MrBingley

@BrakkaToss but how did you manage such a feat? Do tell! 

@BrakkaToss can you confirm what happened? In this Facebook group they are saying the decision was reversed and the person was allowed in. Do you have more details?

https://mobile.facebook.com/groups/1395920320731833?view=permalink&id=2470010736656114&anchor_composer=false&_rdc=1&_rdr

6 hours ago, EbhB said:

...one thing about this versus Iglu - their process is with developers not in-country, and with their own customers.

 

This will be with me in-country and available, with a customer that bills the BOI directly for my work, so I guess it will at least be somewhat easier and quicker!

 

I will also have the possibility to "phase in" own customers towards my minimum salary at a later point, will talk to the BOI about that as well as all other stuff on Monday ????

The process is largely the same for BOI approved hires so far as I know. You need to get title approval, then leave to get a non b visa and then return and get a work permit. I think the minimum is likely two to three weeks but now probably closer to three with Songkran approaching. 

The process should be simliar to the one outlined below by Iglu, another BOI company. Theirs takes about three to four weeks in total and I'd imagine that's standard. 

https://iglu.net/thailand-business-visa-and-work-permit-process-with-iglu/

7 hours ago, onera1961 said:

Elite visa holders are not authorized to work, contribute to social security, and pay taxes. Iglu workers are entitled for all of these

Sent from my JKM-LX2 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Are you an Iglu employee by any chance? Not sure how to make sense of your post otherwise. Was it just for the record or to point out an inaccuracy in what I wrote? I guess they have two schemes because they solve different problems. 

It doesn't make sense for Thailand to run two "premium" options for under 50s, the Elite visa and BOI agreement with Iglu for digital workers, and allow people to stay as long as they want on tourist visas and exemptions. Thailand only seems to have realised this last year, when there was a spike in cases like this one, even though these other options have been available for several years. 

I got an account at Bangkok Bank Phrom Phong /EmQuartier branch while using a tourist visa. The staff speak English in this branch and I've seen many non-Thai customers in there when I visit. The requirements, from their website:

Quote

1. Foreigner with a work permit

• Passport

• Work Permit

2. Foreigner without work permit

• Passport
• A reference letter issued by one of the following institutes or organizations or required document
  • Embassy located  in Thailand
  • An overseas bank where the customer holds an account sent via SWIFT
  • Trusted individuals such as a Bangkok Bank staff member or customer, director of a private company, permanent residence in Thailand, government or private educational institutes located in Thailand trusted by the Bank
  • Trusted companies, e.g., an employment letter from the company if the customer is in the process of applying for a work permit.
  • Document showing ownership of a fixed asset such as a condominium sale/purchase agreement (a condominium which is acceptable to Bangkok Bank) Or a property reservation agreement valued at 100,000 baht or more with a reference letter from the property developer that is acceptable to Bangkok Bank.

 
Notes: Contact addresses for both Thailand and overseas must be provided (hotel and P.O. Box addresses are not acceptable).

 

3. Foreigner with permanent residence in Thailand

 

• Passport or Certificate of Residence or Alien Certificate
• House Registration document

 

Click here to view more details about Accounts

I used a letter from my embassy and a copy of my condo contract. 

Good luck. 

On 1/20/2019 at 6:33 AM, Lovelypaiday said:

Yes I can see your point, but I actually never said My current work or taking holiday was in order to accomplish investing in my education/career, I said I would prefer to keep my savings for this purpose.

 

 

 

 

Hi Lovelpaiday,

Thanks for posting about this.

How long had you spent in Thailand in total and how many tourist visas in total? Based on a report from a Swiss guy who posted here a while ago, it seems like they sometimes use 3 tourist visas a limit, even over a several year period. Maybe that was the problem rather than just your entries in the last year?

Hello OP, how mamy tourist visas and stamps did you have in your pasport? 

On 4/9/2017 at 1:27 PM, Essecola said:

Wow so Penang totally changing regulation? I got 2 SETV visas from Penang last year even with a warning stamp from Vientiane already in my passport(stamped in small black ink). It used to be you could get 3 from Vientiane and 3 from Penang. So what now.. Penang is putting a RED (?) stamp in the passport even if u have just 2 visas from somewhere else and not from them? This is starting to look absurd. That red stamp can make it hard even to look elsewhere for a SETV. Nice job Penang.

Yes, it looks like they are tightening up. When I applied for the visa, my application was refused because I did not provide evidence of an onward flight. Luckily, on returning for more details regarding the onward flight date (to see if could factor in a 30 day extension, to which they said "yes"), they agreed to accept my application, so long as I brought a copy of my onward flight ticket the following day, which I did.

On returning the next day, I noticed that when I handed in the ticket that the guy said to himself "Hanoi" and then looked back through my passport, as if looking for other trips/visas from Hanoi. I had been to Hanoi six months ago but did not get a visa there.

My guess is that these checks, that are finally being applied, and the remarks, are really to intended to push people down the Elite route. I could understand some people buying the five year Elite visa but you would have to have a brain made of sawdust to buy a twenty year visa. The term is way too long but the price is exactly the same as four five year Elite visas (minus some small perks)!