BrandonJT

He went to the police, and the police wouldn't do anything. So instead he contacted an advocacy group that tries to help people with issues and brings media attention to them. Saimai Survive is the group he turned to after the police, and that's most likely why you are seeing this article at all.

They already ran this through the courts and got a pass. Now they're going to milk it for as long as possible.

Depends on your history in Thailand, the longer and more sketchy, the higher the price. I think it starts around 1500-2000? After that the sky is the limit until the agent tells you they can't help you.

1) When all of this started a few months ago, it was 1 night in Laos at Chiang Saen, or 2 nights in Laos at Chiang Khong. Chiang Khong switched to 1 night for a while but appears to have switched back to 2 nights. Up until now I've never heard anything different about Chiang Saen, so that one appears to still be at 1 night in Laos. 2) Reports are that the "overnight" rule is only applying to those without a visa, and entering visa exempt. While one report says that the Thai said told them they could not return the same day without spending the night, but they returned immediately with their multiple entry non-O and were let in normally.

No, the preferred method would be if the rules were uniform across the country, at every border and point of entry. At least then you would know what to expect. A few months notice of a rule change doesn't mean much when each individual border can set their own rules regardless of the official rule. Maybe the ETA will change this and maybe it won't. Guess we will have to wait and see.

@DrJack54 You didn't really clear up his question about the period to apply. He believes he can apply within 45 days of the expiration written on his visa from the embassy. I told him that is incorrect. It's 45 days from the expiration of his entry stamp. That's the clarification he was asking for. Though I already know the answer.

The embassies in SE Asia allow non-residents to apply. Many others do, but some don't. And even more confusingly some that specifically say they don't, like Tapei, allow non-residents to apply for the DTV there. How you receive your DTV depends on where you are applying. If you are applying at a Thai embassy that has not adopted e-visa, you will be giving them your passport with your application and your visa will be inside the passport. If you apply at a Thai embassy that has adopted e-visa, it will all be done online and you will receive your visa as a PDF document e-mailed to you.

You go to the BOI office before they take you to the immigration office. They'll make sure everything is in order and print anything out that you are missing for you. Don't worry too much.

They may have done it after Covid for a short term, but for a long time it was not required. I was there in July and there was no such requirement.

Tod said "Chiang Mai Visa Run" can do in and out same day at Chiang Khong. He didn't know of any agents in Chiang Rai that can do the same thing, just the ones there act as a taxi to bring you to the border so you're still subject to the rules. He also stated that how long you have to stay out is whatever they tell you when you arrive, regardless of what others have experienced before.

Your understanding is off. When your visa expires has no bearing on any of this. The expiration date on your visa just means you must enter Thailand by that date in order to receive the 90 day entry stamp. You can only apply for the extension when the entry stamp has 45 days or less left. The moment you enter Thailand the visa is done, gone, irrelevant. Only the entry stamp matters after that point (though you'll still need the visa for your extension).

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.