this guy is currently in thailand i believe, should be able to sort you out

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/8...l#post58791330

hey,

im arriving super early in bangkok. around 2am. can anyone recommend a cheap hotel (maybe around 30-40$) outside the airport, which is open 24 hours? is the lat krabang area the go to?


is eatigo still the app, where u can get cheap buffett discounts?

and which buffet is the best for sushi/sashimi?

cheers guys

I'd go on Booking or Agoda and just search for a hotel nearby the airport you get to within your budget. I assume any airport hotel (or any hotel expecting a guest arriving late) will be open 24hs.

But to be honest if I were you I'd find a hotel in the city already and just take a Grab/Taxi as traffic will be almost non-existant at that time so why not take advantage of that and get to the city right after you land.

yeah, only reason to book an airport hotel is when you have an early flight just a few hours later. in that case, book something directly in the airport, they also have hourly rates and staggered check out time options etc.

but to answer the question itself anyway: i've stayed at paragon inn next to the airport before and it was fine for the purpose of getting a quick night of sleep before heading to the airport.

if you book a normal hotel: you absolutely need to let them know in advance that you will arrive at 3am or whatever and that they should not cancel your room; and of course confirm that they're open and that you can check in.

If anyone has a contact for some agent at Chiang Mai that sorts out those DTV visa and all you need to do is pay the fee, please, tell

I'm searching myself at the moment too. I'd prefer that then to go the usual border run / education visa route.

DTV is easy. Unless you are broke, do it yourself.

What if I’m playing poker and I have no other verification of employment? Doesn’t seem that easy to me. Also what if they don’t take a proof of wealth from multiple things or like e-wallets and not traditional banks? That’s why I’m looking into Visa Service instead. That’s all I know.

I did find a visa service right opposite Chiang Mai Immigration Central, but they’re asking for 100k/120k (no need to leave Thailand). On the upside all you need is your passport and your ID issued by your country.

You can do soft power in Jakarta or Hanoi, many post about it in Facebook groups.

100k, lol "a fool and his money are soon parted"

(You can't do DTV while inside Thailand, gl having a dodgy DTV sticker in your passport when you try to enter/leave or renew your visa, that's a fast track to the detention center)

hey thai authority, I have 15k (500k thb) on my GG and binance balances - can I get a visa?
That's the situation most poker players are in, rich or broke. You are saying the visa is that easy?

I do see that you can qualify by signing up for a cooking class, muay thai, concert, medical visit, is that valid? If so then damn, I guess it is easy. Just not sure if showing them that you have 0.2 btc in your wallet that you snap qualify.

well its after christmas and hotels are super expensive in the city. dont wanna spend more than 100$ for a couple of hours of sleep. earliest ill be in the city is prolly around 4am. there are some 40$ in udom suk (where i can take the skytrain from the next day) or also lat krabang (near the airport). i got a hotel booked for the next day at chit lom.

There’s a capsule hotel (Avagard Capsule Hotel) on the bottom floor of the airport. It might be a better option than staying at a regular airport hotel.

Thx
Useful

So can we just sign up for a one-month cooking or Muay Thai course and then stay for five years? I assume we wouldn’t have to keep attending.

I have much more than the required amount in U.S. bonds and cash with a reputable brokerage (Interactive Brokers), but a visa agent told me that the funds specifically need to be in a bank account. I’m not 100% sure if this is accurate; it’s just what I was told.

I put the money in a bank account within e*trade for a couple of months. As long as it's checking or savings it's fine, even if it's within a brokerage. But if it's bonds or uninvested cash in your stock account within the brokerage that doesn't count.

Most consulates aren't giving DTV for a one month course any more. Generally 6+.

Whether attendance is going to be required proof for extension in country or returning from abroad isn't quite sure yet. There are rumors of agents doing spot checks around 8 weeks after entering to prove you still have appointments for your soft power activity.

Thanks for answering. In that case, it’s not really for me (and many others). I wish they accepted Thai language classes since exiting and re-entering with an education visa isn’t possible right now.

Hey we're in a capitalist world and peeps try to get as much as they can but 100k baht is def pretty lol, just shop around a bit and use common sense. 100$ for a few hrs at the airport seems way overpriced too, maybe between xmas and nye is not optimal but there are at least 5 hotels or so at bkk and you can prolly do better than that . Gl

i mean that's just not true. it took me 1 minute to find dozens of hotels in central downtown BKK that are under 50 usd / night on the 25th or 26th of december (or any other night, as long as it's not NYE). and it's also easy to find hotel rooms under 1000 thb, if you want it even cheaper.

if you want to stay at the airport, then do so. but it won't save you much money and it's imho a terrible idea / plan.

I’m definitely not paying 100k to that visa agency. It’s interesting how they’re the complete opposite of immigration.

Yeah, like Boliver said, what can you do if your money is tied up in crypto, on poker sites, or in a trading account? I assume they wouldn’t be too happy with a statement from my stockbroker account.

I think transferring it to a bank account might expose it to taxes or some issues, and honestly, I still have no idea how taxes work here since you can’t tax poker in Thailand (though they did recently legalize some card games) but they introduced something new from 2024 onwards.

For now, I’ll probably just stick to border runs. At least they’re giving out two-months now.

For DTV the money doesn't need to be in a Thai bank. Can just show statement from your regular bank in home country or wherever.

Little off-topic, but has anyone been doing the border run exclusively let's say for the past year?

Going to do one soon (via visa agency) and wondering if it could be maintainable over a year. I read somewhere that they allow only 2 visa exemptions in your passport per calendar year.

anyone on phuket rn?

Would you say the relative pros and cons of hotel versus airbnb stack up the same if hoping to pick up girls on bumble? "Come back to my flat" seems more palatable than "Come back to my hotel room"

I have done more than 2 because they changed the rules to be unlimited, and each one 60 days extendable to 90

They might've changed it back again now though - I usually whatsapp the main agency, thaivisaservice.com, to ask them before I go

Their homepage said 'unlimited' for the last few months and it worked for me, but now there's a Nov 26 update and it says it might work, might not lol

Lol. Thanks, I'll be checking them as well, before I go.