@Todd ********

my German DKB VISACARD doesn't charge ANY foreign withdrawal fees, and no provisions. So the only fee I pay when withdrawing at a Thai ATM, are the 220.- Baht ATM fee. . . .however if you fall for the DCC scam, your bill starts looking bad

@Todd ********

totally depends on the conditions of the bank that issues the "real" credit card (Visa. Master. Amex)

@Todd ********

not if your credit card is covered. Well, maybe your understanding is different from mine. There are 25.000.- Euros on my VISACARD account, and my daily limit is 4000.- Euros and my credit limit is only 500.- Euros

normally, with a "real" credit card (Visa, Masters) you get a REALLY good exchange rate at Thai ATM's. You will receive a "day spot rate" which is a really good exchange rate, better than the rate you get on a Thai bank over the counter or when using cash with private money changers on the Southern islands (not in Bangkok and Pattaya, where these people offer you a very good rate). However you should withdraw the maximum amount of the ATM which is 20,000.- THB in ONE draw, or 30.000.- THB when using the yellow ATM's (Krungsri Bank). Of course you must set your daily credit card limit with your bank before you start travelling travel Asia, and most cards also need to be activated for use in either Africa, Asia, the Americas and beyond.

your friend can call himself LUCKY, because he was about to fall for the (fully legal!) ATM scam with the "Dynamic Currency Conversion". When an ATM offers you to show the exchange rate on the screen, and use your bank's rate: You MUST REFUSE the process IMMEDIATELY, or you are loosing some handful of dough

@Brian **********

alright, that's correct then

you have NOT applied for a "Non-O-Marriage visa". You have applied for the "1-year extension of the stay permit based on marriage to a Thai wife". The stay permit you received when entering using the visa. The visa itself expired and became "used" upon entry. Immigration calls it "visa extension" however they don't extend any visa

@Phetnapa *********

don't do any more border bounces and visa-exempt entries! He could get refused entry with his stay history, and that's when the trouble starts. Go get the proper visa in Savannakhet as described.

@Phetnapa *********

30.000.- THB, this could be the price you pay when officials look the other way. Tea money involved. I do NOT recommend it

keep in mind, that with the one-year multi entry non-imm-O visa, your husband must perform a "border run" every 89 days (before each 90 days stay permit expires) in order to activate another 90 days stay permit