Farangfoodie

Yes, Chiangmai. When I get my bank letter I'll ask whether they are being asked to prepare 6 or 12 month statements by folks doing extensions.

I have never been asked for a bank statement, just the letter and updated passbook. I use the 800K deposit method and never removed the money from this account except occasionally remove the interest-but it never goes below the 800K. Am I missing something new, or does the statement only apply if you are using the monthly income method?

Last year did what folks are advising you to do. Entered exempt, then applied for Non-O using 800K in the bank shortly after entering. Do it soon or be aware that there are requirements (not same everywhere) for minimum number of days to be left on your entry when applying. You won't get your Non-O immediately as you do an extension-it has to go to Bangkok for processing. I got a return appointment 3 weeks after my application. I too was caught out of the country by Covid and lost my long string of extensions. As you won't have a visa or re-entry permit, be sure to be able to satisfy your airline with a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days of your arrival. Either a throw-away cheap ticket from anywhere in Thailand to anywhere outside of Thailand, or a rented ticket available online will do.

I'm not so convinced we need to know the prevalence of gay people in society. Why does in matter? What we need to do is treat those who are gay (LBTQ+) with respect and acceptance. Were we more accepting it would be far easier to get a sense of numbers because we would be removing the major reason people hide.

OP here. First, thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned that my wife and I seldom travel to or from Thailand together. I usually arrrive in October or November and she generally arrives early December (some years she stays longer than 60 days).. When she was preparing to go to Thailand in 2022 we looked at getting a Non-O on the website. It didn't require Covid cover, but did require health insurance (which we have, but not able to get an acceptable statement as it is paid monthly and not pre-paid). I just looked at the visa website in US and it is down now, so can't check for changes. As she never stays beyond 90 days a Non-O would be fine if she could obtain it easily from the website. We wouldn't care about the dependent option. As to border runs, I don't see the point. I already have the extension.

I now have an extension of stay for reason of retirement good until March of 2024. I managed to re-establish this status after losing it due to not being able to return to Thailand during Covid. Prior to that I had extensions renewed annually since 2013. Normally I spend 3-4 months each winter in Chiangmai. My wife has always simply obtained either a tourist visa or a Non-O visa depending on how long she will stay. Getting a tourist visa is now a bit of a pain, and is only 60 days. Getting a Non-O in the US requires health insurance she neither needs nor can get due to age. So I've begun to think that a dependent visa based on my Retirement extension might be a good move. I use Chiangmai immigration. I use the money in the bank method. This winter Can anyone give us some information about the process? Details about timing would be especially welcome, as would any personal experience with this at Chiangmai. Thanks in advance to you good folks.

OP here. I don't believe I am using a VPN. I am accessing the internet thru a data connection with my cell phone, then using a Mac via hotspot connection with the phone. I will take my computer somewhere where I can get a standard wifi connection to see it that makes a difference. Thannk, Ubonjoe, for letting me know it is not the webiste that is at fault.

Using Chrome as advised (but same results using Firefox). Extranet.immigration.co.th. Website loads but no CAPTCHA to copy. So can;t get to my account to make a report. Very frustrated; had to do report in person. Agent there checked my login into so that is correct. She reset my password, but I can't get in because no CAPTCHA appears.

OP here. I went thru the process several years ago. Got Residence cert, medical. Presented those with US license. Got issued car license. Then had to return, take computer test. Flunked once, then passed (I have taken written DL tests in the past, alway got 100%). Very confusing with poor Eng and goofy diagrams. Then took road test on track. So I've been thru the process before. This time I may have trouble getting Residence Cert when I arrive as I will only have visa-free entry until I manage conversion to Non-Immigrant ) to start process of extension of stay after being away during Covid.

Does anyone have any experience using an online seller of "onward tickets"? I'm planning to fly from Hanoi to Thailand and enter visa-exempt. Have only one-way ticket because planning to obtain Retirement Non-O and will stay for some time. I know I may need to show a ticket out of Thailand within the period I will be allowed to stay (should be 45 days now). Are any of these outfits reliable, do their tickets work when the airline checks? Thanks.

My car and motorbike licenses expired in August of 2021 and I couldn't renew because I was in the US. I understand that if expired over a year they can't simply be renewed. Perhaps someone has had experience with this situation. Is there any leeway for folks not around due to Covid? I know that it is fairly simple to present my US license and get a comparable Thai license. Problem for me is that my US license is car only, no motorcycle endorsement-because I don't ride in the US. I really dread spending multiple days at the Transport office as I've heard people often need to make several visits. I also dread taking the computer based exam with questions in bad English and horrible diagrams. Also I've been told that the new one-year license isn't valid to rent a car, which would be inconvenient. Any information/experiences would be appreciated.

I have a new passport since my last time in Thailand. I will carry the old one with me as it shows my long string of extensions, all based on the same 800k. Regarding the possibility that my account is frozen: its a fixed account and it shows a future maturity date on the online portal, so likely I'm ok.

Thanks, again, CMBob. Very helpful. I see you clearly understand my concerns about dates.

OP. I haven't touched the account since I renewed it in December of 2019. And as it is a time deposit I cannot touch it by online actions. However, it shows up on my online information. I'm guessing it is fine, but not certain.

Op again. I still don't understand why the agents tell me that I need to extend my visa exempt before converting to Non-O. Any ideas? And why do they want so much money compared to doing extension? Seems just as simple. I'm going to do it all myself. Another question: does anyone have recent info about how busy CM Immigration is?

Well aware of that, thanks.

OP again. Thanks to all, and especially to CMBob, whose info is CM specific. If I go to Immigration as soon as I can after my Nov. 16 visa-exempt entry and do a conversion to Non-O, will my permitted to stay date be 90 days from the date of conversion? (About Feb 20 would be very good for me as I plan to be in CM every year at least through January.) Due to this the 15 day or 21 days remaining isn't an issue; I want be sure the permission to stay date is before about March 1 so I can renew each year even if I leave early February. Thanks for the confirmation that CM still allows extension application 45 days before expiry.

OP here. Why must I extend for 30 days? That would push my date forward to a time that will never be good for me? Can I skip the extension and go straight to Non-O after I enter visa-exempt?

I hope Ubonjoe or someone else can help me understand what I need to do. I came to Thailand in 2013 with a Non-O visa and extended it annually thru 2021. I spend only a few months each year in the country, so after leaving in February of 2020 and not being able to return due to Covid my re-entry permit and extension both expired on January 4, 2021. Now I want to return and re-establish my previous status. I am 76 and if I can get it, the health insurance required to get a non-O in the USA would be prohibitively expensive. (I have medical insurance that covers all but routine costs, so I am protected, but cannot get a suitable document because my insurance is ongoing, but not paid thru a certain date). I went thru the online application process far enough to learn that the insurance is needed even though I had gotten the idea that it was not from reading here. Therefore I am planning to enter visa-exempt about November 16. My plan would be to convert soon after my arrival to a Non-O giving me a permission to stay date of about mid to late February. This date would be good because I generally leave Thailand around mid-February each year. If Chiangmai still allows renewals 45 days in advance I'd always be present in the correct window. I have generally done my extensions myself (except for the few years when it was nearly impossible to get into Immigration without standing in line in the middle of the night). However, I have contacted two agents and have been told that after entering visa-exempt I must first get an extension before converting to Non-O. I need to know if this is true. If it is, it would push my permission to stay date later than would fit my situation. Also, they are asking for at least 20k baht to do the extension of the entry and conversion to Non-O and then another fee for the extension. Pertinent facts: I have over 800k in an account at BKK bank that has been there for years never going below 800k. I use CM Immigration. So my questions are: Is my plan (visa-exempt entry, followed soon by conversion to Non-O and later extending for a year) possible? Is there another scenario that is better? Is the insurance requirement using the online visa system in the USA the same regardless of which consulate I use? (I used the site for LA). Thank you in advance for your help.