anotheruser

Not quite sure how the worst case scenario is ten years?

I did the 500,000 5 year plan. Even if they do go bankrupt for whatever reason my 5 year visa is already in my passport. The worst that could happen is I lose out on some free taxis. the risk of doing the 5 year plan is minimal to non-existent. 

The 20 year scheme is a different kettle of fish. This is because you aren't only gambling on TE but Thailand in general. I think you have it right DUS starting with the 5 year plan.

59 minutes ago, DUS said:

 

I intend to email the application within the next week or so. The wording was a bit strange in the way that it sounded like they wanted to have a scan of 3 empty pages emailed to them alongside the other scans/copies. Anyway, I´ll send whatever they need and then we´ll see.....

They are easy to deal with. Even if you miss something it is easy to send again. I wouldn't worry too much about it. The entire process is a piece of cake.

6 hours ago, Mattd said:

I'd imagine that they mean that your passport must still have 3 blank pages in it?

Yeah this is exactly correct. 

50 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Ahhhh!.....but the ones we were in were top secret, so you wouldn't know.

 

We had to drink was our own p*ss, and all we had to eat were deceased fellow inmates with lie.

 

It was boring, so we spent all our time speculating about the demise of our elderly fellow-inmates!

So no real different than the average TV retiree living in Pattaya.

If you are actually going to make the deal it would only make sense to talk with TE directly. They will know all facts for sure. Outside of that it is all idle speculation.

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There have been recent reports of people being told they could not get the visa because they were on an extension of their tourist visa entry.

Perhaps different if on a visa exempt entry.

I wrote the 30 days as a suggestion. I did not state it was requirement.

No problem I also said I might be mistaken or things might have changed.

I have to disagree with Ubonjoe on this one. I got an extension and then before that ran out went to CW and had my TE visa affixed. 

Maybe I am reading it wrong but you can as far as I know get a TE visa affixed at anytime you are still legally in Thailand.

I had limited time left on a VE if I remember correctly and extended it and before the extension ran out went to CW and got my TE visa. 

I would email TE directly and ask them however as things may have changed. My apologies if I am reading the question wrong however I don't think it matters how long you have left on your visa or extension.

Once you apply for and receive your TE visa the new date will be whatever date they issue your visa on. 

Make sure you have more than a week left when you apply. I would use 10 business (two weeks) days as the buffer to put my mind at ease. The TE visa cancels out everything else and becomes your new in/out dates.

The worst I could see happening if you don't make it in time is you would be liable to pay for a few days over stay. 

On 4/6/2013 at 11:46 AM, dighambara said:

My first thought was Whaa the Hel...??? Then - HMMM a Visa Run is juat a way to get around the law. People commenting on someone skirting the law - very normal.

Less Prostitution..?? A very large percntage of prostitutes from Nong Khai to Pattaya are Lao - someone is living with a closed mind.

International and Western were not reasons for moving to Thailand, which still has a nice rural feel throughout all of Issan - not claustrophobic like horrid Bangkok, which was a sewer in the 60's and is worse today.

He said there is less prostitution in Laos than Thailand and that is true and could hardly even be in dispute. As you said the Lao hookers go to Thailand where it is more tolerated.

One of the reasons Lao  Ex pats don't give Thai ex pats much respect is their entire conversations can revolve around the lack of bar girls in Laos. The other fascinating conversation tends to be about cheap guesthouses near the Thai embassy and why although they sapeak perfect bar girl Thaiglish they can't negotiate a cheap tuk tuk to take them the three blocks to the Thai embassy.

4 hours ago, Stray said:

If this was, as you claim, an upscale establishment, the point would have been that management may have been made aware of an issue that they may have taken steps to rectify.

 

Yeah, I guess it's just so much easier to go out, buy your own spirits and mixers and post about it on a forum . . .

It's true the drinks aren't on par in Bangkok with other cities like Singpapore, Tokyo, London etc. Not a big deal but when you go somewhere or to hotels and drinks are 300 to 450 Baht this becomes a problem. 

You would be hard pressed to get a Bloody Mary that is acceptable at the Mandarin Oriental. Smoking Pug if it is open again did alright GNT and bloody mary's for around 350 if they are open again. 

For booze you are approaching Tokyo prices for very bad quality. Thais don't generally drink cocktails or mixed drinks so most places have no idea how to do them.

Shaken not stirred lol

1 hour ago, trigpoint said:

Think you've lost the plot on Westerner's who live near the border of Thailand, whether it be Laos or Cambodia, see other posts about sending Laos or Cambodian people for their monthly shops to Tesco, massive inconvenience for expats, what they supposed to do, fly in from Vientiane or Phnom Penh and leg it across the border with their shopping? Get real, jimster.

He just doesn't get it. 

Just now, jimster said:

It seems that you have an urge to always be right even when you are losing the debate or don't know all the facts. You never addressed my mention of the METV, which I know for a fact is available for Lao based expats. I've offered you a solution but you ignore it. You dismiss every rational suggestion I've made.

 

It seems you are all about projecting your self-entitled attitude of what happens to me, me, me? I'm done here.

 

But I'll leave you with one final thought. There's nothing you can do about these laws. Thai immigration just doesn't care. Adjust somehow, otherwise deal with it. That's life.

As said I have a Lao work permit and an Elite visa for Thailand don't worry about me I will be just fine.

3 minutes ago, jimster said:

Again, boo hoo sob sob. Thailand's crackdown has nothing to do with me. I didn't write the rules nor do I enforce them.  I still don't get what the problem is.

 

A legitimate business owner in Laos will have a business visa and work permit. That entitles them to apply for a Thai METV and travel in and out for 6 months at a cost of 5000 Baht. A slightly added extra amount of inconvenience but there you go, problem solved.

I was doing nothing more than voicing some concerns the ex pat community in Laos have because of the rules. You seem to take delight in other people's predicaments. I have made a few very reasonable examples of the impact the new rules have had and you suggest the most ludicrous alternatives.

For this reason I am not going to bother continue this discussion with you. You are incapable of rational thought and can't grasp basic logistics.

Good day sir.

1 minute ago, jimster said:

If they haven't settled, by which you mean they are living on tourist visas they can't be doing any honest business because to work in Laos you need a business visa and work permit, just like in Thailand. Lao immigration is still fairly lenient, but it's nevertheless against the law. If you're unaffected by these rules, why are you making such a big fuss about what happens to other people?

Because these other people happen to friends of mine and all of them with businesses have legitimate business visas. There is no exemption for those living in Laos with work permits and businesses.

I mentioned one couple with no visa and said if I were them I would rethink what I was doing in Laos.

Just now, jimster said:

I was meant to say 1 or 2 farang customers that live in Vientiane that cross the border daily to visit Mega Home and the like in Nong Khai.

 

You really are a self-entitled arrogant person. Oh no, Thailand is cracking down, how dare they! Boo hoo, no one cares. If you can't secure a proper Lao visa, maybe it's time to think about heading back home?

I have a visa for both countries. I am not talking about my own circumstances. Many of the businesses in Laos depend on supplies to make them work. The problem with some of your suggestions is after the added expense they will not be able to make a margin on things brought back. 

If you think a three day trip to Viet Nam or a fight from Pakse via SVN that costs more than $100 and staying over night in Bangkok is an alternative to a day trip to Ubon or Udon you are batshit crazy.

The people living in Laos have done nothing to trigger this situation and haven't abused Thai immigration laws.

Just now, jimster said:

What's with your sense of entitlement? Did you read my comments at all? I suggested Vietnam, a mere 300km away from pakse. There are also flights from Pakse to Bangkok. There's a Thai consulate in Savannakhet. Or how about getting a proper Lao visa so you don't have to do any border runs?

 

Seriously, no one cares about the plight of some rich white people in Laos on tourist visas.

A mere 300km away? What town at the border is there to buy supplies from?

lol I have a proper Lao visa and I also have a TE visa so I have no problems of any kind. It is some people that have settled and aren't exactly rich doing honest business that are suffering. Rich people aren't the ones being starved out of basic commodities by these restrictions. 

9 minutes ago, jimster said:

Re: 4000 islands. Go to Vietnam - daily minibuses from Pakse leave for various points inside Vietnam, including Danang I believe. There's a Vietnamese consulate located in Pakse, visas issued in 10 mins if you pay a little extra, 3-month multiple entry visas are also available. Visas not required for Brits, Americans, Scandinavians and a few others for trips of less than 15 days.

 

What I don't get is why are these people living in Laos always border hopping between Laos and Thailand, just because Thailand is right "there"? Get a proper visa or re-think what you are doing in Laos. I don't see why Thailand has an obligation to care about some extended tourists living in a neighboring country. It's not their problem, westerners are supposed to be rich anyway. Get a Thai visa or fly to Bangkok. How hard can that be?

 

As for the report from the user you quoted, keep in mind that the law is still relatively new. They are enforcing it at all borders, so if he got in without a visa for the 3rd time this year, he was lucky because maybe a couple of immigration officials didn't do their job properly by carefully checking his passport and their immigration computers. He might not be so lucky next time. On the other hand, maybe, it's possible that expats living on proper Lao visas, such as business visas are allowed to enter Thailand by land at the Nong Khai crossing with conditions that are not applicable to others. I have not seen anything official to verify this so until I do, take the risk if you want, but be prepared to be turned back just in case.

Fly to Bangkok? That is really asking quite a lot of you live in southern Laos. It is also very expensive. You aren't offering an realistic suggestions. Why don't you just suggest people simply keel over and die? That would be an effective solution wouldn't it?

Nobody goes to VN to get supplies for many reasons. Again your comments only expose how ignorant you are of where things come from and how things are done. 

15 minutes ago, jimster said:

Thailand doesn't allow foreigners on retirement visas to work either. Laos is a little bit more likely to turn a blind eye to working foreigners in general, though eventually they will start cracking down too. Already they are targeting unregistered Chinese and Vietnamese nationals performing menial work, the next step will probably be checking what farangs are doing. I give it a couple more years at most.

 

Tesco, Home Pro, Mega Home etc. stores in Nong Khai and Udon Thani are primarily intended for local Thais and Lao citizens crossing the border, nobody is going to open a hardware store on the Thai side for the 1 or 2 daily falang customers who claim to live in Vientiane. Geez, what's with the sense of western entitlement in this part of the world these days?

Some simple solutions: get a METV (maybe you can still apply for one despite what you claim), or a single entry Thai TV (with re-entry permits if you intend to re-enter within 2 months), fly in to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, travel to Vietnam, China or Cambodia instead, fly to another country. Get a Lao citizen to do your shopping for you. There are many solutions for Lao based westerners.

Your comments only show that you have no real world experience of what it is like to live in Laos next to a land border. 1 or 2 farang that live in Vientiane? Look at the list of restaurants on Tripadvisor. That remark alone discredits everything you say. Go to China instead? lol

You are a real piece of work.

Just now, Andrew Dwyer said:

No offence intended, only humour .

LOL I was just clarifying that my comment wasn't actually meant to be negative.

I am gay so I think I can say that. Especially since one of the last posts has pictures with a bulge in the panties.

On 4/7/2017 at 11:10 AM, AlexDorneles said:

I was at district 2 Thao Dien, yes there is Anan gourmet and a couple of other small stores but they are small. Still no match for the supermarkets at siam paragon or enquartier. There are some foreign owned descent restaurants in thao dien but nothing true high end world class yet. Public transportation also still a few yrs before is ready. They opened the UFC gym which seems to be 100% american owned, looks great by the way.

I actually like staying in Thao Dien, quiet and lots of expat families and a good healthy atmosphere.

If I had a family I would much rather living in D2 than Bkk for sure.

I really think the future looks bright for HCM. The vietnamese are going in the right direction.

 

only real down side about HCMC is that is boring, I see it being a vietnamse version of singapore in 10 yrs.

Bangkok is trying the same thing but won't make it anywhere near what Singapore is in any of our life times. 

On 4/1/2017 at 8:42 AM, papapayayae said:

Just like to report I and my family, Lao expats, successfully crossed Nong Khai border visa exempt 3rd time of this year. We consist of me, my wife, 2 kids, my mother and my Lao babysitter crossed without problem in our own car. The immigration staff only asked me how long we stay, I said only one night at Udon Centara and want to take kids to Playport Udon Thani and go shopping at Central.  That's it no further question.

 

I don't know if driving in makes it easier or not, or our car makes it easier a Range Rover or the rule been relaxed for high spending expats like us. I don't know about the people trying to cross by foot.

 

I heard from some expat friends in Vientiane that Udon Nong Khai business association had some meeting about this matter, because according to Vientiane business news we foreign expats in Laos make up 5-10 percent of many Udon and Nong Khai business like Tops, Villa market, Robinson, Global, Home Pro, and many hotels, restaurants, and many entertainment venues for kids like Playport, Usotel, hospitals and clinics as well, the list goes on and on. I hope these business can make some suggestion to the Nong Khai immigration about this matter. Maybe they have already did.

 

Anyway, just report this, we will cross again in a few weeks for a weekend take the kids PC Cowboy Town in Udon and go get some import stuff at Villa and Tops. Will report again if we face difficulty.

.

 

 

I have a friend who was refused at the Ubon border a few days ago. At Chong Mek they seem to be following the rule pretty strictly. Interesting that they may be doing things differently at the Nong Kai border.

Awhile back the Cambodian border with Laos closed. Talk about feeling trapped like a rat if you live in the 4,000 islands area. You can't go to Thailand so where to visa hop? Cambodia... oh wait a minute. 

This law is proving to be a terrible burden for Laos ex pats but I wouldn't expect much sympathy here from the TV crowd. People in Laos with no work permits or visa are in a pinch at the moment and I would be rethinking what I am doing in Laos if I am them right now. 

Here is my set up...

2 minutes ago, AlexCanada said:

Have spent a few hours going through the most recent 200 posts.  Some questions popped in my head that I couldn't clearly find an answer for.  I am considering the TE program either for 5 or 20 years.

 

Questions:

 

1.  My passport has about 8 pages remaining.  The Visa will take one page and every time I go to visit my buddy in Cambodia that takes up a page.  If I run out of pages in my passport would I be able to get a new TE Visa in a new passport or how would that work?

 

2.  There are times when I may have extended periods over 90 days outside of Thailand.  Is this ok as long as I continue with 90 day reporting online?

 

3.  Is there anywhere to apply for the TE Visa in Pattaya or must I go to Suvarnabhumi to apply?  Do I just go to the Immigration office when I arrive in BKK?

 

4. I think the Thai Elite page says airport pick up.  do they also pick you up from your hotel in BKK to Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang?  Does the airport transfer service include U-Tapao to Pattaya?

 

As always, thanks for your help.

 

 

1. You just keep your old passport and show it with your new passport.

2. You can leave or stay in Thailand as long as you want to.

3. Not sure about Pattaya but you can go Chaeng Wattana and have the visa affixed. That is where I did mine.

4. They only service Suvarnabhumi.