rahil627

ah yes, your post was valuable too, sorry. im doing this from an old phone, hard to reply to a pageful. your situation is indeed similar to mine. thanks for the input!

this was the answer i was looking for. thank you FriendlyFarang. i wasn't aware of getting another 2 years. this is pretty rad. unfortunately, i don't think one can get a Thai IDP with the 2 year license (on paper, i think). Still a super dope option! btw, Dr. Jack, the certificate of residence actually is as easy as handing over baht, just to the immigration office (personally done at Chiang Mai, Ayyuthaya). the duration is tied to visa expiration. yes, sorry to be vague: i typically live in a nearby country where getting a driver's license is only possible if you have residence card, which expires when that resident card expires, which itself is kinda tied to a proper visa. between those times, it's a problem. ive actually never rode a motorcycle in the US, and i'd imagine it would be strange riding there; I've never rode on a highway except when there's no other choice (my hometown is all highways). i'm used to the Asian way, lol, country-side driving. Once i'm back in the States, i'll try to get one. Thus, getting a license + IDP in a nearby country is interesting to me. The license reciprocation document accepts most nearby countries. Im for sure certain it's easier to obtain than in the US, but i believe the US license lasts much longer than 2 years (at least cars do). anyway, thanks for the info. i got ill driving to and back that provincial land transport office. it was a hot day. ugh. i'll go at it again tho. a good ride.

i was thinking about trying to get a driver's license (again), before i leave the country, since i hear its pretty easy, and because for the countries i want to go to, it's near impossible. Just to have something to show the cops.. (i've only ever had a car driving license) however, from what i heard at the office, it sounds like you can get a 2-year driver's permit(?) on a tourist visa easily (with a certificate of residence), but after that, to get a proper 5-year license, you will eventually need a non-immigrant visa (and then after that you may get an IDP). but i wonder if anyone got the 5-year license with just a tourist visa? if it's not possible or too much hassle to get the 5-year, i'll skip it. It just would be really convenient to have a license in this part of the world, with a simple process. also, is 800 baht for a 'certificate of residence" a crazy price? i read 300, 500, but i was quoted 800 at my local corrupt immigration office here in Ayutthaya city. The driver's license total cost is less than that! (which is incredible compared to many Western countries!) pro-tip: for anyone doing this, the city's transport offices were booked like two months in advance (Chiang Mai city, Ayutthaya city) when i checked, but you can get an appointment within the same week easily in a smaller town in the same province (Maha Rat, Ayutthaya province) sources: expatden

just want to update: got my second shot on September 1st, and Bang Sue is still the same as before: nearly empty, no queue, about 30 people waiting for "observation". as for the vaccine passport, it still exists. It takes like a week, and you should get it after you have all the doses you want on record. (I got it after the first shot, thinking they could just easily stamp the next one--nope! Must wait another week, and create a whole new passport...? (also, somehow, they screwed my first one up, showing only a 2nd dose, when it was my 1st; maybe the lady was trying to help me out?)) but yeah, hopefully the app is enough, i'll try it tomorrow. update: can't download the app because my iOS device is too old, lol. One day i'll get a newer one... one day.

yeah, i noticed the agreement, but i read the reality is different: that no one cares about it. im surprised to hear so many people cite that old agreement! cool. then yeah, i agree: the thai license is def worth getting. i'll try do it asap, thanks! anyway, it'll be nice to have like 3 motorcycle licenses to feign to the cops my lawfulness.

ah ok. a traveller who just came from Vietnam (to Thailand) was checked a few times, so i just thought about this... and maybe it'll make renting easier? no one has ever stopped me in Thailand, during the pandemic, but i feel all is changing now; as tourism begins again, so do scams (including the police). I imagine it's the same over there... anyway, it's only 30 days, so unfortunately, i don't have the time to buy and sell a bike i really like, which leaves renting. =/

i read somewhere about using the Thai driver's license in other countries? or is it some special ASEAN sticker or something?? just thinking whether or not i should get one here in Thailand before i go to Vietnam for a bit, as it's a surprisingly simple process here. From what i've read, Vietnam's motor-vehicle bureaucracies are a <deleted>, and you basically need a Vietnam driver's license and a vehicle already registered there. I'm not even sure if international driver's permit works there! if that were true, then all short-term tourists are driving illegally?? https://aseannow.com/topic/397894-thai-drivers-license-in-vietnam/ - from 2010

dang, yeah, i believe everyone about long-term Malaysia being a pain... i just felt it was a relief to get a visa so easily, lol. i normally live in Taiwan... and well, Taiwan seems to have imported the overly fearful and safety-oriented government from nearby Japan, and is probably one of the last countries to re-open (along with Japan). Even family couldn't go back for two years (very strange for being such a family-oriented culture...). the people are so different from the gov, barely caring about covid. and now, the missile game with China... =[ in hindsight, maybe i could've done a big Latin America trip..?

in the post in the link i provided, just above your post, i mentioned this, but i'll elaborate here: in my experience, i was able to go to malaysia, no problem, no vaccine check, BUT, on my way back, there was a vaccine check by a Thai health person (disease control center or whatever). I only had one vaccine just two weeks before (here in Thailand!!!), and i was just lucky to be able to get by that dousche-bag. You really need proof of two shots to get by that guy, doesn't matter when, even if it's just some kind of web-site thing from any country in any language (i saw other people just show their phones). Another worker somehow helped me go through, knocking some sense into that dude. (i likely have a higher effectiveness rate than that dude, since i just took it!) this is just my experience at the pedang besar station

dang, super interesting but unfortunate to hear that about yet another south east asian country: corrupt governments doing nothing with money, again? =[. I wonder how can one do worse than not have any sort of public water storm drainage system at all? (as the rivers around Ayuthaya begin to flood, as it does every year). The traditional house on stilts is legitimately a good private solution. i think you're right though, i should cherish that during my stay (outside of Bangkok) i've felt very safe and nothing bad has ever happened, day and night (as a male). Thai people def don't bother others. A peaceful time. =] (...except the Thai party music)

just wanted to update (from page 1), i opted for a trip to Malaysia for a visa-exempt thingy, more info if interested here: https://aseannow.com/topic/1149321-pedang-besar-visa-run i did this because i already wanted to leave (for a long time now..!), and just needed a little more time to pack up, sell stuff, 'n do some planning, and just not be rushed. 30 days is enough for me. Also because i wanted to take one last train ride to see the country once more before leaving. Thailand is absolutely not for me, but it was a relatively peaceful exile during the covid pandemic, away from all the governments 'n people crazed by the pandemic. =] Malaysia 90-day visa-exempt on the other hand was indeed super easy, professional, uncorrupt, and reminded me of how much of a pain it is worrying about visas here (in Thailand)! When the Malaysian immigration officer stamped me 90-days for free without question, it felt like a blessing! I thought, <deleted>, maybe i should have rode my motorcycle down to Malaysia long ago? ah well, the pandemic nightmare is over (or normalized) now, time to move on.

i did this... posted in an old thread: https://aseannow.com/topic/1149321-pedang-besar-visa-run unless you live in the south, it might be cheap enough to take a flight somewhere, because that's very very long roller coaster. as for the covid visa in ko samui, it was long ago, maybe last winter.

i've had normal 60 day covid visas, no consideration in: ko samui i've had "under consideration" two weeks in the following counties (annoying): chiang mai ratchaburi hua hin surat thani (at a higher price?; don't remember; didn't do) i've had "special" visa offered at a special price (~3500thb) in the following counties (but never took any offers): ayuthaya ko phangan (when it first opened, iirc) surat thani (i was given a choice after i said i was traveling north by motorcycle, iirc) as for how early, it's between a week before to a month before. too many factors determine it to be certain. anyway, 'tis the end of an era of covid visas!

thread revival? completed just before the covid-visa deadline. I didn't need 60 days, so i took a last epic train trip, before i fly out. trains are indeed running between Hat Yai and Pedang Besar, 50 baht, only two times: morning and afternoon, both ways, at separate times, which gives you just enough time to make it back. i think i took the 2pm to go to Malaysia, and tried the 4:30pm to come back to Thailand (i took the morning 9am'ish train back to Thailand). I arrived in Hat Yai in the morning, and "Hat Yai backpackers" was closed, but i still had good energy from sitting for so long, so i thought, might as well continue! the train was delayed so i had just enough time to go back, but that because i was also the last person to pass immigration (they couldn't find my departed stamp, which was thankfully on a very early page, saving valuable passport space). i tried to do it in the same day but was told i must stay at least one night by Malaysian immigration, and then told "enjoy Malaysia for a night" by another worker, along with giggles by the female workers. otherwise, very good immigration people, super straight-forward, like at an airport, both ways. However there was one snag: there's a Thai disease control person checking for vaccines upon re-entering Thailand (Malaysia didn't care, super easy). I only had one vaccine (a few weeks ago!!), about to do my second, thankfully, a kind and beautiful immigration assistant told that dude i'm fine (unfortunately health institutions don't care if you had the real covid or not...). The guy was bureaucratic-minded / lacking common sense, as he couldn't understand that i've been living in Thailand during covid. Otherwise, a good, quick experience after so many dreadful immigration office visits in Thailand! 30-days, no questions asked. ...with the exception of this 1 day being stuck in Malaysia. There's nothing near the Pedang Besar (Malaysia-side, Thai-side is closed?). You'd have to walk two kilometers out or take a taxi to get to the closest urban area, and i doubt there's a backpacker-style hostel. Best just skip to Buttersworth / Pedang for like 10myr (or if you know a decent stop along the train). I didn't see anyone to exchange money with at the station either. You'd have to use a credit/debit card at the train ticket machine! Otherwise, maybe you can just skip the ticket gate (there's a gate next to it to go to the toilet), sneak into Buttersworth, and try to exchange and pay there. I think they'd be... more competent than the train station people at Pedang Besar. if you can find the minivan for 50 baht in Hat Yai, that might be better? more guaranteed you can make it back? not sure... anyway, i just wanted to say, post-covid-visa, this is an option... but very very far and long from central Thailand. i think it took like 18 hours for the special "express" (supposed to be 15hr? not sure...). who knows how long for the "rapid". cheapest route is the "rapid" (read: slow) train 17X, from Bangkok (maybe goes to Bang Sue?) to Hat Yai: 260 for 3rd class 450? for 2nd class seat ? for 2nd class sleeper (fan) i don't like freezing air conditioner. new coaches of 3rd class (at least in special express) have blinding white light all night, you gotta walk around and find an old coach with dim lights to pass out in. Food and drinks (sugary) come every hour, for 18 hours, sometimes every 30 minutes. i think the special express trains add a standard fee across all coach types (but i'm not 100% sure...), only like 150 or 200 baht or something. Hopefully they skip a few stops, maybe have slightly better coaches. tldr: probably better to fly for most people, unless you want ab-exercises via roller-coaster treatment. I just wanted to do one last long train ride, and avoid paying my local corrupt immigration officer.

hmmmm, sounds like a trip to me! =] i mean, technically, i didn't have any visa-exempts entries this year... ????

darn, i enjoy the day trains... i guess the even slower "rapid" might be choice for me, lol. I'd probably need a break somewhere though...

5500? i guess it's back to rip-the-tourists mode again, yikes!! i've never heard of such a cost. what office / province was that?? man, at that cost one might as well fly somewhere and make a trip! pre-covid, people just did border runs and single extensions, yeah? i've run into newish travelers that have done the Malaysia border run, but not anyone who was here for a long time with a covid visa... i'm kinda afraid of doing that... but that's what people will have to do after the 24th, yeah?

huh... i thought it was always two-weeks, everywhere. Local governance... lol, yeah, i've experienced both too. Just had to ask every-time to confirm the date. it def varies by office (i migrate often, so i know). It sounds like you have a nice lawful office then! =] i'll try the office here in ayyuthaya again tomorrow with extra money. I just hope i have the chance to know the length of it before paying. The extra cost outweighs the trips to my old office anyway, especially if there's a consideration period. I guess i'll give into corruption on my last extension... A parting gift? i'll update tomorrow / over the weekend!

oh, eff, great point. i hate these things. this happens every-time i'm on the move. i have no clue what would happen if i tried to fly out during this period... but i think you're right. i remember this being offered before, as a choice: 1900 the normal way with a two-week consideration period or X amount for the "special" immediate service. Maybe that's what the meaning of "special" was... now i'm a bit more optimistic about that thing!.. i dunno, i guess i was skeptical about the whole thing just from the feeling i got from the main officer (the one with a bunch of badges)... but this kinda make sense now... maybe... or maybe he'll stamp me two weeks and tell me to get out. i appreciate the thoughts from everyone though. If i didn't message here, i would've thought it was something completely non-legit, as opposed to just a tad bit of corruption money. now the 3500 looks not-so-bad, as it would save two trips, if they're indeed doing visa under consideration.

i also found it strange that it was even recommended to me... It may have been the younger kid's idea. That's just creating a reason for robbery! again, i'm not really sure if it's a 60-day visa or what. I heard "30 days" many times in Thai, and was told a "special visa". It was a brief encounter, a one-way translated conversation. I didn't even dare to ask anything, just had to obey. i hear everyone tho, i still have time, kinda pushing it now tho (only fri/mon/tue? pray to Bhudda there are no holidays??). if i have the energy tomorrow, i might try ratchaburi, solely because i have a good relation with that officer, otherwise, ill give in and do it here.

not yet, i said i'll think about it... he didn't say how long this special extension lasts, it sounded like 30 days max. In addition, the younger worker who spoke English recommended me to just pay the 500/day late when i leave, which is indeed another option, though i don't really prefer it either. i'd rather just go back to the officer i know back in Ratchaburi, as i feel more comfortable, knowing it will be good. I've never accepted a "special visa" during my entire time in Thailand, and i don't want to now. If the office is bad, i just move, but that's just me personally.

i just tried Ayyuthaya immigration and got denied... ...but i think this has more to do with the individual main high-rank officer working at that moment. I could tell he didn't want me from the start, saying "tourist visa only allows one extension". He asked how i survived, i said "sometimes computer work?". This infuriated him more, because to him i am not paying taxes (this was the perception of another worker translating between us; younger, kinder, truthful, but alas powerless). At the end, of course, he has a "special offer" for 3500 baht. Of course. aaand i <deleted> changed my address before i asked about visa extension! ugh. a great native Ayyuthaya hostel owner confirmed this experience: their family really doesn't like Ayyuthaya's hospitals, immigration, and gov services in general. my personal choices are to go back to my last immigration office in Ratchaburi, whom were very caring of my situation--more rural-love feeling, and try, or: try a trip to Malaysia. I'll have to decide very soon. =( maybe try Ratchaburi tomorrow, and if not, take the train out on the weekend.

thanks so much for this post!! is there much difference between a 60-day covid visa and a 30-day visa-exempt? i only need a few days before flying out... and this will the end of the Thailand-covid era for me. if not, i might make the trip, just for the fun of it (i like trains. ???? ), and maybe it'll be cheaper than 1900 baht? maybe... 2 x 18 hours of trains might be too much though =D

this is lottery. i personally think it depends on the immigration officer. some say, can do one month in advance, some say come around one week before expiration. I've had both experiences. i will check what they say tomorrow. but i wonder, is it now possible to do a Malaysia run? maybe save some baht? (i still have to calculate train cost... and passport space? lol)

passport, photo, letter, form (you should be able to get at the embassy) but, as i said, i have no clue how to get a letter at the moment, because it seems only e-visa is possible for tourist visa. my research agrees with everything cowboy bebop said. i decided it's not even worth taking a trip to khon kaen to check. i personally trust the e-visa over an embassy/consulate. i just have to suck it up, settle for 30 days e-visa, or find a job--which is probably a bad time.