craigp

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can fly to Savannakhet from Bangkok (bkk) on Lao Airways. But you will need to stay 3 nights due to the flight schedules.

No difference between flying in or by land paperwork wise.

You could use a fly/ride service to Mukdahan that Air Asia and Nok Air offer from DMK. Then cross the bridge to Savannakhet.

No problem to get a new visa shortly before your current one expires.

Best though to get one more 90 day entry from it before it expires and then a 60 day extension to visit your wife. That would delay needing a new visa for almost 5 months.

Thanks Joe.........You mean I could go to Sai Mai on the 27th and get another 3 months from it?

Hello all,

My multi-entry marriage visa is due for renewal and I just wondered if it is easy and simple to fly into savannakhet from Bangkok to renew my visa? Or should I use the bus over the friendship bridge as I did last year? 

Does it make any difference? Such as additional paperwork if flying?

I'd rather fly from BKK to save time than use the bus, but I'd like to hear from anyone who's flown in or done this recently.

Final question if I may. My visa expires on the 28th of May. Is it ok to Renew on the 23rd?

Thanks for any help and advice regarding this! Sorry if it seems obvious for some, but I don't want to hit any hurdles. 

Regards

Craigp 

Thanks Joe, do you know what time they stop doing the stamp crossings? Yes, your right about the 90 day non o

Hi all, I'm new to Bangkok and I need to do my 3 month stamp today or tomorrow. Something vital came up and I can't leave BKK until about 3pm. Would I be better off flying to Chiang rai later and going to the mea sai boarder today or tomorrow or get a bus / taxi to a Cambodian boarder? I know its a stupid question but please suggest my best option guys. My non O visa is stamped to the 4/9

Thanks all. 

2 minutes ago, lordblackader said:

You might want to check what date today is. 

Ah ha, I have been 'fooled'. What a tit I am. Thanks.... 

You could get a multiple entry non o from Savhenerket (forgive the spelling) giving you up to 15 months before you do the divorce. 

2 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Brixit?  Check your calender.

Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 shortly before 12:30pm on March 29 2017.

Hi TV,

Please can somebody tell me what marriage certificate(s) needs to be taken to savannakhet  for this visa?

Some people are telling me 1, some say 2. (It it kor 1 and kor 2?)

The reason for asking is because we lost one of ours (The pretty one with the flowery boarder) so only have one left. We reported it lost at the police station and got a slip of some sort from the police.

So, will I be able to get this visa with only 1 of the flowery bordered certificates???

I'd really appreciate the answer as I don't want to go if I can't get the visa.

Thanks!!

Thanks for all your info,

there's some great comments and I sincerely appreciate it. 

I'm hoping to find out a little more if I can....

When I said 'best place to stay' in my original post, I just meant for practicality, by living near one of the Embassies that's easily reachable by land crossings, so the visa runs require little time and travel. So, just a convenient, normal town that has everything anyone would need. No need to consider cities or beaches, just a typical modest town that makes visa runs simple. However, it could be that staying near an international airport could be better option then, as to fly to different countries / Embassies?  

From my understanding, people wanting to stay longer term on tourist visas 'should' only apply 2 or 3 times from that same Embassy and then apply from another Embassy.....

Is this true? What's the benefit of it? So, it's better to go to a different Embassy each time, from those countries mentioned above; opposed to applying from the same Embassy, near a land boarder right? Then I have to ask myself why that makes the visa more likely to be approved. 

Also, how long would one need to be out the country to apply for another tourist visa?

Would a length of stay in my home country make obtaining future tourist visas easier? If so, is there any rule to the length of time one would stay out? 

I know I've asked a lot it but any added info would be great.

Thanks again. 

Hello TV.

My nationality - UK. Age 36. 

Please could some wonderful TV members help me answer these questions. . .

For someone with no other visa options other than tourist visas, who wanted to stay in Thailand long term, (Or as long as they could using tourist visas) where would be the best place(s) in Thailand for them to live,  considering convenience of the visas and ease of travel for visa runs? (Including anything else that maybe appropriate to consider) 

Then, what is the maximum amount of tourist visas permitted? (Assuming there is a limit.) 

Many thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions offered. 

Hi TV.

I have a bit of a problem. I applied for my UK passport at Trendy in Bangkok. Now I have a health problem and can't go to collect it . (It's ready and waiting) Can any companies collect it and post it to me?

I can't wait much longer because of my extension.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks in advance.

• The visa is valid for 1 year from the date of issue.
• Every time you enter you're granted a 90 day stay.
• If you enter on or before the expiry date of the visa you're granted a 90 day stay.
• Towards the end of the 90 days you can apply for a 60 extension of stay to visit your wife.

Yes. The visa stays valid even if the passport isn't. It stays in the original passport and you use both passports until the visa expires.

Thanks for the info. For the 60 day extension, do you know what documents are required?

Hi TV,

I've been browsing the forums trying to find out the maximum length of time it's possible to stay on a multi entry non 'O' based on marriage from Savannakhet.

I read in another thread that 17 months is possible, but it didn't give an explanation as to how that could be done.

Another thing, my passport expires in a year. Can any use of the visa be continued into a new passport?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

It's an interesting thread and I appreciate all the replies. Some comments have been useful.

First thing I need to do is apply here -

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

I'll worry about the ordeal with the 'extension' later. (the yearly extension.....)

Hi TV,

I recently done my extension based on marriage. My passport expires in February, 2017. The immigration officer tried to explain to me that I will need a new passport before my next extension if I want the full 12 months of the extension, else the extension would expire at the same time as my passport. Can anyone confirm this please?

I thought I read somewhere that the extension could be transferred to the new passport, so no time of the extension would would be lost.

More importantly, can anyone please advise me how I can get a new passport in Thailand. (British passport)

How many months before a passport expires can a new one be applied for?

Is the whole thing a tricky, difficult process or is it fairly straight forward?

Regarding the extension, is it transferable once I have the new passport?

The original non-o visa in my current (soon to be old) passport, so would I need to apply for another non-o and then do the whole extension process again?

I really need to know exactly what to do in the right order and with all the hurdles I'll need to jump through for a new passport, and continue things with my annual extensions.

I really don't have a clue about this, so anyone who's done this before can share their experiences about applying for, and getting a new passport in Thailand, with the issues of their current visa and/or extension would be really appreciated.

Thanks loads!!

Here's an interesting item from https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do

It can be downloaded as UserGuideForNotification90Day_V2.pdf

It is better to keep track of the rules of Thai Immigration at all times during your stay in the country, as failure to file your 90-day report can result in a fine of 2,000 THB, and can be increased up to 5,000 THB once you get arrested with an additional fine not exceeding 200 Baht for each day which passes until the law is complied with.

I did my report today, in and out in minutes. As said by the kind members who advised, no fine for being late. There is time after the report date.

Is failure to report our addresses an 'arrestable' offence whilst holding a valid visa? Not exactly in the region of overstaying is it.

Anyway, I'm back in the green.

Thanks again guys!

Great help everyone.

Thanks.

Hi, I didn't notice my report date landed on a saturday, so I tried to do the online option, and kept getting security issues regardless of the browser I used.

I can go Monday, (2 days late) and I'll have to pay 500B per day I'm late?

Also, I've just moved address to make things more complicated.

Advice and suggestions please.

I arrived a few years ago on an ED visa. Many banks refused me until I got a Thai to explain a bank account can be opened using the ED. It wasn't an easy process.

What is their problem when you want to deposit 800k?!? It's not like we're asking for an overdraft or anything!

Looking through the thread, a member thought IO's can't / don't / won't do anything at their discretion (Or otherwise) and and can't move the goal posts even if the if the correct criteria for an extension is met.

Another member has winessnessed refusals and problems due to the appearance of the applicant(s) and/or their attitude and/or behaviour at the immigration office.

I consider myself to be affable, presentable and my application was genuine, but I still ended up being threatened / bribed during my first home visit for a marriage extension.

The appearance of the IO was shambolic in very rough civilian clothes.

But I paid it. it wasn't a huge amount and I was under pressure.

More importantly, I wanted to stay with my wife and didn't want to jeopardise that.

Luck of the draw I suppose.

This is exactly why I was curious to start this thread.

Some of us have been lucky and had no issues what so ever.

Others experience nightmares even when everything appears to be in order.

I've read some decent reports about Chiang Mai, but for me there were bad. In more ways than one.

Now, I deal with Chiang Rai and they've been fantastic. It's another bonus of living in Chiang rai. I have no issues going there at all.

Chiang mai caused me anxiety and stress, almost made me give up on Thailand altogether at one point.

However, some people have reported fair experiences at Chiang Mai.

Hello all,

It seems to be well documented that immigration offices and officers vary enormously around Thailand.

From my own experiences of using Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, one has been heaven and the other one has been hell. (For me personally)

With regards to the marriage/retirement extensions, has there ever been any reports of extensions being refused even if all the paper work and other criteria has been fulfilled?

Could immigration officers refuse extensions at their discretion? Even if all the criteria has been fulfilled correctly?

Has there ever been any reports of extensions being refused during the ‘under consideration’ period?

Or, are the immigration officers obliged to issue an extension if everything that’s requested is in order?

If the criteria changes in the future for retirement/marriage extensions, are those of us who’re already using extensions likely to be able to use the current legislation? (‘Grandfather Rights’ or whatever it’s known as)

Or, would any changes to the current extension system affect everybody when renewing our extensions?

Please share your opinions

1. 1,900 Baht

2. The cost of travel and possibly a Visa to enter another country.

With a valid Thai tourist visa, and USA passport, will she need another visa to jump over the border and back at Mai Sai?

The cost is the same for any kind of extension, a visa exempt entry is of course free (but one need to pay for the visa to enter the other country).

Mai Sai immigration will probably tell her to get the extension instead of getting a visa exempt entry and might not allow her to leave.

Thanks Mario,

But, at the moment her tourist visa is still valid/in date, so couldn't she hop over the border at Mai Sai and come straight back in and get a 30 day visa exempt?