KevT

21 hours ago, Enoon said:

Extension will require evidence of TM30 for immigration after each previous border run.

 

Up to 1600baht fine if not done.

 

The TM 30 form - All you need to know about it and why it matters to you

 

No extensions = no visits to immigration.

 

Out.

Thanks for that.

Thank you very much, this clarifies a lot. 

For the 30-day extension, if you leave the country and return (say even if there is 15 days left of the extension), is it cancelled and the new 60-day ME stamp takes precedence?

I'm going over METV details, and although I've gathered most of the important pieces of information, there are a few things which I'm having difficulty confirming.

I'm Canadian and would be staying in Thailand for more than 9 months. I would probably be getting a job after some months—w/ work permit and change to Non-Immigrant B visa—but would like to make sure I don't have issues if I choose to stay longer as a tourist.

METV
Note:
- Can only be obtained in country of citizenship/residence
- Starts when issued in home country (not on arrival)
6 months validity
30-day extension of stay possible for 1,900 THB

So, maximum stay possible would be (BR = border run):
60 days + BR + 60 days + BR + 60 days + BR (before last day) + 60 days + 30-day extension = 9 months

- Can you do a new 30-day extension after each 60-day stamp?
- Do you need to do your 30-day extension before your METV expires (before 6 months)
- What options do you have once you go past 9 months of the METV?

I'm looking into getting a certificate as well as doing a program at an international Thai university. The program would last 10 weeks (120 hours) and the certificate would last 2 months (144 hours). 

- How do ED visas work when not doing long-term studies (or when studying multiple programs)? 

- How can you lose your ED visa?

- The certificate very probably won't start right after I finish the program, or vice versa—can there be days or a few weeks of not studying without losing your ED visa?

I'm looking into studying/improving my Thai, either at a Thai university or private school. I know that there have been changes in the past years to counter abuse with using an ED visa as a way to stay in Thailand, so from what I remember, a minimum number of hours and things of this nature were added.

I did find a page on the AUA school website, which says:

Quote

The "ED" Visa

The "ED" Visa is for foreign students, who wish to study in Thailand. A student must apply for this visa outside of the country. It is normally valid for 90 days. ED visa students will study a minimum of 15 hours per week (or 180 hours during the 90-day visa period).

http://auathai.com/visa

...but I'm guessing the course package is being described in the ED visa description (some other schools also have a similar/misleading way of describing the ED visa, but with a different number of hours).

And I also found this on the Indonesian Thai embassy website:

Quote

Important Notes: For informal courses e.g. Thai language and cultural training courses, applicants must provide documents which demonstrate that the course meets the minimum requirement as follows:
            - If the course is less than 5 months, the period of study must be at least 4 days per week, 2 hours per day.
            - If the course is longer than 5 months, the period of study must be at least 5 days per week, 5 hours per day.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/jakarta/en/services/64472-Non-immigrant-visa-ED.html

I checked about 20 other embassy websites, and most don't give much information about the ED visa requirements, or don't mention minimum hours.

What are the complete and official requirements for the non-immigrant ED visa? Does anyone have a more formal/official document describing them?

7 hours ago, DavisH said:

If you have a bachelor's degree, you can walk into a teaching job any day of the week. It may not be a good job, but there are many average jobs around. 

I agree. However, if someone is dedicated enough, and is willing to endure 5 years of lots of work, a second job might be an option to get to the 40,000 ฿ a month. 

Regarding Thai citizenship, there is the point about employment and minimum monthly salary that I find a bit ambiguous. 

Quote

 

• If living in Thailand for “reasons of humanity” such as being marriage with a Thai people or having a Thai-born child or having graduated from a university in Thailand, he or she must have an income of at least 30,000 baht a month and be able to prove that he or she has paid taxes in Thailand for at least three years. 
• He or she must have lived in Thailand contunously for at least five years before applying.

 

https://www.phuketgazette.net/issues-answers/asked/thai-citizenship-procedure

To be eligible, you need to live at least five years in Thailand and also work during that time, with a minimum amount to earn each month. However, does this mean that you have to have worked every single month of the 5 years, and also having made the minimum salary for every month of those 5 years?

For example, after working 4 years at a Thai company, it closes and you are left jobless. 

- What if you find a job (that is also willing to provide a work permit), but only after 1 month and a week?

- If you do find a job, what if you don't make the minimum salary during that month (since you were looking for a new job)? Would it invalidate eligibility?

Also, most importantly, if the things previously mentioned do invalidate eligibility, in theory, would this mean having to restart the whole 5 years from scratch?

14 hours ago, jayboy said:

Five minutes every five years isn't really what most people call "regular".90 days reporting is "regular".In truth maintaining PR isn't onerous.

 

You have a point on PR's limitations though it isn't worthless, notably its provision of an absolute right to stay and the peace of mind that confers.

 

Believe me, whether for PR or citizenship, an "unsuitable" wife will be an issue - albeit one not publicly discussed on the Thai side.Experienced hands will know exactly what I mean.

 

 

I'm not an experienced hand (haha). What do you mean?

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

[...] asked to "show the cash" when entering Thailand from Myanmar, but I would carry it to be sure, as enforcement can change without notice. 

You need to have the 20K / 10K baht in hard cash?

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

With regard to coming and going into Thailand, the METV would be helpful, but you can only get it in the USA (some older reports that Australia will do it for Americans and Brits, but nothing recent, so don't count on that).

Ah, you can only get a METV in your home country? What if you travel to England or Italy for 1 month, for example, can you get a new METV?

I've been reading a ton of threads, sites, documents and so on about PR and citizenship. From what I've read, both are very difficult, however, some people were saying that citizenship—in some situations—is actually more attainable than PR. 

What are those situations and the particular parts that make it so citizenship is easier to obtain than PR?

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1.If you have a non-o visa for volunteering from an embassy or consulate it would remain valid. If you were to get an extension of stay at immigration based upon on volunteering it would end if you you changed to a different organization that you were working with.

2. If you have a multiple entry non-o visa you would have to leave the country every 90 days. If on an extension of stay you would not have to leave the country.

 

3. Some organizations would provide accommodation and meals.

There are many organizations that are legitimate and are registered with government  that can support your visa/extension and work permit.

But many that are not fully legitimate and registered that might only be able to support the first single entry non-o visa that would allow to only stay for 90 days without going out for a new visa. That includes getting you a work permit.

Thanks a lot ubonjoe. A few clarifications:

1. Ah, so even if your volunteering time at one organization ends, and the non-O visa is from an embassy  or consulate, you still have time to find a new organization? I imagine it could be a source of abuse, so there probably is a certain number of days before the visa is revoked, if you haven't yet found a new organization? And if you were to stop volunteering, you would have to leave the country and then get a tourist visa?
2. The non-immigrant O extension of stay, that would possibly be paid by the organization, would only be of 30 days, correct? After the 30-day extension, you would have no choice but to do a visa bounce.
 

7 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Moved to General forum.

Iif you want specific advice on an area sugest you split up and specify exactly what you want from each area. As this stands at the moment it is very general.

Hi, Rimmer. Feel free to delete the thread. Thanks.

7 hours ago, bbi1 said:

1. Are you asking about the price for ultra-fast 5G phone reception using a satellite phone? I wouldn't use anything other than a satellite phone with 5G reception.

2. You need to be living in a condo if you want high-speed internet. Alternatively just use your satellite phone with the ultra-fast 5G reception.

3. No way would I walk anywhere, that would mean I would need to exercise and I'm strongly against any form of possibly working up a drop of sweat. I ask my personal driver to take me in my limousine everywhere then push me in a trolley if I need to go into a building.

4. I highly commend you on trying to practice your Thai language, even though it's quite difficult to understand what you have written but I figured out the gist of it. There are no foreigner prices charged for transport provided you are fluently able to speak to the bus driver in fluent Thai.

5. Unless you want to get bashed and put in hospital by the Pattaya Thai mafia, I'd avoid Uber at all costs.

I'm guessing everything you wrote is either sarcastic or condescending? 

7 hours ago, dotpoom said:

If you have to go into so much minute detail for calculating your budget are you sure you are making the rigjt move?

I'll be there 6 months or more, so not doing a budget is a bad idea. 

30 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

You need to get a work permit for each volunteering job too.

Yeah, I know. I'm searching for a volunteering place where they will provide one. 

Sadly, it seems that a lot of places—like small organic farms—aren't prone to get work permits for the volunteers. 

I'm heading off to Thailand for 6 months and I'm thinking of doing volunteering instead. I would be volunteering in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

VISA

1. Since I don't think I'll be doing volunteering in a single place for 6 months, how does the non-immigrant O visa work? Will it be revoked every time I change volunteering place/organization?

2. If you volunteer, are your visa stamps taken care of, or do you still have to do border bounces every 2 months?

VOLUNTEERING

3. For places where you don't pay to volunteer, how common is it that your visa fees are paid for? How about accomadation or meals? 

4. If anyone would have suggestions about volunteering, or good places to volunteer at, I would be happy to know!

I'm redoing my budget more thoroughly before leaving in some months, and there a few things of which the prices are difficult to find. I'll either be in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

PHONE / INTERNET

1. What is the price of a decent phone plan with say 12GB of data?

2. I think that some (or most?) apartments in Chiang Mai/Bangkok offer high-speed Internet as an option. Is this the case? What prices would you be looking at? And is it good/decent and reliable?

TRANSPORTATION

3. Is walking a decent option or in most cases the distance or hastle is not worth it?

4. What are the foreigner prices for rhot deang/soong teeos? Are there foreigner prices for rhot dtuus and klong boats?

5. Finally, I've heard a few times now that UBER is much better and less expensive than traditional taxis, so I think I'll be using it. What are the standard rates?

Thanks a lot for the help. It really clarified everything.

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

[...]

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

[...]

Ahhh, understood. I've been trying to make sense of visas/visa runs for some time. Thanks for the clarification.

A few small questions:
- For the border bounce, anywhere at all will work? I was thinking of visiting Cambodia for maybe a month (Siem Reap or Battambang) and would get a stamp there as well. Would that be a good/bad idea?
- The 30-day extension is 1900฿, but the border stamps are completely free (excluding travel expenses)?
- To not get surprises, what are the chances of having a new 60-day stamp refused? Are border bounces frowned upon or are they perfectly fine?
 

18 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

[...]

Why is Poipet not a good place to do a border bounce?

I'm planning on getting a Multiple-Entry Tourist visa to stay around 6 months in Thailand. For this visa, it is:

Cost:  200 USD
Period of stay: not exceeding 60 days

Validity of a visa: The Validity of a visa is 6 months

- What happens after the 60 days? Do I have to do a visa run or do I have to present myself at a governmental building/other?

- What does the 6 months imply?

- What is the cost of the extensions? 

Also, how would getting a Single-Entry visa differ? At only $40, wouldn't doing visa runs turn out less expensive? Or it wouldn't be possible to do 6 months with the SETV?

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

For PR the info on the immigration website is the most up to date I am aware of. They have redone the main immigration website and appears some of the info is gone. The requirements for PR is not written in any law. Everything is determined by the interior ministry. The best way to get up to date info is to contact the PR section at Chaeng Wattana immigration.

I trust the government websites more than what is found on some commercial websites. 

If do your posts on the PR topic mentioned earlier their are people that have done application recently that follow that topic.

For citizenship the nationality act has been amended several times and people often refer to outdated versions. This is latest version. Nationality Act B.E. 2508 (1965) with amendments until B.E. 2555 (2012). And these guidlines. Guidelines and documents required for application for Thai citizenship by naturalization  

Thank you.

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

[...]

Hi, ubonjoe. From the information on PR and Thai citizenship that I've read so far, there are occasional (and good) sources that say that some/much of the information regarding PR and citizenship are outdated, as the laws have changed over the years—and even that official documents from Thai governmental websites (especially the English versions) are partly outdated as well.

What is your opinion regarding this?

2 minutes ago, Mattd said:

It is all in the attachment in the other thread.

also: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/permanent_resident_in_the_kingdom

Ah, there is so much useful info on this webpage. Thanks! 

Found all the PR categories in this PDF (from the above URL):
https://www.immigration.go.th/pdf/26122546_regulation_notice_en.pdf

Just now, Mattd said:

Humanity Reasons category: he/she must have relationship with a Thai citizen or an alien who already possessed residence permit as the followings:

1) A legal husband or wife.

2) A legal father or mother.

3) A child who is under 20 years of age up to the application submission date and must be single.

Thanks. Do you have a webpage for this? Maybe there are the other category as well.

For Thai premanent residency, there are 5 categories that one can fall into to apply:

Quote

1. Investment
2. Work
3. Humanitarian grounds
4. Expert knowledge
5. Case-by-case basis

See: Thailand Permanent Residency: An Overview - Siam Legal

For Investment and Employment, there are 2 articles describing them (Investment and Employment), however, there are no articles about 3. Humanitarian grounds, 4. Expert knowledge and 5. Case-by-case basis.

Would anyone know if there is further information regarding the 3 last categories, and where the information can be found?