gobbledonk Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hi All, Once upon a time, the run to the border was all that was required to renew one's lease on Sanuk in the Kingdom - those days appear to be over. The Thai people want the contents of my wallet for as long as I wish to stay, but their bureaucratic overlords need to clampdown on illegal workers - several of us are caught in the middle. If I cant get the 60 day tourist visa (this time, I'll talk to the Thais who do this for a living ..), I may be forced to move on to another destination in Asia. As a Singaporean cab driver said to me when I told him about the single counter at the Thai Embassy and the crackdown on visa exemptions, 'Hmmph - its not as if Thailand is such a rich country that they can afford to turn people away !'. If Thailand does turn me away, I will probably go to Penang or somewhere else in Malaysia for the remainder of my 'long service leave'. I'm curious as to where other members would go ? I may be the only tourist board member (ie no income source in Thailand and not a retiree) who is currently looking to spend more than 2 consecutive months in the LOS, but I know that many of you spend up to six months here at a time, and I dont see anything in your posts about paid employment in the LOS. Feedback welcome. Cheers, Gobble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Viet Nam for sure ...beautiful destination and so are the people ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickman Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 It is a question I often wonder, just where to next? And sometimes it might not be that the Thais don't want us, but some guys want a change of scenery or try a new place. Here's a round up of neighbouring countries and others in the region which offer an alternative to Thailand. http://www.stickmanweekly.com/StickMarkII/AlternativesToThailand.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderlust Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Why not just get a one year multiple entry non-immigrant 'O' visa in your home country? Or enrol in a Thai language course and get a one year education visa? Or go to Laos and get a double entry tourist visa. All of these options are very easy (except the first if you're an American supposedly). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Wonderlust, It will probably be the Laos option - the student visa is notoriously prone to failure, and the whole non-Imm thing seems to be a minefield at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Thanks Stick, and I absolutely agree with your conclusions - there isnt a single, conclusive alternative to Thailand for 'everyman'. That said, I can see why so many retirees from UK/Oz etc go to Malaysia - outside KL's crazy CBD, its a pretty cruisy place and I found most Malays to be friendly. I do agree that its not exactly 'fun central', but I think that anyone who took the time to learn enough Bahasa Malaysia would have far more luck with the local ladies, although the 'helicopter' approach many of us take in Thailand wouldnt go down too well with said 'GMGs'. Its unlikely that Malaysia will ever become Thailand, and I'm not entirely sure thats a bad thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTO Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 It seems to me that people hit snags when they try and change the approach half way through. Not just you GD but other recent people with imigration problems seem to happen when they start the process wrong. In your case you could have gotten the tourist visa in Australia before coming here - surely that would have been a better start. As Mekong says - know the rules - you quote "and the whole non-Imm thing seems to be a minefield at the moment" Says who? More internet cafe warriors? Do it right from the start and there are no problems. Thailand is not very easy - but it can be done easily if you follow their rules from day 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I got a one year 'O' visa in the USA, no hassles, in 15 minutes. In Malaysia, wherever i went, they spoke English, even in the outbacks that I traveled to, like the northeastern parts. Malaysia is for sure, farang friendly, but the sanuuk cost more and from what I saw, mostly Thai ladies, with a small mix of Indian, Chinese and VN. Beer is say twice as expensive as in Thailand, Malaysia being 60% Muslim population and the M's don't (not suppose to) drink alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 If I'm not going to retire in my home country then a major factor for me in deciding where else to retire would be where I have friends. I have always thought about retiring in LOS and, although in recent years that feeling has not been as strong, it is still the most likely destination for me because many of my current friends are likely to retire there as well. Also as Stickman says, when you take everything into account, it is still hard to beat LOS as a place to stay in SEA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Malaysia gives you 3 months on arrival. Georgetown, Penang is a nice city - and close enough to slip over to Thailand whenever you feel like it. You could do 3 one month border runs in Thailand, then spend the next 3 months in Penang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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