Printable View
[QUOTE=Seeko;2736796]Be aware of the little known regulation of maximum 180 days of tourist visa within a rolling 12 months interval. Basically, you can't stay more than 6 months per year with tourist visa, [/QUOTE]Very little known since folks were staying in Thailand for years on tourist visas and making visa runs every so often. So widely done that they even built businesses around the visa runs.
[QUOTE=Seeko;2736796]Be aware of the little known regulation of maximum 180 days of tourist visa within a rolling 12 months interval.[/QUOTE]No such regulation. It's not little-known, but non-existent.
Some people online have hypothesized about this being a guideline. However, there is no such law, rule or advisory guideline for immigration officers. You might have a problem at 4 months, or you might not have it at 8 months. There's no clear rule.
All we know is that with too many tourist visas (or visa-free entries), you'll eventually be denied entry.
Educated guesses as to roughly what the cutoff is can be useful, but stating that it's an actual rule is misleading and harmful.
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2736895]Very little known since folks were staying in Thailand for years on tourist visas and making visa runs every so often. So widely done that they even built businesses around the visa runs.[/QUOTE]The Visa Run businesses were mainly setup for those working in Thailand on one year Non-be visas for smaller capital companies.
On those visas they had to leave country every 90 days and get stamped back in.
Think of chefs, scuba diving instructors, other small businesses (budget hotels) that set up their own low capital shelf companies with accountants.
I am coming down to Bkk for the first time. Would be coming in with my elderly parents who want to tour the islands and I would be spending some time in BKK for about 4-5 days. Total trip duration is 20+ days. Would appreciate a little help in knowing about the currency exchange process. Also what places would be good to visit during this time, especially for healthy elderly parents who are pretty fit and love sight seeing. Also me and my brother both in 40's would like to spend some time during nights visiting bars and having fun in general. Any pointers for first time travelers would be appreciated. Thanks.
[QUOTE=BackStreetBozo;2738567]I am coming down to Bkk for the first time. Would be coming in with my elderly parents who want to tour the islands and I would be spending some time in BKK for about 4-5 days. Total trip duration is 20+ days. Would appreciate a little help in knowing about the currency exchange process. Also what places would be good to visit during this time, especially for healthy elderly parents who are pretty fit and love sight seeing. Also me and my brother both in 40's would like to spend some time during nights visiting bars and having fun in general. Any pointers for first time travelers would be appreciated. Thanks.[/QUOTE]Sounds like you want others to plan your trip for you. Perhaps you should hire a[blue][Deleted by Admin][/blue] travel agent.
[b][u]EDITOR'S NOTE[/u]:[/b] [blue]This report was deleted because it contributed nothing of value and in fact constituted a complete waste of bandwidth.
The purpose of this Forum is to provide for the exchange if information between men on the subject of finding women for sex. Let's stick to the subject.[/blue]
[QUOTE=BackStreetBozo;2738567] me and my brother both in 40's would like to spend some time during nights visiting bars and having fun in general. Any pointers [/QUOTE]I can't answer any of your first questions since I have not done any tourist activities in Bangkok other than night markets and shopping malls. This may not be the best forum to ask for that stuff anyways since this is a sex board. Many travel boards out there for these answers.
As for night life it all depends on your budget but you can use the search function in the Bangkok Reports thread for Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza, Patpong, Thermae, Thaniya Road, and review the massage threads. Your stay is very short so no need to look further than this.
I met a guy who started his own business along with a buddy. Buddy did all of the paperwork, they rented an office and bought office equipment and will hire the needed amount of Thais to work in their company. That does absolutely nothing except give them a visa to live in Thailand. He said it was cheaper than the golden visas in the long run.
You don't say from where you are comin g down.
1. Currency: easy to change at airport and booths all over the place, best done in modest enough amounts for safety.
2. Location: Probably Sukhumvit given your parents' age. Good shopping in the malls of European and Japanese brands.
3. Bangkok has places like the great temple etc, easy to get to by taxi, which is better than public transport with aged parents. Trips to eg the river Kwai (boring) easy to get with travel agents all over the place and brochures at hotel front desks etc (+ commission).
4. Massages: Check with front desk you are not sending your mother for a rub and tug.
5. Check out this new thing called the Internet [URL]https://www.bing.com/search?q=bangkok[/URL]+best+attracrtions&cvid=06 ba35 a0 a4 dd45848 e0 b8 a0694 c5 a0 ce&aqs=edge. 69 i57.5615 j0 j1&pglt=43&FORM=ANSPA1&PC=U531.
6. Basics are land, immigration, get to hotel, have a plan.
[QUOTE=BackStreetBozo;2738567]I am coming down to Bkk for the first time. Would be coming in with my elderly parents who want to tour the islands and I would be spending some time in BKK for about 4-5 days. Total trip duration is 20+ days. Would appreciate a little help in knowing about the currency exchange process. Also what places would be good to visit during this time, especially for healthy elderly parents who are pretty fit and love sight seeing. Also me and my brother both in 40's would like to spend some time during nights visiting bars and having fun in general. Any pointers for first time travelers would be appreciated. Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Is the 45 day Visa Exemption (up from 30 days) official yet?
[QUOTE=BananaBoi;2738895]Is the 45 day Visa Exemption (up from 30 days) official yet?[/QUOTE]I have the same question. The only thing I can add is that as of 10 hours ago the Thailand E-Visa webpage still says a visa is required for stays longer that 30 days.
My flight schedule has me in Thailand for 44 days. I’ll likely get the E-Visa because that extends me to 60 days, just in case I decide to stay longer. In February the E-Visa cost 40 USD. The February E-Visa headache was the requirement for detailed travel information that was not required for pre-COVID visas. My travel plans are to travel wherever I want at that moment, no fixed plans.
One thing I want to add is how Thailand counts days. They do not count 24-hour days, they count calendar days. For example, if you arrive at 23:00 on Thursday and depart at 01:00 on Friday, Thailand counts those 2 hours as 2 days.
[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2738917]I have the same question. The only thing I can add is that as of 10 hours ago the Thailand E-Visa webpage still says a visa is required for stays longer that 30 days.
My flight schedule has me in Thailand for 44 days. Ill likely get the E-Visa because that extends me to 60 days, just in case I decide to stay longer. In February the E-Visa cost 40 USD. The February E-Visa headache was the requirement for detailed travel information that was not required for pre-COVID visas. My travel plans are to travel wherever I want at that moment, no fixed plans.
One thing I want to add is how Thailand counts days. They do not count 24-hour days, they count calendar days. For example, if you arrive at 23:00 on Thursday and depart at 01:00 on Friday, Thailand counts those 2 hours as 2 days.[/QUOTE]As far as I know, the 45-day exemption comes into effect on October 1. I would assume that if you enter Thailand before that date it may not take effect (I could be wrong though). If you land on October 1st or later, you are good for 45 days though.
[QUOTE=HorseTrader;2738917]One thing I want to add is how Thailand counts days. They do not count 24-hour days, they count calendar days. For example, if you arrive at 23:00 on Thursday and depart at 01:00 on Friday, Thailand counts those 2 hours as 2 days.[/QUOTE]Another way to think of it is that the day you land counts as day ONE, not day ZERO. Even if you don't get through immigration until 11:45 pm, that still counts as day ONE.
This caught me out once and I went one day over the 30 days allowed for visa-exempt visitors. I hired one of those "premium services" to "escort" me through immigration. I also paid for a "porter" to handle my luggage. When I reached immigration my guide (who was an attractive young woman in a sharp uniform) explained to the agent that I had miscounted the days. I stood off to the side looking chagrined with my head down. After about 90 seconds, the agent said go ahead. No fine. No fuss. I noticed that under the exit stamp in my passport he'd handwritten my outgoing flight information.
You can use this to your advantage by carefully scheduling your flights. I like to arrive around dawn, which means my first day is about 18 hours long. On my way home I schedule a flight for just after midnight on the THIRTY-FIRST day. So long as I clear outbound immigration before midnight, they don't care that it's another two or three hours before my flight actually takes off.
QUESTION FOR THE EXPERTS: Suppose my flight touches down at 9:00 p.m. Is it possible to delay going to immigration until just after midnight, thereby "gaining" a day? If so, what's a good place to kill time? Or are the authorities wise to this and therefore on the lookout for people hanging around the arrival gates?
[QUOTE=Bunky;2739330]Suppose my flight touches down at 9:00 p.m. Is it possible to delay going to immigration until just after midnight, thereby "gaining" a day? If so, what's a good place to kill time? Or are the authorities wise to this and therefore on the lookout for people hanging around the arrival gates?[/QUOTE]Why not just go to immigration and get an extension instead of purposely wasting 3 hours of your life doing nothing in order to gain a few extra hours? Is there a reason you are timing your trips for exactly the given 30 days?
[QUOTE=Bunky;2739330]Another way to think of it is that the day you land counts as day ONE, not day ZERO. Even if you don't get through immigration until 11:45 pm, that still counts as day ONE.
QUESTION FOR THE EXPERTS: Suppose my flight touches down at 9:00 p.m. Is it possible to delay going to immigration until just after midnight, thereby "gaining" a day? If so, what's a good place to kill time? Or are the authorities wise to this and therefore on the lookout for people hanging around the arrival gates?[/QUOTE]I touched on this subject last week:
[QUOTE=Sunlover2;2735920]In my case: the hotel I stay at in Bangkok offers a 10% discount for 15+ day stays, and a 20% discount for 30+ day stays. I used to have to get creative with my entries and departures to achieve the 30 day mark. No longer the case it seems because I would certainly take advantage of the longer stay opportunity.
SL.[/QUOTE]IMO it depends on how much of a stickler the immigration officer is. On the immigration form you had to fill out and present upon arrival at BKK one of the fields was 'Vessel Number' and I assume they have your flight information in their system already. Being TIT the only consistency is inconsistency. I avoided the issue by booking a flight with a scheduled arrival after midnight.
To my knowledge there is really no place to hang out on the arrivals level now that the smoking rooms are closed (LOL) but you *might* be able to talk your way to the departure level under the guise of visiting an airline club to freshen up. I have read pre-CoVid reports of passengers traveling on premium tickets being able to accomplish that. Works best with carry-on bags though, because if you don't collect your checked luggage timely there is additional potential for mayhem.
But at that point you are stringing 'maybe's' together so realistically it makes the most sense to plan to arrive after midnight if possible.
SL.
Thanks to Mr. Sunlover for his helpful analysis. I had not considered the checked baggage issue he spotted, and I agree with him that letting your bags go unchecked for several hours is asking for trouble. The airlines are supposed to collect unclaimed bags and store them. But you never know if they'll be diligent about that -- especially when they are so short of staff. It also seems to me that having an unclaimed bag going round and round on the carousel all by itself would tempt the larcenous. I also think Mr. Sunlover is wise to speculate that when you present yourself to the immigration officer he probably knows what flight you were on, and if you've delayed submitting for inspection he might get suspicious.
So thanks again to Mr. Sunlover for weighing in. I really appreciate it.
Bunky