3-mil Baht Investment Visa

[Pepe']

Yohan,

Thanks but for some reason or other my question about having to place the security deposit remains unanswered.

I guess I will just have to check with the embassy here in LA.

[BlissfullyIgnorant]

Yohan,

Thanks but for some reason or other my question about having to place the security deposit remains unanswered.

I guess I will just have to check with the embassy here in LA.

Pepe, if you are applying for a visa on the basis of being married to a Thai national, you would be looking at a Non-Immigrant "O" (supporting spouse) visa, which does not require any investment at all - all that is required is proof of income, or enough money to support your wife for the duration of the visa.

This is the process:

1. Apply for a supporting spouse 90 day Non-Immigrant visa. This must be done outside of Thailand - the Thai Embassies in Laos and Malaysia can do it for you if you don't want to travel all the way home to start it. In order to get the initial 90 day visa you will need the supporting documentation (Marriage cerificate, ID etc), but you do not need to deposit any money or prove any income.

2. 60 days after entering Thailand on your 90 Non-Immigrant visa, go to your local immigration office with the required documentation, AND the following financial evidence, which after reveiwing/approving you will be granted a one year extension on your visa.

* A Thai bank account in your name, showing a minimum of 400,000 baht current balance, which must be deposited from abroad, along with a signed letter from your bank manager certifying that the funds are in your account and they did in fact come from abroad.

OR

* Documentation certified by your own country's Embassy proving that you have a monthly income not less than 40,000 baht. Please note that the exchange rates used by Thai Immigration for this purpose are usually around 10-15% lower than the current exchange rates.

After this it's a simple matter of repeating step 2 one month before your current visa expires each year.

[LivinLOS]

Does anyone know if it is possible to hold the 3 million value in a currency that is not Baht ???

I would not have a problem loosing some interest on 70k's worth of euro's if I was secure in the knowledge that the 70k could be kept in Euros and that if I needed to send it back out of thailand (loosing my 1 year visa privelidge) later I could do so.

[Sunny Valentine]

I just found this on the Thaiimmigration Forum today:

Thai Immigration Forum Thread

Does anyone of the Administrators know wether the Information of Thaiimmigration is correct; or due to lack of Information on their Side (TIT)?

Sunny

[Lioneric]

I am a gay which I have Thai boy friend, every month I have cross border to stamp my passport, We are not rich to buy 25,000 card .We just do some small business here. Because gay don't have any right to get married in Thailand . This is a free country and I think it should or someone can help me on this matter. I can have fasle married to a Thai girl and get my PR but I don't want any problems ,if someone find out.Cambodia Prince Sidhanok already open on gay issue and I hope Thailand will open up legalize gay couples to get pr visa.

Sad farang!

[Smokin Joe]

I'm in El Paso, Texas where there is an Honorary Thai Consulate and I plan on asking them about the non-O with 3 mil Baht investment. I have three condos that total over that in purchase price.

Could be that the personnel at some of the many (3 in Texas alone) honorary consulates may not be up to date on all visa options since officials in Thailand don't even all give the same answer to the same questions, but hey, if it works out that would be a good deal. At the least I'll finally get around to getting a 60 day tourist visa.

I'll post again if I get any useful info.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Does the 3million have to sit in the account? Or can you move it elsewhere. 3mil is a lot to have sat in a low interest account.

you can have it in Thai Gvt bonds. Don't think you can do much else with it. I've scoured the net for specific info on this 3 mil baht investment visa but have found nothing. I would call bkk imm for any more specifics. report back here if you learn anything more. No one in this forum knows anything about it because it is new and not on the net and they are not in the situation being married, working or retired and/ or all of above

I was under the impression that you could buy a condo with part of the funds. Any comment, Dr. Pong?

Also, what kind of interest rate do Thai government bonds pay, and how safe have they been historically?

You can buy a condo and that counts.

What about land /house "bought " under a 30+30+30 lease ,does that count?

Nope. You won't own the land.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Back to my original question.

If your married to a Thai are you exempt from the "security deposit?"

All you need as a married to a Thai person Pepe, is savings in a Thai bank of 400,000 baht or a combination of income and savings to a like amount. There's no need at all for you to follow the investment path. You'll achieve one year extensions based on marriage and the 400 K.

[Pepe']

Thanx to all of you guys for the info.

I will visit the embassy in Los Angeles soon to get this all dialed in. I hope I can buy a beer, for any of you guys that may be thirsty, some time in the near future upon our arrival.

[mbkudu]

I'm in El Paso, Texas where there is an Honorary Thai Consulate and I plan on asking them about the non-O with 3 mil Baht investment. I have three condos that total over that in purchase price.

Could be that the personnel at some of the many (3 in Texas alone) honorary consulates may not be up to date on all visa options since officials in Thailand don't even all give the same answer to the same questions, but hey, if it works out that would be a good deal. At the least I'll finally get around to getting a 60 day tourist visa.

I'll post again if I get any useful info.

Smokin Joe, I am also trying to find solid information on this so called 3 million Baht special investor visa. I have e-mailed several Thai consulates inquiring about it; am still waiting for a reply. The Thai Consulate in Chicago has a very detailed

outline of this visa, but I am unsure of how current the information is. I am not sure I trust the information coming from www.thaiimmigration.com. They said they have never heard of such a visa. If you find out anything from an actual human

source at the Thai Consulate in your area, please let me know what you learn.

Thanks so much, Mbkudu.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'd be more inclined to trust the Consulate websites than the Immigration Offices in Thailand. Immigration don't get clear instructions from the Ministry of the Interior but Foreign Affairs is on the ball with Embassy and Consular advices

[britainmal]

Everybody here can not get correct information from the Thai government. I am starting to think either people in Thai government are stupid or they just want foreigners to come to Thailand spend money ,stay as long as you want, but don't want to give foreigners any rights.

[mbkudu]

Hi all, today, May 17, 2004 I received an e-mail from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, Calif. concerning an enquiry I had e-mailed them about this 3 million Baht investor visa. It is NOT a current visa. It was ended October of last year according to them. The Thai Consulate site in Chicago still shows it with current exchange rates (about 42 baht per dollar) but no date and I think the exchange rate was indeed around 42 Baht last year.

The LA cosulate suggested I try [email protected], which is the site the Thailand

Board of Investment. FRom what I get from this is they've upped the ante to

8-10 million Baht for an investor visa. I guess I'm just not rich enough to qualify for an investment visa, oh well.

[Smokin Joe]

I just copied this off of the website for the Thai Embassy in Washington DC. The red highlights are mine.

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

I've been to that site a few times previously but never saw that before possibly because it's buried pretty far down. It is under the "Applying for Permanent Residence" section under "Consular Services"

Earlier on the same page it also says that permanent residence permit can ne granted for the 10mil direct investment or 8mil indirect (condo) investment.

A phone call call to the El Paso office (actually it's a woman who works out of her home) got the reply " sure, we give out one year visa's all the time"

I'm going to try to see her tomorrow afternoon. I'll post the results.

III. TEMPORY PERMIT FOR ONE-YEAR (Non-Immigrant Visa for One-Year)

To motivate more foreigners to stay in Thailand, Thai authorities is in the process of revising the regulation for easing foreigner to temporarily longer stay in Thailand as follows ;

1. Alien who bring in currency into Thailand for more than 3 million baht will be granted temporary certificate of residence for one year

On the 30th September B.E. 2541 (A.D. 1998), the Office of Immigration Bureau has issued its announcement to facilitate foreigners who bring in foreign currencies amounting to three million baht to stay in the Kingdom of Thailand for the period of one year at the time. This announcement is aimed at promoting the government’s policy to attract foreign investors to enter the Kingdom.

How to qualify for this type of visa ?

The applicant must have evidence showing that three million baht has been transferred in his/her name to any bank in Thailand.

The transfer of money in (1) must have the following objectives:

fixed deposit in any government bank

purchase of Government bonds or State Enterprise bonds

purchase of a condominium from the owner of a condominium project which is registered with the Land Department.

other investments which the Office of Immigration Bureau considers beneficial to the country. Applicants who are advised to invest in one of the said investment can also invest their capital in one or other objectives but the total amount of investment should not be less than three million baht.

Prior to entering the country, applicants must have an appropriate kind of visa from a Thai Consulate abroad.

Office of Immigration Bureau reserves the right to terminate the duration to stay in the Kingdom of the foreign investors in the program if they fail to inform the Office of Immigration Bureau in advance of the change of their investment activities.

[Sunny Valentine]

Thanks for this Info, Smokin'!

Just scroll down to the End of the Original Document where it says: Last Update: April 1999.

This explains why they also mention the 55 Years Age requirement for retirement.

So it seems that the 3 Mill BT Investment is outdated, as also stated here and at the Thaiimmigration Board.

grief

Sunny

[unbiasbob]

Hi all, today, May 17, 2004 I received an e-mail from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, Calif. concerning an enquiry I had e-mailed them about this 3 million Baht investor visa. It is NOT a current visa. It was ended October of last year according to them. The Thai Consulate site in Chicago still shows it with current exchange rates (about 42 baht per dollar) but no date and I think the exchange rate was indeed around 42 Baht last year.

The LA cosulate suggested I try [email protected], which is the site the Thailand

Board of Investment. FRom what I get from this is they've upped the ante to

8-10 million Baht for an investor visa. I guess I'm just not rich enough to qualify for an investment visa, oh well.

Not what the imm dude told me 2 months ago. In fact 2 imm dudes at bkk imm indeed said that the 3 mil visa is in fact valid

[cutethaigirl]

Hi

Just back from the Lawyers (thai)

His immediate reaction when i asked about a 3Mil. visa was, "that is old it is 10 million now......and very easy to obtain.......just go to the 'One Stop Service' offices and it will be granted."

If anyone ACTUALLY finds different and OBTAINS at 3Mil. please advise us all as there is rather a lot of difference.

HTH

CT

[cutethaigirl]

Source

Thai Consulate Resident visas

3. Foreign investors who invest in a private/public company, purchase condominium, buy government bonds or state enterprise bonds, deposit in one or more Thai banks, and other investments in accordance with the specification of the Immigration Commission for the sum of not less than 10 million baht.

[Sunny Valentine]

This Page leads to This Page

Unfortunately it says at the End that the Last Update was in 1999!

Sunny

[mbkudu]

Hi

Just back from the Lawyers (thai)

His immediate reaction when i asked about a 3Mil. visa was, "that is old it is 10 million now......and very easy to obtain.......just go to the 'One Stop Service' offices and it will be granted."

If anyone ACTUALLY finds different and OBTAINS at 3Mil. please advise us all as there is rather a lot of difference.

HTH

CT

Cutegirl,

I just received an e-mail this morning from Immigration Division 3 (www.imm3.police.go.th) about an inquiry I had sent them about this 3 million baht

visa. Here it is: In case of Investment of no less than 3 million Baht

1.The application of a visa extension (TM 7)

2.Copy of passport

3.Certificate of financial transfering

4.Certificate of time deposit form from Government Bank

5.Copy of purchase of government bonds which is issued by government offial

6.Copy of the offial purchase agreement of flat according to assessment value from the land office.

(You can extension of stay for a period one year for each time)

Name Pol.Lt.Col.Chalermpong (203.113.34.)[Tuesday 18 May 2004] Comment

No: 1.

I think the bottom line is: Don't listen to lawyers or agents. Apply for a Non-O

visa first, take all you paper work (purchase agreements, title deed, ect..) to Immigration, talk to them and they will handle it on a case by case situation.

[LivinLOS]

It really is laughable though... Consulates disagree with local offices... local offices disagree with each other... They all disagree with the border controls...

The piece I prompted in the Phuket gazette had one official highly critical of this site calling it an unofficial site that he had no power to shut down yet its linked to from both the Div 3 site listed above and Nong Kai immigiration..

Some clarity and consistancy would really help...

[cutethaigirl]

I think the bottom line is: Don't listen to lawyers or agents. Apply for a Non-O

visa first, take all you paper work (purchase agreements, title deed, ect..) to Immigration, talk to them and they will handle it on a case by case situation.

MBKUDU

Think THE bottom line is that nobody has a clue:-)

Guess we wait and try or wait 'til somebody else tries?

Does the person that emailed you actually process visas? Might be worth a visit if so?

CT

[Smokin Joe]

Update on my checking on a Non-O visa based on 3 mil investment:

The news was good but didn’t settle the issue. I could have had the visa today, but since I may not travel to Thailand again for 2-5 months it is better to wait until I have a definite travel date. No problem getting the visa even though single, under 50, and not married. And very minimal paperwork needed. The flip side for those following this thread is that the visa would not have been issued specifically because of the 3 mil. In fact the lady I talked to didn’t even know about it. She will issue a visa solely at her discretion regardless of money in the bank or condo ownership etc. Recommendation to anyone in the US, use one of the many honorary consuls and not the official ones or the Thai Embassy unless you exactly fit the mold for your type of requested visa.

[cutethaigirl]

Smokin Joe

From your findings you say that the Girl was prepared to issue an Non Im O. That is not the same as the 3? mil. visa. ie unless mistaken you will be required to leave the country to refresh it each 90 days. THe 3? mil. one allows a full year.

Which was she going to give you? I can not believe that she was going to hand over the 3? mil. one without checking???

CT

[Smokin Joe]

CTG-

Can't answer that since I didn't actually get it. I thought all Non-O had the same time allowed but I am only slowly learning. I talked to the lady for quite awhile and we made an appointment to meet where the visa would have been issued on the spot. She kept referring to it as a "one year visa" but didn't know anything about a visa that had a 3 mil requirement, and didn't care. If she were on this forum she would appear to be very uninformed about the different visa requirements. I did confirm as far as could be possible that it was not a tourist visa but a Non-O that would be issued. At one point I was asked if I was going to be working and wanted a Non-B instead. I realize this does not match other info but this is the lady that has the authority to issue Thai visas and it’s only a one person operation, she didn’t need to go check with anyone else. She made it clear that all the detailed requirements that I kept referring to were not important. Sorry that this is left in limbo.

[cutethaigirl]

SJ

I see.

Right:-) Why i was confused was the topic of this thread is the 3 mil visa

Yes the Non Im O is not that difficult generally considered easier at small offices rather than Embassies.

Thanks for clearing up the point.

See you in Thailand some time

CT

[mbkudu]

Cutegirl, the one year bit is an EXTENSION that is only allowed IN Thailand. This

is where you need to show your TOR TOR 3, Land Department paperwork, title

deed, banking records, ect. It is not really a visa.

The visa is issued outside Thailand from a consulate or Embassy. The best one I

have heard is a single entry Non-Immigrant O visa which is for 90 days. Once you have that, then you enter Thailand. You then stay for the first 60 days and then apply for a 1 year extension with your heap of paperwork proving that you have

3 million Baht worth of investments in the country.

Now all these different authorities are claiming this, that, yes, no, but I think the

key is here to just go into the immigration office with what you have, look good,

speak politely and you should get it.

[LivinLOS]

I realize this is off topic but why is it that its so easy to get a Non-O outside SEA ??

They practically hand the things out in Hull UK and Perth Oz yet KL / Penang / Singapore etc all seem very hard to get them ??

[mbkudu]

Hi all, today, May 17, 2004 I received an e-mail from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, Calif. concerning an enquiry I had e-mailed them about this 3 million Baht investor visa. It is NOT a current visa. It was ended October of last year according to them. The Thai Consulate site in Chicago still shows it with current exchange rates (about 42 baht per dollar) but no date and I think the exchange rate was indeed around 42 Baht last year.

  The LA cosulate suggested I try [email protected], which is the site the Thailand

Board of Investment. FRom what I get from this is they've upped the ante to

8-10 million Baht for an investor visa. I guess I'm just not rich enough to qualify for an investment visa, oh well.

Not what the imm dude told me 2 months ago. In fact 2 imm dudes at bkk imm indeed said that the 3 mil visa is in fact valid

Unbiasbob, you have something here. The consulates and embassies are not coming clean on this because it is not really a 'visa'. What it is, is a one year

extension on an existing visa such as a Non-Imm O visa. This one year extension can only be issued by Immigration inside Thailand, specifically Bangkok. So with

the 3 million Baht proof of investment, I'm pretty certain a one year renewable extension can be had.

[unbiasbob]

Hi all, today, May 17, 2004 I received an e-mail from the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, Calif. concerning an enquiry I had e-mailed them about this 3 million Baht investor visa. It is NOT a current visa. It was ended October of last year according to them. The Thai Consulate site in Chicago still shows it with current exchange rates (about 42 baht per dollar) but no date and I think the exchange rate was indeed around 42 Baht last year.

  The LA cosulate suggested I try [email protected], which is the site the Thailand

Board of Investment. FRom what I get from this is they've upped the ante to

8-10 million Baht for an investor visa. I guess I'm just not rich enough to qualify for an investment visa, oh well.

Not what the imm dude told me 2 months ago. In fact 2 imm dudes at bkk imm indeed said that the 3 mil visa is in fact valid

Unbiasbob, you have something here. The consulates and embassies are not coming clean on this because it is not really a 'visa'. What it is, is a one year

extension on an existing visa such as a Non-Imm O visa. This one year extension can only be issued by Immigration inside Thailand, specifically Bangkok. So with

the 3 million Baht proof of investment, I'm pretty certain a one year renewable extension can be had.

My situation was that I went to the "change visa" office at bkk imm while on a 60 day tourist. The gent told me that getting a 1 year visa was very doable with documentation of 3 million baht deposited into a thai govt bank. He did not tell me the type of visa and I failed to ask. Next time I will ask the guy. He said that no other docs were needed of any kind. He was ready to go forward with it at any time during which my 60 day tourist was valid and not on extension. They are quite helpful in that office for those of you who fit the bill and desire this visa. He also mentioned that if on extension, I could leave the country to Penang or Laos and get the visa as well