cardew

This is, I believe, a site where those who know less about these issues pose questions to those who know more.

It's 'amusing' that some posters seem to have little better to do than point out to the people who know less that they know less.

I know I don't know; that's why I asked the question in the first place....

Went to see if it was a suitable place for long term residence, came back pretty quickly, not for me at all.

I like to cook for myself a lot of the time, so want a place with a kitchen. But couldn't find any decent long term accommodation for rent in Sihanoukville, only hotels or guest houses.

Basic foodstuffs in the shops are more expensive than in Thailand; there are no 7's or Family Marts.

Restaurant farang food is slightly cheaper than in Thailand ; the only thing that is really cheap is beer.

Ocheteaul Beach is not very good; the water is dirty, and the beach is often busy with parties of locals down from Phnom Penh, particularly at the weekend. It's rapidly turning into a mini version of Bang Saen.

Otres is a better beach, but it's several kilometres from the Golden Lion district, a 20 minute ride along an unmade up, dusty and stony road.

OK if you want to get into a hut and sit around smoking not particularly good dope all the time. There are plenty of 20 somethings doing it.

No good if you want to nip out to a bar with girls, as the trip to the bars at Victory Hill will take 45 minutes.

There's about 20 of them; I'd stay up there if you want some action.

There's a relatively good disco called LV between Victory Hill and Golden Lion, catering mainly for locals, there may be some freelancers there, I wasn't there long enough to find out.

Cambodia is not commercialised, which may appeal.

But there are many places in Thailand offering the same, with better beaches.

Me, I'm very happy to be back in Phuket.

Thank you for all the useful advice, which has solved my problem.

First, to Nancy L, I'd say that many of us have other things to do in Thailand than master the visa terminology, which is why we are so grateful to the helpful and very informed people here.

Second, to Jingthing, without realising it, I did indeed pay 1000 baht for a single re entry visa when I got my retirement extension, and it was the basis on which the immigration official allowed me to come back in.

Thought the money was for the extension.

It had been put on a previous page to the retirement extension and was pointed out to me by an agent I went to see about my problem.

So I'm here completely legally, which is a huge relief.

Once again, thank you to everyone, especially Jingthing.

I had a Multi O, which I converted to a retirement visa in Phuket.

It runs out on 26/12/2012.

I did one 90 day report in Phuket around the end of February, and the slip for this was put in my passport.

I got a single entry visa because I did not plan to leave Thailand.

In retrospect the wrong decision, but if I knew then what I know now, I'd have done many things differently, though also many things the same.

In any case, I thought that if I did need one, I could go to Phuket Town and get a re entry stamp.

Unfortunately the nature and timing of the problem in Cambodia left me no time to do this.

I assumed that when I came back to Thailand, by land, I would get a single entry tourist visa for 15 days, and I would then have to sort out a new retirement visa somehow.

When the immigration guy stamped me in and took the 90 day slip, I thought that it was possible that I had misunderstood and that I got one exit and return on my retirement visa.

It seems however that is not the case, he made a mistake, I ought to have had a re entry stamp before I left?

And I am much better off dealing with it now, rather than waiting and incurring big penalties.

It does seem to me that I have some sort of case, in that it was the officer's mistake, but I guess it would be unwise to count on this meaning anything.

In the meantime, I'm asking around to see if there is any possibility of a retrospective re entry stamp.

Because otherwise it seems the likely course of events is to that I will need to get another Multi O and sort out a fresh retirement visa, a right pain in the a..se?

Thank you all for your kind help.

So there should be a re entry permit in my passport and without it, I've got a problem?

What are my chances of pleading ignorance? Or will they just take the money when I turn up for a 90 day?

Thank you.

When it's said that I need to show I'm eligible for a retirement visa, does that mean assembling the bank statements and letter from the Honorary Consul I had before?