Medium Term Stay In Thailand

[luigikololi]

I am intending to come to Thailand for 6 months in June. I am a UK passport holder living in The Gambia, Africa, and will travel via London. I cannot get a Thai visa in Africa as the Thai consul here is African and insists that because I have a UK passport I can get 30 days on arrival, and he probably wants a backhander to do anything unusual., so I normally enter on a 30 day visa on arrival. I left Thailand on 5th. Oct last year and returned March 17th. this year, when I stayed for 27 days, visa on arrival, leaving on 12th. April.

My plans now are as follows, and I would like anybody who is knowledgeable to comment on the sense of my plans.

Enter at BKK 17th. June, get 30 day stamp. I will have an e-ticket to fly out to SGN on 16th. July.

Fly to SGN on 16th. July. Apply for 60 day visa in SGN 17th. July.

Fly back to BKK on 19th. July.

Apply for 30 day extension at Immigration office before 60 days expires on 16th. Sept.

Fly to SGN again on 16th. Oct. Apply for 60 day visa in SGN on 17th. Oct.

Fly back to BKK on 19th. Oct.

Fly back to The Gambia via UK, ex BKK on 6th. Dec.

I would then intend to return at the end of March 2008 on 30 day visa on entry, then start procedure to get Retirement Visa. By the end of April I would have bought a condo and have the required amount of cash in my Thai bank account.

Does all that make sense, or is there a better or easier way of staying until 6th. Dec.?

All constructive comments will be appreciated.

I did post a similar but not so detailed question on this forum some months ago and Lopburi kindly replied, but my itinerary wasn't as concrete as it is now. So, thanks to Lopburi, and sorry I have to ask again.

[Maestro]

Enter at BKK 17th. June, get 30 day stamp. I will have an e-ticket to fly out to SGN on 16th. July.

Fly to SGN on 16th. July. Apply for 60 day visa in SGN 17th. July

...

Fly to SGN again on 16th. Oct. Apply for 60 day visa in SGN on 17th. Oct.

Your itinerary and visa plans make perfect sense:

There is just one caution: a number of ThaiVisa members have reported that when picking up the tourist visa in Singapore there is a stamp in the passport saying that this embassy will not issue a further tourist visa to the passport holder. It is possible that this may be done only to persons whose history of stamps shows that they have already been living continuously in Thailand as a tourist for many years, but nobody knows how they really handle it. If you should get such note in you passport, simply go to another place for your second tourist visa, but avoid Manila, Phnom Penh and Rangoon.

--------------

Maestro

[lopburi3]

If you could spare a couple of days in the UK to mail or visit Hull Consulate you might be able to obtain a multi entry non immigrant visa which would serve your trip and retirement application in one go. I would shoot them an email or call and ask.

[luigikololi]

Thanks to both Maestro and Lopburi3. I have just e-mailed the Thai consulate in Hull and await their reply. If there is anything interesting in that reply I'll be sure to let you know.

[naka]

If you could spare a couple of days in the UK to mail or visit Hull Consulate you might be able to obtain a multi entry non immigrant visa which would serve your trip and retirement application in one go. I would shoot them an email or call and ask.

Sterling advice (as usual)

Naka.

[luigikololi]

I promised to let you know the result of my e-mail to Hull.......As of now I still haven't had a reply. So this morning I phoned the Embassy in London (much more convenient for me if I am transiting UK en route to Thailand). I spoke to a Thai girl who told me that I could not enter Thailand without a Visa, the 30 day exempt was not possible on entry, only 15 days, and that I needed to be 65 yrs. old to obtain a non immigrant visa. She also said that I could only get a visa for 30 days. I then phoned Hull..... No problem at all. We can process your application within 30 minutes. If you give us a call the day before you arrive we will have everything ready for you. All you need is 90 pounds, a completed application, your passport, and a passport sized photo. There is a shop near the consulate where you can get a photo done if you don't already have one.....What a bloody difference!! So I'll be making plans to go to Hull. Bit of an inconvenience but I feel much happier with the service and hopefully the result. Also they are open longer hours than London.

[Lite Beer]

I promised to let you know the result of my e-mail to Hull.......As of now I still haven't had a reply. So this morning I phoned the Embassy in London (much more convenient for me if I am transiting UK en route to Thailand). I spoke to a Thai girl who told me that I could not enter Thailand without a Visa, the 30 day exempt was not possible on entry, only 15 days, and that I needed to be 65 yrs. old to obtain a non immigrant visa. She also said that I could only get a visa for 30 days. I then phoned Hull..... No problem at all. We can process your application within 30 minutes. If you give us a call the day before you arrive we will have everything ready for you. All you need is 90 pounds, a completed application, your passport, and a passport sized photo. There is a shop near the consulate where you can get a photo done if you don't already have one.....What a bloody difference!! So I'll be making plans to go to Hull. Bit of an inconvenience but I feel much happier with the service and hopefully the result. Also they are open longer hours than London.

y

As has been reported many times. Hull is the place to go. You can apply by post if you have the time.

[distortedlink]

What a big load of hassle. If I were you, I would get sponsors for all the miles you will be travelling.

Firstly how old are you and how much money do you have in the bank?

Why is it going to take you until April 2008 to raise enough funds to begin applying for a retirement visa? How do you intend to get an income if you decide to reside in Thailand?

You quote that you are a UK passport holder. Are you an African holding a UK passport or of British decent?

If you are 50 or over and have 800000 baht plus in your bank, you are eligible to apply for a non immigrant visa based on a pension once you are in Thailand. 800000 baht is the amount required by Thai law for a one year non immigrant visa based on retirement.

You may need to explain to immigration what you were doing in Africa or the UK and how you will obtain an income in the near future for living expenses. If you are going to be on just enough money to satisfy immigration I would suggest that you either return to Africa or the UK as inflation in Thailand is high, living expenses increase year by year and jobs for farangs in Thailand are practically non existant or illegal.

Edited May 7, 2007 by distortedlink