ThLT

Thank you very much, ubonjoe. Everything is much clearer now.

Way to add your off-topic political opinion about COVID extensions. Why would I think my expiring COVID extension is still valid if I'm leaving the country? ????

@ubonjoe To make sure I'm getting this correctly: Getting new passport in Bangkok... so when leaving, show both passports, and get exit stamp + IO at airport transfers last COVID extension to new passport (both in new passport)? On returning to Thailand, get entry stamp in new passport. I think this is regarding if I get my new passport outside of Thailand, right? If I get my new passport in Bangkok, and the IO at the airport transfers my latest COVID extension when I'm leaving, I don't need to transfer anything else once having returned?

Ah, okay. By immigration, you mean immigration staff at the airport when leaving, correct?

I'm on a COVID extension, didn't enter on retirement visa, extension is ending, in the process of getting new passport. ????

I will be travelling to Bangkok to get my new passport. My COVID extension stamp is from another province. I'm wondering if: - Transferring in BKK immigration is possible, or - Transferring isn't needed to leave the country

For a new passport, is it required to transfer your previous stamp before you leave the country? If you do have to transfer the previous stamp (a COVID extension), and if it's from another province, can you do the transfer to the new passport at Bangkok immigration instead?

It will cost you around 30-35K each. For group lessons. So around 60-70K total. If you add the cost of the visa and extension, that's another ฿7600 each/฿15,200. So around 86K total. An option would be to get a SETV visa, and then a VE stamp, and then study only 6 months. Would cost half the above. However, you actually have to study and attend classes for 7 hours every week (plus culture classes, I think). If you miss too many classes, your visa will be cancelled.

@karazopa If you want to stay in Thailand 1 year or more, and you aren't either studying or working, paid a ton of cash for a business that might fail, or working on a farm 5 hours per day without getting paid the whole year... there are only a few viable options: - Retirement visa (50 years old or more) - Marriage visa - Elite visa If not, there are only a few other options: - METV, Multi-entry tourist visa, obtained from your home country (9 months total) - SETV, Single-entry tourist visa, (3 months total) - Visa-exemption stamp (2x per calendar year, 2 months total for each) You can combine them. Eventually, you won't be able to get a SETV, or will run out of VE stamps, or will be denied at an airport for having too many of the above, and not really being a tourist. You can't live in Thailand for 1-6 years in a row as a tourist like in Portugal. Even living 1 year in Thailand as a tourist, you will have to do visa/border runs at least every 2 or 3 months.

They are maybe announcing tomorrow that the PCR test on arrival will be scrapped. Even if it's not, it's a test and 1 night at a hotel. If you can't handle this much costs/challenge, Thailand as a whole is 10x more difficult than a simple PCR test requirement.

Non-Immigrant B visa is a work visa. You need to find a job, from an employer who will be supporting and paying for your visa and also work permit, which is expensive for them. Then you actually need to work. If you don't work, you lose the visa. Non-Immigrant ED visa, like the B visa, you actually need to study, I think 3-4 hours per week. The other Non-Immigrant B visas categories I'm not familiar with, but like BritTim said, you need to have had 3 million THB in a Thai bank for 6 months before getting the visa, and there is probably a whole bunch of other requirements. Opening a company is also extremely difficult and costly.

I've been doing my visa changes/renewals for some time. Basic things, especially extensions (tourist, ED, and now B once I start working). When there were no tourists because of COVID, it would take 45 minutes at the most. Now that things are picking back up again, I don't want to go back to spending hours, or using a whole afternoon to go to immigration. If the price is decent, for a visa agent to do everything instead, and you just have to relax at home, that could be a good investment.

I have no experience with visa agents. If you work with an agent, do they go to immigration in place of you? Or do you have to go to immigration yourself, and they simply prepare the documents with you, and then sit/stand next to you? If yes, what are the benefits of working with a visa agent?

You were away for 4 months. However, if you want to increase your chances even more, you can get an SETV in your home country.

I have zero experience with visa agents. If you work with an agent, do they go to immigration instead of you? Or do you have to go to immigration yourself, and they go with you and stand next to you?

Like I said, those who entered on a Non-Immigrant visa. Can't change Non-Immigrant visa category inside the country.

Extension of STV topic in thread now confirmed and over. Thanks, ubonjoe.

So looks like it's not possible. @matador007 Believing 99% something is true... and arguing with someone about it for 40 minutes... doesn't make something true.

Please lock thread. Have no plans to maintain/add to it any further.

I have to do a visa run, to get a tourist visa, to then convert that to a Non-Immigrant B/work visa once I'm back in Thailand. I was refused a tourist visa in Cambodia before COVID. I believe it's in the embassy system, so it's likely better to get the SETV from another embassy/country. However, the reports and suggestions about visa runs are basically all to go to Cambodia, which isn't an option for me. Excluding Cambodia, what is the best option for a visa run? Any reports about the other countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam)?

I'm also some random English-speaking guy at his computer on a Tuesday. You're really taking offence for something banal.

You're actually taking this personally, and taking offence to something told to someone else, that isn't even offensive? First, him posting "Condition 4.2" of the STV expiry is just plain false, and has nothing to do with if the STV is continued or not. And what "random English-speaking guy at his computer on a Tuesday" meant is that he isn't in any way connected to immigration, nor even speak the language. So it's entirely speculation, and based on no factual information.

That has nothing to do with it. Empty point. "Expiry date" is the expiry date of your STV visa. Has nothing to do with if the STV itself still exists or not. Look, it might be possible or not. But you saying it'll be possible, or that it'll 99% be possible... is entirely speculation. Speculation from a random English-speaking guy sitting at his computer at 11:30pm on a Tuesday.

"99% sure"? Based on what, your feelings? You're just guessing. If it's cancelled, could be extendable, or might not be possible. No one knows for sure.

You don't know that. If the STV ends, it might or might not be extendable.