Too

Hi Too

Starting in Hanoi for 4 days and then heading south by train. I love trains. Just as a note, all the train travel will be overnight in a sleeper so We are not loosing a day of sightseeing. While in Hanoi, we might do a side trip to Ha Long Bay or Sa Pa. Just depends.

One the way down, stopping in Hue overnight and then over to Da Nang. Haven't decided whether to do the train or hire a car for the drive through Hai Van Pass on the way to Da Nang. From Da Nang it is over to Hoi An. At least 2 nights in Hoi An. From Hoi An it is back to Da Nang to catch the train down to Saigon. We'll finish up the last 3 or 4 days there before heading back to BKK.

I won't mind the cold weather. After the trip to Europe early this year, I came to realize that one of the things I missed occasionally was cold weather.

David

If you should choose to go to Sapa, you can hop on one of the two trains

leaving Hà Nội in the evening and arriving at Lào Cai, a gateway to Sapa,

the following morning, and then one of the two trains departing Lào Cai in

the evening and getting back to Hà Nội the next morning.

http://www.vetau.com.vn/

I have spent a few nights in Hội An and loved this lovely town. It was a bit

touristy, though.

I'd strongly suggest that you NOT drive in VN because the locals drive

just like crazy, especially when overtaking. Nerve-wracking! I took a

tourist bus from Huế to Hội An through Đà Nẵng.

If you have time, I'd recommend you to stop over at Nha Trang for a few

nights on the way down to Sài Gòn from Đà Nẵng by train. The beach

wasn't too bad and I'd enjoy 'Bia hơi' or VN draught beer (13B per litre)

every day.

Hello,

I don't know what you do but I got mine on the day

I applied for it as a teacher.

Hello,

I heard the news that the VN VOA fees (stamping fees) go down,

starting next Monday on 23 Nov.2015.

Both a 1-month and a 3-month visas with a single entry go down

to US$20 from US$45 in fee accordingly.

Hope the news is true.

I called the Thai Embassy in Berlin an hour ago and they said METV are available for anyone that meets the requirement and can be issued as often as needed. If applicants are not working in Germany but can proof they have sufficient funds, they can apply as well but they insist on return flights back to Germany. I told them I own a condo in Bangkok and don't stay in hotels and they advised me bring a copy of my Tabian Baan (Yellow) and the registration document of the unit.

Seems it's fine to live here as long as needed on tourist visas then, and that was never the issue. A totally legitimate way to stay in Thailand long term. Just need a nominal amount of cash to support oneself.

The requirements to meet just for a tourist visa look way too ridiculous, I must say.

Relax guys. I just got good news. Don't ask me for the source. I won't name it. Very soon we will read reports from farangs who got the METV in Vientiane.

I feel already sorry for the old grumpy farts who think they understand Thais and their mentality better then themselves.

I haven't seen one rumour from an un-named source posted on this forum come true yet!

But it's entirely possible that a "farang" qualifies for the METV from Laos if they have a Lao stay permit or work permit or house registration and ID and a have Lao employer. I'm sure many qualify.

sure there might be a few ( but very few can show $8,000 in the bank for 6 months, all hotels booked, a job)

AND

why in the world would they want a 6 month multi entry visa if there working when they can enter visa exempt for a few weeks at a time to do their shopping??

Exactly.

The new METV looks so ridiculous I couldn't even see any point in it

other than just doing away with a double-(triple) entry TV but this is

what we must live with as long as we live or stay here. I mean we

must love them for it. They'll be losing a lot in the end anyway.

Hello,

First of all, how are you going to move to Sai Gon from Ha Noi?

Considering that you're going to spend 8-9 days in these two

cities out of about 2 weeks in VN, you should fly. As you know,

it's more than 1,700km between them by road and by train.

Secondly, where else are you planning to visit on your way,

Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang or Mui Ne

and/or Da Lat?

As for Sai Gon, you can easily spend at least 3 days there:

sightseeing around the city on Day 1, going on a day trip

to The Mekong Delta on Day 2, going on another day trip

to Chu Chi Tunnel on Day 3 for example.

When I went to Da Lat in December it was super freezing

and to Ha Noi in February it was cold and wet.

It'd be great for you to tell me a bit more about your travel

plans.

Hello,

You can renew your WP for 3 months (750B) and the extension costs you

1,900B if it's 1 year or not. Even a 7-day extension will cost you as much.

Are you teaching on a waiver now? As you know, the waiver is good for

2 years so you must apply for the 2nd waiver if you teach at your school

for more than 2 years. Some foreign teachers are reported to have been

denied the 2nd or the 3rd waiver without any evidence of self-development

such as the certificate of a Thai Culture Course.

Thanks for the advice. I'm in an apartment with my wife but the rental agreement doesn't have my name on it. Do you think it'll be OK to use this?

If it is in your wife's name it will not be a problem, Just show your marriage certificate.

Whether a TM30 is needed or not depends entirely upon the immigration office you go to. Some will want one when apply for an extension or change your address while others don't.

I have never been asked for one.

In a more direct reply to the OP. Immigration does not go out looking for home owners that have homes and etc that have foreigners living at their property. They only enforce the act for businesses renting out rooms and etc.

I submitted a TM28 to the immigration office a week after I moved house

no problem. I've never been asked for a TM30.

So, no easy ride for UK nationals and £5,000 is more than 200,000 baht, maybe they don't like UK farang anymore!

I doubt it. I wonder if they can think of anything by replacing

a double(triple)-entry TV by a new METV with the apparently

ridiculous requirements and if this new visa will work well.

They might be thinking of catching up with the Farangs or

even getting even with them by doing this.

They'll definitely be losing more money in the end.

Hello,

You can check this out.

http://www.consular.go.th/main/contents/filemanager/VISA/Visa%20on%20Arrival/VOA_25_08_58.pdf

Hello,

It'd be your best bet to get a 60-day TV (single-entry) in UK before

coming to Thailand which allows you to stay in the kingdom for a

total of 90 days if you extend it for 30 days at the immigration office.

If not, you'll have to leave the country 60 days later if you extend your

30-day visa-exempt entry for 30 days at the immigration office. You

might then be denied boarding at UK, depending upon the airline.

So maybe you'd at least book an air-ticket from Thailand to Vietnam within

60 days of entry into the kingdom for instance, just in case you should be

denied boarding when you fly out of UK. You might be lucky to be let in

again on another visa-exempt stamp by showing the IO your return ticket

back home withing 30 days of re-entry into the country by land. You'd be

alright by air. It'd then be better and safer to come back to Thailand on a

tourist visa you'll get in Vietnam or anywhere else you go.

Again, you'd get a TV before flying out of UK just to stay on the safe side.

Thanks Elviajero, had no idea I had to fill out a form...

It depends upon the immigration office. I don't need to fill out any

form for the 90-day report.

correction : 14 days prior and 7 days after ...

I believe it's actually 15 days prior and up to 7 days after.

If the reporting date is Dec.15 for example, you must report to

the immigration office between Dec.1 and Dec.21.

Hello,

All I need to do the 90-day report is my passport with a slip of

notification in it.

I've never done the report on-line, though I tried to a couple of

times.

Because of this new rules, I don't know if they give me for 4th time single entry visa, it seems to me more easier to get double entry once than two times single entry, correct me if I'm wrong please.

You'd get a double-entry TV in Vientiane (or Savannakhet) this time

because you've never applied for one there before.

Hello,

Your best bet would be to go to Vientiane or Savannakhet to

apply for a double-entry TV before Nov.13 so that you could

stay in Thailand till next May, while you could only stay here

till next March if you applied for a single-entry TV next month.

Good luck.

Hello,

The banks in VN will be closed for 1.5hrs - 2hrs for lunch break

but will be open on Saturday morning, too.

Hi just an update. I sent a copy of my flight booking showing a departure date 90 days from arrival and I was given a single 60-day visa, so that was good. I'm sure plenty of people do this.

Congrats, I knew you would be alright, mate.

Hello,

If you should need one, you can apply for a Thai Police Clearance at

the Headquarters of Royal Thai Police in BKK. It took me 1 month and

cost me 100B when I applied for one there last January,

Hello,

You'd be alright as long as you meet the requirements for a TV such as

a return ticket and proof of finance (20,000B or approximately 560 CHF).

Good luck.

However, when I first came, people really did smile, and the developers hadn't raped every nice beach in hopes of making lots of money.

Exactly. When I came to Thailand for the 1st time about 15 years ago,

the people here did smile and it was LOS that I visited. The smile has left

their eyes now partly because of some bad-mannered Farangs, sad to say.

If you want to live or stay here for a long time, you must love them. If you want

to apply for a new METV for example, you must live with the requirements,

some of which may sound ridiculous to some.

I can hear them say, 'This is Thailand! If you don't like us, just go back home now!'

Is there ever a problem leaving through these borders in the south or is it just coming in? What if one wants to travel to Malaysia via land and has no intention of coming back through via land, is this allowed? What proof would you need?

Did exactly that this week. Entered via Padang Besar on a van from Hat Yai, flew back from Penang to DMK. No questions asked, passport endorsed with 90-day visit stamp.

I wonder if you did go through the Padang Besar border on a mini-van

on the way to Penang from Hat Yai. I've taken mini-vans between these

two cities so many times but I've always gone through the Sadao border.

Maybe I just didn't know the mini-van service via Padang Besar.

Most of the Western nationals can get a visa-exempt stamp of 90-day

stay in Malaysia.

Hello,

Maybe you'd be an English teacher to live in Thailand for a long time,

which might be better to go back home and find a job that you don't

like. I wouldn't think it hard for you to find a teaching job as a NES

here as long as you've got a degree.

Is there ever a problem leaving through these borders in the south or is it just coming in? What if one wants to travel to Malaysia via land and has no intention of coming back through via land, is this allowed? What proof would you need?

You'd be alright when you leave Thailand via these border crossings in the

South unless you're overstaying or something.

I've exited the country through the Badang Besar, Sadao and Sungai Kolok

borders so many times no problem.