Caldera

Seriously, why even bother at this point? It's a shoddy process, you STILL need to attend immigration and you pay extra for the "privilege". I'd just get an online appointment instead. That cuts down the time spent at immigration significantly and is free of charge.

Good grief, Thailand isn't a great place for a snowflake.

I just use my Thai ATM card for ID at CDMs. That even works across banks; I recently used my Kasikorn Bank card with an SCB CDM.

You want to visit Thailand just to go to a Thai ATM? My Thai ATM cards work fine with ATMs in Cambodia, so I'm curious why you would do that.

Nobody has claimed that you cannot keep an existing bank account alive and do things like getting debit cards replaced while being in Thailand as a tourist. Your report provides no evidence that you would have been able to open a new account at that branch on that day as a tourist, however, which is what this thread is about.

9 years ago things were a whole lot different. We all have anecdotes like this to share, but they are of little help for foreign tourists who want to open a bank account in Thailand NOW.

As a resident of Cambodia with a longterm visa there, you MIGHT be able to get a multi-entry tourist visa from the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh.

If the ban and being forced to move on at a moment's notice doesn't bother you, why not. Some people manage to overstay for 10+ years, after all.

I wasn't talking about entering Thailand, I was talking about APIS. You pay the APIS fee as a transit passenger, too, so my best guess is that the system is being used for transit passengers. If your airline gets a "do not board" message via APIS for your flight to Thailand, you definitely won't be on that flight and your intention to transit airside wouldn't matter.

Sure, that's understandable, depending on your local immigration office. Some are a pain to deal with. But that's hardly something you could tell the Thai consular official in Savannakhet, if he questions why you came back instead of applying for an extension.

As you're in Pattaya, opening a bank account is a cake walk using an agent.

I don't see why that would be a problem, assuming that you have a new passport and Lao officials won't see your Thai stamps. Transiting through Thailand would be a potential problem though. Checking in for your flight to Thailand, the airline would probably get a "do not board" message, I don't think Thailand's APIS has provisions specifically for transit passengers.

It's worth noting that you can't stay longer than one year from when you entered the country, not from when the education visa will be issued. Other than that, yes, you should be able to stay for one year.

I haven't seen recent reports, but it's probably unlikely that they would issue those visas back to back. As the financial proof you need to submit would enable you to apply for an extension at immigration, they might well question why you don't do that instead.

One plonker gone, plenty more to go.

I'm not sure of that will be a big improvement, as the current system (pick-up at designated gates) works well. I guess we'll see.

There's an easy solution, of course. I ignore all incoming calls from numbers that aren't in my contacts.

Great news for all those who have been waiting for it.

A same-day return never looks good to an overzealous immigration officer, so your idea to make this a genuine side trip is better. Nothing to worry about with your history.

Shouldn't be a problem, be prepared to show them your ticket back to the UK in case you get questioned.

As you'll return to the UK and plan to visit Thailand again in October, you won't have any issues with applying for a new multi-entry tourist visa in the UK.

Let's hope it's true. Spain will be a lot more enjoyable without the lager louts.

Might have something to do with the high rate of functional illiteracy in Thailand. People who don't properly understand what they are reading are easily tricked.

It's a right PITA that being the most popular doesn't really matter in this country.

That's a somewhat theoretical distinction in the case that is being discussed here, as Thai immigration doesn't give extensions that go beyond the expiration date of the applicant's passport. But remaining in Thailand on a passport that is no longer valid, in itself, does violate Thai immigration law. For example, if your home country revokes your passport, the Thai authorities don't need any additional reason to deport you - just the fact that the passport you entered with is no longer valid suffices.