk their application on the basis of hearsay that is of course entirely up to you.

One can only assume you have never been to China, virtually cashless, even old ladies in the market paying the equivalent of 5 baht with a smartphone. Very difficult for tourists with many services unattended and payment by QR code. Paying by cash is expensive, nobody has any change and you end up paying over the odds, but you get what you pay for so to speak.

Just like many other countries.

Of course you can answer the questions in any way you want, approval is a different matter. Maybe you can tell us which embassy approved an E-visa Non O based on marriage on the basis of 20k baht.

On the E-visa application based on marriage there are 2 financial questions, Nos 4 & 10, one relates to income and the other money in the bank, not necessary to answer both. On the retirement application there is only one financial question.

It dos not matter what an embassy website says, you have to answer the questions on the application.

Obviously "Thai-Sino High-Speed Train Project" went over your head.

Yes, at London fairly recently. The E-visa application is made on the website, not the Embassy, and requirements are standard on the E-visa platform subject to language and currency conversion, although applications are processed at the local embassy. This is a copy of the supporting document page for a Non o based on marriage, in the visa listing will show as visiting Thai family. Official Website of Thailand Electronic Visa_4.pdf