Destination Thailand Visa Gains Popularity Among Expats

[arick]

They will be coming around everyday ro check your at class.  If your not out they go.

[AdamRich]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

So do you have to show you are earning money from your 'remote' work or can you just get the visa sit back and do naff all ? apart from a boarder run every 6 months ?

Yes. They originally asked me for a letter from the employer saying I could work remotely. Then they asked for a contract and a July Payslip. Then right before the approval they asked me for a current payslip.

[ujayujay]

Are you kidding me? Popularity, especially after the introduction of the new tax system for foreigners

[Tim K]

Got DTV 4 Sep in Phnom Penh, based on dental appointment,
525k in Kasikorn, no pay slips.
more details in my post

[renaissanc]

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

and they make you report your location every 90 days like a criminal and notify them within 24 hours if stay in another province and then return home. It's like you're on house arrest and were granted a temporary release. You could literally be married to the same person 40 years and in the same house and you'll have to repeat this process until you die.

I have 22 years to go until I'm 90 and I wonder if Immigration will discover before then that the renewal process could be done online. If I live to 95 or 100 will the process be even longer than about 90 minutes + their lunchtime break each time + the two-hour return drive to Immigration + the journey to "fung pon" a month later?

Edited September 7 by renaissanc

[john donson]

3 hours ago, renaissanc said:

Please improve the Marriage Visa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been doing the one year extensions with all the forms, photos, and piles of documents for nearly 40 years now.

 

 

if only, we would be default RESIDENTS... taxed and no rights and only red tape...

[atpeace]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I agree one day to do my Marriage extension leave home on Koh Chang, take a 9am ferry, home at 4.30 pm, I do all the paperwork in that time too, even the home visit now, is not too bad no BMW anymore with a gang of officers, just the one guy from the Island's sub-office. 90day easy for me I do it on my way to do shopping on KC. 

It helps to live near a user friendly office.  In Ubon it would be the same.  Easy for retirement or Marriage.  It can be a nightmare in some offices but even those bad offices are improving the last 5 years.  Expats here have it easy  IMO.

[atpeace]

Planning on trying this visa out this year. Plan on travelling outside the country often and think it might be a good option. 

 

Buying a new car soon and worry about a residency permit which is needed to put the car in your name.  Could always put it in the wife's name but that creates other issues when I cross boarders.  Anyone out there that got a residency permit on a tourist visa/DTV?

[brianthainess]

5 minutes ago, atpeace said:

It helps to live near a user friendly office.  In Ubon it would be the same.  Easy for retirement or Marriage.  It can be a nightmare in some offices but even those bad offices are improving the last 5 years.  Expats here have it easy  IMO.

I find Trat IO quite user friendly I have just followed their list for 7 years, no problems and no changes. But they still don't like the work it involves for them, every year the same, "why you not get retire visa" Winge winge "its soo mut work".... cry me a river.

[atpeace]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

I find Trat IO quite user friendly I have just followed their list for 7 years, no problems and no changes. But they still don't like the work it involves for them, every year the same, "why you not get retire visa" Winge winge "its soo mut work".... cry me a river.

Yep - that is why I switched from marriage to Retirement but thinking this year I'll go with the DTV because of my travel plans that hopefully become a reality 🙂

[brianthainess]

4 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Buying a new car soon and worry about a residency permit which is needed to put the car in your name. 

Try getting a Yellow house book and pink card, is my advise, not only that you can use it to get your DL , and they use the pink card number, so even if you you get a new passport the number remains the same on your license.

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Yep - that is why I switched from marriage to Retirement but thinking this year I'll go with the DTV because of my travel plans that hopefully become a reality 🙂

You changed to Retirement becoz immigration asked you to ? 

[ElwoodP]

4 hours ago, AlaskaDave said:

 

I saw a YouTube video a few weeks ago, an interview of an Interior Ministry official, that said the funds did not have to be in a Thai bank. I'm here on a Marriage Visa and would love to be able to use the DVT instead because it would make my life here so much easier. This recent report is encouraging but I'm not planning to apply for one until the details settle. By the way, the Interior Ministry official was positively exuberant about the DVT but it's the Immigration department that controls visas so it would be wise to keep your enthusiasm in check.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs controls VISAs (outside Thailand).

Immigration only control VISA extensions (inside Thailand).

[atpeace]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

Try getting a Yellow house book and pink card, is my advise, not only that you can use it to get your DL , and they use the pink card number, so even if you you get a new passport the number remains the same on your license.

I didn't think of this option. I'm not officially married.  Can you get a yellow house book/pink card on a retirement visa?  I have a drivers license already but think the yellow book would enable me to put the new car in my name.

[retarius]

God sales of this vista musty be pitiful; they are trying to hard with articles every week.

[atpeace]

4 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

You changed to Retirement becoz immigration asked you to ? 

Yes, they always asked (not forced) why not switch to a retirement.  It is easier but the marriage is quite easy too.

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, atpeace said:

I didn't think of this option. I'm not officially married.  Can you get a yellow house book/pink card on a retirement visa?  I have a drivers license already but think the yellow book would enable me to put the new car in my name.

Sorry can't answer that question I would get your 'Wife' to ring your local Amphur office. 

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Yes, they always asked (not forced) why not switch to a retirement.  It is easier but the marriage is quite easy too.

So you bent to their wishes, to save them so much work, no way would I lock up so much money just so they don't have to work so hard, I'm self funded for medical expenses, and may need to withdraw my money straight away, or even for house/car repairs etc. 

[sabai-dee-man]

Funny seeing all the posters on this forum b!tch!ng about overstayers and those bucking the system on ED visas "ruining Thailand for everyone else", are now all on the DTV threads trying to work out how they can exploit it themselves. 🙄 🙄 🙄 

Edited September 7 by sabai-dee-man

[moe666]

4 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

and they make you report your location every 90 days like a criminal and notify them within 24 hours if stay in another province and then return home. It's like you're on house arrest and were granted a temporary release. You could literally be married to the same person 40 years and in the same house and you'll have to repeat this process until you die.

I have been doing the retirement visa for 15 years now and really it takes a few hours once a year and then every 90 days 30 min. Never felt like I was in house arrest. It really is about what you think it is as opposed to what it is

[ujayujay]

4 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

and they make you report your location every 90 days like a criminal and notify them within 24 hours if stay in another province and then return home. It's like you're on house arrest and were granted a temporary release. You could literally be married to the same person 40 years and in the same house and you'll have to repeat this process until you die.

You have the choice of which country you want to live in. If you are not prepared to follow the rules, you can leave...

[JimTripper]

5 hours ago, Lanny Wilkinson said:

What documentation is required of the 500,000 Baht? 

Do you know how to get a bank balance letter? Let me know if you need help.

[atpeace]

17 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So you bent to their wishes, to save them so much work, no way would I lock up so much money just so they don't have to work so hard, I'm self funded for medical expenses, and may need to withdraw my money straight away, or even for house/car repairs etc. 

In a way yes. Money wasn't a concern but maybe it should have been.  The money was in the account for years and that is why they were probably more pushy.

[Kerryd]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

That is not true IME.

Twas and is in some places.

Couple years before Covid. They announced that anyone who left their "residence" and stayed somewhere else for more than a day was required to report themselves to the local immigration office or police station. If you were in a "good" hotel, they'd report you so you didn't have to.

For example, you leave Pattaya and travel to Chiang Mai for 2 days and stay at "mom's" house. Technically on day 2 you are required to notify Immigration of your location.
Then you go to Pai and spend 2 days there. Again, unless you're in a hotel that reports for you, you are supposed to notify Immigration on day 2. 
Then you go to Petchabun for 2 days. Same deal.

And then when you go home, you are supposed to notify Immigration again within 24 hours.

Jomtien was one of the first places to say - "not required so long as you return to the same address already on record".

I recall that people were saying in other places, they did expect you to report in.

But that was years ago and they may have let that one slide to the "too much work - just ignore it" pile like it seems they've  done with the "Bank Book" check 90 days after getting a new Extension of Temporary Stay.

[brianthainess]

Just now, Kerryd said:

Twas and is in some places.

Couple years before Covid. They announced that anyone who left their "residence" and stayed somewhere else for more than a day was required to report themselves to the local immigration office or police station. If you were in a "good" hotel, they'd report you so you didn't have to.

For example, you leave Pattaya and travel to Chiang Mai for 2 days and stay at "mom's" house. Technically on day 2 you are required to notify Immigration of your location.
Then you go to Pai and spend 2 days there. Again, unless you're in a hotel that reports for you, you are supposed to notify Immigration on day 2. 
Then you go to Petchabun for 2 days. Same deal.

And then when you go home, you are supposed to notify Immigration again within 24 hours.

Jomtien was one of the first places to say - "not required so long as you return to the same address already on record".

I recall that people were saying in other places, they did expect you to report in.

But that was years ago and they may have let that one slide to the "too much work - just ignore it" pile like it seems they've  done with the "Bank Book" check 90 days after getting a new Extension of Temporary Stay.

Yes that was years ago, the 90day check they can do, from your bank book when you apply for your new extension.

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, ujayujay said:

You have the choice of which country you want to live in. If you are not prepared to follow the rules, you can leave...

or they could make better rules that don't waste our time 🤷

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

I have been doing the retirement visa for 15 years now and really it takes a few hours once a year and then every 90 days 30 min. Never felt like I was in house arrest. It really is about what you think it is as opposed to what it is

sure it's not the worst thing in the world but it's a waste of time and resources. There's no reason to check up on a person every 90 days or make them report their residence every time they travel, especially if they've had a clean record for years on end. If it's money they're after then just ask for the money but stop making us jump through hoops.

[Kerryd]

In the initial reports they said the "500,000 baht" (or equivalent) did NOT have to be in a Thai bank.
(About 11,200 GBPs, 13,300 Euros or 14,800 US).

So if you could show a balance of (whatever equivalent amount in your home currency) in a bank (with your name on the account) that was supposed to be good enough.

Kind of like the only thing you needed to qualify as a "digital nomad" was a "letter of employment" (or contract or whatever) from your employer. (Or mom or cousin's boyfriend that works part time at a Copy shop.)
I'm sure there's a lot of "virtual" employers out there and how is anyone in Thailand or at an Embassy going to check or verify them ?

This DVT sounds way too good to be true. 

And it's not a "border run every 180 days". 
It's a 180 day stay, extended another 180 days at an Immigration office for 1,900 baht and THEN a border run to get a new 180 day stamp.
Rinse, recycle and repeat for 5 years, then get a new Visa.

If you already have the money in the bank and don't need it, then the DVT isn't much of an option. Still have to go to Immigration and pay 1,900 every year. Still have to report every 90 days. But don't have to do a border run once every 359th or 360th day.

For those who've had to use an "agent" to help them meet the requirements though, this could save them a lot of money.

Just sign up for Somchai's School of Thai Cooking, soon with branches in every beer bar in your area that has a propane tank and grill !
You can learn to cook, eat and drink beer while watching footie on the tele at the same time !

(I can just imagine it. Couple years from now, a line of old, fat, white-haired geezers standing outside of Immigration trying to Extend their DVTs and having to prove they've actually been in a cooking school by demonstrating what they've learned on a row of charcoal grills lined up down the street.)

And there's a thought. You get the DVT from an Embassy outside the country. Say you're in Oz or America or Germany.
How are they going to verify that Somchai's School of Cooking and Short Time bar is an accredited school when you are applying for the Visa ?

How are they going to verify that you've actually been going to classes ? If you are living in Pattaya and do a border run to Poi Pet when your 180 day Extension is up, who's going to check if you actually have been going to cooking school ?

And 5 years down the road, when you go to an Embassy (outside the country) to get a new DVT, same thing. How are they going to verify anything ?

Remember when they had to crack down on the Language schools because people weren't actually attending them ? They could do that because you were renewing your extension locally - not from another country - so they could actually check the schools to see if people were actually attending classes.

Going to be interesting to see what happens with this over the next couple of years. Right now it seems ripe for abuse.

[daveAustin]

Will keep an eye on it vs retirement but the latter is not a biggie and is established. The TM30/report thing is a pain but is what it is...Thais are ott with paperwork but it is the same for them when they do anything. What if they line up with our countries and make it really tough, bung 3M in the bank etc? Reckon it's all getting a bit too easy... people will be complaining when they find theirselves rubbing shoulders with numpties. I know I will. Stay in your own countries, please, numpties. 🙂

Edited September 7 by daveAustin

[John Drake]

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I wonder what countries the majority of these  Nomads are from. 

 

My Twitter/X feed and FB videos seem to have quite a lot of these nomads who make travel videos (mostly from one or two locales outside their condos). They're giving advice on visas, renting condos, and how to get jobs in Thailand. Most are late 20s to early 30s, male, and from the UK or US. Seems to me they're overpaying for most things, but I'm on the outskirts of Bangkok and rarely venture into the interior.