La Migra

So the IO questioned the validity of your visa, because you haven't learned Thai despite studying it for 7 months. That actually seems legitimate. 

Interviewed you for 1.5 hours, that seems excessive.

But is that him actually sitting across from you talking to you? Or is that the time it took to process you? Including him talking to you, him going to check with his supervisor, him getting tea and having a chuckle with his friends ..... with you just waiting on pins and needles to find out if going to be deported.

The immigration question is a bit different from the "what do I do with my stuff" question.

Even if you were to spend 6 straight months in one place and then the other - you still have to store or move your stuff. Which to me begs the question, how much stuff are you keeping in each country?

11 hours ago, mosan said:

How about only renting places that are fully furnished and provide internet service. 

This sounds like some good advice.

Also, I may be projecting my own angst on you, as I am going through everything I own and deciding what to toss or donate.

I think the hassles reported for those with multiple passports....did not involve the passports of the countries visited.

For example, someone with dual US/Irish citizenship using different passports to enter a third country i.e. Thailand.

Your wife is doing it correctly.

To avoid the perception that you are 'living in Thailand';

You could do 3 months Thailand, 3 months Philippines, 3 months Thailand, 3 month Philippines.

Also, since Thailand seems to have an "off the books rule" of a 180 day limit on tourist visas per year, maybe make your Thai time only 2.6 months each stay.

Lastly, the Philippines should be easy for US citizen.

59 minutes ago, En Vision said:

my passport was filled with lots of stamps

So I will ask...... how long in days/months did you spend in Thailand the past 18 months?

On 10/11/2019 at 1:14 AM, paulikens said:

So went to get my visa extension today and was told I now have to tell my landlord if I do visa run(I had done one a month ago),although less than 24 hrs

You ask if it is required to tell the landlord, after being told it is required.

2 hours ago, paulikens said:

but to be fair I did think about it and it is probably about 3 years since I actually done a visa run.

Visa run a month ago, as stated originally, or 3 years ago?

Time flies when you are having fun in Thailand.....

17 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

I would be paying for insurance in my home country USA via Medicare Supp B for sure when I turn 65. 

You would be paying for insurance for where you live (both places) US and Thailand.

17 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

I would jet back to the USA in a heartbeat for treatment. 

Unless that heartbeat was a heart attack or stroke....in which case you would end up in a Thai hospital for at least some amount of time.

For the OA visa there is no 800K baht in the bank which could go towards payment of your emergency medical bills.  As speculated previously, perhaps that is one of the reasons Thailand decided to require the 800K, and perhaps why they are not now requiring proof of insurance for extensions.

As a quick edit - I see you, gk10002000 have already posted a reply with your decision. which given your listed circumstances makes sense.

Why would you not want/have health insurance where you live?

This seems common sense for someone, personally. 

From Thai Govt standpoint, if they, or their citizens/hospitals get stuck with the medical bills, then extending it to all long term visas (and extensions) seems to make sense.

Chiang Mai is a nice easy airport and never had a problem. Never had a problem at BKK either.

Some of the perception of easy or hard airports is an issue of volume of travelers.  If 1 out of 100 people are stopped or questioned, only one person complains.  At higher capacity airport if 10,000 people arrive, (if same % stopped), means 100 people get questioned - and complain.

So 100's of people have problem at DMK and BKK, because more, many more, people arrive through there.

17 hours ago, dcnx said:

  23 hours ago, La Migra said:

So you paid a bribe to a government official?

17 hours ago, dcnx said:

New here?

Ha Ha, To TV ? Yes!

I only pass through for business or on shorter visits. So never a problem.  Considering Thailand for part time retirement.

I would be more afraid of being arrested for the bribe offer

On 8/28/2019 at 5:29 PM, lopburi3 said:

PI does not require a visa run for less that a 3 year stay on tourist visa.  That was never the case in Thailand.

Excellent clarification.

I was hoping to convey that it used to be easier to stay in Thailand long term on a tourist visa, and you can still do that in The Philippines.

3 year stay on tourist visa!

But mostly that their SRRV has a deposit requirement like Thailand, but allows for approved investments. 

What happens to the 800K in the bank when you die seems a bit off topic of original question of spending half the year someplace else on a retirement extension ... but I will bite.

.... I will be dead - I don't think I will care at that point.

3 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Best solution is to get a multiple entry non-o visa based on marriage in Savannahket. 

No need to show any financial proof 

There you go, directly on point.

Being from the UK you could also enter visa exempt for a couple shorter visits. As long as your not stringing them together.

On the wider idea of moving. It does seem that any savings, by living in Seam Reap, would be eaten up by the added travel expenses.  So I assume you cannot, or do not want to, leave the 800K (400K) in the bank.

Best of luck - hard combo of your currencies moving independently in opposite directions.

9 hours ago, jackdd said:

Don't believe any statistics which you haven't forged yourself

Ha Ha Ha

I wonder what the spending average per visit is by country?

Do rich Western Europe, US, Japan, Korea, Saudi, UAE, etc. tourists spend more per person per visit - than others? Or is Thailand attracting the wealthy of less affluent nations as tourists so it doesn't matter.

The Philippines has a retirement visa, SRRV, which requires a similar deposit to be held in specific accounts. They will allow conversion of some or all of the money to be converted into real estate holdings. (Only reason I bring this up as a contrast to Thailand policy)

They do not require annual applications for extensions like Thailand, but I am sure they keep track of the investment, deposits somehow.

But, since The Philippines currently treats tourist visas like Thailand used to operate; multiple extensions, visa runs, back to back for years, there isn't the demand for the SRRV.

18 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It would not be accepted.

Well, shoot.

I thought I had stumbled across a way for the folks who keep reporting problems documenting their qualifications for extensions, to simplify the application, by getting an income affidavit from their embassy in a 3rd country.

I recognize UbonJoe as the expert on this, so thank you to all. 

Only the US embassy (and consulate) in Thailand stopped notarizing the income affidavits. It doesn't appear to be a worldwide ban. In other countries, the US embassy has not issued a prohibition on notarizing such affidavits.

So my question is, if I swore out an income affidavit, notarized by US embassy in Manila - could I use it in Thailand for the extension? 

First off, I am new to the forum, forgive me if this has been asked and answered.

I understand the background that several embassies in Thailand stopped issuing the Income Verification Letters, for various reasons.  However, I also understand that the US Embassy still issues the letters (without verifying income, just notarizing the signature) in other countries.

Could you use an income verification letter, from your embassy, (say in the Philippines), for a retirement extension in Thailand?