Visa Confusion

[Savanna]

PLEASE can someone help answer these questions from what I have been reading here I am now totally confused!

1. My friend is already in Thailand, she received a Non-Immigrant Type O visa from UK which she says is valid for a year. Does she still need to do visa runs every 3 months??

2. I am in South Africa, the Thai embassy here has told me I will only qualify for a Non-immigrant Type O visa IF I have a letter of employment from a Thai company?? Why did she not need one in the UK?

3. IF I just get the normal 60 Tourist Visa and then come to Thailand how would I go about making sure I get a more permanent type of visa?

4. My husband works on ships offshore (Indonesia / Burma or wherever needed) he is only home every 6 weeks, I want to be able to rent a home in Thailand, put my daughter in pre-school (she is 4) and live in Thailand as it is much safer than living in my home country at the moment so what do I do?

5. The last thing I want to do is do the WRONG thing and totally crush all my chances of being given the opportunity to live in Thailand.

PLEASE HELP??!!

[lopburi3]

1. Yes.

2. She did not use your Embassy, or any Embassy - most likely obtained from an honorary Consulate with a different view on what they require.

3. Employment/marriage/education would be three.

4. Looks like marriage to Thai is out - obtain education "ED" visa for daughter and "O" visa for yourself (will require school paperwork) and extend on a yearly basis. This will require 500k baht in a Thai bank account and only provides visa your you and daughter. Husband would have to visit using whatever he can obtain.

5. If husband is Thai you have other options.

[Savanna]

Thanks for all the information. It sounds like it is going to be quite complicated trying to live in Thailand indefinitely!

[Savanna]

Is it possible to go to Thailand on a tourist visa and then once there try and secure a more permanent visa?

[lopburi3]

The only other visa would be a non immigrant type and they all have specific requirements that you will have to meet. But yes, you could arrive on a tourist visa.

[Savanna]

The only other visa would be a non immigrant type and they all have specific requirements that you will have to meet. But yes, you could arrive on a tourist visa.

What is the longest that you know of that someone has entered on a tourist visa and just kept renewing there visa to be able to stay in the country?

[lopburi3]

You can not renew your visa - you must leave the country and obtain a new one. In the past people have continued to do this for years on end. But recently it has become a cat and mouse game of picking the right Consulate and most people still using the system this way appear to be less confident of the future than previously. Tourist visas also may limit your ability to bank/drive/obtain public services and such.

[Mahout Angrit]

What is the longest that you know of that someone has entered on a tourist visa and just kept renewing there visa to be able to stay in the country?

Knowing that wouldn't really help as if you trawl through this forum you will see it varies on so many aspects. you could stay for years but you may only get 2 goes at it. It's also getting more difficult than it was previously.

You may have missed it in Lopburi's replies but the most likely would seem if you booked your child into a recognised school in Thailand, your child would then get a Non Imm ED visa based on the school registration and you should get Non Imm O based on supporting her in Thailand. Both visa should then be extendable on a yearly basis.

[Savanna]

What is the longest that you know of that someone has entered on a tourist visa and just kept renewing there visa to be able to stay in the country?

Knowing that wouldn't really help as if you trawl through this forum you will see it varies on so many aspects. you could stay for years but you may only get 2 goes at it. It's also getting more difficult than it was previously.

You may have missed it in Lopburi's replies but the most likely would seem if you booked your child into a recognised school in Thailand, your child would then get a Non Imm ED visa based on the school registration and you should get Non Imm O based on supporting her in Thailand. Both visa should then be extendable on a yearly basis.

My daughter is only 4 so she will be in a pre-school, will this count as education? Also I was thinking of perhaps enrolling in some or other course myself and then get a student visa that way. I hate the fact that everything is up in the air and would much rather be assured of a yearly visa which will be renewed annually.

Another thing, I am not going to be working but my husband is (offshore) his salary gets paid into my account each month. Will the embassy not question where my income is coming from? In other words would I still be able to get the O visa because I support my daughter even though I myself will not be working??

Hope this all makes sense hahaha

[Mahout Angrit]

My daughter is only 4 so she will be in a pre-school, will this count as education? Also I was thinking of perhaps enrolling in some or other course myself and then get a student visa that way. I hate the fact that everything is up in the air and would much rather be assured of a yearly visa which will be renewed annually.

Another thing, I am not going to be working but my husband is (offshore) his salary gets paid into my account each month. Will the embassy not question where my income is coming from? In other words would I still be able to get the O visa because I support my daughter even though I myself will not be working??

I really have no experience in this but I think it would depend on the School. If the course is recognised by the Education ministry I see no reason why your daughter doesn't qualify for an ED visa. You should concentrate on contacting likely suitable schools and ask the question of them if nobody responds to you here, The Montessori organisation have schools in Thailand, it would depend where you wanted to live. Your daughter would not be able to enter the Thai government school system so would have to attend a private school. Search the internet for 'schools Thailand '(or the area you want to live)

Generally if you need to show funds in a bank for visa purposes it doesn't matter where it came from only that it is there and sometimes that it also has been there for 3 months. There is nothing wrong with being supported by your husband with regular transfers to your bank account if that is a requirement.

If you wanted to work that would add more complication as you would need a Work Permit so better rely on your husbands income (if he agrees!)

[Savanna]

No thanks I have worked long enough so I will definitely not try to complicate things by working hahaahaha - hubby's turn to keep the pot boiling!

Have looked at the following schools in Chiang Mai - perhaps you know them and know if they would qualify:

Little Stars Pre-School

and

Chiang Mai International School

Edited January 21, 2008 by Savanna

[astral]

2. I am in South Africa, the Thai embassy here has told me I will only qualify for a Non-immigrant Type O visa IF I have a letter of employment from a Thai company?? Why did she not need one in the UK?

I doubt the embassy in Pretoria will issue a Non Imm O visa based on a letter of employment,

it will need to be a Non Imm B visa.

If you are married to a Thai national you can obtain a Non Imm O from Pretoria.

As far as I know there are no honorary Thai consulates in South Africa.

[Savanna]

What is the difference between a Thai Embassy and an Honorary Thai Embassy? Do different types of embassy's issue different visa's?

[lopburi3]

Thai Embassy is official government to government representative in a country - there is only one in each country. There will normally be a Consulate attached staffed by official government employees that issues normal visas.

An Honorary Consulate is not staffed by government officials and is sometimes less strict in there interpretation of eligibility for visas.

[Guest]

To clarify, Consulates are like 'branches' of the Embassy, in cities other than the capital; i.e. The Thai Embassy in the US is in Washington DC but there is a Consulate in LA (and other cities). Honorary Consuls have small offices in smaller cities run by a local approved by the Thai Foreign Ministry. A good example is the westerner running the Hull Consulate in the UK, the post was inherited from his father.

[Mahout Angrit]

Have looked at the following schools in Chiang Mai - perhaps you know them and know if they would qualify:

Little Stars Pre-School

and

Chiang Mai International School

Try asking your questions about schooling and schools in the Chiang Mai forum of Thai Visa if thats where you intend to live and the education questions in The Families and Children forum