FARANG LIVES MATTER

Mr Trump might have a bit of free time coming up. Couldn't he be asked to give some experienced and balanced advice?
 
On a more serious note - As of today Single Entry Tourist Visa requirements now also require the applicant to have had 500,000 THB equivalent in a bank account continuously for 6 months prior to applying for a visa. That is now confirmed on the London Embassy website. £12800 for 6 months, to come to Thailand for 60 days maximum.
There are no 30-day no visa entries allowed at all. This would put the mockers on virtually everyone thinking of going for a longer tourist visa.
They really are nuts.
 
Wanderer said:
allegedly, maybe, perhaps, or at least - surely to God they will? However, time will tell.
I have absolutely zero confidence in them in all respects.
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I would put money on the 30 day visa exempt returning as soon as the authorities have confidence in a Covid vaccine.


They have also done well, in theory, with the introduction of the STV. 90+90+90 is a good visa offering....... the devil is obviously in the detail but the idea is sound.


I can understand that your opinion will be coloured by recent experiences. Something of a piss up in a brewery situation. I am not sure if I previously asked this question but could your difficulties have been avoided by converting your Non O to a 12 month extension, based on marriage, with a reentry permit in place to cover your return. I appreciate that the obstacles of the CV19 requirements etc would still have needed to be dealt with but I guess you would avoided the whim of any Visa changes.
 
CO-CO said:
I would put money on the 30 day visa exempt returning as soon as the authorities have confidence in a Covid vaccine.


They have also done well, in theory, with the introduction of the STV. 90+90+90 is a good visa offering....... the devil is obviously in the detail but the idea is sound.


I can understand that your opinion will be coloured by recent experiences. Something of a piss up in a brewery situation. I am not sure if I previously asked this question but could your difficulties have been avoided by converting your Non O to a 12 month extension, based on marriage, with a reentry permit in place to cover your return. I appreciate that the obstacles of the CV19 requirements etc would still have needed to be dealt with but I guess you would avoided the whim of any Visa changes.
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I don't know - what a pathetic answer - but it is now actually the case. My 12 months multi-entry non-O had just expired when I left Thailand in June. Therefore I no longer had a current visa to bargain against. That long-standing option was stopped without explanation. Because I had been assured that my Govt Officer Insurance was all I would need anyway I wasn't too worried and did everything for the 12-month O-A, which then got refused because they rejected the Govt Officer Insurance. I got Emirates 31-day Covid cover with the flight booking. The embassy still rejected it because that one wasn't for 12 months, even though I still would have the normal Govt Officer insurance for the remaining 11 months in Thailand.
They told me to change to a single-entry visa 90-day visa and it was accepted, even though I still only had the $100,000 insurance headed paper for 31 days.
I could argue that there was no logic to that approval.

Therefore when you and Nick told me about reports of people having difficulties at immigration, I played safe and got the additional 3-month full insurance, including Covid, via the French April Company because no Thai company would insure someone 76 years old.
But at Bangkok they only looked at the Emirates one, not the April 3-month insurance, nor the Govt Officer insurance, even though I said that I had them.
Therefore It is difficult to know what rules actually get applied and who by.

So I'm now planning to get an extension to my current visa which expires on 31 December, and to do that quickly while I still have current Police clearance, medical, certificate, bank statements, evidence of transfers to Surin etc etc. I have never kept any cash reserves in Thailand and don't intend to do so.

My understanding is that a retirement extension will be easier to obtain than a marriage extension. I need to do more homework on that.
 
You allowed your visa to expire.
So basically you're starting again fresh from scratch since you're uable to have an extension to an existing visa.

Please let me know if you plan to sell your residence. I've an interested party.
 
Coffee said:
You allowed your visa to expire.
So basically you're starting again fresh from scratch since you're uable to have an extension to an existing visa.

Please let me know if you plan to sell your residence. I've an interested party.
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John is arranging an extension to the visa recently granted.

His only error was not foreseeing the issues in returning to Thailand. In hindsight (ha ha, smart arse!) he should have applied for a 12 month extension based on marriage during the last month of his previous visa ie got his ducks all lined up before leaving Thailand.

John...... there are many good pieces of information on here about retirement vs marriage extensions. I will find a link and/or email the respective criteria.

NUMBER ONE CRITERIA IS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SEASONED THE REQUIRED AMOUNT IN THE BANK FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR CURRENT VISA EXPIRES.

400,000 Baht for marriage based extension, 800,000 Baht for retirement.
 
CO-CO said:
John is arranging an extension to the visa recently granted.

His only error was not foreseeing the issues in returning to Thailand. In hindsight (ha ha, smart arse!) he should have applied for a 12 month extension based on marriage during the last month of his previous visa ie got his ducks all lined up before leaving Thailand.

John...... there are many good pieces of information on here about retirement vs marriage extensions. I will find a link and/or email the respective criteria.

NUMBER ONE CRITERIA IS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SEASONED THE REQUIRED AMOUNT IN THE BANK FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR CURRENT VISA EXPIRES.

400,000 Baht for marriage based extension, 800,000 Baht for retirement.
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I had got the wrong ducks lined up.
I cannot do the seasoned amount in the bank as less than 2 months left on visa and I don't carry cash amounts any longer. Unless they change the rules again I would qualify through my two pensions.
 
As I stay in Thailand permanently (AFAIK) I prefer all my belongings (including cash) to be here. I have funds in the UK but they are only there awaiting a decent exchange rate (maybe Christmas?).
 
I brought a sizeable chunk of cash here a couple of days before the UK voted for Brexit. The rate then was 51 as against 39 today. Still existing on what I brought in, and no intention of replenishing stock until the rate improves substantially, or I run out................or I croak!.
 
OK. Back on parade. Been out sorting out appointment for new driving licence etc.

With a property, grandkids etc in UK I have the usual outgoings there, and then the same outgoings here, plus 2 at University.
My company pension and state pension are well used and I transfer money across to here as and when required.
Therefore, while I keep a reasonable balance over here, I have never wanted nor needed a big cash pot sitting dead as a dodo in a bank in Thailand.
And, to put it mildly, now is not a good time to sell assets in UK in exchange for baht sitting in Thailand.

I agree that if I were going to live here full time, then it would be logical to organise things differently, as you have all done.
But 90-days back and forth was always the best plan for both of us, and we had done that since my wife had completed her 25 years as a (Government Officer) Nurse.
That system had worked perfectly well but this year has totally buggered it up.
 
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