Staying In Thailand Longer Than 90 Days At A Time

[kenkannif]

If you're studying somewhere for 15 hours a week (Thai, or at Uni or something similar) it is possible to get a Non-imm ED Visa which CAN be extended (or whatever you want to call it) for (I think) two years at a time....maybe this would help?

Alternatively I've 'heard' (rumour alert!) if you sponsor something here (kids, a school or possibly temple) they may look favourably on you and extend your Visa!

[LivinLOS]

Well just to add insult to injury...

I had booked up to obtian a new B visa in early July when my last 90 day entry stamp expires... Now multiple entry B's are not being given.

So essentially the only way I can stay in Thailand is as a tourist on 30 day entry stamps (please correct me if I am wrong I really want to be) with the knock on of no driving licence, no car ownership, no phone line installation, no etc, etc, etc.

Living as such a second class citizen is very unappealing to me and I have to now consider my options about continueing to reside in Thailand (and continueing to support Thais from my girlfriend, to housekeeper, down to the Som Tam lady)..

I am amazed at the direction Thai immigration laws are going.

[thaihome]

So essentially the only way I can stay in Thailand is as a tourist on 30 day entry stamps (please correct me if I am wrong I really want to be) with the knock on of no driving licence, no car ownership, no phone line installation, no etc, etc, etc.

You can still go get a tourist visa which will get you a 60-day stamp, which you can extend 30-days.

I have read here that there is also the option of bring 3 million baht (not sure that is the current amount) into the country and put in gov bank or buy a condo and then be eligible for 1 year extensions. This one I'm not sure about, but in theory is would work.

My suggestion is go to a reputable consulting company, such as the ones that post here, and get some advice that fits with your financial situation.

TH

[dr_Pat_Pong]

So essentially the only way I can stay in Thailand is as a tourist on 30 day entry stamps (please correct me if I am wrong I really want to be) with the knock on of no driving licence, no car ownership, no phone line installation, no etc, etc, etc.

You can still go get a tourist visa which will get you a 60-day stamp, which you can extend 30-days.

I have read here that there is also the option of bring 3 million baht (not sure that is the current amount) into the country and put in gov bank or buy a condo and then be eligible for 1 year extensions. This one I'm not sure about, but in theory is would work.

My suggestion is go to a reputable consulting company, such as the ones that post here, and get some advice that fits with your financial situation.

TH

A top suggestion here. Thank you for that contribution.

[LivinLOS]

The 3 million baht investment visa is no longer available and was stopped last October according to information I have been given.

The inconvienience of 4 trips to singapore or KL with overnight stays and 4 payments of the recently drastically increased pricing for the 'extention' are non trivial.

The mild xenephobia I can handle but the obstales being placed in my path from simply living and spending money / supporting Thai's is starting to get to me. Thailand is a wonderful country but being such a second class citizien while also being expected to pay double for everything is getting old.

Lastly I did contact a coupe of reputable consulting companies (SA etc) as well as my local visa agent. All have told me that there is nothing they can do for me. Of course the disreputable companies and government officers can still get one.

[thaihome]

but being such a second class citizien

This must be at least the tenth time you used this expression in various post. It is getting tiresome.

It is unfortunate that a less then 50 year old, who won’t commit to marriage with a Thai, but has the means to live in Thailand without working, must make 4 visa runs a year. Of course, if the expense of that is a hardship, it makes me wonder how you would be able make the monetary qualifications for a marriage or retirement visa even if you were eligible.

As a matter of fact, David on another site worked out that is cheaper to just do free 30 day stamps and not even get a visa.

TH

[lopburi3]

The 3 million baht investment visa is no longer available and was stopped last October according to information I have been given.

At least one site that was saying that has changed its mind and now says it is available.

[LivinLOS]

Yes I just saw on thaiimmigration.com today also the apparent reversal that the 3 million baht investment visa is still allowed.

Does anyone know where I can get some info on the kind of government bonds that are acceptable ?? What rates of return you get ?? That kind of thing..

It is certainly not the cost of the visa runs (I would pay more than those costs to obtain my B visa), its the inconvienince, multiple times per year nights away from home etc.. Otherwise spending 1/30th of my days doing a tourist run !!!

[Ajarn]

Anyway discussions with my old visa 'agent' today made it clear I can get another 1 year B visa in Panang for 5000 baht and he will even run a tour including hotel and a company that can sponsor me plus handle all paperwork for another 5k... So 10k baht and a 2 day penang run and I will be doing another year on a B (with 90 day Ranong runs) !!

Plus I look more like mid 20's than 50 

If you are 50, why not just get a retirement visa? 800,000 in a bank account, and over 50 are the only requirements...

[LivinLOS]

Because as stated in many of my posts i am retired at 30 (actually retired 2 years ago but now I am 30)...

[mbkudu]

The 3 million baht investment visa is no longer available and was stopped last October according to information I have been given.

The inconvienience of 4 trips to singapore or KL with overnight stays and 4 payments of the recently drastically increased pricing for the 'extention' are non trivial.

The mild xenephobia I can handle but the obstales being placed in my path from simply living and spending money / supporting Thai's is starting to get to me. Thailand is a wonderful country but being such a second class citizien while also being expected to pay double for everything is getting old.

Lastly I did contact a coupe of reputable consulting companies (SA etc) as well as my local visa agent. All have told me that there is nothing they can do for me. Of course the disreputable companies and government officers can still get one.

This is essentially wrong and right. The 3 million Baht investor visa was discontinued , but it is thinly disguised as an 'extension' now. All you need is to prove that you have brought in 3 million baht; savings account, condo investment,

or govt. bonds and then you will be given a one year renewable extension. You must already be in Thailand on a valid visa first, such as a non-o visa.

[Ajarn]

The 3 million baht investment visa is no longer available and was stopped last October according to information I have been given.

The inconvienience of 4 trips to singapore or KL with overnight stays and 4 payments of the recently drastically increased pricing for the 'extention' are non trivial.

The mild xenephobia I can handle but the obstales being placed in my path from simply living and spending money / supporting Thai's is starting to get to me.  Thailand is a wonderful country but being such a second class citizien while also being expected to pay double for everything is getting old.

Lastly I did contact a coupe of reputable consulting companies (SA etc) as well as my local visa agent.  All have told me that there is nothing they can do for me.  Of course the disreputable companies and government officers can still get one.

This is essentially wrong and right. The 3 million Baht investor visa was discontinued , but it is thinly disguised as an 'extension' now. All you need is to prove that you have brought in 3 million baht; savings account, condo investment,

or govt. bonds and then you will be given a one year renewable extension. You must already be in Thailand on a valid visa first, such as a non-o visa.

I can confirm that in Chiang Mai, though the extensions are 90 days, at least in my case (last week). They were quite clear that the 3million I showed in my bank account was all I needed to show. And there are no restrictions, it seems, meaning, I think, that I can use the money during they year, as long as I show that confirmed 3 million baht each year.

They also mentioned, informally, that they are looking at ways to tighten up the bank account stuff, because they believe many people are simply borrowing short-term from friends in order to qualify for the one-year stamp....Immigration wants to somehow make sure that the funds are really owned by the applicant, so they might require that your bank account be held for a certain period of time before it can be used as surety for the visa extension, or maybe creating a Sponsor category, which would require a substantially larger bank account to be shown... I am currently 'sponsoring' a friend who has a Thai family, but only gets a pension of about 15,000 baht a month. I'm not sure, though, that I can take the risk next year. The Immigration lady said immigration would 'Mai hen duay' (not agree) if someone were to (illegally) provide funds to be used in a 'visa fraud'...

I got the clear impression that some folks at immigration really do try to help some folks they feel are deserving, like long-established farangs with Thai families, but making less than the required amount by law for a one-year stamp. Just because someone doesn't have enough money, it doesn't mean that they have to leave Thailand and do visa runs...They can give extensions of 90 days, or anything shy of that, requiring the applicant to go back to immigration for another extension, which is a lot better than having to shoulder the expense of visa runs...

Your attitude and demeanor at immigration are of critical importance, in my experience. Speaking Thai helps. Smiling helps. Wearing clean, appropriate clothing helps to keep you in the game, too.

[LivinLOS]

OK so how do I get my initial 'visa' to get it extended ??? A 60 day tourist visa would not help right ???

If all I have to do is deposit 3 million into a Thai bank and I can get a 1 year extension I would probably do this... I would do it in a heartbeat if they would let me use the Bangkok Banks facility to hold USD or Euro's in thier accounts !! I could bring in >3 million to make sure any exchange rate changes / fluctuations show without question it is still >3 million.

I can also confirm after talking to the Phuket immigration guy that one year multiple entry B's are available (through him for a small processing fee) issued same day no less

[ProThaiExpat]

When a Thai regulation says "3 million BAHT" investment for long stay visa, I would not count on a policeman, charged in enforcing the law, (immigration personnel are policemen) to interpret the word "BAHT" to be USD, etc.

Many expats in this forum have lengthy complaints about Thai regulations being the way they are and often argue, always at great length, that if the regulation was the way the farang wanted it to be, how much more sense it would make for Thailand's benefit.

I think Thais are more than capable of making their regulations to benefit Thailand as Thais see that benefit. Trying to understand the purpose or reason for a regulation works wonders in understanding it.

I am no expert on balance of payments, foreign reserves or the like, but if Thais want more BAHT on deposit in Thailand on invested in the Thai economy, rather than USD or other western currency, they would make visa financial responsibility regulations specify that BAHT are required to qualify.

They have done so. Hope springs eternal but reality is reality!