BB24

Had similar troubles myself when I first tried - have done it several tiomes since then.

These are what I did (from memory) and it was then fine.

Must use IE on Windows system (so I was told then may have changed since last time).

clear all IE cookies/history etc (via the control panel - not via starting IE and tools/settings).

add the Thai immi https site to your trusted sites, and reset all your security levels to standard (remember to turn them back later).

enable cookies - enable popups - turn off activex filtering - stop tracking protection - turn off smartscreen filter (again remember to turn them back later).

Restart the computer - and start IE and go straight to the immi site and try again.

It is OK to access online up to 14 days before so that should not be an issue.

If I remember any other settings I changed that enabled my attempts to succeed I will post again.

Number 1 would be the best option.

Agree, number 1

Ditto - enjoy relaxed holiday. Immigration officers here can be problematic - you (+WIFE) don't need the worry that something may go wrong.

Much good advice above - I would add the issue of making a colour copy via one of those dubious print outlets - DONT. They will try to scan and keep your passport details - not recommended. Go to a reputable (more expensive) shop that has Copiers and ask for a copy - not a scan and print copy. Or find a mate that has a printer/scanner.

Never been asked for PP by BIB (Licence yes) but I have found colour copy of PP (ID and Visa) is enough when applying for services (like internet) or checking into Hotels. However for things like Thai licence and car rego, you need original PP and a resident certificate.

For residents, one thing (of so many) that they need to change here is the validity of their resident's certificate. Most dont bother paying 500baht for something only valid for 30 days. But if they made it valid for the valid period of your Visa (up to one year), then a lot more Expats would get one. Hey they could even make it into a card like a licence so you can put it in a wallet. AND they could make more 'tea money' Win - Win Too much work??

My advice would be that he should to go back to Australia and apply there for a multi-entry OA Non-Immgrant Visa - Retirement (or retirement Visa). As stated above there are a few things he will need to show/prove (money etc.) and it will costs about $250. Once it is approved - come to Thailand and he can stay for a year, and he can leave/return several times if he wants to. When close to the one year date (at least one day before) do a quick border run - the permission to stay part of the one year 'retirement' Visa will be extended for another year. If he wants to leave/return in year two - then get apply for a permisson to leave and re-enter (each time). Before the extended one year permission to stay expires (a few weeks in case of issues), apply for another 12 months extension of the permission to stay - and the same again in year three if he wants to leave and re-enter (apply for permission each time). I am not expert (UbonJoe is) but I understand you can do that many times.

He still has to do the 90 day reports - but that can be done on-line now (you could do it for him).

Started Netflix (via spare laptop) and have watched a few movies/shows in HD - great pciture and sound - a very good selection of movies/shows - but not everything. Downside is that I could not find a single movie/show with Thai subtitles. Therefore I will be sticking with IlikeHD too, as the wife likes to watch English movies - even though she speaks English OK, the Thai subtitles are very much needed sometimes. Maybe in the future Netflix will offers movies with Thai subtitles as IlikeHD does - which are the versions released here in the movie theatres (edited). But I doubt there will ever be Thai subtitles for all the TV Shows/Docos etc. But at only 200 baht a month (IlikeHD) and 350 (Netflix HD) I reckon I will keep both going for a while .

For those who are having issues with Android boxes etc - maybe what I did can help and is worth considering for some. I had a MiniX Android and a WDLiveTV box - fibre 30/10 internet - I access lots of stuff on-line. Both boxes were problematic (understatement) and were always going 'wrong' - one did this well but not that then did, the other would and then wouldn't etc etc. I got sick of all the forum experts and all the 'fixes'. Went and bought a cheap used laptop (could not find a cheap Desktop) with decent graphics and HDMI output. Installed a bare bones version of Win7 (removed eveything except IE11 and Chrome and a few operating apps). It is permanently setup to access whatever on-line show or service I want - and it works brilliantly everytime. Little bit of tweaking at setup (for Netflix - I needed to adjust silverlight settings) - but I am so happy not to be constantly accessing any more help/fixit sites because this or that stopped working on one of the boxes. I have a surround sound system with a big TV and I connect the laptop through the Bluray player (better sound). I also have a few 4TB HDDs with movies stored and I found the WDlive box is best for playing those (also thru BRay) - but the PC is by far the easiest and better way to access on-line shows and services IMO.

OK - now wait - the experts will be along shortly

you need to provide more details - there are experts available here - but they will need your passport country and age firstly

You need to relax! I'm sure you're post is useful and welcomed by many. All I did was point out the wrong information you gave about your visa. I'm sure your "visa professional" would agree that, if someone is going to make a public posting, the information given should be accurate.

You may be technically correct Elviajero - but you overstepped my mark and it was unecessary. Given you have again responded (even though I said lets 'agree to disagree'), I decided to check you out a bit and ascertained that you are not a Troll just rubbing me the wrong way. You have clearly provided a lot of very useful information to those seeking advice regarding Visa issues - in fact it seems that you specialise in that area and I congratulate you on helping so many people. However, if I may say so without getting more 'correction' back from you, perhaps you dont need to take something out of context and get in someone's face and correct their use of terminology so bluntly. Taken in context, what I said in my post is correct - you took it out of context and therefore saw that it was wrong and therefore decided to correct it/me. I used the term 'Violent Agreement' because that means two people arguing about the same thing, but coming from a different angle (context) and therefore thinking the other is wrong. I can see that looking at what I said in the post from a certain angle/context would make it seem incorrect, but from my context it is/was correct.

BB24

a very good helpful post, but in the case of the terminology you are wrong, a visa once used is not good anymore, unless it has another entry or is multi entry. and regardless of the amount of entries on the visa it is no longer of any use once the use by/enter before date has been reached.

what you did was get a fresh permission to stay stamp on the strengh of the visa, that permission to stay stamp superceeds/ replaces the visa.

the posters on here are not paid to give advice, as would a visa professional, they give the advice because they want to help, and have been in the thread posters shoes themself before.

most of the long term, high post score posters, are spot on with the advice they give, dont dig your heels in, we can all be slightly off the bullseye with our knowledge. and on this occasion you were.

Many many posters on here have gone wrong, because of the wrong terminology used. it may be pedantic at times but rules are precise, and need to be approached in that manner.

Fair enough Steve - good point - that guy just got my back up. My original post was meant to be about how to actually do a one-day 'swing around' border run - the actual details and description of everything involved. Getting 'flamed' by someone over terminology after having spent quite a bit of time writing up the details, just got me going. Yes - I have a multi-entry Visa and I should have made that more clear - but the post was more about how I did on my last valid day in under 2 hours - that I got 2 years in Thailand from the one Visa was just a comment. My post was meant to be about what to do where to go and what window etc. so others could follow my guide. I had Thai GF with me and without her it would have been a lot harder, and I would proabably have stuffed it up, so I thought I would right it all out in detail for the benefit of those thinking of doing it by themselves.

To those asking for that document - unfortunately the rules of TV (besides not abusing those criticising you unfairly), is that you cannot link to other Expat sites/forums.

Maybe I can say it is a forum/site based in Pattaya and that will be allowed??

<removed> rule 7

• You don't/didnt have a retirement visa. You had a Non-immigrant 'O-A' (Long stay) visa.
• You went out/in on Nov 16th so that on re-entry you would be granted a new 1 year permit to stay.
• Your previous permission to stay until June 2016 ended when you exited Thailand on Nov 16th.
• You didn't extend your permission to stay date. You are now admitted until Nov 15th 2016 because you entered on Nov 16th 2015 with a valid visa that granted you a 1 year stay.
• Extensions of stay can only be obtained at an immigration office and not at borders.

I am not the one causing confusion, you are. I am not being pedantic but correcting your terminology and understanding because it's wrong.

Don't worry about the speed of your typing, try not to take things personally and try to learn something.

Lets just agree to disagree - and you need to listen and learn more than I do.

There is a very good lengthy document available on another website written by a Visa professional - you should try to find it.

I just received my 2 year car license after showing my USA license. Went in the afternoon and was done in less than an hour. Needed the Medical Certificate and Residency Statement and had to take the color test.

All easy and painless. About an hour of my afternoon time.

Less painless is getting my motorcycle license after its being long expired.

Needed to sit through that painful 4 hour presentation, read the book and take the test.

Unfortunately I FAILED the test because, to me at least, so many of the question were so stupid, or poorly asked, or not covered in the book/reading materials. For instance: Which is it illegal to drive? A military tank or car without windshield. I said Military Tank. Wrong. Apparently it is legal to own and drive a Tank but not a car without a windshield.......I ride motorcycle, I do not always ride with my visor down. Whats the difference? Furthermore, this question was on my test twice, the exact same question.

Another: U Turn in intersection or on a bridge. Definitely a bridge......NOPE. Intersection. So its OK to U-Turn on a bridge? <deleted>?

There were a few other equally inane questions.

While I am generally please the DLT people are trying to strengthen the understanding of the rules of the road, until there is real law enforcement, Thailand will continue to have one of the worst death rates.

Perhaps the moderators could/should start a 'pinned' topic of the correct answers to some of these questions, especially those not covered in the written handouts

Yep - they are silly questions and answers - but here are the examples given.

E-EXAM 1.pdf

E-EXAM 2.pdf

E-EXAM 3.pdf

Does anyone know how seriously they take the color blindness test? I can see the traffic light colors no problem, but that little book they use for testing of one's abiility to see color, has numbers I just cannot distinguish. I'm concerned because on the medical certificate (is it still required to renew a five year driver's license) it states I am color blind.

For what it's worth, the CM immigration department now claims it will take one month to process a Certificate of Residence - but if you slip down the row past the photocopy office, where there is someone who can help get it sooner. Sure, they can for 500 baht fee. deliverable the next day. I paid it because what else can you do when your license expires soon, but the flagrant rip-off just smacks one in the face.

They used a series of three small lights when I was tested in thr Hang Dong office - like a miniture set of lights - one above the other. The operator presses a button and a small light (one of the three) glows red, green or yellow - you have to say what colour. Each one can change colour too - so no one can just say red for when the top one glows, etc.

Not sure if med cert needed for 5 year renewal - but if it is, then I suggest you go see a new doctor and ask for medical certificate (and keep quiet about colour issue). If you can see red and green lights, then it is not relevent for a car driving licence - but who knows what the 'official' will decide on the day.

For those thinking it, my 12 month retirement Visa has not been extended, what has been extended is my permission to stay in Thailand. If I leave before November next year, without getting a permission to leave and re-enter document beforehand (1900 baht), my Visa is automatically cancelled and I will need to get a new one (or accept the automatic 30 days Visa when I return).

Your permission to stay has not been extended. Nothing has been extended.

The visa allows multiple entries on or before the last day that the visa is valid ('enter before' date). Each entry is granted a 1 year stay. You were granted a new 1 year permission to stay on your recent entry.

Your visa is "cancelled" at the end of the original one year validity ('enter before') which is November 2015. Your 2nd year stay will be without a valid visa, so if you want to leave during that year you need to buy a re-entry permit in order to keep your permission to stay alive until November 2016. If you don't use re-entry permits in that 2nd year the permission to stay will be "cancelled".

Single entry re-entry permits are 1,000 baht not 1,900 baht.

We are in 'violent agreement' regarding your paragraph 1. Allow me to be more specific - my permission to stay has been extended from the date 12 months after I first arrived in Thailand on my Visa (from December 2015 to November 2016).

You are wrong about my Visa - it has 'expired' it has not been 'cancelled' and it is still VALID. A Visa is permission to ENTER a country - I have legally ENTERED Thailand on that Visa. When I leave Thailand next, because the Visa has expired, it will then be cancelled and then it is not 'valid' (exception - see below re re-entry permit). Iam no longer able to ENTER Thailand without a new Visa. But while I am here, up until November 2016, the Visa is valid - it is my valid permission to ENTER Thailand and stay for a certain period (12 months). A bit of semantics I know, and we basiclly agree, but there is a lot of misunderstanding out there about Visas to enter, and permission to stay, and that is why I made the point that my Visa has not been extended - only my permission to stay under that Visa has been extended. Many people do not realise that they may have extended their permission to stay, but they have not extended their Visa (which is official permission to ENTER). Some people have left for another trip and come back to find that they no longer have the full 12 months permission to stay - they thought they had extended their Visa on their previous out and in, but they had not.

You are right about the permit to re-enter, if I leave before November 2016 - it basically 'holds' my permission to stay date for me - even though my Visa has expired - and allows me to re-enter. I also hope you are right about the fee - if I need to use that option.

OP. Please remember that we who have been selected to be in the group "Advanced Members" have earned our wings so to speak. We have worked hard to get where we are on Thaivisa. We are an elite unit, not unlike the Navy Seals or Green Berets. We command an enormous amount of respect due to our membership in that group. Learn from us. If you work hard, perhaps some day you, too, can proudly wear the badge of Advanced Member.

Mesquite, I understand Advanced Members have earned respect and I will respect Advanced Members, but when they give bad advice or "You can't always get what you want", I took that offensive. What I would like to know, as I am a little confused, is how did you take that comment and how did some of the other Advanced Members, in this post, take that comment from an Advanced Member?

Click on your name, click on manage Ignore Prefs, add those blokes to your list - that way the system will not show you their comments (automatic ignore - perfect). Takes a while but eventually you only get comments from those who are not the whingers and whackos - nothing they say is worth the paper its written on - and you wont miss much

Great post and replies - thanks to all. I had heard Mitsubishi and Daikin were the best - noted fror next time.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

http://chiangmailannahouse.com/

Maybe give these guys a try - they have security 24/7 and maybe they can meet your needs - or advise who can.

http://www.chiangmai-storage.com/

And again I will say what I said to the whingers and whackos on another post who just cant be helpful/polite - shove it !!

My GF summed it all up best - "Up Country People". Where she comes from (South) all the farmers in the area each hire a local tractor each year and they plough everything back into the ground. She is not being 'superior' when she says all the farmers around here (including in Myanmar and Laos) are not eductaed and are backward - they are uneducated and ignorant - ANd there are more and more of them growing more and more crops every year. The only way to solve this problem is to educate and bring them forward - and even if this was does well and quickly it will take years. Like her I do not believe that will ever happen - so the solution to the problem (for us) is to move. Maybe if/when a lot of Farangs move away from Chiang Mai they will finally address the problem

You have a false self of importance maybe? Why would a lot of Farangs leaving be a cause for concern? I think that many Thais would consider it a cause for celebration, and with so many daft posts on here, yours included, I would tend to agree.

By the way, your girlfriend sums up what most Southern Thais think, namely that Northerners are thick. By their reckoning most Southeners would find it hard to believe that here in the North we have universities, doctors, teachers, scientists, architects and engineers.

You are quite right when you say that your wife is not being 'superior' when she says that all northern farmers are uneducated and ignorant. Quite clearly she is being bigoted.

The worst thing about people saying that they're going to leave is ...... they invariably don't. Let's hope that isn't true in your case. If you do actually decide to go, let us know if you need any help moving.

Maybe you missed the 'laughing smiley' indicating the sarcasm - farangs leaving will make 'them' do nothing (they couldnt care less).

Or maybe you are just slow and didn't get the humour I intended by making the statement - clearly then you fit right in with the farmers around here (that was sarcasm too).

Maybe also you are not aware that most of the attendees at the Unis are not from here - nor are many of the doctors, scientists, teachers (Uni) etc.

Definitely you are ignorant to insult my GF like that - and maybe you are narcisissistic and frequently need to insult others (who knows, or cares).

And most definitely I will not take you up on the offer to help us move - although I would not bet against you driving an unecessaryly large ute

If you do indeed have a sense of humour you hide it well. And if you could express yourself without childish smileys I might take you seriously.

You said that your girlfriend thinks Northern farmers are all uneducated and ignorant so I don't need to insult her, she's managing fine without me. I merely pointed out the glaringly obvious, in that she is bigoted.

So , most students at the university are not from Chiang Mai and neither are most of the doctors, scientists, etc. Is that another dig at the stupidity of Northerners or yet another example of your trademark sarcasm? Either way, it's a stupid comment.

To further underline your stupidity I will say that you would be losing the bet if you are assuming (on what basis I don't know) that I drive a ute, whatever that might be. I've heard Australians using that term and my guess was that it was a 'baby word' for pickup truck. For your information, I drive a vehicle that suits the needs of my business. No more, no less, and no ute. If you were planning on having a cabaret act based on your ability to identify what car a person drives judging by their posts on forums, (ably assisted by your lovely girlfriend?)..... think again.

Excuse me for not signing off with a smiley. Hopefully you can figure out my meaning without one. Let me know if you can't. Also, let us know when you've both left.

Where do I begin - probably better not to. There is an old saying 'dont wrestle with pigs'. What it means is that if you wrestle a pig, all that will happen is you get sh** all over yourwself, the pig loves it, and you cant win because it is a dumb ignorant animal. I will sign off by saying:

My GF summed it all up best - "Up Country People". Where she comes from (South) all the farmers in the area each hire a local tractor each year and they plough everything back into the ground. She is not being 'superior' when she says all the farmers around here (including in Myanmar and Laos) are not eductaed and are backward - they are uneducated and ignorant - ANd there are more and more of them growing more and more crops every year. The only way to solve this problem is to educate and bring them forward - and even if this was does well and quickly it will take years. Like her I do not believe that will ever happen - so the solution to the problem (for us) is to move. Maybe if/when a lot of Farangs move away from Chiang Mai they will finally address the problem

You have a false self of importance maybe? Why would a lot of Farangs leaving be a cause for concern? I think that many Thais would consider it a cause for celebration, and with so many daft posts on here, yours included, I would tend to agree.

By the way, your girlfriend sums up what most Southern Thais think, namely that Northerners are thick. By their reckoning most Southeners would find it hard to believe that here in the North we have universities, doctors, teachers, scientists, architects and engineers.

You are quite right when you say that your wife is not being 'superior' when she says that all northern farmers are uneducated and ignorant. Quite clearly she is being bigoted.

The worst thing about people saying that they're going to leave is ...... they invariably don't. Let's hope that isn't true in your case. If you do actually decide to go, let us know if you need any help moving.

Maybe you missed the 'laughing smiley' indicating the sarcasm - farangs leaving will make 'them' do nothing (they couldnt care less).

Or maybe you are just slow and didn't get the humour I intended by making the statement - clearly then you fit right in with the farmers around here (that was sarcasm too).

Maybe also you are not aware that most of the attendees at the Unis are not from here - nor are many of the doctors, scientists, teachers (Uni) etc.

Definitely you are ignorant to insult my GF like that - and maybe you are narcisissistic and frequently need to insult others (who knows, or cares).

And most definitely I will not take you up on the offer to help us move - although I would not bet against you driving an unecessaryly large ute

Aussie TV is bad? UK television is like watching lawn bowls. It makes me giggle that you suckers are paying for a Free service. Jokes on you.

You sound like a teenage girl - who giggles at others through her 'glasses' of self-centredness and ignorance. Read this - slowly - ExpatTV downloads and records all the 'free' shows (all the channels) onto local (Thailand) Servers, and for a small monthly fee you can stream (locally) any show/movie on any channel for the last 14 days - at any time that you want - and you can stream live or play/pause any show as you wish - and you can record and store it if you want. Plus it has a search option for any show/movie across all channels for the last 14 days. THAT is what people who have ExpatTV pay for you silly 'little girl'. Before you ridicule other people on TV - try doing some research and learn a few things (and grow up). Or better still - go back to Facebook and/or Twitter where your opinions and values are 'embraced' - no matter how silly they or you are.

'thaibeachlovers' is dead right about the ABC. I now love watching the UK news programs on ExpatTV. Besides being a grade or two above the ABC news on the Aust+ channel, they call Illegal Immigrants what they are .......Illegal Immigrants !. On the ABC they are called 'Asylum Seekers' and they are always portrayed as the victims. Never before has the tax payer of any country ever funded a more politically correct, female good/men bad, left-wing orientated channel - stacked with pro-illegal immigrant do-gooders. Other than that small problem , ExpatTV is brilliant and well worth the monthly fee. They record shows and you can watch them up to 14 days later - and it is a month by month bill - and they answer problems and deal with any issues quickly.

PS - yes, I can choose not to watch the ABC news, but it is the only way I can find out about the floods and fires that may be affecting my family/friends back there.

My GF summed it all up best - "Up Country People". Where she comes from (South) all the farmers in the area each hire a local tractor each year and they plough everything back into the ground. She is not being 'superior' when she says all the farmers around here (including in Myanmar and Laos) are not eductaed and are backward - they are uneducated and ignorant - ANd there are more and more of them growing more and more crops every year. The only way to solve this problem is to educate and bring them forward - and even if this was does well and quickly it will take years. Like her I do not believe that will ever happen - so the solution to the problem (for us) is to move. Maybe if/when a lot of Farangs move away from Chiang Mai they will finally address the problem

They cannot sell the land, but can they light fires ???