emanphoto

An excellent question and was just thinking about this this morning.  In rental studios they buy, so I hear, 4x8 1" thick boards in large stacks direct from the manufacturer after making a custom order.  How individuals like ourselves find these in lower quantities is the question I've been asking for years with no answer.  Most immediate method would be to buy 2 pop up reflectors of the desired size and work with that.  Since some have removable/changeable color covers, you'd get mobile reflectors in white, silver black and gold in one reflector.   

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They don't ask for the letter.

OK.  Thanks @ubonjoe.  She'll be with me anyway so I suppose if they decide to surprise us she could whip up something. 

We're leaving on Monday and returning Sunday so that should cover it time-wise.  :) 

I do have another question as I was going through the Thai consulate site to cross check the recommendations here.  They mention a letter my wife needs to supply saying we're still together/married.  I pasted their requirements below.  This is the link I took it from.

http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa/Non- ED & O.pdf

Any comments on the wife's letter they are requesting? It's the first I've heard of it from any source.

For the purpose of visit family (Type “O”) /ສໍາລັບຜູ້ທີ່ມີຈຸດປະສົງຢ້ຽມຢາມຄົນໃນຄອບຄົວ - To visit as the spouse of a Thai Nationality, fiancé and fiancée are not included in this category. ເພື່ອຢ້ຽມຢາມຄູ່ສົມລົດສັນຊາດໄທ, ສ່ວນຄູ່ໝັ້ນແມ່ນບໍ່ລວມໃນວີຊ່າປະເພດນີ້.

- A copy of valid and effective marriage certificate. ສໍາເນົາທະບຽນສົມລົດທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງຕາມກົດໝາຍ.

- A copy of Thai passport or Thai I.D. and House Registration of the spouse. ສໍາເນົາໜັງສືຜ່ານແດນ ຫຼື ບັດປະຈໍາຕົວໄທ ແລະທະບຽນບ້ານ ຂອງຄູ່ສົມລົດສັນຊາດໄທ

- A letter from the spouse verifying that the applicant and the spouse are still married and the purpose to visit Thailand. ໜັງສືຈາກຄູ່ສົມລົດທີ່ຢັ້ງຢືນວ່າທ່ານ ແລະ ຄູ່ສົມລົດຍັງຢູ່ໃນສະຖານະແຕ່ງງານຢູ

Thank you @ubonjoe !

I'm also reading that Savannakhet is a much easier place to get this done with fewer people.

"The Thai Consulate in Vientiane is widely used by foreigners doing it themselves and most visa run services from Bangkok. Some days there are a couple hundred people there before they open up. It might be better to go to the Thai Consulate in Savannakhet. It’s far less crowded."

Anyone here find this to be true?

In doing my research for this trip, I have googled the location of the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane thinking this is where I will be going.  Here is the link.

https://goo.gl/maps/4bTmrgs8HA52

This Thai Consular site (http://www.thaisavannakhet.com/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/) gives, what I assume is the correct location here https://goo.gl/maps/rh1pKRguBc82

Is the Thai Consular site the correct place to go?  

Thank you!

EDIT: Sorry I have re:read the timing and next day pickup is correct.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I don't think really matters what you put for occupation. I am not ever sure if they even much attention to what you put on the form.

Put husband if you want to.

OK good to know thanks @ubonjoe

I operated a photo lab before I moved here and have zero plans for renewing that profession.  I'm also a photographer which is a prohibited profession here unless I hire 4 Thais blablabla so that isn't happening either.  

I was asked by the re-entry permit lady at swampy once when leaving BKK for the US what job I do here.  I told her I'm a house husband.  :) 

Thanks again @ubonjoe.

I'm filling out what I can of the pdf visa form @elviajero directed me to now and I have a bunch of questions.  I work with Acrobat so I can keep a copy of all my forms and just change the necessary info before I print them out.  I may already have the answers to some of these questions but I want to make sure.   

1.  "occupation"  at the moment I have put "husband"  as I do not work here.  Is that correct?

2.  "address in Lao PDR"  This would this be my hotel I assume?

3.  "address in country of residence"  I assume this is my present address here in BKK?

4.  "date of arrival in Thailand"   This would be my return date from Lao?

5.  "duration of proposed stay"  Should I say 1 year since I will be getting an extension of stay?

6.  I'm checking the "non-immigrant" box.  In that same box they ask, 

 "Please specify purpose of visit"  Would that be "To live with my Thai wife"?

7. "Proposed address in Thailand"  This would be my present address I assume?

8.  "Name and contact of guarantor in Thailand"  This would be my wife?  Does our address need to be squeezed in there too?

9.  "name and contact of guarantor in Lao PDR"  I have no idea about this one!

Thank you all in advance.  

How long of a stay should I plan for?  Obviously I assume it to be pointless to be there over a weekend.

As far as a departure date, I just need to leave before Oct. 23rd correct?  Any safety margin I need to have there?

Yep the Air Asia flights are the cheapest I've seen so far in my quick look.  

Thank you very much @ubonjoe and @elviajero!  I'm sure I will come up with more questions.  I'm going to start looking for cheap flights I guess! 

Also, will I need to bother getting a re-entry permit if I fly out?

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If you have gotten a 60 day extension for the last entry you did with a visa you will have no choice but to out for a single entry non-o visa.

Others have had the same problem. There was one case where another 60 day extension was done in error and the application was rejected at the division headquarters where it was sent for approval.

 

Edit: You can easily get a single entry non-o in Vientiane or Savannakhet. In Penang you could get one but would need to show your bank book to show the money in the bank.

I've never had to do this before so forgive my naive questions.  This is such a shock although I know it's an everyday experience for many.

Do I need to fly out or go overland or does it matter?

Does my wife need to go with me?

Anything else I need to bring with me besides "signed copies of your marriage certificate, wife's ID and Tabien Baan."

Which marriage certificate?  Our U.S. one or the one we had translated?

What forms will I need to have filled out?

Are  Vientiane or Savannakhet and Penang my only options to do this?

OMG.  I have to leave the country? Where will I have to go?

I'm coming up on my 4th year here with a Type O Visa, US citizen, with Thai wife. Date on my extension stamp is Oct. 23.

My funds were needed for other things during this last year and the funds were not replaced until Sept. 1.  

What are my options since the requirement is, IIRC, 2 months and I will be short of that seasoning requirement on Oct. 23rd.  I realize this is a non-negotiable requirement.  I recall there is a 60 Day extension that I got when I first arrived here to allow for my fund seasoning back then.  Is that what I need?

Thanks in advance!

You can probably only get away for so long with not having to complete the Foreigner National Information form by submitting your 90-day reports online or by snail mail. Immigration may well catch up with you when you next have to go there in person for an extension of stay as I discovered at Maptaput the week before last.

I imagine so.

My only concern was that I don't need to supply it when doing my usual 90 Day by mail.

I assume another way to avoid or delay filling in the form is doing the 90 day report on line (for those who have on line reporting available).....

The Mac OS left I.E. behind a long time ago so the online filing option isn't available to me until they modernize the site.

Thanks. Just wanted to make sure nothing had changed since my last 90 day

I just did mine last Friday in person and had to go through all the bs questions. I was asking the lady if such forms are downloadable, but she denied.

It seems that mailing it in is the best way to not fill out such a weird form.

Good to know, thanks!

You'd understand if you had sent in your 90 Day and found out that the form was needed and now your checkin is late and you owe a fine. Got it now?

I can't understand the fuss about this form. you have to fill in more forms at immigration in many other countries. it is simple to fill in, so why do you post about it.

Thanks. Just wanted to make sure nothing had changed since my last 90 day

Good point ubonjoe! Lol!

Just wondering if the silly Record of Foreigner Information form is necessary when mailing in one's 90 Day Report? The last 90 Day I mailed in to CW was in late April, I didn't include the Record of Foreigner Information form, and had no issues. My latest is ready to go to CW now but thought I'd ask about this new form I've heard about but was waiting for everything to shake out before asking about it.

Thanks for any guidance.

For a better written article....

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/amphibious-centipede-discovered-laos-scolopendra-cataracta-new-species/

Typical behavior of gangs anywhere in the world.

There are some who are working in collodion here in BKK. Here’s the link to the FB group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1076959079000331/?ref=br_tf