lostpacket

Sorry to bring back an old post.

Since I have a double entry visa with only one entry used, I plan on taking a flight to Singapore and then just getting on a return flight back to Thailand. This is ok right?

A flight to Vietnam or Cambodia was cheaper, but it requires a tourist visit if from the US.

On a side note, in the future when I actually have to go to the consulate, are they generally close to the airport? I'm sure every country is different, but I'm still curious. <br>

@Lite Beer, you are dead on. It says use before Oct 2010. So I basically just leave the country and then turn around and come back? No need to go to immigration for another visa, just the airport immigration to go back into Thailand?<br><br>Sorry about so many questions, this is my first time and I want to get it right.  (not to mention I will bring the Thai fiancee with me, so I don't want to have a pissed off woman next to me because I was too lazy or arrogant to ask questions )<br><br>thank you all for your help, as usual this forum has been invaluable <br><br>

So what you are saying is that I just need to leave the country and use my visa to enter again even though it says it will expire on July 30th? (actually the extension expires the 30th of July, the visa itself was dated for May 2-June 30)<br>I thought the double entry was supposed to be within the initial 60 days.<br><br>edit:what is up with the visible html code?<br>

You say you have a double entry visa? Have you used just the first or both entries? What is the visa expiration date? Do you need a two or single entry visa? How long more do you plan to stay?

<br><br>I just used one entry. From what I understand a double entry just means I can come an go 2 times within the 60 days, correct? The visa was from May 2nd to June 30th so this week I went to get an extension which will last until July 30th. I don't plan on leaving during the 60 days as I have no business outside of Thailand (other than the border runs). I plan on staying a long time, but I'm still hunting down a job and work permit. Until I can get a job I'm stuck with visa runs. <br>

I currently have a 60 days tourist visa with an extension and will make a border run at the end of next month. I have read the stickies on the front page about border runs, places to go/avoid, etc... but I have a few questions.

I figure it will be faster to fly to a neighboring country so I thought about Singapore or Malaysia. When I checked flight prices for one person it was $400 USD and $800 for two from Bangkok to Singapore. That seems really expensive to me. That was going through expedia.com and also Thai airways site. Any suggestions as to a cheap flight or destination?

I currently have a double entry visa. When I get a new 60 day visa, is there any reason to get a double entry if I don't plan on leaving? I should just be able to get another 60 day visa as I'm a US citizen (and then extend it again for 30 days at the end).

Depending on destination, can this all be done in 24 hour period or should I plan on staying overnight?

If you have any tips or suggestions, please post them. Thanks in advance

Also, on a side note, with the new rules I had to go to Nonthaburi Immigration to get my extension(since that is where I live). It is a small office with 3 workers and there was literally no wait. A far cry different from the Bangkok office I went to by mistake.

Correct, but you must use your second 60 day entry into Thailand before the original visa expires. You can get as many tourist visas as a Thai embassy/consulate will issue, there is no limit.

When you say I must, does that mean I will have a problem if I don't or just that I paid for a double entry so I ought to use it?

hmm, I wonder where I got the idea that you have to do a border run every 30 days. So basically I can get a 60 day tourist visa and then extend it, and do that over and over until I can obtain employment and a work permit.

Is there any reason to spend the extra money for a double entry visa if I use the above process?

Thank you very much for your help

I went to immigration today and I'm still a bit confused as to what is the best choice and the options the lady at immigration gave me.

For starters, we both read the date wrong as it says 30 June. I have no idea why we missed the 0 but we did. So that part is ok.

While there I thought I would ask her about an extension. What I found strange is the lady suggested at the end of June I leave the country and get a 60 day visa again, not an extension. She said if I get an extension it will leave me with only 7 days as my double entry is dated 4 October.

My fiancee and her talked really fast in Thai so I didn't have time to join in and ask her many questions as to why she suggested it. My fiancee knows very little about visas so she didn't think to ask her anything.

So, could you help me to understand why she would suggest this? I guess she is thinking since I have a double entry visa I should use both entries before it expires? To me it seems to make more sense to get an extension, leave country at the end of july and get another 60 day tourist visa (and then extend it).

Also, is there a limit to how many 60 day tourist visas and/or extensions I can get in a row?

pics or it never happened

If it felt like a stick I doubt it was a jellyfish stinger.

As to your symptoms, if it were systemic it would move up your body from your foot. I think if it were me I would go back to the hospital. tell them a red shirt did it to you, you will be on the news and get prompt treatment.

lopburi3- The only thing he marked on the visa was to circle the 2 for number of entries.

do a border run Before 2nd June and get 60 days on re-entry then do another border run, before the use before date on the visa from the USA.

Is there a reason why this would be better than getting it fixed and an extension? It seems like I would waste 30 days and an extension.

Yes, I have a US passport and I am almost sure I put 60 days on the entry papers. Honestly I was so exhausted I didnt even check the entry stamp date until I woke the next day.

Chiang Wattanna is an immigration office? I looked at the list here and didn't see it listed. Can any immigration office change the stamp? I live in Nonthaburi but I could go anywhere.

Side question, is there a limit to the 60 day entries and extensions one can get? I was thinking you could get 2 with an extension for each (30+30+ext, leave country get 30+30+ext) and then you need to start border runs.

thank you for the help

I'm a bit confused. In the US I got a double entry visa from the Thai Embassy. I traveled to Thailand on May 1st. Upon entering the immigration person stamped my via with an end date of June 2nd. I was under the understanding that my dual entry visa was good for 30 + 30 days, then I could get an extension for 30 days.

So do I just go to the immigration office (when it opens back up) and get a stamp for another 30 days? I would assume I can get the extension from the same place at that time.

Here is the CNN video just after he was shot

CNN link

It looks like a head shot for sure

Its impossible for another Army person to fill the role of Sae Daeng. His bamboo barricade technique was unconquerable and he didn't teach anyone the method. Nope, there is only one Army man who can lead a group of terrorists. The battle is over now. We can rest easy.

This made me LOL, you sir win the internet for the day.

All banks are able to effect international transfers. Appreciably it may be a small community bank, but they an do it. Talk to the manager of the bank H.O.

Actually I did, I spoke with the account manager that has the final say on international transfers and was told they will not do it. Hence my frustration with my bank.

Thanks for the info about large denomination AMEX cheques. I never saw anything over $100 denomination, but it looks like they have $1,000. I will just need to find a place that carries them.

Bring cash with you. Declare it when you leave your country but don't declare it when you arrive in Thailand. Head down to super rich and exchange for baht. Walk across the street and open a bank account at Kasikorn (5 minutes and only need your passport) and get an ATM card as well.

But coming into Thailand with more than $20k is illegal. I hate to start out on a bad foot. Also, if I ever have to leave and need to declare it, how can I tell them where I got the cash from?

Since we both have a debit card in both our names connected to the bank account here, could we just use it to charge the old account and put the money in the Thai account? I would need to remove the daily limits, but it seems feasible.

Does anyone know the time range for cashing a cashiers check? I could always just come with 2k and a cashiers check for the rest. I'm sure I won't blow 2k in 30-45 days.

As well as you may think you know your fiancé there are many tales of woe and leaving lots of cash lying around is tempting fate.

I understand why you would give the advice, I have read many things too and seen a lot of questionable Thai women. She is not one of them. I didn't want to get into too much personal data trying to prove her honesty, but we have been engaged and lived together for many years with zero issues. She is by far the most sincere trustworthy person I have ever met. She also has a job far better than mine, highly educated, and more cash than me. If anything, the lowly farang would be more likely to steal from her.

Firstly, you don't need to work permit to open a Thai bank account.

Yeah, despite my search, I read the thread about Bangkok bank just after posting. I still have to get the money there in some manner.

I didn't switch banks because I didn't think it was too fair to go to another bank and then immediately transfer all the money out a few weeks later.

The money is not as safe here as it would be in a Thai bank, hence why I want to move it all.

I'm coming to live with my fiancee at the end of this month and need suggestions on how to bring money to Thailand.

First off, yes, I will declare it in the US as well as in Thailand. I'm not sure if I will need to declare it in Seoul, but I will ask when I land.

Originally I thought I would just leave it in my account in the US and do a transfer. Well, my bank is worthless and will not transfer money internationally. They suggested I used bill pay, which will essentially mail myself a check. What a joke. So it appears that any wire transfer from my bank is out. I want to transfer the whole amount and don't want to leave anything in the US. This part is not optional, it has to be like that.

My next thought was to just get a cashiers check for the full amount (~20-25k) in my fiancees name, then deposit it in her Thai bank account. (please, no "you can't trust Thai women or any side arguments) The problem is that from what I have read, it takes 30-45 days to clear a cashiers check. Is this true? If it helps, the account it will be withdrawn from is a joint account we own in the US.

Someone suggested to me that I should use travelers checks. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Since I don't have a work permit, I can't have my own account, so I'm not sure if the Thai bank will have an issue with this. I also don't want to sign 250 $100 checks in front of the teller.

We do share a debit/credit card from our bank in the US. I'm not sure if the Thai bank can just pull all the money directly from that. I don't want to get over there and find out at the last minute that they can't do it. I would also need to remove all daily spending limits from my debit card.

My last option is to just carry cash, but that is pretty risky even if I keep it next to me at all times.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

Thanks guys, awesome info!!

One thing I find interesting is that if I go to Perth or Vientiane, what I am able to obtain is different. I have ready that some embassies like in Singapore are strict, but I would have thought I could acquire the same things across the board.

I live close to Chicago so maybe I can drive up there and visit the Thai embassy to see what they say.

It's a long story, but I am coming to stay with my Thai fiancee in BKK and not going back to the US. I will have to get a tourist visa in my country from the Thai embassy and see if they will give me an extension and a double entry. I assume this will get me 180 days. My question is, if I fly on a one way ticket will I have a problem entering the kingdom? Will they expect a non-im visa like O or a work permit and letter of intention?

Also, if she is my fiancee can I get a non-im o visa? From reading the sticky I think I can't, we would need to be married.

5 years, PhD, Engaged.... sounds like they're on the right track for a long and happy relationship - good luck guys!!!

Thank you very much!!

Why ??....I was engaged for 5 years to a so called educated darling Ex-wife and the marriage lasted 10 years and went down the toilet, so length of engagement and having a PhD has f*kc all to do with a sucessful realtionship.

Technically you are correct, education level doesn't ensure a good marriage. But, having some crazy esan bar girl is going to have a LOT higher percentage of divorce compared to an educated couple with a stable family.

This is gunna end in tears.

LOL!! Unless we are both immortal, life itself typically ends in tears at some point. I kind of doubt our relationship will.

Thank you all for your support and advice.

You may well do better on the IT side, if you have good work experience.

I do have good IT experience as I have been a sysadmin for 5+ years and an analyst for 5 years before that. As noted above, I have applied for IT jobs from major corporations in Thailand, but no replies. As someone noted, since I am overseas, many will just not consider me. I guess I have to apply once I am in Bangkok. If you have any advice on where to look/apply, I would love to hear it.

As for teaching, no I am not an experienced teacher. However, I do teach on a corporate level. I basically teach all new technologies, networking, or anything else put on my plate to current employees at the university. It is a small class, but a class no less. I love helping others and going the extra mile to make sure things are done right. In my spare time now I teach English to a small group of Vietnamese nuns at a Buddhist temple here.

I have spoken with my Realtor and renting is an option, but it comes with a lot of risks. You can figure on spending $3,000-5,000US every year for just paint and carpet. You really have no guarantee that those you are renting to will actually keep the house in good shape. Right now, it is in excellent shape. It is exactly as I bought it in 2002, no damage at all. Once I rent it out, the renters could pretty much trash it. I can't predict what the housing market will do or if I will get a decent price a year or 5 years from now.

The thing is, my relationship is very stable and we are both very committed to living together in Bangkok. She has a great family that are all highly educated and fully accept me as family. I wish I could stress just how much living apart sucks and how big of a factor that is in making life over there work no matter what.

Since she already lives there, my living expenses compared to someone just coming over are going to be next to nothing. Like I said before, I have went through all the factors and it really just comes down to a job.

Having read through all the posts...OP you really need to do some more research, me thinks you have the rosey coloured spectacles on...Thailand is not an easy place to live or find decent employment

I understand your concerns. I'm not the person that judged Thailand by beaches, bars and tourist stuff. When I stay, I live with my fiancee and go to work with her most every day. Everything she goes through, I do the same. I do see the bad, and it is something I can accept.

The hard part about writing in a forum is keeping things short and to the point without adding too much crap and personal info. I'm not sure I want to convey all the experiences in Thailand to prove a point that would probably bore everyone to tears getting to it.

Thanks for the 50k advice, I was not aware of it. So what you are saying is that after I get a work permit and a visa, the first year I don't have to make border runs, but I do after that every 90 days?

I am leaning toward selling because I am pretty confident that I can live in Thailand with no problems. (I do thank everyone for the advice and wanting to make sure I don't make a huge mistake as I'm sure it can be common) Getting a job is my only concern. I'm really not too picky about work and can do many things as a job to me is just a means to a end. Even if the job failed, we already have a condo there to live in and a family that will take good care of me. I really don't plan on ever coming back to the US. If they kicked all the farang out of Thailand for some strange reason, we would go to Japan or Korea to live.

@Ijustwannateach

1. The decision to sell the house is based on the fact that renting and rental management is really hard to do from abroad. If something happens, there is no way I can afford to make the payment based on Thai salaries. Even if I rent it, I have to sell everything in it before I come.

I can understand your concerns about a "Thai faincee" but I am not the normal expat that picks up just any Thai girl, nor is she just any Thai girl.

I have the feeling, though you do not specify, that you have only known your Thai fiancee *in* Thailand- i.e., you didn't meet her in America and then decide to get married and go to Thailand. I would recommend taking things extremely slowly if you have never lived in Thailand for an extended period (5 years+) and already believe based only on a month's local contact that you have a fiancee in Thailand.

A little background info. She is an Ajarn at a major university and highly educated (PhD). We met here in the US while she was attending the university. We have been engaged for 5 years. We go back and forth each year to each others countries to stay for a month and have been doing this for 5 years. The first year we both lived together in the US for almost a year. We are not a couple that just has a casual relationship or one that will easily break apart. She is the most sincere, honest caring person I have ever met. She gets along great with my mom (which is hard even for me), and I get along great with her family. In fact, they treat me better than I would have ever expected.

As for Thailand, I stay there for a month at a time for the last 5 years so far. I am pretty intuitive and can see the bad and the good, especially in people. It is a country that I took to immediately and I am sure I can live there. It is one of those things that feels so natural that you almost feel like you have been doing your whole life. When I leave it seems like I am leaving home and returning to a strange country, not the other way around. It was not a simple emotional based decision that I see so many farang make after their first visit. My only real concern through the whole thought process is employment. Traffic, heat (I love the hot weather), farang prices, new language, etc...I can deal with all of that.

Further to that, it has been my experience throughout the past five years that without some form of BA degree or higher (in anything at all from some uni' somewhere) there will be no work permit provided, even after obtaining the TEFL ticket and as many years of teaching experience as you may or may not have

I have a BS from a pretty good engineering college in computer technology. I have worked as a system admin for the university for 5+ years and a client analyst for 5 years before that. I still feel that I need a TEFL to teach. In fact, when interviewing at a good international school last year I was told it is the law to have a teaching certificate in Thailand.

Your assumptions about the difficulties of getting computer work in Thailand are not necessarily true. Try some checking around. You would certainly be doing better financially (and have more experience in your work already) than if you tried to go the teaching route.

I would love to get some advice on where to apply. Some of the jobs I have seen pay extremely low for the skills required. I have applied at some pretty big companies for tech jobs I was more than perfect for, but heard no replies.

You have to make 30,000 baht per month to be eligible for a work permit, correct? Some of the IT jobs I saw only paid 15-20k baht per month.

Once you have employment as a teacher, the school will provide you with all the documentation needed to apply for the Non-Imm 'B'. If you don't arrive on this visa, you will need to go outside of Thailand to obtain it.

Really? I thought that the school would take care of it for me and I would not have to leave.

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions if I have this correct. I have ready all the visa stuff from the drop downs on the front page, but I was not clear on everything as a whole.

I am a US national looking to live in Thailand with my Thai fiancee. I do not have a work permit or any visa. I pretty much come and stay in BKK for a month over the last 5 years. Both my fiancee and I agree it would be best if I live there permanently. I don't care to come back to the US ever. Since I have a house in the US, it is really hard to try and find a job and then tell a potential employer that they must wait until I can sell my house. What I am planning on doing is selling our house and coming to Bangkok to get a simple job teaching English. Finding an IT job it pretty hard if not impossible.

So if I have this right, I can get a tourist visa and extend it up to 90 days while looking for work or getting a TEFL cert. After that, can I make a visa run and get another visa, or is that only for a Non Imm B visa?

Then, once I get a job, I can apply for a Non Imm B and be good for a year, correct? Then after that period of time I work with my employer to get another year visa. All the time checking in every 90 days.

Also, if I choose to study Thai and get a Non Imm ED visa, then there is no way I can work during that time, correct? From what it looks like, it is a 90 day visa that is renewed for every 90 days up to a year. After that time, can I apply again and get a ED visa if I am still enrolled in school? Once I found a job, I could then apply for a Non Imm B visa, right?