ED Visa Mayhem

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

It`s not about being able to afford the EV, but it just makes 0 sense. You pay to breath thai air, that`s it. It`s the limited way in Thailand to make short-term money. They rather should focus on the investment visa and loosen the actual hurdles. Discussed that with thai friends and they love my suggestion. Let`s say minimum of 1Mio Baht/Investment into a thai project one favors + minimum 65k/month on foreign transactions+ basic language test. For that you get a 5yr visa, which can be re-newed. Of course, everything done professionally with a business plan etc. THAT would attract qualitative farangs and would be something innovative for people under 50.

You have posted some rippers. Meaning crazy. You have increased that level. 

Thinking you have zero business knowledge. 

Love to read your business plan in detail.

[BestB]

In fairness and honesty, most of ED visa are not in Thailand to study Thai but either working as teachers or digital nomads.

 

This was a loophole that existed for years, they started off by testing people and from memory many were "failing' even after 1 year of study and excuse to use was "i am a slow learner"

 

I wonder if ED visa would be denied if one was attending university instead of just language school. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by BestB

[SpanishExpat]

11 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You have posted some rippers. Meaning crazy. You have increased that level. 

Thinking you have zero business knowledge. 

Love to read your business plan in detail.

I rather guess you didn`t understand what I meant which I don`t care at all, as they won`t ever implement that. But in my case I know one project of friends in Thonglor who would have loved that possibility and decreased their bank-loan that way. 

Edited August 24, 2019 by SpanishExpat

[mike787]

Yep! I/we have herd the same.  Thailand is NO longer the easy visa you thought it would be.  Time to find another country.

[fforest1]

At this rate of constant visa squeezing and tightening all the time there will hardly be any under 50s left in Thailand...And flying back home to get a visa will get real expensive real real fast......But I bet there will be plenty of cheap vans for sale as the visa run company's go out of business one by one.....And the ED teachers better start taking massage lessons..

Edited August 24, 2019 by fforest1

[cerox]

When I heard of Vientiane denying many ED visas from my school and also denying these martial arts CNX corrupted visas, I accelerated my preparations. I have been here for 3 years, this year was the first time where I thought 50/50 when I applied for the visa. For me it was clear that if they deny/void the visa, I would not try again and leave. It was just the tipping point - just the trigger I was waiting for being honest to myself.

 

I think many of you are generalizing about people who use the visa. There is just no other choice other than Elite, not everyone wants the inflexibility to kind of tie oneself 20 years to a country. When I consider the mood of Bangkok IO, I am not sure they hold up their deal that long.

 

I go back to my home country every 6-9 months, but I just went back. I surely do not go again for the single purpose of getting a Thailand ED visa, hoping that they let me in and hoping that they grant it with a void stamp in my passport. So much risk and effort - time/money, for what?

 

4 months on visa-exempt (with extension) is a much better alternative for me and many others now. I agree with you guys and for people aged below 50, the time is up, unless working here, married or willing to "invest".

 

The reason I stayed that long is that I speak Thai, so it feels kind of home for me here. But now 4 months per year is better than this hassle.

[DrJack54]

55 minutes ago, cerox said:

When I heard of Vientiane denying many ED visas from my school and also denying these martial arts CNX corrupted visas, I accelerated my preparations. I have been here for 3 years, this year was the first time where I thought 50/50 when I applied for the visa. For me it was clear that if they deny/void the visa, I would not try again and leave. It was just the tipping point - just the trigger I was waiting for being honest to myself.

 

I think many of you are generalizing about people who use the visa. There is just no other choice other than Elite, not everyone wants the inflexibility to kind of tie oneself 20 years to a country. When I consider the mood of Bangkok IO, I am not sure they hold up their deal that long.

 

I go back to my home country every 6-9 months, but I just went back. I surely do not go again for the single purpose of getting a Thailand ED visa, hoping that they let me in and hoping that they grant it with a void stamp in my passport. So much risk and effort - time/money, for what?

 

4 months on visa-exempt (with extension) is a much better alternative for me and many others now. I agree with you guys and for people aged below 50, the time is up, unless working here, married or willing to "invest".

 

The reason I stayed that long is that I speak Thai, so it feels kind of home for me here. But now 4 months per year is better than this hassle.

Agree. Its been coming for some time. Several years ago I arrived los for first time. Already over 50. I just used visa exempt. Over and over because I also liked Vietnam and was good excuse to have week away from my Thai partner. In those days ed visas were a joke and the under 50,s ran with that. Didn't even attend classes. Fast forward to today. Gig is up. I was forced onto extensions. Even that is harder now. I have locked 800k into FD account. Basically dead money sitting in Thai bank. As for the under 50,s ..... not many options. If someone is single then more simple. Spend 3 moths los followed by 3 months in other place (Vietnam, Cambodia,etc) wash and repeat. 

[cerox]

That is what I think too. Because I spend around 3 months per year in my home country, I could still do 4 months Thailand and then just travel. No more worries about consulates.

 

This might all turn in 5-10 years, if there is a recession and a downturn in tourism, they might open up again. But for now being a tourist seems the best alternative.

[DrPhibes]

15 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Watch and observe what happens over the coming months. Unless you are working or married, you will not get a visa in the region. Those people will be expected to apply for extensions in Thailand, not get visa after visa.
Others will need to apply for visas in their country of passport. The days of visa after visa are coming to an end.

Agree, I have been in Thailand for 3 years on a Non-O with my wife and kids here.  Teen kinds in school, all on the up and up.  Go back to the US to work each year and get my 1yr Non-O as a US citizen each time I leave for Thailand.  Have to step out of the country every 90 days.  Go to prepare for my first step over the border this year and discover I only have a 6mo visa.  After several calls to the Thai officials here and the US Thai consulate in Los Angeles (who would not return any e-mails), I can not get my visa fixed.  It must be extended in Thailand.  My reasoning is that I have too may Non-O stamps in my passport and they want to make sure I am truly married and living with my wife.  Had I not caught it early, I would not have time to get the 400k transferred in a timely manner or would have overstayed. 

[DannyCarlton]

19 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Working Thai you can learn on your own in six months.

Very true, plus, if you learn Thai in any of the Thai language "schools" in Pattaya, you'll learn next to no useful Thai. Just under-the-counter visa shops.

[Globe Trotter]

19 hours ago, Martyp said:

There are at least 4 ways to stay in Thailand long term:

You are at least 50 years old

Married to a Thai

Have a job with a work permit 

Have an Elite visa

 

I agree that it takes more than a year to master the Thai language. You didn’t say what your long term goals are and why it is necessary to learn Thai. You didn’t say if you are enrolled in a university degree program. It is not unreasonable to think that staying in Thailand for a year or so is plenty of tourist time to experience the country. There is a gaping hole in Thai immigration policy for people under 50 to stay longer as a tourist. It would be nice if there was a way for people to apply to stay longer while demonstrating they have to means to support themselves.

It isn't me who is studying Thai.. If you read back the post I originally made, I mentioned that a friend of time has been enrolled at a Thai school for nearly 2 years now. I myself don't study and am not on an ED visa. 
I agree with your 4 methods of staying here long term, however some of those are becoming more and more troublesome too. The Elite visa is the most hassle free option, if you want to splash the cash of course 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Globe Trotter

[Martyp]

4 minutes ago, Globe Trotter said:

It isn't me who is studying Thai.. If you read back the post I originally made, I mentioned that a friend of time has been enrolled at a Thai school for nearly 2 years now. I myself don't study and am not on an ED visa. 
I agree with your 4 methods of staying here long term, however some of those are becoming more and more troublesome too. The Elite visa is the most hassle free option, if you want to splash the cash of course 

Sorry. I was using “You” in a more general sense.

[fforest1]

1 hour ago, DannyCarlton said:

Very true, plus, if you learn Thai in any of the Thai language "schools" in Pattaya, you'll learn next to no useful Thai. Just under-the-counter visa shops.

What few language schools are left you mean.....Pattaya use to have about as many language schools as 7-11s it seemed a few years ago.....Now most are gone..

Edited August 25, 2019 by fforest1

[Geovanna]

On 8/24/2019 at 9:03 PM, clearance said:

I hear about 1 ED visa per year rule long time ago. I got mine in December, this means it belongs to 2018? And I can get new one without problems? ????

Which school did you go to?

I'm struggling to find one that is trustworthy

Edited January 14, 2020 by Geovanna