[Electric repair shop in phuket]

This is totally off topic for this forum, and should have been posted in the Phuket forum.

 

That said, if something stops working almost immediately after purchase, you go back to the shop where you purchased it. Assuming you purchased it new, even without a specific warranty, they have a responsibility to see it is repaired or replaced when it fails that soon after purchase.

[Work permit expired today]

17 minutes ago, timendres said:

Very curious how you managed a work permit with zero Thai employees.

It is not easy, but there can be ways. For example, he may have a sole proprietorship under the US Thai Treaty of Amity, and have been able to get a work permit based on his management of that.

[Work permit expired today]

On 3/4/2020 at 6:38 AM, jasonsamui55 said:

It’s a 1 year Non B issued in October, and must do visa runs every 90 days. Every October need to get a new Non B visa, so seems like it’s not an extension of stay. I’m planning to do a border run this next weekend for 4 days and then return to get the work permit sorted or look for a new accountant/new company. So in that case, should there be any worries?

That is good news. Your visa (and the entries based on it) remain valid.

[Overstay for 28 hours. What could be the possible outcome?]

10 minutes ago, Mob4 said:

Thank you for your advice. Will they accept my extension application if i already extended my visa for 30 days? How do i make them to accept my extension application if they will see that i already have one.

I made a decision that i'll buy this ticket anyway but if there any possibility not to get overstay stamp i'd like to use it.

Even if you are not eligible for an extension, Immigration will automatically give you the seven days to leave the country. It is best to avoid the overstay, not just because of the stamp in your passport, but also because the overstay remains in Immigration's system for ever, and can be used against you in the future.

[Compulsory trip out of Thailand when holding work permit]

Things to verify:

1. Make sure the distinctions between, visa, permission to stay, and work permit are clear.
2. Do they really have a multiple entry Non B visa? When is the expiry date of the visa (not their current permission to stay)?
3. Does their permission to stay end mid-April, or is there a breakdown of communication?
4. It is possible that they have a longer permission to stay. Usually, at the end of an initial 90-day stay, you apply at immigration for a one-year extension of your permission to stay. Depending on your nationality, there is a minimum monthly income to qualify for this extension. If they do not qualify, as @JackThompson explained, you are limited to seven days to leave the country.
5. With a long term extension of your permission to stay based on working, it is necessary to do 90-day address reports if you are continuously in Thailand for over 96 days.
6. If you leave the country, and want to avoid your permission to stay (often extended) from being cancelled, you need a re-entry permit applied for prior to your departure.

[Awaiting trial, do I need a case visa..?]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

I would seek proper legal advice and not rely on unqualified advice on this forum. My foreign employee comitted an offence. He had a good lawyer and could not get a "case visa". The court case went on for two years, When it finished with a hefty fine. He had to get a document from the court confirming his case was resolved. Overstay was unavoidable, he left paid the Bt20,000 fine and came back the next day. So check up with a qualified immigration lawyer. You might find that a so called " case visa " is only for people taking a case against another  person and not for the defendant in a case!

I concur with your advice to get professional help. However, the experience of your foreign employee shows how difficult it can be to select a "good lawyer". The overstay most certainly was avoidable. Under Section 2.26 of Police Order 138/2557, you can get any number of 90-day extensions of stay. With the court holding the passport, it is more complicated to arrange this, but one of the jobs of a good lawyer is to navigate the procedures involved. Many other people in a similar situation have managed it.

 

Quote

2.26  In the case of litigation or court proceedings: Each permission shall be granted for no more than 90 days . 

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant’s passport

3. Confirmation letter from an inquiry official involved with the case, official paper or document confirming that the applicant is being involved with the litigation or court proceedings of the case. 

 

[Border Run Alternatives]

2 hours ago, EMMAS said:

When getting WP and extension of stay cancelled at CW, would they give me a 60 day visa there and then if I have proof of an onward flight?

Unless you have a Thai spouse or child, all you can get is seven days to leave the country after your application for an extension of stay is denied.

 

[Immigration does not issue tourist visas. They grant extensions of your permission to stay if you qualify under one of the criteria specified in the relevant Police Orders. They can issue Non Immigrant visas under some special circumstances, but they would not apply here.]

[Can't return to Thailand]

They were telling you that, at that particular airport, your history of tourist entries had triggered an unofficial rule that could see you denied entry in the future through some airports and land crossings. You should take this as a hint to use safer entry points, and (if entering by air) make sure you are entering with an actual visa. Almost all land crossings are safe. With a visa, Chiang Mai airport and U-Tapao airport have been fine historically.

[Does the Thai Consulate Savannakhet Issue NON-O (Retirement) Visas?]

6 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

19 hours ago, BritTim said:

It is a matter of what the consulate will accept. They typically want something attested to by your embassy which many nationalities cannot get. Some articulate souls may be able to get the consulate to accept something else, but I would not count on it.

EDIT: A further issue is that some are not really retired, but are aged over 50 with no intention of working in Thailand. In principle, this should be possible, but the requirement to prove retirement when you are not retired can be troublesome.

If your not retired, you can't prove retirement. How difficult is that to understand? 

Oh, I totally understand that. It is the reason why applying at other consulates is often a better option. In principle, the Non O (over age 50) is available to people who have no intention of working in Thailand, but the "proof of retirement" means some cannot qualify for the visa in Savannakhet.

[Agent fees & Immigration fees for getting Non-O Visa extension + Multiple Re-entry]

For those who do not care about 10,000 to 15,000 baht (or so) fee, using an agent has advantages. You only need a single visit to immigration (for a marriage extension) with priority queuing which avoids long waits. The agent ensures your paperwork is in order. You need to give the agent your passport and other information the day before the visit to Immigration. You should get the passport back the day of the application or the day after. You must give the agent your passport again for 24-48 hours at the end of the under consideration period.

 

I cannot give a good recommendation for a good current agent in Bangkok. Hopefully, someone else can give you that information.

[Work permit expired today]

Vital question: are you currently in Thailand on an entry from a Non B visa, or do you have an extension of stay on the basis of working?

 

If you are on the 90-day permission to stay from entering with a Non B visa, your permission to stay remains valid until the end of the 90 days and (assuming it is a multiple entry visa) you can do a border bounce for a fresh 90-day entry.

 

My suspicion, however, is that you are on an extension of stay from immigration based on working. If that is the case, your permission to stay ceases as soon as you are not working and (as you are already aware) you cannot work without the work permit. I think you immediately need a letter from your employer, perhaps granting you a one month leave of absence (so your employment contract remains intact) but to confirm your temporary cessation of employment. With that visit immigration to have your current permission to stay cancelled, and do a border bounce for a 30-day visa exempt entry  As an alternative, cross your fingers and hope the failure to cancel your extended permission to stay is not noticed. That has potential serious consequences.

[Does the Thai Consulate Savannakhet Issue NON-O (Retirement) Visas?]

52 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Why would it be difficult? 

I'm thinking many ways around that.

It is a matter of what the consulate will accept. They typically want something attested to by your embassy which many nationalities cannot get. Some articulate souls may be able to get the consulate to accept something else, but I would not count on it.

EDIT: A further issue is that some are not really retired, but are aged over 50 with no intention of working in Thailand. In principle, this should be possible, but the requirement to prove retirement when you are not retired can be troublesome.

[TM30 by a CW Immigration Officer today - U-Turn??]

While attempts have recently been made to clarify the rules for TM28, the situation with TM30 remains as unclear as ever. Each immigration office has its own rules. At CW, if they enforce TM30 at all (which they still sometimes do not) you only need to submit it after an overseas trip. The same is not necessarily true at another immigration office.

[Awaiting trial, do I need a case visa..?]

To clarify what I believe is your concern: you just need to ensure that you do not go on overstay. For a minor offence, you should not normally be deported as long as you are in compliance with immigration laws.

 

Your permission to stay based on attending school remains valid as long as you are attending classes. Indeed, this is the best way as your permission to stay will not end when the court case is finalised,

 

If you have stopped attending school, it might be safer to apply for an extension of stay based on the court case. This carries a risk. If you have upset the police, they can possibly detain you when the court case finishes on the basis that your permission to stay has expired, and take action accordingly.

 

I would advise you to religiously satisfy the conditions of your permission to stay based on studying.

[Does the Thai Consulate Savannakhet Issue NON-O (Retirement) Visas?]

I do not have first hand knowledge but, as @ubonjoe states, there have been several credible reports that, not only single Non O (retirement), but even multiple entry are possible. Apparently, in addition to the basic financial proof of 800,000 baht in the bank or 65,000 monthly income, they also require "proof of retirement". This has been a difficult hurdle for some to satisfy.

[border run]

You do not specify the expiry date of your visa. Without that, we cannot answer most of your questions.

 

You can get an extension of your current permission to stay to add 60 days to your current mid April permission to stay date. This will cost 1,900 baht and your wife needs to accompany you to immigration.

[Organizing a mastermind retreat in Thailand]

it might be technically legal to organise a seminar in Thailand without a work permit, if it is of short duration, and such seminars are infrequent. I think Thailand, in principle, wants to arrange trade shows (including side seminars) where participants definitely are not expected to have work permits. Anything of short duration that is educational also tends to be looked on favourably. The problem is that one senior official who takes it into his head that you are doing something improper can put you in a world of hurt. Any time the law in Thailand is unclear, and your activities will be highly visible, the best advice is to play it safe.

[Corona and quarantine dilllema]

4 hours ago, RobertL said:

What about the Olympics? We have airline tickets to Tokyo we were supposed to fly but now they’re talking about cancelling the Olympics! So I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if the tickets are refundable yet. I’ve been looking online everywhere frantically for the last 24 hours trying to get an idea of what might happen with the Olympics! We were supposed to fly in May and stay in Tokyo all summer but now I don’t know. Is japan on the list? That’s still 3 months away from the Olympics 

The Japanese authorities have announced that they will make a final decision about the Olympics in early May. At this time, I would say there is a high probability that the Olympics will be postponed, but nothing is certain. I would suggest waiting a few weeks before taking any precipitate decisions yourself.

[Best entry from Cambodia to Thailand]

42 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

To do a same-day border hop, does this not require a Cambodian visa?

Both a Cambodian visa (which can be issued on arrival) and, assuming you do not have a multiple entry business visa for Cambodia, a waiver by Cambodian immigration of the Cambodian law that mandates an overnight stay. Avoiding the overnight stay often requires a present of 200-300 baht to the Cambodian officials.

[Advanced Passenger Processing Service]

I believe the information sent is flight number, date of arrival, and planned immigration clearance location, plus just the personal information available from the machine readable zone of your passport:

Quote

  Official Travel Document Number (Passport or other official travel document number)

  Issuing State or Organization of the Official Travel Document (Name of the State or Organization responsible for the issuance of the official travel document)

  Official Travel Document Type (Indicator to identify type of official travel document)

  Expiration Date of Official Travel Document (Expiration date of the official travel document)

  Surname/Given Name(s) (Family name and given name(s) of the holder as it appears on the official travel document.)

  Nationality (Nationality of the holder)

  Date of Birth (Date of birth of the holder)

  Gender 21. (Gender of the holder)

The system allows for transmission of such things as visa number, visa date and place of issue. However, I do not believe airlines are required to include these by Thai immigration.

[border run questions]

It refers specifically to visa exempt entry by land. You are only allowed two of these per calendar year, and the length of time out of Thailand is irrelevant. If entering by land with any kind of visa issued at a consulate (including a tourist visa) there is no limit. If trying for a visa exemption by air, there is no hard limit, but immigration officials at airports will deny you visa exempt entry if, in their view, you are using visa exempt entry to stay longer than is compatible with regular tourism. How strict the officials are on this varies from airport to airport.

[Vietnam]

I believe this news article, posted a few hours ago, is accurate about the measures being introduced: https://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/652869/viet-nam-to-suspend-visa-free-travel-for-south-koreans.html.

 

Carefully reading this article makes clear only those flying from infected regions of South Korea, Italy and Iran will be required to undergo quarantine. The measures do not require quarantine of visitors from other areas of those countries. At the current time, Thailand is definitely not affected.

[APEC card Poipet border crossing]

37 minutes ago, Pawpal said:

Thanks again! 
I'm a permanent resident of Hong Kong so I have a Hong Kong APEC card and (so far at least) always been granted 3-month stays in Thailand. But always entering through airports. This will be my first time by land, hence my apprehension that the folks at Ban Phu Nam Ron might not be familiar with it. 

Indeed, that is a possibility. Ban Phu Nam Ron is not an entry point used much by business travelers, though I would expect they would see the occasional Myanmar businessman arriving there.

[APEC card Poipet border crossing]

24 minutes ago, Pawpal said:

Would a better option for same day re-entry to Thailand be the Myanmar Ban Phu Nam Ron border crossing? (I'll be driving from Bangkok.) I'm concerned about whether or not they have experience with the APEC card.

At Ban Phu Nam Ron, they just want your money. You should be absolutely fine there. They have a mild scam going, but it still works out cheaper than using Cambodia. Incidentally, unless things have changed, the APEC card is of little value when entering Thailand by land. The US is not a full member, and the APEC card mostly just provides fast track entry at airports.

[APEC card Poipet border crossing]

I suggest also including your nationality in your query. At some crossings, that is at least as relevant as the APEC card.

 

I would suggest avoiding Poipet on general principles. At other crossings, you should be OK on the Thai side, but may need to pay Cambodian immigration to be allowed same day return. There is a Cambodian law that mandates an overnight stay unless you have a multiple entry business visa for Cambodia.