Caldera

There's no requirement to get an education visa, for any kind of study. It's just an option for those who study and don't otherwise qualify to stay in Thailand.

I'd imagine that the new government would prefer a police chief who doesn't try to steal the spotlight from them. Someone who follows orders, quietly. Big Joke is an attention seeker if there ever was one. The new minister of the interior surely wants all the attention to himself.

Why would they not allow foreign visitors to come? If it's advisable to go there is another matter, of course.

Strange, I haven't seen any of this ever since he returned to Thailand. I've never heard of ordinary prisoners being taken to the hospital in the middle of the night either, by helicopter no less. Let's just say I won't be surprised by anything that happens.

If you leave one day late by air, there will be no fine. If you leave 2+ days late, you'll need to pay a fine of 500 baht per day upon departure, including the first day of overstay (so 1000 baht if you're two days late). You'll also get an overstay stamp.

Thanks for your report. They've really managed to make this offer a complete joke with that change. For an extra 5000 baht, they should pick up your passport at your residence and return it duly stamped.

There have been various crackdowns over the years, so for anyone under the age of 50 years, the Elite visa is a hassle-free option. But yes, the price is now getting ridiculous for what it offers.

Oh look, a Covid variant "news" item. Is it 2022? Sure, there will continue to be new variants all the time, but so what? The pandemic is over, Covid is endemic.

You're ranting a lot without actually having any knowledge of the subject, based on the above. Those "onward tickets" come with a PNR in the buyer's name that can be looked up.

Did you give them a "tip" or offer refreshments 2 months ago? If so, they might simply want to come back for more.

Nonsense. Someone who experiences a NDE simply isn't actually dead yet. This is only evidence for the fact that the definition of "clinically dead" is flawed, nothing else.

He could have saved himself all this needless suffering by staying put abroad until an amnesty has been finalized. With the current coalition, surely that's in the making anyway. Who is he trying to impress?

That's what they said right before the last coup, too. I can't take any of this idle talk seriously anymore. The sad reality is, the army will stage the next coup whenever they feel like it, and nobody will stop them.

Maybe they should make extensions without using an agent illegal, that would free up some additional space. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but you never know with that lot.)

It wouldn't be the first time that they completely misread the demand and nearly tank the program. Time will tell how this will play out.

Assuming that you have a French passport, you'll get 30 days visa exempt in Thailand, not 90 days.

That's definitely a very attractive option now. Mixing things up a little by spending more time in Vietnam sounds like a good idea.

Sure. I didn't mean to say that it was unexpected, but it's saddening and disappointing nonetheless.

Can't they just rent a cheap apartment in Bangkok, possibly shared among several of them, and use that address? The people I know in a similar situation basically do just that, but typically want or require some place in Bangkok for occasional visits anyway.

That seems to be somewhat flexible and might depend on things such as your nationality and history as a tourist in Thailand. Chances are you'll be fine, and could be remedied quickly otherwise, by making a "pay later" or refundable booking that can later be canceled. Please report back how it went.

Maybe you should have said that, or even better, put this totally unrelated anecdote into its own topic.

It would be an easy fix and and easy win that costs them nothing. The current government temporarily increased visa exempt entries to 45 days, the new government could simply increase them to 90 days permanently. Which would be in line with what other countries offer. That would mean that tourists from visa exempt countries wouldn't need to bother with tourist visa applications and extensions anymore. They could pretty much just come and spend money.

Good point, the real challenge nowadays is to find something that's worthwhile to watch. The trash output is through the roof.

There are some truly disgusting names on that list, and far too many high-ranking police officers.

Voters have been known to have a short memory, so even this massive betrayal and resulting well-deserved drop in popularity isn't something that a sprinkle of populist policies and handouts can't fix. The Pheu Thai leadership knows that better than anyone else I'm afraid and might be banking on just that to happen. Time will tell if things are any different this time around. I'm not very hopeful.