TheSiemReaper

 

 

 

@The OP
 
Come to Cambodia. Online freelancing is a legal option here. No requirement for a work permit. No requirement for language lessons. No ridiculously over-priced tourist visa either. $285/year all in. If you want a year's language lessons - that would cost about $100 on top.
 
I could afford the Elite card but there's no way on earth that I would afford it. 500K (that's $16k USD) Baht plus other fees for a 5 year tourist visa? Lol. If Thailand ever decides to enter the modern age and make it easy to incorporate a sole-trader that pays taxes but neither hires Thais nor hires an office; I'd consider moving to Thailand until then... not on your nelly.
 
The long-term impact of this visa crackdown is going to damage Thailand's ability to trade internationally give them a few years and economic pressures will make them relent (or at least come up with a sensible set of requirements for a long-term visa). Until then, come to the Kingdom of Wonder and enjoy a cheaper lifestyle without a single visit to register in a police station in your whole time here.

So how much income tax are you contributing to the Cambodian economy then
 

 
None. It's completely legal. My company does no business in Cambodia. It leaves me to decide where I will work. My company is a Hong Kong registered entity, trading completely overseas, no Hong Kong business allowed. I don't get paid a salary thus I have no income to tax. I pay an annual accounting fee in Hong Kong and can expense everything I can get a receipt for; including my rent, bills, etc. you don't pay taxes on expenses (apart from possibly VAT). If I can't get a receipt - I don't buy it.
 

So why would Thailand want you?

OB


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

Umm... because as my first post says; if I could incorporate in Thailand, I'd pay tax? Are you being deliberately obtuse?

 

@The OP
 
Come to Cambodia. Online freelancing is a legal option here. No requirement for a work permit. No requirement for language lessons. No ridiculously over-priced tourist visa either. $285/year all in. If you want a year's language lessons - that would cost about $100 on top.
 
I could afford the Elite card but there's no way on earth that I would afford it. 500K (that's $16k USD) Baht plus other fees for a 5 year tourist visa? Lol. If Thailand ever decides to enter the modern age and make it easy to incorporate a sole-trader that pays taxes but neither hires Thais nor hires an office; I'd consider moving to Thailand until then... not on your nelly.
 
The long-term impact of this visa crackdown is going to damage Thailand's ability to trade internationally give them a few years and economic pressures will make them relent (or at least come up with a sensible set of requirements for a long-term visa). Until then, come to the Kingdom of Wonder and enjoy a cheaper lifestyle without a single visit to register in a police station in your whole time here.

So how much income tax are you contributing to the Cambodian economy then

 

None. It's completely legal. My company does no business in Cambodia. It leaves me to decide where I will work. My company is a Hong Kong registered entity, trading completely overseas, no Hong Kong business allowed. I don't get paid a salary thus I have no income to tax. I pay an annual accounting fee in Hong Kong and can expense everything I can get a receipt for; including my rent, bills, etc. you don't pay taxes on expenses (apart from possibly VAT). If I can't get a receipt - I don't buy it.
 

I have used Metfone and Open-Net in both SR and PP for ADSL. They're fine when they work... but they all too often don't work and aftercare is shocking. It's mainly hardware failures (lousy cheap as chips Chinese routers) rather than line failures but they won't let you install a better quality router yourself...

I use CellCard for 3G which I've found performs the best in both SR and PP. Though I use SMART for my actual telephone SIM as the 4 cents a minute calls to most of the world make it much better value for calls.

I use a local fiber optic reseller in SR. I have no idea who they're buying it from (there are a lot of telcos in Cambodia).

 

@The OP

 

Come to Cambodia. Online freelancing is a legal option here. No requirement for a work permit. No requirement for language lessons. No ridiculously over-priced tourist visa either. $285/year all in. If you want a year's language lessons - that would cost about $100 on top.

 

I could afford the Elite card but there's no way on earth that I would afford it. 500K (that's $16k USD) Baht plus other fees for a 5 year tourist visa? Lol. If Thailand ever decides to enter the modern age and make it easy to incorporate a sole-trader that pays taxes but neither hires Thais nor hires an office; I'd consider moving to Thailand until then... not on your nelly.

 

The long-term impact of this visa crackdown is going to damage Thailand's ability to trade internationally give them a few years and economic pressures will make them relent (or at least come up with a sensible set of requirements for a long-term visa). Until then, come to the Kingdom of Wonder and enjoy a cheaper lifestyle without a single visit to register in a police station in your whole time here.

 

Legally, residents are liable for income tax on worldwide earnings in Cambodia, iirc. Not such a better setup if you look at it that way, since Thailand levies tax on offshore income only when it is remitted to Thailand in the same year it is earned.

 

I would be if I had any earnings. The joys of being a company director is we don't get paid a salary - we collect drawings instead. No income = no tax. My company meets all my expenses (legally) for everything I do (rent, bills, etc.) and I draw zero dollars in earnings. (Hint: Open a Limited Company in a tax haven).

@The OP

Come to Cambodia. Online freelancing is a legal option here. No requirement for a work permit. No requirement for language lessons. No ridiculously over-priced tourist visa either. $285/year all in. If you want a year's language lessons - that would cost about $100 on top.

I could afford the Elite card but there's no way on earth that I would afford it. 500K (that's $16k USD) Baht plus other fees for a 5 year tourist visa? Lol. If Thailand ever decides to enter the modern age and make it easy to incorporate a sole-trader that pays taxes but neither hires Thais nor hires an office; I'd consider moving to Thailand until then... not on your nelly.

The long-term impact of this visa crackdown is going to damage Thailand's ability to trade internationally give them a few years and economic pressures will make them relent (or at least come up with a sensible set of requirements for a long-term visa). Until then, come to the Kingdom of Wonder and enjoy a cheaper lifestyle without a single visit to register in a police station in your whole time here.

The minimum income requirement can be avoided by emigrating to the EU (where it doesn't apply) and waiting a couple of years (in say Spain) - whereby your partner automatically qualifies for British residency despite failure to hit the income requirements. Otherwise; the recent ruling says you're out of luck if you don't have the cash.

4-5 hours in taxi, 6-8 hours in a bus. $60(ish) for a taxi. $10 (each) for a bus. I'd rather kebab myself than take another bus in Cambodia but many others feel the same way about taxi services...

ADSL is cheap, if somewhat unreliable, expect to pay about $20 a month in any city. 3G coverage is good in cities and transport links, but patchy in the wilds.

I pay for a fiber optic connection which is expensive ($80 a month) and for a 3G backup (I think about 20GB a month is about $20). But then I work online with large files and not having a good connection would cost me much more.

Phnom Penh is undergoing a 4G roll out now and Siem Reap is scheduled to start this year too...

 

 

Out of all the places on earth to live Siem Reap seems like an odd choice. Is there an expat community there? The place is a ghost town half the year and a revolving door of dirty back packers for the other half. Sure the people are nice and it's cheap but I would loose my mind living there. Phnom Penh is a depressing dump but it's far more interesting. Never made it to the beach but I will check it out on my next visa run.

 

 

 

The place is never a ghost town - that was once true but there are at least 20,000 people packed into Siem Reap every single day of the year - looking at the temples now. It's got a great expat community; if you know where to look. Phnom Penh is OK but the expat community is nowhere near as good and I don't like it anywhere near as much. I'd skip the beaches; Thailand has Cambodia beat there.

 

A thriving and diverse expat community, including artists, entrepreneurs etc.

 

Entirely true Sheryl. Siem Reap is much more than just a tourist town but it does take a little while to "hook a brother up" with the expat community because it's quite well-hidden at first glance.

In spite of low season heat and humidity, Siem Reap was a delight for us. We spent 10 days beginning July 1.

4G internet from the local provider was cheap and very fast, both on the handset and tablet. I spent about 300 baht putting in new sims, and signing up for one month or one GB on each.

A four star quality boutique hotel cost us 500 baht a day, and the beautifully prepared fusion dishes turned out by the kitchen were 100-150 baht per. Happy hour Bloody Marys around the saltwater pool were 65 baht each, and superb.

Liquor is half the price of Thailand, and very good beers are available at similar prices to Thailand, but better quality.

Strolling at and after sundown is very pleasant. We stayed in the Wat Bo neighborhood, and could easily walk to the markets and Pub Street. If clubs are your thing, the scene is much more sophisticated than that in Chiang Mai, with a lot of options concentrated in a relatively small part of town. People speak English everywhere you go, and except for the occasional gonzo motosai guy running amok in the walking street area, it's safe as any place I've been.

I'm taking the advice of locals and plan to return in mid-November for a longer stay, and exploration of PP and Sihanoukville.

My first impression is I could live in Cambodia, but I'll need more experience before making a decision. I'll also need to know what problems may arise when I bring a Thai wife along with me. I've no idea whether she'll be able to come in under my one-year visa or will be required to enter as an ASEAN alien.

 

 

 

Zero issues for the Thai wife. She enters on a 14-day visa waiver and then buys a 1 year multi-entry ordinary visa (just like you will) from a travel agent. I've done this twice with my now-ex Thai girlfriend. There are only two visas in Cambodia (available to non-diplomats and non-NGOs anyway) tourist and ordinary; there are no ASEAN visas, etc.

This is a serious issue for Thailand and one they need to get a handle on quickly. Why?

 

Thailand is currently one of the bottom countries for speaking English out of the 10 ASEAN countries (http://whereisthailand.info/2012/07/english-proficiency/). So what? Well when the borders open Thailand is likely to see an influx of workers from any of the ASEAN countries who can all speak better English. This means that where it matters such as tourism they will get the betters jobs and the Thais will be left standing, wondering what the hell just happened.

 

When it comes to teaching English, yes Thai's can teach English but that isn't the issue. Knowing what to say and pronouncing it correctly are two different things. Currently Thais have very poor pronunciation and that skill can only be learned from a native English speaker. Communication is the key word here. You don't need to know all the Grammar rules to get your message across but you do need good pronunciation and vocabulary. That's why these unqualified teachers are essential to Thailand.

 

Now personally I don't agree with working illegally on a tourist visa. Illegal is still illegal. It is possible however for these teachers to work here legally. My Nephew teaches English in Chiang Mai and doesn't have a university degree, yet he has a non-b visa and a work permit. How? He works through an agency who arranged everything for him.

 

Of course there is the other side of the coin here, Thais willingness to learn English. I teach at a school in Phuket and I'm alarmed at the attitude of some of my students. They seem to think that they don't need to learn English. Then there's lazy. Have you ever heard someone say that Thai's are lazy? i'll let you answer that one. Ultimately if the Thai's don't pull their socks up they will get left behind when it comes to the ASEAN and world economy.

 

Unfortunately this is very bad news for Cambodia; where the tourism sector is brimful of English speaking but low paid workers. Thai's are going to be quickly displaced by them and we're going to be left with all those too lazy/too incompetent to learn.

wow thats a lot I guess you have a full house and need a big truck? I looking to find a pick up or maybe sell all I can and

buy new stuff.Well good luck and maybe see you there.I will move to Sihanoukville, lived there before and its not bad.

Good luck.

Wait out! Why don't we share a truck if its possible. Of course, I'll cover the majority cost.

I have 4 bedroom sets and lots of electronics stuff that you would not believe. I have all Mac computer collections... Don't judge I'm not a geek but a collector.

PM me I was planning on Siem Reap but my options are still open. Maybe you can guide me I need a house for my pack of fur babies.

Sent from my iris405+ using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Whoa! I wish you'd mentioned this first. You need to examine the tax laws for Cambodia carefully. You may find that there's a hefty import tax bill if you're bringing that much stuff across the border. By the way, I'm not judging I'm a big fan of collecting electronics. :-)

Out of all the places on earth to live Siem Reap seems like an odd choice. Is there an expat community there? The place is a ghost town half the year and a revolving door of dirty back packers for the other half. Sure the people are nice and it's cheap but I would loose my mind living there. Phnom Penh is a depressing dump but it's far more interesting. Never made it to the beach but I will check it out on my next visa run.

 

 

The place is never a ghost town - that was once true but there are at least 20,000 people packed into Siem Reap every single day of the year - looking at the temples now. It's got a great expat community; if you know where to look. Phnom Penh is OK but the expat community is nowhere near as good and I don't like it anywhere near as much. I'd skip the beaches; Thailand has Cambodia beat there.

 

 

 

I spend a lot of time in Thailand but I live in Siem Reap; I have no idea how anyone can find Cambodia more expensive than Thailand.
 
$550 a month = 1 bedroom hotel apartment (living room, kitchen, bathroom and large bedroom) including all utility bills (electric, cable TV and internet) and regular maid service. Hotel has a salt water swimming pool (large one) and a pool table. Never have to carry anything heavy - hotel staff do it for you.
 
Beer, cheapest in town is 35 cents a beer in an incredible setting. Marlboro - $1.10 for 20. There's an artisan cheesemaker in town, best mature cheddar in Asia - $18 a kilo (try getting cheese for that price in Thailand), bread from a bakery is around $1 a loaf. Giant sized tub of marmite - $9 (roughly the same as a small pot in Tesco in Bangkok). And so on...
 
There is less choice than Bangkok. It is hard to find large sized clothing but a run to Bangkok every now again is both cheap and easy to solve that.
 
There's no cinema and entertainment options are more limited. Health care is poor but dentists are cheaper than Thailand and very good.
 
Could you live comfortably on $1,500 for two here? I know an Australian couple who live here with 5 children (of their own) who managed comfortably on less than $1,000 a month until recently.
 
$10 a meal in a restaurant? Sure, there are restaurants that charge that much. There are restaurants that charge more too. There are plenty of others that charge $2 a meal - dozens of them.
 
Long-term visas must be the easiest and cheapest of any destination in the world. One year, multiple entry, no police registration, no regular check ins, etc. = $285
 
It takes time to get to know Siem Reap - when you arrive, it's easy to get sucked into thinking that tourist Siem Reap is all that there is - it's not true. Cambodia is incredibly cheap to live in, and incredibly easy to live in.
 
And for the record, I've never been burgled, I've never been mugged and I've never seen a group of Khmer kicking the life out of a Westerner - no matter how much of an idiot that Westerner has been.

I live on that sum in a tier-2 city in Thailand......fixed it for ya..!

 

And? So What? Do you live in a hotel-serviced apartment and cover all the rest of your bills etc. on that sum? I doubt it. I could live in a shack for $40 a month here if I wanted to and spend less than $3 in food if I wanted to; I don't. Living a 3rd-rate life in the 3rd-world is not really something to be proud of. I didn't come to the developing world to live like a hillbilly - that's perfectly achievable back home. I came because I wanted a really nice life which is easily affordable. I got it.

 

I don't live in a shack...you can live pretty comfortably here if you don't drink or whoremonger, on 600$...in ordinary cities...Hat Yai in my case.

I found it difficult in Cambo and with bad infrastructure.

 

I don't want to be "pretty comfortable" in the middle of nowhere. I want to be "very comfortable" in somewhere that has lots of options. The roads in Cambodia are crap but there are no other infrastructure problems in Siem Reap that I can think of. If you used to live in Cambodia a few years ago - you'd be amazed how much it has changed in a short time. I would like to live in Thailand (and may do so - I have an ED-visa permit but I haven't been able to pick it up - if my government ever condescends to process my passport; yes, I'm British) but not in Hat Yai or Buri Ram. I earn a decent living, I can choose to be elsewhere but I really do like Cambodia.

I'd say you're out of luck and you'd better deal with that now - while you can before you or your wife get told; "No! You're not coming in."

It sounds harsh but it's the unfortunate truth and no matter how much wishing you put in - it's not going to change. It is, as other posters have said, time to look to live elsewhere. Cambodia is cheap, you can access the medicines you need cheaply and neither you nor your wife will have problems with visas. Ecuador is cheap, you should have little issue getting both of you in there too. Laos, is a pain, and I suspect it's not the perfect destination for anyone but a small handful of folks - it's an immensely frustrating nation because of the combination of Laos laidback-ness and the communist regime's bureaucracy. Malaysia is probably not an option - though medical care in Malaysia is cheap but getting a leave to stay permanently is harder there than in LoS.

You cannot "piggyback" on your wife's ED-visa if you get one in Thailand and you are unlikely to get any other form of permanent visa you can afford. I'm sorry for that - it's not fair but it is a fact. Good luck.

So, for me to get an O as dependent, she has to get the Ed visa from another country's Thai embassy, not by being in Thailand already and traveling to another country for the visa?

They won't give you a dependent's visa for someone holding an ED-visa. No chance whatsoever. Dependent's visas are for people with legally working spouses, parents, etc.

I'd say you're out of luck and you'd better deal with that now - while you can before you or your wife get told; "No! You're not coming in."

It sounds harsh but it's the unfortunate truth and no matter how much wishing you put in - it's not going to change. It is, as other posters have said, time to look to live elsewhere. Cambodia is cheap, you can access the medicines you need cheaply and neither you nor your wife will have problems with visas. Ecuador is cheap, you should have little issue getting both of you in there too. Laos, is a pain, and I suspect it's not the perfect destination for anyone but a small handful of folks - it's an immensely frustrating nation because of the combination of Laos laidback-ness and the communist regime's bureaucracy. Malaysia is probably not an option - though medical care in Malaysia is cheap but getting a leave to stay permanently is harder there than in LoS.

You cannot "piggyback" on your wife's ED-visa if you get one in Thailand and you are unlikely to get any other form of permanent visa you can afford. I'm sorry for that - it's not fair but it is a fact. Good luck.

Update: I have had it confirmed by SR's most trusted (by the expat community) visa agent that the process now takes 4 working days (weekends are not working days for the count) plus 2 more days if done from Siem Reap (for your passport to get to PP and then come back) and plus 0 days in Phnom Penh. It doesn't matter how big a bribe you offer - they will not expedite this (as several expats here have already confirmed). So in total you're looking at 6-8 days from SR and 4 days in PP. Can't offer any insight into Sihanoukville or Battambang or Kampot or Kep but I would expect them to follow the same process as Siem Reap is.

SR, are you still talking about the one-year visa or the 6-month? Thanks

I'm talking about all visa extensions from 1 month to 1 year I'm afraid.

The Philippines is not that easy to get a visa in. Cambodia is, on the other hand, a doddle. You can legally work from home in the set up you have in Cambodia. You can't in Thailand. Having said that, an ED-visa costs about 30K Baht a year (about the same as multiple border runs) and requires a poxy 2-4 hours a week commitment depending on which school you sign up with. I work for an overseas entity too. I work very hard and serious hours. I could still find 2 hours a week if I had to, to meet any visa stipulations.

I have spent a few months in Cambodia mostly PP. I did quite enjoy SR, but never considered living there. Now having a look.
 
I love Thailand but the visa hoops alone is a drag. $550 for a serviced hotel that includes all bills sounds great! Add $20/day for food/drinking/entertainment is just $600 a month. My $1400 SS check would go far there! I can then just hop over to Thailand a few times a year.
 
How welcoming are the locals there to long term expats? I will say I felt safer in SR more than anywhere else in Cambodia. I never had a problem but do think you need to watch your back more than Thailand.

 
As long as you behave like a human being there is far, far less danger to the person in Siem Reap than in Thailand. I regularly stagger home squiffy down dark alleyways etc. and have never come across as so much as a hint of trouble. They like expats here, as long as we behave and spend money - we're welcome.
 
Crime here is normally snatch and grab thefts (solved by learning not to hold your iPhone in the air as motodops whizz past you) and burglary (solved by living somewhere secure and not living in a $40 Khmer shack). I've never had a problem in 3 years of living here. One nice thing about Cambodia is that if there is a problem - it is normally resolved between the two parties, you will not suddenly find an angry mob of Khmer chasing you down the street to kill you - unless you've done something that truly merits it (like killing someone).
 
I live here (with a partner) on about $2k a month and have a very good standard of living. $1,400 a month is also no problem (you can get a service hotel room - rather than an apartment for $2-300 a month and keep more for going out and the occasional trip to Bangkok). When money was tighter - I lived on $10 a day here (eating 3 meals out and having a few beers and maintaining my cigarette consumption) and it wasn't an unpleasant experience. Get away from Pub Street and you'll find that Siem Reap is a very easy place to live in and very cheap. (Confession, I loved Pub Street when I first arrived from China following a brief foray in Thailand but... now I never go. The food's bad for the local area and Pub Street just attracts annoying backpackers).

 
Thanks for that and love your screen name!
 
How do you get around? I remember it being very walkable and tuks tuks did not seem to hike their prices as much as PP.
 
I use to love those $5 foot massages as I had a beer watching a movie outside! I was there in April 2012.
 
Lets just hpe that visa stays the same! I like the idea of making Cambodia a home base and being able to come and go as I please. That too cost extra in Thailand for the reentry permit.
 
I am back in the US for now and interestingly noticed that is about the same to fly to PP then BKK. PP use to be quite a bit more. Ok I am just rambling now.

I have spent a few months in Cambodia mostly PP. I did quite enjoy SR, but never considered living there. Now having a look.

 

I love Thailand but the visa hoops alone is a drag. $550 for a serviced hotel that includes all bills sounds great! Add $20/day for food/drinking/entertainment is just $600 a month. My $1400 SS check would go far there! I can then just hop over to Thailand a few times a year.

 

How welcoming are the locals there to long term expats? I will say I felt safer in SR more than anywhere else in Cambodia. I never had a problem but do think you need to watch your back more than Thailand.

As long as you behave like a human being there is far, far less danger to the person in Siem Reap than in Thailand. I regularly stagger home squiffy down dark alleyways etc. and have never come across as so much as a hint of trouble. They like expats here, as long as we behave and spend money - we're welcome.

Crime here is normally snatch and grab thefts (solved by learning not to hold your iPhone in the air as motodops whizz past you) and burglary (solved by living somewhere secure and not living in a $40 Khmer shack). I've never had a problem in 3 years of living here. One nice thing about Cambodia is that if there is a problem - it is normally resolved between the two parties, you will not suddenly find an angry mob of Khmer chasing you down the street to kill you - unless you've done something that truly merits it (like killing someone).

I live here (with a partner) on about $2k a month and have a very good standard of living. $1,400 a month is also no problem (you can get a service hotel room - rather than an apartment for $2-300 a month and keep more for going out and the occasional trip to Bangkok). When money was tighter - I lived on $10 a day here (eating 3 meals out and having a few beers and maintaining my cigarette consumption) and it wasn't an unpleasant experience. Get away from Pub Street and you'll find that Siem Reap is a very easy place to live in and very cheap. (Confession, I loved Pub Street when I first arrived from China following a brief foray in Thailand but... now I never go. The food's bad for the local area and Pub Street just attracts annoying backpackers).

Getting married and having a beautiful son is the best thing i ever did here, no more border runs and sweating on being let back in.

Back on topic i can see laos and Cambodia to start to become crowded as a lot of falang will find after being refused entry back here very hard to return to there own countries.

I'd suggest that Laos isn't all that easy to stay in long-term (communist countries rarely are) and that Cambodia may well change the visa rules next year when the ASEAN community regulations come into effect. It is rumored that Cambodia will insist that you have at least one 1-year visa in your passport that has expired prior to the date of change in order for you to be able to continue renewing your visa here... so that may rule out those fleeing LoS this late in the day. Note, this is pure speculation at the moment but it's coming from connected folks who have a seat at the decision making table - so it's not impossible either.

There's always a lot of spite in the expat community between those who "played the game properly" and those who didn't. I've never been sure why that is. Surely no-one really wants other expats arrested or their families broken up because someone didn't do their paperwork? I understand the point from the Thai government - immigration rules are immigration rules but not so much from others who are NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST BIT affected by the actions of the people they are so keen to wish misfortune on.

When I lived in China; I was, theoretically entitled to a spousal visa (long-term one), unfortunately the Chinese government decided to withdraw these for the period covering the Olympics, through the Asian Games and right up until the end of the Shenzhen Unversiade Games (a period of 4 years or so). I was left living on 1 year business visas because I could not get my real paperwork processed. Should I have been denied access to my wife and family because of that? Except for that I've been an expat for more than a decade now (in different countries) and have always held the correct visa paperwork (and in some cases - National ID too). We should strive to be legal because it's less of a headache than not being legal. We shouldn't condemn others for their choices unless we've spent some time walking in their shoes to understand their choices.

no one is condeming anyone for undone paperwork. its the folks that have been doing the 30 day visa exemption run that some seem so down on

That is undone paperwork. Visa running has long been a viable option in Thailand; they're only plugging the loophole now because they can afford to send the visa runners on their way now that Thailand is a stable(ish) middle-income nation.

I'm wondering how this nonsense will apply to those of us who live next door (in Cambodia)... many of us come to Bangkok regularly throughout the year (normally on visa exemption) for a few days to enjoy "big city" life and stock up on the things we can't get in the Reap. Will we be accused of staying in Thailand because we have a hat full of visa-exempt or tourist visa stamps in our passports?

Initially, I think that's a possibility - the officers on the southern border appear to have over-reacted to the instructions they were given purely to 'send a message', but logic says that your exemptions will be separated by at least a month - that hardly lines up with their definition of a 'visa runner'. If anything, you could use your time here to advise those who seem to be looking at Cambodia as the alternative to Thailand, particularly the fellow who naively suggested in another thread that Cambo might be the 'Thailand' he wants to live in. Swings and roundabouts but we just want the swings

If you check the Cambodia section - I do offer advice on those who want to move this way... :-) Cambodia isn't Thailand (not even close despite the physical proximity) but it is a viable option for me.