Flying Over A Neighbour

[Shoeboat]

I'm sure there is nothing to worry about but I just want to cover myself, but I'm coming to Thailand next month from the Phillipines and later in that month would like to fly my Fillipino gf out for a holiday when she finishes her studies. I understand I can stay a maximum of 30 days with 2 visa runs, which is more than enough - she will probably come out shortly after the first visa run, stay for two weeks and we will fly back together.

Are the rules for her the same as for me, would she be questioned upon arrival? Can I or she expect any complications or is it as simple as I hope it will be?

Thankyou.

[lopburi3]

I suspect you mean you can stay for up to 30 days at a time rather than needing two visa runs to do so. She has the same 30 day entry without visa privileges. She may be asked reason for visit (it is always best to travel together) but if she tells the truth she should be OK. If you have a mobile phone number she could call in case of need it might be a good idea to provide her that but really don't believe there will be any problem.

[Shoeboat]

Cheers, yeah I meant (for me) 30 days with no more than 2 additional visa runs, hopefully that won't change in the next couple of weeks.

[Shoeboat]

If I returned to the UK after the 3 months and did what I had to do and paid what I had to pay to obtain a 12 month visa, how would it be possible to live with her in Thailand?

I hope she could find legal work here but if not, the bset I could hope for from what I have been informed is that she would have to do a visa run every month, or every two months from Laos. She would be afraid to do this alone, yet if I accompanied her it would be a waste of time me getting a year visa, or would it?

Perhaps it would be easier for us to return to the Phillipines every three months but we, or at least I would have to remain there for three months until I could return.

I also heard that Phillipinos can not get a year visa like us but they are intitled to unlimited monthly visa runs.

When she flies here should she get a 30 day or a 90 day return to Manila?

Sorry for the amount of questions here but I just want peace of mind and a happy simple life in the country I have made my home.

[lopburi3]

I have no knowledge that the Philippines is exempt from the 90 days in six months rule. There are ASIAN countries that are; but the Philippines is not on the list pinned at top of forum - but perhaps there has been a change.

As for you having a one year multi entry visa it would be ideal for 30 day border crossings as it allows unlimited number of exit/entries.

But why not consider living in the Philippines?

[tropo]

If I returned to the UK after the 3 months and did what I had to do and paid what I had to pay to obtain a 12 month visa, how would it be possible to live with her in Thailand?

I hope she could find legal work here but if not, the bset I could hope for from what I have been informed is that she would have to do a visa run every month, or every two months from Laos. She would be afraid to do this alone, yet if I accompanied her it would be a waste of time me getting a year visa, or would it?

Perhaps it would be easier for us to return to the Phillipines every three months but we, or at least I would have to remain there for three months until I could return.

I also heard that Phillipinos can not get a year visa like us but they are intitled to unlimited monthly visa runs.

When she flies here should she get a 30 day or a 90 day return to Manila?

Sorry for the amount of questions here but I just want peace of mind and a happy simple life in the country I have made my home.

Your Filipino GF will need to get tourist visas in order to stay for 12 months.

It's very unlikely (probably impossible) that she will get tourist visas from the Thai Embassy in Manila. They are very strict and very hard to deal with. They just don't want to give tourist visas to young Filipinos and even if she had all the requirements (that would include full information about her job in the Philippines and income, her financial status, hotel bookings in Thailand, return ticket) they would knock her back anyway just on the premise that they think she will try to work in Thailand (I've heard from people who have been given this excuse for non issue of a tourist visa) which of course is a no-no on a tourist visa. They will be very curious to know why she is staying in Thailand on a permanent basis.

If your girl tries to leave Manila to meet you in Thailand she is probably going to run into problems at the airport when she tries to leave. I've just been through this myself. Immigration asked my GF (Filipino) for a return ticket which she didn't have as we were travelling back to Thailand on a return leg of a ticket we bought in Thailand. I argued this point with the head supervisor and eventually she was given clearance to leave, but if she was on her own there was no way they would have allowed her to leave. At the very minimum, if she doesn't have a return ticket she will need to carry some onward travel ticket to satisfy the airlines that she will be allowed entry into Thailand.

Just this week I've heard about a Filipino being refused exit at NAIA because she didn't have hotel vouchers to prove she had accommodation in Thailand. Her boyfriend had to fax them through to her from overseas. Take if from me, the Filipino Immigration Officers are brutal when it comes to young girls trying to leave on their own, and especially if they don't have visas for the countries they are intending to visit. It's all to do with new anti people-trafficking laws.

Your only good option is to do what we do. Head to Penang for a tourist visa every 3 months, or try 3 border runs and then a tourist visa run. You'll have to juggle onward tickets whenever you arrive without a visa at either the airport, or the border towns. Once she is in Thailand it would be better to not return to the Philippines as she can't get a visa there anyway, and the Philippine Immigration will require those return tickets (unless you can argue your way through like I did) which will make it tricky if you don't want to return there for quite a while.

As Lopburi3 said, "why not consider living in the Philippines"?

I will be returning there myself probably next year. The novelty of living in Thailand soon wears off for a Filipino unless they can find some Filipino friends to hang out with. Couple this with the problematic visa runs and Lopburi3 makes a lot of sense.

[astral]

If your girl tries to leave Manila to meet you in Thailand she is probably going to run into problems at the airport when she tries to leave. I've just been through this myself. Immigration asked my GF (Filipino) for a return ticket which she didn't have as we were travelling back to Thailand on a return leg of a ticket we bought in Thailand. I argued this point with the head supervisor and eventually she was given clearance to leave, but if she was on her own there was no way they would have allowed her to leave. At the very minimum, if she doesn't have a return ticket she will need to carry some onward travel ticket to satisfy the airlines that she will be allowed entry into Thailand.

Just this week I've heard about a Filipino being refused exit at NAIA because she didn't have hotel vouchers to prove she had accommodation in Thailand. Her boyfriend had to fax them through to her from overseas. Take if from me, the Filipino Immigration Officers are brutal when it comes to young girls trying to leave on their own, and especially if they don't have visas for the countries they are intending to visit. It's all to do with new anti people-trafficking laws.

FYI Thai Immigration can be just as difficult with their nationals.

My wife and sons (aged 17 & 25) came to visit me in Malaysia 2 months ago.

They were given the third degree by Imm at BKK airport as they were all on brand new passports.

Well they would be, as the old ones had expired after only 5 years.

[Shoeboat]

But why not consider living in the Philippines?

A Fillipina who owns a travel agency in Bangkok will be boking the flight so hopefully she can give me some reassurance.

I'll see how things go once she's here but what I've seen in the Fils is just Angeles and I didn't think much of that. Can you reccommend anywhere that is nice and has a good expat crowd that aren't dirty haggard old chain smoking barflies?

[lopburi3]

Try Cebu. Have not been there but have friends who moved from Angeles to there and like it much better.

[Shoeboat]

Try Cebu. Have not been there but have friends who moved from Angeles to there and like it much better.

Cheers Lop, I need to see more of the country anyway so a holiday there wouldn't be a bad idea.

By the way, can pesos be changed into Baht once in Thailand?

[tropo]

Try Cebu. Have not been there but have friends who moved from Angeles to there and like it much better.

Cheers Lop, I need to see more of the country anyway so a holiday there wouldn't be a bad idea.

By the way, can pesos be changed into Baht once in Thailand?

I'm never seen a money changer listing peso, and would think it's unlikely you'd be able to change them. Even if you could, the exchange rate on odd ball currencies is very bad.

Cebu is a nice city, and clean. I'm considering it as a place to retire.

There's a hel_l of a lot more to the Philippines than Angeles City, but as a single guy Angeles City can paradise on earth. It all depends where you are at.

If you want to settle down with a girl you need to take into consideration her province of origin, because, as you probably know, there are many languages and cultures in the Philippines. For example if your girl is Visayan, then Cebu would be the best option. If your girl is of Luzon origin, and is a native Tagalog speaker, then Cebu would not be a good choice.

[Shoeboat]

^ Ah, yes she is from Luzon... Then again Cebu would surely be less alien than Bangkok, and I think it's good for a relationship if you are both in an unfamiliar place, it makes it more equal.

[tropo]

^ Ah, yes she is from Luzon... Then again Cebu would surely be less alien than Bangkok, and I think it's good for a relationship if you are both in an unfamiliar place, it makes it more equal.

Cebu is far more civilized than anywhere in Luzon, but the people there don't usually speak (or refuse to) Tagalog. They stick to Cebuano and English, and it's a much friendlier city than Manila. Which province in Luzon is your GF from?