KhaoYai

Nothing surprises me. Its a little hard to understand that Covid extensions have continued to be handed out to, for example, my countrymen who are 'stuck in Thailand' - whilst at the same time I've been in and out twice.

Can't speak for a Shengen but if you were applying to the UK, the only knowing her 5 weeks would be a bit of a red flag. If as you say, she ticks all the boxes, I'd tend to let her make the application on her own merit as a visitor without you as sponsor financially (if that was what you were proposing). There is nothing wrong with her mentioning that she will be visiting a friend (you) or even that she will be staying the whole duration with you. Again, if this was the UK you would not have to mention how long you've lived in Sweden, just that you have somewhere suitable where she's welcome to stay. As for proof, a lease agreement should be adequate and a letter from your landlord stating that they have no objection to your 'friend' staying is always helpful. Not sure about Shengen but a travel itinerary is useful (with evidence). If she/you both intend visiting some attraction or other and staying there, a hotel booking would also be useful. The 'red flag' - if the purpose of a trip is to visit someone you are in a relationship with and that person is the sponsor, you are expected to provide evidence that the relationship is genuine and ongoing as well as the finance. 5 weeks? - it may be hard to convince an ECO that the relationship is subsisting. However, Thai's can and do go on holiday to Europe every day without having any family/relationships in their destination country. If you can take yourself out of the picture as a sponsor (apart from accommodation), I think your girlfriend would do far better - if as you say, she can show she has the finances and more importantly, good reasons to return. As I say, I'm basing my replies as if the application was for the UK - I can't see Schengen being much different, if anything, maybe a little less stringent.

Rural village life in Thailand is not for me. Although I live in a rural area when I'm there, I don't live on a farm or in a village. I bought my house when I was single - it was where I wanted to be. I've had a taste of living with a wife's family all around me, walking in and out of the house as if its their own, treating personal property as common etc. etc. - its not for me and I made that quite clear to my wife. I quite like the fact that family is so important in Thailand but it goes too far for me. I have a Thai friend who moved to Bangkok from Burriram many years ago, although she goes home regularly she says the same, she likes the privacy she has in Bangkok. She built a house in Burriram and is always upset when she goes home and sees how her family have treated (wrecked) the place. Some seem to be able fit into that lifestyle but they don't often seem to stay if stay if their wife dies. I know of two guys who suffered that misfortune over the last few years - one went back to his home country, the other had kept his condo in Pattaya and the last I heard of him, that's where he was.

Jeez that is cheap. You wouldn't be upset if that packed up after 6 months if you'd got 6 months work out of it.

Pressure washer does the job well without any harmful chemicals. I bought a Haier for around 7000 and it does the job well. I was initially going to buy a Bosch at 11,000 because of course it must be far higher quality than a Chinese made machine. That was until I looked at the label on the Bosch machine - Made In China! Hard to but anything that's not Chinese these days.

Great for the environment!! Not!!

So, to understand how that works - I would obtain a single entry Non O that grants me a 90 day stay on entry. I usually stay for 2 weeks so provided I obtain a re-entry permit as I leave, I can return again provided I'm within the 90 days? Is there a requirement about when I can obtain an extension? I ask because although I used to visit every 8 weeks, this year its going to be every 12 weeks. If I can only obtain an extension towards the end of a 90 day stay, I won't be able to take advantage of the re-entry permit. In that case I guess I'd have to return after 11 weeks and go straight for an extension.

You should have got that in writing ????.

I hadn't realised this was possible - does that also apply to a Non O? I'm not sure that I will be able to get a 12 month Multi at the moment and I'm expecting to be told (on one of my forthcoming trips) to 'get a visa'. I can only get a single entry Non O in the UK but if a re-entry pass can be used, I can probably get 2 visits out of a single entry Non O as long as I get the timing right. The procedure is to either visit my local immigration or get a re-entry permit at the airport when I leave - correct?

Yes, hopefully in the next few weeks people will start reporting on HCMC and Savannakhet - I certainly hope so because I'm expecting a warning again in June which will mean that I'll have to have a visa for the following trip. I was a bit 'iffy' on my last entry as the I.O. said nothing but spent a while looking at all the stamps and visas. On the subject of a 60 day extension - have you talked to immigration? There are some helpful offices/officers, there may be some way that they'll accept a statement from your wife - @ubonjoe may well be able to advise on that. I thought Covid extensions had finished?

If that's the case I'm pretty sure that your wife could have applied for her Thailand Pass using her US passport but presented her Thai passport for stamping when actually entering - at immigration only (having both passports available as an explanation) . She may well have had to buy insurance but I really can't see a Thai passport holder being refused entry to their own country. I don't know about Thailand but its actually against the law for a non-naturalised UK citizen to be refused entry to the UK.

Just make sure she gets to the airport early - in case the airline is awkward. You could try talking to them before she goes but in my experience, the check in staff know the rules better than those in the offices.

Did she have to send her expired passport off or does she still have it? She will not be refused entry if she has a Thai passport - expired or not. She could probably renew it more easily in Thailand. I believe there is (was) a list of insurers on the Thailand Pass website. If she enters on her British Passport - don't forget that she will need a visa if she wants to stay longer than 30 days (but a 30 day extension is possible).

Can't agree with that, repairs to cars are not the most pressing problem - its when it comes to hospital treatment that the inadequacies come to light. If you're lucky you will get hit by someone who has private insurance but even then, most Thai policies that I've seen fall far short of the cost of all but relatively minor injuries. Its very easy for hospital costs to get in to the millions when someone's badly injured. The compulsory insurance will barely cover a broken leg and I'd take a guess that the majority of the Thai population have nothing more than compulsory cover.

Completely agree - just about all of Thailand's road safety issues are down to a lack of proper enforcement - by that I mean a proper punishment that doesn't end up a a brown back pocket. Even the U turns would work if people behaved. In the case of insurance however - Thailand is certainly to blame. I know many people are poor but being able to drive when you only have 50k baht of cover in case you mame someone is ridiculous. I was involved in an accident in 2011 where ultimately a taxi driver was to blame. He only had 3rd class insurance which I presume was OK as the police were involved and he was not prosecuted. I had substantial injuries that required 6 weeks off work. My total claim was 1.3 million, I received 100k - the maximum the taxi's cover would provide. In most other countries drivers are required to have adequate cover and taxis etc. are required to have enhanced cover. If pressed I'm sure the Thai authorities would say that people are poor, they cannot force them to get 'real' insurance - oh, that's OK then - drive around killing and maming people, its OK because you're poor.

Or indeed, is the MENO still available in HCMC? The only reference to one in the text you supplied is the fee. The only way to know is to contact them, wait for reports or give it a go. I'm expecting to be stopped and warned when I enter again in June as I won't have a MENO. I was warned a few years back as visiting a wife is not considered tourism and they therefore consider that someone entering for that purpose should not use a 30 day exempt. I got a new MENO for my next visit. It can be a lottery though - it depends on the I.O. you get on entry. I've had several entry problems over the years and been given different information but never actually been turned away. A few years ago following a spate of reports on refused entries, I went to the immigration desk at Suvarnabhumi and asked if I was at risk of that happening. An officer went through my passport and told me I'd be fine as I was normally out of the country for 8 weeks - what they were looking for was visa runners of people doing more or less back to back exempts. I think it was the very next entry or thereabouts, I was stopped and told to get a MENO! When the Thai embassy in London did MENO's their website stated that they required financials but verbally they told me that they didn't require them for those applying on the basis of marriage to a Thai citizen. I never provided them with financials yet I know of one guy who was refused because he didn't provide them. They all seem to do what they want and it seems to change over time/depending on the I.O. who knows whats actually required? The number of embassies/consulates that offer MENO's seems to be slowly reducing and those that go over to E-Visa are out of the question - if you intend staying in Thailand I'd sort out your banking issues and go for 12 month extensions. As I don't do that, I can't advise but I'm sure I've read that other members here have managed to get the 'Wise' transfers issue sorted. Others can advise you on that but surely a letter from the bank will do?

OP, just a quick read through a selection of posts seems to indicate some confusion regarding which extensions and visa types you are asking about. Depending on the type of visa and extension - there are differences as to what is required. When you state that you don't think the requirement for a financial statement showing adequate finances was there before, are you thinking about the requirements for a Multi Entry Non O (MENO) visa based on marriage? I'm not sure if that requirement was on the consulate's website previously or not but for a MENO, they certainly didn't used to be physically asked for at the time of application. Ho Chi Minh was (is) regarded as one of the easier places to obtain a MENO without much supporting documentation. A 12 month MENO based on marriage gives you multiple 90 day stays in any 12 month period after which you must leave the country but you can immediately return and thereby start another 90 day stay. A Single Entry Non O (SENO) gives you just that - a single 90 day entry. However, you can extend the stay on either of those visas in 2 ways: 1. A 60 day extension with very little documentation - certainly no financial requirements and no reporting. or: 2. A 12 month extension which requires either 40,000 baht income from outside Thailand or 400,000 in the bank/40,000 baht income earned within Thailand if you have a work permit. You need to report every 90 days and there are also several other requirements for this type of extension. Where they say, under Period of Stay, that the stay may be extended for 12 months - they are talking about an extension as per 2 above. However, even though they talk about the stay being for a single entry, you will note that they give the prices for both single and multi entries. The consulate itself is creating confusion by mixing the 2 types of visa MENO & SENO. I'm not sure whether that's because they have made changes and are not actually issuing MENO's now or not but I'm pretty sure that the website didn't actually refer to MENO's when I obtained my last one in March 2020 - they clearly did. I seem to remember that I phoned them (or e-mailed) to ask if they did multis. At that time all I needed was my marriage certificate, registration and a letter from my wife asking that I be granted the visa in order to visit her (and of course the grossly inflated visa fee of $200). Its early days just now and we won't know if Ho Chi Minh is still offering MENOS until someone tries and reports back. I'm pretty sure the insurance they are requiring is for Covid 19.

There is no problem with getting insurance for bikes per se. For someone living in Thailand, most (all?) 1st class policies have emergency medical cover. There is a problem with the level of that cover with most policies I've seen but I was informed by a member here that stand alone accident insurance that covers motorcyles is available - I think the company was AXA. If you mean travel insurance - I was surprised to see that my annual travel insurance (£15 million emergency medical cover) from All Clear (UK) actually covers bikes as long as you have a licence to ride one. However, most travel insurance covers a limited amount of days per trip - mine's 45 max per trip so this guy would not be covered. I'm not even sure that travel insurance is available that would cover someone who's been away 9 months and if it is, its going to be very expensive.

Why do you need to pay her anything? If you have children together, that's a different matter but if you don't - either stay married but make sure your will is up to date or go to Thailand and divorce her. If she won't agree to a mutual divorce without payment you would have to apply to a court for a divorce. If your home country recognises a legally registered Thai marriage, you should be able to divorce your wife at home without your wife being present - depending on your country's laws. However, you would also be subject to your country's laws on financial settlement. You don't need to pay the Amphur anything, you will simply be asked if you agree on 3 things: 1. You both agree to divorce. 2. You have agreed maintenance and access arrangements for any children you have together. 3. You have agreed on a financial settlement. This can be noted on the divorce registration or not. The following is general and 'the norm' but in some circumstances these things can be varied by a court - a pre nup is both legal and recommended in Thailand for this reason. On 3. above, If either of you own property or hold assets that were purchased after your marriage (sin somros) you are each entitled to 50% of the value in settlement. Personal assets held prior to marriage (sin suan tua) are protected and not included in a settlement. However, if you can prove that you bought that asset with funds held prior to marriage you may be entitled to keep all that asset's value (this can be difficult to prove though and can get complicated). Assets gifted or willed to either party during the marriage will normally be treated as personal assets (sin suan tua). When you register a marriage at a Thai Amphur you should be asked if you want to list and personal assets you hold - many choose not to do this but it can help in any later dispute. There are quite a lot of resources available online that offer more detailed guidance on the above.

PM sent

Who can really answer your question? Did the officer spend long typing in her computer before letting you in? All I can tell you is my (similar) experience - I'm married to a Thai and had a Multi Entry Non O for years. A few years ago I got tired of paying for a visa that allowed me to stay for 3 months at a time when I only stayed for 2 weeks ( I visited every 8 weeks) so I went back to visa exempt entries. That was OK for a while until on one entry I was asked why I was entering the country so often. When I explained that I was visiting my wife I was told that I was not considered to be a tourist and although I was being allowed in, I would not be allowed in again without the correct visa - a Non O based on marriage. The officer spent a couple of minutes typing into her computer. I duly obtained a Non O and on my next entry the officer flicked through my passport after looking intently at their computer and commented something like 'good, you have a visa'. Then came covid and I was unable to visit. For the last 2 entries I have returned to exempt entries but I think nothing's been said because I was away nearly 2 years due to Covid - I won't push it and may obtain a Non O for my next trip. So although our circumstances are different, we were both issued warnings. I guess much will depend on whether the officer that warned you recorded that fact on the system. I don't really understand what the officer told you - that you should have the correct visa. As far as I'm aware you had the correct visa and to the best of my knowledge these warnings have in the past, normally been issued to people entering exempt. If they are now going to start issuing warnings to people with visas - that's a bit worrying. To be honest I think your problem has a lot to do with your recent entry/extension history - you have only been out of the country for a short time and more or less came straight back. They often suspect people with back to back entries or close ones of working illegally. One possible tip - I've rarely been asked questions on entry and only had the one warning but on each of those occassions the I.O. has been female. Join a queue with a male I.O.

Simple answer but they've already scrapped the part that was most beneficial - scrap Test & Go and just make vaccine certificates compulsory and re-introduce the pre departure PCR test. Covid is rampant across the country in any case and will continue to be so until it burns itself out. A few positive passengers aren't going to make much difference but it makes no sense at all to let people into the country who are positive (unless your a quarantine facility of course). I'm more worried about catching Covid in Thailand than taking it there with me . Although I don't like paying for PCR tests, I will probably get a PCR test before I go next time whether its required or not - I'd rather know my status before I fly than arrive in Thailand and get locked up. Yes, you can get infected on the flight but I think its unlikely that you would then test positive less than 24 hours later. The ATK is not taken seriously and very easy to manipulate in any case - so that's a waste of time. Pre-departure PCR and fully vaccinated would make much more sense and probably get the tourist industry going again much faster. Overall, the hotels wouldn't lose out but the cash would be spread out more fairly - those tourists are going to have to stay somewhere.

Why? Did they claim it was prohibited employment? I wouldn't have accepted that. I had a visitation from the local plod because I was painting my garden wall. They wanted an on the spot 'fine'. I told them that I did not believe that I was carrying out 'employment' - it was DIY and I'd be prepared to make my case in court. Had I been painting my neighbour's wall they might have had a case - they drove off. I've heard these stories before and I very much doubt that most cases of the cases I've heard of would stand up in court. The prohibited employment lists are referring to just that - employment, paid or unpaid. I don't think its in keeping with the spirit of the law to prosecute someone for carrying out DIY - where would you draw the line? Would putting some air in your tyres at a service station be the job of a tyre shop? In most cases I think its obvious why these 'fines' have been levied and I'd take a guess that there's either no record of the 'offence' at the police station or that the 'fine' recorded is not the same amount as the 'fine' paid.

Very similar - on a highway or other fast road, I start watching traffic behind and around me when I'm way back from a right turn and try to adjust my speed to be able to get myself in a position to turn right. That's not always successful as it also depends on the traffic coming from the opposite direction. Waiting to turn right in a car in Thailand can be a scary experience but on a bike its terrifying. U turns, well known sources of accidents, are probably one of the only places that are safer for motorbikes and I agree, its often safer to go on and find one than to turn right. You only have to be on a dual carriageway/multi lane system where there are road works to see why there's danger at a right time. Thai driver's attitude when they see a lane closing because of roadworks is not to move over to the left as soon as possible - its to go as fast as they possibly can and in their minds, get to the front. The apply the same mentallity when approaching a junction, bat on hell for leather, never mind if there might be someone waiting to turn right. Many's the time when I have been waiting to make a right turn and felt a little more than the wind from a passing car. On the subject of the accident above, yes its easy to say that the truck should keep a safe distance but this is Thailand and accidents are not often as they seem. Thai bikers (mainly smaller bikes) do some very odd things and rarely look where they're going. The photo above throws up some questions - clearly the bike has been moved (text says is was stuck in the front of the truck. The damage to the truck is not superficial yet the rear wheel of the bike appears undamaged. The liquid on the ground looks like oil, why would the engine be damaged and the back wheel not be if the bike was hit from behind? I suppose the oil could be from the truck if its been moved back to free the bike. All a bit odd.