Andrew Dwyer

Getting clearer/muddier....LOL

 

I was only concerned about the activation date because of the amount of things to do and the timescale to do them in.

 

I had assumed that even with the first years visa you would have to apply for a re entry stamp but now I am not so sure. Are we saying that the first year visa means you can enter and leave as many times as you want i.e a multiple entry visa?

Yes exactly that !!

When the "enter before "date expires you have to start with the re-entry permits.

So, first year is permit free up until " enter before " date.

Second year ( assuming you entered before the "enter before " date to get another year permission to stay stamp) you need permits.

After that, yearly extensions based on retirement, you need permits.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I don't think this as been made clear enough (but I may be wrong) if your O-A visa is approved tomorrow it will state you have until 18th Feb 2018 as a 'entry before date', if you then don't bother to enter until say 10th Feb 2018 your O-A Visa is no longer a one year visa but a 8 day visa, so you have wasted 11 months plus of the visa, of course you will be rolled over to an extension of stay after that, but so long as you understand, the one year starts on the day of issue.

I got a non-Imm from Abu Dhabi many years ago. The police were delighted to fingerprint someone who actually wanted It! For my latest visa (over ten years ago) from London I got a clearance from my local police station. If you take the Google ACRO route remember that the first sites are scams (45pounds) compared with the government site (10)


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

my assumption was incorrect, 10 quid is to look at the records, maybe a screen shot would do.

According to TripAdvisor reviews it's just a restaurant. I will probably taste their food but I see no indications that it is used to meet new friends.

Thanks, that makes the logistics much easier. For some strange reason, I had it in my head that you only had 3 months.

I have a tourist visa ( used) in my passport that had a 3 month enter by date.

But O-A is definitely 1 year.

You're talking about non-immigrant O-A right ??

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

My post may look little bit unusual for this forum, still I decided to give it a try.
 
I live in Chiang Mai for about 6 months with my wife and our kid. Recently I realized that we lack of friends here. We came here on our own, without any friends or relatives inviting or waiting us here, just because this is the place where I wanted to live. In fact I do not suffer a lot, I have a lot of work and other things to do for our family, we communicate a lot with our friends and other family members online or by phone. Still in long-term perspective of course would be more comfortable if we have some friends in your area. And until now we didn't meet any here. Of course we have some Thais who help us sometimes but I cannot consider them as real friends, we are too different (it took around 7 years for me to realize that I will never become one of them no matter how hard I try, how good I speak Thai etc.), so I mean farang friends.
 
When I live in Pattaya, I found some kind of intellectual games club there and meet some nice and really interesting people there. Maybe there is something similar in Chiang Mai also?
 
I have not much free time, usually on weekends only, and I want to spend it with fun and benefit. In the past I spend most of my free time just drinking (sometimes home, sometimes in bars) so such question did not arise, but now I stopped so just go drink together is not an option. I like to go sightseeing, travel around Chiang Mai and neighboring provinces so traveling together can be a base for our friendship. I prefer to travel by driving my own car (I have pickup truck and motorbike). But I open to suggestions of any other amusement, except drinking.
 
So everybody living in Chiang Mai and willing to have new impressions with new friends here welcome to send me private messages, there we can exchange our contacts and maybe hang out coming weekend already :)
 
We live in Hang Dong.

Andrew, do I read this right.
 
From date of issue of visa, you have one year in which to activate it?
 
In other words, if a visa is issued but it is say 8 months before you can actually travel to Thailand, then that's OK?
 

I got my O-A last October in London, I will give you the general gist.
( if I get some details wrong or omit anything one of the moderators will correct, UbonJoe is "the man " on this topic).

O-A visa can be obtained by over 50 years old. It is often referred to as a " retirement visa". You don't have to be retired to obtain one but working in Thailand after entering on this visa is strictly forbidden.

You must have proof of income of 800,000 baht ( or equivalent in £ ).
Or
You must have proof of a monthly income or pension of 65,000 baht ( or equivalent in £ ).
Or
You can achieve the 2 above figures combined i.e. 400,000 + 32,500 baht( monthly).
This can be, and usually is, in a U.K. bank, or ( as in my case ) in a Thai bank.

You will need a Police background check , this is now done on the net via ACRO site.

You will also need a medical certificate, this can be obtained from Thai Embassy website.
This needs to be checked out soon as many people have difficulty in getting their GP to sign this as the diseases are a little different from the norm, if I can dig one up I will post it to this thread.
I actually got mine done in Thailand easily but obviously you have to be here to do that and then go back to UK for O-A visa.

I believe the Police check and medical certificate are valid for 3 months only.

I have added a photo of my visa for clarification. <removed>

The visa will get you into Thailand and grant you a permission of stay for 1 year.
If you leave Thailand upon return you will be granted a permission to stay entry stamp for a further 1 year.
This applies up until the " enter before " date on your visa ( 16 Oct 2017 on mine), not the first time you enter Thailand with your visa.
So, for example if I leave and return to Thailand on 15 October 2017 I will get a stamp allowing me to stay until 14 October 2018 .
So in effect you get almost 2 years from the 1 year visa.
But, on the first years permission to stay you can come and go at will, on the second years permission to stay you need a re-entry permit ( single or multi entry bought at immigration or Thai airport on departure)to enter the country .
Don't worry about this too much as you will have a year without re-entry permits.
Another important thing to remember is:
When you enter Thailand on your O-A you have to report at your local immigration office every 90 days unless you leave the country within that 90 days then the 90 days cycle will start again on the day you arrive back in Thailand.

There is also the question of a tm30 form ( notification of your address in Thailand).
Basically, if you stay in a Hotel or Condo the owner ( or house master) will fill a form to advise immigration of your temporary residence using your passport and landing card info. But if you stay with friends then it's up to the house owner/master to register you.
I recommend you search for more info on tm30 as at the moment it is under debate ( on Thaivisa) as to whether it's necessary.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Minesweeping a pint?  Never heard that one before is it the same as stirring someone else's porridge?

This was a weird series on TV when I was a kid . 
 
 
[/url]  

It has those things and more, including bare breasted females, elephant fights and some quite spectacular stunt work, did I mention bare breasted females!

If you watch the video around the 50 sec mark the woman in white said " it's worse than what it was " in a Liverpool accent !!
Definitely scousers !!

Not from Yorkshire, I repeat not from Yorkshire !! [emoji51]

( and yes I am from Bradford ) [emoji51]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I've not been here that long, just coming up to a year, but I find myself changing.
I get the fork/spoon thingy.
The " bum gun " ?, sometimes you gotta use paper and then the bum gun to avoid a mess !!
Chopsticks ?, not a problem, use them for noodles ( with a little slurping), never for rice.
Never without a " cha yen " , love it.
Eat Thai food 90% including market and roadside food, 10% KFC and Japanese.
Trying to learn the language to communicate with friends, but admittedly finding it difficult.
Have no problem driving here but find my driving attitude changing, becoming more aggressive usually to taxis and vans disrespecting my " road space"
Dropped the eleven from 7-eleven and just call it Lotus !
Thai tv seems just like tv anywhere in the world, reality shows and the amount of singing shows ( I can see your voice, The Mask etc) seems excessive !!
Love traveling around this beautiful country !

I guess being polite and humble gets you more respect here, i don't strut around like I am better than the thais,I am a visitor to their country and culture after all, obviously take care not to be taken advantage of.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)

Action · A suburban couple becomes embroiled in an international espionage plot when they discover that their seemingly perfect new neighbors are government spies.

Kept falling asleep or losing concentration about halfway through. It's comical and entertaining for a night in with the popcorn but nothing to rave about. A typical American family comedy/action movie.

Yanet Garcia


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Life can't be too bad !
The guy is 59 but looks 40 !!

Seriously though, very sad that this guy decided to take his own life because he feared being blacklisted .

Hope he recovers and resolves his problems .


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I have no sympathy at all, am in the uk for a few weeks and today was a high of 3c and down to zero tonight.

19c would be heaven !!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

When I walked out of the Thai Embassy in London opened my passport looked down and saw my O-A visa.
It wasn't the fact I had got the visa but the realisation that I was on my way to a whole new adventure !!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I knew exactly what you meant.

Your English is good.

But I can't miss the opportunity to make a joke [emoji3]

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

day i married ex missus

I don't hear go-go, but what I hear sounds like " co - call " !!
" he wife work co-call "

Doesn't make much sense but that's what I hear !




Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Yes thank you Rooster ? !

Brought a smile to my face .

Keep 'em coming !

Nightmare?
 
The roads in northern Thailand and especially the socalled Mae Hong Son loop which the Chiang Mai - Pai is a part of is considered world class roads. Its curvy, full of mountains, valleys, rivers etc and with many interesting spots and extremely scenic.
With your own vehicle you can go when you want and stop when and where you want. And you could do the whole Mae Hong Son loop as well, Doi Inthanon, Mae Sariang etc etc.
 
Faster to fly? You need to get to the airport from somewhere in Chiang Mai, it might take 15-20 minutes, you have to be at the airport 1,5-2 hours before the flight to go through security and check in procedures. Then fly, wait for luggage, transport into Pai. Faster? Dont think so at all....
 
The only thing that could be better with flying is as somebody mentioned - if the baby get motion sickness. Thats not a good thing to let your baby go through. 
So thats a healthy advice from others above here...