IgboChief

All 3 items depend on your Changwat and Immigration office. I know well, what Udon Thani requires. I am happy for you, if yours is more supportive than mine. But I am also happy that the Savankhet options exists.

The money really does not matter. Extension money needs to be seasoned and you need a "Banking Letter", at Savankhet only an Electronic statement of an current account. Extension needs Wife and neighbor to be present, at Savanakhet only signed copies of Tabien Ban and ID card. Extension puts you 6-8 weeks under consideration, at Savanakeht you get everything ready next day. Extension gets you 365 days, at Savanakhet you get 365 + 90 days when timing it well and you don't need 90 reports and rubbish when you leave the country often (as I do). Extension is quiet unfriendly and nerve wrecking, Savanakhet staff was always neutral/fast/nice. Extension can insist in visiting your house. At Savanakhet you visit their house! (Just kidding.) So for frequent travelers its the much easier option and I am happy it exists.

In my case they accepted an electronic BKK Bank Current account statement, 5 days old and showing the funds for less than 1 month. (I had a seasoned fix deposit too with banking letter, but they had no interest in that.)

Quick heads up, I applied today (Tuesday) for 1 year Non-O Multiple Entry and its was painless and smooth. The highlights: - The electronic bank statement of my Bangkok Bank current account was sufficient. They did not check the original bank book and they did not want the Siam Commercial's seasoned fixed deposit with banking letter. Also, that statement was value date 5 days earlier and it did not matter. So the funds requirement seems to be interpreted leniently. - They did not check any original documents at all, just signed copies. They took the fresh KorRor 22 but did not ask for the original Marriage Certificate (which was unusual and probably just an oversight?) I still advise to have all original documents ready and also to bring a recent KorRor 2 or 22 (just in case). - Lao Visa on arrival is now 40 USD or 1,800 THB (which is a scam, even Indonesia asks for 30 USD only.) - Savanaketh is dead as Dodo, all shops closed and all people left. It was always a quiet place, but now its a graveyard. We spoke with some old people about it and they pointed out that everyone left to Bangkok or to a new area close to the river. I visited that place but it has nothing. Economy did not do nice to that place since 2019 which is sad. I asked some young lads what they are doing Fridays or Saturday nights; response: "len torasap" (playing on the mobile phone). - Very few people applying for the Visa on a Tuesday. Arriving early is useless and the sun was very hot. Better arrive only 9:30-10:00 AM as the Embassy is deserted after the first rush. Bring an umbrella and apply sunscreen as you will stand outside under the sun for 1:30 hours when arriving 8:00. Cheers and good luck!

Thank you very much for this clarification, which I find valuable. Can save an in-successful 500km joyride. I fully agree with you: Savannaketh is still a great option and nothing much changed, except adding the bank book to the list of documents. (I always had it with me, just in case. It felt right.)

Bonus: - you are not put under consideration and have to go a second time for the final visa stamp - you do not need to bring neighbors or wives - in the morning their baguettes are great

Big thank you for your report. One question please: Only bank book or also any supporting letter from the bank? And when was the Bank Book updated, I assume the evening before application? Second question: Fix term deposit or Saving/Current Account? Cheers!

I seriously doubts that. ID is not Thailand, they stick quite strictly to the rules especially in banking. From https://ownpropertyabroad.com/indonesia/bali/open-bank-account-in-bali/: This was only the first link I found.

Btw, Revolut just offered (me) 5% p.a. for a GBP deposit account. This may be a much more interesting alternative.

Traveling to ID often and earning money there: You can't unless you can show residence permit and tax certificate. Different rules may apply when you fall into a high asset category. Secondly, you shouldn't. Interest Rates reflect the Issuer Risk as well as the FX Risk. Last but not least you may find it difficult to repatriate your money.

15 years of marriage was more expensive although priceless when having kids.

He is no saint and never pretended to be, just a populist serving his own interest. However, he understood what Democracy means and that there are million of people, not just a few. And that alone made him better than all his peers.

There is the only one reason that counts: From all the crooks posing as politicians here, he was the one who got elected -- twice. And would be elected a third time possibly. And since Trump/Putin/Johnson/Bolsaro/Buhari "crook" has a positive connotation. After him there were only clowns.

Two things: 1) Always get all the papers possible because you will never know what the next government will be doing and how regulation will change. 2) The Yellow Book is very helpful when you stay in Thailand, but will want to apply for Visa to other countries. Those Visa will only issued in Thailand with a CoR (which the Yellow Book provides conveniently.) Otherwise they will ask you to apply in your "home country".

How would that work" There was only Ethidad or maybe Kenian, and both don't count as West Africa. (Kenian does not fly to Lagos anymore). What direct flight do you have in mind?

Can remember exactly this offer 12 years ago ???? Since then, I never left.

Actually Doha, since Dubai is still not flying. For Lagos you will need Yellow Fever and an Online Registration form. Qatar airways offers the link. By Return tickets! If you buy it in NG you will be charged in NGN and the FX rate will be totally messed up and the ticket will be overpriced. Although a lot of things have changed last week, finally. Good luck!

Nothing. Just go through. Doing this since 12 years, never have been asked any question. As far as it concerns them, you come from Doha or Dubai.

Thanks for pointing it out, though my argument stands: Splashing water on a police force will trigger a reaction everywhere in the world and Thai police is not as bad as rendered here in the forum. Come to West Africa when you want to see really bad forced.

I do read your comments with great interest always as they are insightful and content heavy. This one goes over the board though in my opinion. At least in my 20 years of experience, the Thai Police is not as bad a rendered often and have shown professionalism (at least towards me) whenever I encountered them. Try to splash water on Police somewhere else and you get clubbed (rightfully in my opinion).

While I am very much on your side and the side of EV and renewable energy, we still need to discuss batteries because so far it broke any calculation and/or use case I have seen. I have inverter/batteries and solar panels running in Lagos, because there is no stable electricity provided. Batteries hold 5kW and need to be replaced at least every 3 years which makes electricity quite expensive. For that reason I refuse to switch to solar panels in Thailand despite having plenty of space and sunshine: The panels are cheap and effective, but the battery lifespan kills every calculation. I don't mind a limited range of 200km and premium on the initial purchase. But I will not want to worry about battery replacement in my car, when it's the most expensive part.

Hilarious idea: enter Friendship Bridge 1 Nong Khai, drift downstream and exit Friendship 2 Mukhdahan -- you can actually nap while floating and grinding distance.

Stupid question: how was that not an illegal entry? Even as a Thai he still needs to get stamped in/out? Kudos to what authority ever made it possible though.

It seem to have changed a lot: getting much worse. Have you ever noticed the difference between talking to an elderly person and a youngster in his 20ies? The elders are often quite fluent in English and do well in understanding my poor Thai pronunciation. I can have great conversations with them, joyful and with humor and respect. Young people often just stare at me, blank like a deer in the headlight. My pronunciation may be bad, but its not that wrong that I can't be understood. Same for my daughter. She is native Thai, just looks Western. At least 3 generations completely lost -- and that was before Covid.

I learned to speak English very late. My pronunciation is awful and my grammar is just broken (my daughter mocks me every time and she has a valid point). Still her school offered me a job with payment above Expat teacher's average and they would have hired me promptly. Speaks volumes about the education system. (I kept it as an option though for in 30 years or so.)