kanook

On 8/10/2559 at 10:55 AM, Deepinthailand said:

I called Avalon to book for end of this month prices quoted over the phone were more expensive than on booking.com. have heard it's cheaper if you just turn up and they have any rooms vacant but I'm not taking that chance.

I booked the Avalon over the phone a week before I stayed, 680 baht and the price on booking was what transam paid 800 baht.  Don't know about your experience, but they offer a cheaper price with a direct booking because they save the fee they need to pay the booking site.  The 700 baht price for Aura on the second night was an in person booking after I looked at the room.

On 04/10/2016 at 5:03 PM, Becker said:

Could someone please describe the options for travelling over the bridge, and then from the Laos border to the consulate (and also the return trip)? I have been there once before but ended up with a tuk-tuk that charged Pukhet  prices from the borer to the consulate.

If you want to avoid the tuk tuk or van service from the border area to the consulate, get back on the bus and ride it to the station. It's a short 5 -10 min walk from there to the consulate. The vans at the border usually charge 100 baht per person to the consulate.

It's also cheaper to book directly with Avalon 680 baht or Aura 700 baht. Aura is newer, the rooms are slightly better and they let you walk in the lobby and hallways with footwear. Three weeks ago I stayed one night at the Avalon and the second night at Aura before I headed south to Pakse for a few days. I never use the tuk tuks in Savannakhet, but rent a scooter to get around instead.

4 hours ago, Maestro said:

One complication with starting afresh with a new entry with a non-O visa could be that some regional departments of employment do not issue a work permit to a foreigner with that type of permission to stay. They want to see a one-year extension of stay. I don't know how this is in Phuket.

Do you know which regional departments will not issue a work permit on a multi entry non O?Just received mine 2 weeks ago and planning on a work permit in Chiang Rai province. Hopefully the OP gets everything sorted, wouldn't wish what happened to him on anyone.

Thanks elviajero and ubonjoe, I just wasn't 100 % sure if they would issue the work permit on a Non O multi-entry and yes I better get the multi entry in case the work permit is delayed.

I had planned to apply for a Non O multi in Savannakhet next week, but now there is a high probability that I will receive a job offer in Thailand in a month or two. The 60 day extension 'to visit my wife' expires on Sep 19, what would be my best options?

1 hour ago, benny86 said:

 

 

Do you simply walk across the border? Would you mind describing the process, as though to a 5 year old? I'll be riding on a motorbike so would ideally like to ride across and ride back. Is this a OUT/IN thing a simple process without a guide?

I could be incorrect about Pedang Besar, Sadao or any of the other crossings into Malaysia, but up north, crossings into Myanmar and Laos on a bike are a waste of time unless you plan on touring the area for a few days.  Just park the bike on the Thai side and cross over without it.  If you do decide to ride the bike across, here is a link with info on what you need.

 http://www.gt-rider.com/touring-information-overview/s-e-asian-border-crossings

Thanks ubonjoe, I assumed that was the case, but I wanted to verify with one of the experts.

My uncle has a Non O-A visa and wishes to visit me in Chiang Rai and at the same time avoid having to do his 90 day report in Chiang Mai.  If he crosses in and out at the Mae Sai border will that reset (90 days from re-entry) the date he will need to report?

8 hours ago, Arandora said:

.... and another one bites the dust! Thanks.

"Rent" a  throw away ticket? No thanks. 

I suggested 3 options.

1)  Book a 'throw away' ticket

2)  Use fly onward  https://flyonward.com/en/ 

3)  Book a refundable ticket with a full service airline and cancel later

As for getting a multi entry visa at an honourary consulate, the situation around the world seems to be very opaque at the moment.  I have been reading some of the reports on the forum and will add that I called the honourary consulate in Edmonton, Canada last week and was assured I could still get a Non O multi entry (based on marriage) there.

1 hour ago, Arandora said:

Given the confusing advice coming out of the Embassy in London and Consulate in Liverpool, that is my Plan B after a trip to Phang Nga Immigration when we arrive to nail down which if any option they offer - it's a nice drive from Khao Lak anyway. I phoned the Consulate at Hull and they had not been informed that they could not offer Type O multiple entry visas for retirees over 60-65 in receipt of state pension. So that remains an option if we do it quickly. 

Any suggestions for cheapest routes for a throw away ticket? AirAsia has a Big Sale on at the moment and we can get the extension locally in Khao Lak at the once a week Immigration caravan there. 

Can book a 'throw away' ticket, use this, https://flyonward.com/en/ or book a refundable ticket with a full service airline and cancel later.

Highly recommend renting a scooter or motorbke in Vientiane - there are some very interesting areas, that most visa runners never get to see. I don't remember the shop, but I do remember having to visit 2 before I found a marginally useful bike.  In fact I have rented a scooter in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet.  Surprised they insist on a passport which I refuse to leave.  Sometimes I get away with just my CAN Drivers Permit, and no deposit, Just let them know your Passport is at the embassy and if they still seem reluctant, that your friend rented with them a year ago without his passport and it wasn't a problem.  Just make sure you get a decent bike; many scooters for rent in Laos are ready for the scrapyard.

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

 

He can only get an METV...

 

That would be the best type of visa for Chang Mai / Rai, given it is about as far as one can get from any nearby consulate for an SETV.

Why are posters on this thread lumping Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai together when discussing 'border runs'?  

I have lived in both cities on a Non O multi entry and from CM, even with a car, it's a 4 hr slog through the mountains - until you are close to CR city, to get to the border - bus takes even longer. The trip from CR to the border is 45 min to an hr on a straight 4 lane highway.  Most foreigners who live in CR or CM own or rent at least a scooter and you can easily do the run on that from CR, but not from CM.

Since no one except BritTim (I agree with Udon Thani) has taken a stab at answering your question I will give you my opinion.  I have not listed smaller border towns like Nong Khai or Mukdahan, but you may consider these depending on personal taste.  If you arrive on a METV, I would probably choose Chiang Rai.  It is an easy 60 km journey to the border from the city and Myanmar (Burma) uses entry stamps ($10 U.S), instead of full page visas like Laos.  The problem with Chiang Rai is that after close to nine months you may have to start using SETV visas and for this CR is not a good option.  

Udon Thani is another option and probably the best all around livable city for at least 2 or 3 years (maybe more) depending on how long the Lao consulates in Vientiane and Savannahket let you switch back and forth between them. If after 2 or three years, your status or Thailand's visa options haven't changed, Bangkok and it's sheer volume of flights within the region would probably make it the best option for long term visa running.

Having moved to Thailand just under a year ago in circumstances very similar to your own the biggest problem I had was getting the documentation needed for a marriage visa.

Things like your marriage certificate are not recognized here in Thailand. You need to look up the procedure for getting them stamped as "official" by the Swedish authorities before you get them translated and stamped over here. You may also wish to do the same with other documents which you might need at some point (birth certificates for yourself and any children for example).

You may also wish to make sure you have plenty of empty pages on your passport. The application for a marriage visa can be a long drawn out process meaning you may have to do several border runs before one gets issued. These fill your passport at an alarming rate.

Good luck.

Getting married legally in Thailand is a lot easier. Just get it registered at the Amphur and it;s official. You don't need to married in your homecountry too.

Very good advice, took 15 minutes and cost 100 baht at the Amphur in Chiang Mai last year.

As soon as you set up a Thai Bank savings account if you don't already have one wire as much money as you can for the future into Thailand.

Many Thai banks now require a work visa to open an account, but not all.

Kasikorn Bank Mgr. in Nana told me if I close any account I can't reopen another without a work visa even with my retirement visa extension. I've been a customer for 9 years.

I would also move to Thailand ASAP.

Interesting, I just helped my niece open an account and she arrived with a SETV last week. If one branch denies you that doesn't mean that another branch of the same bank down the street will not open an account.

Thanks for the input MJCM. You may want to check out recent threads on Penang; seems they have recently moved the goalposts for a NON O multi entry.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/916357-i-need-help-with-getting-multiple-entry-type-o-based-on-marriage/

Are there other options to cross the bridge? Next time I want to avoid the 20 minutes of hell involved with riding the bridge bus.

Private Taxi ?

Staying at Savan Vegas and use their minibus ?

Picking up your passport, just before closing thus avoiding all the people?

Driving your own car across ?

I think that is about it.

Leaving Savannakhet late didn't work last time. I rented a scooter on the last trip and picked up my passport after 3pm, dropped off the scooter at the hotel and then proceeded to the bus station, left the bus station at around 4:30pm and the bus was still jam packed when it left Laos. Maybe the Savan Vegas minivan will accommodate non guests.

Are there other options to cross the bridge? Next time I want to avoid the 20 minutes of hell involved with riding the bridge bus.

I sympathize and hope you can put it behind you soon. I've have decided that the best way to approach citizenship, when and if I meet the requirements, is to prepare my documents, work through the process to the best of my ability, whilst at the same time equating the whole procedure to holding a lottery ticket for a multi million dollar jackpot. Very few get to join the oddly exclusive club of farang PR or citizenship holders. and even though most would jump at the chance to avoid 90 day reporting/border runs, the bright side is you'll have plenty of company with those that do.

Good on the ground reports, BeefSlapper.

I was talking to the (competent) agent I use in Penang about a month ago. They said the consulate is initially only giving single entry Non O, but will give a multiple entry if you apply a second time. It sounded odd, but this experience seems to confirm that.

Did the agent mention what the requirements for financial proof are? BeefSlapper's report seems to suggest 100K for a single O and 400K for a multi. I used Savannakhet last year and was contemplating going to Penang this year instead but if the bar has been raised to 400K for a multi and only given to those who have applied before I'll have to reconsider.

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

How can immigration ask for more information on arrival cards , when there is only enough space to write the required info ?

You would have to ask WaiLai for more detail on what happened that day. My observation is of someone who has crossed over the Mae Sai border over 40 times in the last 5 years and it has gone from being one of the 'friendliest' border crossings in Thailand to what it is today; best avoided if your documents are not in order.

I did my double entry run at Mae Sai last week as I've done for the past 3 years.

First nightmare experience I have ever had trying to re-enter,

35 people in the queue, 2 kiosks open - 2 hours later i was passed through (after what appeared to be the standard for the day - 5-8 minutes of "fine-tooth combing and checking of every little detail").

While in the queue, an officer paraded up and down the line demanding more and more information details to be written on the arrival card. People were frantic to find their info. The officer was good natured though - he just smiled as the people wilted.

The bottom line is that if you have a valid visa there should not be a problem at Mae Sai. That said I am not sure how long you have been crossing at Mae Sai luke000, but I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 years and have been crossing there for five and from my perspective they are definitely taking more time inspecting the passports and arrival cards. In 2013, when I was living in Chiang Rai, I would cross over every 15 days before they allowed G7 passport holders 30 days, and several of us would comment how friendly Thai border immigration was compared to the Burmese; these days the exact opposite is true.

Chiang Rai would be the best office to do the extension. I have never had to wait longer than 15 minutes at that office, although I've made a conscious effort to avoid days and times that I suspected would be busy.