Imo it is if you're planning to live here for the whole 5 years or fly in and out a lot.
Obviously like BKK said the costs are higher compared to doing cheap visa runs (altho 6500/run seems like a very low estimate, especially if you fly), but it saves you the hassle of having to deal with all the visa stuff + if you're a poker player the time you lose on visa runs/immigration visits might also be worth something.

I guess you just have to ask yourself if not having to worry about visas is worth 100-150$/month to you.

Yeah Oishi ramen is so trash though. Off to bangkok I guess. Ramen spots in Bangkok people?

Hi

I will do an asia tour in the upcoming month. Could anyone recommend which is the best place to combine degen life and some extreme sports (kayak style etc)

Thank you in advance

philippines best bet imo. bali also decent but not as much in the way of paid company i don't think unless ur spending a bit more

Philippines is an option yes, what about Thailand? Which place in Thailand would you choose considering the above for 2 weeks? I lived in Chiang Mai for a long time so i wouldnt like to go there again and i dont fancy Bangkok

I guess living in Patong, Phuket and taking trips to the beach for watersports?

Personally I wouldn't do any extreme sports in Thailand there are tons of deaths. Aussie parasailing accident the other day, tourists hit in the head with jetskis and killed, drownings in riptides, ferries sinking, scuba diving deaths, bungee jump fails, etc.

Kanchanaburi is nice for some kayaking on the minor rapids of the River Kwai, that's safe. And hiking up the waterfall Erawan swimming in the 7 levels.

Thanks

ah, thought you were still in thailand and asking about other options. yea thai is decent - but no/limited surf. Besides phuket area... Railay for free-climbing and then island hopping for scuba, cliff jumping, abseiling, freediving, kiteboarding

i have been saying for a long time that the days of abusing tourist and education visa are over.

probably should have put a contingency plan in place when i was warning you...

oh well....

I'm gonna go ahead and cast a vote for traction..100 baht

Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk

I just arrived in Chiang Mai with my girlfriend yesterday. Anyone in the area, feel free to shoot me a message.

I was wondering how dangerous scooters are here? Any info is helpful. My girlfriend is looking to get one to go to work (20 min commute each way). Most of the traffic seems slow enough that injuries wouldn't necessarily result in death and she would only ride during daylight hours.

I personally think its a bad idea but I'll hear what the experts have to say :-)

Thanks

2nd most dangerous roads in the world, behind Nambia, dozens of deaths a day, >70% on motorbikes, 2+2er dead on a bike, another run over on the pavement, broke a leg. They have Uber in CM.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2014/...-in-the-world/

I did a few weeks ago my 4th back to back tourist visa in Vientiane (didn't get red stamped), passport full of tourist and ed visas over the last 6 years between Thailand and Vietnam. Confirmed, the days of abusing tourist visa are over!!!

The day of living in Thailand with unlimited ed visas, unlimited exempt visas, no 20k thb while coming back here, are over, yeah. What's new now is that you have to be smarter (be aware about new visa rules, which borders are friendly to cross or not, etc).

As for contingency plan if in the future the situation about visa rules is getting worse : elite visa if you really really want to live here long term hassle free or as Jspill said spend 6 months here mixed with a few months in the neighbour countries or relocate in the Philippines (easier visas), in Cambodia (1 year visa) or in Vietnam (6 months - 1 year business visa).

For the extremely committed you can get a 20 year Elite visa for 1m baht, that's half the cost per period of time, although 20 years is a long way to plan into the future.

For the super balla there is also the investment visa, if yuo have 10m baht in the country in assets (real estate, stocks, bank deposits etc.) they will give you a yearly visa that as long as you keep the 10m baht in the country, you can keep renewing, investment visa.

You can own a car, motorcycle, apartments and condominiums on tourist visas, so yeah you'll have no problem doing so with an elite. The only thing you cant own '100%' is land/house's and businesses.

If she is an experienced rider I would say no problem.
It's true a lot of people die on the roads here but also a lot of people drive on their scooters drunk, at night, no head light, going the opposite way on the road.
If you stay very aware of your surroundings while riding it's fine.

Feels super safe tho

Hej guys,

I am travelling for the second time in my life but this time by myself and I have a ton of questions to ask if you would be so kind to give some advice.

Planning to buy a one way plane ticket to bkk and staying as long as I feel like. Wanna also travel to Vietnam and Japan. Last time in Thailand we got a month visa at arrival since we only stayed 1 month I did not pay any attention to it. How is it regarding visa for a longer term stay? What are the needed things in order to get this longer term visa, I was generally planning to stay around 6 months, not sure yet.

Doing 1 week or 10 days in bkk first, are there any cheap and nice hotels near the soi cowboy action?

Apply by mail for tourist visa before you go, that gives you 2 months, extendable once you're there to 3, get another in person in Vietnam, repeat and that's your 6 months.

Soi Nana is better, Nana hotel is cheap and cheerful.

Thanks for info. I have googled how to apply for turist visa, but there is one thing bothering me. It says in order to get it I have to have a verified planet ticket back home, which seems so stupid. I really dont want to buy a planet ticket half a year before. Is there any way around it?

flyonward.com

Or take an Airasia ticket out of the country for ~$30, you can probably even change it to the day you want to use it

No you usually don't have to include a flight ticket for single entry tourist visa

Depends on your country's consulate but here's UK, only the multiple entry requires it. Single is just completed application form + photo + the fee



Flight ticket may come up as an official requirement if you Google it and land on some old outdated embassy websites, but so does 'proof of 20k baht in funds', that doesn't get asked for either at the time of application

Even if Scandi consulates are stricter since you haven't ever been to Thailand they likely won't enforce a flight ticket because you haven't been to Thailand so you don't look like an illegal worker or anything

And don't get that multiple entry visa cos you have to leave after 90 days anyway, just get two singles, one by mail one in Vietnam when you go

If you really need one though Bestonwardticket.com is better than flyonward.com, cheaper and lasts 48hrs not 24h

thanks jspill and 5 south.

if you're using a visa for the correct purpose you have nothing to fear.

Sounds like a lot of people need a whoremonger visa, maybe they could do something like you pay 1300 * 52 baht for one year and they give you 52 vouchers for barfine and short time in soi 6, where do I apply?