Snacks

So it seems like the CR1/IR1 is faster in terms of overall time to get the green card? Is that correct?… so let’s say I’ve been married in Thailand for a year or two, the wait time to get the green card is faster than the overall time with a K1. Am I understanding this correctly ?

Has anyone here bought a motor scooter on a credit card ?… I’m curious to know if 1) it’s possible to do so and 2) is it possible without the dealer charging you an extra fee for using a credit card 

You’re saying that even though she was approved to come to the US for her green card, they just kept her waiting???.. 

I’m from the US and I got my vaccinations from Walmart (kinda like the US version of Big C). I downloaded their app and registered my vaccination info and was given a QR code. I’ll begin applying for the Thai-Pass next week and see how it goes. Any other US citizens use the Walmart app to generate a QR code? Did it work for the Thai-Pass?

This year I’ll begin the K1 visa process for my Thai girlfriend. My question is this: I plan on marrying my girlfriend in the USA (obviously) in order to get her a green card. But we both really have no desire to live in the USA - we just want to be able to travel there together once a year to visit my family. Is this ok to admit in the interview?… (the tourist visa for her is NOT a viable option). 
Thanks I’m advance!

5 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

True, but we also had a government here who didn't lie about the virus, refuse to wear masks and bash scientists.  IMHO, these were the biggest problems in the US.  Poor leadership.

Yeah I agree - I wish Fauci wouldn’t have lied to us about masks not being necessary, and then flip flopped later on. Politicians saying dumb things is understandable, but when the foremost public health official lies, it ruins all credibility in the system. 

Thailand has 7 international airports. The USA has 149. Pretty easy to shut down your country when it’s as easy as controlling incoming passengers in only 7 locations. Does anyone think the most diverse economy on the planet was ever going to completely shut down 149 airports?... incidentally suicides are up 25% in Thailand this year.  ????

Has anyone here actually received the “volunteer visa” yet?.. I’m under 50, so could be a good option if it’s legit.

thanks in advance 

Does anyone know for sure if there is a current official mandate on self-quarantine if one enters Bangkok from another province? I’ve only seen rumors so far, but so far have seen no official accounts as of yet.

thanks in advance for any credible info ????

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can stay until the the emergency situation ends. The date is the 30th now but it will be extended.

If you are married at the end of the emergency you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

Meaning, If we got married and could show the marriage certificate to immigration, they would give me an automatic 60 days to get my marriage visa sorted out? Thanks again for the great info! ????

Thinking about marrying my longtime Thai girlfriend before my METV runs out on May 4th (already did the 30 day extension)... If we get married, will immigration let me stay in Thailand until I get my marriage visa?

thanks for all the sarcastic comments ahead of time haha - but yeah, serious advice is much appreciated for this newbie ????

1 hour ago, runamok27 said:

For Visa on Arrival you can extend once for another 30 days by just going to immigration and paying the fee. After that you would have to go with the U.S. Embassy letter and try again after your second 30 days is up.

 

I came here on a V.O.A. and have already extended for another 30 days on March 20th, so on or before April 20th I have to try using the U.S. Embassy letter to get another 30 days if I need it. The first 30 day extension is no problem at all, people do it all of the time.

I’m doing my first ever 30 day extension on an METV. Do I need a letter from my hotel saying that I’m staying there?... I’ve heard conflicting info or maybe I misunderstood and it was a different type of visa.

thanks in advance 

Meaning myself? Haha -I’m the one completing the form obviously. I just didn’t understand why they want me to write the same info twice. Am I totally misunderstanding this? Sorry in advance and thanks Ubonjoe ????

newbies are a headache eh? ????

Why does the TM7 form ask for “address in Thailand”... and then right below it it has another space for “address no”, “road” etc...?

is this the same info, but we are supposed to write it twice?

Any help for this newbie is appreciated - my first ever extension on an METV, so I don’t wanna mess it up haha ????

Thanks for the info here. I’m also doing an extension on my METV for the first time ever. I’m currently in Cha-am and was considering doing it at Tha Yang, Phetchaburi immigration. My question is, since I’m on a tourist visa, can I just list the address of my hotel where I’m currently staying, even if that’s probably not where I’ll spend the next 30 days?.... sorry for the newbie question - never been to immigration before. Thanks for any advice or warnings in advance ????

(also just for extra info, I’m a US citizen, and my METV officially expired on Feb 13, but I entered on Feb 6, so I got the extra 60 days until April 5).

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Assuming the Camb side will give a visa.  They have barred entries from much of Europe and USA and it is not clear if that will be enforced based on passport or travel history (and if the latter, how that would be determined).

Is it official that they have banned US citizens from entering?

thakns in advance ????

10 minutes ago, homemade514 said:

It was reported today that VN has suspended all foreign nationals for VOA. I have a e-visa from the official government site, I am a US citizen but haven’t been out of Thailand in 5 months. I have a flight to Saigon on Tuesday in order do do a new visa at the Thai consulate.  Do you know if I’ll have an issue entering VN?

I’m in the same situation (as are many others)... So please keep us all informed about how your travels go. Thanks in advance and good luck ????

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

I am due to fly to Vietnam Tomorrow -15th

On Wednesday Vietnam Immigration stopped all Visa exempt entry, so I applied for an Evisa, and as yet 19.00 on 14th I have not received it. I am starting to think that its a typical knee jerk reaction and as soon as they see UK on the Passport its an instant rejection

I also have not been to the UK for over 6 years now and reside in Thailand, from where I will be flying.

My flight company ( Vietjet ) cannot advise their customers, and everybody seems to be doing the Thai thing and just running away from the problem.

I was even advised by the Airline to turn up at Swampy Tomorrow morning and maybe they would, or wouldn,t let me board my flight.

The customer care girl knew absolutely nothing about this new directive, which is extremely poor, as obviously nobody could be bothered to instruct the staff as to the situation, and allow them to advise their cutomers

Very very poor indeed.

 

 

Please keep us informed on what happens w your Vietnam visa situation... myself and many others make this trip often, so I’m very curious on how it will play out. Several online visa websites have stopped all tourist visas for March 15-april 15. But I haven’t seen any news about any problems getting the visa pre-flight from the Vietnam embassy in Bangkok. I hope that’s still an option.

thanks in advance and good luck!

On 11/24/2019 at 11:00 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

A foreigner needs a work permit to work legally in Thailand. 

 

To get a Work Permit a Thai Elite Member would need to exit Thailand and re-enter on a Non-Immigrant Type B Visa and then go through the work permit process.

 

I'm a Thai Elite Member and when I was also doing some work in Thailand I could not work on the Thai Elite Visa, I had to exit, get the Non-Imm Type B visa, then go through the WP process (at Chamchuri Square)

 

Thai Elite membership in no way permits the holder of a P.E (Privlidged Entry) or S.E. (Special Entry) Visa any 'special' working privileges, a Work Permit cannot be secured while holding any visa which comes with Thai Elite Membership. 

Thanks for sharing your experience. If you ever decide to not be on a Type B visa, are you allowed to return to using your Thai Elite visa (assuming it hasn’t already expired at that time)?

Finally got tha Lao visa online. Turns out it works best w certain web browsers; I had to switch to Chrome. Visa all paid! ????

Has anyone had any issues purchasing the Laos visa online?.. I got all the way to the part where you purchase it w a credit card and then I got two emails confirming I’d submitted it. But then it just says “unpaid”... does it typically take a few days for them to confirm that my passport photo is legit etc?

Thanks in advance for any info ????

42 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

Exactly. I got grilled at the normal immigration line last year. Before/After I had like 20 smooth international arrivals trough the Premium Line without any problem. The fast track vouchers have been stopped. There is a lady now in front of the Premium Lane checking the boarding passes. The reason is that the vouchers were re-sold. A guy, I knew on the second flight, had the EV. He offered me to join the buggy ride from the gate, as we both had to go the premium lane. The Thailand Elite lady also waited with him for his luggage, along with a porter/chauffeur guy with an AOT polo-shirt. If I wouldn`t get married soon, I would go for the smooth EV for sure. 

 

So the “premium/priority line” is for people who buy first class tickets?... sorry I’m new to this haha

so like, if I buy a first class ticket on Thai Airways from Saigon, I will automatically be escorted to the “Priority Line”?

again thanks for the clarification for this newbie ???? 

1 hour ago, G950 said:

I just did flew from Vietnam into Vientiane, Laos then bused over the border back into Thailand with METV. It is very smooth and chilled experience. Don't be concerned, just enjoy the travel.

 

Definitely get online visa for entering Laos, if you are from most western countries you can get a Visa on Arrival but we had to wait in line for about 90 minutes as the whole plane was processed. Those with online visa just walked through in seconds.

 

I got a taxi from Vientiane airport to the international bus depot, was less than 100 Thai Baht - paid at the airport counter. I used Thai Baht everywhere - never changed into any local currency.

 

International bus has 2 routes. A bus to Udon Thani every 2 to 3 hours. Or another bus that goes to Nong Khai only, which seemed to be more regular. As I arrived the Udon Thani bus had just left and there wasn't another for 2 or 3 hours so I jumped on the bus to Non Khai (takes 1 hour) Both buses are less than $2.

 

The border crossing is very easy. Everyone gets off bus at exit of Laos, goes through immigration and then gets back on same bus on other side. Just note who are your fellow passengers, and then follow them through. Same process when crossing into Thailand. The IO was superfriendly to everyone, cracking jokes at Thais and Farang expense when they had filled out the forms incorrectly, all in good fun. I can't imagine you will have any issue with an METV, this is not BKK or DMK . I have plenty of history on my second METV in 18 months and they are just not concerned with this issue (yet?).

 

One note. Once you get to Nong Khai bus depot and want to go to Udon Thani, just grab a minibus from the bus depot (a 1 hour trip). Basically minibus arrives, once is full, which in my case was about 20 minutes, then leaves. Then another minibus starts waiting. Cost was less than 50Thai Baht.

 

I apologize for not remembering the costs to the exact Baht, but any long trips that are less than $3 my brains can't process because it is ridiculously cheap.

This is great info! I have a LOOOONG history of using METV... I’ve basically been in Thailand since Oct 2014 until now and only spent like an average of maybe 2 months outside of Thailand each year. I never got questioned at BKK (several times at DMK but nothing too harsh) until a month ago ... and it was harsh! But in the end they let me in after saying that I was no longer allowed to use tourist visas to come to Thailand (they also put an extra scare into me by saying that it was now noted in the computer system in case I ever tried to come back). Btw, I’ve never done visa on arrival in case anyone is wondering about that detail.

Thanks for all the advice people here have given me - I really appreciate  it ????

7 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

Had never hassles coming trough BKK with a combined First/Business Class ticket. The last entry was a few days ago. The IO looked at my boarding pass, scanned the passport and stamped. Took me more or less 45 sec, incl the fingerprints, and I was trough. Back-to-back METV`s for the last few years and up to 10 Months/Year in LOS. 

Was grilled last year in the normal line though (at BKK airport). If I remember well no-one ever has been denied on a First/Biz ticket with a valid visa (with visa exempt yes). It`s just the way most Thai ppl think about status. You can afford a First/Biz ticket = they don`t dare to grill/deny you. 

 

Don`t know, if they make a difference with real First/Biz travelers and the Fast Track Service, but just wanted to share my experiences. 

 

I still wouldn`t do it again and again. There always a time for a first denial:) So whoever plans to stay long-term and hasn`t planned to marry/work officially within the next 1-2yrs, is better off with an Elite Visa.

 

You’re saying you went through the normal immigration line but you showed your boarding pass?.. I’ve never been asked to show my boarding pass so I’m interested in some more details about your experience if you’re comfortable sharing. Thanks. ????

3 hours ago, HungDonger said:

If you take a taxi/car from the Laos side the advantages are that 1/ You don't need to haul luggage in and out of buses as they remain in the car and 2/ the driver will walk you through the Immigration process. Usually quicker as cars have a different route through Immigration to those travelling by bus.

Awesome! Do you think Laos Taxi drivers mind if I pay in Thai Baht?.. also, when I fly into Laos, can I pay for my Laotian visa with Thai baht? (I assume they don’t take credit card haha)

.. thanks again for helping a newbie  ????