Fiskebolle

Dear Aseannow Members, Due to health issues my wife had undergone some surgery abroad and due to some post-operative complications had an extended stay in hospital abroad, causing her retirement visa to expire. Long story short, we’re exploring now the possibility to re-apply for a Non-O (90 days, single entry) through e-visa system online in home country. Plan would be for her to arrive back in Thailand on Non-O (90 days – single entry) and apply for 1 year extension of stay (based on retirement) AFTER 60 days being in the Kingdom. Obviously, she has her bank account with proof of required 800 K THB and funds coming from abroad etc. THE PROBLEM (if any at all???), seems that at the visa application online, they require her to upload a bank statement. However, we can’t get the standard bank letter (attention to Immigration department) with consolidated monthly bank statements with stamps from the bank as we do when we request from the bank in Thailand. The bankstatement that we can download from her online banking app is a general bankstatement, without the official bankletter (to the attention of immigration office) and without the consolidated monthly report and rubber stamps and signature of the bank… Do you think this will be accepted? Or do you think a copy of the bankbook will be better instead? PROBLEM again I see with the bankbook is that we can’t get an update from the book on the day of application (because we are abroad and not in Thailand). Does anyone has experience in applying for the Non-O (90 days, single entry) for retirement abroad and what are the requirements for the bankstatements? Again a zillion thanks everyone, FB

Thanks DrJack as usual ! 🙂

thanks for comments so far. Yes indeed ThaiElite (privilege entry) visa will be superior in some ways to DTV or Non-Immigrant B. But reason why my friend wants to change is that ThaiElite does not allow for work for a remote company abroad. Whilst DTV visa seems to be specifically designed for the purpose of remote working for company abroad... I saw someone above commenting that it doesn't make much of a difference really when it comes to working for company abroad...?

Hello Folks, Posting for my neighbor, who's son got a Thai Elite (Privilege Entry Visa) and wanted to switch to DTV visa (based on remote employment from foreign company). What we were discussing and I couldn't advise him further on was the following question; 1. Is it possible to APPLY & MAKE THE SWITCH, while the Thailand Elite (Privilege Entry) is still valid on current passport? If so, it would mean there will be 2 ACTIVE visas in the same passport. How does that work? Does he has to instruct the immigration official upon arrival in the airport to issue an entry stamp based on DTV instead or will this cause confusion and may he risk losing his ThaiElite Status altogether? 2. When he decides to end his remote employment with foreign company, would it be possible to switch back to ThaiElite Visa (Privilege Entry) in same passport? 3. I assume some people may have experience on switching to other types of visas from ThaiElite (e.g. Non-Immigrant B for employment). I assume the process will not be very diifferent to that of switching to DTV. If anyone has experience (or valuable opinion on this), please do share here as well. 4. Last but not least... Are there any official immigration channels where visa holders can talk to the immigration official and present their case and ask for information? As we all know Immigration offices (CW, etc) only accept appointments for certain type of services, but nothing mentioned on the website for helpdesk, in case you have specific questions... Can anyone suggest who to contact and where? Again many thanks Folks! Cheers, FB

Hello Folks, Just had a look at the new Digital Thailand Arrival Card (TDAC), which is mandatory for all foreign nationals entering Thailand *(even for PR holders and non-immigrant visa holders cat B, O etc), who most likely have their place / country of residence officially established/registered in Thailand. Here's the link again: https://tdac.immigration.go.th/arrival-card/#/tac/arrival-card/add You need to enter your nationality and country of residence, which is Thailand for some of us... BUT !!!! I can't find Thailand in the country list. It's not under Thailand nor under the Kingdom of Thailand. Is this a glitch or they have not thought about this yet? How to go around this? Enter an address from you home country *(eventhough you have no official address anymore in your home country for more than 15 years)? Then another page requesting to upload doc relating to your stay / accommodation etc? Should I upload here a lease contract ? And what if you own a condo and don't have a lease agreement? Cheers, FB

anyone please...?

Hi AN Folks, Just came across some old topic, but not did not really find the answers I was looking for. Some of the info on previous threads seem to be old and outdated. So apologies, If I post perhaps at the wrong forum or opening a similar thread again... I was wondering if foreign Managing Directors/Directors, who are also shareholders of a Thai Co.,Ltd. are obliged / required to enroll with Social Security Office (SSO)? I've heard some conflicting messages, some people saying it's NOT POSSIBLE and SSO refused to enroll directors. Whereas others say it is mandatory, just like for normal employees. A few years ago it seemed that SSO got embroiled in a prominent case, where the court adjourned that Directors/MD's can not be classified as normal employees, as they act freely and are 'not controlled by a boss or authority' above within the company and no employment contract is required. Some people say this only goes up when the MD/Director and owner of the company is married with Thai, who's also a partner /owner in the company. Some others say it doesn't matter regardless of the status between foreign and Thai directors in the same company. Complicated, but interesting thread (for the experts) who can or willing to shine their light on this subject matter... Cheers, FB

Can anyone please share the link with list of buildings affected that OP was talking about in initial post?

Pls PM share link with list of building affected

Dear DrJack, Thank you again for the detailed info. All's clear and will inform the same. Cheers, FB

Mostly it is to avoid the agent fees. Required documents for application /extension are the same either for agent or actual applicant. I assume my friend made use of the agent for the initial seasoning of 800 K THB...

Hi AN Folks, Just came across some old topic, but not did not really find the answers I was looking for. Some of the info on previous threads seem to be old and outdated. So apologies, If I post perhaps at the wrong forum or opening a similar thread again... I was wondering if foreign Managing Directors/Directors, who are also shareholders of a Thai Co.,Ltd. are obliged / required to enroll with Social Security Office (SSO)? I've heard some conflicting messages, some people saying it's NOT POSSIBLE and SSO refused to enroll directors. Whereas others say it is mandatory, just like for normal employees. A few years ago it seemed that SSO got embroiled in a prominent case, where the court adjourned that Directors/MD's can not be classified as normal employees, as they act freely and are 'not controlled by a boss or authority' above within the company and no employment contract is required. Some people say this only goes up when the MD/Director and owner of the company is married with Thai, who's also a partner /owner in the company. Some others say it doesn't matter regardless of the status between foreign and Thai directors in the same company. Complicated, but interesting thread (for the experts) who can or willing to shine their light on this subject matter... Cheers, FB

Thanks DrJack for your expert advice and fast reply. As usual, much appreciated. My friend prefers to apply within TH (CW) for the Non-O, as it does not require any health-insurance, nor bank statements etc through the E-visa process online. Too much hassle online and easier to handle in person at CW. Money in account came from abroad previously and can be backed up by Thor Thor 3 (credit advise/FET) doc from receipt bank in Thailand or MT103 from sender's bank from abroad. The only other "potential" issue I could think off is the following... Since he plans to enter on a 30 days visa exempt stamp with intention to convert immediately upon arrival into 90days Non-O, his return flight will be in 90 days. But at the check-in counter from the airlines, they will certainly ask for a return flight back home (or out of Thailand) WITHIN 30 days *(Since he has no visa yet). How should he go around this? Any suggesion? Again applying for a non-O in home country online is not his preferred method to circumvent this. Cheers, FB

Hi Aseannow members, A mate of mine has got an extension of stay (based on retirement) done through a Visa agent and has issues with trying to renew it himself (despite the fact that he has now enough money in the bank - 800 K THB) to qualify and do on its' own. Anyway... he's considering to 'kill-off' his current visa, by letting it either expire when he's abroad in his home country and then by re-entering again on a 30 days visa exempt. He will immediately upon re-entering Thailand apply for a non-O (90 days) at CW. Then after 60 days on his Non-O he will apply for an extension of stay (based on retirement). Can anyone let me know if that's possible and correct way to do? OR... Is it required to cancel his current extension of stay / Non-O first at CW, before leaving the country and re-entering. I've heard that a CANCELLATON of a non-Immigrant Visa /extension of stay (based on employment or Education) is required in order to be able to re-apply again later on? Or is there no need to cancell anything and he can just let his current visa/extension of stay expire while being abroad and re-apply again later upon re-entry at CW? Again a zillion Thanks! FB

Hi Fellow AN members, Anyone's got some pointers on which broker (or bank) to use to purchase stock on S&P500? Some banks (KBank etc) also provide this feature, but not sure if there are better /cheaper options to invest (from Thailand) on this particular index? I tend to believe that with local banks here in Thailand, it's easier to get your money out and less hassle with KYC's as opposed to dealing with other foreign trading platforms when being a resident here in Thailand? Cheers, FB