CangguSurfer

1 hour ago, kanook said:

Why don't you go back on a retirement extension?

Fact is, I was going back and forth on whether or not to renew it for the last several months, decided not to, and planned to leave the Kingdom when it expires next month.

I had a change of heart a few weeks ago but it's too late to get funds back into my Thai bank account and get them "seasoned" in time. 

I was thinking of getting an SETV to allow enough time for this to occur (and still am considering it) but there's a school that interests me greatly that offers an ED Visa and that sounded more appealing.

I thought the real challenge was going to be getting an approval from the Thai Ministry of Education (which I got the other day), not realizing the real challenge would be with a Consulate.

Even if I end up getting denied the ED visa by a consulate (which would really suck), I still want to attend the school and so I may try for the SETV until I can get the bank account seasoned for a new Non-O extension, or maybe just try and get back to back SETV's.

1 hour ago, Hackney35 said:

Why anyone would want to pay that amount of money to live in Thailand is beyond me!

All these type threads have too many old people with retirement visas getting on the morale high ground cos they are old and can get an easy visa if they have small income (pension) from home every month flowing in.

 We should be trying to help each other against the ridiculous ever changing immigration system not turning against each other. 

Finally!  A voice of reason.  Thanks for making a positive comment, and not an unfounded snarky remark.

To set the record straight, I am applying for an ED Visa for an accredited school.  The school has a stellar record of getting approval letters from the Ministry of Education for all applicants.  If they approve an applicant, that should be reason enough for the Consulate to grant the Visa IMO. 

I am NOT applying for the ED Visa simply to stay in the Kingdom but without it, I will need to find another way to stay here.  

So again, I’d really appreciate some constructive advice.

So, I am applying for a ED Visa at end of this month, and have been told by my school that there is now a serious problem getting them approved by the Laos Consulates.  In the last few weeks, many students are being rejected according to the school.  They say they will be trying to figure out alternative consulates that are being more receptive, and will be back in touch with me next week.

Apparently, the problem is that the Laos consulates are being overwhelmed with ED VIsa requests, and all visa requests in general simply because it is the closest and most popular location for foreigners who are already in Thailand and wish to extend their stay here.  So, my understanding is that it is not anything related specifically to a general crackdown on ED Visas themselves.

They did tell me that Hong Kong and Myanmar consulates are no longer viable options.  Even if I were to return to my home country (USA), their experience has been that certain consulates are very difficult (like Washington DC), so I'm really in a quandary on what to do.

I'm beginning to think that the ED Visa may not have been the wisest choice for extending my stay here for the next 9 months, and may go back to my original idea of just applying for a 60 day Tourist VIsa (extending it locally to 90 days), and repeating that a few times once my "retirement" visa expires at the end of this month.

It would really be helpful if any recent applicants for ED Visas at ANY consulates could share their experience, or if some of the wiser ThaiVisa members (like @ubonjoe) might offer some advice on how to deal with all of this in the most efficient and least problematic way.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who would benefit from this advice.

15 hours ago, elviajero said:

Immigration will give someone 7 days to leave the country if an extension application is denied.

 

So you apply for an extension knowing it will be denied to get an extra 7 days. 

Ohhh!  You mean I could do that at a local Imm office without having to leave the country?  Would I possibly be penalized for doing that, if 7 days later, I applied for a visa outside of Thailand?'

You guys are really giving me a crash course in the finer point of Thai Immigration...and I truly appreciate it!

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You have heard or read old out of date info. You can get appointments for a non immigrant visa application as little as a week in advance now.

I suggest you register and check the availability of appointments now at. https://thaivisavientiane.com/#

Just checked and there are 4 appointments available on Wednesday (72 for Friday and  62 for next Tuesday).

 

Hi @ubonjoe.  Thanks for your reply!  Yes, I just noticed that.  The thing is, the school director informed me that the letter from Board of Ministry that I need to apply for ED Visa might not come until just a few days before my current Visa's expiry, or even after that date.  So, I just want a backup plan to avoid an overstay on my current visa.

What I was thinking was to schedule the appointment and book a flight to Udon Thani for the date my current visa expires, and if I get the letter in time, I'm OK.

If the letter doesn't come, then I'd just take the flight to Udon Thani, cross the bridge, turn around and come back into Thailand with a Visa Exempt stamp.  That would give me 30 days to reschedule the ED Visa appointment.

Does that sound like a workable plan?  Is there some risk that I might be denied VEE by just turning around and coming back in, or because my passport contains two long-term visas (METV and Non-O Retirement)?  I'll have bank statement, 20k baht in cash, letter from school stating I'm currently applying for ED Visa, etc. 

Just don't want to have hassles trying to get back in to Thailand.

17 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Yes.

 

As for doing more than 2 times by air it can be risky as have been a few recent reports of those being told to sign statements they do not have required funds for entry and put on a new flight to where they came from (local area countries) to obtain a visa or go elsewhere.

I've heard those reports on Thai Visa too.  Do you think it might be prudent to have have copy of my Thai bank statement with me (and 20,000 baht in cash) just in case I run into this...or is the fact I have a Thai bank account going to raise red flags as far as coming into Thailand "strictly for the purpose of tourism" as the rules for visa-exempt entry state.

I'm only planning on coming in "visa-exempt this one time if necessary, but just don't want to face any crazy situation with airport Imm officers, if I can avoid it.

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

The 7 days is provided if a visa extension is not allowed.

 

Visa exempt should be fine if you have been on an extension of stay for last year.  It can be a problem after several in same year.

I was just reading up on this on the Thai Immigration website, and it says:

Holders of normal passports of the following countries (USA) are granted visa-free travel to Thailand for a period of up to 30 days. The exemption is granted at most twice in a calendar year when entering over land or via a sea border but there is no limitation when entering by air. 

Just out of curiosity does that really mean, you could re-enter every month as visa-exempt if you do it by air?  I was under the impression that, at most, you could only enter Thailand two times on a SETV (and assumed same would be true with visa-exempt.

Not planning on doing that, just curious if this is true or not.

So...just so I'm clear:  I just would fly out of Thailand on date before my present visa expires, then fly back and get Visa-Exempt status at the airport in Thailand where I enter?  That's all that's involved?

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

I don't either - was supposed to be "and". 

What is a 7 day stay?  I mean, what kind of visa is that?

14 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

...Otherwise you would need to exit and return with either a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp. ...  

Is a visa exempt entry just a matter of flying out of Thailand (or crossing border over border) and then just coming back into Thailand as "visa-exempt" for up to 30 days?  Literally just out and then back in with no hassles?  What's the procedure; do you just get the visa-exempt stamp when you enter back into Thailand?

That might be my best bet if I run into a time-crunch with the new visa paperwork form the Ministry of Tourism.  30 days would give me plenty of time to get the appointment at Vientiane and make travel plans.  

I just don't want to try this and find out I can't get back into Thailand as visa-exempt for some reason I didn't think about.  In other words, is it fairly certain I can get visa-exempt entry if I've never done that before?

7 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Do you have an extension of stay from immigration for retirement or an actual multi entry non immigrant O-A visa (which is often called retirement)?  If you have the visa and still valid a new entry gets you a new one year stay.  If you have an extension of stay you can apply for another aqd if unable to meet conditions get a 7 day stay.  Otherwise you would need to exit and return with either a tourist visa or visa exempt stamp.  

I have an extension of stay.  I dont know what you mean by "...apply for another aqd if unable to meet conditions get a 7 day stay."

There's a possibility that my Non-O retirement visa will expire before I get Ministry of Education approval paperwork for school which I will be applying for a ED Visa.  The paperwork should arrive on time BUT since I have to make an appointment several weeks before my intended application date for Vientiane Consulate, I'm afraid if the paperwork arrives late I will have to reschedule the appointment at Vientiane, and that carries a 10 day penalty to reschedule, thus I could be beyond expiration date of Non-O retirement visa by up to a couple of weeks.

Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

1. Yes

2. Possible.

3. That would depend upon the officer when you enter the country. 

 

Your extension would still be valid if you got a tourist visa.

The officer when enter the country may ask what you want to use when you enter the country. Be sure and put the re-entry permit number on the TM6 arrival card. The officer might want to use the tourist visa if the 60 days it allows is longer than what you would get from the re-entry permit.

 

You would have to leave and re-enter the country to use the visa. You could do a border hop at Mae Sai to use the visa.

Thanks again! ????

On 6/5/2019 at 10:39 AM, ubonjoe said:

You could get 4 without a problem. Three in Vientiane should not be a problem but get the 3rd one after you one after getting a visa somewhere else such as Savannakhet.

 

That would be a good plan. No problem to get a single entry tourist visa after the METV.

 

No problem to get a tourist visa after being on extensions based upon retirement.

Just one more question, if you don't mind. 

My understanding of a Single-Entry Tourist Visa (which is what I would be seeking, to replace my "retirement extension" when it expires Sep 30) is that "...Single-Entry Tourist Visa is valid for entering Thailand once within 3 months from the date of application.

I am planning a leisure trip to Bali (where there is a Thai Consulate) next month, and it would be nice to get the SETV out of the way.  I wonder if I can do this:

1. Get a re-entry permit for my retirement extension.
2. Travel to Bali, and apply for SETV (but not have it de-activate my retirement extension.
3. Return to Thailand under my retirement Extension, and have it remain in effect until its' expiration, when I would want the SETV to go into effect.

I'm just not sure if getting the SETV stamped in my passport would de-activate my "retirement visa" or cause confusion with IMM officials at the airport when I return to Thailand (even though I would have the re-entry permit for the retirement visa.) 

And then the question would be "how would I activate the SETV once my retirement extension expires.  Could I do this locally at Chiang Mai IMM office, or would I have to fly out and re-enter to activate it?

Any advice would be appreciated.

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You could get 4 without a problem. Three in Vientiane should not be a problem but get the 3rd one after you one after getting a visa somewhere else such as Savannakhet.

 

That would be a good plan. No problem to get a single entry tourist visa after the METV.

 

No problem to get a tourist visa after being on extensions based upon retirement.

Thanks!  You seem to be the go-to guy for straight, concise answers!  Most appreciated.

On 2/26/2015 at 6:52 AM, ubonjoe said:

There is no limit on how many tourist visas you can get. Some embassies and consulates set there own limit on how many you can get from them. For example Vientiane count the ones you get back to back from them and have a limit of 3 but with financial and address proof you can get more.

You should be able to do most of your trips by getting visa exempt entries if you are entering by air and spending time outside the country between trips. Just always be able to show financial proof. Having the equivalent of 20k bath in cash with you would be good to have with you in case you a pulled aside for questioning.

Wondering if somebody can give me an update on this as of 2019.  I currently have a "retirement extension" that will expire end of September.  I want to stay in Thailand one more year but no longer want to do it with the retirement visa.  I am considering either an ED visa which I know I can get for sure, but am also considering the idea of of back to back 60 day tourist visas (or even a METV from my home country) since the Ed visa would prevent me from traveling away from Chinag Mai (class attendance requirements).

So, what are the chances (in 2019-2020) that I can get four (4) back-to-back visas for the year by visiting embassies in adjoining countries?  If four is unlikely, how long do I have to be outside of the Kingdom before I can get another visa?

What about traveling back to my home country to get a new 6 month METV, extending it to 9 months, and then after it expires, getting one 60 day tourist visa that I can extend to 90 days?

Also, what effect will there be applying for a tourist visa when I have already been granted a retirement visa; will that cause an issue?  

Sorry to ask such an in-depth question and I know a lot of this depends on the particular embassy/consulate, but info on Google is very sketchy and dated.  Thanks in advance!

I have a parcel being delivered from USA by parcel post but I'm not sure whether it is being hung up in Customs or not since tracing information is conflicted when comparing what I see from USPS and ThaiPost, and also Customs E-Tracking.  Wondering if anybody can shed light.

For the same date stamp (May 3 at 10:11am) USPS tracking says it has already passed through customs and is in transit to destination.  ThaiPost says it is on it's way to Customs, and Customs E-Tracking says "error" with four possible reasons (including that it is already out of Customs).  So, I am confused ????

Here's what I see:

I have read all ten pages of this this thread (and googled) and I have not found any posts revealing details about when the shortage of Bayer Testosterone Depot will end, or, more importantly, what pharmacies still have stock, or a legitimate pharma-grade (not underground) substitute (Rotexmedica).

Just to be clear, my needs are legitimate/legal (for TRT).  I do not want to go through the hassle or added costs of hospitals sources.

I last purchased Rotexmedica in Pattaya from a trusted pharmacy but it's very hard to reach them by phone and I am in Chinag Mai until next month so hard to know if they still have stock or not.

Is providing a pharmacy name and location not allowed here in the forums?  If so, can somebody please PM me and let me know?  I am presently in Chiang Mai but moving to Pattaya in March and will be out of Test by then.

4 hours ago, benever said:

Thanks for confirming that Rotexmedica is legit. Can other people confirm this too? Anyone who has used it?

 

Also great that you messaged Bayer to get a reply from the horse's mouth. It's interesting that Bayer confirms the "out of stock" theory which until now I assumed was a bullshit line from the pharmacists to explain increased control by the authorities. It still feels a bit fishy to me....when does a large pharmaceutical company like Bayer plan their production so badly that they run out of stock for months?

 

You'll also notice that you are getting a reply about Provinorum (tablets) but NOT about Testoviron (injectable). Would you mind messaging your contact there again and ask about Testoviron specifically?

 

 

I purchased Rotexmedica when my pharmacy said they were out of Bayer back in October.  I had blood tests just last week and all is fine.  The only difference I notice is the glass ampules are thicker thus harder to open, but that's it.

On 2/6/2019 at 12:56 PM, Hummin said:

Got confirmed order of two packages of this today from my trusted pharmacy. 

 

11 000,- 40 ampulls

 

 

Can I ask WHO is your trusted pharmacy?  I'm not sure if that is allowed.  If you can't post, can you PM me?  My trusted pharmacy is in Pattaya (the one next to TIM'S bar) and they provided me with Rotexmedica also since they were out of Bayer.  I am almost out.  I REALLY PREFER BAYER...if anyone knows a pharmacy that can get it (either in Pattaya or Chinag Mai...or even BKK), I'd really like to know.

16 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

There are other calculators fro cross reference in the Post Office topic pinned at the top of this forum.

 

I would add that in addition to any known calculator, you also have to allow for "who it is on the day" as is so often the norm with many things in Thailand, this aspect can have huge implications/or not, depending on who you get. ????

 

Base your decision on the worst, and hope for the best is about all you can do. Take an informed "gamble"

I agree; plan for the worst, however I'm not prepared to take a gamble considering that the tariff could potentially be much more than the cost of a round trip ticket to pick up the bike in person.  I'd much rather pay for a r/t ticket and get a mini-vacation than line the pocket of corrupt Thai customs officials.  My apology to honest Thai Customs agents out there.  I am sure they exist, but my past experiences have been to the contrary.

I am just trying to pin down a reliable number for anticipated tariff, so  CAN ANYONE CONFIRM I AM USING CORRECT HS CODES? Then I can make an informed decision.