Rob Browder

The USA Dept of State is forbidden by law to investigate US Citizens in the manner required to "verify" their income.

There is no way to predict any increase or grandfathering. I am sticking with my retirement extension for the fact it is has a long record of stability, relatively low-cost / low-hassle, and possible grandfathering. If I were under-50 I would do the DTV over any other option.

Oh, please. This is not a case where it is confusing.

You will need the screenshot-copy of the TM-30 to show at your next visit to immigration, to avoid any fine. You do not need to make a special-trip just to swap your screenshot-copy for their receipt before your next visit to immigration. You are "in the system" as soon as it is filed. Your copy is just to ensure they can find the record without issue, and to prove it was done.

They had a makeshift TM-30 office set-up just for these - I was in there for a couple hours to file mine, and watched the debates ensue. The final offer was always the same - "you pay or you leave." I don't know what they fine for filing-late these days.

Given no warning to those coming here, it makes sense the landlord should handle it. But Immigration may make it your problem, if you don't have it when you see them to get an extension or other service. When they first started this, I read about it online, and immediately filed one after my next entry to the country. When I went to immigration for an extension, I watched immigration slap 2K Baht fines on everyone in a crowded office except those who read the FB groups or "thaivisa," and those obtaining retirement extensions (who did not have to file them for years).

Anyone at smaller offices should check for requirements at that office in-advance. If a big office, with frequent posts here, you are probably ok. They required 3-mo seasoning (not 2) for a marriage-based extension at an office I used in Issan - and I watched her highlight my bank statement balance going back 3 months.

It is 2 months seasoning is required before the day you "Apply" for the visa, so you are fine. Once they accept it, you have automatic permitted-stay "under consideration," until they give you the final 1 year stamp.

Marketing it as "just for the poor," at first, is a good tactic - as it lowers the cost below the massive-debt (or spending cuts) which would otherwise be required, and allows the program to begin operation without seeming threatening (track, trace, and control your spending) to most.

Good. It's a tiny fee, and that should at least help fix the roads repeatedly torn-up by the Tour Buses. Better yet, build a street-car or similar system, and force the Buses to park at the end-terminals of such. I know about the Pattaya train, but that is overkill. They should also earmark part of this fee to cover any foreigner's unpaid hospital-bills. They claimed that was some huge problem in the past - proposed this to pay it (~20-Baht per-each would be enough for that) - but then started making OA-Visa entrants pay for Thai insurance, instead of following through with the original proposal. As a bonus, maybe this will act as an incentive to stop harassing border-bouncers, since each bounce will generate more govt-revenue - in addition VAT-taxes and other revenue which they already spend into the private sector.

If that is the case, you have only 2 options - get "credit advice" statements for each case where your Wise xfer is not received "FTT" - OR - forget Wise, and wire-transfer from your foreign bank to a Thai bank which does not involve an "intermediary bank" in Thailand.

Yes, if the condo-owner will provide signed-copies of their ID-Card, Chanote for your condo, and Housebook for your condo. Plus, the lease, of course - which assume you already have. When renting a condo in Thailand, one must insist upon receiving those from the landlord or landlord's agent, before handing over the money. That way, you are in control of your TM-30 reporting, and do not have to worry about problems with immigration in the future.

The only advantage I see, is freeing up your 800K. You are comparing costs for an agent-obtained retirement visa (90-days) + extension (year) using an agent, to a DTV w/o an agent. Also assumed, is that one needs the 3400 multiple re-entry permit. We do not yet know the agent-fees for either border-bounces or in-country extensions with the DTV. History indicated it is likely there will be the usual "hassle" or "agent-money" choice. Hopefully, one could simply border-bounce at known "safe" entry points, and avoid this - but it remains to be seen. Even then, border-runs cost money, which should be factored-in. Keep in mind, they can always find one isolated case of a DTV holder "behaving badly," amplify the story in "the news" - and then use that for a "crackdown" to force the flow of more agent-money, as has happened in the past. They haven't done that with retirees, because a torrent of agent-money is already flowing to them, via those.

Not sure what your movie reference has to do with anything. But, I see, you just insult without any attempt at comprehension. Does insulting people online make you feel good about yourself, when unable to make a cogent point? Anyone not a "mod" would be banned for abuse, for the types of posts you make routinely.

Let me make it easy for you. IF the corrupt faction took over that entry point and began making problems, THEN we would hear about it BECAUSE it is a high-traffic crossing. Clear now?

There is no way to obtain a DTV "within Thailand" - must leave and go to a Thai consulate to apply. We have some success reports from Vientiane and others. If someone is on a Non-B extension, they need to cancel their extension at immigration before leaving the country, to avoid problems later with immigration.

I do not recall hearing anyone denied-entry that far away from a previous stay. If you stayed over 6-months the previous year, they might make a fuss, but I would be surprised if denied-entry.

I don't think there is a relation to the DTV at all. In any case, if I were ever on a Tourist type stay again - or the DTV - I would just use known-safe entry points, who have historically followed the laws published in the Gazette - vs entry points known to make up things which are not the law. Nong Khai is a good choice, because they have a good record, and there is high-traffic - so we would find out immediately if "the bad guys" took over that entry-point..

There is no requirement the funds remain after obtaining the visa, per the published (Gazette) order. That said, of one tried to obtain an extension in-country, we do not know what Immigration may require. Immigration have not yet said anything about any re-entry procedures / scrutiny for DTV holders. It would be a first to require showing a bank-book or similar at an entry-point, should that happen. Edit: 20K Baht cash can be requested to show for tourist entries - might happen - also, evidence of where they will stay.

Correct. it is Illegal under USA Law for the USA State Dept to investigate Americans, including financial probing into other agency data (IRS, Social Security, etc. But, if Immigration had evidence anyone was supplying false information in applying for extensions of stay, they could be charged under Thai Law. And, if the foreigner used a falsified affidavit to do this, Immigration (RTP) could refer the case to the FBI office in Bangkok. No such cases were ever reported - in Thai courts, or with the FBI - with regard to "false" income affidavits. This indicates that no such abuses were ever documented by the authorities. In fact, this entire made-up story about "false" affidavits was only hearsay, used to justify a strategic goal - targeting a large group of expats (= potential market for their agents), using a legal-technicality of USA/UK/AU law. This action followed the same pattern seen throughout Big Joke's term as head of Immigration - blow up a story out of whole-cloth or an isolated incident demonizing foreigners, then change policy to suit the story - with the result always leading to more agent-use.

This is 100% correct, according to the "relaxed" change to TM-30 policy, announced a few years ago. Unfortunately, reports indicates some immigration offices will say you must re-register when reported at another address (hotel, etc) - even when returning to a condo you own. This is even more likely to be an issue, if returning from abroad. I see no harm in re-registering a new record in the TM-30 system when returning home, using the return-date as the starting-date. Then, screen-shot that, and have it ready to show at Immigration, if a problem arises. The core-problem, from my analysis, is the lack of a "This is the foreigner's permanent address" checkbox in the TM-30 form/system.

If he does not have a history of longer stays in Thailand in the recent past, and only does that schedule once per-year, then current reports indicate he would not be given problems upon-entry at the airport on his 2nd entry. One change I would make, is do the trip to Laos after the first 60-days, instead of getting an extension - then, do the extension on the 2nd entry, if additional time is needed. The reason is: There is some indication Immigration at "unfriendly" entry points (including both Bangkok airports) do not like seeing 30-day extensions on the last recent stay, when returning in close succession to the last departure..

It's a "Visa On Arrival" in Cambodia - and to be able to apply for the one-year Visa in-country, you need to ask for the "Other" visa when you enter - not the "tourist" visa. I think it was $5 more for the "Other", when I last did this years ago. Unless things have changed, you can also get a 6-mo visa - saves some $$, if you will only stay that long. The 6-mo or more gets you "multiple entry" at no extra-charge.

At the Bangkok airports, they seem to hassle people most when they are NOT as busy, per some reports. Thais who want more prosperity for their people want us here. Other, xenophobic-types, do not. The latter are a tiny minority of the general population, in my experience, but such attitudes help justify corrupt-practices towards foreigners, so are inculcated into immigration-staff. It is psychologically similar to how "the enemy" is demonized with military personnel, to make their job easier to carry-out. If Immigration staff thought of us, and our Thai families we support, as "like them." it would be harder to stomach what some of them do. Hate makes it possible. The proposed "ETA" is purported to make using auto-gates possible, though it will infuriate immigration, if they aren't able to extort people with false-reasons for denying entry, to force agent-use. Some have suggested the ETA will be used to block "too many" border-bounces, but if that system is run by the MFA (not Immigration), I would not make that prediction, absent some change in MFA policy.

If in Pattaya, you need 15K in an envelope (no receipt) to do that immediately - retirement or marriage - though the "official rules" say what you said is true. If in CW, they do it "by the book" without the payoff, but ... I'd get a Non-O 90 day from a Thai consulate, if at all possible, to avoid applying for the initial 90-Day in-country. It is also easier to open a bank account with a Non-O visa-entry, which avoids the "chicken egg" problem created by recent bank-policies - "you need a bank account to apply for the Non-O, but a Non-O to apply for the bank-account." Just be sure to get that visa for the same reason as you will use for your 1st extension - marriage or retirement.