Wongkitlo

I was just commenting on the "uncle" part not the rest of the phonecall as criticizing it seems a misunderstanding of Thai culture. Just because it is a familiarity in English it does not have the same connotations in Thai. You can call a waiter 'norng' which is the same you would call a younger brother. It does not mean you are treating him as a family member. I don't think Thai has a word for "Sir" which would be the English equivalent. I hate it when Thai people call me 'Mister' which could be seen as the equivalent of 'Koon".

I don't like her much and think she is too young for her position but the "uncle" thing is just a beat up. It is just polite on Thai culture to call an older person 'Loong' or 'Na' both meaning uncle. It would have been rude of her to call him something else.

The locals at the next few days up are busy throwing their garbage bags in the sea to replenish it.

My wife was offered this but does not want it. Thai tourists are the most difficult and demanding and complain the most. The worst are the bar girls who think they are princesses because they have found a farung to pay for their budget hotel and expect 5 star.

I don't particularly like her but she was only saying what was obvious. The military are a seperate power to the government and unable to be controlled by the government.

From memory you need to show it when you make payment. A tuk tuk to the embassy and back is not so expensive.

They probably have updated the online form. Both @treetops and @Upnotoverseem to say different things. One says optional the other semi optional. It would be a lot of extra work if it was not optional. Many people book one night, then add another, then another night. Would mean multiple tm30's for some guests. Others leave early and it kind of defeats the purpose as they are already written in for a week, and decide to leave after a couple of days so in some cases it would mean immigration has multiple tm30 entries for the same guest. It is ok if you have a large hotel with specific staff for tm30's but if you have a small operation it is hard. Sometime's we have turnover of 20+ people per day. I do think the tm30 system is just a money earner. If you are in a remote area or computer illiterate you are allowed to report arrivals at the local police station which kind of defeats the purpose of having everything computerised. Before COVID we used to take a form we printed with arrivals passport numbers there and the police would stamp it. I would then throw them out at the end of the month. Recently the chief or the local police station visited us for a different reasons. We asked if we could do the same and he said"Don't bother. Nobody cares about all that around here"

This is the form from the immigration office. The online one is different. Unless it has changed there was no request for check out date (or maybe an optional one as some have said). I have not done one since last year. I was doing it for my wife's hotel but it took up so much time we decided to just say we were too stupid to work out the process of immigration comes.

I agree what you are saying but I have done the reporting for tm30 online and, unless it has changed recently, it only reports arrivals. There is no option or obligation to report departures so Immigration will not know if he stayed 48 hours or longer. I have often thought this is the pointlessness of the TM 30 system. You can be reported at the hotel you initially arrive in and then go to any province in Thailand and committ as much crime as you like and as far as immigration knows, you are still back where you were reported at.

No. The evisa site does not tell you to print it. It says you 'can' print it. Unlike some other countries it does not say it is a requirement.

Yes. It is a pity about the M.E visa. It made it easy if you moved around a lot. No need to change immigration offices. Hard to have a home visit if you are not always at the same home .

Evisas only (no paper visa from the embassy /consulate)have just been introduced this year. Otherwise I would have gone to Savanakhet for a multi entry one which was much easier for me.

Yes. Definitely. I was sitting at his table as he sold one to somebody who was unaware of the turnover time and was flying out the next day. I have his card but probably better if people PM me to save him trouble. He was a nice guy apart from his scam.

Since the printing has become such a topic of conversation it could allow further discussion. Naturally for this kind of visa the main local sources are Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam (have heard Malaysia is impossible). Entry from Vietnam is by air only leaving Laos and Cambodia as the land entries. Both require visas printed and both also use evisas and traditional stickers which generate paperwork for IO's. I am sure if the IO has paperwork for printed visas they need for the evisas as well. Their borders are also notoriously corrupt with IO's charging extortionate amounts for visas, extra charge for forgotten photos, fake health checks and overpriced printouts. In Thailand, unlike their neighbours, they have introduced a totally electronic visa. Hopefully it is some move towards a non corruptible, paper gree system with no fines from IO's for not having a printout etc and piles of paperwork like @Rob Browder has highlghted. Posters have mentioned the website says that people 'can' printout but maybe this is to cater for the people who do not use smartphones and difficult airport workers. I do doubt that anybody is going to arrive at Swampy and be sent back to their home country because they have not printed their visa. The papers would be full of it especially since Thailand is pushing people to easily get visas instead of turning up visa exempt and jumping across borders. I could introduce another thing. We now have a DTAC system instead of running around borrowing pens when you arrive and carrying an easily lost exit form which you pay a fine to replace. Is anybody suggesting we should print out the DTAC form. Naturally not because the IO has it on his computer immediately you fill it out at the airport.

I just found his manner slightly confronting. Tod Daniels had advised me on another page that he had heard other reports of quick service.