grain

I need 12 months as I travel out often, so I want to be online the second I return to Thailand. But I will ask in some shops soon, generally though they are more expensive than ordering online with Lazada.

Yes agree, I currently have annual retirement ext + multi-re-entry permit, and that works fine and I hope to just continue that way, all I'm doing here is looking for info for a plan B, should it become necessary.

In past years I bought DTAC pre-paid sims with unlimited data for 12 months, I've looked online and it seems they have increased a lot in price now, does anyone know of any good deals, good value pre-paid sims? Not really concerned about phone credits, just the data.

Hi Phillip9, are there any danger spots doing this. You do hear of people being refused entry and told they're coming too often and need to get the correct visa. So what are the legal limits? Only one extension at an immigration office for 1900 THB? And how many land border crossings allowed in a 12-month period? I believe it is 2, is that correct?

The idea of changing PPs is to keep my time spent in Thailand under 180 days in one year. If I spent 3 months in Thailand using the visa exempt method I describe above, then returned to Australia for a couple months, the back to Thailand to do the same 3 months visa exempt thing again on the same PP, that would be it, I'd be sitting on 180 days and couldn't come to Thailand again during the remaining 4 months of that year, or else be classed as a tax resident. However, if one of those visa exempt entries was using the other PP, then I'd never clock over 180 days. That's my plan anyway, unless some can point out a flaw in it.

Just curious if life becomes too difficult here with new tax regulations and I wanted to reduce my time spent in Thailand to under 180 days a year, what's the max time I could be in Thailand entering Visa Exemption with UK and Australian PPs. I have dual citizenships, so 2 PPs. I believe I'd get 30 days on entry and I can extend for a further 30 days for 1900Bt. Is that correct? Could I then get a further 30 days by doing a border entry (have a few nights in Vientiane then back in)? If I could do that I'd spend 3 months in Thailand, then return to Australia for a couple of months and fly back to BKK and enter with the other PP, and do the same again. Is that doable or would I run into problems?

Just imagine the chaos at Pattaya Immigration if they did manage to lure 27 million visitors. A fair percentage of that 27 million would no doubt wish to extend for a month. If just one one hundredth of that 27 million wished to extend, that would mean 270,000 more foreigners lined up at Pattaya Immigration. Even if they split them up, some on Monday, some on Tuesday and so forth, that's still 54,000 a day. The Immigration system would collapse under such numbers.

It's more than the entire population of Australia.

Or just format your current laptop and install Linux Mint, which will run much faster than Windows, if you just want to browse websites and send emails that will work out fine. You can download Mint for free, it comes with all the necessary apps preinstalled. Many people have got extra years from older low-spec laptops by switching to a Linux distro.

Are you going to the Big 40th next Monday? If so see you there. On On...BD

Well I hope your GM put his ass in the bucket or on the ice and left him there for a very long time.

Can't you just enter visa free with Aussie PPs and get 30 days, then extend at Hua Hin (Blue Port) for a further 30 days, you could cut you stay back from 70 to 60 days then depart, or if you really want those extra days do a border hop and get another 30 days.

In Australia he'd be shot dead by the cops, it's a disgusting situation there now. As already pointed out here, Thai police have excellent skills at decelerating these situations with distressed members of the public.

Thai Rak Thai

I used an agent (Darren) for about 10-12 years running when I lived in Pattaya, but these past 5-6 years I've been living in Korat and done it myself and it's been surprisingly easy. I have the dosh in the bank and never touch it, it's there year after year purely for immigration. As for dress/smile, I agree entirely, I always dress very smartly and act polite and friendly. I see may guys at Imm in shorts, tank tops, flipflops, they may not realize Thais in gov departments consider this disrespectful to them. I've heard of guys arguing Thai immigration law with IOs, not something I do, if they require a copy of the King James Bible translated into Thai, then I'll get it for them.

It's required at Korat Imm, if you've been out the country and back in again must do a new TM30, but it's easy, no need to supply any docs. I had to do it last July when I renewed my retire ext. a couple months earlier I'd made a 3-night trip to Lao, so I was told to go to the TM30 office and update it, then I could proceed with my annual ext.

Hi, we have dropped the KL stopover idea, I actually wanted to do it but my missis said it'll be a hassle as we'll have a fair bit of luggage (over 50 kilos) so we've now already booked flights right through to Perth, and on return right through to BKK. However, I'm interested in a holiday to Bali for about 7-10 nights, probably the first week in May so as to avoid Easter and the April school holidays. Last time we went, about 5 years ago we had a couple nights at Kuta then 5-6 nights at Ubud, and I enjoyed Kuta sitting on the beach in the evenings drinking beers and ordering up seafood, and in Ubud I was bored stiff after 1 day there, and regretted booking in advance. Of course the main attraction for me at Kuta was the beach with seafood restaurants. So where would you recommend that has a similar scene to Kuta but less full on?

sometimewoodworker, thank you very much indeed for that good info and photos, plus the vid. Very much appreciated.

Just saw a Google Chromecast on Lazada for 1750 Bt. Comes with the remote & connecting cables. Good for Netflix, Disney and a bunch of others.

No I actually bought mine in Australia for my TV there. It cost me $60 aud which is about 1400 Bt. My TV in Thailand is an android and I have pretty well all the same programs installed on my android TV as I have installed on the Google Chromecast. Programs like TUBI & PLEX which you can download free and watch movies, TV shows, news.

I bought a Google Chromecast for one of my dumb TVs, works great, I have a USA VPN on it so I watch USA content, lots of good movies and shows on USA YouTube that you need a VPN to watch in Thailand.

Quite a few tourists have lost their lives at those waterfalls over the years. It's high time they construct some sort of steps with railings and a securely fenced observation/lookout area. After all it is one of Samui's main tourist attractions and is promoted as such, so it should be safe for visitors.

Happens all the time in Australia, they plead for their safety, can't be returned to their countries of origin because they'll be persecuted and killed, then as soon as they get Aussie citizenship and PPs they're flying back home to visit their relis.

In case anyone's interested a 12-month multi-entry visitor visa was granted to her yesterday. From the time we sent off the application, then went to BKK to do the biometrics, and then the visa was issued, all took about 1 week.

The only law of Thailand you need be concerned about is it's always the foreigners fault. If you had of stayed in your own damn country this would never have happened. I'm not pulling your leg here, that is the mindset, Thai cops and authorities have actually stated this often.