onera1961

23 hours ago, NewToVisas said:

What kind of VISA should I aim for? How challenging are Extensions? Say I want to be there for five years as a hypothetical situation. Is that even possible? I'm looking for April...

Well, you have already discovered this forum. Now you have to ask questions as you go along. First, get an SETV from USA and arrive here. Bangkok is a good start. It is chaotic but it's the primate city of Thailand. Get a place for moth-to-month rental. If you don't like, you can move out without wasting your deposit.

You can extend your permitted until date by 30-day. So basically it will give you 90-days to stay in Thailand before you have to leave the country. 

Once you stayed here for 90-days, you can visit wealthy countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Hong kong, Macau (no visa required for US citizens), or very poor countries like Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Philippines and then decide your long-term plan. 

Also, as somebody suggested, visiting Portugal and Spain (no visa if staying for less than 3 months in Schengen zone within a rolling 180-day period) during the scorching summer heat of SEA will give you some relief from the heat and gain new experiences. 

Excellent service for 250 baht. 250 baht some scamming bar owners charge for a lady drink. Is this kind of service available in Pattaya/Jomtien area?

16 hours ago, stud858 said:

Does anyone find their 4g sim card works better in one phone compared to another?

I've feared the Chinese branded phones don't have as good as branded sim net speeds .

Any testing or comparisons been done?

If you buy a same model phone offered by sim service provider, they are the same. I have a HUAWEI Y9 (same as dtac offers but bought from a different vendor), I consistently get good 4G speed using dtac sim (also I get dtac turbo) in remote areas also. 

36 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

As to likelihood of folks doing the round-robin, consider that the rule seems to require monthly-xferrs (vs quarterly, etc) with fees going both directions on those, plus the trouble.  Immigration's calculus may be that their preferred agent-applications will be easier for most, and likely not much more than the xfer-fees for a year, so they will have accomplished their goal.

I have not done any dee-money transfer, but 12 dee-money transfer of $1000/month will cost only $60USD, according to their published rate (150 baht per transfer). So it is far better than 25K baht for an agent. 

23 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

The bigger joke will come when the tourists get booted back out for a myriad of minor infringements????  

What are those minor infringements for which tourists get booted out? Spray paining on a historical wall? 

4 hours ago, David Walden said:

Bt800,000 to a hundred different people at 10% interest. 

10% interest is too low. Americans scam economically desperate Americans for far more than that and with the sanction of the laws through their lobbying arms.

8 minutes ago, David Walden said:

I am in Thailand in my extension period if I leave Thailand now I will have to start all over again and get a new one-year retirement visa.  I will, back in Australia.......Yes, this is Thailand.

On the second year of an O_A visa, you can get a reentry permit to enter Thailand if you leave. But your admitted until date remains the same. After that you need to get a new O-A visa.

13 hours ago, rascalman said:

I absolutely will not have that amount of money. I have lived here over 10 years do not know what I can do. I am old not moving to Cambodia or Vietnam no way. I suppose if they want they will arrest me and put me in jail. Which I can not endure. I am a disabled US veteran and very sick. Best I can do is tell a few people before I am jailed or whatever. 

Don't you have 25K (even less if you shop around) to pay an agent? It is only 2K/month. But overstaying in a foreign land where you don't have any rights will not be accepted by TI, I guess.

36 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

The US is very good at using this "loophole", claiming a wonderful GDP growth, while keeping silence on a debt growing at twice the GDP rate, or more... 

People (or investors) lend you money when they feel you can pay it. If your GDP is bad, people won't lend you money. Japan has proved that debt is immaterial, it is your ability to pay.

On 12/28/2018 at 11:36 AM, elviajero said:

If they are illegally working in Thailand (3.), and are tax resident (after 180 days), they should be filing a tax return to declare any tax liability on any foreign sources of earned or unearned income.

 

In your case you would be illegally working in Thailand under section 37.1 of the immigration act. If your income is being remitted to Thailand you might have a tax liability, but not unless you are tax resident and the income is being remitted to Thailand.

You're right. Ask any multi-national company if you can work outside your tax country. They will simply say no. I worked as a remote worker for Microsoft and my contract specifically said I could not work in any country, except in the US even if I have multiple passports 

On 12/29/2018 at 3:28 PM, YogaVeg said:

But are we even eligible for the 30 days on arrival after already spending 3 months in a 6 month period?

That would be 4 months in the Kingdom within a 6 month period.

If your maximum stay is 60-day, it is better visa exempt entry (30-day) and extension for a 30-day. If more than 60-days, it is better to get a SETV and extend it for another 30-day. 

On 12/29/2018 at 3:28 PM, YogaVeg said:

I see this: "American citizens who wish to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days during any six-month period will be required to obtain a valid Thai visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate that is authorized to issue visas.

Where do you see this? I don't think there is any rule like that. 

On 12/29/2018 at 5:50 PM, BritTim said:

The rule was soon revoked as impractical.

Because incompetent Thai authorities cant use a software to do that in the immigration computer. 

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

Best that he obtains a fresh non-O visa

No US embassy or consular will issue a Non-O visa unless there is a Thai relative (wife or child) or working for a voluntary mission.

3 hours ago, Bournville said:

Uups. That's not good. Why is there a stamp in my passport good until April 2019? Very odd. But.. Uups. 

Does the stamp on your visa sticker say valid until April 2019? If so, it is good. You can enter without any issue. No need for reentry permit if the visa sticker is not stamped USED.

There is a visa sticker which has a valid until date. That means the visa is valid until that date. If it is not stamped USED, you can enter on or before that date.

There is an IO stamp (a square stamp on your passport page) that will have a stamp Admitted Until. You can stay on or up to that date in Thailand without overstaying. 

I was caught without a passport in Bangkok in "Big Joke's immigration crackdown". I had a pic of my passport in the phone and showed them the pic. The immigration officer immediately checked it in their system (using mobile phone) and cleared me. The guy was nice and he spoke good english also. He had been to a US university for some certificate course, he told me.

However, after the immigration check, Lumpini police wanted to do a urine test. I just returned from Amsterdam and checked positive for weed. Lumpini police took me to the Captain's office (not a police station) and bargaining started to get out of the mess. Yes I paid money and got out. 

People who did not test positive, let go even if most people did not have passport but immigration checked them on the spot using mobile phones

On 12/28/2018 at 6:12 AM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Unrelated and just curious. Can a foreigner get a reverse mortgage, home of line credit or whatever it is called in Thailand if they own a condo outright?

They could borrow money from loan sharks, I guess. I don't think the concept of reverse mortgage exists in Thailand. Getting a line of credit is same as getting a loan from a Thai bank. I don't know somebody may try but how do you convince them that you have a regular incomes to pay off your loan. 

13 minutes ago, siamcrut said:

Lucky he wasn’t shot

May be a toy gun.

6 hours ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

Many ex-pats are supporting Thai wives, children and, to some extent, their families too, most of whom would have to be abandoned were the ex-pats forced to return to their own countries. 

Why they have to be abandoned? Can't they send money every month for their maintenance or take them to home land? 

4 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

One wonders what they will accept as proof of foreign medical insurance. Sound like it could run into the same problem as verification of income with immigrations officers unprepared to sift through a multitude of incomprehensible foreign documents in various languages.

Embassies will not have any problem going through foreign languages because they may employ local translator. But there is no guarantee that in the near future, immigration in Thailand will also start asking for insurance. 

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

here're a few posters on here who think that apart from themselves, all farang are chain-smoking, womanising alcoholics. A good shrink would sort them out I'm sure.

If you spend your time in Nana and Soi Buakhao, you will certainly think so. 

3 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

A lot of the details have to be worked out before this can be implemented.  

In a police state, details are not worked out. Laws are facade. every consulate will make up their own rules. And, of course, immigration police is also make their own rules and I bet they will require some form of insurance. It is a bonanza for insurance companies. 

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

I am glad it was helpful for you.

70 + putting their kids thru school? 

Geez, the choices some make..

Very funny. I knew only David Letterman had to do that. 

2 hours ago, David Walden said:

it's the same at most western countries. 

It is same at all countries.