Caldera

I like the president. I could do without a pompous first lady. A big deal? No. I just wouldn't address her as "Doctor Jill" in the unlikely event that I'm ever introduced to her. If the pompous cow doesn't handle that very well: not my problem.

Correct. I've always found it ridiculous when posters on here said that Thailand doesn't want tourists to stay for more than 180 days per year because they would then be tax residents. Why should Thailand object to having MORE tax residents? The more, the merrier. This visa actively encourages people to stay longer, for pretty much any (legal) reason from remote work to taking cooking classes.

These WISE threads always amuse me. Are WISE users really that desperate for their funds to arrive within seconds? Will they starve a few minutes later?

I don't address any doctors as "Doctor", and I obviously wouldn't make an exception for her. I could see myself calling her "Your Grace" though, without even a hint of an ironic undertone of course. 😉

Prisoners? And? Monks maybe.

You're right. Taken at face value, you could e.g. enroll into a Muay Thai class in Thailand, get the required paperwork from the school and go to a nearby Thai embassy or consulate such as Vientiane to apply for the DTV in the "Thai soft power" category without having to return to your country of residence. Super convenient for many if that turns out to be the case. But I'm wondering how much scrutiny, if any, foreign bank statements will attract. There's no easy way for the RTE Vientiane to verify them. Not a big deal when someone has to show having 20,000 baht for a tourist visa, but I'd imagine they might care a bit more if a DTV applicant actually has those 500,000 baht that are required.

Some people who leave it to the last minute and miss something important (most likely in such a case: proof of a TM30 notification) find out the hard way why it's usually best to go a bit earlier.

I can't disagree with you, the DTV is pretty much an Elite visa killer.

No worries, you'll get 60 days. Some people today who arrived too early in the day weren't that lucky though.

Great news. That's a stamp from DMK though.

What a joke. It was actually a great way for them to get their hands on foreign currency.

You had to change trains in Nong Khai.

Closed for a public holiday, so yes, your friend should go before the weekend.

700k baht for what exactly? Did they find any white powders with them? Even as a Thai police officer, you can't just rock up, demand 700k baht and expect to get paid from a random tourist.

What you've posted there with that NOTE is the original MFA announcement from May 29th (as you can see at the bottom). They've gone through those "legal procedures"; the Minister of the Interior signed off on the new measures on Friday and the Prime Minister said he'll do the same today. Then they will be published and implemented.

Probably Russians, who got it all along. For all the others: any day now!

The MFA announcement says it CAN be extended by up to 30 days at the discretion of immigration, same as before.

No surprises there, the PM said yesterday that he'll sign it today.

I don't think so. I've seen those reports popping up every now and then, but inevitably, it turns out that it's either someone whose visa exempt entries by land aren't restricted (for example, Russians) or who has a multi-entry visa. I've never seen any credible evidence of individual IOs failing to enforce the "two visa exempt entries per calendar year by land" limit where it applies.

Congrats, good for her.

And you know this how exactly? Are you her confidante?

Aren't you a fountain of wisdom! What's the relevance of all this for this topic though?

I can only hope that's a joke.

Why would I feel sore if it was my wife who got nailed, Bob? Reading your puerile drivel makes my eyes feel sore at times, but I can manage. Carry on.

Is it effective against cats, too?