whatchamacallit

I've been living here for the past 4.5 on Non-O Visa. This year I will turn 50 and will apply for (or convert to) a Non-OA (Retirement) Extension. I will use the 800k baht in a Thai Account requirement.

Someone told last night that in addtion to the 800k baht requirement will have to be in the account for 3 months (or maybe 2 for the 1st timer?), I will also need to proof that the monies came from an overseas account. Is this true??

I hope that the Thai embassy in Rome gives out double entry visas, seems like it depends on where you go. But Italy and Thailand have a long standing friendship, so maybe we will have no problem getting a double here,

Yes I've been lucky with my Non-O so far, but I'm so tired of trying to find loopholes and worrying about what they're going to do next year...... Probably I am the only person who is sooooo looking forward to turning 50 soon.

Applying for a double entry visa should be very easy - you WILL get it and it is the best option for you guys at least for the 1st year. You can learn Thai on your own time and term (NOT as a requirement to stay) and your husband can go to the beach everyday :-).

Good luck with your move and enjoy...

My advice is for at least the 1st year - come and stay here (Thailand) on double entry tourist visas and extend it and when the time comes go out and apply for another double entries. Thailand does show a different face to those who live here full time than those who come for a short holiday ever gets to see.

Do not commit to anything permanent including buying a condo (or a house) until you're sure - just rent. Also you don't need to get and ED visa as this too will tie you up, because (technically) you must attend school. You want to explore your options and possibilities for the 1st year.

Having said that, we lived here for 5 years now and plan to continue to live here. I am under the age of 50 and for the past 4 years I've been on Non-Immigrant-O Visa with multiple entries - this visa is good for 1 year (you can stretch it to 15 months) with border runs every 90 days. For the 1st couple of years I was granted Non-O visa on the basis of visiting friends until they said "no more" :-( Then for the past 2 years, I was able to get Non-O visa on the basis of owning a condo here in Thailand in my name from the Thai Embassy in Brisbane. Please know that as far as I know Brisbane (and maybe Hull in England) is the only Thai Consulate who is still issueing this visa (Non-O on the basis of owning a condo). At some point in the future I have a feeling they too will say - NO More!! ;-(

I will turn 50 in August, so I'll be applying for the Non-OA visa aka Retirement Visa. ;-)

How many times using this method have you extended your multi entry visa?I went to brisbane and applied for an education visa and they gave me a multi entry visa by mistake,i'm flying back to briz again soon..So can i purchase any condo of any price and they will give me another 12month multi entrant visa?

I've been here for the past 4.5 years on multiple Non-O and here is my Visa history:

Year 1 - Bali Thai Consulate, Non-O Based on owning a condo in Thailand

Year 2 - Bali Thai Consulate, Non-O Based on owning a condo in Thailand

Year 3 - went to Bali but they said - Sorry Can't give you Non-O based on owning a condo anymore

so I flew to Perth and got it based on visiting friends

Year 4 - (Last November) Perth closed last year in October permanently - thank GOD for Brisbane

I will be 50 years old this coming August - so I can finally go the Non-OA route (aka Retirement Visa).

I really don't know how long Brisbane will continue giving Non-O based on owning a condo here in Thailand - but one thing is for sure, they're not going to make it any easier :jap: Good luck.

Always go the marriage route.

or buy an apartment (inexpensive one) in Thailand in your name (farang own), then apply for a Non-O with multi entries from Brisbane Thai Consulate.

For retirement they are very strict about the 50 years so you do not qualify.

As you are not married to a Thai national you don't qualify.

Best solution for you would be to look at a non-Immigrant ED from one of the sponsors on this site.

But if you own a flat (apartment) in Thailand in your name, you can get Non-O multi entry visa from Brisbane

Not sure what you meant by fresh ones...... vietnamese rice sheets (dry and translucent) are available at Tesco, BigC, or Carrefour. You soak them in (warm water) before using it. Even in Vietnam you buy them dry (translucent and crispy) in a package of 12 or 24.

This is probably the same style 9 passenger Van that I took for my Visa Runs.

Problem 1: No seatbelt for passenger sitting in back - even there are seatbelts they often don't function.

Problem 2: Most of the drivers drive too fast probably trying to keep to a tight schedule.

The young and good looking ones usually have their boyfriends and/or husbands in tow - if looks and age don't matter to you, you can find the single and more (I mean more) mature ones sunbathing all long the Na Jomtien beaches.... lol.

Mistake #1: Leaving their brain at the Swampypoom airport

Yes try NumChai on Sukhumvit - back behind the retail store there have a service department.

We had a regular tube TV (Samsung 32") - we bought about 2 years ago - lines across the screen.

Numchai said it would cost 4500 baht.... so we took it to a small mom and pop repair shop on Thepprasit for a second opinion, they said the same exact thing (about 4000 baht to fix).

So we gave the broken TV to them and abought a new 32" LCD flat TV for 11,000 baht..... oh well. Good luck with you TV

I hate them Satang(s) - I don't keep them, just throw them away. Another problem is - they (the businesses) can give them to you, but they won't take it back from you as method of payment

Hull were just about the last Consulate to issue a non-o for 'visiting friends', that option has now been removed

Does anyone know if you can still apply for a non O for visiting your girlfriend? Thats what i normally put on my application. I can't get anything to download from Hull...

If you can't get Non-O for "Visiting Friends" why would "visiting your girlfriend" be any difference....

TBMI (Thai Blind Massage Institute) at Jomtien Complex

255 baht for 1.5 hr Thai massage

250 baht for 1 hr Oil Massage

It's so big, bright and blinding if you're driving down Thepprasit toward Thappraya in Jomtien. Must be quite annoying for those who live at View Talay 1.

Google "Asian Escapes Pattaya" - they have many studios and one bedrooms at View Talay 5, Thai Bali and Chateau Dale.

No need to see a doctor - here is a very simple do-it-yourself advice:

Buy Acne-Aid bar soap from any local pharmacy (260 baht). And also buy Benzac AC 2.5% (Benzoyl peroxide) by Galderma - get a 60gr tube (only at the pharmacy on the 2nd floor of Carrefour) - 290 baht.

Tell her to do the following daily:

Wash her face clean with the Acne Soap - massage small gentle circles - don't press too hard.

Dry with soft towel gently

Apply the 2.5 benzoyl peroxide all over her face gently.

Apply gentle water base skin moisturizer.

Do the above twice, once in the morning and one more time before she goes to bed.

During the day do not touch, rub, scratch, peel - especially with dirty hands.

Your friend will see the result in a couple of weeks - guarantee!!

Once her acne is gone - I would advice her to continue using the above over the counter acne products.

Good luck

Thanks for the responses. Jomtien Beach Residence/Penthouse looks pretty good. I have seen info on the View Talays, but I assume they are all individually owned so it depends on the quality of the landlord. I am a little concerned about giving a big deposit to someone I don't know. I was burned on that once (not in Thailand), so I am reluctant to do that unless I have a good relationship with the owner.

Thanks again for your help.

Google: Asian Escapes Pattaya - they have many studios and 1 bedrooms at VT5, Thai Bali/Chateau Dale. Well maintained units with prices within your budget.

The reason these speed boats are lined along the street leading to the light house is that they were temporarily parked there to make room for the New Year Celebration/fireworks show/concert during the New Year Count down. By this time they are all moved back to the parking lot where they normally stored. We know this because we have a boat there and were not able to use it during this time.

Sorry, but the cups are already prefilled.

Although a bit overpriced, the juice in the small plastic bottles is really nice at the moment.

I just prefer to have more than a mouthful for my 20 baht.

Not worth it at any price - my partner bought one of this whilst walking in Silom - drank it down and pretty much immediately the whole world started to spin. He broke out in a sweat. I thought he was having a heart attack. Turns out I did pass in time and we can only guess that his drink got some of the pestiside from the unwashed oranges.

Went to see the New Harry Potter movie at the Avenue on Sunday at 2:30pm - sadly a whopping 8 people in the theatre total. The whole place looks so deserted - things are falling apart and very dirty. Windows never cleaned, the men's restroom in the theatre has one sink working out of about 6.

The Tuckom style IT center, has been there for about 6 months (at least) - they all look bored and lonely. This idea of shopping al-fresco in Pattaya is a big flop.

A specialized party shop like you - may work as people tend to search for your kind of business rather than an impulse buy. I hope you get a very good deal on your rent.

Visiting friends

Guess its the death road once again lol

With this type of visa (Non-O with muliple entries valid for 1 year on the basis of visiting friends/relatives) - the maxium number of days you can stay in Thailand is 90 days, at which time you will need to go out and come back in anyway. So on the expiration day of your visa (or the day before) you must go out and come back in to get the extra 90 days - No exception. I've been doing this for the past 4 years :-).

How much money did they require in you Thai bank book and did it need to be there for any particular period of time/

No minium amount is required and no time requirement - although I imagine the more money you have in your bank book the merrier. I think they just want to make sure you're not a dead beat. The most important is The Title to your Condo in Thailand in your own name.

The number of consulates willing to issue just based on having a condo in Thailand is indeed increasing. Believe that having a condo is no longer an official reason to be granted a visa, unless it meets the requirements for receiving a visa based on investment.

Hi Mario: Based on the content of you reply, I think you meant "decreasing" not "increasing" - lol. Here are the reasons why I said I am happy that next I will be qualified to apply for a retirement visa:

1. I used to get my Non-O on the basis of visiting friends/relative from the Royal Thai Consulate in Bali until finally they said "NO MORE" - must be married to A Thai they said.

2. Then Last year I got my Non-O on the basis of visiting friends/relative from the Royal Thai Consulate in Perth until they closed their office pernanently last October

3. Thank God for Brisbane for issuing my last Non-O on the basis of Owning a Condo in Thailand.

Just got back from a successful two week Visa Run/Vacation to Eastern Australia. Flew in to Gold Coast with Asia from KL arriving at 8:30am - we rented a car from Hertz and drove for about 1 hour directly to the Royal Thai Embassy in Brisbane which is on the outskirt of Brisbane in a more residential area making it easy to park your car for free. Be sure to have a GPS with your car rental as this will safe a lot of headache.

Having previously called the Brisbane consulate - we came prepared with:

Filled out form (from their website)

2 passport photos

A copy of the title to my Thailand apartment (in my name)

A Thai Bank Savings book

$225.00 (Australian)

The nice Thai ladies were very helpful and friendly - one of them checked all the above and with a smile she told me to come back in 30 minutes to pick up my passport with the completed visa :-).

We decided to wait outside the consulate as it wasn't really worth going anywhere for 30 minutes. We came back 30 minutes later, picked up the passport and all was in order - mission accomplished.

We stayed in Brisbane for a couple of nights then drove south along the Eastern Coast of Australia all the way to Sydney. Stayed in Sydney for 1 week and flew to Melbourne for 3 night. We flew Jet Star from Melbourne to Bangkok arriving at 8:30pm last night. Both Air Asia and Jet Star are quite good for budget airlines - BUT Jet Star would be my first choice.

I'm happy that next year I will be eligible for a retirement visa as the requirement for the Visa I just got seems to keep changing and the number of consulates willing to grant this visa for the above reasons are dwindling quicky.