ovenman

Weather radar indicates a strong-looking storm in Lampang now.

1 hour ago, ajarngreg said:

 It's easy to understand why they're doing this. Too many foreigners and I'm now talking about quite a huge number, have abused the tourist visas to work here illegally, mostly at schools. It's very difficult for an Immigration officer to differentiate between the good and the bad guys.

It's apparently the ideal and obvious solution to this problem because apparently it would just be too difficult to raid said schools, unannounced. 

On the "Tourist Visa" page of the above linked website, one finds the following:

1) Visa application of NON-MALAYSIAN foreigner who is not resident of Malaysia will be rejected

Worth asking whether that policy has changed but likely the above will be their answer.

1 hour ago, IMA_FARANG said:

That is close enough to the Vietnamese consulate for me to stop off there at the consulate and see what info, if any, they have

 

I don't use those vjsa letter  on arrival places. I prefer to get my Vietnamese visa diect from the consulate if that is still posible.

Please report back as to what they say at the embassy.

Understood about wanting to get a visa directly from the embassy; that's just not a practical option living here in Chiang Mai. That said, I have about a dozen visa-on-arrivals for Vietnam and never had a problem obtaining one.

Not all websites are up to date but here is one that states the change pretty clearly: http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/en/consular-services/visas/

If you look at some of the visa agency sites, you'll find that some already reflect the change and some are lagging.

3 minutes ago, BKKdreaming said:

OUUCH , makes it not as interesting to go for a weekend trip and check it out , 

 

I  hope they put it back to the old way , and get rid of the  pre-approval letter which really is just an added money grab and not doing th country any good

This new policy doesn't make much sense given that Vietnam's stated goal when the tentative go-ahead for a one-year visa was given in 2015 was to boost tourism. Hard to see how raising the visa fee four-fold will accomplish that. Realistically, most US tourists to Vietnam are coming from the US and unlikely to be making multiple entries into VN within a year's time. IMO - The smart play would be for Vietnam to allow a fifteen-day visa exempt entry for US citizens as they have done for a number of other countries and have the one-year, multi-entry visa available for those who wish to stay in VN longer.

Just a heads-up for any US citizens planning to visit Vietnam. The tourist visa policy for US citizens appears to have been changed on 26 August 2016. The only tourist visa that is apparently now available for US citizens is a one-year, multiple-entry visa that allows for a ninety-day stay with each entry. If you go the visa-on-arrival route, the stamping fee at the airport is $135, plus whatever your agency is charging for the pre-approval letter (going rate at most agencies is $30 from what I can see). I was previously paying $45 in visa fees for a visit to Vietnam: $20 for my pre-approval letter, $25 at the airport as a stamping fee. Under the new system, one needs to make four visits to Vietnam per year to come out ahead of the old method.

And once again, just a tease (north of the city along the outer ring road).

Have a retirement visa,multiple exit so all well and good you would think. (wife and family here)

Still carry out a bit of consultancy work to keep me busy and earn some pocket money, so last year i spent approx 6 months in and out of the country.

Flew in last week from Turkey (visa valid to Oct) and pulled over at IM, politely t (NOT), told that they were going to revoke my Visa **....but then after a group discussion stamped me in for 90 days

So, what you are saying is that you had multi re-entry permit valid for a stay until October (original extension based on retirement) but immigrations arbitrarily stamped you in for ninety days?

He said multi entry visa. Some counsulates issue them for "retirement". in that case allowed 90 days is right. If he actually has an extension of stay 90 days is wrong but can be corrected at immigration office.

If he had a multi-entry non-OA which is the visa they issue abroad for retirement, it should be a one-year entry. If he had a multi-entry non-O, then you are absolutely correct (and I suspect that's the case now that you mention it).

Have a retirement visa,multiple exit so all well and good you would think. (wife and family here)

Still carry out a bit of consultancy work to keep me busy and earn some pocket money, so last year i spent approx 6 months in and out of the country.

Flew in last week from Turkey (visa valid to Oct) and pulled over at IM, politely t (NOT), told that they were going to revoke my Visa **....but then after a group discussion stamped me in for 90 days

So, what you are saying is that you had multi re-entry permit valid for a stay until October (original extension based on retirement) but immigrations arbitrarily stamped you in for ninety days?

PS - My thought to save both hassle and money would be to enter Thailand using your first sixty-day entry, leave Thailand after that sixty days to do your "outside" traveling neither bothering to extend that initial sixty-day entry nor get a re-entry permit, then return to Thailand on or before the 03 November date to activate the second entry on your tourist visa.

No matter what you decide to do, the most important thing is that you enter Thailand and activate the second entry on the tourist visa by the 03 November date. Otherwise you lose that entry. Nothing extends that date. There is another current thread running on that very topic: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851602-denied-my-second-60-day-entry-on-double-entry-visa-ma-sai

Can also vouch for My Vietnam Visa. Have used them maybe a dozen times over the past six years. Always prompt service, never any issued getting the actual visa upon arrival in VN (apart from the queuing).

Speaking from first-hand experience, Chiang Mai Immigrations will honour existing online appointments. Announce yourself at the information desk when you arrive. You should get called at your appointed time but if you are not called within say, a half-hour of your scheduled time, assert yourself.

One of the "home vists" was of CM Immigration coming to my condo building. Hubby and I are renters, but have been for a long time and our documents are in order. It's one of the largest buildings in CM.

What do these home visits entail exactly? Any idea what immigrations is trying to accomplish by visiting a retiree's residence??

As has been stated, it seems that different Immigration offices require different paperwork . Why ???.......................because T I T .

<snip>

#10. Copy of house registration book, for the applicant reside in ( sic)( bring original book too)

<snip>

#10 as written would be a deal breaker for many, I'm sure most landlords would simply dole out the original house book to a tenant so they can satisfy the ever-changing whims of immigrations. The landlord probably be so overjoyed at the prospect of cooperating that they would also let you borrow their ID card as well.

Mae Hia/Hang Dong got a nice dumping ... twice today. Oh and the Chiang Rai radar is back up.

What link are you using for the radar?

Wasn't New Zealand one of the last civilized countries to just put an end to the Thai Visa on entry due to mammoth abuse and overstay?

New Zealand has been a difficult country for quite some years for a single Thai to get a visa to visit without a good job to return to in Thailand when the visit was over. It used to be easier than it is now, and from what I hear, there were many abuses of visas and overstaying in the past. If they ever had "visa on arrival" it must have been many years ago.

It was done away with maybe ten to fifteen years ago. I don't recall how many visa-exempt days Thais received upon entry to New Zealand but I do recall at that time, New Zealanders received a ninety-day visa exempt stamp for Thailand.

Thanks for the detailed report.

One point to clarify, when you obtained the US Embassy declaration letter, did you swear to a certain amount of monthly income or having a certain amount of money in the bank? You posts makes it sound like the latter, something that I have never heard of doing.

Does the Indian consulate in Chiang Mai no longer issue visas?

Getting back to the OP for a moment, what does the following mean specifically:

1) Completed notification for owner of residence and photo copy of their ID. Receipt stapled to passport as well as normal 90 day report.

What notification are we talking about specifically?

I had good luck obtaining a non-O in Penang last June: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/736622-penang-single-entry-non-o-retired/

At least the powers-that-be didn't wait until the week immediately prior to the "extra holiday" to consider doing this, as would usually happen.

...and it looks like AirAsia will be offering two daily DMK-Narita flights later in the year.

AirAsia flies non-stop from Don Mueang to Narita.