kidizen

19 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

1. I think the earliest you can apply at CM immigration is 30 days.

2. What did you use in Vientiane for the financial proof?

3. CM immigration  is strict on the TM30 form. You or your landlord will need to do one before you apply for your extension.

Thanks Ubonjoe.  In response to your 3 points:

1. Do you mean 30 days before the expiry of the 90 days stamp?  I've heard mention of 45 days elsewhere maybe I'm mixing this up with something else.

2. Just a photocopy of income cert letter from embassy, they did not ask to see original.

3. I will get my landlord to fill in a TM30 now.  However, the TM30 forms says notification should be within 24 hours, I didn't want the landlord to think they would be getting into trouble for not reporting in good time.  Are there adverse consequences for reporting late?  Do I then ask the landlord for a copy of it to show?  Or does it suffice for the landlord to mail in the form, can they then look it up in their system?

Thanks very much in advance.

10 minutes ago, joeyg said:

No I've looked it up before just as we wash and rinse our utensils it washes off safetly. Some people use Castille soap.  I've been using this method for 25 years plus.  No kidney  or other related health.  It only takes a few drops in the wash solution.  White vinegar is the main ingredient.

You are right.  A wash is much a simpler and better way to get the job done.  I've also just read about cheap ozonators leaking ozone which is harmful to lungs when inhaled.

1 minute ago, joeyg said:

It seems that white vinegar is the main ingredient as and acid based solvent.  I'm sticking with that and a bit of dish detergent.  It's amazing, even after giving them a good rinse first.  After soaking in this solution the water is a murky "cruddy" mess.  Good not eating that stuff, better down the drain.

 

Wouldn't there be residues of the dish detergent on the veggies?  Vinegar I'm ok with but I'm not keen on the idea of washing food with dish detergent.

On 10/7/2016 at 9:01 AM, AlQaholic said:

Where do you get hydrogen peroxide? I have tried to find but cannot find anywhere?

I found it easily at a pharmacy in a mall (Maya Chiang Mai, shop in basement next to Boots). 3% solution, 30 baht for 500ml or so.  I used a translator on my phone and showed it to the staff.   I expect you can find it easily at pharmacies elsewhere in Thailand. 

As joeyg pointed out, I doubt if hydrogen peroxide will remove pesticides, only pathogens.  I think ozonated water would work better to remove pesticides.  You can get ozonators cheaply on Ebay.  Also detoxing regularly is key to get rid of accumulated pesticides.

Research results here from the Journal of Hazardous Materials:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389410015207

I got my Non O for retirement in Vientiane last week.  Got Non-O 90 days stamp in NongKhai. I even made it from the Thai Consulate in Vientiane to Udon Thani airport in 2 hrs 15 mins, no taxis. All went super smoothly.  The  next step is to get the 12 month extension based on retirement in Chiang Mai.  A few questions if I may, newbie here:

1. How soon can I apply for the extension? 45 days before expiry of stamp?

2. What other paperwork do I need in addition to what I provided for the Non O visa in Vientiane?

3. I've heard about this TM30 form, is this something I need to provide with the application?

Any useful info would be much appreciated.  Thanks very much in advance!

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

4. Are not needed.

Form questions.

1. Leave blank

2. Self

3. Yes

4. OK

5. OK

Thanks UbonJoe!

I did print the condo name as well as the street number and sub number after the slash, in English though.

Heading to Vientiane next week for my Non-O retirement visa.  Just wanted to check with the experts in this forum to make sure that there are no new surprises.  I will also be applying for a Non-O dependent visa for my child.

Here are the contents of my paperwork dossier:

1. Income certification letter from Embassy - original to show + copies to enclose

2. Birth certificate of child - certified copy, original to show + copies to enclose

3. Passport personal info page - signed copies

4. Passport Thai visa + stamps pages - signed copies

5. Laos visa + stamp - signed copies

6. 2 recent Photos 3.5cm x 4.5cm for each of us - have spares

7. Apartment lease - original to show, in case proof of address needed

8. Copies of bank statements supporting  income certification letter - in case needed

If you think I missed anything, please let me know.

We will of course have our passports with us.  Is it worth bothering to download the application form and fill it in before hand?  I'm inclined to do that to save time. 

Looking at visa application form here:http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa Application Form_new_V_13_8_2558.pdf,

Assuming this is still the latest, a few quick questions if I may:

1. Lao Guarantor - I should leave this blank, right?
2. Thai Guarantor -  I don't know any Thai locals well enough, can I put myself down as guarantor or leave this section blank?
3. Duration of proposed stay  -  90 days, right?
4. Travelling by - would be "bus" I guess as I would be heading back to Nong Khai from Vientiane?
5. Purpose of visit - "Retirement" for me and "Accompanying family member" for child, right?

Thanks very much in advance!

I have done my research homework but any other useful and relevant tips would also be much appreciated.

On 9/18/2016 at 7:04 AM, Dante99 said:

Well Kidzi did you get it? How?

I got the package the next morning.  It was delivered to some shop/office at the street front with the same street number.The condo is new and set back from the street.  Someone signed for it - they shouldn't have!  If it wasn't for the tracking info, with the name of the person who signed for the package, I would be none the wiser.  Same thing happened a week earlier with an important EMS letter from Bangkok, someone signed for it but didn't give me the letter until 11 days later.  TIT!  I've learned to be more vigilant following up and tracking down mail.  At least I know where to look if the expected package or letter is late.   Thank you all for chipping in!

Newbie here. A bit confused by the mixed reports of whether to walk in and take a chance or hire a sitter or agent. I have yet to get my O retirement visa in a couple of weeks so will need to apply for extension mid-Nov to Dec.  Didn't want to start a new thread as my questions are totally germane to the thread.  Just got my income cert letter with Chiang Mai address, question 1: must I apply for extension based on retirement in Chiang Mai?  Can I not do it in Bangkok? Assuming I won't have to go out of my way to go to Bangkok. I have a dependent as well so any agent fees would be doubled and I'd rather not have to pay 12,000 baht on top of the visa fees.  Waiting in the early hours with a child is absolutely out of the question, so getting a sitter would be the way to go, or take a chance and just show up.  Question 2:  Where do you find these sitters and how much do they cost? Did someone mention only 300 baht a piece? Thanks in advance.

I will hopefully get to the bottom of this tomorrow morning.  It still looks to me that the mailman is being lazy and not doing his job properly and not taking the condo mail to the condo building. I'm certainly making the "juristic" people at the condo know about this problem and hope that the mailman will do his job better.

I clicked on the Recipient Name link, there is a name in Thai but no signature.  This is a good clue though and I'm getting warmer. It looks like the mailman delivered it to one of the offices at the street front instead of the condo in spite of the condo name being clearly on the address.  There is no one there now but we'll see if the package is there tomorrow.  Thanks for the clue.

This is the second time this has happened in the last week.  Important letter from the British Embassy Bangkok mailed EMS on Sep 2, Thailand Post Tracking says delivered on Sep 3.  I didn't get it until Sep 13.  Just now I was expecting another package that Thailand Post Tracking says "Delivery Successful", but it's not here :(.  I live in a condo apartment building on Huay Kaew, the mail goes to the reception.  I'm quite sure the people downstairs at the reception are telling the truth though they don't speak a lot of English.  I now suspect that perhaps the mailman isn't doing his job and hasn't delivered the package yet. I've had a few packages delivered the few weeks before and there wasn't any hold up.  My question is, would the mailman do a thing like that? Is this typical in Chiang Mai?

12 hours ago, CobraSnakeNecktie said:

I left CM after ten years and returned to the US. Wasn't feeling that great and finally got diagnosed with high mercury levels. Perhaps I was eating too much fish but suspect the ever present burning was part of the issue.

Do you have any metal fillings in your mouth?  Can't imagine 10 years in Chiang Mai alone would give you a high level of mercury toxicity.  Thanks for mentioning Tao Garden BTW.

Check out the Chiang Mai Ayurvedic Center here: http://www.detox-chiangmai.com

I haven't been there but they mention Far Infrared Sauna (at the footer).   They speak good English there.

Thanks Nancy!

I'm looking for a shop where I can get a few pages printed and do photocopies for official paperwork.  I'm in the Huay Kaew / Nimman intersection. Have already walked around the neighborhood and did not find any print shops.  Does anyone know of any print shops in the area?  Please don't tell me to go buy a cheap printer.  I move around and don't want too much stuff.  Might go to Kad Suan Kaew later, are there print shops there?  Thanks in advance.

There is a reliable and punctual taxi call center the operators of which speak and understand English.

The number is: 0894353003

I have used them a number of times, even at horribly early times in the morning. Always there on time.

//edit --

Let me add this to the OP. If you are living here, you need your own transportation. People who live here and rely on the limited public transport here are not getting the full experience, regardless of how they defend their positions.

Buy a used car. You can find a decent one for US$2,000 to 5,000. It will solve all your issues and give you the freedom to go where you want, when you want without any middleman. If you want to pop up to Pai, or Mae Hong Son, you can. Just like that. Want a day trip to see the cave at Chiang Dao and buy some neat flower bulbs? Off you go.

The only people who don't have their own transport in a city where that is possible (unlike Hong Kong, for example) are invalids.

Thanks for sharing the taxi call center number Trujillo. That's really useful!

I'm asking the question to explore options and poll people's actual experience as I haven't yet figured out if Grab/Uber have been and gone and what the brand new looking bus stops are for. There's one on Huay Kaew opposite Maya for example.

I totally agree with you about having your own transport to have the freedom to get around when you want "for the full experience". I've already figured that one out and have found a "best of both worlds" solution. I choose to live in one of the most busy and bustling areas in town so have no need for my own transport to get around. Songthaews and tuk tuks are plentiful here if I need to go anywhere in town. I have also found an excellent car rental company that I'm currently using and plan on using in the future for the occasional need. I'm here in Chiang Mai for a few months and haven't made the decision to stay here longer than that. If I were to then buying a car would be the way to go. And we'll be making a trip to Chiang Dao next week while I still have the rental car.

Thanks for chipping in. I mentioned the Promenada as that's where the Immigration Office is. I drove there yesterday and took care of business while I have the car. I have made that decision already to live in a very convenient location where my daily needs are within an easy walking distance. Nonetheless, I was just curious to see how one gets around in this town without a car or bike, and not wanting to feel too confined in my own neighborhood (Huay Kaew/Nimman) . I was particularly interested in hearing people's experience using GrabTaxi and Uber in Chiang Mai, if it's an option at all.

I have seen many blog posts on the topic but have not found a satisfactory answer. I'm of course new to Chiang Mai, currently renting a car for the month but am not planning on continuing to do so as it's too expensive and I won't need to be getting around everyday. I know most people get around on motorbikes and scooters. I've decided that that's not a viable option for me either, as I will have a young kid as a passenger and I have no experience riding a motorbike. I have seriously considered that option but having driven around in Chiang Mai for a couple of weeks now, I don't want to ride a scooter on the ring road or up the windy mountain roads with a passenger. My preferred option would be Grab Taxi or Uber, or buses. I know there are songthaews and tuk tuks. I don't like tuks tuks, they are overpriced and uncomfortable and I don't like having to haggle with tuk tuk drivers.

What I'm baffled about:

1. For songthaews, what if I want to go somewhere off the beaten track and don't want to charter the songthaew? What if you want to go a long way on the ring road like from Maya to the Promenada Mall? Can you hop on a songthaew that will take you all the way there? Can someone demystify the songthaew? Do they have certain fixed routes in town? Fixed fares? Do they go around the ring road?

2. I've heard of the public bus in Chiang Mai, and have even seen the nice looking new bus stops, has it been scrapped and is no longer operational?

3. What is the current state of GrabTaxi and Uber in Chiang Mai, are they still operational? I haven't seen much evidence of it though my GrabTaxi app seems to be working.

4. Can you call taxis if you don't speak Thai? Is there a reliable radio taxi service?

Thanks in advance.

You might be able to get a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over in Penang if you can show 800k baht in the bank or proof of 65k baht income. If you can show that financial proof you could get a single entry non-o and apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration.

Savannakhet can be difficult for get a single entry non-o for being 50 or over. Vientiane is the best choice.

This is a new piece of information to me that I have not seen anywhere, "You might be able to get a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over in Penang if you can show 800k baht in the bank or proof of 65k baht income." Could you please confirm or clarify Ubonjoe? Does the multiple entry non-O work the same way as the retirement O/A visa one gets from one's own country that is valid for 12 months and allows you to come and go as you please during the visa's validity? If so, that would certainly be a better option than getting a single entry Non-O and then applying for the 12 month extension afterwards. Thanks in advance!

Citibank ATMs do not charge the 200 Baht ATM fee. I've been using it in recent months. However, apparently this is only for non-US issued cards though. I think there are only 3 locations in Bangkok and none outside of Bangkok, not much use to OP in Phuket but worth mentioning for the record.

Normally it appears to be 3 months from posts I can recall.

A year certainly would not be required.

Thanks Ubonjoe and Sotsira. "3 months" is the sensible answer I wanted to hear . My 3 questions have been answered.

If you are using the 65,000 THB monthly income method of proving finances, I imagine that the Embassy would want to see supporting bank statements dating back 12 months rather than 3 or 6. But why not send them an email to their consular enquiries email address mentioned in the PDF at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/527101/Pension_06_06_16.pdf to check (they usually respond pretty promptly to emails in my experience)?

Thanks OJAS, I would naturally prefer not to have to send in 12 months of bank statements if I can help it, therefore am asking for other people's experience. The fact that the UK Embassy did not spell out in their instructions how many months' of bank statements to send also suggests that there may well not be a strict policy on this. They don't want to have to look at 12 month's of statements either, I'm sure they just want to do their job with the least amount of effort and hassle.

For better advice, it would be helpful to state at which Imm office you will applying

for the Non-O Visa as i recently discovered that some request additional documentation

to others.

Also, what is your current visa status that you hold in Thailand, as that also plays in to

whether you can apply for a change of visa using ™ 86 or ™ 87 form.

Thanks Sotsira. Will be getting single entry Non-O from either Vientiane or Penang, current visa is METV - the only visa. Will apply for extension of stay based on retirement in Bangkok Imm after getting Non-O visa abroad. My first 2 questions have been answered. Just need some insights from other people's experience regarding UK Embassy income certification procedure/evidence particularly for non-pension income and using bank statements as evidence.