Thank you Troy...makes sense. As I'll be renting a condo in Hua Hin and have a TM30 filed there, that will be my address and I should be able to extend there...hopefully without too many headaches ;). Much appreciated.

Not the case. My friend was just denied entry and I know for a fact he is doing nothing wrong... not working here but the IO suspects it so, denied entry. (CNX airport)

METV is a bad recommendation as we've seen many people spend the money for one and denied entry when they come to Thailand because they have been here 'too many times'.

There are ed visas (language or self defence) but these are meant to be a long term committed to staying in Thailand....not hopping back and forth.

Thailand doesn't want recurring visitors at the moment. Even people with legitimate tourist visas are being denied entry if they've been here too many times. The Elite visa would seem the only real option and simply not worth the money. You're likely better off going to a different country.

Plane could be early too. You can't guess. Just make sure you have a visa that covers your stay with some time to spare.

You'll only get 1 entry on that 60 day tourist visa. They don't do double-entry anymore. If you plan on taking a trip outside of Thailand during your stay, it will cancel the visa when you leave Thailand.

A 30 day extension will cost you 1900 Baht if you need one while you're here.

In Chiang Mai it's a 1600 baht fine. Been discussed to death on this forum...it's being enforced more and more. Robert's link provides all the info and requirements.

Find a school that offers the visa with their program. They'll give you everything you need and instructions to attain a visa.

Overstay will be more than 24 hours because they count the day you arrive as one of the days.

You 'could' overstay and pay the fine when you leave but, I would not recommend it.

An extension is more expensive than a tourist visa and more time consuming. I recommend you get a tourist visa in the US before you come and you will get a 60 day stamp when you enter. No stress, no hassle.

Resets Jan 1

Just a side note to be aware of... you are only permitted to do two exempt entries per calendar year by land. So, if they plan on sticking around for a while and border bouncing, this would knock them down to one left this year. This does not affect exempt entries by air or entering by land with an actual visa.