Rickschoppers in Retiring to Thailand

[Brown Sugar]

Brian,
I was in the same boat years back which really irritated me. That's when I decided to ship tools over with equipment I was moving for the mfg transfer and it was just part of the crate contents.

Now as I mentioned of above, the cargo I will be shipping over will all be in the missus name and import duty is not applicable.

JPPR2
Hope all goes well for you but the tools I shipped were mostly small hand tools with a couple of larger items which most people class as 'workshed' tools not manufacturing equipment.
AS customs required receipts for the larger items, most of which were purchased prior to our marriage or me moving to Thailand, putting them in my wifes name unfortunately was not an option.

[rickschoppers]

Just a little over 2 weeks before I head back to Udon and I am getting anxious to be home again. The 9 months in the US was profitable and I did enjoy many things I can not find or eat in Thailand. Once I get back, it will be a strict diet of rice and veges along with small amounts of meat. A much better diet for sure, but I do not want to get back into eating too much western food again.

I will be bringing over a lot of t-shirts, shorts for myself, clothes and toys for my boy and perfume for my wife that can't be found in country. I am also bringing a nice iPod player has a voltage range of 110-240. It is nice to see many items now available with that broad range of operational voltage. I bought a 24" Smart TV that will be carried over next time. Since I will be coming back again next February to sell off some personal property, I will save that trip for other items that can not be found in Thailand.

Flying EVA air for the first time and will see how that airlines treats their customers. So far I have used Thai Airways, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and now EVA air for the long flight. As always, will be using Thai Airways for the domestic flight to Udon since they fly out of the international airport. Have any other domestic airlines been able to gain access to Swampy?

[FailSafe]

Bangkok Airways have been there since day one.

[rickschoppers]

Can't remember if they go to Udon. I will take a look.

Yep, they do. I guess I will look at them for flights. Also, not sure what their baggage limits were. Thai Airways was very gracious when I would fly into Bangkok on their airlines.

[Brown Sugar]

Rick. I and my family have used EVA AIR on several occasions, comfortable aircraft no real frills or gimmicks but service has always been good. However for tourist class they are quite sticky about the 20 KILO check in luggage (as almost all airlines are beginning to get) and appear to charge for anything over about 22 KILO's. Hand luggage amount seems to vary depending on which airport you check in at. I may be wrong but I believe EVA AIR is part of China airways. Have a good trip.

[rickschoppers]

Thanks Brian. I will have a couple of bags to check at or under 20kg along with a carry on and a laptop.

I will let everyone know what EVA is like once I land and get back home.

[Brown Sugar]

Thanks Brian. I will have a couple of bags to check at or under 20kg along with a carry on and a laptop.

I will let everyone know what EVA is like once I land and get back home.

Rick if you are over weight on your check in luggage as I was about 4 years ago (29 KILO) I actually found it cheaper on the return leg to Thailand to upgrade (at the airport) for their 'superior class' (Tourist with a few extra comforts) than pay excess baggage. If you do end up paying why not take the advantages of 'superior class' instead of simply paying what is essentially freight charges.

[rickschoppers]

Thanks Brian. I will have a couple of bags to check at or under 20kg along with a carry on and a laptop.

I will let everyone know what EVA is like once I land and get back home.

Rick if you are over weight on your check in luggage as I was about 4 years ago (29 KILO) I actually found it cheaper on the return leg to Thailand to upgrade (at the airport) for their 'superior class' (Tourist with a few extra comforts) than pay excess baggage. If you do end up paying why not take the advantages of 'superior class' instead of simply paying what is essentially freight charges.

Thanks for that tip Brian. I will look into that benefit.

[rickschoppers]

My flight to Bangkok is day after tomorrow and it can't come quick enough. Flights were way too expensive round trip from Reno, Nevada to San Fran, so I was forced to rent a car and drive. Air travel in the US has reached an all time low. There are only a few large airlines left and they have cut out many of the smaller routes that do not make them enough money. So much for increasing competition between airlines.

Then there is the TSA debacle to face at SF. I now travel with no belt to hold up my pants since I would have to take it off at security. No water to drink, no toothpaste, backless slip on shoes so I don't have to tie them when taking them through security. Never wear a hat anymore or a sweatshirt since they are asked be taken off by TSA. Have my driver's license in a separate folder since TSA wants to see it even though I have a passport in hand.

Next we will be asked to strip naked and bend over. They already have the xray machines that can see how well hung you are.

The terrorists have won in the US and we are only sheep in the herd.

[Marmite the Dog]

Have my driver's license in a separate folder since TSA wants to see it even though I have a passport in hand.

Tell them you can't drive.

[rickschoppers]

TSA does not understand that. They have an average IQ of -34, so to explain anything to them is a waste of time. Sure glad TSA is nonexistent in Thailand.

[Boon Mee]

TSA does not understand that. They have an average IQ of -34, so to explain anything to them is a waste of time. Sure glad TSA is nonexistent in Thailand.

Ahh the joy of traveling to and within the USA.

Fucking Police State it is...

[rickschoppers]

Yes it is, but funny how most people just accept all the BS without giving some viable alternatives.

[FailSafe]

You'll be in BKK in time for the Motor Expo- it starts Friday (though the public might not be admitted until Saturday).

[rickschoppers]

Damn, maybe I will reschedule my flight.

[FailSafe]

I'm planning on going Monday or Tuesday.

[rickschoppers]

Let me see what I can do once I land in BKK. I have like 4 hours to waste before the flight to Udon. It might be tight for me since I am driving to Chiang Mai on Wednesday.

If I can't make it, I expect a thorough report on the Expo with lots of pics FailSafe.

[FailSafe]

If you're flying out of Don Muang to Udon then Impact is pretty close- it you're using Swampy four hours probably won't cut it, especially if there's traffic.

I'll take a lot of pics if I go- I'm looking forward to it- I just have to get a couple things done by tomorrow before I can confirm.

[rickschoppers]

Flying Thai Air out of Swampy, so probably wont make it. I look forward to your report. That would be a great thread.

[rickschoppers]

Since I didn't bother obtaining a visa from the Thai Consulate in the States, I came in on a 1 month stamp at the airport with the idea of going to Lao for a visa run. I just got back yesterday from what was an interesting trip. My wife and I went with my friend from the UK and his wife since he needed to obtain a visa as well. The original idea was to just obtain a Tourist Visa since both of us would be going back home in less than three months.

Our first hiccup was that they were late arriving at our house and we did not get to the Consulate until 12:30pm and they were finished for the day accepting paperwork. Since it was Thursday, that would mean we had to go back Friday. I know it would take two business days to obtain the visa, but also know there were ways to expedite things. When we spoke to a couple of individuals outside the Consulate, the price went from 8000 to 5000 baht and still too much, in my opinion.

When I reached the widow and gave the officer my application for a Tourist visa, he looked at my passport and saw all the previous "O" visas. He told me I could not get a tourist visa and would need to apply for a married visa instead. I had always thought you could apply for a Tourist visa even though you had previous "O" visas.

We then had to make a decision either to stay for 3 more nights and wait for our visa on Monday or drive back to the border to see how many days they would give us on entry. We were told by the Consulate that they would only do 2 weeks. When we arrived at the border, they actually gave us 30 days which was better, but I still need to go back to Lao or speak to immigration about an extension.

Bottom line for anyone going into Lao is to go Monday-Wednesday to avoid any hiccups that may force you to stay over the weekend. Applications for visas are only accepted in the morning and will be distributed the next working day unless you are willing to pay for expediting the process.

I am not sure how many times you can leave Thailand and come back in for a one month stamp. The officer saw that I has numerous "O" visas from before, but never said a word. This is one of the main headaches of living in Thailand and I know there are many threads already discussing the different entry points and how the regulations are all interpreted differently.

Just be prepared and you will have no problem. I was not prepared and now have to figure out when I can go back to Lao after speaking with immigration in Udon to see what my options are.

[rickschoppers]

I am back in the US right now to visit my sister who is going thru chemo. My plan is to head back in a couple of months. I did see on the Thai Consulate website for Los Angeles that 1 year multiple entry visas are still listed. Tomorrow I will start putting the paperwork together and apply. No guarantee that I will get one, but I figure if it is still on the website, I can at least try.

As everyone knows, the visa challenge is something that has to be done and I can always go back to Laos and just get a new visa every 90 days without having to show any financial data. If anyone knows if things have changed in Laos, that would be good to know.

[rickschoppers]

I have booked my flight back to Thailand for August. I will be flying EVA air again (thanks Brian for the recommendation). It is just over $600 one way and will stop once in Taipei. Then it will be Thai Airways back to Udon.

One little wrinkle in my retirement plans. While in the US, I was offered a job in Guam. I did go ahead and sign the offer letter, but that really doesn't mean squat. If I decide I don't want to accept the position that starts in September, I will just tell them no thanks.

I already have two friends living and working in Guam. One is married to a Filipina and the other spends a lot of time on Samui. They both split a full time job and work 6 months apiece and then off for 6 months. It works well for them while mine is a full time position. Guam is one of those places not many think about going to. It is a US territory and English is the language spoken. Life is slow and laid back, which I like and the weather is almost the same as a beach resort in Thailand.

We will see how things go when I return home. Again, it remains to be seen whether I wind up in Guam as a detour to retirement in Thailand.

[rickschoppers]

I have already posted this on another thread, but thought it was relevant to this thread as well. It will be interesting to see if I get any responses from either.

"I just sent off my application to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles for a 1 year, multiple entry, Non-Immigrant O visa. It was $200, but will be worth it not to have to worry about any visas for a year. The grounds were either being married to a Thai national or having a son who is also a Thai national since I sent in all the paperwork for both. They can choose what reason themselves.

I am not sure why I kept getting told there were no more 1 year, multiple entry visas when the LA Consulate still lists this as an option on their website. In about 2 weeks I should know if they are going to approve the application. This is what I have done several times in the past when coming from the States, but it seems once I am in Thailand, nobody wants to give them anymore.

Has anyone been successful in obtaining a 1 year, multiple entry, Non-Immigrant O visa in the recent past? I keep reading that the UK has stopped giving them as well."

[FatOne]

Hey Rick,
I haven't applied, but I checked the Thai consulate in Melbourne, Aust and they are definitely listed on there, strangely I couldn't find an application for a retirement visa?

[rickschoppers]

FO, I am reading where the 1 year visas are, in fact, available in ones homeland. It just seems they are not available locally.

I think all the apps are the same and only need to mark retirement box. Then you would need the necessary documentation requested like income, health check, etc. Take a look at the Thai Consulate Sydney website. They have a section on retirement visas.