hawj

thanks a lot, NON O seems the way to go for 90 days. I will try and get it in Penang.

Thanks. Laos is a bit of an unpleasant connection from Samui (where i live). Any other options closer by? Kota Bharu maybe?

I've been studying Thai on an ED visa for 1 year and in the last 2 months of my visa for the first year. I can renew for a year, but I only need 3 months because I want to visit my home country together with my son and Thai gf for some 6 weeks in november.

The last 2 years I've had 2 Tourist visas. 1 triple entry and 1 double entry (both issued in Amsterdam), followed by the ED visa (issued in Vientiane). Now it seems like there are 3 options to be able to stay 3 months after my ED visa expires:

• Tourist visa 1 entry, 2+1 month. Would be the easiest
• NON O because of my Thai son. Paperwork...
• Extension of ED visa by 1 year. Expensive and not necessary as I only need 3 months and will apply for a new NON O visa in Amsterdam

Would I be able to go to Penang (or Vientiane if I have to) to get a 1 entry tourist visa and how big is the chance that I actually get it? That would be favorable as it's the easiest, but I;m a bit worried about my passport being full with Thai stamps and visas.

My income is coming from outside Thailand and passes the 40k baht a month easily. Any help on what to do would be greatly appreciated!

that makes sense. Thanks ubonjoe

Ah okay that must be it then. It says "Samui office application for extension of stay is under consideration of the police dept. Applicant must contact the temporary permit section in person on 27 dec 2014".

I guess that means that I have to prove them that I actually went to class, which I did.

I'm on an ED visa and had my school (Samui) taken care of the first extension. In stead of3 months i only got 1, and school explained to me that I have too many stamps (1x triple tourist visa, 2 entries used & 1 double tourist visa both entries used. Both from Amsterdam) and that I will have to go back to immigration after one month to get the remaining 2 months of the extension.

Are these new rules and what's the point?

Getting a 30 day extension of your your 60 day entry does not count for getting a new visa or doing additional entries. Or are you mistakenly calling a new 30 visa exempt entry an extension.

Have you done a 30 day extension of your current 60 day entry yet?

I suggest you get a 2 entry tourist visa rather than doing a 30 day visa exempt entry. You should not have problem getting it.

I am a bit confused as to what it's called. The exempt entry is what I get when I fly in the country without any visa, right?

I haven't done a 30 day extension yet. I was planning to do that and then fly to vientiane somewhere in august to get a new double entry. Should be okay to do so?

The 30 day extensions you get for your 60 day entries are not a problem. You mentioning them separately form your visas and entries through me off a bit.

Visa exempt entries are obtained by leaving and re-entering the country.

Just get your 30 day extension and then get a new tourist visa.

Will do, thanks a lot!

Getting a 30 day extension of your your 60 day entry does not count for getting a new visa or doing additional entries. Or are you mistakenly calling a new 30 visa exempt entry an extension.

Have you done a 30 day extension of your current 60 day entry yet?

I suggest you get a 2 entry tourist visa rather than doing a 30 day visa exempt entry. You should not have problem getting it.

I am a bit confused as to what it's called. The exempt entry is what I get when I fly in the country without any visa, right?

I haven't done a 30 day extension yet. I was planning to do that and then fly to vientiane somewhere in august to get a new double entry. Should be okay to do so?

Hi there,

i have been in Thailand on and off for about 10 months. Currently I have 2 tourist visas from the consulate in Amsterdam in my passport.

First one was a triple entry. I used only 2 entries, flew back to Holland for 3 weeks and I applied for a new double entry visa in Amsterdam in January. I got it, and used the first entry only for 5 weeks as I had to fly back to Holland due to family matters. After 2 months I returned to Thailand and arrived about 2 weeks ago.

Right now I am on my last entry which expires july 19th. I have 2 visa extension of stays in my passport. Regarding the visa crackdown of the last weeks I am wondering what's my best option for the next one:

- New double entry in Vientiane (possible? my visas are not really back to back)

- Getting a visa extension until august 18th, then applying for a new visa in Vientiane

- ED Visa, but I am not sure if I can get it because of my visa history.

I have proof of income (inherited quite a chunk of money), don't have to work and just want to stay here. I am 33 so a retirement visa is not an option.

Any advise please?

pretty late reply but i'm still here. You too?

Hi Hawj,

My friend and I are coming from the US starting November 4. Will be teaching english at the Intl School of Tourism there, Surat Thani Rajabhat University. Let me know if you are still around and interested in meeting up! Looks like most people from this forum have not been on in quite a while.. but we are hoping to find some friends when we arrive

Claire

Hi, 32 year old male here, just arrived 1 month ago and planning to stay for the next who knows how many months. Anyone around my age willing to meet up? I'm currently living in the Choeng Mon area but have no problem to catch the motorbike for a drink somewhere else. PM me!

thanks, I'll think about risking the denial of a new tourist visa at home. I might as well just send the embassy a message and ask about it. If they start making trouble i'll do the border run before I go home.

thansk for the replies. How easy is it to get another double or triple when I'm at home (Amsterdam)? If they deny another one, I have a problem since I'm living in Thailand most of the time.

My impression is that there are no rules for a back to back visa, they just give it or won't. Am I right? I'd have to return to BKK and go to Laos first to get another one, since that might be easier?

Here's the situation: I have a triple entry tourist visa issued at 22 july 2013. I entered Thailand on the 31st of july and just extended my first entry by 30 days. This means I have to do a visa run before october 28th.

I'll be flying to Penang on the 26th of october and will return on the 29th, that will be the start of entry 2. 60 days + 30 extension will get me to somewhere around january 25th 2014.

My last entry has to be made before january 21st, but I have a flight home which I'm planning to use on the 20th of january. Unfortunately I just found out that the price of changing the ticket will be exactly 100% of the ticket price. That's not an option, so I have to choose whether to disband the ticket and buy a new one when my last entry is finished, or just use it and fly back on a new ticket. Since I have a close relative who's very sick, my number 1 option is to go home in january and come back to Thailand afterwards.

After 2 weeks home i'd like to come back and start the last entry .that should be around february 5th 2014. I understand this is not possible, but what is the best to do in a situation like this? Is it possible to leave and enter the country before january 20th to start my last entry, and then get a 2 week 'leave' without finishing my last entry?

What would you guys do in a situation like this?

Hi, 32 year old male here, just arrived 1 month ago and planning to stay for the next who knows how many months. Anyone around my age willing to meet up? I'm currently living in the Choeng Mon area but have no problem to catch the motorbike for a drink somewhere else. PM me!

Hi, I am old enough to be your father (or more) so no offers from me, but why not try one of the many pub quizes that are on the island? Go to Bangrak on a Thursday for 8.30 kick-off at the Premier Bar. Join one of the teams (they are all friendly). You even get a free meal at half time and if your team wins - a free drink.

There are other pub quizes on the island, but they are not TV sponsors so I cannot say their names.

An alternative would be to go and talk to one of the International schools on the island. Most of the teachers would be in your age group and for sure, most of them love a drink or a party.

The premier bar sounds like a good place to start, thanks for the tip!

Hi, 32 year old male here, just arrived 1 month ago and planning to stay for the next who knows how many months. Anyone around my age willing to meet up? I'm currently living in the Choeng Mon area but have no problem to catch the motorbike for a drink somewhere else. PM me!

Hi there.

On july 30th i'll be flying from Amsterdam via Abu Dhabi to BKK. I'll be arriving in BKK at 19:50 but my final destination is Koh Samui. The last flight to samui leaves at 21:00 and i'm wondering if i will have enough time to get my luggage and check in again.

I doubt it, so i'm wondering if anyone has experience with forwarding luggage all the way from AMS- Samui on 2 seperate bookings? To BKK i'm flying Etihad, from BKK Bangkok air. They have a codeshare agreement but i'm not sure if it works like that?

I chose to book 2 seperate tickets as the difference between BKK or Samui as the final destination is a staggering €400.

Hope to get a reply!

Hi,

at the end of july i'm applying for my triple entry 6 month visa at the embassy in Amsterdam. They told me before i need proof of moving in and out of the country 3 times in 6 months, so i started looking for plane tickets in and out of the country.

Since this will be expensive as i'm not going to use them, i contacted them again and they said i can apply for a visa with a single ticket into Thailand and a signed itinerary that shows when i'm going to do what. That means; i don;t need any flight tickets to show i'm leaving the country at least 2 times.

What should i send them? I'm planning to stay at least 6 months on Koh Samui and will do the usual visa runs. If possible i want to extend the visa as close as i can to 9 months. Is it wise to tell them i'm going to stay in one place? Or is it possible to play with the itinerary a bit? And what are my chances of them turning the application down?

Thanks for your help.

Is it also possible to extend a double entry for 6 months? Otherwise i will have to look at other ways, like an ED visa for a year.

I can only read the English website which currently notes

Note : Tourist Visa with 3 entries may not be provided at the moment !

No you don't need to go to Hull in person, they have had no issues in the past dealing with EU residents, as I said, do email them first to ensure they can still do.

The Hull consulate website says a triple entry is possible for 75 quid. I'm gonna e-mail them to see if this is possible. Thanks for telling me.

When do i need to apply for the visa when i want to fly on the 1st of august?

Are you sure the embassy needs all your tickets? I know some do (India for example) but not heard about one in Europe.

If they don't you can do border hops by road, cheaper

Investigate getting your visa from Hull in the UK, they will deal with EU countries (check with them first) and have less rigorous constraints.

From the Thai consulate website in Amsterdam: Let op : Tourist Visa met 3 entries mag momenteel wel worden uitgegeven, hiervoor komt u in aanmerking indien u kunt aantonen d.m.v. uw vluchtgegevens dat u binnen 6 maanden 3 keer Thailand binnen zal gaan komen

Translates as: Attention: Tourist visa with triple entry can be supplied, you are eligible if you can prove with your flight data that you will leave Thailand 3 times in 6 months.

Do i need to go to Hull in person to get the visa? And isnt it strange for them to ask for a visa there when i'm a dutch resident?

My plan is to come to Samui in the beginning of august and stay on a tourist visa for almost 9 months. I believe this is possible with a triple entry visa and i will apply for it at the Thai consulate in Amsterdam.

Let's say i want to fly out on the 1st of august to Bangkok. Does the consulate require a return ticket or is a ticket out of Thailand sufficient?

According to the website of the Thai consulate I'm going to need proof that i will be leaving Thailand 3 times within 6 months. Does it matter forr which dates i book these tickets? I'm, planning on buying some cheap low-cost tickets. And what are the requirements of extending a tourist visa?

I have to do the visa run anyway so my plan is to book the first in- and out of Thailand ticket for the end of october, after my first three months. Then also one for the end of january, close to the end of the six months. And then the cheapest return ticket i can find on any given date, to prove that i will be leaving thailand 3 times in six months.

Do you guys think it will work like this?

In short:a triple entry visa with 3 return tickets, considering a triple extension of the 60 days to 90 days.

And how would i get this work permit, as both my company and clients are registered in Holland?

Thanks for all the help guys, i think the only way to find out if this is the right thing to do, is to just do it.

As said before i'm not coming empty handed, i will have enough savings for 6 months and a webdesign company that will earn me some extra (dutch) cash.

I have somewhere to go back to if it doesn't work out so i might as well give it a try.

Usual comment

Working in Thailand no matter what you do requires a Work Permit.

Not true, company representatives fly into The Kingdom everyday and conduct meetings with potential clients and business partners. They are being paid for this work and there is no need for a work permit to be in place. There a pilots of foreign airlines landing planes at Swampy every few minutes all working in the Kingdom and getting paid, no work permit. If the OP incorporated a Danish entity and came to the kingdom under the auspices of building business partners for his Danish business, working for his Danish cliental and receiving payment back in his home country he would have no problem and should be able to swing a Non Immigration-B Visa.

Here is a comprehensive list of the various other jobs you can do int he Kingdom without a work permit;

The Alien Occupation Law, adopted in 1973, requires all aliens working in Thailand to obtain a Work Permit prior to starting work in the Kingdom. An updated version of the Act, adopted in 1978, describes the procedures for issuance and maintenance of Work Permits and lists certain occupations from which aliens may be excluded.

Work Permit Exemptions

The Act grants exemptions from the Work Permit requirement to the following professionals:

* Members of the diplomatic corps

* Members of consular missions

* Representatives of member countries and officials of the United Nations and its specialised agencies

* Personal servants coming from abroad to work exclusively for persons listed under the above items

* Persons who perform duties on missions in the Kingdom under an agreement between the government of Thailand and a foreign government or international organization.

* Persons who enter the Kingdom for the performance of any duty or mission for the benefit of education, culture, arts, or sports

* Persons who are specially permitted by the government of Thailand to enter and perform any duty or mission in the Kingdom.

Special Cases

While most aliens must apply for a Work Permit, and may not begin work until the permit is issued, the Alien Employment Act does provide special treatment in the following circumstances:

Urgent and Essential Work.

Exemption from Work Permit requirements is granted to aliens who enter the Kingdom temporarily, but in accordance with the immigration law, to perform any work of any “urgent and essential nature” for a period not exceeding 15 days. However, such aliens may engage in work only after a written notification on a prescribed form, signed by the alien and endorsed by his employer, has been submitted to and accepted by the Director-General or his designee.

Aliens entitled to this treatment may enter Thailand with any kind of visa, including a transit visa. The term “urgent and essential work” is not explicitly defined and consequently, the issuance of this sort of exemption is a matter of administrative discretion.

Investment Promotion

An alien seeking permission to work in the Kingdom under the Investment Promotion Law must submit his application for a Work Permit within 30 days of notification by the Board of Investment that his position has been approved. An alien in this category may engage in authorized work while the application is being processed.

also the people you mentioned are not getting paid in Thailand, they are getting paid in their native countries.

Yes, and if you read my post and the OP's post you would have understood he would be getting paid in his home country by his Danish clientele. I realize you are the beginning and ending of all work permit knowledge. However, for 12 of my 20+ years in the Kingdom I had to keep my own work permit up until I was granted Thai citizenship. Now I handle my 17 foreign staff's work permits issues. Further, we have JV companies throughout the globe that send engineers to work on our projects throughout the region, and as long as they are getting paid outside of Thailand and the project is not in the Kingdom, I regularly get them Non-B visas for them to work while they are in Thailand for months on end....no work permit needed.

Does this mean its possible for me to get a non B visa because i get my money from Holland and spend it in Thailand? I'm curious how this can be arranged.

Hello all.

I realise i'm not the first one to search for my luck in Thailand, but i hope you are willing to help me.

My situation: 31 yr old, male, dutch, single, masters degree, extremely dull job and trying to live a dream somewhere else.

I have been to Thailand for 4 times in the past 5 years. As many others, i love the place and i´m ready to finish my job here to go to Thailand, initially to Samui.

I am now trying to save around EUR6k or 240.000 THB to get me through the first months. I don't need much comfort and don't require living a luxury life so that should be enough to live there for 6 months at least. From what i´ve read it´s possible to get a 6 month visa and renew that for another 3 months. As long as i leave the country every 90 days. But what do i do when that period is over?

Also, as i won't have any income i was thinking about setting up a 'freelance' company in webdesign and content management services. I am starting that up right now and i think it's possible to get some clients in the Netherlands. That means i will be working in Thailand, but for dutch companies or individuals, without a Thai working permit. I don't think that will be a big problem, but what if i want to stay longer than 9 months and my business isn't running well enough to keep me alive?

Is it in any way possible to get a job in an industry like this, or should i resort to something else, let's say teaching English? That might also be a problem as i'm not a native speaker.

I feel like i'm still young enough to give it a try, as i'd rather live a life of 'oh well's' than 'what if's'

I hope you can answer some of my questions. Do you guys think it can be done, or am i missing something here?