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3 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

Lanna is also well worth considering. It's what AIA use for their insurance customers, because it's not as pricey as RAM, and the medical expertise is just as good. What bugs me about RAM, IMO it's all money orientated towards treating foreigners.  

Thanks, I'll definitely consider Lanna. I've heard RAM is the most expensive. 

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

If you're insured just go to Chiang Mai RAM and they'll deduct straight from your insurance.

No need to mess around.

Thanks, if that's the case then I'll definitely go to RAM. I've emailed the insurance company to confirm this. 

I have a small lump on my chest, it's become red but isn't painful yet. I think I should get it looked at sooner rather than later. I have travel insurance but I know that insurance companies love to get out paying for things if they can, so I'd prefer somewhere reasonably priced just in cases I have to pay out of pocket. 

Any recomendations? 

I'm assuming this new amnesty will also apply to people with visa exemption stamps that expire after after 26th Feb?

Apologies if this is a dumb question but does this amnesty also apply to 30 day visa exempt stamps? I was due to go next week to extend for another 30 days but I'm guessing I don't have to now, correct?

Like I said this might be a dumb question but I just want to be 100% sure that I understand the situation.

On 3/25/2020 at 3:06 PM, Maestro said:

 

If I understand your post correctly, you intended from the outset to stay in Thailand longer than 60 days. In my opinion, you therefore acted irresponsibly by travelling to Thailand without a visa, thereby adding to the workload of the immigration office and to the long queue of applicants for extension.

 

At any rate, you were supposed to have a confirmed flight out of Thailand for your check-in for your flight. Unless that onward flight is cancelled or delayed to a date beyond the expiration date of your current permission to stay, you have no emergency and therefore the immigration office may justifiably deny you the 30-day extension under clause 2.28 of the Police Order regarding extensions even if your embassy gives you the emergency certification, unless there is another valid reason why you are unable to take that flight.

I intended to stay for 3 weeks, I had an onward flight which was canceled.

I arrived on 30 day stamp at CM airport. I'm a UK citizen. I know I can extend for another 30 days so I won't need a letter for that extension, but I will for the next one right?

1 minute ago, Mattd said:

Have you extended since you entered? If not, you can get 30 days without the letter.

No, I only arrived on the 16th

I got a 30 day stamp at the airport, I'm a UK citizen. Will I need to get the embassy letter before I can extend? 

HCMC, Hanoi and Cambodia, are not a patch on Thailand, they are far behind Thailand in so many ways, I would think that a short time there will make my point clear.

Thailand is easy for long term stays for some, but for the younger, not married to a Thai national, long term stays are harder to come by, the normal dodgy ways of staying long term , back to back visa exempt, tourist visa's and ed visa's are being clamped down on, as are 2 and 3 entry tourist visa's, which have been replaced with a multi entry tourist visa ( metv), which is more difficult to obtain, and it in most cases only available in your home country. but if obtained would with a 30 day extension at the end, give a 'tourist' 9 months stay in Thailand.

I think Cambodia is fine and I've been coming to Siem Reap during the past 12 months and I can see that they're developing. Also the Visa situation is a lot easier. I'm sure they're already starting to attract people who are having visa issues in Thailand, hopefully the increase in revenue will help to develop the country further.

I'd rather be in Thailand of course but I guess I'll have to limit my time there from now on.

I think I am correct when I say you can go visa free to VN for 2 weeks. However if the OP wants to spend 3 months there, a visa would be required.

Apart from the retirees or married, there will come a time for everyone where what the OP is experiencing, will become an issue if they want to stay as long as they can using b2b visas or tourist visas.

The time has probably come where you should spend some time out of Thailand, thus showing the IO's that you are not a constant border runner or working illegally.

I would not advise taking 3 months in VN then a year in Cambodia though because that would mean 15 months out of Thailand continuously. If you like Thailand so much you will more than likely get withdrawal symptoms!! But you need to decide what length of time you feel would satisfy immigration. Maybe take 3 to 4 months in VN then try Thailand again for as long as you can, then repeat in Cambodia when Thailand gets tricky again?

All the best whatever you choose

Yes, you're right. I knew this day would come. If I can get away with 9 months of the year in Thailand I'll be happy. Actually I'd settle for 6.

I'm going to go to the embassy and see what they have to say but I've resigned myself to not getting it.

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll try Savannakhet.

For the record I'm not working illegally in Thailand and I've been supporting myself through my business, which is not based there.

Does anyone think it's worth going to Phnom Penh? It sounds like it might be a waste of time.

Maybe catch a flight or bus to HCMC and get the Visa there (overnight processing and no need for an agent). Don't know where you are from, but will most likely need a Vietnam visa as well.

Yeah, I'm thinking about going to Vietnam but I keep reading things about proof of funds and records of flights in and out of Thailand. It's crazy, all these different embassies and consulates either having their own rules or choosing which ones they enforce when they feel like it.

I'm seriously considering spending the next 3 months in HCMC or Hanoi and then maybe coming back to Cambodia and getting the one year visa. I love Thailand but if I have to keep jumping through hoops then it's not worth it.

If you are married with a Thai Wife then why are you getting these types of visas and not the Thai wife "visa"?

As I said in my original post I'm not married to a Thai (or anyone else)

My apologies. I misread your original post. The Elite Visa would solve your problems. 500k and good for 5 years. You can leave and enter the country as often as you want. I myself am fully qualified for the retirement stay extension as I am over 50 but I might buy the Elite Visa. The regular retirement stay visa option is cheaper by almost any method of reckoning but the elite visa definitely has some convenience features that make it attractive. Note you would still have to report every 90 days if you are in the country continuously. If in Bangkok I believe the elite team will help and do the reporting for you if you trust that.

No worries.

The Elite Visa would be nice but it's a little bit out of my price range.

If you are married with a Thai Wife then why are you getting these types of visas and not the Thai wife "visa"?

As I said in my original post I'm not married to a Thai (or anyone else)

Does anyone think it's worth going to Phnom Penh? It sounds like it might be a waste of time.

A trip to the embassy yourself might help if you can show financial proof and a ticket out of the country. They seem to not always trust agents outside of PP from posts that I have seen.

Do you know what kind of proof would they require? Most of my financial transactions are done through Paypal, would those records be valid?

Does anyone think it's worth going to Phnom Penh? It sounds like it might be a waste of time.

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll try Savannakhet.

For the record I'm not working illegally in Thailand and I've been supporting myself through my business, which is not based there.

Hi, I'm in Siem Reap, Cambodia trying to get a new tourist visa for Thailand. I've been here several times (maybe that's the problem) and I usually go through an agent via the guesthouse I stay at. Today the guesthouse manager told me that agent is having problems getting the visa and that the consulate are asking questions mostly about the amount of time I've spent in Thailand (just over 3 years, 2 years on ED visas and a year of tourist visas) They're also asking for paperwork relating to either business in Thailand or a Thai wife (i have neither)

I'm not sure what to do now, the agent is telling me that I have the option to go to the consulate in Phnom Penh or just have my passport returned but it was implied that I might be blacklisted if I just have it returned. Another option would be to go Laos and try and get a visa there or I could just stay in Siem Reap, if that's possible.

I'm really not sure what to do next so any helpful advice would be appreciated.