It's the Christmas spike. Normal prices can be found 1,200-1,500 round trip if not in peak season and enough advance. Christmas/NYE prices are absolutely absurd.

@Andi **********

Okay, that's how I understood it too. So I was hoping someone found a legal workaround. 😂

@Andi **********

Can you clarify? Meaning they volunteered in their home country online, or they were volunteering in Thailand?

I've suspected the DTV would lead to a formal taxation for anyone coming in as a Digital Nomad

@Paul ********

This is the way. I even just paid a power bill back in Thailand while in America using the PEA app.

I can't speak directly to that re: the DTV, but we've heard similar for Non-O. They've stopped granting new follower visas to kids (even babies/toddlers/etc) at consulates (at least all that we've seen), and having the children go in on Tourist visas--presumably to overstay. Seems like a really sketchy practice to me, but seems that's the direction it's going.

If you have Thai banking, the PEA app is pretty easy to use.

If grace expires today, you'll be paying for sure. Doesn't matter if they're closed all 7 days in that grace period--once it ends, it ends.

@Char ****

I'm guessing they've maybe had the pattern for 6 years, but you wouldn't be able to go 6 years without paying. It gets flagged on the extension (max of 1 year).

But I've wondered if you could possibly just not do 90-day reports and pay the 2k at extension time with no issues. 🤔

VietJet is even worse--7kg carry-on. Last time I flee I didn't expect that to be tightly enforced as that's just my laptop and bag together weigh nearly that (and we had excess checked baggage space).

Sure enough, they checked and were going to make me pull and check my carry-on, until I slid out my laptop and showed them, then weighed again. The lady said "okay, just carry that separately". 🤦