robertcox59

I will be arriving Bangkok airport in early May. I am 69, an America, and I will not have a visa when I arrive. Can I obtain or upgrade a tourist visa to a non immigrant O visa at the airport? And then after a few days can I extend the 90 day on immigrant O visa to a one year retirement visa at an immigration office in Udon Thani?

If not, can I apply for a 90 day non immigrant O visa in Laos, and then convert it to a one year retirement visa at the Thai immigration office in Udon Thani or Nong Khai?

Thank you.

I will be staying in Udon Thani. Can I get a 90 day non-immigrant O visa in Laos and then convert it to a one year retirement visa in Thailand?

Thanks

My one-year retirement visa extension expired on 8 March, and I'm out of the country now, in the US, where I'm a citizen. My visa was single entry, and I did check in with Thai immigration before I left the country. I had intended to return to Thailand earlier but something turned up...

Question: if I return to Thailand at the end of this month or the beginning of next, can I still get an extension on my last visa, the one that expired on 8 March? Or do I have to start all over?

Thanks

You have been staying here on one-year visas or extensions of stay?

We need more information to give you a definite answer.

I have been using a single entry retirement visa. My application would not be for an extension. Since I'm in the US, I would have to start all over again to obtain a one-year retirement visa--correct?

Thanks

I have been married to a Thai woman for three years; however, no official registration has taken place--No documentation. I'm a 67 year old retired American. I have been using the one-year retirement visa, which I have obtained from the Thai Consulate in the US. Is there an easier way?

I'm currently visiting family in the US, and will be returning to Thailand after I figure out the visa. I' m wondering if this works: 1) return to Thailand using visa-upon-entry; 2) Obtain the marraige documents; 3) apply for a long term visa.

Is this possible? Can I apply while in thailand? Can I apply form Laos?

Thanks for your help.

Without intending to be cynical, it seems to me that this fine could be beneficial to everyone, including police, who depend on fines to make a living. It might even take some little pressure off of poor motor bike riders, who are preyed upon by police officers who make a living doing little else. Or is this just how officers make enough money to enable them to be peace officers?

I've been living in Thailand for nearly a year. It's time for me to renew my retirement visa. I have loads of proof that I have in excess of 65,000. baht coming in each month. Why won't the Thai visa authority in Udon Thani allow me to use the same proof of icome that I used when I applied in Los Angeles? I'm getting very mixed messages. Can I get a one-year extension in Laos? I'm afraid if I can't get this sorted out I will have to leave Thailand for good, which is something I don't really want to do. How can I fix this so it's not a problem every year? Thanks, Bob

I am not affected as I won't qualify for a retirement visa for many years to come, but this new rule is truly stupid and cruel. Why make it harder for foreign families to stay in Thailand? I can't think of a single reason. At the same time, those that are affected by this rule will be hit very hard. And others who maybe could come up with the money will probably leave in disgust.

What kind of government invents new laws that specifically hurt families? It boggles the mind.

PS: I think one needs to view this in the context of ever-increasing anti-foreigner laws and increased isolationism in Thailand. It's sad because it hurts the Thai people the most.

Good point on condo prices too. I was in the market for a condo but now, not anymore. Not because of this specific law, more like because of the general direction this country is taking which virtually guarantees that the ROI becomes smaller and smaller... retirees getting kicked out, hard to move money out of the country, etc etc.

I'm retired and have been living in Thailand for several years. I feel like I make a contribution to the community I live in, in many ways, not just the money I spend here each month. This new rule only deepens my sense that Thailand only measures the worth of inidividuals, especially foreigners, in terms of money. It hurts me to say this, because I obviously like many things about Thailand, but this "new" rule (in the context of all the others that make it harder for foreigners to stay here) is very unsettling. I'll let this settle for a bit, but this might just be the last straw.

I wonder what message the Thai government thiniks it's sending with rule changes like this? I understood that some of the earlier visa changes, or thought I did; I didn't even disagree with forcing some unsavory characters to leave the country. Still, many of the rules seem intrusive and needlessly difficult, the Thai bank account requirement, for example. But this new requirement is just cruel. It is without honor. Shame on the government for using its power in this way.

I suppose most modern countries are caught in some kind of struggle between urges toward enlightenment and fascism, loving kindness and hatred. What happens in this struggle, it seems to me, in a moment in time, determines a country's culture, its hum and buzz, the feel of it. For me the extemes of these contesting forces in Thailand are personified by a monk and a cop, militerism and Buddhism. The absence of civil government, and some kind of representative political body to mediate the struggle, has thrown the country out of balance and caused the conditions for a police state. Sad.

One can only hope that the present government will relinquish its power by returning the country to civil society. Without a representative government to check the misuse of power, there's no reason to think that country will not continue on its present course, and the police will be given even more power to restrict civil rights and personal freedoms, which will create a cops and robbers culture. I would prefer the state to protect Thailand's beautiful culture over its efforts to legislate morality while making more robbers for the cops to chase.

The most worrying one is

Article 11: Those who send data or electronic mails to others without revealing their identity, or by posing as someone else, in an act that disrupts the others' normal computer use: subject to a Bt100,000 fine.

Most of us here do not reveal our identity and de facto we pose as someone else (our pseudo).

So now we should have a registered ID and an email with our own name?

[sandy]

People obviously tend to read over the most crucial part:

... IN AN ACT THAT DISRUPTS THE OTHERS NORMAL COMPUTER USE. Simply translating "misuse" to harm third parties.

In short, spammers, identity thieves, virus spreaders and other virtual crooks. Nothing wrong with a law to get those busted and should be in the interest of any legitimate user of the internet.

Cheers,

Richard

the problem is the same as with alcoholism. There is something in your brain, only waiting for the alc or the nicotin. Almost all ex smoker (as well me) can not smoke just one. All the times I stopped before I just smoked one and one more and one more and fully smoked again.

It was always this first ciggi which killed the project, if I would not have smoke this first ciggi I wouldn't have started again.

There are two things: the biochemical one. And the psychologic: If you can smoke just one, than you can also smoke just two or stop it after 3 or just tonight and tomorrow you stop it again, but maybe after the ciggi at the coffee and thats the way you fully smoke again.

If you can do that "just one" I really admire you, but please report me again in 2 weeks if you could do or not.

How come it's okay for non smokers to have a cigerette once in a blue moon but if an ex smoker does it then they haven't really given up?

I quit two weeks ago and the two ciggies that I have had are ones that I fancied, I didn't CRAVE for either of them.

There is no such thing as being a non smoker if you used to smoke.

You will always be a smoker who doesn't smoke.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the problem is the same as with alcoholism. There is something in your brain, only waiting for the alc or the nicotin. Almost all ex smoker (as well me) can not smoke just one. All the times I stopped before I just smoked one and one more and one more and fully smoked again.

It was always this first ciggi which killed the project, if I would not have smoke this first ciggi I wouldn't have started again.

There are two things: the biochemical one. And the psychologic: If you can smoke just one, than you can also smoke just two or stop it after 3 or just tonight and tomorrow you stop it again, but maybe after the ciggi at the coffee and thats the way you fully smoke again.

If you can do that "just one" I really admire you, but please report me again in 2 weeks if you could do or not.

How come it's okay for non smokers to have a cigerette once in a blue moon but if an ex smoker does it then they haven't really given up?

I quit two weeks ago and the two ciggies that I have had are ones that I fancied, I didn't CRAVE for either of them.

There is no such thing as being a non smoker if you used to smoke.

You will always be a smoker who doesn't smoke.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I left Thailand without getting a stamp on my single-entry retirement visa. I understand that I must now re-apply and complete the whole process again. Can I re-apply in Bangkok--given that the Thai embassy in Bangkok has all of my relevant docments? I'm a US citizen.

I checked in at Phuket Town, where my visa was stamped. Does that make a difference?

Thank you so much for your help.