[What to make of this ?]

Reading this from the OP:

"He had “ intercepted “ some texts to her from a farang talking bad about him and using a gps traced the texts to the proximity of our house".

He could have intercepted some texts or even more information of her wife's phone if he installed spyware and still has access to it. Other tricks like mentioned above, google accounts login info, could work too, but in all cases he could only know the location of her wife's phone, never the location of the received text's origin.

To know the location of the supposed farang there are only 3 options that come to my mind:
1) He hacked the supposed farang's phone. Not easy to do from remote.
2) He got the farang's phone number, works for the Service Provider the farang is using in Thailand (AIS, True, DTAC, etc) and traced his location. Or knows someone who could do this for him.
3) The farang sent to this guys' wife his location on a message (WhatsApp or similar). The GPS location error is up to 10m.

Well, the 3 of them seem to me quite unlikely to be true and so the whole story this guy told your GF and you.

[Meeting with immigration about TM30 and the latest news about the petition]

Great thanks for that! Please keep us updated of the progress in this matter.

[Can the last round trip ticket for METV end in Thailand?]

You have already 2 in/out of Thailand to show them without including the last one. You can do that, just do not show your last flight when applying for the METV.

[Thai lady / girlfriend, is she? maybe?]

I could pay 20,000 baht a month to her and still be comfortable however anymore than that and it would effect my comfortable life at home lol 
 
She meant good heart, as in the body organ.
 
About the 2 x 3,000 you could be correct, I am not to sure to be honest. She wasn't keen on talking about it.
 
I won't send any money unless she gets out of the bar and moves home. If she did then I could consider 30,000 bath a month with me going there for 7-10 days every 3 months.
 
I dont know it's all weird and complicated, no money has been exchanged as of yet other than the 1,000 for the passport.

Once I met one Thai girl in Bangkok, small and cute, the type of girl most Thais like, she was working on a bar at Sukhumvit, but a different kind of bar, you just need to drink something once you get in and there are plenty of freelancers to choose from, most of customers at that place were asian guys.

Anyway, the important part is what she told me: she was making around 100.000 to 140.000 bahts per month working most of the nights, she told me she was saving to build a new house for her family and another one for her, after that she would quit and go back to her village, at least this was her plan at that time. One day a young American guy, under his thirty I would say, fell in love with her and offered to send her 30.000 bahts per month so she could stop working and be his girlfriend. She told me he was really cute and she could feel he loved her, still she plainly declined the offer as it wasn't enough money for her purpose and plans.

I don't think she was a bad girl at all, in fact she gave me really good advice and helped me understand much more about this kind of lifestyle many girls in Thailand choose.

In regards your case, take it easy, keep on knowing each other and take only the decisions you feel comfortable with, whatever it comes from there no one knows. There is a lot of good advice on this thread from more experienced people, although most of the times people doesn't learn from other's experience.

[visa confusion]

So just an update...made the trek to Korat...bus ride from Pak Chung no problem...from bus station to immigration office requires a taxi as the immigration office is 15km/20min away and not really in the city...
 
Main office...asking for 30 extension of canadian 30 day entry visa...sent to out building...and that's where things got a little dicey...they required proof of where I was staying...the business card of the apartment nor a paid monthly rental receipt was sufficient...luckily they were able to contact the property manager who provided enough info that the officials completed a "receipt of notification" which basically says they have gotten notification from the place where I will reside for the next 30 days...
 
I was told that anytime you leave and go province to province you must notify the state of where you are and where you are going to be hanging your hat...in a number of hotels that is apparently done for you...but if you are staying at a bnb, condo, apt....you have to ensure that is being done or it is your responsibility to do so...interesting...can't see that is being done or enforced given the vast numbers of hostelers, hikers etc. but make sure you have that kind of info for sure if you are looking to extend a visa...duh...I know now... [emoji6] 

Sorry, just reading this now and not before or I would have warned you.

The same happened to me last year on a 30 day extension of a METV entry, they required not only the TM form, the passport copies and pics but a proof of address which on the first visit I was unable to provide as I was staying at my gf rented condo and I was completely unaware of.

On the second visit to Immigration office in Korat with all the papers provided (also the rent contract and documents about the condo which the owner gave us) we were able to extend my entry but my gf was fined with 800 bahts as she had not done the report of my address when I arrived as it is supposed to be done by law.

Were you or your gf fined as well?

[Rejected at the airport, what is next?]

Clearly the "top brass" are ok with this because it's been going on for years, and mostly entries have been denied formally and on record.
 
It is not a violation of the Immigration Act. The "minister" is not the one standing at the border, but simply the person required -- in certain circumstances -- to authorise what IO's can and can't do. That includes giving discretional power.
 
 
Here's the problem that you and others have;
The immigration act does not have the reason of 'staying too long as a tourist' listed as a reason to deny entry. No doubt because when it was written nearly 40 years ago they didn't envisage long term tourism on the scale that happened. We all know that tourist visas are not meant to be used to stay in the country long term. The evidence of that fact is overwhelming with every action the authorities have taken since 2006 to reduce long term tourism.
 
And because there is no specific reason immigration are selectively using whatever other legitimate reason they can to deny entry. Section 12.2 is a 'catch all' law that could justifiably and lawfully be applied in many instances.  IO's can legitimately, lawfully and selectively deny a visitor for tourism entry under 12.2, 12.3 or 12.9, and often long term tourists could be denied under all three.
 
The ridiculous claims being made that IO's are acting unlawfully because the underlying reason for denial isn't the reason being cited on the paperwork is absolute nonsense, because the reason being cited is legitimate in it's own right.
 
The OP is a perfect example to prove what I have been telling you for a long time. 12.9 is for not having 10/20K and 12.2 is for not having a  appropriate means to live in the country for years/months. We all need a job or money in the bank to live. In the case of wanting to live in Thailand the appropriate way to prove ones means is with a job, cash in a Thai bank or a foreign income, and proven through the appropriate channels. Tourists can't do that, because they don't need to do that, because they are not supposed to be living in the country.
 

When I read your comments I really understand your point and agree with most of what you say, but there is still something that doesn't fit completely in this reasoning for me, the Elite Tourist Visa.

As far as I know the ETV gives you "special tourist" treatment on Inmigration, you don't need to meet any economic requirement when applying or getting into Thailand (No idea if the 20k bahts could be requested as per Section 12.9, my bet is no IO would ever do). And all that is because you paid a considerable amount of money, at least 500.000 Bahts.

So it seems to me the Section 12.2 and their appropriate means to live in the country are easily forgotten when you have paid upfront.

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

Early in this topic, Ubonjoe mentioned Thai elite visa. Personally I'm over 50 so retirement option was easy. A friend recently showed me his brand new 5 yrs elite visa. At about $3k usd per year, yes 500k for 5 yr paid up front. I see it as a real option. I wonder if anyone has ever actually sat down and calculated all the costs of doing visa runs etc. Not to mention some of the perks of the elite visa. Especially if you travel a LOT out of Thailand for short periods. 

I did calculate the option for the Thai Elite Visa and it's not much more expensive than in my case, around 30% if I remember correct. I understand in some other cases it can be much more expensive. My main drawback is to pay the 5 years in one go. If it was somewhere around the 250-300k I would think of it as a reasonable option for the next 5 years.

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

The extra METV docs they requested the last time are consistent with their "employer and money" requirement - just more proof of the same.  I would apply for the METV with those extra-docs again.  Even better odds, since you will have a new passport.  Definitely bad to run out of pages while in the middle of needing to go to Laos or Cambodia, where full-page stickers are involved - as has happened to many.
 
If that fails, I doubt you will be rejected at least an SETV, for which only the 20K Baht "in the bank now" rule may be requested (and you provided much more for your METV app).  I am only aware of the French Thai-Consulate imposing a "3-Mo out of Thailand" rule on issuing a new one, though there could be others.  Please let us know how it works out with the Madrid Thai Consulate.

Given the amount of time you have spent here fairly recently, I would be worried about arriving Visa-Exempt at a Bangkok Airport - even with the money and a flight-ticket out.  Visa-Exempt entries are issued at Immigration's discretion - while a "Visa" is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  IOs at the airport could claim their "over 180 days" rule (as has happened to others) and force you on the next plane back.  The rule doesn't exist, but there is no oversight to make them obey the rules, or prevent them from stamping a different and irrelevant rejection-reason in your passport. 
 
If you are rejected for even an SETV in Madrid, please let us know (it will help others applying there), and we can consider your next options.  Flying to Penang or Kuala Lumpur (with your new passport) for a couple days to get an SETV, then on to Thailand, would probably be what I would do, in that situation.

I got my 2nd METV from Thai Embassy in Madrid issued without any problem within the same year. I had a new passport done before requesting the Visa, so no stamps or Visas on it.

In the Thai Embassy I provided all the relevant documentation and they asked me only 2 questions:
- Will you have any problem with your company for staying so long time in Thailand? I told them no problem at all.
- What is the reason you want to stay so long in Thailand? I just said I have a Thai girlfriend.

I recently got into Thailand via Suvarnabhumi from Europe, just in case I had the 20k bahts with me and the flight out the country within 60 days, and I had no issue at all, not even a single question. I have stayed out of Thailand for 1 month.

Thank you to all who provided help on this thread!

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

This file you attached is not saying anything about the job contract, only referring to the last pay slip signed by the employer which I already provide, and in regards the money in the bank they request a document from your bank stating your average money for the last 6 months was not lower than 5000€, which I also provided them on first instance. Extra to that 2 documents they asked me for the job contract and the bank statements for the last 6 months, which I also provided to them afterwards.

Also on this same document from the Thai Embassy in Madrid it is said they could request any further documentation they think is needed to confirm the truthfulness of the Visa request, so fair enough, finally they can request anything they want and you should provide them to avoid having a METV refusal.

I hope there is no issue to have a METV or a SETV, if not I will go for the visa exempt, fingers crossed.

Thank you for your advise!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

A new passport is usually obtained to allow receiving SETVs at nearby consulates, because some of them have limits based on the count of SETVs in a passport.  Many consulates do not have a problem issuing multiple METVs in a row, because they are only obtained in the applicant's home-country, and there are specific requirements that must be met to apply. 

The question is, would the Madrid Thai-Consulate would care if it was your 2nd METV, provided you could supply all requested paperwork?  What "extras" did they request of you when you applied the first time?

If you cannot get an METV, a 2nd option would be to get the school-documents now, while you are in Thailand, then use those to obtain an ED Visa.  But...
 - It is legal to study Thai while on a Tourist-type visa, so you could begin learning Thai before switching to the ED Visa later. 
 - One can obtain ED Visas easily at consulates close to Thailand (Laos being the best choice). 
 - One can only obtain ED Visas to study Thai for a limited time, so if planning a longer stay, it would make sense to start with an METV (ideal) or even SETV(s), then go to an ED Visa later.
 
Note that your full-history of entry/exits is in Immigration's Database, even if you have a new passport, so be sure you always have 20K Baht worth of Cash to show when entering Thailand - especially if you enter at an airport or Malaysian border-crossing.

First, thank you for the information JackThompson.

I might need a new passport anyway as I'm having too few empty pages on the current one.

I don't know if the Madrid Thai Embassy will be happy to grant a 2nd METV back to back with only around 1month in between, this is why I asked for any previous experience. The extra documentation, not shown specifically on their website requirements for a METV, they required me to show was a bank statement for the last 6 months and my job contract. They also told me "usually" they don't provide METV. But once I gave them all the documentation, they granted the METV in 2 days without any more questions.

I also checked the requirements to request the ED Visa on Madrid Thai Embassy website and they ask for the school documentation to be sent via mail directly to them from the school, which I haven't seen in other Thai embassies, for example the one in Laos.

In case they don't want to issue a METV or a SETV for me on Madrid Thai Embassy, how likely it is that when I come back to Thailand, around 1month from my last exit and after have been already 8months this year on a METV, I got a Visa Exempt, and a 30 extension afterwards, so I have time enough to arrange a SETV or ED Visa on Laos Embassy?

When getting in Thailand, I had always carried a flight ticket out of Thailand within the required timeframe for each case (30 or 60 days) and 20.000 bahts in cash.

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

You could apply for another METV instead of a single entry tourist visa. There is no rule that prevents your from getting another METV. Many people have gotten them back to back.
To apply for a non-ed visa you would need to enroll in a school and get the required documents from them. For a total stay of up to one year you would normally enroll in a 400 hour course of study. To get extensions of stay you need to attend classes 2 hours a day 4 days a week.
There are not many other options for staying here unless you find a job here.
You could get membership in Thai Elite and obtain a visa valid for 5 years that allows unlimited one year entries until it expires. A 5 year membership costs 500k baht.

Thanks ubonjoe, helpful as usual!

To be true I didn't think of another METV back to back as when I applied January 2018 for the 1st one in Thai Embassy in Madrid they were reluctant to give me one and I had to show lots of extra documentation, not required specifically on their website, to make them sure enough.

Anyone has experience on this single embassy to get a METV back to back? A new passport when requesting the new METV could help?

I could give it a try and in case I got rejected, shall I apply for a SETV on the same embassy? Or will this trigger any alarm for them?

[Visa options: Tourist vs. Non inmigrant-O Educational]

I've been living on Thailand since February 2018 with a METV, currently on a 30 day extension from my last entry on July. Previously I have been 4 times for holidays with Visa exempt entries of around 15 days each (3 on 2017 and 1 on 2016). I've never overstayed on any of the entries.

 

I will travel back my home country in Europe next month for a month or so and I'm planning to come back Thailand again to live.

 

I'm single, on my 30s and I work online for a foreign company, so now wondering which is the best way to live in Thailand as legal as possible.

 

I've been reading extensively about the Tourist Visa option, which seems to have worked for many of you for many years. But I would also like to know the advantages and disadvantages vs the Educational visa, as learning Thai is something I have to do definitely if planning to live here on a mid term basis.

 

How many hours should I study Thai per week to get the Ed. Visa? Can I request it on any Thai Embassy? Any preferred embassy?

 

For coming back to Thailand after my holidays in Europe I think I would request a SETV and within the 60+30 days I will check how to keep on living here. Do you think I will have problems to request a SETV having had a METV already this year? Which embassy will be the easiest one to get it? Shall I renew my passport when I'm back home to have a "clean" one?

 

If I missed something or other Visa types should be considered, please feel free to suggest.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

PS: This is not a post to discuss wether working online is legal or not in Thailand, please focus on the visa topic.