CRUNCHER

I'm living in China and have residence permit for foreigners. My friend's coming to visit me and we're heading to Pattaya,but the problem's that - he got chinese business F visa in Russia with one entry. We planned to go to Thailand on December 30, but he's arriving in China on the 23-rd. The common practice in China will take 5 working days to 1 week to get new visa and they don't provide it faster, even for extra RMB! We can submit all the documents only on 25. Of course I'll try to push immigration department to get it faster - we'll provide some explanatory documents,but who knows...this is China!!!

In case if we're behind the schedule, can anyone advice where in Pattaya can we apply for the chinese visa and how long time will it take to get one?

Thx!!!

THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND

Ambassador: Zhang Jiuheng

Address: 57, Ratchadapisake Road, Bangkok, 10310

Tel: +66-0-2247-7554

Fax: +66-0-22468247

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/

Google provided the above. Sugggest you phone, fax or E-mail them. I'd like to know how you get on.

Not sure where you are in China, but if you can go back via Hong Kong or Macao you can get one from China Travel Service next day (even the same day some times) The quicker the service the more you pay

I believe it is to prevent money laundering and terrorists moving money around.

How?

Dunno. Ask George Bush. If Thailand, or anyone else for that matter, does not do as they are told they cannot trade with US. Doubt it does any good. Just cosmetic. Expressed another way bovine manure. Terrosists and criminals don worry. Only thre innocent get hassled.

More and more banks world wide are requiring this sort of thing. I believe it is to prevent money laundering and terrorists moving money around.

If it is more convenient try Birmingham. They are very good.

Thanks guys. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Have not seen much recently on taxis. What is the latest? Where can you pick one up - level 1, Public Tranportation Centre??

For those who do not mind gong via Hong Kong to UK Oasis Hong Kong is a budget airline that started up at the end of October. As they are new I have not used them yet but tickets are cheap and I believe you get food and films included.

For those flying Air Asia to Macau you can get a ferry from Macau Airport to Hong Kong Airport and you do not need to clear customs or immigration in either place.

Been out of Pattaya a while. There was some talk of making 2nd Road two way. Any developments yet?

Why waste time thinking about it? Just comply with the law.

The most logical and sensible post in the whole thread !!!

Its very simple. If you are an expat, then you are not a Thai National and need to comply with the immigration rules of Thailand, what ever they be.

Most of the whingers are doing so because their own ox is being gored, and in my opinion again most whingers are doing so because they cannot afford to live in their own countries on their pensions or their income.

I don't think Thailand is here to be a catch-all for those who cannot afford or do not like living in their home countries or other countries.

Thailand is evolving. To you who are always whinging, take a honest look,,,,,, the word again honest How many of your home countries or other countries are as good as or as easy to live in as Thailand....not just for yourself, but for foreign nationals.

If you think things are better for you or easier for you in some other country, then by all means move there and forget Thailand and all the problems you are having here; stop preaching the doom and gloom on what is going to happen to the rest of us, and move on with your life.

I have lived here for close to 20 years now, and find that Thailand is the place I want to be... I comply with the laws and pay my taxes and I have to say I am very happy here.

I do not agree with all that Thailand does, but I do believe it is the Thais right to do as they please with their government and country. It is not here to please us, the expat....

Some time ago in the US, there used to be a saying that may fit good here...."America, Love it or Leave It" . Maybe this would be true of Thailand.

Thailand to me is a beautiful country. If it is not the same for you, then please, just leave it and find the place that is good for you.... Don't degrade and tear down Thailand.

OM'sHO

101% right. The underlying tone of a lot of posts is that farang should have a God given right to stay in Thailand as long as they wish. Just about every other country in the world has immigration laws and visa regulations why shouldn't Thailand have them.

For example anyone making a living on overseas investments, trading on the internet etc simply could not stay in USA, Europe, Australia etc year after year unles they have citizenship of the country concerned or obtain a visa in accordance with the laws of that counrty (often more restrictive than Thailand). The certainly could not continue to get tourist visas as infinitum. Why is expect that they should be able to do this in Thailand?

There is certainly a need for Thailand to try and get some consitency, but the dust seems to be slowly settling. Those who want to live full time in Thailand just popping over a border for a day to get some sort of visa are finding things getting tighter. Those who return at least once a year to their homes in Europe, USA or Australia seem to have little problem. Retiries, those married to Thais or those with work permits seem to be getting things sorted out, albeit some conditioons are a bit strict. All this tends to show that Thailand is doing what it said it wanted to do i.e. see that those who stay in Thaialand have the proper visa. And why not? Thailand is a soverign country.

Wow, CRUNCHER, you display such compassion.

I guess you have never experienced hard times and I hope you never will.

But, realise that Sh1t can happen to anybody and if your turn comes, maybe your attitude will come back to haunt you.

People get floored for all sorts of reasons, not always entirely of their own creation.

Also, somehow I doubt that a few homeless foreigners are going to bring wholesale disgrace to the entire foreign community here and if they did, we are ALL in the wrong place.

Just out of curiosity, how long have you lived in Thailand ??

Been coming to Thailand over 15 years, spending more and nore time here now. What that has to do with anything I am not sure.

Compassion? Yeh I feel sorry for the guy, but in the real world you have to be realistic. I feel more sorry for those who are suffering because the the authorities are tightening up on money in the bank for retirment or marriage visas. Mostly honest decent people who treat Thailand and Thai people with the respect that they deserve. I also feel more sorry for those prepared to hold down an honest permanent job to support a family but are now finding it difficult thanks to the tightening of the regulations. Street bums (yeh street bums) like this are the main cause of these peoples' missery. Compassion is fine, but I prefer to save mine for those who deserve it.

Before you ask - no I am not have vise troubles work, marriage retirment or others.

I don't know this guy, but it seems he is little better than a tramp (with pooped pants). A lot of farang have noticed him and presumably a lot of Thais have as well. It seems that there is something being missed here. He is a disgrace to farangs getting us all a bad name. Not only that, if he is an overstayer he is illegal - if he works he is breaking the law even further. Is it any wonder that the Thai authorities tighten up visa requirements to clamp down on disgraces like this? Then we all suffer!!

This is the kind of trash that thailand is trying to get rid of with these new visa laws.

Seems like a smart fellow, eating trash so he can spend his cash on beer. Wow

Spot on Poorfarang.

This man a teacher??? How would you like someone like him, with his sense of moral responsibility, teaching your kids?

I can have sympathy for peolple with problems, but not with those who do not try to help themselves.

I Go With You - If you want to do something positive just turn him in. If not just keep out of it or perhaps keep him supplied with Chang

Got a 3 entry TV from the consulate at Birmingham about 2 weeks ago. Could have got 4 entry if I had needed it. Seems no problems in UK.

and with no "additional" paperwork?

how old are you?if you dont mind me asking

thanks

I am 59, but that has nothing to do with my application. My (non-Thai) wife got the same and she is 11 years younger. Paperwork? - one application form, 2 photos and GBP75. (GBP25 per entry). The process took less than 10 minutes.

As regards Hong Kong, I have obtained single enties in the past. Efficient service - applications in by noon are ready 9.30 next morning. They recently told me I could only get a maximum of two entry TV, but then I think that is all they have ever given. One hassle is that for a double entry you need to produce air tickets for both trips.

I suspect ovenman has hit the nail on the head. Less than clear instructions has resulted in wide variations of what is permitted.

hi all. at the old airport bangkok, on your return you had to pay 500 bhts tax on your arrival. do you still have to pay this charge at the new one. cheers.

Thought this was a departure tax not an arrival tax.

As for its inclusion in the airline ticket price, many countries do that now - most if not all of EU, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia etc. Nothing crafty - just Thailand catching up with the rest of the world. Whether or not that is a good thing is another issue. Not only do you not notice the tax in the first place, you do not notice increases either.

I am in the process of buying a condo in Thailand. I will be shipping my personal effects (furniture, clothing etc. - all used). I was under the impression that if I got a retirment visa then I had 6 months to ship in my personal effects free of tax and import duty. I have recently heard that this is not the case.

Can anyone confirm the correct position please? In particular I would like to know exactly when the 6 months starts, if indeed this is the case.

In the event that there is no tax exemption or for some reason I do not go down the retirment visa road, has anyone any idea of rates of import duty, tax etc. Preumably it is expressed as a percentage of the value?

Thanks in anticipation!

Got a 3 entry TV from the consulate at Birmingham about 2 weeks ago. Could have got 4 entry if I had needed it. Seems no problems in UK.

JR, you are wrong on the investment visa as it was grandfathered and there were even last minute approvals. The only extension of stay for marriage (for a male) was support Thai wife and required 400k yearly on deposit to prove ability to pay for support (or his monthly income of 40k). The new rule allows wife to provide or a combination of both incomes (as is the norm here - most middle class or above have both working). If age 50 or above they also have the option of retirement extension with 800k bank or 65k pension or combination.

As for "encouraged" to buy condo statement do not believe it is based on fact. Immigration kept this program very low key in my view. Although this may not have been the case with some foreign/connected developers.

JR Texas (51, USA, wrong): Reply to Lopburi3: Thanks for correcting me. You seem to know the rules and regulations backwards and forwards. But let me give you a plausible scenario: 1) before the changes an investor purchases several condos worth well over 3 million with the desire to sell them later on; 2) one of the major reasons he purchased the condos was that he was under the impression that he could use the 3-million baht investment rule (spend it and get a long term visa solution) as a selling point to potential condo buyers; 3) then the rules changed and he can't use the "investor visa" as a selling point. Not good from an investors point of view. The basic question remains: Is this change good for Thailand? My answer is no.....especially for new investors. And I do not think this change has anything to do with crime.

On removing the 400K in the bank visa option: How can this positively impact Thailand? I think that for most expats (those living here now or those that are thinking about living here) it is probably more difficult to find a way to earn the 40K per month than it is to put 400K in the bank. I do not think this change is good for Thailand. And I do not think it has anything to do with crime.

Best wishes,

JR

Buying several condos to sell them on sounds to me like speculation not investment. In the long run (or perhaps not so long) speculators cause nothing but misery. The Thai property market has too many speculators and soon the bubble will burst. Perhaps that is why the goal posts keep being moved.

Very Interesting. Any public transport options if you don't have your own wheels.

Makri, i would just fly to Singapore every 3 months and get a tourist visa,

Wasn't Singapore and Hong Kong the worst places for a TV ?

I heard that they already stopped giving back to back visa's. So you pay a flight, a few days in expensive hotels (how long does it take in Singapore ?) and all you get a lousy 7 day visa and a red stamp in your passport.

For what it is worth a couple of weeks ago I contacted the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong. They told me they told me they would issue 2 entry Tourist Visa (but not 3 or 4). Biggest hassle is that you have to produce air tickets for both trips so make sure you have tickets that can be changed.

Below is the current price list from their website. This also contains an E-mail address for up-to-date enquiries. They are helpful and efficient. Applications in by noon are available next morning at 9.30.

No. 11401/1020

Announcement

Please be advised that, with effect from 26 August 2003, visa fee will be revised as follows:

Transit Visa 160 HKD

Tourist Visa 200 HKD

Non-Immigrant Visa

Single Entry 400 HKD

Multiple Entries 1,000 HKD

For further inquiries, please contact Visa Section at 2532-5108 or send e-mail to [email protected]

Royal Thai Consulate-General

22 July 2003

(如有变更, 努不另行通知)

I have seen a lot of talk about marks on entry stamps, but does anyone have any experience of marks on exit? Are they marking the number of days uses per entry? This would help them calculate the days used.

Calculating the days used for those who do a visa run every 30 days is easy, but for those who are in and out all the time it is going to cause chaos at entry points. This will be more so from early December when those who enter Thailand having used over 60 of their days will be given stays of less than 30 days.

You can see the arguments can't you. Visitor, "you gave me 20 days, I've got 21 left" Imm. Office, ""No. You count wrong. Only 20 days" I hope if I get behind one of those in a queue that I can keep my cool.

You are obviously not going to UK, but for anyone who is try :-

www.heathrowairport.com

It is BAA website and is very useful. Has all the security regs and you can sign up fo E-mail updates. You can access other UK airports and get live arrival and departiure details etc. etc.

Did you go a pay polite respects to the agent on your return? I'd like to hear the explanation. Perhaps you had enough by then

Greetings,

Over the past few weeks I have learnt a great deal from reading this forum. One thing I have not quite got a handle on though is in relation to the so called “retirement visa” and the B65k monthly income. Specifically, when going for extensions, despite having proved I have this income, do you need to produce any bank documents to show that all or part of this money has been brought into the Kingdom? If so what documents and how much?

Obviously I need to bring some in to live on, but:-

1. Whenever possible I use a credit card so although the money is spent in Thailand I settle the bill outside the country.

2. I will be spending 2 or 3 months every year outside Thailand so I will not need much money for those months

3. Even without the above points once I complete purchasing my condo and don’t have to shell out monthly for accommodation, I doubt I will need to spend B65k each month.

Any helpful advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks.