Big Thailand visa changes from June 1

[humbug]

14 hours ago, jacob29 said:

It's 180 days per year, not 180 days within 5 years. It's the extension that appears to be once for lifetime of visa.

 

As for being on the radar, you already are if you're here for six months or more a year. How they will act on this information is unknown. I guess this visa could make enforcement easier if they begin to collect additional relevant information as part of the application process, and it will be somewhat obvious if that's the case. I doubt their enforcement will vary much from how other countries do things (I couldn't tell you how EU countries manage enforcement, but presumably they do somehow).

It doesn't say anywhere, only people presuming its the same as other multi entry use visas that can use for 90, or 180 days up to a period of 12 months or 5 years, so far the info says one extension of 180 days, and one more extension of 180 days , and the visa is 5 years

 

If you say you think or presume, then this is where all of us are, confused and unsure of any of the interpretations, of the info the last couple of days, but nothing has been confirmed through the gazzette up to now

 

 

[JayClay]

If this visa is as good as it suggests to some of us, then I imagine both visa agents and schools are worried.

 

Perhaps that's why such an ambiguous announcement was made? Perhaps there's now a "negotiation period" between interested parties in order to add in some additional restrictions and make sure that whoever made the proposal can afford a nice new car this summer.

[John Drake]

9 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

 

Most other countries that have digital nomad visas would require some type of documentation of your income, such as a tax returns (which if you are self employed as is common shows your business name and description) and / or bank statements showing deposits.  Its really not hard to prove you are a legitimate digital nomad.

 

You going to turn that information over to Immigration or other agencies in Thailand? 555

[Phillip9]

3 minutes ago, John Drake said:

You going to turn that information over to Immigration or other agencies in Thailand? 555

Good point.  No, I wouldn't trust them with that.

[humbug]

3 minutes ago, JayClay said:

If this visa is as good as it suggests to some of us, then I imagine both visa agents and schools are worried.

 

Perhaps that's why such an ambiguous announcement was made? Perhaps there's now a "negotiation period" between interested parties in order to add in some additional restrictions and make sure that whoever made the proposal can afford a nice new car this summer.

The Penang announcement was more ambiguous than the other announcements, and that took some doing, earlier news articles, one 180 days and one more extension, 5 year visa, to Penang saying multi entry visa 180 days, 5 year visa

 

then you look at the target audience, cooking, seminars, medical treatment, nomads, muay thai

 

its not just about agents and schools, how about all the other long term visa, privelesge/elite and LTR takes 2-3 months to be accepted

 

then you have BOI, EEC visas, investment visa, retirement visas, marriage visas

 

think about all the easy ways around living in thailand with this new dtv visa

 

then think what hoops everyone else  jumps through just for a 12 month visa 

 

something is really off with this visa announcement

 

No announcement from the gazzette so far, lets see any confirmation, or just delays in any official publushed law announcement

 

 

[steve187]

5 hours ago, humbug said:

It won't just kill elite and ltr, but every visa like retirement, marriage, investment visas, permanant residents, education visas, eec special visas, boi visas, who the hell

would want the hassles of the other visas, when you can get a 5 year visa so easily for cooking, muay thai, nomads

 

I mean why only hate on Elite, when every long term visa class would be affected

 

June 1st now, lets see

I think you are  being a bit premature in praising this new visa, when no-one knows its ins and outs, I doubt it is the savior of the long term stayer

[Maitdjai]

15 hours ago, jacob29 said:

It's 180 days per year, not 180 days within 5 years. It's the extension that appears to be once for lifetime of visa.

 

As for being on the radar, you already are if you're here for six months or more a year. How they will act on this information is unknown. I guess this visa could make enforcement easier if they begin to collect additional relevant information as part of the application process, and it will be somewhat obvious if that's the case. I doubt their enforcement will vary much from how other countries do things (I couldn't tell you how EU countries manage enforcement, but presumably they do somehow).

 

[Mike Teavee]

On 5/30/2024 at 2:05 PM, El Matador said:

"At this time, the government has announced that the visa will only be available from June 2025."

 

Well it seems we can forget the digital nomad visa for next winter. And they have the time to change 10 times their mind.

I still take that 2 months visa exemption instead of waiting weeks for the evisa.

 

"In 2024, foreign tourism on track to generate ฿1.254 trillion, far short of nearly ฿2 trillion generated in 2019. Cabinet wants ฿3 trillion in receipts"

 

Interesting to see that despite a high number of tourists, the money coming from tourism has dropped by a lot. It gives an idea about the current opening towards Russian, Chinese and Indian tourists. It hasn't attracted wealthy tourists.

DTV site says it will be available later this month or early July...

The new DTV visa is expected to take effect in late June or early July 2024 as part of their short-term measures

 

It also suggests that you can use it to enter Thailand for up to 180 days each year for 5 years... 

 

 

 

 

 

[Maitdjai]

14 minutes ago, steve187 said:

I think you are  being a bit premature in praising this new visa, when no-one knows its ins and outs, I doubt it is the savior of the long term stayer

That's what I said. 180 days, times 2 = 360 days. Within 5 years.
If you used up 360 days, in whatever timeframe, you might apply for a “new” one (360 days, to use within 5 years).
That's how I understand it.
Who thinks, he can bounce out every 180 days, coming back, as many times he likes, each time for max. 180 days in a period of 5 years…
Lol, this would be Easter-, Christmas-, and New Year's Day on the same date. This will never happen.
Because it would ridicule, all other types of visa/eos. 

In the end, it's only about government revenue (where I can follow), but also half cooked, in context with xenophobia.

 

[Caldera]

With regards to the DTV, I'd caution that lots of people initially got excited about the SMART visa and the LTR visa as well. Once all the details and requirements were made available, however, many people realized that they don't actually qualify.

 

At this point, there's too much speculation and too little known facts.

 

Also keep in mind that the Thai authorities weren't even able to roll out the visa exempt change by today, which is a very minor change in comparison to rolling out a new visa type. I wouldn't be surprised if that will require several iterations of decision-making - leading to significant delays.

[Pattaya57]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

DTV site says it will be available later this month or early July...

The new DTV visa is expected to take effect in late June or early July 2024 as part of their short-term measures

 

It also suggests that you can use it to enter Thailand for up to 180 days each year for 5 years... 

 

 

 

 

 

That dtv site is just a made up site by some random. Why do you think it's official?

[Mike Teavee]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

That dtv site is just a made up site by some random. Why do you think it's official?

I don't claim it's an Official site, just saying that the site has been updated to say the Visa will be available later this month/early July in response to somebody stating (without posting any links) that it won't be available until  June 2025.

 

[jacob29]

46 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

That's what I said. 180 days, times 2 = 360 days. Within 5 years.
If you used up 360 days, in whatever timeframe, you might apply for a “new” one (360 days, to use within 5 years).
That's how I understand it.

How are you going to wait four years to extend without overstay? Visa durations begin from when you get stamped in.

 

I agree something seems fishy with the visa as it has been detailed (too good to be true), I'm expecting there to be a catch with proof of digital nomad (or paid for education course etc).

[michael888]

Has anyone come in and got 60 days exempt yet?  If so, please post from where and how it went.  Add relevant details as well please. thanks.  

[Maitdjai]

2 minutes ago, jacob29 said:

How are you going to wait four years to extend without overstay? Visa durations begin from when you get stamped in.

 

I agree something seems fishy with the visa as it has been detailed (too good to be true), I'm expecting there to be a catch with proof of digital nomad (or paid for education course etc).

“Duration”  of allowed stay, is the stamp for 180 days. You can extend after the 180 days (1 time) for another 180 days at the local IO, or stamp out.
And, reentry for another 180, after you left the country. In both cases, (if you used up 360 days) the visa gets void.
There is no “long stay”. That would be logical, and that's how I get it, when I consider their mentioned  “one time extension”.
“Validity” is the period of time, you can use the visa, to enter the country. 
Like the usual Non-Immigrant-ME, O and B, have one year validity.
You can enter the country on the 365th day, to get stamped (in the last time) for the corresponding days of the visa type.
 After that, t's void, and time for shopping again.

So the 5 years “Validity”, or who knows, what they ever mean by that, is the “key” point of it all.
So waiting about further details, and what they're going to fiddle around in the small prints, is the best to do.
I don't expect any breakthrough.
 

[humbug]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

I think you are  being a bit premature in praising this new visa, when no-one knows its ins and outs, I doubt it is the savior of the long term stayer

I think similar to you, but many on here are taking the ball and running with it in a different direction, due to little information, ambuguity, and very ambiguous from Penang

 

All along I see i info on 1 extension of 180 days and One more extension only for 180 days, which will tben use up the visa, which is valid for 5 years,

 

Many things can change and subject to change

 

but thats how I read it so far, its also how integrity legal reads it so far, but many here think its 180 days each year for 5 years

 

so really at the moment, it looks lime it can used 2 times of 180 days within a 5 year period, which means it will never affect other visas

[Sheryl]

12 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

“Duration”  of allowed stay, is the stamp for 180 days. You can extend after the 180 days (1 time) for another 180 days at the local IO, or stamp out.
And, reentry for another 180, after you left the country. In both cases, (if you used up 360 days) the visa gets void.
There is no “long stay”. That would be logical, and that's how I get it, when I consider their mentioned  “one time extension”.
“Validity” is the period of time, you can use the visa, to enter the country. 
Like the usual Non-Immigrant-ME, O and B, have one year validity.
You can enter the country on the 365th day, to get stamped (in the last time) for the corresponding days of the visa type.
 After that, t's void, and time for shopping again.

So the 5 years “Validity”, or who knows, what they ever mean by that, is the “key” point of it all.
So waiting about further details, and what they're going to fiddle around in the small prints, is the best to do.
I don't expect any breakthrough.
 

 

This is far from clear to me and would be most unusual. The validity of a Visa is the date shown when the Visa is issued and refers to using the Visa for entry.

 

Extension of permission of  stay (POS) after entry would not normally  affect Visa validity and certainly not void an otherwise unexpired  multiple entry visa.

 

To my understanding, you are allowed unlimited entries for a 5 year period and will be stamped in for 180 day permission of stay at each entry.

 

The "one time extension" part is what is unclear. It is obvious that after extending one permission of  stay by 180 days you can't extend that POS  further (would have to  leave the country and come back) but it is not clear whether you could do another extension of a different POS after a different entry within the same visa period.

 

And since it is not clear, we can likely anticipate differing interpretations by different IOs.

 

Also, while it is a 5 year visa, cannot assume there will be no pushback from airport/border IOs if making back to back entries..or re-entries after a very short interval. May get the same "living here without correct visa" sort of thing that people currently report t times doing this with other visa types or visa exempt.

 

 

[Maitdjai]

24 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Duration of stay after entry would not normally  affect Visa validity and certainly not void an otherwise unexpired  visa.

It could be get categorized, aka. a single entry visa. After stamping in, 'its void, marked as “used”, or just crossed out with a remark.
(like re-entry permits) and it doesn't matter how much time of validity is left. Just imagine a “2 entry visa”, which also gets voided (used), by local IO after one extension. Everything is possible, and you never know what they're making up.
It will be not the hassle-free DN “super-wellness-long-stay-package”, for sure.

[jacob29]

57 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

 

 

 

57 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

 

You can enter the country on the 365th day, to get stamped (in the last time) for the corresponding days of the visa type.

 

Yes but you haven't delayed anything by doing so - it was active the whole time up to that last day, and if you didn't take advantage of it you wasted that part of the visa. Which is how the 5 year elite visa works to effectively get you six years.

 

Never mind that it wouldn't make sense to provide evidence of education course or digital nomad, some 3-4 years in the future. There's just no sense whatsoever in providing a 5 year enter by date. I would expect the enter by date will be commensurate with other visa types (a few months within approval).

[Mike Teavee]

2 hours ago, michael888 said:

Has anyone come in and got 60 days exempt yet?  If so, please post from where and how it went.  Add relevant details as well please. thanks.  

There have been a couple of reports in the other thread saying people have been getting 30 days at BKK Airport 

[VBF]

19 hours ago, jacob29 said:

Not stupid if you want to stay 180 days a year, as you almost certainly will get heat from immigration doing that for long enough.

 

Tax implications at 180 days apply whether you're working or not, so that's not a consideration either (never mind the fact a digital nomad is usually paying tax somewhere already, so it's not like much changes beyond the brackets if that's Thailand).

I would have thought that, almost by definition, a digital nomad isn't likely to spend 180 days in one place(?)

Isn't that the idea of being one?  Otherwise one is simply a working expat with all that entails.

[El Matador]

3 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I don't claim it's an Official site, just saying that the site has been updated to say the Visa will be available later this month/early July in response to somebody stating (without posting any links) that it won't be available until  June 2025.

 

It is written in this article which was posted in this thread : https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/05/30/visa-liberalisation-measures-unveiled-with-dtv-visa-for-living-and-working-in-thailand-legally/

 

It could be a mistake though. But the article is well detailed.

[jacob29]

21 minutes ago, VBF said:

I would have thought that, almost by definition, a digital nomad isn't likely to spend 180 days in one place(?)

Isn't that the idea of being one?  Otherwise one is simply a working expat with all that entails.

180 days is the sweet spot for many, keeping under tax residency threshold, which makes the visa conditions a little odd if this is partly intended to boost tax revenue. 

 

Granted, if you are a non resident it's still considered Thai source income and you should be paying tax still, but that's a whole topic in itself.

[Mike Teavee]

37 minutes ago, El Matador said:

It is written in this article which was posted in this thread : https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/05/30/visa-liberalisation-measures-unveiled-with-dtv-visa-for-living-and-working-in-thailand-legally/

 

It could be a mistake though. But the article is well detailed.

Thanks, I missed this... 

 

Strange that they would announce a new Visa type that is bound to draw a lot of interest & then say that it won't be available for at least 1 year. 

 

Only reason I can think of for it taking so long to bring in is they need to make some changes to the Immigration Systems which might add weight to the argument that the Visa is a Cumulative Visa (I.E. Multi-Entry up to a maximum of 180 days in any one year with 1 extension allowed so you could spend 360 days in one of the 5 years). 

 

Again, pure speculation until we know more information but I suspect things will go very quiet on this for awhile if it really is going to take 1 year to bring it in. 

[Lorry]

9 hours ago, JimTripper said:

It's only good for 6 months a year

But you know that you just made this up.

Having said that,  it may be true.

[Maitdjai]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

This is far from clear to me and would be most unusual. The validity of a Visa is the date shown when the Visa is issued and refers to using the Visa for entry.

 

Extension of permission of  stay (POS) after entry would not normally  affect Visa validity and certainly not void an otherwise unexpired  multiple entry visa.

 

To my understanding, you are allowed unlimited entries for a 5 year period and will be stamped in for 180 day permission of stay at each entry.

 

The "one time extension" part is what is unclear. It is obvious that after extending one permission of  stay by 180 days you can't extend that POS  further (would have to  leave the country and come back) but it is not clear whether you could do another extension of a different POS after a different entry within the same visa period.

 

And since it is not clear, we can likely anticipate differing interpretations by different IOs.

 

Also, while it is a 5 year visa, cannot assume there will be no pushback from airport/border IOs if making back to back entries..or re-entries after a very short interval. May get the same "living here without correct visa" sort of thing that people currently report t times doing this with other visa types or visa exempt.

 

 

Dream on!
After it's coming out, that it will take another year, until it's introduced (if at all), it is the usual “hot air”, and a lot of smoke about nothing.
One year time, for the desk-jockeys, to put their two cents into the small print. In the end, they might create another bureaucrat monster, that could “boost” the photocopy industry. But not too many want to, or can qualify for.

[ravip]

So... The THE DAY arrived and is almost passing by,

What's the summary?

[george]

12 minutes ago, ravip said:

So... The THE DAY arrived and is almost passing by,

What's the summary?

 

The 30/60 days exemption is discussed in this thread:

 

[JimTripper]

27 minutes ago, ravip said:

So... The THE DAY arrived and is almost passing by,

What's the summary?

Not midnight yet. Check back next month.

[humbug]

5 hours ago, El Matador said:

It is written in this article which was posted in this thread : https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2024/05/30/visa-liberalisation-measures-unveiled-with-dtv-visa-for-living-and-working-in-thailand-legally/

 

It could be a mistake though. But the article is well detailed.

That article is a mess, in fact that news site has always been a mess to read on most articles

 

Integrity legal from a pattaya mail article in my mind hit the nail on their youtube on dtv

 

180 days then one more 180 days then the 5 year visa is void

 

they also suspect many limitations to deposits and bonds just for basically 2x 180 day extensions within a 5 year period

 

and repeat that everything is subject to change

 

So many on here went with unlimited extensions of 180 days, then 180 days every 12 months, to the reality of maybe only 2x 180 days then the 5 year visa is used

 

Now it maybe delayed for another 3 months, 6 months or 12 months

 

This topic will end up wasting most peoples time, as for any long term visa stayers, will never use or want this new dtv