What’s next for (some of) us?

[lkv]

What is next?

 

- VOA suspension until October

- Visa exempt suspension

- The end of multiple non O/B and visa runs every 3 months.

- Mandatory insurance for every foreigner travelling into the Kingdom for extended periods of time (I am referring to non O extensions, they are actually foreign pensioneers staying in Thailand on a temporary extesion of stay)

- more TM's, phone tracking and so on.

 

For the peace of the nation.

[Zikomat]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

What is next?

 

- VOA suspension until October

- Visa exempt suspension

- The end of multiple non O/B and visa runs every 3 months.

- Mandatory insurance for every foreigner travelling into the Kingdom for extended periods of time (I am referring to non O extensions, they are actually foreign pensioneers staying in Thailand on a temporary extesion of stay)

- more TM's, phone tracking and so on.

 

For the peace of the nation.

Sounds quite realistic to me.

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, Toosetinmyways said:

The definition of tourist in Thailand is defined by the Thai immigration not some dictionary 

Perhaps, you could provide a link to a source that has the immigration definition of tourist. I have never seen one. What I have seen is various opinions by members here on, for instance, how someone cannot be a tourist if they might be liable for tax in Thailand. All the differences, for example, in which Thai entry points will allow long stay tourists and which will not is a direct consequence of the fact that Thai Immigration has no definition of what a tourist is, and no common understanding.

[BobinBKK]

On 5/4/2020 at 4:24 PM, DaRoadrunner said:

Getting outta Thailand is going to be a right mess as every country a plane flies to is going to have different regulations for entry, with some remaining closed longer and some requiring quarantine. How will they get the airlines up and running again?

 

For those trying to enter Thailand, I dread to think what stupid unworkable regulations will be in place.

You hit the nail on the head when you said "stupid unworkable regulations"!

[Andre0720]

On ‎5‎/‎4‎/‎2020 at 10:45 AM, tonray said:

If you're a tourist why wouldn't you be planning to leave....no time for an extended vacation

Actually, I am planning to leave Thailand, but there is no place to go.

Even if borders re-open in the next few months, this would allow me to go to a country were I do not want to go. Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia. For one month??

I have a one year Non O-A visa, with a return ticket to Canada for end of April through South Korea. Not possible then. Return date changed for July 1st. Quite unlikely that this will happen... Seoul to reopen, if and when... Meanwhile, Thailand will likely extend my permission to stay until a border opens up. So being able to go to a bordering country in a few months from now would only make things worse for me. And if I do not go to that bordering country, Thailand would consider me as an illegal alien.

Then what....

[Toosetinmyways]

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

Perhaps, you could provide a link to a source that has the immigration definition of tourist. I have never seen one. What I have seen is various opinions by members here on, for instance, how someone cannot be a tourist if they might be liable for tax in Thailand. All the differences, for example, in which Thai entry points will allow long stay tourists and which will not is a direct consequence of the fact that Thai Immigration has no definition of what a tourist is, and no common understanding.

Of course there is no link because the definition of tourist to the immigration officer depends on which side of the bed he slept on or the phase that the moon was in last night.

The point I was trying to make was that someone with a dodgy tourist visa history will not convince the IO otherwise by waving a copy of the Oxford English dictionary around.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

Thailand would consider me as an illegal alien.

Then what....

Currently you have until July 31.

If/when land borders open you can do border bounce. Being Canadian you obtain 30days visa exempt. Which can be extended by 30 days. You can do that twice. That's 4 months. 

You can (in future) obtain 3 month multiple entry TV to Vietnam online. Of course this all depends on the restrictions that Thai gov places on re-entry and of course what "rules" other countries place on entry to their country. 

[Zikomat]

2 hours ago, Toosetinmyways said:

Of course there is no link because the definition of tourist to the immigration officer depends on which side of the bed he slept on or the phase that the moon was in last night.

The point I was trying to make was that someone with a dodgy tourist visa history will not convince the IO otherwise by waving a copy of the Oxford English dictionary around.

 As I wrote in the removed message - there was not a single time when I needed to explain my tourist status to the Thai immigration or at the embassy. It is only here on TV I am constantly reminded by the guys on retirement and marriage visas that since I am a (dodgy!) tourist I should not stay in TH for ‘too long’. And this is when dictionary definitions might help.

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by Zikomat

[Lacessit]

22 hours ago, gamini said:

A lot of talk about insurance that I don't understand. Many retired expats are over 80 and someone over 85. It is an insurance company in Thailand who will ensure them. A friend of mine is 85 and he wants to spend his last few years in Thailand so anybody know the situation about health insurance?

IMO it would be nigh impossible for anyone over 75 to get insurance, unless they wanted to bankrupt themselves in the process. Better to self-insure.

I don't know what the situation is with someone who has a retirement extension and re-entry permit, with no Thai health insurance. If Immigration start refusing entry, many retirees won't be able to get back into Thailand.

I would have thought the 800K baht we are forced to deposit in Thai banks would be adequate surety for most health issues, but that's being logical.

[pineapple01]

For some its time to leave and realise their poor..

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

If you've got at least a Bachelor's degree, and don't mind children, consider teaching.

 

It's really not that bad. Many schools only want you do to 2-3 classes a day, which is really only 2 hours of work. Much of the time it isn't "serious" teaching in the Western sense. While this virus persists they'll want you to teach online, through live video and sending out worksheets to be completed.

 

I know for a fact that many foreign teachers, including my former colleagues, have gone home as they didn't have funds put away to wait out the virus, and the work they had lined up over the break was canceled. This, coupled with the fact that right now no one else can enter Thailand, means they've only got you to choose from! It's a buyer's market for teaching jobs.

 

Avoid agencies, try to get directly hired at a decent school, but take them as a last resort. They'll be tougher to deal with and give you no support. But, they will get you that Non-B visa you need to stay here for another year (be sure to get a 1 year contract).

 

Play hardball with them. If they lowball you with 30k, push it closer to 40 or 45k. Remind them you're a hot commodity. If you've got experience, leverage it, and if you happen to be a "native speaker" (US/UK/CA/Aus/NZ/SA).

 

Good luck. ????

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

16 hours ago, lkv said:

more TM's, phone tracking and so on

Oh yes. The dystopian cyberpunk future of Blade Runner, RoboCop, Judge Dredd, Repo Men, etc., has finally arrived. Thank you for your cooperation, Citizen XZ83495-9.

[eyup]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:07 PM, Jim P said:

Shouldn`t you be trying to go home if your a tourist?

 

There is another group. Possibly not mentioned yet, of which I am one of them. Long term tourists, who originally planned to return home  April "ish."  Known in North America as "Snowbirds' I believe?  .(I know a few in the same situation.) We either were unable to return on the original planned date and/or  then have chosen to stay. Personally my decision to stay was on the basis that IMVHO I  am are safer here, owing to the relatively low rates of infections. Especially for me  being in the "more vulnerable" category . As it stands for me, my flight back home has been re-booked for early June. If, those flights a) can operate b) are not cancelled! Then, we have the subject of the escape from the next winter in Europe. Will we be allowed back? What insurance requirements will be needed?Will another country be an option (Vietnam?). So many variable and impossible to say what will happen or be the case for long stay (not high end) tourism to Thailand in November!

[tonray]

4 hours ago, Andre0720 said:

Actually, I am planning to leave Thailand, but there is no place to go.

Even if borders re-open in the next few months, this would allow me to go to a country were I do not want to go. Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia. For one month??

I have a one year Non O-A visa, with a return ticket to Canada for end of April through South Korea. Not possible then. Return date changed for July 1st. Quite unlikely that this will happen... Seoul to reopen, if and when... Meanwhile, Thailand will likely extend my permission to stay until a border opens up. So being able to go to a bordering country in a few months from now would only make things worse for me. And if I do not go to that bordering country, Thailand would consider me as an illegal alien.

Then what....

If you are a Canadian citizen then the obvious place to go will be Canada. Go home and regroup. You are not a stateless refugee with no country..you have a home..a very good one at that.

[Toosetinmyways]

Having talked with Thai friends and co workers of my wife and son, I have came to the conclusion that visa regulations, excluding short term tourist visas, will be overhauled, After discussions with the family I decided to go the 5 year Elite visa route. The next day my son and wife said they would chip in the extra cash to give me the 20 year Elite. Last night the approval papers arrived.

Strangely I felt a sense of relief knowing I don't have to worry reading about people with perfect visa history being denied entry, embassies not issuing ME non O, changes to financial and document requirements for marriage and retirement extensions, and no more immigration visits. Nice to have a visa that will be valid after I expire not the other way round.

The process took exactly one month.

[JackThompson]

15 hours ago, Toosetinmyways said:

Having talked with Thai friends and co workers of my wife and son, I have came to the conclusion that visa regulations, excluding short term tourist visas, will be overhauled, After discussions with the family I decided to go the 5 year Elite visa route. The next day my son and wife said they would chip in the extra cash to give me the 20 year Elite. Last night the approval papers arrived.

Strangely I felt a sense of relief knowing I don't have to worry reading about people with perfect visa history being denied entry, embassies not issuing ME non O, changes to financial and document requirements for marriage and retirement extensions, and no more immigration visits. Nice to have a visa that will be valid after I expire not the other way round.

The process took exactly one month.

If you have that cash to put up, why use Non-O MEs? 

All the Elite gives are consecutive 1 year stays - you have to border-bounce or go to immigration every year. 

For the same 1M Baht (only 800K, actually), but in the bank in your name, you could qualify every year based on retirement (easier than marriage/family), collect interest, and pass the money on to your family (instead of the 'elite' crew) when you pass. 

 

If you/they don't need it, that's fine - but they had to "chip in" so ???