Caldera

Stepping up efforts implies that an effort has already been made. I've seen no evidence of that, not this year and not in previous years as well. It just keeps getting worse with no solution in sight.

Covid boosters, is that still a thing? I had 3 jabs, all in 2021, and I'd be prepared to call it a day with that! I guess France is having trouble finding enough takers, same as other Western countries that are sitting on enormous stockpiles.

Every year the same mess, if not worse year after year. Are they ever going to do anything about it?

It's perfectly normal that a single-entry tourist visa is valid for entry for 3 months. That's not to be confused with getting stamped in for 60 days upon entry. Two different things.

Not a big deal, it's actually very common. With a single-entry visa, you don't really lose any time by arriving later. I've often spent several more weeks outside Thailand after obtaining a tourist visa.

That sounds like a ridiculous law. I get why impersonating let's say a police officer by wearing a police uniform is a crime, but impersonating a university student? Unless you use that uniform to sit an exam for someone else or swindle someone into giving you the student price for goods or services purchased, where's the actual harm in merely wearing such a uniform for fun or fashion?

Yes, the 30 day extension is routinely given. The only real issue some people at some immigration offices encounter is the requirement to be reported at an address in the area of the immigration office they apply at. That's the TM30 reporting you often read about on here. Before applying for the extension, you need to ensure that the hotel (or wherever you're staying) has reported you.

You're not supposed to report your presence before you're actually being present. Now, whether their online system has a flaw that allows you to do it anyway (by selecting future arrival and check-in dates), I don't know, as I've never tried.

You can't just walk into those countries as a tourist and open bank accounts nowadays.

From a practical point of view, no matter what kind of uniform they wear, stay away from all of them. ????

I don't think they're doing Thailand a favor by going out of their way to arrest tourists on 6 or 9 days overstays. Chances are they'd soon depart on their own and pay a fine on their way out. That guy on 188 days overstay is another story entirely. If they'd focus their energy on catching that kind of offender, this kind of crackdown would make a lot more sense.

I use Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn Bank. I'm generally happy with both of them, but there are certain annoyances with each of them. The Bangkok Bank app can be installed on multiple devices concurrently, the Kasikorn Bank app can only be used on one device at a time. Bangkok Bank seems to produce an insane amount of paperwork whenever you go to a branch for what you'd think is a minor request (e.g. a new passbook or new ATM card). You've got to sign tons of papers, every time. I've never had the same impression with Kasikorn Bank, and as a result, I'm usually in and out much quicker. As I'm no longer using ACH transfers to Bangkok Bank's New York branch, which is a unique feature not offered by any other Thai bank, that particular reason to use Bangkok Bank no longer applies to me. They've both been very reliable with only minor hiccups along the way, and I've been using both banks for more than 15 years. Never lost any money, never had any dubious security issues or scares, call myself a happy customer.

That's great news, congrats! Could you please post a full list of the documents that you've submitted? I'm sure it would be helpful for others who consider applying there.

I don't like tattoos at all and wouldn't have any myself, but each to their own. Why do those netizens care about other people's choices so much?

For all his faults, "Tony" was so much more competent in managing the economy than the current inept lot in charge that it hurts. Who knows what Thailand could have achieved if the army hadn't meddled in politics! Now there's only debt and stagnation, what a depressing state of affairs.

Your hope for a "smarter person" is futile, unless by that you mean you will smarten up, understand and meet their requirements. After reading several of your threads, I have no idea why you assumed that you can just walk into a Thai immigration office with a foreign marriage certificate and expect them to accept it at face value.

You could get the 30 day extension first, just to buy some time right away, and the 60 day extension once you can meet the requirements. I doubt you'll find a more cooperative IO, so best to be prepared.

If you do end up getting a rejection stamp from HCMC, that stamp alone would make it pretty much impossible to get a tourist visa anywhere nearby. Hanoi has been even more difficult than HCMC from recent reports. Singapore and Manila have been bad since long before Covid. Kuala Lumpur might be okay, but read their requirements carefully. Why didn't you consider Vientiane or Savannakhet? Probably the easiest nearby places.

The obvious problem with corruption is that there's no official price list and no guarantee that you'll be able to bribe your way out if caught. This 90,000 baht tale, taken at face value, merely resembles one data point of anecdotal evidence - you cannot "bank" on the same outcome. A better approach would be to take a smaller amount of money (20,000 baht max overstay fine plus ticket out) to surrender at the airport before getting caught. The outcome is then pretty much guaranteed - no IDC, but blacklisting depending on the length of the overstay.

It's a horrible sight nowadays, especially in Bangkok. Just 15 years ago, you saw hardly any fatties.

I'm quite real. No, really.

I've never understood the fascination with WISE, it has always been quite an unreliable option. Meanwhile I could do SWIFT transfers from back home to my Thai bank account that arrived 1-2 business days later right when I opened my first Thai bank account in 2004. They still work the same and have been reliable ever since, never an issue. Then I read all the WISE reports on here. Coding issues for the retirees, a ridiculously low 50,000 baht transfer limit unless transferring to 3 select banks, payment delays, blame games with the partner banks if and when something goes wrong, the list keeps growing. A bit much aggravation just to save a few dollars?

How much does he figure they'd ask him for? I think this is most likely a misunderstanding. If an immigration officer stamps you in for longer than you are actually allowed, having that erroneous stamp in your passport doesn't protect you from overstay penalties if you stay longer than you should. If your friend leaves within the time frame he's actually entitled to, on the other hand, chances are he'll get stamped out without a word being said.

In Phnom Penh, your previous visa history (as visible in your passport) could matter a lot. If you've already spent a lot of time in Thailand on tourist visas and/or visa exempt entries, it will be a tough place to convince to give you a Non-Ed visa for studying at an informal school. Savannakhet is currently the consulate of choice of visa run companies, which means that you could contact one of them for up-to-date requirements (even if you ultimately won't use their services).

The sluggish start of the Elite visa and the complete failure of the SMART visa program should have been taken seriously - and the reasons analyzed carefully - when they designed the LTR visa. It was pretty clear that it would attract mostly people who would have already qualified for an existing visa. I'm not surprised that many retirees have reported that they've changed to the LTR for added convenience, but we haven't seen many (if any?) reports from people applying in the somewhat innovative remote worker category. That's because some of the requirements are insane, and they should have realized that long ago.