swineninety9

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

So they make an anouncement about "Special Tourist Visa" and when the details are released it appears that the hoops and hurdles will be far too great for almost anyone to benefit. i.e. from a country where no covid cases for 28 days, 14 day quarantine, 72 hour advance covid test, $100,000 covid insurance, take a (likely expensive) charter flight with THAI Airways. Even if Aussies and Kiwis can leave their countries chances are they won't be able to return home until late 2021 (AUS) or 2022 (NZ) based on current specualtion of those countries relaxing entry requirements. So really in effect it seems that this non-sense anouncement of a "special tourist visa" is so special that, like the Phuket model, it will fall completely flat when they realise that it will be unworkable and not even attract the miniscule numbers of intended capacity. Also, if you are intending to use it as a route to come back and "live" in Thailand, will the STV be convertible to Non-O marriage or retirement visas for those qualifying? I very much doubt it. Sooner or later countries are going to have to realise that this shutdown of travel will ruin their economies completely for decades. Probably already the case.

COVID is never planned to end, that is why they picked the common cold to freak out about. This is meant to lock down the planet to “stop” global warming. The boarders will never open back up the way they once were,  the rich don’t want plebs like you and me to be able to travel and put out carbon. Charter flight and 1000$ for quarantine, is the cost to be elite. Only people with money and time will be able to do traveling like we used too. Get used to it, or vote the them out. 

If your in the USA just go to a AAA office with your current license and pay $20. They will take photos there and issue you one.

You all realize that in order to reach “net zero” carbon emission you have to reach net zero human population right. Life is carbon based, we are carbon based life forms. 
 

what do you think the lock down is about? 1/5 crash in the economy and the following reduction in carbon emissions sure did wonders on the journey to to that 2050 goal! 
 

all those bankers in London of course will get carbon exceptions, I mean they have to be able run the stock market and all! 

OP, I've done exactly what you are asking about. I'm USA not UK, but its very similar.

1. You can write yourself and employment letter. If you want to be extra sure, start a "business" aka incorporate, and then write yourself a letter. I called the embassy in the USA, and they really didn't seem to give a shit, they just want to check the boxes.

2. You can rent places for 6 months easy, for 8-9 months you will want to get a month to month if you want to stay in the same place, no many places will do odd leases. I did 6 months in one place, then 2 more in another.

3. Every time you get an extension or updated entry stamp let your landlord or front desk copy it and send in the TM.6. Not sure if this is needed but it can mess with immigration extensions, and if you go to immigration and then say its not done you can just kick it back to your landlord. Make them pay the fine, say you did the right thing each time.

4. There are some stories of having problems at the major Bangkok airports entering on METV if it looks like your living here, so you may want to avoid them, use land boarder crossings, and non standard airports if you do it that way. Your mileage may vary. If you get a GF don't tell immigration unless they ask, never lie to immigration.

Would not recommend Phenom Penh.

Had a bad experience in Phenom Penh with only a METV in my passport. I would not even bother if you'd had even one TV from PP, but your mileage may vary. If you have like 3 TV in your passport I would just use land boarder crossing since you get 2 per year, and then get a fresh passport, but I'm not an expert.

You are studying online or at a university in Thailand?

Anyone ever considered that IO's might have a quota of people they have to deny everyday??? Or conversely, a quota of people who fit a certain criteria for refusal, but a certain number they can make exceptions? Also, seems like a lot of these denial stories the OP says "I'm staying with a Thai girl." Seems to be a common story.

Could this have something to do with the girl who broke her neck diving into a pool, and had to crowdfund 60k pound to medevac her to the UK?

Awesome thanks.

This may be a dumb question but do Thai boarder check points close for Christmas or Christmas eve?

Phenom Penh seems to be denying even a 2nd SETV, tried it myself but I had only a METV before that, but they may have denied it for other reasons. Several other people are having the same issue. Also, other embassy seem to be restricting SETV to maybe 2 such as Vientiane, Laos. Do a search on the forums, you will see the threads.

Thanks, do you think they will let me do an in/out, or should I stay 24 hours just to be safe. Last time I went they basically just waived me across the street and handed me back my passport and sent me back to the entry line to Thailand. Of course, then I had the METV.

Let me put my conspiracy hat on for a second, but take a look at the two countries which have Embassies NOT verifying income letters: the US and UK. Which two countries globally are attempting to reduce immigration into their countries, US (Trump) and UK (Brexit).

In order to grow your economy you need a rising population. What is one way to increase your population and bring $$$ back into the country? Bring back retirees and Expats.

The fact of the matter is, anyone in the UN is a part of the Global migration pact, so their may be bureaucratic areas that have to roll back rules once your country withdraws from the global agreements.

What are the best boarders for a visa exempt stamp from Chiang Mai? With the recent crack down on SETV's I'm looking for one more 30+30 before I go home. Short history:

1. METV - did 2 boarder runs at Mai Sai

2. Cambodia - Got Void without Prejudice from Cambodia embassy after 7 1/2 months in Thailand

3. Entered Visa Exempt at DM airport then got 30 day extension in Chiang Mai

Was going to do a SETV at Vientiane but with the recent thread regarding that embassy I won't bother. I have 0 visa exempt land boarder crossings, so guessing they won't deny me there. Any recommendations? Should I do Mai Sai again? Or is there another option, flying is a possibility for me such as Chiang Mai to Udon Thani. Any other embassies I could try?

Not sure what country your are from, but assuming you are not in Thailand now, and you have not secured your first visa. Save yourself the hassle and get the METV (Multiple Entry Tourist Visa) from you home country. Its far more flexible and the small extra cost is nothing compared to the headaches you might deal with in Cambodia. The Phenom Penh embassy is a nightmare now and I would not recommend going there. But if you do get a single entry visa, that is different than a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit is just that, a re-entry permit.

On 12/16/2018 at 4:28 AM, elviajero said:

There are not many 30 year olds that can take a year off work to travel,

I think this funny, how hard is it to save up 30-40k USD or other western currency? Just live in your moms basement while employed and save ????

Honestly, if you read the letter in the OP, it seems they are wording it to be mainly concerned about "working illegally" in Thailand on SETV's. I suspect if you prove you have the correct funds in the hand/bank, fill out the paperwork exactly, have a plane ticket back to you home country, ect. you'll probably be ok.

After my experience in Phnom Penh and others :

You can tell they are cracking down, but we both got back in on Visa exempt stamps while holding all the "gotcha" tricks such as flight out, 20k baht. Vientiane is doing us ALL A FAVOR by posting this, THERE WAS NO SUCH NOTICE IN CAMBODIA and they just took your money and denied you with a big red mark in your passport. Everyone should be glad they posted this so people don't waste their time and money.

Also, there was a thread the other day talking about how there is 1000 people a day at the Vientiane embassy because the others were cracking down, so the volume all moved there. Imagine being an employee there doing 1000 SETV's a day! We are not so lucky anymore. We're just going to have to be on our toes and get a little more creative, SETV here, Visa exempt there, 30 days out over here.

Also, no one knows how the new visas will effect the situation, if and when they get their test period. It really seems to me immigration just wants to prove your not working in the country and have money.

5 hours ago, neeray said:

Big Joke must be reading TVF and he saw all the bad publicity about CM Immigration, decided to fix the problem.

 

Thanks for the refreshing update Vivoviajar.

One day, government will run off facebook likes or dislikes.

Ok, final update on this from OP on this.

I made it through Bangkok immigration at DM airport. The Void Without Prejudice did raise a red flag with the Thai lady stamping me through as I was switching from international to domestic terminals. I can't speak Thai but seems like she had to kick it upstairs as she started talking into her lapel mic to someone and she spent about 3-5 min on mine as opposed to 90 sec on the others in front of me. Finally at the end she asked "do you have a visa" I said no, and she stamped me 30 days exempt.

tl;dr - The Void without Prejudice will make them scrutinize your passport at DM airport and kick the approval upstairs. 

Anyone run into this, seems to still be up on the Los Angeles Thai Embassy site (which is probably outdated).

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=28

> Please be aware that Thai Immigration's recent crack down on visa runners is aimed at visa runners who abuse the visa exemption program for the purpose of working in Thailand.  "Visa runners" refers to foreigners who leave Thailand to a neighboring country for a brief stay and then return to Thailand for another 15 or 30-day stay without any type of visa.  The visa exemption program is for the purpose of tourism only.  At present, Thai Immigration will take measures of warning and advising visa runners to obtain the proper visa.  However, beginning August 12, 2014, Thai Immigration will begin prohibiting visa runners from entering Thailand.  Those wishing to enter Thailand for purposes other than tourism are advised to secure the proper visa prior to their arrival in Thailand.

Passport holders from the countries below can visit Thailand without a visa for the maximum of 30 days stay per entry with a total period of stay not exceeding 90 days within 6 months from the date of first entry into the kingdom. To enter the kingdom using 30-DAY STAY WITHOUT VISA again , this can be done after the first 6 months (from the first date you enter thailand) .

>20k baht in hand cash

>outbound ticket back to home country

>itinerary for your tourism in Thailand, aka where you are going and staying

>Proof of hotel booking

Anything else I'm missing, do I need a passport photo for Visa Exempt?

Basically, from what I am reading booking a flight back to your home country and not another Asian country within 30 days helps.