I'm not talking about an agent. I think it is possible to change from visa exempt to marriage or retirement from within Thailand. Maybe I misunderstand this. But if it is possible, why bother traveling to another country to apply for these types of visas.
In many cases it may be easier for people to change from visa exempt to their desired visa inside Thailand. I think for many visa types this is possible if qualifications are met.
I don't think that is possible. I'm sure access to their system would not be allowed over vpn connection. And I think you must show proof of location at time of application.
I would imagine it is not possible to return to Thailand visa exempt while waiting for visa approval. However they should consider this a viable option for those that cannot be out of Thailand for long periods. I think not a practical system for all neighboring countries. Appointment system is sufficient. E-visa is overkill.
It would be interesting to know if there is a maximum amount of e-visa applications accepted per day at a given embassy or consulate. For those that may be staying in hotels in neighboring countries while they apply for e-visa, if it would be a busy application day at the consulate, it may actually delay the visa approval by many days. Difficult to plan travel in an instance like this. Maybe the application site gives an estimated approval or rejection date at time of application.
No criteria, simply an Immigration Officer helping a family that may be in distress. I'm sure there are Officers that do help foreigners in distress. Let's say a foreigner's wife or child had a vehicle accident and are in hospital. The foreigner's visa expires in two weeks, but cannot qualify for extension because their money has been used for hospital expenses. Maybe the foreigner could be given some kind of temporary stay to take care of their family.
They could give a person the benefit of the doubt based on a strong history and circumstances. Maybe the individual has the money, but not in the Thai account at the moment. Might reduce the need for agents.
There should be instances where Immigration could be flexible. Let’s say there is a person that has been on Non-O annual extension for around 20 years, without any issue. In the 21st year, the person could not meet the requirements due to a Thai family members medical emergency. Immigration should look at the history and current circumstances and then possibly approve the extension even without meeting all requirements.
This is what I do to keep an account open. Because this requirement is relatively new for most of the banks, does anyone know if only a physical US address and phone number are required, or do we need to be physically present in the US for a set time period each year? I don't believe there is a physical presence requirement, but not certain.
