EveryG

On 10/4/2023 at 3:55 PM, bluevalley said:

Who was the sender of the email you are referring to?

I received an email from the embassy. You can call or email and ask about the status, but my guess is that it was "mailed" from the USA to Thailand and the embassy has not yet received/ processed/ sent out to you. The embassy registers the tracking when they get your application and it didn't update for me until 3 days after I received that email. 

10 minutes ago, bluevalley said:

It has been over 4 weeks, and I still haven't received it. The US passport status website shows that it has been 'Mailed,' but the Thaipost tracking status indicates 'data not found.'

Did you receive any confirmation email from Embassy or Thaipostmart/Thailand post before it was delivered?

They won't send any confirmation until it's about to be mailed out to you. They'll send you an email with a tracking number. That email came to me at 5 weeks to the day. 

2 hours ago, LosLobo said:

Maybe approach the local wats that offer accommodation.

 

Though I would suggest most of them prefer full-time commitment perhaps some might be willing to negotiate your circumstances.

 

Meditation Retreats in Thailand (jhana8.com)

Thank you, the link is a good springboard to ask from. 

4 hours ago, connda said:

You don't strike me as being serious. 

I don't care what you think. At all. Nothing I said justifies you leaping to that conclusion. 

10 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Have you thought of a forest temple. There are some I used to hang out at - the monks invited me to stay but my home was nearby and. more comfortable... 

Yes, I have stayed at a few but time to get back to work. I was hoping for something in the city. 

9 hours ago, connda said:

Basically - No.  You may find temples that will allow you to stay - IF - your intention is to eventually ordain.
But laity don't normally live at temples with the exception of retreats, and although retreats may be long, they are usually finite, as in a maximum of one month.  However - outside of Thailand in Myanmar you may find better luck with long-term stays.
Pak Auk Forest Monastery
c/- Major U Khan Sain (Rtd)
653 Lower Main Road
Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar
Tel: 032 22132
Web site: www.paauk.org
Teacher: Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw

I thought that was perhaps the case  The forest monasteries seem open to letting people stay as long as they want as long as they're being helpful  Unfortunately I won't be able to make the daily commute to BKK from Myanmar ????

Has anyone heard about meditation centers or monasteries within Bangkok that will allow lay people to stay on a long-term basis? I'm aware that I could ordain and stay at many temples, but that's not really what I am looking for. I am a committed meditator, but not looking to go full monastic. Any thoughts?

10 hours ago, freedomnow said:

It's the first step in experiencing 'stupid and ill-thought out' with everything govt. in Thailand.

I am shocked about the absolute pervasiveness of it. They couldn't be bigger screw-ups if they tried. Literally every line of their instructions was clarified with a form email, which tells me they have the same problems over and over but don't fix the problem at the source. They kept reminding me that I was dealing with a 3rd world country. 

They said they wanted a copy of my bank statement, but they later said I need a certified letter from the bank. Then they said I needed to submit all forms together, but then clarified they meant all documents converted and combined in a pdf file. Over and over, answering one "problem" every 24 hours and not continuing review until I fixed the previous day's problem. 

I've visited dozens of countries and lived in 4. Thai consulate are the most incompetent I have seen. By far. 

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I spent 30 seconds on Google for METV ...

Here was my first hit.....

 

"Validity of a visa : 6 months

– A visa becomes effective from the date of issuance.

– Do not apply for the visa too early.

– If you apply too early the visa may expire before your trip and you will have to re-apply. "

 

I never imagined I needed to search beyond the information they provided on their website, which had an entire METV page that does not state any of the above. After the visa was issued, I also found that info, but it never occurred to me to double-check the direct source at other consulates, especially given the detailed information I had provided them gave them numerous opportunities to state the above.

The amount of wrong and incomplete information throughout the process was actually quite astonishing..... every step was a problem with them. The website would say "please send a" and when I did, they would write a 3 paragraph email explaining what they actually wanted was not "a", but ABC in 123 format. They only responded once every 24 hours. I wouldn't have even known where to begin to double-check every detail and since every consulate has slightly different rules, I didn't think to compare and contrast what other consulates said.  I have since discovered that this specific consulate is notorious- again, only discovered after the fact. 

I only write these other details for others if they are doing research. Do not assume that the information you are given is correct. Chances are, the people emailing you are incompetent and giving incorrect guidance and instructions. 

At any rate, thanks for confirming the other bit of info. 

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Bottom line is that nothing can be done now. 

In order to add extra time for your trip you will need to do some border runs (reenter visa exempt) with extensions after your last stamp from the METV.

Unfortunate but horse has bolted. 

The one thing I am not clear about is the "expiry" of the visa. I had assumed that if the visa expires on 30 June, then I must be out of the country by then. From what has been said here, as long as I return by 29 June, I can get 60 more days? And 90 if I apply for an extension? That puts me to Sept 29(ish), which is longer than I was planning on staying anyway. 

I've been living overseas for over 20 years and never been to a country  that lets you stay past the time your visa expires, which is why I am asking to make sure this is indeed the case. 

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, you misunderstood how a visa such as METV works.

It's mentioned many times in threads that do not obtain it too early. 

 

Perhaps it's mentioned in threads, but it's not mentioned on their website nor did they inform me in the 20 emails before they granted me an appointed that I never even requested. So I didn't misunderstand the information they provided, they just assumed they were clear when they absolutely were not. 

14 minutes ago, Caldera said:

It's unfortunate that they aren't flexible with regards to the date a visa is valid from, but that's just the way it is, it always starts from when it's being issued.

 

They could make it more clear for applicants who aren't familiar with that, but there's no point in trying to appeal this - the fee has been collected, the visa has been issued as per their rules, case closed.

Besides the poor English on the website, the fact that they issued me a visa for dates that I have absolutely no flights for is quite mind boggling. I assumed that since they required a flight itinerary to be pre-approved, they would require that itinerary prove that I was leaving before the visa expired. I had a ticket leaving 2.5 months later than the validity of the visa they granted me. It's just a ridiculous situation that I couldn't have predicted.

Thanks for the response. So basically, if I arrive March 15, I need to leave within 60 days (or 90 if I get an extension). The visa then expires on June 30, so if I return on June 28, I will be allowed to stay another 60 days (or 90 with an extension)? 

Then, I assume if I want (need) more time, I can come back without the METV? 

I have been planning a trip to Thailand for well over a year. I am a UK citizen with residency in another Asian country, so I emailed the consulate with my plans and they said I qualify to apply for a multiple entry tourist visa. They require first emailing all of the documents to get "pre-approved" and then they sent me a time for an appointment. Mind you, I wrote my intended arrival date in March of 2023 and had all of my hotel itineraries and flights. When I got to the appointment, the lady kept asking me about my ticket asking me if I could change it because it shows me leaving Thailand in September. I told her I was aware that I needed to leave every 60 days because I assumed that's what she was going on about. I paid my money and the next day, a full 2.5 months before I planned to depart, they approved my visa starting from the day I applied. I was livid and confused. 

First, they said they already asked me if I could change my ticket. Second, they said that it clearly states the validity period on their website. I found the the following sentence: "you must enter Thailand within the validity of visa from the date of issue". They think that means they have clearly stated that the first day of validity is the date upon which the visa is issued.

Perhaps not surprisingly, they have said that this is my fault. This is in spite of the fact that my intention was clearly stated on numerous documents that they required I submit for pre-authorization before they gave my an appointment. To be clear, I sent the documents and after 3 attempts at the correct format, they approved them and gave me an appointment. They ignored my email requesting that the visa be changed.

Anyone have any recommendation for appealing this? The visa they have given me is COMPLETELY worthless to me as I have already booked arrangements for the time I applied for, not the time they gave me.