Rob Browder

1/2 for a family, is what I wrote. 32.5K/mo? No problem. The 1/3 was for a single person. Edit: "Kind of Life" is the key. What activities are chosen beyond the basics? Does the kid need the latest iPhone to be cool? etc.

I understand that some wealthier people view how other people live in such terms. Many Thais live on a fraction of what I do, but I don't "look down" on them for this. They are happier than most of my compatriots, in fact. Expecting someone to transfer that amount every month is excessive for many who live here, so to assume everyone can is the "blind spot" to which I am referring.

Some visas you can - others you cannot. A Tourist-Visa or DTV can be applied for at many "not passport/resident country" consulates, but not all; some Thai consulates don't let anyone but local-residents apply for any type of visa. When they rolled out the METV, however, they restricted it to "passport/resident country only." I have seen no indication that this policy has been changed.

Where it gets confusing, is that depending on the "visa" one originally used, the "rules" change - what reasons you can use for further extensions, whether insurance is needed, etc. So, yes, only the "permitted stay" is being "extended" - but it is the "permitted stay of visa type X" which is being extended. The old, "used" visa matters - even if it is from years ago. Personally, I prefer the Cambodian system, where one can apply in-country for a "New Visa" at immigration, which is multiple-entry if 6-mo or greater in duration. Selling "re-entry permits" for longer-term "permitted stays" just comes across as "scammy."

I have seen this blind-spot posted before. For "the rest of us," 65K/mo is 2x more than needed to support a family of 4 comfortably in Thailand - and 3x more than needed to support a single "retired" person here comfortably. All spending above that is on luxuries/extras.

As you are still legally married, it is not unusual they require the wife to attend, and you to apply based on being married to her - not based on the Thai child. This is because they view not having a "seasoned" (for 2 months) 400K to be "getting away" with something, and it is not required to season the money for a child-based extension. Of course, a marriage-based extension requires you and the wife living together (de-facto and de-jure). If they are decent about it, and assuming you have the 400K seasoned, I hope they will allow the child-based extension for you - though, I believe that usually requires that the child lives with you.

"No Receipt" money often needed for these. Now, they have changed it to require buying two when one worked before. I am seeing a pattern, but I'm sure it's "just a coincidence."

In my experience, not unusual for a weekend. I had one this year where the first day I could apply was Friday, and got my approval reply the following Monday afternoon.

That's a bargain for the Marriage-based extension, compared to the crap you and your wife can be put through otherwise. I'm not saying this is "good or right," of course. Someone married to a Thai being put through the wringer or extorted, for a meager "1 more year," to live with your wife is disgusting.

Better pay off immigration at the airport with this service: https://aseannow.com/topic/1336926-setv-metv-still-around-now-that-visa-exempts-are-now-60-days/?do=findComment&comment=19217493 Otherwise, best would be to do the Vietnam visit first or after Thailand, then use a Safe Honest Land Border for the 2nd entry. Thailand's capital-airport immigration are documented stamping false-reasons into passports as the "official reason" they denied entry, as punishment for not using their agent partners. Yes, because there is no published rule to follow, so could be denied entry. Is 7 days enough? Is 14? 30? 180? We have no idea what the "guidelines" are, is the problem. Or, rather, Immigration's "trick" to maximize agent-assistance sales.

I keep my Thai SSO Card in my wallet.

Quoting the Pattaya Mail, which he referenced. I watch several Thai related YT channels, and Mr Hart often quotes some interesting articles.

You can use income over 40K / mo from a job in Thailand with work-permit, but you will need to provide a stack of Thai company documents - basically, the same as would be needed for a Non-B Visa - a big PITA. Then, if you go for the 1-year extension - do it all over again. "Self employment" would need to be a Thai company - otherwise back to the 12-months of transfers to prove the income (edit: IF your imm-office will accept them).

For now, the ETA proposal has been delayed. It was originally proposed only for those coming in "Visa Exempt," but ... "... suspended on October 16 by the Cabinet at least until April 2025." https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/the-real-deal-about-the-end-of-one-of-thailands-unpopular-address-forms-476283 The article goes on to say, however ... At some stage in 2025 the ETA system will be extended to include all foreigners entering Thailand, including all non-immigrant visa holders such as retirees. They do not say where they obtained that information, and I hope it is unfounded, but this is the way the wind is blowing. I learned of this article here:

I file on the first day I can. Same with annual extensions. There is more time to deal with "unexpected problems," that way. One does not need to do anything wrong to have "unexpected problems" - things change / break / etc w/o warning. That said, checking in here can minimize surprises, which will usually hit someone else in the backside, first.

He thinks they will cancel it because of the Elite? I think that overpriced option's ship has sailed. If they had enough money/power to prevent the DTV, they would have. In what other way does the DTV "not make economic sense for Thailand"?? People with money / income stay and spend that money here vs spending it in other countries. That "makes economic sense" to me. After a year or so of "no problem with my DTV reports" being passed among expats - many who left, swearing never to deal with Thai immigration again, due to their past behavior - might even return and start spending their money here, again.

While still walk-up service (not eVisa), they will not take your 5K unless you qualify for the visa. I have not read a report of anyone with seasoned-funds and other known-needed documents being denied the Non-O-ME in Savannakhet.

Last report of the "all included" agent option I saw was June 2024: They used to charge him 35K Baht / year - then tried for 75K this year. I would guess they lost their contact, and were going through another agent middleman. Another agent offered the service for less, but at an "up-country" immigration-office. This fellow from January was using an "up country" agent, who also provided the funds:

I cannot answer the underlying question - but, to clarify: It is the "permitted stay" which you would be extending - the visa being expired is not an issue. But, the Elite Visa is not a "Non-Immigrant" type of visa, so you would be unlikely to be able to go directly to a 1-year extension-of-stay - though I would still ask. Would they let you apply for a 90-day Non-O Visa based on marriage, which could then be extended, from a "Privilege Visa" permitted-stay? The forms used for this are for "Tourist" and "Visa Exempt" - still worth asking at Immigration. Hopefully, someone who has done this can chime-in. Worst case, run up to Savannakhet or Vientiane and get your 90-Day Non-O Visa there.

I don't know how the agents do it, but I would guess customers provide their passport details in advance, and they book "for them" online, as slots become available. I have also seen threads reporting on-site agent-service at consulate gates on short-notice. This would not preclude having to show up at the consulate yourself for processing. Though that was not needed at some consulates in years past, it has been required everywhere for awhile, now.

I meant agent-money in an envelope for "no problem processing." I had well over a min-balance of 400K in the bank. I have read threads here of folks doing marriage-based via agent w/o funds - not cheap though. Staying here under 50, pre-DTV, was a PITA.

The primary issue is, the police cannot make laws. There is no "not a real tourist" reason in the law to deny entry, and the law instructs that immigration may ONLY deny for the specific reasons listed. The law was written in a way designed to prevent the very corruption taking place now. It was only ever "enforce-able" due to a lack of legal oversight of police-procedures. See above: As well, the terms of the Visa-Exempt entry were re-defined when it was changed to 60-days, to include other reasons for entry - making this document no-longer applicable, even if it ever had legal weight. Further, this statement begins by defining "tourism" as "not working here" - which makes sense. But then, they bring up an undefined "in/out" aka "visarun" and some vague "time" factor. How many days between leaving and returning is acceptable? Had they simply defined that one term, everyone could have complied easily. But, even if they had - how to deny-entry based on "did not stay out long enough before returning," when this was never a legal reason to deny entry? And, in the most glaring example of hypocrisy and corrupt-intent, this "problem" can be solved by paying them off through agents - including at the nation's capital-city airports - whereby "visaruns" are magically transformed into 100% acceptable "tourism."

An awesome rant making exactly this point, is here, from the Integrity Legal guy. Not allowing foreign-nationals to complete with Thais in this market-niche is good - but the rest is terrible:

I ran into this problem also - now pay at 7/11, as no bank (including the KTB branch I tried) would open an account in Thai-script for me. Some report one can get a non-Thai-script account added at the Rayong Thai-SS office, which is purportedly more friendly to farangs.

Agree - except this one - if one stayed for long periods, prior. If, for example, one was here throughout Covid on covid-extensions, they seem to really hate that. Why? There were few jobs available then - no "illegal tour guide" opportunities and such - so it's not that they think they were "working illegally." But, for a year+ the IOs had to live on their salary-income only - no doubt resulting in the loss of fancy cars, angry mia nois, etc. Hence, great resentment that those farangs "Got Away with living in Thailand ALL that time!"