unbiasbob

Well Sunbelt, if true, that is horrible news for anyone making 30 day runs. What a place to be stuck. You would think they would be allowed to collect their belongings and get out. Follow up on this one should be interesting

I would think that running to the border every 29 days would get old and expensive after a while. An old guy on a small income? how long would that situation be feasible? It's tough but imm. has hard steadfast rules for persons in different situations. I guess the guy is under mild pressure to find a new wife and do it that way while making his visa runs, should he choose to remain here

I think that there has been a lot of smoke about the back to back thing but no fire. I have never seen an issue so debated where there is no evidence of an issue other than rumor and speculation

the bus was pulled over by the police a few hundred meters before the border and a police officer came in the bus to check everyones passports

Are you sure it was a Police Officer?

A few kilometers before the border, the Thai Military has a check point, where they check ID cards for Thais and passport for foreigners.

They also check every bus coming from the border/Aran. It happens to me every time I go there. I always go by public airbus, not the Mini-vans.

If judge giles goes to poipet for visa run, he should have fun with the pre border check with his 1 month overstay

I think that answers my questions.. I will get on a bus and cross tomorrow or Friday....

If they are letting things go at Poi Pet, then that is an extra good sign too.. as that is the most commonly used border amongst farang providing a teaching service here without work permits...

Re the overstay.. that is usually just a form and fine, I have never once in ten years been quizzed on "Why?" - so, not exactly a "get out of jail free card" .. more a "get out of jail for 200 B a day card" lol

I will try to get back to this forum and let others know of my journey. Maybe not til Sunday though. Thanks all.. and good luck with your, hopefully, uneventful journeys!

Regards.

Why do you come to this forum and boast about working w/o a work permit? I hope that you get nailed myself for you ruin it for the rest

Hey, read this yesterday and eagerly wait more info.. some people must know themselves or of others who have braved the border with pages full of 30 day stamps.. surely?

Well.. I am currently on over a months overstay, and sitting on maybe over a years back-2-back 30 day stamps, and plan to exit to Malay tomorrow or the next day.. so as you can imagine i am watching this space on an hourly basis! ha ha ha... gotta laugh about all this crap hey?

And if anyone did go.. were they checking anything like Credit Cards or bank books to see where your income is from? I heard that this may be an influencial point.... having said that, I've just got my trusty Bkk Bank passbook with my salary being credited monthly... which is def. NOT going to be something I will be taking! ha ha ha

Much appreciation in advance for input, Regards.

Sounds like you are a straight shooter. Are you aware that you are precisely the type of person that immigration is seeking to stop? You are pretty bold to post all of that here. Sorry but I can in no way back you up. You deserve deportation

are the mini buses from hatyai to penang not good condition?very old and no AC?no normal AC coach service from hatyai to penang?

The mini bus is an AC van

Just returned from Penang...

Tourist visa is 100 ringit per entry.

Non immigrant is 200 ringit per entry. A multi is 500 ringit (in case you are successful in getting this).

I didn't use a visa agent myself, but I checked the fees. They are as follows:

A tourist visa should be no more than 20 ringit.

A non imm is 30 ringit, the explanation was "more work".

It is possible to pay for express service, though the consulate officially doesn't offer this service anymore. The fee is 60 ringit (visa agent). I have no idea if it really works, but I was told that you can get the passport the same day if you come to the visa agent in the morning, usually they are open from 8 or 9 AM.

You have to apply in the morning (if you do it by yourself), and the passport is ready for pickup the following day in the afternoon (2 - 4 PM). The consulate is open mon - fri.

The taxi fare to the consulate is 10 ringit one way, the taxi driver will always ask if you want him to wait for you.

The taxi fare from / to the airport should be no more than 25 ringit.

Chulia Street is the best location for hotels, guest houses and visa agents.

man 25 ringys for airport to panang? those dudes are thieves. you can take a 3 hour mini bus ride hatjai to penang for 20

is Hotel continental on chulia street?

what about the airlines operating from BKK-Penang except air asia?

no 4 star hotels on chulia st or 3 stars for that matter. cont. is a 4 star. thai air flies to penang but price is outrageous. When I went Air Asia had not started their bkk-penang service so i went bkk-hat jai, mini bus - penang. air asia is getting their act together. I'll be on that penang flight in Jan

Chingy, interesting to read your penang story. after my trip i drew the exact same conclusions. The place is pretty worthless cept to get your visa

I apologize to the forum. I see that Air Asia does now have a bkk-penang flight. It must have just started. they didn't have one 2 months ago. that is really great. saves a great deal of hassle although the mini bus from hat jai was an "experience" and I learned things I'd never have known by flying. Let us know about transport from Penang airport to chulia st

how about the hotels and guest houses at chulia street? how much for a night?everyone ever stayed there?which guesthouse/hotel is best over there?

I know that Chingy has no interest in the Chulia St guesthouses but they got a lot of them. They are all very cheap and adequate to get your visa run done. I've never stayed in a guest house so cannot comment. I guess if you are used to staying in them then the chulia ones will get the job done. Just out of curiousity, what are guest houses like? Do you share baths. Do they have bugs or rodents? Do they smell? Just curious, I may need to stay in one someday. Also, do they allow "guests"? As for Chingy, do the yahoo search on penang hotels and flip a coin. I stayed in a 4 star for 1400. Forgot the name. Clean and small, nice view but I ask myself, maybe I should do the guest house thing if it is tolerable. I just want to get my visa quickly and get out of Dodge. I determined with one visit that Penang aint no paradise. I'd rather hang in hat jai

thank lop, i did some searching also, look good for next week, i was wonder does anybody know where i can download a visa application for penang consulate, or it doesn't exist.

this sound kinda silly but im gonna try to apply for multiple entry tourist visa(12month), it doesn't hurt just to ask for it right, if they give they give, if they don't they don't, i'll settle for 2 entry tourist visa.

anymore recommended hotel..

12 month entry? you mean a quad entry? that you cannot get in penang

im not to much favor of tourist services, i like to do thing myself and try to get the job done right. but thank-you (bartender100) i'll put it in a consideration, who knows, i might need them if thing don't turn out the way i plan, the one day service sound good tho, can they actually do that within a day?

i'll take a look into those hotel you all recommended, i was thinking about spending 1000-1500 a night on hotel, just wanna have some relaxing time while im there with good hotel services.

few of you mention about taking a walk around town, sound good to me, that i will do.

can you feel me in the open and closing hour for applying visa and pick up visa, malay time would be fine, and how much it cost for the single tourist visa/ double tourist visa.

if i don't use the services would i have any problem getting a double tourist visa at the consulate?

one other thing is there a website i can download the application or form for tourist visa/ or does anybody have a extra copy that i can copy from

a visa can never get you a visa the same day. this is not possible. drop your passport off btw 9-12 day one and pick up in afternoon on day 2. no quicker way

You are not asking for much,anyway here goes.

The flight with AA does not get in till the afternoon,I suggest to go to the tourist street Chuila Leibh(something like that)as soon as you arrive,and go to on of the small travel shops that say "visa sevice" outside.

All you need is two passport photo's,you don't even have to fill the form in just sign it,double entry tourist visa no problem,4 months with a border run in between,cost is 200 rinnget+ 20 R for the service,saves you having to go to the consol your self.

They cannot do this till the next day,collection the day after that in the afternoon .To late to get the AA flight back to bkk.

Some visa service ofer one day service an extra 60R.

As you don't have to go to the consol your self,you can stay anywere within your budget.Do a google,city bayview hotel about 120R,

http://www.awd.ws/penang/citybayview/ good location

Most of the bar are ok,not the same scene as thailand,I rec Soho bar,or slippery senoritas if you are youngish.Or take a taxi to the beaches and stay there while you wait for visa.

More advice

http://www.virtualtourist.com/f/138ff4/

Hope this is of some help

Folks, Air Asia does not fly from BKK to Penang. I can assure you of that

So far we have had one person reporting a problem in Cambodia,there must be numrous people everyday applying for these in Penang as well.Has anyone else had a problem?nothing reported here so far

We don't know the ins and out of this particular person,why had he got a new passport?had he had an overstay before on the other?how was he dressed and what was his attitued at the embassy.

I was in cambodia and was singled out along with another gentleman who had been living in thailand on tourist visas for 1+years. we were both told the same thing. no more. no can do. they are telling everyone. this has nothing to do with how you look or dress. that is nonsense. the people in thailand who look and dress sloppily tend to be those passing through staying a short time. how about we stop insinuating that persons having embassy/border probs (trying to live in thailand on tourist visas) are somehow dressed sloppily or have lousy appearance. It is the contrary if anything. I get tired of hearing it on this forum cause I know it is untrue

An Aussie friend just got back from Cambodia where he was grilled by the Thai embassy when applying for a 2 month tourist visa:

"What are you doing in Thailand?"

- Oh, I'm just a tourist, visting places of interest, etc.

After consulting with the supervisor and keeping him waiting for a long time, they said:

"We don't believe you, this will be your last visa".

They didn't elaborate and he said no more, didn't want to push it...

And that was on his new passport, issued in Bangkok with three 30 day stamps from previous visits.

Hmmm...

I can vouch for that. I had similar experience in Cambodia earlier this year

My next door neighbor has been here 5 years overstay on 30day visa.6 months ago his mother died and he tried to return home to his country.immigration at DM airport wouldnt let him pay the 20,000baht fine(which he had on him ready)and sent him back to immigration office in Bangkok to sort it out.He panicked,ran and is still here ,now 5 1/2 years and unable to leave.

He's sorry for overstaying now!

Ding, that's quite a fugitive story there. How will it end. Could make for good movie

what do you expect people here to do, hold your hand? So far you are as convincing as the kid who tells the teacher that the dog ate his homework.

any advice that you have been given so far (eg chuck out the passport) is all illegal and just as likely to get you into trouble with your own government as well as the Thai government. You could try your luck with the visa run and pay the 20K but you thats no guarantee that they'll let you pay it.

If you have legitimate reasons for being here, tell us. There are lawyers, long term expats and those who are connected with government who visit this site who actually may be have to offer advice if you tell us why you haven't bothered to regularise your status for the past 18 months.

Don't us expect to provide us with very little background info and expect a straight answer.

The "poor bugger me" attitude that you seem to display won't work, especially with the Thai authorities.

Am bloody sick and tired of farangs coming to Thailand but somehow mysteriously seem to leave their brains behind in their home country.

Sam is right, explain your situation in detail and you can get sound advice from the experts here. The info you have given simply states you overstayed a year and a half. Maybe you can run to a border and pay 20k and leave. Maybe you can come back, maybe not. More info would be helpful to you in getting sound advice here

you shouldn't have prob getting another 60 day

Does anyone know how to get a Retirement Visa if you are under 50 and have proof of income over 45,000 per month or can deposit 800,000 Baht to bank account?

you cannot get one

The problem is that Thailand is not known to care about human rights.

Hm, this is getting interesting! If anyone else had the audacity to present such a statement the good "Dr." Patpong would surely have kick-banned that person within minutes. I am curious to see what he will do in this case.

when Dr P kick bans someone he has valid reason

Unbiasbob, your input is very helpful; thanks a lot. I don't think I'll have any trouble getting what I need done with the paperwork I have. Mbkudu.

Great, mbkudu, when you get it done, let us know how it all went

Thanks for the replies, but you haven't been any help! In fact apart from a lot of wind about "shouldn't do it in the first place" there have been no actual ANSWERS to my question.

ONE day overstay has never counted before...I can quote your own forum and info on this. The second day counts, plus the first...ie 2 days overstay. There is a standard fine per day (forget if it is now 200b or 500b...doesn't matter).....

So.....why have the Thai Authorities suddenly started detaining people and fining them HUGE sums (10,000 baht) for one day overstays?

Does anybody have any INFORMATION about this (ie rather than chatty observations about the nature of life...)?

Rob

I would say that they sound like isolated incidents but I could be wrong

Hi all, today, May 17, 2004 I received an e-mail from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, Calif. concerning an enquiry I had e-mailed them about this 3 million Baht investor visa. It is NOT a current visa. It was ended October of last year according to them. The Thai Consulate site in Chicago still shows it with current exchange rates (about 42 baht per dollar) but no date and I think the exchange rate was indeed around 42 Baht last year.

  The LA cosulate suggested I try [email protected], which is the site the Thailand

Board of Investment. FRom what I get from this is they've upped the ante to

8-10 million Baht for an investor visa. I guess I'm just not rich enough to qualify for an investment visa, oh well.

Not what the imm dude told me 2 months ago. In fact 2 imm dudes at bkk imm indeed said that the 3 mil visa is in fact valid

Unbiasbob, you have something here. The consulates and embassies are not coming clean on this because it is not really a 'visa'. What it is, is a one year

extension on an existing visa such as a Non-Imm O visa. This one year extension can only be issued by Immigration inside Thailand, specifically Bangkok. So with

the 3 million Baht proof of investment, I'm pretty certain a one year renewable extension can be had.

My situation was that I went to the "change visa" office at bkk imm while on a 60 day tourist. The gent told me that getting a 1 year visa was very doable with documentation of 3 million baht deposited into a thai govt bank. He did not tell me the type of visa and I failed to ask. Next time I will ask the guy. He said that no other docs were needed of any kind. He was ready to go forward with it at any time during which my 60 day tourist was valid and not on extension. They are quite helpful in that office for those of you who fit the bill and desire this visa. He also mentioned that if on extension, I could leave the country to Penang or Laos and get the visa as well