Leveraged

8 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

So it's faster to do it in Thailand. 

It used to be faster AND cheaper because it was same day/next day as standard, and the USA was weeks standard with a very high fee for next day service. 
 

Now apparently a week is the lowest according to this place I used to use and at a cost of $900!?! Dollars. 
 

https://checkout.rushmypassport.com/step-1?product=passport-renewal

What a joke. 

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

If you need extra passport believe that is still an option (I used to have several).  

That one has to be done within the USA I believe, it at least was not an option in Bangkok. I’ve always had to do it in the USA and I do have a second passport, but how do you leave Thailand on a cancelled passport? Can you do that?

Just now, lopburi3 said:

They stopped extra pages in 2015 and passports are no longer issued at Consulates (except for emergency) and must be ordered from USA.

My last passport is from 2019 (out of pages) and was issued same day (or next day can’t remember) in Bangkok in person. 

23 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

So you would have your old passport during the wait.

Yeah but you can’t travel on a cancelled passport which seems like an incredibly stupid thing to do to Americans abroad. Who knows what kind of emergencies could come up, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering the American government couldn’t care less about citizens and taxpayers any longer. 

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

it's that long even in the usa submitting to passport center directly these days.

Didn’t use to be. You could pay for next day service in the USA, which I always did because my employer pays for all this. 

46 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

I applied on March 15 and received the new passport around April 20, shortly after Songkran. I applied at the embassy's consular services. They want you to do it by mail but they will accept in person applications, though it won't speed things up. It was just easier for me because I live nearby.

I’ve been going to Bangkok embassy since they were actually sewing extra pages into your passport to add pages and it’s always been quick, usually same day or next day. I guess they removed In person renewals during the Covid stupidity and it’s just another service we won’t get back. 

I would like to hear from anyone who has recently renewed their US passport in Bangkok. I live in Phuket and really like the idea of doing it by mail, but I dont at all like the idea of waiting 5 to 6 WEEKS for the privilege. 

If you recently did this, how long did it take? 

Am I interpreting the Embassy website correctly in that it can only be done by mail at this time? For the last 15 years ive been going there it was a same day walk in walk out operation, but now thats changed? I hope not. 

If you have done this recently please tell your story here so I can get an idea of whats in store. I travel alot for work and really cant be without a passport for a long period of time. 

Thanks. 

I’d rather spend 2000 baht and avoid a visa run. I’m in phuket so the only real options are a flight or spending 5AM to 10PM on various minibuses in horrendous traffic. I’d pay way more than 2000 baht to avoid all that drama just to extend my stay a little. 

Follow up question: Are there any tangible negative consequences for overstaying 3-4 days and then doing a visa run? I know I’ll need to probably pay a fine, but that’ll be cheaper than a visa run. 

Hello, I’m here on a 90 day entry on a non-o multi entry visa. (Marriage)

Is it possible to extend this for 30 days at immigration? I have to fly for work in 2 weeks so it would be easier to extend for 30 days then fly for work, rather than doing a visa run and then a week later leaving the country.

Attached is my Thailand Non-O Multi Entry 1 Year visa based on marriage to a Thai. 

I am currently inside thailand and I have not left the country yet to activate this visa. 

My employer is asking me to fly out of Thailand soon for work, and I won't be back to Thailand for at least a few months. 

My question is: Can anyone confirm that this is in fact a 1 year visa, and that even if I have not entered the country on this visa at all (its not activated) it is still valid and I can use this to enter the country anytime within the "Visa Must Be Used By" date listed on the paper? 

Hello, 

Im an american citizen, currently inside thailand right now. I have been waiting for my Thai E-Visa to be issued from the Thai Embassy in Washington DC. The visa was finally approved and the document issued to me. 

Now I need to leave thailand and come back in to activate the visa. 

My question is this:

Does the port of entry matter for activating the E-Visa? Im in Phuket right now, can I just do a border run to the nearest border (that does border runs) and get the thai visa activated on return? 

Or do I need to re-enter Thailand through a major hub like Suvarnabhumi or Phuket international airport? 

Thanks

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

You could fly to Ho Chi Minh City or possibley Penang to apply for the visa.

Ho Chi Minh and Penang offer 1 year multiple entry non-o visas based on marriage? Another poster above mentioned Saigon? Do they offer the same? 

Do you know how long the turn around for the visa is? 

I dont mind a connecting flight, Im just trying to get the visa over with with the quickest time possible and the least amount of hassle. Money is less of a concern than overall time and hassle. 

Hello, which Consulate/Embassy in the region offers 1 Year Non-O based on Marriage? 

Im an American Citizen, I have the needed funds in my Thai Bank Account, and want to make this as quick as possible from Phuket. I usually go to Savannakhet, but from Phuket its very far and will take around 4 days to complete. 

Im hoping to get the 1 year visa in a place that has direct flights from Phuket and has a quick (Next-Day) turn around time for the visa itself. 

Debating doing a border hop though a land border to activate a new 30 day stay. Im in phuket. 

What is the nearest land border to Phuket for a border run to activate a new 30 day stay? Im an american citizen. 

I keep going back and forth wether I should just fly out and fly back in again or a land border run. 

Im working out my options about what to do to stay here. American citizen who entered on a 30 day permission to stay, and extended once for another 30 days. 

Can I extend a second time at immigration? 

If not, can I fly out of Thailand and then turn around and fly back in to restart another 30 day stay? 

4 hours ago, Jai Dee said:

Why not try Top Charoen?

 I did, and they also (at least the one I went to) just used the automatic machine. I assume this is common practice because they offer the test for free and with the machine it only takes about 10 seconds per eye, whereas the manual machine takes at least half an hour and requires a person be trained and competent. 

10 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I find it impossible  to believe that Bangkok  Hospital  could not provide  you with a modern eye examination.

I don’t need an eye examination, I need my vision adjusted with prescription glasses. They had an auto refractor, which gets you in the prescription ballpark, but did not have the machine I posted in the OP to fine tune it. 

In the states you can go almost anywhere and get a proper vision check (Walmart, Sam's Club) for cheap, quickly. Everywhere I go here in thailand, they seem to only have "Auto Refractors" which dont seem to be very accurate and want to prescribe off of just that automatic machine. I have astigmatism, and can see well enough without glasses. The problem is I get headaches when reading for long periods and driving at night is annoying because the oncoming headlights sort-of "streak" in my vision. 

Here they dont seem to be very many of these machines:

Im struggling to get a real eye exam for prescription glasses. Went to bangkok hospital phuket and even calling beforehand and asking if the had the equipment (they said yes) I went and burned up 3K baht getting an eye "health" check. They didn't have the machine. 

Im just looking for a place that has this thing and knows how to use it. I have astigmatism. 

I ended up getting a little angry at BKK Hospital because all I wanted to do was get my vision checked and I ended up in there for an hour doing various tests and blood pressure checks etc only to be told "You dont need glasses". 

Can anyone assist? I would prefer somewhere in the south end of the island.

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Why don't you just do a border bounce and reenter visa exempt then obtain non O at Phuket immigration.

I was thinking about doing a border hop like you say, but I dont want to do the Non-O swap at immigration because I travel alot for work, so id do all the paperwork and run-around for the visa, then likely have to leave again for work. Better for my situation to hold a multi entry visa so I can  come and go as I please without wasting time dealing with immigration. 

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy in Kuala Lumpur does not issue multiple entry non-o visas. They also want to see 400k baht in a bank.

See: https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/n3gTFT2TOE/NON-IMMIGRANT_VISA_(O)_FOR_DEPENDANT_-_For_dependant_of_the_main_visa_applicant_or_foreign_spouse_or_children_of_a_Thai-new.pdf

Penang in the past wanted to see 400k baht in a bank to issue a multiple entry non-o visa. The funds could be in any bank. Not sure what they are wanting now since there have been no posts about them and their website has about zero info on it.

When applying for a non-o visa at immigration the 400k baht only has to be in the bank on the day you apply and then for 2 months on the day you apply for a one year extension of stay based upon marriage.

Thanks. 

have you seen any recent trip reports to Savannakhet? Required documents and whatnot? 

American citizen living in Phuket and need to do some kind of visa run in a few days. I know I can get a 1 year non-o based on marriage to a thai in Savannakhet, Laos, but that consulate is difficult to get to from phuket. 

Does anyone else know what embassies/consulates in the region issue Thai wife Non-O visas without showing proof of funds, IE: 400K in a thai bank account? I think Kuala Lumpur issues them and is easy to get to from Phuket, but Im not sure. 

Anyone have any up to date info? 

Lastly, if I do move 400K into my account here, that 400K does not need to be "seasoned" for the issuance of the visa itself, it just needs to be "seasoned" if I decide to do the 1 year extension, right? 

2 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's not possible to the post office because most if not all sellers will use courier services (Kerry, Flash Express, J&T Express) which do not deliver to post office.

So if the dealer does not offer EMS shipment it will not work.

 

I know from experience because long ago I had a shipment to post office which worked at the time. Some two/three years later I tried again at the same company and they called back to get my home address after switchnig to a courier service.

BUT: as far as I know the courier have their own system of storing for pickup at their distribution points. Can't help how to handle/arrange such a self pickup.

 

Makes sense. Most of the vendors I’ve been looking at have an ems option so maybe the only thing I can do is give it a try. 
 

I guess I’d have to pay up front instead of the COD option so the couriers don’t have to collect cash for the delivery. 
 

Looks like the only thing I can do is try it and see what happens 

Not sure where to put this, but as the title states - can you ship items from Shopee/Lazada to your local post office instead of your home address? 
 

I’ve got some things I want to buy for my wife and daughter that I want to keep as a surprise, so I don’t want it shipped to the house. 
 

Is this something that’s possible/common?

Do I just put the post office address as the shipping address with my name and watch the tracking to see when it arrives? 
 

Thanks for any assistance.