General Reports

[El Vagabundo]

Thank you everybody for the great information about my visa questions. Now I know how what to do. As to the question of why would I leave Colombia to vacation in Thailand. Why would I spend a month on Koi Sumi? I am taking a break from my regular routine to participate in a Detox / Fasting / Yoga and meditation spa. 4 weeks of supervised fasting and detoxing. I have reached an age where I need to think about my physical and mental health and need to loose at least 15 kilos. Besides, it has been a good year and I can finally afford to do something like this.

[Java Man]

The Chicago Thai Consulate offers a 90 day, multi entry visa for $200 USD. Can that visa be extended while in Thailand? Or is 90 days the maximum allowed stay per year? (The Thai Consulate website is unclear on this.) Is it better to arrive and get the 30 days allowed for a US passport then extend it for 60 days at 1900 baht /$58 USD. Can that visa be extended? I'm planning on bouncing around SE Asia for 5-6 months.
On the question of return or exit airfare tickets, will the airlines or immigration in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, or the Philippines want to see a return / exit ticket? Pardon the questions, but this will be my first trip to SE Asia. Thanks in advance.

[LittleBigMan]

You can get your stamp on arrival for a month. After your trip to the island, you have two choices to stay longer. Go to an immigration office to get an extension for 1900 baht or pay a fine for overstay (500 baht per day = 3500).

Or you can do what I did and get a visa at a Thai consulate before you come here. That gives you 60 days up front with the option to extend for another 30 days. Its cheaper to get the visa prior to coming (and no hassles of getting the extension to add another week).

Getting a 60 days is your best bet without being hassled? Not sure about you coming from Columbia and the Airline you are using but on Cathay and Eva Air the last few times I was questioned by the agent as to my Visa stay and my One way ticket? I was cleared after I provided proof that I had a 1 year extension retirement. Get the 60 day, you will not get a extension at the airport over 30 days.

[Pipe Layer99]

I am a USA citizen, with USA Passport, living in Colombia with Colombian Residency and headed to Thailand in December. I have been in and out of Thailand as a tourist several times over the last 35 years. Never needed any advanced visa however never stayed more than a week or two at a time.
I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?
Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.
Thanks for the help.

You can get your stamp on arrival for a month. After your trip to the island, you have two choices to stay longer. Go to an immigration office to get an extension for 1900 baht or pay a fine for overstay (500 baht per day = 3500).

Or you can do what I did and get a visa at a Thai consulate before you come here. That gives you 60 days up front with the option to extend for another 30 days. Its cheaper to get the visa prior to coming (and no hassles of getting the extension to add another week).

[Mr Enternational]

If you get a visa from the Thai consulate before your trip then you will get 60 days. If you wait for visa on arrival then you will only get 30 days. They will not ask for your ticket. You only have to state your planned exit date if asked.

[Daddy San]

I am a USA citizen, with USA Passport, living in Colombia with Colombian Residency and headed to Thailand in December. I have been in and out of Thailand as a tourist several times over the last 35 years. Never needed any advanced visa however never stayed more than a week or two at a time.

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.

Thanks for the help.

What I write here applies to German nationals and may or may not apply to US citizens.

You should get in touch with a Thai consulate in the US and find out the exact regulations.

Germans and other EU citizens may visit Thailand for 30 days as tourists without a visa. Being a tourist implies, that they must have an assured means to leave LOS, such as an round trip ticket, may not enter employment etc.

If they wish to travel on a one way ticket, they MUST get a visa at a local consulate. The visa lets you stay 90 days and is valid for 1,2 or 3 entries.

I normally buy a ticket from FRA to BKK and back from HKG to FRA.

From BKK to HKG, I usually take a roundabout route with several stops in SEA and on different airlines, deciding on very short notice, depending on my whim.

For the reasons above, I have always had a visa, but last time (this January) I thought to save the 90 EUR an traveled without one.

Emirates did not care, but Thai immigration wanted to see the e-Ticket confirmation, before they believed me that I was going to leave LOS.

Good luck.

DS.

[Duniawala]

I am a USA citizen, with USA Passport, living in Colombia with Colombian Residency and headed to Thailand in December. I have been in and out of Thailand as a tourist several times over the last 35 years. Never needed any advanced visa however never stayed more than a week or two at a time.

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?.................

One way tickets are frowned upon. Better if you had an open jaw ticket. As for visa you get 30 days. If you want to extend it you have to go the Thai Immigration office and get it extended for another 60 days by paying 1900 Baht. No more visa runs. The new visa rules are very strict, so try and avoid overstaying.

[JokerInter]

I am a USA citizen, with USA Passport, living in Colombia with Colombian Residency and headed to Thailand in December. I have been in and out of Thailand as a tourist several times over the last 35 years. Never needed any advanced visa however never stayed more than a week or two at a time.

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.

Thanks for the help.

If you have a US passport, they will grant you 30 days. I also have a US passport and they have never ask me to see return ticket -ever. I also travel on business with out knowing my return date and have traveled with one way ticket with no issues. I would just print and itinerary (HOLD) for a return ticket on Expedia and just get keep it if they asked, they will not know if it actually paid for. As far as more than 30 or more days on I arrival, I don't know. Sorry.

Question, if you live in Colombia, why would you come to Thailand to monger as Colombia have some of the best girls in the world? I lived in Bogota 15 months and had the time of my life. Just saying. Good Luck.

[PinkPearl]

When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

No, they won't. Though for asking they might ask you to come with them to a private interrogation room.

If you want to extend after entering the country, you can apply at any immigration office in Thailand before your 30 days are up. This would be good for another 30 days.

Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.

See the following:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/...return-ticket/

[Kerrstar]

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.

You probably won't even be able to board your plane with a one way ticket unless you are going to somewhere where you have a long stay / work permit. Same with not having a visa when you're going to a country that requires one, which surprising happens a lot. This is because if you get rejected on arrival at immigration then the airlines have to fly you back at their cost. Hence they check your ticket / visa and won't allow you on if the paperwork isn't correct. You can just buy a cheap onwards ticket, but you will run into the same problem when you leave for your next country.

Not sure I'd spend a month at Koh Samui, but each to his own. If you're on a long holiday and sitting on a beach doing nothing is your thing then it's probably a good a place as any. I haven't been there for over 20 years so I'm not sure of the scene there. If you're going overland to get there you could stop off at Cha Am or Hua Hin, the beaches are nice and the nightlife is good.

[Mouse1]

This PC bullshit gives me the shits, we are all entitled to be bigots.

Of course, and there are plenty of bigots out there.

But if you want people to respect your opinions and think you are something other than a red-neck jerk, then it is probably wise to moderate your views on this forum. I'm not sure what exactly is PC about making generalisations about racial qualities? After all, we could generalise about Aussies, but I'm sure your knuckles rarely drag along the ground. Anyway, put another shrimp on the barby and chill.

[Syzygies]

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

I don't think so. If you want to stay more than 4 weeks, you probably need to make a visit to official places to apply for a visa. Otherwise fine for each day of overstay is fairly costly, I forget now, but may be more than 1000 Baht per day.

P.S. I would not stay Koh Samui for a whole month, but your choice. There are more beautiful Islands, and also better places for mongering. Koh Samui is not exciting me any more. Not high on my list of interesting places. Beaches in Koh Samui start to get beautiful late January. Not the same in the wet season. Andaman side is beautiful earlier, like from December or earlier.

[El Vagabundo]

I am a USA citizen, with USA Passport, living in Colombia with Colombian Residency and headed to Thailand in December. I have been in and out of Thailand as a tourist several times over the last 35 years. Never needed any advanced visa however never stayed more than a week or two at a time.

I have a month planned in Koh Sumi and after that I am not sure what I want to do. I may want to stay another week or so in Thailand. When I arrive at BKK, will they stamp me in for more than 30 days if I ask?

Since my travel planes are a little loose, I only have a one way ticket. Will they ask for a copy of my onward ticket / itinerary.

Thanks for the help.

[AussieDoug]

Hi Syzgygies. I tried to PM you -- which is how most of my member-to-member communication takes place -- but you're set up not to take PMs.

With all due respect, I think trying to characterize 1. 5 (1. 6?) billion Chinese and 250 million Indonesians is at best a complete crock and at worst racism that we ought not to be publishing here, in any form. It makes me really uncomfortable and I expect (hope?) I'm not alone. We can probably live without an explanation of what type of woman appeals to you, as that is of zero interest to anyone else. TTG.

This PC bullshit gives me the shits, we are all entitled to be bigots.

[Syzygies]

You seem to enjoy LOS and FKK land equally?

I would like your opinion. I have been going to Germany for the last 10 yrs and know the scene in the FKKS and SCs fairly well, although unlike you I prefer the SCs because I have developed close friendships with a few Dutch punters. If you have the time would you do a comparison of the 2 destinations? Pluses and minuses?

One thing is I do not drink very much and do not like the bar scene and hate being around drunks.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I will try to be brief. Not sure how to compare very different scenes.

If you like a quick 30 min experience, Thailand will not be that beneficial to you as price won't be that much lower. However for what you spend in Germany for 30 minutes, you will get 3 to 4 times the duration in Thailand. E. g. A 2 hour session in an Oily Massage Place will cost you about 60 euros. Taking a girl to your room for the whole night, might cost 120 Euros or so. If you know a girl well, you might even take her away for several days holiday.

Where in Germany you go to one venue, and have multiple experiences, chatting to buddies in between, the norm in Thailand will be to do just one girl and maybe have no buddies to chat to. Perhaps several buddies might attend a bar together. Of course is quite allowed to do several different girls in one day from same place or from different places (more normal). Soapy Massage places have a lounge to relax between sessions if you want to do more than one girl consecutively. I have done like this years ago.

Obviously the looks of Thai girls are different to east Europeans. Not many tall Thai girls. Thai working girls are often shy and not keen to be seen naked in great detail. Like the lights low at times. Thais are generally very fastidious about cleanliness.

Thai working girls have sometimes good, often weak, sometimes almost zero English. As I speak Thai this has no impact on me. I understand Thai better than bad English.

I attend bars mostly without drinking alcohol. Some bars have girls topless dancing and a small number have nude dancing. Attending bars early in the evening, you don't really meet many drunks. Late at night there are far more drunks around, including drunk bargirls, which is not at all pleasant.

I don't like real massage, but Thailand is big on that if you go for it. There are real massage shops, and there are fake massage shops, really there for the purpose of sex. I do like body slide sexy "massage" like can be had at Dr. BJ Nuru shop for example.

In Thailand, there is no extra charge for CIM, but many girls don't do it. Full sex in a massage place costs generally 1500 Baht (less than 40 Euros) on top of Massage price of 600 to 800 Baht. Many shops now have all inclusive combined price. PSE shops are where anal sex can normally be had. Many shops this is no extra charge, but starting to attract extra charges in Bangkok. Understand that in an Oily Massage shop, you will not have much time to choose a girl from line up or pictures, and no opportunity to chat to her first to decide if you like her. She may not have good English.


I don't know everything about Thailand, as I have certain preferences and biases.