Caldera

Spook as many people as possible, then back-paddle, it's the Thai way...

That's why this seems to be a bigger issue than some people think. My reading was that they currently cannot help with the financials.

It specifically states that they cannot assist with renewals in some cases: As clear as mud!

1.) It does say visa exempt. 2.) You're welcome to dig out the original announcement signed by then-Minister of the Interior Banyat Banthatthan on May 8th, 2000 and published in the Royal Gazette on the following day. My quote is from an unofficial English translation, which I had posted here before. You're welcome to dig out a ministerial regulation issued later that supercedes this one. Considering that Thai immigration at the Chiang Khong checkpoint posted the following just recently (when they stopped allowing same-day border runs), I have no reason to believe that your claim has any merit. As that announcement was posted after the 60-day visa exempt rules had gone into effect, it clearly applies to visa exempt entries under the current rules.

I was referring to Mot's announcement that the OP posted. Interestingly, it says "in some cases" as far as visa applications and extensions are concerned, so where exactly the line is at this point is anyone's guess. Feel free to remove if I shouldn't post this screenshot here.

Embassies post wrong information about matters that are immigration's business on a regular basis. As I mentioned, I had posted the relevant police order here before. You can also easily find the recent thread about the CURRENT requirements announced by Thai immigration checkpoints on the Lao border - straight from the horse's mouth so to speak. I'll leave it there, do your research.

I'm not so sure. The announcement you've posted is from one of Pattaya's more popular agents and it's likely that other agents (at least in Pattaya) are affected by this change as well. Also note that it's not just about opening bank accounts for those who don't have one, but also about applications for visas and extensions whereas the agent takes care of the financials. Apparently the underlying issue is that Bangkok Bank is under scrutiny for opening accounts for people who don't (or shouldn't) qualify. If, when and how this will be resolved is anyone's guess.

No. That's for non-immigrant visa and tourist visa entries. It's 10,000 baht for visa exempt entries. I posted the relevant police order here before and I'm not aware of any changes. Unless you post proof of an updated police order, you just posted a baseless claim. Note that certain border crossings on the Lao border that recently took action against "border runs" posted announcements mentioning a 10,000 baht cash requirement as well.

Alright, thanks for posting your Cambodian stamps, it's great that the mystery could be solved. So 60 day it is, just as it should be.

Yes. Entering visa exempt, you're required to be able to show the following if you are asked for it: Cash (10,000 baht) Accommodation Ticket out of Thailand Being asked for any of that is quite rare. Maybe the IO wasn't satisfied with whatever you wrote in the "Address in Thailand" field of the arrival card. Or maybe she thought, as you didn't have a ticket out, that at least you should show "something".

Nobody was banned for overstay in 2015, that only started in March 2016. I doubt that waving around a hospital record would actually work, but then again, who knows.

Flying out from Bangkok to Manila (as that's where you said he's heading) would be the safest option. The land border checkpoint could refuse to process his lengthy overstay, especially if there's nobody there who can process the entry ban. And even in case it works, then what? He'd still need to fly to Manila, so it looks like an unnecessary detour.

I was wondering the same. With the peripheral vision test, a WHITE light is flashing up on the right side or the left side, and you have to indicate on which side you saw it flashing up. Nothing to do with distinguishing colors.

Oh well, I guess it's his time to make the headlines again. I cannot take any of that nonsense seriously - one cop is just as crooked as the next one.

I'm not surprised, Thailand "feels" more corrupt than ever.

Do those friends of yours have DTVs as well? How much "in fees" were they asked for?

Could you post a picture of your stamp please? That sounds like they've made a mistake most likely; there's currently no basis for granting anyone 30-day visa exempt stays, as the rules for those have been superseded.

As you said, they require nothing for the visa exemption, and you're given the same permission to stay (60 days). So they might well be wondering why you even bother to apply for a tourist visa, and ask for more documents because they consider it suspicious.

It's standard procedure that you can only extend within the last 30 days (45 days at a few immigration offices) of your current permission to stay. The expiration date of the visa doesn't matter at all; your single-entry visa has been "used" for entry already anyway. Based on your entry date (28 Jan) and permission to stay date (28 Apr), the IO was right to reject your request for an extension. So I'm afraid that YOU are the one who's missing the point.

The trouble starts if a 3rd party such as a hotel files a TM30 notification for you that "overwrites" the one you had filed for your regular/permanent residence. Especially if that is a place that is outside of your immigration office's jurisdiction.

If and when Bangkok sinks, let the government sink along with it.

Same here.

I wouldn't bother with singling out the listed hot spots and rush hours. I think they should apply the congestion charge throughout the inner city and throughout the day. If you're nuts enough to commute to work by car in Bangkok (and I know people who actually do this, takes them an hour instead of 20 minutes using public transport), you deserve to be milked.

It felt like a nice day in Bangkok, but of course you are right - that says a lot about how bad it has usually been lately.

Nothing to get too excited about then.