captnhoy

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

Unless using Poipet or Padang Besar, I cannot imagine any problem at a land border.

In April I was denied in Ranong when I showed up to go to the Andaman Club. The IO thumbed through my passport seeing my stamps from this year and last year, Last year I did not have a METV and stayed 6 months on 2 SETVs. This year I had a METV. He failed to notice the 5 month stay in my home country and very aggressively proclaimed that I was "living in Thailand". There was no talking him out of it. I had enough time left to got to Kanchanaburi.

I did the METV my last trip and I'm planning for next one now. I am US based. What I have seen is the price of 2 one way tickets make it worth my while to sharpen my plan and choose an actual return date so I do get a RT ticket. Price difference in RT and 2 OWs is worth it. Also flying EVA, for example, gives liberal rules for no cost changes.

As follow up to this I did the border run on Apr 16. At the border it is quite an industry. You cannot stamp out until you see an "agent" who has taken your passport and filled in your new arrival card. That way immigration knows you've paid your "dues" and they will get a cut, no doubt. There was no issue with Immigration of any kind. In fact not one word was spoken to me other than an IO directing me to an "agent" prior to stamping out. Not having done any real research on this i did not realize that the border is a 75 minute drive (as fast as he can) from the bus station. In my case as the sole passenger in the back of a songtao. I don't know what the cost of that is normally. The driver started at 1200 and claimed "that is normal for here" He dropped to 1000 and said the same thing. He made a face when he accepted my counter of 900. What is really normal? From the bus station back to the bus station was 4 hours. The vans back to Hua Hin were booked solid until the 5 pm run. But this was still heavy songkran traffic.

29 minutes ago, sirocco said:

What's putting you off? the price?
Bah! you are probably spending money,
like most of us.
  You're lucky, for the same price, we'll take you back to HH.
Look on facebook, they look, all, happy.
In addition you will make spontaneous knowledge
and no concern for transport research.
Otherwise, van, train, or bus, until KANCHANABURI.
After, I do not know.

OK...since you want to be helpful - yes the price. It is 220 baht by van..440 RT. Joe mentioned 980 to actually do the visa part. That is a total of 1,420. The HH service makes it a total of 2,980. Of course you are right, I am spending money like everyone. I prefer that to be on women, drinks, dancing, boats and cars. The rest I will just piss away. But not more than necessary on a visa run. You waste your money your way and I'll do the same. Thanks for your help.

Anyone have any info about finding the transport through no mans land once arriving in Kanchanaburi? Local Hua Hin service is quoting 2500 for that part.

The Andaman Club is a hotel / casino on it's own island 15 minutes across the water from Ranong. Get yourself to Ranong and find a taxi to the pier to The Andaman Club. No appointment needed. Go to the immigration desk marked "Arrivals" it is also "Departures" but no signage that I saw. Stamp out. Turn around and go the the big counter on your left. They make a copy of your passport and you pay....I don't remember - might have been 1000 baht. That gets you there and back on their boats and gets your passport stamped in Myanmar. They have a duty free in the hotel that can offset the fee a little if you are in the market for something.

Satun is your last opportunity to check out.

Oh great! Thanks Joe

I see there is a separate thread for METVs....if admin does not delete this one, please move it accordingly.

It is my understanding that only the Embassy in the US will issue ME Tourist Visas (and my impression that it is problematic doing so). Based on my my residence location I would use the Chicago consulate offices for a SE TV and out of curiosity I have looked at the visa application forms on both sites. The form on the Chicago site does have a field called Number of Entries Requested so I am asking if anyone has been issued a ME TV from that office recently? Another reason that I am asking is I have a friend who lives in Ohio and he gets his METV every year from the office in New York. Or should I just apply at the Embassy and hope for the best?

Cheers

Thanks - appreciate the input.

Buick, yes, I am aware of the throwaway option. And I will do that if necessary. Exploring other options first. Thanks

I am preparing for a TV application in Manila. I am not quite ready to book my actual return flight. I am looking at a throw away fare and wondered if any forum members can point me to an airline that is known to issue refundable tickets. Rather than click through the actual booking process only to find that it is NOT refundable I thought I would ask here first. Cheers

Surprised to see no replies. For air travel I like Google Flights. I like it because it shows all options - I believe. And it shows savings for alternate dates. It shows overall duration of travel as that can vary quite a bit. Sometimes the cheapest ticket requires excessive stops and layovers. I'm willing to pay up a bit in order to minimize the hours required. For hotel bookings I like hotels.com. Become a member and you will get one free night for each 10 that you book. I have also compared prices on that site with prices directly on the hotel site. Hotels.com usually has the better price. The site is actually a sub business of expedia.com. I recently went through a major foul up by booking air with expedia. Many asian airlines have liberal change policies. If you book EVA for example through expedia, you have now lost the liberal change policies and expedia really stuck it to me. Avoid them for air travel is my new rule. I like your question and hope others weigh in.

Thanks Joe

59 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

In the UK it issued it you are 65 or older and getting a state pension.

It can be difficult to get one at most locations for being 50 or over for retirement.

And in this example it is described as a "multiple entry non-O good for 1 year". Is the same visa available in the US? I am retired and not short on funds or income.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He was writing about a multiple entry non-o visa that is valid for one year from the date of issue.

A multiple entry tourist visa is only valid for 6 months from the date of issue but can give a total stay of 9 months by doing an entry just before it expires.

I too am trying to decide how to proceed. Is a multiple entry non-o visa the one that is issued based on retirement?

After 10 years of extension I exited in May without renewing because I found the process so unpleasant at my local office. Always conducted by the IO that other expats refer to as "the c*nt". I thought that I would stop in Manila on my way to Thailand in November and get a tourist visa and then extend that. I also thought that a non-imm multi entry would only be issued in one's own country. I could get one in Penang? Finances are no problem. Do they want to see printouts? Certified in some way?

2 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

Nobody cares because unpractical. This stupidity needs to stop. 24 h reporting

Tell that to the IO who emphatically threatened to fine my wife 10,000 baht for failure to report. Based on what I read in a previous thread on this topic that amount is for a business and it is 5,000 maximum for an individual. All he knew was that he was HOT and she needed to shape up.

For the most part it's "just stuff" and the OP's attitude seems to reflect that too as he makes it clear that he does not have much that is "special". Paying extra baggage fees for a little bit of stuff that qualifies could be another path to consider. No way I would ship it all. Finding quality "stuff" here can be challenging but it can be done. What you get as you sell off combined with what you save by not shipping will go far. 

I'll be traveling soon so went to Ranong Immigration on Saphan Plaa to get a re-entry permit. It was shocking to see most of the site leveled and in the early stages of site preparation to build a new facility. The jail building is still there and I found someone to tell me where to go. :-). Continue on that soi on past Immigration until you get to the Bangkok Bank down by the fish market. On that same corner just past the bank is the new temporary location.