cubism001

19 minutes ago, mark5335 said:

Been using it regularly for the past 3 years, and has always worked well for me. It's regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority, and they recently received a restricted banking license in Australia. So governance should be fine an y ou needn't worry unnecessarily.

Thank you!

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Can't really add anything more to what other posters have said.  Tranferwise are reliable, quick, easy, cheaper than other ways and you get the best rate that you can get, which is the offshore rate, not the Thai bank rate.  

  Thanks!

5 minutes ago, J Town said:

Been using it to transfer from US credit union to SCB account in Thailand for years. I once had my main Google account hacked which allowed the hacker access to my TransferWise account. The built-in security stopped them cold.

My CU charges $50 plus they get all confused with time zones.  TW says they're much cheaper.  Glad to learn about security!   Many thanks.

Hello, I need to send some money to another city & they suggest I use TransferWise. Have you used it & is it OK?  Thanks.

6 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

Sounds like good advice. If you're old enough (50+) to qualify for the retirement visa, the volunteer visa is a waste of money.

 

It's lucky that I was advised to go to an agent to check out the volunteer visa though. Normally I avoiod all agents for anything. Really thankful

1 minute ago, Caldera said:

 

Which kind of visa will you go for?

 

I'm older, so they said a one year retirement visa was better for me than a volunteer visa 

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Your source is absolutely wrong.

 

They often are.  But one tries to listen to all opinions.  BUT I did go to an agent who has a magnificent visa.  Thanks so much.

On 1/18/2021 at 10:25 PM, oMega69 said:

Yep, if the OP doesn't really want to study Thai, they should consider a volunteer visa.  Also, with the ED visa most provinces only allow you to stay up to one year from your date of original entry, so they will really only get 10 months beyond their normal extension.  There is no such limit with the volunteer visa, so they can get a full extra year.

I wrote to an agent & the upshot is a visa that's much better than any I've considered.

4 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

In practice, that means that you won't get a locally issued Non-Ed visa for studying at an informal school, unless the school has connections AND you are willing to pay an extra fee to entice the officials involved to give you the visa. Specifically, the official fee for a non-immigrant visa is 2,000 baht, but you will most likely be asked to pay something like 13,000 baht.

Thanks.  I had begun to figure that out, but all I really care about is if it lets me stay peacefully & legally in Thailand for a year.  I see no options for anything else for an ED visa.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Because that is what the rules to apply for a 90 day non-ed visa entry states. As I have said before some schools can arrange to get them though.

As above the have an arrangement with the Ministry of Education and/or Immigration.

Sorry for being so cautious.  Case closed.  Thank you.

On 1/24/2021 at 10:27 AM, ubonjoe said:

I have seen a copy of a passport showing Chiang Mai accepting a application for a 60 day extension that was ending at the end of February with a under consideration stamp dated mid March.

I am sure you will be able to get a 60 day extension if needed after you apply for the allowed 30 day extension of your entry.

There is no info on the MOE website for registered schools that I am aware of.

This agent might be able to help. The page is for a 12 month self defense course but I think they also have normal language classes offered. https://chiangmaibuddy.com/visa-heaven/12-month-self-defence-ed-visa/

Why do some experts say that only government schools, international schools & recognized universities (like CMU) are legally allowed to give an ED visa?  I found a school near me that does the visa paperwork & gives language classes. I'd like to do this.

On 2/1/2021 at 9:59 PM, DrJack54 said:

So many of the same questions in many threads from yourself. Just one example....I have answered this a couple of times to you alone.

An agent can obtain a non O based on volunteering. That gives 90 day permission of stay. You can also use the agent to obtain a 12 month extension based on volunteering.

All up it's possible to obtain 3+12 months.

You will do zero volunteering.

The cost previously was ~ 45-55k.

Most likely cheaper now especially with the 60 day covid extensions that appear to be ongoing until situation changes.

 

Thank you for the specifics.  Most often people drop tantalizing bits of information like 'why don't you get a volunteer visa you fool?'  This requires asking a lot, in several places.

BTW, another source (I double check) swears that volunteer visas are illegal, processed by agents for large fees.  But I'll certainly consult an agent.

53 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

4 hours ago, onebir said:

if you try to contact the school via chiangmailocator, it works by sending an email; there's no link to the school site (presumably because cmlocator gets a cut)

 

54 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So many of the same questions in many threads from yourself. Just one example....I have answered this a couple of times to you alone.

An agent can obtain a non O based on volunteering. That gives 90 day permission of stay. You can also use the agent to obtain a 12 month extension based on volunteering.

All up it's possible to obtain 3+12 months.

You will do zero volunteering.

The cost previously was ~ 45-55k.

Most likely cheaper now especially with the 60 day covid extensions that appear to be ongoing until situation changes.

 

An agent can obtain a non O based on volunteering. That gives 90 day permission of stay. You can also use the agent to obtain a 12 month extension based on volunteering.

All up it's possible to obtain 3+12 months.

You will do zero volunteering.

The cost previously was ~ 45-55k.

Most likely cheaper now especially with the 60 day covid extensions that appear to be ongoing until situation changes.

 

The reason I ask questions repeatedly is because well-meaning people (like you) write that such a visa exists, but then don't give specifics.  This is the first time you have, and I thank you. E.g., you will do 0 volunteering.  I suppose the agent arranges all this.  BTW.  All these questions aren't just to annoy people. They really helped me make it out of the middle of the US, then to a SA country, then to quarantine in Thailand, now where I wanted to land.   No small feat nowadays. Thanks very much.

On 1/15/2021 at 9:16 AM, Phillip9 said:

Yep, if the OP doesn't really want to study Thai, they should consider a volunteer visa.  Also, with the ED visa most provinces only allow you to stay up to one year from your date of original entry, so they will really only get 10 months beyond their normal extension.  There is no such limit with the volunteer visa, so they can get a full extra year.

What does a person need to do>, what kind of of volunteering? How do you meet such people?  Thank you.

On 1/15/2021 at 4:45 PM, cubism001 said:

I'm convinced. How do I set about this?  Thanks!

55 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Yes, they were extended again. See this thread.

Thank you. I just heard that language schools are doing classes online.  That would be great. Do you know anything about this p lease?

Hi, Hope I wasn't asking something that's all over the news, but I didn't find it & I'm very interested. Did Thai immigration give out visa extensions? Did they say this was the last one?  Or did they not do it?  Etc.  Please advise.

Thanks.

On 1/24/2021 at 1:23 PM, ubonjoe said:

Many people have already gotten non-ed visas and extensions for it. No different than studying muay thai and other martial arts training.

I'm not real keen on lots of hands on stuff with the covid paranoia I've run into. But maybe the self defense schools are taking that into consideration?  Thank you for your opinion/advice.

On 1/27/2021 at 7:20 AM, ubonjoe said:

is really none of the hotels or apartments business after you arrive by air from Bangkok. Arriving in CM should be the only time you should need to show you went through quarantine.

Nonetheless, the city government demands a slew of information. The hotel for one night photocopied a lot of my covid docs & submitted them to immigration & gave me a form.  When I moved in, the apt. was nicer, but still copied all my forms, then gave me one to give to immigration. 

I know I have to take my COE (from Peru) to the apt.  I want to rent. Admin's advice is to take the form from my asq here in BKK when I leave. Problem is the address on the form is an old one; the new place is across town.

Hope for more admin advice on this.  Thanks.

7 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Upon landing in CNX do what you want.

Thanks!  One hotel cancelled my booking because I'm in BKK. The next places won't care?  

The asq asked for the address in Ch Mai where I'll be living. I gave where I usually stay, though I'd planned to try another apt. bldg. if possible.

However, am I now locked into the address I gave to the asq bureaucrats? (That is, must I stay in the address printed on the form that allows me to come from quarantine directly to Ch Mai from the BKK airport?)

Thank you.

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Many people have already gotten non-ed visas and extensions for it. No different than studying muay thai and other martial arts training.

Somehow I thought that martial arts visas weren't being given out.  How can I find out about them?  Thank you.

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Many people have already gotten non-ed visas and extensions for it. No different than studying muay thai and other martial arts training.

Thanks so much!  Hope hope hope it works out.  I wrote them.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I have seen a copy of a passport showing Chiang Mai accepting a application for a 60 day extension that was ending at the end of February with a under consideration stamp dated mid March.

I am sure you will be able to get a 60 day extension if needed after you apply for the allowed 30 day extension of your entry.

There is no info on the MOE website for registered schools that I am aware of.

This agent might be able to help. The page is for a 12 month self defense course but I think they also have normal language classes offered. https://chiangmaibuddy.com/visa-heaven/12-month-self-defence-ed-visa/

Thanks so much!  I'll get going on this today.  Especially important is the mention of the 60 day extension.  BTW.  I'm not sure that self defense study is part of a visa now, but I'd really enjoy it.   Thai language is certainly interesting!  I'm thankful. 

On 1/16/2021 at 1:25 PM, cerox said:

Thats all great guys.

 

But whether they will really accept it after being in the open from ASQ to the airport, lets see. This is Thailand, I cannot rely on not having to do self-isolation. There is no such thing as a "fact" in Thailand.

 

I hope youre right. I have seen that confirmation for Phuket, not for Chiang Mai.

 

 

I'm finishing quarantine in BKK in a few days. The asq prepares a form to take with you. So far I've found that if I have the correct paperwork, things go well. (usually) I also found it odd that being in the open in a normal taxi was ok, but they just laughed, said they'd phone one for me to the airport. I plan to do nothing but exit the cab & get on the plane. I'll ask the asq if it's ok to stop at an atm, but unless they say it's fine, I won't do it.  Hope this helps.