BigStar

It's only mind-boggling that you've never noticed that your passport doesn't use the Thai spelling of your name and that it doesn't show your address. Yellow books and passports serve different purposes. Your post says more about you than about Thai bureaucracy.

Nonsense. Banks will issue a credit card for you secured by a cash deposit (minimum may apply). The credit limit will be equal to the amount of the deposit. I had one of these for a while, secured by B50,000. I later worked for a Thai company and converted it to a standard card. After I left the company, the bank allowed me to keep it. I'd established a good payment record.

They aren't going to tell you why. If you knew why, you could still do nothing about it, so it doesn't matter, and Immigration knows it. This is the case with all "whys" farang constantly voice about the goings on in Thailand. Thais themselves have learned to roll with flow. I'm assuming that after you go to the office the first time it's been consistently refused, the issue will have been sorted out so that online will work again for you. I could be wrong, but, again, it doesn't matter, just speculating. But the system isn't down for everyone nor for everyone who reports to a particular office. To address the other aspect of your point, yes, it would be nice to know, for reasons, if it will work again soon, but you'll only know it works when you try it. If it doesn't work again after a few tries, then you'll have to mail in your report or go to the office or just pay the fine at visa extension renewal time. (Some do choose that option.) Or of course pay an agent. It would be wise to try the online system as soon as you can within the 15-days limitation. Anyone can file the report at the office for you. I used to pay a motorcy taxi driver to do it for me. By mail, you'd at minimum to send in the form, but I'd include copies of the the passport and yellow book/TM30 as well. In my case, I suspect, though without any real reason, they wanted the last to verify my address. I've never filed a TM30, as I have a yellow book. True, they already had that info from my last visa renewal. But that's in a different computer, LOL.

The system lacks coding to display any "additional security check" message for rejections, and perhaps with the added condition of only for particular cases. Further, IOs would be questioned about the reason for the security check, which could be different according to visa holder, and that would just mean additional overhead. The IO on the front desk doesn't even know. So that can still be the case. But it's only a theory. If my next online 90-day report goes thru, then that would lend credence. We'll never know for sure. Nor does it matter anyway. It is what it is.

And of course you pay your Thai credit card bill from your Thai bank account.

Seems rather common.

We've already had the "who has the most cash?" contest among all the others. Our top self-proclaimed winners should give it a break.

Enough with the paranoia. They didn't have to create an online system in the first place. I had the same problem. After many acceptances, I got rejected, even with multiple tries. Nothing had changed. My theory is they want you to go there for a little personal verification and after that the online will work again for you. I visited the office and gave 'em all the evidence they wanted. But it's not time yet to test the theory, so we'll see.

You're thinking of the seating under the big tree in back where many an old fart, most often an old German fart, enjoyed a Chang or wine cooler. That will be missed. The old place had been there decades and had the local feel that's fast disappearing in Pattaya. New place is upscale and gentrified. Not sure how great the new location really is. On the corner and across from T21 was prime. Well, give it time. I went by today, and they're still stocking the shelves and got plenty of room to spare.

So naive. It's all about money & power. The threats came from Dim party and their thugs.

Rent a safety box from T.T currency exchange. Larger offices have them. B500, one month. https://ttexchange.com/safe-deposit-box/pricing

5 bags is more a family haul. Since the OP says something about "his own cooking," sounds like he doesn't have a family. Probably won't even have room in his apt for that much stuff. If I fill up two large duffle bags at Makro, and the cargo space in the bike if needed, I'm good for 2 weeks. Usually includes a number of frozen items. Other things I just get delivered. Occasionally I'll restock something from 7/11 or Tops nearby, like fresh milk. Rarely I'll stop by the local Thai fresh market. Nah. Been here more than 20 years, never went out daily for food except when I first arrived and had no cooking facility. If you got cooking facilities, and of course a fridge, a daily shop is more of a Thai cultural practice. But even my Thai gf, when in residence, doesn't, quite used to my way of doing things. Waste of time & effort.

OP, maybe best just to get the pubic area done.

Where there's a will, there's a way. If needed, I have two large travel duffle bags I stack on top of each other on the back and attach them to the bike with bungee cords. Or I have a large hiking backpack I can use. But, really, OP, you should just make use of delivery services as noted above. Just shop online, mostly. Hit Foodmart to fill in the gaps.

Further tip on installation if interested: How to Set up Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account

You're starting up a bickerfest. I don't have time for this, sorry. Content yourself with my good advice and take heed. Find your perfect little patch of paradise right there in Baltimore, USA.

It's nice to meet new people and share goodwill. I gave my witnesses some nice little gifts and we found our experience at Pattaya City Hall interesting and pleasant. Drop by and say hello to the headwoman sometimes.

Suddenly I'm thinking of those steam accounts.

I suspect Aseannow: TT is missing a big opportunity here. Reddit's negotiated a $60 million deal with Google to use its posts for AI training. Perfect here, too. After a similar lucrative deal, Google searches will finally present true expert answers in the first results about the REAL Thailand and, you know, the beer & pussy.

Just tryin' to help. Probably need to cultivate better manners if you move to a small town in the USA.

Big city, very historic, some nice architecture still around, and best of all it's the perfect expression of your progressive politics, no? Walk the walk.

Can't beat Baltimore. Low as $100: https://hotpads.com/baltimore-md/affordable-apartments-for-rent

Skint, basically. Plus the monger types of old, who made up the vast majority of Brit tourists to Thailand, are all getting feminization surgery & testosterone blockers now, or just w*nking off to porn.

Scroll and read the posts in reverse order. That way you can stop at the last one you read already. Sorted. Not in the business model. The idea is to have large database of nonsense, though there's some informal, unwritten rule that you can't quote a member's old nonsense from years ago back to him. That said, there's a lot of good info from years ago, though perhaps none that you posted.

Nice to hear a story w/ such a happy ending for a change.