Rob Browder

You would need to cancel your Non-B extension at immigration in Thailand. Others are better experienced in detailing the process of closing a company, which I have never done. But, a letter where "the company" gives you a "will cease working on <date> letter should work. You could own part of a company without obtaining a work-permit, so I do not see any reason you would need to show proof you closed the company. With that letter, Immigration will change your "permitted stay" to the same date in the letter. Failing to do this can lead to problems with immigration in the future.

= installing a social-credit type financial-system, to control people via the ability to control and even "turn off" individual's ability to spend money, at the whims of a ruling elite. The 10K Baht is the cheese to lure the mice into the trap - to convince people to install their own chains. Wasn't it reported that her father met with the other party's guy on the golf course, and traded not re-classifying cannabis as a "narcotic," for the other party's support for the "Digital Wallet"? It seems he always supported it - though I stand to be corrected, if he has ever stated otherwise.

I don't envy his "lifestyle," but I do wish I had come here sooner in life - so he has that on me.

I would guess tourists pay those prices - and expats with a lot of money to burn. If I were single again, and really, really lonely for female companionship, I would rather spend a few hours at a beer-bar playing "connect 4" with some gal, talking about whatever, than some overpriced, brief, pseudo-sexual encounter which leaves one as empty-feeling as they started, an hour after it is over. Miss the female-touch? Go for a massage. Sure, the P4P scene in Thailand is a novelty, when one first arrives here - but I have never understood the obsession with it, for anyone here any length of time.

So, same-same like in our homelands in the "West," then.

"Not being Trump" is THE reason she could win. The inverse is also true, where "Not being a democrat" is the reason Trump may win. By and large, Americans are voting for who they hate less - most people wishing we had other options. None of the rest is relevant, as she will just rubber-stamp and propagandize for the policies of the party-faction's deep-state goons, just like Biden, Trump, Obama, Dubya-Bush, etc. Sadly, we "get to vote" for "actor and spokesman," only. The policies we all oppose remain unchanged. Both party-factions agree on the most important issues - and in direct opposition to the will of people on both the left and right - hence the need to play-up "wedge" issues, and demonize candidates (actors), to make the "Show" entertaining and engaging. One open-question is whether the D-faction's deep-state players will get the USA into world war 3 more slowly than the Lindsey Graham types would. But, if Gloria Nuland returns under Harris, all bets are off on that potential upside. There is the wild-card of RFK-Jr, who tells the truth about the Ukraine conflict, health issues, and other corruption - but, unless he can put a few hundred million dollars into ads on cable-networks, so older Americans can find out his actual positions, he doesn't stand a chance. Winning among under-30s won't win any states.

I assume you are not aware that Mossad admitted funding Hamas from its infancy, and Bibi was a huge supporter of that policy? This was a strategy to split support from the PLO, and to create a situation where they had "no partner for peace," so they could continue expanding Israel's borders, and ethnic-cleansing those annexed zones. Trying to label anyone who opposes a war, where tens of thousands of civilians are being slaughtered in an open-air prison-camp, as de-facto "supporting terrorists" is a new-low in double-think propaganda. Orwell warned us - and "our" govt appears to use 1984 as an instruction-manual. Then, you bring Russia into it - as if we cannot see how the NATO powers have created the current conflict - not only in Ukraine, but including other long-targeted for "regime change" countries, who understandably opt for support from Russia, in response to being threatened by the West.

Translation: "If you don't enjoy supporting corruption / graft, then you should not be here." You are equating "not being able to afford a visa run" with happily being ripped-off by kleptocrats, as part of the package. I assume you mean annual-extensions, rather than "visas" - where the choice is often "rigamarole" or "pay the agent." Same, same. Exapts fund jobs here with every foreign-currency spend they make - and pay VAT taxes, as well. As to employers and employees in Thailand, have you heard of the BOI? I previously worked at a BOI company, where a significant portion of staff was foreigners with needed expertise in business-roles. I would re-consider your anti-Thailand attitude - pushing for expats to leave and support Cambodia and Laos, instead, which would result in unemployment for multiple Thais per expat pushed away. The MFA understands this, which is why they have made changes, recently. Only Immigration has a problem with it, as it reduced agent-income. And, if you have lived in many of those areas, as I have, you know that there is considerable poverty in many of them. This situation is alleviated by those born in them being able to work in better-paying jobs, which are funded by foreigners. That's why so many are found working in foreigner hot-spots - and why they HATED the "crack downs" on "too long tourists" more than anyone else. They would not leave their families to work in those areas without a financial-incentive, and we are that incentive. With the decline in factory-jobs, this is even more critical now. Please stop discouraging foreigners from helping them by spending our money here, and turning a blind-eye to the corruption-abuse which drives many away.

Once one understands that Imm-staff do not get those jobs for "salary only," then the discrepancy in policy makes sense. They view longer-term people as targets for "tribute" payments - a tradition going back centuries. Those who fail to make such payments pay for their "insolence" by being put through the ringer. Having to provide fresh "bank-money proof,' related to an already-verified/issued retirement extension, simply for moving permitted-stay stamps to a new passport (report above in this thread), is the perfect example of this. The MFA is not part of Immigration's system - apples and oranges. They are currently being tasked with trying to help Thailand make up for a loss in export-revenue - increasing foreign-capital flows into Thailand, by encouraging remote-working expats to live here / spend their paychecks here. That is what the DTV is for. The 60-day visa-exempt was similarly-motivated - including allowing it for reasons other than "tourism" (visiting family, etc) - helping folks bypass the immigration rigamarole for such stays. In reaction to the 60-day exempt rule, the border-entry points who process vans of agent-folks have already upped their fees - including a reported 2K extra-fee for those on a Non-Imm stamp or visa - the latter of which has long had an "agent-assisted" path for 12-month extensions. We shall see what the "fee or rigamarole-treatment" is for border-bouncing on a DTV - it should be entertaining reading here, in the future.

Based on agent-cost quotes for marriage-based service, the district-level signature cost their agents 10K+ in envelope-money in the past. More recent reports indicate this may have doubled. Then, add-in the local-office "fees." Only some agents have the district-level connection. The abuse heaped on at some offices when making marriage-based applications is, in part, due to the pressure from the "regional office" not to send them "no envelope" applications for sign-off - plus the local-greed. I have observed honest offices (no agent service) in the boonies, who are under an infamous corrupt regional office, behave as though they were a child afraid of a beating, when processing these applications. At least, they were not abusive, though.

The 500K Baht worth of money can be in a foreign-bank, per previous success-reports.

A 90-Day entry from a Non-B Visa, or a 1-year extension from Immigration? If on a Visa entry, you leave, and it's gone, unless you have a re-entry permit, or it is a "multiple entry" visa - but I think the Non-B-ME Visas were phased out? If on an extension, currently, you would need to take a letter showing the date your work will end to immigration, and get your Non-B extension canceled. The date can be in the future, so you don't have to leave that day, or pay for a "7 days to leave" extension. Then, you leave, and go apply for your DTV. What visa / extension you had before should not matter.

Anything to avoid the "hard work" of processing a Marriage-Based extension. Asking for not-needed / made-up things is a common way they do this. After sending him away, they can go back to the more important task of playing on their phones. I would guess the IO had not checked his age, yet. The way they tend to work, is go down their list of "ways to avoid doing the extension," stop at the first one, and kick you out. When you come back, they find the next method of work-avoidance on their list of irrelevant, made-up (expletive), and hit you with that one. The more trips they force you to make, the less likely you are to bother them again.

It is a Non-O Visa based on Thai Family, and some (not all) Thai consulates offer the "Multiple Entry" version for those married to a Thai. One can also get this Non-O-ME Visa in Savannakhet Laos, if can show 400K Baht in a Thai bank account for 2 months+. Many go there to get these to avoid the PITA which immigration make out of a 1-year extension based on marriage, even though the Visa requires having to "border bounce" throughout the year.

The METV is not restricted by age. With that, one can extend each 60-day entry from it for 30 additional days for 1900 Baht, and must then do a border-bounce for a new 60-day permitted-stay. Or, one can just border-bounce every 60-days. The other you mention, I assume, is an Education-based Visa + extensions from a language school. With that one does not need to border-bounce for a year. Given availability of the DTV, I am not sure why anyone would use it, other than they cannot show 500K in a bank somewhere (does not have to be a Thai bank). There is no stated-limit on land-border "bounces" now - just as there has not been by air. One may need to pay some sort of agent to do them repeatedly - with each border / entry-point setting its own policies. One can also do these "bounces" by-air, if one pays an agent who works with immigration at the airport.

You can only get a 90-Day or (possibly) Multiple-Entry (90-days per-entry) Visa in your home country based on being married to a Thai. The upside is not having to get a Non-O 90-day in Thailand. The downside is that it may not be permitted to apply for an extension based on Retirement in the 1st year you enter with that visa. You may ALSO be able to get a 90-day Non-O based on Retirement in your home-country, as contrasted to the 1-year permitted-stay Non-OA Visa (which involves health-insurance). It varies by Thai embassy whether this is available or not. With that, you could avoid the need to apply for a 90-day Visa in Thailand, could transition directly to a Retirement-based extension, and COULD (depending on immigration-office policy) use your embassy-letter to get a 1-year extension the 1st year. I would not rely on an agent to give you correct information on this question.

Way off on what? That the Republicans supported "Any Willing Worker" immigration to break labor - and outsourcing via the removal of tariffs to avoid hiring Americans completely - before the Democrats joined them under Bill Clinton? See NAFTA and the China in the WTO - though that process started with Reagan (who HATED well-paid labor - why he did the Shamnesty of 1986). They were saying RFK-Jr was going to join Trump, a couple weeks ago. What he said was, he would "talk with anyone." Granted, Harris hasn't betrayed him yet - like Trump did during the "transition" of 2016/17, when he took $1-Million from Pfizer, then canceled his promised "Childhood Vaccine Injury Commission" + hired a Pharma guy to run the FDA - but he'd be foolish to think she wouldn't. Both Trump and Harris are "Brought to You By Pfizer," just like every MSM outlet and their "experts."

Yes - was 15K Baht (no receipt) for years, to get a Non-O 90-day in Jomtien - knowing most applicants would not have a bank-account / seasoned-money yet. I would try to get a Non-O before you come. I got my first one in Vientiane, because of that office.

Well, if no income, I am guessing you have savings, or could not be eating / sleeping indoors here. For DTV, need to show 500K worth of money in some bank account - and can use "soft power" options to avoid showing income / employment. If that isn't possible, and you are under 50, an education-visa could work for a year (someone posted above on this). Also the METV, but need to apply for that Visa in your home-country. As others reported, all they really want at the Bangkok airports is agent-money in their pocket - is all what that hassling was about. They are not permitted to hassle "occasional" tourists, but folks who stay longer/often are targeted. Also, you could just enter by land from Malaysia. If they decline-entry, you just turn-around and get your exit stamp from Malaysia canceled - nothing lost but the trip to the border. This is much better than being forced-back from an airport. I would come by train, if in KL now.

One "can't afford" or just don't like to waste money? Ask a Thai who would like one of the good jobs we fund, if they "don't need" us here. Granted, every "border run" should be replaced with just getting another extension - similar to the Philippines - so more of folks' money is spent in Thailand.

I would apply in-person in Vientiane, Laos, if he wants to stay longer.

Where "unemployment" doesn't include anyone out of work for a year, and counts those in below-subsistence part-time jobs as "employed." Half of Americans couldn't find $400 in an emergency during Trump's tenure - just like under Obama. And, yes, the Inflation caused directly by his reckless covid-spending had not kicked in yet, when he left the WH - nor the high gas prices resulting from his "greatest deal" with OPEC to slash production. Biden/Kamala continued the crazy deficit-spending, the wars, bad energy-policy, etc - so no help there.

As of right now, that is true - given the "no limit" on exempt entries by land. The primary reason the METV was valuable, is one could use friendly entry-points more than 2x with it. But if one had to fly 1/2 way around the world on a special trip for it, then, no. We will see how exempt entry-policy plays out over-time. The best option is the DTV, if under-50, not married to a Thai, and can show 500K.

The irony, here, is this critique is right-wing propaganda - what the R-Party always supported - low-tariffs for outsourcing, and a flood of foreign labor - so they could avoid paying Americans a decent wage. The Democrats opposed this until Bill Clinton flipped the script, and sold out working Americans. Not to worry, though - Trump won't do anything he is promising if he wins, just like the last time. Whatever the MIC, Black-Rock, Big-Pharma, etc wants, they will get from either of these clowns. The only wild-card is RFK-Jr - but as long as the MSM keep him off "cable news," the boomer voters will never know about that option.

Trump's "talent" is Promising things he Never Intends to Even TRY to do = being a "Con Man." Now, he is trying to convince people to believe this routine a 2nd time. The problem is, it doesn't work on as many suckers the 2nd time, so he will probably lose the swing states. If he had just kept his word on immigration-policy the first time, ~100 million Americans would have risen up from "hand to mouth" wages, and he would have won 2020 in a landslide, including with many of those minority voters he always talks about, who are hardest-hit per-capita by imported foreign labor - both legal and illegal. See "supply and demand" - it works in the labor-market, too.