s_jess

Flight into Thailand has a change at BKK but it's not a self-transfer i.e. I am checked in to final destination and will not need to collect baggage. Will I still go through immigration in Bangkok? Does it mame any difference if the stop is at DMK?

I'd been intending to apply for a retirement visa when I turn 50 in January. I have investment income that would cover the cost of living in Thailand and wasn't planning on working. I now have an opportunity to pick up some remote work that I would take if I was certain it wasn't going to cause visa problems. More money, something useful to do. With the retirement visa, my understanding is that remote work is likely to be tolerated but since it's not strictly legal, it's better to keep it under the radar, which means you don't file taxes, which means you don't pay your Thai income tax. That makes me uncomfortable. Practically speaking, a tax history is also required for PR, although up to now this has always been linked with a work permit and a Thai employer. The DTV seems to be specifically aimed at people working remotely, so there doesn't look to be the same need to stay under the radar. Against that background I was wondering: Do you see a risk in filing taxes on work done in Thailand on a DTV? Do you think that that type of work/tax history would be acceptable if I later applied for PR?

Same. It almost becomes a way of advertising that you were worried you wouldn't be let in. Of course we don't know the details of the extensions yet. Maybe they'll stay the same, or could it be that they will stop extending visa exempt entries (so the change is really that you get your extension automatically)? Alternatively they could start giving longer extensions to SETV holders. Either way, entering on an SETV would tell immigration that you were intending to extend.

Chiang Mai Thanks, I'll go through those posts.

Thanks a lot for that suggestion and sorry for the slow reply. I think I was on day 12 when I originally posted so even if the hospital was cooperative there's no way to get a 7-day gap. I will be in Hat Yai and then Udon Thani, so if getting a titer is challenging in general it's probably not going to happen unless I make a special trip. So I suppose the question is whether I can be sure I'm protected if I get a single dose in say a month's time, or whether I'd have to start over. Or looking at it the other way round, whether there's any harm in just starting over and getting 2 more doses, 7 days apart. I don't see how there can be, seeing that the post-exposure regimen is 4 doses in a shorter timeframe, but then I'm not a doctor...

Yes, I will apply for the non O after my birthday. I was thinking that until extended it's only a 90-day permission to stay, which doesn't sound much like "residence" to me, but then I don't know their criteria for issuing certificates of residence. I will be sitting on some money which I want to get invested asap, and am told I need the certificate to open an investment account, so it's better for me if I can get it as soon as I get the initial visa, rather than waiting until it's been extended and I have a 12-month permission to stay. If you have to have 800k in the bank when you apply for the non O then obviously you need to open a bank account before getting the non O, so in my case when on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry. I thought that was hard to do but I guess it must be possible or most of the people who might want to apply for this type of visa would be in a catch 22. There must be posts about this already so I'll RTF.

Great, thanks. Do they give you the visa on the day of the application or do I need to leave time for processing? I take it the re-entry permit is just one trip to immigration. Once I'm back, is a couple of weeks enough to do the extension? Do you know if they'll give me a certificate of residence based on the unextended 90-day visa?

I will turn 50 in Jan and am planning to apply for a retirement visa so I can come and go with no stress. I would also like to get a certificate of residence asap. I need to be elsewhere in Feb and Mar though. Is it possible to apply in Jan, get a certificate of residence and then leave, making sure to return within 90 days to do the extension?

tbh that's what I thought but they refused to give it to me and I'm now well past day 7. It was out of the fridge and reconstituted so can't be used at all now.

I wanted to get vaccinated against rabies before coming to Thailand so I made some enquiries in a neighbouring country and was given a 4-dose schedule (days 0, 3, 7 and 14). I got the shots on day 0 and day 3 but when I went on day 7 they said the original schedule wad wrong. It turns out it should have been either a 2-dose schedule (days 0 and 7) or a 3-dose (0, 7 and 21-28), depending on risk of exposure. So I shouldn't have had a shot on day 3. They didn't give me the shot on day 7 because I'd had one on day 3, but they weren't sure what I should do to complete the course or what level of protection I currently have. The US CDC guidines talk about getting a booster dose if the "titer" is below a certain level, so it seems like the way to go is to find out the "titer" and then get another shot if necessary - but does anyone know 1) if I can get this done in Thailand and how I would explain what I need, and 2) if I need to leave it a certain time before testing?