they give you all the bleach you can drink on international flights so no need to worry

@Todd ********

the "dodgy" visas I was referring to would be offers of getting Muy Thai / "Bodyguard" / volunteer or the now long gone "student VISA" where people never showed up for class. I already got my ticket and is actually starting to look forward to seeing friends and family again but if I had the option of staying here I imagine I would. I will take another look at the Elite VISA, I still dislike the idea of paying for the luxery of spending my time and money here but if it is "ony" 500K I guess I should take a second look

@David ********

I have been thinking about that too and it might come to that but I honestly find the idea of me having to spend a million to be allowed to spend my monthly 80.000 - 90.000 Baht pension here a bit offensive just because I'm still 4 years away from turning 50. I know its an option and in the end I might end up getting one but with the political history of this country I am a little hesitant about paying a million for a service that might be cancelled tomorrow...

@George *******

not been home in 8 years and guess I'm slowly coming to terms with the idea of visiting friends and family but if Thailand is not opening up in the start of the New Year I will simply go hide in another country like the Philippines till they do open up the borders. Just wish I had the option of staying here till I turn 50 without having to bribe people

And the people who told me to stay on a Tourist VISA were people at BKK immigration and the people at the Thai Embassy in Laos and Vietnam. This was before Covid when this was not a problem but that things change and that I'm still not 50 is hardly my fault.

@George *******

I am an expat and living here because the weather is better for my health. My point is that the only reason I'm on a tourist VISA is that I'm not 50 and that there should be an offer or an alternative if they were not able to give me the VISA I would need to stay here. Me not being 50 is kind of hard to change unless you know of a good place to apply and add another 4 years ?

I got an early retirement 8 years ago but was / am not old enough to get the retirement VISA at 50 though I fulfil all the other requirements. Was told to continue on Tourist VISA at immigration here in BKK and at the Embassy in Laos and Vietnam. I was hoping things would change so I could stay here in this place I now call home but the Danish Embassy is no longer giving out the letters asking for extension and thus I have no other choice to return home because I do not fit into any of the categories. I'm not married, no children, not working, not studying and not 50 years old. I speak and read Thai and has been coming here since I was an AFS student at age 16 making this year my 30th year living / traveling / working / studying here in Thailand. I fly back on Saturday and though I somewhat understand and accept the situation I still think the government could have done better and given more options to those who are stuck in the bureaucracy due to no fault of their own besides paying people off or applying for and paying for some dodgy VISA that we all know are just for show.

Just talked to thai woman on the government hotline, she said going back home for a couple of months till things changed and more information came out was my best option and that the new 9 month visa at its present form with government selected hotel stays was only for "the rich". So after coming here for 30 years I guess it's time for me to go too. Best of luck to you all :)

@Florian *******

yeah, looks like we are pretty much out of options though I will probably still go give it a try