toolonginexile

Got my 30-day extension without a problem today, just had to wait for hours as it was so busy after the long weekend. My landlord had to fill the TM30 form. I wasn't asked to fill a new TM28 though. Now I've still got the receipt of my old TM28 showing my former address in my passport - might that be a problem? Should I go again tomorrow and fill another TM28 showing my actual current address or just ignore it as the TM30 with my new address has been submitted?

Thanks for your quick reply, ubonjoe. So he will just have to fill and sign it, correct? No additional paperwork required from his side?

Hi, I'll have to extend my 30-day visa-exempt stay for an extra 30 days at Chonburi immigration tomorrow. I have recently moved into a guesthouse (landlord has not reported me to immigration) - what exact documents will they require aside from the usual copies and passport photos?
TM 30, TM 28? Receipt from guesthouse with street address or proper rental contract (haven't got one as I'm not sure how long I'll be staying but we could set one up)?
What paperwork do they require from my landlord, or will he just have to sign all the stuff?
Thanks a lot in advance. (I've gone through the same procedure before but then stayed in a property rented in my wife's name. Having moved into a guesthouse now I guess the required paperwork will be slightly different.)

just wondering what paperwork a foreigner staying at a friend's/wife's rented home would need? sounds like more complications are on the way.

Cheers paz, think I read about that hotel somewhere and will keep it in mind. Just are there any decent places where to have a beer etc. in the night in Mukdahan? To judge from what I've found on the internet the choice is very limited, eh? And is really no-one in favour of staying a night in Savannakhet?

That sounds good so far, ubonjoe. I've just bought the bus ticket (two days in advance just to make sure) at the North Pattaya bus terminal. Will catch the 9pm VIP bus Tuesday night and hope to arrive in Mukdahan by 7 or 8am Wednesday morning. Ticket cost 720 baht. Just wondering now where to stay overnight - Savannakhet or Mukdahan? - as I think two consecutive nights on a bus where I usually can't sleep would be a bit too stressful. Would be nice if someone here who's done that trip before could point me in the right direction or perhaps even recommend me a decent and reasonably priced guesthouse/hotel in a central location and, where possible, with internet access. I mean, I assume nightlife-wise both places aren't really worth spending a night there, but I just don't want to completely waste my time ...

Hello Everyone,

I've been holding an ED visa for 4 1/2 years now and, thanks to the new visa regulations, now need to leave Thailand on October 15th to apply for a new visa. Planning on getting married to my long-term Thai gf in the next couple of months, so in order to give myself a bit more time to get all the paperwork etc. arranged I wish to apply for a double-entry tourist visa in Savannakhet in the meanwhile. Been to Vientiane more than a dozen of times in the past but understand the application process is easier in Savannakhet? I just wish to verify a few details and hopefully get some useful tips ...

1) Any problems reported with applying for a double-entry tourist visa in Savannakhet recently? I've been holding an ED visa since Fenruary 2010 and before that did dozens of "tourist visa runs" to Vientiane. By the way, I'm a German national and 41yo.

2) I understand that a confirmed airline ticket out of Thailand is not (yet?) required in order to obtain a tourist visa in Savannakhet; that correct? How about hotel booking confirmation in Thailand, proof of funds etc. either at the Thai consulate or at the border? I do not live in a hotel in Thailand and I'm certainly not keen on taking 20k baht or so in cash with me either ...

3) I understand that tourist visas are being issued on the same day as application, i.e. I apply in the morning and get the visa in the afternoon of the same day; that correct?

4) If the visa is issued on the same day, where would you recommend to stay overnight, Savannakhet or Mukdahan? I'd be looking for a reasonably priced guesthouse, centrally located in either city and preferably with WiFi; could anyone recommend me where to stay?

5) I'll be traveling from Pattaya to Mukdahan by bus. Is it correct that when I arrive at the bus station in Mukdahan I don't need to take a tuktuk or something but simply take the "international bus" to Savannakhet from the same bus terminal? The bus will drop me off at the Thai immigration checkpoint, then take me across the bridge to the Lao immigration checkpoint; right? From there I would take a tuktuk to the Thai consulate etc. and vice versa?

6) I think the "Yellow Bus" leaving from the North Pattaya Road bus terminal is the only direct bus connection between Pattaya and Mukdahan; unfortunately their website is currently not functioning. How much approximately does a ticket cost; is advance booking required/recommended; at what times are buses leaving from Pattaya; how long does the bus ride to Mukdahan take (around 10 hours?); at what times are buses leaving back to Pattaya leaving from Pattaya?

Yep, I am aware that most of my questions have probably been answered in other threads already ... I just wish to make sure that my information is up-to-date (I couldn't afford to return to Pattaya with just a visa exemption stamp or so) and am also running a bit out of time. Thanks for any tips or recommendations!!

Best regards.

unless some of you may have noticed: there's a more "official" website re: the royal cremation, where it is stated that during the three-day morning period "entertainment places will be asked to suspend or cut back entertainment activities." (http://www.princessbejaratana.com/en/news_detail.php?ID=3) emphasis is on: "or cut back". while i personally still disagree with such an "order", at least this sounds much more reasonable than what the nation makes of presumably the same source.

suggest you ring the thai embassy in vientiane and find out whether they open or not, here's their number

(856-21) 214581-3,223024,217157

April 7th is a Thai Public Holiday. The Embassy will probably be closed.

double-entry TR visa is 2000 THB in vientiane, there is also a minibus from udon airport to friendship bridge, i've been told.

guess you must leave thailand on the 5th as visa expires, not sure whether vang vien is worth a visit, never been there, but i wouldnt recommend a visa agent, just stay in vientiane, not too bad if you've never been there before. (if you still want to use a visa agent just go to what i call vientiane "beach road"/ mekhong riverside, there's at least one agent that advertises to arrange Thai visa, no idea what he charges?)

otherwise, if you'll be back in vientiane on monday 7th anyway (and do not use an agent), just make sure you're at the consulate before 12h, you could pick up your passport on the 8th at 13h and catch your flight to udon (minibus from border to airport). expect long waiting hours at the immigration checkpoint on friendship bridge, last two times i had to wait about 1 1/2 hours

good luck!

Im going to Laos to get a double entry tourist visa.

Im flying to Udon Thani early saturday 5th april. I would then like to just hand over my passport to a visa agent and then head to Vang Vien to just chill out.

Then head back to Vientiane monday 7th for one night and then get my passport back and then head back on the late flight back to Bangkok from Udon tuesday 8th april.

Thats the plan anyway but i do have a couple of questions.

Is this a viable plan?

Do you know a trustworthy visa agent in Vientiane (maybe one who can also sort out the transfers on the Laos side)?

How much is a double entry visa these days?

Is it easy to get to and from Udon Thani Airport to the border?

Is Vang Vien worth the visit or is there a better place to spend the time without spending to much in traffic.

Wow, that was a lot of questions. Thanks a lot in advance :-)

J

who WANTS to be become a thai citizen???

just to solve all these visa problems??? not sure about double nationality but personally i wouldn't lose my german nationality just for the sake of gaining thai citizenship.

just rang my friend. surprisingly he's taken a morning flight to udon thani and is at the Lao border in nongkhai right now. first he said something about "go out and back in", told him it would be wiser, once he's in vientiane, to apply for a proper visa there (i got a double-entry tourist visa in vientiane myself last week). problem with my friend is he's old enough and got enough money, could have easily obtained a one-year visa or so back home. just too lazy!

BTW: think no onward travel ticket required in order to obtain the 30 days stamp at the Lao border in nongkhai yet?

He would only get 7 days and they WILL want to see an onward ticket taking him out of the country at the end of that 7 days.

His best option is to do a border run to Cambodia by one of the many travel agents here. Typical cost is about 2000 baht.

cheers, clear answer, told my mate to book a visarun for tuesday tomorrow. just wonder what if you don't have an onward ticket to show at immigration? no extension at all?? bad situation then as they know you're overstaying...

hi all, just a short question. a friend of mine entered thailand 30 days ago without a visa (visa exemption) and wants to extend his stay tomorrow at jomtien immigration.

1) will he have to show an onward travel ticket in order to get his extension??? (he's got a ticket but the departure date is in may 2008, he'll have to get a proper visa anyway sooner or later.)

2) only 7 days or more possible?

might be wiser (and cheaper) anyway to make a border run to cambodia instead?

thankx!

obviously no problems at all with TVs in vientiane, not sure about savannakhet. been to vientiane last week and got a DOUBLE ENTRY tourist visa (just ask for it)! i was told if i do not extend my TV at the local immigration there is no problem with getting as many consecutive TVs as you like. got a friend who lives in nongkhai and crosses the border EVERY 60 days to get a new TV, never had a problem either. good luck!

when i got my TOT DSL line 5 months ago or so it took them 2 weeks to realize and accept that they had "put wrong cable outside"!????????! until that was fixed i was, of course, the "stupid farang" every time i complained at their office. TIT.

jts-khorat, hope some of these yummy sausages contain a chunk of your shank!

registration of pet dogs sounds fine, i agree, but what does the actual "crackdown on stray dogs" look like? having pet dogs registered doesn't solve that problem. what should happen with the thousands of stray dogs? two stray dogs that had stayed around our house for six yeas and have become very attached to us have been removed from our soi about a month ago and stay in a local dog shelter now. perfect solution??? i agree that stray dogs can be annoying but personally i just feel sorry for all these creatures.

just a short update. been back to the dog shelter today and met the vet, good to see there are medical services indeed even if not on a daily basis. we gave one of the guys who works there a hundred baht so that he let both "my" dogs out of their enclosures (plus a few cigaretes to the burmese guys there who don't even speak thai). hey! lady and tony (the dogs) were SO happy to roam around that place freely for an hour and play with me! looks as if lady got a bit used to life there, no fighting with other bitches today but of course some crying when i had to leave. the hardest part was to take them back to their enclosures.

now that i know they can come out and play with me for a while without interference of other dogs i'll take some sausages and bones along later this week! thankx god its just a 45 minutes motorbike ride from jomtien.

so far it seems as if the dogs are taken good care of. by turning up there once or twice a week and showing responsibility for my dogs i hope it will stay like that!

well, november rain, from what i've been TOLD there's enough of food available, the problem with the water, however, seems to be that it doesn't get changed regularly enough? and of course the vet who turns up once a week or so only? can't really be healthy. the enclosures aren't superbig but all dogs have enough space, just seems to be frustrating for them? it's not a FREE life after all! been there only once so far but will check the place regularly from now on. my impression somehow was that the resident burmese workers and that thai manager were less interested in the dogs actually than that volunteer i spoke to. disco-tony is a busy man of course who might not always be up to date about the situation in his shelter??!

as promised a few pics from tony's animal/ dog shelter in sattahip/ phlu ta luang sub-district soi 40. lady's the black/ white one in the center of some pics, the brown one in the center is her "boyfriend". hope the attachments are ok, otherwise i'll try again. (...) mmh, files are uploading but i think i'll have to learn how to reduce images?!!!

ooh, lucky.

sorry, elfe, but to chain her might be even worse for her, she's 6 and a halfs years old now and could no way get used to that. in that enclosure she can walk around freely at least. i know, that's not a perfect solution. then again, if i'd get her fully registered i might end up in financial problems one day, you know that stray dog mentality, defend their territory, bark at motorbikes and slurfing thais a.s.o., that's in their nature; for the same reason i wouldn't chain her. in recent years several dogs got poisoned on our soi, i mean, someone has obviously ordered city hall to deport the dogs, if i'd get her back, know what i mean?

hi all, just a question. does anyone know how many lines of that air-con "Pattaya Beach Bus Service" are still running at the moment? at jomtien i only see the red buses (not very often). are the green and yellow lines still operating in pattaya? and what are their service hours? used to be from 6 to midnight or so?? cheers.

for those who are interested: i finally found that "phlu ta luang" dog shelter (including both "my" dogs) which happens to be the same one that is run and sponsored by disco-tony! it is not actually located on sukhumvit soi 40 but on phlu ta luang soi 40, bit hard too find as sois are numbered with thai numbers only. there is a signboard on the main road, however, and two more as you drive along soi 40.

well, what was it like? after "november rain"'s reply i expected the worst and thus was pretty surprised as the place on the first view is not too bad actually. the dogs (several hundreds of them) are kept in enclosures all big enough for the dogs to move around, obviously plenty of food available. especially my bitch was crying when she saw me and it pretty much broke my heart, didn't even ask whether i was allowed to take her with me as whoever ordered city hall to collect the stray dogs from our soi would probably do it again and i've just got no other proper place, garden or so where i could keep them so at the moment i don't really have another solution. obviously it broke lady's heart (that's her name) as well, especially when i had to leave her finally, she actually tried to bite her way through the cage and got angry at the other dogs who tried to come near me. guess it's hard for her to get used to that situation and to living with all these other bitches in an enclosure.

my girlfriend and me spoke to a military guy from the neighboorhood who is not employed there but comes to the animal shelter every day to take care for the dogs.

he says tony reportedly sponsors that place with 5 to 600,000 baht every month but he's got no idea where that money is going. tony himself is obviously too busy to visit his dog shelter more than once a month or so. food was enough for the dogs, the military volunteer said, water as well but wasn't changed often enough so that the water in one tank had already turned green. furthermore, he said, about half a million baht a month should be enough to pay for a resident vet who could permanently take care for the dogs, a vet turned up only about once a week, however, and he himself (who is there every day) has actually met him only once!? so he's bringing his own medicine and powder there every day! what to do? i asked. speak to tony, he said, as tony might not be informed well enough about the situation at his dog shelter. ok, i said, i'll talk to tony as soon as i meet him, haha! (anyone an idea how to contact tony??)

as said above, the first impression was pretty good but there are obviously a few things that could be improved. the workers there are burmese by the way with a thai "manager". the best i can do at the moment is to give "lady" a couple of days time to get used to her new situation before i will visit her again. as i said she's pretty jealous and i don't want her to start "protecting" me against "rivals", that is, fighting with the other dogs who are happy to see a human being, too. i will then visit that dog shelter regularly and see what i can do more for the doggies.

i've taken a few pics that i will try to post tomorrow. take care.

looks pretty much like no-one's ever heard of that place so i'll try to find it on my own. probably doesn't make sense to call the same guy again, "sattahip/ phlu ta luang, sukhumvit soi 40" is probably the best info you can get off a thai?

provided they've found an "acceptable" home there (which i doubt) it might be best for the dogs to stay there anyway, unfortunately i don't have a big garden, just a shophouse, so the dogs were living and sleeping on the soi most of the time anyway but hang around our place for so many years that they became pretty much attached to us, especially the 6 yo bitch which stayed with us since she was a puppy and loves me jealously. at least i want to find out where they are and how they're going on there? and, if possible, visit them regularly?

see whether i'll find that place and keep you up to date.

by the way: that tony-disco guy is running a dog shelter, too, isn't he? that's what i understand from his TV advertising?