Rob Browder

Glad it worked out, eventually. And, yes, that special queuing was the case at my original "first time for yellow book" Amphoe (rural) also. I was only seen after every Thai was served - even though was with my Thai wife, Poo Yai Baan, and 2 witnesses who had to wait all that time to sign-off on me. It took literally all day - open to close (I was seen last) - then had to wait ~6 months before they let me have the yellow-book - "waiting for signature of big guy." No agent-service was available there, alas - would have likely been less expensive than what I paid to waste 3 Thai's day.

The Nong Khai border is very popular, and no reports of any problems there at all. It's a bit of a trip from CM, but good for not having to worry about re-entry issues. Even if they start requiring 1-night out in the future, Vientiane isn't a bad place to spend an evening.

No "Visa on Arrival" to Laos at that crossing, correct? It might be a good place to return, after entering elsewhere - or just get one's visa at the Laos consulate before crossing there.

Isn't your UK pension protected by the double-tax treaty? I know the USA Social-Security is by our treaty, and thought I read a Brit say they had the same. The only people this would affect are those with significant income beyond retirement payments, or without a good dual-tax treaty - but, sadly for Thailand, that includes those who spend the most here. Now, at least 1/2 of their spending-money will be spent elsewhere - and many will leave permanently to where they are not taxed. And for what - to pay for the "digital wallet" CCP-money spy-and-control scheme's Billions is debt-spending? But, just look at Immigration at Bangkok Airports - refusing entry to repeat-customers who spend their money here - even falsifying the reason for denying entry to do it - all to get them to pay through their agent-partners. And it isn't just us foreigners. Ask any Thai what happens when they have to deal with a govt-agency - some form of extortion is highly-likely. All the little sub-fiefdoms here are so caught up in their own little greedy schemes - none give a dang about Thai people or the good of the country. Thais deserve better than this. We at least have multiple other options - but they don't.

USA laws apply to Americans who break USA laws, where ever they are in the world. Additionally, a USA consulate/embassy is USA soil, by law. Immigration could have referred cases to the FBI if they had any evidence. Thailand is very cooperative with extradition requests, so no problem there, either. That would have scared away any fools even thinking of lying on sworn affidavits to get Thai extensions of stay. Why would more than 3 months of xfers be required, if one is starting fresh from a 90-day visa - whether obtained here or abroad? It's absurd ... unless one wakes up from their "all on the up and up" dream, recognizes the real purpose of these often nonsensical "rules." You should read here more. I have seen reports of people being rejected because of the transfers-timing, even if their total transfers far exceeded the minimum. Yes, one can have their pensions deposited in their home-country, and then manually transfer every month - just don't miss the timing by even a minute, no matter what events in your life might happen at that moment. The "new rules" had only one effect - more agent-use, as designed - as with all the other "crackdown" policies. Immigration have set up a "Got-cha" mine-field, for this purpose.

Yes. You only pay more if you want to do annual "extensions" instead of border-runs. "Extensions" are 1900 Baht, possible once per-DTV-entry, are valid for 6 months additional permitted-stay - then one must border-bounce. Additional scrutiny / paperwork may happen when/if applying for an extension. Some have reported the reason for their DTV was listed. If one is over 50, I do not see the advantage of the DTV. Even if one is paying an agent for their retirement-extensions, by the time the border-bounces are factored in, little if any money is saved. One would also be wise to assume that agent-payments for "no hassle" entry on this visa's border-bounces could be necessary - likely varying by entry-point. As you say - so far, there are not any hassles reported when entering on a retirement-extension w/ re-entry permit.

Yes, but that needs to be combined with making ballot-access much easier - preferably mandated by federal law - but those in-office have no incentive to help us fix things by replacing them.

As long as "none of the above" is available for every office, and if those reach a certain threshold, the listed candidates are barred, and a new election for that office(s) is held. I wish that were possible for president this November.

RFK-Jr proposed the fix for this, and eVerify, which is to allow those who cannot get a DL/ID from their state - for whatever reason - to get a Passport-Card at their local post-office without cost. Not having a form of photo-ID has many downsides, so this improves the lives of those who do not have one, beyond ability to prove who they are when voting or applying for a job. Whether one believes that vote-fraud is a real-issue or not, this would remove all doubt, so we don't have ~1/2 the country not trusting our elections. What is the downside? Of course, that fix is not in this legislation, because it is being "used as an issue" - by both "sides" - neither actually wanting to solve the problem. Instead, they use this as a circus-event, to distract from the many "bi-partisan" positions they hold, which are in opposition to the views of the majority of the electorate.

You won't get "kicked out" with valid permitted-stay a valid multi-entry visa - but, on your 180-day border-trip, you may need to pay an agent to come back w/o issue. We will not know until next year how that will work - either at the the historically honest (no agent-service needed) entry-points like Nong Khai, or the historically corrupt entry points. The ED visa is generally limited to a year of Thai-language (do some still do 2 years?), or Muay Thai, or Self-Defense (available in Chaing Mai). But, similar agent-business is involved to make the extensions trouble-free - even if you attend classes. Be sure to inquire at the school on how THEY process your 3-mo extensions for you, any added cost for this, and find another school if they don't.

In such cases, a trip to Laos - to a Thai consulate there - may be a more enjoyable use of one's money. Similar if in Pattaya. In Bangkok (CW) one can apply there using "by the book" rules w/o issue / agent-payment.

There were no reports of such ever made, which I saw. Offenders could have been referred to the FBI for prosecution, and is a USA Felony to lie on those affidavits. Immigration knew (or shortly discovered) it was against USA law for our State Dept to do more than provide the attestation; they were/are legally forbidden from "verifying" anything. If immigration really cared about foreigners living here w/o income (sleeping outdoors and eating nothing but air?), the first thing they would have done is shut down all the agent services. Everything Big Joke did - from Edu-extension hassles to retirement-rules changes - only had the effect of increasing agent-business, which bypassed ALL his "new rules." The "No Tips" policy only amounted to IOs not taking money "on the side," which did not go into the distribution-scheme. When first rolled out, the guidelines allowed showing a few months income-transfers for new cases - then, they pulled that back. The same reason as the rest of their changes - too many honest applicants, who had the income, were "getting away" with not using agents, for at least their first year. And if you get 2 payments one month, and none the next, due to how your country allocates pensions? Sure, it's the same income, but - back to the agent you go!

Yes, at CNX it is generally unnecessary. They seem to run an honest entry-point, and no recent bad-reports indicating that has changed. Personally, I would not fly in with a "longer staying" record though - even there. Worst case being denied-entry at a land-border - if something changes just before you get there, which has not yet reported here yet - at least you don't get locked-up.

File a police report for both, then. Going to your new amphoe (serving your new residence) with the police-reports in-hand, and seeing what they require, is the only way to know. It is far less work for them than putting you "in the system," so hopefully they are friendly about it. I would assume the new owner has to attend, when you have what they need - hopefully not additional witnesses - but please do update here with your experience.

MANY others have experienced this. You are far from alone. You need to show the termination-paperwork from the school. They just need to write a letter saying "Person (you) stopped working here on Feb 26, 2024," on their letterhead. The 500 per-day referenced by a post above, is if for days remaining in-country after the termination-date while on your non-B extension-of-stay. As long as immigration stamped you in on your Tourist Visa (you did not have a re-entry permit for your Non-B extension), the fine could be no more than 500 Baht for 1-day.

Having been in a similar situation for years with my then GF, now wife - when in my 40s - I truly sympathize with your situation. Running immigration's gauntlets was even more stress on her, than it was me. I would message her my entry-stamp as soon as I entered, so she could relax. I have read similar stories here for years, so do not think you "made up the story." Unlike many, I didn't get the impulse to switch into a smug "I'm allright Jack" type, after turning 50. My support of my wife and her family during covid were invaluable to them, and though we were married then (so I could an extension based on that, though was a PITA), had I been on covid extensions at the time, my help would have been no less important to them. That immigration would use that against you is despicable. What helped me the most, was realizing many immigration entry-points and local-offices are run as a racket. Once looked at with that POV - and acting accordingly - life here got much easier. For example, next time entering, you must either pay the airport-immigration's agent, or fly to a nearby country (Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos), and use a known-safe land entry-point Be sure to check on this site just before crossing, to see what rackets are being run where, because the nature of the game and locations can change.

"Criminals" would just use the agent-system to avoid scrutiny - the same as is done for the many other forms of entry/stay they could use before the DTV existed. It is only legit applicants who must deal with immigration roadblocks. They are punished for doing things honestly. This has been constant for years - only varying by the degree of problems honest-applicants face, for various types of entry/stay. The DTV, like other cases - including the Non-Ed, TVs, METVs and Visa-Exempt - those using the agent-system will not have to deal with any of that. But, those mistaking the system as "honest" may have problems, until they learn the real purpose of "the system" - generating brown-envelopes. Those who learn to navigate the "real world" environment, vs the "how it should be" fantasy, will have a less-stressful experience.

Fair point on the OP not being married. But it is ALL about money - why they let us come/stay at all, and why they said the changed to 60-days VE and added the DTV. Immigration at bad entry-points do all this hassling, because they want "their cut" of "our money" for themselves. They are not allowed to touch infrequent visitors on tourist-entries ("bad press"), but come some undefined "too often," and you are "fair game." How often is "too often" depends on what the Boss needs for his beyond-salary lifestyle that day/week/month. Otherwise, they would specify it.

I do not think they will be making problems over a clear-case. They can read numbers and use a calculator. One only has to put this together once, for all savings pre-2024.

Yes, because it was proven-earned before Jan, 1 2024. Pensions / SSI - may be tax-free due to your DTA (it is from USA).

For proof, provide a list of your investment-valuations / account-totals as of Dec 31, 2023. Anything you bring in up to that limit, starting from Jan, 1 2024, until you have remitted all of that sum, is not taxable. Edit: unless they start taxing income not remitted.

I predict this part will not happen. It would drive out everyone but pensioners, who are protected by double-tax treaties, in the case of most.

Feel free to discuss the merit of holding "covid time" against returning foreigners, here. The other topic can only be discussed openly in forums not adhering to the "Trusted News Initiative" (sic) guidelines.

You will need the owner of the property where you want to register your new yellow-book to assist, as it is "their house". Your pink-ID would also be needed. I would ask at the amphur - or have a Thai-speaking person call and ask them what they need to see. You may also have to report the old yellow-book lost, if they want to see that, as well - you would show them the police-report and a copy, instead.

Doesn't the ETA apply to all types of entry - exempt or with a visa? I am open to correction if mistaken, but that was the wording I recall.