SMART Visa Detailed

[pearciderman]

On 2/26/2018 at 2:05 PM, BritTim said:

Producing vlogs is classed as film making , and you will not get a work permit for doing this without a Non M visa. Teaching has special requirements also, among other things usually requiring employment by an accredited school. As I stated in my earlier post, we are talking about what is technically legal, not what is certainly tolerated.

 

Totally incorrect, you obviously have no idea what the Non-M is for, so I will list it for you below. It is not for any Tom, Dick or Harry who films himself eating noodles and uploads it to Youtube,

 

NON-IMMIGRANT VISA-M

Guidance for foreign journalists who wish to work in Thailand

1. Filing for Request

A journalist who wishes to receive permission to work in Thailand as correspondent in a representative office of a foreign news, newspaper, television or radio agency in Thailand, and who wishes to live in Thailand for up to one year or over without having to extend visa every 3 months, can file a request (together with the important documents listed under 2.) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval.

Please contact directly with:

1) the Press Division, Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 443 Sry Ayudhya Road, Bangkok 10400. Tel (662) 6435105, Fax (662) 6435106-7.

OR 2) the Royal Thai Embassy, 370 Orchard Road, Singapore 238870 (please also email the supporting documents to [email protected])

2. Specific Requirements for a Media (M) Visa

A foreign journalist must send in the following documents to the Press Division in Bangkok:

2.1 An official letter from the news agency he or she is working for to introduce the journalist to the Director-General of the Information Department and to confirm the appointment of the journalist to work in Thailand;

2.2 The journalist’s resume;

2.3 Details of background, circulation, list of owner and editor(s) of the publication;

2.4 A copy of valid passport (expiry date must be no less than 6 months from the day the application is submitted to the embassy); 2.5 identity card of the journalist issued by the news agency and any other relevant documents should you feel that they will help support your application;

2.5 At least three examples of published news reports or other forms of news reports, especially those related to Thailand, that has been done in the past by the journalist in English (if it is not in English, the translation in English is necessary). 
- For print media, we require originals of the publications in which each article has been published. Clippings or photocopies are not acceptable 
- For television reporters, CD or DVD of the aired segments is required. 
- For radio journalists, radio producers or other off-air personnel, CD of the programs is required. 
- For television cameramen, producers and directors, CD or DVD of the sequence of credits of the programs containing their names.

 

 

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, pearciderman said:

 

Totally incorrect, you obviously have no idea what the Non-M is for, so I will list it for you below. It is not for any Tom, Dick or Harry who films himself eating noodles and uploads it to Youtube,

 

NON-IMMIGRANT VISA-M

Guidance for foreign journalists who wish to work in Thailand

1. Filing for Request

A journalist who wishes to receive permission to work in Thailand as correspondent in a representative office of a foreign news, newspaper, television or radio agency in Thailand, and who wishes to live in Thailand for up to one year or over without having to extend visa every 3 months, can file a request (together with the important documents listed under 2.) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval.

Please contact directly with:

1) the Press Division, Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 443 Sry Ayudhya Road, Bangkok 10400. Tel (662) 6435105, Fax (662) 6435106-7.

OR 2) the Royal Thai Embassy, 370 Orchard Road, Singapore 238870 (please also email the supporting documents to [email protected])

2. Specific Requirements for a Media (M) Visa

A foreign journalist must send in the following documents to the Press Division in Bangkok:

2.1 An official letter from the news agency he or she is working for to introduce the journalist to the Director-General of the Information Department and to confirm the appointment of the journalist to work in Thailand;

2.2 The journalist’s resume;

2.3 Details of background, circulation, list of owner and editor(s) of the publication;

2.4 A copy of valid passport (expiry date must be no less than 6 months from the day the application is submitted to the embassy); 2.5 identity card of the journalist issued by the news agency and any other relevant documents should you feel that they will help support your application;

2.5 At least three examples of published news reports or other forms of news reports, especially those related to Thailand, that has been done in the past by the journalist in English (if it is not in English, the translation in English is necessary). 
- For print media, we require originals of the publications in which each article has been published. Clippings or photocopies are not acceptable 
- For television reporters, CD or DVD of the aired segments is required. 
- For radio journalists, radio producers or other off-air personnel, CD of the programs is required. 
- For television cameramen, producers and directors, CD or DVD of the sequence of credits of the programs containing their names.

 

 

You are also incorrect, because what you posted is is just one type of visitor who is eligible for a non-m visa, there are more types

[pearciderman]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You are also incorrect, because what you posted is is just one type of visitor who is eligible for a non-m visa, there are more types

 

Wrong again :-)

 

http://mmos.mfa.go.th/guideline/

 

Guidelines for Issuing Non-immigrant Visa Category "M" (Media Visa)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has revised guidelines for issuing non-immigrant visa category “M” (or ‘media visa’) for journalists and media correspondents applying to work in Thailand for more than the period of three months. The revised guidelines which became effective since 21 March 2016 has the following details:

 

Visa for foreign media will be issued to applicant with the following qualifications:

 

1. Must be employed by a news agency registered with the competent agency of either Thai or foreign government.
2. Works full time as a correspondent of a news agency and does not intend to take employment elsewhere except as a correspondent of a news agency.

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, pearciderman said:

 

Wrong again :-)

 

http://mmos.mfa.go.th/guideline/

 

Guidelines for Issuing Non-immigrant Visa Category "M" (Media Visa)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has revised guidelines for issuing non-immigrant visa category “M” (or ‘media visa’) for journalists and media correspondents applying to work in Thailand for more than the period of three months. The revised guidelines which became effective since 21 March 2016 has the following details:

 

Visa for foreign media will be issued to applicant with the following qualifications:

 

1. Must be employed by a news agency registered with the competent agency of either Thai or foreign government.
2. Works full time as a correspondent of a news agency and does not intend to take employment elsewhere except as a correspondent of a news agency.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

- to work as a film-producer, journalist or reporter (Category "M")

What you posted are the requirements for journalists

[pearciderman]

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

 

 

What you posted are the requirements for journalists

 

Then please show me a Thai government link that shows all these other types of people that you say are eligible.

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, pearciderman said:

 

Then please show me a Thai government link that shows all these other types of people that you say are eligible.

I just posted the link and you even quoted it. An official government website that says film producers and reporters are eligible for a non-m visa as well, not only journalists as you claimed.

[impulse]

On 2/26/2018 at 11:47 AM, BritTim said:

It is not unlikely that the activities described in the work permit will actually be different from those undertaken by most digital nomads. Recall that there are numerous occupations restricted to Thais. The fact that you are really working overseas on a computer in Thailand does not matter when using the fiction of being the employee of a Thai company. Thus, your work permit may be quite vague and general, but will not allow activities restricted to Thais. Yes, those activities are going to be tolerated, but the same goes for those on Thailand Elite visas without work permits.

 

Cases in point are the dive instructors a couple of years back who got pinched for helping carrying their students' equipment to the boat, in spite of reports they had work permits to be dive instructors.  Their WP's didn't include manual labor, and there was even some question about whether the WP's allowed working outside of their office/retail location. 

 

In any case, make sure your activities very specifically match what the WP says you're allowed to do, and where you're allowed to do it.  Otherwise, you're still at risk of over-zealous enforcement or a competitor with the red-eye who rats you out.

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by impulse

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, pearciderman said:

Totally incorrect, you obviously have no idea what the Non-M is for

While not always enforced, any kind of filming in Thailand for later publication requires a Non M visa. Here is a brief rundown on the requirements:

Quote

Non-Immigrant Type M

• Applicant who wishes to work as a film-producer, journalist, or reporter, may apply for this type of visa.

• First, the applicant has to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek a filming permit at the MFA Media Online Service.

Once approved, the applicant has to apply for visa at the Royal Thai Embassy, submitting the following :

- passport (validity over 6 months)

- 2 recent photos

- visa application form

- filming permit

- letter of employment to confirm the media trip

The main point is that you will not get a work permit for this kind of activity on a regular Non B visa. Even if IGLU will accept you, they will not be able to create a legal route for you to earn money as a vlogger. You will point out that a typical vlogger would have no way to meet the legal requirements. I would agree with you, and point out the same is true of many categories of digital nomads.

[lkv]

13 hours ago, lkv said:

Any updates from people in the process of getting this?

I was referring to the Smart Visa.

 

I specifically want to know if anybody has applied or is in the process of getting the Smart-S visa.