Date Masamune

You are referring to the tourist visa?
 
I have never decided to do a tourist visa because I have to return to the US or Europe for work every month. The Visa on arrival is (was) convenient. 

It is a lot of money up front.
The way I look at it after the 6 years it works out to 228 baht per day, not a lot of money. I have been looking at it for this year and done my sums so prior to becoming “an elite guest of Thailand” I am going to go for the O-A visa from my own country at least for one year. The reason is to get the elusive Yellow Book for my condo. I don’t care 5 year driving licenses either but not allowed for Elite.

I would be surprised if the Thai Embassy or any of the Thai Consulates were in the business of recommending doctors.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

He is staying 2 hours not 3 weeks.

Hi JohnnyBD,
I've been away from the forum for a few days. You hit the nail on the head... didn't know. Also a little scared. i did not want to get over there and then have to come back for some "visa-mistake". I had decided on a 5 year retirement visa... sounded good to me. Would have to put some money in a Thai bank for a few months but then could take it out (or so I read - I am finding that websites have all sorts of kooky information), then wouldn't have to worry about visa for 5 years... ahhh relax and do what I want. Then I read I couldn't get 5 year visa here in the US, that the best way to do it (per the couple of sites I found) was to get the 1 year O-A here first, then convert to 5 year over there. So that was my plan. Regarding the $'s in gas to drive to LA, my son lives in LA and I want to see him before I go. So I would be driving down there and spending the night in hotel (he lives in dorm) anyway. Regarding rig-ma-role of Tb tests and FBI checks, I was under the impression those were necessary even if you applied from within Thailand. I heard the medical clearance was easier in Thailand... as I said, I read that one could just about walk into any Thai MD office and if you are breathing they sign, but I assumed the FBI clearance would be more difficult from over there. It was actually quite easy here. Getting TB test was a waste because as I said, for a while the only place I could find that was willing to do the medical clearance wanted it. But I am a nurse and had to get TB tests every year for work for over 20 years, so it didn't seem like too much inconvenience at the time, same-same every year, just this year it wasn't free from my work. Yes I've wasted a couple of hundred dollars doing it this way, but my head is clear and my stress level is calm. Live and learn. Next time will be cheaper. 
Thank you all for your help.

It never ceases to amaze me. 
Some Members here MAY know the correct answer but the majority are giving you their opinion or just repeating what they read or someone told them.
 
When  it comes to important issues, I prefer to go to the sourse.
 
Go to Jmmigeation and in 3 minutes you have true facts.....not opinions.

Yes, that's correct.  I meet all the requirements for an OA except that I cannot show income/salary slips of last 3 months as I stopped working.  I also don't understand why they impose this, because it blocks the application for people like me who have more than enough money and hence do not need to work anymore.

Process is like this:   - IO officer at desk calls other officer

- Other officer escorts you to an area where you need to wait

- Your passport gets examined again, you will be questioned in or outside an office. What do you do in Thailand? Do you work in Thailand? How much money do you have with you? And all sorts of questions regarding your visa history.

- If they go ahead and refuse you entry, you will be escorted to another office where you get the chance to buy a ticket. If you cant pay, you need to wait until there is a free spot back home with your national airline (this can take a while, PAY IT!). You can buy a ticket on your phone or ask a mate to buy one and provide them with the reservation number.

- You will be escorted to the detention cell which you share with a group of other people waiting for their next flight home.

- You have access to electric so you can charge your phone and notebook.

- Once your flight is due you get picked up by 2-3 officers and you will be escorted to the departure gate right before the flight. It is then when you get your passport back.

 

 

Be aware that usually they want to you to back to your HOME country with your national airline and not the country you came from (if it differs). Few people succeed to convince them to let you fly back to the country you came from or anything other than your home country.

 

 

 

I was told the one time I had a problem that I had to buy a ticket back to the US if I wanted to be let in I flat l-out refused and said I would just go back to Korea where I was legally working.

The OP should just be flexible, prepare for denial of entry by not storing any belongings in Thailand and don’t buy a car/motorbike or sign a long term lease. Carry 20k baht, and if not, credit cards. Amazing how easy it is these days to book a last minute business class seat with a mobile phone and a gold card.

33 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

Look into getting a Non-Immigrant O-A in your home country. Your problems will be solved for almost 2 years.

6 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

O-A is the best option for you right now. Two years of peace of mind. If you try to enter Thailand using METV, may be you can fly to KL and from there to Penang and then cross the land border to reach Hat Yai. After that another flight from Hat Yai to DMK or UTP. Nobody can tell you the probability of rejection at an airport. Thai immigration does not publish those data. If you intend to fly and take a chance, at BKK, book your ticket through SIN or HKG and if rejected, they will send you to SIN or HKG. With METV, another option is to fly to Macau and then take an AIR ASIA flight to UTP. But make it a top priority to get an O-A, if possible and good luck with your new life.

Read the OP he can't get the OA in Belgum.

The old Nimoller as "First they came for the ED visas but I was't a student" comes to mind.

He should have had TM 30 stapled to his passport or maybe a copy of the girlfriends signed blue book and ID card?

The idea that pensioners in Chiang Mai are forging bank statements is ridiculous. Some in Zimmer frames. Wordpress a foreign comcept

The situation is pretty clear, the westeners presence here is old fashion and not welcome. The country has already showed his preference on chinese tourists, for the simple reason that no one of them want live in Thailand...just come for short time, spend money and go...making less problems than westeners dreams to come in Thailand, pretending to live here in westener way at asian prices. Life is easy, it's problematic visit or stay longer in Thailand? Just skip to another country, world is big enough 

Stuck in an immigration room overnight is not prison more like a hotel. You pay for it. You can order pizza.
Toilet paper is available. When your deport flight comes if you are business class can you go to the lounge?

Probably HPV cancer, afflicts a lot of men, passed through oral sex with a female partner who has the virus.   My brother got it but survived due to radiation and chemo.  Michael Douglas Oral sex cancer
 

7 hours ago, gentlemanjackdarby said:

OK, first thing to do is not panic.

 

Who is you U.S. brokerage?

 

The only major broker of which I'm aware that won't make international wire transfers for U.S. residents is Charles Schwab and since you maintain a U.S. residence, it's unlikely you would be able (or want) to set up a Charles Schwab International account, which does make international wire transfers

 

You might consider switching (moving) your brokerage account to a broker that makes international wire transfers - Fidelity is often mentioned as a good choice with low wire fees

 

You might also consider setting up a bank account with a bank or credit union that is used to dealing with folks serving or living overseas, such as USAA or Navy Federal Credit Union (if you're a U.S. vet or a family member of a vet) or a another federal credit union if you lack a service connection - I'd start with State Department FCU or Andrews FCU (those FCUs have relatively flexible ways to join)

 

You have a U.S. passport, which is the best form of identification; next you need to prove legal domicile and residence

 

Some states allow one to file a statement of legal domicile with the county recorder or the equivalent, which would prove legal domicile and **might** be acceptable to a financial institution to also prove residence

 

One possible way to prove residence, if you don't own a home or have utilities in you name and might be for example, using a relative's address for residence, is to have a statement drawn up by that relative stating, in essence, that their address is your legal domicile and residence and have it notarized. In some states, that is acceptable for proving residence

I have made international transfers out of the brokerage aside so confused about what you posted concerning Schwab. For 12 plus years I did not have a US address and had the Schwab International account and Schwab Bank Account. (From last fall I do now have a US address, but off topic.) I WAS able to make international transfers, however not from Schwab Bank. The money had to originate from the Brokerage side, and requires a phone call for each transfer.As I always understood Schwab Bank will not send money overseas only receive it.

I also have the BKK bank ACH thing ending this April so concerned also.

Must be joking are you serious? Of course children do not get a duty free allowance, true in every country as they are dependents by definition. Some nations do not even permit foreign air crew to purchase duty free or participate in VAT exempt schemes

How would a child earn earn money unless they were illegally worked?

I'm not interested in conspiracy theories, biased opinions and whataboutery.
 
I know about the corruption within immigration and the police, how it works, and call it when I see it. However, I do not see corruption, specifically, when long term tourists are denied entry because they've spent years/months in the country, which in the written words of immigration is "considered from the tourism point of view to be longer than necessary and not in line with the purpose permitted while entering country." As long as the denial is made in accordance with immigration laws, which in the case of the OP it was, then there is nothing to complain about.

If you had followed immigration policy since 2006 you would have seen all the ways the Thai authorities have used to put a stop to visa runs, push visa runners to get Tourist Visas and then clamp down on the availability and use of TR's.
 
The same people that are now telling long term tourists to use land borders because of the hassles at the airport were, a few years ago, telling them to use the airports because of the hassles at land borders. What is happening at the airports is partly due to the change in MO of the long term tourist, and it is evidently under orders and lawful regardless of the nonsense spouted by you and others.
 
Just because corruption exists does not mean everything immigration do is corrupt. And as I've pointed out; financial gain is the aim of corruption, and the best you can come up with is a possible share of the detention fee!
 
Denying entry is no small event. It has to be signed off by the senior officer on duty and the airline have to be involved, and I'm pretty sure the fees collected for detention are accountable; so unless the whole of BKK/DMK immigration are 'in on it' your theory is weak at best. If they were not formally processing the denied entry and charging the alien a fee I could see how they maybe could pocket the fees. 
 
IO's are mostly just giving warnings about staying too long, and consulates are increasingly stamping passports saying the applicant has visited too much as a tourist; yet when immigration actually deny entry you/others bitch about corruption and unlawful enforcement. In case you missed the messages: the Thai authorities (not individual IO's) are clamping down harder on the use of VE/TR's to stay long term as a tourist.
 
The alternative to IO's having discretionary powers (rarely used) would be for the Thai authorities to set strict limits. Again.... why would anyone want that when it screws things up for all 'long term tourism' and doesn't help guys like the OP one little bit? The current situation is far from ideal but it's better than the alternative, which IMO would be a maximum of 6 months per year.
 
As things stand; a long term tourist needs to accept every entry could be their last and plan accordingly. Simply as that.

Surprised the authorities have not banned Transferwise. It undercuts ludicrous bank fees and resembles Halvah money transfers.
Halvah lomg used for money laundering and crimes, including terrorism.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you think maybe they have a daily quota to deny frangs at airport? So easy when they can use the no money lie.

Unbelievable. I get mine from the US counsulate if I couldn’t it would be hard for me as it involves 4-6 weeks for a free one from CM Immigration or I think 1000 baht through an agent. Technically I can’t do that as it is illegal under US law to pay a bribe a foreign public official.