Banana7

What is the blue slip?

Normally I have been making a trip out of the country to avoid the 90 day report on a retirement extension. Early in 2016, I did do a 90 day report at Jomtien, but the bar coded form in my passport is white.

Add your phone number onto TM7.

8 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

If the termites came from your home you would likely see their tunnels (mud tubes) leading from where they came to where they were found. Or, if they were the flying variety, you would see lots of discarded wings around (wings drop off when they land and find a place to start a new infestation.

 

So, if there are no tunnels leading to or from the box, and no discarded wings around, it is likely they were already in the box when you brought it home.

 

 

Thanks! No tunnels or mud tubes and no wings near the box.

I bought a case of Leo beer from a big supermarket about 2 weeks ago. Opened the case case today to find the case infested with little white termites, at least a hundred. I've bought many cases of beer in the past 2 years, usually 1 per month, but this is only the second case that has had termite infestation. Do you think the termites were in the case at the time purchase or are they resident somewhere else in my condo and then traveled to the cardboard? There is no wood in the kitchen. Anybody else find termites in the cardboard beer cases?

7 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

you need to get a lawyer immediately.  here is the lawyer i use

http://www.pattayasolicitors.com/

she will help negotiate a fair fine. does not matter if you did anything wrong. if or when they turn up dont give them your passport but make sure you have photo copies and say your passport is being stored in a safety deposit box some where. they will try to take it from you and hold it which they have no right to do. 

i have been through something like this before and they held my passport for 2 years. you dont want to end up in that situation. PM me if you have any questions. PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY GET A LAWYER IMMEDIATELY.

This lawyer's website says " Currently under Thai law, foreign residents are not allowed to own any piece of Thai property in their own name. " This sounds like BS. To me, property can be a TV, car, a house, or land.

It is statements like at this website, that cause lots of confusion, and demonstrates the lack of English language skills. - and cause unnecessary legal bills and consultation.

Thanks for the report. I wonder if the TM30 filing also applies to owner occupied condos?

6 minutes ago, texanaust said:

So is the current consensus NOT to self report on a TM30 when staying in ones own condo in Jomtien?  What about the condo management, do they report an owners arrival?  I always thought the address you put down on the arrival card at the airport was used for the first place of residence-I am now confused.

Seems like I made a mistake reporting myself and filing a TM30, since I am not a business, nor is my condo part of a business.

Condo management normally are unaware of your whereabouts and have no responsibility to report  condo owner activity.

While in Hanoi, I found good USD exchange rate at VIB bank and ACB bank.

While in Saigon, the best USD exchange rate was at a Thue Doi Ngoai te Thien Xuan money exchange, across the road from Ben Thanh market, 38 Phan Boi, Chau, east of the market.  This place was 22,340 VND for USD 100s, while best bank rate I could find was 22,290 VND.

12 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

Are you referring to this page on the immigration website?
Notification of residence of foreigners for businesses
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=alienstay

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

Yes.

Jomtien office is accepting multiple TM30s, one for each entry into Thailand, for foreigners living in their own condo.

I am in Thailand based on an “extension of stay” for retirement, and owner of a condo in Pattaya, where I reside most of the time. Last year, I registered a TM30 for living in my condo, and the TM30 receipt portion was stapled into the last page of my passport. Recently, I went to Vietnam for a couple of weeks, rather than doing the 90 day report. One day after returning, I went to Jomtien immigration (2nd floor) to see if they wanted a new TM30. They were delighted and removed the old TM30 and stapled the new TM30 into the passport.  Since I owned the condo, they accepted a photo copy of the front page of my chanote, I was not asked to provide item 5, 6, 7, and 8, from the TM30 requirements list, shown in the attached photo. Item 3 and 4 seem to ask for the same thing.

Where is the best currency exchange in Hanoi? In the old quarter?

If you have a US passport, you should be getting a minimum of a 1 year Visa for Vietnam.

Since August 29, 2016, according to an agreement between Vietnam and US governments, visa to Vietnam for US passport holders will be granted and valid for 1 year with multiple entry regardless the length of their stay in Vietnam. The applicable fees will be charged accordingly.

The above announcement is posted on the Embassy of Vietnam website in Ottawa Canada.

12 hours ago, jgold said:

It is a lot cheaper to get the entry permit letter online with agencies  and get the visa on arrival than to do it at the embassy. You were not swindled just costs more doing at the embassy.

I have been to VT 3 times and the agencies are very reliable. Every expat in Vietnam knows going to embassies is more expansive and everyone living here goes with the agencies using the letter. 

Next time you need it get a visa go on facebook and look for expat group in Ho Chi Minh and ask about visa agency there. You will get tons of reliable recommendations.

You could have gotten a 6 month visa for the same price they charge at the embassy.

I don't have facebook. Any chance someone can post, or PM me, a reliable visa agency website for Vietnam multi-entry tourist visas, so people can avoid the Embassy in Bangkok?

Went to the Vietnam embassy in Bangkok to get a tourist visa. Website at http://www.vietnamembassy-thailand.org/en/

says 30 day single entry tourist visa is USD$25 or 3 mo. multi-entry USD$50.

Embassy lady refused to issue a 3 mo. multi-entry. Told me to phone a visa company if I wanted a 3 mo. visa and get visa on arrival. Told her visa arrival are now just for emergencies according to Vietnam government website (https://visa.mofa.gov.vn/NewsDetail.aspx?type=Info&id=28#sec3)- she disagreed.

Big sign in the Embassy says online visa companies may not be reliable. Also stories on internet where people pay for a 3 month visa and upon arrival are told the visa is only 1 month.

Charged me 2,200 for a single entry 30 day tourist visa - 4 day processing. Receipt says 2,200 baht.

Was I swindled?

Here is a Vietnam government website that allows you to apply for a Vietnam visa.

https://visa.mofa.gov.vn/_layouts/registration/ApplicationForm.aspx

On 7/26/2016 at 8:26 PM, IMA_FARANG said:

---------------------

I can't remember the exact hour it opens but it opens in the morning for visa applications and then in the afternoon until four for pickups of completed visas.

And yes, things there are changing fast, but they will not yet issue you a 3 month multi entry visa here in Bangkok, at least at present for Americans.

That may be coming soon, since Obama visited Hanoi and had a bowl of Beef Pho soup in a shop there.

Since August 29, 2016, according to an agreement between Vietnam and US governments, visa to Vietnam for US passport holders will be granted and valid for 1 year with multiple entry regardless the length of their stay in Vietnam. The applicable fees will be charged accordingly. Please contact our visa officers if you need further information. 

This notice is posted on the Embassy of Vietnam website in Canada.

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

Let's save other posters some trouble:

---- You should not be encouraging corruption by paying these unofficial extra charges!

---- It is only 300 baht. It is stupid to create a stink over such a piddling amount

---- It is the principle of the thing

---- The officials are very poorly paid. It is reasonable for them to augment their income by collecting service fees

There: no need for a long argumentative thread

Avoid complying with points 2 and 4.

Make an official complaint.

There is no responsibility or good reason to augment immigration personal income by paying unofficial fees.