bamboozled

Thank you, Grahmm. I was thinking of Yok as well! I've been to Makro to buy supplies and never saw that paper but it's true I wasn't looking specifically for it at the time. I could try with the 18" though 36" would be better....like wrapping paper for a gift. Much obliged!

Anyone know where I can find this? Needs to be 36" wide or thereabouts. Thanks!

You nailed it! As I wrote a few days ago, I went to renew (tried to renew) my O visa based on marriage in Chiang Mai. The first person that you must pass through, well, after the helpers outside, is the woman at the INFORMATION counter. She turned me away saying that using bank statements showing 12 months of transfers of at least $40k was not a valid method for meeting the financial requirements for the visa. Again, this is the first person that you MUST see to move along through the process at the INFORMATION counter...and she doesn't even have the correct information. I's not even laughable because some poor folks are going to end up in dire situations when they cannot get their visas and must leave Thailand because this person insisted on her wrong info. And they didn't know to ask someone else or know about any alternatives. I'll just add that she hardly spoke any English...and the people using immigration are not going to be Thai speakers, most of them. Now, this is my fault, some, for still not speaking Thai well after many years here but it seems to me it would be smart to have an informed, English speaking person at the information counter. I acknowledge we are not all native English speakers but it has become the international lingua franca.

Only if it's the DMT-excreting toad

I read how the kukri eat them. Sounds.....unpleasant.

Thanks.... Ok, I will be due to go before that. I'm sure someone will be before me (mid July) but if not, I'll report back.

....Pulled a good bit of vegetation out today. Ground was nice and soft so that helped. Weirdly, did not see a lot of frogs just a few and did not bother to catch them. They are fast!. As I said, they were much quieter this morning so perhaps they've moved on? Probably only temporarily. I did hear them early like 5 am but a couple hours later pretty quiet. After I get to the grocery store to buy some vinegar I will do good spray down. Was totally thinking the whole time if you can put a python on a leash.

No, def not going to move because of the frogs but would like to do something if possible. This morning they're pretty silent The rain really pumps them up. Listen frog-crock lovers: I guarantee you would not like this. You're all referencing some pleasant memory of frogs croaking. This is not that memory. Just trust me, ok? It's deafening. It's about a 2 meter or less wide space between the house and the cement perimeter wall. This space now is muddy and full of water and yes a good bit of vegetation has sprouted as we don't walk in that space. The bottom floor of the house is one big room with a tiled floor and the ceiling the underside of the second-story wood floors so another hard surface. The walls of the house adjacent to this area are just screened windows, no glass., so nothing to block the sound. There are many frogs, that is obvious. I think the sound reverberates off the concrete wall and straight into the house that accentuates even further the sound due to the hard surfaces and open space. Today, I plan to cut down all the veggies and capture as many froggies as I can and send them to TV for TV croaker-lovers to collect and keep under their beds.

I agree. But this is different. I love the sound, too, usually. This is overwhelming. Nothing soothing about it.

Fantastic, thanks! I didn't check Google, duh! There are no plants to harm there so no issue with that. Plenty of water to mix with the vinegar. And the area is not huge so should be doable. Ah, they just stopped for a second....bliss!

I never thought to try and catch them. I had/have the feeling they are itinerant. I do see them jumping around across the drive sometimes at night. And where are they non-rainy season? I'll have to give that a go. If they are in the actual gutter, which is a concrete trough, I might be able to fashion some kind of net the exact size. I'll have to have a go at it.

There is a depression in front of the driveway just where it meets the street. Water collects here, a couple inches. It's filled with tadpoles. I didn't think to catch them and remove them. I have gone out to have a look and try and push the water out (to no avail) but couldn't see he frogs. I didn't look really hard but I was surprised as it sounds like there are hundreds. There are not a lot of lights shining out there but there is grass and herbage. I will cut that; good idea.

It's too loud. This sounds stupid but it's painful to be in my rented house these mornings. The house is about 2 meters from the perimeter wall on two sides and along the base of this wall runs a gutter with poor drainage during rainy season. It is full of frogs and they make so much noise, especially in the mornings, that it is painful to be in the house. It is all open screening on those two side, windows with no glass but just screens and wooden shutters which we leave open. I could close them but that would be a shame. Hmm, maybe i have to do that. Anyhow, perhaps the noise from the frogs bounces off the perimeter wall but whatever the reason, their croaking is deafening and non-stop. It sounds stupid but come over and try it out. It's a piercing tone. Is there anything that can be done? I can't get rid of the water. There just isn't adequate drainage and would require raising the whole level of the yard surrounding the house. I could poison them but I really don't feel right doing that. Is there something that would "move them along"? Some smell they don't like? Or something I could put in the water that would be not to their liking and move them along? Has anyone experienced this? It's ridiculous but is real. You can't talk on the phone, listen to music, or speak without shouting. I'm going mad. And I'm not going to move....been here 6 years now and it's great. The frogs have never been this bad.

Farang Kiwi, can you let us know if you're giving it a go and if so, the result? What's the plan? Thanks!

I also had this question. I'm thinking, though I don't know, that the issue is you can get the visa but will you be granted entrance to the country and get a stamp in your passport? The e-visa is only a letter downloaded from the internet which you give to immigration on arrival...and then they stamp the passport. So it seems to me you will have to enter Thailand from another country to get the stamp. And your TM-6 will state your arrival country....I can't recall if Immi looks at your plane ticket when you arrive or not. Anyway, this might present a problem. Also, they usually look at your previous stamps. But hey, maybe it's fine?

You're welcome and thank you. I don't agree, about fair to Immigration, Jack. I get your point but I think Immi should be "fair" to a husband of a Thai citizen for 8 years that did indeed make 40k international transfers for 12 months. It was only 4 banks because they would not accept my 1 bank statement from SCB that shows the transfers (but doesn't show the three letter international code....come on, where else am I getting the money? Crazy). Nor will they accept the backup Wise receipts that also show them as international transfers. They don't explain in detail what they want or how they want it. You only really know if they will accept your paperwork when you get there....and then dependent on who you're dealing with as evidenced by the first INFORMATION officer who told me 12 months of deposits was not a viable method. It should not be this hard when you are married to a Thai citizen. Anyway, I was not surprised it didn't work but I got frustrated nonetheless. It's easy to do when lines are long and you're sweating bullets with a mask on and things are unclear. Cheers!

Well folks, I got stuffed at Immi today for the Non-O year extension. I did get a lot of the documents in order for it including banking statements as best I could though they were from four different banks (see my previous post). It was swamped, of course, last Friday and this Monday having been holidays. And hot as Hades. Well first off, the officer at info who didn't speak much English (?) told me that 12 months of 40k transfers was not acceptable. Not that my documents were not acceptable but that the 40k per month for a year was not even an acceptable method for the Non-O. This left me.....befuddled, to say the least. She did not like my bank documents, anyhow, and they did not add up to 400k (Correct because I was not using that method). So I decided to apply for the 60 days to visit Thai wife and went back outside to get those documents together. After doing so, we had them looked at by the helpers who deemed them in order, though one of them asked a higher up about something. This higher up then asked my wife what the purpose of my 60-day extension to visit Thai wife was for. Was I taking care of her? Huh?? Weird. I finally got back up to the counter inside and got into a conversation with a different immigration officer who said, yes, 40k per month for a year was fine for the year Non-O extension. But of course. So I showed her my bank documents once again. One was a credit advice from Deemoney who had acted as the intermediary between my US bank and my SCB account. She said I couldn't use that as Deemoney is not a bank. Huh? Then she looked at one of my credit advices that was from Bangkok Bank who also acted as an intermediary for Wise. She said the wrong box was checked at the top of the letter and that it should have been the box two above that one. Huh? Anyway, it was a classic immigration embroilment. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is....next to impossible. I did get the 60 day extension. For anyone trying to use Wise for international transfers to show immigration, I don't recommend it. It was a complete failure for me. I've read it's worked for some.... So, here's hoping the one year, multi in Savannakhet is a go.....in 60 days. Cheers, Bam

Thanks, zzzzzzz! Don't fall asleep!

Got it!

What makes you confident, Joe? The site wasn't explicit that it was available though one could infer that it was. You do mean a 1 year, multi, yes? That is lovely news. I'm about to head to immigration and if my documents don't stand up I might be taking advantage of that in 60 days time.

To Chiang Khong, you mean, Joe? Gosh, I haven't crossed there for about 25 years. Can you get visa on arrival there? Surprised it's not open as Laos said all borders are open, did they not? Guess it's a Thai side issue? Well, June 1 would be fine, too. We still don't know about the multi year visa. Who's first?? Thanks!

Thank you, UJ. That's a bummer. But Savannakhet/Mukdahan is? Is the Thailand Pass expected to be scrapped at some point in the near future? Maybe, just maybe there is an exemption at Mae Sai for day shopping? True, Thailand never got anything out of the deal since there was no entry fee. But it was ok for Myanmar.

Hi folks, does anyone have info on this border and whether one can pop in and out easily to get a stamp in the passport (for multi-entry, year Non-O visa holders?). Or maybe easier and simpler question, has anyone gone shopping in Tachilek for a few hours and come back to Mae Sai, hassle free? I did search the internet but did not find anything current. Thank you!

I figured I'd continue in this thread as it might be relevant to folk getting a visa in Laos. Does anyone have the status of the border crossing Mae Sai/Tachilek? That's my go-to for doing border bounces with a multi-entry year visa. If that border is not open or not soon to be open with easy in and out, that will make things a lot more cumbersome and expensive for me.

https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/page/cate-9736-types-of-visa?menu=5d84a44c15e39c26b4004569