prb

To bounce back on the subject.

I have now my new passeport and they cancelled my actual passeport + give me a letter.

Can someone confirm:

- I won't have any problem checking in an hotel or in a domestic plane with old passport + Letter + new passeport?

- I won't have any problem in any case where i should show my passeport to the autorities?

- When i go out the country should i just go to the normal immigration queue for stamps transfer or is it in an other office?

Thank you

PS: i am on a tourist visa that was extended before i got the new passport.

Awesome, Thank you!

Good Morning,

My passeport running out of pages, i decided to get a new one at my consulate (France) in Bangkok.

They told me they will cancel my current passport, let me keep it and give me a letter for the Visa Transfert.

I'm currently on a SETV expiring on the 23rd this month. I should get the new passeport on the 21st.

I am planning to do the 30 days extension at Jomtien on the old passeport on the 18th BEFORE i get the new passport.

Will there be any issue to have this extension transfered on the new passport? 

Ok thx finger crossed , hope it does not result in a hefty fine..

On 12/6/2018 at 12:23 PM, JackThompson said:

This is another reason to ONLY enter by land to Thailand if one has a more frequent / longer-stay history.  In the very unlikely case you are denied entry, you can simply walk back, and the other country cancels your exit-stamp.  

This is what i am doing since this madness has started: I avoid DMK and BKK.

However the additional cost of paying an hotel in Penang for example + transportation accross the border + paying an hotel in Hat Yai (if you don't arrive early enough) + plane ticket from Hat Yai to your final destination add up quite a lot of money and time.

Time to rethink the strategy i guess

Hi,

After staying in  a friend's condo for 10 days with no TM30 report, i will rent a studio in the same place and then go to do the paperwork at the immigration with the contract signed and dated of the same day.

Will they find out on their system that i was staying 10 days without reporting?

Good morning,

Does this re-entry permit protects you from any hassles from immigration when you come back to the country?

yeah i regret i did not show my bank statements. TBH i was expecting being asked about illegal work, her argumentation if you can name it like that left me speechless.

By the way, it did not happen in the general queue, i was moved to an other counter in the back, away from the crowd

OK, even if it adds 1000 thb, this re-entry permit seems a good solution :) thanks, this is not a well known option.

Buckbee, I had a proof of fund when I arrived in DMK: all the proof of transfers from my euro account to my thai account but i had no chance to show it as all she was doing was bragging about how many free entries i had and that i had to pay next time :)

Ahah yeah right i have confused SETV and METV.

Yeah SETV seems the way to go, only annoying thing for me is that if you leave thailand before it expires you just loose it.

I like stay one month in Thailand and then travel around in other ASEAN countries and come back, so the Visa Exemption was the best but well years after years it seems more and more troublesome to rely on it.

57 minutes ago, BuckBee said:

New passport can make a huge difference, they only take notice of computer if alerts on a select entry pattern, they still looking at passports for O and tourist visa issue patterns so a new passport helps,  this from personal experience and watching others get hassle at the booths over the years plus advise from people working in visa and immigration network, also helps using local asian regions for setv issue .Good effort on passport, paperwork and getting visas over constant visa exempt entry would save all the drama. Having said that if OP came back after break of like 6months with new passport, onward flight and 20k baht in his pocket he get in on 30day exemption and if wanted stay much longer could then do his desired yangon trip and get a setv at the yangon consulate . That would give the OP almost 5 months if done extension on both your first visa exempt entry and setv entry .

Sound interesting, can a non resident of the neighnouring countries do a SETV at thai consulates now? The last time i looked, it seemed that the only way was to do it in the country where you are officialy a resident.

5 hours ago, BuckBee said:

^

Immigration computer is just one side of it and may flag you when they scan your passport, they also looking at your passport and page after page of setv and laos stickers for example rings alarm bells. Swampy and DM are being quite fussy and have been for some while. You can see the extra scrutiny and less lapse approach, even an under 24hr overstay gets more abrupt unfriendly approach than use to at swampy . Most people who get hassle simply made no effort on passport, onward flight and funds and probably had bad verbal approach with immigration . If you coming a lot on setv you going need make more effort and have money and expect an interview .

I don't think it be long before a limit on setv per year is bought in, most of the remaining illegal working farang are using back to back setv and swampy and DM keen on catching them . Even land borders giving warnings and limiting entry days for few people  who used crossings loads in a pretty much back to back way .

SETV would be a good option, but first i don't have a regular job, so no employment certificate and second if i can show proof of funds largely exceeding the 5000€ or something that they want to see, that money is of course not sleeping in my current account. So that's it.

Just done an extension of my Visa exemption, 2000 THB gone and a flight ticket to Yangoon that i wanted to visit lost.

After 13 years of regular trips, that will be probably my last stay in Thailand like that.

Next time i will have new passport and a tourist visa, if there is a next time: although not as well balanced as Thailand for safety, activities, infrastructure, nightlife etc... other ASEAN countries have a lot to offer too and many of them are cheaper. Ahaha no, i'm not bitter 

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

The policy is still in effect. It is actually not based on the number of visa exempt entries in your current passport. It is based on the number registered in immigration's database since around the middle of 2015.

That would mean that extensions are not? If yes, a good reason to get a new passport then..

I'm French. As stated i have a fair number of Visa exemptions and extensions for the last 3 years

The only thing IO was saying is "you need visa next time, no more free entry, you have too much free entry, you have to pay... " etc...

If someone has some info regarding my questions :); thx

Good Morning,

On my last entry end of april I have been taken out of the queue at DMK and warned by an officer not to come back next time without a tourist Visa.

I had to get the stamp at a special desk but apparently the stamp is the usual one, no red writing or whatever.

My recent history in the passport is :  1 entry end of september 2017 and one extension ; 1 tourist visa from PP in november 2017 and one extension. So around 5 months in the country end of 2017, beginning of 2018.

I spent mid february to mid april in Philippines, so 2 months out the country that would prove I don't work illegaly in LOS but it does not seem to interest them...

Moreover i have on that passport quite a lot of visa exemption and extensions from 2015 and 2016.

I have few questions in mind before planning my next move.

In general i do what i am told to do but I am a bit annoyed to do a touris visa that i will certainly only partially use as i will go back in europe for the summer.

So:

- Tourist visas: as i have already a tourist visa issued in PP in november 2017, how many tourist visas can i do per year  in Cambodia, Laos and maybe Myanmar (i'm not sure it is still possible to do one in that country)

- The 2 visa exemption per land crossing per year: if i do a land crossing for the first time this year, will i get one whatever the "bad look" of my passport

- New Passport: when i my home country I will apply for a new passport, that one is almost full anyway. Will that erase my history for the immigration at the airport?

- In the worse case scenario: if one day i am denied entry at the airport, are the costs of the ticket to go back taken in charge by the airline? Will the airline then blacklist me?

Thanks

Thanks Jack, I will have a look at the option you described

Good afternoon all,

To get back on the subject, I am currently in Phnom Penh where I applied for a tourist visa.

Because I have many visa exemption stamps on my 3 years old passport, although only 4 so far for 2017, I had some hassles to get the visa but it should be sorted now.

Please note that I had only one previous tourist visa, issued in my home country in 2017.

I have now the choice between booking a plane ticket to dmk, booking a really more expensive one to BKK OR go by land crossing.

What option sounds the best regarding immigration checkpoint. If land the best, which route would you recommend. I have EU passport from G7 country although I don't think it changes anything as I have now a tourist visa. Thanks

Hi, Just seen your answer as i haven't connected to the forum for a while and didn't receive any notification.

Good new, she gave birth to a little babygirl at the end of october.

Unfortunately, not being in BKK, i can't play the nanny while she goes to work :)

She contacted an NGO i found for her on internet for single mother but apparently they couldn't offer any help in BKK.

Hi,

A friend of mine will give birth in one and a half month.

The father has just left the country and does not care about the situation.

Any NGO, Thai institution etc... that could assist her when the baby is born?

She needs to work for a living and unfortunately if she can spare few weeks when the baby is born, after she will have  no choice but giving him up for adoption if she can't find a cheap solution for having the baby taking care of when she go work.

Any help, advice or contact much appreciated.

Thx.

Thanks Carib.

Have you used their services, any feedback?

Is it an old and well established company?

Thanks

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here about buying gold in Thailand with a lot of "forumites" putting in their 2 cents worth when their opinion is only worth 1/2 a cent or less!

Here are the facts in a nutshell:

1. The Thai gold weight measurement standard is the "Baht" (this is where Thai fiat currency gets it's name from). One Baht weight is equal to 15.244 grams of bullion (bars) with a purity of 96.5% or 23.16 Karats. This means that a Thai gold bar of 1 Baht has 14.573264 grams of pure gold in it which is just under 1/2 a Troy ounce. One Troy ounce is 31.1034768g which is the international gold weight measurement standard of fine gold (99.99%). The remaining 3.5% weight in a 1 Baht bar of Thai gold are other metals. Due to the complexity of refining gold bars to 99.99% purity (the international standard) Thailand has settled on 96.5%.

2. Gold bars and coins are sold in 1, 2, 5 & 10 Baht weights. 1KG bars are also available. 99.99% Fine gold is also available if pre-ordered as this pure gold typically has to be imported from overseas refineries. The difference in the buy & sell rates, or "spread" for 1 Baht of 96.5% Thai gold bar is only 100 Baht, or about 200 Baht per Troy Ounce. Compare this to the spread of 1 Ounce gold coin purchased/sold in the US, UK, AUS, NZ, SA, etc. This low spread makes the buying and selling of gold in Thailand highly attractive and accessible to everyone. To ensure you are buying real gold it is recommended to buy from a member of the Thai Gold Traders Association such as Hua Seng Heng.

Gold is Thailand is priced in THB per Baht weight for 96.5% purity. Today the selling price is THB21,300/Baht and they will buy at THB21,200/Baht.

3. Buying and selling 96.5% Thai gold within Thailand is not a problem given it is the standard here. No need to show your ID and there is no sales tax for gold in Thailand. You can pay in cash and receive cash or a cash cheque when you sell. That Thai Gold is not 99.99% fine means selling it overseas will have additional costs such gold assay tests, and if you are not selling directly to a refiner then you should understand that agents need to cover their costs and overheads.

4. With regard to customs regulations if you wish to bring gold into another country these will vary from country to country so you will need to check your country's customs regulations. Here are the New Zealand customs regulations for "fine metal":

Gold bars, silver coins and silver shot are free of tariff duty.

Goods that are considered to be a “fine metal”, as defined in section 2 of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, are also exempt from GST.

The GST exemption for fine metal applies to:

· Gold, in any form, being gold of a fineness of not less than 99.5 percent.

· Silver, in any form, being silver of a fineness of not less than 99.9 percent.

· Platinum, in any form, being platinum of a fineness of not less than 99.0 percent.

Gold bars at 99.99% purity and the silver shot of 99.99% purity will be exempt GST. The gold bars at 96.5% purity will be subject to GST.

Without knowing the purity of the silver coins I am unable to advise if the GST exemption applies.

It is a requirement to declare on your New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card if you are carrying a total of NZ$10,000 or more in cash.

In addition to the requirement to declare cash, you must also declare if you are carrying goods obtained overseas (or purchased duty free in NZ) that have a value of more than NZ$700.

Where this gets complicated is that some gold coins minted in certain countries are also legal tender. For example the 1 troy ounce American Gold Eagle coin with a face value of USD50.00 is legal tender in the United States but with an intrinsic gold content value of about USD1200 at current spot price. And so it would be possible to bring into NZ up to 140 of these USD50 Gold Eagle coins with a face value of just under NZD10,000.00 but with an intrinsic value of USD168,000 (NZD240,000).

To confirm this below from NZ Customs:

There are three categories that the coins may fall within:

Coins that are used or circulated (or intended for use or circulation)

The coins are exempt GST. For Customs purposes they are considered to be “cash” (we do not use the term “legal tender”). If you import NZ$10,000 or more of these coins you are required to declare on your NZ Passenger Arrival card that you are bringing into New Zealand a total of NZ$10,000 or more in cash and will also be required to complete a Border Cash Report. I can confirm that all American Eagle coins fall into this category.

Coins that are not considered to be “cash” but meet the definition of fine metal

These coins are exempt GST and for Customs purposes are considered to be goods. If you import goods obtained overseas with a total value of NZ$700 or more, you are required to declare these on the NZ Passenger Arrival card.

Coins that are not considered to be “cash” and do not meet the definition of fine metal

These coins are subject to GST and for Customs purposes are considered to be goods. You have an allowance of NZ$700 which may be used for accompanied goods. If you import goods obtained overseas with a total value of NZ$700 or more, you are required to declare these on the NZ Passenger Arrival card.

For coins that are not considered to be “cash” and other goods that you import, a Customs value must be established. For valuation purposes, the primary method of valuing imported goods is known as the transaction value system. In simple terms this is generally the purchase price paid for the goods. If, for any particular reason, the transaction value method may not be used there are secondary methods for establishing values.

Note that Thailand does not mint gold coins that are also legal tender in current circulation so the above information is not relevant for those wishing to take Thai gold coins out of Thailand. Given the political instability in Thailand, unforeseen currency devaluations (July 1997), central bank QE, Inflation, counterparty risk, onset of negative interest rates, cashless societies, financial repression, bank failures etc etc gold bullion accumulation makes for a sensible hedge in maintaining purchasing power. Here is a short video on buying gold in Thailand.

Thanks for Infos.

Seems the no headache solution is to buy gold bar in Thailand and keep it in Thailand for resale in case of a major currency crisis.

What is the best storage solution for someone who does not want to keep the gold at home?

Thanks, ubonjoe, so helpful as usual

Good Morning,

Does someone have a link for an official document stating the law regarding the employment of foreigners in Thailand and the penalties for offenders.

I'm starting to be bothered by the constant requests from my GF about me coming to help her in the shop she has just opened

If there is a Thai langage version even better.

Thanks

After thinking about it, i start to feel a bit tired about spending 30-40€ in outward ticket i almost never use everytime i fly somewhere in SEA.

Except for Philippines, I never had to show this proof for other destinations.

I guess i will check tonight what are the cheap ticket to go out of HK without buying anything and book at the airport if the airline staff at Don Mueang give me any hassle...

Ok thanks.

I will then show a ticket out of HK that is NOT a ticket back to Thailand when i will be checkin the flight ikn DMK.

My schedule is quite open except that i need to be in BKK on the 17th of june for an hospital appointment.

As HK looks like quite expensive for accomodation, i will probably not stay there for 2 week and a half anyway and try to visit an other country before heading back to BKK.