Is a 6-month visa possible?

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

Hey all!

 

While my wife and I are looking to move to Thailand this year in November, my employer presented me with an interesting offer for me to consider. He would be willing agree to my living abroad 6 months out of the year and 6 months onsite in the States. Of course this all hinges on either a) is there a 6-month visa available, or b) is it possible to have a 1-year extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai national (but only staying 6 months in country each year). If possible, I would love to take advantage of the offer as my primary duties (maintaining org social media accounts, website, building small applications to use in-house, along with gathering data for our annual fiscal reports) allow me to work remotely. With Thailand's great internet and use of the company VPN, I don't see a problem with working from my home in Thailand for the 6 months I'm there. Any info would be helpful.

[mania]

1 hour ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

is it possible to have a 1-year extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai national (but only staying 6 months in country each year).

Sure this is possible. Once your one year extension is granted they do not care if you stay all year or part of a year.

What you would do is when leaving get a reentry permit

Try to time your exit/entry so you are back before your 1 year extension is up so you do not need to go thru the whole process again.

Edited April 10, 2022 by mania

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

5 minutes ago, mania said:

Try to time your exit/entry so you are back before your 1 year extension is up so you do not need to go thru the whole process again.

That's awesome to hear! Looks like that will be the route I take. Thanks for responding.

[Onerak]

2 hours ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

is it possible to have a 1-year extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai national (but only staying 6 months in country each year).

After you get your extension for a year, there is no residency requirements. You can immediately leave  Thailand and come back the following year to renew it. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Onerak

[Onerak]

2 hours ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

a) is there a 6-month visa available,

There is no six month visa as of now. You can get a multiple Non-O based on marriage and leave Thailand for a nere by country after three months and enter again. More and more countries are opening up. You can also do the same with a three month Non-O visa but each time you leave you have to get a new visa while entering. With a multiple entry visa, you don't need a new visa.

[mania]

1 hour ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

That's awesome to hear! Looks like that will be the route I take. Thanks for responding.

No problem & BTW I did not mean to imply you do not need to renew every year

When I said no need to go thru whole process again I meant the initial process

 

You of course do need to go in & renew every year as the extension is good for 1 year

 

Also 90 day reports not needed when out of country clock stops & 90 day check clock restarts on reentry

[allane]

I once had an eight month Non-Immigrant "B" visa because I had an eight month contract.  I was working as a school teacher, and had joined the school in mid school year.  The school wanted to synchronize me with all of the other foreign teachers.

Though in the case of the OP, better to get a 1 year visa.  This would offer more flexibility in terms of exact departure and return dates.

[Sheryl]

As others have said, no issue to get a one year extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai and hen stay just part time in Thailand, as long as you are back in Thailand in time to renew the extension (you and your wife, as she will have to come with you).

 

Niote that there is a financial requirement, you'll need to show 400K baht in a Thai bank

 

Keep in mind that your US insurance will likely not cover you out of the country so be sure to take out a travel policy for each trip (or get a regular expat insurance policy, but travel cover will be less expensive).

 

 

[treetops]

Although you were asking specifically about a visa, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a work permit.  When someone with a grudge, or that you or wife has upset, tells the authorities you're working, albeit remotely, they could come knocking on your door looking for one.

[Tuvoc]

Fantastic that your employer allows this. As above, just don't tell anyone at all in Thailand that you are working, otherwise in theory you could have a problem.

[ChristianBlessing]

You might also consider the METV (Multiple Entry Tourist Visa). It is a 180 day visa with the only caveat being that you must exit/reenter Thailand every 60 days. The cost is $200 USD. Otherwise there are no financial requirements or visits to immigration. Mine was approved via the Los Angeles consulate in 4 days.

[Antiparovian]

Ask your local Thai Consulate IMO

[Dart12]

one year business visas available.  Last I heard it cost about 65k.

Of course, you can also do Educational visas for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.    Last I heard 3 was 25, 6 was 40k, and 12 was 55k. (and 9 discontinued.  don't ask me why.  When I got mine, they revoked 12 month and forced me to take 9 months only a month ago. ). They can't make up their mind haha

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

9 hours ago, mania said:

No problem & BTW I did not mean to imply you do not need to renew every year

That part I was clear on. I assumed that clock would continue to run thought the reporting clock would stop when exiting.

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Keep in mind that your US insurance will likely not cover you out of the country so be sure to take out a travel policy for each trip (or get a regular expat insurance policy, but travel cover will be less expensive).

Thanks for this. I figured my insurance would be worthless outside the country and was going to pick up insurance through AXA or something along those lines. But it didn't dawn on me just pick up travel insurance since I would be going back and forth.

[dddave]

11 hours ago, mania said:

Sure this is possible. Once your one year extension is granted they do not care if you stay all year or part of a year.

What you would do is when leaving get a reentry permit

Try to time your exit/entry so you are back before your 1 year extension is up so you do not need to go thru the whole process again.

Re: the re-entry permit.  You do not have to waste time getting this at an immigration office.  After your check-in for your departing flight, there is a re-entry permit desk at Passport control.  Usually less than a 30 minute process.  1000 single entry, 3900 multiple entry.

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

4 hours ago, treetops said:

Although you were asking specifically about a visa, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a work permit.  When someone with a grudge, or that you or wife has upset, tells the authorities you're working, albeit remotely, they could come knocking on your door looking for one.

Good point. I would have to do some research on that since I wouldn't be working for a company based in Thailand. I also am a private person for the most part and not one to talk much about what I do. Also, I would be working strictly from home as not draw any unneeded attention. Fingers crossed on this one.

[Sheryl]

Just now, dddave said:

Re: the re-entry permit.  You do not have to waste time getting this at an immigration office.  After your check-in for your departing flight, there is a re-entry permit desk at Passport control.  Usually less than a 30 minute process.  1000 single entry, 3900 multiple entry.

It is, however, convenient to get this at immigration at the same time you do your annual extensions, especially since you are sure to travel out of the country.

[Sheryl]

Just now, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Good point. I would have to do some research on that since I wouldn't be working for a company based in Thailand. I also am a private person for the most part and not one to talk much about what I do. Also, I would be working strictly from home as not draw any unneeded attention. Fingers crossed on this one.

There is no way you can get a work permit.

 

Lots of expats work remotely here without one, whiel not technically legal, it is largely ignored.

 

Worth telling your wife to avoid mentioning it, though

[dddave]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

It is, however, convenient to get this at immigration at the same time you do your annual extensions, especially since you are sure to travel out of the country.

Totally depends on the office location.  Probably true for most provincial offices but for Chang Wattana, it could extend an already painful day for up to an additional 2 hours.

[alex8912]

3 hours ago, ChristianBlessing said:

You might also consider the METV (Multiple Entry Tourist Visa). It is a 180 day visa with the only caveat being that you must exit/reenter Thailand every 60 days. The cost is $200 USD. Otherwise there are no financial requirements or visits to immigration. Mine was approved via the Los Angeles consulate in 4 days.

Also remember you can easily extend the 60 day entry for 30 days and stay IN country. Then just one border hop ( which is getting easier and should be much easier by Fall. Then re enter Thailand again for 60 days plus one 30 day extension in country (1900 baht) for a full 6 months.  No need to tie up 400k baht but I think a bank statement showing $6 or $7,000USD in it. Very easy to get at NYC consulate as well. 

[ericthai]

6 hours ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Thanks for this. I figured my insurance would be worthless outside the country and was going to pick up insurance through AXA or something along those lines. But it didn't dawn on me just pick up travel insurance since I would be going back and forth.

I would check with HR at your company in the USA. When i frist started coming to yhsilanf for 2-4 montgs at a time for work my employer health coverage covered me. However i did have to pay and then submit the bills for reimbursement. Good Luck!

[srowndedbyh2o]

16 hours ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Thanks for this. I figured my insurance would be worthless outside the country and was going to pick up insurance through AXA or something along those lines. But it didn't dawn on me just pick up travel insurance since I would be going back and forth.

Check with the insurance through your employer and see if it will cover you outside the U.S. If not, does your employer offer a choice of insurance plans? Maybe one of them will provide the coverage you need. If so, weigh the cost of that insurance plan versus the additional cost of insurance in Thailand vs travel insurance.

The main reason I chose the insurance plan that I did (HMSA, a BlueCross/BlueSheild company) is that it can be used “worldwide”.

[mania]

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It is, however, convenient to get this at immigration at the same time you do your annual extensions, especially since you are sure to travel out of the country.

Not to mention some folks have left it till departure only to find their flight times with a closed office at the airport ????

Perhaps this has changed but I would not risk it...Better as you said just buy one at your yearly visit/renewal

 

[oldies1]

good to know

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

On 4/11/2022 at 12:11 PM, ericthai said:

I would check with HR at your company in the USA. When i frist started coming to yhsilanf for 2-4 montgs at a time for work my employer health coverage covered me. However i did have to pay and then submit the bills for reimbursement. Good Luck!

I will definitely look into that. I don't mind being reimbursed since I do expense reports monthly as it is.

[BritTim]

On 4/12/2022 at 10:57 AM, mania said:

Not to mention some folks have left it till departure only to find their flight times with a closed office at the airport ????

Do you have a link where someone had this experience? At both Bangkok airports, you can definitely get re-entry permits 24 hours. For the rest, there may be airports with no re-entry permit desk, but I have never read of anyone who found a re-entry desk at an airport closed when they were on their way out on an international flight. If I experienced this, I would definitely have found an immigration official, and asked them to sort it out. Usually, the desk that handles overstay fines can also do re-entry permits if there is no separate desk.

[mania]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

Do you have a link where someone had this experience? At both Bangkok airports, you can definitely get re-entry permits 24 hours.

Sorry no link but it happened at Chiang Mai Airport

Which many of us used to fly out of country, or did anyway. Not sure these covid days what the status is there

 

But yes many Korean Airlines or China Airlines flights left near midnight & it proved a problem as that office was not 24hours in those days

(2012-2016)

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, mania said:

Sorry no link but it happened at Chiang Mai Airport

Which many of us used to fly out of country, or did anyway. Not sure these covid days what the status is there

 

But yes many Korean Airlines or China Airlines flights left near midnight & it proved a problem as that office was not 24hours in those days

(2012-2016)

Did you ever ask about this at the overstay fine desk about that at the time? Or, did they close that as well and waive fines for those leaving on those flights?