phirho

 If you read the replies carefully you will notice (as usual in this forum) that there is no solid evidence of any refusals at all - as to the suggestion that you might need a letter saying there are no classes at your school while you are absent -B/S! Part of your ed visa stipulation is that you do x amount of hours a year but there's no way immigration at the airport can tell this. You'll have no problem.

As I said, there is plenty of solid evidence on Russian forums, of which you are not aware because (I assume) you can't read Russian. I haven't seen evidence of any other nationality affected by this though. 

Here is a nice photo of the Suvarnabhumi detention cell, where some unfortunate "students" with NON-ED had to wait for their flight back home: https://vk.com/samuidaysru?z=photo-12655314_333879578%2Fwall-12655314_115504

And what are the 7 countries that get 30 days?

More than 7 actually: Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia, USA, United Kingdom and Vietnam

On Russian forums there have been several reports in the past month of being refused entry at Suvarnabhumi for NON-ED holders with a valid re-entry permit. Not sure if this applies to other nationalities or if this specific mini-crackdown is Russian-only.

The recommendation was to have a letter from your school confirming that you didn't have any classes during the days you were absent from Thailand.

Wanna' bet that 5 year visa any good tomorrow, or the day after, or next year? For that matter any visa, extension etc.? The government can change the rules as they go along and nothing we can do about it. We live in uncertain times and it is always best to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Remember all the best laid plans of mice and men..... in Thailand all the best laid plans go out the window, time and time again.

I'm willing to bet that before revoking elite card visas (2500 people paying 100k baht per year directly into government coffers) they will crack down on every other visa class first, such as:

• NON-retired-sexpat-living-on-15k-per-month
• NON-married-but-cant-afford-400k-so-using-multi-o-visas
• NON-english-teacher-without-a-degree-or-work-permit
• NON-studying-thai-with-1-class-a-week
• NON-digital-nomad-working-illegally-and-not-paying-taxes
• etc 

 

Just because you're spending an amount of money doesn't give you right to stay in definitely in the country

 

Not entirely correct. If you spend 500k on the Thailand Elite Easy Access membership you get a 5 year visa which allows you to stay for 5 years without leaving.
 

 

Incidentally, the elite card proper has the owner's name, photo and validity period (which is also the validity period of the visa) on it, so it technically confirms that the owner stays in Thailand legally. I wonder if this card will be an acceptable id under these regulations 

With the 500k baht Elite card you are getting the 5-year visa in your passport right away. Even if the program shuts down, the risk that they will specifically revoke existing visas is negligible. A few years ago when the program was on the brink of being closed there was not a single mention of visas being revoked. 

"coming up" ?

According to several threads it has already started. Some people required to do tests every 3 months, schools being inspected, attendance records checked etc.

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it sounds like this is mean for legit business people. What are you putting for your line of business?

My official status would be "retired 40 yr old" not sure if that's gonna fly.

I specified that I was a "student" and got approved with no additional questions. I don't think they really care.

Surely the history of the previous elite cards and the ensuing lawsuits would make anyone wary of treading this path?

You mean how in the 10-year history of this program no member ever had any problems with visas and entry into Thailand?

A hypothetical case.

A Belgian spends 4 and a half months in Thailand then 1 and a half months in Belgium and repeats this cycle over and over. He covers his 4 and a half months in Thailand with a double entry tourist visa each time.

How would this be viewed by immigration?

Spending 9 months each year in Thailand using tourist visas? This looks exactly like a kind of guy this crackdown is targeted at (from the point of view of an immigration officer who doesn't know about your investments etc.)

says I should be able to afford the Elite Card (which is obviously completely open to criminals who can pay for it)

Each application for the Elite Card is checked and requires approval from the Immigration department. I don't see how it is more open to criminals than any other type of visa.

I don't think there will suddenly be a large number of fake marriages. They are relatively popular in western countries because you typically only need to be married for 2-3 years to get permanent residence or even citizenship. In Thailand you will need to continue providing proof of your marriage each year for as long as you want to live here.

All I can say is that if this easy acess card had been available when I first came to Thailand it would have been a total no-brainer to get one.

I wonder why the heck they don't advertise it on every corner when this is the only feasible way to stay in Thailand for those under 50, who are not working, studying or married to a Thai.

As for cost, 100k per year is less than what you'd pay for example for a year's course in a legit (non visa-mill type) Thai language school.

When I mentioned this Easy Access program on a Thailand related forum in my country, I was flooded with questions and PMs - no one even heard of it before, even though it would be a total no-brainer for many of them.

I've always been curious. Does the tourist visa prevent me from working for a foreign company while I'm here? Let's say that I'm a programmer, and I'm living in Thailand, but still working for a company I started in the United States. All my money comes from the United States, but I spend it all here. Is that prohibited by the tourist visa?

Yes, this is illegal

The police have clearly stated that the crackdown is aimed at Russians, Koreans, and Vietnamese who clearly intend to skirt the work permit rules.

It doesn't seem other nationalities are treated any less differently than those "targeted":

"The countries of origin of the 8 refused foreigners include the UK, Italy, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and New Zealand."

Too many posters intent on making a mountain out of a mole-hill.

Too many posters asking questions that nobody can answer.

Too many posters saying that the sky will fall on Thailand if these measures are implemented.

Too many posters with a lack of perspective.

Very easy. If you intend on staying in Thailand for more than thirty days, get the correct visa.

If you intend on staying in Thailand for more than ninety days, get the correct long-term visa.

here comes the genius

mr easy i want to stay as tourist in thailand for 1 year because i have lot of money to do that

whats my visa?

Thailand Easy Access program for 500k baht

Except that Immigration stated that they target mainly Vietnamese and Russian... :rollese:

Except so far there is no sign that Immigration is forgiving toward everyone else. Here's a quote from the yesterday's thread about people who were refused entry with tourist visas:

" The countries of origin of the 8 refused foreigners include the UK, Italy, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and New Zealand."

However as I will be working from home I would like to do everything above board and get a work permit so everything is legal. Is there a cheap and quick way I can obtain a WP to work from home on an "O" visa?

There is no cheap and quick way. There is no slow and expensive way either! If you open a company, and hire a couple of Thais to satisfy the requirements of work permit, they must do actual work for the company otherwise it is still illegal and the company will be closed after the first check by the labor department (e.g. you can't open an IT company and hire Thais to mow the lawn)

So no, no way at all to be 100% legit if you work from home.

Essentially what this thread boils down to is:

 

There is no feasible legal way for a self-employed online professional to live in Thailand beyond 30, maybe 90 days.

There is no legal way for a self-employed online professional to live in Thailand at all. Your first 30 days on a visa-exempt entry or 90 days on a tourist visa are illegal as well (if you work)

Have you ever noticed the thousands of Russian "ladies of the night" plying theit trade in Pattaya, Phuket and up and up and down Sukhumvit? They are criminals in the eyes of Thai law. If they are stopped from entering Thailand, they have achieved their goal.

I highly doubt that thousands of women from Russia (a country with 3x higher average salary and 3x GDP per capita plus one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world) are coming to Thailand to work as street prostitutes.

Moreover, that card is valid today, but can be cancelled tomorrow with no refund.

It happened already with other Elite Cards in the past. Issued and than cancelled.

In fairness, that never happened.

No ? Do you remember the 2 million elite card issued during Thaksin government and than cancelled ?

This is incorrect. The first version of the elite card was 1 million baht and later increased to 1.5 million. It was going to be cancelled in 2011 but TAT refused citing huge costs to compensate the card holders. Later the program was relaunched and now offers 2 million full membership and 0.5 million easy access program (visa only)

No one had their card cancelled and folks who bought into the program for 1 million in 2004 are still getting their 5 year visas.

Yes you can enter multiple times. No, you are not supposed to stay for the duration of the visa via 90-day border runs. I'd guess the intended use is for those who visit the family multiple times in a year but do not primarily live in Thailand.

Simple analogy: you can enter Thailand multiple times on 30-day visa exempt stamps. It doesn't mean you can stay here indefinitely doing a border run every 30 days.

As of now, both of the above are technically in compliance with the Thai law, but the latter is starting to be cracked down upon. The former is still safe, but who knows for how long.

if one has obtained a non-O multiple-entry visa due to marriage/family, they are in no way "abusing" anything by leaving and re-entering the country multiple times.

They are following the rules in order to be able to stay with loved ones.

Look at this from the point of view of the immigration officer:

• John received a single-entry NON-O visa and then applied for 1-year extension of stay based on marriage, showing 400k baht in the bank.
• Bob received a multi-entry NON-O from Savannakhet with no funds requirements and does a border run every 90 days

Which one of these is the correct way of permanently staying with the Thai family?

I know 90-day border runs on multi NON-O visas have been tolerated for decades but surely the necessity of border runs is in itself a symptom of not quite complying with the intent of the law.

The 5 year visa is only issued if you buy the 2million baht (+VAT+20,00 per year) elite card. The 500k elite card you are given a 1 year visa, renewable 5 times. Will still work for me.

This is the info i recieved from Thailand Elite as i have already applied and been approved and will go to Bangkok after this month at work to pay and recieve the visa in my passport if there is no other solution.

This is not correct, 500k option gives 5 year visa as well.

Cool thing, It doesn't matter, stand in line like the rest of us. There are no special Platinum Visa's.

Yes, there are:

500k baht - Thailand Easy Access program for 5 year visa

2m baht - Thailand Elite full membership

OR

Invest 10m baht and get investment extensions