I assume your country offers the option of a passport with a large number of extra pages?

Next renewal, get one. Trying to change Thai Immigration’s stamping procedure strikes me as an extravagant waste of your time.

Not only that, but Thai immigration officials are known to get grouchy. Trying to micromanage the way they do their job is likely to lead to unexpected negative consequences. Remember that individual officers have extremely broad personal discretion in granting visas and extensions. Your hissy fit over a stamp could easily result in a denial with no recourse of a visa, extension, or re-entry permit. Seriously.

@Chris *******

And miss out on the joy of flinging insults and talking shit and threats and racist ranting about how nasty the Thais and their country are?

Clearly there’s something terribly wrong with you.

I see Karen is alive and well here.

Oh the outrage! Yawn.

@Steve ******

🙄

Plenty of the real thing down here in Pattaya. Thank god. My morning coffee ritual would be a lost cause without real cream.

A good fast cell phone package and then share the connection.

It’s the luck of the draw with condos. So many limit choice to one or two providers. If you’re lucky, you can have fast internet cheap. Unlucky? Forget about it. Start with juristic office and take it from there. Or talk with a building resident who has been there a while.

But for short term, an unlimited non-stop data plan for your phone is probably the easiest. I have had great luck with AIS.

@Maxim **********

To be clear, I didn’t say that requiring two months deposit was a recent change.

Rather, I an saying that recently a much higher percentage of owners and agents have been choosing to ask for two months deposit + first month’s rent, where they were more likely to ask only for one month deposit + first months rent just a couple years ago.

There is in fact a one month only law for owners and agents with five or more properties they lease out. This change came into effect and was published in the Royal Gazette in 2018, and was well-discussed in the press. Whether this law is widely adhered to is another matter.

It is becoming increasingly common for landlords to require a two month deposit. But this is a relatively new development.

Three months deposit while not unheard of, is rare. Perhaps the property is furnished lavishly with very expensive pieces.

Or maybe, the landlord is just greedy.

@Issy **********

Because for the answers to have any value to you, and more importantly, the many people reading this who have the same question - we need a LOT more information than you provided. I mean, literally the only thing you gave us is that you’re coming to Thailand. Are you coming as a backpacker, or will your first activity be to visit the Lamborghini dealer to pick up your highly customized Countach? Between those two extremes lie literally hundreds of pages of advice.

In other words, make at least a tiny effort to help narrow down the 100s of variables for those you want to take precious time to help you.