Big Thailand visa changes from June 1

[Skeptic7]

Looking forward to future irate posts where every IO in the country has their own interpretation or even more likely...no clue. Or when Chinese, Indians, Frussians enter and get 60 days...then Yanks, Brits, Euros, Aussies enter and get the same ol' 30❗🤣

🍿

[at15]

18 minutes ago, AreYouGerman said:

 

Here we go again.

 

Boomers getting scared that 'their' Thailand is used by young guys as playground.

 

'Son, you have to work 40 years in a factory before you are allowed to enjoy your life.'

 

The time has changed. Even 'digital nomad' word is outdated. It's now just called work because today's work does not have to be in a factory and can be done everywhere. Get updated.

I have been in thailand for 10 years since mid 20's. This would be the worst thing that could happen for us younger folks. Making visas impossible and aggravating like russia or china would be the best. If you cant understand this well im not gonna explain it, good luck to you.

[ravip]

Is this news on the Thailand Immigration Bureau website?

[ryandb]

6 hours ago, hydraides said:

Also I bet the digital nomad visa/muay thai will have either serious (tax requirements and reporting/ medical insurance requirements)

 

E.g have to pay like 20 % tax on your digital nomad earnings or something like that and have to earn at least 40,000 baht a month........

 

I think these proposals should be taken with a very big pinch of salt

 

 

$40k! That would qualify all the brokies (a remote CS job in the UK is like 2k a month so nearly 90k US if its a tech company 3-4k if) everyone is scared of coming, I imagine it'll be at least double/treble that which would be fine by me if it's renewable each year then it's much cheaper than other visas for under 50s even if they do a small taxation (think its 7% here) with the cost of living you are way up. 

 

My only thing I hate is why can't they just charge the 1900 on entry so you can book your onward flight correctly rather than having a cheap one to Singapore inside the 30/60 days and then cancelling it.

[ryandb]

50 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

What happened to the mantra of “quality” tourists?

 

the average student, Muay Thai, cooking etc, and digital nomad is pretty young and living on a limited budget.

I'd class as a Digital Nomad as would most of the people I know living in the villas here on Samui, we definitely aren't on a limited budget, that's the average pensioner over here

[findlay13]

8 hours ago, JoeyMac said:

Whilst the visa length may be welcome by some, you have to think about whether Thailand will still look the same after the huge volume of people that are now going to be let in. 

 

This is not the good news people think. 

Well it doesn't look the same LOS as when I first set foot in Thailand 20 yrs ago so I would say it will definitely look different.

 

[Srikcir]

12 hours ago, humbug said:

nomads have a 5 year on LTR

Those who seek a 'digital nomad' lifestyle can apply for the LTR visa and work legally in Thailand for as long as 10 years (first 5 years followed by a free 5 year extension) if they meet the eligibility criteria.

This should change with LTR however: Insured under a health insurance covering a minimum of USD 50,000 (almost 2 million baht) vs health insurance coverage of 440,000 baht.

[ryandb]

15 minutes ago, at15 said:

I have been in thailand for 10 years since mid 20's. This would be the worst thing that could happen for us younger folks. Making visas impossible and aggravating like russia or china would be the best. If you cant understand this well im not gonna explain it, good luck to you.

 

I wouldn't say it will, if you want to be in Thailand you can find a way easy enough, it still isn't as easy as the Philippines for example where you can do 3 years without exiting on a TV and now they have Starlink to solve the internet issue for DNs making it very appealing for first time DNs who are trying to grow their business

[Phulublub]

12 hours ago, MarkBR said:

13 hours ago, Robert Paulson said:

Sounds like they want the tax money. So can we just say we’re digital nomads. Someone explain to me why a digital nomad is going to get 180 days while a married expat has to jump through all kinds of hoops and report every90

Need to see the final details.  Because if everything is like this, everyone over 50 will change from retirement to digital nomad as less hassle is involved.   So final details are important. 

Reporting every 90 days during a 12 month permission to stay is different to having a 180 day permission to stay.

 

PH

[bamnutsak]

The smell of desperation is strong this morning.

[Phulublub]

12 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

Wondering what happens to expat insurance policies now since they've backfipped on O-A insurance and went back to 440k. I'm on a non-O and fishing for insurance and most of the good policies were for 3 million baht like the O-A....might wait a month to see what happens

If you are non-O and the regs do not change for us, then you should tailor your Insurance to what you need, rather than some arbitrary figure unrelated to those needs.

 

PH

[Liquorice]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Additionally, the cabinet approved the increase of e-visa application services at Thai consulates and embassies, rising from 47 to 94 locations, beginning in September.

For those with a Thai spouse/family and don't have 400K THB, or don't want to deposit 400K in a Thai bank account and now limited to the single entry Non Imm O visa from Savannahket without any financial proof, the above should have them very concerned.

If Lao adopts the online e-visa system, then the Non Imm O without any financial proof will become redundant.

[george]

23 minutes ago, ravip said:

Is this news on the Thailand Immigration Bureau website?

Not yet announced by The Immigration Bureau , the announcement was done by MFA just yesterday after the cabinet meeting. Immigration is normally not fast with policy updates, so watch this space for updates when it happens.

[Jack1988]

What happens for those who have already obtained an approved tourist e-visa in their country at the embassy and will go to Thailand after the new visas announcement?

[pomchop]

So exactly how do you qualify as a digital nomad?  Do you have to show proof of the revenue from the biz...what contitutes such proof?  if i say i have a digital biz what would be the min revenues to qualify? if  my revenues are $100 a year is that ok? or a website or some sort of biz license or contract or what /? 

 

Or can I just announce i am a digital nomad pay the 10 k fee and put 500 k in bank and all set?  Do you have to pay thai taxes on whatever you claim is revenue from your digital biz?  Lots of questions and gray areas that need to be clearly addressed it seems.

[Pattaya57]

2 minutes ago, Jack1988 said:

What happens for those who have already obtained an approved tourist e-visa in their country at the embassy and will go to Thailand after the new visas announcement?

You'll get 60 days entry just like what the tourist e-visa says (or if you don't show your e-visa printout to IO you'll get 60 days visa exempt entry)

 

Edited May 29 by Pattaya57

[Phulublub]

2 hours ago, SportRider said:

Hmmm.. I read it as a 180 day visa with a 5 year validity.   Once used, you could apply for another (don't need to wait the 5 years). 

This is how other visas work I think? 

 

Or you have a  5 year visa that is not stamped "USED" on entry.  You arrive and can stay for 180 days but must then leave, but can re-enter multiple times during the 5 year validity, each stay for a maximum of 180 days.   ONE of those entries can be extended by another 180 days during the Visa validity.  Similar to an METV, but costing a lot more an valid for a lot longer.

 

PH

[pomchop]

1 minute ago, Jack1988 said:

What happens for those who have already obtained an approved tourist e-visa in their country at the embassy and will go to Thailand after the new visas announcement?

u just wasted your time and money from what i can tell as 60 days + 30 day extension is escentially same thing without having to do the online stuff and pay the online fee...the 30 day extension is the same 1900 thb at immigration...

 

.not clear if you can leave after total of 90 days to neighbor country and come immediately back to thailand and get 60 more days plus 30 day extension....how many times is this permitted? obviously some restrictions on how many times in calendar year or you could leave every 90 days over and over for years?

[mania]

10 hours ago, theblether said:

"- Adjusting the criteria and conditions for the Long Stay visa for elderly people who wish to spend their retirement in Thailand, starting in September 2024."

 

Oooft - here we go. So where do they go with this? Raising the 65,000 baht monthly qualifier or 800,000 baht in bank? 

 

Let the speculation begin. 

 

Funny when I read that I had the opposite thought that hopefully they were going to ease it as every other thing they mentioned was easier than previously. I guess we will know soon enough 😉 

[Jack1988]

2 minutes ago, pomchop said:

u just wasted your time and money from what i can tell as 60 days + 30 day extension is escentially same thing without having to do the online stuff and pay the online fee...the 30 day extension is the same 1900 thb at immigration...

 

.not clear if you can leave after total of 90 days to neighbor country and come immediately back to thailand and get 60 more days plus 30 day extension....how many times is this permitted? obviously some restrictions on how many times in calendar year or you could leave every 90 days over and over for years?

How could someone know they would made this new visa announcement? Very funny. Looks like they like that someone wasted his money 

[newbee2022]

14 hours ago, Robert Paulson said:

Someone explain to me

Well, a job for immigration. You should ask them and report after.🙏

[pomchop]

1 minute ago, Jack1988 said:

How could someone know they would made this new visa announcement? Very funny. Looks like they like that someone wasted his money 

..if you were planning to arrive in the next month or two and did not want to wait til last minute you go online and get and pay for tourist visa....then all  of a sudden they announce new no visa goes into effect in a matter of days...i looked on the thai embasy tourist visa website today  and so far not a word of warning that it was all going to change....no refunds so out of luck for those who just got e tourist visas....thanks thai tourism for the heads up....or not

[Hamus Yaigh]

It's good to see this discussion thread here. The alternative FB page about Thai Visa Advice simply blocks anyone even discussing it until its in the Royal Gazette. I have deleted the bookmark for that site and will just use this site for all information going forward.

[Taboo2]

The struggle is real......to get those tourists and Farangs with money back here.  Might be too late.  

[Jack1988]

14 minutes ago, pomchop said:

..if you were planning to arrive in the next month or two and did not want to wait til last minute you go online and get and pay for tourist visa....then all  of a sudden they announce new no visa goes into effect in a matter of days...i looked on the thai embasy tourist visa website today  and so far not a word of warning that it was all going to change....no refunds so out of luck for those who just got e tourist visas....thanks thai tourism for the heads up....or not

This is ridiculous 

Edited May 29 by Jack1988

[Liquorice]

11 hours ago, theblether said:

"- Adjusting the criteria and conditions for the Long Stay visa for elderly people who wish to spend their retirement in Thailand, starting in September 2024."

 

Oooft - here we go. So where do they go with this? Raising the 65,000 baht monthly qualifier or 800,000 baht in bank? 

 

Let the speculation begin. 

Well, those kinds of statements cause the speculation.

 

From the original article:
 

Quote

In other visa-related changes, tourists aged 50 years and above seeking long-stay visas are now only required to have health insurance coverage of 440,000 baht, down from the previous 3 million baht. This reduction will be effective for long-stay applicants from September to December, according to Mr Chai.

Extensions of stay issued by Immigration are 'permits', not 'visas'.
The temporary reduction of the mandatory Health Insurance, for a limited period, applies only to those applying for a Non Imm O-A visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate.
The criteria for an extension of stay from a Non Imm O-A entry remains unaffected.

[Derek B]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The newly added countries comprise Albania, Cambodia, China, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Romania, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.

The Boys in Brown are going to get really busy. 

 

[Taboo2]

13 hours ago, bob smith said:

what the hell is going on in this country?

 

One minute they can't wait to get rid of us, the next they are welcoming all and sundry with open arms!

 

make your bleedin minds up will you!

 

bob.

Money #1....they are competing with Vietnam for tourist money.  Nothing complicated.

[black tabby12345]

Giving visa-free entry to more 3rd world countries.

And allow them to stay for 60 days in the first place.

On the other hand, those from the 1st world only get 1 month(visa-waived) stay?

 

Edited May 29 by black tabby12345

[george]

Just now, black tabby12345 said:

Giving visa-free entry to more 3rd world countries.

And allow them to stay for 60 days in the first place.

On the other hand, those from the 1st world only get 1 month(visa-waived) entry?

 

 

All countries allowed visa exemption 30 days will get 60 days from June.