Orient Express

I have an account with Wise in EUR, and wish to transfer money from that account to my Bangkok Bank THB account to pay for a condo. I visited Bangkok Bank HO to ask about how I can get the FET document with a Wise transfer. I was told not a problem, as long as the partner bank Wise uses for the transfer is Bangkok Bank. I would have thought this was straightforward, but on contacting the Wise helpdesk, I have been told the following: “Unfortunately, as there are a lot of factors involved in this, we can't guarantee which partner bank will be used.” Just frustrating. The real estate agent I’m using said they have had terrible problems in getting an FET when a different intermediary bank is used (presumably Kasikorn). Using Wise rather than SWIFT saves me about EUR 300 – 400. Has anyone any experience of this or ideas about how to resolve it?

As a part follow-up, I have received quotations from Thai Visa Centre in Bangkok and Maneerat in Pattaya for a non-O 3 month visa + 12 month retirement extension where I provide the funds; and opening a bank account. I am staying in Bangkok, but the TVC price is more than double the Maneerat price, so the differential is far too much to ignore, and consequently I would like to try Maneerat. I don't mind going out to Pattaya since I have never been, and it's a good opportunity to check it out. My questions, for those who have experience of this, are: 1. Am I right in thinking Maneerat uses Jomtien IO and not some strange up-country place? 2. Is it a problem if I have a Bangkok address (serviced apartment)? I'm not worried about the bank account being in Pattaya because I intend to deposit the funds and not touch them all year. However, I am concerned if there are any immigration implications, because I don't want further problems down the line. Thanks for any input.

I think I'll take the hit - I just want to get it over and done with, preferably over the next three weeks so that I can stick to my original travel plans.

The problem is I don't know what she wrote into my record. She did say categorically that I couldn't re-enter as a tourist, so I don't think I'd risk it.

I was surprised, but once it's done it's done. This IO was very determined and I'm pretty sure had decided what she was going to do before she even spoke to me. I couldn't get a word in edgeways.

Yes, I will via an agent. I will be able to provide the funds but need to open a bank account.

Well, it is written in English so I can tell you exactly what it says. 🙂 "Next time need apply non-immigrant visa". She also spent about five minutes typing something on my record, and I got pic and fingerprints taken again.

I haven't - yet. I did consider this pre-Covid but the pandemic changed things and I continued to work. I guess it is the only option now so I will pursue it.

I have an METV, valid for use until mid-April. I am 60+, European, but still with some work back home. I obtained the METV (eVisa) easily from my local embassy back in October. I had a very unpleasant experience at Don Mueang recently, after returning from a few days in Laos. After a long time scrutinising my passport, the IO summoned a supervisor and I was taken aside and questioned. Actually, not questioned, but lectured to and told that I could not possibly be a tourist (too much time in Thailand …). I was eventually stamped in for 60 days, but told I couldn’t use my METV again to enter. It is valid until mid-April, and I had planned to go home to Europe for 3 weeks before then (for work reasons), and a further spell in Thailand with side-trips to Malaysia and Japan before returning to Europe at the end of May. That’s now all up in the air. Instead, I now have a note in my passport saying my next entry must be on a non-immigrant visa. The IO also said I was not allowed to enter visa-exempt. As a datapoint, my travel history is as follows: On this visa: Entered start November, 4 weeks Thailand, 2 weeks Japan, 6 weeks Thailand, 4 days Laos Previously in 2023: 2 trips to Thailand, total 11 weeks (first 45-day visa-exempt; second SETV) 2022: 3 trips to Thailand, total 22 weeks (first SETV, carried over from 2021; second SETV + extension, third 45-day visa exempt) 2021: 2 trips to Thailand, total 17 weeks (first 45-day visa exempt (inc 14 days quarantine) + extension; second SETV). All visas issued by my home embassy. I am a genuine tourist, in the sense that I just like spending time in Thailand. I don’t have a relationship here, and I’m certainly not doing business or working here. I know that the retirement option is open to me (and may be the only solution now), but I am loathe to do this when I still intend to carry out some work (accounting) back home for a few years. So frustrating. I’m interested in any positive ideas or feedback.

reposted to correct forum

Exactly. The same article states: "It comes after the governemnt [sic] introduced a series of relaxations on booze sales. In 2022, it lifted a five-decade-long ban on alcoholic beverage sales in the afternoon between 2 and 5pm."

Phra Ram 9, Metro Mall, Easy Cut - 150 baht. The woman in the first chair on the left (by the entrance). A queueing system operates (they have 4 chairs), but I always ask to wait for her (and, so it seems, do others). Clearly, you're not going to get a coiffeur-of-the-year masterpiece at that price, but she takes time and care, and doesn't mess it up. I always leave 50 baht tip, and she is very appreciative of it.

I am currently in Thailand on a 60-day tourist visa. I arrived from Europe at the beginning of April, and planned to get a 30-day extension so that I could stay to the end of June, when I have a flight booked back to Europe. My previous visit to Thailand was also on a tourist visa, arriving at the end of November 2021. I arranged a 30-day extension to this visa at CW, but because I had to fly to the UK at short notice at the end of January 2022, I actually left before the expiry date of the original visa. Consequently, I spent just over two months in Europe between Thailand trips. Both of the tourist visas were obtained from the same embassy (in my country of residence). Now that travel restrictions are easing significantly - not only in Thailand but also in neighbouring countries - I’m thinking of a quick trip (a couple of nights) to KL, which I have not visited yet. I would plan to do this instead of extending the visa, so at end of May/start of June. This would mean re-entering Thailand (hopefully) on a visa-exempt stamp. This isn’t a visa run in the usual sense, in that I am a “real” tourist, but I am interested to know if there are any risks involved, for example because of the amount of time I have spent in Thailand over the last six months.