@Gunner *********

Well why do you not give the group your advice then? This group is for sharing and helping!

There have been a lot of both Vietnamese and Thai holidays recently. The processing is in "Working" days not days elapsed. Viet holidays were 30th and 1st with most taking the 2nd too. Thai holiday was the 5th and will be 9th and 12th too.. The Embassy will take both local and Thai holidays

@Phillip *******

Yup - that is certainly a possibility with the right contacts 🙂 It can be costly - I know of a guy paid 600k for a 6 year overstay to be forgotten and a new 1 year retirement visa issued

@John ********

Maybe he is looking in your passport for items that would not be on a Thai Immigration record?

Countries do share information but not everything and not with everyone. I got that from a British Ambassador when I asked him - he happens to be my best pal of 40 years :-)

@John ********

As the guy above makes it abundantly clear - it is the system they look at. I can assure you no IO scans through 42 pages of my current passport with stamps and visas.

@John ********

When I come through immigration it is my record on the screen the IO looks at. The passport is almost an afterthought when they look for a place to stamp the passport. All of the information is on the screen and they just double check my passport against that info. I came back in Saturday and my passport was hardly looked at except to flick through to fine a page to stamp. Even my TDAC on my phone was not required - it was all on screen.

@John ********

Utter tosh - a new passport does not wipe your immigration record. Are you a time traveller from 30 years ago?

@Phillip *******

Some agents of have "Contacts" and can find out what is on your immigration system file. They can often ask questions about likelihood of approval!

Anonymous participant 366 It is insane and taking the pi55. It is genuinely harder to get bank accounts opened due to 2 reasons 1) new rules due to scammers using mule accounts 2) Thailand signed up ti the CRS ie Common Reporting Standards. Each of these is making it harder to open accounts and banks reluctant to open them too. Extra work for not much return.

It is quite hard but some agents might still do it for a hefty fee. Pattaya seems to be out. I saw a quote for Chiang Mai at 40k which is frankly outrageous. Look in the group for Bangkok agents. They might have an option. Last I saw was around 15k depending on passport.