Red Phoenix

Worst advice ever. Not only would he have to officially move his address to do that, but the 'dragon ladies' at the Jomtien and SriRacha Imm offices are probably even worse than this SamutPrakarn Immigration witch.

Brown,. white, red and purple

The Hotel that notifies the Imm Office that you are staying there, will do this by issuing a TM-30 on-line. And so they will make a print-out of the notification when a hotel-guest requests this (and it is required by the Imm Office when applying for the 30-day extension as proof of the address where you are staying).

1) Plan 1: 2 Months + 1 Month > Yes, applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa and extending for 30-days at at local Thai Imm Office is probably the easiest option to stay 90 days in Thailand without having to do a border-run. 2) Plan 2: Get 3 Months in 1 Stretch? You could also apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement (when over 50 years of age). You would have to balance the convenience of Plan 1 vs Plan 2 based on the requirements for the 60-day Tourist Visa vs the 90-day Non Imm O Visa. Note that applying for the 30-day extension can only be done for the Tourist Visa and not for the Non Imm O Visa, and such 30-day extension application is a quick and easy process which can be done at any Thai Imm Office (1.900,- THB and delivered on the spot). 3) Working in TH for EU customers: No problem doing on-line work for Non-Thai customers during those 90 days, but do keep low-profile. 4) Departure Ticket: Yes, unless the requirements to apply for a Tourist Visa explicitly require a return-flight, your plan to provide a cheap 'throw away' outward bound ticket on day 58 would be fully OK, when an outward bound flight is required. And you can indeed book the one-way return flight when in Thailand. But do check beforehand whether it would not be cheaper to buy the return-flight rather than buying 2 single one-way flights. You would also need to make a Hotel-booking for the first 1-2 days on arrival in Thailand. By using a site like booking.com you can search for Hotels that allow free cancellation up till day of arrival, when you have alternative plans for lodging.

As everybody already confirmed, when exiting Thailand without a Re-Entry Permit the Permit to stay of your Non Imm O Visa based 1-year extension will be automatically voided. But if you did buy a Re-Entry Permit that complicates things. So do check in your passport whether you have a Re-Entry Permit stamp (it will have same expiry date as your current Permit to stay). In that case there are 2 options: 1 - Do not return to Thailand before expiry of that Re-Entry Permit 2 - If that's not what you plan, try to have that Re-Entry Permit cancelled. You can try to get it cancelled at your local Imm Office, or ask a Visa Agent to do it for you. Alternatively when returning to Thailand you can request the border-immigration officer to ignore the Re-Entry Permit and stamp you in VisaExempt (but not sure whether he/she would do so).

Yes, indeed, the papers I have are all for my son. Why do you think that this will improve anything? You are under 50 years of age and not married to a Thai national. For sure entering Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa would be no problem at all (unless you have a recent heavy history of staying long in the country on VEs or TVs). But to answer your question > If you want to stay long-term in Thailand, having a Thai dependant son will be of help. As it will allow you to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of dependant Thai child. Some of the confusion in this thread is that the requirements for such application are different depending on where you apply (as you already found out). Here are the possibilities: 1- Applying for the eVisa in your home-country 2- Applying in Thailand at the Imm Office of the province where you are residing 3- Applying at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a neighboring country For 1 and 2 it seems that the requirement of a signed front/back Thai ID-card, will make it difficult for you to take that route. But 3 might be an option - as confirmed by another poster you can get the 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of dependant Thai child at the Savannakhet consulate. You would need the birth-certificate of your son and a copy of the house-book with his name on it (the latter might therefore also block that road). >> A possible scenario for you might be the following: Enter Thailand VisaExempt (easiest way and provides you with a 30-day permission to stay on entry), and then stay at or visit your son at his grand-parents. You can extend that stay easily to 6 months (by applying for a 30-day extension, and doing 2 border-runs allowing you to repeat that). During those 6 months you would probably have gained the trust of his grand-parents, and they might then provide you with a copy of the required documents (e.g. the house-book should be an easy one). And that would allow you then to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of Thai dependant child at the Savannakhet consulate. Note that it's not clear whether the local Imm Office would be willing to provide a 1-year permission to stay based on that 90-day Non Imm O Visa (as you might not have the required documents for such in-country extension), but you could of course once again exit Thailand and apply for a new 90-day Non Imm O Visa at the Savannakhet consulate.

You wrote that you are under 50 years of age, so your only Non Imm O options are for reason of marriage or for reason of dependant children. With your official Marriage certificate you could apply for the Single 90-day or Multiple Entry 1-year Non Imm O Visa at the Savannakhet consulate (not sure whether they also want a recent 'still married' statement). With an official statement of your Thai dependant child you could also apply there for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (but not for the Multiple Entry). But obviously the 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa (marriage) is preferable. In Thailand you would not be able to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O (marriage) without co-operation of your wife. But you might be able to do so for reason of dependant children. In both cases - when appling in Thailand - you also need to meet the financial requirements, while there are no financial requirements to be proven when applying in Savannakhet. NOTE: Applying in Savannekhet does not require an appointment, while that is required at the Vientianne Thai Embassy. The requirements to be met can be also slightly different in Savannakhet and Vientianne. So best do a search on the Forum on recent threads of members sharing their experience..

When applying in Thailand at an Imm Office for a 90-day Non Imm O for reason of marriage or dependant children, your wife or child has to be with you at moment of application (same for 60-day extensions). There is no need to prove any financials or be accompanied by wife/child when applying for the SingleEntry 90-day or 1-yearMultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa at the Savannakhet Consulate, but obviously you need the documents that provide evidence of your relationship when applying there.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1295738-report-non-o-family-member-visa-at-savannakhet/ In this recent report the OP, wanted to apply at the Savannakhet Consultate for the 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of Thai dependant children . He wrote: I didn't required a copy of my Girlfriend's passport because I'm applying for a Non O because of my Son. Then after handing 5,000 Baht... I was told Multi-Entry Non O Visas can't be done for Family Members... only Married or Retirement. So he gave me 3,000 baht back. I'm not sure of the reason for this... it was a long line, people are waiting... I didn't care to ask... so Single Entry Non O Visa it is. So - although the 1 year ME - is not an option, it seems that you could get there a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of dependant children (which is of course better than a Tourist Visa or Visa Exempt entries).

Emirates are located at the very last row of check-in counters. So when being checked in, your closest International Entry is Zone 1 - DO NOT take that one. Walk back and take Zone 2, as it is there that the Re-Entry Permit Immigration service is located.

The main benefits are: - that you would be able to free the +800K which you now need to keep semi-permanently on your personal Thai bank-account; - that you would NEVER have to visit your local Imm Office again (which for those that resort under a rogue Imm Office would be a Big Bonus).

A quest for truth, essentially boils down to 'Know Thyself'. In Ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates famously declared that the unexamined life was not worth living. Asked to sum up what all philosophical commandments could be reduced to, he replied: ‘Know yourself.’ Sri Mooji beautifully explains what this self-awareness means and how it can be achieved.

The responses of @BritTim and @DrJack54 seem to indicate that applying for the 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa (retirement) at the Savannakhet consulate, only requires your passport (showing you are +50 years old) and proof of +800.000 THB or its equivalent on a Bank-account (not necessarily a Thai one). I thought that you ALSO needed proof of being retired and receiving pension, e.g. by showing a copy of your official Pension statement with pension equivalent to +65.000 THB on month basis. Has that 'pension' requirement - which definitely was applicable some years ago - been abandoned by the Savannakhet consulate? If so that would be great news as it would mean that EVERYBODY that currently has a Non Imm O (retirement) Visa or extension of such Visa, could apply for the 1-year ME Non Imm O (retirement) Visa at the Savannakhet consulate, with no need to keep the +800K semi-permanently on their Thai bank-account, no need to ever visit the local Imm Office anymore and no need for 90-day reports anymore.

In your case applying in UK for a 1-year Non Imm O-A Visa for yourself and your wife, might indeed be the best option. This because in your case: - You already have a Non Imm O-A compliant Health-Insurance policy - that you are happy with and covers your needs; - You plan to visit UK every 1-2 years, and would apply for a NEW Non Imm O-A Visa at that occasion. Under those circumstances the Non Imm O-A Visa is still an attractive option. However, be aware that: - The coverage requirements for a Non Imm O-A Health-Insurance policy have been raised to 3 Million THB, and policies meeting that requirement are not cheap (so I am doubtful that the interest of the 800K you won't need to park on a Thai personal bank-account, will actually cover for that); - That the expiry date of your Health-Insurance policy, will determine the Permit to stay you will be provided when entering Thailand (so you need to ensure that your H-I Insurance policy date is aligned with the 1-year period that the Non Imm O-A Visa will provide you).

That's correct, but it depends on how long you plan to stay in Thailand. When you are considering long-term stay, you would need to apply for the 1-year extension of stay from that 90-day Non Imm O Visa (retirement), which requires +800K on a personal Thai bank-account with foreign origins proven and seasoned for at least 2 months at moment of application. When you only want to stay 3 to 6 months in Thailand, entering VisaExempt (without a Visa) is still the easiest option (that is if you do not have a recent history of many tourist Visa). As you can extend that 30-day Visa Exempt Permit to Stay with a 30 days extension at every Imm Office in Thailand (costs 1.900,- THB and is delivered on the spot). At the end of those 60 days you can then do a border-bounce to a near-by Country (exit and return to Thailand, can be done same day or combined with a holiday-trip in the country of exit). That will once again provide you with a 30-day VisaExempt Permit to stay which can once again be extended for another 30 days. So that's already 120 days. And you can even do the above yet another time, which would mean 180 days (after which you would have used up your 2 land-border crossings per calendar year, and might run into difficulties because of having stayed too long [180 days] in Thailand).

Just before going to Savannakhet to apply for the 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa (retirement), you should visit your Bank, do a small transaction (e.g. adding/withdrawing 1.000 THB from your personal account) and then ask the Bank to provide you with a Bank-Account Statement. Such bank-account statement (sometimes referred to as a 'letter') will show that you are the Account-holder, as well as the current balance on that account. It will be delivered on the spot and cost approx 100-200 THB. That Bank-account statement, together with your updated Bank Pass-book, will be iron-clad evidence that you meet the income requirement for that 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa (retirement). NOTE: I always understood that you ALSO need proof of being retired and receiving pension, e.g. by showing a copy of the official Pension statement with pension equivalent to +65.000 THB on month basis.

When you are from UK, there have been reports on the Forum of applicants for a new Passport that took very long before they got hold of it. As you still have 2 months before you have to apply for the 1-year extension of your current Permit to stay, it is recommended to contact the UK Embassy in Bangkok and enquire about the processing time. It's well possible that the previous long waits were due to the pandemic situation, and that the process is now back to 'normal'.

When you apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (retirement) in your home-country there are Thai Embassies that require you to take such Health-Insurance, as part of the application requirements. When you are in no need of such insurance, and would only subscribe to it to meet those application requirements, the BEST and CHEAPEST option would be to > NOT apply for a Visa, but simply enter Thailand Visa Exempt (without a Visa), and then when you still have at least 15 days left on the 30-days Permit to stay you received on entry by border-immigration, to apply for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa (retirement) at the Imm Office of the province where you plan to reside. When doing so there is NO need for any health-insurance. Note 1: Do enquire at your local Imm Office (or on the Forum) whether your local Imm Office requires 15 days left on your Permit to stay, as some Imm Offices require 21 or even 23 days (e.g. the Chiang-Mai Imm office) Note 2: If you do not have sufficient time to meet all the requirements (especially opening a personal Thai bank-account and transferring the required funds, might take some time), it would be a simple matter of first applying for a 30-day extension of your Permit to stay at your local Imm Office (costs 1.900,- THB and is delivered on the spot), which would give you enough time to prepare for your application.

Not for your mother, but for yourself > You could consider applying for the 1-year Multiple-Entry Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage at the Savannakhet consulate (just across the Mekong river from Mukdahan). That Visa costs 5.000,- THB and does not require any financials to be proven, and you only need your original Marriage certificate with a Thai national to apply for it. During the 1-year validity of that Visa you will be provided on every entry into Thailand with a 90-day Permit to stay (which can be extended at your local Imm Office with a 60-day extension for reason of visiting your wife). After those 90 (or 150 days) you would need to exit Thailand, but when you travel abroad often it is the ideal Visa because which each entry during the 1-year validity you get once again a 90-day Permit to stay. And when you exit Thailand just before the 1-day expiry date of that Visa, you can squeeze 17 month out of it...

Thai people will hate me for saying it, but Phanom Rung - nice as it is (been there twice) - is just a small not very well-maintained temple compared with the splendor of the Angkor Wat temple complex.

With your Permit to stay expiring in July, you have sufficient time to apply for a new Passport. Doing so would have the advantage that the 1-year extension you would be applying for would indeed be for a full year and not till the expiry date of your current Passport. You need to apply anyway for a new Passport, so better do it asap.

@BritTim > Thanks for your clear response. One additional question: To determine what constitutes having stayed 'a long period in Thailand', would border-immigration make the distinction between: #1 - Having stayed x years in Thailand without ever leaving the country, OR #2 - Having stayed x years in Thailand on an unbroken chain of Permits to stay, but having exited Thailand in between using Re-Entry Permits. In the latter case the passport of the applicant would contain exit-entry stamps.

Your experience is about being denied ENTRY to Thailand. But this thread is about being denied LEAVING Thailand at a land-border. The Thai land-border Imm Official telling the OP that because he was already very long-time in Thailand he could not exit by a land-border and has to FLY out.

@mauGR1 > Female humans giving birth is indeed often a very painful process. But that's absolutely nothing compared with what a spotted hyena experiences when giving birth. Females of this species give birth through a narrow, penis-like, enlarged clitoris which is ruptured during the process and can take weeks to heal. The birth canal of a hyena is only about one inch across, and consequently, many hyena babies do not survive. Suffocation is a frequent occurrence for the cubs, as is the death of first-time hyena mothers. When she is ready to give birth, the mother essentially needs to squeeze a 2-pound cub through a narrow opening in the hyena birth canal that’s only about an inch in diameter. The problem is compounded by the fact that spotted hyena cubs are among the largest offspring in relation to the mother’s weight throughout the entire animal kingdom. Females giving birth for the first time die in 9-18% of the cases and their cubs only survive in 25% of the cases. The birthing process itself can last up to 48 hours of excruciating pain. >> https://a-z-animals.com/blog/hyena-birth-what-makes-it-so-unique/

Hi @BritTim > Thanks for explaining that this is not random Immigration behavior, as you wrote 'if you have been a very long period in Thailand, you may not be able to leave through a land crossing.' I have never come across this before, so would be interested to know: 1 - What constitutes a very long period? The OP didn't leave Thailand for +5 years, and was denied leaving on his Non Imm O-A based Permit to stay. But is there a time period after which this rule kicks in? 2 - Is this rule practiced at EVERY border-crossing? Or would it be an option to try at a different land-border, rather than flying out of Thailand? 3 - Would OP be able to cancel his Permit to stay at his local SriRacha Imm Office, and then doing the border-hop? I presume that in such case he would be provided with a couple of days to 'leave the country'. 4 - I have been looking in the Police orders and Immigration rules/regulations, but did not find anything about this denial to leave Thailand via land-border. Do you know by any chance where such rule/regulation is addressed? Thanks in advance!