Flying Home To Go Legit

[realthaideal]

So, trying to get away from the despair over percieved xenophobia, or the end of the party, and all the back and forth speculation, I GIVE UP. I'm going to get my Non Imm B just like I had a year ago. I can do it easily from the home country.

Still, I'm not happy with the timing, and as others have mentioned, there are tons of more logical ways they could do this if they really want to clean up undesirables and/or make some Baht for the country.

But oh well, as my 3rd Stamp would have ended my legit VOA stay on Jan 4th - used to have a non B but it expired n was just easier to do the VOA for last yr - decided to just get the cheapest tix home n go see the family n friends, and eat alot of heavy Farang food.

I decided to do the full thing as I dont' want to go to a neighboring country only to find out they aren't offering some decent multiple tourist visas anynmore as has been posted in other threads.

However...... get this.... my 3rd stamp ending in January must put me in the same boat with many others. And so I think beisdes the high season rush, many of us have already booked flights home.

I cruised the internet and checked with 2 travel agent friends..... prices are going up, cheap seats are gone, and planes are full.

January is still the high season with many holiday partiers flying back home. But this year looks especially heavy. Some specials I found while toying with the idea of going home earlier in the week were aleady sold out. The soonest I could get home without paying a ridiculous 2x what it should cost was for Jan 18th !

That's 14 days overstay x 500 baht/ day. 7k baht, ouch ! It would be nice if we knew they will even allow you the 7-days-to-get-out-stamp-for-a-last-4th border run, but so far I couldn't get any answer to this from lawyers or immigration officials I know. SO I booked. I dare not overstay and have to sweet talk at the border.

The upsides to my decision to buy a ticket are these.... I can stop fretting and worrying about what's on the Visa forum, about the scare now. What will be will be.

Also I don't have to read all these mean spirited people chastising, or rather thumbing their noses up at those who don't fall into clear-cut visa guidelines, and telling them they don't deserve to be here. I'll be back, and with all my ducks in line. Again, I am of a different category, and wish I could easily have found a long stay /visa solution here for cheaper than to go home now and pay high season rates, but oh well.

The biggest upshot for me, one those still deciding strategy for visas out there may like, is that I found deals on China Air and Eva Air for before Xmas.

So, for the first time in many yrs, I'm going to be home for Xmas, Hanukkah, and New Years. Should be fun. I get to enjoy all the food, the cool weather, and see people I miss. I get to do it for 1/3 cheaper to 1/2 price of buying in January too. It's sudden, but I can hear the turkeys and cranberries calling me now.

If you know you can get your vias squared away in your home country easily, and want to avoid the booking frenzy for your visa run, best fly home sooner than later. And really, act fast, even last night as I booked, I lost one special fare as I waited too long comparing what another carrier would give me.

I can't wait to see how many holiday fliers are on my plane with me, and how many expats going home to do what they must, or maybe even packing it in as far as Thailand goes.

Good Luck to all of those needing a visa on the fly who don't easily fit into the proper categories !

<edited into paragraphs for easier reading>

Edited November 19, 2006 by Totster

[Sunbelt Asia]

You did the right thing. Best to get the visa sooner rather than later. The rush at the end of December/Jan is going to be nuts.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[thaihome]

Is the point of your post that the airlines are experiencing a boom in travel from Thailand to the west due to the new vsia exempt rule?

YH

Edited November 19, 2006 by thaihome

[Totster]

Is the point of your post that the airlines are experiencing a boom in travel from Thailand to the west due to the new vsia exempt rule?

YH

Personally I don't see it as a laughing matter.. It' a good bit of forethinking to those who find themselves in the unfortunate position.

totster

[realthaideal]

"Is the point of your post that the airlines are experiencing a boom in travel from Thailand to the west due to the new vsia exempt rule?"

"Personally I don't see it as a laughing matter.. It' a good bit of forethinking to those who find themselves in the unfortunate position."

Yeah, thanks Totster. It's time to get rolling.

And...

I don't think there's any one point to my topic. I think there's a few. Having someone gloat at packed airlines and people on the go, was one of them. There's too much delight by so many Farang at other Farang's situations here, as they seek to stay under the new guidelines. I don't appreciate the few who easily fall in line sneering at those who don't. I really like to think we've absorbed some jai dee here and aren't all a bunch of sourpusses from the West filled with so much cynicism that this is the only place we can hideout.

As for myself, I wil go legit, but thru an expensive flight home, and some tricky maneuvering. I wish there was a sensible way to do it from here. I just can't chance it to maybe-it-will-work or maybe-it-won't-work over here. But fine, I'll play the game and eat the ticket price.

And another point really is to my fellow expats, that you better start booking ASAP. You don't want to pay overstay fines. And you don't want to have to arrange your flight home from Yangon after having traveled by bus from Tachilek in your same set of clothes you were wearig on your 4th border run when they simply refused you re-entry. And that goes for Phnom Penh, or Vientianne etc.

Personally, I think they might very well reverse things very soon. But maybe not. Either way, I'm not gonna play with Immigration Fire. I'll just slide on through how they like me too, pay my money, and then get back to my projects.

[rocky]

Realthaideal, you have done the correct thing here. Not only will the airlines be extra busy, but so will the Thai consulates in all of the countries. In effect you have removed your self from two problems, the problems here with the visa, and the later problem of sorting a visa quickly in your home country when there is a huge demand for them.

I have been writing all over this forum, don’t wait until the third strike (Voa) to sort out the tourist visa, do it now, get the tourist visa now, don’t be sitting inline with all the other people. The early bird gets the worm.

If any person can obtain any visa rather them getting the voa, do it now, get it done,

[thaihome]

I apologize if my remarks were construed to be laughing at your situation. I am truly sorry that Thailand has updated its immigration policies in line with most other countries and is not allowing unlimited stays with no visa and I am in no way gloating.

What I was laughing at was the thought that this has somehow made a major impact to the airlines flying out of Thailand to the west. Booking a flight out Thailand (and most other Asian countries as well) to the west as always been problematic during December to around February and has always required early booking and more cost. This is due tourists coming and going during the holidays compounded by the number of expats that take their families home for the holidays.

TH

[astral]

Judging from the OP the new immigration policy is not hurting the country,

and the airlines will benefit from the extra travellers due to the policy.

[Ulysses]

Enjoy the holidays with your family, and listen to some Bing for me.

[PeaceBlondie]

I sympathize with the OP. Too many of us (now that I have a secure visa, by NOT working) have been gloating at people in various categories who were just fine and legal until now. I was criticized for going all the way home to Texas every year to get a new one year B visa, when I might /could have gotten one in Perth or Brisbane, back then. Well, I had more spare cash then, and could figure in almost 100,000 baht per year on visa runs. No more.

And in that time when I was going around the world to get an annual B visa, I had no work permit, even though I worked at THAI GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS who were too lazy or ignorant (yes, ignorant) to help me. No more.

I'm really bored being fully legal and retired, but it beats what I had to do the first two years.

I hear a lot of stories of people leaving permanently, especially reasonably qualified English teachers who were not drunks, backpackers, or whoremongers.

[sohb]

There is no problem whatsoever finding "cheap" tickets via Singapore, Hong Kong and even Bangkok to the US. And if you don't demand direct flights there are HEAPS of options available ... don't really get your frustrations ....

[CRUNCHER]

For those who do not mind gong via Hong Kong to UK Oasis Hong Kong is a budget airline that started up at the end of October. As they are new I have not used them yet but tickets are cheap and I believe you get food and films included.

For those flying Air Asia to Macau you can get a ferry from Macau Airport to Hong Kong Airport and you do not need to clear customs or immigration in either place.