Best visa option...?

[Mark73]

I would like to visit Thailand for around 2-3 months. I am a British citizen with UK passport. I have left my job in the UK but have savings that I can show which will cover my spends in Thailand. I'm just confused as to providing proof of onwards travel. I don't know exactly how long I want to stay for but I can prove I have the funds to live in Thailand for a few years and won't need to work.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[elviajero]

You just need a Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV). That will give you 60 days when you first enter, which you can extend by 30 days in Thailand. If you apply from the Embassy in London, which can be done by post, you don't need to provide onward flight info.

 

After that 90 days you will need to leave the country. If you want to stay longer you can get additional SETV's from Thai embassies/consulates in the countries neighbouring Thailand.

[Mark73]

29 minutes ago, elviajero said:

You just need a Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV). That will give you 60 days when you first enter, which you can extend by 30 days in Thailand. If you apply from the Embassy in London, which can be done by post, you don't need to provide onward flight info.

 

After that 90 days you will need to leave the country. If you want to stay longer you can get additional SETV's from Thai embassies/consulates in the countries neighbouring Thailand.

This is the option I was looking at. Unfortunately I have to apply in person as I am a dual national of one of the countries they consider to be high risk. I have also been on a 2 week holiday to Thailand in January using 30 day visa exemption. Do you think I would be ok to book a flight with a return after around 6 months? Then I will book a cheap flight to Vietnam or Cambodia to adhere to 90 day rule (inc 30 day extension) stay there for a week and apply for another SETV to cover my last 90 days in Thailand? Do they require any proof of funds for SETV like a bank statement?

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

Do you think I would be ok to book a flight with a return after around 6 months?

No. If they insist on an onward flight you can buy a cheap ticket to any country. It doesn’t have to be a return, and you don’t have to use it.

 

14 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

I have to apply in person as I am a dual national of one of the countries they consider to be high risk

What nationalities do you have? Just apply using the passport of other country. You don’t need to disclose both nationalities.

 

If you qualify for visa exempt entry you shouldn’t have a problem getting a SETV.

 

14 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

Do they require any proof of funds for SETV like a bank statement?

Not usually if applying in the UK, but at most places in SEA you’ll need to prove you have the equivalent of 20K baht by showing a bank statement.

Edited March 15, 2018 by elviajero

[steve187]

try and obtain a METV ( multi entry tourist visa) good for 6 months, will give 60 days on each entry, so with an rntry just prior to visa expiry date and a 30 day extension good for 9 months in Thailand. in the op he states 2/3 months but then states a few years. 

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, Mark73 said:

This is the option I was looking at. Unfortunately I have to apply in person as I am a dual national of one of the countries they consider to be high risk.

Not sure what you mean. Will you be using a passport from one of those countries to apply for the visa? If not then they will not be aware you are from one of those countries.

Perhaps you are reading this incorrectly on this page. http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84397-How-to-apply-visa-by-post.html

Quote

Exception : Holders of passports / UK Travel Documents who are nationals of these following countries have to apply in person only

The passport part means a passport from one of those countries. A travel document is a not a passport in this case it is a document issued by the UK to those who are stateless or cannot a get a passport from their home country.

 

If you got a visa exempt entry earlier this year that indicates you were using a passport that was not from one of those countries.

[anon789561]

you don't need to mention your dual nationality. just get an METV using your british passport from the London embassy(by post if not in London) then play it by ear once here. if you are going to stay for a couple of years maybe do a thai language course and get an education visa or just carry on with tourists visas. there's a few options but the METV would be best to start i think

[Suradit69]

10 hours ago, Mark73 said:

I don't know exactly how long I want to stay for but I can prove I have the funds to live in Thailand for a few years and won't need to work.

Start with the tourist visa using your UK passport. That gives you 60 days and then you can apply at immigrations in Thailand for an additional 30 day.

 

If you are over 50 and want to stay long term (i.e. years), you could explore the option of obtaining a one year extension of stay based on retirement. You would need to prove Baht 800,000 in a Thai bank or Baht 65,000 monthly income with certification from your embassy (or a combination of money in the bank and income verification) ... but it's probably too early for you to think about that sort of committment. You'll need to experience two or three months here or longer before considering if you want to go that route ... again assuming you're 50 or older.

 

[Enoon]

So which one is it?:

 

A) "I would like to visit Thailand for around 2-3 months."

 

2 stays of 3 months each with a week spent in Viet/Cambo in between.

 

C) "I don't know exactly how long I want to stay for but I can prove I have the funds to live in Thailand for a few years and won't need to work."

 

D) None of the above.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by Enoon