UPDATE: Smart Visa applications accepted after February 1

By Tanutam Thawan

 

The Smart Visa program will allow high-earning expats to hold a visa without needing to report to immigration every 90 days.

 

Starting February 1, eligible foreigners can apply for a new, four-year visa called the Smart Visa. The visa, itself, isn’t ‘smart’ or magically electronic but you’ll probably need to be smart to apply for it. Initially the digital nomads hoped it might help their lifestyle and allow them an easier way to remain in Thailand. The details don’t really support the new visa’s use for digital nomads.

 

The Smart Visa program will allow high-earning expats to hold a visa without needing to report to immigration every 90 days. The program received full endorsement and approval from the cabinetthis week. The idea behind the Smart Visa is “to increase knowledge transfer and skill development in desirable fields such as technology and medicine”.

 

Foreigners who meet the new visa’s requirements will be able to apply for them at Thai embassies in their home country. Alternatively, they’ll be able to apply at the One-Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits in Bangkok.

 

Full Story: https://www.phuketgazette.net/lifestyle/update-smart-visa-applications-accepted-february-1

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2018-1-19

" The idea behind the Smart Visa is “to increase knowledge transfer and skill development in desirable fields such as technology and medicine”.

 

Ever tell a Thai what to do or how to do it?

A small help for those working in Thailand in a few select fields. At least they're going in right direction.

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

" The idea behind the Smart Visa is “to increase knowledge transfer and skill development in desirable fields such as technology and medicine”.

 

Ever tell a Thai what to do or how to do it?

Todays' glass half empty

 

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

A small help for those working in Thailand in a few select fields. At least they're going in right direction.

...and glass half full awards go to...

Discrimination! my field is not listed, 

Thailand must be the country with most different kinds of visas in the world. Understand why it can take 4 hours to clear immigration at Bangkok's airports. 

2 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Thailand must be the country with most different kinds of visas in the world. Understand why it can take 4 hours to clear immigration at Bangkok's airports. 

From MFA website,

 

- Transit Visa
- Tourist Visa (2 types)
- Non-Immigrant Visa (12 types)
- Diplomatic Visa
- Official Visa
- Courtesy Visa

 

These all have pretty clear subdivisions with instructions as to who qualifies for what type, especially the whole range of Non-Immigrant ones.

 

I think to someone who doesn't qualify for any specific type be it by age or financial standing, but who still desperately wants to stay here long-term and thinks that the age and fiscal caps don't apply, then yes, a list of visa types that ultimately they can't come close to qualifying for does look like a daunting, complicated and overly-long list. When they erroneously include the visa-exempt entry, visa-on-arrival and the two Thailand Elite variants onto that list, then I can appreciate their frustration, albeit largely self-made.

 

I don't think the variety of available visas are the reasons for any claimed 4-hour, inbound immigration clearance; that's primarily due to very poor manpower management by the Immigration Police. FWIW, it used to take 3 to 4 hours to clear inbound at Los Angeles LAX and the US had 5 only main visa types with less variants in addition to their visa waiver (visa exempt entry) system. Now one needs to pre-qualify online to even get to a check-in desk for a US-bound flight. Not unknown to take a few hours to clear inbound at Heathrow too unless you're an EU type.

 

Either way, I think that regardless of the airport one is arriving at, one always seems to remember the worst-case scenario and handily forget the not infrequent 20 minute gate-to-taxi experience.

Edited January 20, 20188 yr by NanLaew

So if you have a particular set of skills or a certain knowledge of something, you don’t have to do 90 day reports? Are people in the field of ‘technology’ less likely to be committing crimes? 

 

Again, what is the point of 90 day reports? 

14 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

" The idea behind the Smart Visa is “to increase knowledge transfer and skill development in desirable fields such as technology and medicine”.

 

Ever tell a Thai what to do or how to do it?

Loads of times and got results too. Maybe start mixing with more intelligent people. 

The visa, itself, isn’t ‘smart’ or magically electronic but you’ll probably need to be smart to apply for it.

 

    If you're not that smart, please apply for the ordinary folks visa. 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

From MFA website,

 

- Transit Visa
- Tourist Visa (2 types)
- Non-Immigrant Visa (12 types)
- Diplomatic Visa
- Official Visa
- Courtesy Visa

 

These all have pretty clear subdivisions with instructions as to who qualifies for what type, especially the whole range of Non-Immigrant ones.

 

I think to someone who doesn't qualify for any specific type be it by age or financial standing, but who still desperately wants to stay here long-term and thinks that the age and fiscal caps don't apply, then yes, a list of visa types that ultimately they can't come close to qualifying for does look like a daunting, complicated and overly-long list. When they erroneously include the visa-exempt entry, visa-on-arrival and the two Thailand Elite variants onto that list, then I can appreciate their frustration, albeit largely self-made.

 

I don't think the variety of available visas are the reasons for any claimed 4-hour, inbound immigration clearance; that's primarily due to very poor manpower management by the Immigration Police. FWIW, it used to take 3 to 4 hours to clear inbound at Los Angeles LAX and the US had 5 only main visa types with less variants in addition to their visa waiver (visa exempt entry) system. Now one needs to pre-qualify online to even get to a check-in desk for a US-bound flight. Not unknown to take a few hours to clear inbound at Heathrow too unless you're an EU type.

 

Either way, I think that regardless of the airport one is arriving at, one always seems to remember the worst-case scenario and handily forget the not infrequent 20 minute gate-to-taxi experience.

I still think that all the different visa categories they got are time consuming, for example: many times they check every page of your passport to see how many entries you have done in the last year (visa-exempt entry) and I have also noticed that many of the immigration officers don't know how long you can stay on the different visa categories they got and have to ask their superiors, this also takes time. Malaysia and Singapore use a much better system and its very fast.

A work permit won’t be necessary with this “Smart Visa”. Rather than reporting to authorities every 90 days now “Smart Visa” holders will only need to report to the immigration bureau every one year. This visa can also extend to family members.

 

Most Digital Nomads are still working there on tourist visas without work permits.

 

  http://movingnomads.com/blog/digital-nomad-visa-finally-introduced-in-thailand-with-a-4-year-duration/

A smart visa would be, don't apply and go and live in a nicer country, i wonder if they have one of those

Would people that qualify for the smart visa actually want to work in LOS ??

If they are worth  200000/Month in Thailand, they would be able to work anywhere......

 

Just wonder...

9 hours ago, rkidlad said:

So if you have a particular set of skills or a certain knowledge of something, you don’t have to do 90 day reports? Are people in the field of ‘technology’ less likely to be committing crimes? 

 

Again, what is the point of 90 day reports? 

Is this a trick question or are you just being incredibly thick obtuse?

 

They want to know where you stay. What's the argument with that beyond, "They don't do it where I come from"?

 

Clue... if you are in Thailand, you are NOT where you came from.

 

The recently ramped-up need to enforce the existing laws that govern your legal stay in LOS is due to the legacy of abuse of their lax immigration laws over the past 30 or 40 years... or whenever Thailand was 'discovered'. Good guys in, bad guys out and all that.

 

8 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I still think that all the different visa categories they got are time consuming, for example: many times they check every page of your passport to see how many entries you have done in the last year (visa-exempt entry) and I have also noticed that many of the immigration officers don't know how long you can stay on the different visa categories they got and have to ask their superiors, this also takes time. Malaysia and Singapore use a much better system and its very fast.

Once again, these extra immigration forensics are because the system has been systematically abused by both visitors and the people entrusted to enforce  these rules.

 

Put it this way, you obviously have loads more experience of STAYING in Thailand under all the various types of visa that you can get. If you're not a tourist and you don't have a nine-to-five back home and you are in LOS maybe 3, 4 or 5 times a year, how are you making a living? Why are you making multiple, back-to-back, visa-exempt entries?

 

I bet you're not making as many HKG and SIN visits as you are BKK visits though. Transits? Yes. Short stopovers for a visa? Yes. Passport flipping? Yes, but you are not spending the bulk of your time INSIDE those places like you do INSIDE Thailand.

9 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Is this a trick question or are you just being incredibly thick obtuse?

 

They want to know where you stay. What's the argument with that beyond, "They don't do it where I come from"?

 

Clue... if you are in Thailand, you are NOT where you came from.

 

The recently ramped-up need to enforce the existing laws that govern your legal stay in LOS is due to the legacy of abuse of their lax immigration laws over the past 30 or 40 years... or whenever Thailand was 'discovered'. Good guys in, bad guys out and all that.

 

Once again, these extra immigration forensics are because the system has been systematically abused by both visitors and the people entrusted to enforce  these rules.

 

Put it this way, you obviously have loads more experience of STAYING in Thailand under all the various types of visa that you can get. If you're not a tourist and you don't have a nine-to-five back home and you are in LOS maybe 3, 4 or 5 times a year, how are you making a living? Why are you making multiple, back-to-back, visa-exempt entries?

 

I bet you're not making as many HKG and SIN visits as you are BKK visits though. Transits? Yes. Short stopovers for a visa? Yes. Passport flipping? Yes, but you are not spending the bulk of your time INSIDE those places like you do INSIDE Thailand.

Been here since 85 and had many different kinds of visas, Non immigrant B for over 20 years plus work permit, also been working in Singapore and in Malaysia for a long time. Compare to Malaysia and Singapore the Thai Visa system and immigration authorities sucks big time and its not getting better.

46 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Is this a trick question or are you just being incredibly thick obtuse?

 

They want to know where you stay. What's the argument with that beyond, "They don't do it where I come from"?

 

Clue... if you are in Thailand, you are NOT where you came from.

 

The recently ramped-up need to enforce the existing laws that govern your legal stay in LOS is due to the legacy of abuse of their lax immigration laws over the past 30 or 40 years... or whenever Thailand was 'discovered'. Good guys in, bad guys out and all that.

 

Once again, these extra immigration forensics are because the system has been systematically abused by both visitors and the people entrusted to enforce  these rules.

 

Put it this way, you obviously have loads more experience of STAYING in Thailand under all the various types of visa that you can get. If you're not a tourist and you don't have a nine-to-five back home and you are in LOS maybe 3, 4 or 5 times a year, how are you making a living? Why are you making multiple, back-to-back, visa-exempt entries?

 

I bet you're not making as many HKG and SIN visits as you are BKK visits though. Transits? Yes. Short stopovers for a visa? Yes. Passport flipping? Yes, but you are not spending the bulk of your time INSIDE those places like you do INSIDE Thailand.

Well done. I could never move house and just keep claiming to live where I originally stated. You know - because every 90 days I 'promise' them I still live there by writing it down (for the 11th time now) and I sign it. 

 

Now - go back home and get your shine-box.