The problem i can see here.. is that the return flight was booked for 90-days time.. whereas the visa exempt stamp granted to tourists is only 60-days.. i understand he was pre-empting a 30-day extension.. but this (1) assumes the extension will be granted, and (2) indicates an aspiration to max out his stay.. in other words it looks like a pre-meditated attempt to abuse the system.. whereas most genuine tourists will enter on the 60-day exempt stamp and will have a flight out booked within that time frame.. any extension happens as an after thought when they are in country and conclude they'd like to stay a little longer.. often precipitated by events that have occurred during their initial stay.. meaning they had not 'planned' a 90-day stay at outset.. i think if your friend had booked a dummy flight that leaves at the end of his 60-day tourist stamp.. and showed that to mmigration on the pretext of only staying for 60-days.. then he may have had an easier time entering.. but being open about his intention suggested he was trying to abuse the system in their mind.. and if he was still grilled about a 60-day stay so soon after his last trip.. he could have said 'I've come back to begin the process of obtaining a retirement visa' so i can live here.. but once uttered he'd have to do it because that could be recorded on his immigration file.. in the end it's about being careful in the way you present yourself.. and though it was a genuine situation it didn't look like it because of the 90-day intent prior to entering Thailand.. if this hadn't been disclosed he may not have had such a hard time!

Surely the safe solution is to go and do it in person at the earliest opportunity.. meaning abandon the idea of an appointment and just go and queue up and get it done.. yes it may well mean you are there longer.. but it takes all the worry away from this dilemma.. and if you go early you may get done sooner than you think.. besides in my experience appointments are not rigid anyway and you often have to wait way beyond your allotted time to get seen!

The rule you have identified is more than likely the Embassy's way of avoiding an avalanche of premature applications.. meaning they only want you to apply if you are intending to travel within 3 months.. in essence prioritising their resource to the most urgent cases.. however the visa isn't granted on the condition that you do travel on the date you stated.. after all, situations change and people cannot always fulfil their intended schedule.. this rule simply deters people from applying too early and creating a back log of applications.

Our photos were printed on photo paper.. ie. glossy.. and they rejected them at CM immigration.. telling us to have them photo copied onto A4 paper.. so best check what your specific immigration office wants!

Please bear in mind that multiple vaccines in one batch (or close together) also represents a health risk.. so you should prepare for your wife to become ill soon after.. if you are intending to travel just after the jabs this could preclude her from flying.. either way I'd recommend you buy travel insurance that covers the cost of your flights if she falls ill and can't fly.. but you need to check that it will cover vaccine reactions.. since this is elective medication rather than remedial.. and anyone putting a needle in their arm should find out exactly what they are being injected with first.. since bad reactions come from ingredients your body can't handle!

If you work out the monthly equivalent by taking the 44,000 baht and dividing by 16 months you get 2,750 baht.. maybe there are some incidental expenses that add up to another 1,500 baht.. or perhaps that's the cost of your visa.. which would round it up to 3,000 baht monthly.. or are you saying it reads as 30,000 baht monthly?

@Florence ***********

In general, that is not how Thailand works.. visa's (or permissions of stay) are granted to each person individually.. and they rarely grant exceptions.. my non-o visa is dependent upon my wife.. we live in the same house and we will always live in the same house.. but she cannot do my 90-day report for me!

@Michael *******

Yes, i understand that.. but how can a husband report in person for a wife?

I fail to understand how one person reporting for another person counts as 'reporting in person'.. surely the whole point is you attend in person and produce your passport for verification.. which by definition includes a visual test.. easier to do online once you've done your first report in person.. but people that choose to live in remote places need to bear this in mind!

@Michele ************

It was based in Chiang Mai where we live.. are you also CM based.. if so I'll look it up for you 👍