gunghang
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Posts posted by gunghang
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It would be nice if the 90 days in 90 day check-in began on Nov. 1
My passport expires next year. I assume I should get a new one six months before my current one expires.
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I just skipped to the last page of the replies. I hope I'm not making too big a fool of myself when I ask: Has the booze ban been lifted in parts of Thailand? Here in Buriram province, it was lifted on Sunday, May 3. One store sold, the other was busy putting alcohol back on the shelf. Then today, Monday May 4, the ban was back. No alcohol until June.
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It's taken three weeks for registered mail to reach SSA PA. The time required to go from Lehigh to Wilkes-Barre was perplexing.
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13 minutes ago, JackThompson said:
I think the "2000 plus a hotel" in that post, refers to the 2000 Baht for a single-entry Non-O Visa, vs the 5000 Baht for the 1-Year ME variety.
It does. I forgot that not every embassy takes thai baht and that the fee can be in USD, MYR, etc.
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2 hours ago, catman20 said:
Completely clueless embassy staff
Straying off topic, but my ultimate horror story isn't from Thailand; it's from Egypt.
I applied for an E2 visa at the Korean embassy in Cairo. I woman met me at the gate and was rather rude. I gave her the paperwork from the school which she was supposed to send to Seoul for approval prior to issuing a visa allowing employment.
Ajuma Kimchi snarled and took my passport and application and tried to process a tourist visa. Seoul rejected this. The school thought I'd gone to the North Korean embassy. They had to use the diplomatic pouch, but they resolved the problem with the South Korean embassy.
I got my visa. Dum-Dum acknowledged that I had been right, rather sheepishly.
I've had a few hiccups. A Thai immigration officer had to ask if I could extend an O visa with a work permit. Another had never seen a boarding pass printed at home. But Thai staff have usually been okay in my (lucky?) experience.
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28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:
Savannakhet does not ask for a Kor Ror 2. The will only want to see your original marriage certificate and copy attached to your application.
The only difference in HCMC is that they want a short letter from your wife requesting they issue you a visa.
That is valuable intel. Air Asia fare to Saigon is comparable to the fare to Mukdahan, and would require one or two nights in a hotel instead of three.
What about the letter? Does she write it in Thai and notarize it in Bangkok, write it in English in Saigon, etc.?
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Marrying in Thailand to a woman you married in the UK might be fun, but can you marry in Thailand if you're already married? Would it matter if you were marrying the same woman? Getting an annulment in the UK and then marrying in Thailand might be a little convoluted but it would keep the bureaucrats happy.
Of course, by the time you did this, you might have saved the 400K needed to extend a garden variety non-im O single entry.
Worst case scenario: instead of paying 5,000 and making four border bounces, you pay 2,000 and make four visa runs at 2,000 plus a hotel. That's annoying but not infuriating.
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I don't know. At least you only have two places to check.
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I just bought Air Asia tickets for a RT to KL. I'll never leave the airport. The airfare is about two thousand baht. I expect to arrive back home twelve hours after I walk out the door for the airport. Quick, cheap, and convenient, though not overly adventurous.
The only question is: Will DMK airport link be open by the end of October?
Ranong sounds like a great idea for when I have a few days and the wife wants to get out.
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I forgot to write my new visa number down on my arrival card and I got 30, not 90, days.
Immigration fixed it.
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I almost look happy here.
S'ket is nicer than Poipet and a lot of other places. That didn't stop me from worrying about everything that could have gone wrong. As it was, other than getting 30 days instead of 90 days and having to correct that, things mostly went well. Even the weather cooperated. No rain the entire trip.
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Not uncommon on a visa run.
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This is what I saw:
The Aura Residence, which had my reservation for Avalon Residence.
The Aura Cafe was to the left of Aura Residence.
An unmarked empty looking building was to the right of Aura Residence. There was a banner in front that said room for rent.
Farther to the right was the coffee shop with Avalon in its name. The menu was in the room in Aura Residence.
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We asked the driver for Avalon, we came to Aura. He said it's the same. Our reservations for Avalon were on the computer here at Aura. Our receipt says Avalon B & B Vientiane and the Coffee @ Avalon restaurant is next door. It's near the bus station, where Google Maps shows Avalon Residence.
Anyway, if there are two separate hotels, Avalon and Aura, in S'khet, and if I'm at Aura, I'm curious as to where Avalon is.
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I'm in the Avalon (aka Aura) Residence now.
Yesterday, I went to the consulate at 8 and was first in line when it opened an hour later.
I presented my passport and application and marriage cert. and KR form, plus copies of the application, KR, marriage cert., passport title page, Lao visa and entry stamp, wife's ID and house book, and 5000 baht. The original marriage cert and KR, and my departure card, were returned to me.
Aura has a nice little coffee shop with local and western food. There is also a more stylish place at twice the price. The set breakfasts are nice. It's walking distance from the bus station and a convenience store.
We had flown Air Asia from DMK to Nakhon Panom, which I suspect is the basis for Crutch's "Nakhon Nowhere." The Air Asia van took less than two hours to reach the bridge at Mukdahan.
I had a Lao visa from Bangkok and this seemed to surprise immigration on both sides.
The shuttle bus waited on the Lao side and went past the consulate en route to the bus station.
Rather than allow a large factor and risk a long wait in the sun &/or rain for the return bus to an airport, we'll spend an extra night in Mukdahan. Nok Air picks up at Ploy Palace so we'll stay there.
We'll fly Nok out of Ubon.
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On 7/5/2018 at 1:49 PM, thatmanagain said:
- My original passport.
- Photocopy of my passport photo page and my Lao entry stamp (the guys across the road will run off copies for 2,000 kip, so about 8 baht). I didn't need to sign these.
- Sight of original marriage certificate - they just glanced at this, didn't even take it out of the plastic cover, didn't take it off me. I also took a Kor Ror 2 original, but they didn't even look at that.
- Photocopy of marriage paperwork (Kor Ror 2), signed by wife. This may not be necessary, but they did take it.
- Photocopy of wife's ID card, signed by wife.
- Photocopy of wife's housebook (tabian bahn), signed by wife.
- Photocopy of wife's name change certificate (she took my surname), signed by wife.
- Completed application form (again, the guys over the road can print one for you, or they're available on site).
- Two 3x4cm passport photos of myself.
- Application fee (5,000 THB cash).
This is the first I've heard of either the Kor Ror 2 or the name change certificate or the entry stamp copy.
I can copy the Lao entry stamp the day before. Nice to know.
We'll carry all documentation, not just the name change and Kor Ror 2, in case there are other surprises. I don't want to make a second trip.
I got my Lao visa at the embassy in Bangkok. It wasn't cheap at 1,600 baht, but, I waited less than ten minutes and it was done. One less line to wait in at the border.
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There is another way. I just remembered that years ago the Khon Kaen Lao consulate issued a visa while I waited.
Fly Nok Air or Air Asia to Khon Kaen.
Pick up the Lao visa from the consulate there and avoid surcharges at the border and trips to the embassy in Bangkok.
Take a bus to Mukdahan bus station - not much longer than Ubon-Mukdahan.
I haven't been able to find a website for either Khon Kaen or Bangkok consular services and cannot download a visa application form.
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20 minutes ago, DJ54 said:
- Curious and you may have said but I missed it. Why do you think you’ll be denied.
Some land border crossings aren't exactly warm and fuzzy with people walking across twice in less than one hour.
Now I know to avoid one and have 20K to show at another. Or, better still, cross elsewhere.
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23 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:
Or you could fly to Mae Sot to do the crossing to Myanmar. It will be 500 baht or $10 US for a border pass. I have seen reports that the crossing is within walking distance of the airport.
I was there 21 years ago. I had flown to Tak. I returned via P'lok and the sprinter to Bangkok.
An airport in Mae Sot is very interesting news, as is a $10 border pass. Thank you so much!
(And the bridge does indeed appear to be walking distance from the airport.)
I'll travel in very early November. I'll try to fly one way and take the train & bus the other way and report back.
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Another very long thread!
Pardon what may be a stupid question, but:
Do non-im O multiple entry visa holders ever have trouble with step out step in border runs in the south?
Since one can fly Bangkok-Hat Yai RT for the cost of a Lao/Khmer visa, and there is no visa for Malaysia, a land crossing is very attractive. But I hear horror stories about Sungai Kolok, Pedang Besar, and especially Sadao.
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As previously noted, there are a lot of pages in this thread.
I'm looking at a one-year non-im marriage O w/out 400K first thing next August.
I'm thinking of using Air Asia & Nok Air.
Air Asia stops at the Indochina Market. Nok Air stops at the Ploy Palace Hotel.
I think I read here that Nok Air also stops at the bridge.
Also, I recall reading that the shuttle bus runs from Mukdahan station to Savan station.
So, my plan at the moment is get my Lao visa in Bangkok to avoid "service charges" at the border.
Air Asia to Mukdahan and then go from Indochina Market to either the bus station or to the bridge, whichever is appropriate; OR, Nok Air to Mukdahan and the bridge.
I like the idea of leaving from a bus station to a bus station because rides right at the border have a quaint habit of being overpriced. Air Asia to Indochina Market and from there the Mukdahan bus station is my first choice.
Two nights at a hotel in Savan which is close to the consulate and closer to the bus station.
Savan bus station to Mukdahan bus station.
Rather than hurry, spend a night at Ploy Palace.
Pick up by Nok Air at the hotel. No hurrying and no waiting in the sun or the rain.
Before I buy tickets, do I have my facts straight? Any suggestions on a better way to do it?
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I'll soon be 65 and my hip is often in pain.
My Thai wife is a huge help.
I was once hospitalized in Khon Kaen. No complaints.
I'll apply for MediCare, but I don't know if it will pay bills incurred in other countries.
I don't feel "too old" and expect to remain once I move back.
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8 hours ago, Tanoshi said:
You could obtain a Non Imm O multi entry Visa in Savannakhet Lao (valid 1 year) without any police clearance or proof of funds based on marriage.
You would have to leave and re-enter Thailand every 90 days, or you can extend each 90 day permission to stay by 60 days at local Immigration for 1,900 baht.
This sounds ideal. I tried this in Georgetown a few years ago but they wanted proof of funds. I'm happy to hear about Savannakhet.
Anutin: Vaccination of foreigners living in Thailand has been expanded to the provinces
in Thailand News
Posted
For what it's worth, I went to the local hospital three weeks ago to ask about when/where to be vaccinated only to learn that the answer to my question was "here/now." I got Sino-Vac on the spot. Today I got A-Z. For what it's worth, zero reaction each time. I'm an old fart with Parkinson's. I have a pink ID. Staff was very nice to me.