Has anyone had any experience obtaining a long/short term visa I have read some threads that are a bit confusing I am Aussie living in Thailand at the moment on retirement visa.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Cutting a long story short, you're probably best off to find a Chinese visa company in Oz, and then courier your passport to them so that you apply for the Chinese visa from your Country of Nationality. I've been through all the nightmares like the Chinese embassy in Bangkok and the trips to Hong Kong and the visa agents at the airport there. Last time I went to China I got a 10-day visa by the skin of my teeth in HK, whereas the time before that when I went that route I got a 60-day (extendable at PSB for another 60 days). Freaking trip cost me £2,000. Those days are over for the moment. Me: UK passport with Thai retirement visa.

I would just say though that if you haven't been to China many times (my passport's full of Chinese visas) then provided you have all the paperwork and satisfy the requirements (they change very frequently) then you'll probably be okay to queue at the embassy in Bangkok. Take an umbrella and drinking water, and turn up at 7:30am. The heat's murder and there's no shade while queueing.