Rob Browder

It is either 1900 or 10K Baht for the extension - not clear yet. In theory, one could border-bounce instead of the extension - some debate on that, but the wording in the official Gazette seems to indicate this. I have a feeling we will not know for sure 100% until someone tries it. We don't know yet - until someone reports doing it successfully. Currently, nothing is stated in consulate websites saying you cannot apply in a nearby country w/o being a resident there - but those are not always complete / accurate.

Yes, if you have "residency" in a country, you can apply for the METV Visa using a Thai consulate in that country. That makes it ones "home" country, though - even if not one's passport/citizenship country. This is not stated on - for example - the website for the Laos Thai consulates. But until someone does it successfully, we don't really know for sure, because consulate-websites are not always correct / complete. For Malaysia and Singapore - I would be interested in how it did not work, specifically - what the error message was - what locations you used / I assume you applied as if you were in those countries - as you would go there before applying? - etc. Good luck in Hong Kong, if you go that route. Let us know how it goes.

Land-entries on a Non-O-ME Visa would not count as "visa exempt entries," regardless - so your "visa exempt entry by land border" count is currently zero - not two.

The "what the neighbor said" is the crux of the issue. If someone gets drunk and walks home - no problem with "public drunkenness" laws - but make an a** of yourself while drunk, and you might have a police-problem. Same thing here. If there is enforcement only when the person in question is making some sort of 2ndary problem, and blabbing about what they do, then the solution is not to be a problem to others, and hand them the rope to hang you as a bonus. Whether working online or not, it is important to remember one is a guest in other people's country, and behave accordingly. Also factor in - the new tax rules turn this into a net-benefit to Thailand, so even less reason to bother people about it.

From the story you linked: > The Australian teacher had been living in Thailand for three years, two of those on a tourist visa. What visa was he on the 3rd year? Did this have something to do with it? > He said in the last year he was teaching English to Chinese students online through an Australian company, and said he was told this was fine because no money was exchanged through Thailand. > But after his neighbour complained, John said he got a knock at the door. “On the first day there was no problems,” he said. “But they came back a few days later and picked me up. When they want it to be a problem, it’s a problem. How did his neighbor know what he was doing? Why did they rat him out? It sounds like he was not popular with the locals, and they just wanted him gone. And, the story is about the IDC, not a prison; no information is given on what charges were filed.

The lack of "welfare" ensures we have sufficient-funds to support ourselves in Thailand - regardless of age. The fact that 6 X 12-hour days here = 1-8-hour day working back home, means we have no incentive to work illegally. It's a self-correcting system, which is why the Cambodia and Laos do not have "money in the bank" requirements. The PI doesn't either, if one uses the 3-years of tourist extensions + bounce out-back, and repeat method.

... who are, for the most part, remote workers. I agree the tax-policy works at cross-purposes - but they may hope to use easier-stays to increase tax-revenue. This is because the recent increase has been Indian and Chinese tourists - many on "zero baht" tours - vs Western visitors who spent more money per-each, historically. It's a shame they harassed Westerners who "spent too much time (= money)" in Thailand - driving many to other destinations. This financially hurt many Thais, but Immigration didn't care about them. When I was briefly in Cambodia, a few years ago, I met dozens of "forced out of Thailand by immigration" Westerners who were spending their money there, in direct response to Thai immigration's "crackdowns." They were openly bitter and angry about Thailand, and unlikely to ever return. Note that Cambodia never had the tax-loophole Thailand had, before - and it didn't seem to affect them - never even came up in conversation.

Here is where an English translation was posted: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328520-5-year-multiple-entry-dtv-visa-destination-thailand-from-2024-xx-xx/?do=findComment&comment=19067525

Yes - as reported in the 1st post of this thread.

Minivan + visa-cost to Laos or Cambodia - hardly a difference vs short-haul round-trip flight to Malaysia or Singapore, where most of us get visa-free entry. We used land-borders, including with our Tourist Visas, because the airports were taken-over by a clan which required pre-arrangement with an agent to enter the country unmolested. Only "occasional" or "brief visit" folks could use the airports without worry. I used to fly direct to Penang, get my Tourist-Visa, then train back across the border into Thailand, then fly home out of Hat-Yai, domestic, to avoid flying into an airport-checkpoint. The "undesirables" you speak of were the illegal workers from neighboring countries, who flooded across those entry-points, and never had a limit put on them.

Not always. Sometimes they say "not ready yet," and another trip in the future. Many folks live far from their nearest imm-office.

Loud-exhaust moto races every night on that street with the railroad running down the middle. Always stay a couple nights nearby anywhere you think you might want to rent, before you sign a contract.

There is no reason extensions would not be given after a 60-day entry visa-exempt entry. There hasn't been time to find out via reports - have to wait another 50-something days - but I do not anticipate denials because, historically, extensions were more freely-given than entry to the country. Even those threatened with denial-of-entry, but grudgingly "let in with a warning," reported no problem getting an extension, in past cases.

... unless you pre-arrange with one of their agents, of course. But, maybe not even the no-agent denials, for now? Maybe only some entry points? Who knows? The only way to find out, is wait for the "I was denied entry" reports - the same as before - and conjure for a vague pattern to emerge out of the ether.

There was not a "total days" rule before this. Years ago there was such a rule (90 days per 180 days) - but not recently. To spite that rule being officially removed, some IOs would still claim some-such rule existed. But, what they stamped in rejected passports was "doesn't have the money" - even if the person denied had the required money - nothing about "here too long," because that is not a legal reason to reject entry. But, get an agent set-up for one's entry, and then that "problem" never occurred. With that in mind, consider what you are asking for. You want assurances that an agency whose personnel routinely make-up rules, to maximize the use of agents, will consistently do something. If they did THAT, this forum would not need to exist (mostly). Policies can differ from office to office, and from one entry-point to another. In this case, it's even worse. The old "2 land border max" rule was in the official Gazette, replacing the non-limited 15-day land-border entry-time per the previous rule. This "no limit at land borders" appeared out of nowhere. IOs suddenly said it was OK, and people started doing it and getting in a 3rd time (as reported). It could change back - or not - and we have no way to predict when.

Nothing yet - stay tuned. And, yes, a moderator here asked at the Bangkok Immigration office - cannot apply there. Only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via consulates abroad, offers the visa currently.

This is the "Thailand becomes more wealthy" possible-future. I would look at the 10-year visa options, which are a better predictor of possible future options - money can be abroad / earning decent ROI, etc. Bottom line - if Thailand becomes "too rich for my blood" - to spite my being insulated from rent fluctuations (own my own condo) - and assuming no grandfathering of retirement-qualifications - I could take my retirement-bank-money and condo-sale money (or rental income from it) to a more-affordable destination.

You think they are going to cancel retirement-based extensions? If you have the elite-money - easy to put a piece of that in the bank, then let an agent handle every year's extension (100% legally - no fake-funds), and not set your money on fire for nothing. Reality is published in the Gazette - "unlimited" entries for 5 years. 180-days stamped in at each entry. Even if you had to do a 10K extension every year for the 2nd 180 days - it is still a bargain vs the "elite".

You cannot work for a Thai company on the DTV. Your work-permit would be invalidated.

That is true. It is also MUCH easier for the applicant. That is why so many of us let that additional money rot in the bank year-round, to NOT have to go through the marriage-based extension gauntlet. The solution would be to lighten-up after the first couple years of extensions, and make it just as easy - or easier (not just the money-difference) - than a retirement-based extension, given you are married to a Thai national.

They are increasing the share of millions of people who work remotely, who will now be able to spend earned foreign-income into the Thai economy, ongoing. Before this, those folks had to spend 1/2 of their money in other countries every year, because Thailand "cracked down" on them spending money here "too much / often." Yes - zero-baht "tour packages" increase arrival-numbers, but do not put much in per-capita.

... because they thought "Western Tourists gave us covid" - because the TV said so - meanwhile, "... will always be friends with the Chinese people" signs were put up. Thai govt officials tried to blame Westerners for covid, while kissing *** to the govt responsible for the place where it originated, who left the international-airport from ground-zero open to the rest of the world (including Thailand - how it actually got here), while simultaneously isolating that province from the rest of China. It is sad people believe the TV and politician-liars - and this problem is not unique to Thailand. "Bad Western foreigners" spread covid by swimming alone in the ocean, or sitting on the beach, said the TV, though UV-light destroys pathogens (not a new discovery). These liars - and those responsible for the existence of covid in the first place - NEVER APOLOGIZED, and were never held accountable for the damage caused by their reckless actions and lies - world-wide.

12,500 Baht/year - not including re-entry permits. About the same as a 1-year ME Visa in Cambodia or Laos - also not requiring money "in the bank" - but no add-on re-entry permit costs with those. Where wages are multiples higher, so we need different immigration restrictions - though those are trashed, at this point - just be a "refugee" and you are set, including free-money welfare. No welfare here, so those w/o money MUST leave. Every year I did a marriage-extension, different things were required. It was standard practice to do a "dry run" well in-advance of expiry, to see what had changed. When they added the landlord-docs (chanote and house-book of owner), as yet ANOTHER Undocumented Hurdle, just to **** with us, I had to go get a ME-Visa to stay with my wife, because those were not provided to me by the landlord. Those on retirement had the money-rules changed out from under them, w/o grandfathering, a few years ago - greatly increasing how much they needed in "can't use it money," with the different "money seasoning" requirements and "can't ever go below 400K" rule. They also asked our consulates not to issue income-affidavits any more, so people relying on those were screwed (married and retired).

I haven't seen this reported elsewhere. Has anyone seen a source for this report? "just" LOL!! I remember when the sales reps were calculating it by the day, to make the number look small. These are not people to listen to for advice on how to plan for a comfortable future. One wants to CUT those repeating expenses, not blow them off because they are not "much per day" or "month."

... would have used agents before - or bought an elite visa - with their ill-gotten gains - assuming they are not wanted-men, yet. Every time they go through immigration or apply for an extension (agent or not), their passport is checked. If there is a warrant - BUSTED.