BrandonJT

2000 baht fine for not having a license. Such a deterrant.

A lease is not a TM30. A TM30 is a legal requirement for any property owner to report the arrival of a foreigner within 24 hours.

I would attribute it to 2 things: 1) Now that most people get 60 days for visa exempt rather than 30, there's far less need for 30 day extensions for people on a simple holiday. 2) Now that immigration is becoming much more strict on serial border bouncers trying to live in Thailand on visa exempt stamps, there are less people looking for extensions trying to abuse that system.

Honestly, I would go with option 2. A border bounce is going to cost you more than the 2000 baht fine. And if you leave after 140 days and come back, there's a decent chance that no one will ever notice you skipped your 90 day report and it'll never come up again. But even if it does, it's just going to be a 2000 baht fine. I think rolling the dice is the better option.

Actually, the rule is 10,000 baht per person and 20,000 baht per family for Visa on Arrival. For Visa Exempt it's supposed to be 20,000 baht per person, and 40,000 baht per family. I've never understood why the land borders were asking for 10,000 from everyone based on what the rules actually are.

This in and of itself would not cause new elections. It would just mean that Anutin would become PM since there are no other PM candidates left from the other major parties. The whole thing about the only people ever eligible to be PM are the people who were listed during the election is completely idiotic but it is what it is. But the rumors of the current PM considering dissolving parliament if it appears the investigation is going anywhere are interesting. They would rather wash the whole thing and start over than let another party become PM. Seems like a better idea than letting Anutin into the office to me.

Wait, how did they end seizing the boat and all of its cargo but failing to capture even a single person from the boat?

Haven't heard anything changed from Nong Khai. It's still only Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong that have gone rogue (the last I heard). I think Tod would be the most up to date but I haven't seen anything from him recently. I'll message him to see if he has any updates.

Jomtien used to not require a new TM30 even if you left Thailand. Around a year ago they changed their policy, and fined a ton of people. The new policy was that if you left Thailand and returned you needed to file a new TM30. Of course it could have changed again in the meantime.

Yeah, they printed up a bunch of these and didn't want to change them. Chiang Saen was 1 night and and Chiang Khong switched from 2 to 1 night a while ago as well. That's been confirmed by a few people recently. Of course it might depend on who is working the shift you decide to return.

I've literally never heard of this happening to anyone. No one checks your TM47 status until you are at the immigration office for something.

Chiang Khong is only a little further and much easier to get a bus to there. But if you are driving yourself I guess you can go to either one. They both have the 1 night rule currently. Just make sure if you are going with him, that you get a re-entry permit from your home immigration before going, since I assume you don't want to start over along with him. And make sure he does not have a re-entry permit or his extension won't be invalidated when he leaves.

There is no 2 days out rule. It's 1 night required in Laos, only at the Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong border. And reports indicate it is only for those using visa exempt. One person reported recently that they had a multiple entry visa and were told they could not return that day, but turned around in Laos and had no problem getting back in.

A common problem at Jomtien. I believe Chiang Mai also does this. But most other immigration offices do not. At least feel better in the fact that if you did not have the copy you arrived with, they probably would have fined you.

There are no forms. You proceed to passport control and hand over your passport and your boarding pass. Smile for the camera and provide your fingerprints, then wait for your passport back.