Of all the visitors passing through Pattaya this year, a handful will run into significant problems.
Many of these could be avoided by a dose of forward planning. Here is a little advice on staying out of trouble be it legal, medical, financial or strictly personal.

Visas

Overstaying your visa is taken seriously in Thailand and can result in fines, (now Baht 500 per day) imprisonment and deportation. More on "Overstay"

Most visitors will have a visa on arrival stamped for thirty days at Bangkok airport. This can be extended once for a further ten days by reporting to the immigration police bureau in Soi five, Jomtien,  just before expiry and paying the 1,900 Baht fee. (new Fees August 2003)

If you have gone into overstay because of personal illness, you will need to take written confirmation from the hospital.

If you need to get a new visa, see a travel agent about visa runs to the Cambodian border. A round trip in a minibus takes less than a day, costs about 3,000 Baht and will give you a further month in Thailand.

The laws on retirement visa's, cat "O" and "B" visas have changed.  For more information on retirement, cat "O" "B" married to Thai Visa's etc. click here.

No More Dependent Extension Of Stay If The Host Foreigner Has A Retirement Extension More information

Thailand is reducing the list of countries with the visa on entry privilege, from 79 to 17. This is to prevent crimes by foreigners and to prevent terrorism. To see new country list click here

Passports and valuables

In case you lose your passport, heavens forbid, keep a copy in your hotel safety deposit box.

Most embassies will require a tourist police report but replacement services can be slow or non existent during the holiday season.

Never give your passport to a third party unless to the police under orders.

If a motor bike renter, for example, wants to keep the original, then don’t do business and walk away.

A few luckless people also lose all their cash, credit cards and travellers’ checks or have them stolen.

It’s important to report these losses to the issuing bodies as well as to the police promptly.

The quickest way to transfer emergency cash to Thailand from abroad is usually by Western Union which is now well represented in Pattaya. Credit card theft is on the rise.

13 Dec. 2007 Currency amounts in - out of Thailand raised

As Thailand is slowly increasing its computer database the government is now capable of finding out whether you are black listed living here.

If your passport was stamped "posi non gratis" and you went back to your country and are now living here on a new passport, you could be in for a shock, as the Authorities are now finding these abnormalities.

You would have to change your name completely in order not to get caught.

 
We strive to keep this page up to date, it is for information purposes only,  PCT Thailand is not responsible if any information is out of date or incorrect.