mrmagyar

Afternoon All. I'm looking to do a border bounce at Chiang Khong To Huay Xai (Laos). I've read in a couple of places that same day bouncing isn't an option but I can't find much that's conclusive/recent. Could anyone advise on that please? Is it necessary to spend a night out of Thailand or not? (My history: Non-O volunteer visa in OLD passport during covid. Left Thailand for 5 months last year. Returned with new passport and have since had two visa exempt air arrivals with 30 day extensions) (This post was rejected on the Thai Visa FB group with the advice that I should only use a border run service. However I would prefer not to spend all day sat in a minivan if at all possible)

If it was a legit education visa and you can prove such (with the requisite educational ministry details) then you'll get through. It's targeted at visa abusers. Fairly enough, many would say.

A quick glance at your recent post history suggests that I should expect a slightly objectionable style of discord from you, so I won't take it personally ????

I was trying explain where the information cited comes from. If you do some research into the subject, you'll find the very same.

It is absolutely cast iron fact that you cannot get the Elite if you previously had a volunteer visa. That stance is current as of this week. It's suggested that it might/will be relaxed at some undated point in the future. Source: I am in the same boat and have gone to great lengths to try and resolve the issue. It comes from high up in government and will not be easily circumvented.

What a superbly worded statement that is. So very true.

I was trying to ascertain what the score was on that but didn't want to ask a repeat question. So is it the case that I can expect to get two BORDER bounces, plus both subsequent extensions, with no questions asked? I mean, the border agents won't look at my recent history and turn me away? And BKK immigration the same when I go for the extensions? Cheers

Yeh, it's a non-b without the work permit.

The best I can currently find is 100k for 15 month business visa.

Yeh I should have said, well under 50

Yeh. The WFTP would be ideal if only for the 150m/3yr company rule. The WGC is just a bit much with the enforced investment. It’s both a currency play and a bet on the Thai economy, which makes it very expensive.

Morning All, British national on a Tourist Exemption Extension at present, having been denied an Elite visa due to having a previous Non-O volunteer visa (from covid). Can anyone advise of possible long-term (12 month) visa options at present. I understand that the ED visa's are being completely stopped in the immediate future due to Chinese visa abuse. And possible the same for business visas. Is there anything else out there, other than trying to get by with border bounces and extensions?

I can see quite a few options here: 1. Merge WGC with WFTP and lower the combined bar ($500k assets + $80k salary without company revenue requirement) 2. Have a sliding scale for both? ($500k assets + $80k salary OR $250k assets + $120k salary OR $100k assets + $200k salary) 3. Have a sliding scale within the WFTP ($150m/3y Revenue + $80k salary OR $50m/3y Revenue + $150k salary OR $10m/3y Revenue + $250k salary) There's an awful lot of mechanics they could do to bring dramatically more potential applicants within the application parameters. I'm sure an organisation operating at government level could obtain some global data that would allow them to draw up a Venn diagram to try and encompass a sufficient number of target audience to at least make their goals possible. At present, you can be the owner of a foreign based enterprise making $5-10m/year profit on $40m revenue and you don't fall within their criteria unless you're willing to invest $500k in the country upfront. That, to me, is poorly designed.

If you factor out those that were already in Thailand on a retirement visa I suspect you could probably half those numbers too.

There's an enormous gulf of people between the 'Work from Thailand' and 'Wealthy Global Citizen' that just seems bizarrely, but deliberately, excluded. If you're willing to give a 10 year visa to someone earning $80k per year (working for a large company only) then you're obviously satisfied that this is a sufficient amount of funds to reside in the country. Why then require that the Wealthy Global Citizen must invest $500k? Surely it would suffice for them to show assets of $1m (plus income of $80k, if you like). This equates to 12.5 years of earnings from the WFT crowd. Why make them jump another hurdle? Similarly with the WFT. Why mandate that the company must have combined 3 year revenue of $150m? Revenue does not pay the bills. Surely any company earning $1m+ per year in profits would make more sense, as a sufficiently substantive enterprise. I think the new Bali visa (proof of $130k gets you 10 years) has really set a new bar and that the Thai official references it in that recent Thaiexaminer article suggests that they're perhaps already taking note.

Thanks for this. I do wonder how much checking can be done on audited accounts, particularly in jurisdictions where such information isn't public (like the USA).

Congratulations to the two of you who've got the visa already. Out of interest, were you working for private companies or publicly listed? And in the event of them being private, was the scrutiny of the audited accounts queried much?

For anyone looking for updates on this. I just shipped my click 125 from Samui to Bangkok. 2350B. Shipped on Saturday at 4pm, was in Phra Khanong Post Office for Tuesday.

"According to Mr Anucha, the land slated for foreign ownership should be located in Bangkok, the Pattaya area, the municipalities of all provinces nationwidePlease credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2422513/cabinet-backs-expats-owning-land. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved." Would that include Ko Samui then? It's on the Wikipedia page of Thai Municipalities

The BOI have confirmed that a tax return is not strictly necessary if you can prove income in another way (dividend receipts, for example)

Very good links. The Sherrings advice is quite conclusive there and suggests there would be* no tax due.

Whilst this is true for investment advice, there are other reasons to own property than financial gain. There's other ways to view a property purchase than as a financial investment.

Thanks Misty. That's most useful and seems very likely to be accuate.

Has anyone yet been approved for the 'Work From Thailand Professionals' visa, working for a private company? If so it would be interesting to hear how well received the audited accounts were. Also, if applicants using this route were not bringing in their salary in the year that it was earnt, would it still be assumed that no Thai income tax was due?

See recent post on their facebook page