Would I need a a visa to rent a condo for 3 months?

[InterestedSugoya]

As an American citizen, would I need some sort of Visa in order to rent a condo for 3 months? And I mean rent it legitimately through a real estate agency and all that.

 

I believe that I'll have temporary visitor status which is sort of like a tourist visa. I also do hope to take summer classes while in the country, but just in case I become disenchanted with them, I didn't want to rely on them (the school) for a visa.

 

I already spent about 18 days in Thailand in March of 2018, so I hope it's not the sort of thing where they say you're only allowed 90 days in the country without a visa.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

There is no requirement to have visa of any kind to rent a condo.

There is no limit on the amount of time you spend in the country on a visa exempt entry. It would be better though to get a single entry tourist visa that allows a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days.

[InterestedSugoya]

What is it that is stamped into my passport upon arrival? Would I have to go out of my way, or pay extra to get a single-entry tourist visa? 

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, InterestedSugoya said:

What is it that is stamped into my passport upon arrival? Would I have to go out of my way, or pay extra to get a single-entry tourist visa? 

That would be a 30 day visa exempt entry.

 

[dotpoom]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no limit on the amount of time you spend in the country on a visa exempt entry

Yet at the same time you say 

 

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That would be a 30 day visa exempt entry.

 

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It would be better though to get a single entry tourist visa that allows a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days.

Sounds a bit confusing?

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Sounds a bit confusing?

In what way.

No limit on visa exempt entries. Answer to this question.

5 hours ago, InterestedSugoya said:

I already spent about 18 days in Thailand in March of 2018, so I hope it's not the sort of thing where they say you're only allowed 90 days in the country without a visa.

Tourist visa was a suggestion.

That would be a 30 day visa exempt entry which was an answer to this question.

2 hours ago, InterestedSugoya said:

What is it that is stamped into my passport upon arrival?

 

[Tony125]

3 hours ago, InterestedSugoya said:

What is it that is stamped into my passport upon arrival? Would I have to go out of my way, or pay extra to get a single-entry tourist visa? 

That stamp is a Visa Exempt stamp which American and G-7 country citizens (plus some others) get upon arrival which gives you 30 days which can be extended for an additional 30 days once at immigration in Thailand  for a payment of 1900 baht. To get a tourist visa good for 60 days and can be extended within Thailand for an additional 30 days for a payment of 1900 baht you must apply at a Thai Embassy or consulate in the US , the cost is I think $40.

     If you come over on a visa exempt you can leave Thailand and go to say Laos, Cambodia, or other nearby countries and get a single entry tourist visa (60 days) at a Thai embassy or consulate in that country.

[elviajero]

21 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

That stamp is a Visa Exempt stamp which American and G-7 country citizens (plus some others) get upon arrival which gives you 30 days which can be extended for an additional 30 days once at immigration in Thailand  for a payment of 1900 baht.

Everyone that qualifies for the Tourist Visa Exempt Scheme gets 30 days on arrival.

Edited August 4, 2018 by elviajero

[elviajero]

4 hours ago, InterestedSugoya said:

What is it that is stamped into my passport upon arrival? Would I have to go out of my way, or pay extra to get a single-entry tourist visa? 

The entry stamp is a 'permit to stay' for tourism. You only get 30 days, which can be extended by 30 days at immigration.

 

If you are planning to stay 3 months it's is better all round to get a Tourist Visa before travelling. That will give you 60 days on entry that can be extended by 30 days giving you nearly 3 months. It will be cheaper and less hassle in the long run. You can apply in the US by post.

 

If you travel without a visa the airline might want to see an onward flight dated within 30 days, and at some point you will need to do a 'visa run' to cover the 3 months.

[ToddinChonburi]

You can be denied boarding in the US without proper Visa for international flight. They will ask you at ticket counter.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, ToddinChonburi said:

You can be denied boarding in the US without proper Visa for international flight. They will ask you at ticket counter.

Only if he does not have a ticket out of the country within 30 days.

[InterestedSugoya]

Appreciate the replies. My plan overall is to spend 5.5 months in Southeast Asia with the majority of that being in Thailand.

 

My plan is to go to Chiang Mai mid-October, rent a condo (try to set it up so that rent can start from November 1st), then travel to Japan and Vietnam before returning to Chiang Mai at the beginning of November.

 

It would be pretty easy for me to just get a 60-day Visa here at the consulate in New York. I hadn't considered that option, but I may do that just so I don't have to deal with the hassle while already in the country.

 

Since I plan on staying for 5.5 months though, I know that I will have to make probably about 2 Visa run trips (if I don't want to pay for the 30-day extension each time). That's okay with me though, because I would like to see other countries in the area.

 

UbonJoe, the truth is that I was a little bit confused by your reply, but I appreciate you taking the time out to clarify it.

 

Thank you all for your replies.

[Get Real]

I guess this was a question if it was possible to rent a condo for 3 month without a visa?

Answer: Yes, but you will need a valid visa or exempt entry for living in it. In that case it´s always less hassle with a visa in your passport.

Regarding the limit or staying in Thailand, has npthing to do with the amount of days. It can be 30, 60, 90, 180 or a year. Totally irrelevant. Some people still manage to stay long time on exempt entry with one 30 days at the time, while some people with visas in their passports get problem when entering.
 

The best advice is still to apply for the tourist visa that gives you the longest time for staying in Thailand that you qualify for, or a Non-O if you in any kind of way qualify for one of those.

[lvr181]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Only if he does not have a ticket out of the country within 30 days.

Before leaving your country, book an online special low cost flight from Phuket to KL (about $USD75 - more or  less) and throw away if not needed or change of plans.