8 hours ago, timendres said:

Your guarantee aside, I have looked at the passport and seen the stamps. I mentioned it simply to indicate that he seems to be dodging the bullet at CNX, and that may be of interest to the OP.

Shouldn't that stamp (assumed extension stamp) tell you why the extension was given. Most probably to visit family (wife, children, parents) which is for 60-day. So, 30 (exempt entry) + 60 (family extension) = 90 day per entry. 

3 hours ago, onera1961 said:

Shouldn't that stamp (assumed extension stamp) tell you why the extension was given. Most probably to visit family (wife, children, parents) which is for 60-day. So, 30 (exempt entry) + 60 (family extension) = 90 day per entry. 

I am sure you are correct, but he is in Chiang Mai, and I am here in BKK. I was visiting, and was dubious of the VOA stamps, so only focused on that when I looked at the stamps.

ED visa would be the visa id apply in ur case. CONtact a language center and ask them to mail you the doc to laos (if course it will cost you about 22k for 1year visa)

16 hours ago, timendres said:

I know someone who is married to a Thai woman, but refuses to do the extension based on marriage, so he flies to Vietnam and back to CM every three months (I forget exactly how he arranges the 90 days from the visa exempt on arrival, but it involves extensions). He has done this at least 4 times in a row back-to-back without a problem. I believe it will be an issue at some point, but it does suggest that CM is a bit more accommodating.

If he is entering visa exempt, he might be extending 60 days to visit his wife. Otherwise he couldn't get a total of 90 days. Not sure how long he can keep that up. A single entry non imm O and staying 90 days wouldn't involve an extension. 

 

Does he refuse  the annual extension because he's short of financials? Seems like he' s making things more complicated for himself ( and even worse if he finds himself refused entry at some point). Or maybe he enjoys having a few days away from home.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 20196 yr by Suradit69

17 hours ago, Tim8956 said:

Does it look bad if I get denied for the tourist visa or does it not really matter?  Could my girlfriend go back to Chaing Mai and send me documents for an education visa?

In the usual scenario, it doesn't really matter :They hand you back your application, and tell you that you have had too many entries already. In the rare case that the initial application is approved, and a TV sticker is put in your passport, and then a senior official overrides that decision and the the visa is canceled, with a huge 'canceled' stamped across the sticker, it does not look good at all:I would get a new passport in such a case. Not sure whether (and how often) this happens in Vientiane, but it does occasionally happen in Phnom Penh. Still it is rather the exception. 

17 hours ago, timendres said:

I know someone who is married to a Thai woman, but refuses to do the extension based on marriage, so he flies to Vietnam and back to CM every three months (I forget exactly how he arranges the 90 days from the visa exempt on arrival, but it involves extensions). He has done this at least 4 times in a row back-to-back without a problem. I believe it will be an issue at some point, but it does suggest that CM is a bit more accommodating.

So that means we can fly in at least 4 times per year without a visa and stay for 90 days every time?

 

In that case, who needs a visa? LOL.

 

Edited August 29, 20196 yr by EricTh

9 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

In the usual scenario, it doesn't really matter :They hand you back your application, and tell you that you have had too many entries already. In the rare case that the initial application is approved, and a TV sticker is put in your passport, and then a senior official overrides that decision and the the visa is canceled, with a huge 'canceled' stamped across the sticker, it does not look good at all:I would get a new passport in such a case. Not sure whether (and how often) this happens in Vientiane, but it does occasionally happen in Phnom Penh. Still it is rather the exception. 

Good info.

PP will issue TV and instantly stamp VOID if you already have one from there. There is very recent thread of member having history over few years living los. He had couple of ed visas, VE, etc. Then flew Saigon and tried for a visa. They issued and void. 

Could not enter visa exempt at border as had already used the annual 2.

So bit bullet flew Saigon to CM. Must have been nervous flight. Obtained ve 30days. I think for certain would have been denied entry if flew to DM. Esp with the void stamp. Note the history would be more the problem than the void stamp

7 hours ago, onera1961 said:

Shouldn't that stamp (assumed extension stamp) tell you why the extension was given. Most probably to visit family (wife, children, parents) which is for 60-day. So, 30 (exempt entry) + 60 (family extension) = 90 day per entry. 

This is interesting. Nice post.

3 hours ago, timendres said:

I am sure you are correct, but he is in Chiang Mai, and I am here in BKK. I was visiting, and was dubious of the VOA stamps, so only focused on that when I looked at the stamps.

 

@Timendres I think you should focus more on learning what you are talking about. I don't mean to be negative but lots of posts regarding your comment on this matter as it's just continued speculation and uncertainty.  Talk to your friend, and figure it out, then tell folks about it.. Come on now..

3 days ago exactly the same happened to a friend at DM , stamped his p/p saying insufficient funds after initially saying he had too many exempt entries , then asked only how many Hong Kong dollars do you have cos he flew in from HK . Back on return to HK within 3 hours . Is this 20,000 baht now an entry requirement ? 

2 hours ago, Solinvictus said:

@Timendres I think you should focus more on learning what you are talking about. I don't mean to be negative but lots of posts regarding your comment on this matter as it's just continued speculation and uncertainty.  Talk to your friend, and figure it out, then tell folks about it.. Come on now..

The speculation and uncertainty appears to be caused by posters who feel a need to challenge my original post. I simply stated what I saw, for the sake of the original poster, to point out my impression that CNX seems to be a bit more amenable to entry, compared to BKK and DMK. I apologize for trying to contribute.

You had no 20,000 with you, but it does not mean if you had it they would let you get in.

2 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

Tim,

If you're really connected to your girlfriend it's time to get married and get a Non O Marriage visa. You'll need to show financials to extend it but it makes it legit. You can get a WP on this visa so it seems like the way to go.

If you are wishy washy on marriage, you should consider calling it quits. 

Best of luck. 

I'm also from US (California)

Since I am referring to my ex-wife, who is now remarried to another US citizen, I think I will allow them to continue in their marriage without any interference from my end.

If married or having a legal child any entry can be extended 60 days for vising Thai wife or child

 

Visa exempt = 30 days on entry + 60 days extension = 90 days

Non-O visa = 90 days on entry + 60 days extension = 150 days

 

I personally do this too. I prefer to travel every few months.

 

14 hours ago, superal said:

3 days ago exactly the same happened to a friend at DM , stamped his p/p saying insufficient funds after initially saying he had too many exempt entries , then asked only how many Hong Kong dollars do you have cos he flew in from HK . Back on return to HK within 3 hours . Is this 20,000 baht now an entry requirement ? 

It has been for years, it only tends to be enforced as a reason to deny entry to serial tourists.

On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 7:26 AM, somtumwrong said:

I had this "unique charm", too, and was able to charm my way to 10-14 VE per year between 2014-2017 until I got my NON-O ME based on marriage in my home country. Now, thinking about it, I think the rules were more relaxed back then but was having really good luck at the time. Dumb luck ???? Maybe that is a phase we have when moving here, until we get thrown out or come to our senses ????

I have no charm at all, in fact I'm quite obnoxious but I did the VE thing monthly from 2015 to August 2019 without a problem. I recently (3 weeks ago) got a multi O based on marriage. piece of cake in Savvanakhet.

When I say based on marriage there is actually an annotation handwritten in Thai saying 'to visit wife' above the visa sticker.

Edited August 30, 20196 yr by emptypockets

On 8/28/2019 at 7:40 PM, Tim8956 said:

Is there any other visa I can apply for?

Non-O might work, though I run my own business, and I recollect on my last HCMC visit that, for the first time, I needed a letter from my business partner (wife).

If the OP has a friend in Thailand with a company it is still possible to get a single entry Non B by having an invitation letter from the Thai company, and a letter from the OP's 'employer' (not hard to ask a second friend with a company to say you are employed by them and need to travel to Thailand for business).   He can get 90 days that way.   HCMC was amenable to issuing these single entry non B's.     You used to be able to get 1 year Multi Entry B visas this way but now they'll only give a single entry. 

The OP didn't say how much longer he'd like to stay, but perhaps with a single entry Non B that will give him enough time to get a job and then get a one year non B or get onto an education program.   

Of course the other thing to do is get a tourist visa and make sure he's travelling with 50K in cash next time (having more than the required 20K surely a good idea and carrying the extra cash doesn't cost anything).

5 minutes ago, seancbk said:

If the OP has a friend in Thailand with a company it is still possible to get a single entry Non B by having an invitation letter from the Thai company

There are immigration lawyers in Bangkok who will write just such a letter (for a fee)

4 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

That's right. The days of serial tourist visas are coming to an end. I'm not saying its right or wrong, or good or bad. Its just the current situation. Some people need to wake up to the facts. Land border crossing may work today but likely will be affected in the future. 

 

I don't think this is true at all.   He was refused entry for not carrying the 20,000 baht required in cash.  For the past couple of years I've been carrying 40 or 50K when I enter, although I've never been asked to show it.   Thailand needs to make it much clearer to tourists that they need this cash on them, or start accepting that most Western foreigners have credit cards.  

One thing to remember though is as a percentage of international arrivals the number of people being denied entry is miniscule.  I wouldn't worry about it until they change the law and impose actual restrictions based on total days spent as a tourist per year, because as it stands the law has no limitation on how many days you can be in Thailand on tourist visas in a year.   So long as you have an actual tourist visa every time and you have the requisite 20K THB in cash on you.

8 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

The numbers of entries is not cast in stone, but a IO sees what they consider a lot they refuse entry. The stamp says insufficient funds or something like that, but frequently its reported that they say "you spend too much time in Thailand (on a tourist visa). They suspect you are getting money from other sources such as working. 

The obvious inference from this is that someone over 60 who makes frequent trips to Thailand is less likely to be challenged, since the assumption will be that they are retired?  Is that a fair statement?

1 minute ago, FredGallaher said:

Probably, but if he/she is using multiple tourist visa and or VE then they could also be in trouble. I think most >60 would get NON O visa, possibly with ME. That would make coming and going easy. 

Most of my older friends are no longer bothering with O, they're using METV to visit for up to six months

7 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Most of my older friends are no longer bothering with O, they're using METV to visit for up to six months

Most reason for that is the new total money have to stay on bank longer, as  5 months 800K and 7 month's 400 k seasoned (counted over a year..) and so avoiding that

Edited August 31, 20196 yr by david555

8 minutes ago, david555 said:

Most reason for that is the new total money have to stay on bank longer, as  5 months 800K and 7 month's 400 k seasoned (counted over a year..) and so avoiding that

Yes and no - they always were "snowbirders", only coming here for a few months anyway. They've figured the hassles of extensions and uncertainties over insurance make METV the easiest alternative, and all they have to show is a few thousand in their home bank account

26 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Yes and no - they always were "snowbirders", only coming here for a few months anyway. They've figured the hassles of extensions and uncertainties over insurance make METV the easiest alternative, and all they have to show is a few thousand in their home bank account

comes to same as my explaining , as more simple and less frozen money , same as my planning in 3.5 years taking address in home country back and become snow bird (50% home and 50% TH or elsewhere)……, as my hair start becoming "silver snow color" too now ….lol

5 minutes ago, david555 said:

comes to same as my explaining , as more simple and less frozen money , same as my planning in 3.5 years taking address in home country back and become snow bird (50% home and 50% TH or elsewhere)……, as my hair start becoming "silver snow color" too now ….lol

So what's the answer to my question, now we've danced around the mulberry bush on this one?

15 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

So what's the answer to my question, now we've danced around the mulberry bush on this one?

no in full agree with your's as it is in a way same a good solution

Edited August 31, 20196 yr by david555